summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Friday, February 11, 2022

a day at home....

 Since Camille and I went out and about for the whole live-long day yesterday, today seems like a good day for catch-up.  We Target-ed, we Price-Choppered, and we library-ed, then went to her hair appointment.  She has these natural curls, these huge ringlets...so she wanted some layers...it looks nice.

I haven't had my hair "done" in three years.  Actually it's either three or four times total, in my life, that I've gone to a place to get my hair cut.  Only once I had it done at a nice place, with highlights and root touch up, that was fantastic, but how can anyone afford this on a regular basis?  I just buy a box, for seven dollars, and I take my own scissors, and snip a little here and there, and I'm done!  

Today, I swept, mopped, washed dishes, straightened up, wiped down counters...yesterday morning I shined the appliances and cleaned the microwave.  Such fun and excitement! 

We had a fun and easy dinner yesterday, a cheat of a dinner.  I bought the store fried chicken, then we made a huge salad.  The kids really like it.  

Today, however, we're having a not easy dinner, I'm making chicken pot pies.  I don't like to make them too often, they'll get too used to them, and not appreciate them as much.  I might make a sugar free pumpkin pie too...mmm.  I've got the pie crusts in the refrigerator, here's my recipe:

2 1/2 cups flour, and half teaspoon salt, whirr it in the food processor.  Add 2 sticks of butter, sliced up, pulse like 8-10 times....add ice cold water, just a bit at a time, tossing with a fork until moist, but not too wet...this makes a double crust pie, but since the top can be smaller, I always manage to make this recipe twice, and get five crusts for it...so two double crusted pot pies, and one pumpkin pie:). I refrigerate if for a while...(the food processor is a game changer for pie crust.  I learned the hard way NOT to put the ice water in, do that manually).   

For the pot pie, I cube up aprox. 5 pounds of chicken breasts, today the package was 4.3 pounds.  I put it in the refrigerator with some lemon juice, salt, pepper, ginger, and rosemary.  I'll toss it in flour, and brown it in olive oil, then add the one qt. chicken broth, a few chicken bullion cubes, and simmer for a while.  You can add sliced carrots and celery, or frozen veggies, or even cube up some potatoes into bite sized pieces, and add those, whatever you like.  I thicken mine with a combination of corn starch and flour.  This seems to make just enough for two pot pies.  I cool the chicken soupy stuff for a bit before dumping into the crusts.  On the top crusts, I put salt, pepper, and rosemary...I bake them on parchment covered cookie sheets to catch that bubbling over gravy.  

Pot pie in the oven:  heavenly.  I made this when I had Covid and couldn't taste or smell.  It was depressing, but I so food oriented, I still enjoyed it...from the anticipation of it coming out of the oven, to the first bite...the texture was good!  I KNEW it tasted good, but that was about it.  I am so very thankful that I have gotten taste and smell back.  I am pretty sure it's not 100%, but I'm still glad.

Here's some good news:  some of my kids are going to Norway for Easter!  

And, that's all that's going on here today.  




5 comments:

Billie Jo said...

Wow! Would you come here and make potpies for my family???? They would be in Heaven! And Norway? Swoon! I have never been, but Denmark is amazingly beautiful and cozy, so I can only imagine. I scrubbed my kitchen today! Left the floor for tomorrow. I am getting too old to whip through it in one day! Have a cozy evening, my friend.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the recipe! I'm a bit lazier with my pot pies- Pillsbury crusts, slow cooked chicken til it is falling apart, and frozen mixed vegetables. You could try mine sometime 😃
I really should try from scratch crust sometime. I would definitely make more pies if I got good at it, ha
Valerie

16 blessings'mom said...

Billie Jo, I've been to Norway in July, and it's absolutely stunning, the sun barely sets. I've been in March, up in the mountains, just gorgeous. I've not been to Denmark, but I bet it's quite similar! I hear you about not being able to whip through everything in one day anymore, my goodness, I don't know how I used to do so much! I hope you also have a cozy evening, it's the best kind.
Valerie, you have many small children, so you're smart. I also added some frozen veggies to mine. When my kids were all little, I used every short cut I could, including brekky for dinner...sometimes dinner was a big pot of oatmeal, if I could manage I would dice an apple in the water as it boiled, and add some cinnamon...then a stack of toast...but we did what we could, now I have more time, and no small children. :)

Mari said...

I lost my taste and smell when I had covid too. It's good to have it back.
Norway! What a wonderful trip!

Angie said...

I also lost my sense of taste with Covid. I was still pleased when my daughter served me Oreo Cookie Cake and I xclaimed, "Oh, the consistency is wonderful!" I love food -- the taste, smell, and texture.