Today was our day to learn about the United Kingdom - focusing mostly on England. We didn't have to do too much to learn to count to 10 today! Boo had a good time reading about the words we use that are different in England -- like soccer:football or pram:baby buggy. We listened to the national anthem, recognizing the melody as the same "My Country 'Tis of Thee." We continued to work on our European art project. The kids were excited to hear that England still has a queen. They were quite curious about the number of princes and princesses that live there as well.

For dinner, I used a recipe that my friend Lynne (who was born and raised in England) emailed me. By the way, Lynne works for the Body Shop, a company which supports community trade, does not use animals for testing and works to make their products as "green" as possible, as an independent consultant. So if you need anything bath or beauty oriented, check out her site! Anyway, here is Lynne's recipe for Cottage (some call it Shepherd's, although I'm told that recipe uses Lamb) Pie.


You need:
1 lb ground beef 1/2 white or yellow onion, chopped
sliced carrots
sliced celery
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can beef broth
mixed herbs
Beef Bistro (a beef flavored thickening agent)
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
instant mashed potatoes


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown the ground beef. Once a bit of grease has been drained, add the onion, carrots & celery. Cook on medium until vegetables are softened a little. Add kidney beans, broth, herbs & Beef Bistro. Let simmer about 15 minutes. Prepare mashed potatoes according to box directions. I used the amount for 12 servings.

Pour mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread out across pan. Add mashed potatoes on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake for 1/2 hour or until the top is brown. Let cool for about 10 minutes before eating.