Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Chicken Pot Pie


  • The BEST chicken pot pie l have ever eaten, l have made for Thanksgiving this year!


  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
  • 3 small onions, 2 cut in half, 1 chopped, divided
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
  • 1/4 pound button mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 3 ribs celery, chopped
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 5-6 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves picked and chopped
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 box frozen peas
  • 1 sheet puff pastry or pie dough, defrosted if frozen (l like to use a frozen pie crust for the bottom and a sheet of cresent rolls for the top!)

Pre-heat the oven to 375ºF.

Place the chicken, halved onion 2 garl
ic cloves crushed and bay leaves in a large pot and cover with cold water sprinkle garlic salt and some pepper into the water too!. Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring up to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken has cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and let cool. Reserve about 1 cup (a mugful) of the cooking liquid and then discard the remaining.

While chicken cools, place a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with two turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the chopped onion, mushrooms, carrots, celery, chopped rosemary, thyme and 2 garl
ic cloves to the pan, then season with salt and pepper and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 7-8 minutes. While the veggies are cooking, remove the chicken breast meat from the bones and shred.

When the veggies are tender, scoot them over to the side of the pan and add the butter (l add a l
ittle extra butter) to the center of the pot. Once the butter has melted, add the flour and cook for about a minute. Whisk in the white wine, milk, chicken stock and reserved poaching liquid. Bring up to a simmer, then add the tarragon (optional), Dijon mustard, peas and shredded chicken. Bring back up to a simmer, season with salt and pepper and cook until the sauce has thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to a casserole dish (or part
ially baked frozen pie crust) and cover with the pastry dough or cresant roll dough, trimming it as needed to cover the entire surface. Make a few slits in the dough to allow steam to escape~ Bake until GOLDEN on top! 

Thursday, August 30, 2012

FALL MAKEUP DISCOVERIES!

So, I have recently become re-aquatinted with a new friend! LANCÔME!!! I have always loved the variety of mascara's LANCÔME had to offer, but had always gravitated to other brands for blush, concealer, and shadows! However, this fall LANCÔME has WON ME OVER with my new favorite products! Check them out and I will tell you what I have been doing with them!

My first love of the season is

BLUSH SUBTIL PALETTE

Face Sculpting & Illuminating
All-In-One Contour, Blush & Highlighter
Available in 6 shades! You get a silky pigmented blush, deep rich bronzer and a flawless highlighter all in one compact! I have been using there on the eyes as well! And as a professional makeup artist, I despise bulky compacts! These compacts are sleek and THIN and slide into my kit BEAUTIFULLY! I love using the blush to connect the cheek to the eye by applying a bit into the eye crease over the shadow work I have done in an upward motion!

I have also fallen in love with 

COLOR DESIGN

Limited Edition Fall 2012 Collection Eye Palette
Eye Brightening All-In-One 5-Shadow & Liner
The pigments in these shadows are SO BLENDABLE and RICH! I love using the eyeliner powder  both wet & dry for a precise line or a smokey eye! They are amazing pigments! WHO KNEW?! My FAVORITE shade is Petal Pusher
which is featured below! Above is Violet Magnetique










The next product I have been really impressed by is 

EFFACERNES

Waterproof Protective Undereye Concealer!
This concealer is not only in a HUGE tube and will last forever, but the formula is amazing, and the shades are beautiful as well! I love how great the coverage is! It doesn't crease and the wearability is really LONG LASTING!! Ladies, fire up the smoke machine and put on those heels, because its time to go out DANCING! Your makeup wont budge as you work up that sweat!

I also like to use this product as an eye shadow base! A small dab will do ya for your lids!



 

Sunday, July 29, 2012

FOOD COMA!

Its no secret that I am a major foodie! My obsession with the food network is comparable to that of a 16 year old girl loving Justin Bieber! Diner's Drive In's & Dives features "hidden treasures" from all around the country, and their delectable specialties! Thank you Guy Fieri for featuring Silk City Diner on Spring street in Philadelphia! This diner LOOKS like just your run of the mill rest stop from the outside, but once you get a load of the menu, you realize you're about to embark on a gourmet journey! So hold on to your booth and enjoy the ride!
Lindy And I about to go inside and PIG OUT!




Once we sat down and saw the variety of incredible creations, we decided we needed to get almost everything on the menu! 
Take a look at some of the AMAZING things we ate!! 
Hot Roast Beef Sandwich • 11
swiss, horseradish & black pepper cream, French dip

Shrimp & Grits • 14
Anson Mills grits, andouille sausage, shallots, piquillo peppers, shrimp jus, sunny up egg

Smothered Chicken & Waffles • 12
honey chipotle waffles, sausage gravy, corn puree




Silk Brunch Salad • 10
frisee, bacon lardons, crispy potatoes, poached egg, sherry viniagrette

One Pound Chicken Wings: Spicy Buffalo-or-Thai Chili Glazed • 9
carrots, celery, bleu cheese

Fried Green Tomatoes • 4
sriracha aioli
Myself, Beth Shak and her daughter Lindy trying to fit all of the food on the table!
The best part about our experience was spending time together and laughing about how much food we ordered!! The waiters were all coming over to compliment us on ordering the most food they have ever seen 3 people get at one time!!

We had to take home the left overs for a late night snack! I cant wait for the munchies later!!

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Not by the hair of my chinnie chin chin

One summer in the Hamptons, my best friend Troy and I decided to get creative and "put on a show!"
Troy grabbed the camera and filmed me doing my impression of Celine Dion! Let me know what you think!
LOLZ

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

MOB WIVES

THIS KILLS ME!
It looks SO AMAZING! These women make me look boring and normal! WOW


MY NEW LOOK!!

JUST KIDDING THATS CHERRY PIE!

I am thinking seriously envious of this man for being able to PULL OF SO GREATLY, this look!
I must admit I found this on a buddies facebook page and became completely inspired! I feel like I need something similar! Handsome and OUTRAGEOUS all at once. Well done!! I wish I could find this man and date him!