STALKER ALERT.

Guess who's gotten more comments than ever?!?! THIS PROUD PATTY RIGHT HERE! I guess my desperate sob story worked last post, because a lot of you have been more vocal.. & let me tell you: NOTHING feels better than seeing some feedback. It brightens my day ;) Hope this video will brighten yours.. Let me start by saying it's a whole minute of absolutely nothing important, and my manly voice is pretty annoying in it. (As if my voice wasn't naturally hoarse enough, I went out for one of my very favorite friends Bachelorette party last night, and I'm assuming I laughed too loudly too much!) If you don't have a minute of your life to spare, do not and I repeat DO NOT watch this video. If, by chance, you DO have a minute, enjoy this video of my 15 month going on 15 year old toddler-teen walking around the house, talking on the cell phone to an imaginary person.

 

No clue what the kid is saying, or who he thinks he's talking to..but the seriousness & hand movements make me think it's a business call. Or to top all unanswered questions.. why does he have his shirt pulled up with his belly hanging out? Maybe it was more comfy that way? All I know is he should NOT enjoy talking on the phone this much. I wonder if house phone's will even still be around by the time he's 15 years old. If so, I'm opting out of getting the kid a cell phone, and hopping on "Team Land Line." That way, when little hussy girls call THIS studmuffin at all hours of the night, I can get on the phone connected to his line, in my room & say "Cashhhh...your monkey pajamas are in the dryer!" Okay.. maybe I won't be that bad..

 

If you're wondering about the title of the blog, then you probably guessed correctly.. I have a stalker. I'm not proud of it, but I'm told the first step to recovery is admittance. Even worse, this stalker lives in my own home. Here's a few images that might pop up within the gallery of J's iPhone. WARNING: What you are about to see may be disturbing to some viewers. If you have think you may have a stalker of your own, pleas call your local police department.

 

I assume the first one was taken when I was trying on a bridesmaid dress for my friend Melissa's wedding. As you can see I was being a bit of a diva & probably calling out for some assistance from the seamstress. Whoops! Caught in the act :X The rest were taken during a semi-frantic trip to my favorite grocery store, H.E.B Central Market. I was trying to find everything on my list, while still keeping J & Cash's behavioral problems to a minimum. (I mentioned I only have ONE kid, right?) Needless to say, you NOW know where Cashman get's all his wildly creative facial expressions. Don't ask me why he took these pictures, because the answer is BEYOND me!

 

Okay, done with the funny business. I want EVERYONE to check these HappyBlankie's out! Not only are they stunningly adorable, (I'm snagging the froggy for Cash! Precious!) but the story of their creation brought tears to my eyes. A young boy named David Holdridge (then 7 years old) saw the importance that a "blankie" had in his little sister's life. He wanted to spread the importance and happiness of a blankie to kids all over the world, and that is where the "Happy Blankie" idea was started. David brought the proposal to his mother, and with a bit of hard work, HappyBlankie began donating blankets to children all over the world.  They have four cutesy designs (Pink Pig, Brown Bear, Green Frog & Brown Puppy) and their heartwarming motto is: "One to Love, One to Give." This means that with every blankie sold, one is given away in your honor to a child in need. You're even able to choose the location you want to send it! The cuteness of the blanket alone was good enough for me, but the thought of giving back to a child in need, as well as helping a young entrepreneur with a selfless goal of giving back makes this purchase even more worthwhile. If your child is a "blankie baby" like mine, PLEASE pick one of these up!

www.happyblankie.com

 

On to FOOOOD! Although I didn't get as much feedback as I'd like on what was considered the "most interesting to read" on my blog, I think there's an overall demand for my recipes that's yet to die down.. This next one will NOT fail you, I can guarantee that. It happens to be the best Chicken Parmesan I've ever had (well how's THAT for a pat on the back?) and that's including restaurants too.. Did I mention how shockingly easy it is, and that it only takes 30 minutes?

MOVE OVER RACHAEL RAY.. STORMI'S HERE!

 

CHICKEN PARMESAN

 

SAUCE:

 

1 (290z.) can tomato sauce

1 (6oz.) can tomato paste (I used Hunt's for both!)

4 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

1/2 Cup white wine

3 tbsp. butter

1/2 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

2 tbsp. Italian seasoning (any brand will do)

1 1/2 tbsp. oregano

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

Salt & Pepper

 

Combine all ingredients into deep saucepan. Bring to boil & simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

(The longer the better!)

 

CHICKEN:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup dried Italian bread crumbs (any brand will do)

1/2 cup flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp. milk

1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Mozzarella cheese

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning

Salt & Pepper

 

STEPS:

- Coat the bottom of an oven-proof skillet with olive oil, about an inch thick.

- Pound chicken breasts thoroughly with a meat mallet or the back of a heavy spoon until approximately 1/2 inch thick.

- Assemble three ingredients side by side as follows:

1) Plate of flour, seasoned with Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder & Tony Chachere's.

2) Bowl of egg & milk, beat together until thoroughly combined.

3) Plate of bread crumbs and Parmesan combined, seasoned with same ingredients as the flour.

- When the oil is hot, dredge both sides of the chicken (one piece at a time!) in seasoned flour, egg mixture (let the excess drip off!) then bread crumbs/cheese mixture.. IN THIS ORDER!

- Add chicken to the pan and fry 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and cooked thoroughly through.

- Pour the spaghetti sauce over the chicken, (coating, but not drowning!) and sprinkle with Mozzarella & Parmesan. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted through. Serve hot over spaghetti, or on it's own with a salad!