11.19.2013

my little hunter



Claire polished her shooting skills this fall, and Josh felt she was ready to shoot her own deer if the opportunity arose.  They set out the other night for her first hunt where she would be participating instead of watching.  Unfortunately, they didn't see anything, but it was exciting nonetheless...and a good lesson in patience and perseverance.    

11.16.2013

11.13.2013

our favorite chicken pot pie

recipe adapted from Chicken Pot Pie IX; photo credit: allrecipes.com

Okay, so in the fall/winter, I'm a lover of almost every comfort food.  Chicken pot pie has to be one of the most comforting comfort foods on the market.

Last month I decided to go on an allrecipes search for a great chicken pot pie.  I found a recipe, read lots of reviews, merged them all into my own recipe, and made it for dinner last night.

It was delicious.

Instead of baking it in a traditional pie pan, I made mine in a 9x13.  This is mainly because I need to stack everything in my refrigerator, and my 9x13 has a lid.  Purely functional.

Chicken Pot Pie
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
1 lb. chicken breasts, cubed (uncooked)
1 bag mixed veggies
1 potato, peeled and diced
2/3 c. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2/3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. poultry seasoning
1 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. celery seed
1 1/3 c. milk
2 unbaked pie crusts (the flaky buttery ones would be best, but plain is fine too)
egg white (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Set out pie crusts to thaw. 

In a saucepan, combine chicken, veggies, and potato.  Add chicken broth to cover, and boil for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain and reserve chicken broth, and set aside.  

Meanwhile, combine flour and spices in a small bowl.  In a saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent.  Stir in flour mixture.  Slowly stir in reserved chicken broth and milk.  Simmer over medium-low heat until thickened like gravy.  

Place the chicken mixture in the bottom of a greased 9x13 dish, and pour gravy mixture over the top.  Cover with pie crusts and tuck excess dough into the sides of the dish.  Brush crusts with egg white and make several small slits in the crusts to allow steam to escape.  

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly.  Cool for 10 minutes before serving.  

11.08.2013

menu plan: november 2013



I know I say it every year, but I just love November!  Hunting season is fully upon us, and if all goes well, the freezer will be stocked with all sorts of goodness this month. We're trying several new recipes, and of course, we're looking forward to Thanksgiving!  Happy November to all of you.

November 3-9
4: deer steaks (late dinner)
5: frozen pizza
6: pancakes and bacon
7: spaghetti
9: chili

November 10-16
10: leftovers
12: breakfast casserole and blueberry muffins
13: leftovers
14: chicken pot pie (new)
16: stir fry

November 17-23
17: surprise dinner by Claire (her request!)
18: beef stew
19: whole chicken
20: janet's chicken and noodles
21: braised rabbit (new...oh, the things in my freezer!)

November 24-30
24: deer steaks
25: crock pot stroganoff
27: take out (not only is it my birthday, we're also hosting Thanksgiving for the next two days!)
28: turkey with Josh's family
29: turkey with my family
30: leftovers

11.07.2013

b.i.f. twenty-one



Any teacher will tell you that one of the best parts of being a teacher is watching kids work hard and then succeed because of it.  Let me tell you something: teaching your own child, watching your own child work hard, and then watching your own child succeed is even better.  

Today was one of those pay-off days with Meredith.  She works so hard in math mainly because it's so tough for her.  It isn't naturally her easiest subject, and there are days when she gets a bit overwhelmed and frustrated.

This girl has been working on her math facts every single day.  She takes a math facts test every single day.  And every single day her goal is to get at least 15 problems correct in 45 seconds.  There are several different tests, so she typically doesn't have the same test two days in a row.  If she gets at least 15 problems correct in 45 seconds, she gets a little piece of candy.  Rare is the day that she gets her 15 problems completed.  She usually gets more than 10 but less than 15.  

Today was different.  She answered 21 problems correctly in 45 seconds...21!!!  The most she had gotten through on this particular sheet in the past was 11.  Saying that she was thrilled is a gross understatement. She was smiling ear to ear, jumping up and down, and running around the house to tell her sisters.    

We all celebrated together, and I'm sure that particular piece of candy tasted awfully sweet today. :)  It was a lovely moment to be able to watch.  

11.05.2013

the pumpkin farm

October is the month of the year when good mommy bloggers tell about their fun trips to the pumpkin farm. I fall into the "mommy blogger" category, but unfortunately not always into the "good" part of the category.  It's November 5, and I'm just now taking care of it. :)

That being said, at least we went...and I used my camera a couple of times while we were there.  I did not, however, use my camera last week when my kids went to 4 different costume events.  You read that correctly.  What is wrong with me??  They all had great costumes this year, and I didn't even break out my camera.  I kept thinking, "I'll get it tomorrow night."  Sometimes, I'm a slacker.

Anyway, we went to a new pumpkin farm this year.  It was super cute, and the kids absolutely LOVED taking the corn off the cobs for the farm's chickens.  I think they would have stayed all day and worked if we would have let them.  Enjoy the pics...