Happy New Year's Eve

Slow-Cooker Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2/3 cup Hy-Vee flour, divided

1 cup frozen Hy-Vee peas

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Hy-Vee Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon Hy-Vee black pepper

1 bay leaf

2-1/3 cups Hy-Vee reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided

Quick biscuits, optional

Hy-Vee salt and Hy-Vee pepper, to taste

Preparation

In a medium bowl, coat cubed chicken with 1/3 cup flour; place in slow cooker. Add peas, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, pepper and bay leaf; stir in 2 cups chicken broth.

Cover and cook on LOW 7 to 9 hours or on HIGH 4 to 5 hours. Remove bay leaf and discard.

Combine remaining 1/3 cup flour and 1/3 cup chicken broth, stirring until smooth. If cooking on LOW, turn heat to HIGH and stir in flour mixture. Heat an additional 15 minutes or until thickened.

Serve over quick biscuits and season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Source: Hy-Vee Seasons Health 2009.

Yield

Serves 8

No matter what your beliefs are, this is cute.

Saturday Update

We had a very nice visit from Thomas and Diedre last night. We made homemade pizzas. Here is today's recipe.

REINDEER CHOW

Santa’s helpers will enjoy this sweet- and salty-snack mix featuringKellogg's® Pop-Tarts® Frosted Sugar Cookie toaster pastries, Kellogg's® Crispix® cereal, pretzels, cashews, candy, peanuts and white chocolate.

Ingredients
4 cups Kellogg's® Crispix® cereal
2 cups thin pretzel sticks
4 Kellogg's® Pop-Tarts® Frosted Sugar Cookie toaster pastries Limited Edition
2 cups dry roasted cashews or dry roasted peanuts
1 package (12.6 oz.) candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 package (12 oz.) white chocolate morsels
1 tablespoon shortening

Directions
1. In large bowl combine KELLOGGS CRISPIX cereal, pretzels, KELLOGGS POP-TARTS Frosted Sugar Cookie toaster pastry pieces, cashews and candy-coated chocolate pieces. Set aside.

2. In small saucepan combine white chocolate morsels and shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Drizzle over cereal mixture. Toss until coated. Spread on large piece of foil. Let stand at room temperature about 15 minutes or until chocolate is set.

3. Break cereal mixture into pieces, if necessary. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.

Recipe of the day

I am on vacation today. Mao decided to frantically wake me at my usual wakeup time. No sleeping in for me. Here is my recipe for today.

Baked Barley Risotto With Butternut Squash

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 20m | Total Time: 50m

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small butternut squash (about 11/2 pounds)—peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 5 ounces baby spinach
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces), plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large oven-safe saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the squash, onion, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to soften, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Add the barley to the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil; cover the pot and transfer it to oven. Bake until the barley is tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
3. Stir in the spinach, Parmesan, and butter. Serve with additional Parmesan.

By Sarah Copeland, December 2011

Sorry I have not posted for a while. I just have not been feeling it. I will try to post a new recipe each day. That way I don't have to think too hard about what to write.

Banana Pancake Snowmen

Ingredients:

•	1 cup Hungry Jack® Buttermilk Complete Pancake & Waffle Mix (Just Add Water)
•	3/4 cup water
•	1/3 cup mashed banana (1 small)
•	Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray
•	1/4 cup chocolate chips
•	1 small banana, peeled, halved crosswise and sliced (to make mouth shape)
•	1 to 2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Preparation Directions:

1.

COMBINE pancake mix, water and mashed banana. Mix just until large lumps disappear.

2.

HEAT skillet over medium-high heat or griddle to 375ºF. Spray with no-stick cooking spray. Using about 1/4 cup of batter for each snowman, pour 2 pancakes, one slightly smaller than the other, onto the hot pan or griddle with sides touching to resemble a snowman. Cook 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. While cooking second side, place chocolate chips on surface to resemble eyes, nose, and buttons and a slice of banana for the mouth. Remove from griddle. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.

Yield: 8 pancakes

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 12 min

http://www.hungryjack.com/Recipes/Details.aspx?recipeID=2798

Friday Update

Ashley and Paul return from their honeymoon today. I am anxious to see pictures and them of course. Unfortunately, we have to wait until Christmas to see them in person. It is so close, yet so far away. Alright, now I am just sounding like a song.

Yesterday was productive. We got the bedroom closet and the whole ceiling painted. Today the rest of the room and put up the new ceiling fan.

This is great! People with babies should do this all the time to get rid of telemarketers.

Wednesday Update

On vacation for a few days. We plan to paint our bedroom and possibly the hallway outside the bedroom. Hope to do a little decluttering as well.

Halloween 2011

Brains!!!

Breckin after his first taste of brains.

Nick (banana) and his friends.

Nick and friends.

Brekin, super Hawkeye fan.

Ella the kitty, eating popcorn.

The Darth pumpkin with cat glow in the background. This was my double sided pumpkin.

Brains after the zombies got to it.

The blood fountain. Pretty gross.

For the fountain of course.

Nick (ghoul), Alex (puppy) & Ana (olive w/pimento).

Jiggler teeth.

Halloween jigglers.

Attack the Block

Jack-O-Lanterns 2011

Ana, Nick, Doug, Sara & Kathy.

Ohhh, Spooky!

Darth Vader (by Me)

Scary Snaggle-Tooth (by Doug)

Angry Pumpkin (by Nick)

Snaggle-Tooth, Howling Wolf (by Sara) & Darth

Jack-O-Lantern panorama.

Black Cat (by Me)

Tuesday Update

Slight scare at work yesterday. They are closing the California office and moving those operations to Minneapolis. A few of the CA people will work remotely. Good news, they were talking about possibly expanding the IA office. We are still working OT as usual.

Ashley & Paul's Wedding - Oct. 15, 2011

At City Looks.

Last minute decisions for the hair style.

Happy sister Chloe.

Reflections.

Mom refletion.

Yeah! Chloe!

It takes complete concentration.

Comfortable footwear is key!

Comfortable footwear is key!

Beautifying the sisters.

So cute!

Lovely!

Love the curls!

Almost finished.

Finished and lovely!

Mom Miller getting her hair put up.

Love the braid!

Taking important pictures.

The stylist is getting married in a few weeks also.

The future Mrs. Paul Miller is ready for her big day!

Getting ready for the reception. What a massive chaos.

Hard to believe the reception was only a few hours away.

Yum, pumpkin soup.

Yum, cheese soup.

Yum, potato soup (not finished).

Collin helps out, Doug over seeing the soup.

Sisters slice the rolls.

Keeley and Ashley before the wedding.

Diedre relays a message.

Paul's Grandmother.

Datha tries to calm Paul before the dress reveal.

Instructions from the photographer.

Here she comes.

Anticipation.

Isn't she lovely!

Awww!!

Beautiful!

Paul takes a good look.

Crying time!

Proud parents.

A few words before the ceremony.

Waiting in the cold for picture time.

A handsome group.

Trying to make her brother smile for the photographer.

Lovely!

And again, lovely!

Beautiful!

Not my greatest picture.

I like this picture.

That kid had an attitude.

Aww!

Wedding party, not quite all focused.

There we go.

Yeah!!

Beautiful!!

Two lovely sisters.

Silly.

Nice photo.

Mr. & Mrs. Paul Miller.