Chicken Pot Pie

Before I talk about my Chicken Pot Pie...Here are two little pics of the little ones, just because...



(Mrs. P...do you see what she's holding. I had just read her letter and she said, "awe...that was so nice!")

Chicken Pot Pie

I forget how or why, but somehow, chicken pot pie got brought up in conversation early Saturday morning. I know this may sound crazy (especially to my southern food luvin friends) but I have never really had chicken pot pie. I thought it looked gross, all the chicken, gravy and worst of all vegetables mixed together with *gasp* a pie crust on top? YUCK!!!! (I don't like pie by the way)

Well, for whatever reason, ok pregnancy, I had been sort of craving chicken pot pie (can you crave something you've never had?). As soon as Jeremy mentioned it, I said, oh...I'll make that tonight for dinner. I quickly began searching for a recipe. I didn't find one that I loved, so I used bits and pieces and made my own.



It was YUMM-O....Delish. I loved it, and I'm pretty sure everyone else did too. I even think it was pretty healthy (minus one ingredient which I didn't necessarily want to put it, but needed to). Here was my basic recipe.

2 refrigerated pie crust
2 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
1/4 onion
5 or 6 red potatoes, cubed and precooked just a bit
a good handful or two of sliced carrots
about 1/2 a bag of frozen mixed veggies
a little cheese
Home made gravy (little butter, little flour, 2 C chicken stock)
1 can cream of chicken soup

1. Lay one prepared pie crust in the bottom of the pie dish
2. Cook chicken. Remove from skillet. In the same skillet, melt 2 or 3 TBS of butter. Saute chopped onions until soft.
3. Add about 2 TBS of flour to make a roux. Mix with a whisk for a couple of minutes on medium-medium high heat.
4. Add 2 C chicken stock. Bring to a boil then let simmer for a few minutes. This is a yummy home made gravy that I love. Add some cream or milk or mushrooms if you want to make it creamier.
5. Mixed chicken, precooked potatoes, frozen veggies, carrots, home made gravy and a can of cream of chicken soup. Pour on top of pie crust.
6. Add a thin layer of cheese...just because cheese always tastes good.
7. Add the 2nd pie shell and cut in some cute pie design.
8. Cook at 375 for 30 minutes or so.

*Next time I'll also precook the sliced carrots a bit, they were a little hard for the girls. and I won't over fill the pie dish...I had a little mess in my oven from it bubbling over. I think I would also add mushrooms and maybe make a double portion of my own gravy rather than use the cream of chicken soup...I think it's probably healthier that way too. Maybe I'll use puff pastry next time too...just for fun, Paula Dean has a recipe with puff pastry.

I also made home made cinnamon rolls Saturday morning that were superb. I know it sounds like I'm bragging, I don't mean to be...I am just excited. I had a fun cooking day:-)

Swimming
Finally....this morning I did something that I have never done before. I met my friend Alison, bright and early (just after 6AM) and I swam laps! I confess...I loved it! It was a good work out, but it was also incredibly relaxing. I felt super cool with my brand new goggles ( I bet I looked cool too with my big huge belly!haha). I was just so pumped to be doing this. I felt like I was doing something great for both me and the baby. I know it's only the first day, but all day today I have been thinking about how much I wished I would have been on the swim team in high school. Not because I think I could have competed...I don't. But, because of how great it felt. I'm excited to go again, and it was nice to work out with someone else. Alison was very patient with me and all my silly questions:-) My biggest issue right now is water up my nose and down my throat. I don't know how to keep it out, any suggestions?