Planning Considerations; Roast Beef Dinner

Last night we had roast beef, mashed potatoes, steamed carrots and Yorkshire puddings. Obviously NOT your typical Monday night meal but I had to use the roast because I had put it in the fridge to begin defrosting on Friday.  One thing I will say though - b.e.s.t. Monday night dinner ever.

My seven year old has begun to compliment my cooking. "Mom, everything on my plate, the beef, the potatoes and the carrots - it's the best ever." Do you know how many times he's complimented my food?  Only about three or four times; and only since I've started cooking with fresh stuff.

I am aware that people work and will not necessarily make a meal that takes an hour and forty-five minutes during the week.  As I'm making the switch from meals with processed/packaged items to fresh foods, I'm also keeping track of the time and energy each meal takes.  For me, it was a big reason why we didn't eat well before.  Obviously, unless you have a crock pot on timer, the two hour meal is not your ideal work day dinner.

I like to have potatoes during the week but rarely did because they took so long.  I'm ashamed to say that I have used the box of dried mashed or scalloped potatoes in the past. $1.89 for a box of dried potatoes for one meal vs. $3.99 for a five pound bag of potatoes that last for two weeks or so - seriously.. why??  Convenience.  However, one package won't feed my family of six; we would need two and it will only cover one meal so there's a huge savings to me for learning something new.

My mother-in-law makes the best fried potatoes; melt in your mouth amazing.  I had tried, but couldn't make them the same way and then I found out she was using leftovers.  When she was boiling potatoes, she just made more than she needed.  On another day she would take them out of the fridge, cut them into smaller pieces and fry them in a little butter or oil.  They're already cooked through and take only a few minutes in the frying pan.  Equally convenient without the monetary (and probably health) cost of eating powdered or creepy looking dried potato chip things.  And, of course, I do this now.

Roast Beef: 3 lbs
I put salt, pepper and some garlic powder on the meat and sear all sides before putting it in the oven - it keeps the meat from drying out while you don't pay any attention to it...
I left it in the oven longer than I needed to - almost two hours at 350 C but it was melt away tender.

Mashed Potato:
I add butter, a little milk, sour cream, salt, pepper and a sprinkle of dry Italian herbs blend

Yorkshires:
My mother would be unimpressed but I use a package.  She can make them from scratch but I've never had any luck with the recipe she gave me - EVER.  I keep telling her there's got to be something wrong with it but she denies it.  Yet hers work every time and mine don't.  Seriously.  It is not just me... I don't think.