Fab Mini Pot Pies!

These are a new favorite of my Sunday Dinner guests! I have started making and freezing them for those-I don't want to cook days.

Makes six 5 1/2-inch individual pies

Ingredients

• 3 whole chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds each), bone in, skin on
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 quart homemade or canned chicken stock
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 large coarsely chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 package (about 8 ounces) frozon green beans (I like french style)
• 1 cup diced carrots

(really you can use whatever veggies you like and however much you like)

• 1/8 cup parsley
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 packs Pie Crust
• 1 large egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet, and rub with olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place in oven, and roast until cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and, when cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and skin, and cut into 1-inch dice. Set aside.
2. Combine the chicken stock and bouillon cubes in a medium saucepan, and heat, making sure bouillon cubes have dissolved. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute until translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the flour, and cook on low heat, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the reserved hot chicken stock, and let simmer, stirring often, until thickened, about 3 minutes more. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, heavy cream, green beans, carrots, parsley, Parmesan cheese, and reserved chicken; mix well.
4. Roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Spray the bottom of the ovenproof bowls with Pam or butter. Cut out dough to line the bottom and sides of your bowls.
5. Divide chicken mixture among six 5 1/2-inch ovenproof bowls; set aside to cool. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out each piece of dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thick. Cut three circles from each, making a round slightly larger than the top of each bowl. Brush outside rim of bowl with egg wash, place a round of dough over each bowl, fold the dough over the top, and trim edges about 1 inch below the top. Repeat until all the bowls are covered in dough. *I like to cut out sapes with mini cookie cutters and top the pies instead of one single round piece.
6. Brush the tops with egg wash; make two or three slits in the top of each with a sharp knife. Sprinkle tops with salt; bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 45 min. to 1 hour.

Mascarpone and Chocolate Stuffed French Toast

I have had this recipe in one of my recipe binders (what I had before the internet file sites like Pinterest) for few years. I found it and thought I would start trying some of the “need to try” recipes I had taken the time to cut or rip out.  I am not sure where this one came from to give the credit, but it was quite good.

I thought this called for too much chocolate chips originally, so I cut it back…..I was incorrect…stay with the suggested amount!

Mascarpone and Chocolate Stuffed French Toast

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ cup sour cream

1 cup mascarpone cheese

12 slices of brioche, 1” -2” thick

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

8 tablespoons butter

4 eggs

Fresh fruit of your choice (I used blackberries, strawberries, and bananas)

In a medium mixing bowl combine: mascarpone, sour cream, and granulated sugar. Half each piece of bread, make a split down the middle and fill with the mixture and about 2 tablespoons chocolate chips.

Heat a large griddle over medium heat, melt enough butter to coat the pan. Soak the stuffed toast in the beaten eggs, each side. Saute until each side is golden brown.

Wash and cut the fruit of your choice and display with the French toast.

This Old House

As is life, my plans and life as it "should have been" have long passed. But the life I have actually come to lead is pretty great. The past year I felt as if my life was at a standstill. Trying to find a house for almost a year, finding 12 I liked and 3 I loved…..all getting multiple offers the day I was ready to put mine in. All of my friends except for one are married (or might as well be married) and/or have kids. When the opportunity to move 16 hours away, but close to my sisters came up how could I really say no? I looked at almost 70 houses in three days…the house of my dreams was #20…..God let me have it, and here I am! The perfect house built in 1950 with the charm to match and many different places to entertain and share beautiful food. The charm does outweigh the problems of a house built 62 years ago, and it will take time to create the vision I have for it, I have no doubt this is where I am meant to be.

A few pieces of luggage...

I put my vintage trunks to use in place of where a dresser might be in my guest room.

Nice rack...

The built in dresser opposite one of the my sinks in the master bathroom, makes for a perfect jewelry chest and display. My dad had the European Mount in his barn. He let me have it for holding some of my necklaces. My room being primarily white tones, I spray painted the scull and antlers an off white to create a more finished and subtle look.