So I have to ask: Do you think winter walks are enjoyable? Or would you rather stay inside and drink hot cocoa?
Archives for January 2016
Shepherd’s Pie
A reader asked that I share my recipe (which is actually my mother-in-law’s recipe) for shepherd’s pie, one of my husband’s favorite meals. It’s quick, easy, and oh so delicious!Here are the steps with pictures, and I have also pasted the full recipe at the bottom of the post. Enjoy!
Shepherd's Pie
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes
- butter and milk to mash potatoes
- 1 lb ground beef
- seasoned salt
- 1 small onion
- 1½ cup frozen green beans
- 1 cup frozen corn
- shredded cheddar cheese.
Instructions
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Steam or boil two large, peeled potatoes until tender. (When I'm crunched for time, I steam them in the microwave.) Remove from pot, and mash with butter and milk.
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Meanwhile, brown 1 pound ground beef (seasoned with seasoned salt, to taste) and sauté small onion (chopped) in a large skillet.
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Place 1-1/2 cups frozen green beans and 1 cup frozen corn in the bottom of an 8x8 pan.
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Add browned beef and sautéed onions.
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Add mashed potatoes, pressing firmly with spatula to ensure that ingredients don't fall off the side of the pan. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
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Bake at 400F for approximately 20 minutes (until cheese is melted and pie is hot throughout).
Video Tutorial: Organizing Your Spice Cabinet
Are you fed-up with your disorganized spice cabinet? Constantly having to pull a out two dozen containers just so you can find the two that your recipe requires can be quite tiresome.
Over the weekend, I decided that something HAD to be done about my awful mess of a spice cabinet. (I really wish I had taken a “before” picture.)
We had a big cardboard box in our recycling bin, so I came up with the idea of making risers. If you like the look of the finished product (picture above), check out my tutorial video:
Our Wedding March
My Hubby the Painter
What do you think?
Life in the South
Here in Tennessee, we’re experiencing the early stages of the massive winter storm “Jonas” that is headed for the East Coast. For us, the snow will taper off this evening, with 3-6 inches of accumulation forecasted.
This is normal winter weather in the Midwest (where Mr. Handsome and I are from), so we were puzzled to hear that every single one of my husband’s dental patients had canceled their appointments for today and tomorrow.
Just another positive of Southern living…more snow days! Our relatives back in the Midwest are going to be jealous.
Here’s something to make you laugh:
*The top picture is one I took in my family’s backyard several years ago, and the bottom snapshot shows what it looks like outside our front door this morning.
Cheeseburger Soup
Mr. Handsome’s cousin brought it to a family Super Bowl party a few years ago. “I’m not usually a soup guy, but it was delicious,” he told me. So I decided to be a good wife and track down the recipe, which ended up being from Taste of Home.
I made it last night with quite a few alterations, and we both loved it! And guess what? It is decently healthy (especially with my change)!
Cheeseburger Soup
Ingredients
- ½ lb ground beef
- ¼ tsp seasoned salt
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 3 cups carrots, diced
- 3 cups celery, diced
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 5 Tbsp butter divided (2 Tbsp can be olive oil)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 cups potatoes, diced and peeled approximately 2 large potatoes
- ¼ cup flour I use a mixture of white and wheat
- 1⅔ cup shredded cheese cheddar or Mexican style
- 1⅓ cup milk
- salt to taste approximately ½ tsp
Instructions
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In a small skillet, brown beef with seasoned salt. Drain and set aside.
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In a 5-quart saucepan, saute onion, carrots, celery, basil, and parsley in 2 Tbsp butter (or olive oil) until they begin to soften (10-15 minutes).
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Add chicken broth, potatoes, beef, and garlic. Bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes (until potatoes are soft).
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Meanwhile, melt remaining butter (3 Tbsp) in the skillet, and add flour. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to bubble (3-5 minutes). Add to soup.
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Bring soup to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
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Stir in cheese, milk, and salt. Continue stirring until cheese melts. Remove from heat.
Recipe Notes
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home
Movie Review: ‘Polycarp’
Last year, I had the privilege of pre-screening Polycarp, a fabulous movie with a conservative Christian focus. My readers have asked me to share my favorite family-friendly films, so I have decided to post my review:
Produced by Scott Eash, the movie Polycarp is a historical drama that tells the gripping tale of Christians facing persecution in second-century Smyrna. Anna (Eliya Hurt) is a 12-year-old slave who receives her freedom when she is adopted into a devout Christian family. She befriends Polycarp (Garry Nation), the elderly leader of the Smyrnian church who is passionate about preaching the Gospel.
When the Roman proconsul proclaims that the citizens of Smyrna must worship Caesar or be sentenced to death, Polycarp and the other Christians display an unwavering faith as they refuse to denounce the one true God.
Polycarp tells the members of the church: “But understand this: We will not be constrained by what [the proconsul] says or does. Our only constraint is the love of Christ.”
Anna’s freedom from slavery is an illustration of the freedom from sin that God has offered to Christians through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the face of persecution, Anna must decide if she is willing to live and die for the God of the Bible.
Through the use of realistic sets and talented actors, Polycarp brings to life the Biblical truths presented in Luke 17:33, 1 John 4:18, and Philippians 1:21 and reveals what it means to be fully dedicated to Christ and His Kingdom, even to the point of death.
Evangelist and best-selling author Ray Comfort calls Polycarp a “God-honoring, Christ-centered, and moving story that will make you want to run with the divine message, while we still have the God-given liberty.”
The Kendrick Brothers–writers, directors, and producers of Fireproof, Courageous, and Facing the Giants–also give the movie a thumbs up: “Polycarp issues a call that resonates with Joshua’s mandate to ‘choose you this day whom you will serve.’ This is the moving story of second-century persecution, reminiscent of the persecution many believers face today.”
Inspired by a true story, Polycarp was written and directed by Joe and Jerica Henline, a brother-sister team that has worked on several films, including Beyond the Mask and Acts of God. Joe and Jerica, who were 17 and 19 when they began writing the script for Polycarp, have received multiple Best Young Filmmaker awards.
Polycarp (trailer below) is available for purchase on Amazon.com and ChristianBook.com and may be sold at your local Christian bookstore.
Date Nights
One of our fancier date nights last year |
Several readers have asked what our date nights look like. Since we don’t yet have children, we treat every night as a date night.
Unless we have Bible study or another commitment, we usually spend our evenings relaxing together. After enjoying a home-cooked dinner, we either practice music, play board games, read, or watch a TV show on Netflix.
On special nights, we might make hand-mixed milkshakes, which are one of Mr. Handsome’s favorite desserts, or a batch of healthy microwave popcorn (click here for the recipe).
Every weekend, we make a point of taking one evening to dress up and go out to eat. My husband’s all-time favorite restaurant is Famous Dave’s. I don’t have a single favorite restaurant, but some of my top choices include Famous Dave’s, Olive Garden, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chick-fil-A, Texas Roadhouse, and a Nashville BBQ joint called Jack’s.
Do you have a favorite restaurant? Or maybe some date night ideas to share?