Beef Stew

We've had a few days of beautiful spring weather. Of course, these have also happened to be the days that I haven't felt well. On Friday, Wayne took Tyler to the park.

Today was a dreary, yet warm day. This evening, the rain really poured. As we enjoyed listening to the rain, I was kind of bummed thinking about the forecast for cooler days this week. And, I was reminded of a recipe I've been meaning to share. Last weekend, we made a simple beef stew. We started with the Absent Cook Stew and an Irish beef stew and made our own adaptation. Of course, we adjusted seasonings at the end, and you'd want to do that too. We served it over mashed potatoes. Add a green salad and some dinner rolls and you're set.

Beef Stew

2 lbs stewing beef, cubed
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, sliced
10 ¾ oz can tomato soup
3 bay leaves
¾ cup Guinness stout
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Either add a thickener (flour or cornstarch/water) or 3 large potatoes, chopped.

Combine ingredients in a slow cooker. Cook on low for 10-12 hours.