Went grocery shopping Friday morning,

and got my turkey.  Paid just under $9 for it, so it must be around 11 to 12lbs in weight, which is ample big enough for us.  As there is nothing worse than eating turkey for days on end.

Anyhow saw a couple of interesting things while I was at the grocery store.  So the first snow plow wander by......luckily not because there was any snow, but they were salting/sanding the roads.  We had a horrible weather night on Thursday night with a lot of rain and really, really windy.  Anyhow, the temperature must have dropped like a stone, as I saw all the sidewalks had also been salted/sanded.

Also as I was paying my bill a Mennonite carriage with two horses trotted past the window, it was a closed carriage like this one.  It turns out there is a hitching post out back for them.  Anyhow we all discussed how much easier and cheaper it would be to have a carriage and horses, than paying for gas/petrol for a car etc.  However I then piped up about there was one downside to that, there is no heating in those carriages!!!

Now I know I am Miss Hot Flash,  but even I had to put the heating on in the car on Friday morning!!  Didn't wear my winter coat of course, or a hat or mitts, but did put the heating on low.  Back to the Mennonites, there are some farms north west of us with Mennonites farming them, no idea about them though.  I don't see them that often in the grocery store, but when I do they are generally very friendly.

When I came home from shopping I made a Shepherd's Pie, I love shepherd's pie, don't make it that often but it is a hearty meal.

I make mine using ground/minced beef, browned in a pan with a chopped up onion.  I then drain the fat from it, add a chopped up carrot or two, a couple packets of oxo (check out that oxo site for some good recipes as well), some "W" sauce, seasonings, and top up with water.  Bring back to boil and boil for around 20 minutes.  I then thicken it with a couple teaspoons of cornstarch/flour and Bisto powder.  Bring back to a boil and then pour it all into a casserole dish.

You then add mashed potatoes on top and pop in the oven at 375 oF until heated through and the top is nice and crispy.  You can also add some grated cheese on top if you want.  To bulk up the meat mixture just add more veggies.  Shepherd's Pie also freezes great, so make a couple at a time and pop the other in the freezer for a quick meal.

We also like the meat mixture on its own on top of toast; haven't had that in a long while either thinking about it.......

I would also love it if you can pop by LizBeth's blog as she writes about a lovely little girl in Russia looking for her forever family.  She is asking that everyone donates $5 to help this little one.  Even if you don't want to donate, just read Olga's story. 

And finally pop by this blog and I bet you will be laughing at this poor doggy.......it will make you smile all day just thinking about the look on his face!