Not Even the Dogs Would Eat It

Today was a day spent with lots of friends.  Friends I've had for a long time.  We got to talking about old memories from school.  I went to a small Christian school.  All the students knew each other and multiple grades were grouped together in classes.  There was a small group of us that were really close.  Some of the group are still friends.

I moved away from this area for about 15 years, and after moving back I felt like I just fit right back in with all of them.  We all know each other so well.  My best girlfriend from this group and I spent a lot of time together growing up. We met when we were 9 & 10.  We did a lot imagining together.  She lived not too far from the lake, and we would walk down to the shore to look for old things.  I think I still have a glass bottle that I found.  Because the town used to be where the lake is now, there are lots of antique things in that lake.  Sometimes those things wash up on the shore.  Treasure hunting was always fun.  We also played cards, dolls, rode mats down the stairs, and were just kids.  One of our favorite passtimes was baking together.  We experimented with things.  Some things turned out well and others didn't.  We once made a cake-like thing.  It started out as cookies but once we added strawberries it was no longer that.  It also turned pink.  We tried adding chocolate to turn it brown again, but it never really was anything but a pink goo.  After baking it, not even the dogs would eat it.  I don't think we kept that recipe.

I think our experimenting with recipes gave me the confidence to experiment with other recipes.  I rarely leave a recipe as is.   I think my changing of recipes drove my mom nuts, but I had fun with it.  One of my more recent recipes I changed is Chicken Pot Pie.  It's also a great recipe for a cold day, which it is here.  We've already gotten our second snow of the season.  I think really our first real snow.  It hasn't started sticking yet but we are supposed to have an inch in the morning.  Yay.  I love snow.  To warm up your home with this Chicken Pot Pie below is the recipe.

Chicken Pot Pie

2 Pie crusts*

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup milk

2 medium russet potatoes

1 cup carrots, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 can corn, drained

4 chicken breast halves

Salt & pepper to taste

Chop potatoes and carrots.  Boil until tender.  In a glass baking dish, place chicken breasts and cover with plastic wrap.  Cook in microwave for about 7 minutes or until chicken is done.  In the meantime, in a large saucepan, saute onions in butter.  Once onions are tender, add flour.  Mix until it becomes a paste.  Add broth and milk and whisk until there are no lumps.  Add peas and corn.  When chicken is done, shred and add to the pot pie filling mixture.  When potatoes and carrots are done add them also.  Add salt & pepper to taste.  In a deep dish pie plate, place one pie crust.  Prick with a fork and bake according to the pie crust directions.  After crust is done, pour filling into the crust.  Top with the second pie crust and bake according to the directions.  Serve while it is hot.

*I use store bought pie crusts.  I am too lazy to make my own.