Rainy Day - A Shepard's Pie Update

It was a rainy, stormy day and I forgot all about dinner until about 11:30 this morning. The freezer was pretty empty since I do my shopping on Monday evenings but I had some frozen ground lamb. I decided to make shepard's pie again since I knew we wouldn't be going anywhere for the rest of the day.

I decided to try some new things this time.  Because I knew it would be a long afternoon, I left the frying pan on low heat the entire time, even after I added the meat.  It took a lot longer for everything to cook (about an hour) however it freed me up to play with my daughter.  When I cook things that low I don't have to worry about them burning.

This time I added fresh garlic (3 cloves pushed through a garlic press) and thinly sliced carrots. I also decided to be bold and daring and add grated zucchini. (Shhhh... don't tell my husband. I don't think he noticed!) I put the grater right on top of the frying pan.

Because I cooked everything so slowly, in-between chopping each item I was able to play with my daughter and get some laundry done.  She is going through a no-clothes phase. Either she wants to wear only her diaper, her pajamas or she insists on picking her own clothes out.  We are fine with her picking her own clothes out as long as its weather appropriate. (I solved this problem by putting all winter clothes out of sight.) After nap this afternoon she insisted on staying in her pajamas.  No amount of convincing or bribery on my part could get her out them.

I've also stopped folding her laundry while she is awake because she will see something in the clean clothes pile she wants to wear and insist on taking off perfectly clean clothes to change into new clothes.  Today I decided to use this dilemma to my advantage.  Within a minute of beginning to fold her laundry she happily changed out of her PJs and into a dress.  I folded laundry and got her out of her PJS! These days it is the seemingly small accomplishments like this that I take great joy in.

I finished cooking everything just as I described in my prior shepard's pie entry (follow the link for the full recipe) except instead of adding peas I served them as a side dish.  Along the way I even worked up a sweat during an impromptu dance party.

By 5:30 everything was ready.  Unfortunately, my husband had to stay late at work and my daughter refused to sit up for dinner (it was just one of those evenings) but I sat down and enjoyed every bite of this rainy day comfort food.