IMPOSSIBLY EASY CHICKEN POT PIE

 I do love chicken pot pie. 😍 When we lived in Ventura, CA, I loved to eat Marie Callender's pot pie. Back then (in the good old days) restaurants didn't have to include the calories on the menu so I didn't realize how many calories and how much sodium I was eating until  they started selling them in the grocery stores. I just wouldn't allow myself to buy them or eat them anymore.

I have found several really good recipes for making my own pot pies and today I am sharing another super easy and great tasting recipe inspired from Betty Crocker. I read the comments and revised the recipe. Wayne loved it. He didn't complain that it was needed some seasoning. 

IMPOSSIBLY EASY CHICKEN POT PIE

1-2/3  cups frozen mixed vegetables (dice a small potato and add to mixture if the mixed vegetables do not include them.)

1        cup cup-up cooked chicken (I used a 12.5 ounce can of cooked chicken)

1        can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup (I used reduced salt variety)

1        teaspoon Nature's Seasoning

Italian Seasoning

1        cup baking mix

1/2     cup milk

1        egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Mix frozen vegetables and diced potatoes if adding them and cooked chicken in a large mixing bowl.

Empty soup in a small bowl and add seasoning.

Pour soup over chicken and vegetables and stir til evenly distributed.

Spread mixture into an ungreased deep dish 9 - inch glass pie plate.

Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning as desired.

In a small mixing bowl, combine baking mix, milk, and egg with whisk til well blended.

Pour over the top of the mixture in the pie plate and

spread out to evenly cover the top.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Here are blurred pictures of our servings, but you can sorta see what the insides look like (I don't think I had my reading glasses on 😏):

PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

 Last Monday I decided to go to the Y and walk my 30 minutes against the current in the lazy river and then go to Hillcrest Thrift Shop to work an hour or two. That meant I couldn't be lazy and lay in bed like I sometimes do. I had made these Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Bars which weren't necessarily an "early morning snack" so that sounded like a good plan.

I got to the Y a little before 8:30 and had to wait a few minutes for a lifeguard to come over to supervise the lazy river. There are three locations for lifeguards at the Y - two sitting in stands watching over pools and then for the lazy river. At the lazy river, the lifeguard walks for the 30 minute shift around the inside of the river (the island). I always feel bad when I am the only person in the river and a lifeguard has to pull duty to make sure I am okay. 

I was almost through with my 30 minutes when several other members started coming to the river. Come to find out a 45 - minute class on the river started at 9. I don't know how I have missed this class, but I had and didn't know anything about it. I knew the teacher Amy and one of the members and joined the class. (I didn't know it was going to last 45 minutes.) Amy started the class with a warm-up walking around twice with the current. I told her I had just finished 30 minutes against the current. She smiled and told me to come on and walk. At 30 minutes I asked her how much longer the class lasted and she said about 13 minutes and didn't want me to quit. After the class ended I was invited to come back on Wednesday when they met at 11:00. After cleaning 2 hours at the thrift shop, I was on my way home about 12:15 exhausted! (When I went back on Wednesday, I only walked 10 minutes against the current before the class started.) I spent the afternoon watching a Hallmark Movie.

I chose this recipe because it was so easy and I knew the volunteers would enjoy the bars. I added a cup of peanut butter chips sprinkled on top which just added  more peanut butter taste. I used smooth peanut butter instead of the chunky. You could use a sugar-free yellow cake mix and reduce the sugar/calories.

PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

1     chocolate chip or yellow cake mix (I used a yellow cake mix with no pudding)

2     eggs

1/3  cup oil

1/2  cup chunky peanut butter (or smooth)

1     cup chocolate chips

3/4 - 1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together the dry cake mix, eggs, and oil Mix in peanut butter.

(I just mixed in the peanut butter with the cake mix, eggs, and oil.)

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pat the mixture into a 9 x 13 - inch pan.

Sprinkle enough peanut butter chips to give an even sprinkling.

Bake for 14 - 17 minutes, until golden brown.

Cut into bars to serve.

It's beginning to look like fall. I placed seven pint jars in one side of his granddaddy's tool box and then arranged some artificial fall looking flowers in the jars. I placed it on the hearth in front of the fireplace downstairs in the den. It will be easy to lift up the tool box and move it when we use the fireplace.

Some of the neighbors' maple trees are also starting to turn their beautiful colors, but I haven't taken any pictures yet. Will share some pictures when they have turned more. 

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE OATMEAL COOKIES

 I promise I do make sweets that do not contain chocolate...just not a lot of, I guess. If you are a chocoholic like we are, you don't need another recipe for chocolate cookies but this one. 

Can you imagine an oatmeal cookie that is chocolate and taste like a brownie? That what you get with this cookie. Even cold they taste like a brownie, but hot out of the oven - OMG. You will think you died and had gone to Heaven.

The recipe says each cookie contains 95 calories. Mine were less than that because I used 1/3 less fat Neufchatel for the cream cheese. I also used dark chocolate chips (60% cacao) which has less sugar than semisweet chocolate chips.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE OATMEAL COOKIES

2       cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate pieces OR 60% cacao dark chocolate chips, melted

1       8-ounce package cream cheese, room temperature (I used 1/3 less fat Neufchatel)

1/2    cup (1 stick) butter, softened or at room temperature

1       cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2    cup granulated sugar

2       eggs

1/2    teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3       cups Oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked) (I used old-fashioned)

1       cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

Powdered sugar(optional)

Beat together the cream cheese, butter, and sugars until creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Add melted chocolate and mix well.

Combine the flour and baking soda and then add to mixture; mix well.

Stir in oats and nuts; mix well.

Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop out dough with a cookie scoop and place at least 2 inches on cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are almost set. (Centers should still be moist. Do not overbake.)

Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet, remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. (I did not do this.) Store in a tightly covered container.

Makes about 7-1/2 dozen cookies.

Can you just taste that brownie center?

FRESH FRUIT SALAD

 Saturday I made some absolutely awesome Chocolate Brownie Oatmeal Cookies (to be shared later) and since the recipe made 7-1/2 dozen cookies, I shared them with several of our neighbors. When I took some to Neighbors Sara and Sly, Sara invited us over the next day for a light lunch before the Chiefs' football game.

Sara and Sly moved back to the area a year ago after living in Atlanta for five years. When they were here before, Sara was our handbell choir director at the church. Neither of us knew we were going to be neighbors when they bought the house on our street. Even though we had good intentions, we haven't been able to socialize together. They have a big deck on the back of their house that made keeping our social distance easy.

Sara contributed a green salad, curry chicken salad, and bread and I made a fresh fruit salad. I needed something to especially keep the bananas and apple wedges fresh and didn't really want to use yogurt or sour cream. This recipe turned out great.

I didn't really measure the amount of fruit I used, but I did measure the "dressing". It really isn't a dressing but I don't know what to call it. You can also use whatever fruit you wish to use. I used what I had on hand. If you feel you have more fruit than the dressing can coat, just make another batch of it.

FRESH FRUIT SALAD

Your choice of fresh fruit. I used:

Strawberries

Red grapes

Cantaloupe

Apples (unpeeled)

Bananas

Water/lemon juice solution for apple wedges and banana slices

DRESSING

2     tablespoons lemon juice

2     tablespoons lime juice

2     teaspoons pure maple syrup

1/2  teaspoon ground ginger

pinch of salt

I prepared the fruit: hulled the strawberries and cut them in wedges, and washed 2 small apples and cut in wedges and sliced the bananas

(I put each of these fruits in a bowl of cold water and lemon juice - I didn't measure just poured about a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice in the bowl with the iced water - to keep them from turning brown until I could combine all of the fruit together with the dressing.) I had already cut up a cantaloupe the day before. The grapes I just separated apart.

I combined the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl  until blended.

I layered the fruit in a large bowl and

poured about half of the dressing over the fruit. I gently tossed the fruit in the bowl mixing the fruit with the dressing.

Then I poured the rest of the dressing over the fruit and tossed some more.

I covered the bowl with plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator until we were ready to leave (about 15 minutes)

The leftovers I kept in the bowl, stirred the fruit to keep it coated with the dressing, and covered with plastic wrap. We finished eating the fruit the next day and Wayne enjoyed drinking the dressing.

It was a fun afternoon socially distanced and all, and we all look forward to more get-togethers in the future.

HOCHSTEDLER FAMILY'S BROWN STONE FRONT CAKE

 Now that I am back, sorta, volunteering at Hillcrest that means I am also back in my kitchen. The cooler temperatures (fall will be here officially tomorrow) also draw me to my kitchen. 

I said I am "sorta" back volunteering because I am still not back to the register (I really miss it though), but I am going in on Mondays (volunteers' day - store is closed) for an hour or two and clean around the registers and glass cases. I tell myself I am getting some good cardio and I am loving seeing and talking to the other volunteers. When I get through I go to the YMCA and walk my 30 minutes against the current in thee Lazy River.

Last week, I found this fabulous chocolate cake recipe from the Hochstedler Family Cookbook. I have made several recipes from this cookbook. This time I looked in the first section called "Grandma & Grandpa's Favorites. Leona, Emanuel and Mattie Hochstedler's daughter prefaced the recipe by saying, "Mom made a lot of these cakes. When I was 7 years old, I made this cake for the first time. I made it for Mom's birthday. Mom didn't use a lot of recipes."

I would love to know where the title came from. Brown Stone Front Cake. It is a delicious basic chocolate cake. My husband said he liked my chocolate cakes that also have chocolate chips in them. I bet you could add some chips to this recipe. She didn't mention anything about frosting the cake so I didn't. I just sifted some powdered sugar on top. A lot of the volunteers don't like real sweet desserts. The powdered sugar worked great, it didn't cover up the rich chocolate taste, but you could add your favorite chocolate icing if you wanted to.

BROWN STONE FRONT CAKE

2       cups flour

3/4    cup cocoa

1       teaspoon baking powder

1/2    cup (1 stick) butter (room temperature)

1-1/2 cups sugar

2       eggs

1/2    cup milk

1       teaspoon vanilla

1       teaspoon soda

1/2    cup hot water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 - inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. 

Sift flour, cocoa, and baking powder.

Set aside.

Cream butter, sugar, and eggs. 

Add flour mixture (3x) alternately with

milk.  Add vanilla.

Mix soda with hot water and

add to the batter.

Spread in pan and

bake for 30 to 35 minutes. 

This makes a very moist cake.

I sprinkled it with sifted powder sugar before

I cut it the next morning at the thrift shop..

HAPPY FALL ( a day early)🍂