Browsed by
Day: 30 November 2012

Shepard’s Pie – My Way!

Shepard’s Pie – My Way!

Comments 0 Comment

I haven’t been cooking much at home lately. Well, strictly speaking, at most, I only cook once a week. So you can imagine how many number of weeks that has been. So Shepard’s Pie it was. As usual, no salt, no condiments etc. And you will be surprised that it can still be yummy (by my low standards. :p) filled with the natural taste of the ingredients.

Ingredients (basically whatever I can find in my refrigerator :) )

Minced beef (1 Ntuc packet size)
2x potatoes
1x Onion (diced)
Mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots etc)
1x celery (I didn’t add this as I didn’t have it handy) (diced)
Tomatoes (I added a lot as this is 宝贝’s favourite) (diced)
4x fresh button mushrooms (diced)
Unsalted Broth (you can use beef broth. I just conveniently used one of the various unnamed broths stored in my refrigerator)
Unsalted Butter
Milk
Cheese

Boil a saucepan of water for the potatoes. Once it’s boiling, put in the potato pieces. Cook until soft. It will take some time.

Meanwhile cook the rest of the ingredients. I used my happy call pan that can retain the juices and flavor of the food. Cook the diced onions first. Once they are soft, add the minced beef. Next, add the rest of the ingredients – vegetables, tomatoes, mushrooms etc. Add the broth. Cover the happy call pan and let the ingredients absorb the the broth.

20121130-225110.jpg

Once the filling is cooked, line the tray with them.

20121130-225211.jpg

Spread cheese all over the top of the filling.

The potatoes should be done by now. Mash the potatoes with unsalted butter and milk. Spread the mashed potato over the top of the cheese.

20121130-225402.jpg

I wrote 宝贝’s name on it to surprise her. ;) I brushed a layer of olive oil over the top so that it would brown in the oven. Unfortunate it didn’t quite work. The pie remained “pristine white”. Later on, I consulted some experts. The tip was to spread cheese over the top to brown it. That’s what I’ll do the next time.

Bake the pie in the oven for 15 mins at about 200 degrees Celsius. If you have spread cheese over the top, then bake til it’s slightly browned.

20121130-231749.jpg

Anyway it still earned praises from the family that it’s yummy!! That’s enough for me. I’m no Michelin chef after all. Hehe.

Tummy Talk at Bedtime

Tummy Talk at Bedtime

Comments 0 Comment

It’s that time of the day again. Trying to get her to sleep. She’s unusually chatty because she’s trying not to sleep although I could tell that she was really bushed.

宝贝：Mama you have *didi in your tummy.
Me : Yes. That’s right.
宝贝：You were in *popo’s tummy.
Me : Yes. You remembered!
宝贝：But I’ve nothing in my tummy!! (she looked quite upset and her mouth became a huge inverted U.)
Me : Erm.. Well.. You have food in your tummy!! Your dinner!! (I said brightly. To avoid it turning into a tantrum that would disrupt the sleep pattern.)
宝贝：I don’t want food!! I want somebody in my tummy! Like you!
Me : You are still young. Next time when you grow up and become a mommy, you will have someone in your tummy.
宝贝：I don’t want! I want somebody to be in my tummy NOW!
Me : O.o

It escalated into a wail with her chanting “I have nobody in my tummy. I want somebody in my tummy now.” So much for prevention. She eventually fell asleep in the midst of it. Phew.

I knew that I had to explain about the birds and bees one day. But never would I imagine that I have to do it when she’s 3?!

———————–

I told the hub about it when he came home.

Hub : aiya you should have explained to her about the reproductive system and she does have eggs in her. It’s just that they haven’t turned into babies.
Me : At bedtime when she’s about to sleep?! Such a *chim topic!! You must be kidding!! Since your bio is so good, why don’t you go through with her over breakfast tomorrow?!

Duh! Men!!

*didi = little brother
*popo = grandmother
Chim = profound

More of 宝贝’s bedtime stories.