Creamy Chicken, Potato & Vegetable Chowder

Creamy Chicken, Potato & Vegetable Chowder

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 carton of chicken broth (32 oz)
• 5 small to medium size Yukon Gold potatoes (or Russet Potatoes), peeled and cubed
• 1 package of frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, green beans, carrots)
• 3 medium boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes or chunks
• 1 tablespoon of butter (I use light butter)
• 1 cup 2% milk, divided into ½ cup servings
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon of onion powder
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 tablespoon of corn starch
• ½ cup of water
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
•  parsley, optional
• Shredded Mexican cheese blend, optional
• Paprika, optional

Directions

• 1. In a large saucepan, cook cubed chicken breast in olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter  until cooked (drain but keep 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan), stir in chopped onions heat until tender. Add broth, ½ cup of water, 2 bouillon cubes and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• 2. Stir in the frozen corn/peas/green beans/carrots, ½ cup of milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
• 3. In a small bowl, whisk flour, 1 tablespoon of corn starch and ½ cup of  milk until smooth. Stir into soup; return to a boil. Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until thickened.
• 4. Serve in a bowl… Sprinkle with parsley, top with shredded cheese and a dash of paprika if desired. Have crackers or tortilla chips on the side and enjoy!

It's been a while... Updating you with videos :-)

Hi All!
It's been quite some time since i've uploaded any content to this blog. I've had a mix of a busy schedule, hectic life, kids' sports, holiday seasons, traveling and just plain laziness... So, to keep you all up to date as to what has taken place over the last 3 months, I'll post a few videos i've recorded and uploaded on youtube. I figure this is the best way to bring you all up to speed on my life's happenings. I have posted updates, videos and etc... on other streams of social media (YouTube, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST, FACEBOOK ) so if you're not following me there, feel free to click on the link and follow me! Hopefully, i'll do better with updating on my blog more regularly throughout the year. Take a moment and watch a few of my recent videos (below) and get caught up :-)

Thanksgiving Family Reunion

How to make my Homemade Whipped Shea Butter

How to make Homemade Flaxseed Gel

Two Strand Twist Updo

Crystal Swain Bates Book Review

Medium Two-Strand Twist Out

Quick Chat

Flat Twist Out with Homemade Flaxseed Gel

Girls' Soccer Highlights

Homemade Chicken-n-Dumplin's

Well, here's another one of my favorite dishes to make for the family... Chicken-N-Dumplin's! The weather is getting colder and I absolutely looooove making savory meals for us to come home to. I prepared this dish during the day while hubs was at work and the kids were at school. I wanted to find a 1 pot meal that I could throw together in a pot, allow it simmer and be ready when needed. This was the perfect dish! I don't have a recipe for this particular dish because I literally just throw things together without measuring anything and it always turns out PERFECT!!!  I have found a similar recipe using most of the ingredients I used in my dish that I will post below for those who would like to give it a try. Enjoy!

It was VERY hard for me to find a similar recipe so please see the notes prior to making it.

*Note*  

For the dumplings I used about 2 cups of all purpose flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of pepper and ice water (add a little at a time until you get the right consistency).

*I also added frozen corn, peas and carrots to the pot near the end of cooking.

*Also, I used 2 cans of cream of chicken soup or you can use cream of mushroom or cream of broccoli (the low sodium kind by campbells)

*I added two pats of light butter to the pot in the final stages of cooking

 Chicken n Dumplings Recipe (Click this link of follow the directions below)

Ingredients:

4 large skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into strips 4 cubes chicken bouillon 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1 sprig fresh parsley, chopped salt and pepper to taste

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 egg 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup cornstarch, to thicken broth

Directions:

1.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add chicken, bouillon, celery, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 45 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Reduce heat to low and continue to simmer.

2.

To Make Dumplings: While chicken is cooking, combine the flour, egg, sour cream, and chicken broth in a medium bowl. Mix well and roll dough out on a floured surface. Cut into small squares and drop into boiling chicken broth. In a small bowl, mix together corn starch and enough water to form a thin paste; stir into broth. Continue to simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, or until dumplings are light and puffy.

Bananas Foster French Toast

Just popping in to share what I made for the kiddos this morning. I usually type up a recipe to share with you all but this one is a bit time consuming. I have been making french toast since the age of 10 and I never measure anything whenever I make this dish... I could seriously make this with my eyes closed. So, I looked on line and found a similar recipe for you all in case you are interested in giving this a try. Here's a pic of my dish and the recipe will follow. Enjoy!

http://www.pinottopampers.com/2012/06/02/going-bananas-trying-to-make-french-toast/

Chicken Parmesan... It's what's for dinner at our home tonight!
There are soooooo many recipes for this family favorite dish but I thought I'd share what I do to prepare this yummy meal for my family. Feel free to put your own spin on this dish by adding or taking away any ingredients you'd like. You can serve this along with a side salad and garlic bread, over pasta or have pasta on the side OR all by itself :-). Enjoy!

Quick & Simple Chicken Parmesan

• 4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (sliced in halves to make 8)
• 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs (store brought or make your own)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk (optional)
• 1 24 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce (or make your own)
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup of Shredded Cheese Blend
• Olive or Vegetable Oil for frying
• Salt/Pepper/Italian Seasoning/Dried Parsley/Garlic Powder/Onion Powder (I put a pinch of these seasonings into my homemade bread crumbs)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. Boil your pasta and drain.
3. In the bottom of your baking dish spread a thin layer of sauce & cooked pasta and set aside.
4. Place the chicken in a zip-lock bag or between wax paper. Pound it out until even. (this is not necessary but I do it, sometimes). Season Chicken with a little salt and pepper.
5. Mix the egg and milk in a shallow bowl. (if cooking without milk, just scramble 2 eggs in a bowl)
6. Add the bread crumbs to a bowl (add seasonings listed above if making homemade bread crumbs).
7. Cover bottom of frying pan with oil and heat until hot.
8.  Dip the chicken in the egg then the bread crumbs. Fry on both sides until brown. (You do not need to cook them all the way through)
9. Place the chicken onto a plate with paper towels to drain the grease.
10. Place the chicken into the baking pan on top of the cooked pasta and sauce.
11. Pour half of the sauce over each piece of chicken.
12. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
13. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and add the cheese, sprinkle on parsley flakes. Bake uncovered for about 15 more minutes or until the cheese is melted.
14. Serve with remaining sauce, a side salad and garlic bread… ENJOY!