Monday, February 21, 2011

Shepherd's Pie


I haven't shared this recipe before but it's one I make fairly often and it's quite delicious. I've changed the way I make mine, so first I'll share the original recipe and then I'll share my changes:

Ingredients

4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
5 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ketchup
3/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. Mix in butter, finely chopped onion and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, mash and set aside.* Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.)
  • Heat oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook until clear. Add ground beef and cook until well browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
  • Spread the ground beef in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Next, spread a layer of mashed carrots. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

* Here's where I've changed mine: to be perfectly honest, the layer of mashed carrots sounded weird to me. Instead of that, I cooked a package of frozen mixed veggies (like carrots, peas, green beans, corn, etc) as directed on the package and layered that in place of the mashed carrots (so meat mixture, mixed veggies, top with potatoes and cheese).

14 Months.


Rearranging the dining room chairs - I think he'd move the table if he was strong enough! :)

Holy cow. I can't believe I'm writing about the things he's been up to now that he's 14 months old. We attended a 1st birthday party this weekend and it just really reminded me how fast it all goes. Ben's 1st birthday was only 2 months ago but it feels like forever ago. He's a completely different kid now than he was just 2 months ago. Makes me wonder what big changes we'll see in another 2 months...

He's still slow on the teeth department but he's up to 3 now. Both top teeth have come through (his big ol' chompers make my heart hurt) and he's still got that one lonely tooth on the bottom. He's been gnawing on his fingers and really anything he can find, so I think some more on the top are coming through. Stupid question coming: when do I take him to the dentist? Now? Later? I should look that up...

Telling papa it's time to get up!

He's picked up some more words. Last time I think I said he didn't say "cat" any more - well that's back and probably one of his favorites. He loves our cats (I wish they loved him the way he loves them!!!) and says "tat" now for cat. He's very deliberate on his "t" and it's super cute. He says "sacks" for "socks" and "shoes". I wasn't very interested in his shoes when we first got them but now he loves them. He'll go get them and place them on top of his feet now and wait for me to put them on. Then he just wanders all over the house with 'em on. Super cute.

He loves to go out (which he some times also says "ow-it"). we walk out several times a day to the oh so fabulous trash can to throw away diapers or out to the mailbox. The few nice days we've had, we've taken him out to either walk or play. He's ALL about walking now. He still does crawl but for the most part his mode of transportation is his own two feet. Which produces a challenge at the grocery store. When he's tired of sitting.

Cruising around Settler's Park

Signing is still going good. I can't get him to speak any of the words that he knows to sign so I don't know if that will be a challenge later or not. He's created his own sign for "more please" - he doesn't do "more" quite right, he usually just takes one pointed finger and touches it over and over to his other flat hand but recently he's been combining that motion with please and does a pointed finger to his chest in a circle motion for "more please". Another one of those that makes my heart hurt.

I'm thinking we're going to need to revisit some sleep training at night. I want to give it a bit more time, as he's been sick, but for the last month or so, he's been waking and needing help going back to sleep. I do blame it on being sick - first we all had a little flu bug virus thingie and then right after that he & I got colds (his came with an ear infection). I miss what it's like to have a full night of sleep.

He looks sad because I left to get the camera - I couldn't resist a picture of him half undressed! :)

This last month Nick's had to go into the office like a regular person and be there all day, 5 days a week. I miss having him around (he doesn't get to go to Little Gym with us any more either and that is NO FUN) and so does Ben, but I think Nick's the one that feels it the most. Since it's just the two of us for most of the day (and school nights especially suck, it's like we don't see him at all - I try not to complain because I know there are others that have it much worse and I am thankful for the time we do get to spend together and I know school is almost over YAY!), I am Ben's number 1 bud. Which I don't mind.... :)

Snow play!

So there you have it. The happenings of Ben at 14 months. :)

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Birthday.


Today I say: peace out, girl scout to my 20's. It was an interesting decade, that's for sure. In that decade I....

...took a couple of cool trips. We went to San Francisco, Florida, Scottsdale, Philadelphia (I did that one by myself for work), Green Bay... I don't know if I'm leaving any out, but I don't think so.
...started my first "adult" job
...made some truly fantastic friends
...bought my first house
...got a dog
...got married
...sold our house
...quit my job
...moved states
...bought a new house
...started a new job
...found my sister from another mister ;)
...watched my husband work hard for his associates degree
...had a baby
...quit another job :)
...had 3 nieces and 1 nephew born
...lost my mom
...made friends & gave them up
...finally had the time to find out who I am

In the last 10 years I've grown a lot. I don't think I'm the same person I was in 2001. I mean, essentially I'm ME but I've grown. I think I'm more mature. I'm certainly more dependable and probably very predictable.

I miss my mom a lot. Especially today. I know she would have called me or sent me an email or posted something on my Facebook (or all of the above) for my birthday. She would have made me a coconut cake if I'd asked for one and asked me what I wanted for my birthday dinner. She would have made me feel special and I would have taken advantage of having my mom there. I wish I had known last year. I would have tried to savor each moment.

But. Moving on to my 30's. I don't know what the future holds for me, but I'm certain it involves one more baby. I'm hoping it involves more good fortune, more money and better opportunities. I'm hoping that there's no more death (thought I don't think that wish will be coming true) and more celebration of LIFE.



Friday, February 11, 2011

Friday Confessional.

I'm doing something way different here and I'm not only participating in an idea I saw on some one else's blog, but I'm going to link up to it. I've never done that before and I'm sure I'll do it wrong (ha ha) but it sounded like fun so I'm gonna give it a go.

Photobucket

I Confess:

That I straighten products on the shelves at random stores I'm shopping at. I can't make myself stop.

I Confess:

That when the baby monitor goes off in the middle of the night, some times I try to hit the snooze button on my alarm to make the noise stop.

I Confess:

That I judge you if you don't take the cart back to the cart return. Really? It's like 10 feet. Put your cart away.

I Confess:

That bloggers who apologize all over themselves for "poor photo quality" bug the crap out of me. Unless you are a professional photographer, no one is going to care if your lighting isn't "just right" - it's okay. To be honest, I never notice anything wrong with the photos that are being apologized for anyway.

I Confess:

That some times I feel like my sweet baby boy was abducted by aliens and in his place they left this whiny, cranky, temperamental toddler who confuses and annoys me a lot. Then I feel bad that I'm annoyed at him, cuz after all - he's just a baby.

I think that's enough for today. I'm gonna go attempt to link this bad boy up. :)