We had a pound of fresh, ground venison (not to mention the extra 30+lbs of various cuts in the freezer) and I wanted to use it. We had recently visited Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan and had some amazing Pork Apple Pie with the most delicious crust at the Eagle Tavern. I haven't been able to get that crust out of my head since then. So when I realized I had to make something similar, pot pie was the first thing in my head. I got the crust recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction. I also adapted her Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie recipe for the ingredients I have, mainly venison. I highly recommend looking at her recipe and instructions, she has very detailed pictures. This is only a review of her recipes. 

This is a two part post. The first part will be the crust, and the second part will be the filler. The Pot Pie Filler ingredients and directions are adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction. The crust is direct from her site. She also uses this crust for pie. I have been using the pie crust from PickYourOwn.org, but I always like trying new things. 

Crust Ingredients:

• 2 and 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 6 Tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
• 3/4 cup (154g) vegetable shortening, chilled
• 1/2 cup (120ml) ice water

Crust Directions:

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening.
2. Using a pastry cutter (the one I own) or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick.
3. Measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water-- since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon (15ml) added. Do not add any more water than you need to. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use between 1/3 cup (75ml) and 1/2 cup (120ml) of water.
4. Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Divide dough in half. Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs using your hands.
5. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (and up to 5 days).
6. When rolling out the chilled pie dough discs to use in your pie, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center of the disc and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go.

Pot Pie Filler Ingredients:

• 1 recipe homemade pie crust
• 1-2lbs ground venison
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 minced garlic bulb
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• Salt to taste
• Black Pepper to taste
• Basil to taste
• Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 1 and 3/4 cups beef broth (homemade if possible)
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 cup frozen peas

Pot Pie Filler Directions:

1. Prepare the pie crust as directed above and according to Sally
2. In a large skillet, cook the butter, onions, and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until the onions are translucent and the butter is lightly browning. Whisk in the flour, seasonings, beef broth, and milk. Cook and whisk until no flour lumps remain, then simmer over medium-low heat until thick.
3. Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
4. Sally says, "After the pie dough has chilled: On a floured work surface, roll out 1 half of the chilled pie dough. Turn the pie crust dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. With a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang of dough and discard. Place the vension mixture on top. Top with frozen peas. Pour gravy over top. Roll out 2nd half of pie crust dough just as you did the first. Cover the pie with the 2nd crust and trim the extra overhang off the sides. Seal the edges by crimping with a fork or your fingers. With a small and sharp knife, slice a few small slits in the top crust for steam to escape."
5. Bake for 32 - 38 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

hNotes:
I recommend an apron. I always forget to put mine until until I wipe flour all over my jeans. 

In her original recipe, Sally does not recommend using milk because it may make the gravy type filling to be too thin. I didn't have half and half or heavy cream, though I imagine they would add to the richness tremendously, I used whole milk. We don't normally have milk at all because regular milk and I are not friends. A small amount cooked in something usually doesn't bother me. Anyway, it was what I had and the gravy stuff thickened up nicely. I imagine using skim would be like using water...

I don't measure my seasonings. I use the hand measuring method, which is not accurate, but it's close. You basically just have to learn what a tablespoon looks like in the palm of your hand. Same with the teaspoon. That's why I don't have precise measurements listed. If you think it needs more salt after you've tasted it, add salt. Same with pepper and any other seasoning. 

I didn't make my crust thin enough, so the balance of the pies was more toward the crusty side. 

​I don't have a lot of the proper tools for things like this, but it was easy enough to improvise. I don't have a rolling pin, so I used a glass with flat sides. I don't have a pastry cutter, but the forks worked well enough. 

I didn't have unsalted butter for the crust, so I used salted. 

Review:
Well, this was basically amazing. The filling was just... I couldn't stop eating it. The pies may be a little empty because I kept snacking on the filling. 

The crust was too thick, but that's my own fault. It's still not quite the flavor I was going for, but it's richer smoother than the crust I have been using. 

The directions were easy to follow, and there was plenty of time in between parts of this recipe so that I could do other things. I am a multi-tasker, so that is a big perk for me. 
​
I will definitely make this again... and again. 

Total Score:
4.5

It's about the season for TC's birthday. I like to make the requested dessert for whoever's birthday it is. TC requested something chocolate. We settled on Devil's Food Cake. Now, this is my second attempt at making cake from scratch. My first attempt was with yellow cake. So, might as well cover the rest of the spectrum. I am not terribly fond of cake, but maybe I will find a cake I really like one day. Maybe. 

This particular recipe I got from Taste of Home, and that's also where this ingredients list and directions are from. I'm just going to put this disclaimer at the beginning, I did not make my own frosting. I forgot to get confectioner's sugar at the store, but I did have chocolate fudge frosting at home because... well chocolate fudge, that's why. I also only made one cake, and I didn't separate it for a layer cake because I don't have the pans for that. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
• 2-1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1 cup water

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter, cubed
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of two greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and cooled chocolate. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream and water, beating well after each addition.
3. Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely.
4. For frosting, in a small heavy saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. In a large bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add chocolate mixture, beating until light and fluffy. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Yield: 12 servings.

Notes:
Because I didn't split the mix into two separate cakes, I had to bake it for an extra 17 minutes. So the time has basically doubled. 

My kitchenaid has seen better days, it's not currently working, so trying to cream the butter and brown sugar by hand was incredibly discouraging. It didn't help that I was using old, clumpy brown sugar. Even when it was all mixed up, it didn't look like butter and sugar normally look when creamed. Once I added the eggs, I felt a lot better about it. I actually panicked a little bit because I didn't have any room temperature eggs, then I remembered I haven't checked the chicken coop for eggs yet. Luckily there were three eggs waiting for me!

The recipe didn't specify the type of brown sugar, but I used the dark because I like molasses. ​

​You don't have to use a double boiler, I think, but it seemed like the perfect time to finally use it. It worked out really well. 

This is the most important note of all:  This is meant to be a layer cake, and I recommend making it as such. By itself, it's not terribly sweet, and that little extra layer of frosting would make it the perfect amount of sweetness. 


Review:
This cake is moist, but not too dense. It's not too sweet (which was the problem with my last cake), and balances out really well with the frosting, which is not overpowering. 

After getting the butter and sugar to cream, it was super easy to make. 

It looks like it would be really easy to make as a layer cake if I had the right pans for it. 

Total Score:
​3

Disclaimer: I'm about to use the words broth and stock interchangeably. I know there is a difference. For ease of communication, I use them both for the same thing. I'm pretty sure I already did a turkey-stock post... 

We got some chickens and ducks this last spring. We got 12 chickens and 4 ducks. Now only 5 chickens remain and our freezer is full. So, I decided to cook one of the chickens in the slow cooker. I put a smidgen of butter on the bottom of the crockpot, then I cut up an onion (store bought supplemented with home grown) and some garlic (homegrown). Then I seasoned the chicken with homegrown herbs and salt. Cooked it on low for 4 hours because it was a small bird. I didn't want to make a whole blog for slow cooker chicken. I may in the future, but this blog is for something else. This blog is for chicken stock/chicken bone broth. 

Ingredients:
Chicken carcass, fat, skin, any leftover chicken bits and drippings
Onion
Garlic
Salt 
Peppercorns
Carrots
Mushrooms
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar (leaches all the delicious and nutritious stuff out of the bones)
...Honestly, you can use whatever you want, but I don't recommend potatoes, leafy greens, dark green veggies etc... they get pretty bitter.  I personally am not terribly fond of carrots, so I only use a few, and then I overdo it on the mushrooms, because I love them. 

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker or stock pot.
Add water until your stock pot or crock pot is almost full.
Simmer for 1-2 days
Taste after 24 hours, if you want it stronger, cook it longer. 
When the stock is done, strain it into a container. Some people are concerned with the clarity of their stock. I am not one of those people. If you are one of those people... good luck. 

This particular picture is from the slow cooked chicken, so it had a lot of onion and seasonings in the slow cooker already. I just put the carcass back in after I cleaned it, and I put water on top of it. Easy as stock. 

Notes:
Go easy on the seasonings the first time, your stock may taste a little bland, but you can always add seasonings to it when you use it. It's really hard to recover from over seasoning something. You're looking for a good chicken flavor. 

Parsley is a great addition to chicken broth based dishes when you go to use your broth. I used to think it was useless, but it really amps up the flavor. 

You can use the carcass and veggies a second time for a weaker batch of stock to use instead of water for rice etc.

This is very important: don't let it cook too long without stirring... the floating bits can burn, and then your stock is almost unusable. Trust me on this. I lost 5 gallons of stock one day because of it. 

This is my favorite part of stock: I take all of my onion and garlic papers and cut ends and freeze them. If an onion is a little squishy and I don't want to cook with it, I put it in the freezer. When I go to make a batch of this delicious bone broth, I use all the papers and ends and everything that I had collected in the freezer. The papers add to the color and quality of the broth. Here's an example: TC will buy a bunch of carrots and then let them sit in the fridge. I don't care for carrots, but they're good to add in stock. So, when they start to lose their crispness and aren't as good for eating, I freeze them and use them for stock. Nothing goes to waste! 

fter a year of not wanting to bake (I know... I know... an entire year? Yeah. I didn't want to bake for a year.) I have gotten back into the swing of things. This year has been pretty brutal, and I'm glad it's almost over. To celebrate new things and things getting better, I have baked a few things. I will start with my very first cake from scratch. It was for a birthday, and the goal was yellow cake with chocolate fudge frosting. I decided to be dumb about it and have my first attempt be a layered. Spoiler alert: it worked out... mostly. So, lets begin! This is from the Diva's Can Cook site. Let me say this in advance, I strongly recommend having room temperature ingredients. It is more important than it seems

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, room temperature
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs, separated, room temperature
• 3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
4. Add in egg yolks and vanilla, mixing until fully incorporated. Set aside.
5. In a seperate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt.
6. Gradually add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk.
7. Mix until batter is fluffy but be careful not to over mix.
8. Beat egg whites until foamy and thick.
9. Very gently fold egg whites into batter and mix JUST until incorporated.
10. Pour batter into prepared pans and spread into even layers.
11. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and let cake cool in pans until pans are warm to the touch.
13. Carefully remove cakes from pan and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
14. When cakes are completely cooled frost with chocolate buttercream frosting.

Recipe from Divas Can Cook . " Old School Cooking For the Modern Woman"
Read Morehttp://divascancook.com/moist-yellow-cake-recipe-old-fashioned/

Yeah, it ended up being super crumbly, but put it in a bowl with some ice cream and it mixes up into the most delicious sludge. 

Notes:
Once again, I got the recipe from Divas Can Cook.

It tasted like sugar cookie. It didn't really taste like yellow cake. That's because there was WAY too much sugar in this cake. I would probably only use 1-1 1/4c of sugar instead of the 2c in the recipe. 

The recipe was easy to put together, but a mixer was absolutely necessary... I cannot beat egg whites by hand. 

A lot of the comments on the Divas Can Cook site had trouble with their cake falling. I didn't have that problem. My guess as to why that was happening to people was because they didn't use room temperature ingredients or they didn't fold the egg whites in properly. I mean, I don't think I do it properly, but I made sure it was mixed in thoroughly and I tried not to do it too much. 


Review:
This is a solid recipe and I will definitely give it another go. The cake was moist, and it did really well with the frosting. 

I have never really liked cake. On the spectrum of "cake I would eat", this is in the realm of cake I would eat. Red velvet is in the realm of cake I would not eat. 


Total Score:
​3