Azoresgal~Life on an Island

Chicken pot pie is such a perfect comfort food  for the cooler autumn nights upon us. A  dish with a golden  brown flakey pastry crust  loaded with a creamy chicken and veggie filling. Making this pot pie all from scratch is so worth the effort, but if you are pressed for time, going the store bought route will also work. Either way, your family is going to love the savory, delicious goodness that is this pie! 2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (turkey works/ deli chicken/ leftover chicken) Crust for a double pie (storebought/or from scratch) 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 carrots, diced 1 small sweet onion, diced 1 cup frozen peas 1/3 cup butter 1/3 cup flour 1½ to 2 cups  chicken broth 1/2 cup heavy cream ( or milk) 2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, minced (or 1 tsp. ground) Fresh chopped parsley to taste Salt and pepper to taste Chicken bouillon cube or 1 TBS bouillon paste (optional) Preheat oven to...

Over the weekend, my Facebook "on this day" memories, were kind enough to remind me that I had given these pumpkin scones a try last year. I was also reminded that it went terribly wrong, and that's why I never added them to the blog. They tasted really great, but they were difficult to make, the dough was really wet, and kneading it was a doozy. I however am not a quitter, and decided to give these babies a try again, with some little tweaks, and this time they were a success! Pumpkin Scones Scones: 2 cups all-purpose flour ( I added an extra 1/2 cup) ¼ cup plus 3 tbsp granulated sugar 1 tbsp baking powder ½ tsp salt ½ tsp ground cinnamon ( I used 1 teaspoon) ½ tsp ground nutmeg ( I used 1teaspoon) ¼ tsp ground cloves ( I used 1/2 teaspoon) ¼ tsp ground ginger ( I used 1/2 teaspoon) 6 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes ( I used 1/2 cup cold butter) ½ cup canned pumpkin 3 tbsp half-and-half ( I used  full fat cold cream) 1 large egg (cold) Powdered...

A great little pasta dish, super easy and delicious. Perfect for a busy work week or just right for when you need some comfort food. The portion here is for one as per the original recipe, when I am cooking for my family of five, I just adjust the portions. If you like use fresh pasta, it also works like a charm here. 100 g spaghettini or vermicelli pasta ( I used spaghetti) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed 100 g cherry tomatoes, chopped 5 basil leaves, shredded To serve 5 basil leaves, shredded 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1.In a large saucepan cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, about 5 6 minutes, before draining. 2.Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan and fry the garlic for about 2 minutes until soft but not brown. 3.Put in the tomatoes and a pinch of salt and cook for a few more minutes, adding a splash of water. Cook until the tomatoes are tender and have a saucy consistency. Add the chopped basil. 4.To serve: stir ...

Although I no longer live in Canada, I still love to celebrate Canadian thanksgiving with my family. The 20 years I have lived on the island, I don´t think we have never not celebrated it. It is certainly now a part of our traditions and our children's memories. I think even if I tried not to, our kids would not let it slide.There are dishes I have to make for them, mac&cheese, pumpkin pie and glazed carrots are a must. Yesterday for our tiny thanksgiving lunch I added this side dish, and it was a hit! It's a  sweet potato casserole seasoned with a little cinnamon and nutmeg, topped with marshmallows. Let's be real here, this could almost pass for dessert...think- pie without a crust , but it’s a veggie dish. It's simple to make, it's delicious and I promise you will love it! 2½ pounds sweet potatoes (4 medium), peeled and cubed 4 tablespoons margarine 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon pinch of nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon kos...

 After four months of sharing the house with the kiddos, and Mr.G on his vacation....I finally have the house to myself! Ok, Luna and I have the house to ourselves. So what did I do with a whole day left to my own devices, I would like to say it was super exciting, but it really wasn't. First part of the day. I cleaned...yup you read that correctly..I cleaned. I broke out the black garbage bags, and the bleach, I had to reclaim this place, it was looking a bit nomadic, nothing in it's right place. Feeling quite proud and accomplished with my cleaning session, I felt I was entitled to a fun afternoon. Are you ready to here about my fun ?? Brace yourselves, I binge watched what I could cram into to rest of the afternoon, while having the television all to myself, before the first kid got of the bus! Oh it was glorious, and all while enjoying a big bowl of peanut sesame noodles! Now if you don't think that's a perfect day, I will have you know, that these noodles are. They...