I saw this recipe on my friend Aricia Puckett Style and really was dying to try it for a month or so now. My family LOVES chicken pot pie but I really could not find one that we loved the filling. This recipe was so easy and came out delicious. It makes a perfect comfort food dinner for a cold winter night.
Ingredients:
1 Pillsbury pie crusts frozen
1 Pillsbury pie crusts in box (for pie top)
2 grilled chicken breasts shredded
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 heaping tablespoon sour cream
1 package Frozen peas and carrots (or whatever frozen vegetables you like)
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350
Mix the chicken breasts, chicken soup, sour cream and frozen peas and carrots in a bowl
Spoon into frozen pie crust
Unroll box pie mix and cover, seal and flute
Cut slits on the top of the pie crust
Bake for 40 minutes until the crust is golden brown
A recommendation for this week’s book, What Kind Of Woman by Kate Baer came across my email. This book is so unique because it is a collection of poems that are uplifting for all the roles that women’s play in today’s world. It is the type of book that my readers say that they keep on their nightstand and reread constantly….Here is the summary:
An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller
“If you want your breath to catch and your heart to stop, turn to Kate Baer.”–Joanna Goddard, Cup of Jo
A stunning and honest debut poetry collection about the beauty and hardships of being a woman in the world today, and the many roles we play – mother, partner, and friend.
“When life throws you a bag of sorrow, hold out your hands/Little by little, mountains are climbed.” So ends Kate Baer’s remarkable poem “Things My Girlfriends Teach Me.” In “Nothing Tastes as Good as Skinny Feels” she challenges her reader to consider their grandmother’s cake, the taste of the sea, the cool swill of freedom. In her poem “Deliverance” about her son’s birth she writes “What is the word for when the light leaves the body?/What is the word for when it/at last, returns?”
Through poems that are as unforgettably beautiful as they are accessible, Kate Bear proves herself to truly be an exemplary voice in modern poetry. Her words make women feel seen in their own bodies, in their own marriages, and in their own lives. Her poems are those you share with your mother, your daughter, your sister, and your friends. – Amazon.com
For More Information or to purchase this book, click HERE.
I recently discovered a really unique handcrafted jewelry company called Cosenza, NYC. Through their limited edition collections, they really captured the beauty of the layering necklace trend, which is still going strong BTW. And, at a very good price point. The designs are inspired by the sparkling beaches and ancient castles of the town, Cosenza Italy, where the founders, Mia and Maria’s family was originally from.
Cosenza offers a curated collection of everyday jewelry wearable “from the beach to the castle.” Available at a friendly price point, you can layer and style these pieces with almost anything, and not have to worry about packing them in your suitcase.
You can shop the entire collection HERE and they also highlight for you the many ways that you can mix and match all of their styles and pieces.
I was first introduced to Cutco by a friend’s son years ago. I ordered a few things to support his business but I never expected to become a fan. I try to buy something from Cutco a couple of times a year. My husband swears they are the best knives we have in our kitchen. In fact he particularly loves the “trimmer”. In case you did not know about Cutco, they are all American made knives that come in 3 colors, classic black, pearl white and red. They are 100% GUARANTEED FOREVER: Forever Performance Guarantee, Forever Sharpness Guarantee. Every purchase comes with a 15 Day Unconditional Money Back Guarantee so you can try it out for 3 weeks risk free. All products are dishwasher safe and are made with an exclusive Double D Edge, which will stay shart for a minimum of 7 to 10 years.
Cutco also sells gift sets, like steak knives and awesome gadgets too
A friend’s daughter Caroline Neave is selling Cutco and has recently launched her business. She has great sales calls via Zoom and I loved hearing about all the new and most popular products from last year. You can contact here at cneave@stanford.edu.
Here are some of her best selling picks…..And don’t forget to scroll to the end for an awesome recipe from Cutco…..
The Petite Chef
The Santoku-Style Trimmer (this is next on my list).
The Handy Knife
The Petite Slicer
The Vegetable Knife
The Trimmer
The Spreader
The Cheese Knife
I asked Caroline for one of Cutco’s best recipes and she shared this with us. I love Stuffed Peppers and never thought of making them with Orzo. I also love that Carolin shared what Cutco tools she used.
STUFFED PEPPERS WITH ORZO
Ingredients
Recipe:
- 3 bell peppers, (one each of red, green and yellow) halved, seeded and stem removed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup orzo
- 1 (16-ounce) can chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Topping:
- 12 grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh chopped basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Heat oven to 375 F.
- Place the pepper halves on a baking sheet and using one tablespoon of olive oil, drizzle it on the inside of the pepper halves.
- Bake peppers for approximately 10 minutes, until tender.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium heat, adding the onion and garlic. Cook until tender – approximately 3 minutes.
- Add the shredded chicken, black pepper and cumin and cook until the chicken is warm.
- Add the orzo and chicken broth to the pan, simmering until the orzo is cooked and the broth is absorbed – approximately 12 minutes.
- Spoon the chicken and orzo mixture into your bell pepper halves and sprinkle with your grated cheese.
- Bake in the oven at 375 F for approximately 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Mix together the grape tomatoes, olive oil, basil and salt and pepper.
- Spoon the tomato mixture evenly over the top of your peppers and serve.
Recommended Tools
- Santoku-Style Cheese Knife (I have this and it is amazing)
- 7-5/8” Petite Chef
- Stainless Dinner Fork
Cutco Piece Descriptions
1. Paring Knife (2-3/4”):
Cutco’s “Air Knife”
Long handle — comfortable & safe
2. Trimmer:
“Small Utility Knife” Small fruits/veggies Bar knife
Trims fats off of meats Versatile!!!
3. Spatula Spreader:
60-second sandwich maker (cut, spread & serve)!
Great baking tool (e.g. icing cakes)
4. Petite Carver (6-3/4”):
“Large Utility Knife”
Everyday meat knife
Great for large summer fruits (e.g. pineapple)
5. Petite Chef (7-5/8”):
“Hand held food processor” Dicing, mincing, chopping High knuckle clearance
6. Butcher Knife:
“Heavy Duty”
Cut ribs, disjoint chickens Large fruits & vegetables
7. Carver (9”):
Great for larger roasts like turkey, chicken, pork
BBQ season & family occasions
8. Slicer (9-3/4”):
Best bread knife!!!
Long DD edge: great for cutting cakes, shredding lettuce for salad, slicing boneless meats
9. Turning Fork:
Important part of master carving set — picks the food up
10. Carving Fork:
Important part of master carving set — holds food down (so it does not escape
cutting board)
11. Table Knives:
Most important tool! Use for breakfast, lunch & dinner
Wide blade and rounded tip make it safer than traditional steak knife & great for spreading
DD edge — cuts just like a steak knife
It’s a new year, so why don’t you get into the spirit of things and make a fresh start on yourself? Too many people – especially women – suffer from self-confidence issues. For whatever reason, you don’t feel totally comfortable in yourself, and you lack confidence. Well, you’re about to see a few subtle ways you can change this and feel far more confident in 2021 and beyond! I have also incorporated a bunch of daily swipe ups on my Instagram stories, of current, fashion, beauty, and health items to keep you feeling the best you can be all year round.
Improve your smile
A smile says a lot about a person – people who smile a lot are often seen as very confident. However, you may avoid smiling or smile with your mouth shut because you don’t like your teeth. They could be stained or wonky, becoming a major cause of your confidence issues. You can change this in a couple of subtle ways. Firstly, consider some clear braces to straighten your teeth without anyone knowing. Then, get some home teeth whitening kits to get rid of the stains. In a few weeks, you’ll have a straight smile with white teeth! Now, you feel more inclined to smile all the time, boosting your confidence to the high heavens.
And if you’ve got gum issues, you can sort out gum diseases with the dentist in Williamsburg.
Dress to impress…yourself!
We’re all guilty of getting caught up in different fashion trends now and then. Younger women and teens are probably more inclined to do this than others. In essence, you see certain fashion items become popular, which makes you go out and buy them. You’re dressing to try and stay fashionable and impress others, but you may not feel comfortable in what you’re wearing. In turn, this leads to confidence issues as you’re wearing clothes and thinking ‘oh boy, I really can’t pull something like this off.’ The simple fix is to dress to impress one person only: yourself! Wear clothes that you like and that make you feel comfortable. That’s the key to self-confidence: feel comfortable in your skin and the confidence will flow.
Change your hairstyle
Giving yourself a change of hairstyle is another excellent way to feel more confident. It’s this idea that you make a change and almost feel like a new person. This might mean giving yourself a fringe, cutting your hair shorter, dying it blonde, etc. Doing something different can help you feel like you’re turning a page and starting a new chapter in your life. Plus, the benefit of making a hairstyle change is that people notice it right away. Especially if it’s an obvious change – like dying your hair or switching up the style. This leads to lots of compliments that act as positive reinforcement for you! It’s great to see so many people comment on how cute your new hair is – it fills you with confidence.
You see, confidence can be found with just a few subtle changes. Mostly, it’s about identifying the main causes of your self-consciousness. Sadly, for most of us, the causes tend to revolve around the way we look. So, a change to different aspects of your looks can help you iron out self-consciousness and feel a lot more positive.
It seems like peace can be hard to find at any age. We’re all in this mess together, both young and old. And we have all seen how the isolation of quarantine has affected all of our family members, most importantly our elderly parents. At least when you’re young, you can embrace the madness somewhat, and see where it leads you. When you’re older, a lack of peace becomes more problematic. There’s no denying the fact that the older you are, the less amount of time you have. And if you haven’t found peace, then that can cause a lot of heartache and anguish. As a capable adult, you’ll be in a position to help your aging parents find peace. Here’s how.
Keep the Good Times Rolling
It’d be sad to live with the knowledge that all your happy moments were behind you. But who says that has to be the case? As people get older, they’re much less likely to be a self-starter; they’re unlikely to make grand things happen in their lives. But that doesn’t mean that they’ve lost the capacity to experience joy and have fun. If you’re going to do something exciting, then why not look at inviting them along? It’s sometimes worthwhile really emphasizing how much their presence will mean to you, because sometimes older people can be a little resistant. They’ll love it when they’re there.
Find The Right Living Arrangement
It’s hard to feel at peace if you feel like you’re living in the wrong environment. A place might not be right for many reasons, such as it’s not friendly for people with reduced mobility, or it’s too isolated. At some stage, it might be best to look at nursing homes. But remember that even these spaces can be problematic. If you suspect that your parents aren’t being treated as well as they should, then you’ll need to get in touch with experienced nursing home abuse lawyers. While it can be a process to find the ideal living arrangement for older people, it’s a journey that’s a worthwhile undertaking, since it can have such a big impact on their happiness.
Make Emergency Arrangements
Your parents might be a little bit worried about various aspects of life, such as their financial standing or what they’ll do if they fall in the home. While you can’t keep all of these problems at bay, you can help to put their mind at ease by making emergency arrangements. If they know there’s a plan in place should they have a medical emergency, then they’ll feel all the better for it.
Trips Down Memory Lane
It can be hard to feel as if the world is moving on without you. Your parents will have lived full lives, with many happy moments — you’ll be included in many of those memories. As they get older, take some time to take a trip down memory lane. This will give them an opportunity to relive some of the happy moments of their lives, and give you a chance to get to them better. Opening up a bottle of wine, going through some old photographs, and sharing stories is a surefire way to have a fun evening.