Sheffer's Pie

-My Chief Recipe Namer-

Riley Sheffer

We all have memories of the type of food our parents used to prepare for us.  Classic dishes, family favorites, even good ol' mac and cheese or cereal dinners when there was not a lot of time to make dinner.  These prepared foods were at the center of what brought our family together at the end of a busy day.  A time to reflect on the day's events and share in thanksgiving to God for all the blessings we had received.  I am thankful for the fact that I was raised to appreciate this opportunity of being together, and that it is a tradition that has now carried into my own family.  As a food lover, dinnertime is an event that I usually spend all day thinking about.  In my mind I pull out virtual recipe cards and think about what I could create that would be satisfying to my family.  I have to admit my main goal is a "clear plate" and begging for "second servings".   Oh and I should mention that there is a group of preparations that I hail to at least once a week that includes all the classics from my mother.

So on Wednesday night I found myself between picking up the kids and having about 45 minutes to prepare dinner before I had to head off to study land.  That didn't leave me much time for being elaborate or trying out anything new-   I had to go with something that was time tested and fail-proof.  So very quickly I put on a pot of hot water and started thawing out some venison burger in the microwave.   Next I scrubbed up about 8 medium sized potatoes and cut them into pieces so they would cook faster in the boiling water.  Thankfully I didn't start crying when I chopped up my onion, I have had some real tear jerkers lately.   Within 10 minutes I had everything going towards my dinnertime goal and sure enough my "Shepard's Pie" was hot and ready when my hard working husband walked in the door. 

 The fun part of this story happened when I overheard the kids talking about dinner in the living room.  They always make me feel good when they travel into the kitchen, noses high in the air with an exclamation of "What smells so good?"  They were both talking about dinner and Riley said to Lauren, "We are having Sheffer's Pie for dinner"  which was followed with "No Riley, its called Shepard's Pie" from Lauren.  All the way through dinner, and second helpings,  Riley continued to call it "Sheffer's Pie" which sounded kind of catchy to me, and so from here on out "Sheffer's Pie"will be the new name of my Mom's old classic dish.

I would love to share the recipe with you all, but I have to admit I don't have a precisely measured one to follow.  I will do my best to come close, and maybe I should tell you that the beauty of this recipe is that it really doesn't need precise measurements only an adventurous cooking spirit to make it your own!  (Please write me and ask for this recipe if you are interested)

 Its pretty quick and easy, especially if you know how to multi task.  This meal is very easy to make healthily, and also as a vegetarian meal with tofu or beans instead of burger.  Its all in the ingredients that you choose!  The possibilities are endless, which is the beauty of it, and we don't mind if you decide to name it your own name.  My Mom thought the name Riley came up with was great!

What Matters Most

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All I have to say is that I get it now- No really I do!  It all came to me while sitting in the veterinarian exam room with Libby our cat.  The same room, ( I am sure they didn't realize it, they are all so nice there) that Sydney my precious Dog passed away in 4 months ago.  I was fighting the urge to feel sad when I looked up at the wall behind me for something to read.  I was searching for some Heartguard chewable poster or an animal pharmacy company ad with all the reasons I should protect my pet from fleas and ticks.  What I found was a sweet story about a family who had lost their dog as told by Dr. Seuss.  The story was inspiring, but what really got me was the final quote: 

 "Do what you say, and say what you mean, because the people that mind don't matter and the people who matter don't mind."  

Plain and simple words to live by, truth and honesty and no fear of what people will think.   I just wanted to share this little tidbit with you all, that had such an amazing impact on my way of thinking :)

BY the way CSA Farms ROCK!

Something Wonderful

Me and my Beautiful Mom!

With My Mom and Dad Mike

My Dad and Step Mom Dawn with the kids last summer 07 in New York

Dad and Mom Dawn in New York, we were together at a Bluegrass Wine Picnic.

There was something wonderful that happened to me yesterday that really touched my heart and soul.  It involved two separate events, that when put together, or back to back as it happened, it really had an effect on my heart.  Just to give you an idea where I was coming from yesterday leading up to this moment in time, I will tell you a little bit about the earlier part of my day.....

I had spent the first half of my waking hours focused on Organic Chemistry and the big exam that would be required for me to complete.  The exam was pretty important since it is one of four tests that will add up to be 40 percent of my overall grade in the class.  I really wanted to do well on this test and coming out of it 2 and a half hours later it is safe to say that i think I did alright.  I have already learned the important lesson of patience that is required immediately following a test like that  because it would be a waste of energy for me to worry all weekend about how I did on that test.  The grade will be what it will be, and it won't change now that I have turned in my answers.  So I can accept whatever grade I end up with.  After class I had to go straight to work, which I will admit I was not very excited about.  All I really wanted to do was be outside and enjoy the beautiful Autumn day that was unfolding already.  A sense of responsibility put me in my car and pushed me to drive toward what needed to be accomplished.

My work is cleaning homes, and the first one that I went to was the Matson's in the Homestead Resort.  They have a beautiful home overlooking Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands, which really tends to make my work just a little bit easier.  I was listening to some different podcast shows while I worked that had a lot to do with being aware of your daily life and beliefs.  I think that these shows were a precursor to my later realizations, or at least contributed and very likely prepared me.  Once I had finished cleaning at the Matsons I got into the car and noticed that I had a few missed calls so I retrieved my voice mail messages just like I always do, while on my way to the next house to clean.  Here is where that special moment and realization occurred.   The first message was my Dad, who lives out in New Hampshire.  The second message immediately following him was my Mom.  

Now to most of you reading this that might not seem like a very big deal to have both of your parents call and leave messages.  Well here is the thing, it is a very big deal for me to hear from both of them like that.  My biological parents were divorced when I was 8 years old, and since that time I have never really thought about them in a way that they were "my parents."  Let me explain that a little further...  Yes, I have a Mom, and yes I have a Dad, but I have never had the traditional family experience.   I don't know anything different, so I can't say that I am at all disappointed in how my life has developed without the having the two together.  God surely enriched my life with family and friends and special people along the way that fulfilled the needs that would have been filled by having two parents.  My Mom did an amazing job with me and Jen, there is not one doubt about that.  My Dad, well, he unfortunately chose to live farther away, and our relationship was always something that seemed to me to be in need of more.  It hasn't been until more recently that I have ever really felt that Father/Daughter connection.   Please don't misunderstand, I have always had a great relationship with my dad, but as an adult I finally feel like we have the relationship I always prayed for.

The amazing part about their phone calls is that with in each call they told me they loved me, they were thinking about me and that they hoped everything was going well for me on that day.  I pressed the call "end" button, sat my cell phone down and said aloud "I am loved!"  I have never felt such a pure emotion in regard to my identity in all of my life, and to know that my parents love me so very much and that they are proud, and they are there for me.   Even though they are not together and married, together, the two people who were apart of making me and bringing me into the world, share a love for their daughter that is honest and true.  It is a realization I have never before recognized or known was possible.

  I have to admit I have always believed in God's will, and even though my parents did not end up together the people who they are married have also been extreme blessings in my life and I have never doubted their love either.  My parents are happy in their separate marriages, and I am happy for the lives they have built in their new marriages.  Really if you think about it I have parents times two which equates to double the love.  Wow, I really am blessed!  

I have never doubted my Mom and Dad's love, I just never had the thought "My Parents love me"- meaning together they love me!  (Even though not technically together)  I think about Lauren and Riley and how blessed they are to have Tod and I together, so in love with them.  They don't know any other way and I am so thankful for the family that we are.  I arrived home a couple hours later and my smile was mirrored back to me through Tod and the kids.  The love I have in my heart, the gift that both my parents shared with me has opened up an entire new way of thinking for me and I will be an even stronger Mama and wife because of it.  We are called to love one another, it is a gift we can freely share.  Let us not forget to tell the people in our lives we love them, we appreciate them, we believe in them.  There is power in proclaiming love, it is the gift that gives so much more than we can ever imagine!

Autumn Harvest Time

Beautiful bounty from the Sheffer garden

The awesome peach canning duo!

Carrots from the garden

Apple Picking at Buchan's Orchard

Tomato from Midnight Harvest (there was a freeze warning that night)

More Midnight Harvest

Willow Vineyard Grapes

Just thought I would share some pictures of all the yummy harvest foods we have been enjoying lately.  It is a food lover's paradise here in Northern Michigan- and we love supporting all of our local farmers and enjoying the fruits of our own labor in our backyard garden!

Invitation to An Amazing Show

Sunrise over West Grand Traverse Bay

I want to share with you all an invitation to the most amazing and brilliant show I have ever seen.  It doesn't cost any money to attend, and you decide how long you would like to be apart of the audience- arriving and departing within what is convenient for you.  I can't guarantee that the content of the show will be consistent, since it is unrehearsed and there are many factors that play a role in the outcome of the display you will be witnessing.  Perhaps I should tell you there is a role that you will be required to play too.   There are some interactive elements to the show, but don't worry because it is only your perception and attendance that matter the most, especially if the show happens to offer a more solemn version on a particular morning or evening. There are only two showings offered on a daily basis.  Plan to get up early if you are one who usually sleeps past daybreak.  You can also try to catch the evening display, soon to be a matinee in the next few months (as we approach the depths of Autumn) if that works better for your schedule.  Whatever the show provides on the day you decide to attend, keep an open mind and try to see the beauty of its design and creation.  Applaud, whether in the form of a smile, a standing ovation, or even just an acknowledgement that you see the creativity and unique way everything has been organized.  Please understand that the final act arrives when you choose.  

So here is your invitation to take the time to watch the sun rise, or the sun set sometime soon.  I pray that you will be able to watch this gift of warmth and light in the morning- or if you decide to catch the evening show, then finality and closure of a day, with a mind that has appreciation for God's ultimate design in the effects of our daily and earthly existence.  If we can be certain of one thing on this earth it is that the sun will rise and set with each new day. This show has unlimited performances!  Sometimes the morning show is filled with a collage of colors and sometimes there are clouds, but the light of the sun will surely shine.  The lights will most definitely dim during the evening show, but there is a good chance you will witness a fiery glow, with a sprinkling of early stars peeking though the atmospheres layers.  Take the time to sit and enjoy the quiet beauty of the earth awakening or saying good night- and just realize how amazing it truly is that our earth steadily revolves on its axis, never wavering and always constant.  Providing a place for us to exist, to love, and to appreciate the blessings in our lives.  A brand new day is always upon us, and a new chapter to our lives starts with each sunrise.  May we be thankful for the opportunity to experience all that God graciously provides!

Something to Savor

Something to Savor

Sunset over the Sheffer Household in Autumn

Nothing in the entire wide world of edible possibilities could possibly compare to the golden treasure I retrieved from my oven this evening.  In all its simply naked glory, with only a dusting of cinnamon and a drizzle of sweet honey, my treasure from the downtown farmers market, an acorn squash about the size of a football delivered a sensation of happiness I had been in need of desperately all day, maybe even all week long!  I actually flirted with this beautiful miracle of earth's bounty during last Saturday morning's stroll through the market.  I walked by the squash, picked it up and asked the farmer how much, and then set it down and walked away thinking I still needed to see what everyone else had to offer first.  Maybe I would find something at a better price....  10 minutes later I was on a mission to get back to that first stand as fast as I could, hoping someone else hadn't discovered my jewel.  The farmer smiled upon my return, and even mentioned that he knew I would be back.  Apparently he had sensed our connection before I had been able to finally comprehend it myself.  So I picked up my prize and took it home, and for an entire week it sat on my counter top, the sight of it reminding me daily how eager I was to taste the golden flesh it had concealed underneath its velvety green and orange skin. 

And then tonight I walked in my house, turned up the oven to 375 and prepared that lovely orb to be my dinner.  My locally grown and harvested, beautiful creation from sun, soil and water quite easily fulfilled all my fantasies of what I wanted to savor and enjoy.  My week has had a lot of ups and downs and somehow just taking this one thing, this thing that was all mine and taking the time to enjoy it was exactly what I needed to reset my mood, my emotions, my outlook for the days ahead.  Keeping it simple, is once again all I need to do.  Everything is what it is, the world doesn't stop producing for what we need- it is recognizing this and then quietly being appreciative for what God has allowed me to have and finding peace it this truth.  I am thankful for my jewel of the earth, so yummy and perfect food for the soul!  

Yuck! Creepy Crawlers

Look Out- Spiders are coming inside for the winter!

This was actually one of the smaller ones- still big though

Coming to get me!

Cool Toad!  He was squeeking and purring like a cat

An earth worm of many along the asphalt

I really hate to admit this truth about myself.  It is a weakness that is a little embarrassing, but nonetheless it is a real fear that I have.  I have discovered that this fear has continued to grow with each experience I endure with these creatures and I think it is safe to say I am truly Arachniphobic!  I really don't care for this particular group of God's creatures.  While they are fascinating with their abilities to create magnificent works of art in the complexities of their webs, and also their abilities as predators, the characteristic that I simply dread about these creatures is that they seem sneaky.  It seems like they are masters at hiding, which is probably why they are successful predators.   I just can't stand the thought of a spider hiding in the vicinity of myself, and the worse part is when they accidentally reveal their presence to me or I uncover one unexpectedly!  

I had gone to one of my office cleaning jobs in the evening instead of the usual time scheduled for the mornings.  Automatically I am a little more cautious within the building because it is dark and shadowy this time of day and some objects an be had to identify on the floor.  What I mean is what may seem like an innocent piece of cardboard lying on the floor, just inside a shadow, can metamorphasize into a giant, 8 legged monster instantly.  I was already on alert because I had gone through the mental process of imagining what possible outcomes should arise if I decided to clean the office in bare feet.  Why would I do that you ask?  Well I had gone out to dinner with some girlfriends before going to clean and had worn my heels- thinking that I had remembered my tennis shoes to change into afterwards, but apparently I forgot them this time and so I had to make the choice to walk around for three hours in heels cleaning or go barefoot.  (Both scenarios in my opinion very unhealthy for my feet)  So I chose heels because heaven forbid, what if I stepped on a SPIDER!  Thank goodness I had this foresight because as the night went  on I ran into not just one but a whole troop of the most monstrously horrific spiders I have ever experienced and they were all  little stealth bodies darting out with warnings to leave them be- well they didn't have to worry about that since I was clearly going to stay as far away as possible!  One of these monsters was the size of my palm!  I still have goosebumps just thinking about it now!  As the night went on the spiders weren't the only creep crawlers I ran into- but the others don't bother me at all and the toad was especially cool.