sunday stew: chicken pot pie

who doesn't love a chicken pot pie?

fluffy and perfectly browned on top!

i love the frozen ones you can get for $.89, don't get me wrong. but there's something even better about making one yourself. it's so very simple, and so very yummy.

it's one of those dishes you can easily add to your dinner rotation without hesitation. everyone loves it. i promise.

after a view variations, i have decided that this is my favorite recipe for the pie. it has a wonderful consistency, lots of tender chunks of chicken, the crust comes out super fluffy, and it has just enough veggies to cover the food groups.

the goods:
2-3 large chicken breasts (frozen works just fine)

two cans cream of chicken

one cup of milk

one large potato

one bag of frozen (or can) of corn

one bag of frozen peas and carrots

salt/pepper

garlic powder

italian seasoning

one package of crescent rolls

**(optional) one pie crust

how to do it:

chicken, potatoes, cream of
chicken soup, milk, seasonings.

peel and dice potato.

place chicken in crock pot, with cream of chicken, milk, potatoes and seasonings.

cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-5 hours.

after cooking, you can shred or dice the chicken, depending on your preference. either way, it's going to be very tender.

when you have 15-20 minutes left, add the corn and peas and carrots.

pre-heat oven.

transfer to a pie plate.

pie filling

**if you have decided to use the additional pie crust on the bottom, you only have one extra step, and it is TOTALLY worth it. put the uncovered pie filling (with pie crust) in the oven for about ten minutes, at about 375, just to get the bottom crust cooking.**

cover the top with the crescent rolls. i kept mine in tact, and just laid the entire sleeve of rolls across the top, and then folded up the edges to make a nice rounded edge. you can get as creative as you want. or just throw them on there. nobody really cares once you cut into it.

bake according to the directions on the crescent roll package (usually about 375 for 10/15 minutes).

enjoy!!

love & rockets,

sarah

sunday stew: chicken tortilla soup

i love my crock pot. and i love finding new recipes i can add to our dinner "rotation". i had been wanting to try a chicken tortilla soup, but couldn't find a recipe that i was crazy about. i wanted it to be more of a creamy base, and i'm not wild about big, gross, stewed tomatoes. so...i decided to try something on my own.

the soup came out AMAZE-BALLS! and if you're like me and you like-a-da spice you can add a lot or you can always cut back on the cayenne if you're not into the fire.

the goods:
**this was enough for me and my husband, plus plenty of leftovers for lunch tomorrow. this could easily serve four or five people**
two chicken breasts (i used frozen because i'm a lazy bitch)
one can chicken broth
one can red enchilada sauce
one small can fire roasted diced green chilies
one can black beans (drained)
one can yellow corn (drained)
one block of cream cheese. you can use low fat, but i don't recommend fat free...it doesn't blend as well. (let sit out so it is room temp. much easier to blend)
one packet taco seasoning (either spicy or regular)
cayenne pepper
garlic powder
tortilla chips
monterey jack cheese
sour cream

how to do it:
place chicken breasts in the crock.
mix chicken broth, enchilada sauce, green chilies and spices (taco seasoning, cayenne pepper and garlic to taste.)
pour over chicken.
let cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-5 hours on high.
pull chicken apart, shred it as much or as little as you like. it should be very tender.
(i let it simmer another hour so the chicken can soak up all the seasoning)
add corn and beans.
stir in cream cheese until the blended.
you can serve immediately, or let simmer for up to two more hours on low or warm.

serve with tortilla chips. either crushed on top or lining the bowl. you can also add monterey jack cheese and sour cream on top (that's how we like it in the Thamm household).

enjoy!

love and rockets,
sarah

asshole monday: the blue edition.

i read an article this morning, claiming that today (the third monday of january every year) is the most depressing day of the year. blue monday: ny daily news
although, i'm feeling great today. i don't have to work (thank you for having a dream, MLK, Jr.), i've started cooking a homemade chicken pot pie for dinner and i'm about to open a great bottle of Malbec (if you're judging me, then get the fuck out of here).
so i decided to switch up asshole monday a bit. just in case this day is finding some of you a little more depressed than usual, i don't want to be the reason you go over the edge. instead of bitching about how much i hate the world, i thought i'd share some warm and fuzzy thoughts.
first, as a precaution, and what i feel like is my duty as someone who vomits their thoughts on you every week, here are some ways to beat "Blue Monday".
celeb baking recipes to beat blue monday
beat blue monday

the golden globes

the perfect asshole

ahhhhhh...award season. the fashion, the celebrities, who is with who, who's wearing what. and i love it!
and i loved the golden globes last night. i could have used a few more drunks, and a few more slip ups shown on live television. and there was a lot of accents i couldn't understand (i'm sure their movies are absolutely wonderful, but this is asshole monday you're reading). but, i loved the show. especially ricky gervais. he is the best kind of asshole. i loved that his opening included a joke about kim kardashian. who was watching at home, just like me last night...because we're both devoid of any real talent...at least any relating to show business. i can at least balance my checkbook and do a PowerPoint presentation.
i love that he doesn't give a shit. he made fun of bieber. he's fantastic. and i hope they invite him back, again and again.

this rug i just bought

wee wee

i was looking for a new rug for our kitchen, when i stumbled upon this beauty for inside the front door.
i don't know about you, but this thing is hilarious.
i can't wait to come home to this everyday. i don't care if it's blue monday or shitstain wednesday. this rug is going to make me smile.
if you want to steal my style, you can find it at urban outfitters. i won't be offended. just don't tell me about it, or ever let me see it in your house. ps, don't worry,  i did also find kick ass rug for the kitchen.

tv shows have started back

love me some Damon

i'm not sure what there is to be depressed about, when all of my tv shows have started back. unless, it's that there's so much new tv happening right now, that my DVR can't record them all. and even that being the worst part, they now have all these shows on demand, so you don't really have to give up any of them.
quit your bitchin'. there are so many good, new shows out there right now. even if your job sucks, you're single (not on purpose) and you're just plain terrible, you can find something on tv to get you from week to week.

blue ivy carter is already on the billboard charts

proud parents

i know. beyonce and jigga have gotten a lot of slack for the shit they pulled in the hospital. and if it's true, they deserve to be slapped back to reality with an anvil (road runner style). but, let's give Hova a little credit. he put his newborn daughter's cries on his newest single. and by giving her a vocal credit, made her the youngest person ever to appear on a Billboard chart. dude, that's baller. Blue Ivy on Billboard Chart

90210 never dies

if you know me at all, you know that i love 90210. not the new version, even though i watch it, in case there are any references of the old one (purely research). but, the old, wonderful Beverly Hills, 90210. dylan mckay and his porche, brenda and her bitchiness, brandon and his euphoria, andrea and her dumb name, david silver and his lame music career, kelly taylor and her slut turned good girl lifestyle, and donna and her horse face. don't lie to yourself. you can sing the intro song, and if anyone ever started chanting "Donna Martin graduates" you'd probably find yourself joining in without ever noticing.
and this week, two of it's stars were in the news. it's bad news. one is suing the other. but, the story still made Us Weekly. so i don't give a shit what it's about. Us Weekly Celebrity News

and here's a link for the honey badger video because if you haven't seen it, you need to. it WILL make you laugh. and if you have seen it, watch it again. however bad you're feeling, at least your'e not constantly being stung by bees and eating copperheads. right?

have a good monday, assholes.

love & rockets,
sarah

it's friday the 13th. let's get spooked up.

to counteract the asshole monday, there is amaze-balls friday. who doesn't love friday? even if it is friday the 13th. dun dun duuuuuuuunnnn.
so, i thought we could talk about some music that is awesome in anticipation of a great weekend ahead.
you could even find your favorite new song to get spooked up to.


music
i'm not going to say that i single-handedly made rock stars out of certain bands. but, it wasn't very long after i discovered said bands that they blew up like a newborn's diaper all over G105.
i am forever on my quest for untainted music. for musicians that haven't yet been rocketed into fame, and are still making music (lots of music...not just one or two singles to be released when the record label says so). they're in it for the fans.
here's a few that i absolutely adore. and i think you will too. (their names are links to their websites)
dustin kensrue. he sings the song we danced our "first dance" to at our wedding. this guy will get you out of your chair and dancing. he has a great way of singing a love song without making you want to kill yourself.

james morrison

james morrison. an English dude with so much soul. i am absolutely in love with his music. i couldn't even begin to say enough about it. i will say this, it's weird how they don't sound English when they sing, right?

dave barnes. he has a beautiful, clean voice. you'll know the words in no time and finding yourself singing them. loudly, if you're anything like me.

with Ron Pope after his latest show 

ron pope. he's fantastic! dustin and i have seen him several times. usually with no more than twenty other fans in some random bar. we danced to one of his songs as our "last dance" at our wedding. when we saw him about a month ago, he played it privately just for us after the show. that's rockstar.
the low hand. a trio of kick ass guys and their instruments. it's raw, natural and awesome.

zack berkman

brett dennen. he's a nerd. with red hair and glasses. he's also a fantastic songwriter. he goes best with a bottle of wine.
mason jennings. i've got to see him several times over the past few years. and he just keeps getting better and better. he has lovely melodies, and a sense of humor. that's nice.
zach berkman. oh, man. this little guy really packs a punch. he's got such a powerful voice, and when you see him you wouldn't expect that he could produce it. he's absolutely wonderful. and so good in concert.

check out this spotify playlist if you don't feel like looking up all these peeps. guys with guitars

i could go on for days and days. but, i'll save some for another time. if you have any suggestions on bands i should be listening to, fill me in. i love new music.
happy friday the 13th!

love & rockets,
sarah

asshole monday

 it's monday. if there is a better day to bitch, i don't know about it.

this morning, i went from feeling all giddy and loving the world to wanting to kick the world in the shin.
let me explain.

my husband is awesome. he filled up the car with gas while i was getting ready for work. as if that wasn't enough, he then left me the only things i could possibly want on a monday morning...my favorite Naked juice and a scratch off lottery ticket (read: the slim chance of not having to go into work, possibly ever again).

i didn't win.

and now, i'm at work.

asshole monday.

let's talk about what has pissed me off. and then you can tell me what pisses you off. this is a fun game.

the kardashians magazine.
total fucking domination. a magazine?!!?! an entire magazine filled with what the Kardashian's think is important. kill me now.
it's not that i don't get sucked into their lives, just like the rest of you. or that i didn't watch Kim's two-part wedding special. (i blame the tears on the fact that i myself was getting married that next weekend). it's that i don't understand their fame.
i will be the first one to give them credit for being savvy business women, and the whole family for seizing every opportunity to stay in the spotlight. but, that's about where i can end my positive spin.
as Dustin said the other day, when i mindlessly stopped to watch a Kardashian special about the younger one turning 16..."oh. my. god. it's never going to end. they're going to be around for fucking ever."
that might be true, sweetheart, but we've already been married longer than Kim was, so...nanny nanny boo boo.

casey anthony and her video blog.

this woman is a sociopath. textbook to the letter. and the fact that she hasn't been shot in the face is one thing. but, that she feels like she can surface again, makes my skin crawl. her blonde hair isn't doing her any favors either. i'll rip it out, no matter what color it is.
if you feel like vomiting, you can check out her masterpiece here. (remember you are giving her what she wants if you do).

girls who act like they are interested in the NFL.
you sound ridiculous. i'm not saying there aren't some real female fans out there. i actually can think of a few of my friends that are really into the NFL. but, the rest of you. give it up. stop acting like you're more interested in stats and yardage than you are in Tom Brady's ass. there's no shame in caring more about what celebrity is dating which quarterback. or admitting that the only reason you know the name of a certain player is because they were in US Weekly.

the bachelor

date me, date my hair. that's the deal.

i wait a very long time in between seasons, with hope and anticipation. and with last weeks premiere, all i felt was like i should find these bachelorettes a dunk tank and a handful of anti-psychotics. they probably picked this batch of especially ripe bachelorettes because the bachelor is a tad boring. i don't want to say dullard, but since i never thought i would say the word dullard in an actual sentence, there it is. he seems very sweet. and i'm sure that's he a great partner. but, that's not what me and my DVR signed up for.

don't get me wrong. i'm still going to watch every episode like my life depends on it. i'm just not going to be happy about it.

going to the post office to return something i bought online.

this is just a personal annoyance. and guess what, random store, you win. because i'm probably not going to go to the post office. it's going to sit in my house until it's been so long that i feel stupid returning it.

range rover won north american truck of the year.

not a range rover.

why, you ask, would this ever piss me off? being a loyal owner of two rovers over the past ten years.

i'll tell you why. because this is not a range rover.

whatever. the times are changing. blah. blah. blah. it gets great mileage, and i'm sure it's super safe. it looks a little like the bat mobile, and it probably has some cool features i would have never thought i needed until they were there. but, it's not a rover. since when does land rover/range rover give a shit about anything but being awesome? i don't like it when something completely changes what it is to fit a mold it believes it's supposed to fit into. and range rover...i never thought i'd be saying this to you.
you can read the article here.  the president of Jaguar/LandRover even said..."and I can tell you that we're going to market the hell out of this."
yeah, you are. because if i see one. i'm going to run it over with my real Land Rover.

that's all the ranting for this week. feel free to vent all you want. it's monday. the bitching day.

love & rockets,
sarah

holiday hangover

i don't know about you, but last week at work was BRUTAL. there is just something about going back to work after the holidays that is harder to get over than a regular vacation.
i think it's because i didn't do shit over my vacation. unless, you count sleeping until eleven o'clock everyday, starting and finishing the Hunger Games trilogy (totally recommend it, bee tee dubs), watching at least a dozen Lifetime movies (tori spelling has still got it), drinking far too much wine, playing video games with my brother and cooking largely inappropriate sized meals for just me and my husband.
i did manage to spend time with my family and Dustin's family. and that's all that's technically required, correct? well, mission accomplished.

fishing with our nephew's Christmas Eve.

that fishing is about all the physical activity i did for the span of about 10 days. i started to work out once, and then thought about the Grout Bully re-grouter i wanted to order, and that seemed more important. obvi.

no wonder i felt like a giant bag of shit when i had to go back to work last monday. and tuesday. and wednesday...

i'm hoping that by this monday, i'll actually be ready to do something at work other than play BINGO on facebook for eight straight hours. but, no promises. not one of my resolutions even remotely resembles anything like "work harder and more efficiently". but more importantly, hopefully next week i will be able to rustle up the energy to do things AFTER work. that's when it matters, right?

so...since, i am a total waste of time and energy, and this blog doesn't really even make sense, i thought i'd share some of my other favorite blogs from the past year with you. at least you'll get something for mistakenly reading this piece. and it may give you something to do at work.


it's all about wine that's under twenty bucks. no brainer.
good wine under 20

this is one of my favorites of the year. and if you don't think it's real, keep it to yourself. i'm still living the dream.
texts from bennett

this guy. you love him or you hate him. i love him. but, i also live in five points and can make fun of myself. if you don't...you probably won't be as tickled by him as i am.
ITB insider

this chick makes me actually want to do DYI stuff, instead of just look at it for hours.
made by girl

um...it's a blog about candy. duh.
candy blog

two great blogs for the girl on the budget.
frugal fashionista
the budget fashionista

a bunch of awesomeness in one place.
buzz feed

go fug yourself. it's in the title.
go fug yourself.

not technically a blog, but i love these bitches.
crockin' girls

i like reading about the celebrities, okay?
pop sugar

i know, just KNOW, that he writes some of these himself.
justin timberlake

and then there are the ones we all know and love. texts from last night, dear old perez, and fail blog.

hope this helps getting you through another week at work.

love & rockets,
sarah