Shepard's Pie!

 Let me just take a second to proclaim my love for Shepard's pie. I love it. :) And let me take another minute to express my gratitude for Rachelle Boucher who graciously took time out of her busy schedule to help me learn how to cook this fantastic dish. I greatly appreciate it.

So first, we got all of our ingredients together. Rachelle taught me a great trick for keeping the kitchen organized, put everything on trays, so the clean up is easier and and everything is more organized. We took the potatoes, peeled them, cut them into cubes, and then dropped them into a pot  of water.

While we waited on the potatoes to boil,  we worked on the filling. In a pan, we sauteed onions and carrots. We also peeled our peas and put the pods in the pot of boiling potatoes to cook for a minute. We then added the lamb to the pan or sauteed onions and carrots. I added the flour, peas, and extra spices while cooking the lamb. I let that sit for a couple minutes and turned my attention back to the mashed potatoes. I took the potatoes and put then through a food mill (I had always just mashed them with a potato masher, it was much easier this way). I then proceeded to add butter, salt, and cream.

Once the potatoes were done, I put the filling of the Shepherd's pie from the pan into a baking pan. I then continued to layer the mashed potatoes on top of the lamb. I popped it in the oven and then it was ready to eat. My family loved it. I guess there is still hope for me yet.

I have to say, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be. The idea of cooking meat has always come across as so difficult, and it was exciting to see that it wasn't at all. It was quick and painless.

So I went to a cooking class taught by Rachelle earlier that week and it was eye opening. I would probably say that I am a picky eater and I just don't eat things I don't like, much less would I cook with them. And in this cooking class, Rachelle ,and a dietitian who came to speak as well, talked about the benefits of vegetables and certain foods. After cooking and eating  the plethora of foods, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't so horrible. It was actually delicious! Though I still think broccoli and I are on bad terms, but besides that, it was fantastic. I guess what I am taking from this journey is to keep an open mind, try new things, and to get out of my comfort zone. It's crazy what you learn when you put yourself out there. So a special thank you, again, to Rachelle for all your help!  I could never have done all of this without you.