The snow is not much more than flurries, but it was a magical night. In one year my children will be 1.5 years old and waking up to a blanket of white will be miraculous. But for now I will enjoy the childish glee of fresh snow.
Last night was bitter cold and when I got home the meal planning calendar said “Chicken Pot Pie”. This was perfect for the cold blustery weather that both my husband and I dealt with! We were interviewing a nanny applicant, the kids were scooting around in their “cars” in the dining room, the fire was going and the holiday lights were lit. If you were to step back and look into my life from the outside, you would see an enviable life. Contented people, happy children, and a kitchen bustling with a makings of dinner!
The pot pie was simple – you can find ways to be more DIY, such as making your own crust, fresh veggies from the farmers market that you froze during the summer months, etc, but this was my quick warm, satisfying dinner. One thing I do is I poach chicken breasts, cut into chunks, then portion into 2 to 2.5 cups into freezer bags, label then freeze. I was happy to have that this evening! We were hungry, and this pot pie was so good my husband asked to have the leftovers wrapped for his lunch!
Ingredients
- 1 cup corn or carrote
- 1/2 cup onion
- 1 cup peas
- 2.5 cups poached chicken breast - chopped
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- pre made or home made pie crust for top
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400
- Saute veggies in butter, add chicken.
- Add flour.
- Combine broth and half and half and slowly introduce to vegetable mixture
- Cook until bubbly.
- Add salt and pepper and pour into pie crust.
- Seal crust over top and make slits for steam.
- Cook 40 minutes until the filling is bubbly and crust is golden!
2.2
http://www.mrsmakicooks.com/2013/12/10/snowy-december-and-simple-chicken-pot-pie/
Day 3: Pass on some useful advice or information from your own experiences
Ha. Perfect. Take my advice, I am not using it!
But really folks, if you have made it this far and care to read on, let me tell you what I know from what I have been through or seen. I wish I could set this to song….
- Yes, you DO need more friends. The friends you make as you get older are more wisely chosen. When I hear “I’ve got enough friends” I shake my head. What makes your heart so small that you cannot love another person? Granted, you may not have enough time to be with everyone, but a true friend is there tomorrow, or in 10 years. Always be open to new friends.
- Focus on a marriage, not a wedding. I cannot go into this too much because I don’t want to hurt people. Weddings are lovely, but they are a joke if you don’t place the marriage above the dress, venue, and ring. Don’t get me started on rings.
- Learn to apologize. Then do it. No one is perfect and nothing makes you more loveable than being able to admit you are wrong and laugh at yourself.
- Stop blaming your parents and design your future. You are not the product of your parents and you get to decide exactly what you want to be. The only caveat is that you have to do the work to be what you want to be. Dream big, work hard, and be whoever the hell you want.
- If you want to be loved by a certain type of person or get a certain job, you must be attractive to that person or have the qualifications. Don’t expect the universe to bend to you. Jump in the river….swim with the stream! It is like I say to my team “Be a company girl….or find another company!” Stop wasting people’s time if you aren’t willing to do the work. You want a hot husband who is fit? Get in shape and buy some nice clothes and get a nice haircut. This doesn’t change your personality! You are still you, just fit and with a great haircut. Why is that bad? Honestly, don’t answer that question. This is my blog and I don’t care.
- Brush and floss.
- Become a parent. In any capacity you can. Be a parent. It will show you the best part of you and make your soul salvageable. Now, please clean up your act if you are drinking or drug abusing or have emotional problems first. But do it. Take the steps and give yourself the opportunity to love in a way you never thought you could. Wake up exhausted but glowing from the inside out.
- Accessorize. Don’t be boring. Pierce your ears or something. Put a bow in our hair. HAVE FUN!!
- Use lotion everywhere, every day, even if you can only afford the inexpensive type. Just use it.
- Find out your happy weight and stop beating yourself up. This is an attainable weight that you don’t have to live on 1200 calories and exercise 5 days a week to be at. This is a healthy medium “you” who gets to have a glass of wine, works out enough to be healthy and makes about 75% good food decisions. We are not robots. When I got down to a skinny weight, my mother told me straight to my face that I looked bad, older. That cured that and now I try to be a healthy mid-sized happy version of me. I like to cook and eat and drink. I am going to enjoy life. I am also going to exercise. But I won’t skip a wine dinner to go for a run. You feel me?
- Marry someone who challenges you to be better. Don’t pick someone who dotes. Don’t pick someone who isn’t motivated. Pick someone with goals and who is attracted to you for your motivation (and that you are hot). You keep each other motivated that way. You feed off of one another.
- Be pro-choice, pro lifestyle choices, and never be racist or sexist. If you are against any of these I feel sorry for you. I am sure you are a lovely person, but never bring these topics up to me in a challenging way because it will not go well. Women can do what they want with their bodies. People can love who they wish. We are all created equally and our skin or sex has nothing to do with basic human rights. I am PASSIONATE about this. Stop destroying the world for my children with a closed mind.
- Read #12 again.
- Write a check to the homeless shelter and to the animal rescue in your city. $5 or $500. I don’t care, but do it. We have a responsibility to the people and animals who have come on hard times. They are not your family, yet they are. Remember the world comes down to good and bad in the end.
- Take your mother to lunch. Tell your brother you love him. Rub your spouse’s back. Pet your cat for an extra long time. Put a card on a co-workers desk telling them why you admire them. Tell your niece she is beautiful. Step out of your comfort zone to make someone else’s day better. Change the world with a tiny bit of kindness. Let yourself be inconvenienced so someone else can feel good. The result is that you will feel even better than the person you are being considerate of. Love is an amazing thing.
- Ego. So easy to let it get out of control, but openly embrace your shortcomings, love your quirks, slap the extra jiggle in your trunk and have a laugh. You are not perfect and when you act like you are….you are much less attractive. When people have big egos….I separate myself from them because I don’t want to be lumped with them.
- You are who you hang around with. Be aware. Be very aware.
- Buy second hand when you can. You don’t need new everything. I don’t care if you are rich, be conscientious.
- Never abuse anyone. Physically or with words.
- Smile. Smile even if you feel like crying, to quote a great song. Smile…..you are lovely!
- Save your memories. Write them, photograph them, but save them. Tell them to your children. Allow your offspring to have a legacy and something to hold onto and say “This. This is where I come from”. There is nothing like coming across a box of old letters between your grandmother and her best friend in her 20s. Or a diary with juicy details! Or one dress to represent each year of your life….put them away for your granddaughter to find. Be aware of what you leave behind. Leave small treasure chests of memories…..even the really, really bad ones. You will make a relative, somewhere down the road say “I am not the only one who feels this way” and in the end….is there anything as satisfying as soothing a relative from the grave? Other than talking to them from the grave…but that is creepy.
That should do it! Selfie time!
