A tradition that has nothing to do with Christmas

Last night Bob had to go to his office "holiday" party, so we knew he wouldn't be home until late. Well, yes, of course we missed him, but C.Z. and I have developed our own little tradition for nights when Daddy's away.  We make the foods he doesn't like!

Yes, if you can believe it, there are a few dishes that over twenty-one years of marriage I've overdone.  Mostly they are comfort foods involving ground beef and or canned items, easy or inexpensive dinners for which you can keep most of the ingredients in the freezer or pantry. One of these dinners is beef pie, which I made probably more than one too many times when C.Z. was a toddler, Bob was in law school, and I was a bit food-challenged.  

Beef pie is easy enough.  You either buy or make a pie crust (top and bottom), and then chop up potatoes, onion, carrots and celery to put inside.  Add some ground beef (raw or cooked), salt, pepper, and 1/4 cup of water.  Cook at 350 for one hour (or more, in my oven).  And voila, a cheap and cozy meal!

This week when C.Z. heard that Bob wasn't coming home for dinner on Thursday, she immediately started campaigning for beef pie. She spent part of yesterday afternoon making four pie crusts (because we still have a lot of pumpkin to use up, too).  I filled up the shells, she crimped and decorated them, and we had a warm and satisfying dinner alone, in the early dark and on the second day of pouring rain, with our Christmas tree and nativity scene.  

I was amused that C.Z. became so enthusiastic yesterday that she even wrote into the pie crust, "Yumm! Beef pie!"  You can see part of the word "Yumm!" in the piece of pie in the photo above. 

Also, Bob ended up coming home a little earlier than expected, and still a bit hungry, so he ate a piece of our pie, too.  And you know what?  He really liked it!  So, I guess next time we have a "dinner without Daddy" night, it's going to have to be beef chili.