08 February 2010

the way to a man's heart


last week, dan just wanted to hang out for his birthday. no big parties, no surprise events. just skiing and a cozy night in. while he was out, i slaved over a hot stove–while entertaining a little one at my feet–attempting to make a delicious birthday dinner for his big day. if that's not a birthday present in itself, what is?

on the menu.

the pioneer woman's pot roast.
really delicious. for a wifey who is amateur in the pot roast category, this recipe was just right. not too complicated. however searing the chuck roast may or may not make your fire alarm go off. another tip, buy a roast that will fit into your pan. or buy a pan that will fit your giant roast. i had to think quick; roasting half of it in my teeny crockpot and half of it in a pan in my oven. twins separated at birth. the two tasted equally as good. the roast was accompanied by crusty bread, mashed potatoes and salad too. we devoured the homemade white bread (featured in MS Living February 2010 issue). martha stewart's version of basic white bread isn't so different than the one i make all the time. but i wanted to give it a go. it calls for honey instead of sugar and uses two packets of yeast. i substituted milk for water (the best tip ever is using milk in your bread, it gives a perfect velvety texture). it turned out to be a perfect hearty meal for the birthday boy. thanks to ree and martha.

if i were to make this menu for valentine's day,
i'd surely make mini molten cakes for dessert. mm.mm.

11 comments:

Misti said...

Another good bread recipe is to try the easy no-knead bread recipe that was originally in the NYT. Mother Earth News did a story on it as well, both of which you can google. It has worked wonderfully and if you have the patience, it is well worth it.

[eeny] said...

Looks so yummy! Guess my dad would love it. I should give it a try next weekend. Thanks for sharing. I always love great recipes.

Caroline said...

This looks so good!!! Perfect for a cold night!! Enjoy your day!! xo

Hil said...

Y.U.M. I know where I will be coming for left overs. :) Can't wait to try these recipes! Thanks for sharing.

sheena said...

oh wow....I need those mini molten cakes.

right now!

summer said...

too cute, marta. way to go on the hardy man's meal. grant would totally be into this menu. (minus the molten cakes.. those would be mine, all mine.) thank you for showing me how it's done- i feel braver making a new meal when i see it in someone else's kitchen. oh, and i love the milk tip! thanks!

Abby said...

The picture is making me hungry. I've gotta try the recipe as I feel my roast sometimes don't come out as moist as I would like. What type of meat did you use????
You are the picture perfect housewife!

Holly Lefevre said...

Love your blog...stumbled across it via Simply Yours (I am hoping to hire her to redo my blog...it needs it). This looks fantastic. It s my hubby's b'day and he would surely love it. I have the Pioneer Woman Cookbook, but have yet to try anything...maybe this is the first! LOVE your blog...new follower!
Holly
504 Main

maryirene said...

wow. truly you never cease to amaze me with how magical your life seems. i love your variety of talents and i love that you are always sharing them.

Kathy said...

This meal looks great! What size ramekin did you use for the mini molten cakes? I have the 7 oz size and think it might be too big.

Nichole said...

I just tried the multi grain bread recipe in MSL Feb. 2010 and it was delish. I used your milk tip - not sure if I should have when making this -v- white bread. I am new to bread making and my loaf seemed a bit heavy. Any tips?

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