Chicken Pot Pie

Tonight I am using a neighbor's Chicken Pot Pie recipe for dinner.  Although this warm temperature doesn't provoke thoughts of creamy pot pie, with Christmas around the corner I felt like a home-style meal tonight.

Chicken Pot Pie

• 2 deep dish pie shells 
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup (per a friend's suggestion I am using cream of chicken with herbs)
• 1or 2 cans of veg-all vegetables (or combination of fresh & frozen veggie mix- I used carrots, celery, onion, peas & corn)
• 2-3 cups cooked chicken 
• 1/2 cup milk 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme

1. Boil chicken in chicken broth.  After it is cool cut in to small pieces 
2. Reserve broth and boil fresh or frozen vegetables for 5 minutes and drain.
3. Pre heat oven 375 degrees 
4. Mix chicken, vegetables, soup and milk in a medium bowl 
5. Add salt and pepper to taste and thyme
6. Pour mixture in pie crust cover with 2nd pie crust 
7. Cook pie for about 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Christmas Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Recipe

Re-posted from SimplyRecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 large eggs, well beaten
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 3 cups rolled oats (We use Quaker Quick or Old Fashioned. Do NOT use instant.)
• 1 cups raisins (or cranraisins)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method

1 Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two large cookie sheets or line with Silpat, parchment paper or waxed paper.
2 In a large mixing bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs. Add vanilla.
3 Mix flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in medium bowl. Stir dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture. Stir in raisins and nuts. Stir in oats.
4 Spoon out dough by large tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving at least 2 inches between each cookie.
5 Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Then carefully remove them, using a metal spatula, to a wire rack. Cool completely. They will be quite soft until completely cooled. Store tightly covered.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Original NESTLÉ TOLL HOUSE Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

Hershey Peanut Butter Blossoms

Ingredients

• 36 HERSHEY®'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 pouch Betty Crocker® Peanut Butter Cookie Mix
• Granulated sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

Stir cookie mix, oil, water and egg in a medium bowl until soft dough forms.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

About 3 dozen cookies