I am not a fan of shepherd's pie.  To me it means leftover casserole or a compilation of bland ground beef with peas and instant mashed potatoes with a overly thick layer of cheese trying to rescue the dish.  However, this one is good.  Leftover can be used, but I make it from scratch on purpose in a large batch in the slow cooker.  It also works well in a Dutch oven pot on a wood burning stove ... nice in the winter.

Feta is a traditional Greek cheese know for its tangy flavor and crumbly texture.  In Greece, it is made from sheep milk or sheep and up to 30% goat milk.  It is an ancient custom dating back to at least the Byzantine Empire when it was first recorded, and it's also mentioned in Homer's Odyssey​.  In Greek cuisine, it is a staple on the table and served all of the time, like salt or pepper.  The best feta is very tangy and crumbly - aged up to one year!

​So Greeks love feta and eat it on practically everything, but how about Americans?  And, how does ours compare?

For meatloaf lovers, I am about to be blasphemous.  I think many meatloaf recipes are disgusting - especially those with the sugar-ketchup crust on top.  This meatloaf recipe isn't like that.  I can make it with ground beef and lamb from my farm, plus bleu cheese I made, spinach I grew, bread crumbs from old homemade bread, an Italian blend of dried herbs that I grew, and eggs from my hens.

​Or, I can just buy all of the ingredients and it's easier while still being delicious.

​This is one of my Sunday meals, so I try to do as much of the work the day before.  I like to serve this with Armenian flatbread (using my bread maker set on the dough cycle), a garlic vegetable sauté (vegs chopped the day before), and a dessert (possum pie made the day before).  I also opt to cook this one in muffin tins, but it can be baked in a traditional loaf pan with the length of time increased.  I like to use meatloaf pans so that any fat drains out from the loaf.

When I was first offered pickled eggs, it was at my uncle's home ... he's my husband's uncle or I would have probably been offered them as a child.  I thought they were bar food, which to me means not real food.  I also thought they sounded gross.  However, I have been proven wrong and am willing to try most things.  I've tried tripe, brains, and cartilage and am not really interested in eating them again.  I've tried raw fish, sweatbread (thymus and other glands), and super-stinky cheese and liked them.  Pickled eggs fall into the second category - tried them and liked them.

​We love cheeses, which is probably a good thing since we're starting  a dairy and creamery.  When we invite friends over, they love trying the new cheeses we have to share in new recipes, fondue, and raclette.  We have found most people don't know what to do with fabulous cheeses.  They weren't raised eating them and they like them, but how do you eat it?

​Even though Brandon is a food snob, he really likes a good burger.  A good gourmet burger is hard to come by in the restaurant world.  Many places claim they're great and have "interesting" toppings, but alas, they are mediocre.  Here are some gourmet burgers that you can make at home.