Guys! There's true fall weather happening here today in Central Pennsylvania. We wore jackets out to the bus stop and I drank my coffee with the kitchen door open and cleaned the downstairs windows while enjoying the crisp breeze. Now it's time to meal plan and when I think of dinner time during the fall season the first words that come to mind are warm and comfort. There's nothing like a big cast iron pot of chili simmering on the stove waiting to be poured over a homemade batch of mashed potatoes, or a sizzling pot roast on a Sunday afternoon, or a bubbling dish of cottage pie/shepherds pie. Cottage pie has become one of our families favorites. Growing up we always called it Shepherds Pie but I've since come to learn that it's only Shepherds Pie if you make it with lamb-- if you use beef then it's technically Cottage Pie.

My standard recipe is pretty common and includes warm layers of ground beef, country vegetables and home-style mashed potatoes all topped with sharp white cheddar. But, this fall I wanted to try something new and festive to incorporate seasonal flavors. So after a bit of research and a few adjustments I gave the Cottage Pie a try topped with savory mashed sweet potatoes and switched up the filling components. I added some thyme, rosemary, nutmeg and garlic for flavor.




Sweet Potato Cottage Pie

for the filling:
1 lb of lean ground beef
16 oz bag of mixed vegetables
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
3 cups of beef or vegetable stock
2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste
A splash of balsamic vinegar
A splash of Worcestershire sauce
Thyme
Rosemary
Salt and black pepper
Spray oil

for the mash:
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chucks
1 tablespoon butter (or olive oil if your non dairy)
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk (more if needed)

directions:
-Spray a large frying pan over a medium high heat with spray oil, add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until softened.
-Add in the ground beef and a couple dashes of thyme and rosemary, cook until browned- breaking up any big lumps with the back of a wooden spoon.
-Add the veggies and cook until thawed.
-Add the stock, tomato paste, splash of Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil.
-Reduce heat and allow to simmer for approx 20 minutes until sauce thickens.
-Set aside and allow to cool completely
-Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes or until tender.
-Drain well and add the butter, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and milk.
-With a hand blender or stand mixer blend until they reach a creamy consistency.

assembly:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
-Spray and fill a 13 in x 9 in casserole dish with the filling and spread the mash on top.
-Bake for 40 minutes until the topping is beginning to brown.
[bonus: top with shredded cheddar cheese to create a crispy crust and extra layer of texture.]

extra tips:
You can do a half white potato/half sweet potato combination to cut the sweetness or half sweet potato/half butternut squash combination. You can also omit the nutmeg in the mash if you don't care for it.

When I wrote this post last year the change in weather was just starting and had me excited for the fall season, much like now-- although I can do without the recent 80 degree days. I mean, it's October and I just sent my girls off to school in late summer type attire. I know I'm in the minority when I say that I've been enjoying the rainy and gray mornings. These are typically the types of days that I enjoy spending in cozy socks with a steamy mug of tea or coffee. The fall decor is officially out, and it's simple this year-- our year has been has one of new change so I'm just taking it all slow and getting adjusted to our new surroundings. That being said-- as far as clothing goes I'm definitely counting down the days until scarves, ankle booties and flannel shirts are acceptable daily attire.



As for drinks of the season I'm still not a PSL fan. I love pumpkin, but real pumpkin and only in specific ways. I've been waiting two years to see if Starbucks will bring back my favorite seasonal drink, the Spiced Sweet Cream Cold Brew-- not to be confused with the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew. They haven't yet so I'm still making mine at home. I make my cold brew in my french press and let it steep overnight. And then I add the cream and syrup recipe to my liking.


And - while I still do like to burn the occasional candle for ambiance, I also really love diffusing my oils during the fall months because there are so many great 'fall' related scents that also have immune boosting effects. During this season that is always a extra added bonus (with all of the back to school cooties that make their way home)!

So if you pop by our house on an October morning you will probably catch me with my Spiced Cold Brew in hand and the Warm Cinnamon Buns blend in the diffuser, only one has calories included.

There are days I wish I could be a parent and a mother from a different generation. I recently watched a video clip online (only slightly exaggerated and very true) depicting mothers today and how interactions can go in a social setting-- usually, I watch these, chuckle to myself and go about my day but this particular time it struck a chord with me and stayed with me all day. Here is the link to the video if you're interested in watching it.

After watching this and thinking back on various situations that I've found myself in over the past 6.5 years of being a mother I can honestly say that there are days that I wish I could have been a parent at a time when ‘it takes a village’ was actually a thing - not just a saying. It’s not that I don’t recognize how much we’ve accomplished so much in the past few decades and grown leaps and bounds. It’s also not because I don’t enjoy technology and social media (I mean, I AM a blogger!). It’s just that – it feels like a generation ago would have been a simpler time to be a mother, and a simpler time to raise a child. A generation ago would have been a time when children didn’t have a social calendar that rivals a celebrity; a time when mothers weren’t publicly shamed for their parenting choices; and a time when a simple search for parenting information would return a flood of conflicting “expertise,” causing us to lose sleep worrying that we are getting it all wrong. Before a world of helicopter parents and lawnmower parents. Before we were a society that described parenting in terms like “attached parenting” and “detached parenting.” The days before we had to go Facebook to catch up with and check in on with family only to scroll through our feed and have anxiety attacks after reading three different articles telling you that you’ve been doing thirty things wrong this entire time, and by your calculations led you to realize your children are royally doomed for the rest of their lives.


We live in a time of the great debates— and I’m not talking presidential debates. I’m talking about society's great debates about parenthood: vax vs. anti-vax, breast vs. bottle, public school vs. homeschool, formula, cry it out vs. co-sleep, front-facing or rear-facing, organic or non-organic, college-level preschool or play-based learning, screen time or no screen time. And the list goes on, and on, and on... It’s endless and it is simply taxing on the already very weary soul of a parent.

Now, we feel this urge to shame, condemn and criticize other mothers. But it hurts so much when it happens to us. We share because we want to feel that sense of community, but then we constantly feel led to defend the things we do and the choices we make. Rest assured, I will not throw stones at glass houses because I have the ability to see my own flaws, and I’ve ridden the guilty bus a time or two. But flaws, flaws are something that every single living, breathing, walking, talking human, parent, mother, and father have, they've always been there woven into our personal DNA. But today – in this generation – it feels like each and every one of these flaws is magnified in a way they have never been before. Furthermore, our shortcomings and personal choices are also picked apart and set center stage for mass criticism. Even more painfully, these choices can be silently mocked or judged with disapproving eyes.


I wish for the times of a ‘village’ in support of the greater good which is- surviving while our children are thriving. For once, can’t we go back to a time when surviving meant serving up a pitcher of red kool-aid on a warm day just to see some happy stained smiles, letting your child play with and drink from the garden hose without worrying about lead exposure, letting your kids paint each other from head-to-toe because it keeps them happy, packing simple lunches in a brown paper bag without any fancy faces, serving up fruit snacks without have to apologize or explain, using timeouts and accountability consequences, allowing your child to watch two movies in one day because you need a mental health break,  having a hidden pack of strawberry mentos in your bag for emergencies, and serving Fruit Loops for dinner when dad is working late. Can’t we go back to a time when thriving simply meant just being a remarkably average parent, instead of an exhausted superhero with a worn out cape?

We all crave community, acceptance, and understanding with a side serving of grace. Let your children be children a little while longer – and be proud of that. We are all just trying to survive. So, gift others around you with empathy. Be understanding of differences. Be a friend to someone who needs a friend. Be kind to your fellow mothers and fathers. Be humble, please. Be compassionate and caring. Let's be a village in support of all of the other villagers.

Cheesy Sweet Corn & Zucchini Pie

Ingredients:
- frozen or fresh pie crust
- 4 TBSP butter
- half of a yellow onion diced
-1 cup of sweet corn
- 2 medium zucchini, very thinly sliced
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3 eggs, beaten

Directions:
-Prepare crust according to directions
-preheat oven to 375 degrees
-heat butter in a large skillet and sauté onions, zucchini, and corn over medium-high heat (5-8 mins)
-remove from heat and cool for a few mins
-add 6 oz of shredded mozzarella to bottom of the pie crust
- top cheese with veggie mixture, arranging zucchini to lay as flat as possible
-slowly pour egg mixture over and let soak in
- top with remaining cheese
-bake for 20-30 mins until middle is set
-let stand for 10 mins before cutting

[It may bubble up while it bakes so I usually place pie on a baking sheet in oven]

The garden has been giving me some really great vegetables this summer. My zucchini plants just got started and I'm always looking for a fun and simple dinner where I can incorporate them (we do love zoodles but like to mix it up sometimes). The other night I just couldn't think of anything to make so I started combining a bunch of different recipes and items from the fridge, pantry, and the garden and we ended up with this really tasty goulash. You can use store-bought sauce and get the same effect but this time I used the homemade tomato sauce from the freezer that I had made the previous week.

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed
3 1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 sleeves graham crackers (I sometimes end up using less after I break a bunch)
4 ounces semi sweet baking chocolate, chopped

Directions:
Strawberry Icebox Cake-
-Hull the strawberries and slice into thin slices.
-In a mixer, whip 3 cups of cream (medium high speed) until it just holds stiff peaks.
-Add the confectioners sugar and vanilla extract. Whip to combine.
-Spread a small spoonful of the whipped mixture on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking pan, or platter.
-Lay down six graham crackers. Lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with a thin layer of whipped mixture, and then a single layer of strawberries. (Repeat three more times, until you have four layers of graham crackers.)
-Spread the last of the whipped cream over the top and swirl it lightly with a spoon. (I use my favorite icing tool)
-Then add a few more strawberries to the top.

Chocolate Ganache topping-
-Heat the remaining cream on the stove until bubbles form around the edges, then pour over the chopped chocolate. Let it stand for a few minutes, then whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy.
Drizzle over cake and then refrigerate at least 4 hours before enjoying!