Isaiah 9:6 "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." We are governed by the most amazing ruler. Our Wonderful Counselor guides us through all of life's mountains and valleys, never leaving us forgotten or forsaken. Our Mighty God is so powerful that He spoke everything we see into existence with one breath, and not even a sparrow can fall out of the sky without His knowledge. Our Everlasting Father, who always was, is, and will be, eagerly awaits our reunion with Him in Heaven where we get to spend eternity blissfully praising and glorifying Him. Our Prince of Peace comforts us and wipes every tear away, for He knows the very number of hairs on our heads and cares for us so deeply we cannot humanly comprehend it. How awesome is He??
Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie
From: www.creationsbykara.com (found through Pinterest)
*This is the halved version and it made enough to feed at least 3-4 people:
2 potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and diced
1 1/2-2 cups baby carrots, halved (I just chopped my whole carrots into small, thin pieces)
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
*I added a sprinkle of oregano, parsley, and rosemary
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2-1 cup frozen peas
Biscuits, toast, or pie crust (I chose to make mini pie crusts, recipe to follow)
1. Place all of veggies in bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (and additional seasonings if you so choose).
2. Place raw chicken on top of veggies and cover with soup.
3. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
*Mine was ready in about 3 hours, but I think my crock pot runs hotter than some in the recipes I find. You might need to adjust according to your personal pot :)
4. Add frozen peas and cook 20 minutes longer or until heated through. (In this last step I added a little bit of butter and let it melt through, just to put it over the edge).
5. Serve over toast, biscuits, or pie crust.
Pie crust all the way baby!!!!
Pie Crust
From: my grandma (aka the world's best pie maker...ever. I'm serious.)
*I halved this recipe and made 5 little pie crust "bowls" in a jumbo muffin tin. Sounds like an oxymoron? It all depends on your point of reference :) This is the original version for 2 pie crusts:
2 cups of flour, sifted
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening + 2 Tbsp
*Of course, I didn't make sure I had Crisco before beginning this dinner endeavor. However, I did find some butter-flavored Crisco sticks in the back of the pantry. Oh my goodness, did it make this crust buttery! But the original is still super flaky and buttery....all that a good crust should be. I should warn you, my family and I are pie snobs. Anyhoo...back to the recipe..
1/4 cup water
1. Combine sifted flour and salt.
2. Cut in shortening until uniform.
3. Sprinkle with water 1 Tbsp at a time.
4. Toss with fork.
5. Divide into halves and make shell and top.
Pretty easy, right? I rolled mine out and cut super UN-uniform pieces to lay down in my jumbo muffin pan. Seriously, I thought there was no way these would come out right. And of course, I didn't write down the cooking time when I got this recipe from my mom forever ago so I estimated. For my halved version (5 pie cups), I baked them at 400 degrees for about 17 minutes. I really just picked a low cooking time, kept my eye on them, and kept baking them til they were the delectable light golden brown. Although oddly-shaped, oh my goodness, these pie cups turned out so good! Be sure to spray your muffin pan super well so they just pop out. I spooned a heaping of the chicken pot pie filling in each one and went for it. I wasn't sure how it would all come together but I'm pretty sure James might ask for this every week. He even told me this recipe was blog-worthy haha! The rich filling combined with the salty, flaky crust is just to die for. And a chicken pot pie without any heavy cream? Bingo!
I apologize for the quality of this pic. My camera is still out (but hopefully will be fixed soon!) so I had to resort to my husband's phone camera.
I found this next recipe on Pinterest and tweaked it a bit. It seems like every recipe for pasta with any type of sauce calls for heavy whipping cream which A) I never have and B) has a ton of calories. I decided to modify and use the base of the sauce that I use for the mac n' cheese recipe I've posted on here before. OH MY GOODNESS. It made just enough for James and I to eat our fill but I SO wish it had made more 'cause I would take it for lunch every day. Had just the right amount of kick (James added red pepper flakes before trying his and it was a bit hot haha) and creamy cheesy yumminess. I highly recommend this plus it is a cinch to make.
Cajun Chicken Pasta
From: www.plainchicken.com (found on Pinterest) + tweaks4 oz linguine
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tsp cajun seasoning
2 green onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 dried basil
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder or fresh minced garlic (I used fresh)
1/2 cup (plus a little extra if you love cheese like me) shredded mixed Italian cheeses (I used Great Value Italian style, finely shredded)
Parmesan cheese to top
1. Boil pasta according to package directions.
2. Place chicken and cajun seasoning in bowl, toss to coat.
3. Spray skillet with non-stick spray and heat over medium heat. Saute chicken until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Reduce heat and add green onions.
5. In saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add flour and stir until smooth and bubbly.
6. Very slowly (this is the key to thick sauce!!!) add milk and stir until thick. Add salt, pepper, basil and garlic and continue to stir and thicken.
7. Add Italian cheese and stir until melted.
8. Add chicken and green onions to hot, drained pasta. Toss with sauce and top with parmesan cheese.
After one bite I told James he would be happy he married me haha! It would be even better with some buttery bread to soak up the leftover sauce in your bowl. That is....if you don't lick it clean like we did....
I wanted to give my students and their families a little gift this holiday season that they could all enjoy and that wouldn't break the bank. I knew exactly what I wanted to give....homemade hot chocolate mix! We made this every winter when I was younger and I would literally drink at least one cup a day. It is the perfect sweetness and dissolves completely, unlike some of the store-bought stuff that leaves chocolate gook at the bottom of your mug. This just simply will not do. I plan on getting some cheap, cute Christmas tins at the Dollar Tree and packaging them up to send home of Friday. If there is any left of course! Oh and just FYI, this recipe makes A TON of hot chocolate powder. Beware. But that just means this is a hot cocoa that encourages the giving spirit! You will have so much you can't help but give it away!!
Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix
From: my mom
9.6 oz powdered dry milk
22 oz (or around there) powdered Coffee Mate
2 lbs powdered sugar
2 lbs chocolate Nesquick
(I couldn't find a two pound container so I bought the one closest to this ballpark estimate. I think it was 37 oz or something like that. You really can't mess this recipe up as long as you get close)
1 tsp salt
1. Mix all ingredients together. Mix, mix, mix, then mix some more until it is all uniform.
**I highly suggest mixing in the biggest tub or container you have (I used my big chili soup pot) and mix outside. Or else you will have a cloud of stickiness descend on every surface in your kitchen.
2. Mix 1/4 cup of hot chocolate with 1 cup of hot water.
3. Sip and enjoy the holiday season!
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