Chicken Pot Pies

The monster storm that swept across 30 states this week hit Michigan late Tuesday night and into the early morning hours of Wednesday closing many local school districts and making travel difficult. Thoughts of comfort food seemed like a good dinner idea so off to the internet and cookbooks...chicken pot pie was the final decision!

I compiled several recipes and started whipping up our warm and comforting meal!
I had one sheet of puff pastry in the freezer and decided I would use that rather than a pastry crust from scratch!

This will definitely be my go-to chicken pot pie from now on...it is really delicious!

Chicken Pot Pie:

1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, diced
5 cups good chicken broth
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup chopped sweet onion
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cream
1 1/2 cup diced carrots, blanched
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, blanched
1 small can sliced potatoes, then diced
1 tsp. fresh dill, minced
1/2 tsp. tarragon
1/2 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Minced parsley to garnish
1 sheet puff pastry

Heat the chicken broth and keep warm.
Melt the butter and saute the onions over medium heat until translucent. Add the flour, turning heat down a bit. Stir constantly and then add the hot chicken broth stirring constantly until thick. Add the cream and stir til well blended. Add the chicken, veggies, and spices, including salt and pepper to taste.

You can make one large pot pie or several small ones. I opted to make just two individual ones and place the remainder of the mixture in the freezer for a later comfort dinner.

Spoon mixture into desired dishes and place the dishes on a parchment lined cookie sheet...less clean-up!!! Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.

Remove from oven and place puff pastry on top of the pot pies. Work quickly as you don't want the pastry to start melting. Brush the top with a beaten egg and return to oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

Enjoy!!!

This post has been linked to Whipperberry,
SassySites
Passionately Artistic
The Girl Creative
Paisley Passions

Spice Storage

Thirty eight years ago when Ben & I married we received a small spice cabinet to hang on the wall that we use for many years but when we moved to our new home fifteen years ago there just wasn't a good spot on our kitchen wall to hang it so the spices got placed in a cupboard and we never could find the spice we needed when we needed it!

Enter Ben!!!

Ben does his greatest thinking when he awakes in the middle of the night and dreams up good ideas...this particular one ranks right up at the top.

As you can see, we now have three levels to store spices and what a great time to throw out old spices...now to replace them!

Oh, and by the way, did you notice the spices are arranged alphabetically? Done by Ben of course!

Ben is a very talented man and I thank and love him for thirty eight years (and for making the spice shelving).

Ruffly Scarf

This is a knitted scarf but to the untrained eye it is a mystery how you could knit such a piece! It turns out so ruffly and the yarn is most interesting!
I especially like my photo...the jacket/scarf combo are hanging from our dining room chandelier...clever??? Not really but that is where the best lighting was this evening!

This is the blue/green color combination and also in a previous post I made a fuschia/purple scarf.

A friend and neighbor introduced me to this scarf pattern and am so glad! I would like to make a couple more scarves just to have on hand for fun gifts! This would be such a nice Valentine Day surprise for someone on your special list!

The Yarn Market in Beulah, Michigan is where I purchased the Katia yarn and instructions but they are unable to order any more until spring...but last I heard they were hoping to find another supplier, and I am hoping they soon have another shipment!

I have linked this post to Whipperberry (Friday party)
and also SassySites
and It's a Hodgepodge Life
also The Girl Creative

Rolo Cookies

Normally, I am not a chocolate cookie sort of gal but this recipe intriqued me many years ago and after making the cookies, I was sold and have been baking them ever since!

The recipe is from a cookbook entitled Best-Of-Friends, Festive Occasions by Darlene Glantz Skees. I am the proud owner of three cookbooks by Darlene and I use them fairly often.
As you can see, there is a Rolo surprise in the middle...you could easily refer to these as Turtle Cookies!

Rolo Cookies:

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup chopped pecans, divided
9 oz. package Rolo candies
2 tablespoons sugar
4 oz. candy coating

In a small bowl, beat granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add flour mixture (flour, cocoa, baking soda) and blend well. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

With floured hands, shape about 1 tablespoon dough around one Rolo, covering completely.

In small bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup pecans and 2 tablespoon sugar. Press one side of each ball into pecan mixture. Place nut side up, 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets (I generally use parchment paper).

Bake at 375 degrees for 7 - 8 minutes, or until set and slightly cracked. Cool about 2 minutes, remove from cookie sheets, cool completely on wire rack.

Melt candy coating or white chocolate chips over low heat stirring until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over the cooled cookies.

Incidently, you will probably have a few Rolo's left over so you can sneak a treat while the cookies are in the oven.

Valentine Lemon Cookies

If you like lemon, this is a cookie you will enjoy because not only do the cookies contain lemon so does the icing! These are not for the faint of heart!

The Valentine Treats book pictured is authored by Sara Perry and the napkins are a Vera Bradley product (given to me by Caribe @ Christmas).

I used various garnishes such as chopped pistachio's, edible pearls, heart confetti's, sprinkles, red hots, and conversation hearts to decorate.

Lemon Cookies:

1 cup flour
3/4 cup cornstarch, plus 1 tablespoon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
2 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 -2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
3 -4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar (granulated) at medium/high speed until pale and fluffy (3 - 4 minutes). Mix in egg yolks, lemon zest, and vanilla. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture just until combined. Shape the dough into a disk shape, wrap in Saran and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350. On a floured surface, roll out dough to about a 1/2 inch thickness. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut out dough and place on parchment lined cookies sheets (easy clean-up). Space about 2 inches apart and chill for 10 - 15 minutes.

Bake cookies for 10 - 12 minutes, rotating the sheets half-way through. Allow cookies to cool completely on racks.

Icing:

Stir together the powdered sugar, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice in small bowl.
Spread carefully on cookies and place desired garnish's on top and allow to dry.

Credit is given to Martha Stewart for this recipe!

Orange-Carrot Salad

This is a delicious salad but be advised that a decorative mold may give you some trouble if you are trying to multi-task like me!

To unmold the salad I wrapped a hot towel around it and promptly forgot about it and when I came back to the project the jello had melted a bit...oh my! I quickly unmolded the salad onto a dinner plate, as it was closet to my work station!

Orange-Carrot Salad

1 - 6oz. package orange gelatin
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 large carrots, shredded
11 oz. can mandarin oranges, well drained
15 oz. can crushed pineapple, very well drained
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water and stir in the very cold water, stirring until well dissolved. Chill until partially set.
Fold in carrots, oranges, pineapple, and pecans.
Pour mixture into oiled mold or just place in a serving bowl...chill until set.

There is some crunch to this salad which pleases my palate quite nicely!

Valentine Pillow

This Valentine pillow is from a Crabapple Hill Studio pattern and it went together rather quickly. The instructions were thorough and it used basic embroidery stitches.

If you look closely you can see that the pillow front and back are buttoned together...quite unique. A purchased pillow form is placed between the front and back and then you sew together with interesting buttons.

This is the back of the pillow and I just love this fabric!

The close-up isn't a very good photo but hopefully you can see the interesting detail!