Simples but Scrumptious!

21^st October 2012

Take time every day to do something silly. Philipa Walker

 

Do you do that?  Take time out each day to do something silly?  My mom has a real childlike curious nature, she’s inquisitive about things, she always has been, always got great pleasure out of the smallest of things.  When a fire engine or ambulance passes with his lights going, she say’s ‘let’s follow it’, on occasion I have indulged her and turned the car round and done just that – it absolutely makes her day!  Yesterday we went to pick up a prescription from the chemist, as we sat in the car waiting the 15 minutes for it to be ready she said, “I wonder what that building is?”, it hadn’t got any windows downstairs, just wall then windows up, so she spent a good five minutes pondering this.  When we drove off I drove round and we went and found out, she was chuffed.  5 minutes (if that) out of my day to do something silly, that had no real benefit to me other than to satisfy my moms curiousity!  Oh just in case you were wondering she was right, it was garages with flats above ;-)

 

Had successful couple of hours in the kitchen yesterday, made lasagne from the Complete Kitchen, I’ve used the white sauce recipe from there before, now I’ve use the bolognaise sauce recipe and the lasagne one too – brilliant book.  Then I made a cottage pie, haven’t made one for years and kept it simple, I have to admit I worship the power of the oxo cube!  I was making it for me and my mate, so her kids hadn’t tried it before and they’re typical kids, so I had this idea (taken from the lasagne recipe) to put carrots in there without them knowing, it also saves dicing too, good for mom also as she’s not a fan of chewing these days.  So this is the recipe;

 

Cottage Pie (Serves 6 at 11pp each)

 

570g packet of beef – 34pp

1kg potatoes 20pp (peeled & chopped)

2-4 Carrots, peeled, chopped roughly

2 large Onions, peeled, chopped roughly

Beef oxos to your taste

100g grated Mature Cheddar Cheese 11pp

 

Put carrots and onions in food processor and blend (if you haven’t got blender you’ll need to dice small as possible), spray large frying pan with oil, then add mixture from blender, cover and fry for 10 minutes (check to ensure it doesn’t stick, add a bit of water if necessary).

 

Put potatoes on to boil to make mash to top mince later.

 

Remove mixture from frying pan and then fry beef (no oil necessary as there’s fat in the mince), once brown, add back carrot mixture and stir through.  Dissolve oxos in a mug of water and add to mince.  Flavour to your own personal choice. 

 

When cooked (about 10-15m), put mince in ovenproof dish, top with mash then sprinkle grated cheese on top and cook in oven till cheese is melted and browned and serve.

 

Simples but scrumptious!

 

I’m really looking forward to today, I have NO plans at all, I love a do what you want day, I plan to start it as always with a dog walk, then go with my mood – bliss!

 

Whatever you’re doing today, stay on track – you’ll be glad you did on weigh day.