As you've no doubt gleaned from former posts this semester, I've been having the greatest urges to bake and cook and try new things in the kitchen (mind you,
new meaning family favorites that I don't often have the guts to try). Last Sunday I had the remarkable idea to try my hand at pot roast and mashed potatoes. I tried this a
couple of years ago with marginal success, but at that particular time I was not equipped with decent pots and pans to make such roast, and if I recall correctly, the roast turned out a little on the dry and tough side. I haven't tried it since.
Monday I went and bought a chuck roast from Target (making sure it was nice and marbled to make the best pot roast possible) and after inviting some people over for Sunday dinner (nervously I might add--I was hoping against hope that I wouldn't produce substandard roast), I prepared for my domestic demonstration.
I took this cut of meat
and unphotographed potatoes and carrots and put together this meal
with these guests (from left to right):
Emily, Josh, Laura, Megan,
Daniel, and Jordin. (And yes, we did indeed pull out
the ugliest tablecloth known to man in a fit of fashion-reckless hilarity.)
For dessert I made homemade eclairs--homemade pastry shells, filling, and ganache. Please note the Christmas tree in the background, and pretend that you can hear the Hilary Weeks Christmas album in the background.
Emily and Laura posed too.
All in all I'd say the dinner was success, despite the spilling of the flour-water mixture I was about to use to make the gravy, which spill necessitated the future dry cleaning of my skirt and the mopping of the kitchen floor. And with two stock pots, two sauce pans, a mixing bowl or two, a real meat fork, and several serving dishes, dinner plates, flatware, and drinking glasses to take care of, Josh gallantly stepped up and did the dishes.
While my efforts at domesticity were not perfect by any means, the effort was certainly epitomic and the result duly satisfying.
I spent the rest of the night reading and almost finishing
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time for class. A good Sunday? Oh, yes.
7 comments:
I thought that one of your labels said "I like wearing an aaron," which is altogether different from wearing an apron.
I'm still reeling at what a wonderful dinner you put together. It was like being at home (but without talking about math and science at the dinner table). Speaking of which, let me please reiterate how excited I am for Thanksgiving in a little under two weeks (can I make it?)!
Hooray for domestic successes! Your cream puffs look marvelous, that's Max's specialty, and I never can discourage him from making them.
So were you not actually wearing an apron? Because as much as I love aprons, I sometimes neglect to actually put them on... All sounds great except for the skirt mishap.
p.s. Marc has that same sweater that Josh is wearing!
First off, I had to zoom in on the full-table photo to verify that in fact you actually used the hideous $2 tablecloth! I can't believe you caved! At least now I have a start on your Christmas gift list.
Way to pull off a great Sunday meal--and hats off to Josh for tackling the dishes (in true Wood family style--and I was thinking that I like his sweater).
BTW, is that your senior prom skirt you're wearing, because if it is you can wash it in cold water, no problem. Bring it home and I'll do it for you, if you want. FIVE MORE DAYS!!!
Hooray for your successful domesticity!
I wish there was room in my fridge to store meats for making food. Alas there is not. Your post makes me want to taste the mean, lol
You're so domestic, it pains me.
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