Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

This recipe is very versatile. Add in whatever vegetables you have on hand in whatever amounts you prefer.

Crust:
2 c. flour (white, or wheat, or combo)
1/2 c. butter
1/2 t. salt
6-8 T cold water

Filling:
1/4 c. butter
1/2 c. onion
1 c. carrots
1 c. celery
2 T flour
1 c. potatoes, cubed
1 c. corn
1 c. cooked chicken
1 1/2 c. chicken broth (plus additional milk as desired)

1. Make the crust in one bowl: cut the butter into the flour/salt until crumbly.
2. Add cold water little by little until desired pastry consistency.
3. Roll into two balls and flatten to 1/4 inch. Line a pie plate with one (save second for the top).
4. In a pan, sautee onions, celery and carrots in butter until soft.
5. Add flour until everything coated, then add potatoes, corn, chicken and broth and cook 30 minutes.
6. Put filling into pie pan and cover with top pie crust. Cut slits on top and bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.

*I added a cup of milk to the filling at the end, and cooked until bubbly and thickened so it was a little creamier and not too thick. Otherwise your pot pie could be too thick and dry.

*from allrecipes.com

French Onion Soup/Dip

Rainy weather plus overabundance of onions = French onion soup!
This is a very versatile recipe dependin gon preferences.

2-4 onions, thinly sliced (depending on your like of onions)
2 T butter
1 T sugar (I used rapudura)
1-3 T balsamic vinegar (or apple juice or something similar)
8 c beef broth
swiss cheese (for topping soup and/or bread)

1. Sautee onion in butter for 12 minutes until brown and limp.
2. Add vinegar or juice for one minute until evaporated (to flavor and help the pan not blacken from sauteeing)
3. add sugar and cook one more minute.
4. Add Broth and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. ladle into soup bowls and top with some grated cheese and even sliced cheese if you want to then put bowls in the oven to broil the sliced cheese over the soup bowl.

*Tastes great using garlic butter french bread toasted/broiled with swiss cheese on top to dip/break into the soup! The original recipe called for sherry instead of vinegar, but I used pomegranite flavored vinegar and it tasted great.