Chicken Pot Pie Puffs

So Blogging… not my thing. Or maybe I’m just not very good at finishing projects after I start them. I have several blog topics to write for craft projects I’ve undertaken, but I have yet to find the time to write the posts. Some day.

Anyway, I’ll get back into it with a post about my latest kitchen concoction: Chicken Pot Pie Puffs. I love making finger food. I believe that any dish can be turned into a tasty one- or two-bite version. Proof of this are my Pizza Cups, which have become my husband’s favorite meal. (Another blog post for another day.) I thought “chicken pot pie is good” and decided to make it into a finger food. So here goes:

Chicken Pot Pie Puffs
Makes about 14 regular muffin-sized cups

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
1/2 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1 cup hot water
3/4 cup milk
2 cups chicken, cooked & chopped
6 oz frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 can crescent rolls

Directions:

1. Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and add flour, salt and pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring often, until bubbly.
2. Whisk in bouillon, water and milk until dissolved, then cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until boiling.
3. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in chicken and vegetables. Set aside.
4. Open crescent rolls (keep rolled up) and slice the roll into 14 rounds. On a lightly floured surface, gently roll each round until it is about 4-5 inches in diameter and large enough to line a regular-sized muffin cup.
5. Pre-bake the crescent roll cups at 375 degrees for about 3-4 minutes. (I didn’t do this step and they came out a bit doughy on the bottom when the cups were brown on top, so I would recommend it.)
6. Spoon the chicken and vegetable mixture into the crescent roll cups, filling completely. (I used a small cookie scoop and it took about 1 1/2 scoops per cup.)
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until the crescent roll cups are browned. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes for the filling to cool and set. Serve warm.

Hope you enjoy! More cooking, crafts and home projects to come!

Crystal

 

A Late Start to a New Year’s Resolution…

Today is February 19th. Which means that I’m 50 days late on starting one of my most important New Year’s Resolutions–the ever-present “this year I’m going to be more active, eat better and live an overall healthier life.” While I have spent a little over a season of Dawson’s Creek on the elliptical and am soon to achieve semi-pro status at Just Dance 3, I haven’t been living up to the goal. That stops today.. er.. maybe tomorrow.

I’ve been searching for the best way for me to fulfill this goal–because although I have several fitness activities that I can do in my home, I lack the motivation to actually DO them. I have an elliptical; hand weights; numerous DVDs like Jillian Michaels’ 6-week Six Pack and Tae-Bo; Wii Zumba, Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus and Wii Active… but none of that helps if I don’t actually do them.

My biggest hurdle (excuse) is figuring out what time works for me to exercise. I’ve tried the 5am workouts, but I find it hard to breathe or move in the morning, which means that I do severely less intense workouts, which makes it completely not worth it. During the work day is not an option for me, even though my building has a gym and a locker room with showers, because if I take that long of a lunch, I’ll be at work half the night to make up my time. I’ve tried after work, but I get home at 5:00 and am STARVING and can’t wait another hour to start making dinner. Working out too late means I toss and turn and can’t sleep. I need more hours in my day! If I was in charge of the world, I would shorten the work day and instate mandatory “active time.” When is the best time for you to work out?

So I started to think about what I can do to get over my hurdles, and I realized that if I want to live a healthier life style, then I’m just going to have to suck it up and stop making excuses. Then I started thinking about how I best operate, which is on a schedule. If I make a commitment to someone else and can put something on my calendar, there is a far better chance that I will actually follow through than if I’m just making a verbal commitment to myself. I started doing some Googling and came up with the perfect solution:

Zumba. It’s all the rage. I’ve seen the infomercials and thought “that looks like fun but my hips don’t move like that.” I have never participated in a group fitness class; I have never in my life taken dance; I’m incredibly shy and hate doing new things by myself. The City of Grimes Park & Rec offers a Zumba class once per week. That’s a start! So I, with a little reluctance, signed up. I had my first class last Wednesday and it was so much fun! I was amazed at how easily I was able to tune out the 20+ other people in the room, and it was just like following along with the Wii at home.

As for my workout time issue, Zumba is at 6:30 pm, so I’ll eat a healthy snack when I get home from work at 5 to get me through until class is over, then I will eat a small dinner when I get home from class. Then I eat less in addition to getting more exercise. That’s win-win!

I started wondering what other fitness classes I could find, and even in my little town of Grimes, it turns out there are several–enough that I’m interested in to fill 5 of the remaining 6 days. My husband and I are going to the Grimes YMCA today to get signed up. For one income-based monthly fee, I can attend all of the YMCA-sponsored classes I want in addition to taking advantage of the cardio machines and weights. And we get access to any of the Des Moines area YMCA facilities. Let the fitness begin!

 

New Year, New Blog Theme

I’m changing the theme of my blog.. I’m no longer focusing on “Google that $hit,” although I may from time to time revisit the old topic. Instead, I’m going with a new theme of “Home by Mistretta,” in which I will share the successes and failures, fun times and hardships on my husband’s and my quest to turn our home into our home. This will include: home improvement projects, gardening, cooking and baking, crafts, and anything else that we do around the house that someone might find interesting. I can’t wait to get started, and I hope you’ll enjoy what I have to share!

-camistretta

 

Search Term of the Day: “weiner wink”

Okay, technically, I Googled this yesterday. And really, credit is due to Amy for bringing up the term. But it’s too funny not to post about it.

At lunch yesterday, we were talking about hot dogs and my friend Amy brought up a “weiner wink,” which resulted in a chorus of sideways glances from the rest of us who were like “are you serious?” Cause really, weiner wink sure doesn’t sound like a food item, but rather somthing a bit more.. how shall I put it.. risque. So, they turned to me to Google that $h!t. A search for “weiner wink” yielded a top result of, sure enough, a hot dog and cheese slice wrapped turnover-style with a in a piece of white bread:

This is a Weiner Wink. Click the image to view a recipe at Allrecipes.com.

 So the moral of today’s story: Don’t doubt Amy; what she says may sound crazy, but she’s probably right.

 

Search Term of the Day: “greek yogurt muffins”

At my friend Erin’s wedding a few weekends ago, she had these Blueberry Greek Yogurt cakes from Costco that were DELICIOUS (I’m considering getting a membership just to have access to these delightful treats). They’re 100 calories each and much tastier and more filling than a giant blueberry muffin from anywhere else. They were light, spongy and amazing. No need for butter.

So I thought I would delight my coworkers in the morning with some Greek yogurt muffins in Almond Poppyseed, Blueberry and Chocolate Zucchini. I Googled “greek yogurt muffins” and found a recipe that looked easy and had good ratings.

Not the case. I threw the batch away (sorry coworkers–no breakfast treats tomorrow). They were heinously gummy (yet not undercooked) and had no flavor at all. (My husband is under the distinct belief that they were ‘cardboard’ flavored.) Certainly not the airy texture of the source of my inspiration.

Does anyone have a good muffin or cake recipe using Greek Yogurt instead of all of the oil or butter of traditional recipes?

 

How My Container Garden is Coping with 100+ Degree Days

A quick follow up on my container garden.. none of these plants, although they want 8+ hours of sun, want 100-degree weather day after day. They’re shriveling up. My dill is quite possibly dead with no chance of recovery. My dianthus, which were beginning to bud, have said “f-you” to life and regressed to practically nothing. The only strong survivors are the lavendar and lemon-thyme. My begonias had also started to blossom, but they’re wilting quickly. Miraculously, a little time in the garage has saved my red bell pepper. It was a sad little plant but a little water and shade brought it right back.

I can only hope for some relief from this heat–if not for myself, but for my poor, helpless plants!

 

Moon Pies, Whoopie Pies and Macaroons

I was browsing through recipes in one of the many daily e-newsletters I get and saw a recipe (and by recipe, I mean picture) of a macaroon, and it looked a lot like the whoopie pies that Top Chef contestant always love to make. Then I saw a picture of a moon pie, and I realized that I do not know the difference. Lucky for you, I’m here to clear it up, once and for all.

Search term #1: moon pie. Moon Pie^® is a brand trademarked by the Chattanooga Bakery in 1919. It is a layer of marshmallow sandwiched between two circular graham crackers and coated in chocolate. The Moon Pie was really embraced by working men in the 1930s, due to it being oversized and filling. Check out this recipe from Food Network to make your own moon pie.

Search term #2: whoopie pie. A whoopie pie is comprised of two round, mound-shaped pieces of cake with a creamy filling or frosting between them. Supposedly, they got their name from farmers who exclaimed “Whoopie!” when they found one of these delightful desserts in their lunchbox, which their wives most likely made from left over cake batter. Make your own whoopie pie from Food Network’s recipe.

Search term #3: macaroon. A macaroon is a light, baked confection that is cake-like or meringue-like in nature. The main ingredients are almond paste, egg whites beaten to stiff peaks and finely ground almonds or coconut. The name comes from the Italian word maccarone, which is derived from ammaccre, meaning crush or beat. Alton Brown has a coconut macaroon recipe you’ll be sure to love.

So there you have it, the difference between a moon pie, whoopie pie and a macaroon. In short they’re a cookie, a cake and a confection. And just in case this gave you the baking bug, I’ve included a link to a Food Network recipe for each to make at home. Enjoy!