Thursday, March 3, 2011

Yep, I Did Cook This Week!

Several years ago I made a trip with a group of teachers to New Haven, Connecticut, to participate in a Comer workshop  near the campus of Yale University.  What a trip that was!! :)

While there, we found a wonderful Irish Pub which served one of my favorite dishes...Shepherd's Pie!!!  So I am always on the lookout for recipes for Shepherd's Pie.  I found one recently and made it this week.  It's pretty much a meal in itself...full of veggies!!  It wasn't too difficult to make and tasted pretty good, if I do say so!  If you have a Shepherd's Pie recipe you like, please feel free to share it with me.  One can never have too many recipes for Shepherd's Pie! LOL!

 

Mummy Boome's Traditional Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 pounds lean ground beef or lamb
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 cup beef stock
  • 1 1/2 cups garden peas
  • Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat oven at 400 degrees F.
Add butter and oil to a large skillet on medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, celery and garlic until tender for about 7 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Once the vegetables have softened and start to brown a little add the tomato paste and mix evenly. Add the ground beef and cook until beef is no longer pink about 10 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce and beef stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook and simmer for another 10 minutes. Mix in peas. Transfer mixture to an oven-proof baking dish and spread evenly. Place potato on top of ground beef mixture and spread out evenly, once the top surface has been covered, rake through with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. Place the dish into the preheated oven and cook until browned about 20 minutes. Spoon out the shepherd's pie and serve.
  • Mashed Potatoes
  • 4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, quartered
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup grated mature white Cheddar
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fill a large saucepan with cold water and a tablespoon of salt. Add potatoes to the water and bring to a boil. Let potatoes cook until soft about 20 minutes. Once the potatoes are at a desired density, drain the potatoes and place them back into the saucepan for mashing. Add butter and cream and begin to mash potatoes into a semi smooth consistency. Once at desired texture add cheese and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.


Bon Appétit!!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Oh, The Places I'll Go... Cause I'm Never Too Old!!!

What a wonderful time I had today!!!  I was invited to read to preschool children and kindergarten children to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday.  Now... anyone who knows me, knows how much I love to do read alouds with groups of children.  So... today was extra special because that's exactly what I did.  Of course part of the reason I love doing read alouds is because I get to wear a costume.  Again, anyone who knows me, knows I love wearing costumes....and it doesn't have to be Halloween!!!  Can't get any better than that...a Cat In The Hat costume and a read aloud of  "The Cat in the Hat"!  Thank you Angie for inviting me to your school today and for allowing me to share two things I love doing with all those wonderful children!









Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Sweet Suess Treats!

In honor of Dr. Seuss's Birthday, I am sharing some cute recipes I found online which you could try with your children this week.  So to start us off...here are a few facts for you and then some great treats to eat while you watch PBS Kids – 2-hour marathon of The Cat in the Hat Knows a lot About That! on your local PBS channel. PBS will also air two brand new episodes of The Cat in the Hat Knows a lot About That! on Dr. Seuss’s 107th birthday.  Here are the links: http://www.pbs.org/teachers/catinthehat/ and http://pbskids.org/tvschedules/airdates.html?program_id=17540215&display_date=2011-03-01&display_feed=1550&station=WUNC .


Dr. Seuss Fun Facts


Fun Dr. Seuss Treats

  • Pink Yink Ink Smoothies
  • One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish…Goldfish Crackers
  • Cat in the Hat Marshmallow Pops
  • Thing One and Thing Two Cupcakes
  • Cat In The Hat Cookies
  • or try a recipe from the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook

Fun Treats to Celebrate Dr. Seuss's Birthday

Ingredients for Pink Yink Ink Drink:adapted from Raspberry Sweetheart Smoothie                                        

1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup plain or vanilla Greek Yogurt                                                             
10 oz frozen strawberries
1 tablespoon milled flax
1 teaspoon honey
Directions for Pink Yink Ink Drink:
Put all the ingredients, in the order listed, into the jar of your blender. Cover and run on the Smoothie function (if applicable, otherwise puree on high for about a minute). Once the program is complete, turn the power off and serve.


Ingredients for Cat in the Hat Marshmallow Pops
Jet Puffed Marshmallows                                                                                   
Wilton Lollipop Sticks
Red Candy Melts
Blue Candy Melts
White Candy Melts

Directions for Cat in the Hat Marshmallow Pops:
Insert lollipop sticks into the bottom of the marshmallow. Melt the white candy melts in the microwave or on the stove top per package instructions. Using a deep cup works best for dipping. Dip the marshmallows into the melted white candy melts. Shake gently to remove excess.
Stick the lollipops into Styrofoam or something else to hold them upright white they dry. After dry, melt the red and blue colored melts. Pour each into a small decorators squeeze bottle. Drizzle the colors on the dried white dipped marshmallows to resemble stripes from the Cat's hat. Let dry before serving.
Note: Candy Melts and Lollipop sticks are available at many craft stores, such as Micheal's


Ingredients for Thing One and Thing Two Cupcakes:                         
Red Cupcake Liners
Blue Food Coloring
Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes
Vanilla Almond Buttercream - you will need at least 3 batches for a whole recipe of the cupcakes
Wilton #12 Tip
Wilton #2D Tip

Directions for Thing One and Thing Two Cupcakes:

Bake Chocolate Buttermilk Cupcakes in red cupcake liners. Prepare Vanilla Almond Buttercream without any food coloring.
When cupcakes have completely cooled, frost a layer of white buttercream on top of the cupcakes -  use a Wilton #12 Round tip. This will be the Things' face.
Dye the remaining buttercream blue and pipe stars layered on top of one another in a pyramid like shape to resemble Thing One and Thing Two's crazy hair. Use a #2D Wilton tip.
Then just cut out some small circles and write "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" with black marker. Tape to the cupcake liner.


Ingredients for Cat-in-the-Hat Cookies:                                 

Round Crackers
Marshmallows                                                                                                    
White Chocolate
Red Icing
Wax Paper

Directions for Cat In The Hat Cookies:
Place the white chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and melt it. Stir until smooth.
Start off by dipping a round cracker in the white chocolate, tapping off any extra. Place it on a piece of wax paper. Before the chocolate cools and hardens, place a marshmallow on the center of the cracker so it looks like a white top hat. Once the chocolate cools and hardens, the marshmallow should stick.
Now all you need to do is pipe red icing into rings around the hat. Also spread some over the top of the hat. If icing stripes seem to run, place them in the refrigerator to set icing more quickly.


Bon Appétit!!