This & That

Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Cold winter days require comfort food, and today....today requires comfort, so while I might not be making this for myself this evening, this totally ticks all the boxes for a perfect winter Mom Food dinner. I'm thinking anything that requires mashed potatoes automatically qualifies as Mom Food.

The fact that this recipe calls for white cheddar and Yukon gold potatoes just takes that up a notch for those with, shall we say...elevated palates. My mom used to make us Shepherd's Pie when we were kids. This is definitely a different slant on that traditional dish. I cut this in half for my husband and I, but in retrospect I wouldn't bother. You're going to want all the leftovers.

I tore the recipe out of a magazine about cast iron cooking, but you could easily pour the filling into a 9x13 baking pan if you don't want to go the bake-in-the-skillet route. I do love my cast iron, though, and did make my 1/2 recipe in a 10" skillet.

Chicken Shepherd's Pie

Filling:

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup each sliced carrots and button mushrooms (as you know, the mushrooms are always optional, and left out for me)
• 1 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 cups flour
• 2 cups chicken broth or stock
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 cup each frozen green peas and pearl onions, thawed (I didn't use pearl onions. I chopped a small onion and put it in with the celery and carrots)
• 1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme OR 1 teaspoon dried 
• Salt and pepper to taste

Topping:

• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 Tablespoons butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups shredded white Cheddar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 400°. For the filling melt the 2 Tablespoons butter in a large, oven safe skillet (I used a 10" cast iron) over medium heat. Add celery, carrots, mushrooms, and garlic; cover and sweat until softened, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in flour and cook for a minute, then add broth, chicken, peas, onions and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer while the topping is coming together, about 20 minutes, but be careful not to boil off too much of the liquid. You want some sauce for those mashed potatoes.

For the potato topping, cook potatoes in boiling, salted water until fork tender, 12-15 minutes. Drain potatoes and mash, adding in butter, cheese, egg, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon topping over filling in pan and bake for 25-30 minutes. Serves 6. 

Fusion Card Challenge

I made a card this afternoon for the current Fusion Card Challenge.

You can use either the sketch or the photo for inspiration, or you can combine the two. 

This is what I came up with, again using papers from the current Simon Says Stamp card kit. I've really liked several of these papers a lot. 

Supplies used:

• Polkadoodles papers
• My Favorite Things, Simon Says Stamp, and Sugar Pea dies
• Simon Says Stamp sentiment stamp and ink
• Stampin' Up heart punch
• Nuvo Drops

Around Here This Week

So around here this week....

There was a little bridal shower here in town for Bryce's fiancee. She has some relatives in our neck of the woods...small world, and it was such a nice event. I love and appreciate my friends who supported my family and came to welcome her. I've been addressing wedding invitations like crazy this week and probably should have taken a pictures of that process.

So my husband is on an adventure. I can always tell when this is happening by the height of the pile at the end of his side of the bed. There's always a pile of stuff there, but when an adventure's in the offing, the height of the stack increases exponentially.

Yes, those bulbs are really coming up. I checked my list of where I planted those 180 bulbs last fall and apparently these are not some of them, but it's really weird because the crocus and snowdrops are always up before I see daffodils.

I thought this picture of the pups was so cute. Awww....look at those sweet boys. Yeah, that attitude lasted until Gus barfed all over the floor yesterday. And did I say my husband is gone?

As a family we spent some time here last Saturday morning. It was Gwen's first time being able to go and it was a really wonderful experience the have half my kids, their spouses, and Edward and Gwen. All the feels.

Caroline worked on her school Valentine box while the men were doing a meat-grinding session during the bridal shower. The valentines went in the groundhog's mouth.

So my personal valentine is absent, but he's trying to curry some long-distance favor by having these arrive.

Sent to me from the kids and grandkids this week, Elisa sent these pictures of the boys in their dinosaur valentine shirts.

Ephraim was reading to his bear.

That's a pretty cute picture of the pair of them.

Elisa got Eric this shirt for Valentine's Day. I think she bought it thinking he'd chuckle and hang it in the closet, but Eric's a pretty secure guy and put it right on, and headed out the door to work. She did say that he got her back later on, though...

...by bringing this home.

Stuff I Know #24--Words Matter

Again, the usual disclaimer for the posts in this particular category...my blog, my opinions, the thoughts are for my family and if you're along for the ride, that's great.

It's been kind of a rough week for multiple reasons. A lot of churning emotions and lost sleep, again for various and unrelated reasons.

The specifics don't really matter in the long run, but taking the long way around this topic, I'll tell you that several weeks ago I woke up to the fact that I'd probably hurt a couple of close family members by something I'd typed in an email. It absolutely wasn't my intention to do so and when I realized it, I knew I needed to apologize, which I did. 

Since then, though, I've had trouble letting it go. I know I've done everything I can to make it right, but the thing is...when you put something out there, you can't take it back. Words can't be un-read, or unspoken once you've sent them out into the universe, whether it was intentional or not.

I've thought a lot this week about where words lead, hence the pictures of feet you're seeing. It's really easy to put things into the public forum...we all do it. It's also really easy to be reactive and paint with a very broad brush, rather than not, but nothing exists in a vacuum. Think of those words like pebbles you drop into a pool of water. In all honesty, you never really know the ultimate effect of the ripples created when you drop those words, like stones, around you and others. 

What I would want my kids to take from this is that you always want to try to let your words lead you in a positive way, and that way should find you headed towards the high road, wearing your big person pants. In analogies they will specifically understand....you want to hike the meadows or the well-marked trails, not the shale hillsides. You want your expressions to be considered, measured, and uplifting. The older I get, the more I find this to be true, but it's not easy for me because the knee-jerk reaction is my basic personality. I am impulsive and more than ever, I must measure my words.

Put thought into the effect, the ripples, if you will. It's so easy to hurt others through things that are said.

Be careful.....be thoughtful....be kind.....consider from all angles...watch your ripples.

Because words are powerful. Words matter...and they can't be taken back.

Cast Iron Skillet Bread

This is another in a series of new recipes I've tried recently.

It comes from my most recent cookbook purchase, and it amazingly delicious. OK, I'll admit that there's not much about homemade bread that isn't delicious, especially in my personal food lexicon, but this is really good.

My husband and I had this recently with some Cream of Tomato Soup, and I ripped chunks of it to float in the soup. Seriously, it may be a requirement to serve this bread with tomato soup. It's just that good.

I cut the recipe in half for my husband and I and baked it in a smaller skillet. We had enough for dinner and enough for leftovers as well. If you make bread and have cast iron....Make. This. Recipe.

Cast Iron Skillet Bread

• 2-1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 2 cups warm water
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tablespoon dried rosemary
• 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4-1/3 cups flour
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

In a large bowl, stir the yeast and honey into the warm water until dissolved. Mix in half the cheese, the rosemary, thyme and salt. Add the flour 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition (I did this in my stand mixer). Mix until the dough forms a rough, sticky ball. This is a no-knead bread, so it will be stickier than regular bread dough.

Cover the bowl and let rise for 1 hour. Remove the dough from the bowl, but avoid punching it down or squishing it as much as possible. (I used a rubber spatula to gently push it into the skillet.)

Place the dough into an oiled 10" cast iron skillet (I think I put my 1/2 recipe into an 8") and gently press it into a disc. Let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Drizzle the olive oil over the bread and gently slash it twice with a sharp knife to make an X on the top. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown. Let the bread cool slightly in the pan, then tip it out of the skillet onto a cutting board to slice.

Around Here This Week

So around here this week...

The weather temporarily shifted back from pre-spring, to winter.

We even had a little skiff of snow. I'm totally OK with this. It is February, after all....not April. 

Of course, then it switched back to pre-spring and when I ventured out to get the mail one afternoon, this is what I saw.

For our family Sunday dinner last weekend, we decided to have some tailgate-type food for the Super Bowl. This was my sister's letter board for the day. With the exception of my son, Evan, who was totally into the game, this was totally true for our family.

This was the dessert shot I got of some of the grandkids. Roger was very helpful..."Hey everyone, smile!"

I made some cupcakes for dessert that were really good. Recipe coming soon.

I also took a little time this week to organize some stamps and dies.

Sent to me from the kids and grandkids this week, Quincy's mama sent this one of a tired boy who fell asleep on the stairs.

Emmett's mama sent this one. He explained why the orca was reading a shark book. "He's at a restaurant and this is the menu, of course."

Ephraim likes to read, too.

From Jude's mama, there was this cute picture,

and a little video of Jude trying out snow for the first time.

My daughter helped throw a baby shower for her friend down in Utah, and put these pretty flowers together. She has a knack. She's going to be doing the flowers for Bryce's upcoming wedding, too.

 

Keeping My Hands Busy

My hands have made a couple of cards, made some bread, and have worked some on cleaning the house for company this weekend.

Other than that, I've just gotten these Project Life pages done.

Most of them are stories you've already seen.

And if you haven't, it means they're coming soon.

I've also been working steadily on some wool, and hope to have something to show for the next round of KMHB.

CAS(E) This Sketch

A card for the CAS(E) This Sketch challenge blog.

This is the sketch we were given to work with.

And my take on it. As you can see, some of the last few cards I've done have been using some of the fairly seasonal papers that came in February's Simon Say Stamp card kit. It seems like the time of year to get them out. I don't necessarily send a lot of Valentines, but I figure they'll work for other things.

The die-cut circle is adhered to the back of the card, so when it's opened up that piece stays put. 

Supplies used:

• Polka doodles paper
• My Favorite Things and Simon Says Stamp dies
• Clearly Besotted sentiment stamp
• Simon Says Stamp Ink
• Nuvo Gems

 

Inspired By...

I'm getting an entry in for the running Inspired By challenge by the skin of my teeth. 

The prompt this week is Inspired By XOXOXO.

My take is comprised mostly of die cuts and a little stamping.

Supplies used:

• Dies: Memory Box, Pink Fresh Studio, Sugar Pea, Papertrey Ink
• Simon Says Stamp/Cathy Zielske Heartthrob stamp
• Polkadoodler papers (from the February Simon Says Stamp card kit)
• Nuvo Drops

Cinnamon Wheat Waffles & Caramelized Apples

This is another one of those new recipes I tried when Collin's family was here. Food is not usually a battle I want to fight with my grandkids when they're here, so I really try to come up with things I think they'll like.

Pancakes and waffles are usually a pretty good bet for breakfast, and since I have the hot breakfast thing I can easily go for this. (Collin styled this picture just for you, making it look as artistic as he could.) I can tell you that even John liked picking tiny pieces up off the high chair tray and gumming them. I found the recipe here and will be making them again. For my husband and Collin's family, I made 2/3 of the recipe and that was just enough. Don't ask me how I came to that fraction...let's just call it mother's intuition.

They're good, as my husband's empty plate can attest.

Cinnamon Wheat Waffle & Caramelized Apples

Waffles:

• 3-1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 6 eggs
• 2-1/2 cups wheat flour
• 2 cups white flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Caramelized Apples:

• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 6 Fuji or green apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4" slices (I used Golden Delicious we've stored from our tree)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

For the waffles, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk melted butter and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and continue to whisk until smooth. Heat waffle iron and cook batter according to your waffle iron's instructions. Serve with apples and whipped cream...and some syrup if you're feeling especially decadent.

For the apples, melt the 3 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apple slices, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix until apples are evenly coated. Cook about 18 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat and stir in vanilla.