Non-Traditional Shepherds Pie

Non-Traditional Shepherds Pie



This version of Shepherds Pie is rich, creamy, savory, and plum full of delicious ingredients. This version uses ground beef rather than ground lamb, which is simply because beef is easier to find here in Alberta. I also chose to leave out the peas and corn, which many people consider necessary in a shepherds pie. I added a few different flavours instead and created this delicious, hearty dish! Enjoy!

Directions

In a large oven safe pan, dutch oven, other large walled skilled, or wide bottomed pot, add 3 table spoons of butter and a little bit of olive oil. Put the pan over medium heat and chop the vegetables while the butter/olive oil melts. Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the melted butter and let them cook down for approximately 10-15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and rosemary, stir them into the rest of the veg, and then make a well in the middle of the pot. I do this by pushing all of the contents around the sides until there is a good sized portion of the bottom of the pot showing. Add a bit more olive oil, and then add the ground beef to the center of the pot. Break it up with a wooden spoon, allow it to brown and get a little bit crispy, if that is what you like.

Once the ground beef is cooked, stir the contents of the pot all together and make sure everything is bite sized. At this point, the mixture should be quite moist and have some liquid within. If it isn't, feel free to add a bit more olive oil. Add the half cup of flour and mix it in, creating somewhat of a roux. You may need to add more or less flour in order to reach the right consistency. The mixture should be 'gummy' and stick together in lumps, kind of like a paste. It is important to 'cook out the flour' which is just a way to ensure that the flour taste will not carry into the dish. While the mixture is cooking, it is time to add the 'spices'. Stir in the grainy mustard (or dijon), paprika, worchestershire sauce, and lime juice. Be sure to season with salt and pepper at this point. 

Once the roux has been stirred and cooked for around 2 minutes, it is time to add the beer. I prefer using a darker beer, something that is not fruity or citrus tasting. Mix the beer in, and allow the mixture to thicken. Once the beer has been absorbed, add in the beef stock. Turn up the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling for a few minutes, turn down the heat to low and allow it to simmer. Preheat the oven to 400, cover the mixture, and let it simmer for 20 minutes or more. 

While the mixture is simmering, you can prepare the mashed potato topping. In a large bowl, add 4 cups of mashed potato. Left over mashed potato works perfectly here, but feel free to use fresh mashed potato as well! Add both eggs to the potatos and stir well, making sure they are fully incorporated. Stir in the shredded parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper. 

Now that the ground beef mixture has been simmering, it should be quite thick and gravy like! If that is the case, it is time to add the mashed potatoes on top. I place dollops of the mash all around the dish so that it is easier to spread them out evenly. I use a spoon to smooth out the mashed potatoes and then, sometimes, I use a fork to create some kind of design! Bake in the oven, uncovered, at 400 for approximately 20 minutes, or until the potatoes turn brown and crispy! Yum!

Once it is done, let it cool for at least 10 minutes before serving, then garnish with a sprinkling of chives!

Enjoy!



Let me know if you try this recipe, and be sure to come back for more!

Thanks for reading,
Madison xx


Current Face Mask Routine

Current Face Mask Routine


Everyone loves a good pamper routine, right?! I try to pamper my skin at least 3 times a week. This consists of several face masks that compliment my daily skincare routine, allowing for my face to feel supple, rejuvenated, and healthy. My face mask routine changes with the seasons, because in Alberta the weather and humidity changes quite often, so my skin requires different things during different seasons.

During summer, my skin is often in need of deep cleansing. The heat causes my skin to be oily on, and off, which that causes some unwanted bumps around my cheeks and forehead. To combat this, I exfoliate 3 times a week followed with a deep cleansing clay mask. This seems to get rid of the bumps and smooths out my skin, which is really really nice! I love the Trilogy mineral radiance mask which has 'kaolin' clay among other ingredients like rosehip.


My cheeks can get be sensitive to the heat, often getting quite red even if they are not sun burnt. Both my sister and I are affected by the heat and our skin reacts to the point where it can get red and irritated. To combat this, I use the Ultra repair instant oatmeal mask by first aid beauty. This mask soothes my skin and encourages moisture retention. It feels great and smells pretty good too! I use this mask 3 times per week, or as needed, following the deep cleansing clay mask.


If my skin is not in need of the oatmeal mask, I will use the GinZing mask from Origins. This is a gel-like mask that glides on to the skin and has a slight cooling sensation. I especially love using this after being out in the sun or coming out of the shower. The cool gel feels like such a treat on hot skin! The mask is super refreshing and also is very moisturizing, plumping the skin and giving it a nice glow! I will use this mask on its own after an exfoliation, or after using the charcoal mask. Sometimes I even use this mask after doing the oatmeal mask!


Once I have applied my face masks, the most important thing to do is to treat the skin. I use a vitamin C serum (by Platone) under my eyes, on my eyelids, and upper cheeks. After that has somewhat dried, I will apply a facial serum to the rest of my skin. Then I will mix the Boots 'time delay' Radiance Booster with the Joe Fresh illuminating primer in my fingers and rub it all over my face. This is the last step of my pamper routine and leaves my skin feelings supple, smooth, and glowing! Perfect for summer!





 Thanks so much for reading,
Madison xx

Black Tea with Vanilla

Black Tea with Vanilla


The perfect cup of tea - some of us have found it, some of us haven't. For some, the perfect cup of tea changes time to time, and for others, it stays the same for many years. The perfect cup of tea for my grandpa is simply black tea with a hint of milk and a teaspoon of sugar. For my mom, its double bergamot earl grey with a teaspoon of honey. For my friend Emily, it is Earl grey with lavender infused honey, and for Jason, it is either peppermint or black tea with nothing else. My perfect cup of tea often changes with the season. For example, my favorite in the winter is peppermint tea with a hint of honey, while in the summer my favorite is green tea. In the spring and fall, I tend to gravitate towards black tea with some honey.


My tea drawer is quite extensive, with many different types of teas - mostly black, as it is usually my favorite. Finding my favorite black tea, however, has been quite a journey. As of June 2017, my favorite black tea is "Pure Leaf" black tea with Vanilla. I've been through them all it seems, from the Tesco scottish blend, to Yorkshire gold, to Tetley, to other small niche local brands of black tea. Which ever the case, none seem to be as simply delicious as this one by Pure Leaf.


I found this Pure Leaf version at London Drugs on sale for 5$ - not bad for a quality tea like this. I have found that it is very easy to accidentally steep tea for too long, and with black tea, that usually results in a very bitter, unpleasant taste. With this Pure Leaf version, the tea does not seem to go overly bitter, even if steeped too long. I really appreciate that, as I forget easily and have a habit of over steeping my tea.

I am so happy to have found this tea! It is full bodied, with a distinct vanilla flavour - perfection! I like to have it with honey. It is also good plain, and super delicious with both cream and sugar - a treat! If you have struggled finding the perfect black tea, I suggest giving this one a try!

Thanks for reading, 
Madison xx

Chocolate & Berry Trifle

Chocolate & Berry Trifle



My mom makes the most delicious 'death by chocolate' trifle desert. It is always filled with the most delicious cream, pudding, chocolate, and other yummy things. Trifle is a layered desert, and while I have not played around with the trifle process too much, I did create this fun little variation a little while ago and I thought I would share it here! This chocolate and berry trifle is full of chocolate cake, pound cake, whipped cream, chocolate pudding, and of course, berries! This is an extremely easy recipe because you can use boxed pudding, boxed cake, and other quick alternatives rather than making everything from scratch. While I do really enjoy making things from scratch, in a recipe like trifle there are definitely ways to make the process a little easier and quicker!


Directions

If using boxed cake, the first step is to bake the cake of course. Use the instructions given on the box, usually it requires a liquid (water or milk), veg oil, and three eggs. After the cake has cooled completely, break it up  into small bite sized pieces.

I was able to find pre-made pound cake at my local Safeway, making the process even easier. If you don't have the access to pound cake, or the ingredients for pound cake, feel free to use boxed vanilla cake. The density and flavour of pound cake is really great, but a simple vanilla cake will do. Just like the chocolate cake, break the pound cake into small bite sized pieces. I chose to keep the 2 kinds of cake (chocolate and vanilla) in two different bowls to allow for nice coloured layers!

While the cake is baking, go ahead and make the chocolate pudding. I use the Jell-O brand which is extremely simple to make and comes together very quickly.

The pudding will take around 5-8 minutes to set, so during this time, if you are using homemade whipped cream, go ahead and whip the cream. Add sugar and vanilla to your taste (not too much, we dont want to over sweeten the already sweet dessert), and whip it until stiff peaks form. We want the whipped cream to be very thick so that it will hold up in the trifle. For this reason, my mom uses cool-whip because of its firm texture. I prefer homemade whipped cream to cool-whip, but either works in this desert!

 The last step is to assemble! Usually my mom and I assemble this in a large punch bowl because it can be so big! However, depending on how much you are planning to make or serve, this trifle also does really well in individual portions. I find glass jars work really well for this, as well as wine glasses, or personal dessert bowls. I begin the layering process with the chocolate pudding. On top of that I add some crumbled chocolate cake, and then a few berries. The amount of each layer depends on the size of the vessel you are serving the trifle in. For smaller servings like the glass jar, do not make the layers too big as you will quickly run out of space. After the berries, I put a layer of whipped cream, then I add the crumbled pound cake, another layer of berries, and some of the crumbled skor bar. Keep repeating these layers, alternating chocolate and vanilla, ending with a generous heap of whipped cream and berries on top! I like to sprinkle even more of the skor bar on top to garnish.

It is likely that you will need to adjust the amount of pudding and whipped cream depending on how much cake you use. When I make these individual portions, I use only about a quarter of a box chocolate cake and only a few pieces of pound cake. If you are planning on making a giant serving of the trifle and use the entirety of both cakes, I suggest preparing 2 packages of chocolate pudding and making a LOT of whipped cream! 😀

This is an extremely delicious desert that is sure to impress both your taste buds. The lightness of whipped cream and berries balance the dense nature of the chocolate pudding and the pound cake.

Enjoy!




Let me know if you try this recipe & be sure to come back for more great recipes!

Thanks for reading,
Madison xx

May Wishlist

May Wishlist


The month of May was an interesting one for sure. Early on in the month I was offered a job which, unfortunately, I could not accept. That threw me into a somewhat frustrating and sad mindset that lingered for quite a while. Although I am still on the job hunt, I definitely feel down in regards to the missed opportunity. However, life moves on, and thankfully, the rest of May was filled with adventure and fun experiences! 

During may long weekend, Jason and myself and our very good friends went on a camping trip to the mountains! It was such a wonderful experience and I can't wait to see the photos (they are still being developed). Jason and I visited his mother for mothers day and built her a handrail for the deck in her back yard, I made a cake with whipped cream and fresh strawberries to celebrate. We spent a weekend with my parents and built my mom a garden planter box for mothers day as well. Her garden is now planted and ready to take off! 

On the 26th I had my graduation pictures taken - convocation is just around the corner! Jason and I made a day out of it, exploring Princes Island Park in downtown Calgary, and then eating a delicious meal at the Deane House in Inglewood. It was an awesome day and I highly recommend eating at Deane.

My wishlist this month is once again comprised of mostly clothing, as my current goal is to find and solidify my style. Sticking to slow, sustainable fashion is very important to me, and so is maintaining a defined colour pallet. This month I have been more interested in vintage pieces, finding quite a few on Etsy and Instagram boutiques. Purchasing vintage clothing can fall into the realm of sustainable fashion as it is re-purposing items and giving them new life! 

1. Lille Top by Doen

The silhouette of this top is absolutely stunning. The colour is in my desired colour pallet, and I love the look of the material. I believe that the drawstring tie would be extremely flattering and would accentuate my waist line. Doen is a great brand with many beautiful clothing items. It is a dream of mine to own one (or more 😉) of their pieces!

(Image by Doen)

2. The Modern Babo by Everlane

The Moroccan Babouche shoe is a classic, thus I really appreciate this 'modern' version done by Everlane. After trying on a pair of authentic babouche shoes, I do not believe that they would give me enough support, thus this version by Everlane could indeed be the solution! I can picture myself wearing vintage denim, slightly rolled, paired with these shoes - simple perfection!

(Image by Everlane)

3. Natural Loose Linen Pants by notPerfectLinen

For the past few months, Linen has been my obsession! I love the comfy-chic look that it has and I think that these pants are very well priced. Although they may not be suitable for the winter months here in Alberta, I do believe that they would be great for spring, summer, and fall. I love the notPerfectLinen etsy shop, as all of their pieces are customizable - you can chose the fabric colour and fabric design. I really like the idea of buying from an etsy shop rather than any large scale production company.  

(Image by notPerfectLinen)

4. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

I am 50 pages away from finishing The House at Riverton by Kate Morton. I have absolutely loved it and am hoping to get my hands on another book of hers soon! After reading the summaries of her other books, The Forgotten Garden, caught my attention. This book is about a girl inheriting a property which she did not know about and discovering its secrets! From what I understand, Mortons books are historical pieces and provide a creative lens into the past. After studying history from a serious perspective, it is nice to read about history from a purely fictitious perspective. I had a hard time reading for pleasure while in Uni, but now I am getting back into it and I am so happy about that! 

(Image source: Indie Bound)

These are some of the things which I have had my eye on this month, and one day hope to have in my possession! 

Thanks so much for reading,
Madison xx