SHEPHERD's PIE

Well, OK I have not really had shepherd's pie before so I made this with Bill telling me basically what the ingredients entailed. Mashed potatoes, vegetables, and hamburger and cheese if you like. Easy enough. I would have shown you the yummy layers but my family devoured the dish very quickly. The homemade mashed potatoes were to die for by themselves, I could have eaten the entire pot. We only had these vegetables, so they had to work, and who doesn't like ground beef? Anyway, I layered it with potatoes, meat, vegetables, cheese, and so forth. I worried that the kids wouldn't like the squash and zucchini and they did balk (a little). I quickly put an end to their complaints by saying that I knew they would like it, and I have not ever cooked anything or asked them to taste anything that I thought they would not like. It takes major hits to my mom-o-meter when the family or anyone does not like what I cook. I knew, if I liked it they would like it. I do not have much control over Bill's palette because he was reared differently but I DO KNOW what my children will like and will not like. I really do not have picky eaters and I have to give them credit for trusting me. The one I was worried about the most was our youngest, Aden. I quickly dished him up a plate and put some on a fork and offered it to him before he could even eyeball the plate. He had already decided that HE DID NOT LIKE what I was about to feed him and I squashed that idea about as quickly as he ate the squash and zuchini on the fork. If he could taste these two things at once and eat it, then he would eat everything. I said, Yes, you do like it. You have not even tried it yet and you eat everything individually so what is the difference all mixed up together? (mind you, it is a HUGE difference to me) After his first initial, scrunched up face of disdain, he swallowed and was back for more and then seconds. Eating vegetables for my family is all about how they are prepared. Everyone had seconds. In some households that would be a feat but seconds are quite common in our household. In fact, if no one has seconds you can bet that it wasn't a huge hit. I know how to prepare vegetables so that they will like and eat them. They have always been good about eating vegetables. Probably, because I have always made vegetables for them to eat from the beginning. I do not care for brussel sprouts, so I don't cook them. Therefore, my children do not care for them either. The rule is never to say you hate something because that will get you an extra helping of that item. Aden has had a few extra helpings on his plate before. Did you know that your taste buds change every 7 years??