1. It's a small round eye roast, about a pound and a half. It had been resting, salted, in a ziplock bag with sprigs of oregano since Thursday evening when I took it out early this afternoon. I browned it -- or seared it -- on all sides, and while that took place I poured some olive oil in the ceramic cast iron dutch oven, turned the heat on medium, and sauteed garlic, ginger, onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes until they softened up a bit and nearly turned brown. I added back in the oregano. I put the browned roast on top of the vegetables, deglazed the skillet I'd browned the roast in with red wine, and poured the beef bits and wine over the meat. I needed more liquid for the braising and dipped into the beef stock that's been bubbling away in the crock pot since Thursday night. I suddenly realized I'd forgotten mushrooms, so I dropped some slices into the braise and put it in the oven at 275 degrees.
After the roast braised for four hours, I decided to give it a try. If it wasn't perfectly fork tender, it was real close. The liquid thickened up and into a flavorful sauce, heartened by the vegetables, enhanced by the saltiness of the beef, and brightened by the ginger. The meat tore off easily. I put some in a bowl with some of the vegetables and poured sauce over it. I enjoyed the comfort of this solid food. I also have leftovers, so I am living with anticipation of when I decide to eat my second meal of braised roast beef and vegetables.
2. Christy had recruited Carol, Paul, and me to help her bring broken down cardboard boxes, bags of things she discarded, and several totes out of the basement. The totes went in the garage and the bags and cardboard went into the back of Everett's truck. I'll deliver them to the dump after Christy and Everett leave on their getaway on Monday. We also moved a large wooden trunk off the lawn and under the awning on the deck. This was all very satisfying work as Christy continues to work on getting things out of her house that she doesn't want any more and gets her basement better organized. I really enjoy helping anyone reduce their stash of material belongings and Christy definitely lightened her load today.
3. Ed swung by around 6:30 and we headed up to Andrews Gymnasium to watch the Kellogg Wildcats boys basketball team play the Bonners Ferry Badgers. Preceding the game, the school paid tribute to the seniors on the basketball team, as well as pep band and JROTC seniors. The seniors, in turn, then gathered in front of the scorers' table and presented a gift of appreciation to the public address system voice of the Wildcats, Stephen Shepperd.
The game was a nail biter. Kellogg's boys were getting good shots out of their offense, but many of those very good shots rolled off the rim or clanged against the heel of the rim and just wouldn't fall. I kept thinking that if I were coaching this team, I'd be happy that the boys were getting good inside shots and that some nights they just don't drop. But, the Cats scrapped. I noted that at key times players who had missed shots turned around and immediately made excellent defensive plays. They didn't sulk. The Cats got a couple of key three point goals from Grant Nearing in the second half, had other players make key shots, had enough of those good shots inside fall, and dug in fiercely on defense to hang on for a 55-50 win.
It was a lot of fun being at this game. These players handle the ball and make moves in ways I never dreamed of when I was a Kellogg Wildcat and it's fun to watch the changes in the game and how these guys play.
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