Praline Butter Cookies

These are delicious butter cookies. Easy, if you can find the Praline liqueur at the liquor store or the Praline extract at the grocery store! I had leftover egg yolks to use and I didn't know what to do with them - then I remembered these cookies because they take 2 egg yolks instead of whole eggs. Perfect! Then, I realized that I spoke to soon. I used up the last of my Praline Liqueur a while back. I buzzed to the local liquor store to pick up another bottle and the man behind the cash register counter went Praline what? Never heard of it. I love living in Port Orchard, the city on the water inlet, but there are drawbacks. So, on my way home from Seattle, after work, I stopped at the main liquor store. This liquor store carries everything! VERY overwhelming! Found what I was looking for and toodled home to bake my cookies. These cookies are suppose to be on the thin side and the pecan halves really makes the cookie stand out. BTW, praline extract, use only 2 t. - NO Tablespoons of extract. Only liqueur gets 2 Tablespoons. Otherwise, the cookie dough will not taste right. . .really =).
Praline Butter Cookies
1 c. butter (liking it already =D)
1 c. white sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 t. vanilla extract
2 T. Praline liqueur or 2 teaspoons of praline extract (omit vanilla extract if using Praline extract)(chocolate liqueur works great to. . .)
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. pecan halves
Directions:
Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla and praline liqueur or praline extract or chocolate liqueur.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Press a pecan half into center of each cookie. Bake at 300 degrees F. for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Chicken Cutlets Italienne

I took my daughter shopping after work because she has been extremely good lately and even though I worked a long day, I think a Mom just has to go that extra mile to show how much effort is appreciated by a child, in this case, my daughter. She is 16 and hardly ever asks for anything. She always worries about me being tired from work and school. I, of course, feel terrible that she feels she needs to worry so I wanted her to have a little fun on a weeknight and find something new that made her look forward to going to school tomorrow. It was really nice, except for the fact that I also found a few things like the perfect picture that is a country scene, black and white, of old farm fences behind aged and elegant maple trees in the middle of fall. One of those pictures where you do not even realize that you have stopped and are just mesmerized. So, we both came home feeling elated. She came home with another purse to add to her collection and a few other little things that were just little feel good items. The whole trip was so worth it.
Now, it is that ever wonderful feeling of knowing that it is now late and I still have dinner to make. Calling in for pizza sounds so good right now but no, I am going to be stronger willed. I already took chicken breasts out of the freezer this morning and I selected a quickie dinner to make. I bet I could have dinner done before pizza could be ordered and picked-up and that is exactly what happened. I got hubby to make rice in the rice cooker and I set to work on a simple but nutritious dinner. Chicken Cutlets Italienne. First, I needed to flatten 3/4 pounds of chicken breasts, which I did between 2 sheets of wax paper and a meat mallet, and then slice these breasts into 2. Easy and great for any leftover aggression =). Next was to simply chop up zucchini, Roma tomatoes, onion, and gather herbs, grated fresh lemon peel and juice along with putting together the flour to dip the cutlets into. Took me about 10 minutes total.

With all the ingredients pre-assembled, putting the dish together was a breeze.

I browned the cutlets in 2 Tablespoons of butter and 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil. They just needed to cook until the cutlets were golden brown on both sides. This only took a couple minutes and that was for 2 batches. After the cutlets were golden brown, I set them in the oven to keep warm and put the sauce together.

The sauce thickens on the leftover flour in the skillet from the cutlets frying up. This took me about 3 minutes to get to the boiling point. The sauce boils for 1 minute and then it is done. The rice cooker was finished cooking the rice at the same time so all went well. . .relief =).

Chicken Cutlets Italienne (serves 4)

Ingredients:

3/4 pounds boneless chicken breast, flattened to 1/4" thickness

2 medium size zucchini

2 medium size plum tomatoes

1 medium onion

1/2 medium lemon

1/4 cup flour

1/2 t. salt

1 t. oregano

1 1/2 t. chicken flavor instant bouillon

1/2 cup water

3 T. Olive Oil, divided

3 T. butter, divided

1/2 t. dried basil leaves

Cooked Rice, enough for 4 servings

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Slice each chicken cutlet crosswise in half. Cut zucchini into bite size chunks. Dice tomatoes and onion. From 1/2 lemon, grate peel and squeeze 2 teaspoons juice.

On waxed paper, mix flour, salt and oregano, use to coat chicken. In non-stick 12" skillet over medium heat in 2 Tablespoons of butter and 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, cook cutlets, half at a time, until browned on both sides.

Remove cutlets to warm plate as they brown, keep warm. In drippings add 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil and 1 Tablespoon butter, over medium heat. Cook onion until golden, add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook until golden and tender crisp. Stir in tomatoes, lemon juice, lemon peel, chicken bouillon and 1/2 cup water. Over high heat, heat to boil. Boil 1 minute. Stir in basil. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Plate rice and place chicken cutlet on top and sauce over all.

New York, Welcome Your Fall 2008 Trends

Apparel News predicted (and wittingly named) the trends that will (or might) be prevailing this coming fall. The eleven different trends that you will get to know in just a short moment (after this introduction) were all seen during the different fashion shows that hit New York recently. They range from classic designs to chic and futuristic.

1. Star Trek - futurism invades fashion as superhero-inspired clothes take over the runway.

2. Fur - soft and in vogue, fur-lined clothes are in this fall...just make sure PETA doesn't catch you.

3. Knit Knack - classic takes on the runway knitted clothes make the new style.

4. Luxe Leather - throw away those bulky outerwear and make room for slick leather trenches, coats and the like.

5. Color Block - wanna know the new colors of fall? Forget the dark tones and switch to bright and colorful jewel tones.

6. Globe Trekker - welcome in different patterns from around the globe - modernized to add in that chic feel to it, of course.

7. High Shine - more futurism! Shiny clothes this fall will bring out that industrial feel to your wardrobe.

8. Uni-Form - unisex clothes make the new "preppy" look as it takes on a military touch to their designs.

9. Multi-Layered - architects will have a lovely time dressing up in these geometric architectural designs to these clothes.

10. '70s Chic - recycled fashion at its finest! Relive the rock era with bell bottoms, shirt-dresses and all those clothes that defined the '70s.

11. Surface Treatments - layered is a trend this coming fall as feathers, ombré treatments and other layerings cover and accentuate clothes.

There you have it ladies and gents! Well, New Yorkers primarily. Do you see yourself in one of these?

Fun, fun Dame Viv!

I recently featured some of the clothes for Vivienne Westwood's Red Label - which are totally cool, IMO. For her own line, Dame Viv's designs all look fun and colorful, they all look very nice to wear. You'd probably earn more than a handful of glances if you walk around wearing one of her clothes. Honestly, majority of Vivienne Westwood's fall '08 collection doesn't really look fall-ish to me. Well, a lot of the designs for fall '08 look more like spring fashion. But I guess that's the trend for the coming season.

Here are some of the clothes that caught my eye:

Of course, the dark and elegant clothes shouldn't be missed:

And here's Vivienne Westwood herself!

Christian Dior Fall 2008 Ready-to-Wear Bags

Here's the fall bags for Christian Dior's RTW line. The brightly colored bags are more suited for spring, IMO, but then again, they give more life to fall. I like the little keyring that's D-shaped. It makes the bags look a bit on the elegant side.