Is it kind? Is it true? Is it useful?

According to Reader’s Digest — and other sources, that’s how Buddhists view their worlds. Which is all very right and good. Personally, among my favorite three questions are: Is it delicious? Is it stunning? Is it aromatic? 

On a cold winter’s day when the sun just barely glints behind a mass of clouds and this old house is wheezy with cold drafts, it’s time to cook. So I drove to the store with one thought in mind — “Beef, it’s what for dinner.”

Here’s what I bought — carrots, potatoes, onions, a 3.5 lb chuck roast, milk duds, junior mints (movie-theatre-size left over from the New Year Eve’s family Movie Night promotion and priced to sell at a $1.00 a box), lettuce, a mini french bread loaf, a pint of chocolate chip mint and a pint of coffee ice cream and some Pepperidge Farm cookies.

(It was pretty obvious that I should have eaten lunch before I went to the store. But what was done was done.)

I dug out my 7 quart non-stick cast aluminum Berndes (name dropping) dutch oven, turned the burner on high, tossed in some oil and seared the chuck roast. I added dried onion soup, water and turned it to simmer. Adding water periodically to keep a fair amount of liquid in the pot, I threw the vegetables in two hours later. 

Late in the afternoon, I took out the meat and vegetables and thickened the juices with flour and water and added salt and pepper.  It was ready freddy. I opened a bottle of wine and dished it up.  It was a winter weekend early supper and everything was just right.