Chicken Pot Pie

It's been rainy and *chilly* here in good old Southern California for the past week, so I've been in the mood for warm comfort food. This recipe was made for us last year by a friend after my baby girl was born. It is SO yummy!


Chicken Pot Pie

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed

1 cup sliced carrots

1 cup frozen green peas (optional – I don’t like peas, so I leave them out)

1/2 cup sliced celery

1/3 cup butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1 3/4 cups chicken broth (one can)

2/3 cup milk

2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts (I like the premade Albertson's brand)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)

2. In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, cook onions in butter over medium heat until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust.
5. Pour hot liquid mixture over chicken.
6. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape. I always use a pie shield to cover the edges of the crust so that they don’t get too brown.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

I can't believe I forgot to take a "finished" picture after it came out of the oven. My husband and his sister pounced and I was distracted by the kids. LOL

Whole Grain Apple Oatmeal Pancakes

This is one hearty pancake. I was stuffed after just two. And it has been 5 hours since breakfast and I am still stuffed. In fact, I may never need to eat again. :)

These pancakes are pretty healthy with the oats and whole wheat flour. They aren't really very sweet, but with all the syrup and peanut butter I like to dump on them....it totally sweetens these puppies right up.

Anyway, now that our church isn't until 11:00, we need something that will keep us full until dinner. And here they are. Give them a try.

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1 cup oats

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 Tbs. baking powder

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shredded peeled apple - I used a whole apple

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbs. honey

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Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk all the wet ingredients together in a smaller bowl then add to dry ingredients. Then make them however you do pancakes....on an iron skillet, electric skillet or whatever you have.

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Can't you just see how thick these are? Seriously, don't plan on eating again for awhile.

Cheesy Potato Vegetable Soup

3 Cans Chicken Broth
Carrots
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Potatoes
1 Cube Butter
1 Small Package Velveeta Cheese
1 1/2 Quarts Milk
1 Cup Flour

Cut up and cook vegetables in broth until tender. In a separate pan, melt the butter and the velveeta cheese sliced up. Gradually add milk and flour. After cheese thickens, add in cooked vegetables with broth.

poppy seed lemon cake

I'm not sure I really loved this cake like I loved the gingerbread apple upside-down cake. It wasn't as sweet as I think a cake should be. So, I made a lemon/powder sugar glaze to pour over each slice to sweeten things up a bit. That helped a lot! I wasn't sure if I should even post it, but I thought....just because it isn't my "cup of tea" doesn't mean it won't "tickle your fancy". So, here it goes....a recipe that I'm not in love with, but maybe you will be.

ingredients: 2/3 cup of sugar

8 large egg yolks*

1 large whole egg

1 1/2 Tbls of finely grated lemon zest (2 lemons)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

pinch of salt

2 sticks of unsalted butter, melted & cooled a bit

1/2 cup poppy seeds (3 oz bottle)

Directions: preheat oven to 325. Butter and flour a bundt pan generously. This cake really wants to stick, but don't let it. Butter the dull side of a large piece of foil (you need it to cover the top of your bundt pan).

In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the sugar and the eggs (1 whole egg and 8 yolks) at medium-high speed until the mixture is a pale yellow and very fluffy, about 8 minutes. Beat in the lemon zest. Sift together the flour, cornstarch and salt in another bowl and add to the egg mixture. Then beat in the butter and poppy seeds.

Pour into prepared pan and cover tightly with the buttered foil. Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the side of the pan and a toothpick comes out clean. Uncover and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely before serving, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with powder sugar and if you are needing it a little sweeter....mix some lemon juice with some powder sugar until you get a glaze and pour over each slice. I'm telling you....it really needed the glaze.

And there you have it - a cake that is good, but not "knock your socks off" kind of good.

*Don't waste the egg whites. You can freeze them to use later. Here is a website with recipes for the whites..... www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/09/recipes_to_use.html

s'more bars

I found the recipe for s'more bars on my friend's blog (wlichty.blogspot.com), but didn't have all the right ingredients. So, I changed it up a bit....it was so deliciously sweet. You may want to cut them into smaller bars than I did or you'll end up with a belly ache.....like I did.

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Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (I used chocolate graham crackers)

1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used 1 cup butterscotch and 1/2 cup semi-sweet)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)

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In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the flour and graham crackers. Press the crust mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 8x8 pan. Sprinkle the marshmallows, chips and nuts on top. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until marshmallows brown on top. Let cool on a wire rack or if you're impatient (like me) in the refrigerator on a wire rack.

Happy s'moring!

gingerbread apple upside-down cake

This recipe is now in my top 5 list of favorite desserts! We will be making it again really soon....I just need an excuse....anyone having a party and need me to bring dessert? ;)
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Topping:
4 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
4 apples (about 1 3/4 lbs), peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch wedges
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Batter:
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 lg. egg
1/3 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup honey
1 cup buttermilk (*see below)
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
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Make the topping: preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 10 inch cake pan or a 8x11 casserole pan. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and simmer over medium heat, stirring for four minutes, then swirl in the salt. Remove from heat and pour into the bottom of your prepared pan. Layer on the apples in whatever pattern that pleases you.
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Make the batter: Using a mixer, blend 1/2 cup butter and the sugar on medium speed. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, molasses, honey and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon. Alternate mixing the flour and molasses mixtures into the butter mixture, adding the next one after the last has been incorporated.
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Pour the batter into the pan. Bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes before turning it onto a platter (or a cutting board in my case...I really need some nice serving dishes. It's kind of embarrassing.)
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Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Serves 12.
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*Buttermilk - if you don't have any on hand, which I never do, you can just put a tablespoon of lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add enough milk to make one cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes before adding to the recipe. It turns it into sour milk which also works for any recipe calling for buttermilk.
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Can't you just see the moistness of this cake?! You will not regret making it.

Reindeer Noses - or Holiday Preztel Treats

I love making these because my little boy can help with them. He can help lay out the pretzels, unwrap the hershey kisses or hugs, and then plop the M&M's on top when they come out of the oven.

What you'll need:
waffle shaped pretzels
Hershey kisses or hugs
M&M candies

1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Lay out a single layer of pretzels on a cookie sheet (you can line the sheet with parchment paper if you'd like).
2. Top each pretzel with a Hershey kiss.
3. Bake for 4-6 minutes (watch the Hugs because the white chocolate softens more quickly than the milk chocolate), or until the chocolates feel soft when touch with a spoon.
4. Remove from the oven and quickly press an M&M into the center of each Kiss.
5. Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes and then put them in the refrigerator to set for about 10 minutes.
6. You can bag them up in colorful Christmas bags, place on treat plates or just pop them in your mouth!

Egg Nog Creams

One of my favorite Christmas cookies to make are Egg Nog Creams. They are a basic butter cookie with a tasty egg noggy middle. I had a cookie exchange this year with local family members and some good friends and these are the cookies I brought.

For the cookie:

2 sticks of butter, softened
1 egg
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
vanilla (approximately 1 tsp)
pinch of salt
2 1/2 cups flour (may need more if the dough is sticky)

For the egg nog cream:
1/4 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 TBSP rum (or in my case, 1/2 tsp imitation rum extract - hee, hee)
nutmeg and powdered sugar for garnish

::NOTE::
I usually double this, because I like a lot of cream in each cookie and one batch isn't quite enough.

1. Mix first six ingredients. together until well blended.
2. Add in flour until a soft dough forms. Dough will be soft, but should not stick to your fingers.
3. Roll dough into 1" balls. Gently flatten in the palms of your hands. Place at least 1" apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.
4. Using your thumb, gently press an indentation in the center of each cookie.
5. Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes. Remove and gently (using the back of a rounded teaspoon so you don't burn yourself!) re-indent the thumbprints (you'll notice they've risen a bit) and put them back in the over for another 3-4 minutes. Cookies will be light in color, but firm when you touch the top.
6. Cool on wire racks.
7. After cooled, fill with homemade eggnog cream. Sprinkle nutmeg and powdered sugar on top.

Mud Hen Bars

You can't pass these up...I got them from a friend's blog and WOW! Travis said, "They have all the goodness you want in one bar".

MUD HEN BARS

1/2 c. butter, soft

1 c. white sugar

3 eggs, separated

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 c. chopped nuts (opt)

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1 c. mini marshmallows

1 c. brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Cream the butter and white sugar. Beat in 1 egg + 2 yolks. Mix flour, baking powder + salt together. Stir dry into the wet ingredients. Spread into a 9x13 glass dish. Sprinkle with nuts, chips + marshmallows. Beat remaining 2 egg whites until STIFF, fold in the brown sugar carefully. Spread over top of cake. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Creamed Corn

This is so different from the canned creamed corn and you can't have just one serving.

1 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream
6 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3-4 cups fresh kernal corn (I use the organic frozen corn from Costco)
3 Tablespoons flour
3 Tablespoons butter (use real butter, not margarine)

In a medium sauce pan combine the first five ingredients and heat over medium-high heat until almost boiling , stirring occasionally. Add corn and continue to cook until mixture comes to a medium boil. Continue to boil stirring more frequently for five minutes. In a pan melt butter then add flour and cook for one minute to cook out flour taste. Add flour paste to the corn mixture and boil another two minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Mixture will thicken upon standing.

I will actually substitute the milk and cream for fat free half & half and it is just as good but I NEVER substitute the butter. Enjoy!!!

peppermint marshmallows

My new addiction.....who knew it was so easy to make your own marshmallows? You can put in any flavor extract, but I think I will stick with vanilla and peppermint. Delicious!

Get everything you need together before beginning.

2 Cups granulated sugar

1/2 Cup plus 2 Tbs. light corn syrup

3 Tbs or 3 envelopes of unflavored gelatin

1 pinch of salt

3/4 Cups water, divided

1/2 teas. peppermint extract

food coloring (if desired)

3/4 C. powder sugar for dusting

1. Coat a 9x13 inch baking pan with cooking spray then dust generously with powder sugar.

2. Pour 1/2 C cold water into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir in the gelatin and let sit for 10 minutes. (It will look kinda gross...it's okay!)

3. While the gelatin in sitting - put the 2 C. sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 C. water into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil on high heat. Stir it to make sure the sugar dissolves. Let the mixture boil (bubble vigorously) for approx. a minute to a minute and a half and no more! Remove from heat immediately. With the stand mixer on low, drizzle the hot sugar syrup in a small, steady stream into the gelatin. Add a pinch of salt and gradually increase the speed to medium. When the mixture has begun to froth and stabilize (1-2 minutes) increase the mixer speed to high and beat until fluffy (8 minutes)

4. With the mixer still on high, add the peppermint extract and food coloring and beat for another minute AND NO MORE! (It will cool too much.)

5. Working as quickly as you can, scrape the fluff into the prepared pan. Using slightly moistened hands, smooth the marshmallow down into the pan and let cool for 2 hours. If you are cooling longer than 2 hours then you need to cover it with plastic wrap. Do not let the plastic touch the marshmallows or you may never get it off.

6. When it's ready, use a pizza cutter dipped in powder sugar to cut the marshmallows into 1 inch squares. Roll each square into powder sugar so it wont stick to anything. Store in an airtight container. They will keep for up to a month. Good luck not eating them in less than a week though.

Corn Dog Casserole

This recipe totally brings out the kid in me. I love hot dogs and this was pretty good. The sage in it made it taste a little like stuffing. Delicious!

I didn't take a photo of mine so I'm using the one from www.tasteandtellblog.com

Ingredients:

2 cups celery, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

1 1/2 lbs hot dog, sliced

2 eggs

1 1/2 C milk

1 teas. sage

1/2 teas. black pepper

18 oz. corn bread mix (I couldn't find an 18 oz box so I used one that was a little smaller and it turned out fine)

8 oz. shredded cheese

In a skillet cook onions and celery until tender. Place in a mixing bowl and set aside. Place hot dogs in the skillet and brown them slightly. Mix them with the celery/onion in the bowl. Pull out one cup of that and set aside. In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, sage, and pepper. Add it to the hot dog mixture. Stir in cornbread and 1/2 the cheese. Pour into a greased 3 quart baking dish. Top with reserved hot dog mixture and the rest of the cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 until golden brown. About 30-45 minutes.

Swiss Cheese Grean Bean Casserole

This is not your everyday green bean casserole....it's the best there is! However, I haven't actually tried any other kind of green bean casserole, but I'm pretty sure this destroys the competition.

Ingredients:

1/2 onion, diced (I usually put the whole onion in)

6 T butter, divided

2 T flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp pepper

16 oz sour cream

16 oz swiss cheese, grated

5 cans green beans, drained

2 C corn flakes

In a large pot saute onion with 2 T butter until translucent. Add 2 more T butter, flour, salt, sugar, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes. Add sour cream and swiss cheese. Heat until all cheese is melted. Fold in green beans. Pour into a 9x13 casserole pan. In a small bowl melt 2 T butter and add corn flakes. Sprinkle over the casserole and bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees. Enjoy!

If I am making this for just my family, I will divide it up between two smaller casserole pans and freeze one without the cornflakes on top.

Genevieve couldn't keep her hands out of it this morning. I didn't really mind.....she was actually eating veggies which is something she rarely does. Plus it made for a cute photo.

Chunky Cheddar Cheese Chowder

I love this soup! It's like drinking cheese - yum!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 small onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 small green or red bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup flour
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
2 cups milk
4 cups (16 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
cooked and crumbled bacon


Directions:
Melt butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat; stir in onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and garlic. Saute 5-10 minutes or until veggies are tender.
Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth and milk; cook over medium heat for five minutes or until mixture is slightly thickened and bubbly.
Add shredded cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with crumbled bacon on top. *Makes 7 cups
* I have also added some left over baked potato to the soup which makes it a little more filling. I also like to sprinkle some green onions on top with the bacon. DELICIOUS!!!

Corn Chowder

It's totally soup season! I love all kinds of soups. So get ready for a few recipes from me this month.

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed, peeled potatoes.

1/2 cup chopped onion (I always do more like a cup)

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1 (8 oz) can cream-style corn (I always use a regular size can and it's just fine.)

1 (15 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt - or however much you like

some crumbled bacon for the top. The recipe calls for only 2 slices for 4 servings. Yeah right! I say 2 slices per person. You do whatever makes you happy! =)

You can also add some cubed ham to make it a hearty meal.

Direction:

Boil potatoes for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside for a few minutes. In the same pot saute your onion and celery in a little evoo until tender and then add the potatoes back to the pot. Partially mash the potatoes with a fork. Add both cans of corn and evaporated milk. Mix well and simmer for 5 minutes. Add your cayenne and salt to soup. Ladle chowder into soup bowls and top with bacon. And there you have it - a quick and easy - yet very yummy soup.

*I've always thought it would be delicious to add some cheddar cheese to this chowder, but have yet to test it out. Let me know if you do.