Piano Playing Cb's

Last month, Cb's participated in Student Achievement Day.  It was for any music students in Fort Collins and it was held at the CSU music building.  Each student prepared a "Music in Nature" art project, one memorized piece, scales, and another piece which they played for a judge.  B and F took Cb's and her judge was so nice and sweet.  Cb's didn't even look nervous in the videos.  I'm glad she did this because I think it is really good practice and will help her to be more confident and not so nervous as she gets older.

She made a piano with her art teacher and used twigs for the legs.

The performances!

Afterwards, B took them out for a celebratory ice cream cone!  All performances should end with ice cream (hmmm, maybe that's been programed into my thinking because my mom and dad used to take me out for a blizzard after all my concerts).:)  The tradition continues!

Dog Treats

Cb's performed "Jingle Bells" for her Christmas piano recital, yesterday.  They played at the mall, which was pretty fun!  She volunteered to go first and did great!  You'll have to turn up your volume, as it is a little hard to hear.

Afterwards, we walked around the mall and ran into some Star Wars characters.  F wants an R2D2 for Christmas.  We said, "Only if R2D2 learns to clean, cook and put you guys to bed."

Brad was pretty excited, as well.  He wants a Tie-Fighter for Christmas.

Today's Christmas countdown activity was making dog treats for Roxie, the kid's Sunday school teacher's dog.  Ms. R. brings Roxie to church sometimes and the kids LOVE playing with her.  Ms. R. lets them throw the ball for Roxie and give her treats when she's all done.  We tried the treats out on Pugsley and he gobbled them up!  So, I think Roxie will like these homemade dog treats.:)

Maston Family Musicians

Yesterday, we received a new treat...a piano! Some acquaintances were selling their church piano for pretty cheap, so we bought it. We've always wanted a piano and are so excited to learn to play better. I only learned the bare minimum of piano skills to pass my college music therapy proficiencies, but I'd actually like to learn to play (now that I'm not being judged or graded). We are excited to get the kids comfortable with the instrument and then start them in lessons once they're a little older (a couple more years for Cadence).

It didn't come with a piano bench, though. Once we get one, I am looking forward to making a piano bench cover using some cute, probably flowery, fabric.

Prior to our new piano delivery, though, the kids performed a lovely concert for me. Enjoy the refined music of the Maston Family Musicians!

Pianist in the Making

Pull up a chair, you have a front row seat to Aria's piano recital!

She loved banging on those keys. Just like Schroeder. Cadence took that first picture of Aria, smiling.

Look at how cute she is in daddy's hat! Adorable! Her new favorite breakfast is Nutella on an English Muffin. Doesn't she make it look delicious?!

Another Cadence photo, capturing my lovely tired and baggy eyes.:)

Recipe Highlight:

Chicken Pot Pie with Sweet Potato Crust

I did not grow up eating pot pies, so they aren't something I think of making very often. This chicken pot pie was delicious! The crust is amazing! I had some left over dough, so I made bread sticks with the extra and they were wonderful as well. Enjoy!

ingredients

For Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 to 3/4 cup more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking power
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 Tablespoons cold butter or margarine, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup mashed sweet potatoes (from about 3 small roasted sweet potatoes, or one 15-ounce can, rinsed and drained)

For Filling:

• One 14 1/2-ounce can low-sodium/low-fat chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups whole or low-fat milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon butter or margarine
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups mixed frozen vegetables
• 3 1/2 cups cooked chicken, skin and bones removed, cut into 1-inch pieces (from 1 medium-size rotisserie chicken, approximately 2 pounds)
• Salt and pepper to taste

directions

For Crust:

step 1In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, salt and thyme. Use two forks or clean hands to cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the mashed sweet potatoes and mix with your hands until the mixture comes together and forms a soft dough. Gather the dough and press it together into a ball; then flatten it to form a disk. Place the dough in a Ziploc® Brand Storage Bag with the Smart Zip™ Seal and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

For Filling:

step 2Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-9-inch glass baking dish (or any oven-safe baking dish that will hold about 1 quart) with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

step 3In a medium-size pot, combine the chicken broth and milk. Gradually whisk in the flour, making sure the mixture is completely smooth. Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium. Add the butter, garlic and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, whisking continually until the mixture begins to thicken. Stir in the frozen vegetables and cook for 20 seconds. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the chicken, salt and pepper. Pour the filling into the reserved baking dish from Step 2 and set aside.

step 4On a clean countertop or pastry mat that's been lightly floured, roll out the dough until it's about 1/4-inch thick and roughly 10 inches square using more flour for dusting as needed if the dough is too sticky. Place the rolled-out dough over the baking dish (from Step 3), trim excess dough and crimp the sides by lightly pinching the dough along the edges to seal the pot pie and form a decorative edge. Cut a couple of small vent holes in the dough on the top of the pie with a knife and bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes until the crust is lightly browned. Allow the pot pie to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving so it can set.

variations

For an even faster pot pie, substitute in Step 3 two 10 3/4-ounce cans of condensed cream of celery soup for the flour, milk, butter, garlic and chicken broth listed under Filling ingredients. Thaw the frozen vegetables according to the package directions; then combine the soup, thyme, vegetables, cooked chicken and salt and pepper in the baking dish. Continue with Step 4 as directed, cooking for 30 to 40 minutes.

chef’s notes

Cooking for company? Give your pot pie a more decorative look. After you roll out the dough in Step 4, reserve a small piece of dough and use cookie cutters to cut out decorative pieces in the shapes of leaves or pumpkins. When you cover the pot pie with the rest of the dough, use a pastry brush to apply the dough-topped pie lightly with water and place the cut-outs on the top of the pie. Be sure to still cut some small vents in the top of the pie before baking.