Food and Family

Irritability Inhibitors are an essential part of eating, but the fun part is the family time. Growing up, it was always expected that we would be home for dinner. I remember being a little annoyed-or maybe a lot annoyed-at my mom. After all, sometimes I was in the middle of doing something very important like challenging my brothers to a game--really any game, visiting with my girlfriends about the boys we thought were cute, or reading a book. However, the habit was instilled me so that when I got married and started my own family, of course we all had dinner together. As the kids got to be teenagers, sometimes this was the only time in the day that we were all together.

Yes, sometimes it took a little logistical wizardry to plan dinner around everyone's busy schedules and before bedtime for the little ones, but the effort has reaped many family memories that we can share now when we are all gathered from 3 states and 6 cities across the country. We still plan out some of our time together around preparing, eating, and cleaning up food!

Dinner at our home is an event! Part of the fun is that we all get together and pitch in with the cooking while we visit, reminisce, and catch up. When everyone was still living at home, we used this time to catch up on our day apart and share new insights, struggles, and information. Some dinner events were fun and light and others were a little more serious.

Once everyone had color coded plates and cups and they had to sit where their plate was on the table, most of the bickering was ameliorated. We discussed and learned about a variety of topics over dinner depending on what we were individually (or collectively) studying, exposed to, or interested in. Is it better to brush or floss first? Why did this or that politician vote the way he should? How does God answer prayers? How did the gulags in Russia start? Some of these were just discussions where we all shared our opinions, some were fabulous teaching moments that any mom would relish, some brought uncontrolled laughter, and some required phone calls-right there from the dinner table-to an expert on the subject. All bonded us together forever with memories that cannot be erased.

One of our family favorite bonding recipes is Shepherd's Pie. As the kids got bigger and required more fuel for their bodies, this really became a family production because of the quantity of potatoes required. Some would be peeling and cutting carrots, some peeling potatoes, some reserving their shining moment for the mashing of the potatoes, and others lending moral support to the workers.

Shepherd’s Pie

Jane

1 cup meat

1 onion, chopped

gravy or stock

2 cups boiled, mashed potatoes

Mix the meat and onion and season. Moisten with gravy or stock. Put the mixture in the bottom of a pie dish and cover with a thick layer of mashed potatoes. Cook at 375º F. for 45 minutes.

Shepherd’s pie can be served as a meal in itself or with a green vegetable like cabbage or spinach. It is a favorite dish in many British pubs where it is cooked in big trays and kept warm on a hot plate.

What I Do: I usually use either the cheapest beef (like stew meat I found on sale) or leftover roast or other meat. Sometimes when I make chimichangas, I save out some of the beef for this. If the meat isn’t cooked, I simmer it with the chopped onion, chopped carrots, and 2-4 quarts of water to make a nice beef broth. I usually add some beef bouillon to give the broth some body since I don’t always use a lot of meat. Then I thicken the broth with a 1-2 Tablespoons of cornstarch OR ¼-1/2 cup of flour (depending on how much broth I have) that has been mixed with ½-1 cup of cold water. Stir it until thickened. Remove from stovetop, add 1-2 cups frozen peas and pour in a 9x13” pan (or the size that will feed your family). [Sometimes I also add string beans or other vegetables at this time, but actually the carrots, onions, meat and potatoes and peas are what I usually serve.] Spread mashed potatoes that have been prepared as you normally do on top and bake for about 30 minutes because everything is already is warm.

If I am making mashed potatoes especially for this meal, I make them much thinner than normal.

Although I seldom have leftover meat to use, if I use leftover meat, I just boil the carrots and onions in beef bouillon that can be made with bouillon cubes or granules to make the amount of broth you need. Shred the meat or brown the hamburger if using ground beef. Thicken the broth and add the meat when you add the peas and continue as above.

This works for leftover mashed potatoes also.

Be sure that you allow for enough room for the soupy mixture to “expand” when you add the potatoes. We like this somewhat soupy and serve it in a bowl.

Great Meal Idea: serve with rolls or French bread and salad