Shepherd's Pie

The February Food Challenge *is* underway. I'm keeping track of how things are going but I think I'll wait a while to publish those posts.

Last night I made Shepherd's Pie. It was so good, and really pretty easy and I wanted to share how I made it. Now, hardcore primal eaters won't eat white potatoes (too high in carbs), nor would they eat peas (legumes) but I see them both as more of a vegetable, and I'm not a hardcore primal eater, so therefore this meal counts!

I really don't like to cook in a messy kitchen, so I always start by making sure the dishwasher is ready to put dirty dishes in, and that the stovetop is clear, and that I have a clean countertop to work on.

Are you ready to make Shepherd's Pie??

1. Put 1 pound of thawed hamburger in a skillet on medium heat and with a spatula, chop it/spread it around until it covers the pan. Leave it alone.

2. Chop off the ends of an onion and peel the dry papery stuff off. Slice it in half from end to end, then put the cut side down on the cutting board and slice in about 1/4" sections, so when the onion is separated, you have half-circles. Dump the onions in the skillet with the hamburger, and give it all a stir.

3. Take a few cloves of garlic and mince them, add them to the skillet. Add several shakes of pepper, and about a teaspoon of salt. Stir.

4. Slice enough carrots to make 1.5 cups of carrot bits, roughly the size of peas. By now the hamburger should be browned (keep stirring every so often to make sure it's cooked evenly) Add the carrots to the skillet on top of the meat, and add 1/2 cup of water, then cover and simmer on medium/low - just hot enough that it bubbles. Leave it alone.

5. Grab 4 large potatoes, peel and slice into small, evenly-sized chunks. Put them in a pot, cover with water, and turn it on high heat.

6. Stir the contents of the skillet, then add 1.5 cups of frozen peas, and put the cover back on again.

7. Once the potatoes start to boil, turn the heat down a little so the pot doesn't boil over, then set the timer for 15 minutes. Now you can read a book to your babies, or fold some clothes, or whatever, but try to keep half an eye on the potato pot so it keeps boiling but doesn't boil over!

8. When the timer goes off, check the potatoes with a fork to be sure they're tender (if not, let them boil a bit longer). Stir up the skillet again, then pour 1/2 cup of milk over the contents and let it simmer. Pour most of the water off of the potatoes (leave a little in to help keep them creamy) add a half stick of butter, and mash away!

9. One last time, stir the skillet, then spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the top of the hamburger/veggie mixture. Dot butter on top, and enjoy!


This was a yummy, satisfying meal which the whole family enjoyed. I'd say it made enough to feed 4 adults. We fed 2 adults, a 3 year old, a 1 year old, and had enough for one leftover lunch. Let me know if you try it, how you liked it!

Cinnamon Pear Sheet Cake

So I made this cake last night. It is deliciously moist, and fruity. Try it out! So far as I know, it is a unique and one-of-a-kind original recipe :-)

• 1 boxed white cake mix
• 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1 29 oz can Pear Pieces in Light Syrup
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven, grease bottom only of a 9 x 13 pan. Drain pears, reserve liquid. Use liquid from can of pears in place of the water called for on cake mix box, add cinnamon: otherwise, prepare as directed. Add the drained pairs, stir in by hand.

Pour cake mix into prepared pan and bake as directed on box. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. While waiting for cake to cool, prepare frosting

• about 2 cups powdered sugar
• about 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• remaining reserved liquid from pears

Beat together shortening, powdered sugar, and cinnamon. Gradually beat in pear liquid, a few tablespoons at a time until frosting is the desired consistency. When cake is cool, spread frosting on cake and enjoy!

Hot Morning Coffee

Every morning I treat myself to a hot latte, and usually it comes with a yummy treat, like the one shown in this photo. I found a recipe online for latte mix (it's really good!) and recently tried a new coffee cake recipe, as shown. If I tried this at a coffee shop, the latte would be $3.50, and the treat $3.00....making the weekly total well over $50!! So I am saving big money here!

Okay, so I must confess that usually I don't light candles and have the nice place setting when I drink my coffee in the morning, but really, how relaxing would that be? aahhhhh :-)

I wanted to share the recipes I used. The latte is a Pumpkin Spice Latte, and it ends up kind of frothy after you stir it up, and the cake is a Coffee Coffee Cake, which recipe I found in "Better Homes and Gardens" issued in April 2006. I put off trying the cake, because it calls for strong brewed coffee, and Matt REALLY doesn't like coffee, but it turned out that even HE likes it! So it must be good!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Mix

• 1/2 cup instant coffee (slightly heaping)
• 2/3 cup sugar (slightly less than full)
• 1/2 cup instant nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/4 cup powdered coffee creamer
• 1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

Add all of the ingredients into a dry bowl. Use a fork to combine everything evenly. Put into a resealable container. To enjoy a latte: Add two heaping tablespoons latte mix into your favorite coffee mug (this is assuming it is a large mug!) or to taste. Pour hot water into the cup. Stir, and enjoy!

**NOTE: I generally double this recipe since I pretty much drink it every day, and use 1/2 regular and 1/2 decaf coffee granules.

Coffee Coffee Cake

Heat oven to 350 degrees, grease and lightly flour 10" fluted tube pan (bundt pan)

Whisk together in a bowl:

• 1 1/2 cups strong brewed coffee
• 1 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Add 2 eggs, slightly beaten - whisk until combined.

In another bowl stir together:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Whisk dry ingredients into coffee mixture until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 20 minutes, remove from pan to serving platter.

**NOTE: the recipe in the magazine called for a "coffee-hazelnut syrup" to be poured on top of this cake, which I did not prepare because it sounded sickenly sweet and sticky. I was going to shake powdered sugar on top, but never got around to it. This cake is good heated in the microwave with butter on top.

Dinner!

Last night for dinner we tried a new recipe: Buttery Pasta and Shrimp. It was fabulous! I got it out of a cookbook put out by a local church, and edited it quite a bit. I like to look at recipes more as "guidelines," at least in cooking. (When baking, you pretty well need to stick to the rules.) I will post below what ingredients we used, for your enjoyment! It was yummy, especially with Garlic Salt and Parmesan Cheese on top.

Buttery Pasta and Shrimp
1 Package Angel Hair Pasta
3/4 cup Butter
3 cloves minced fresh garlic (you can easily use more, if you like garlic)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon diced red pepper
1 tablespoon diced green pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 - 8oz. Packages Frozen Cooked Salad Shrimp
2 cups Tomatoes, cut into wedges

Melt butter, start boiling water for Pasta. Saute veggies and salt and pepper for 6-10 minutes. Prepare Pasta, set aside. Add thawed and rinsed shrimp to butter and veggies, Saute for 3-4 more minutes. Stir in pasta, heat 2-3 more minutes until everything is hot. Stir in sliced tomatoes, remove from heat and cover for 1-2 minutes, or until tomatoes are hot. Enjoy!



Now, since you can't just buy 1 tablespoon of red or green peppers, we went ahead and chopped enough garlic, onion, and peppers for 3 other makings of this recipe. I divided the rest up into equal portions into freezer ziplock bags, labeled and dated, and they are now happily in my freezer for the next time we want to eat Buttery Pasta and Shrimp. I have never tried this before, but I am pretty sure that all we'll have to do is thaw those veggies, and we're ready to go, sans chopping!

first ever blog post

So I have set up a blog.

The purpose of this blog is to share my ideas about the things that I do, because I think that what I do collectively is unique from what others are doing.

I don't know how many people out there is a wife, mother, farmer, daughter, sister, daughter-in-law, home-canner, horse owner, goat owner, livestock guardian dog owner, seamstress, gardener, Christian, cloth diaperer, breastfeeding supporter, meat eater, coupon clipper, cook, baker, and so on....ALL at the same time. I think many many people do several of the above, but there don't seem to be too many people I know of that are doing EVERYTHING on that list.

Of course, there is no reason for everyone to do everything, but I do like to think that I know a little bit about a lot of things that could help others. And why else are we put on this earth, if not to help others in this life and direct them to Jesus for the next?

You can expect to see some interesting posts from me forthwith, perhaps a few tutorials, that hopefully you will find useful for you in your life.

It's a big part of mine!