So I did what I do. I made chicken pot pie. It is a most effective way to  trap my family at home.

The recipe is from one of my all time favorite new cookbooks: Chicken and Egg. It’s charming. And check out author Janice Cole’s blog. Equally charming. I’d love to be neighbors ~ chickens and all.

I added a heart atop the pot pie. Because I am a Valentine freak.

Then I scooped the delicious into bowls and handed them to my TV entranced family.

And there she sat. Wrapped in a blanket watching the Super Bowl at home.

It’s powerful pot pie. :)

Chicken Pot Pie

1 sheet frozen puff pastry * 4 T butter * 1/2 c chopped shallots * 3 large garlic cloves, minced * 1/2 c all-purpose flour * 1 1/2 c chicken broth * 1/2 c white wine * one bunch asparagus tips * 2 c sliced mushrooms * 6 small red potatoes, unpeeled & diced * 1 T chopped fresh rosemary * 1/2 t chopped fresh thyme * 1/2 chopped fresh sage * 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt * 1/4 t freshly ground pepper * 3 cups chopped cooked chicken (I used Central Market’s Lemon Rosemary chicken breasts)

Thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Butter an 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the shallots and garlic for 30 to 40 seconds or until they begin to soften and smell fragrant. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in the broth and wine.  Bring to a boil. Stir in the mushrooms, potatoes, asparagus, rosemary, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and simmer for 3 minutes. Spoon the chicken mixture into the baking dish.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry to a 13 x 9- inch rectangle. Drape over the baking dish, gently pressing the pastry where it touches the rim of the dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Use a spoon to scoop out the chicken mixture, topping each serving with a piece of pastry.

I adapted this recipe from Janice’s. I omitted carrots and peas. I added asparagus, sage, thyme and white wine. To see her original recipe, click here. And by all means ~ buy the book.  It’s really wonderful. If you buy the book on my amazon favorites, I’ll get a teensy kickback.

And oh, maybe you’re wondering ~ does this work for The 21 Day Fast Diet? It works great for the first couple phases but there is a little sugar in that puff pastry, so make sure you account for it. Make it your One Bite or just skip the pastry ~ then you’re good!

And my mom, why she had these coolio sterling straws for us growing up. The eco-kind Oprah likes. I don’t know where my mom got them. Probably in Acapulco. That was a fun thing to do in the 60′s and 70′s.  All I do know is that they are a serious favorite of mine. So much so that I have a whole collection of faux sterling straws. (Stainless straws.) Not nearly as neat as the Acapulco sterling straws.

I had originally planned on talking about my favorite roses.

I pick them up on ocassion. Carolyn, in the floral at Randall’s on Mesa, told me about them. They’re called Vendela roses and Carolyn told me they bloom slow and sweet then last about 2 weeks. She speaks the truth. (Please do not share this information or there will be a run on my favorite roses.)

Meanwhile, while I was taking pretty pictures of the roses, I realized a truth. I took the straw out of my coffee cup because I didn’t want to have to explain that I drink my Americano with a metal straw.

See, no straw. Who drinks Americanos with a straw? And then who deceives people about drinking Americanos with a straw. Apparently, I do.

As I was thinking through the inadvertent deception, I realized that maybe you would know where to find my mom’s vintage straws (or look alikes) at a much reduced ebay cost.  And I became desperate. And then I did not care if you knew I drank Americanos with a straw. It is not illegal or anything. (I blame and credit my mom for this straw addiction. My dad for tree fixations and an A&D obsession.)

I am ending here with a plea.

Please do not buy up all the roses at Randall’s ~ unless you’re dropping them by my house on the way home. And please, please, please … if you know something, anything about where to find authentic (or cute faux) straws, comment! And here, in turn is the naked truth.

I drink my Americanos with a straw. A fancy one.

happy friday!

let’s keep up. sign up. this week there’s even an exclusive newsletter giveaway. (sometime i do that.)

I intended on making the best peanut butter cookie recipe ever after seeing all kinds of  lovely Valentine cookies on Pinterest. (I am defenseless when it comes to Valentine’s.) I got all inspired to try my peanut butter recipe with Dove hearts but upon dumping half the ingredients in a mixing bowl, I realized I had no peanut butter!

I haven’t had Jif in the house since I fasted from sugar (phase one).  But I still stock peanut butter ~ just the natural, sugarless kind. But no peanut butter? None?!

Enter … almond butter.  I had that sitting in the fridge. So I simply adapted the peanut butter recipe and it turned out fabulous!

After making the dough, form in balls then flatten out with the palm of your hand and cut out hearts. With a metal spatula, carefully move to cookie sheet.

Sprinkle lightly with sugar (or skip this step if you’d rather).

Press in a Dove dark chocolate heart (or skip this step if you’d rather. No. Actually. Don’t skip this step.)

Here’s the recipe.

Almond Butter Cookies

1 stick butter, softened * 1 c. brown sugar * 1 c. almond butter * 1 c. flour (add more if needed) * 1 t. baking soda * 1/4 t. salt (I omitted salt)

Thoroughly mix butter, sugar, and almond butter in a bowl with a rubber spatula. Combine flour, baking soda and salt ~ then add to butter mixture. Combine well. Roll into balls, flatten and cut out hearts. Carefully place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes. Take out of oven and let sit on cookie sheet for another 5 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

I made them at home and used silpat. They were fragile but fabulous. Then I made them for my bible study group at Roxann’s and they didn’t come out as nice. Lesson: Don’t bake these cookies on an insulated cookie sheet. Do use silpat or parchment paper but make sure it’s a regular, cheapo cookie sheet.

The combination of almond butter and chocolate is lush. The Dove heart holds together but gets enormously melty ~ you can actually spread that dark chocolate all over the top of the cookie. Get a bit of cookie with a taste of chocolate in every bite.

Enjoy!

read for yourself.

Because I adore Valentine’s Day.

And because I love pizza … here is my recipe for mini margarita heart-shaped pizza!

This recipe is a family favorite. I first posted it here. It’s so easy and I love that you can adapt it for fun things like Valentine’s. :)

The tomato topping is wonderful. It can be used on pizza, tossed in warm pasta or as a topping for bruschetta. It’s a great stand-by. I try to have this on hand in the fridge for a quick fix supper.

Be sure to prep this before hand so the tomatoes, garlic, and basil become good friends.

Margarita Topping

In a bowl, combine 4 -5 diced fresh tomatoes, 3 minced clove garlic, 4 T. EVOO, 1/2 t kosher salt and 6 – 7 thinly sliced basil leaves. Let sit at least 30 minutes. (This can be done a day ahead and refrigerated – just make sure and bring to room temp before using on pizza.)

The dough recipe is so simple. I was lucky enough to have Ronne over to help me make (and eat!) the minis.

Pizza Dough

Add 1 package yeast and  1 1/2 tablespoons sugar to 1 cup warm water. Mix together and let sit 5 minutes. In another bowl combine 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 2 1/2 cups flour ~ add yeast mixture and mix thoroughly.  Let rest for 10 minutes. Knead dough slightly on a floured surface then pat and cut out hearts.

Gently transfer dough to baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes in a pre-heated 400 degree oven.

Next, place sliced mozzarella on the prepped dough then, using a slotted spoon, generously sprinkle the topping on the cheese.  Don’t worry about the mess. The mess is good stuff.

Bake in the oven until cheese bubbles ~ about 10 minutes. And ta-da …

Serve up on small plates as shown for a great happy hour appetizer or make a complete meal with a big, green salad.

Delish!

PS. Made these mini on purpose ~ could almost count as ‘One Bite.’ Just a little bit will satisfy!

just take a deep breath and count to five: one * two * three * four * five

But no more because today I discovered a simple and delicious veggie sandwich with that thick, awesome avocado dressing recipe I shared last week. Matter of fact, I think the dressing is better on this sandwich than on the wedge salad.

Get yourself some veggies …

I picked tomato, red leaf lettuce, carrots, spinach, and English cucumber.

Spread a thick layer of the avocado dressing on each slice and assemble. Generously salt & pepper.

Mmmmm.

Enjoy!

Let’s get the bad news over with … there are a lot of  perfectly fabulous, smart people being bossed around by their Strong Willed Appetites. (You must read the comments. Some are such a hoot!)

The good news is … the book is only $4.99! That’s about the price of a value meal at your SWA’s favorite fast food restaurant or a gallon of your SWA’s favorite ice cream.

And now it’s my pleasure to announce our 3 winners! They each get a free download of the book AND a full month of online training from collaborator Tatum Maguire of Total Mommy Fitness!

Winner #1

Kirsty: It’s a tie between bread and pasta. I cannot be trusted with a pack of rolls or a bowl of mac-n-cheese!

Winner #2

Natalie: I’ve never met a dessert that I don’t like.

Winner #3

Helen: It would be red vines or nacho cheese doritos. Yikes…the sweet and the savory.

Tatum and I will be getting in touch with each of you pronto!

And thanks to all of you that commented and participated. We were blown away that you stopped by and we’d certainly love to encourage you if you choose to take The 21 Day Fast Diet challenge!

Happy Weekend!

Or maybe because it’s a tender story is about a girl and a boy. (And a tree.)  It’s an honest, feel good movie with a little sweet surprise at the end. Confession: I cried.

{Can’t see this fabulous trailer in the reader? Click here.}

happy friday!