Wow, look at me, such a great housewife I am, apron on and everything. I actually just threw it on for the picture 🙂 trying to pull off the domesticated look. (oh, and my sweet daughter took the picture, that’s why my head is cut off)
Okay, I’m not really that great, this is one of the very few days I actually cooked. I’m working on that one.
Don’t you feel like dinner can be SO overwhelming sometimes? I try to plan out a weekly menu, put together the grocery list, and have it all ready to go. Rarely does it ACTUALLY happen, but hey, I’m tryin. I would like to be sure that my kids are getting healthy meals every night, but it can be quite the chore to actually pull it off. I do have a few tips up my sleeve, but I assure you, I don’t always FOLLOW the tips I share. I’m just trying each day, just like the rest of us moms.
I’m pretty proud of this one though:)
So, the other night I made a yummy dinner, typical American meal, meat, mashed potatoes, and some veggies. I made way too much mashed potatoes and just HATE left overs, nobody ends up eating them, but I don’t like to through it out. So what I did, and often times do now, is I googled mashed potato recipe’s, and this is what I found. I also happened to have all the ingredients to make it!
So this is what I made the following night with my leftovers 🙂
Simply Recipes Shepherds Pie. I’ve eaten this before, but this was my first time actually making it 🙂
Here’s all you need. The leftover potato’s are in the ziploc. That’s another one of my tips, although not very “GREEN” of me. I like to put leftovers in ziplocs so I can just throw them away if we didn’t eat it all, and not have to wash the dish. I’m saving water that way though right? So, that’s being green???
You just pretty much saute the onions and brown the meat. I know the meat looks gross, but my sister actually taught me this trick.
Buy the family size hamburger (also save money that way), then divide it up, adding about a pound of it into it’s own ziploc. Flatten it once it’s in the bag, date it and toss into the freezer. Then when you’re ready to use, it thaws out much faster 🙂
And here’s the finished product!!!!!! Proud moment for me 🙂
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I am like you and hate leftovers because they just end up being tossed away!
So laughing at your being green comment…true it is conserving H2o!
HI! I'm so glad you left a comment over on my blog. So fun to meet new people. LOVE your post on finding your potential. That was my pitty party with myself just last night. And I SOOOO want to know more about your cleanse. You look fabulous! Can't wait to get to know you better.
Cool! That looks great and I am always looking for new recipes. Just as I say for everything, "when you need info, google it!" 🙂
thanks for stopping by because it brought me to your beautiful blog! And I have to say, you make the cutest pregnant lady! I'm going to go and catch up on your previous posts! can't wait to read more 🙂
You are so clever:) Leftovers are the worst!
This looks yummy.
I like to cook… but sometimes it feels like such a chore! I end up making the same dishes over, and over, and over…
But one thing we NEVER have in my house are leftover mashed potatoes! I love carbs too much to have any left over, LOL!
Holy hell. Shepard's Pie? Did you write this just for my (extremely buried and rarely talked about so I don't even know why I'm mentioning them) Irish roots?? Shepard's pie is a staple at my house, mostly because my son hates utensils and is more a fan of using his hands as a shovel with which to dispense into his mouth and squish through his fingers and hurl at the animals because he has a horrible sense of comedic timing. But he's two, we'll cut him slack. LOVE LOVE LOVE the apron, and can I say that you're freaking adorable? Did that make it weird? Glad you stopped by, and I am also a follower of yours now!
That looks good and I also hate leftovers!
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Mmmmm I LOVE Shepherds Pie! That looks delish adn I can't believe you did it with leftovers! My mom used to make that for me all the time when I was a kid and it was such great comfort food.
Thanks for the recipe. I might have to try this one at home!
Now, that's a great idea. It looks so cheesy and yummy. I really dislike leftovers, too.
Oooh very cool. And it looks SO GOOD!
Aren't you cute in your apron? I don't even OWN one!
I love leftovers– send them my way! We make extra every meal just so we have some left over.
~Elizabeth
Confessions From A Working Mom
Crystal, thanks for your nice comments on my blog!:o)
I just don´t like to cook either, but I have to each day… We eat our warm meal for lunch. I find this a bit easier for me. So, I don´t have to cook in the evening. ;o)
That is a FABULOUS idea!!! I'm so glad you posted it. We love mashed potatoes so it is always gone 😉 But I'll have to keep this receipe in mind next time! Thanks so much for posting it!
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Nice job! Looks yummy. I love a cute apron…
I'm pretty positive that the water used to wash a dish is more ecologically sustainable than the plastic of a ziploc in the landfill… just FYI you know.
I don't even use plastic dishes–all glass/ceramic here. Plastic is mostly the devil in our house. 🙂
As for hving leftovers, I do that all the time–on purpose. I intentionally make double the food and then get two meals out of it. Sometimes it's 2 pans of lasagne and I freeze one…sometimes it's cook a big roast and then use the leftovers for stroganoff and stew. Either way, it's the same idea of working once and eating twice.
Best of all is "planned overs" where we plan to have leftovers. 🙂
I'm all about easy recipes so I have try this one. You forgot the pearls, pretty poofy dress and high heels. I watched Leave It To Beaver the other night and chukled at Mrs. Cleavers clothes. Although lovely, not quite what you would wear to wash windows, let alone cook dinner.
Awesome job Crystal. Looks so delicious and what a way to use leftovers. Feel so much better than throwing them out for sure.
Lovin' your apron!
Oh that looks so yummy…we had leftovers tonight! lol Yes, dinner can feel so overwhelming…especially when it's 5pm and you realize you forgot to thaw out the chicken. Ugh.
You are so cute…LOVE the photo!
~melody~
Nice job! Love the apron. I'm definitely a meal planner. I have to plan out all my meals at the begninning of the week, along with my shopping list. But fridays + saturdays are usually eating out!
Aw. Your so cute! Loving the apron. I have an award for you at my blog.
Crystal, may I say…you are adorable and so very funny! So cute, putting on an apron to look domesticated. You have me giggling here…Oh, and thanks for the tips! Saving the dishes with an easy clean-up in bags, now why didn't I think of that?
Hey, you even look good with an apron on! I also like creating something new out of leftovers b/c I hate throwing away food. That's just like throwing money into the trash. I'm afraid I have to agree with Mommy Bee concerning your "green" idea. Alex puts EVERYTHING in plastic bags and I hate it. It seems like the whole world is made of plastic these days and it will outlive mankind.
Um, yum. And I love the looks of your kitchen. You ARE so domesticated!
You're quite domestic diva lady!
We were just talking about how we missed eating that… =) but our kids would NEVER touch it!! YUM!
Love the cute apron! all the blogs about food make me want to go to cooking school and REALLY cook!! New follower from Sits!
Just Jenn~ http://www.seizingmyday.com
That looks SO GOOD Crystal! Thanks for linking the recipe- I love to make new dinners out of old leftovers! And thanks for adding some cheese- now you're speaking my language 😉
Kelcie is great and im joining her team to walk over MS. Thanks for the info
Im joining Kelcie in her walk over MS. Thanks for the info