Chicken Pot Pie

For my birthday meal this year I chose waffles with my family and chicken pot pie with mikes family. Both meals were very tasty! For the chicken pot pie we used a recipe that I found a few months ago. It is so tasty and flavourful. The ultimate comfort food on a wintery day. So I figured I should share it!

Enjoy:
Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cubed
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen carrots and peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
32 oz. carton chicken broth for boiling(reserve 1 3/4 cups chicken broth for sauce)
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts (I use the refrigerated pilsbury crusts)

Slightly bake the bottom crust before filling the pie so it isn’t soggy. Just bake for 5-6 minutes at 425 degrees.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a pot, combine the raw chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add the carton of chicken broth to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain (reserving 1 3/4 cup chicken broth for filling) and set aside.
In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and combine with the chicken, carrots, peas, and celery mixture. Here you can add more chicken broth if you like depending how runny you want your filling.
Place the chicken filling in bottom crust. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Source: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2009/07/chicken-pot-pie.html

4 months!

so i'm a week late with this, but my little babe is already 4 months old!! time flies

she is sweeter, funnier & more loved with each day.
we are so thankful!

(*you may notice that she has "shrunk" in height since last month - but its just due to my measuring last month vs the doctor measuring this month, guess i was a little generous with my tape measurer!!)

click on the picture to enlarge it so you can read what Matti is up to these days!!

Mom's Whipped Shortbread with a Chocolate Twist!!

The other day my mom had baked the most delicious cookies. Shortbread with chocolate chips. See the thing is - I don't normally like shortbread, but I couldn't stop eating them - they were that good!! So I asked for the recipe and tonight I made them... So good!

Try them for yourself!

Mom's Whipped Shortbread with a Chocolate Twist!!

3 cups flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1 cup icing sugar
1 lb. butter
vanilla

Cream butter with mixer. Add all dry ingredients gradually. Then add vanilla.
THen add chocolate chips - the amount is YOUR choice
Roll into balls, or scoop onto sheet with small scoop.
Flatten with your fingers.
Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes or till light brown.
Take off the sheet, let cool and enjoy!!

chinese chicken lettuce wraps

as some of you know, I made a recipe blog a couple of years ago. I've been quite neglectful of it - plus, sometimes I find it too complicated to go to multiple logins etc.

anyway - from now on, as I find good recipes I'll just post them on here!
If you want to check out any of my previous recipe postings - here is the link:
tocookandbakelikethat.blogspot.ca

I found this recipe last fall when I was making a meal to celebrate my Mom-in-law's last day of work. I had always really liked the lettuce wraps at Joeys Restaurant and wanted to find something similar. I was really pleased with how this recipe turned out, and have made it again since then. Lettuce wraps are so tasty because they are both hot and cold, delicious and crunchy. just so good.

So, here it is - enjoy!

Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps
(originally found on Food.com, changed and adapted by me!)
Original recipe says it serves 4-6, but I think those people must eat less than we do. I would say it serves 3.

Ingredients:
1 head iceberg lettuce
Rice Noodles (about half a pack - although you can add more to expand the meal)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped
1 can water chestnuts, slivered
1 cup carrots, sliced matchstick style (julienne)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (less if it is really spicy)
1 teaspoon coriander
1/4 cup peanuts, crushed or whole (your preference)

Directions:
1. Unwrap lettuce into "cups" and wash thoroughly.
2. Chop vegetables and chicken.
3. Cook rice noodles (I pour boiling water over them in a bowl and cover them until they are soft.)
4. While noodles are cooking - pour oil into a wok and saute the garlic for 30 seconds.
5. Add chicken, stir fry until no longer pink.
6. Add onions, pepper, water chestnuts and carrots. Fry for about a minute.
7. While waiting for the vegetables to saute, combine soy sauce and sugar. Mix with a spoon until the sugar is dissolved.
8. Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan, fry for about 2 minutes.
9. Add the hoisin and chili sauce. Stir well.
10. Add the coriander and peanuts (or leave the peanuts out and add them as you eat so that they stay crunchy).
11. Add the noodles and stir well.
12. Spoon into lettuce cups, roll the lettuce and enjoy!!

3 months

my sweet girl turned 3 months yesterday!

click on the picture to enlarge it - so you can read about what she is up to these days!!

she is pure sweetness.