happy yummy birthday!

Last Monday was my hubby's birthday and as always he rather have a delicious home made meal than going out to a restaurant... which is great for me because I usually try to cook something new. This time, a suggested a Beef Stew because I recently watched the video at how2heroes and seemed totally doable. Plus, this one is made with beer (instead of wine) and I knew he'll like that.

It was my first time making a stew and I have to say I really liked it. It actually tastes better the days after you make it which is a plus cos you're gonna end up eating tons of it all week. I recommend having all your ingredients laid out and chopping all the veggies you'll need before hand so when you start it'll be extra easy.

You start with browning the meat, after it browns you add some flour and stir for a bit. After that you add some garlic and shallots, stir, then the all the veggies. Then the beef stock and after a few minutes, the potatoes... and that's it! Just let it simmer for a total of about 1.5 hrs, making sure you add the beer about half way. Also be sure to use fresh herbs for this, they make such a difference!

Here is the link to the recipe: Stout Beef Stew.

Oh, and If you're wondering about that cake... I made it the same day and it's SO much work! It's called CocoChoco and it's inspired by a cake my hubby and I had while on a vacation trip on Margarita island, Venezuela. It's a layer of Chocolate Cake covered by a layer of Chocolate Mouse followed by a layer of Coconut Mouse. It's creamy, airy, chocolatey and delicious, but i can't share the recipe just yet!