Lonely Roast Beef

We have eaten A LOT of food since my last post, just in case you were wondering.... After having been out of town for about three weeks, then working until after dinner at Bonnie's travel office two night (meaning ANOTHER dinner out), I finally got to cook a meal! I defrosted the roast on Tuesday, planning to cook it that night, but I worked way too late. We went to Habanero's for Mexican food. After a marguerita and a basket of warm tortilla chips and salsa, Mark had a pulled beef burrito and I had a shrimp burrito, stuffed with plump grilled shrimp, onion and bell pepper stips, refried beans and rice on the side. I could only eat half and Robbie finished it off when we got home. Wednesday was another late work night, and although I was offered to join Bonnie and Ken for sushi (oh mayun, to pass that up!!!), but my family duty came first. I stopped by Albertson's and bought two rosemary roasted chickens and items to make a big salad. Dinner was delish, simple, and everybody was home to enjoy.

Now to last night's dinner:
I cooked the roast beef - a standing rump roast -in a Nesco 5-quart counter top roaster oven and it turned out wonderful, juicy and bright pink on the inside, yummy brown glazed outside. It was delicious!

After oiling the outside of the roast, I sprinkled some wonderful boutique-mixed herbs and spices all over, then sealed in the juices by doing a quick brown to each side in a hot frying pan before putting the meat into the 325F preheated roaster. I cut a giant onion in big chunks, sprinkled that around the sides, deglazed the frying pan with a cup and a half of dry red wine, then poured that over everything along with another good dose of the bottled herb and spice mix. Lid on, timer set for 20 minutes per pound (1hr,40min for 5 lbs), and I left the kitchen.

Sometime later, as the roast began to smell so wonderful, I was whimsically surprised that all the woodland carnivores weren't pressing their hungry faces against my windows! I made a big pot of brown rice with sliced mushrooms and a cup of frozen peas thrown in to be pretty, and brewed a pitcher of sweetened iced tea. Once the meat was done, I took it out to sit for a few minutes while I steamed brocolli, then made semi-thin gravy and cut the roast in beautiful thin slices. It was 6:45, perfect timing for the family and dinner, and all was perfect! Seven o'clock and still nobody was home. I couldn't wait, so I fixed a plate and enjoyed a wonderful Sunday dinner all alone on a Thursday night!! Everybody was due in at any moment and I KNEW they were gonna fall face first into this delicious feast!

Although I announced yesterday morning that I was not going to leave the house and planned a wonderful roast dinner, I guess everyone forgot. David arrived shortly after I started my meal and announced that he could only eat half a meal, because Audrey's mom was having company over and he was expected to eat dinner at their house. Audrey was helping her mom. Rob called to tell me he was going to watch the Magic game downtown with friends and was eating there. Finally Mark came moseying in around 8:30, changed the channel to the basketball game without even asking if I was watching the movie that I was intently watching (and we have 3 other televisions in our house!), then sheepishly told me a customer was having a cookout and he couldn't resist, so he wasn't hungry. He fixed himself a glass of iced tea and fussed that I had sweetened it. I verbalized at this point on exactly how I felt about him, his children, and the world in general.

I fell asleep watching a stupid basketball game. They lost...so there! I woke up and went into the kitchen to put all that food away (sigh) before going to bed. Cooking took some time, but cleanup was a mysery to me. I was feeling pretty sorry for myself and unappreciated... It won't be as delicious reheated tonight.

Mark went to bed while I was still cleaning the kitchen, 'didn't lift a finger to help, but then again, he probably felt safer not to be in the same room with me by this time. As I walked through the living room toward our bedroom, Mark turned off his bedside light and so I was left walking in the dark. I went into the bathroom and fumbled in the dark for the light switch, washed my face, put on a nightgown and headed to bed in the dark. I stumped my toe on the bedframe and blame Mark for this additional mysery.