I have a new favorite drink.

Yesterday we had dinner with Charlie's aunt and uncle and his aunt shared with us that cherry juice naturally reduces swelling. So, since my feet seem to be swollen I decided that cherry juice is something I had to try and guess what? It's my new favorite drink! Cherry Juice and a splash of 7-Up is really good! Get the 100% cherry juice from Trader Joe's (THANKS for picking some up for me Kate!) I will have to let you know if I notice any changes in my feet.

Baby News!

Hello! We are starting to get really excited for baby Malley's arrival and we have some new updates to share:

1) We have picked out a name! The middle name is still being worked out, but the first name will be: Abigail! So get ready for the newest Malley, Abigail (Abby) Malley.

2) The room is getting more and more complete each day. We only have the crib and dresser set up as of now, but I have some decorations going up very soon and I've picked out some other furniture items so it's sure to look a little fuller soon. In the meantime check out what I've got so far.




Here's the view out of Abby's window... should be a nice view of the sunrise. Hopefully that will cheer us up on the mornings when we're up WAY too early. :)

I guess that's all for news right now. I am feeling good and Abby is an active little baby, squirming and kicking almost all night long. Hopefully she will switch her night owl ways as soon as she's born, but I'm not holding my breath.

January Dinner Club

We had dinner club at our house this weekend and my goal was to make something that could be prepared ahead, did not involve my meat thermometer and had a cozy feeling... so I made Chicken Pot Pies. I was a little concerned because I'd never made a crust before and the recipe I found came highly reviewed but the ingredients seemed totally wacky to me, I made it anyway and although the ingredients still seem incompatible, I was glad I ignored my instincts because it sure tasted good! Who knew that sun dried tomatoes, shitakes, green onions and rosemary went together? As for my meat thermometer I have become obsessed with making sure everything is cooked to the absolute correct temperature (after I have this baby I'm going back to my old ways of half thermometer, half eyeballing it) I think my meat thermometer must be broken because it always seems to get stuck at the same temperature...

Anyway, make these chicken pot pies, they are easy to make, were a big hit and sure look cute in their own little containers.

Crust
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cut into pieces, room temperature (I used the 1/3 less fat kind and the crust was still rich and delicious)

Chicken
1 3 1/2-pound whole chicken - I used a rotisserie chicken from the store. SO easy, oh and canned chicken stock, so I basically skipped this step.
12 cups water
2 large onions, quartered
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large leek, sliced
12 small thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf

Filling and assembly
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 red bell peppers, cut into strips
1 large onion, chopped
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps sliced
4 ounces green beans, boiled 1 minute, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup whipping cream
4 1/2 teaspoons beef base*

1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)

For crust:
Mix flour and salt in processor. Add butter and cheese; blend until moist clumps form. Shape dough into 6-inch-long log. Wrap; chill while making chicken and filling.

For chicken:
Place all ingredients in large pot; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes. Transfer chicken to large bowl; cool. Discard skin and bones. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces; return to bowl. Strain cooking liquid into large saucepan. Boil until reduced to 3 cups stock, about 1 hour.

For filling and assembly:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add peppers and onion; cook until soft, about 6 minutes. Transfer to bowl with chicken. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until just brown, about 4 minutes. Add to bowl with chicken; mix in next 4 ingredients.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; whisk 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in 3 cups stock, then milk, cream and beef base; bring to boil. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Stir 3 cups sauce into chicken mixture (reserve remaining sauce for another use).

Cut prepared dough crosswise into 6 equal pieces. Roll out pieces to 7-inch rounds on lightly floured surface. Divide filling among six 2-cup soufflé dishes. Cover each dish with 1 dough round. Press overhang to side of dish to adhere. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush top of each dough round with egg glaze; cut 3 slits in each for steam to escape. Bake pies until crust is golden brown and filling is heated through, about 45 minutes.

*Sold at specialty foods stores and in the soup section of many supermarkets

New Favorite Mac and Cheese

Yesterday I felt like having something cozy and wintery for dinner and Mac and Cheese seemed like just the thing. I searched online for a recipe that included sausage because Charlie loves those chicken and apple sausages you can buy at Costco and I have a bunch of them, so that led me to Emeril's Kicked Up Sausage Mac & Cheese. Emeril had his hey day a while back and I have to admit the Food Network snob in me longed for something a little more Giada, but after reviewing the ingredients and reviews of people that had made it I decided to go for it and I was NOT disappointed. Here's the recipe for all of you who may want something wintery and delicious. Happy 2009!!

Emeril's Kicked Up Sausage Mac & Cheese - I only made 1/2 and it was enough for about 4 servings
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
1 pound homemade-style spicy pork sausage, removed from casings and crumbled (I used Chef Bruce Aidell's Chicken & Apple Sausage - SO, SO good)
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers - I hate green peppers so I used red
1 tablespoon Essence - I used plain old Cajun Seasoning from my spice rack
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon anise seeds - skipped this
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk - Used non-fat and you couldn't tell
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces)- I used a combo of Coastal Cheddar from Costco and medium sharp cheddar... very good. I think you could get away with some low-fat cheddar in here if you were so inclined.
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter a large casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water. Drain well.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, stirring, until browned and the fat is rendered. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan. Add the onions, bell peppers, and 1 teaspoon of the Essence, and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and anise seeds, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Melt the remaining stick of butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, cook over medium heat until thick, 3 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let the flour brown. Using a whisk, add the milk in a steady stream and cook, whisking constantly, until thick and smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, and 2 cups of the cheese, and stir well. Add the noodles, cooked sausage and vegetables, and stir well to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of cheese with the breadcrumbs and remaining 2 teaspoons of Essence. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings