This makes me smile.

Wish Lists.

The other day I asked the kids to make out their Christmas lists. Normally I'm just about done shopping by this point in the year but not this time around. Life has been, well, life.
Anyway, the boys spent alot of time on their lists and when Sophia was done in the bath she got to work dictating her list to daddy.
Jonah kept asking me how to spell things and I would tell him and I wasn't really paying all that much attention. He asked me how to spell "screen" and I told him, and then thought to myself What is he wanting that has "screen" in it's name? I let it go thinking maybe it was a game I'd never heard of.
And when they were done they handed me their lists and I figured out why my crazy 7 year old asked how to spell "screen".
First thing on his list? Big Screen T.V.
Nice try, bucko!

Thankfully the kids know that they won't be getting EVERYTHING on their lists and that it's a guide we go by, so he shouldn't be all that disappointed when Christmas morning rolls around and there's no TV under the tree for him.

Only in Oklahoma.

So you all know that my family is struggling to adapt to Oklahoma. It's no secret that we're not fans of this place and we're praying the next 14 mos go quickly so that we can try for a new base. But last night we realized why we despise it so much; we haven't had a chance to like it becuase we've been fighting natural disasters since we got here!
So far in 2011 I have lived through the following:
*Snowmageddon (the local news' term for the insane snows we got in Feburary)
*Tornado superoutbreaks
*Ridiculous heat this summer
*Wildfires
*Drought
*Earthquakes
The only thing we haven't experienced is a hurricane. We've heard people say that next is a hurricane in Lake Hefner, but that's bone dry from the heat this summer so I'm not too worried about that. ;) Besides- I grew up in Florida so I can handle those. Give me a hurricane over any of the aforementioned disasters any day.
And after last night I'm pretty sure Oklahoma is suffering the wrath of God. We were under a tornado watch from about 8:30pm-4am, and at 8:47, a 4.7 earthquake rattled the house. Talk about an unwanted double whammy. I called my parents in North Carolina and told them not to be surprised if they woke up in the morning and Oklahoma had been sucked into a black hole or wiped off the map by a meteor. Seems like that's the track we're on lately.

Mmmm Mmmm Monday: Chicken Pot Pie

I don't know about you, but I love me some comfort foods, especially once the weather starts to cool down. Fall weather has FINALLY come to Oklahoma after a crazy hot summer...the leaves are changing, there's a crispness in the air, and the temps are gloriously cooler. And this recipe is the perfect dinner for the cooler nights!

Here's what you need:

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

1 pkg (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 Tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 bag (16-20 oz) frozen peas & carrots

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp water

Preheat oven to 425*. Place chicken in lg saucepan and add enough cool water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until just cooked through (about 10 minutes). Drain the chicken; let cool. Shred the chicken.

Meanwhile, fit one piecrust into a 9" pie plate and set asize. Roll the remaining pie crust out on a lightly floured surface. Cut crust into 1/2 inch wide strips with a pastry wheel and set aside.

Melt the butter in a lg saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour and the thyme and cook/stir for another 2 minutes. Add the brother and the cream and whisk until thickened (about 3-4 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in the shredded chicken, frozen veggies, salt & pepper.

Spoon filling into prepared pie plate. Arrange 6 of the piecrust strips inthe same direction on top of the pie, twisting the dough. Arrange the rest of the strips crosswise on top; fold edges under and pinch to seal.

Beat egg yolk and water. Brust the top of the pie with mixture. Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden and filling is bubbly, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.