Patience

The Easiest Italian Pork Chops

Believe  it or not, my family manages to sit down together for a meal at least five nights a week.  Sometimes it's an insta-meal, others I've cooked all evening.  These Italian Pork Chops were super good and super fast.  The rolls were from frozen bread dough, the potatoes were instant (sorry) and the corn was right out of  the frozen package.

I know the chops look burnt, but in real life, they were perfect.  I got the recipe from one of the booklets that my local Kroger mails out with coupons.

Italian Pork Chops

4 boneless Moist and Tender Pork Chops ( I believe this is just Kroger's store brand)

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1 1/2 cups Italian Seasoned bread crumbs

Black pepper, to taste

4 Tbsp. oil

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Dredge your pork in flour.  Dip in milk; dredge in bread crumbs, pressing lightly to adhere. Season with pepper to taste.  Do all four chops this way.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 2 pork chops; cook until light brown, about five minutes each side. 

Transfer to a baking sheet or baking dish.  Wipe the pan clean and repeat with the remaining two chops.  Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

I do hate cooking with oil, because I hate the mess.  This was not too big a deal and made them so much better than simply baking them.  Honestly, I'd rather just bake all day long and not fix dinner but, the kids must eat!

A Vintage Key Holder Makeover

While rummaging through some of my Grandmother's old junk, I recently discovered an old wooden key holder.  With a little bit of ingenuity, I had a new statement piece.

It started out as a dark wood piece.  I cleaned it and gave it two coats of spray paint.  I used a paint that gave a faux finish of black hammered metal.  I loved it!

 

I have a huge collection of old skeleton keys and this was a perfect way to show them off and get them out of my junk drawer.

I have a giant metal key that I bought on clearance at Pottery Barn a few years back and I love how they look together.

Now, if I could only think of other ways to use that fabulous paint!

Sweet Vanilla Bars

I made these sweet Vanilla Bars all summer.  They were a favorite of my family and friends.  They are so gooey, you may want to eat them with a fork!

 

I used Betty Crocker French Vanilla cake mix.  It is the only vanilla that my grocery store stocks and the only one that I have tried.

 
I also used Penzey's Vanilla Sugar to sprinkle over the finished bars.  You can make your own with vanilla beans, although I never have.  The vanilla sugar just adds an extra layer of vanilla flavor.  If you don't have a Penzey's near you, they have a catalog and a website that I love.  www.penzeys.com

 
Here is the recipe!

1 box of French Vanilla cake mix

1 stick of butter, melted

3 eggs

4 cups of confectioners' sugar

1 eight oz package of cream cheese, at room temperature

3 teaspoons of vanilla

vanilla sugar for the finished product

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 13 x 9 pan and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, combine the cake mix, butter and one egg in a mixing bowl for about 30 seconds.  Using your fingers, press the mixture into the prepared pan and set aside again.

 
Use the remaining two eggs and the confectioners' sugar, cream cheese and vanilla in the mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3-4 minutes.  Pour the batter over the cake mixture in the pan.

 
Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are starting to turn light brown.  Sprinkle the top with the vanilla sugar.  Let cool completely before cutting.  Keep the bars stored in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.  Yum.

 

White-Corn Spoon Bread

This is one of my favorite side dishes, my girls love it like dessert.  White-Corn Spoon Bread from the March 2006 Martha Stewart Living Magazine. 

 
I could not find this recipe in any of my Martha Stewart cookbooks (and I have an embarrassing amount).  Because you WILL want to make this and I could not find this recipe anywhere on her website either, I am reprinting it here.

1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

2 cups of white cornmeal

3 cups of whole milk

Coarse salt and pepper

2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

6 large eggs, beaten

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, set aside.  Whisk together cornmeal, milk, butter, 3 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of salt, and a pinch of pepper in a medium saucepan.

 
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly.  Reduce heat to medium.  Cook, whisking constantly, until mixture has thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.

 
Transfer to a large bowl, and let stand 15 minutes.

2.  Whisk baking powder into cornmeal mixture.  Whisk in eggs.  Pour into prepared baking dish.  Bake 20 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until puffed, golden, and set in the center, about 20 minutes more.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

 
 
With a pat of butter melting on the top, this is divine!  The leftovers are just as good warmed up the next day.

 

Bianca Jagger Style Love

What's not to love about Bianca Jagger's style?  The outfits she wore in the Studio 54 days would look just as good today.

 
Love, love, love this cape.  You know these are everywhere this season!

 
Textured hose!  I believe I had hosiery just like this back in my High School days.  Somehow, I don't think I looked quite as glam wearing these to my Sunday School class.

 
 
Hmmmmmm, hats are riding the wave of fashion this season, as well.

 
The iconic white pants suit.

 
 Something about this image makes me think of Eva Mendes.  Beautiful.
Still beautiful.  If we could all age as well!

A New Fashion Obsession

I have a new clothing obsession, bow and tie-neck blouses.  It all started with Glee and the character, Emma Pillsbury.  She wears very lady-like classic clothing with a touch a touch of whimsy.  There are a ton of websites devoted to her looks, but here are some of my favorites.

 
 
I love the yellow beads!

 
Not one, but two bows.

 
Just about anywhere you shop, you can find this style.  I have spent quite a bit (too much) time looking for online favorites.

 
You can't go wrong with Kate Spade or polka-dots!

 
Marc by Marc Jacobs silk-organza.

 
Summer perfection, Alice Ritter at www.polyvore.com.

The Gap has several to choose from, also.  I recently went shopping at H&M and found a blouse in the most beautiful shade of blue!

 
 
It has a bubble hem and I love the position of the bow.  It only set me back $24.95.  I hope it is the first of my new collection of this feminine style! 

Angel Food Cake

I am a huge fan of vintage cookbooks, especially desserts and baked goods.  One of my very favorites is an edition from 1963 titled "Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers, Desserts Edition".

The first chapter is Cakes and starts with an Angel Food Cake.  In all of my many years of baking, I don't recall ever making an angel food cake.  I had bought a pan specifically for angel food.  It has little "legs" on the top of the pan so when you invert it, you don't have to prop it up on a bottle, you just flip it over.  The cake also had an icing, which was beautiful!

 

 

 

 
The submitted recipes in this book have no copyright so  I feel comfortable giving you the recipe and giving credit to the individual that submitted it.

Angel Food Cake

1 1/2 cups of egg whites

1 1/2 t cream of tartar

1 c granulated sugar

1/8 t salt

1 t vanilla

1 cup cake flour

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

Beat eggs until feathery, add cream of tartar, beat until stiff, but not dry.  Add granulated sugar a little at a time.  Add salt and vanilla.  Sift cake flour and confectioners' sugar three times.  Sift into mixture and fold in.  Bake in a tube pan 65 minutes at 325.

Icing:

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

1/4 t cream of tartar

2 egg whites

Cook sugar and water to soft ball - 238 degrees F.  Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff.  Add syrup to egg whites.  Beat to spreading consistency.

Mrs. Kathleen K. Horne, Powell Valley H.S. Big Stone Gap, Virginia

I am not sure what "feathery" eggs look like but, I beat them until they were foamy.  I used the whites from 13 eggs.

 
The batter was thick and a nice white.

 
I added the batter to the pan and ran a knife through it to make sure there were no air bubbles.

 
I cut my baking time by about 5 minutes because I thought the top was getting too brown. 

 
I am not familiar with cooked icings, so this was odd for me and I didn't know what to expect.  I think only the very experienced could get by without a candy thermometer.

 
The icing was a beautiful, glossy white that looked like a cross between marshmallow cream and whipping cream.

 
The cake was really good and worth the effort of making it myself.

 
Even though the cake was delicious, I still made some mistakes and I am going to make this again to see if I can perfect it.  First mistake, the directions didn't make any reference to greasing the pan or not.  I looked at the insert on my new pan and it said to grease lightly if the recipe called for it.  I gave it a  light coat of nonstick spray because I was worried about not getting the cake out of the pan.  Well, as soon as I inverted it, the cake slid right out onto my plate.  It defeated the purpose of hanging it upside down.  The cake would have been higher if it could have been inverted.  No spray next time.

Second mistake, when I cooked the icing I was worried about adding the hot syrup to the cool egg white mixture.  I envisioned a bowl of sugar syrup containing cooked eggs.  I hesitated and let the hot syrup cool down a bit in the pan.  Even though I was stirring it, the syrup started crystallizing around the edges.  When I added it to the eggs whites and cream of tartar mixture the eggs were fine.  But, the result of my waiting meant that there was a hint of sugar crunch in the icing.  Next time I will throw caution to the wind and add the very hot syrup and see if that gets rid of my gritty sugar crystals. 

When I make it again, I will comment on my post and let you know if I was able to make this cake even better!!

Goodwill Goodies

Before I go on to gush about my Goodwill finds, I must first apologize for my absence.  Most importantly, my beloved camera died and I have been without one.  I just bought a Canon Rebel T3i and I love it.  It is my first Digital SLR and there is a definite learning curve, but I am excited to use it.  Secondly, my 13 year old daughter is on a traveling AAU team.  Several nights a week, I've been at practice with her and on weekends we have been going to various towns and cities in West Virginia.  This weekend we will be going to Washington, Pa.  I am looking forward to it because I have never been there before and I love seeing new places.

Recently, we spend a weekend in Ripley, WV and I had time to kill between games.  I found a really big Goodwill and purchased a few things that I loved!

 
This vintage decorating book is a new favorite!

 
Love the loft and all of the orange!

 
 
 
 
I would kill to have that owl print in my house.

 
Very strange bathroom, I like the pendant lights.

 
There was a giant bucket of these vintage Singer Iron-ons.  I bought four and wish I had bought a bunch more.

 
I am crazy over this wooden trivet.  Should I keep it or sell it??  The sides are painted a bright yellow.  Unfortunately, it is the wrong yellow for my kitchen.

I hope I have some finds from my weekend in Pennsylvania.  I never know in advance how much free time we will have.  I will keep you posted!

Little Fuzzy Bunny Hat by AmberMichelleWilson On Etsy

Little Fuzzy Bunny Hat for Newborn to Toddler - Great Photo Prop

From AmberMichelleWilson

via www.etsy.com

I LOVE babies and while checking out items on Etsy, I came across this great little shop.  Amber Wilson is a college student that makes custom made crochet items for newborns that are used in photo shoots.  If you are a photographer or just love dressing your baby up, you must view her store!

 
 
I wonder what she's dreaming about?

 
The photographers did a great job!  I can't think of a sweeter way to spend my day!

Required Watching, The Movie, "Red"

This week, on pay-per-view, I watched the movie "Red".  My family and I really liked it!

 

Bruce Willis plays Frank, a former CIA man inspiring the movie title:  Retired Extremely Dangerous.  He is living the quiet life when a hit squad shows up to kill him.  He gathers up his old team, all retired and kidnaps a new crush, Mary Louise Parker.  The movie is filled with action and comedy.

 
Helen Mirren still looks good and John Malkovich is given the funniest lines as a paranoid and slightly crazy ex-agent.

 
Morgan Freeman is great, as always, and leaves his retirement community to join the old gang.  Appearances are also made by Ernest Borgnine and Richard Dreyfuss.  Mary-Louise Parker is surprisingly funny as the kidnapping victim that Frank knows from pension services.

If you are looking for something to watch, this is a good one for action and laughs.  I think it comes out soon on disc, too.