Fall Homemaking | Comfort & Calm

Thank you to Marlo for bringing us today's video. This fall, let us explore the deeper aspects of comfort and calm. Welcome back to the Daily Connoisseur. My name is Jennifer and I find comfort in various aspects of homemaking. I always have. What is comfort? The definition reads, Comfort is a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint. The easing or alleviation of a person's feelings of grief or distress. We all seek comfort at various levels in each phase of our lives. But truly, I believe comfort, like beauty, is a universal want. I take comfort in nature, in delighting my senses, in serene moments of relaxation, and in shutting out what appear to be harsh realities. When going through particularly challenging moments, I like to notice eccentric details in life around me. Like what on earth are these gourds? I have never seen ones like them. I'm decorating our hearth with them and also wondering what they would taste like. God is infinitely creative, isn't he? And this creativity is expressed most beautifully in these charming seasonal delights. While we are on the subject of nature, I'm going to arrange a fall flower arrangement for you. Autumnal flowers are bursting with vibrant colors that remind me of the flame of a candle. While here, let's look up the deeper meaning of the word calm. Calm, as an adjective, means not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions. When speaking of the weather, it means to be pleasantly free from wind. Pleasantly free. I like that. We are seeking comfort and calm, a refuge of sorts, through these homemaking experiences. I finished my flower arrangement, focusing on mingling the magnificent sunflowers with the humble marigolds. I always enjoy making creative arrangements for our kitchen table. The children always notice, and their awareness of the flowers penetrates their consciousness with beauty. It's my pleasure to share the sponsor for today's video, which is Marlo. Marlo create a best-in-class pillow, also known as the people's pillow. It has adjustable height, cooling infused foam, breathable mesh, and lots of support. It's designed to literally give you better sleep. So I'm always looking for ways to improve my comfort at bedtime, and I was intrigued by Marlo's design. You can zip it up like this for a firmer pillow, or you can unzip it for added plushness. My favorite way, personally, is to have it zipped up. I find it gives me a lot of support that way. So the pillows are filled with chopped memory foam that contour to your neck, and they have a hypoallergenic down alternative, which I know many people really need. It's a microfiber that gives you the feeling of down, but it's not actually down. So these pillows are extremely comfortable. So Marlo is having their birthday sale right now, where you can get up to 40% off, and use my link below and you can get an extra 10% off. And thank you so much to Marlo for bringing us today's video. Now if one meal were to encapsulate the idea of comfort, it would be chicken pot pie. I'm going to make a deep dish pie for you now. The day before, I roasted two chicken breasts with oil, salt, pepper, and no salt seasoning. You can also put the chicken in the slow cooker and some broth the night before if it's easier for you. Then I prepare the vegetables. Peeling the carrots, chopping the celery, carrots, and onion. My knife skills are really not to be mimicked by the way. I have some work to do there. Now in my cast iron skillet, I'm melting some butter and sauteing the onions, celery, and carrot until they are slightly softened, but still crispy. Then I chop up the already cooked chicken breast and add that to the pan. I prepare my pie crust by flouring the surface and rolling it out. I'm using a ready-made crust here. Time to make the sauce for the pie. I combine equal parts butter and flour. In this case, it's a half cup of each in my pan. Then I add salt, pepper, and celery seed and stir until combined. I then add a combination of milk and chicken stock and stir until the sauce thickens. Once thick, I pour the sauce into the vegetable and chicken mixture and stir until combined. Ah, that is true comfort. I pour this into the prepared deep dish pie pan and I cover with the top crust. I use a fork to seal the crust. I trim the excess, which I will use in a moment. And I brush the top of the crust with egg wash. This goes in the 350 degree oven for around 50 minutes. This is what the pot pie looks like fresh out of the oven. If you let it cool slightly, your slices will hold together nicely. I serve mine right away as I cannot wait. It is so delicious. I always give the excess crust to my children to play with or for them to make a little creation with, but they aren't here at present, so I'll make them a little dessert for later. I place apple pie filling into this small dish and top with the extra crust. It's a rustic look and a quick dessert, but one that I know will please. This goes in the oven for the same time. After cleaning the kitchen and taking care of a few more things around the house, it's time to prepare tea. Tea today is actually hot apple cider. Does any drink and body fall comfort and calm more than apple cider? I pour cider into my pot and add cinnamon and cloves, stirring until the aromas are released. Then I pour some into my spode woodland teacup. It's time for a scoop of the apple pie creation made from the extra crust. I spoon some onto a plate and drizzle with heavy cream. I use this when I don't have ice cream. It is enjoyed wholeheartedly with my hot cup of cider. I take my cup of cider to now engage in conscious relaxation. I'm enjoying this rare afternoon off and I'm taking a moment to read from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock is right. Life is infinitely stranger than the mind of man could invent. I recently visited 221B Baker Street this summer and while the recreation of Holmes's living room may seem cluttered and chaotic to some, the pervading feeling in the place was one of comfort and calm. I can just see Sherlock explaining the paradoxical comfort of his chaotic home. He would say, you know my methods, Watson. I hope this video brought you a much needed dose of comfort and calm. Thank you to Marlo for bringing us this video. Save up to 40% off for their birthday sale and use my link for an extra 10% off. In the meantime, keep calm and remain classy and I will see you in my next video. Love, Jennifer