Sunday, February 17, 2008

Feeling like Donna Reed

The menu dirties a lot of pots and pans in pursuit of thrift (<$5 for pot roast, rolls and dessert, plus leftovers). But the result is extremely man-pleasing!

I'll let you imagine the groan when I sliced apple pie for dessert.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looks very yummy. I am sure it is a real "man pleaser" too. I know the men in my house would love it. The apple pie would be a huge hit too. Sometimes it is fun to feel like Donna Reed.
Can I ask why it took so many pots and pans to cook? That is something I would have made in my crockpot.
Thanks for sharing. Roxie

April said...

It looks FABULOUS!! It is cold and blustery up north and I was thinking tonight how very GOOD pot roast would be!!

Anonymous said...

I would LOVE to have the old Donna Reed Show on TV again. It was on Nick at Night some years back and I loved it.
Beautiful photo - I can almost smell/taste it. This is one of our favorite dishes. My husband actually puts ketchup(!)on the pot roast, but he loves the \potatoes/carrots/onions along with it.

Someone Beautiful said...

This looks delicious! What kind of sauce/gravy is on it? I guess it is made from the roast juices. It looks tasty!

Meredith said...

The menu in general takes many pots and pans--let me think:

*mixing the coffee cake batter
*making the streusel topping
*making oatmeal
*mixing juice
*dredging the beef in flour, S & P
*browning the beef in skillet
*transferring roast/veg to platter
*mixing crust for pie
*boiling syrup for apple filling
*baking the pie in pan
*mixing dough for rolls
*baking pan for rolls
*breadbasket

I thought I might as well do things the '50s way if I were to learn what this menu has to teach me!

In contrast, I am used to cooking one meat and then steaming one or two vegetables per dinner, usually in an oven-to-table Pyrex casserole.

Meredith said...

Not to say that the menu is tough to prepare, only that it takes a lot more washing up than usual!

The juices are flavored with tomato juice, oregano, bay leaf, mustard & horseradish. This is the first time I've tried the pot roast recipe from the Ultimate Southern Living cookbook.

Anonymous said...

I thought your husband was diabetic? Wouldn't apple pie have too many sugars for him?

Meredith said...

I have never made apple pie before...ever.

I spotted the recipe in the Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook while I was looking up pot roast.

There is one recipe there that uses a nut-and-streusel type crust instead of pastry.

I simply substituted most of the flour/sugar crust for pecan meal and used Splenda in the hot syrup mixture poured over the tart apple slices.

Not too low carb, but not forbidden food for a diabetic, either.

Martha A. said...

Wow! Nice dinner!
It sounds great...what a fun thing to do! I have some old menus in my old Betty Crocker and even som old health food menus in one old health food cookbook for the 1930's

Rachel V. said...

Your dinner looks so wonderful, I can almost smell it! I love those old books about etiquette and homemaking. I'll be anxious to see how the week goes. Glad everyone is feeling better. :)

Renee said...

This sounds so yummy! My dh loves roast in the crockpot. I usually get 2 potatoes, quarter them, a few carrots, a onion halved, then put the roast on top with about 1/2-1 c. water on the bottom. I sprinkle cracked pepper, kosher salt, garlic powder, parsley, and a little lawry's. On the lid goes and cooks all morning and afternoon. I do not peek at all and lift the lid. Only in the evening before serving. I thicken the juices at the bottom of the crockpot. So great how sometimes the simple food impress our men. Homemase mac and cheese is another one for my dh. Homemade treats oh my! he's in heaven!
Your meat looks so yummy! And I have been meaning to make my grandma's apple pie.
Renee :)

Unknown said...

YUMMY!
We are having the same thing for dinner tonight.

Amy said...

That looks absolutely divine! I can't wait to see what else you cook up!

Christi said...

We love pot roast - it pleases all three of my guys. It looks delicious!

Anonymous said...

Oh, how fun!

Anonymous said...

ah, that's the kind of pot-n-pan intensive cooking I grew up with! Lots of fellowship around the dishwasher afterwards.

Meredith, would you be able to post the nut crust recipe? Is it flourless?

Because of my hub's diabetes I use a vinegar crust recipe and sweeten our apple pie with thawed apple juice concentrate and lots of spices. A mom whose son was Type 1 diabetes gave us this recipe years ago and it's good.

If we are having pie then pie is our big carb. Dinner consists of protein and a good fat/ vinegar-dressed raw veg salad. (Glycemic Index thinking: Vinegar or lemon consumed early in the meal lowers blood sugar)

deb meyers

Lindenhaus said...

Pot roast....ahhh, the ultimate comfort food. Looks yummy!