Sinking Car, Blitz, Google Reader.

A to Z Countdown: 5 days.

There was a very good piece on TV the other day about how to get out of your car if you get into trouble driving into water and sinking. The idea is to get out instantly. Roll down the window and get out. Any passengers in the back have to follow you out as most back windows don’t roll down. I personally didn’t know this, I thought you waited til there was water all around to even the pressure on the doors, this IS NOT SO.  There is an escape plan in this article. You can also buy a little gadget for shattering glass which is useful to have in your car for such emergencies. What reminded me of this was the story of a car driving onto a ferry and not stopping, ending in the water at the Cape Breton Ferry. So far they haven’t found anyone.

Yesterday we did our first Blog Blitz (see badge at the side) for P.K. Hezro and as there are now 187 signed up for these Blog Blitzes this blog will have received one hell of a lot of comments. I wonder if I would really want to cope with all those especially if at work and then to come home to endless comments which have to be dealt with.

I personally have never used Google Reader, but I know a lot of people who do and I came across this article from How to Geek which I thought was an interesting one and tells you what to think about when planning on using another app after the demise of Google Reader. The main thrust of the article is to ensure you can easily transport all your data to another programme if this should happen to you again and, according to the article, it is very likely it will.

Talk about easy peesy, lemon squeezy, these individual Chicken Pot Pies are absolutely in that class. One of North America’s favourite dishes simplified.

Creamy Chicken Potpie

From EatingWell: January/February 2012
An irresistible crisp (but easy) phyllo crust tops these homey individual chicken potpies. Make a double batch and freeze extras to have on hand anytime. Serve with a butterhead lettuce salad with red onion and white-wine vinaigrette.

4 servings 

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup sliced shallots
• 1 10- or 12-ounce bag frozen mixed vegetables (2-2 1/2 cups), thawed
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 6 sheets 9-by-14-inch phyllo dough, defrosted (follow package directions)
• Cooking spray (olive oil or canola oil)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, stirring often, until it turns white, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and shallots, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in vegetables and thyme; cook, stirring occasionally, until hot, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour in 1 3/4 cups broth and bring to a boil. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup broth and cornstarch in a small bowl and add to the pan. Return to a boil and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the chicken, sour cream, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture among four 12-ounce ovenproof baking dishes.
3. Make 2 stacks of 3 sheets of phyllo each, coating each sheet lightly with cooking spray before stacking. Cut the stacks in half crosswise. Drape one half over each baking dish. Tuck in any overhanging edges.
4. Set the potpies on a baking sheet. Bake until the tops are golden and the filling bubbly, 18 to 20 minutes.

Have a great day