Good Eats: Carne Guisada

Here's my first attempt at putting a wonderful recipe on my blog. I am an avid food lover. Being on a budget means that I've got to do the cooking if I want some good food. So if your nightly dinner routine needs a boost, try this recipe next week. Carne guisada is a tex-mex, slowly cooked, stew meat in a sort of gravy sauce. I could eat it every day. It can be cooked with pork, beef or chicken, but pork is my favorite. Now please excuse my amateur stab at this. I am no Pioneer Woman. The counter stains are real, the spices are mostly Walmart brand, and the camera shots are one step up from a disposable camera! Here we go!

The list of ingredients; Beef Stew Meat, Oil, Flour, Water, Tomato Sauce, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Pepper, Chili Powder, Salt

First, you brown your meat in a piping hot skillet with oil. I like to get the pan literally smoking hot to get a nice brown on the meat. Warning: Be very careful putting the meat in your skillet. The ugly burn scar on my stomach is testament to the tragedy that can happen if your not paying attention to what you are doing.

When the meat juices begin to evaporate (or after about 2 minutes) add your flour. Stir around till flour browns. You see those nice little crumbles in the pan mean extra goodness. Throw the meat and all other ingredients into a crock pot on low for about 6 hours.

Then magic appears in the crock pot! You will end up with incredibly tender meat and a delicious gravy/stewy sauce. Serve with tortillas (to dab up all the good sauce) or Mexican rice!

Carne Guisada

2 lbs. Stew Meat (pork or beef, use only 1 lb. if your not feeding a huge crowd)

2 tsp. vegetable oil
2 Tbs. flour
2 c. water
1 c. tomato sauce (or juice, or paste, or whole tomatoes)
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 can green chilies (optional, only if you like spicy)
1 small onion chopped (optional)

Heat skillet with oil on high. Add meat and start frying. When meat juices begin to evaporate, add flour. Cook and stir till meat and flour is browned. Add meat and the rest of the ingredients to the crock pot. Cook on low for about 6 hours. Serve with flour tortillas or over rice.

William's Anniversary

To my dear sweet William,


Today marks the one year anniversary since we lost you. I miss you dearly and think of that day all the time. It's the nights when I can't sleep that I lie in bed thinking of the last time I held you in my arms. Thoughts of the pain, exhaustion, and grief swirl through my head. It was such terrifying time in our life.


Your Dad sometimes thinks about what you would be doing now, if we had gotten to keep you. Your first laugh, sitting up on your own, starting to crawl. For some reason, I can't even imagine those things. You were never ours to keep. You were always meant to stay with God. I'm glad you never had to shed a tear, have your heart broken, or learn to question God. I imagine you as a 6 year old boy running in the clouds with Jesus watching over you.


Life is full of ironies. When I first found out I was pregnant with you, I was so upset and shocked that I wouldn't let your Dad discuss your existence with me for a whole week. I wanted to pretend that you didn't exist, until I could wrap my brain around having another baby. Now a week doesn't go by without me thinking of you.

Before you came into our lives, I had always assumed I'd have a big family full of kids. Now I thank God for giving me Clare and hope more kids are in our future. We've learned not to assume anything. God has a plan for our family, and I just have to wait and see what it is.

We miss you dearly and wish we could see your sweet face again. Please watch over your little family here on earth. I hope that if I make it to heaven one day, you are the first person I see walking me towards those pearly gates. I love you, William.

Love Always,

Mommy

Fondue Fun

I am very lucky to be a part of an amazing Mommy and Me group with Christ the King. These ladies are my sanity some days. We laugh, we over share, we watch our kids play, and we grow great friendships in the process. For our latest Mom's Night Out, I hosted a massive fondue party for us. Two hot oil pots, one chocolate, and one marshmellow pot. Not to mention pitchers of margaritas and beerritas. It was a night to remember. Thank you ladies for all the fun!