Fall and Boots go together

This weather is bringing to mind FALL... my favorite time of year is drawing ever closer...and  although they're forecasting warm weather well into October, that hasn't hampered my yearly desire to search for a new pair of boots.  I'm always on the lookout!  Here's a few of my favorite I've discovered lately.  

Although some of these boots I've chosen are completely out of my price range I like to use them for inspiration in finding more abstemious choices, but no less stylish.

MANOLO BLAHNIK

Cambrigia 

Drooling. These Manolo boots are AmaZing!!  These would go great with everything from short/long skirts  to jeans.

http://www.shopsavannahs.com/system/search/product.asp?id=1053&page=1&rnum=2

RAG & BONE

Classic combat boots

Oh. my. these boots are ridiculously cute.   The 3.75 heel is too high for me but the style is so amazing I wanted to include them.  If you click on the link you can see more views of them and understand the "cuteness factor".  Zoom in on the lace placket.  love it.
http://www.lagarconne.com/store/item.htm?itemid=12223&sid=1

Frye Melissa riding boot

Each year I find at least a few styles of Frye boots that I'd love to have.  These are classic and exude taste.  I'm fairly certain they will never go out of style.  <3

http://www.zappos.com/frye-melissa-riding-tall-red-brown

http://www.gargyle.com/acne-pistol-short-black-contrast-4901.html

A great ankle boot with timeless chicness.  I loved the leather and the tassel on these.  too cute and just the right height for me.

Snap you up some boots.  I suggest Ebay or even Craigslist (be safe).  You'd be amazed at  the bargains you can come across.

Cabot 3 year cheddar

Have you tried Cabot's 3 year cheddar?  If you fancy a strapping, robust, and brawny cheddar this is your cheese!    It's really wonderful with wine or whatever you'd like to eat it with or melt it on.  I buy mine in 2 lb. bricks at Costo (pic above).  approx $12 for the brick is a real bargain.  It puts to shame some cheddars twice that price.

Chicken Burgers and an orzo dish

Costco is a favorite place of mine to shop.  For those of you not familiar, it's similar to a Sam's wholesale warehouse except better.  I've belonged to both and Costco is much better imo.  Unfortunately there are only two Costco stores in the Nashville area.  Both are around 25-30 miles away from me.  Nevertheless I try and trek there at least once a month to pick up surplus size packages of things we use...toilet paper, paper towels, real maple syrup, peanut butter, etc..you get the picture.

My mom in law went with us a couple weeks ago and she decided to pick us up these chicken burgers for our dinner that evening.  My husband and boys turned up their noses and were very skeptical.  I,  on the other hand thought they sounded pretty good.  She also bought some really great chibata sp? buns to go along with them.   I was happy that they all loved the burgers!!  My husband said he would even eat them for his lunch.  A major nutritional breakthrough in DLP's life!!!  :)

They are precooked so you can either just heat them on the grill (how we cooked them first)  or use your George Foreman to heat them well (that's what I did tonight).  You could also use a fry pan or microwave but I prefer the grilling methods.  So, we at them again tonight.  I bought chibata bread since I couldn't find those special buns.  I toasted the bread up which was really good also. 

Nutrition FactsServing Size 1 burger Amount Per Serving

Calories from Fat 50

Calories 140 % Daily Values*Total Fat 6.5g10% Saturated Fat 2.5g12% Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 70mg23%Sodium 560mg23%Total Carbohydrate 3g1% Dietary Fiber 0g0% Sugars 2g Protein 22g 

.  

I served them with this http://allrecipes.com/recipe/orzo-with-parmesan-and-basil/detail.aspx This recipe is super simple and has great flavor  .  You could really switch it up however you like and what flavors you like.  I thought mushrooms would have been really good in it.  I like to brown the orzo really well-like rice a roni.  It tasted better than the picture looks. :)

a d v e n t u r e . . .

i applied for one of these this week.  i hope to get to use it before i die.  :)

exciting?  i certainly hope so.

Chicken Breasts Pierre

Chicken Breasts Pierre was our dinner tonight.  I found it on allrecipes.com.  It's a unique flavor and really good.  I served it with buttered egg noodles and a green salad.  Here's the link to the recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chicken-breasts-pierre/detail.aspx

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used boneless skinless breasts and thighs)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
• 1/2 cup water (I used half water half white wine)
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions

1. In a shallow dish or bowl, combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and ground black pepper. Coat chicken breasts with flour mixture. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat, and brown chicken on all sides. Remove from skillet, and drain on paper towels.
2. In the same skillet, combine the tomatoes, water, brown sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt, chili powder, mustard, celery seed, garlic and hot pepper sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and return chicken to skillet. Cover, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, or until chicken is tender, no longer pink and juices run clear.

Missoni for Target

Well, yet another major high end designer is jumping on the mass merchandising Target bandwagon!  Missoni is debuting a 400+ piece collection with everything from clothing, to tableware, to bicycles.

Missoni is famous for their knitwear in colorful patterns.  I've never been a fan of their signature knit dresses--not because they aren't pretty... but because...well...their usually a horizontal, patterned knit, and you shouldn't be any bigger than about a size 2 if you're going to pull off a knit dress.  ...just keepin' it real.  :)

Prices are supposed to range from $2.99-$499.99.  

  i love her shoes and the scarves are great.

 the middle dress above is really cute, again, if you're young and a size 0-2.

the selection of tableware is said to be extensive.  this pink set is sweet.

i love the chair, and the rugs, and that bike is too adorable!

i like this bedding a lot.  

So, if you're a Missoni fan but not a millionaire, there's finally some affordable pieces coming to a Target near you September 2011. 

Scallops sauteed in olive oil/butter sprinkled with a little garlic powder and cayenne.  I Love scallops (with a capital "L").  And do you know what makes the best side dish with scallops?  Corn. Any corn based dish goes terrific with them. Tonight I made this really great corn dish. It's pretty time consuming but the flavors are crazy good.  It's worth the effort.

Creamed Corn Gratin with Fried Onion Rings and Bacon

courtesy Bon Appétit 

• 
  1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread (I just tore into small pieces after toasting)

• 6 bacon slices, chopped

• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced into rounds
• 1/2 cup (or more) vegetable oil
• 10 green onions, chopped

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 cups frozen corn kernels (about 2 pounds 6 ounces)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons quick-cooking grits
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup (packed) coarsely grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread breadcrumbs on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.

Sauté bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels. Transfer 2 tablespoons bacon drippings to heavy large pot; reserve for creamed corn. Discard remaining drippings.

Place flour in medium bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Separate red onion slices into rings and toss in flour to coat lightly. Heat 1/2 cup oil in same large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add onion rings to skillet and cook until golden brown, adding more oil as needed, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer onion rings to paper towels. Mix breadcrumbs, bacon, onion rings, and half of green onions in clean medium bowl. Sprinkle topping with salt and pepper.

Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add butter to pot with reserved bacon drippings; melt over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion; sauté until light golden and beginning to soften, about 6 minutes. Add frozen corn; sauté 5 minutes. Add milk and cream; bring to boil. Gradually stir in grits and cayenne pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and remaining green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer creamed corn to prepared dish. (Topping and corn can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake gratin uncovered 25 minutes. Sprinkle topping over; bake until topping is slightly crisp and creamed corn thickens and is heated through, about 20 minutes longer.

i'm diggin'...

Just sharing some of my favorite things as of late...

i saw this amazing painted floor while perusing indy.com.  what a terrific way to get your own personalized rug.  i love the color combination also.  

i saw this outfit and it got me excited for fall.  it's sooo hot and humid here in the south.  i'm pretty sure it's pretty widespread right now. not complaining but i'm ready for some cool.  i'm a sucker for a great handbag, and that imo is pretty great.  i also love the scarf and jeans. 
Details: Banana Republic Ashbury handbag, J.CRew Boucle bomber jacket, J.Crew matchstick indigo wash jeans

I love this. i believe it's slices of different license plates put together to make a sweet statement.  

RED. VELVET. BROWNIES. courtesy of smells-like-home.com.   do these look yummy or what?  i plan on making these just as soon as it's not 110 degrees outside and i'm able to crank up my oven.  recipe upcoming...

happy sunday y'all.  make this week a wonderful one

John's Pizzeria

We were reminiscing about our NYC trip in May.   If only I had pics to show I'd post 'em but remember what happened to my SD card?  it's hiding.  sad.
 The best pizza I've ever eaten is at a place called John's Pizzeria in the theatre district not far from Times Square.  We saw The Lion King about three blocks from this restaurant.  We were told it is the largest pizzeria in the world.  I don't know about all that but I do know it was absolutely terrific pizza, and the calamari was delicious too!  If you ever make it to NYC...make sure you hit up John's for some real NY style pizza pie (and be willing to wait awhile) :)

http://www.johnspizzerianyc.com/index2.htm

Bffs

Poppy + Spurgeon= BFF 

tomato sand-miches

my tomato plants didn't do as well as i'd of liked this year.  the ones that started out with tons of blossoms fizzled out and haven't given but a couple pieces of fruit.  i have a couple other plants that (unexpectedly) have done really well, thankfully.
my family loves BLT's and I make them at least once a week.  I have a post on here from way back when with the addition of avocado.  oh yum.  tomatoes, bacon, and avocados are three of my very favorite things.  btw...what's with the price of bacon at the market?  it's crazy!!
anyway...i have an abundance of tomatoes (especially since my hubs has been gone a lot lately and he's the biggest tomato eater in the family).  apart from making gazpacho, BLT's, and giving a lot away i've been eating a lot of tomato sand-miches.  that's just the way we say it around here.  the simplicity of it is really wonderful.
i like to use a hearty type of bread and toast it.  this is Arnold's health full 10 grain bread.  it's got 4 g of fiber in each slice and a touch of sweetness that goes nice with the tomatoes.
-hearty bread, toasted+
-home grown tomatoes+
-mayo = yummy

  a simple breakfast, lunch, or dinner

...add an egg for some protein.

next post: tasty things to make with cucumbers!

Spaghetti Carbonara

Have you ever made pasta Carbonara?  If you never have you must remedy that by planning this as one of your near future dinners! It's SO easy and oh SO good!  I was watching t.v. this afternoon and saw a show where they were eating pasta carbonara.  I  knew I had everything on hand to make it.  TaDa! Din-Din!  With a green salad it's a really delicious and easy meal to make fast.  This is adapted from a Nigella Lawson recipe (one of my favorite chef chics).

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2 cups cubed pancetta rind removed or 1/3 lb. of bacon chopped
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
• 4 eggs (i used 3 extra large)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly ground nutmeg (i skip it)
• Put a large pan of water on to boil for the pasta.
  In another large pan that will fit the pasta later, cook the pancetta or bacon in the oil until crispy but not crunchy. Pour over the white wine or vermouth and let it bubble away so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of salty winey syrup left. Take the pan off the heat.
  In a bowl, beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, and pepper. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, but since you want it kept al dente start checking it 2 minutes before end of the recommended cooking time.
  When the pasta is done, remove approximately 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining. Put the pan with the bacon cubes back on the heat and add the drained pasta, tossing well to coat with the syrupy pancetta. Take the pan off the heat again and add the eggs and cheese mixture, swiftly tossing everything to mix. Thin with pasta water, if needed. Grind over some more pepper and grate over the nutmeg to serve.
• 
  
• 
  

marinated mozzarella

I am anxiously awaiting my garden tomatoes to ripen so that I can make caprese salad.  In the meantime the fresh mozzarella sitting in my fridge won't last forever. I also have an abundance of fresh basil.  Marinated Mozarella is one of my favorite things to have on hand.  It makes a terrific appetizer to serve to company, a delicious condiment, or a simple supper with some crusty french bread on those hot summer evenings when it's too hot to cook.  


Here's what you'll need:
Mason jar
**All ingredients are to your taste**
fresh ball of mozzarella 
fresh basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves (i cut the cloves in half)
fresh cracked pepper
red pepper flakes
lemon peel (long strips are best)


Cut mozzarella into chunks.  Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of your mason jar and start layering in the cheese, then a bit of the basil, garlic, black pepper, lemon peel, red pepper, and more olive oil. Repeat until you've got all your cheese and seasonings in. Top it off with more olive oil and seal.  Refrigerate at least a day for flavors to develop.  

Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time. Yes it has!!

please forgive the long pause between posts. it's been a hectic few weeks. after the crazy restoration dehumidifiers and blowers left my house i was seriously in a "need some sanity" zone.  my husband left for brasil (that's how THEY spell it) and my mom came for a visit.  my kids had robotic camp and vacation bible school and so on. the hubs is back as of yesterday so all is right with the world again.  i don't function well without my better half. 

POPPY

UPDATE:  AS OF 7-9-11 POPPY IS BACK AND LIVING WITH US.  COME TO FIND OUT SHE IS A VALUABLE HUNTING DOG WITH A PRIZED PEDIGREE.  THE OWNER GAVE HER TO US.  YES-GAVE HER TO US!!

  

Time between posts is getting away from me.  I've been busy with things this week and this weekend looks to be even crazier.
When we got home from vacation our upstairs A/C unit (less than 2 yrs. old) leaked through the ceiling onto the kitchen ceiling, arch, and bathroom ceiling.
The A/C company came out and reinstalled the unit (it was supposedly not level or something).  They are taking care of damages thank goodness.  It pays to go with a reputable company.  You pay more but they seem to be doing what they've promised thus far.   When all is over and done I'll let you know if we're still happy. They tore down some of the ceiling, and part of a wall. They have it open and are dehumidifying those areas. So we have 4 dehumidifiers in the house right now.  2 huge units and 2 smaller units.  Talk about noise!  I seriously don't know how I will sleep tonight...or the next few nights.

  In the a.m. I have a book sale to sell lots of my curriculum to get $ for new books for fall.  Then my husband and boys are going to a father/son camp out with our church later in the afternoon.  He'll be headed home by 10 a.m the next morning so he can catch a 1 o'clock flight to Brazil for business for two weeks.  TWO WEEKS!!!  He's been overseas on business many times.  It's always been to Germany.  He only had to do a 2 week stint one other time.

Any-who I was going to make some grilled chicken tonight with black bean salsa but being that the dehumidifier hose is in my sink, and there's drywall dust on everything in my kitchen I opted for a Chick-fil-A sandwich.

Here's one of my favorite summer recipes I'll share with you tho'.   I make it year round but it's great for the hot days of summer because you use the grill.

SAUSAGE AND VEGGIES IN FOIL

• Sausage and veggies on the grill:
• 1 pound Italian sausage or bratwurst cut into 1/2-inch slices (I used 1/2 Italian sausage/half turkey bratwurst
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1-inch slices
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, sliced
• 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
• 1 cup quartered fresh mushrooms
• 2 potatoes cut up in chunks
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the oil, oregano, parsley, garlic salt and paprika. Pour over sausage mixture; toss to coat. Divide between two pieces of heavy-duty foil (about 14 in. x 12 in.). Fold foil around sausage mixture and seal tightly.
• Grill, covered, over medium heat for 25-30 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape. 

The original recipe doesn't call for potatoes but I think they're a must.  You can really use

whatever veggies you like or have on hand.  Enjoy!