St. Patricks Day Cottage Pie or Shepherd's Pie (Beef verses Lamb)

I celebrated St. Patrick's Day by making a Cottage Pie in honor of John Fletcher, who was one my of descendents from Ireland.  He was my 5th Great Grandfather from my mama's side of the family.   I bet my ancestor had Shepherd's Pie which uses lamb instead of beef.  Stone and I are more beef eaters although we occasionally enjoy lamb.    

Cottage Pie verses Shepherd's Pie

The difference?

Beef or Lamb

Serves: 8

Potato Layer Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes

4 Tablespoons Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter

1 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup half and half

2 cup (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Potato Layer Instructions:

1.  Peel potatoes and cut into small chunks.  Place potatoes into a large pot of water.  Boil and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

2.  Drain water from pot and mash the potatoes.  Add half and half, butter, garlic powder and pepper. Add 1 cup cheese, save the remaining cup of cheese to put on top of assembled dish.  Continue to mash until there are no lumps remaining.  Cover the potatoes and set aside.

3.  Preheat oven to 375'.  Grease a 9X13 baking dish with non-stick spray.

Meat Layer:

2 pounds of ground beef, if you are making a Cottage Pie, or  If you are making a Shepherd's Pie you would add 2 pounds of ground lamb instead.

1 small onion, chopped 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 Tablespoons flour

4 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots

1/2 cup frozen corn

Meat Layer Instructions:

1.  Using a 12" skillet, over medium-high heat, add ground beef, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.  Cook and crumble meat until browned.  Drain grease.

2.  Sprinkle flour over meat mixture.  Stir and cook for 1 minutes.  Stir in tomato paste, broth, Worcestershire Sauce and oregano.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.  Stir in frozen peas, corn and carrots.  Cook for 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

3.  Pour meat mixture into prepared pan.  Spread mashed potatoes evenly over the top then top with remaining 1 cup cheese.  

4.  Bake uncovered for 35 minutes until casserole is hot and bubbly.

5.  Let stand 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Pairs well with Merlot

King Cake Cupcakes For Fat Tuesday Or As The French Call It Mardi Gras

King Cake Cupcakes

Makes: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 stick Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature lightly beaten before adding 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups Swans Down Cake Flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup whole milk
Purple, Yellow and Green Sugar

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven 350".

2.  In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer cream softened butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.

3.  Sift flour, salt and baking soda, then fold into the creamed butter mixture, alternating with the milk.

4.  Using mixer whip for 3 minutes.

5.  Line the cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

6.  Fill the cupcake liners with the batter and gently tap pan on the counter to remove air bubbles.

7.  Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.  

8.  Cool completely.

9.  Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting, then top with colored sugar.

 Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

12 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, at room temperature

1 1/2 cup Land O Lakes Unsalted Butter at room temperature

1 1/2 cup powder sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1.  Place the room temperature cream cheese in a mixing bowl.

2.  Using a mixer, beat until smooth and creamy.

3.  Gradually add the butter and beating until smooth and blended.

4.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla all at once. Blend until just combined.

Chicken Noodle aka "Southern Comfort"

 Recently Stone and I were invited to friends for dinner and Mahjong.   On the menu was Chicken Noodle or what I call Southern Comfort that was made in the crockpot and with frozen egg noodles.  First of all I had never heard of frozen egg noodles.  Apparently the grocery's here in Knoxville had just begun to carry them.  In fact last week I went to our local Kroger's and they had not gotten any in as of yet, but they did have the label attached where it will be in the freezer section. 

The first thought that came to mind when I had this recipe was Cracker Barrel's Chicken and Dumplings.  I know your probably thinking Chicken Noodle and Chicken and Dumplings are two different recipes.  The thing is this Chicken Noodle recipe is thick, not soupy like most, although you could add more broth if you wanted, I did not.  Also the texture of the frozen egg noodles are different, thicker.  The first time I made this I added a container of baby portobello mushrooms that I cooked in butter and olive oil and added a splash of white wine.  This time I added english peas.  Talk about good.   So if its cold and dreary out like it was here today, build a fire, put on some tunes and make some Southern Comfort and I don't mean whiskey.  

Southern Comfort

Ingredients:

1 (24 ounce) package frozen Reames Homestyle Egg Noodles

2 (14.7 ounce) Campbell's Cream Of Chicken Soup, I used the fat free.

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

1 (32 ounce) chicken broth, may want extra to thin it out, I did not.

1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon chicken base

6 small or 4 large skinless chicken breast

salt and pepper 

fresh parsley

portobello mushrooms, peas and carrots (optional).

Instructions:

Salt and pepper chicken breast and place in the bottom of crockpot.   Spoon soup over the chicken.  Cut butter into several pats and place pieces evenly over soup.  I whisk the bouillon with the broth and pour over soup.  Place lid on pot and turn to low.  Cook for 6 hours.  Remove chicken and tear into pieces.  Add back to pot.  Now add noodles.  Cook for another 2 hours or until noodles are desired tenderness.  Add vegetables if you choose.  If you want a thiner texture add more broth at the end.  We like it thick enough you eat it with a fork.  Salt and pepper more if you want.  Serve.  This freezes beautifully!

The Hurricane That Hit On Valentine's

What was expected to be an afternoon of cards then dinner didn't exactly play out that way and this is the reason why.  My day began with waking up early to get the final prep work done for our special R-O-M-A-N-T-I-C Valentine meal, then onto the treadmill.  We all know the older you get the more you have to exercise or lets just say you should.  As many miles as I put on that machine everyday, it just goes to show I'm no spring chicken, nor do I want to be.  With my mileage put in, I needed to have a small bite to eat (remember the words a small bite to eat) to get me through until my evening meal.  Now typically I don't like to eat much throughout the day with dinner being my main meal, especially when it is to be followed with dessert that is loaded with calories. With that being said lets get to the reason we never played cards.  

Our guests arrived with this incredible cocktail for us to enjoy while we played cards, you know the cards that we never touched.  The cocktail was called a Hurricane.  I had never heard of or consumed a H-u-r-r-i-c-a-n-e.  This cocktail is a sweet alcoholic drink with rum, lots of rum.  It's so fruity you don't realize how much alcohol you are sipping until its to late.  Its even worse if you've only had a small bite to eat throughout the day as I had.  The alcohol goes straight to your head or as I was pre-warned, it would put you on your ass as it most certainly did.  

Hurricane

Makes: 3 pitchers

Ingredients:

One Fifth (750ml) Bacardi Light Rum

One Fifth (750 ml) Bacardi Dark Rum

9 3/4 cups Orange Juice

9 3/4 cups Pineapple Juice

1 3/4 cups Grenadine

Mix it all up and serve over ice.

 The cards that didn't get played.

A little festive touch to our evening.

Greg-Karen (The Culprit who made the H-u-r-r-i-c-a-n-e)-Stone-Me

Quadruple Berry and Dark Sweet Cherry Pie

Recently Stone and I met friends out for dinner at The Chop House here in Knoxville. Through out the years I have dined at The Chop House but have never ordered dessert.  This particular evening I decided to bring an end to my meal by consuming this heavenly sweet concoction called Caramel Cookie Crunch that consisted of a caramel crunch cookie freshly made in-house, ice cream, chocolate, caramel and white chocolate.  Everything, and I mean everything, about that dessert was just what I love.  I devoured this all by myself even though I share entrees with Stone. Desserts are all mine. This Caramel Cookie Crunch might be the best dessert I have ever eaten!

The following night we joined some other friends out for Mexican Food.  Seeing it was in another town, I invited Stone and I over to their house following our meal.  Hey, you can do that when they are good friends, plus I showed up with a pie and cards.  My initial thought was to make a Brownie Mint Pie, but I kept thinking about the Caramel Cookie Crunch that I had had the previous evening and I knew that I could not make anything that would compare.  It couldn't be anything that had chocolate in it.   It couldn't have any of the above ingredients and it had to be completely opposite.  I decided on a fruit pie.  So after much contemplation I came up with this Quadruple Berry and Dark Sweet Cherry Pie.  This pie is not only scrumptious, it is so quick and easy to make, using the bags of frozen fruit from Private Selection.  You do not thaw prior to assembling and baking the pie.  It's really, really yummy, plus its good for breakfast.  All that fruit, that makes it healthy doesn't it?

Quadruple Berry and Dark Sweet Cherry Pie

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients:

1 (2) layer pie crust, homemade or store bought.

1 (16 ounce) package frozen Private Selection Cherry Berry Medley

1 (16 ounce) package frozen Private Selection Triple Berry Medley

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill Tapioca Flour

4 Tablespoons lemon juice

milk or cream for bushing top of pie

Wilton's White Sparkling Sugar, I love adding this to the tops of my pies's.  It adds a sweet crunch .

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425'.

2.  Roll out 1 layer of pie crust and fit into a deep pie dish.  

3.  In a large bowl place frozen Cherry Berry medley, Triple Berry Medley, granulated sugar, tapioca flour and lemon juice. Stir to coat fruit.

4.  Empty fruit mixture into pie shell.

5.  Roll out remaining pie dough and place on top of berry mixture.  Crimp edges of pie shell.

6.  Brush top of pie with milk or cream and sprinkle with Wilton's Sparkling Sugar.  Cut slits in crust so it can breath, trust me you want to do this!

7.  Bake in 425' oven on lowest rack for 20 minutes.

8.  Reduce temp to 400' and move pie up one rack and continue baking until golden brown about 1 hour.

9.  Needs to cool and set before serving.  Or if you do not mind it being runny, eat it warm.  Either way is REALLY YUMMY.  Serve with whip cream or ice cream or eat plain.

Our Christmas Holiday On Holden Beach

The following pictures sum up our annual Christmas trip to Holden Beach bringing the year to an end.  What can I say besides enjoy the view, we sure did.

The youngest daughter Lora Beth joined us this year, eager to get out and enjoy the 75' temps.

"Tinder" moments.

'

Stone's a lucky man.

Lora Beth and Stone sand dancing on the island.

Meet Chunky Monkey and Cuddle Bug, L.B.'s beach friends.

Enjoying a beer from (SweetWater) brewing company with Pop's

Nothing like being in a swimsuit in December.

Sunset, day one as Lora Beth makes her way back to our home for the week.

No more Christmas trees on the island, no problem.  Inspired by a story told recently by a friend from India, Lora Beth created our version of a Christmas tree made with beach findings and a little bling we brought from home.  We named him "Buster."

I ask Lora Beth recently why she doesn't paint anymore she said, "make-up is my art."

Smalls relaxing at the beach house claiming this room as his own.

When Lora Beth was a little girl she had no idea makeup would be so important to her.  

Hey it was at the house when we arrived!!!

Merry Christmas from Holden Beach.

Christmas Dinner heading to the boiling pot.

Lora Beth's sandart.

Lucy snuggling with Lora Beth.

Lucy found her warm place.

 Not all beauty routines are pretty.

Yes Lucy joined us during dinner!!!  Our beach house had a high chair, Lucy thought it was for her.

Its always a good time for chocolate.

Lora Beth, mermaid for a day.

November Come And Gone

I can believe it's almost 2017.  We just had Thanksgiving didn't we?  And the day before that we celebrated L.B.'s 29th birthday.  Twenty-nine, how did she grow up so fast?   Her request was for Little Joe's Pizza and my homemade Banana Pudding.  Talk about yummy.  I hadn't had pizza in a long time and their bread sticks, lets just say I ate more than my fair share.  It was a good thing we did the Hot To Trot 5k on Thanksgiving to work off some of those calories before we indulged in our Thanksgiving feast.

L.B.'s birthday celebration with the family.

And Thanksgiving, the smell of the turkey smoking on the green egg.  Usually we fry our bird, but this year we decided to try something different.  It was so good.  

Look at that beautiful bird!!!

The Family