Have a Pie, 3/14, Pi Night

 The Pie Party with Chicken Pot Pie Recipe

I haven't been this excited about in years. The family was displaced last year with new jobs, training out of state and time share with in laws.  This year it has all lined up and everyone was together. 

One of my grand daughters surprised me Thanksgiving.  I went to bed that night a little exhausted from all the cooking, cleaning and eating.  When I woke up on Friday morning my grand daughter had pulled out Christmas and done an amazing amount of decorating.  She put her personal spin on everything giving the decorations from my storage closet a whole new look.  That inspired me to make a lot more changes and come up with a new plan for Christmas this year.

The only thing I added to my décor this year is additional extension cords so I can use all the lights in my stash.  Grand daughter #3 directed me on all the light placements.  She's only five and her ideas are just as fantastic as her big sister's decorations inside the house. 

My adult grand daughter, my daughter and I were talking about how much we love pie which sparked an idea to have a complete meal of pies.  We joked and jested about it for a while naming all the kinds of pie we liked when I came to the conclusion I could really do this.  Thus was born a brand new tradition for our Christmas Eve Eve (December 23) family party.  Pie.  It's an idea that would work for any gathering: birthday, New Year's, Valentine, Football tailgating, you name it.  The sky's the limit.

It could be the theme for any large gathering.  Shepherds pie, Pot Pie, Pizza Pie, fruit pie, custard pie, nut pie. Yes, this can be fun.  I pulled out my favorite recipes and bought the ingredients.  I chose some pies that can be made ahead and frozen and some I'll make the day or two before our party plus the ones best made on the day of the party.  This may be the easiest party I've ever hosted!  Here's my list:

• Chicken Pot Pie (super easy, 1.5 hour prep and bake)
• Crock Pot Shepherds Pie (4 hours in crock pot on high)
• Pizza Pie (coming from a local store)
• Chocolate pie (made the day before the party)
• Apple pie (made ahead and frozen)
• Pecan pie (made ahead and frozen)
• and a Salad - because a fresh vegetable will be nice.

There's eight days till we party so... here is the first recipe, the easiest ever...

Chicken Pot Pie  

Ingredients:

1 Deli roasted chicken, skin removed and meat pulled off the bone, cut into cubes. 

1 Cup water

2 Cans Cream of Something Soup (chicken, celery, mushroom... your choice) or make your own

1 small package frozen peas carrots

1/2 cup frozen diced onion

1 package frozen cubed hash brown potatoes

2 cans of crescent rolls

Instructions:

2 hours before serving time:

Spray a 9 x 13 casserole dish with cooking spray.  

Open and roll out one package of crescent rolls.  press seams together then line the bottom of the casserole and press up the sides.

Bake 350 F 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile... In a large skillet over medium high heat cook chicken, onion, water, cream of something soup, peas and carrots, potatoes till nice and hot (about 10 minutes). 

Pour over the baked bottom crust.  

Unroll the other can of crescent rolls.  Press seams together and place over the top of meat mixture. If you want to get creative, try cutting the dough into chicken shapes to cover the top.

Bake 350 F 25 minutes

Now that is the easiest pot pie ever!  

I really hope you are inspired and have your own pie, 3.14, pi night! Let me know when you do.

Chicken Tortilla Soup without the tortillas

It is another cold day here in upper Texas.  Another perfect day for a warm comfort food like soup except I don’t want to go grocery shopping which means pantry ingredients must do.  Fortunately for me I have about half a deli roasted chicken left and tortilla soup is my favorite so that identifies the direction this soup is headed.

Cranberry recipes decor crafts collection

Cranberries are a seasonal fruit that are beautiful, deep red, full of antioxidants.  If you live in United States you've seen the very funny commercials telling us so.  I love pulling out those colors to decorate in the winter and they taste pretty darn good too. I am excited to share with you this collection of amazing Cranberry themed posts from many of our outstanding members here in the Social Fabric community. We know that you will enjoy them and hope that you can create some new fall memories for yourself and the ones you love.

Down South Crock Pot Pinto Beans saved my life

Pinto Beans saved my life.  I know it sounds strange but they did. My dad took a job that required moving the family from North Central Texas to the lower Texas panhandle when I was about 9 years old.  Getting started in his insurance business was slow going until he built a clientele.  That meant we ate what grew in a meager late fall garden and when winter hit  the only thing left in the pantry was beans because beans grow pretty dang well in a dry arid area.  Mom got pretty good at making them too. Dad was even better at seasoning them. 
 

Pumpkin recipes, crafts and more

Cool breezes, pumpkins, pumpkin spice and lattes are some of my favorite things about the Autumn season. I'm excited to share with you this collection of amazing Pumpkin themed posts from members in the Social Fabric community. I know that you will enjoy them and hope that you can create some new fall memories for yourself and the ones you love.

Take Tailgating to Tailgreatness with Crock Pot Brisket Chili and Nexium® 24HR

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AD #Tailgreatness #CollectiveBias

If you love football, easy tailgate parties, and spicy food get ready for “Tailgreatness”.  I’ve got an easy Crock Pot Chili recipe that’s made with ground brisket and a man pleasin main dish for the big game day.  We’ll be rooting for the home team while chowing down on a build your own Corn Chip Chili Pie.  Don’t fret if the thought of it gives you heartburn, Nexium® 24HR  is available to help out.

Tortellini with Dipping Sauce - Ultimate Pasta Recipe Challenge

Almost everyone loves pasta and I bet if you’re reading this post you’re no exception.  I don’t make my own pasta and only make home made sauce if there’s not a jar of ready made in the pantry when I want spur of the moment pasta but don’t want to drive to the store.  I know, I know - fresh ingredients are really really good but I don't always have fresh ingredients.  I do however usually have items that keep in the pantry or freezer for a longer period than fresh.  I did make the sauce recipe for this challenge but admittedly after you read and maybe try my pantry recipe for a sauce I’m going to tell you I often put together a Tortellini and Pasta Dip that is absolutely no trouble at all with a purchased sauce.  On a lazy Saturday afternoon when the grands are over, that’s the way I like it. And so do they.

The Martian plus a potato recipe

I started reading the book just before it showed up On Demand within my satellite provider.  I started reading hurriedly so I could rent and watch the movie.  At the same time I had just participated in a potato recipe challenge.  Too bad the sequence of events hadn’t been a little different but I have a recipe in honor of this fun fiction story about an Earthling that inadvertently became a Martian.

Ultimate Potato Recipe Challenge with over 40 recipes

Challenges are a lot of fun to me and I'm having a great time with the Irish theme this month - potatoes!    I bet my tiny bit of Irish blood ancestors would be proud of all the potato recipes below.  I see several I will be testing out myself!  My recipe is first up of course, so come on and enjoy.

Diet friendly luncheon menu and recipes

Winter is hard on the diet.  I guess that’s why so many people make diet resolutions on New Year’s.  I don’t do resolutions any more but many of my friends do.  I try to stick to a healthy diet most of the time but especially when the weather starts warming up and I think about the summer wardrobe.  That’s why I put together a calorie simple stress free light menu for a small lunch with friends.  I’d planned to  take advantage of a warmer winter day and setting up a party table outside but in Texas it can be 85° one day and 54° the next .  My party lucked out on option number two [sad face]. Fortunately I used bright colors on an inside table set up to bring spring back to us.
 

I moved a dark red table from the entry to the serving area and strung some light colored tulle and ribbon for a banner backdrop.  I used multi colored sandwich plates and yellow napkins. The table set up was part of my DIY pedestal food plate project post.  But on to what you came for, the menu and recipes!

 

Easy Low Calorie Lunch Menu

• Caprice appetizers
• olives
• Baby carrots
• Tuna salad on deli Bulbous rolls
• Layered Raspberry gelatin  dessert

 Appetizers

The Caprice appetizers are the easiest ever.  Simply use toothpicks to skewer a grape tomato and cube of mozzarella cheese inside a Basil leaf.  Before serving, drizzle with Balsamic Vinaigrette.  Add a few skewered olives for another delicious touch.  A colorful vegetable like baby carrots will go well with this diet friendly plate too.

Layered Raspberry Gelatin Dessert

A day before the lunch make some sugar free raspberry gelatin according to package instructions.  Distribute the gelatin into individual dessert glasses and allow it to gel. When you’re ready to set them out add some lite whipped cream and fresh raspberries.  If you have some fresh mint handy, put a little sprig on top.

Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Gourmet Tuna Salad Sandwich

by Jeannie

Prep Time: 10 min

6077110

Ingredients (4 sandwiches)

• 2 packages, 12 oz. chunk lite tuna in water
• 1/3 cup lite mayonnaise with olive oil
• 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 Tablespoons chopped nuts (Walnut or Pecan)
• 1 Tablespoon finely diced onion (I used white but use your favorite)
• 4 Bakery rolls of your choice (I love the Bolillos Rolls at Walmart)
• Spray can of olive oil or butter flavored oil
• 1 apple of your choice (my favorite is Honeycrisp)
• Fresh Spinach leaves
• Olives as garnish

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients down to the bread.

Slice the rolls lengthwise for sandwiches.

Spray the cut sides of the bread with olive oil or butter flavored oil. If you don't have the spray can type you can brush on some olive oil or melted butter.

You can toast the bread open face if you like.

Place several spinach leaves to make a bed on the bread.

Use a 1/3 cup measure to scoop a portion of tuna salad onto the spinach leaves.

Shake a little salt and course ground pepper on top.

Layer on a thin slice of apple.

Sprinkle with a few chopped nuts.

Spear 3 olives on a toothpick into the apple or on the top piece of roll.

Powered by Recipage

See Me by Nicholas Sparks plus easy Chicken Enchilada recipe

Nicholas Sparks novel See Me is a suspense story I’d love to watch on the big screen.  Even when I had to put the book down to fulfill other commitments in my life my mind kept drifting back to the story full of action, suspense and flawed characters.  I got a real sense of what each of the characters were like and what role they played in the book. I am often drawn to suspense stories and books that include food and families that celebrate together the way mine has.  As I read about Maria’s Mexican family and their restaurant I found myself making our favorite Tex Mex dishes for dinner.  I’ve included my easy short cut Chicken Enchilada recipe at the bottom of this post.

Super easy tailgate meal with rotisserie chicken and cole slaw sliders

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and it’s advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.  #EffortlessMeals #CollectiveBias

I live in a small Texas town that really celebrates football season.  The first scrimmage is under our home town Friday night lights so I made an effortless tailgate meal featuring rotisserie chicken and cole slaw sliders, dill pickle slices, chips, deli dips, and frosty Coca Cola® floats  for the family to celebrate.  The sliders go together in no time and the frosty coke floats were a total winner – just like we think our team is!  GO BLACK AND GOLD!  Read on to see step by step how I made this event and delicious meal effortless for the whole family.  It’s so much fun and the sliders are simply the easiest meal ever with Wal-Mart's Marketside deli items. 

luncheon Crab stuffed Cucumbers and Chicken Zucchini Sandwich Wraps

If you’d like to have a stress free luncheon for friends you may want to take a look at the menu and recipes used at this small gathering of friends. I started with a homemade crab stuffed cucumber appetizer then set up a buffet with my favorite Berry Walnut Romaine Salad, a deli purchased pasta salad, low calorie Chicken Tender Wraps, some chips and iced tea.  It all went together in a couple of hours then I got to sit around listening to stories, laughing, and telling a few memories of my own.

Downton Abbey Salmon Cakes with Lemon Butter

I know that not everyone is a fan of Downton Abbey, but I am.  I watched the Season 5 premier last night with a cup of tea soaking up every detail of the period.  I love the costumes, formal gatherings and pay close attention to tea time.  There are usually only glimpses of the food being served but a little internet surfing pretty much tells you what is typically served during tea time.  The meals are pretty simple and now I know how those British keep such a tiny stature!  Today's post is dedicated to the Salmon cakes with lemon butter mentioned in the Downton Abbey kitchen on Episode 1.

Deli Roasted Rotisserie Chicken Tortilla Soup

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To become a legendary chicken joke.

Now, what to do with a cooked chicken? Start with a rotisserie grilled chicken (or 2 or 3 if you are ambitiously planning ahead) I don't even cook them myself, I pick one up from the deli.  Usually I buy one labeled lemon pepper basted, but I will use the traditional and even BBQ flavored.

Crock Pot Chicken Pot Pie

Now that we are moved into the new address and have found a church home I am making my first pot luck lunch.  It's a large serving crock pot casserole full of hearty chicken, veggies and creamy broth with leaf shaped crust.  It's my version of Chicken Pot Pie for a crowd and it is definitely a comfort food that pleases the pallet.

Apricot Feta Bacon Summer Salad

On a warm summer day it’s nice to sit on the patio and enjoy a fresh summer salad for lunch.  Use a variety of your favorite greens, add some fruit, cheese and maybe some protein and serve yourself some lite dressing on the side.  The salad I am eating today is diabetic friendly and delicious.  I’m using dried apricots today because I have a few left over from the scones I made.  I like the light tartness and tenderness of the apricots.  If I had some fresh strawberries I’d probably throw them in also!  The measurements in the recipe are for one person but can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled.  The proportions don’t need to be exact, you decide how much of each you like in your salad.

How to cook Pork Loin Boneless Ribs

I love finding a good deal and finding boneless pork loin ribs on sale is good in many ways.  Budget friendly, boneless, tasty, tender, easy to cook main dish.  Most of the time I’d throw on some BBQ sauce and let them cook, but this time a creamy sauce was the request.   Here is how to cook a boneless pork loin that is still easy and melt in your mouth tender deliciousness.
 

Chorizo burger cheese dog

A few people don’t like hot dogs for some reason.  I do, but for those that prefer a burger at a hot dog grilling, here’s what you’ll get at my backyard party: a cheese stuffed, chorizo flavored burger roll in a hot dog bun.  Heck, some of the hot dog folks may proclaim they prefer a burger just to get one.

Recipe for

Short cut skillet Lasagna

It’s another lovely day outside but a little cool.  I’m putting together a quick and easy short cut lunch in my favorite cooking tool, a cast iron skillet.  This one is a small meatless lunch for two that literally took under 5 minutes to assemble.  Out of my freezer I pulled a partial bag of cheese Ravioli and the other ingredients from the fridge and spice cabinet.  Here we go: