Aye! I know but here me out, sometimes my Ancestors yell at me to take it easy and this is how I do it. I break out my crockpot and make it work for me so I can rest my body and mind, especially after injections. Yesterday I was so thankful for the crockpot and for the quick rise bread recipe I found. It made my day so much easier. I was beyond exhausted, I fought to keep myself awake numerous times and ended up doing so wood burning to keep myself active without a lot of physical activity.

So today I am playing catch up, as I seem to be more awake and aware today, well at least for now 😉 that is all we can hope for some days.

This stew is an amazing alternative to beef stew, the flavors of the Guinness Stout, the bay leaves, and the caraway seeds all blend perfectly to create a hearty, warm, and delightfully filling meal. I love a good stew, no matter if it is a thin broth or a thick broth, and you can make this BOTH ways!

Last night I chose to make it a bit thick because I wanted a gravy-esque consistency to coat the warm bread I made as a side.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 to 4 pounds bone-in pork shoulder blade steak , or about 3 pounds of cubed meat plus bones
• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt , divided
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 3 medium yellow onions , chopped (about 5 cups)- [Or two shallots is what I used]
• 1/2 pound brown mushrooms , quartered
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1 1/2 cups Irish Stout [ 1 whole can of Guinness worked perfectly]
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3  bay leaves
• 1 bag of baby carrots 
• 1/2 pound baby Yukon Gold or small red potatoes – I used both
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes [Optional]

To thicken it later if desired

• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions:

1: Add all the ingredients into the crock pot, cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-9 hours, until the veggies are tender & the pork falls apart.

2: Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water. Stir into the stew a little bit at a time to thicken (you may not need all of the mixture).

3: Serve in a bowl with some fresh bread if desired.

Quick Whole Wheat Honey Hemp Bread