Easy Shepherd's Pie

Yes that's right. I know this looks like awesome. And it is. It's a great recession-proof meal, honestly, and it takes almost no measuring. This is a simple and filling dish and it is one of Mike's favorites, so I made it for him one night. So here is what I did:

Shepherd's Pie

1 pound ground beef
1 bag corn (I used a bag o' Steamfresh sweet corn)
Mashed potato (I used Potato Buds)
Garlic powder
Parsley
Salt & Pepper

Brown the meat in a pan. Drain and season with salt and pepper. Dump it in the bottom of a glass dish like the one shown. Make the corn. Dump that in on top. Season it slightly. Make the potatoes, add some garlic powder. Spread them on top and shake some parsley on the top (or use fresh, like I did). Voila. Shepherd's pie. Dig in.

Seriously, it's good, and it really sticks to your ribs. Gaze upon the layers of nutritious foodage.

Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Strawberries

Okay, so I was planning to have this Body Shop party, and when I found this recipe at Tami's Kitchen Table Talk, it was like fate. I was definitely going to make them and have them at the party.

But then everyone got busy and as it turns out, I had to cancel the party. So I had all these strawberries and cheesecake filling lying around, and I decided "to hell with it, I'll just make them anyway." And so I did.

Did you know that cheesecake filling only comes in tubs of individual "serving sizes" and enormous tubs?! That's right, so I have half a tub o' cheesecake filling just sitting around. Blarg.

Anyway, the berries were a success. They look absolutely adorable. Kaitlin proclaimed that I should make them for her wedding and Mike just shoved them into his face, which is his way of saying he likes it. Ahahaha. And the great thing about it is, it's SUPER easy. I didn't even bother that much with measurements-- I just grabbed two cartons of strawberries, two bars of chocolate and the ginormous tub o' cheesecake. So here's the recipe (and my own pictures this time!)

Chocolate-Covered Cheesecake Strawberries:

Strawberries
Baking chocolate (I used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao)
Philadelphia cheesecake filling

Wash the strawberries, then cut their tops off. Carefully cut out the centers and set aside. Take a plastic baggie and reinforce the corners with masking tape. Cut off the corner and hold it shut while you fill the baggie with some cheesecake filling. Fill each strawberry, using the baggie like a pastry bag. Set on a baking sheet covered in wax paper and set in the fridge for a while to set. Then melt the chocolate in a double boiler and dip each strawberry in about 3/4 of the way, and set on the wax paper. Drizzle the rest of the chocolate over the strawberries, then put them in the fridge again.

And voila. They look super fancy and everything.

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing

So, I'm FINALLY updating again. I'm sorry it's been so long, but I have just been swamped with school and things. I promise to update more frequently.

This recipe that I made recently was just fantastic. It got rave reviews from everyone I shared it with, and Amanda even asked for the recipe. I got this from sophistimom.

Pumpkin Cookies:

1 cup golden raisins
1 cup orange juice
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
(I didn't have the nutmeg on hand, so I made them without it and they still tasted great.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius). Place raisins in a small bowl and cover with orange juice. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in egg, vanilla, and ginger. Mix in pumpkin. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fold dry ingredients into pumpkin mixture. Drain raisins and add to the batter, mixing just enough to incorporate. Drop by two tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, allowing a one-inch space between each cookie. Bake until set and only slightly golden brown around the edges, about 15-18 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely--it doesn't take very long-- and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon heavy cream
(The original recipe says milk can be used in place of the cream. I used milk and, while the frosting tasted the same, it was kind of runny, so I'd recommend the cream.)

Cream butter and cream cheese together. Stir in sugar, vanilla, and cream. Use a whisk to break up any lumps.

And that's it. It's super easy, takes almost no time at all and they're really tasty. I love fall baking :-D