Beef, potatos and peas

Can't get more basic than that. This was the first two ground beef patties of the 12 I got in the fresh meat dept at Costco. I was a bit apprehensive because of the low fat content (12%). And I was right in a way, it had less flavor but was a better cut of meat to start with than what they grind fresh at Albertson's. Next time I will grill it on high just like a steak.

For years I used the powdered gravy mix in a big jar from Costco but wanted something with fewer things in it that I couldn't pronounce or identify so I tried a jar of Better than Bullion. I like it just fine except it doesn't give the gravy the dark brown color of the powdered. This time I put the base in with the butter to start with and was much happier than following the directions and mixing it with a bit of boiling water and adding it to the white sauce.

I got lazy and just tossed some minced garlic direct into the mashed potatoes instead of cooking a bit in butter first. A glass of Merlot and my league winning game 4 of the World series and had a near perfect evening.