Buffalo Shepherd Pie

What's for Dinner!?! That s probably one of the most heard phrases in the home when it gets close to dinner time. To help answer that question we checked in with Mr. Mom, Dave Lilja. Dave is a stay-at-home dad who had to deal with that question all the time and so he came up with a bunch of easy, nutritious recipes that he recently published in a great cookbook, 'Mr. Mom's Favorite Family Meals'. His recipes are really interesting... in fact the one he did for us is a Buffalo Shepherd Pie. The reasons for the buffalo instead of beef, it is lean, it is cheaper, and the flavor is outstanding. Dave started by browning the buffalo, then he steamed some cauliflower which was mashed to look and feel like mashed potatoes. Once the buffalo is browned, it is added to a casserole dish and mixed with chopped carrots. The mashed cauliflower was spread over the top and grated cheese was sprinkled over that. It was baked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes and it was done. If you would like to try this recipe, you can click here or you can get a copy of Mr. Mom's cookbook at his website or call 303-800-1603.

Rhubarb Margarita

Painting Your House

Painting your own house can be a daunting task. But David showed us a few tips for doing it right the first time. We were working with pre-painted wood siding. If you have vinyl siding you may have a few extra steps in the process. To begin, you need to have at least 3-4 days of dry, warm weather; at least 50 degrees for the paint to cure. First he gave the house a good cleaning. A power washer set on a broad spray helped knock off all the dust and dirt. Don’t use too much pressure or you might damage the surface. Next look to scrape off the loose bits of paint and caulk the cracks and fill the holes with a paintable caulk. Find rusty spots (nail holes to weather stripping) and sand them down. Touch up those sanded areas with a good primer. Now you can hit it with the paint. We use a good latex paint that is breathable, will give us good coverage, and is easy to clean up. We apply the paint with a painting pad. This gave us a good coat and eliminated the need to do touch-ups. Some people like applying the paint with a sprayer, but that can sometimes leave too thin of a coat and then you have to back-roll to get good coverage. Finally we went around and did some touch ups with a 1-2 inch brush. Of course these are just basic tips and you should always check with your local paint supplier for more tips and information.

Replacing Your Faucet

Robin is looking for a change! In her bathroom, that is. She was tired of the ‘look’ and she wanted to change the décor, and one of the easiest ways to change a bathroom is by changing the plumbing. We mean the faucet. Replacing a faucet is easy, or so we’ve been told. To learn how to do it we stopped by George Morlan (503-224-7000) to get some tips from Dave Charvet. Dave had a lot of questions for Robin before she made her decision. First what type of sink did she have? There are different combinations of holes in the top of the sink for the pipes. There are 4 inch, 8 inch and single hole models of sinks. Know your measurements! Second, determine the finish of the faucet. What style do you want, and don’t forget the rest of your hardware; towel bars, tub and shower fixtures may also need changing.

Next we moved to tools. There are specific tools that will help make the job easier. Dave met with David in the parts department to help him find the right tools for the job. The first tool we saw was a ‘basin wrench’. This will allow you to tighten and loosen the nuts around fixtures in those tight spots. You may also need to replace the shut-off valve under the sink and the water supply tubes. Check the condition of those before you make your first trip to George Morlan. Know the size of those tubes as well by measuring the connector. You will also need some Teflon tape, silicone sealer and plumber’s putty to help seal your connections when you install everything.

Next week we will see if David can install the faucet!