Pregnancy, Prayer and Comfort (food)

Just to preface, I don't think this blog is going to be about any beautiful, convicting revelations of myself or my God. (I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to write ONLY life changing blog posts. I'm an idealist.)

I'm currently in my 14th week of pregnancy. That means I'm (normally) feeling MUCH better. Although, I feel just as, if not more, tired. But I will take tired any day of the week over how I've felt the past month or so. It's all part of the growing a baby game, though AND I have an absolutely incredible, (learning to be) servant-hearted husband who loves his pathetic pregnant wife SUPER well. I've been getting more back rubs than usual, LOTS of Rocky Road ice cream runs, sparkling clean kitchens, and nicely folded laundry. He really is incredible. And the manliest man you'll ever meet. ;)

T- 14 days until we get to find out if sweet baby David is a he or a she! I'm so excited to have a gender to refer to instead of the awkward "... uh, it. I mean baby! I mean he or she..." I was chatting with my friend Lindsey and we have big plans for a gender reveal party. If you have any (cheap) fun ideas, please send them my way!

In other news... I'm currently reading A Praying Life by Paul Miller. I started reading it this summer, but put it down and never got to pick it back up. But some sweet college girls, Katie and myself are reading it together. If you struggle with prayer, (Wanting to, but not being able to. Having great intentions, but seeing them fizzle out...), this book will pierce the deep parts of your heart that are hindering your prayer life. My biggest paradigm shift has been this:

-Prayer (and I would say anything in my life, really) is not about experiencing God. So often, I find myself in search of a feeling of spirituality. I want to feel peace, comfort, love, goosebumps, whatever. But this is not what my life is for. This is not why Jesus came as a man, died a death He didn't deserve, and conquer our worst enemy by being raised from the dead. My prayer life is about knowing God, not experiencing Him. It is a sweet dinner with my dearest family. No agenda, no focus on conversation. It's a relationship.

I'm sure I'll be writing about this more later. But I'm excited to dig in deeper to knowing God as opposed to seeking an experience with Him.

And... here is the real reason for this blog post.

I just pulled out of the oven, one of my favorite dinners of all time. Katie made it for me once, and it's been a coveted comfort food ever since. (That Katie, she's an amazing cook.) It's creamy, with lots of veggies, and delicious biscuits on top. MUCH better than any chicken pot pie I've ever had, but maintains a similar essence. I can't wait to make this when it's colder outside. But, in all reality, it's delicious any time of the year.

P.S. (It makes your whole house smell like I imagine Paula Deen's kitchen might smell.)

*I did things a little differently. I just use boneless chicken breasts. It saves me some work. I also use a pre made biscuit mix to cut corners on time. It's a time intensive dish, for sure, but VERY worth it.

• Cook Time:

  45 min

• Level:

  Intermediate

• Yield:

  8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots (4 carrots), blanched for 2 minutes
• 1 10-ounce package frozen peas (2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen small whole onions
• 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

For the biscuits:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced
• 3/4 cup half-and-half
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and the heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and parsley. Mix well. Place the stew in a 10 x 13 x 2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan lined with parchment or wax paper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the biscuits. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is the size of peas. Add the half-and-half and combine on low speed. Mix in the parsley. Dump the dough out on a well-floured board and, with a rolling pin, roll out to 3/8-inch thick. Cut out twelve circles with a 2 1/2-inch round cutter.

Remove the stew from the oven and arrange the biscuits on top of the filling. Brush them with egg wash, and return the dish to the oven. Bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are brown and the stew is bubbly.

Note: To make in advance, refrigerate the chicken stew and biscuits separately. Bake the stew for 25 minutes, then place the biscuits on top, and bake for another 30 minutes, until done.

My next blogpost will contain something a little healthier. My sweet vegan friend, Cristina gave me several recipes that I'll be trying out this week while the hubby is in Washington.

Until then, have a great week!

Lauren