"P" is for Pumpkin

You know that task you put off for a little while and then it gets increasingly hard to take the time to do it the more you put it off?  Like cleaning the refrigerator.  Every week I say I need to clean the refrigerator, but it has to be the day before I go grocery shopping, when the fridge is least full.  Then I keep forgetting and putting it off further.  Then the task seems even more daunting as the weeks pass.  (I am happy to say that I did clean my fridge Saturday night!  It was part of my pre-Thanksgiving task list and I wanted to do it before I lay a towel and the turkey on the bottom shelf to defrost.  I just reminded you to defrost your turkey.  You're welcome.)  Or organizing the top of my bureau--THAT'S something that just gets harder to do the more I put it off!  Or, of course, sitting down to work on this blog.  I'm simultaneously trying to set up my new website, which has been put on hold for quite some time, now, so keeping up this old blog just gets less appealing as time goes on; especially since I just get further behind on my daily recipe log!  In a recent post, "Letting Go of 'Supermom'", I simply listed some of the links to the recipes I used in the days captured in that post, which is what I think I'll do here, also.  As I looked back at my menu from the past 2 weeks, I realized that none of the recipes were new to the blog.  I've been researching new recipes to serve on Thanksgiving, so it's just easier if dinner is something I don't have to think about as much.  That's what good ol' stand-bys are for, right?  Randy worked late a few nights.  He went out one night, I went out another night, we both were out still another night.  The recipes I did use, though, I'll be sure to link to the bottom of this post.

Now, on to the point of this post.  The long-awaited pumpkin post.  I wanted to get this done before Thanksgiving and was hoping it would actually be sooner than this, but here we are.  At least I can cross it off my list when it's done!  Actually, I don't think I even wrote it on my pre-Thanksgiving list.  But I AM the type to write something on my list just to cross it off.  But I bet you already knew that.  So anyway, here's a collection of some pumpkin recipes to help carry you through the rest of autumn or to look forward to using next year if you're already onto your peppermint mocha lattes and baking sugar cookies.
 
Pumpkin Butterscotch Mini-Muffins
I got this recipe from a friend last year.  Randy calls these "crack-muffins" because they're so addicting and since they're mini, you feel like you can eat a whole bunch!  The nickname is fitting because just like a drug-addict may show signs of aggression during withdrawal, Randy can get pretty upset when he sees me making them and discovers that they're not actually for him.  I find it a little amusing.  Is that wrong?  ;)

1 3/4 cups flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup canned pumpkin

6 oz butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease mini-muffin pan with cooking spray.  Sift together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, ginger, numeg, baking soda, baking powder, and slat into a large bowl.  Whisk together the eggs, butter, and pumpkin in a separate bowl.  Mix the flour mixture with the egg mixture.  Stir in the butterscotch chips; pour into each cup of the mini-muffin pan.  Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 10-12 minutes.  (If you want to use regular size muffin tins, you will have to increase your bake time.  Try 25 minutes and then just keep them in there until a toothpick comes out clean.)

 

Pumpkin Belgian Waffles 
I can't say enough about these waffles!  I made them once on an experimental whim and have made them weekly since!  I don't think I or anyone in my family will ever get tired of this goodness...

2 cups flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs, separated
2 TB sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 TB butter, melted
1 cup milk
1 cup pumpkin puree

Preheat the waffle iron.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until dissolved.  Add the vanilla, butter, milk, and pumpkin and stir.  Mix in the flour mixture and whisk just until blended, but don't overmix.  In another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Gently fold in the egg whites to the rest of the batter.  Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray and ladle the batter into the waffle iron as usual.  Cook 2-3 minutes.  Serve immediately with fruit garnish.

Pumpkin Bread
2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups canned pumpkin puree

Preheat the oven to 325*.  Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.  In a separate bowl, mix the sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla. Combine both mixtures and fold in the shredded pumpkin and pumpkin seeds. Once the ingredients are all incorporated pour into a non- stick 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan. If your pan is not non- stick coat it with butter and flour.  Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Or until a knife inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.  Cool for 15 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

These are always a huge hit, no matter when I make them!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350*.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugars, oil, egg, and vanilla until combined. Mix in the flour mixture until just moistened (do not overmix). Drop mounds of the dough (about 2 tablespoons each) onto the baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until golden and firm to the touch, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. With an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.  Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling on the flat side of half the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies. If soft, chill for 20 to 25 minutes.

Pumpkin Pie 
I love this pie, by Bobby Flay.  The graham cracker crust makes this the perfect pumpkin pie!  The recipe for filling actually makes more filling than needed but that's not really a problem--just eat it out of the bowl! ;)


1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

6 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly warm
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Add all the ingredients for the crust to a food processor and pulse until combined; it should feel like wet sand, and just come together.  Spread the mixture evenly into a 9-inch pie pan, using your finger tips or the flat bottom of a glass. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and sides of the pan.  Put the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the crust is light brown and firm to the touch, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the filling:

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F.  Whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugars in a large bowl. Add the butter, pumpkin, cream, spices, salt and vanilla seeds and whisk to combine. Strain the mixture into a bowl.  Pour the strained mixture into the baked pie crust and bake until almost set, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove and let come to room temperature. Refrigerate until chilled, if preferred.

Pumpkin Scones

So, I haven't quite perfected this recipe yet!  I like the way my one batch came out, but I didn't LOVE it--they weren't quite Starbucks-worthy yet, so I have to keep working on it.  But if you don't want to wait for my recipe to "publish" here are some tips: 1) Take your favorite scone recipe and swap out the cream/milk for pumpkin puree (in part or in whole).  2) Make an icing out of powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.  3) Melt butterscotch chips and drizzle on top!

Links to recipes from the past 2 weeks:

chicken tetrazzini (and mocha brownies), whiskey-cream rib-eye steaks, tortellini soup, shrimp penne with tomato-cream sauce, roasted chicken

Comfort Food: Mac & Cheese, Creamy Salmon, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Apple Pie (Days 251-255)

Food is comforting.  For me, anyway.  Food stirs memories.  A good meal can relieve stress, momentarily, anyway.  When Randy comes home from work, I want him to immediately feel more relaxed when he enters the doors.  I like to have candles burning for a nice aroma, supper cooking, and a relatively clean house (as clean and organized as it can be with my two little ones running around still).  Even when I was working, I would get home before him and create this atmosphere.  And when he worked 3rd shift, he would always comment that he loved waking up to the smell of supper on the stove and the candles that created a coziness in our home.  I talked about this coziness I remember from my childhood and what I try to recreate in a recent post.  I feel the same way about food.  Food can be cozy and comforting just like my candles, music, and overall home decor.  Randy and I have been in need of some comfort food this week.  So here are a few things I cooked up for just that.

Velveeta Mac & Cheese (Day 253)
Ok, so there's baked mac & cheese--a favorite of my husband's, and Kraft Mac & Cheese, a favorite of my children's.  I've made them both.  But I grew up on Velveeta Mac & Cheese--every Sunday after church.  We would come home, and Dad would start making Velveeta Mac & Cheese for lunch.  I don't know how or when this tradition started, I don't ever remember it not existing.  Not only was there comfort in the warm, cheesy taste of the dish, but there was comfort in the consistency of the meal.  We always knew what to expect.  That's comforting.

2 cups or a little over 1/2 box of pasta (my dad used elbow macaroni, I used small shells)
1/2 lb (8 oz) Velveeta cheese
roughly 2-4 TB milk

Cook the pasta as directed.  While it's cooking, you can create a double-boiler over the hot water or you can use the microwave.  I like the double-boiler because the cheese melts evenly and stays smooth.  I just place a glass bowl over the cooking pasta and slice the 8 oz of cheese and add to the bowl.  Once the cheese starts melting, I pour in a little milk to help smooth it out.  Once the cheese is melted and the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and add it to the bowl with cheese.  Toss to coat the pasta completely.  Mmmm... mac & cheese!

Ok, we did NOT have wine with this dish as a kid, but I think it's a nice touch as an adult!

Salmon with Poblano Peppers, and Creamed Corn (Day 254)
I make this salmon a lot--probably about 50% of the time I make salmon, it's this version.  The original recipe can be found here.  I served it with wild rice and snow peas.  Salmon may not have you thinking "comfort", but trust me--the creamy corn and poblano sauce is so luscious and creamy and the heat from the pepper just makes this meal warm you through and through.  It definitely belongs on the "comfort food" list! 

I paired this meal with a nice, fruity cocktail to complement the salmon and the pepper.  It was a nice contrast.  I mixed 1 part Triple Sec, 3 parts rum, and 4 parts orange juice.  I poured the mixture over ice and added a splash of grenadine.  Garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

Spaghetti & Meatballs (Day 255) -- is there anything more comforting than good ol' spaghetti and meatballs?  I think not.  Again, Randy proclaims this to be one of his "favorite meals."  Serving it with a salad and nice glass of red wine is certainly a comforting way to enjoy this classic dish!


I like to have Randy's drink ready for him when he gets home.  That way he can really start to unwind from work right away. ;)  It's idealistic to want to have dinner on the table already since I don't always know the exact moment he'll arrive.  Sometimes that happens, but usually not.  If I'm able, a nice appetizer--just bread, or cheese & crackers is something special that can be on the table waiting for him to enjoy with his drink.  Then we can talk about our days a little bit while supper finishes cooking.  Of course, you have to imagine this with 2 toddlers running around, asking for Daddy's attention, too.  And, being the wonderful father that he is, he's usually able to get in a few rounds of "Couch Monster" before dinner hits the table.  The night we had spaghetti and meatballs, I had a cheese and cracker appetizer waiting (featuring Trader Joe's caramelized onion cheddar cheese--yum!) and one of Randy's favorite drinks: rum & cokes.

This is NOT the appetizer that I had on the table on a weeknight.  But, I wanted to throw in a picture of the cheese platters I served at our Open House over the weekend (Days 252-253).  However, I forgot to take pictures that day!  So you'll have to enjoy my recreation of the setting I used for my kids' snacks on Monday.  For a fun idea, I used leftover ceramic tiles from our floor renovation as cheese platters.  Really cute idea, thanks HGTV! ;) 

THE BEST Apple Pie
In our house, apple pie is not just for Thanksgiving or any other holiday.  Once it's apple-picking season, it's apple pie season.  Imagine finishing off a plate of yummy spaghetti and meatballs and knowing that there's apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert.  Now THAT'S comforting--almost Heaven!  This recipe is truly the best.  There is added apple flavor in the crust and technique that helps the body of the pie stay firm.  It's amazing!  It takes a little extra wait-time, but it's worth it!   I've adapted it from an Alton Brown recipe I used years ago when I made my very first apple pie.

Crust
2 sticks of butter, cold, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 3/4 cups flour
2 TB sugar
1 tsp salt
6-7 TB apple cider

Filling
6-8 apples (depending on their size--6 large apples is usually good)
1/3 cup sugar
1 TB cinnamon
1/2 stick of butter, sliced

I start by making the crust.  Using a food processor is literally the easiest way to make a crust or dough.  The machine does the work for you and it will come out perfect every time!  Place the flour, butter, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the butter is the size of peas.  Slowly add the apple cider and continue pulsing until the dough starts to come together.  Use your hands to press the dough together into a nice, sticky ball while still in the processor.  If it's not sticking, you may need to add more cider.  Once you have a ball of dough, divide it in half.  Form 2 round discs of dough and wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Peel and chop the apples.  Place the apple pieces in a colander over a small saucepan.  Sprinkle them with 1/3 cup of sugar and toss.  Cover the apples with a towel and let sit for at least an hour or more.  The juices from the apples will drain into the sauce pan.  This process helps release the juices now and not when their in the pie--so you won't get a super soggy pie.  Plus, you will use the juices on the crust of the pie, also. :)

You can let the apples sit all morning and the dough can hang out in the fridge for as long as you need.  When you're ready to assemble and bake the pie, preheat the oven to 425* and remove the dough from the fridge.  Let it sit out a few minutes to help it come to room temp and make it easier to roll out.  Start with one disc, roll out the dough and place it in the bottom of a pie plate.  Add the apples and toss them with 1 TB of cinnamon.  Place the slices of butter over the apples.  Roll out your second disc and cover the apples with it. 

Trim off any extra dough hanging from the side.  Pinch the dough together around the edges of the pie.

You should have a little apple "juice" in the bottom of your saucepan.  Turn the stove on high and boil the juice to reduce them.  Keep an eye on this because it will happen fast.  When the juices are reduced by half, turn off the heat.  You should have a sticky "syrup" at this point, which you can pour over your pie and spread it out with a pastry brush. 

Use a sharp nice to prick the top of the pie. Cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil.  Bake on the very bottom rack of the oven for about 30 minutes (I place the pie plate on a baking sheet, also).  Then, remove the foil and place the pie on one of the top racks of the oven and bake for another 20 minutes.  When the pie is finished, let stand on a cooling rack for about an hour before serving.

Delish!  (This picture was taken BEFORE my son reached up high and dug a chunk out of the pie before his father got home. Tsk tsk!)  Most of the pie was still salvaged and it, of course, tasted great!

 

Day 91: Easter Sunday: 3 Appetizers & 3 Desserts

For Easter Sunday, I made a few appetizers and desserts.  Here are the recipes:

APPETIZERS
1. Cheese Platter
I apologize that there's no picture!  I put together a quick platter with brie cheese and a port cheese.  I also put out red grapes and some crackers.  This is a simple way to put together an elegant-looking appetizers.  Picking good cheeses really steps up the "class" for this idea.  A port cheese is always a good choice, especially if you know there will be wine served at your event.

2. Sun-dried Tomato Dip
This was a great dip--good with vegetables or crackers.  I served it with carrots and broccoli.

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 jar of sun-dried tomatoes, patted dry
3 scallions, chopped and divided 2 & 1
salt, pepper

Place the cream cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise, tomatoes, about 1 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of pepper in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Add 2 of the scallions and pulse a few times to incorporate.  Transfer into a serving bowl.  Sprinkle the 3rd chopped scallion on top.

3. Kielbasa Wrapped in Puff Pastry (Glorified "Pigs in a Blanket")
This recipe should originally be lamb sausage, which I thought would be perfect for Easter, but I couldn't find any.  I used kielbasa instead, and it was a huge hit!  As you can see, by the time I remembered to take a picture, they were almost gone!

2 sheets Puff Pastry
1 lb sausage or kielbasa, coiled
Dijon mustard
1 egg for egg wash

Place the sausage on a baking sheet and bake at 400* for 20 minutes.  Pull it out and turn it over and bake for another 5 minutes.  Cool to room temperature.  Unfold the 2 sheets of puff pastry and cut them each in half.  Cut the sausage into 4 equal parts.  Spread Dijon mustard on each section of pastry (about 1 TB or less for each section).  Place the sausage on the pastry sections running lengthwise and roll up.  Place on a baking sheet seam side down.  Brush the tops with the egg wash.  Score each sausage with a knife so there are 6-7 sections.  Bake for another 20-25 minutes.  Then fulling slice each sausage so there are 6-7 slices from each rolled sausage.  Serve immediately.

DESSERTS
1. Coconut Cream Pie
Sometimes you need a little help from the store.  I used a frozen pie crust.  Guilty.  It was definitely a time-saver and sanity-saver, though!

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (Simply put a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350* about 5 minutes.)

3 cups half & half
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 9-inch pie shell, baked
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a medium saucepan, combine the half & half, eggs, sugar, flour, and salt and mix well.  Bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring constantly.  Then remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and 3/4 of the coconut.  Pour the filling into the pie shell and chill until firm, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.  Spread the whipped topping on top and sprinkle on the remaining coconut.

2. Raspberry Tart
(I made this crust!)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
pinch of salt
1 cup raspberry preserves
2 packages (1/2 pints) of raspberries (*The original recipe (Ina Garten) says 1 1/2 pints, 3 packages.  I didn't even use an entire 2 packages, but my pan was the right size and my raspberries were pretty close together--I'm not sure what happened there.)

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Mix the butter and sugar together to just combine.  Add the vanilla.  Add the flour and salt and mix until the dough starts to come together.  Dump the dough onto a floured surface and form into a disk.  Press into a 9 or 10 inch tart pan.  Chill until firm.
Butter one side of aluminum foil to fit into the tart pan.  Place it on the crust, butter side down.  Place some rice or beans on top and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the foil and rice.  Prick the crust with a fork and bake for 20 minutes more.  (I only baked mine for another 8-10 minutes because it was already darkening, so watch carefully!)  Cool to room temperature.
Spread the crust with the preserves and place the raspberries on top.
This goes great with the pastry cream I made (also an Ina Garten recipe):

3. Pastry Cream

6 egg yolks at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
3 TB cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
2 TB unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 TB heavy cream
1 tsp brandy

Beat the yolks and sugar until light yellow and falls back into the bowl in a ribbon.  Slowly beat in the cornstarch.  Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan and then slowly pour it into the egg mixture and continue mixing on low speed.  Then pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes.  Bring to a boil and cook on low 2-3 more minutes.  Taste to make sure the cornstarch is cooked.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, cream, and brandy.  (Strain into a bowl--I skipped this step since I didn't have a fine strainer or cheese cloth!)  Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold.

4. Croissant Bread Pudding

3 whole eggs
8 egg yolks
5 cups half & half
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsps vanilla
6 large croissants (or 10 small)
1 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 350*.  Whisk together the eggs, yolks, half & half, sugar, and vanilla.  Slice each croissant in half horizontally.  Place all the bottom halves in a large casserole dish.  Sprinkle the raisins on tops and cover with the croissant tops (brown side up).  Pour the custard over the croissants and gently press down.  Place in a large pan with 1 inch of hot water.  Cover with tented aluminum foil so it doesn't touch the pudding.  Cut a few holes in the foil to let steam escape.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and bake 40-45 minutes more until the custard is set.  Cool slightly before serving.

Day 53: Turkey Pot Pie w/ Herb Crust

I love this recipe!  It's so delicious and really not that hard.  Although, I find it a lot easier to make on a Sunday for dinner, or to make and freeze/refrigerate for a weeknight.  It's a little too involved to make the night you want to serve it (I found out tonight).  I made the crust last night and chopped up the carrots and saved the rest for this afternoon, but it has a long baking time, which is something to keep in mind.  If you have to make it the day-of and want to save a little time, cut up the turkey before you cook it so it cooks quickly.  But if you do that, look out--don't overcook it or it will be tough!  I find it easier to cut the turkey into large chunks, cook it, then cut it into bitesize pieces afterward.  The crust idea came from Bobby Flay, but the majority of the recipe is my own!  Enjoy!

Turkey Pot Pie w/ Herb Crust
1 lb turkey breast

4 cups chicken stock
few sprigs of parsley & thyme
salt, pepper
4-5 carrots, sliced
2/3 cup frozen peas
2/3 cup frozen corn
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
3 TB butter
4 TB flour
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
Crust:
2 1/4 cups flour
1-2 TB chopped fresh parsley
1 TB chopped sage
1 TB chopped rosemary
1 TB chopped thyme (*These 3 herbs can be found in the "poultry bouquet" of herbs they sometimes sell at the grocery store.)
1 tsp salt
1 cup cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup ice water

The crust needs to chill at least 30 minutes, so you may want to make it first, or the night before.  Place the flour, herbs, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times.  Add the butter and pulse until the butter is the size of tiny peas.  Add the water and pulse until the dough comes together.  Remove the dough and wrap it in plastic wrap to refrigerate.
To make the filling, place the turkey breasts in a large saucepan and pour in the stock.  Put in the herbs and season with salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until the turkey is cooked through.  Remove the turkey and allow to cool.  While it's cooling, add the sliced carrots to the stock and cook those a few minutes, until tender.  Meanwhile, cut the turkey up into bitesize pieces and place in a 1 quart (or so) baking pan.  When the carrots are done cooking, add them to the chicken, then strain the stock into a large measuring cup to remove the herbs and any other turkey debris.  Add the peas and corn to the turkey and carrots.
In the same saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the chopped shallot and cook 1-2 minutes.  Add the flour and cook 1 minute.  Pour in the white wine and the chicken stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Add the the heavy cream and stir.  The sauce should be nice and thick at this point.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Pour the sauce over the turkey and vegetables.
Roll out the crust dough and sit it on top of the filling.  Trim the edges.  Poke a few holes in the crust with a knife.  Place the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 400* for 50 minutes to an hour.
***Sometimes I divide this recipe in 2 and put it in 2 smaller pans or pie plates.  Then I can freeze one or give it to a friend.  Tonight, I made the whole thing but I plan on serving the leftovers for lunch on Sunday.  I saved the crust "scraps" and will turn them into biscuits on Sunday to go with the "stew" that will be leftover.