Episode 12: Play dough

We've had a lot of rainy days lately, and we have a lot left to come. And making play dough is a really fun thing to do on a day you're stuck in the house. I know it's easy and cheap to get at the store, but for some reason making it yourself makes it more fun to play with. The recipe I listed calls for adding 1 teaspoon of oil, but I left it out when I made my batch. I understand that the oil is supposed to keep it from drying out too quickly but after a week my oil-free play dough is as fresh as when I first made it. So it's up to you if you want to use it.

1 cup flour
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon oil
1/4 cup salt
food coloring

Mix all ingredients, add the food coloring last if you plan to make your play dough all one color. (Otherwise wait and knead in the colors after your play dough is cooked.) Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from pan and knead until blended smooth. Place in plastic bag or airtight container when cooled. Will last for a long time.

Episode 11: Chicken Potpie

Chicken potpie is one of my favorite things to have for dinner. It's so yummy and it's full of veggies so it's good for you too! Did I mention how easy it is to put together? You can used leftover chicken or turkey or you can tear apart a rotisserie chicken. For this show my mom cooked a couple of chicken breasts and then cubed them. You can make your potpie in a glass casserole dish, in a pie pan or in a cast iron skillet. It's also up to you if you want to use two crusts or one. In my house we usually only put one crust over the top of our potpie. The benefit of cooking in a skillet and then topping it with a crust before sliding it into the oven is that you have less dishes to clean when you're done. Hurray!

Here's what you need:
1 pie crust (Use a homemade one.)
1 10-ounce package of mixed frozen veggies
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 bay leaf
A couple shakes of pepper
2 cups of chicken broth
3/4 cup milk
3 cups of cubed chicken
1/4 cup snipped parsley

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

In a skillet melt your butter and then add the onions and cook until tender. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, spices and bay leaf. Add chicken broth and milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the mixed vegetables, the chicken and the parsley. Take your skillet off the heat and carefully top it with your homemade pie crust. Slide it into the oven and bake it for 15 minutes or until the crust is golden. If it looks full be sure to put a cookie sheet under your skillet so it doesn't get all over the bottom of your oven. Dish it out and eat it piping hot. If you're lucky, you'll get the bay leaf! Enjoy ... and thanks for watching The Retta Show!