Disclosure: This recipe and post were written in partnership with Blake’s All Natural Foods, who compensated me for this collaboration. All opinions, however, are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Poet in the Pantry.
I’ve been so tired lately. Way too tired. It’s probably been pretty obvious by the reduction in recipes, but I just have not had the energy to crank them out like I used to. Work has been particularly stressful and fast-paced, and the kids’ activities–while winding down for the year–have swelled with that end-of-year rush that marks the close of another school year. So when it comes time to prepare dinner when we’ve finally settled at home, I just don’t have it in me for anything elaborate right now. Especially if the kids decide it’s one of those days when they refuse to get along with each other. I’m spent, but they’re still hungry. What’s a girl to do? Luckily, I also have a stash of Blake’s All Natural Foods pot pies in my freezer!
Blake’s All Natural Foods reached out to me this spring to ask if I wanted to sample their new pot pie flavors and I was thrilled. I HAD to say yes! I’m already a big fan of their chicken pot pies, and often take their Old Fashioned Macaroni & Cheese to work for lunch. The price is right (certainly cheaper than take-out every day!), they taste like homemade, and their ingredients list is one to be proud of.
Haven’t heard of Blake’s before? Up until about a year ago, I hadn’t either. Then my local Target started carrying this local brand and it became a household name for us. Blake’s has a much longer history than that, however, going back over 90 years to the family farm in Concord, NH! There have been some changes along the way, but current owners, Amy and Chris, do what they can to stay true to the roots of the business; to honor Clara Blake’s original recipes and continue using the best all natural and organic ingredients possible.
See, the thing that sets Blake’s apart from the competition is that everything they sell is made from scratch in small batches. Their products taste homemade because they are, essentially, exactly that, with fresh veggies instead of reconstituted powdered products, and they even use the stock from the chickens they cook to make the gravy. Just like you would do in your own kitchen. They also have a line of organic meals that contain at least 70% organic ingredients, and the White Meat Chicken Pot Pie is 100% organic. It’s nice to have healthy options like this on hand in the freezer!
Getting back to the two new flavors that are coming to stores this month… I was pretty confident from the start that their Turkey Pot Pie and Beef Pot Pie would be fabulous additions to their already strong product line, and it turns out that I was absolutely correct. My kids loved both of them and I really enjoyed the quality of these pot pies. The meat in the Turkey Pot Pie was perfectly cooked and the crust so flaky! And I couldn’t get enough of the Beef Pot Pie’s gravy, which was expertly seasoned and just the right consistency!! I prepared both in the oven (which I recommend over the microwave, if you have the time, though the microwave is what I use at work) and it took about 40 minutes to bake them up. Which leaves you enough time to toss together a quick salad to complete your meal…
Seeing as it’s summer, I wanted something light and fresh and seasonal to bridge that gap between what’s often perceived as winter food and the current summer weather. I found it in this Watermelon Salad, featuring fresh watermelon, Persian cucumbers, red onion, baby arugula, feta, and a homemade balsamic vinaigrette that takes seconds to shake up. No need to turn on additional appliances–just cut it up, toss, and enjoy your balanced meal. Nope, I don’t feel guilty at all that I’ve been too tired lately to whip up crazy concoctions. This is working just fine for me.
You can find Blake’s All Natural Foods Turkey Pot Pie and Beef Pot Pie in stores this month!
Watermelon Salad
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 ounces baby arugula
- 4 cups cubed watermelon
- 4 Persian cucumbers diced small
- 1/2 red onion sliced
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Lay out the baby arugula in the bottom of a large serving bowl and place the watermelon, cucumbers, red onion, and crumbled cheese over the top.
- Pour the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and salt in a pint sized mason jar, cover tightly, and shake for 20 seconds, then drizzle over the salad.
- Toss and serve immediately.
