Shepherd's Pie.

I "borrowed" this recipe from one of Chuck's friends Sara Arnold, who "borrowed" it from Paula Dean. Shepherd's Pie is the best kind of homecooked meal... meat and potatoes included! Here's my variation below.

SHEPHERD'S PIE

10 small red potatoes
milk, butter, sour cream, salt, pepper to taste

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 lb ground beef
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 clove garlic
Half one white onion, diced fine
Two tablespoons olive oil
Crushed Red Pepper to taste

1 bag instant biscuit mix

First Layer: Mashed Potatoes
Cut your red potatoes small, boil till soft. I left the skin on, because I prefer them that way. :) Mash with milk, butter, sour cream, then add salt and pepper to taste. I use about 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup sour cream, and 1/4 cup butter. To save calories and fat, I used Fat Free Milk, Light Sour Cream, and Canola Oil butter.

Second Layer: Mixed Vegetables
Microwave till soft, layer over mashed potatoes. You can really use any vegetable you prefer. I used corn, carrots, and peas.

Third Layer: Beef
Saute your diced onions in olive oil till golden. Add beef and chopped garlic, cook till brown. Add tomato sauce and reduce heat to low. Simmer until you're ready for layering.

Fourth Layer: Biscuit
Combine instant biscuit mix with 1 cup milk, should be thin. Pour and spread carefully over beef layer.

When you're ready for layering, here's how it goes:
Layer halfway with mashed potatoes, then add your vegetables. Spoon beef/tomato mixture next, using a slotted spoon to minimize extra oil. Finally, spread your biscuit mix carefully over the beef. Finish with some melted butter on top, to encourage browning.

Bake for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees, until the biscuit layer is golden, but not too brown. No one likes dry biscuits.

We loved it! Thanks Sara.

10 things that make me smile.

1. my Tim Horton's iced coffee. a favorite Friday tradition.
2. the dozen pink and red roses on my desk. hubs sent them to me yesterday.
3. being married for two months. I really like twos.
4. sort of casual Fridays. makes me feel scandalous.
5. Thursday nights with our church friends. I love this new bond.
6. the weather outside, and the absence of humidity.
7. knowing that I will have a deck to enjoy by the end of this weekend.
8. a morning of good music on the radio, when I forgot my iPod.
9. the girls at my work, who make me smile all day long.
10. God's grace, His providence, and the blessings in my life.

Monday morning.

I don't really have much to share this morning, but I want to make sure my blogging stays consistent.

Chuck really felt God's calling to start a College and Career ministry this year, and I can already see amazing things happening. friendships are strengthening, bringing us into the same space each week. we've had visitors, which is an amazing opportunity to grow faith. and I've spent more time in prayer during the last week than I have in months.

you hear people saying "God is doing amazing things", but you don't really understand that feeling until he starts to work in your own life. for me, it was time to start letting him work.

a lot of this small revival I'm experiencing was inspired by Chuck and his commitment to this ministry, but part of it was this new devotional I found. it's called "A Beautiful Life: Devotions for a Woman's Heart".



I swear to you that Gwen Ford Faulkenberry and I might be soulmates. she writes the book as a series of definitions, starting each devotion with "A Beautiful Life is..."

I'll definitely elaborate more later, tell you what I'm learning. just wanted to make sure everyone had an opportunity to pick up the book.

check it out on Amazon.com. A Beautiful Life.

tasty chicken salad.

I didn't take pictures this time, because I wasn't sure how it would come out. well... it came out tasty. here goes:

QUICK CHICKEN SALAD

3 cans Underwood Chicken Spread (it's way better than normal canned chicken, which I find gross)
1/4 cup mayo
2 celery sticks diced
as many grapes as you like, quartered
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (pecans would work, too)
Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

mix it in a bowl. I served it with Big Wheat Thins and Rosemary Olive Oil Triscuits. DELICIOUS.

dinner is served.

I felt pretty confident about this recipe, so I'm glad it turned out. not exagerrating, this is ranked second in my best dinners served. (the first is a homemade chicken pot pie recipe I have, which I'll share later.)

this took me--get ready--twenty minutes. I'm not joking.

the menu: Pepper Lime Tilapia, Garlic Fried Potatoes, and pasta. (the pasta was pasta-roni. don't judge.)

PEPPER LIME TILAPIA

1 lime

zest from 1 lime
cracked pepper

kosher salt
butter (I use Land o Lakes with Canola Oil to minimize the fat)

Tilapia filets (I used 3)

coat pan with butter. lay tilapia filets inside, spaced one inch. zest lime peel over filets, then squeeze the juice over them. salt and pepper each filet to taste. lay one pat of butter on each filet. cook for 15 minutes on 375 degrees.

GARLIC FRIED POTATOES
Garlic Salt

Crushed Red Pepper (I actually used Mrs. Dash Extra Spicy Seasoning)

Peanut Oil

Small Russett Potatoes (I used three)

heat peanut oil in a non-stick skillet to Medium-High. carefully lay sliced potatoes flat, covering the pan. flip potatoes when bottom side is medium to dark brown. for crispier potatoes, cook to medium brown on both sides, then cook for an additional minute on each side. lay fried potatoes on papertowels to dry. season to taste with Garlic Salt and Crushed Red Pepper.

here is the final product. it was fabulous.

gross chicken stir fry.

so, I feel like last night's dinner should have ended before it started. Chuck and I were grocery shopping on Sunday night--my new favorite thing--and I had promised him chicken stir fry for dinner one night this week. not gonna lie, I make a REALLY good stir fry. not last night.

I use this powdered seasoning that my parents always buy, but I couldn't--and still can't--remember the brand name. anyway, Wal-Mart only had one option and the name of the seasoning was just "Stir Fry." we stood there trying to figure out what "Stir Fry" flavor might be? is it a chili pepper? sesame? teriyaki?

after much discussion, we decided to just try it out. poor decision. it was none of the aforementioned flavors. "Stir Fry" flavoring tastes like powdered soy sauce mixed with sugar. gross.

to make up for that dinner disaster, I've decided on simpler fare for this evening: Pepper Lime Tilapia, fried potatoes, and pasta. sounds better, right? I think so.