| Steak and Stout Stew |
[May. 14th, 2008|04:43 pm] |
This is a variation of a meal I had last night at the Cricketeer's Arms, an English pub down here in Orlando. They offered a fantastic Steak and Stout stew that was served in a large heated ceramic mug with a pastry dough shell on top, chips and mixed vegetables on the side. I savored it slowly and practically purred the whole time. Then, as I often do, I took notes and looked up the recipe on Epicurious and found something that almost exactly resembled the stew itself.
So, I decided to use a few tricks from my Guinness Beef and Vegetable Stew and enhanced their recipe. As I prefer to find my vegetables IN the stew, and all it had was carrots in it, I decided to add mushrooms and tomatoes for extra heartiness. Also, I find adding thyme to any beef dish is a great compliment, so that went in as well. Finally, I varied how the meat is prepared, as marinating the meat makes it far more tender. Special thanks to Andy and Sara for assisting in suggestions and cleanup of the formatting.
Steak and Stout Stew
3 pounds sirloin, cleaned and chopped into 1 1/2" chunks
8 to 15 ounces mushrooms (to taste), drained and sliced
Worcestershire sauce
ground black pepper
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 cup chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, smashed
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 12-ounce bottle dark beer (such as stout)
1 14-ounce can low-salt beef broth
1 pound baby carrots with some green tops attached, peeled
1 15-ounce can tomatoes, diced
Marinate the sirloin and mushrooms in the Worcestershire and black pepper for 2 to 4 hours (or overnight if you desire). In a large iron pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In small batches, quickly sear the meat on all sides, about 5 to 8 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove the meat with all of its juices, then saute the mushrooms for 5 minutes. Remove to a separate bowl for later.
Add the onions, garlic and herbs to the pot and saute until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and flour, then stir for 1 minute. Pour the beer into the pot, and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits, stirring continuously for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth, meat and reserved juices. Cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes. Add the carrots, tomatoes and mushrooms, then only partially recover the pot and simmer for another 45 to 60 minutes, or until the stew is thickened and dark.
Produces 8 to 12 servings. |
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| Wedding Photos |
[Apr. 1st, 2008|02:30 pm] |
I've finally gone through and done some sifting and cleanup work, and have picked a selection of 500 of the wedding photos posted by everyone that I have access to. This is also a reasonably family-friendly selection, as well. :)
http://picasaweb.google.com/DeusInnomen/DundonSchweissWedding |
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| zomg married |
[Mar. 17th, 2008|04:54 pm] |
... fuckin' hell do we know how to throw a party!
Epic wedding is done and we're recovering at home for the moment. Brunch with the family was wonderful, I always absolutely love getting to see my family outside of my parents, and Aimee gets along with them grandly.
We leave tomorrow morning for Door County and will be back on Saturday sometime. Much love to everyone who was there with us at the wedding, in spirit as well as in person, and for supporting us up to now and for the rest of our lives. Eventually, once things settle down here and the house hunting is done and settled (maybe mid-May), we'll throw a party for everybody we couldn't invite to the wedding.
But for now, we have much to do and so little to give a darn about. :)
Pictures are being collected, arranged and presented by ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) beknatok, so watch for a post by him. There's some seriously amazing pictures already showing up, and we really want to hear any stories from the floor if you have 'em. :) |
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[Mar. 16th, 2008|12:38 pm] |
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BBL, getting married. |
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| Xbox 360 Live Subscription Card |
[Dec. 20th, 2007|10:42 am] |
Hey, if there's anybody else out there who also needs to renew their subscription to Xbox Live on the 360, Buy.com has the 12-I-Mean-13 Month Gold Card for only $38.99 with free shipping. Which is better than the normal $49.99 + Tax you get auto-charged for thet 12-month auto renewal. :)
Real post later. Must code now. |
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| Experimental Cooking: Stroganoff Variant |
[Dec. 3rd, 2007|08:33 am] |
| [ | Tags | | | recipes | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | settling into work | ] |
This was a bit of an experiment with last night's dinner to add a little pep and texture to an old classic.
( Beef Stroganoff with Tomaotes ) |
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| WTB: iPhone, can trade a Treo 750. |
[Oct. 12th, 2007|01:29 pm] |
Hey folks, I'm looking to trade in my Treo 750 for an iPhone, of either size although I'm actually partial to the 4GB one, and either new or used is fine with me. In the long run, I know I'll be happier with the iPhone after seeing what Aimee's done with hers, plus it'll drop our bill due to the less expensive data plan.
I'm willing to outright buy the iPhone if the price is reasonable, or trade my Treo 750 with a 2GB miniSD card and leather holster, plus cash if you feel it's worth more (particularly if it's the 8GB version you're offering.) Also, if you do not have one for sale but you know somebody who does, I'd appreciate that knowledge. Looking at eBay and Craigslist has been a depressing game of "Spot the Fakes and Ripoff Artist." Seriously, there are people stupid enough to bid more than the retail cost of the 8GB iPhone for the 4GB model, what the hell is up with that? I'm sure as hell not paying anything more than $400, cause I can walk into the Apple store today and buy the 8GB model for that. *shakes head*
If you're interested in the Treo by itself but can't help me obtain an iPhone, I'll be willing to sell it once I get my hands on an iPhone.
Contact me privately regarding this, if ya can. Thanks in advance. |
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| Stuff For Sale |
[Jul. 24th, 2007|08:15 am] |
This is a reminder that we have a bunch of stuff going up for sale listed here: http://deusinnomen.livejournal.com/257630.html :)
Just added is the Athlon 64 processor that I have left over after upgrading recently and Aimee's 27" CRT TV! |
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| Stuff For Sale |
[Jul. 20th, 2007|10:18 am] |
There's going to be several things I'll be selling from my apartment, mostly things I know for a fact won't be needed after this month. I'll update this post as things are added and sold, and as I get pictures.
All Prices Considered "Asking Price or Best Offer!"
Bush Computer Armoir: As mentioned in my last post, my sizeable computer desk is still for sale. Asking price is $100, it's in good shape, needs a little cleaning before I hand it off to someone. Slight damage (not visible) to the lower left peg holding up the shelf above the monitor, but provided you use care when assembling, the shelf itself remains strong. Pictures available here: http://www.bushfurniture.com/bushindustries/bushfurniture/productdetail/productdetail4.jsp?id=HM39485&id4=O3
Simple Entertainment Center: I'm only asking about $30 for this thing, cause it's in great shape. I just don't have a need for it anymore. We'll be looking into buying a nice new entertainment center that can fit all our equipment and media better once we get the house purchased. I'll add a picture as soon as I can over the weekend to replace this description, but basically it sits about just shy of two feet high, a foot and a half deep and three-ish feet wide. The sides have media shelves which fit DVDs and console games nicely, and the middle is three shelves, the top being open air and the bottom two being concealed by doors.
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Processor: Socket 939 processor, used for awhile before being upgraded. Asking $30 for it.
Toshiba 27D46 27" CRT TV: Aimee's TV is going to be replaced with my TV, so her 27" TV is up for grabs. This one runs for anywhere from $260 to $300 new, and we're asking $125 OBO for it. It's pretty much like new, we just don't need 2 TVs. :)
More added as I sort and pack. |
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| Moving Forward |
[Jun. 26th, 2007|02:21 pm] |
Well then, now to address some of the engagement questions being bounced off me right now. :)
( Engagement Stuff ) |
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| :) |
[Jun. 23rd, 2007|09:43 pm] |
So, guess what?
( :) ) |
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| Relay for Life Fundraising |
[Jun. 12th, 2007|09:31 am] |
Hey folks. As some of you are aware, uofirob's brother Tony died last week from complications arising from his ongoing battle with cancer. He and his sister will be walking in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event later this month. He is asking for donations to help the ACS continue to fight and hopefully find a cure for cancer, so if any of you are interested in donation to such a cause, please make a donation here at Rob's Relay for Life page.
It'd mean a lot to us if you are able to help him out. Thanks guys. |
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| That whole "account/community suspension over 'questionable' interests" thing from yesterday |
[May. 31st, 2007|09:03 am] |
Ok, I decided to keep out of the huge uproar yesterday over a particular activist group who pushed Livejournal to suspend hundreds of accounts based purely on inclusion of any interest that would indicate (if you didn't look at anything else about the profile or journal itself) their interest or involvement in sensitive issues like rape or pedophilia. If you somehow missed the action, Aeshira posted a good summary here: http://voodoolimbo.livejournal.com/1301830.html
And here's why, cause it pretty much reinforces why I enjoy Livejournal as a business and not just a community: They know how to say "I'm Sorry" when they screw up.
So, the sky is no longer falling and the pieces are presently being glued back into their proper places. I hope this whole thing is done now, and LJ itself will be more careful in the future about suspending without investigating. I'm glad they take things like child pornography and rape seriously, but not every journal suspended was encouraging or glorifying it, and they seem to realize that now.
Enjoy your day. |
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| hehe |
[May. 3rd, 2007|03:12 pm] |
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| Hot as a Mutha Monday |
[Mar. 19th, 2007|11:33 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | food | ] |
| [ | mood |
| | farkin' stuffed | ] |
So, tonight, an excursion was held. Rob, Andy, Scott and I headed down to the Naperville location of Heaven on Seven for their semi-monthly "Hot as a Mutha Monday" event. Basically, as a back story, Jimmy Bannos (owner and head chef) noticed that a lot of people would come into his restaurant, order his hottest dishes and promptly ask how to make it hotter. Jimmy took this as a personal challenge, and thusly he organized the "Hot as a Mutha Monday" events. The meal cost $35 and included a free cocktail or drink of your choice, and a full five-course meal (plus more!) is included. An extremely reasonable price for a meal of this caliper!
So, what was the meal, you ask?
On the Table
Guajillo Chile and Lime Dusted Potato Chips
Lagniappe (Appetizer)
Andouille and Habanero Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers with Smoked Tomato Sauce
One
The Mutha's Scotch Bonnet Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Two
Togarashi and Sriracha Chile Infused Sesame Oil Shrimp Bruschetta with Sriracha Paint and Wasabi Peas
Three
Tamarind and Ancho Chile Glazed Salmon with an Orange Finger Pepper Salsa
Four
Honey Chipotle Marinated Pork Chop over Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Five
Szechwan Pepper Corn Spiced Hoisen BBQ Beef Tenderloin Tips over White Rice
Dessert
Cayenne Spiced Flourless Chocolate Cake with a Raspberry Burn
Oh man. The amazing flavor. The vibrate flavors. The blatant colon damage. (ahem) So worth it. :D |
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| Detailed Analysis of the DC Gun Ban Ruling |
[Mar. 12th, 2007|01:30 pm] |
This has been taken from the World at War Mod forums, found here: http://forums.worldatwarmod.com/showpost.php?s=e4f2ad1b3abc62eca0b02351f6fad736&p=564904&postcount=12. I have adapted the post to be a single continuous post instead of it being broken up into several forum posts, for ease of reading. This is mostly being done for my own interest but also to let Aimee get a good look at it too. As such, I'm not exactly opening this up to debate, but comments are always interesting. Mostly, this isn't REAL news unless (more likely 'until'...) this gets moved up to the Supreme Court. Then it gets really interesting.
For reference, the full ruling (which is a hefty 75 pages long!) can be accessed here: http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/docs/common/opinions/200703/04-7041a.pdf. The forum post in question was made by SWATJester_os and the section below my cut tag is for post numbers 12 through 15.
( A Crap-ton of Text Follows. ) |
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happy