Taylor's Yummy Chicken Pot Pie

This is one of my all time favorite recipes that I picked up while in college. It comes from my friend Taylor (if you couldn't tell by the name) and its super easy to make and great for a group of people.

 This was taken freshman year of college at a Campus Crusade for Christ retreat! (which ironically enough was where I was first introduced to Taylor's Yummy Chicken Pot Pie haha) Taylor's on the far right and I'm in the middle representing the blondes.

Ingredients: 

2 cans of can chicken

2 cans of Veg-all

1 can of Cream of Celery soup

1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup

1 bag of shredded Velveeta cheese

1 box pie crust

Directions:
Preheat oven at 375 degrees. Drain chicken and Veg-all and mix with soups in a 9 by 13 casserole dish. Dash with salt and pepper. Cover with shredded Velveeta cheese. Cover with one pie crust (cut pie crust into 5 pieces an layer on top). Cook for 45 minutes or until pie crust starts to brown. Voila! 

Now, Lord only knows how many calories are in this thing, but let me tell you, its delicious.  Taylor used to make it all the time when we would have Campus Crusade for Christ get togethers and everyone would always go back for seconds! It's especially great for people who aren't a fan of having a lot of crust, like most chicken pot pies have.

Keep sending me your recipes! I have only been sent one so far so keep them coming!

xo,
eMr

Gadgets and Gizmos Galore

Yes, title from The Little Mermaid, but you got to admit it's a step above from Justin Beiber haha. And because I haven't mentioned the Bachelorette in a while, I stay true to my predictions. Arie's got this thing, so now Sean can be mine lol.

Since I'm having this online recipe box for all of us to trade recipes, I decided to do the opening post on my favorite little kitchen must haves. Some of these are great for dorm rooms, even if you can only have a refrigerator and microwave.

1. Hamilton Beach Single Serve Blender with Travel Lid. I love this thing. If you like to make smoothies in the morning, but don't like dealing with a huge blender this is perfect for you. It's easy to clean, makes a serving for one, and if you're tight on time getting to class or work, just unscrew the top and put in a straw! Plus, it usually goes for about $15, but sometimes you can find it for $10. Mine's lasted a year so far with no problems.

2. Little Coffee Maker. I used to not be a religious coffee drinker until I entered my third year of college. Now, I have to have my cup every morning to get the day going. Keurigs are great, but are pricey and the K cups can get expensive. If its out of your budget a little Mr. Coffee will work just fine, and you can make more than one cup for a lower price.

3. Pyrex containers. Not something you think about, but when you have a large amount of left overs, you'll thank me. And some you can use as glass cooking wear, which is a double plus. 

4. Bag of Kitchen Utensils. For Mac and Cheese, Ramen, and anything else you decide to cook. Another thing I did not think of as a freshman....tried using a plastic fork to stir my macaroni...yeah it melted. 


5. Oven Mitts. Don't burn your hands!

6. A few pots and pans.

7. A Brita. Because that dorm or apartment water probably isn't clean or doesn't taste very good. It's also a great way to save money and the environment from plastic water bottles.

I'm probably forgetting a few things, but you get the jist.

What's a kitchen item that you can't live without? and be sure to email me your posts with recipes to emily.maksimowicz@gmail.com! This is a great way to meet more people in the blogging world! :)

Have a great Tuesday!

xo,
eMr

Help My Recipe Box Grow!

So I have an idea and want to know if any of you would be interested! I was thinking that I could do sort of like a guest posting sequence, but with recipes!

In college, I picked up a few quick and easy (not to mention yummy!) recipes from friends that I would LOVE to share with people who are about to enter college, in college, on a budget, a non-cook, or someone who is simply short on time.

While in college I learned that most recipes were either expensive to create or made a ton of food. This is why my roommates and I would often cook with or for each other.

We would either split the cost of groceries or would all take turns cooking for one another once a week. This was fun to do and helped everyone have a great homemade dinner to look forward to (because lets face it, everyone gets tired of eating in the dining hall and eating out gets super expensive!).

My friends and I would also have potlucks! 


This was a great way to meet people and an inexpensive way to all get together and eat. You can have potlucks with people on your hall, in your study group, Bible study, pledge class if you rush a sorority, or just get a group of people together who enjoy watching the same show as you and make it an event! Just pick a theme: Italian night, Mexican night, Chicken Pot Pie night, Pizza night, Hamburger night, etc. and designate who brings what: main course, sides, dessert, drinks.


If your interested in joining in on this post a comment and email me the html to your post to emily.maksimowicz@gmail.com. 


Make sure you leave a link to your blog in the post and maybe even attach a fun memory or story with the recipe or any tips you might have when making it. I think this could be a lot of fun and great for the domestically challenged :)


So hit up your friends and put your aprons on! No need to be a Paula Deene or Rachel Ray, just show us what you got! So get cookin' good lookin'!


Hope y'all have a great Monday! 


xo,
eMr

One Less Lonely Girl

Ok first off, I am so sorry I've dropped off the blogging world! I haven't had internet except on my phone and its a little hard to blog on there, and yes I just used a Justin Beiber song as my title....don't judge. I don't even know if I spelled his last name right, but it seemed a fitting title.

 So here's what I've been up to: 1.) trying to reconnect with old friends from high school who have moved back home. 2.) Trying to still stay connected with my college friends. 3.) Bought a super cute pink pencil skirt and white dress at J. Crew (they have an awesome sale before the fourth!) 4.) Celebrated independence day, and that's about it.

There is a trend though that I have been noticing among my college friends and friends from high school that I would like to share and I wondering if any newly graduates (either from high school or college) are experiencing the same thing and that is LONELINESS.

I don't know how this has become such an issue, but it has. Even my friends who are married have expressed this to me. I'm beginning to think that maybe this is just something that we go through because of all the changes that have seemed to happen all at once.

We're out of college.
Most of us have moved.
It's time to get a big job.
Time to make new friends.
Trying to find our niche in life.
......it actually sounds a whole lot like being a freshman in college all over again! You're out of high school, most of your friends moved and went to different schools, time to pick a major, make new friends, and figure out what you want to get involved with. Of course, I feel like college was a tad bit more fun.

But here's the thing that I don't get...why?

I've been hanging out with so many people and still sometimes catch myself down in the dumps, but for some of my friends it seems much worse. This should be new and exciting, not depressing.

I suppose this post is somewhat just me wondering and seeing if anyone else out there newly graduated feels the same way.

I don't really know what to say or how to help my friends with this. Any advice?

(I promise to write something more fun and upbeat next time haha)

Hope you all have a wonderful Saturday!

xo,
eMr

Just Call Me Katherine Heigl

I'm heading to Chattanooga today to help Olivia address all of her save the dates! I'm so excited!

It is so weird being back in Nashville and not being with my sorority sisters! They have had such an impact on my life. I have a lot of friends here as well, but for my girlies in sororities you understand what I mean. It's just different.

Olivia texted me this morning and asked what kind of wine I wanted. Funny thing is I'm one step ahead of her and have a bottle in my fridge right now haha. She also has her cousin coming over to give us facials (wine? facials? This is my kind of girls night!)

I'm not new to addressing envelopes for weddings. In fact, one of my best friends, Lizzy, asked me to address her wedding invitations because she liked how my cursive writing looked.

Lizzy and me at her Bridesmaid Tea :)

Yes. There was a ton of them, but we've known each other since kindergarten, so of course, I didn't charge her! 

This is just bad, but funny. I think we were in second grade and at a water park. Liz jokes about how it looks like she's balding...at the age of 8 haha

I've helped so many friends with theirs and loved every second of it! Maybe I should go into the wedding planning business haha before you know it I'll be a pro at this stuff.  Just call me Katherine Heigl from "27 Dresses."

But hey, I know they'll all be there for me on my big day :)

Hope you have a great Tuesday!

xo,
eMr

Stampin' Out My Letters

It's no secret. I love stationary.

I really don't know why. Is it the colorful prints and patterns that draw me in?  and it might just be a weird quirk of mine, but I love to write in a new notebook and always loved getting new school supplies (I know, I'm a dork. I collected milky and gel pens in fifth grade, but don't lie, you did too haha).

Well, as every lady should, I've been writing my Thank You notes to my friends and family for graduation gifts and to my delight horror I realized I was running low and needed to buy some more. No surprise. I write Thank You notes all the time.

 *** Here's an Emily tip for all you going into business, marketing, PR, etc. if you have a speaker from a company or business come speak to your class and you want to make an impression (you know, for internships and possible future jobs!) 1) go up to them after class and introduce yourself, and 2) write them a thank you note for coming to your class and send it to there company. You can always send an email, but nothing sticks out quite as much as a written note! ***

I've been looking at new stationary and these stuck out to me:

 I really love these! Simple. Monogrammed. Pink. 

The cheapest I found them was at Paperstyle, but if you know of any other great places that sell cute monogrammed stationary let me know!

I also really want some return address labels. I started looking at the cute sticker ones, but then found some of the cutest stamps! You get a whole lot more out of them and they are adorable!!! More for your buck which is always a plus!

I found all of these on an etsy store and they are so cute! Alli's Creations has a stamp for any home!

These come from Palm Gifts. I love the monogram and preppy images in the middle! 

I probably won't purchase one until I have a permanent home, but what a great housewarming gift for a newlywed's first home paired with some adorable stationary?! (or a Home Depot/ Lowe's gift card if we want to be practical haha) 

Hope you have a fabulous Friday!

xo,

eMr

Is Chivalry Really Dead?

I'm back! I was in Pennsylvania where my grandparents own a cabin, visited DC for the day, and visited my great aunt in New Jersey at her beach house (which I have always been in LOVE with!)

Pictures soon to come, but first I have a bone to pick with some men....

I hate to say it, but for most men chivalry is DEAD. Not even a flutter of a heart beat. It's dead and buried deep in the ground. Now, I've heard the expression many times, but I usually at least have the doors opened for me or have a seat given up, and the rule ladies first has usually been enforced.

This is NOT the case on the metro in DC, which is basically a subway.

I was honestly appalled. I had the door close on me and then ended up standing with my mom and little sister holding a pole, as business men sat comfortably in their seats. I get it, they've had long days, but when my 50 year old mother who has MS is standing up, someone could give it up for her. No excuses.

Then I became extremely upset when I saw a mom and her three year old daughter not get a seat. Can a three year old reach the pole? Nope. She was clutching to her mom as a 30 year old man just watched sitting right next to her! No sir. I saw this repeatedly when little children and the elderly entered the metro. Now I'm sure not all men are like this in DC, and maybe I just hit an off day to not run into one of these such gentlemen, but to be honest they're probably one in a hundred.

Then when going back to the cabin, my cousins and uncles where the first to rush to go through the food line, even before their wives and girlfriends, my grandma, me, my mom, and little sister. What ever happened to ladies first? I had to bite my tongue before giving them a little southern sass (my little sister and I are the only ones from the south). I would say that the South is more polite, but that would be a lie. I've met rude and polite people above and below the Mason Dixon line, so when did chivalry cease to exist?!

Maybe women are a little to blame.
Maybe if some of us acted more like ladies we'd all be treated as such.
Maybe if women didn't make such a fuss over having the doors opened for them as being demeaning, but instead taken as a sign of respect.
But maybe, and most importantly, for a little boy to see how his dad treats his mom and for both of them to teach him how to be a little gentleman.

Don't worry, when driving through Virginia I had a five year old little boy hold the door open for me.
So maybe chivalry might have a chance after all.

How do you feel about chivalry? And who is responsible for killing it if it is dead?

xo,
eMr