Pioneer Woman | Country Girl Pot Pie

Hellloooooo!

Its been a while since I wrote on the ol' blog. But I'm back for another exciting edition of

Pioneer Woman Meets Country Girl.

Ashley picked Chicken Pot Pie for this round. This recipe comes from PW's first cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From an Accidental Country Girl. But it is also on her blog here. 

I have to admit I WAS NOT excited to make this. I was very intimidated! The last time I made Chicken Pot Pie, I was recently married and trying to demonstrate my domestic skills for my new hubby. Well you know me.. at least you should if you are reading my blog.. and well, I tend to mess up a recipe about 12 times before I get it right. But luckily for me (and you!) The Pioneer Woman breaks this recipe down step, by step in this post.

My first Chicken Pot Pie recipe was your beginners basic.. can of mixed veggies and some cream of chicken soup kind-of-a-thing. 

But this.. this is a big girl recipe. Complete with fresh veggies, heavy cream and butter!

PW calls her pie crust The Perfect Pie Crust. And I couldn't agree more! This crust was light and crispy and delicious! I could've eaten it alone.. or with some ice cream.

Here is the pie fresh out of the oven. YUM!

Look at the gravy that spilled out. YUM! Oh, wait I already said YUM! Oh well.. YUM! YUM!

And because I like to keep it real around here.. here's my baby "helping" me! He's starving and pointing to dinner and grunting for some food. Also please note the pile of dishes in the sink. Classy.

This recipe was definitely a hit here in the Nelson home. Everyone ate it up! 

Five stars, two thumbs up!

It did take some time to prepare. Boiling the chicken, making the crust and such. But if you can plan ahead this is a great dinner! You can even make the filling and crust ahead and stick it in the fridge. Then say, oh I don't know, um Sunday after church when you are tired and starving.. assemble and bake. Easy peasy!

Also I cooked extra chicken breasts so I was able to make a batch of Chicken Roll Ups for easy lunches this week. Just freeze or refrigerate and then pop one.. or three in the microwave for a quick lunch. Dustin and Allie both took these for their lunches today!

Happy Cooking!!

School

Summer Fun!

Johnny

May Day Dance

July Fun!

9 years...

and still just as wild as ever!

Nine years. I can't believe it!
It seems like yesterday we were driving around Moapa with Chase and Meliss.

Learning to Can

 Design kit: Farmhouse Kitchen and Saturday Market by As You Wish Designs

Template: Silkstone Common 3 by Little Green Frog Designs

 Journalling:
Our garden is doing really well this year and we have lots of tomatoes, along with other vegetables. The tomatoes are usually ready to pick and can in early June. Allie is old enough to help me do the canning this year! It was so fun to work side by side in the kitchen with her and teach her about canning. She said it was lots of fun but lots of work and she is so right! We love canning our produce but we especially love eating it!

In The Summertime

The kids love this song:

and it is very fitting for the time of year!

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We are loving Summertime so far.
I put this scrapbook page together today from our swimming adventures this morning.

(click to enlarge)
Design kit: Beach Babe by Megan Turnidge
Template: Double Album Templates II by Scrapping with Liz

Journalling reads:
We love spending hot afternoons in the pool! The kids jump, dive and splash. Mark is much more confident in the water this year and will probably be swimming on his own by the end of the summer. Luke and Johnny are content to swim in the kiddie pool on the deck, while Allie and Estefan are virtually fish! Dad loves to sneak up behind the kids and throw them in the pool. They don’t get mad, but squeal with delight! We’ll probably have many more swimming days ahead of us as the temperature continues to rise!

Spring Violin Recital

Design Kit: Springtime Blooms by GG Digital

Template: Week 45 FREEBIE by Megan Turnidge

Jounralling reads:

For Allie’s spring violin recital she worked really hard to memorize and play Allegretto. She was accompanied by Grandma Gaye Nelson.

Allie has been taking violin lessons from Aunt Jill for two years now. Jill is a wonderful teacher and Allie has learned so much!

Muddy Buddies

Design kit: Boys and Their Toys by GG Digital

Temple: Silkstone Common by Little Green Frog Designs

Journal reads:

We get to play with my cousin’s (Marianne Zaug) son, Barrett every Monday! We love having him over. He and Mark are like twins when they get together. Since the summer is approaching quickly, it’s getting hotter and we have to think of creative ways to keep cool. This day the boys decided to make mud pies. Barrett kept saying “muddy buddies” while they played! It was so cute!

Johnny at 11 Months

Design Kit: You're So Rad by Megan Turnidge

On sale at Scrap Orchard!

Template: Week 28 FREEBIE by Megan Turnidge

Journaling:

Johnny turned eleven months old on May 13, 2013. He loves to eat bananas and he usually rubs his messy hands in his hair, giving himself a crazy awesome spiked look!

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Johnny turned 11 months old last week!

Dustin cut Johnny's hair the night this picture was taken. I loved his spiked hair and miss it, but I don't miss the banana mess he would make in it!

At 11 months Johnny::

:: hasn't cut that eighth tooth yet, but its coming!

:: is sleeping through the night. YAY!

:: starting to walk. He takes steps but won't get serious and walk from place to place.

:: gives kisses

:: is so small. I can't believe he'll be one soon! He's just a tiny string bean of a kid.

:: waves and claps

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was great.
Saturday, Dustin and I spent most of the morning in Las Vegas, where we attended the wedding of our cousin and his sweet bride! The sealing, performed by Grandpa Whitney, was wonderful. I always love to hear the blessings and promises of the sealing covenants that we made, (almost 9 years ago!) again. After the temple, we went to Lowe's and got my Mother's Day present.. new fans for my living room!!

Sunday morning, Dustin got up early with Johnny and made breakfast while I showered and got ready for church. The kids were all angels and doted on me and showered me with love and kisses. They even cooperated long enough for a photo!!

This Sunday was also my first day as the new Primary secretary. That was a whirlwind of fun! I have a whole new respect for Primary Presidencies (or any presidency.. or any church calling really) now that I'm having more "grown up" callings. Its truly an honor to work with the children in our ward and I'm so excited for the adventure that I'm embarking on!

Allie and Mark (Estefan spent the day with his mom) were able to answer questions about me during Singing Time and this is what they said (in italics):

Mark: My mom is almost 60 years old. My mom weighs 30 and 60 pounds. My mom's favorite color is blue and red. My mom's most favorite, favorite food is macaroni and cheese. My mom always says I love you when I say I love you to her. My mom cooks the best lunch and dinner. My mom's job is to take care of me and my family. My mom laughs when I tell her something funny. If my mom had time, she would love to watch me play baseball with my dad. My mom and I like to sometimes paint together. My mom really loves me giving her something that she likes. I love my mom because she loves me.

Allie: My mom is 26 years old. My mom weighs 78 pounds. My mom's favorite color is red and turquoise. My mom's favorite food is spaghetti. My mom always says she loves me. My mom cooks the best homemade macaroni. My mom's job is she works on the computer. My mom laughs when we tell her funny jokes. If my mom had time, she would love to take me on a girls day. My mom and I like to have a girls day. My mom really loves to go on camping trips. I love my mom because she loves me.

Luke made this super cute hand print flower in nursery!
The flower book was made by Allie in school. The books has pictures and more fill in the blank type things: If I could give my mother something special just from me, it would be a new sapphire ring and a big kiss! I want to thank you, mom, for loving me, giving birth to me, giving me toys. My mother looks prettiest when she goes to church. I know my mother loves me because she takes care of me. She helps me when I am sick. My favorite thing about my mother is she is beautiful. My favorite time together is when we go on girls days and watch a movie at night.

Mark made this in preschool. Best Mom, Hands Down. Mom you bring me mounds (Dustin ate it.. lol) of joy when you make me cookies. You make me snicker when you tell funny things. (Mark stuck on a piece of string for some reason.. silly boy!) You are extra special because you give me money when I work hard for it. Kisses I love you, Mark.

And my Mother's Day scrapbook page!
I fell in love with this template in the Split Pea Soup pack from Little Green Frog Designs over iNSD weekend. I love the circular elements! The design kit is by Megan Turnidge, of course!

The journaling is the words from the song Mother, I Love You from the LDS Children's Song Book.
I love that song and never tire of hearing my kids sing it!! It brings tears to my eyes thinking about my kids singing it in Sacrament meeting and when I remember that Heavenly Father sent them to me. I'm so grateful to be a Mother and for the sweet spirits that I've been given to raise!

Happy Mother's Day!
I love you mom! Thank you mom and all the other wonderful mothers who have influenced me and made me the mom that I am today!!

A Vintage Inspired Sign Tutorial

This tutorial was recently featured on, my sister's blog, Him & Her
and I thought I'd share it on my blog as well! 

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The tutorial that I'm sharing with you today was inspired by the "Life is better on the Farm" sign that I recently made. I painted an old piece of wood turquoise and then added my vinyl and distressed it. After I got it done I was telling Dustin how I wished that I could make the vinyl look distressed like the wood.

He had a fabulous idea to try on our next sign project.. to start we'd paint a piece of wood white, add the vinyl, then paint it our color and finally peel the vinyl off, revealing the white distressed wood instead of the shiny vinyl!

So I immediately started another sign project, that I'm sharing with you today!

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To start you'll need a piece of wood and some vinyl lettering.

1. Spray paint your board white or whatever color you want your text to be.
Distress if desired. Dus thinks its hilarious that I like things to look "old and crappy"! ;)

2. Once the paint dries add your vinyl lettering

3. Outside or in a well ventilated area, spray paint your wood the color you want your sign to end up. Right on top of your vinyl lettering! 

 

4. Before the top coat of paint dries completely, grab some tweezers and start peeling your vinyl off. 

If you wait too long and the paint dries fully the paint may peel off with the vinyl.

5. After your sign dries completely, you can give it a nice once over with a very light grit sand paper and distress the edges with a heavier grit, giving it that fun vintage look.

Here is a close up of the white lettering, after peeling back the vinyl. Love it!!

And a look at where the cute sign sits on the shelf in my kitchen!

The quote we chose is very special to our family. Not only do we love gardening and the literal meaning behind "reaping what you sow" but also the spiritual message behind it.

Dustin was inspired by this Gerneal Conference talk for the quote. 

And I especially loved this segment of President Perry's talk:

One must be impressed with the great message of the Lord’s law of the harvest. His system produces growth, multiplication, and abundant rewards. Surely as we watch the blessings of this growth cycle each year, we would expect His children to catch the vision of their mortal potential. He has entrusted to many of His children during their earthly ministry the opportunity of caring for His special creations—His sons and His daughters. It is surely the greatest of all responsibilities which He has delegated to mankind.

So not only is it a reminder for us to tend to our literal gardens but also that we must tend to our children very carefully. That we and our children may reap the good that we sow in them. 

 Which as President Perry said, "is surely the greatest of all responsibilities which He (our Heavenly Father) has delegated to mankind."

I'm giving away a 10x12 version of the vinyl I used for this project. 
To win click here and leave a happy comment!!

2013 Scrapbook Catch Up!

Whew! I've got the 2013 scrapbook all caught up!

Now I'm working on getting 2011-2012 done... yikes!

Luke turned 2!! Journalling reads:

On January 19, 2013 Luke turned two years old! Luke loves trains, so I made him a train cake that said “Choo, Choo, Luke’s Two.” He wasn’t very sure about the candles again this year and Mark ended up helping him blow them out! Luke got lots of fun toys and presents from his family, including two guns and rubber snakes! We are sure glad we have Luke in our family. We love our Luker man!

Design kit: GG Digital

Template: Cindy Schneider

Back in February, Dustin and the boys.. his dad, my dad, my brother and my grandpa went out to Gold Butte. They all had a blast. They even got to see an Army helicopter hover really close over head.

Design Kit: Etc by Danyale and here

Template: Little Green Frog

These are photos from this post back in March. Journalling reads:

Johnny is eight months old and has mastered standing up! He pulls himself up on everything and anything. He has two bottom teeth now so I can’t call him my one tooth wonder any more!

Design Kit: Megan Turnidge

Template: Megan Turnidge

I planned on making Allie a Christmas dress, but with all the other homemade Christmas gifts I was making her dress kept getting put on hold, so it became a Valentine dress.. it almost became an Easter dress!! But I got it done the day before Valentine's day. I even had a little extra to make myself a skirt to match.

Design Kit: Megan Turnidge

Template: Megan Turnidge

In March we had a Nelson family get together. Journalling reads:

Every year, the Bill and Bonnie Nelson family get together for a family reunion. This year Grandpa Jack was the host, so it was held in Moapa. We had lots of fun visiting and playing at the park. Its good to see our Utah family!

Design Kit: Megan Turnidge

Template: Little Green Frog

In March, we took a quick trip to Cannonville over Spring Break. The kids looooooove going to Cannonville and staying in the cabin. But March is a little early to visit and there was still snow and it was freezing! We were able to make a Mossy Cave hike though. We went to Pine Lake and Tropic Reservoir and the were frozen solid. The kids loved slipping and sliding all over the ice! It was a great trip.

Design Kit: GG Digital

Template: Janet Phillips

Mark turned five this month!! Journalling reads:

Mark turned five years old on April 9, 2013! He requested a mustache cake and a Lego crane for his birthday and he got both! He also received a giant bottle of ranch dressing, a Cowboy Sam book, money and lots of other goodies. Mark is turning into quite the handsome young man. We love our big cowboy!

Design Kit: Megan Turnidge

Template: Megan Turnidge

The fair!!! We love the fair. 

We ate and ate and ate and went on rides til we dropped and watch the rodeo and the concert!

Design Kit: GG Digital

Template: Little Green Frog

 Easter is always a fun holiday. The kids look forward to dying eggs and playing with cousins. And of course all the candy and the egg hunt!

Design Kit: GG Digital

Template: Janet Phillips

 And my baby's 9 month pictures! I had to get him photographed in those construction boots! And we had all the perfect toys and an outfit to go with them.
This photo shoot turned out great for how ornery he was!

Design Kit: Heather Roselli

Template: Megan Turnidge

Now, lets hope I can keep up with 2013 and get 2011-12 done on top of it!!

Happy scrapping!