New Kitchen Addition

Remember, it's the small things that make all the difference.  I would love to announce that our tiny kitchen has miraculously doubled in size, or that there has been an addition to our counter space, but unfortunately that is not the case.  Our new kitchen addition came in a small form, multiplied by four:

In the picture, three looked better than four. :)

The purchase of these pots was inspired during our trip to Switzerland.  On one of the menus, Ryan noticed french onion soup, actually, it read onion soup, so he wasn't positive what he would be served. This led to us talking about french onion soup.  Ryan said he loved it, I said I did not believe I had ever ordered it before (probably the thick layer of cheese kept me from).  Either way, I said I would attempt to make french onion soup once we returned to Russia.  I must admit, for someone not able to remember ever ordering this meal, but based on Ryan's positive comments, I would say the first use of our new kitchen additions was a success.

As I am slicing and throwing the onions in the pot, Ryan asks, "Are you making onion soup?"
I used a combination of red and white onions.  

I was seeking inspiration from a blog that specialized in Weight Watcher recipes.  I wanted to make the french onion soup as "clean" as possible.  The recipe used no butter, and only minimal oil.  A great addition, adding lots of flavor with Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar.  I also took the liberty of adding extra red wine, lots of extra (but with plenty remaining to enjoy at dinner). 

Finished product.
I went light on the cheese (not being a huge cheese fan), Ryan took the liberty to "doctor his up" with plenty of extra cheese.

Based on the success of my first attempt with my new kitchen additions, and the proceeding cold weather, I was craving a tummy warming, winter comfort food dinner.  Again, always trying to make a lighter version, I turned to eatingwell.com for a lighter version (yet, extremely tasty) chicken pot pie.  My trip to the grocery store, and the lack of chicken in the meat section, forced me to quickly change chicken pot pie to turkey pot pie.  No worries though (one must always be prepared for substitutions when shopping/cooking in Russia).  I ventured to the produce area, and began collecting a variety of vegetables.  I was going to pack as many veggies in as possible.  After my searching, and collecting, it was decided, we were going to have turkey, mushroom, fennel, carrot, celery, onion pot pie.  Don't judge until you try.

All the pretty veggies cooking, mushrooms were waiting on the sidelines.
I absolutely hate mushy vegetables, so I cook them only slightly. 

Let's start assembling!
I forgot to mention previously, I added frozen corn and peas to the mixture too.
Also, instead of fatty heavy cream, the sauce was yogurt based.
I decided against the large amounts of crust on the bottom and top.  Instead, I made a drop biscuit dough.  Very nice replacement!

Your dinner is served.
Perfect meal on a cold, rainy winter evening.

I am currently trying to think of other creations I can make with the pots.  Unfortunately, I am not a huge fan of shepherd's pie, or heavy stews, so I will need to continue researching recipes.  Maybe I could pull out individual macaroni and cheese pots, oh Ryan would go CRAZY!