Here are my top 20 free things to do in Birmingham, Alabama
Cindy Baker
On the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the U.S. I wanted to repost this.
I am going to take a risk here and stray from my usual peppy upbeat stories, but I hope you will bear with me. This one is more serious. I am currently a sixth-grade teacher, and I took some of my students outside today to place flags around the front of our school in remembrance of those who died in the horrific terrorist attack on September 11.
Where Were You on 9/11?
The attack was 18 years ago, yet every adult can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news. My students had not been born yet that day. I remember where I was. I was living in Germany at the time. I was on the staff of a large youth outreach organization and was providing youth ministry to American students in grades 6 – 12 whose parents were stationed in the U.S. Army in Hohenfels, Germany. It was a little after 4:00 P.M. Germany time, and I was in my office on post listening to the only radio channel I could pick up in English: NPR. I heard the announcer describe the first plane crash, and I remember thinking, “Wow, that is so horrible!” But then the announcer seemed to be getting new information, and his usual neutral tone changed to alarm.
I couldn’t process what was happening.
When I heard about the second one, then the third crash at the Pentagon I felt shocked and confused like all of us did. I couldn’t really process what was happening. No one seemed to know exactly what was going on, and there were so many different reports coming in. Was it an accident? Was it on purpose? Was there a fire in the boiler room? I packed up and left my office to drive off the post to my apartment and saw one of my high school girls walking home from her job at the Burger King on the post. I picked her up and drove her home so that she wouldn’t have to walk so far and was still trying to make sense of what I had just heard. I told her about the news, and after a silent pause she said, “My dad works at the Pentagon.”
Reality Check…
That’s when it hit me. “This is real,” I thought. “This is really happening and will affect all of these dear U.S. military families I work with. Those people have names and faces and children.” Fortunately, her dad was not there at the time and was O.K. But life as we know it was changed forever that day.
Our New Normal
Back at home I turned on the T.V. to British CNN (the only channel I got in English) and watched in horror and disbelief as I saw live footage of people jumping from top floor windows and the chaos at Ground Zero after the towers collapsed. I called my Mom, and I felt so incredibly homesick for my parents and my country. I was alone and single living in a foreign country where I did not know the language, and my home country was under attack. I will never forget it. All flights were grounded. I could not go home even if I tried. Earlier tonight I saw a documentary on The History Channel with raw footage from eyewitnesses. Unbelievable! Over 3,000 innocent lives lost that day – many were the brave firefighters and emergency responders who were trying to rescue others.
Will We Ever Feel Safe Again?
Everything was different from that day on. I was on the crisis team at the school and available for students who needed to talk about their feelings. Many of their moms and dads were being deployed to Afghanistan for war. It took hours to get on the post for several days after that. They had bomb-sniffing dogs and those long metal poles with mirrors on the end that they would put under your car to check for bombs. The Germans placed flowers all over the gate and fence outside the post to show their support.
Every Spring Break we took high school students along with some from other posts around Europe to the Czech Republic for an annual service project week. We would do things like build playgrounds for schools that had none or only had broken down gray metal ones from Communist days. We would build sturdy wooden ones and paint them bright colors. It is so valuable for children to learn how to take the focus off of themselves and serve others less fortunate. After the attack, all Americans overseas were considered “soft targets,” so the Army Command made us change the service project to smaller regional ones “inside the fence,” meaning on protected military posts.
I can remember feeling so anxious, because we did not know what would happen next. And we also felt anger. What makes them think they have the right to come into our country and kill so many innocent people? Lots of children lost both mother and father that day. Every time we fly now we are reminded of 9/11 as we stand in the security line and the X-ray machine.
But what I told my students today is how great it was to see the strength of the American people and how we all came together as a nation. Today everyone is so divided politically and argue with each other over every opinion. But on 9/11 Americans were united. Democrat, Republican, Independent, every religion and race – it didn’t matter. We were one.
This is just my personal opinion. You are welcome to your own. But I feel angry when I see people using the flag for their own agenda and showing disrespect to those who gave their lives for our freedom. In my opinion the flag is not about race or politics. Those emergency workers who bravely went in to help others were of every race and religion and probably all had different political beliefs.
May We Never Forget!
I wanted my students to know why I thank our veterans for their service. I wanted them to know that this is not just something that happened a long time ago to people we don’t know. This affected all their teachers. Those were real people with families who loved them. I wanted them to know why I remember. May we never forget!
If you are coming to Memphis, you can't miss a stay at the historic Peabody Memphis.
This is a repost from 2020.
This week we celebrated the life of the great civil rights leader, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., and Richard and I had the chance to visit the Civil Rights District of Birmingham, Alabama. It’s a six-block area of downtown where several important events in the Civil Rights Movement of the 50’s and 60’s happened.There are several important landmarks all in this one district:
16th Street Baptist Church
According to the informational signs, this church is where students involved in the 1963 Children’s Campaign were trained and left in groups of 50 to march on City Hall. Four young African American girls were killed there and 22 churchgoers were injured in a bombing on September 15, 1963.
Kelly Ingram Park
This is the park where a lot of protests were held, and the Birmingham police often retaliated. I have seen pictures from 1963 of policemen spraying fire hoses on the young protesters and siccing police dogs on them. When the news covered these riots people’s opinions in our country started to change and turn against the segregationist policies. There are several sculptures in the park that depict scenes from these police riots. There is a marked path where marchers walked with signs marking different stations along the way.
Nearby is the Fourth Avenue Business District where many of the black businesses and entertainment areas were located. The Gaston Motel was a meeting place for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Carver Theater is now the home of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is a museum that educates people about the Civil Rights Movement. The building is divided into different galleries: Human Rights Gallery, Movement Gallery, Confrontation Gallery, and the Barriers Gallery. There is a fee to get in, but there is a lot to see.
Maybe you haven’t thought of visiting a historical site from the Civil Rights Era when vacationing, but you might find want to consider it when in Birmingham. In my opinion, this history is important for us to know about, and the Birmingham Civil Rights District is a great place to learn about it. What are your thoughts? I’d love for you to leave your comments below.
Happy New Year! That’s what we are supposed to say on January 1 right? Well, this year the phrase may have more meaning. This past year was one for the history books – school online at home, working from home, Zoom, quarantining, wearing masks, economic problems, social unrest. Who else is ready to say “Bye Bye” to 2020? I say bring on 2021!
I love the idea of hitting the reset button in my life, as each new year gives me a chance for a fresh start. There is a natural motivation for improvement each new year. We feel inspired by the hope that the new year will be better – that we can get it right this time. But not much will change without setting goals.
I know, you are starting to tune me out now. Maybe all your plans for last year went out the window with covid, and you just hung on in survival mode. The thought of setting goals may seem unrealistic and overwhelming this time around.
Setting Goals is Super Important!
But I would argue that having goals for the different areas of your life may be more important this year than ever before. When things are the craziest that’s when having a roadmap is most essential. Things do not just magically come together in our lives. We have to live with intention and purpose. We need a plan.
I’m not in favor of New Years Resolutions. It is pointless to resolve for change when we have no plan. I think it is better to set goals than to make resolutions. Having good intentions accomplishes nothing. If we do not take strategic action in our lives our resolutions are no better than wishful thinking.
If you are not in the habit of setting goals, let this year be when you start. The key to successful goal setting though is to set SMART goals.
How to Set Goals That are SMART
S – Your Goals Must be SPECIFIC.
What do you want to change or improve this year? What accomplishments do you want to achieve? Be clear and specific. Instead of “I want to be healthier” describe what that will look like for you. It is better to say, “I want to lose 10 pounds, be able to run for at least 20 minutes without being winded, and lower my cholesterol.”
Ask Yourself: Exactly what do I want to accomplish? Why is this goal important to me? Where is the location? Who needs to be involved? Which resources or limits are involved?
Then back that up and write down the steps that will get you to your goal. This is where you will spell out specific diet and exercise habits. Think ahead of time about any obstacles that might keep you from reaching your goal, and make a plan for how you’ll deal with any potential roadblocks.
M – Your Goals Must be MEASURABLE.
How will you know you’ve reached your goal? How long do you expect it will take you to reach your goal? It is important that your goals are measurable so that you can track your progress and stay motivated. When you can see your progress it helps you stay focused and keep going.
Ask yourself: How much? How many? And how will I know when this goal has been accomplished? For example, if you know your final goal is to lose 12 pounds, that means you will need to lose a pound a month. If you wanted to lose weight faster you would just use math. There are about 3500 calories in a pound, so you would have to reduce your diet by 500 calories a day or exercise and burn off 500 calories a day (or a combo of the two) to lose a pound a week.
Break your goal up into smaller mini-goals. Give yourself steps to follow daily, weekly, and monthly. Focus on one step at a time. When you accomplish one, start working on the next one. Do the next right thing in front of you. Make sure you have spelled out how you will know you have reached your goal.
A – Your Goals Need to be Achievable.
If you set goals that are too high to be realistic for you, then not only will you not reach them but you will also feel discouraged and may just give up on goal-setting all together. The goals you set should be challenging enough to stretch your growth, but they must also be possible to reach.
Ask yourself: How will I be able to accomplish this goal? How realistic is this goal, based on my resources available and constraints such as cost? Do I have the time to complete the requirements?
Be careful not to set goals that someone else has power over. For example, if you set a goal to get a certain job or get a promotion, these goals depend on factors beyond your control such as who else applies and the decisions of others. But the goal of completing a training program that you need in order to be considered for the promotion, well that is within your control.
R – Your Goals Need to be RELEVANT to You.
Don’t try to meet someone else’s expectations. Your goal needs to matter to you and align with your values and desires. It’s OK to get support from others, but you need to have control over your own goals.
Here’s the truth—striving to be or do what someone else wants for your life never works out. You have to live with the consequences of your own choices. Who are you trying to please? If the goal is not your own true desire, then you won’t have the motivation to stick with it. Reaching goals can be hard work, and you have to be passionate about what you want in life to keep going.
Just because your parent or spouse wants you to get out of debt doesn’t mean you will do it. You have to want it too. The goals you set have to be your goals. They have to be relevant to you and what you want deep down in your life. When it comes down to it, you’re the one who has to fight to make them a reality. You have to want it.
Ask yourself: Does this match my other efforts and needs? Does this goal seem worthwhile to me? Is this the right time for this? Am I the right person to accomplish this? Is this really my goal? Or is it someone else’s desire for me?
T – Your Goals Should be TIME-BOUND.
You need to set a time limit for your goal. There needs to be a clear finish line. You will need a clear plan for what daily activities it will take to reach your goal by a certain deadline.
Every goal needs a target date. Having a deadline to work toward will keep you motivated. You do not want less important everyday activities to keep you from your priority longer-term goals.
Ask yourself: When will I do this? Do I have a deadline? What can I accomplish six months from now? What can I accomplish six weeks from now? What do I need to do today to get there?
Now Write Your Goals Down!
People are much more likely to stick to and reach their goals when they write them down and review them regularly. Write the goals, the deadlines, and the steps to get there. Written goals create accountability and help you track your progress along the way.
Ask Yourself: Do I know what steps I must take to reach my goal? Have I written my goals down and written out a specific plan (steps) for how to get there?
What Areas of Life Should I Focus On When Setting Goals?
I recommend that you focus on at least four key areas as you set life goals:
Physical Health
This could include things like diet and exercise, drinking more water, and getting enough sleep.
Spiritual Health
This area might include starting a prayer journal, joining a Bible study at your church, or daily Bible reading.
Career Goals
Maybe you have a certain sales target you want to reach. Or maybe you want to complete further training to work toward a promotion or raise. Career goals could also include looking for a new career path. If you have ever wanted to start your own blogging business I highly recommend Pete and Heather Reese’s free course Start a Blogging Business. It gives you all the information you need to get started, and it is how I learned to blog.
Financial Goals
This area is separate from career goals. These goals would be in the area of personal finances. They include things such as using a monthly zero-based budget, getting out of debt, and saving for retirement.
There are other areas you can include such as family, education, social, etc. but these four cover a lot and will be a great way to get focused in 2021.
Don’t get discouraged if you find yourself occasionally getting off track. Just stay focused and keep taking the next small steps forward toward your end goal. Things happen. I mean who could have ever predicted the craziness of 2020? There will be things that happen that are beyond your control. It’s okay! Just get back up and keep going.
Bring on the new year! We can do this!
Have you already written your new year goals down? Want to share any of them? I’d love to read some of them in the comments below.
Happy New Year!
Looking for something to do with all of your leftover holiday ham? Try this creamy cheddar ham and potato soup. Seasoned with a ham bone, this hearty soup is chock full of seasoned veggies and leftover ham. The recipe makes a lot (my slow cooker is one of the smaller ones, but it was full to the brim), but this soup will not last long around your house.
Homemade soup is great any time of the year but especially in the winter or on rainy days. That’s why using leftover holiday ham is perfect for this recipe. I used leftover Honey Baked Ham in this picture. If you choose this make sure to cook off any of the sugary coating or skin. Otherwise, your soup will taste sweet instead of salty.
Let me know if you try it. I made this recipe up using bits and pieces of other soup recipes I’ve used, so rate my recipe if you like it. Enjoy!
Cheddar Ham and Potato Soup
This hearty cheesey soup full of potatoes, veggies, and leftover ham.
Servings: 7 servings
Calories: 330kcal
Ingredients
- 1 meaty hambone (optional)
- 3 gold potatoes diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 can whole kernel corn
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 1/2 cups fully cooked ham cubed
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups 1% or 2% milk
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- In a slow cooker, combine the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and water. Place hambone in for extra flavor (optional). Cover and cook on high 2 1/2 hours.
- Remove hambone and set aside. If there are any good bits of meat left on the bone you can cut them off and add them to the soup.
- In a saucepan on the stove, melt the butter. Stir in the flour until smooth.
- Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly.
- Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Keep stirring and cook until thickened (about 2 minutes).
- Stir in cheese until melted. Stir milk/cheese mixture into the potato mixture. Add ham.
- Continue to cook in the slow cooker on high for another 20 – 30 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 772mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g
Ham and cheese pinwheels are one of those appetizers that always look so fancy, but they are really super easy to make if you use Crescent Roll dough sheets. I love crescent rolls, and this is a great way to use up your leftover holiday ham. These warm buttery treats are great to serve as a snack for all those armchair quarterbacks in your house who like to cheer on their favorite football team from home. They are sure to be a favorite any time of year!
Ham and Cheese Pinwheel Ingredients:
- 1 8 oz. tube crescent roll dough
- 1/2 lb. deli-sliced ham (or leftover baked ham)
- 8 oz. Swiss cheese sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Ham and Cheese Pinwheel Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 8 x 8 ” baking pan with cooking spray.
- On a lightly floured surface, unroll dough and cut the sheet into 4 long triangles. Spread mustard onto each rectangle.
- Top with sliced ham then cheese.
- Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle. Pinch edges to seal.
- Cut each roll into 3 slices. Place cut side up in the baking pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic powder, and parsley. Brush over pinwheels, then sprinkle poppy seeds on top.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.
You can use deli-sliced ham or baked ham. I used Swiss cheese, but you could also use Gouda or any other cheese of your choice. Now that you know how to make the pinwheels you can get creative and try your own variations. Try spinach, cream cheese, and turkey. Or cranberry sauce and turkey. The sky’s the limit! You do not have to divide the dough either. If you want to make one long roll then slice it, you can. I find it easier to slice in smaller rectangles. It seems to get squished when it is in one long roll.
Let me know if you try it and how it turns out. I’d love to read your comments below. Also, please rate my recipe and pin it on Pinterest.
Hot Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
Hot Ham and Cheese Pinwheel Appetizer
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 180kcal
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz. tube crescent roll dough
- 1/2 lb. deli-sliced ham (or leftover baked ham)
- 8 oz. Swiss cheese sliced
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 4 Tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 8 x 8 " baking pan with cooking spray.
- On a lightly floured surface, unroll dough and cut the sheet into 4 long triangles. Spread mustard onto each rectangle.
- Top with sliced ham then cheese.
- Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle. Pinch edges to seal.
- Cut each roll into 3 slices. Place cut side up in baking pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, garlic powder and parsley. Brush over pinwheels, then sprinkle poppy seeds on top.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until rollas are golden brown.
Nutrition
Calories: 180kcal
Doing any last-minute Christmas shopping? Christmas this year will certainly be different. Because of covid, this will be the first time in about ten years that I have not sung in our church’s six Christmas Eve services the two days before Christmas. No long choir rehearsals, dress rehearsal, and all of the hours waiting at church before and after services. So you would think that with all this extra time on my hands I would be more organized in my holiday preparations.
This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own.
Are you a last-minute Christmas person? This year more people have been ordering gifts online. I have to say that if you do not have Amazon prime you are missing out! And you are in luck, if you use my affiliate link you can get 50% off Amazon Prime until the end of this month!
One of the best perks of being a Prime member is the free shipping. And it is usually next day shipping too. But in addition to free shipping, special member discounts, and the famous Prime Day, you get lots of free movies.
And speaking of movies, movies make great gifts for all ages. What is your favorite holiday movie? Are you a hopeless romantic who watches the same plot and set used over and over with different characters in Hallmark Christmas movies? Or do you like the classics? One of my favorites is Charlie Brown. And who can forget Buddy the Elf? Can you believe that my husband had not ever seen the movie Elf? I know, right? So I did what I had to do. I staged an intervention right here in our living room!
One of my favorites: The movie “Elf” has so many quotable lines!
What’s you favorite line from the movie “Elf?” Here are some of mine:
- I love smiling. Smiling is my favorite!
- Work. Work is your favorite.
- You sit on a throne of lies.
- The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing loud for all to hear.
Last night I watched another classic: “The Sound of Music.” When I lived in Germany I was only about four hours from Salzburg, Austria where they filmed the movie. I took a tour once and got to see the set. Stay tuned for more travel stories, and I will show you some of my pictures of the beautiful Alps.
And now that you have signed up for Amazon Prime, I want to share an awesome purchase we just made. We got two small Wyze cameras for less than $50, and I love them! Our puppy, Layla, has separation anxiety and tears up things when we both leave for work. She has torn up a chair, the carpet, a sofa, and two dog beds!
So now I can spy on her and the other dog when I’m gone. And the cool thing is that it is two-way voice-activated, so I can just push a microphone icon and talk to Layla. When I say, “Layla, you better not tear up your new dog bed,” you should see her startled expression. It’s hilarious! Anyway, we like these so much that we have ordered another one for outdoors. They are super easy to set up. We just love them. Why am I sharing this? Well, they are on sale only for the holidays, so if you use my affiliate link you can grab yours in time for Christmas.
I can spy on Layla and talk to her. This is the night vision. The picture is very clear, and I could not be more pleased with this Wyze camera, especially for the price. Click my affiliate link to get yours too at the sale price now.
Here are some more great ideas from Amazon for your last-minute Christmas shopping:
My Pillow – Wow! My husband and I just got these pillows recently, and they actually do live up to the hype. I have always had trouble finding a pillow that is just right for my neck. This one is perfect. My neck is perfectly aligned, and I breathe better. I have never had a better night’s sleep.
6-Piece Towel Set – This is another recent purchase. Our towels were looking pretty raggedy, so it was time to replace them. These towel sets are a really good deal, and they have a wide variety of colors.
Charmin Toilet Paper – This may sound like a weird Christmas gift, but maybe you can buy it for yourself! And honestly, it is still 2020, so toilet paper can make a valuable gift for the right person.
Remember how I said that Layla likes to tear things up when we leave for work? I had just purchased this big multi-pack, and the results are below. Charmin is our favorite because we think it is softer. And this package was literally the last one on the shelf in the grocery store. In fact, it was so far back I had to get a spatula displayed nearby and do some gymnastics to try to reach it (I am only 5′ 1″). Had I known about this deal on Amazon I would have jumped at it. This is way cheaper than the grocery store.
Books – Books always make a great Christmas gift. Many people make New Year’s resolutions to read more, so receiving a gift at Christmas is always welcomed. I wanted to brush up on my Bible knowledge, so I bought a book called 30 Days to Understanding the Bible: Unlock the Scripture in 15 Minutes a Day. It is a great book for simplifying and helping me to remember all of the major characters, locations, and themes in the Bible. I also bought a business book called Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller.
Click either of these links and it will bring you to the book section of Amazon where you can browse for the book of your choice. They say if you don’t meet a few new people and read a few new books each year, then you will be the same person you were last year. Rather listen to a book? Audible Plus has an awesome Holiday Promotion until the end of the month. Only $4.95/month for the first six months!
So jump online and grab those last-minute gifts today so they’ll arrive in time for Christmas. Do you have any other good ideas? Let me know in the comments below. Also, don’t forget to share your favorite holiday movie choices. Merry Christmas!
Have you ever wondered how to make homemade chicken pot pie? I love chicken pot pie, but I always thought that it would take a long time to make and be somewhat difficult. Well, I made this recipe for the first time last week, and it was not only easy and simple but so good! This is bound to be one of the most popular and highly rated recipes on my blog. It is absolutely delicious!
This is a classic homemade Chicken Pot Pie with a twist. I do not like peas, so instead of a canned vegetable mix or frozen peas, I used fresh chopped onion, carrots, and celery. And what saves time and gives it a flaky, buttery crust is using refrigerated pie crusts. The sauce is extra creamy because of a little heavy cream, and using a grocery store rotisserie chicken saves time and gives it a hearty savory taste your family will love. It is a super easy recipe to prepare, even for beginner cooks. Busy families will love this warm delicious popular comfort food!
Ingredients
- 1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 per box)
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 rotisserie chicken skin removed and meat chopped into small pieces
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 whole carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks chopped
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Remove skin from chicken and discard. Remove meat and chop into small pieces. Set aside.
- In large saucepan melt butter over medium heat.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in flour, salt, and pepper until well blended.
- Gradually stir in chicken broth and cream, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.
- Remove from the heat.
Line a pie pan with one pie crust and pour in the chicken pieces.
- Pour hot creamy mixture on top of the chicken.
- Top with second crust; seal edge and flute sides. Cut slits in several places in the top crust to let steam out.
- Bake 30 – 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During the last 15 – 20 minutes of baking, cover the edges of the crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent the edges from browning too much. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
A Few Tips To Help You Out:
- The edges of the crust burn easily, so during the last 15 minutes of baking make a pie crust shield out of aluminum foil and place it all around the pie like a collar. This protects the edges from over-browning.
- Add a little sage or poultry seasoning to the sauce for extra flavor.
- I used a standard 9-inch glass pie plate.
- Make sure you cook the sauce until it thickens. If it is too runny like soup then it will make the bottom crust soggy and possibly leak.
- You don’t have to use rotisserie chicken. But the chicken needs to be cooked before you put it in the crust. Leftover chicken or Thanksgiving turkey works great too!
- You can make the filling ahead of time and refrigerate it up to 1 day, but if you do make sure to heat it a little on the stove before you pour it into the pie.
- You can also freeze the filling and the chicken for up to 1 month. Cool it off first by placing it uncovered in the refrigerator for about half an hour. Pour it into a gallon-sized freezer bag and leave a little room at the top. When you are ready to use it just thaw the mixture overnight in the refrigerator then heat it before pouring it into the pie.
Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Easy chicken pot pie recipe using refrigerated pie crusts
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 216kcal
Ingredients
- 1 box refrigerated pie crusts (2 per box)
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 rotisserie chicken skin removed and meat chopped into small pieces
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 whole carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 celery stalks chopped
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Remove skin from chicken and discard. Remove meat and chop into small pieces. Set aside.
- In large saucepan melt butter over medium heat.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended.
- Gradually stir in chicken broth and cream, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.
- Remove from the heat.
- Line a pie pan with one pie crust and pour in the chicken pieces.
- Pour hot creamy mixture on top of the chicken.
- Top with second crust; seal edge anbd flute sides. Cut slits in several places in the top crust to let steam out.
- Bake 30 – 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During the last 15 – 20 minutes of baking, cover the edges of the crust with strips of aluminum foil to prevent the edges from browning too much. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 3.7g | Fat: 3.9g | Saturated Fat: 1.3g | Cholesterol: 44.4mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 525mg | Fiber: 0.8g | Sugar: 0.5g | Vitamin A: 11.8IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 0.4mg
This is absolutely the world’s greatest cornbread dressing – at least that’s what I think. It is my Mama’s recipe, and she is a good cook! Disclaimer: Since I originally posted this, I was gently reminded by my mom that it is not exactly her recipe because she makes her cornbread from scratch. Well alrighty then, I admit I made mine from a mix. But it still turned out awesome.
I am not exaggerating when I say that I have never tasted any I like better. I was born on Thanksgiving Day, and one of my favorite meals is turkey and dressing (sometimes with birthday cake). I have never shared this recipe with anyone before, so you are the first to learn my secret. I’ll even throw in the gravy recipe as well!
This post may contain affiliate links, and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
Ingredients
3 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 – 2 cans chicken broth
1 stick butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 Tablespoons sage
1 onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 – 1 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
Us 2 – 3 boxes of the cornbread mix to make the cornbread (I usually make it the night before). Crumble the cornbread into a bowl.
Pour soups and chicken broth over the cornbread and stir. Add melted butter, sage, and salt and pepper. Add half of the onions and celery and the pecans and stir until well mixed.
Pour into a greased 8 1/2 x 11 dish (or similar size). I used Pam spray.
Cook uncovered on 325 degrees for one hour. Serve with gravy, turkey, and cranberry sauce.
For the Gravy:
In a pot on the stove heat to boiling 32 oz. chicken broth and the rest of the onions and celery. You can add turkey giblets if you want to. I also add two chopped up boiled eggs. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 8 – 10 minutes.
World’s Greatest Cornbread Dressing
Mom's homemade cornbread dressing recipe
Servings: 0 people
Calories: 350kcal
Ingredients
- 3 8.5 oz. boxes cornbread mix
- 3 eggs (for cornbread mix)
- 1 cup milk (for cornbread mix)
- 1 can cream of chicken soup
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1 – 2 cans chicken broth
- 1 stick butter melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon sage
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 1/2 – 1 cup pecans chopped
Instructions
- Make cornbread according to directions.
- Crumble cornbread into a large mixing bowl.
- Pour soups over cornbread and stir well.
- Add melted butter, salt, pepper, sage, onion, celery, and pecans and stir until blended.
- Bake uncovered 1 hour at 350 degrees F.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 118mg
Try it out and let me know what you think!
If you are looking for a fun stop near Zion National Park you definitely want to check out Silver Reef Museum in Leeds, Utah. You can read about visiting Zion National Park here. Located a short way off the Leeds exit from Highway I-15, the museum is housed in the original 19th century Wells Fargo & Company Express Building, one of a few that are not only still standing but also remain in use. Opened in 1877, the Wells Fargo building is on the National Register of Historic Buildings.
This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. All opinions are my own though.
We enjoyed learning how the rarest and richest silver was discovered and mined. Our guide was an older gentleman, a local who wore western clothing (I think he was supposed to look like Sherrif Sam Elliot) and told a lot of interesting stories. Since he was from the area he spoke of his personal experiences. You can see him in the video below. He was very knowledgeable and quite passionate about the history of the area. He showed us examples of tools and machinery that was used and explained some of the challenges the people had to overcome back when the town was thriving.
The quality of life in what used to be called Bonanza Town was once thriving. The land value there was the highest in the country, and they had the richest silver producing mines to date in all of America. The silver was extracted from rare, unbelievable ore. The guide takes you through the mine and explains how the silver was extracted. This is the only place where silver was discovered in sandstone.
Inside the museum you feel like you are stepping into the past. There is an original safe from the 1800’s. There are artifacts and antiques from the true Wild West, showing all aspects of pioneer life in southern Utah. The museum is well-maintained and clean. There is also a great gift shop with cool things like jewelry and artwork – not cheesy tourist junk.
There used to be a real live (staged) shootout on the fourth Friday of the month, but this has been put on hold. There are walking trails outside. You can pick up a pamphlet in the museum and read about the numbered sites along the way. There is a mining machine yard right outside of the museum, and I could just imagine the place when it was full of life back in the day. There is no shade though, so if you plan to walk around a long time you will want to bring sunscreen and some water.
Admission was only $3, and you can easily spend two hours there. It is worth the stop when you are in the area. We enjoyed it!
Here are some resources that will help you plan your trip to Utah or anywhere else. If you click through my links you will be able to access the best and most current prices and deals. These are companies that I trust and I think will be the most helpful to you as you plan.
Book a Flight
If you are not within close driving distance to your destination you will need to book a flight. I don’t know if you have heard of this company yet, but with Skyscanner you can find cheap flights anywhere in the world. The website is super easy to use, and if you use my link above you will be able to compare flights and prices and have a seat booked without all the hassle of multiple website searches. Skyscanner is awesome!
Book a Room
Hotels.com has great deals on National Park lodging. They are very reliable. If you want to see tons of reviews on places to stay, TripAdvisor has over 150 million reviews and opinions of hotels, restaurants, attractions, and more by travelers like you and me.
Book a Car
You could go through individual rental car companies if you want, but if you check out TripAdvisor they have great comparisons. Also, if you book hotel and rental car together it is oftentimes cheaper.
Luggage
If you are needing new luggage for your trip check out some really awesome deals on good quality luggage at Chester Travels.
Travel Insurance
One of the worst things is to be out of town and have something bad happen. Accidents, unexpected mishaps, and other troubles can and do happen. But if you are prepared you can have peace of mind. That’s why getting travel insurance is a great idea. And it does not cost that much. Travel insurance can help you deal with theft, health issues, and other troubles. I recommend World Nomads. The people at World Nomads are passionate travelers themselves, so they know what can happen. The link above will take you to their very best deals.
Most of all, have fun!
Please leave a comment below. Have you been to Utah?
