The Ayres Tea Room Recipe ~ Chicken Pot Pie

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One of the last recipe’s that I wanted to share from the gorgeous and chic tea room is the “chicken pot pie” recipe. It has the same base ingredients as the chicken velvet soup so it is a delicious meal also. The pastry crust on top is divine!

Chicken Pot Pie


1 cup & 4 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of sugar
8 tablespoons of margarine, divided
2 tablespoons of ice water


1 tablespoon powered chicken base
1-1/2 cups of boiling water
2 cups cooked and boned chicken, cut in 1 inch chunks




Dough: Combine 1 cup flour, salt and sugar; cut in 4 tablespoons of chilled margarine and add just enough ice water to make dough come together. Wrap dough in waxed paper; refrigerate for at least a half-hour. Roll out half of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and the size of a casserole dish. Line dish and sides with dough; bringing dough up to edges. Roll out remaining dough to size to cover dish; reserve.


Filing: Melt remaining margarine in saucepan, add 4 tablespoons flour and cook, stirring for 2 or 3 minutes. Blend chicken base, add water all at once and mix well. Bring mixture to a simmer, add chicken and, when heated through, pour into dough-lined casserole. Top with reserved dough; press edges to seal. Prick top in several places to allow steam to escape. Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until dough is lightly browned.




photo via AHFE


Lunch at the Ayres Tea Room

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The L.S. Ayres store was the focal point of downtown Indianapolis. People would stand in line to have lunch at the Tea Room. It was the Tea Room that epitomized the Ayers experience. Now with our fast food saturated culture, the Tea Room was more than a quick bite to eat. It was about waitresses who knew regular customers by name and food preferences. It was about real china, clean tablecloths and fresh flowers. It was about a menu rich in elegant, yet comfortable, food- chicken velvet soup, apricot bread, chicken pot pie, club sandwiches and chicken salad. ~S.L. Berry 

My boss took me to lunch there for the first time after Christmas. I was in heaven. The atmosphere was elegant but not over the top. It was sensible, friendly and classy. I adore the room. It was not too noisy, and not crowded. It was shear perfection! I made reservations for my family after church service. They enjoyed it! Especially the chicken velvet soup. I will be returning again very soon.

The room, lovely isn’t it?

The waiting area

I love the wallpaper.





The classic chicken velvet soup! The recipe is 110 years old. 




The chicken pot pie with pastry crust! Scrumptious! 

The tea experience, it was lovely. 


Dessert, very good!
(photos via AHFE)

The Top Posts for 2015

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Photo by Mariah Hewines on Unsplash

Well, another year has passed in the blogging world. I still can not believe this is my second year. As I said earlier this year, my blog is not as fancy as the others but I want it to be true to who I am. I am on a quest to learn how to “love my own life”. So many times we get caught in the “my horse is bigger than your horse race” with other people. 


Sometimes we don’t stop to realize our own lives. I refuse to be one of those people. So, I will continue to blog according to the beauty that I believe in. Thank you to those of you who have read and who will continue this journey with me.


Now without further ado, the top posts for 2015 are…….
* Polish your Poise with Madame Chic

* My Studded BCBG Heels

* Motivational Tips to Help you Clean your Home

* The French Woman Inspires

* Living Well by Bunny Williams

* Tasteful Swimsuits 2015

* Dermatologist Tips

* At Home with Madame Chic ~Interview

* Receiving Guest Properly

* My Spectacular Visit to Restoration Hardware

* Top Posts for 2014



Simple Rigatoni

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I keep a dinner rotation list so that there is none of the “what’s for dinner” questions  when I get home from work.

I shop for the same items every week and it makes preparing meals very easy. On the list is my simple rigatoni meal.

I just boil a box of rigatoni noodles, warm up some Ragu spaghetti sauce (meat flavored). Most nights my husband and I have meat in ours so I will brown some ground beef in a skillet and pour the sauce over it. Add some garlic salt and basil for seasoning. My daughter doesn’t like much meat so with her’s we just add the sauce and basil.

Once the noodles are done I pour the sauce over the noodles, sprinkle some cheese, bake some french bread and Voila. Dinner is served! I still use my dishes and cloth napkins. It keeps dinner nice and simple. Enjoy!

(photo via AHFE)

Our First Ballet ~ The Nutcracker

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I have been inspired by the arts recently. I told my husband that I would like to get into the habit of learning new things and seeing new things. A few months ago I heard about the “Nutcracker” performed by the Indianapolis Ballet here in our city.

I purchased some tickets and my daughter and I went. We sat down and had a wonderful lunch at our favorite restaurant Panera then headed to the ballet. It was at the Scottish Rite Cathedral which was absolutely beautiful.

When my daughter walked in she was in awe! She started talking pictures with her tablet! I was so glad that she enjoyed the ballet and asked if she would bring a friend next time. I was very pleased with the performance and the prices.

It was just splendid….

My daughter and I

From our seats….

This is how close we were to the stage

(photos via Mrs. Shockley)

An Indianapolis Kitchen

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It is always exciting to see your hometown in a decor book that you read on a monthly basis. It was a nice surprise seeing “Indianapolis” mentioned in House Beautiful magazine.

This kitchen designed by Angie Hranowsky is a fresh take on neutral hues.

photo credit: Nathan Kirkman

photo credit: Nathan Kirkman

To read the original article, see here.

My Thank~You Notecards

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I have been hearing a lot about writing thank you notes to people. There is nothing like a hand-written note.

When I receive one I keep them because it says that this person took the time to write down their thoughts.

I keep a box of blank thank you notes at work and home. They are easy to find and are just lovely gifts. It also keeps you active in the cursive writing arena.

If you can pick up a box of blank thank you note cards today. In a world where technology is taking over this is a nice way to keep beautiful gestures in our world.

My thank you note cards at work

My thank you note cards at home
(photos via AHFE)