My Version Of Chicken Pot Pie

Made some home made pot pie the other day and took pictures so for those who are interested, here goes.

I used to boil my chicken in water and use the water to make the gravy for the pies but I don't do that anymore. I start by frying my chicken on top of the stove (in some butter but you could use coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil) until mostly done.

While frying the chicken I boil potatoes that have been peeled and cut into bite sized pieces.















Once the chicken is mostly done, add flour until all the butter and juice from the chicken has been absorbed and makes a thick paste. Stir the chicken and paste to slightly brown the flour paste.

Once you have browned the flour (maybe 3 or 4 minutes of constant stirring), add milk. I don't know how much. Once you add the milk, you can add more if its too thick or add more flour or
cornstarch if its too runny. This creates a "gravy" of sorts for the filling of your pot pie. You want
it to be on the runny side because it will thicken up as it bakes and you don't want it to be too dry
once its done. Add salt, pepper, and some garlic powder. You can also add onions or onion powder to taste.









At this point, add all your fillings. I cheated when I made mine last and just added a bag of frozen vegetables, cheese and the cooked potatoes. I LIKE to do fresh carrots, celery and whatever else you like but I was in a time crunch. Stir it all together and spoon into a pie crust. I usually home make my pie crust but I bought the roll out crusts from the store this time, again, to save myself some time. Very busy day.

Place your 2nd pie crust on top and trim the excess dough from around the sides of your pie tin.




At this point you can pinch your edges to create that fancy fluting but I've never been able to master that so I use the edge of a fork to seal my edges.



I then cut 4 slits in my top and use the excess pastry and a cookie cutter to make a cute embellishment on the top of my pie. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. Usually takes about an hour "ish".

Unexpected Blessings At Unexpected Times

There are some who are going to think this is an awful post but this isn't so much about me as it is about bragging on my God.

When I found out I was pregnant with Malachi, I wasn't excited. Then Daniel started a new job where he was gone Monday-Friday, sometimes working Saturdays and I REALLY wasn't excited. I was basically raising 5 children on my own and I was already overwhelmed. I didn't get married and have children to do it all by myself. Add into that a "new" house that needed to be unpacked while I wasn't allowed to lift anything and trying to train and discipline 5 children . . . well, all I could see was another thing to do with a newborn. Breastfeeding is time consuming. Getting up in the middle of the night for feedings is exhausting, especially when you are driving children to and from school 3 times a day, including half day kindergarten.

I did NOT want this baby. At all. Sure, I knew I would love this baby but I was completely unable to see any joy forthcoming with his arrival. I already felt like I was drowning. How was I going to add a newborn to the mix?

The pregnancy was really difficult. I don't know if is because my body was just coming off a twin pregnancy or if it was because I'm getting older or because it was my 5th pregnancy or just a combination of all those things but it was the hardest singleton pregnancy ever. Falling flat on my abdomen during my ninth month while taking out the trash in the rain didn't help. Neither did the fact that my husband was 7 hours away when it happened. How in the world was I going to do this?

Then it came time to give birth.

With all my previous children, I have requested they be cleaned up a bit before they are given to me immediately following birth. For some reason, I didn't even think about this with Malachi. So upon his arrival they sat him on my chest. I'm so grateful I forgot.

I was in love. This screaming, icky, squirming, slimy little thing was mine and he needed me and it was wonderful.

Since his birth, he has brought inexpressible joy to our home. We NEEDED this baby. I NEEDED this baby. He is so happy. He is delightful. He is well loved. And God is good.

Since he has been born, Daniel's work schedule has changed and he is home more. I have more help with the children and I did need that. But even if he were still on that horrible, crummy schedule, I would still be grateful for God's foresight in giving us Malachi. He is a fabulous nurser. He is a good sleeper. He is content to watch the older children running around the house like idiots. I'll check on him in his play seat and he'll have dosed off only to check on him a few minutes later and he'll be happily watching all the activity again. He has enriched our lives so much and I can't imagine our lives now without him. The only word I can use to describe Malachi is "happy".

The only word I can think of to describe Malachi's Mommy is grateful. I'm grateful for Malachi. I'm grateful for a God who knows what we need before we have even considered it. I'm grateful for unexpected blessings at unexpected times.

Phoebe's Surgery

We found out on Friday the 15th that Phoebe would need surgery to release her trigger thumb. This wasn't a surprise as Elijah had his trigger thumb surgically released when he was 18 months old. We scheduled the surgery for Thursday the 21st. I did great with the whole thing until about 8 PM on the 20th.

Then I started worrying. Such a minor surgery but to go under anesthesia and take those risks? WHAT IF SHE NEVER WOKE UP?

At 3:30 AM the morning of the surgery, I finally climbed into bed with Phoebe to try and get some sleep before 6 AM. Every time she flip-flopped around in the bed I would pray that God would allow us to have her back when the surgery was over.

We get up around 6 and give her the required pre-surgery bath.


We had taken the me-me (pacifier) away about 5 days ago but Daddy went and bought her a new one at WalMart the night before. We couldn't bear to send her off to surgery without her me-me.

Then I dressed her in my one of my favorite dresses before we headed off to the hospital around 7:50.



We arrived at the hospital right on time to find Preacher had beaten us there and was waiting for us in the waiting room. We fellowshipped a bit and everyone was having a good time (even Malachi) until they called us back to get her ready for the surgery.



Preacher prayed for us, Phoebe and the medical staff and said his goodbyes while Daniel took Phoebe off to the surgical unit.

She was so cute when Malachi and I were finally allowed to join them. I loved her little surgical gown and new socks!


She was happy with her new "pretty bracelet", coloring, and watching TV.





While holding her, I realized Dr. Muhammed (Dr. KERMIT Muhammed . . . .cracks me up) had already been in to mark her thumb to insure he operated on the correct one! YEAH for double checking!!! (Dr. Muhammed had also done Elijah's trigger thumb release.)


The nurse, who wasn't very good with children, came in a short time later to give her an oral sedative/relaxer. After just a few minutes, she was VERY relaxed. No more playing for her!!


Next came the anesthesiologist to see if we had any questions. I loved her!! Her bedside manner completely made up for what was lacking in our nurse's bedside manner.


The anesthesiologist carried Phoebe away as we walked the opposite direction to the waiting room. I had a difficult time when she started crying. She had been SO GOOD to this point. But off we went.

It was about 40 minutes from the time we left the pre-op area to the time we met with Dr. Muhammed after the surgery. It was maybe another hour before we were actually allowed to see her which scared me to death. I just kept waiting for them to let us know she had come out of the anesthesia. I think that was harder for me than the surgery time. Eventually they called us back and she was happy to have Daddy hold her.



She was also very happy to get some juice after fasting from dinner the night before!! She sucked down the entire sippy cup full without stopping for a breath.


She wasn't so happy when we tried to take the cup away and give her a cookie!!


Eventually she settled in and watched some Word World until it was time to take her home.


We kept asking her questions such as "do you want a drink", "do you want a cookie", and "do you want to watch tv" while in the recovery room. She kept shaking her head "no" until we asked her if she was ready to see Sofie, who had spent the night elsewhere. At that point she verbalized and said "uh-huh"!!! The longest they had ever been apart was about an hour and half so they were both VERY happy to see one another after about 16 hours of separation.

She is doing fantastic 2 days post surgery. We've already had to take her to the surgeon's office to get her soft cast re-wrapped. (Keeping bandage DRY and on a 2 year old is no small task!!) Thankfully, they didn't wrap her all the way up to the shoulder this time. They put a shorter one on her and she has movement at the elbow and fingers, although its somewhat restricted at her hand.

I'm thankful God protected her and guided the doctors . . . . . . . . and I hope we don't ever have to do this again with any of the other children!!! I don't think Mommy can deal with it!!

Back On The Wagon

I'm back on the running wagon. Took a 2 month hiatus which I feel badly about. But we're back on. Still hoping to run that 5K in October but I'm truly terrified I'll fail. That is why this is so important for me. My whole life I've avoided situations where I wasn't confident I would succeed. I didn't major in music on college. I didn't run track in High School. I didn't take advanced math in high school. I didn't play volleyball in high school. I look back and see many things I avoided due to lack of confidence and fear of failure. At the age of 34, I'm using this 5K training to TRY and prove to myself I can do "it". Anything. Its very difficult. The running isn't so horribly difficult. That gets better every day. Literally. But the mental training is much more difficult than the physical.

This probably sounds silly to others. That's okay. I'm trying to overcome worrying about what others think, too. So today my time and distance was 1.71 miles in 28 minutes. Week 3 Day 5 is Done!!!