Gluten-full Adventures in Pinterest: Mini Chicken Pot Pies [Recipe]

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Mini chicken pot pies using Grands biscuits -- SO easy! As 2013 sprints along and June looms ever closer, I’ve been getting to work on my gluten bucket list: things that have no substitute that I want to take advantage of while I can. This happened to coincide with 1) my dad buying about a million cans of Grands biscuits when they were on sale and making me take one 2) falling down the Pinterest rabbit hole one day and coming across these mini pot pies using said biscuits. Naturally, this being Pinterest, the link to the instructions didn’t work, so I decided to wing it.

Great, non-shocking news: those biscuits make anything incredible, and these mini pot pies were amaaaazing. They’re a great way to use up stuff in your freezer and are really fast to make; at about half an hour from start to finish, you could even make these on a gym night.

Now if you can tell me where I could get gluten-free versions of these delightfully buttery, totally-not-organic biscuits, we’ll be best friends.
Mini chicken pot pies from Cake is The Only Thing That Matters

Mini Chicken Pot Pies
Ingredients
2 thin-sliced chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups assorted frozen vegetables of your choice (I used equal parts corn, peas, and broccoli)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1 can Grands biscuits, or similar
1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)
salt
pepper
olive oil
thyme (optional)
rosemary (optional)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If your oven is anything like mine, take this time to go write a novel, conduct a symphony, watch all the old Arrested Developments, or another activity that will keep you busy while your crappy oven takes its sweet time warming up.

Heat a grill pan over high heat. While pan is heating, pour a little olive oil on a plate. Place chicken on oil and season with large pinches of salt and pepper, and small pinches of thyme and rosemary, if desired. Repeat on other side. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat when finished, let rest one minute, then cut into small pieces.

While chicken cooks, put all your vegetables in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Cover (with something also microwave-safe, and not plastic) and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes, until vegetables are just defrosted (it’s okay if they’re still cold in spots). Add cut-up chicken to bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Also while chicken cooks, whisk cornstarch with an equal amount of water. Heat chicken broth in a small saucepan until steaming, then add in cornstarch mixture. Let cook, stirring regularly, until broth has reduced and thickened a bit. (If it doesn’t seem to really thicken, this is okay too.) Pour about half of the liquid in your bowl with the veggies and chicken and stir to combine.

Grease a metal muffin tin. Try not to get scared as you pop open your can of biscuits. Flatten out each one with your hands and press into muffin tin, making sure to press firmly against the sides. Stuff each crust with as much of the filling as you can stuff in there (you’ll probably have some left over). Top a few with cheese as an experiment if you like, you know, for science. Bake for 12 minutes or until crusts are golden. Let sit 2 to 3 minutes, then dig in. Try not to eat all of them at once.

Running Outside > Running on the Treadmill

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Running outside in NYCAs promised, this weekend I ran outside for the first time. And it was 50 zillion times better than the gym.

Last week the Couch to 5K app had me run for 5-minute stretches for the first time, and I really struggled with it. By the third workout I could do it, and with walking I was able to do the full 5K distance, but I still found the 5-minute runs really difficult, partly because they just seemed endless. Running outside solved that! Instead of being bored, I had people to watch, sights to see, and sunshine to enjoy, all of which made the 5-minute stretches seem not bad at all. I’d never been on the East River path before (usually sticking to the west side and the Christopher Street pier), and was pleasantly surprised by how nice it was. It also didn’t hurt that it was finally 60 degrees, sunny, and spring in New York this weekend.

Running on the East River in NYC
You’re pretty, New York.

The one thing I did find difficult about running outside was pacing myself. At the gym, I set the treadmill to 5.2, and I run at 5.2 miles per hour. But outside, I realized that my natural inclination is to run faster–good for when I’ve been running longer and want to improve my time, but bad for right now when my goal is to run a 5K without burning out. I finally figured out that if I really watched myself and actively thought about going slower, and if I kept my iPhone on songs that I knew I ran on the beat to on the treadmill, I could use the music to keep my pace in check.

I’ll still need to use the gym on weeknights because I don’t have enough daylight yet for running outside by the time I get home from work (which is really just as well since then I can attempt to do weights and things), but I’m definitely going to start doing all my weekend runs outside, at least until it gets too hot. I still wouldn’t say I enjoy running, but when I’m outside in the sunshine, I don’t hate it.

Running + Replacing Lost Energy with Healthy-ish Meals [Recipe!]

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Pasta with broccoli, peas, spinach, and arugla from Cake Is the Only Thing That MattersAt the start of 2013 I decided that my new year’s resolution would be to be better at life. While I’m still terrible about keeping my room organized, I have been good about making a conscious effort to be more healthy. I signed up for a gym membership and committed myself to going the easily achievable two days a week. A few weeks ago, I upped that to three days a week because I downloaded the Couch to 5K app, and it assumed a three-day workout week. I wasn’t originally planning to run a 5K, but after feeling like the elliptical wasn’t doing anything I wanted to try running, and a friend recommended that app as a good way to ease into it.

At the start of week three, when I was finding the app challenging yet doable, my false confidence propelled me to sign up for an actual 5K at the Bronx Zoo (you can donate to the elephants here). Naturally, at week four, after committing, the app took a turn for the HOLYOMGHOWAMIGOINGTODOTHIS. It turns out that running for 5 minute intervals is a lot harder than running for 3. Right now I’m just hoping it gets easier and that by race day I can actually run most of the race, but I’m very nervous!

In the meantime I am rewarding my post-run ravenous self with meals that are filling but not too unhealthy, like this veggie-packed pasta dish. Since the vegetables are the focus, this would be incredibly easy to make with your favorite gluten-free pasta (speaking of, what’s the best kind?).

Spring Greens Pasta

Ingredients
3 cups broccoli florets (I just use one package of Trader Joe’s organic florets)
2/3 cup frozen peas
4 to 6 handfuls of baby arugula
3 largeish garlic cloves, minced
1 package fresh spinach pasta, or 3/4 lb of your favorite gluten-free pasta
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
olive oil
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes

Instructions
Bring a large pot of water to boil. While water is boiling, heat enough olive oil to comfortably cover the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat. Add broccoli and enough salt, pepper, and red pepper to a bit stronger than your tastes. Cook for 2 minutes, then add garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is browned in places. You may need to add more olive oil as the broccoli absorbs it.

When water is boiling, add some giant pinches of salt, then pasta. Add peas one minute before pasta is done. Scoop out some of the pasta water (I use a juice glass), then drain pasta and peas and add them to the skillet with the broccoli. Add some large splashes of pasta water, the arugula, and half the cheese, and stir until all is combined and arugula is wilted. Taste for seasoning and add more if necessary. Divide into bowls and top with more olive oil and the rest of the cheese. Enjoy!

Now you tell me: what’s the best brand of gluten-free pasta?

Thank God for Milkshakes, and Other Foods That Are Already Gluten-free

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coffeeI often tell my friend Jess that she is my wisest friend. Sometimes this is about television, or whether I should go to Duane Reade or the gym first, but sometimes it is about important life things. Today I mentioned how happy I am that milkshakes are gluten-free, to which she responded:

Jessica:  i feel like when i read about people going gluten-free it’s all about what they’ll have to give up, or change or adapt
but there’s plenty of things you enjoy now that you’ll be able to continue doing as-is
As Official Wisest Friend, she is right! Inspired by OWF, here is my list of food I already love with all my tastebuds that I will not have to say goodbye to:
  • milkshakes
  • sushi (with GF soy sauce)
  • Mexican food (with corn tortillas)
  • cheese
  • avocados
  • macarons (holla, almond flour)
  • frosting
  • chocolate
  • iced coffee/tea
  • Fonuts
  • sangria
  • grapes
  • tomato-cheddar soup
  • sauce, ketchup, and all other tomato-based products
  • eggs, all styles
  • hashbrowns, curly fries, and other potato-based products
I’m sure there will be more to add! What did I miss?

What’s the Funniest Search Term That’s Brought People to Your Blog?

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noseFor those of you who do not spend your days swamped in page view counts, you may not know that one thing a lot of websites do is study what search terms brought people in, so they can create more content around those terms. It’s good for everyone to do this every so often (for example, I should probably do more small-batch frosting recipes), but in real life the highlight of this is to see what truly ridiculous terms brought people to your site. Here are some search terms that brought people here in the past month:

  • can I add sriracha to sour cream (OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE)
  • pita cake (what.)
  • not too fudgy not too cakey
  • angry birds human version

The Internet is truly a wondrous place. (P.S. This site is now cakeistheonlythingthatmatters.com! The wordpress link will still redirect, but now we are more official here in Cakeland.)

What’s the best term that brought people to your site recently? (If you’re a WordPress user, just check “stats.”) Share in the comments!

Blogging Conferences Are Awesome

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first business trip
I spent this past weekend in Dallas at the annual Blissdom conference. My company sent me (baby’s very first business trip!), so as you can see above and below I made sure I behaved with decorum and a businesslike demeanor at all times.
gaylord texan blissdom

Ha! You guys, this is the beauty of going to blogging conferences, specifically ones that focus on mom bloggers. Everyone is so nice, positive, and ready to have a good time! While my main purposes for going were to support and connect with bloggers we work with, and meet some fabulous new ones (and I did do a lot of that), I attended a decent number of sessions and learned a lot of lessons even non-moms can use, like how to set boundaries for yourself, how not to use technology, and am now reading a really fascinating book about introverts and extroverts. I had an incredible time and I cannot say enough about how wonderful it was to have in-person conversations with the women (and men!) I e-mail with daily.

But luckily, these sessions were really nicely spread out so I had time to do not-so-worky things. Like eat enough Mexican food to feed a large family (seriously, I ate this for 2 meals and one snack, and then ate fresh Mexican the next day),
mexicanSee a performance by Second City (where Tina Fey and Amy Poehler got their starts!),
second cityAnd go on a total gluten-binge and eat this cookie that was literally bigger than my face.
cookieAlso: having your own hotel room is THE BEST. You can do things like colonize one of the beds to be the holder of all your stuff, use up all the hangers in the closet, leave the bathroom door open, not worry about running out of towels, watch a lot of HGTV, and even order room service while streaming college basketball on your laptop.
room serviceIn short: Blissdom is great, mom bloggers are the best (and, for those of you unfamiliar with them, not at all what you’re thinking), and I’m so glad I got to binge on real* Mexican food in all its glory before going gluten-free.

*Fact: Mexican food in Texas > Mexican food in New York.