Chicken Pot Pie

This chicken pot pie recipe is AWESOME.  I'm grateful to a friend for sharing it with me a couple years ago.  It's changed my life. :)  A few things to note:

-It does take some time to chop all the veggies, sometimes I do it the day before to spread out my time. (I also use my Pamp Chef food chopper - so fast!)
-I usually add some extra veggies/potatoes to make 3 pot pies instead of two.
-Sometimes the day before or that morning, I'll put chicken breasts in the crock pot for several hours on LOW with a little bit of water or chicken broth.  Then the chicken is nice & tender, pulls apart easily and I can put it right into the recipe. (saves time!!)
-I use refrigerated pie crust on bottom and top, but that's just because I love crust :)
-I usually make three pot pies, and give one of them away.  It's always fun to think about who in your life needs a chicken pot pie that week :)  I highly recommend this -- a chicken pot pie can brighten someone's day!


Aunt Kathy's Chicken Pot Pies

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrot
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/3 cup melted butter
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup flour
1 cup half and half
4 cups cooked chicken (see crockpot tip above)
1 cup frozen tiny peas
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
Pastry
pie plates

Saute first 4 ingredients in butter in a skillet over
medium heat until tender.  Add flour; stir until
smooth.  Add chicken broth and half and half and cook
until thickened and bubbly.  Stir in chicken, peas,
salt, and pepper.

Put chicken mixture into two pie pans.  Cover each
with pastry.  Cut some slits for steam to escape.

Label and cover to freeze at this point OR

Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or
until crust is golden brown.  (cook longer if frozen)

Every Person Has a Story

It's Sunday morning, and I am in a dark, large movie theater.  I'm at Momentum Church and it's near the beginning of service. I'm standing in the very bottom front under the screen on the stage with a full band.  Because the spotlights & lighting are shining on the stage, I'm basically blinded.  I can't see all the audience but I can see a few nearby faces and if I look hard, I can see silhouettes and "gray shades" of people all the way up to the top of the theater.  Momentum isn't a huge church but it's still large enough where I don't know everyone - plus, new people visit all the time.

Random pic from a 2010 Momentum Sunday

Something comes to mind that someone once told me to remember when you are in a band that helps lead people in worship:


Every person in this audience has a story.


The music starts and it's one of my favorite rockin' songs, "Salvation Is Here."  It talks about the freedom that Jesus can give me, that God is on my side, that His promises in the Bible are true, that the world can't knock me down.  I look out at the audience while singing with them.

I see someone I know who has struggled with addiction.
I see someone who takes care of her ailing husband.
I see someone who welcomed a new baby into his home this year.

We sing "Momentum of Love" which describes how God's love can change things in incredible ways.

I see a young woman who just got engaged.
I see someone who decided to follow Jesus last year, and she strives to keep the faith through very trying times. 
I see a friend who doesn't know what's next, but knows something has to change.


We sing "Never Let Go" with phrases like "You never let go -- through the calm and through the storm, You never let go of me" and "for the heart that holds on, there will be an end to these troubles, but until that day comes... Still I will praise You...."

I see a 20-something woman who lost her father this year.
I see someone who is just checking this "God stuff" out & is probably glad the theater is dark so she doesn't have to be noticed.
I see a middle-aged man who has fought the unemployment battle for at least 2 years.
I see a mom who works so hard and has to be exhausted today.
I see a family that has been willing to serve sacrificially to help love others.


And I see a theater full of people who are remembering the horrific events of September 11, 2001.  And they are singing their hearts out!

I feel like I have the most beautiful view in the theater.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There were so many stories in that theater this morning.  People of different ages, races, economic classes and different places in their spiritual journey -- taking moments to honor God or simply observe.

They sang praise
to the One who gives us freedom,
to the One who allows us to see incredible things because of His love,
to the One who Never Lets Go.