Monday, October 4, 2010

Need Dinner? Try Mock Chicken Pot Pie

If you are anything like me and do not even start thinking about dinner until, say, um...dinnertime. Then you will understand why I am all for any meal that can be prepared in 30-minutes or less. Now that the weather is turning colder I am turning back to one of my favorites! Chicken Pot Pie. One of my great finds was in one of Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications: 'Easy Family Food'. This magazine is usually out once a year around June, but, as you can see, my 2008 copy is well loved. Anyway, back on topic, one of my favorite recipes in it is the Mock Chicken Pot Pie:

Mock Chicken Pot Pie
Start to Finish: 30 Minutes


Ingredients:

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Let pie crust stand at room temperature for 15 minutes as directed on package. Unroll pie crust. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut piecrust into strips about 1/2 to 1 inch wide. Place strips on a baking sheet.* Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, for filling, in a large sauce pan, combine soup, milk, cream cheese, sage, and pepper. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until cream cheese melts. Stir in chicken, vegetables, and rice. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes or until vegetables and rice are tender.

3. Transfer filling to a serving dish. Top with pastry strips. Makes 4 servings.


Per serving: 587 cal., 27 g sat. fat), 86 mg chol., 999 mg sodium, 58 g carbo., 2 g fiber, 25 g pro.

* To make clean up a little easier. Put a sheet of Reynold's Wrap on your baking sheet. After cooking the pie crust, just toss the Reynolds wrap and put away the baking sheet. No washing required.

Enjoy!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Take Time

I remember while I was planning my wedding day my cousin gave me the best advice. It is advice I continue to pass on to new brides whenever I get the chance. That advice was to 'remember to take time to take it in'. It seems kind of obvious, but she explained to me the reason she was giving me this advice was because she didn't and if it weren't for her video and her pictures, she wouldn't have a single memory of the event. It was all a blur to her. So I made sure I took the time and have wonderful memories of my wedding day!

Unfortunately, I probably should have continued on with that advice for the rest of my life. Especially since the older I get the faster time goes. I used to think if I did not work full time, if I could be a stay at home mom I would not be missing so much. Since I was laid off two years ago and have been a stay at home mom, I realize that I was fooling myself. I still feel I am missing a lot. Then it dawned on me! I wasn't taking that little extra time. I wasn't taking a few small moments to take it in. So I am promising from here on to start taking time to soak in the moment.

I am also going to be looking for more things to do closer to home. Not everything has to be a huge production, does it? There has to be something to Hasbro's current marketing campaign 'Make it Game Night' right? Make it Game night, craft night, movie night...heck, make it 'stay in your P.J.'s and read all day'! Whatever slows the pace and gives a little tranquility. I'm not stopping the outings and big productions. Those still have their time and place and I need to take in those moments too. I just need to spend more time slowing down too. No matter how small it is. We shall see how it goes...

So I am on the look out for ideas...I'll share as I find them.