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The makings of the ultimate comfort food: chicken pot pie! Ours for tonight just came out of the oven- this one will be wrapped in plastic, then foil and frozen for a later date… Or as a meal for someone in need. I haven’t yet decided. 

This recipe is a little time consuming as every part has to be made or chopped or peeled and cooked (including the crust!) so this is more of ‘Weekend Warrior’ meal instead of a weeknight meal. BUT, that being said, it does make enough for two so by freezing one, you could easily have a weeknight meal all set to go for that super busy night you are probably going to have in the next month!

*Side Note: this could be a lot easier if you purchased everything already done for you: a rotisserie chicken, potatoes and carrot that are maybe frozen or at least pre-cut, and a couple of pre-made pie crusts…

Ingredients / Directions:

3-4 tenderized chicken breasts, salt and peppered, oven baked or grilled (we did it grilled this time- so moist!) and chopped into bite sized pieces. 

1 each potato and carrot per person, peeled, diced and boiled until just tender. Add ~ 1/2 cup peas in last minute. Drain. 

2 celery stalks, 1/2 yellow onion, diced, 1/4 tsp garlic sautéed in a little butter. 

Combine chicken, veggies and onion mixture in a large bowl, pour in two jars Heinz Turkey Gravy. Mix until evenly coated. Salt and pepper to taste. 

Divide chicken mixture between two pie plates and top each with half of the pie crust. Slit the top of each, brush with an egg wash (milk can be substituted, but I’m not as much of a fan) and bake at 375-400 degrees for 55-45 minutes. 

I recommend putting your pie plate on top of a cookie sheet while baking, as every time I’ve made this, some boils over. 

Now for the pie crust:

This recipe will make enough for a bottom and a top or two tops like I did above. 

Mix 2 cups flour with 1 tsp salt. Cut 2/3 cup shortening into flour with a fork until coarse and crumbly (o just use my hands).

One at a time, mix 5-7 Tbsp cold water into flour mixture until a soft dough forms. (I’ve almost always used the full 7 Tbsp, sometimes a little more). 

Split dough in half, roll out on a floured surface. 

Best and easiest dough recipe ever right? I use this recipe for apple pie too in the fall….
Enjoy! 

What are you eating tonight?

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Not going to show what they look like since I want to try them out first, and I’ve never used this brand before.

I am about six weeks into a basic 16 week running plan. I’m taking it easy depending on the day and how I feel, as I don’t want to over do it.  I’m only doing three days a week right now, and I’m also weight lifting twice a week to keep my upper body strong and I’ve also started taking yin yoga one-two times a week. Hopefully this will keep injuries at bay.

I’m hoping to sign up for a 5k in mid October. I started running in 2014 with this plan which launched me into the half marathon training before my injury in February 2015.

So I’ve been running in a pair of Asics that I bought this time last year but I’ve used them as my everyday sneakers since then because I was not able to restart any training at that time. When I started six weeks ago I didn’t have any problem, but now my plantar fasciitis is kicking in… Bad. It’s time for new shoes.

So I went today to Colorado Running Company (corunco.com) – just to check out my options and see. I got a thermal and pressure scan of my stance ( it was so neat- I’ve never had that done before) and I learned that I have a medium arch and I put most of my weight in the balls if my feet rather than my heels, although I do have weight there too. It also tells you the best size shoe for your feet.

After, I jogged on the treadmill and had my feet video taped. Apparently wearing shoes with arch support and taking care of my feet has pretty much all but corrected my pronation except for a small amount in my right foot.

I knew I’d be spending money later this week on a new pair of shoes (good running shoes are expensive, and I’m supporting a local business so that’s a win in my book), but I wasn’t planning on spending it today. Then again, I found a shoe that fits well, feels good, and is the best fit for me. So yes, I bought them. Also a pair of compression socks which should help my plantar fasciitis.

If anyone has a chance to visit the store, please do. The staff was super friendly, and they give both military and ‘doctor – recommended’ discount.

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The last of the stairs leading up Diamond Head.

View from the poolside at the Hale Koa

Ginger-ade from this brewing company we stopped at one afternoon.

Overlooking Hanauma Bay (we went snorkeling there later) from atop Diamond Head.

Bellows Air Station beach

A crab that was getting a little too close to my towel…

The Summer Palace Ruins.

Plucked from the tree.

The Sanchez’ are growing a pineapple!

Coconut pies…. So good!Lychee!

Beach hopping and kayaking.

Visiting a coffee plantation and this… Says it all. 

Not Manoa Falls, I can’t remember the name, but that hidden hike I wrote about in a previous post.
I have more pictures on Instagram,  if anyone wants to see. Find me under trikegirl23. 

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Spending my Monday holiday finishing up this book! It was mentioned as a must-read this summer in one of the magazines I subscribe to, so I got it from the library. 

I started it on Friday evening, while out camping (probably NOT the best idea?) and just blitzed through the rest in a few short hours today. This book did not disappoint! It’s a mystery, and it follows (ironically) a fiction crime writer who has not talked to her childhood friend in over ten years but has been invited to a hen party. A hen party is essentially a bachelorette party and this one is full of surprises! 

Super easy read, I couldn’t/didn’t want to put it down and if you are looking for something light to get you through until your next book, this is it! 
Oh, and Happy Fourth of July! How are you celebrating today?

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In light on numero uno, I thought I’d share a few things you may or may not know about me/my life, especially if said things have developed in the last year.

1. Today, at 10:15 am, is my birthday
2. It is really really REALLY hard for me to not have shoes on – ever. Always shoes outside and either flip flops or my sheepskin slippers inside
3. I’ve pretty much abandoned all other music tastes this year except country (Dierks Bentley!)…
4. …unless it is the Civil Wars or Delta Rae.
5. My go-to sleep position: flat on my back, right ankle crossed over left, hands resting on my stomach, face towards the left shoulder. So comfortable.
6. I drink hot coffee and tea all year round, just not together. Hot chocolate is best during the summer (somehow), although coffee seems to be winning this year.
7. Recently I was able to have a FANTASTIC deep conversation with a woman I haven’t seen (or really talked to) in over 3 years. She is full of so much wisdom and I am so thankful I was able to see her again. She is definitely an inspiration to me.
8. My hubs and I were able to celebrate our anniversary (FIVE YEARS!) with a trip to Oahu, Hawaii. We were able to stay with a friend couple while there, which was a HUGE blessing (Hawaii is expensive!) and be able to spend the money we saved on fun stuff like snorkeling and (A) eating all the musubi he could.
9. One of my incisors is fake – and most people cannot tell which one it is.
10. I practice Sudoku before going to sleep.
11. One of my 2016 goals was to learn more about personal finance and I have been (mostly) reading blogs about all sorts of stuff related to that. My favorites are The Financial Diet, Finance Girl and And Then We Saved.  I even subscribed to Money magazine this year.
12. BUT, my favorite non-finance related magazine is a tie between Redbook and CookingLight.
13. I’ve been trying to read a book a month this year and I have FAILED. I read one for April (which only recently got posted – sorry guys Life happens) and have epic-ly (is that even a word?) failed starting/finishing ANY book for May and June.
14. I recently found out that I don’t blink all the way down, and living in a dry climate exasperates my dry eye so I have to participate in blink exercises to retrain my eyelids. Weird right?
15. I’m going to bite the bullet and start training again for a 5k. If you don’t know what I’m talking about and why I am so anxious about it, you can read about that here and here.
16. I am really good at starting projects but not so great at finishing them (STILL working on the AK Memories Scrapbook I started almost three years ago… Don’t judge).
17. I (surprisingly) really like hot yoga.
18. My car doesn’t have any A/C, so let’s just say I get really wild hair on hot days…
19. I am (oh no, here is another project!) putting together a cook book of low calorie, healthy and nourishing meals that (bonus!) don’t contain a lot of  ingredients – or weird ones – AND are meals that I have made myself. Right now the categories are: Seafood, Chicken, Beef/Lamb, Vegetarian/Pasta, Crockpot, Salads/Appetizers/Soups and Desserts. I figure I have three-four more months of making recipes before putting everything together.
20. I eat an egg sandwich with ketchup every morning, except for maybe Saturdays when I have french toast.
21. I’ve been wearing dresses on Sundays <gasp>
22. I would like to take the 200 hour teacher training for Yoga that is offered at the studio I attend
23. My two new favorite podcasts are The Simple Show and Modern Love.
24. Popcorn with dill is sooooo goooood…. Try it. Seriously.
25. Our trivia team consistently wins fourth place. Every. Time.
26. My favorite drink (more recently) is blueberry cider from Rocky Mountain Brewery.
27. I’m pretty bummed that Downtown Abbey is in it’s last season.
28. My new favorite fruits: Rainier Cherries and Lychee.
29. I hate walking by mirrors in the dark and will purposely avoid them if I can.
30. A bonus for good luck: I wear flannel pj pants to bed year round. I think it’s a comfort thing.

Happy Birthday to me!