chicken parmigiana...

These pictures don't even do this dish justice.

Lighting is a problem for me in the kitchen
after the sun has gone down.

That, and well, maybe... a couple glasses of wine.

Nahh, it couldn't be the WINE! Never.

Any who, this is super easy to make and just like Alfonso's!

"Who's Alfonso", you ask? Oh, only just the best little
Italian restaurant in my part of the world.
No, really... maybe it's not "just like" Alfonso's...
but it's close!

Before I give you the recipe, can I just say,
I really hate how this picture came out...
I'm still learning about photography.
Cut me some slack.

*Chicken Parmigiana*

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 cup olive oil
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Prepare your chicken by trimming and
pounding it to about 1/4 -inch thickness.
Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Coat chicken with breadcrumb mixture then dip in egg
and dredge in breadcrumb mixture again.
Melt butter and olive oil together in large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add chicken and brown on each side.
Pour about 1/4 of the spaghetti sauce in a lightly greased baking pan.
Arrange chicken in pan after it's browned.
Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over chicken.
Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
Cover and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes
or until thoroughly heated.
Serve over angel hair pasta
with a green salad and your favorite garlic rolls.

Enjoy!

light fluffy pancakes...

Yum!
That's about all I can say about these
made-from-a-box-mix babies.

Oh yeah... Plus, they're super easy to
whip up on a Saturday morning!

Here's the secret ingredients I added to make
them light, fluffy (because my ordinary pancakes
always seem to be flat and cardboard like... it's true!)
and oh so mm-mmm.

I like to top mine with butter, syrup
and a dollop of strawberry preserves or fresh fruit.

*Fluffy Pancakes*
2 cups Aunt Jamima Buttermilk Pancake Mix
1 cup water
1/4 sour cream
2 Tbsp. vanilla

~Stir ingredients together until blended... don't over mix.
~Makes about 6 to 8 nice size pancakes.

Now, go forth and whip up a batch of these babies tomorrow morning.
Enjoy Life!

the prettiest thing...

Isn't this the prettiest thing you've ever seen?

I'm in love.

She sits on top of my stove because I don't have the heart
to hide her away in a dark cold cabinet.
I polish her everyday, carefully inspecting her for scratches or chips.

She is my new best friend.
I think we're going to have a long lovely life together.


I also think I need to get out more...

just playin' around...

I know, I know... things look a little different.

I've been wanting to change my blog for sometime now.

Nothing is permanent so far... I'm just trying a few things out.

So, please bear with me until I get back into the swing of things.

Thanks so much!

xo
Ralonda

crock pot lasagna...

Don't you just love the easy button?

For me, the easy button is the dial on my crock pot.

And I had to use it a few nights ago.

I know crock pot dishes generally aren't very pretty...
and this is no exception. I'm sorry, but I just had to share.

*Crock Pot Lasagna*

1 lb. ground beef
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup water
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
6 lasagna noodles, uncooked

~Brown meat in large skillet; drain.
~Stir in spaghetti sauce and water.
~Mix ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 Tbsp. parmesan,
egg and parsley.
~Spoon 1 cup meat sauce into your crock pot; top with layers
of half each of the noodles, broken to fit, and cheese mixture.
Cover with 2 cups meat sauce, noodles and cheese mixture,
ending with remaining meat sauce.
~Cover with lid and and cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours or until
liquid is absorbed.
~Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; let stand covered, 10 minutes,
or until melted...

Enjoy!

xo
Ralonda