Lentil Shepherd's Pie

I am not a big meat eater. It's just not my favorite. So, I try to be sure and get plenty of protein through veggies as much as possible, especially during pregnancy. Anyhow, a couple years ago my sister and I were eating at this hippy food co-op (she is a total hippy and I love her for it!) and they were serving a vegetarian shepherd's pie. We went completely gaga for it! We have talked about it ever since, but have never found a recipe that was anything like it. Well, Ryan text me the other day and she had found a Lentil Shepherd's Pie recipe on the back of her favorite vegetable stock carton. Of all places! So...she made it at her house and I made it at mine... it was a success. I thought I would share it with y'all. I was happy I already had some lentils in my pantry from making my darling friend Kathleen's favorite lentil soup (which is SO yummy).  P.S.Lentils are packed with protein! 

This may not look too appetizing to some of y'all. If so, just think of it as mashed potatoes and peas.

I made Mitch my BFF Beth's Hamburger Steak to go with it and it was a hit. 

I wish I had thought ahead and taken pictures of each step... but it is relatively simple, especially for all of you culinary experts :)

Ingredients: 

6 medium red potatoes (1.5 lb, quartered) 

1 cup lentils, rinsed & drained (rinse and examine for miscellaneous materials) 

1 cup vegetable broth

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, roughly chopped

1/2 tsp thyme (or rosemary) 

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 low fat milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Preparation: 

(this may seem a little lengthy as far as prep goes, but you can multitask and get it all together at the same time with no worries) 

Cook potatoes in boiling water for 25 minutes, until tender. Drain well. Set aside. 

Bring lentils, broth and 1 cup of water to boil in medium pot. Boil 3 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat medium casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots and garlic until onions are translucent and carrots start to become tender, about 10 minutes. 

Remove from heat and stir in peas, thyme, sea salt and ground black pepper. Stir cooked lentils into mixture. 

Mash potatoes or whip with electric mixer (I totally suggest whipping them!) adding milk, cheese, butter and cayenne pepper. 

Transfer lentil mixture to casserole dish. Spoon mashed potatoes over lentil mixture and smooth to evenly cover. 

Bake 30 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6-8

Enjoy this hearty, healthy dish! 

Soaking in some vitamin D

We have all been feeling a little icky around here this weekend. Scarlett is getting over a double ear infection and Mitch and I have what I think are just some good old fashioned colds. It's been raining and therefore a little dreary... so that right there kind of puts anybody in a little funk. However, on Saturday the sun burst through the clouds and it was like medicine! 

Here is proof that we enjoyed some much needed vitamin D... 

Winter wedding bliss.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for all of your sweet words about our exciting expectancy :) Your comments (and texts and facebook comments) warm my heart to NO end!!! Thank you precious friends. We are just so very thankful to God for allowing us to have such joy in giving us another child. Thank you for sharing in this special excitement with us. I look SO forward to sharing  our journey on here of bringing our precious baby #2 into the world this July. 

I just cannot help but say one thing to any girl out there who might be reading this and wishing she could have the joy of expecting a baby of her own right now. I'm so sorry you are going through this time. In many ways it's a lonely road. I know your longing. After losing a baby in April 2012, I thought the feeling of utter desperation would never lose its sting. And while I will always remember what the 7 months of waiting and hoping felt like, I am here to say that God hears you. He loves you with utter desperation, as if you could allow your low state to somehow translate into how deeply He loves you. My prayer is that you would allow Him to use this time of waiting to pour out His love lavishly over you. Not as a time to separate you from Him or from your husband or from precious friends He has given you, even if they are experiencing something you wish for yourself.  I have so been there. And I type this because I have seen firsthand how God can use your, what may seem, "silent suffering" to bring you closer to Him. To bind you to a steadfast dependance on Him to be your portion every single day. I hope that means something to someone. But, either way. Glory be to God. He is trustworthy, I promise. And most importantly, He is sovereign and worthy of our praise. 

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I have got a lot of catching up to do! We have been back home in South Carolina for 1 week now and I am still swimming in laundry and just some good ole' house dust. You know how it goes. Anyhow, we got to spend a wonderful 7 days back home in Kentucky as we celebrated 1) The wedding of my precious, precious little brother, Chaz, to his beautiful bride, Karinne and 2) The birth of our Savior Jesus with our family. 

On December 21st my little brother, who is beyond darling and amazing all at the same time, married the love of his life. She is a dream. And there wedding was the sweetest thing since Scarlett Jean. I mean sweet y'all. We love "Rinnie"and already see her as our sister.  It was such an honor for my sister, Ryan, and I to stand up with Karinne on her wedding day. I know Mitch felt the same as he stood as best-man and little Scarlett as flower girl too. 

these first two pictures are borrowed from [bc] photography

(most of these pics are borrowed because I was just not with it enough to have my camera out!) 

Me, Karinne and Ryan. Sisters! 

 I loved getting to spend lots of time with my Sissy!!

And after the sweet ceremony we got to party like it was 1999! Scarlett tore up the dance floor...heck, she tore up the whole reception hall by the end of the night. Seriously, there were moments where all I could see was a little white cupcake bouncing in the distance. That was our girl. 

My groom :)

My sissy and her hubby, Derek. Me & my sweet Mitch. 

Sissy pic! (left to right) my mama, cousin Lyndsey, me, Ryan, cousin Elizabeth and Aunt Barbie (my mom's sister)

I have to include this picture of us with the greatest neighbor ever (as in my parents' neighbor). Jackie! She is full of life, she is loving, she likes to party with the best and she's Italian :) 

My sweet, energetic, sleep deprived girl. She was a blast and a trooper! 

One of the highlights of the wedding for me was getting to see my precious friend who came all the way from Colorado... Jilly! There is just nothing like a FOREVER friend. 

 I know the Lord has great plans for this couple. We love you C&K!!! 

What Scarlett is most excited about in 2013...

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Dear Santa,

Pant-less wonder.

Hello! Do you like my new look? I have Jennisa at Once Upon A Blog to thank... she is a doll. 

So, SJ and I have been stuck in the house for going on 3 days now. None of us are sick (thank you Lord!). My car has just been in the shop since  4:30 p.m. on Monday. Long story... Mitch encountered a parked event truck in our neighborhood early one Saturday morning (on his way to bring his family breakfast from Chick-fil-A). I cannot be mad at the man... he is just too darling. So... I am feeling a little stir crazy. Probably not the best time to blog, who knows what will come out of my mind! 

The only encounter we had with "the outside world" today was with a sweet exterminator man named Larry who came and sprayed our yard for bugs... Scarlett met him at the front door with her red, corduroy Christmas dress on, gingerbread-man tights and a Christmas tree hair bow. Now, if that is not a sight for sore eyes I don't know what is! Anyhow, he was sweet and even wished us Merry Christmas when he left. Don't you love when people say that? You know, instead of Happy Holidays. I do. 

We are immersed in everything Christmas right now. Scarlett wore this sweet outfit to church on Sunday. The same one she wore to greet Larry the exterminator :)

 She and Mitch played on the back porch while I rushed to get ready. How is it that, on Sunday mornings, the mom is always the last one in the shower, last to eat breakfast, last in the car, etc? I think it is some sort of law of physics. Not that it really matters... So, these pictures were captured by Mitch while I was getting ready. Scarlett "sounded the alarm" to all of our neighbors from our back porch that it was the Lord's day and He is to be praised. Preach it sweet girl! 

We have been enjoying gorgeous, sunny weather that is apparently even abnormal for SC in December. So after church we ran by a sandwich shop for an easy lunch and took it up to the pool in our neighborhood to soak in the sunshine. Scarlett just could not stand that she was not in the "baby" pool. It was hilarious because we watched from afar as she, #1. Shimmied her little panties down to her ankles. 

And #2. She realized "oh yikes, those are MY panties sitting there" and "this may not help me get in the pool after all...shoo" 

 I would love to know what was running through her little mind that reasoned out she should go pant-less and then she could get in. And by the way, there was not a soul in sight. 

And for posting pictures of our little pant-less wonder on here... I fear that I may get a teenage version of this look in years to come. 

Uh oh :)

Oh, the things you say...

Yeah for December 1st! We have decked-our-halls and I am happy to say we are about 80% done with our Christmas shopping. Isn't it so fun? 

We took a trip to Target this morning after having breakfast at Chick-fil-A. Please don't confuse me with Scrooge, but I don't think I would mind one bit if this was our last trip to Target before Christmas. It was bedlam in there! 

Scarlett has been cracking us up for weeks and weeks now. I have been meaning to record some of the sweet and hilarious things she says to us, so here it goes...

"Mommy, I love worms." (as in the ones we see on the sidewalk when it rains. Ha!)

"Mommy, what do worms eat?"

"Can you do me a favor, Mommy?"

"You need help, Mommy? You need help?" (in the kitchen)

"Friday...Friday!!...Daddy not go to work anymore!" (when Mitch gets home on Friday afternoons)

Whenever she sees a cross: "Mommy! God is able!"

"Where did my tail go?" (holding her backside running around the house)

"Daddy not my girl... I am Mommy's girl."

"Shew... Callie's breath is too stinky for me."

"Mommy... I need to go peepee, poopoo, peepee, poopoo, peepee, poopoo on the potty!"

"Right now!"

....And so may more that have currently slipped my mind! These are the days :)