"Homemade" Chicken Pot Pie

Matthew's baseball season has come to an end - and a bittersweet end it is.  For five weeks, the players (and parents) have spent time together almost every single day.  As much of a memorable experience as it has been for the kids, so it is for the parents as well.  We shed our "Buckhead" and head to faraway places where we morph into rednecks ourselves.  At the end of the day, we're all ("we" meaning everyone out there at whatever baseball field it is) sweating, hot, borderline delirious, occasionally questioning the umpires' calls (unlike others, we do it only occasionally and with soft voice)...  On Sunday, we actually witnessed a big ol' baseball momma getting kicked out of the game by an umpire.  It appeared to us from across the way, that she misplaced her filter and spewed some less than friendly words at the umpire who forced her to leave.  She marched out of the stands with her folding chair and set it up in the parking lot where she watched the remainder of the game.  So, what did we do?  We killed time in between innings making up a song to the tune of "Grandma just got run over by a reindeer...." and it goes a little something like this:

Mama just got kicked out of a ballgame...
Watching her big boy tryin' to get a hit.
You think there's no such thing as mama drama
Until she told the ump he's a piece of sh*t.

Yes, it is things like this that keep us entertained out there in the sweltering heat.  We find ways to entertain ourselves and each other.  Before the game on Saturday, we set up a card game of Spades (which I learned on our recent trip to Rosemary Beach and has become my favorite).  One amongst us offered us some fresh orange slices, jokingly telling us that they had been soaking in vodka.  Wouldn't you know it, a mom from another team overheard the offer and came over to tell us how to infuse a watermelon with vodka (using a syringe) and a pineapple with rum (also using a syringe).  As redneck as that sounds, we were all taking notes!  You never know what you're going to learn at a ball game.

We have so much fun hanging out together - watching our kids play baseball - solving the world's problems...Is it tiring sometimes?  Oh yes - having two boys playing baseball in addition to a one year old does get tiring - gosh, having ONE son playing Summer baseball is a lot.  I've hardly cooked - I've hardly seen Brooke (Mimi has kept her so that she doesn't have to be out in Timbuktu on a dusty baseball field with nothing to do) - it has been over a month since my family of five has enjoyed a meal together - lots of late nights which means less early morning runs for me... but I love every second of it and cherish the memories I take away each Summer.  These are some of my favorite girlfriends, after all... and I can only hope each year that we'll have another Summer together.

All that said, waking up Monday morning felt a little different - there was no baseball for Matthew that evening - I didn't go into work. We had some errands to run which included a couple of fun stops - Lucy's Market, for one.  Located on West Paces next to the St. Regis, it is the best little produce shop in town.  They have everything from fresh produce to chicken salad to candles and tea towels - they sell the best pimento cheese.  Kim, the owner, loves kids and it's always an experience when we go.  You know the adults who really talk to kids - the kind who engage with them and act interested in their answers - they really talk to them?  That's how Kim is at Lucy's Market.  My boys LOVE when we go there and they hope to one day work there as a summer job.  We went yesterday and picked up some lady peas, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, okra, chicken salad, smoked salmon.... mmm mmm!!!  We had a blast!

Then we stopped off at Piece of Cake to buy a caramel cake, Matt's favorite, for his birthday.  We buy this once a year and it is sinfully good - probably my favorite dessert on the planet. 

After errands, we came home and Brooke went down for her nap while I assembled a "homemade" chicken pot pie.  Now, I have to put "homemade" in quotations because, once again, it's hardly homemade - yet it has that feel and is much healthier than anything store bought.  I use a can of mixed vegetables, Pillsbury pie crust, 2 cans of fat free cream of chicken soup, and some boiled and shredded chicken.  My sister-in-law, Allison, made this for me for the first time after I had Matthew.  I loved it so much that I couldn't wait to have it again and again.  It has become a family favorite!  When she shared the recipe with me, I was shocked at how simple it was.  Along with pie crust and chicken, this is all you need!

First, boil your chicken (I usually only need 2 breasts for one pot pie).  I like to use chicken with the skin and bone on - because it's more tender and flavorful than skinless boneless chicken.  I boil the chicken on low for at least an hour with the lid on.  When cooked, I remove the chicken, leaving the skin and bone behind.  Then I shred it with two forks and give it a quick chop after that to make tiny chunks of chicken.

I mix the chicken with 2 cans of fat free cream of chicken soup and one can of mixed vegetables.  Occasionally, when I'm feeling a little spunky, I'll steam some broccoli or cauliflower and add that to the mix. 

Place one Pillsbury crust in the bottom of a pie plate sprayed with PAM.

Next, pour the filling in and top with the second crust.  Pinch the edges together and cut a few slits in the top.  That's it!  The next step is to bake it so whether you do that right away or save it for later - it's your choice.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown. 

It is delicious - tastes homemade and makes a healthy one dish meal.  It's perfect for neighbors, new moms, sick friends, etc. 

Chicken Pot Pie ala Allison

1 box Pillsbury pie crust (red box)
2 cans fat free Cream of Chicken soup
1 can mixed vegetables (I prefer Del Monte)
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

Place pie crust in bottom of pie pan sprayed with PAM.  Mix together 2 cans of chicken soup, 1 can of mixed vegetables (drained) and shredded/cooked chicken.  Pour mixture into pie crust.  Top with the second pie crust and pinch edges together all around.  Cut a few slits in the top and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

**You can save time by boiling and shredding your chicken ahead of time.  I boiled and shredded the chicken on Monday.  I didn't have time to assemble the pot pie then but knew that I wanted to serve it the next night for dinner.  Before I left for work yesterday, I quickly mixed everything together, dropped it into the pie crust - secured the top and stuck it in the fridge.  That took all of 5 minutes.  When I got home, I stuck it in the oven and an hour later, along with some roasted vegetables and fruit salad, dinner was served!

It's all in the planning and now that I'm starting to feel some breathing room again after baseball, I'm finding that a little planning goes a long way! 

Captivity by Baseball

I have been held hostage this Summer so far by a little friend I've come to know pretty intimately...baseball. This is what has kept me from blogging, cooking regularly, eating regularly, doing anything non-baseball related.... We did have a rainy Sunday week before last which wiped our baseball schedule totally clean - and it was wonderful.  Just as I savor every bite of a warm, rich chocolaty dessert, so did I savor every minute of that rainy day.  The boys were each off to the movies with their friends, and Matt and I got to enjoy a normal day with Brooke.  We actually did a few things to (or FOR) our house - "honey-do" things that we haven't had a chance to take care of because of being so busy since we moved in!  We put Brooke in the stroller and enjoyed a run (until it started raining).  Brooke fell asleep in Matt's arms...

After our nice rainy day, it was off to work and a little packing as we prepared for Rosemary Beach where Matthew and I spent several days.  Down there for a baseball tournament, it sure felt more like a vacation with a little bit of baseball.   

Matthew and I had a BLAST on our trip as we enjoyed afternoons on the beach, friends around 24/7, bonfire, swimming pool, fun movies in the car...  Going from having three kids to just one and the one being your oldest - well, it's a HUGE break!  It was nice to have some one on one time with him and I also enjoyed all the card playing, music listening, dancing, running in the early morning with friends, cocktails... it was blissful!  Have I mentioned yet that Debbie and I had a near death shark encounter while on our paddle board?  (we survived).  I did miss the rest of my family like CRAZY, but it was such a refreshing break, all the same.  And to all my baseball mom friends... I adore each of you and am so thankful for these past few years where we have practically lived together like family for 4-6 weeks every Summer.  Every year a new Summer season starts, it just has that "coming home" feeling....

It's always fun to spend time with other moms who cook and do the same things you do - to learn different things.  My friend, Molly, made some AMAZING grilled chicken.  The secret?  KC Masterpiece Lemon Pepper Marinade.



We cut up pieces of chicken into smaller chunks, put the chunks into a big zip lock and poured this over all - let them sit for a few hours and then grilled. They were DELICIOUS!  And it doesn't get easier than that!

My friend, Linda, brought down some delicious bread.


We toasted this, topped it with either peanut butter or almond butter - and one morning, we even put some turkey bacon on top of the peanut butter!  Delicious!!! 

And one of the most FUN new tastes?  Well, the Pink Panty Pull Down - also known as the Skip and Go Naked.  Now, none of the above transpired, but we did enjoy drinking this cocktail!



It was refreshing and light - the perfect beach cocktail!  Below are the ingredients - mix them all together and whaaa - la, you have yourself a cocktail!  When I first looked at the ingredients, I asked, "where's the water or club soda or non-alcoholic part?"  Well, now I understand why it is named what it is. 

1 fifth Vodka (Absolut)

6 cans Beer

1 can Limeade (Minute Maid)

2 cans (Pink lemonade) Frozen Lemonade Concentrate (Minute Maid)

Typical Summer Day with Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie

What a GREAT day!!  I suppose working (in my case, part time - though this rings true for the full time folks as well) really makes you appreciate an average Summer day with your kids when you're not working.  I woke up early and ran with Debbie and Linda - we ran for about 55 minutes and it just felt really good.  One of those runs for me where the conversation flowed and the air temperature was perfect for running.  It just felt good.  After that, I made my way to Publix to get my weekly grocery shopping out of the way - and was back home by 7:45 a.m.  Matt left for work and after a quick hot shower, to my favorite room in my house I went - the kitchen.  I could spend my life in a kitchen and be happy.  I'm not a great cook, by any means, but I just LOVE cooking and preparing food. 
While at Publix, I zipped around the store grabbing the staples like yogurt, milk, eggs, bacon, orange juice, fresh fruit, and the ingredients for Strawberry-Pretzel Icebox Pie.  After I brewed a cup of coffee, I set out to make a pie.  It was slightly time consuming in that there was some food processing going on - first with the pretzels for the crust and then the strawberries - then I had to whip some heavy cream... But, I had help from my 11 year old sous chef so it turned out wonderfully delicious - - - and quite pretty!  (See recipe at the bottom)

First, we mixed up the pretzel crust which consisted of crushed pretzel sticks, brown sugar and melted butter.

We pressed it into a pie pan and baked it for 10 minutes.

Matthew sliced two cups of fresh strawberries - aren't they beautiful??

The fun (really yummy) part was making the filling which included sweetened condensed milk, strawberry gelatin (which I searched for, for a LONG time before I realized that this is just strawberry jello mix), pureed strawberries and heavy whipping cream.  I poured this mixture into the prepared pretzel pie crust.

After making homemade whipping cream (which is just heavy whipping cream and sugar), I spread it on top and put it in the freezer for 8 hours. 

Do you remember when your elementary school teachers told you over and over again to read through ALL of the directions before beginning your assignment?  Well, that rings true for a recipe, too.  I am in fast forward all the time, it feels like.  And though I was excited about making this pie, I knew I needed to be quick and efficient as time is always of the essence. There is only so much time during the day when I can enjoy some ME time while Brooke sleeps.  Anyway, I went straight to step 1, step 2, step 3 before I realized that I was supposed to freeze pie for 8 hours BEFORE spreading the whipped topping on the top.  That's why, in the picture above, the whipped cream is only in the middle -the pie filling was too soft to allow me to spread the whipped topping all over it. 
We dug into it with passion after 8 hours and enjoyed every single robust bite that was on our plates.  The frozen strawberry goodness in the middle was delicious and coupled with the salty pretzel pie crust....well, those of you who like sweet & savory will be most appreciative of this marriage.  It looks like such a happy Summertime pie, doesn't it? 

I was in a "pink" mood yesterday, so I made some raspberry lemonade which the kids were so excited about...

After completely destroying the cleanliness of the kitchen, we cleaned up and headed to the pool. 

See that ball that she's holding in the picture?  Well, that was not her ball.  In fact, hardly anything that she played with was actually hers.  I learned a lot yesterday as I watched her interact with other "little people" in the pool.  She didn't think twice about walking up to the other children and gently (or not) removing the item they were holding from their hands and playing with it herself.  I know with certainty that I needn't worry about her not sticking up for herself or being bullied.  This girl will take care of herself, whatever the situation.  We just need to work on that sharing thing.

We are knee deep in the throws of two very rigorous baseball schedules this month, but right here in the middle of the season, we are being blessed with a night off - neither son of mine has baseball Friday night, so we are going to actually enjoy a meal together as a family.  I can't wait!  Just like spending a normal Summer day together at the pool, a family dinner together is a seemingly "normal" thing to do - but as life progresses and our kids (& us) get busier and busier, our meals together are fewer and farther between.  The ordinary continues to be so much more than that - it just takes various scenarios and circumstances to remind us that life  - simple life - is truly beautiful :). 

Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie

2 cups finely crushed pretzel sticks
3/4 cup butter, melted (***I used this amount but I think it needed more to bind the pretzels and sugar together better - my crust turned out a little crumbly - but still delicious)
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 oz package cream cheese, softened
4 TBS plus 1 tsp strawberry gelatin (Jello)
2 cups whipping cream, divided
1/3 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350.  Stir together first 3 ingredients; firmly press on bottom, up sides, and onto lip of a lightly greased 10 inch pie plate.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven to a wire rack and cool completely.

Process strawberries in a food processor until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.

Beat condensed milk and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add strawberries; beat at low speed just until blended.  Transfer to a large bowl.

Beat 3/4 cup whipping cream at high speed until soft peaks form; gently fold whipped cream into strawberry mixture.  Spoon into prepared crust.  Cover and freeze 8-12 hours or until firm.

Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups whipping cream at high speed until foamy; gradually add sugar, beating until soft peaks form.  Spread over pie.  Freeze one hour or until whipped cream is firm.

"Vacation" and Greek Turkey Burgers

I have been away on "vacation" which is why it has been a while since my last post. You'll notice that I put "vacation" inside quotation marks...for good reason, friends, for good reason.  Read on.  It all started so smoothly with a lovely car ride down to Amelia.  Travelling for six hours with a 20 month old is never easy.  I packed a bucket full of goodies - tape, Color Wonder markers and drawing pad, fruit snacks, pipe cleaners, toys.... and off we went.  Brooke did great!  We arrived at the beach to a beautiful afternoon, so out to the ocean we went!  Matt and Champ surfed while Brooke and I frolicked on the beach. I had fun snapping lots of pictures.

I tucked her in that evening, enjoyed a glass of wine, went to sleep and then the madness began.  She woke up around 11 and called for me.  When I went into her room, she had thrown up all over her crib.  She proceeded to throw up every 20-40 minutes for the next 8 hours.  So sad. We stayed inside the next day recovering from the night (please note that this was the most beautiful day, weather wise, that we had while down there).

Two nights later Tropical Storm Beryl came to town.  Having not grown up on the beach, the tropical storm was a first for us.  Long story short, I spent most of the night either praying to God, begging Him to spare us, or rocking Brooke who was totally freaked out by the sound of the intense rain and wind (our power went out earlier that night so the noises from outside were magnified).  We woke up the next morning and there was debris everywhere - trees down, leaves and limbs all over the place.  It was crazy!  So, we were glad to have made it through that - AND...we still had another day of vacation - it wasn't over yet!  Unfortunately, it rained all day long, but we made the most of the it.  We had some ice cream and just enjoyed hanging out.

On our last night, about an hour after we went to sleep, I was awakened by Champ's voice..."Mom!  I think I'm about to throw up!!"  Champ was racing to the bathroom where he proceeded to spend the next twelve hours - throwing up.  Once he was finished, we loaded up the car and home we went.  I've never been so happy to leave a "vacation" behind.  It really didn't feel much like a vacation, which is why I put quotation marks around it.

We arrived back home and back to the crazy summer baseball season it has been... practices, tournament games, carpools, washing uniforms, etc.  Because of all the sickness that attacked us at the beach, we thought it best to take advantage of the fact that Matthew hadn't been exposed, so he stayed an extra night with Mimi and Papa and then spent the night with one of his teammates.  Thursday afternoon, Matthew called me as he was about to leave to head up to his game... "Mom, I just threw up." 

Seriously?

When he called, I was 30 minutes north of the city at Champ's game.  I left and drove back down to pick him up and spent the next 12 hours changing towels and sheets and trashcan liners. 

At this point, one must just... laugh.  No sense in getting upset over it - it has just been a string of unfortunate events - all of which are a gentle reminder that we are not in control.  God takes care of it all and doesn't hand us that which we cannot handle - we must go with His flow.... That said, I'm about done with this throwing up business.  No more, please!

I did manage to make some little Greek turkey burgers and tzatziki  sauce.  My dear friend, Kerri, taught me how to make this and they're so delicious, easy and nutritious!  If your kids are picky, they may not like this - Matthew won't touch it - Champ will eat it.  Matt and I love this dish.

This is one of those recipes that I don't really have a formal recipe for.  I just put in whatever I'm in the mood for.  I take one pound of ground turkey (not ground turkey breast - just regular ground turkey) and add one egg, about 1/4 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, lots of oregano, lots of Cavender's (Greek seasoning), and chopped green onion (white and soft green parts only). 

Then, I make little slider size patties and place them in a hot skillet with extra virgin olive oil.  I cook them until done - about 7-8 minutes a side.

While they are cooking, I make the tzatziki sauce.  I used about a cup of low fat plain Greek yogurt, juice from one whole lemon, Oregano (to taste), salt, pepper and Cavender's (all to taste).  I stir it up and it's ready to go!

When the patties are done, I put them on a plate to cool.

I usually slice them in half lengthwise and put them into a pita and drizzle the sauce over it.  For myself last night, I didn't want the bread, so I just placed two patties on top of some mixed greens with the sauce on top. 

It was delicious!!

Enjoy!

As I sit here at my computer on a Friday night with all three of my little chickens in their beds, it is my hope (and my prayer) but not necessarily my expectation... that we have a healthy and safe weekend - that we can get through all the games and back and forth from tournaments safely and sanely. 

Hope your Summer is off to a better start than ours!