Just a few random journal pages

I haven't felt much like sketching from life so here's just a few odds and ends.

A Renewed Dedication to Art

It's been THREE weeks since I posted anything here and much longer since I posted anything concerning art. I haven't quit sketching, just posting. The new year actually had me making a resolution to sketch at least three times a week. I've kept that up now for three months. April brings a new challenge thanks to Roz at Roz Wound Up. I'm still going for at least three times per week but hoping for five as I'm trying to gear up for May's Challenge "Every Day in May".

So here's some April Fools Fun:
April is International Fake Journal Month

And in honor of this month I'm going to actually post some stuff online at least once a week.

Spicy Curry Beef Stew

I'm a little mixed up on how I'm approaching Suppa Club this month. I haven't yet made the Salmon but I've moved on to the stew. I really wanted to try the Salmon last weekend but had guests. I remembered one of them not being all that fond of Salmon so I opted for something else. I found out later that she thought that particular recipe sounded good and she would have tried it. Oh well.

The Spicy Beef Curry Stew was fun to prepare and smelled marvelous in the crock pot. I chopped everything up the evening before and pre-measured all my ingredients so that morning preparation was very quick (about 10 minutes). This recipe reminded me of a cuban stew I'd made a few years ago that also included peppers (I wonder where that recipe is), so I added red and green peppers as well as onions to the crock pot. The only other change I made was adding a few more tomatoes and skipping the beef broth.

I served this with white rice, tortillas, shredded cheese and green onions so you could either make a soft taco out of it or eat it with the rice or both. I did both. I thought that the "spicy" was a little lacking and will probably either try more jalapenos or add red pepper flakes the next time I make this. Adding the peppers was great though and it didn't need beef broth. This will be great as leftovers too.

Spicy Beef Curry Stew for the Slow Cooker

INGREDIENTS

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 pound beef stew meat
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
1 fresh jalapeno peppers, diced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 onion, sliced and quartered
1 cup beef broth

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and brown the beef on all sides. Remove from skillet, reserving juices, and season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno in the skillet for 2 minutes, until tender, and season with curry powder. Mix in the diced tomatoes and juice.

Place the onion in the bottom of a slow cooker, and layer with the browned beef. Scoop the skillet mixture into the slow cooker, and mix in the beef broth. Cover, and cook 6 to 8 hours on Low.

The Salmon will be made on Saturday for my husband and I. I will probably pop in some fish sticks for the kids. I didn't like salmon as a kid either so there's still hope for them. I am planning a side of sweet potato fries and a lovely salad (as soon as I find the perfect recipe).