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Bacon Pot Pie

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 10 June, 2014 No comment

My husband was craving my chicken pot pie but requested it with bacon this time. So, I took my creativity and put a twist on this to help make an entirely delicious pot pie with bacon.

He was fully satisfied by this pot pie that he actually ate leftovers more than once. He is not a leftover man, so when he eats leftovers multiple times that’s when I know he is in love.

What makes this dish so incredible is the bacon mixed with the beef flavor. If you are a bacon lover, you couldn’t ask for a better dish!

Ingredients:

1-2 cup chopped chicken ( used rotisserie)
3 cups vegetables choice (or frozen vegetables)
½ lb bacon
¼ cup chia seeds
1 TBSP flax seed
1-2 TBSP Beef Broth Better Than Bouillon
2-3 cups milk
1-2 TBSP flour
Pie Crust

On a broiler pan lined with foil, bake bacon at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until reached desired crispness.

Chop chicken into large chunks and place in a large sauce pan.

Add mixed vegetables. I used carrots, corn, beans, peas, edamame and lima beans.

Add bacon.

Add chia seeds.

Begin to cook mixture until heated through. Once vegetables are cooked add in 1 large TBSP of Better Than Bouillon Beef Base.

Add in 2-3 cups milk and heat thoroughly until beef mixture is melted.

In a small dish mix 1 tbsp flour with the cream mixture and whisk until no lumps remain. Pour into vegetables and allow to thicken. If mixture isn’t thick enough repeat process with flour until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the crust follow this recipe:

Pie Crust

In a greased pie plate add the crust and filling.

Top with pie crust and pinch edges together.

Bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes or until crust is golden brown and middle is bubbly.

ENJOY!!!!

Sometime I wonder…

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 10 June, 2014 No comment

Sometimes I wonder why I wake up in the morning and continue on the day of disastrous events. I end the day in a state of oblivion laughing at the messes that continue to come my way.

I find the only way to make it through crazy chaotic kid days, is to laugh at what takes place rather then get too uptight about it. Kids are kids and are innocent little people trying to make it through their own day in a big world being told “no” all the time.

I find it’s easier to laugh at the crazy responses rather then get upset as if they are an adult choosing to be ignorant. :)

My sweetie laying in the pile of clean clothes.

I wake up this morning to an early start with kids being here around 7:30.

Take Haylee to Preschool- out of gas and running late.

Leave gas station and ALL 16 oz of my coffee spill on the entire backseat floor.

Get to preschool in the nick of time.

Clean up coffee disaster

Spend time with a girlfriend while the boys play (relaxing)

Pick up kids- I have a tummy bug that persists all day long.

We have an accident in two of the kids pants while at the park.

Kids play in the sandbox and little Ian decides to chomp on seashells.

Kids leave for the day- make dinner and my husbands doesn’t eat due to not feeling good.

Husband came home with migrane

Cooper is crying, he wants his footie pajamas on and I put his foot-less pajamas on as it’s very hot in our house.

My husband and I cave in to our little son wanting footie pj’s and a muffin. We laugh to ourselves in utter oblivion of what this night consists of.

Nights not over– Cooper goes to bed late, I rush to the store for my prescription.

8:57- pharmacy closes at 9, I walk in the door with NO perscription.

8:58- Pharmacy calls, they found my prescription laying on the ground.

9 pm- try and dish up some granola for a snack, spill it everywhere. (Husband chuckles)

I begin to tell my husband this is how my ENTIRE day has gone while I accidentally puncture the container the granola is in, spilling the remainder amongst the rest.

Stare at the pile of clean clothes covering the floor while I wish my prescription was in hand, pj’s on, face washed and clothes were folded.

I refuse to fold the clothes tonight and will begin my day again tomorrow around 7.

Husband needs something printed and scanned. We both spend 30 minutes trying to figure out why the printer will not print the current document but prints 5 different items from three months ago.

Paper jam- try again.

Paper jam- finally we get duplicates of the item and we send it off.

10 pm- in bed

Moment of Truth: Some days you simply can’t wish them away and must laugh at the stupidity you discovered each hour. How are your days similar?

Perfume Bargain Shopping

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 9 June, 2014 No comment

I LOVE perfume. If you saw my closet you would find multiple fragrances within. Most of them have been gifted to me, but there are the occasional scents I buy myself. I must confess the BEST place to purchase NAME BRAND fragrance is at TJ Maxx or Ross.

There is no difference between the fragrance other than simply saving money rather than purchasing the same perfume at Macy’s or Nordstrom at full cost.

Here are my top 4 perfumes:

Viva La Juicy $92 at Macys 3.4 oz

Compared to $39.99 at Ross 3.4 oz

Juicy Couture $72 Macys 1.7 oz

Compared to $34.99 Ross 1.7 oz

Versace $89 3 oz

Compared to $45 TJ Maxx 3 oz

Armani Mania $78 Macys 3.4 oz

Compared to $34.99 Ross 3.4 oz

Moment of Truth: Don’t buy full price when you don’t have to. It’s a waste of money and there is always a better deal out there. The only difference with Ross or TJ Maxx is you can’t smell the fragrance before purchase. So know what you are looking for in order to make your purchase inexpensive and well worth the dollar.

Gorgonzola Pecan Chicken Pizza

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 9 June, 2014 No comment

That’s right ladies, I just said Gorgonzola Pecan Chicken pizza with a delicious garlic cream sauce. This pizza is deliciously “gourmet” but it is definitely Delightfully Doable.

My husband and I were going to take Cooper to the park after he got off work on Friday but due to his tardiness we opted for a long walk to the store and back to rent a movie. Cooper has been begging for walks on a daily basis so we take advantage of it as much as we can. We were going to pack a picnic and eat at the park and while that didn’t happen, my husband was still very pleased with the pizza I had made. He said he would eat that everyday because it’s that good. I was very pleased with his response to this dish.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breasts, chopped
Paprika
Garlic Salt
1 tsp taco seasoning (optional)
4 oz cream cheese
2-3 cups milk
2 tbsp minced garlic
1-2 tbsp flour
½ cup pecans, chopped
¼ cup chives, chopped
Crust- homemade or store bought

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season raw chicken breast with paprika, garlic salt and taco seasoning. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until juices run clear.

Once chicken is cooked, turn oven to 425 degrees.

Meanwhile, add garlic and cream cheese to sauce pan and begin to melt on low heat.

While garlic is cooking and cream cheese is melting add in butter.

Heat until fully melted on low heat still.

In a separate bowl combine 1/2 cup milk with flour and whisk until no lumps are found. Add flour mixture and remaining milk to cream cheese and heat on med-low heat until mixture begins to thicken.

If mixture is too thick, add a little more milk. If mixture is too runny, repeat the whisking of flour in a separate bowl to prevent lumps. It will thicken as it continues to heat through, so make sure not to add too much flour.

Once thickened, add in Gorgonzola cheese and stir.

Chop chicken.

Add chicken to cream sauce and heat through.

In a large 9×13 greased baking dish, add pizza crust (for homemade, follow this recipe)

Top with chicken cream sauce. Add chopped pecans, chives and sprinkle with additional Gorgonzola cheese.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy with a fresh garden salad!

All-Purpose Pie Crust

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 8 June, 2014 No comment

This recipe can be used for anything requiring a pie crust. It’s the best multi-use recipe ever.

Ingredients:

This recipe is for a full pie cover* (see below)

3 cups flour
1 cup cold butter
2 Egg Yokes
4 tbsp cold water
2 tsp salt
¼ cup granulated sugar (optional)

Begin making crust by adding flour and butter to food processor. Once the mixture is crumbly add in egg yoke, water, salt, and sugar. Mix until well incorporated. (Dough may be sticky)

Divide dough into two parts. On a floured surface, knead additional flour from the counter into dough until no longer sticky. Roll dough large enough to fit your pie plate.

Place dough into bottom of dish leaving enough room over the sides to pinch together with the top of the pie dough. Set aside.

It’s okay if your crust falls apart on the edges. You will not notice it once you add your filling and pinch the edges together.

Fill the insides and top with remaining pie crust. Pinch edges together. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until the middle in bubbly and crust is golden brown.

Here are some delicious recipes that go great with this crust:

Egg Tart, Chicken Pot Pie, Bacon Pot Pie, Cherry Pie

*If you are making a dish that does not require the top part of the crust, cut the recipe in half.

My Poor Baby!

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 6 June, 2014 No comment

My poor baby has been everything but healthy since he was born. He has continually been sick and I can’t seem to understand why. In and out of the Children’s hospital, doctors office and canceling many appointments to avoid the “hustle and bustle” of life to help get him back on track.

Here we are today and he has had a temperature ranging from 100.2-104 for the last four days. He starts off the day really cool and as the day progresses, he’s burning up. The next day, he starts off really hot and throughout the day it goes up and down but never away. The doctors office had me bring him in today to check him out. Two and half hours later, no cough, no cold, no ear infections, no nothing!!! How frustrating it is to sit there for 2 1/2 hours for what seems to be nothing except a high possibility of contracting some other sickness.

This time the trauma came from strapping a bag on his private parts to catch any output of urine. The little man hasn’t been drinking or eating so I have had to force fluids yet again. It took 2 hours for any output to come our way and finally my sweet baby was able to tell me when he did. I was so proud of him. We made a big deal about it as he was so scared about this foreign bag strapped to him; hoping this begins an exciting phase of potty training once he begins to feel better.

They tested his urine and all came back good. They have no area to pinpoint why he has such high fevers other than he simple is that child who gets sick all the time. My natural reaction as a mom is to assume something bigger is taking place that they haven’t yet caught. Two trips to the children’s hospital, many doctor visits and continual sicknesses make me a bit curious. They reassured me yet again today that it must be a viral infection. Hoping this is true but annoyed I keep visiting the doctors for no reason but to waste my sick child’s time.

The doctor did reassure me that at some point in a child’s life they will experience sickness on a very frequent basis, whether the first three years of their life or once they reach kindergarten. That comforted me slightly.

So….our fourth day of fevers is almost over. They advised me to push through tomorrow forcing fluids. If by Saturday or Sunday, the fever still persists than we must return for more testings. Praying for him to wake up with no fever and an appetite is all I can hope for right now. After no sleep last night and dealing with an unhappy child, I am ready for some good times to come!

Moment of Truth: The healthy times with your child often make you forget how blessed you are to truly have a healthy baby. Sickness and disease is running rampant throughout the world and the healthy little ones need to be embraced and we as parents need to be thankful. Our prayers need to go towards the sick babies and families that are suffering emotionally, physically, mentally and financially. Our family has only begun to taste what this really looks like and I pray we don’t continue down this road with frequent hospitalizations.

Grilled Pork Chops

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 6 June, 2014 No comment

We decided to grill pork chops the other night as neither of us have done this before. We went for a LONG walk through the woods on a trail that followed the river. It was the best walk! It was not too hot and Cooper was so excited to keep up with the water and see waterfalls along the way. Ending at a viewpoint, we took him out on the cliff to let him watch the boats zoom by. He enjoyed watching this as he hasn’t ever seen boats in action before. It was really fun to watch him light up as he soaked in this new experience. As we walked back, it was 7 pm before we arrived home. So we decided to do a quick dinner with pork chops and grilled vegetables.

It amazes me how you can have an incredible meal in such a short period of time. The barbecue has become my best friend. :)

Ingredients:

4 Pork Chops
Garlic Salt
Salt & Pepper
Montreal Seasoning (optional)
Fresh green beans
Fresh Corn
Fresh Edamame beans
EVOO

Sprinkle the pork chops with salt, pepper, garlic salt and Montreal seasoning. In a vegetable basket for the grill, add in your vegetables and toss with EVOO, salt, pepper and garlic salt.

Grill both the chops and the veggies until pork is still tender, being careful not to over cook.

Simple as that! Eat, drink and be full!

Yum, Yum!

Hot Dog Hash

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 5 June, 2014 No comment

As you all know I love new versions of hot dogs. The same routine of a dog and a bun isn’t always super exciting. As I love to experiment, I took what I had in the refrigerator and came up with two different kinds of dogs: Hot Dog Hash and Hot Dog Mac.

They both were delicious! You can serve this recipe for breakfast, brunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

4 hot dogs
4 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese
2 medium russet potatoes
½ onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp cumin
4 medium eggs, over easy

Chop potatoes and toss in a skillet with EVOO and cook over med-low heat.

Chop onion and add to potatoes.

While cooking, add paprika, minced garlic, salt, pepper and cumin.

Once fully cooked, set aside.

Meanwhile, turn the broiler on and slice hot dogs length wise leaving them open like a butterfly. Broil until crispy. 1-2 minutes.

Cook eggs in skillet. I prefer to cook them over easy as the yolk on the potatoes is very tasty.

Once Hot dogs are cooked, top tortillas with cheese.

Broil for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted.

Top warm tortilla with hot dog and potato mix.

Add egg and fold up like a taco.

Enjoy!

Zoo Bliss

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 5 June, 2014 No comment

We went to the zoo during Memorial weekend and had the best weather possible. Not too hot, not too cold and NOT too many people. It was fabulous. Although Cooper loved the large Seal, he was more interested in the construction taking place to enlarge the Elephants area. Our son loves tractors and trucks more than words can describe. He lights up like a Christmas tree and wont stop shouting “trac-or, truck” until you finally repeat him and acknowledge you see it as well!

In the midst of all the construction going on, he did enjoy betting the little pygmy goats.

Standing in the back of a Safari Truck…
Daddy and me time!

Cooper taking us on a wild safari ride.

Enjoying the large “fish” or seal.

“Trac-or, Trac-or” Loving the construction.

Who would have thought that in the midst of all the construction you would have a good time with your son? I didn’t think it would be that enjoyable as the tractors were everywhere but I quickly forgot how much Cooper is obsessed with tractors and could watch them all day if given the opportunity. We had a really good time, he enjoyed himself and hopefully one day my little man can sit in a tractor with his Papa.

Busy Day Chicken

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 4 June, 2014 No comment

I received this recipe from my sister as she had made this for me once a long time ago. I was shocked how simple it was and how yummy it was that when I made it this week, I knew I had to share it with you all.

I made this the other night as I wanted something basic but full of flavor. Something I could leave and let be as I had the kids all day and didn’t have time to cook dinner by 6:15. I had this meal prepped and ready for the oven.

Ingredients: