October 2020 - A Haunting We Will Go

I made pasta fagioli with spinach. Maria baked a small chicken, and I picked and poked at that.

Joe made egg salad and it stunk up the whole house.
I found an egg custard recipe that tastes like the one I had in a restaurant so I am happy. Joe can't stand the stuff.
I found a few more things to toss in my pantry that I missed. I then took a black marker and wrote the expiration date so I can find it and read it easily. I had to use a magnifying glass and flashlight to read some of them. I have an unopened bottle of French apple cider vinegar that I can't find a date on but I am going to keep it and see how it tastes and smells when I open it. Same with a bottle of Mirin. Maybe imports don't have to be dated.

I found out the other day that I don't like sweet potatoes unless they are in a sweet casserole served at Thanksgiving. I don't know what was wrong but I could feel my stomach turning with the first bite. Yellow string beans do the same thing to me.

I woke up at 4am so I started reading the food ads. I started getting excited when I saw a store had choice 7-bone chuck roast for $1.99/ lb and wagyu beef London broil for $5.99/ lb. Then I realized the store ad was for Ohio, not California. Bummer. Then I realized that food prices are cheaper in the mid-west. Double bummer.

I was busy yesterday, made potato salad, chicken, coleslaw to take to my nephew's house where my sister lived, and her husband is. One of brother-in-law's sons is coming from Montreal, someone else from Ottawa. When stuff happens, Lore cooks! When I had everything ready, I texted my niece to turn on the oven to keep the chicken warm. OOOOOps! THey were expecting the food today, and had already eaten. LOL I took it there anyway, I had no fridge space, so they will be having leftovers today.

Has anyone here ever cooked and/or eaten a sirloin tip roast? Was it any good?

Yes, and yes. Delicious!

It is not a cut we see around here but I saw that Aldi has some and I thought I would give it a try.

There is very little marbelling, so it is easy to overcook/dry out. I used to get it particularly when I wanted to make a stew or goulash.

I think I will pull it out of the oven at 135 - 138, tent it for 15 mins. We don't like meat that screams when you cut into it.

My experience with anything 'sirloin' is you have two choices: medium rare & sliced thin or 'low & slow' to break down the meat. It's similar to an Eye of the Round Roast ~ as Lore said, not much fat marbling so you have to season well. I've heard of people using it for something like Mongolian Beef ~ thin slices wok stir fried quickly. I read recently that if you want to tenderize beef or chicken for a stir fry to use Baking Soda for a marinade and rinse & dry before cooking ~ something about it breaking down the texture nicely. I've not tried it but it's filed in the back of my brain for the next time I make something like that.....

*(yet another bit of useless information that clogs up my brain!)

Neighbor Jiim came for supper: Bangers & Mash with carrots

Made the mashed potatoes with half a head of chopped cabbage and the sausages were bangers from Fresh Market. It was pretty tasty and Jim & Dane both had their fill.

Looks good! How did you get the gravy?

I had a big bad nasty dinner.
I admit, I've violated healthy 100% tonight.
Mommy Tina and friend Christine went to see Esther at Sight and Sound theater in Lancaster, PA. She stopped at many shops and stores, and I got to eat chocolate candy; and cookies and cakes.
I'm afraid to stick my finger tonight. .... hahahahahaha

Bugster2 wrote:Looks good! How did you get the gravy?

I browned the sausages in a cast iron skillet & removed. Added some slivered onions with a bit of butter and softened and then added a bit of red wine. Reduced that down to about 1/4 of original (cooked out all but the flavor). Then I added about 3/4 can of beef consomme and maybe 1/2 c. of chicken stock ~ brought it all to a boil and returned the sausages to the skillet. Put it into a 350° oven for about 45 minutes to braise (uncovered).

When it was time to eat I pulled it out of the oven & removed the sausages. I turned on the heat under the skillet to bring it to a simmer. I made a slurry with the final 1/4 can of beef consomme & a couple tablespoons of flour, shook it to be sure there were no lumps and slowly added it to the simmering juices, brought it to a full boil for at least a minute. It was a bit thicker than I wanted so I thinned it with some additional chicken stock.

And that's how I make gravy.....

Your gravy looks so rich and good. I would never had thought that you would have been able to get a gravy from sausage drippings.

It was more from the caramelized onions....that, and the combination of beef consomme (which I think tastes better than boxed beef stock) and boxed chicken stock (which I DO like the flavor of).

90% of my gravies are made with a flour slurry that I shake in a Mason jar ~ goes back to Grandma every time! LOL

I am going to cook half the small sirloin tip roast today. I have been looking at recipes and I think I will do CI method for standing rib roasts: seared first and then put into a 200 degree oven. I am not sure what type of seasoning to put on the outside.

Did anyone catch Mike Pence with the fly in his hair? It was the best part of the debate. LOL Apparently a lot of people saw it and now the fly has several Twitter accounts. It was a huge fly.

Dane is at his sister's today giving her a hand on some maintenance around the house. He took her out to lunch so that means I won't be cooking tonight.

........Darn !



LOL ~ ~ Hahahahahahaha ~ ~ LOL

I cooked the sirloin tip roast today. We hated it. The texture and the taste just wasn't good. It was very tender but had a gamey taste. We couldn't eat it so it is getting chopped up for the dogs. Joe even said "Are you sure this is beef"? LOL. You win some and lose some. I have some more in the freezer so i am going to try and pass it off on my sister. It was so strange we hope we don't get sick.

UNCLE JIMMY wrote:Today was a bad day. Trying to coordinate for Tinas eye surgery tomorrow.\

I ate leftover stuff heated in the microwave.

Prayers all go well and her surgeon has guided hands......that should knock her out for a day or so. Get the recliner at the ready!

I'm sure you'll find enough food to keep going......

Why does Tina need eye surgery?

Bugster2 wrote:Why does Tina need eye surgery?

The way I was told, was she had cataract surgery 5 years ago, but there was a piece of the old cataract lens they missed cleaning out, so it is moving and doing nerve damage and causing her left eye to see blurred, or 1/2 the vision. It is a serious operation, so she is at the best Dr. in the area.

bethk wrote:

UNCLE JIMMY wrote:Today was a bad day. Trying to coordinate for Tinas eye surgery tomorrow.\

I ate leftover stuff heated in the microwave.

Prayers all go well and her surgeon has guided hands......that should knock her out for a day or so.  Get the recliner at the ready!

I'm sure you'll find enough food to keep going......

Thanks Beth..... Yeah! I'll be cooking for her.
She checks in at 10:00.... surgery at 11:00.... 30 minute procedure,
recovery ~~ 1 hour, and she should be on way home.
DIL Sherrie took her.

All my thoughts and prayers are with Tina. Fortunately, it usually is a quick recovery.