Welcome back to The Daily Connoisseur. We use homemaking for many things: out of necessity, of course, but we often turn to it for other reasons. And in times of darkness and stress, we can alter our homemaking to accommodate how we are feeling, or more importantly, what we need to feel. When I think of the word calm, I also think of the word, “comfort”. So today we are making some comfort foods: turkey shepherd’s pie and butterscotch pudding. I’m also cleaning the kitchen by candlelight. 

Let’s begin with the comfort food. Shepherd’s pie is a favorite for everyone in the family and occasionally I like to make a twist on the traditional recipe. I’m going to make a double batch of turkey shepherd’s pie: one for today and one for the freezer. I’m making this late in the evening on a very rainy night… it’s for the next day’s meal. So, you’ve been watching me get the mashed potatoes going and now I’m sautéing the onion in oil and preparing the other vegetables: carrots and mushrooms. I had to step out into the rain to get parsley from the garden but it was totally worth it. I add that in now. Once the vegetables are browned I add the ground turkey. This looks like a lot because I’m making a double-batch. The potatoes are cooked so I drain them and add them to my stand mixer along with melted butter, heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Drain the turkey mixture once it’s cooked, if needed. Then I add some chicken bullion, flour to thicken, salt and pepper, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Now I’m preparing the pans: one for tomorrow’s dinner and one for the freezer. I add the meat mixture and then top with the creamy mashed potatoes. I won’t cook this any further but let it cool and cover with foil. Tomorrow, I’ll pop it in the oven and put it under the broiler to heat and brown it. 

Some time has passed and I am now I’m in my pajamas… time to clean up the kitchen. There isn’t too much of a mess this evening. I’m going to light a candle to keep me company. Let’s explore calmness and how we can demonstrate it in our homemaking. Calm as an adjective means not showing or feeling anger, nervousness, or other strong emotions. Calm as a verb means to make someone tranquil or quiet… to soothe. How can we make homemaking calming… a balm to soothe our unquiet hearts and minds? A tranquil meditation that, at once, looks after not only our homes, but ourselves too. We can turn our homemaking into a meditation… no matter what is going on around us. No matter what storms are outside. There’s a pop song called, Thunderclouds. The kids and I love it. The chorus says, don’t be afraid of these thunderclouds. The other night there was a thunderstorm and as I looked out the window, my daughter sang the lyrics to that song. I felt an instant calm. Focus on the soothing and repetitive nature of homemaking to induce calm. Go easy on yourself. Go slow. All we have is this present moment. Breathe deeply. And goodnight for now. 

Let’s prepare the butterscotch pudding. Years ago, I loved to dine at the Viceroy Hotel in Santa Monica. They had a butterscotch pudding dessert that was out of this world. It was elevated, yet comforting. That’s what I want to make today. This recipe is from the Pioneer Woman. I begin by separating four egg yolks from the whites. I end up using the whites for my breakfast omelet. I add the egg yolks to 3 cups of whole milk and whisk together. On the stove, I combine brown sugar, cornstarch and salt. Then I whisk in the milk and egg yolk mixture and turn the heat on medium, stirring regularly and cook this until it gets bubbly and thick, which took around 7 minutes. Then I add the butter and turn off the heat and mix it all up. I then transfer this to these lovely footed dessert dishes. If you don’t have these, you can use a glass or even teacup. Just let the mixture cool slightly if you’re placing it in a container that can’t take heat. After this step, place them in the refrigerator for at least an hour. This whole time I’ve been reheating my shepherd’s pie in the oven. It takes around 45 minutes at 350 degrees to heat all the way through but it will depend on your oven. I place it under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes to brown the top of it… a complete must. I served this with a sprig of fresh parsley on top. The whole family loves this dish. It provides a calming comfort. Time for dessert… The pudding is chilled and set. I made some homemade whipped cream and place a dollop on top of the dessert. I enjoy this for teatime today with a hot cup of Pique black bergamot tea. What an outstanding pudding. This recipe is a keeper. 

 Thank you for joining me today. I hope you found a meditative calm in homemaking with me. Thank you to Pique for bringing us today’s video. Get 5% + a free Pique sampler pack when you purchase 2+ cartons of Btox  code DAILYC