Homemade Chicken Potpie - Well Sort of ...

Here is a recipe for one of my favorite foods in the whole world - Chicken Pot Pie.  This recipe also freezes very well.  When I have a freezer cooking day this is always on my list of dishes to make.  Enjoy!

I transfer the mixture to foil pans in order to freeze them

1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 cup chopped onion, celery, and carrots
1/2 cup flour
3 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
4 cups of chicken broth
1 (15.5) oz. can of peas, drained
1 to 3 cups of cooked chicken (cubed or shredded)
1 package of store brought rolled up pie crust (usually 2 crust come in a pack)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to temperature on pie crust package (usually anywhere between 400 - 420 F depending on the crust you purchase.)

2. In a skillet melt butter and stir in the garlic, onion, celery, and carrot until tender.

3. Mix in flour, sugar, basil, and pepper until absorbed.

4.  Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil.  Continuously stir so you won't get any sticking.

5. Reduce heat and stir in peas and chicken.  Allow to simmer a few minutes.

6. Transfer into a 9 X 13 baking dish.  Cover mixture with pie crust.  Allow crust to go over the edges of your dish.  Make sure for the first few minutes of baking that you put aluminium foil around all the edges of the crust so they don't burn.  After you notice the center of the crust browning take the foil off.  Allow crust to cook completely.

7.  After crust is done then take out and allow to sit and cool.

Freezer Cooking Tip:
I purchase aluminum pans from the dollar store for my freezer cooking.  Transfer mixture to a pan and allow it to completely cool.  Next cover with the pie crust.  Do not cook the pie crust but freeze with the uncooked crust.  Cover with plastic wrap then with aluminum foil.

I place the pie crust on top but do not cook the crust if I am freezing my pies.  Then I wrap with plastic and foil

When ready to take out the freezer you don't have to thaw it out before placing in the oven.  Place in the oven at 350 F.  Then as you see it is pretty much thawed out you can increase the temperature to 400 or 420 to brown and cook the crust.

Guest Post - Trusting God as My Father - Grace to Endure Blog

Today I am pleased to have a guest post from my wonderful sister.  Check her out over at Grace to Endure.


 Trusting God as My Father
It is amazing the things that you realize when you are watching children play. As I was sitting in the carpool line waiting for my son to be dismissed from school today, I rolled down my window only to hear the sounds of children screaming, yelling, and laughing. I looked up and saw children running around playing and smiling…without a care in the world. My mind then filled with images of my own beautiful children; my pre-teen sleeping peacefully in his bed at night, my toddler running to me with his arms reaching out. Our children trust in us. They don’t worry if whether or not they will be clothed, or fed. They know that they will be taken care of and that they are loved and wanted.

Then I thought to myself, “Isn’t that the way I should be with my Heavenly Father”? What happens to us that we learn not to trust Him?

Life.

When circumstances arise in our lives and things don’t go according to our plans, most of us allow those circumstances to cause us to distrust God. This leads to all kinds of anxious feelings. We can have thoughts that overtake us and even affect our health. However, God’s word tells us NOT to allow ourselves to be anxious about anything.

“Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you Why do you have so little faith?

“And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

Luke 12:22-32

I have had many difficult situations in my life. Some of them I was able to readily give them to the Lord, but there have been others that have caused me to feel anxious. I have found that trusting God to handle the situation always results in peace.

Peace: harmony; undisturbedness from fears, agitating passions, and moral conflicts (Amplified Bible)

Selah ...

If you enjoyed this post visit my sister's blog at Grace to Endure

Picking Strawberries at Adam's Acres - Strawberry Jam Fun

One of my favorite things about spring and early summer is that we get to go and pick strawberries.  My oldest daughter was 3 when we first started picking strawberries and it is really a family tradition we look forward to.   In a world full of television, video games, and all sorts of things grabbing our kids attention and affections its so important to realize that what they will really appreciate and remember as they get older are the fun things you do together like going to the farm each year.

This was our first  year making strawberry jam and it turned out great!  Coupled with our homemade biscuits we have managed to already eat at least 3 jars of jam.  Below is a link to the recipe I used to make my jam.  I did not add any pectin just stirred and stirred until I felt it was thick enough.

Strawberry Jam Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Brother and Sister Smashing Strawberries for Jam

Homeschool Subject Planner Page

When I started homeschooling I found one of my biggest frustrations was finding time for home management.    Then I came across an article about a family that operates on a 3 week on 1 week off schedule.  During the week "off" mom gets a chance to catch-up on some housework, meal plan, and simply rest.  Since reading the article we have adopted this schedule and I love it.  Prior to doing this I used a subject planner to organize our homeschool curriculum.  Basically I plan one subject per page.  I have adapted my subject planner to reflect this new 3 week on one week off schedule.  Click on the link below to download a subject planning page you can print and  use for your family.

 

Homeschool Subject Planning Page - Button Theme

The Most Important Subject During My Homeschool Day

Like many homeschoolers I often find my day going way off schedule.  To be perfectly honest I have a pretty great schedule written down.  However, most days I find I am actually going off schedule.  I don't know if I am just trying to cram too much in one day.  Perhaps my schedule just doesn't allow for any interruptions or moments when I have to explain a concept over and over again.  I just know that lately I have become increasingly frustrated with my lack of consistency in following my schedule.  This frustration has been amplified by not always knowing what subjects to teach and which to let go when my day does not go the way I plan.  Then I was challenged by the thought of letting Bible slide.  After all isn't it important that we cover at least math and language arts daily.  Those are the two subjects we are required to test our children on (at least in Virginia) and report their scores to the superintendent.  Then it struck me Bible is not just a subject and if I treat it as just one more thing to get through on our daily checklist that is exactly the view my children will have towards God's Word.  

Today we read in John chapter 6 that Jesus is the bread of life.  Nothing will sustain my children more than learning God's Word.  And not just memorizing verses but learning the daily discipline and privilege of spending time with Jesus.  She is learning to discern the voice of Holy Spirit.  She is learning of the faith that will keep her everyday of her life.  We don't know what the future holds.  There is no guarantee that the America we live in today, that is still so full of opportunity and wealth, will be that same America our children and grandchildren experience.  The best and most important thing we can teach our children is to have a hunger and thirst after God.  To live life in light of eternity.  This will only be accomplished if we make sure we don't neglect the most important subject in our homeschool day and our entire life - God's Word.  Everything else can wait.