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Dana K. White

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Trying to Branch Out with My Menu

October 23, 2011 By Dana White | 17 Comments

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I only feel truly comfortable cooking with two types of meat.  Boneless, skinless chicken breasts . . . and ground beef.

I use the excuse that when I was single and learning how to cook, I lived in Thailand and those were the only meats I could confidently identify.

Key word there is . . . confidently.

But, like so many of my excuses, it’s probably not entirely true.

In an effort to branch out, and to celebrate my favorite day of the month coming this Tuesday (payday), I’m planning to buy a rib roast that’s on sale.  My fingers are crossed (not literally, since I’m typing) because I’ve never had good luck with roast.  I’m planning to try a recipe that uses a meat thermometer instead of cooking time, which is waaayyy out of my comfort zone, but I’m hoping it will result in a better-than-usual result.

Let’s just say, my dog loves it when I make a roast.  My family . . . not so much.

I’m also searching for recipes with Weight Watchers points.  No explanation needed there, right?

Monday – Chicken, rice and broccoli

Tuesday – Rib Roast, mashed potatoes, green beans

Wednesday – Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

Thursday – Beef and Orzo soup.  Not sure what this will be like, but I’m going to give it a shot.

Friday – Out to Eat

Saturday – Dinner with friends.

 

Like I shared before, menu planning is a detail.  One that I kinda-sorta-on-purpose ignored last week because I just didn’t wanna.  Who knows what will come up, but this week should be my first non-insane one in a while, so I’m trying to start it out right by paying attention to this detail.

And . . . I missed a day yesterday.  I did feel slightly guilty, but was having too much fun at a college theatre reunion weekend to care a whole lot.  And I was in someone else’s home.  Someone else’s very clean home.  Sorry.

 

I’ll be linking this up to Orgjunkie.com for Menu Plan Monday.

Related Posts:

Read Newer Post An Important Detail for Laundry Day – Detergent
Read Older Post Rearranging for Functionality

Filed Under: 31 Days of Details | 17 Comments

Comments

  1. amy says

    October 23, 2011 at 8:55 pm

    really enjoying your blog since i found it.. i have a WW cookbook i want to part with… not that i don’t need to loose weight LOL. but we have so many food allergies that i can’t use it anymore really. that was one of my details today… got rid of 2 more cookbooks b/c i want 2 new ones. (somewhere..if i was organized i’d find it.. but there is a GIANT online cookbook for slow cookers WW recipes.. if you google you might find it.)

    Reply
  2. Jen says

    October 23, 2011 at 8:58 pm

    i have a alove hare relationship with menu planning. i love kowing it is all there – i have the actual planninig part.

    My husband and I are trying a new way of doing our meals for the week. We are pre-prepping everything – even to pre-browning meat – then bagging it, and putting it in the fridge. Then whaever we wanna make is half cooked already.

    The recovering slob in me likes it cause we get 75% of the mess done with on cooking day. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Cheryl P says

    October 23, 2011 at 9:04 pm

    I love how I do my roast, hopefully yours will turn out too but if not feel free to try my easy recipe. Put your roast in your crockpot. Depending on size I put it in for 6-8 hrs. Peal and section potatoes and place around the roast. Open and lipton soup mix, I use the onion one, and pour over it. Now fill the crockpot with water. If you want to add carrots I wait until an hour or two before it is done to add those. You can make gravy with this as well if you add some milk/ flour mixture and a few squirts of ketchup a couple of hours before it is finished or don’t worry about it. After the 6-8 hours simply pull out the roast, slice and serve with the side of potatoes.

    Reply
    • Melody says

      October 23, 2011 at 9:13 pm

      I agree with Cheryl…Put your roast in the crockpot it is all but impossible to mess up a roast or any meat in the crockpot!! I usually just salt and pepper very well add a little water and let it go all day…My family all love it…Especially a pork loin roast, salt and peppered with saurkraut all over and around it… 6 hours in the crockpot, easy and delicious, well the kids pull the saurkraut off theirs 🙂 but anyway, good luck!

      Reply
  4. Alana in Canada says

    October 23, 2011 at 9:13 pm

    The best roast (and I think the only one!) I ever made was following the instructions given for it in a book by Leanne Ely (of saving dinner fame.) I need to find that again.

    Reply
  5. Bobbi says

    October 24, 2011 at 6:01 am

    I’ve never cooked a rib roast but here’s the secret to a great chuck roast or rump roast. Looong time, low temperature. I put my roast in at about 275 with just a bit of water and cook 31/2 to 5 hours. Cover the pan and let it go~ Tender, juicy,lick the pan good! Try it. Your doggie may hate you but you family will definitely love you!!

    Reply
  6. kathy says

    October 24, 2011 at 7:47 am

    Aside from the crockpot(I usualy brown mine,then add a can of golden mushroom or french onion soup ) put the lid on set it on low & cook 6-8 hrs. The other thing you could do is the Reynalds Oven Bags. Add some flour to the bag,stick the meat in ,add whatever broth(I use one of the soups) tie the bag,puncture it a few time & its done in a couple of hrs. My daughter uses the Bags,& she can’t cook !

    Reply
  7. Merri says

    October 24, 2011 at 8:01 am

    a website I found not long ago but haven’t tried yet gives WW points plus calculations for all the recipes. They sound fantastic and easy, I just haven’t gotten organized enough to actually cook one yet. It’s skinnytaste.com

    I love your blog. I’ve been reading for several months. It’s the first one I check everyday. I’ve loved this month, because of the daily posts!

    Reply
  8. Jane says

    October 24, 2011 at 9:33 am

    You were in the theatre? I find that hard to believe! 😉
    Boneless chicken thighs are as easy to work with, perhaps easier, because they are more forgiving! And cheaper!

    Reply
    • nikki says

      June 23, 2015 at 9:31 pm

      I like chicken thighs as well. I always overcook chicken breasts. I feel like thighs are more forgiving. Now that I’ve typed that is sounds funny!

      Reply
  9. Rosie says

    October 24, 2011 at 9:56 am

    Hello,
    I too have been intimidated by the larger cuts of beef and pork. I look at the price and just cringe at the thought of ruining it. But….I encourage you to take the plunge. I did and boy what a reward. I use a digital thermometer with a wire (heatproof) that runs from the part you poke in the roast to the digital part that sits on the counter. You set it for the temp you want and an alarm sounds when the meat is that temp. They are a little more than the other kind but absolutely worth it. My husband jumped on board with this first. His mantra is “low and slow”. Low temp, lots of time. Hope this helps. Love your blog!

    Reply
  10. hsmominmo says

    October 24, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    I admit it – I looked for your detail posts this weekend. I told my daughter you must have a busy weekend, and that I hoped you were having a great time. Missed you, but glad to hear you did have a great time!
    My mother made the best post roast ever. I still don’t come close to duplicating it. I try to do everything thing I knew she did. It’s never as good. Hoping for great success for you.

    Reply
  11. Rona says

    October 24, 2011 at 4:49 pm

    My son and I prepared an amazing Rib Roast a couple years ago. We used the recipe from the Big Red Cookbook by Betty Crocker. It was amazing!

    Have an amazing week. Looks like there’s going to be some good eating at your home this week!

    Reply
  12. cheri says

    October 24, 2011 at 7:02 pm

    I always cook mine in a dutch oven on the stovetop but it is foolproof as long as you remember to check it for water (and I’m known for setting my timer for an hour each time to check). I brown it then add 2-3 cloves garlic, a medium onion, s & p, and 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. I cook it anywhere from 3-5 hours, depending on my patience and what else is going on that day (I’m a haphazard cook). I usually serve mine with mashed potatos. The tomato sauce really elevates it to something special.

    Reply
  13. Sara says

    October 24, 2011 at 9:50 pm

    I agree with all the posters above regarding roast in the crockpot. I brown the chuck roast on all 4 sides, spray the crock pot with cooking spray and put the roast in. I pour in a pack of onion soup mix and a can of cream of mushroom soup. Then I give it all a good salt and peppering. I add a one pound bag of carrot fingers and one onion chopped into wedges and a minced clove of garlic. Then I cover the whole thing with water. (It actually does not need this much water, it just makes a really yummy broth I can use to make a veggie soup for night 2. Stretching the roast this way makes me feel a little better about the price tag.) I let it cook on low 8 hours. I usually make mashed potatoes to go with it too. However, I personally don’t add my potatoes to the crock pot. That seems to make my roast dryer some how. I make the potatoes separately on the stove. Also, for whatever reason, putting the roast in first and veggies on top seems to make a moister roast in the crock pot too. Good luck with yours!

    Reply
  14. Rebecca says

    October 29, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    Two words: pork chops! They are super cheap (lately they’ve been very close to ground beef in price, at least at our Sam’s), and really, really tasty. The problem is, most people overcook them into shoe leather (my mom and my mother-in-law both did this ><). Once you learn how to not overcook them, they are a cheap, tasty protein that takes very little time to cook up in a pan on the stove. Oh, and most pork is awfully lean nowadays too.

    Reply
  15. Shanna says

    February 7, 2012 at 12:53 am

    Rib Roast (for pink meat, not falling apart tender crockpot style)
    -set out to get warm for an hour or so
    -rub all over with butter or non flavored coconut oil and salt
    -put in 475 degree oven for 10 or 15 minutes until well browned
    -turn down to 250
    -cook til therm reads 10 degrees under fave temp (rare, etc.)
    -let stand for 10-30 minutes to finish cooking
    You can reverse the 250 and 475 if you want to brown at the end

    I made perfect brown-on-the-outside-and-exact-perfect-pink-all-the-way-thru prime rib this way 2 times so far.

    Reply

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