madpiano (I LOVE your name ) I blush to admit that I have absolutely no idea how much beef I used. I picked up a package at the store. It was probably a pound or a little more. My theory is to just cook the stuff and figure out how many meals it will make later I only have to cook for myself, so it works.

Babs, thank you for your advice on the flour. That makes sense. I used to use that very thin flour that comes in a shake-it can, which went further. I'll try that next time. (The beef was pretty tough, though.)

Once, long ago, I made beef bourgignon for a party. I was working then and had little time, and it was a slow-cooking recipe (before crockpots). I made it in three stages. The first night I browned the beef; then poured the wine over it and stuck it in the fridge. The next night, I did the vegetables; same thing. The third night I finished it and it was one of the most succulent, flavorful, juicy things I've ever eaten.

AngelaR, your gravy reasoning looks good to me, but I'm not one of the friendly Carb Police who are much wiser in the ways of carbo-formulas and hidden carb math than I.

The one good thing about this is the vegetables. (I put butter on them.) I haven't worked vegetables into the meal plan yet, shall we say, and am looking for one pot dishes that have lots of vegetables in them.