character from The Goodbye Lie series is the subject of the excerpt below? If only she had tried the recipe which follows for Spicy Roast Beef at her dinner party...
The Goodbye Lie Series Excerpt:
Grammy's gift was a quart of her meat flavoring. "It's our family secret, _____. Here's the recipe. Memorize it, then burn it. Promise?"
"Yes, ma'am. I promise."
Peeper was not to be out done, "I
saved the best fer last. It's a bottle a my very own special furniture
polish."
"The way Peep experiments out back in
the little house," Michael explained to Trip, "it's no small miracle
she hasn't blown us all up. Isn't that the stuff you make from turpentine,
alcohol, and ether, Peep?"
"Yup, but you forget the balsam fir
and linseed oil, Michael. That's how come I'm the chemist and you're the
architect."
The laughter had been strained and
everyone had been uncomfortable. The cozy glow from the candles helped hide the
chipped dishes and patched linens that came furnished with the house, and no
adult noticed or, at least, mentioned the shortcomings of her table. Leave it
to her brother to have asked, "How come you use all these cracked plates,
____, when you have a whole hope chest full of brand new dishes and
stuff?" Everyone else had been too polite to inquire.
She'd quickly answered, "I'll bring
my chest over as soon as my cooking warrants the beauty of the china." The
ladies had made a sincere attempt to reassure her that the meal was delicious.
She would have believed them, too, had she not tasted her own food. The salad
was gritty with sand, the deviled eggs were runny from the honey and too salty,
the butter beans in the stew were hard, and the chocolate frosting was so thin,
the cake showed through. ____ saw her mother throw several sharp looks at
Jack Patrick each time he'd tried a new course and then opened his mouth to
comment. She imagined the lecture the poor boy must have received about how to
behave at his sister's house right before they'd left Dunnigan Manor...
******
Jane Marie writes:My church friend, Kris Mandrick, brought this wonderful "stringy" beef roast to a pot luck. I loved it. I mean loved it! She was sweet enough to let me share it with you. It's made in the slow cooker with ingredients you probably have on hand. It makes some rich gravy, is moist, is good for Sunday dinner or sandwiches and freezes well, if there are any leftovers. Thank you, Kris. -JMM
Spicy Roast Beef
You'll need:
2-3 pound beef roast
Lightly salt (optional) and pepper all sides.
Sprinkle with minced/powdered garlic or garlic pepper. Put in crock.
Mix in separate bowl:
1/4 cup soy sauce (I used lite.)
2 Tbl balsamic vinegar
2 Tbl A1 Sauce or Worcestershire sauce (I used Worcestershire.)
2 tsp yellow mustard, liquid or dry (I used liquid.)
Make several shallow slits in top of roast and pour mixture over roast. Let cook in crock 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high.
P.S. This recipe will also be listed in the Recipes link at the top of this page.