Last Performance

Sorry for the long hiatus. I think that is the longest I have gone without updating my blog since I started it 1.5 years ago. Sometimes I run out of things to post.

I have been in Saturday classes for the past couple of weeks. Our electives are from 8-5 on Saturdays (kind of makes the weekends less appealing than they used to be!) The good news is that they only last a month. My elective this semester is a Leadership/Management class....very interesting topic, weird professor.

Tonight was the "Outback Night" for Hannah's marching band. Outback donates meals at a very discounted rate to the band and the band turns around and sells the meals for a profit. Creative fundraiser....and better than buying cookie dough or discount cards :) The band also does two performances of their show. It was Hannah's last performance in marching band - competitions and football season are over. My parents have been dedicated marching band parents since Brian started band in, I believe, 1998.....that's over 14 years of chaperoning, making cookies, riding the bus with the students, attending meetings, etc, etc, etc. They've been extremely dedicated over the years to the different band programs. Thanks, Mom and Dad for being involved parents - it has made a difference. 

Four children, 14 years of marching band!

Paisley and Jeremiah enjoying the show (Jeremiah's younger brother, Nathan is also in marching band). I always have to throw in a cute picture of Paisley :) 

George is a huge fan of chicken pot pie. Costco has a delicious one in their deli, but it is $16 it....so I looked up a few recipes and tried this one. It was a success!

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed 1 cup sliced carrots 1 cup frozen green peas 1/2 cup sliced celery 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 teaspoon celery seed 1 3/4 cups chicken broth 2/3 cup milk 2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
2.	In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
3.	In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
4.	Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
5.	Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.