Pennsylvania Pot Pie

If you know me at all, you know that cooking/baking is not really my "thing."  Some women are great at sewing, some are wonderful with kids, some can make a meal that would have a gourmet chef bowing down in awe... for the record, I am NONE of these types of phenomenal women!  However, of all the talents and qualities a woman can possess, I would love to be able to cook, bake, and subsequently bask in the awe of my adoring family and friends!

Alas, this is not the case...

I truly envy those women who just have a knack for putting together delicious meals and who genuinely enjoy the time spent cooking - I'm looking at you, grandmothers of the world!  Truth be told, I find cooking to be too time consuming and stressful for the outcome.  For example: tonight I spent over an hour preparing pot pie, a dumpling-like version of the traditional family favorite, and it was enjoyed for a total of 10 minutes.  And Matt didn't even eat much of it!  It is times like tonight that I so desperately wish I could whip up something delicious in a moment's notice and have everyone love me and my cooking. 

Is that too much to ask?!

Cooking scares me.  Like, REALLY scares me.  So much so that Matt, my husband of a year and a half, has tasted my cooking a total of 9 times.  If that!  I just don't like doing it.  The fear of failure combined with my lack of motivation to cook worries me for a number of reasons:

1. If I plan on being the stay-at-home mom and wife I want to be after my career as a drug rep comes to an end, I'm going to have to feed more than just my cat Marnie twice a day.
2. I only have a few "staples" that I know how to cook, and I'm not saying I know how to do them well.  And none of them are particularly nutritious!  One of my favorite things to make are Auntie Anne's Pretzel Dogs - hot dogs wrapped in pretzel dough, smothered in butter and enjoyed with ketchup.  Ahh, how gourmet!
3. I have some tough acts to follow: both of my grandmothers are amazing cooks and have set the bar high.  Too high.  My dad (and my mom, when she wants to) are both able to cook very well.  My dad is great at "eyeballing" the amount of ingredients and it always seems to work out perfectly... what the heck?!  How do you even do that?!

Anyway, enough grumbling...

 

The point of this post was for me to share the recipe to making pot pie the way I grew up loving pot pie.  This recipe was given to me by my dad, who got it from his mother, and so on... I have yet to make it like either one of them do, but I'm trying.  If anyone has ever made this type of pot pie and would like to share their recipe, tips, or suggestions - PLEASE DO!  I'd love to know I can improve this.

 

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FYI:

When I say "Pennsylvania" pot pie, I mean that it is closer to a dumpling dish than the typical pot pie made by Marie Callender and found in the frozen food aisle.  Don't ask me where this version comes from, I don't exactly know, but it probably has German or Amish heritage in there somewhere.  All I do know is that is delicious and has been a family staple for many years!

The version I like to make is with ham, since I can take a few "shortcuts" and it seems to make the cooking go a little faster.  However, both chicken and beef will work too.  Also, I know you can add vegetables and other things to the mix, but I've always had an affinity for blander foods, so this dish is pretty plain and basic.

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Ham Pot Pie*

 

2 cups flour

1/2 cup milk (whole milk works best, but I often use skim)

3 T. shortening, melted

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. salt 

Potatoes (as many as you would like, cut how you would like)

Ham + ham bone

   *you can double, triple, or quadruple the ingredients depending on

     how many you are feeding

1. Begin by boiling the ham bone in a large pot of water. Let simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. (This was a HUGE ham bone that my family had leftover from our Christmas dinner.  It still had a good amount of ham left on the bone, so it helped flavor the water.  You can cut off the ham that is left on the bone for use in the pot pie after it is done simmering, but I take a "shortcut" and simply use cubed ham and add that in with the noodles/potatoes... yea, I'm lazy.)
2. As the ham bone is simmering, begin to make the dough for the noodles by combining all ingredients and mixing in a large bowl.  Bring the ingredients out of the bowl and begin to knead the dough.  After the dough is completely mixed/kneaded, roll out the dough and cut into squares.  (I prefer the dough to be thicker so that the noodles are thick and yummy.  Also, you don't have to cut the dough into squares, any shape will work.  Heck, use some cookie cutters if you want to!  That'd be fun!)
3. Peel/cut the potatoes.  (I prefer to cut the potatoes into small-ish pieces and leave the skin on... but do whatever your little heart desires!)
4. Remove the ham bone from the water (cut off any ham that you want to use in the pot pie) and add the noodles, potatoes, and ham.  Continue to simmer the pot pie over medium-high heat for about 20-25 minutes.  (Test the pot pie frequently, especially the potatoes, to make sure everything is being cooked thoroughly and to your liking.  I tend to cook the pot pie a little less because I like slightly gummier noodles... so sue me.)
5. Serve and enjoy! 

 

I know it doesn't look like anything special, but I think it is still pretty good.  Normally, the pot pie should be a bit creamier and not look like simply noodles and ham, but I haven't exactly figured out what I'm doing wrong or missing to contribute to the "lack of creaminess" in this dish.

As you can see, I am no chef and my presentation of the pot pie is lacking, but we will chalk that up to me being a terrible cook and this being my first "recipe" post.  Again, let me know if you or your family has a recipe for pot pie you enjoy.  Feel free to comment with any tips/suggestions you have!

A New Year, A New Resolution...

Did you know only 8% of people are successful in keeping their New Year's resolutions?

I have always been fairly flippant when it comes to making New Year resolutions. It wasn't until December 31st at 11:59pm that I realized all that I had been saying I would do before the end of 2013... never quite got done.  It is with that sad realization I can admit that I am part of the 92% of the population who make and can't or don't keep their resolutions.

Like many people who view the new year as a chance to "wipe the slate clean" and begin anew, I too have decided to join in on the cliche festivities and set a few over-motivated resolutions to better myself and my way of living.  Who knows, maybe next year I will proudly say I have defied the odds and become part of the 8%!  I have a handful of resolutions this year, some of which are below: 

• Save more, spend less money
• Work hard...ish
• Exercise... or at least start parking farther away from the mall entrance
• Don't get pregnant. Seriously, Lauren, just DON'T.
• Reach out to family and friends more frequently
• ...get more friends...
• Eat more fruits and veggies (fruit-flavored candies and butter-smothered veggies don't count!)
• Read some good books
• Keep up-to-date on my blog

While each one is seemingly noble and/or necessary in some way, the last resolution is easy and painless... unlike exercising and saving money will be.  Truth be told, I've always liked the idea of blogging, but when it comes down to doing it, I rarely finish a post.  I all too often sit down to write and half-way through think "no one cares, Lauren" and close the window.  Maybe it is because I feel no one outside of my family would care to read my blog, or maybe because I realize I'm not as exciting or interesting as I initially thought.

Just when I thought my blog was going down the same tragic path as my MySpace page and AIM account, my grade-school (does anyone say "grade-school" anymore?!) friend, Alexa, posted to Facebook that she has begun to satisfy her need to "do something and create" by blogging.  How inspiring!  It was nice to hear that I can possibly satisfy those very natural needs all while laying in bed in my pajamas with my cat!  Since I've never been stellar at "creating" delicious recipes and am certainly not motivated very often to get off my butt and "do something" that involves physical activity, I've decided to attempt to blog as often as I can, no matter how insignificant or pointless the posts may be.

Why?!

Because it is truly fun!  I like to talk about myself and what is going on in my life.  I like to entertain and educate.  I like to brag and boast.  I like to complain and carp.  I like to ponder and pick apart.  I like to woo and wow.

Okay, that's enough alliterations...

Simply put: I enjoy the convenience of talking about myself and sharing my thoughts to others while we both sit in the comfort of our own homes without any make-up on.

If you are not a member of my family and are simply reading this to pass the time or to get to know me better, bless your heart... and thank you!  Here is just a snippet of what you can expect to read/learn about in my posts:

• Matt and Marnie, my adorable little family
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
• Books I am reading/book reviews
• Clothes/shopping (I love style blogs)
• My career as a drug rep
• Product reviews
• Things I've discovered on/tried from Pinterest 
• Vacations, excursions, adventures
• Everyday grumblings and other odds and ends...

 Thanks for enduring this resolution with me!

Happy 2014, everybody!

May the resolution odds be ever in your favor!

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A big motivating factor for this particular resolution was/is my brother-in-law David (hi, David!).  Practically every time I see him, he mentions my lack of posting in a friendly, yet suggestive way.  I understand the importance for David and the rest of Matt's family (who currently live in Utah, Nebraska, and Colorado) to keep up-to-date with what is going on out here in Pennsylvania.  Thank you, David, for politely getting on my case about my blog...

And thank you, Alexa, for giving me the eye-opening motivation I needed to understand the importance of the need/reason to blog and create!

P.S. Sorry to hear about your tailbone...

Boobs and Bellies and Butts... Oh My!

Ah, yes!  It is that time of year again here in State College, PA, home of Penn State University -

BACK TO SCHOOL!

As an undergraduate student, I was always fairly excited for back to school season because it meant seeing friends again, a new year of classes, being back in the Happiest of Valleys, and warm weather.  However, as an alumnus living in the area with her husband (who is still an undergrad student...), I have noticed it is the onset of the warm, summer weather that is causing some uncomfortable and unsettling realizations as of late.

Anyone who has visited or lived in State College can attest to the fact that the weather in Happy Valley is very rarely "sunny and 75," as the country song goes, unless it is the beginning or end of the school year.  Happy Valley is normally overcast, if not raining, or snowing.  So, naturally, when PSU is blessed with gorgeous weather, we take advantage of it.  Some more than others...

We Are... a college town.  Simple as that.  State College, PA was built around Penn State University and it's student body.  When the students are gone for the summer, S.C. becomes a quiet, family town that just so happens to be home to one of the best (if not THE best) universities in the world.  However, when the students come back, Happy Valley quickly becomes host to hordes of college-aged co-eds, most of which decide to show off a little more than their brains... if you catch my drift...

It is deeply unsettling for me to look around at the student population that has invaded campus, our downtown, and surrounding areas and notice that females in particular have taken to the very immodest and unflattering trend of baring their bodies for the sake of "fashion."  Summer "fashion," if left to be defined by the female population at Penn State, would consist of flagrant displays of cleavage in low cut or strapless tops, unbelievably short shorts or skirts that are often accompanied by glimpses of butt cheeks (or worse!), and (the most confusing trend, in my opinion) crop tops that bare the girls' bellies and usually not-so-flat stomachs.  

So, why do I have such a problem with this?  Don't call me bitter.  I, for one, am NOT.  I am simply disturbed at the lack of modesty young women are now exhibiting so naturally and freely.  

Almost 2 years ago, I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and knew that I would need to make a change and promise between myself and Heavenly Father to wear modest clothing in order to preserve and uphold my integrity and virtue.  With this promise comes the duty and blessing of wearing the "garments."  For those who might be reading this and either don't know what the heck I'm talking about or have an idea and think I'm insane, let me break this down for you...

This past December (2012), I entered the Bountiful Temple (see picture below) in Utah and came out wearing the "garments."  These garments are worn under my regular clothing that represent and remind me of the sacred promises I made with Heavenly Father.  For the sake of this post and to maintain the sacredness of the garments, I will not go into too much detail regarding what they look like and what the garments' doctrinal meaning is, but I will summarize in saying that I covenanted to keep my body holy and modest by not showing it off with the immodest clothing being flaunted by today's young women.

Simply put: this means those little strappy tops and short skirts/dresses I've been seeing traipsing around campus are no longer in my closet! 

While I no longer own a strapless bandage dress or a pair of shorts, unfortunately, there are MANY girls at Penn State and other areas of the country who do.  The reasons that this makes me so uncomfortable are pretty obvious:

1) I have a husband and a younger brother who are subjected to viewing these young women in their skimpy clothing DAILY.  They are at Penn State to receive an education in their respective degrees, neither of which are studying "intimate female anatomy."

2) While I COULD certainly wear (and work!) these immodest clothes fashionably, I choose not to because I recognize the gift and worth of my body.  Unfortunately, most young girls don't see my example as the majority... they're seeing "Barbie Butt Cheeks" and "Candy Can-Cans" and wanting to emulate them and their style.

It is my sincere prayer for today's young women to recognize their self-worth and cover up their "assets" so they can be role models to the next generation and can be aware and proud of their worth in Heavenly Father's eyes.  Heavenly Father doesn't care that that crop top is "in style" or "cute."  When your belly is hanging out and causing the young men to objectify you, THAT is when He cares.  Heavenly Father doesn't care that the dress you just bought makes your boobs looks "huge!"  When your boobs are causing young men to struggle with immoral thoughts and desires, THAT is when He cares.

Ladies, we need to be a strong, holy example to our following generations.  We can do that by choosing modest clothing and covering the parts of our bodies that are intimate and sacred.  I promise that by doing so, we will be happier and the blessings from Heavenly Father will pour out upon us.

Bountiful Temple in Bountiful, Utah