Chicken Pot Pie with Sage Pastry

Comforting. Hearty. Warm. Delicious. All these things apply to this fantastic chicken pot pie! It is creamy and filled with chicken, carrots, and celery. It isn't very complicated and it is well worth any effort! I love to serve it over rice, but you could also eat it plain. The crust is my favorite part of this pot pie. Yummy cornmeal with sage throughout... Mmmm!!!



I didn't get a picture of the whole pie because Eric was a VERY hungry baby who just wanted to eat! So... maybe I can interest you in said 9 month old very happy after INHALING his portion of the pot pie! :)

Chicken Pot Pie with Sage Pastry

1 small onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 tsp sage
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 cups cooked chicken, diced

Pastry:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
3/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
2-3 tsp water

In skillet, saute onion, celery, and carrots in butter until softened. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients (minus chicken) and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened. Add chicken and warm through. Transfer to a pie dish.

For pastry, combine all ingredients (minus water) until crumbly. Gradually add water until a ball forms. Roll out and cover filling. Flute edges and vent top.

Bake at 425 for 18-20 minutes or until top is golden.

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I LOVE MUFFINS! For me, nothing beats a homemade, warm from the oven muffin (or scone!) for breakfast. These muffins are fantastic and loaded with delicious fresh strawberries. What more could you ask for?

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

2 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups fresh sliced strawberries

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 1/4 tsp vanilla

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1 1/2 TBSP sugar, for tops

Combine flour through salt in large bowl. Add strawberries. Make a well in the center of mixture. Combine buttermilk through eggs; add to flour mixture. Stir until moistened.

Divide batter into muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Deja-vu, anyone? No TWD this week, either.

This weeks recipe was Lemon Cup Custard chosen by Bridget of The Way the Cookie Crumbles. I was excited about the recipe at first because I LOVE lemon desserts. But, after reading all the comments about this recipe (many saying it was too eggy and very much like flan, which I don't care for) and jetlag, I chose to sit this week out as well.

I will DEFINATELY be back next week and the week after that and the week after that and... well... you get the idea!

Check out the blogroll to see how everyone fared with the custard and you can find the recipe at Bridget's blog.

I love trifles. I don't know what it is about them, but I think they are beautiful and incredibly delicious. This trifle is no different. While in Arizona, we had a BBQ at my mom's house after a fun day at the Children's Museum. I have made this trifle many times before and thought it would make a great dessert for the day.

It was fantastic! I love how quick it is to put together. With storebought pound cake and the use of instant pudding, it is an easy-peasy dessert that will wow a crowd!

Lemon Blueberry Trifle

16 oz frozen prepared pound cake

2 lemons

1 1/2 cups milk

8 oz sour cream

8 oz cool whip

2 pkgs (3.4 oz each) lemon instant pudding

1 pint blueberries

White chocolate chunks or shavings

Cut pound cake into 1" cubes; place in large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice. In another bowl, combine milk, sour cream, and half of the cool whip; whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix and whisk until mixture thickens.

Place 1/3 of pound cake cubes in bottom of trifle dish. Top with blueberries, white chocolate, and pudding. Repeat layers 3 times. Garnish with cool whip rosettes, blueberries, and white chocolate. Cut lemon slices and place in between rosettes, if desired.

French Toasted Angel Food Cake

After a two month (for the most part) break, I am back. I didn't plan on taking such a long break from blogging, but I just haven't been able to find the time. Between Nathan's R&R and a 30+ day visit to Arizona, I have been one busy lady!

I still baked/cooked as much as possible while on vacation, but mostly I made things already posted on the blog per the request of family members! I did, however, make a few new recipes.

This was one of my favorite recipes that I made while in Arizona. Talk about a breakfast treat!!! Angel food cake used for french toast? INGENIOUS!!! I topped it with strawberries and whipped cream, but you could easily just top it with butter and syrup. Either way is fantastic!

French Toasted Angel Food Cake

1 (7-8inch) angel food cake, sliced into 10-12 wedges
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
3 TBSP sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Mix eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Soak wedges in egg mixture for 1-2 minutes per side until completely coaked through. In a skillet or on a griddle melt butter over medium heat. Cook wedges for 1-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.