Chicken Pot Pie

I LOVE Chicken Pot Pie...and so does my family...

I love it so much that anytime I cook a meal for a friend

this is my go to recipe...

try it...you can thank me later...

INGREDIENTS

Crust

1 box Pillsbury refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

Filling

1/3  cup butter or margarine

1/3  cup chopped onion

1/3  cup all-purpose flour

1/2  teaspoon salt

1/4  teaspoon pepper

1 3/4 cups Progresso chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

1/2 cup milk

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey

2 cups Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

 

DIRECTIONS

 1  Heat oven to 425°F. Make pie crusts as directed on box for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch glass pie pan.

 2  In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.

3  Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust. 

4  Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Bryson asked me today to make this for dinner...This recipe is great for busy moms...Sometimes I double the filling part of the recipe and freeze it...then on a busy weekday I just thaw it out and throw it into a pie crust for quick but homemade meal!

24 Day challange/ MY before and after photos

I debated weather or not to post these pictures for days...You see...I have been hiding for a long time...hiding from others and from myself...I have been so embarrassed of my weight and what I look like that it has effected my life...daily...I have never posted a picture on facebook (or anywhere else)of anything but my face...EVER...when my boys grow up...they will have few pictures of me with them...because anytime a camera comes out...I hide...when I visit my hometown...I rarely leave the house in fear that someone I grew up with will see me...and I avoid looking at pictures of myself...because...well...the truth is hard to accept...It's hard to be so afraid of failure to even try to better yourself...BUT...in order to succeed...I have to take control of my fear...I have to stop hiding...I am who I am...and the amazing thing is...if I don't like something about myself...I can choose to change it...and I have chosen just that...to change my body and the way I see myself...April 1 I started the Advocare 24 day challenge...and I made it...I have lost a total of 18.4 lbs and I have no idea how many inches...I could kick myself for not measuring my body when I started... but sadly... I wasn't ready to face it...the scale was all I could take that day...I took these photos on day 1 and day 23...same clothes...same hair and same spot... I apologize for the lack of make up...I was forced to take both sets of pictures at the last minute...but now... I'm glad I did...sharing these photos is very hard for me...I'm so afraid of putting myself out there...because I don't want to be judged or made fun of...but if I can do it...anyone can...and it's nice to finally be proud of  something...

 

The challenge is over...and I so glad I chose to do it...I am FAR from my goal weight...so...I am going to treat myself to a "cheat day"...have a great meal...and start the Max phase all over again tomorrow! 

 

 

BREAKTHROUGH/The start of my weightloss journey

Its been awhile since I posted on this blog...I made it almost a year ago to replace the "old blog"...I wanted to start fresh...since I had just started a new chapter in my life...I had just become a stay at home mom and a new mother (it had been 10 years since I had a baby in my arms!)  It has been crazy busy around here and the SUPERMOM I thought was going to have time to blog...didn't...We have finally settled into quite a nice routine...and it only took us 10 months...HA...I guess that's one month for each year I was out of commission...anyway...since dear Jonas started sleeping through the night and I somewhat became a normal functioning human again...I decided it was time to make some changes in my life...I have been overweight for the last TEN YEARS...when I was pregnant with Bryson (my first born son) I gave myself a free pass to eat whatever I wanted...whenever I wanted...and after nine months of that...I gained 60lbs...YES...60lbs...I went from a normal 155 lbs to an overweight 210 lbs...and guess what...when that perfect 8 pound 8ounce baby emerges into the world...he doesn't bring the other 51 pounds and 8 ounces with him...I was a young mother...only 20 years old...and the adjustment into motherhood was a hard one for me...I felt insecure as a mother...and as a woman(with a new Ugly body) that didn't help one bit...so I turned to food as my comfort...even though I had a great husband and an amazing baby...that  brought so much JOY to my life...I also had a lifelong relationship with my depression...the next 10 years brought along miscarriages, family struggles and even a divorce...BUT I also became a Christian, repaired my marriage, became educated about my depression and found the perfect medication, was blessed with a new baby and a new job...my life is now better than it has ever been...but my behind is also bigger than it has ever been...God has given me a fresh start in life...just because he LOVES me...and now it's time to love myself...I don't want to be ashamed of the way I look anymore...I don't want to be to tired to be the best mom I can be anymore... and I don't want to be the girl that is to embarrassed of herself to even set foot in a gym anymore...I don't want to continue to be the person I have become...so afraid of the huge task of getting back to a healthy weight...to even attempt it...on April 1st I decided to start the Advocare 24 day challenge...I am now on day 22 just 2 days left...and I can proudly say that I have not given up...not once...I have lost weight (I can't wait to see the total on Wednesday) and feel great...I have energy and feel a little more like the old me...you would never guess from looking at me now... that I was a runner in high school...I ran 5 miles a day without fail...and just because I LOVED it...it was my passion...my escape...and I always felt like I could conquer the world after a run...That brings me to my breakthrough...It happened on my walk tonight...I was thinking about how much I used to LOVE running...and how I had been so overweight for so long that it had been 13 years since I had even tried to run...then...I had a thought...what if I tried to run right now...I continued to walk because along with that thought came others...what if someone sees me...how stupid will I look... and I probably can't do it anyway...but then I DID IT...I started to run...and even though it was more of a very slow jog...for me it was much more...it was the girl I used to be telling me she was still in there somewhere...I jogged about half a mile...and it was hard...and I almost quit a few times...but the hope of someday being a real runner again kept me going...when I finished I cried like a crazy woman...I cried all the way home...because I ran...I ran for the first time in 13 years...and because of that I know I can do this...I know I can lose the weight...the physical weight AND the emotional weight that has been holding me back!  Wish me luck!

Teacher's First Day of School Gift

Every year since Bryson started his school career we have given his teacher a gift on the first day of school or on Meet the Teacher Day...the past few years I was running around getting everything ready for both of us to start school that we gave more practical...store bought gifts...like colorful post-its and pens wrapped in ribbon...but this year...being a SAHM I was really excited to take the time to MAKE something...so when we finally got the post card in the mail telling us who his teacher was...i was ready to create!

This is the post card Bryson got from his Principal ...isn't this the neatest thing!  His school has the best administrators and i am very excited for the new year...

 things started out great...Bryson was ready to paint...

 but about at this point point...he jumped ship...and can you guess who was left to do the work? YEP...little o'l me...

 I did finish and i think i did pretty good...if i do say so myself...on the first day of school Bryson asked me to give the gift to the teacher "cause it's lame for a kid to bring that to school" oh my...I think from now on teacher gifts will have to be from mommy...cause you know...i wouldn't want to make anyone seem lame!

thank goodness i have Jonas to start all over with...it wont be long before we are making his teachers gifts!

Bryson's First Day of School/ 4th Grade

Bryson's first day of 4th Grade was on Monday August 27, 2012...this year was pretty hard on the old Mama...first of all...he was way to cool to be bothered with pictures...I got the three on this post by begging...then bribing...and when that didn't work...I said it...the thing you vow as a kid NEVER to say to your kids when you grow up..."You will take a picture for me BECAUSE I SAID SO" even typing the words makes me cringe...but I was an emotional wreck sending my baby back to school...so in my mind that excuses me...right?  There was a different feel in the house this time because Bryson now has a baby brother...Jonas...who arrived this summer...and for the first time ever...he had to leave a sibling behind when he went to school...here they are that morning...When Bryson came home from school...I asked him how his day was...he replied..."Good...but I thought about Jonas all day"  I love his big brother heart!

 I can't believe my once little red headed...brown eyed baby is now a 4th grader...who by the way...informed me as I walked him to his class... that this would be the last year I was allowed to do so...as he walked about 10 steps ahead of me...oh.my.aching.heart...How do I let go of my baby?  Do I really have to? 

just last year (when I was working) and couldn't walk him to class on the first day of school...he held my hand before he got out of the car a little teary eyed...what I would give now to go back and walk him into school that day...I will not take one moment of being a stay at home mom for granted...EVER! 

Me and the boys...that morning...it seems like just yesterday Bryson was as little as Jonas!

Dear Bryson,

I am so proud of you...you are growing up to be an amazing kid...I think that your 4th grade year will be the best one yet...I hope you understand that this sometimes embarrassing mother...always has your best interest at heart...and even though you may not have been thrilled to have me do all the things us mom's do on the first day of school...I want you to know that I will always be there for you...no matter what!

I love you...my sweet boy,

                                 Mommy

Redefining June Cleaver

I have recently become a stay at home mom to my two amazing boys. I LOVE the IDEA of the perfect 50's housewife/mother...with a modern twist...I would love to be like June Cleaver but really...I don't think she would approve of the piles of laundry and the dishes in the sink (that I am currently ignoring) so that I can write this post at 11:40 PM while the boys are asleep! So...maybe redefine her...to apply to me...as a 2013 housewife and mother that sometimes has no idea what she is doing...drinks way to much coffee...has a "catch all" room to throw anything and everything into when guest are coming...makes LOTS of mistakes...and is addicted to reality TV...BUT loves her boys and wants to give them the best home life possible...I made this blog for my boys to be able to look back at and see that even though we may not have been "The Cleavers" we loved each other and made our own version of a Happy Family!