Turkey Time

Before I got started for the day, I threw a turkey breast in the crock-pot. It's gonna be a busy day with one kid home sick, one in high school, another in pre-school, soccer practice, shopping...  Nothing is easier than the crock pot, and y'all know how nice it is to come home to the house smelling delicious.

I'm not usually a fan of white meat turkey, but this comes out juicy and tender.

(I confess - the photo is of the Turkey uncooked because, quite frankly we ate it before I remembered to take a picture!)

Spring Turkey (why Spring? Ummm, because I'm serving it with coleslaw!)
Serves 4, with leftovers

1 7 lb frozen turkey breast (bone in)
1/2 stick butter
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
4 oz marmalade
1 cup (hot) chicken stock
1 onion, quartered
1 large clove garlic

Wash the turkey breast and pat dry. Put all ingredients in crock-pot.

Place butter and 1/2 onion inside cavity and put turkey breast side down. 

Cook on high for 2 hours, reduce to low and cook for 5 more hours. Make sure internal temp is 170F.

I cook mine with the skin on, but I wouldn't EAT the skin, just remove when you slice turkey.

Take the turkey out of the crock pot and keep tented in tinfoil before you slice it to keep it warm.

Meanwhile, take all of the juices from the crock pot and use to make a gravy. If you need instructions, go HERE. 

Slice and serve. I served mine with coleslaw, green beans, and mashed potatoes.

Now if you don't have a crock pot, you must get one! NOW! Only joking, but they are super handy to have, and pretty inexpensive. Mine is Hamilton Beach and it works perfectly every time.

New Fabric for an Old Ottoman

This is an old post, from my old website, about my old ottoman. The ottoman was old and badly worn, but some new fabric gave it a whole new look in under a hour. A year later and it still looks awesome.



I have 3 different projects in the works - all waiting for Spring to hit, and the snow to take a hike. Until that happens I can't get outside to paint! SO, in lieu of holding my breath, and risking imminent death, I thought I'd post this about recovering an old ottoman (it was so old it could be from the Ottoman Empire - get it? I'm so sorry.)

Anyway, here was the problem with the old ottoman:



(Yes, sadly I didn't just throw it away! In fact I used it! )



All four corners had split, and although I had sewn the edges back together before, years of the "little darlings" jumping on the furniture, had not helped any.  It was definitely time to either re-cover the thing or buy a new one.  At that point in time, I'd rather cover it than spend the money on a new ottoman, but I thought, "we'll see how it looks after the restoration".

Taking a good look at the ottoman, I realized that it wasn't in terrible condition structurally, and, I really was too lazy to didn't even need to take off the old fabric.

First, I unscrewed the legs, which took all of about 23 seconds:



Then, using the utility knife, I plucked the buttons off of the top of the ottoman - another 17 seconds.  This was my kind of work!

I laid out the fabric, wrong side up, which is a leather-like  material (sounds so much better than pleather).  And then plopped the ottoman in the center, upside down.



I made sure the edges wrapped up and around the ottoman, with about 3" spare on the underside.  I pulled the fabric taught, and started stapling all the way around, keeping it tight.  After I got staples around all four sides, I went back and filled in with staples, about 2 inches apart.





When I got to the corners, I spent what seemed like several hours (in reality it was 10 minutes) trying to get the "pleats" to look nice. With limited patience, here is what I said to myself: "Oh for goodness sake, just staple the dang thang and get this over with!".  And so I did.   I used the handy utility knife to cut the excess fabric, and I screwed the legs back on.  Presto!

After spending only about 1 hour on this I was very happy with the results.

(Later that year... the ottoman still looks great. I'm happy I covered it, and I still like the "pleather" fabric.)

Punxsutawney Phil Sowerby is a LIAR



Sitting here looking out the window at the snow (that's becoming more and more like a 4 letter word around here).  Meanwhile I'm listening to the weather man warn us of another week of lower than normal temps, and suspected white stuff for the coming week.

 

It's just not right!

I love my cowboy boots, but I'm ready for wedges.
I love my house, but I want my porch back.
I love cooking, but I'm dying for BBQ.

Seems it's gonna be a while, so I guess it's up to me to Spring-ify my life right now.  Today that means hanging out at All things Spring party with Debbiedoos. It's giving me hope! It's giving me ideas! It's making me feel a little less panicky. Spring is coming! It is!

Here are a few ideas I Love with a capital L.

Check out this Split Pea Wreath!  From Love of Family & Home. This bright green wreath screams Spring and makes me smile. Plus, the tutorial made me want to make it immediately!



And I love this wreath from Zu Haus at Home. Love the yellow. I think AC More has forsythia garlands that could easily be wrapped on a grape vine base.



This little banner - from Confessions of  Plate Addict is quick and easy and would look great on a mantel or strung across a window. I want to do this with my little helpers.



I have to make this little bird feeder.  It would make the perfect gift. From A Cowboy's Wife.



It wouldn't be Spring without a Ham recipe, so here's a good one I found here. It doesn't get easier than throwing it in the slow cooker.



Doesn't that look amazing?  That and some coleslaw... Okay, I feel better now. And the sun just came out!

Burlap Table Runner

I have a picture frame I'm working on painting, but the snow is flying (again/still), so that'll have to wait on the back burner for a nicer day. Bummer. I didn't know what to do with myself so, I decided to run an errand, and ended up making a cute table runner:

 

It took me about 15 minutes with a glue gun, and cost under $10!

I ended up at Walmart. Ugh.

Big A had some electrical work to do, and the kids were at school for a couple more hours, so, essentially, the world was my oyster. So why Walmart? (You ask, feeling sorry for me, I hope). Well, needs be, and I needed cat litter!

While I was there, I decided to help the Easter Bunny a little and hit the candy aisles too. Shuffling along, up to my eyeballs in peeps, and 3 packs of undies (yes, my kids get undies from the Easter Bunny), I happened to turn down the fabric aisle. I usually skip out of Walmart as quickly as possible, but this stopped me:

Ooooh. Riiiibonnn. Look at all the preeeetty colors. (That was what that little voice in my head was saying to me.)

Half an hour later and I was home with some brown and green polka dot ribbon and 2 yards of burlap to play with. I thought about making a runner, and how I could do this. I could make a double layer of burlap and sew the edges together, or I could use no-sew fabric tape to turn down the edges...

In the end, I had kids to pick up from school, soccer practice to attend, and dinner to make, while channeling my inner drill Sargent over homework.  I went with "easy".

All I did was fray the edges of the burlap along the long side.  Just pull the little strings away and trim the fringe so that it's even.  (Burlap is messy so I don't advise you do this wearing black pants like I did. They are now black fuzz factories.)

Next I hot glue gunned the ribbon to the short end of the runner.  I did this on cling wrap because the glue would go through the burlap. Then I pulled the cling film away when the glue was drying. When the ribbon was in place, I ran a line of glue on the underside to prevent any further fraying, and I used sharp scissors to trim any of the burlap sticking under the ribbon for a neat edge.

 

 

I cut the ribbon and wrapped it under the edge of the burlap. 

 

And voila! A table runner.

 

 

I'm definitely going to make another runner with the burlap when I have a little more time. I love how it looks. 



Double Dipped Chicken Parmesan

Hey ho!

I spent part of my day painting a large gold picture frame black, and I planned on posting my fabulous results today, but there was a little incident with the dog...

 

 

which I will discuss tomorrow. Let's suffice it to say, she is in the proverbial dog house!

 

So instead of the big reveal of my picture frame, I'll share the recipe I am cooking for dinner tonight. I first made this recipe in 2006, when I was catering.  I call it "mine" because I had the idea of "double dipping" the chicken for chicken parm (even though I did a google search and apparently, lots of people double dip). And, why not! I love the breading on chicken parm, and if one dip is good, two is waaaaay better.

 

The chicken is pounded flat prior to cooking - don't skip this step because it makes the chicken breast really tender. (In fact, I rarely cook chicken without flattening it first.)

 

And, just a note: I would use seasoned bread crumbs. I know Panko is all the rage, and I love it too, but the Italian seasoned crumbs make the dish taste a little more authentic.

 

The recipe only takes about 40-45 minutes from start to table, so don't be intimidated. By all means, use your favorite tomato sauce from a jar, like I do.  Mine is Wegman's Tomato Basil Sauce.

 

(Confession: I was so hungry I forgot to take a photo of my finished dish! So this photo is not mine - it is from here!)

 

 

 

Double Dipped Chicken Parmesan

Serves 4

• 4 medium eggs
• salt & pepper
• 2 cups good quality seasoned dry bread crumbs
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 (26 ounce) jar tomato and basil pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. One at a time, place the chicken breasts in a gallon sized freezer bag, and pound to about 1/2 inch. Use the flat side of a meat mallet.
2. Place the eggs in a large bowl and whisk with salt and pepper.
3. Place the bread crumbs in a large bowl and mix with the Parmesan cheese. (If you run out of this when dipping the chicken, just make a little more).
4. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F
5. Dip each chicken breast in the egg, then the crumb mixture. Re-dip in the egg and then the bread crumbs for a second time.
6. In a large heavy (non-stick) skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Brown the double dipped chicken in the hot oil for about 4 minutes each side, until golden brown.
7. Remove the chicken and place in a large baking dish (glass). Divide the tomato sauce and spread evenly over each chicken breast.
8. Sprinkle each chicken breast evenly with the mozzarella cheese.
9. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is hot and bubbling.

 

That's it! Dinner is ready in under an hour.

 

I'm serving this with Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles.

 

Please let me know if you try this recipe! As always, feel free to share any recipes you love - I'm always hungry!

The PAINT Made Me Do It!

It's freezing cold, but sunny. But I can cope with the cold as long as the sun is shining.  I am sooo a sun person - I guess we all are. So what's a gal to do when there's no sun to brighten the day? Well in my case, you paint your house yellow!

(Mirror Project here)

This past weekend Centsational Girl posted a link to a color chart, which gave a short description of what each of the colors represent. Interesting. I am drawn to yellow, and likewise to orange and red. All three colors are energizing, but when you add in a golden tone, comforting. I walk into my home, with the walls all painted in various tones of gold and yellow, and feel relieved, and also energized and happy, as if the sun is shining (whether it's raining or not).

According to research, we're drawn to yellow because it represents the sun's power to sustain life.

However, warm colors (the ones I love) - like red, orange and yellow - stimulate the need to eat. So, I suppose, if one is looking to shed a few pounds, one should not paint the kitchen in those colors. Maybe that's why I'm sitting here munching a butter crunch cookie while I write!

Color has such a huge impact on our lives, and maybe we don't even realize it.  I'm sure Big A doesn't pick out a blue shirt with the intent of looking strong and reliable, but that is, in theory, what blue conveys. Similarly, blue is a very soothing color that can even reduce tension.  That's why it's often used in bedrooms - it has the ability to help us sleep. No wonder blue is the most popular color in the world. Researchers even say the plate that helps you to eat the least amount is one that is blue. (Note to self: buy blue plates.)

Marketers know how much color influences people, and use color to boost sales. Here are some of the more obvious strategies:

• Red makes you feel hungry.  Not only that, but red makes you eat quickly, thus making room for the next customer. McDonald's use a lot of red in their restaurants. Get 'em in and out! Target uses red carts in hopes you will fill them up quickly.
  
• Orange makes you feel like acting.  So if you want to click that pretty orange button that says “BUY NOW”, it's probably not your fault. Go to Home Depot or Walmart websites. The "buy now" or "add to cart" buttons are orange. Buying those new shoes may be beyond your control!
  
• Blue makes you trust the seller. If a website looks trustworthy enough to share your credit card information with, you might want to think twice. At blue stores they hope you’ll stick around for a while, spending plenty of time and picking up plenty of items along the way. Good old reliable WalMart is blue.
• Green makes us want spend more money! In fact, like blue, green makes us think the seller looks trustworthy enough to give him our money. Think bank foyers.

So, when you're decorating your home, do you think of color and what kind of mood it will evoke? I don't suppose I gave much thought to my choice of color. I just went with the colors I love. However, if I were to open a shop or restaurant, I would certainly give the colors a bit more attention.

Check out the color chart and see if the colors evoke a mood with you.

Lucky Charms

Hello and Happy St. Patrick's Day!

You probably know that St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. But did you know that he's the patron saint because he drove all of the snakes out of Ireland (all of them!), and now followers of St. Patrick have adopted the four leaf clover as a symbol of good luck.  That makes perfect sense to me, and since I am a teeny tiny bit Irish, I feel entitled to a.) believe in good luck, and b.) to celebrate today.

So to get in the spirit of the day, I, of course, have to wear green... And, I have the perfect thing! I HAVE GREEN COWBOY BOOTS! Nothing says "St. Patrick's Day" like green cowboy boots, right? And, anyway, they're my LUCKY boots. Lucky like a four leaf clover. I'm wearing them today!

And then, with his usual voice of reason, Big A, my hubby, reminded me that they're not really that lucky, because they almost killed me the other day.

Here's what happened:

I was wearing them out and about, looking groovy, but I really had to use the restroom. As "luck" would have it I was right by a McDonald's. I parked the car and started to cross the parking lot (which means cutting through the line of cars waiting for the pick-up window). I admit I was trying to look cool, while trying to make it quickly to the restroom without an accident. I might not have been paying close attention to the ground.

My funky green cowboy boots, with their leather bottoms, don't do so well on ice, and I went down like a sack of potatoes. I struggled to get up, but I was winded and couldn't move. Stranded and unable to stand, I hoped someone would come and rescue me - but no one did. (Let's face it, if you're lying in a McDonald's parking lot, flailing around, most people are going to assume you're either a weirdo or a drug addict, so they're not gonna help.)

Eventually, I managed to pull myself up. I limped the limp of shame into McDonald's and cursed my green cowboy boots.

So, now that Big A has set me straight - I have on my trusted brown boots, and am now wearing a green sweater instead of those boots. I feel luckier already.

Do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day, or more importantly, do you wear GREEN?


If I'm feeling super lucky later today, I may try to make these cupcakes for the kids:



(Photo via Just Call Me Maria)

For the recipe go to : Lucky Charms Cupcakes

Aren't they pretty?

A New Beginning

Hello and welcome to my (new) blog!

My name is Julia, and I originally started blogging when my husband, I call him Big A, and I decided to build a new home on a piece of property located in a small town, down a country road, with lots of fresh air and possibilities.

We have 5 kids, and one (gasp) grandchild, and needed a lot of space for everyone to live a little more comfortably. Not to mention, we have quite a large extended family and needed the room for BBQ's and holiday gatherings. At that time the blog naturally followed our build.

In my former blog I wrote about building a home - from selecting the builder, to performing the perc test, to financing. However, here we are a year and a half later, and we're truly settled in (if you ignore the several million twelve boxes in the basement still to be unpacked). Naturally, my blog has taken a completely different path, and I'm no longer writing about moving or building. I'm concentrating on daily DIY and home decor, gardening and cooking.  An endless to-do list keeps me busy.

It was time for change. So after taking some time to think about what I wanted to do, I decided on the following:

1. I wanted to use Blogger for the ease of use. 
2. I wanted to change my blog name to more accurately reflect my life.
3. I wanted to change my blog content to reflect how I spend my days.

SO, there you have it. I'm happy to be here and starting up with a new look and a new name. I hope you'll join me in my DIY adventures, and pass along any of your own happy house stories!

Black Front Doors

Big A and I have different ideas on what is weird, and what is wonderful. So, in the true spirit of the conversation, I hop on Pinterest and bore him stupid with photos to illustrate MY point.

By the time I'm done, he'll be fidgeting, sweating a little, and desperate to escape to the basement to work on his motorcycle.

Today's discussion has been about black interior doors. Our front door would be the perfect candidate for this treatment. In fact, Big A wants to paint the outside of the front door black, just not quite on board the the interior. I think that if we're going to paint the exterior, we may as well go whole hog and paint the interior too.  Our house is woodwork in the house is white, our walls are Amber Yellow, and we have a lot of black accents ( from decals, to black iron candle holders to picture frames.)

So to illustrate what my door looks like now, here's a picture of it (all anemic and pale).

And here's what it could be:











What do you think?

Happy House and Home

Hello there!

Please bear with me while I navigate Blogger and get this blog up and running. I'm currently blogging at FYI Modular Homes and hope to move here soon! I appreciate your patience and can't wait to get started!

Pine Cone Theft

Lil Man and I go for walks together, and we always head in the same direction - toward a little farm where our "best friend", the horse, lives. I'm not sure the horse knows we visit him, because he's in a barn, about 1/2 mile away from the road. But we like him anyway.

Along our route there's a house with a huge pine tree in their front yard. And we like collecting pine cones too. Now, I'm not so sure we're legally allowed to take pine cones, or if the neighbors would mind if we did. SO, I stand on the road, staring down at the top of my foot, so as to appear completely unaware of the lil man stealing collecting their  pine cones.

Of course, I cherish our pine cone stealing walks, so I decided to find a place to put them.

However, those things had been through a long winter, buried under a foot or so of snow. So you can imagine they were a little soggy. I simply placed them on the heat registers in our bathroom to dry out. (When they dry they also get nice and "fluffed out".)

However, there are two problems with this method of pine cone drying:

1. Stepping on a dried out hard old pine cone in the middle of the night with bare feet HURTS. (Sorry, honey).

2. Pine cones drying on the heat register on the floor look exactly like dog poop, if the light is just right. This can make you very angry with the innocent party.
*No dogs were harmed in the making of this project (but they nearly were).

At the end of the pine cone drying (2 days), lil man and I stuffed them into a big glass vase with twinkle lights, where we can see them every day.

DIY Cooking

I love spending Sunday in the kitchen. Today's the perfect day for it, because it's kinda cloudy and blah out there. So time to put on some Eric Church and sharpen the knives.

Paprika Pork is one of my favorite comfort foods. Easy to make, delicious and creamy. This is one of those recipes you can change each time you make it: add mushrooms, garlic, fresh herbs, sliced red peppers - to your taste.  It's all good! To top it off, you can make a double batch of this and it freezes perfectly.

Creme fraiche is found in the specialty cheese section of the grocery store. But if you can't find it, it's fine to use sour cream. (I wouldn't use low fat sour cream, however - this is supposed to be rich).



Paprika Pork in a Potserves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil


• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced


• 1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin


• 2 tablespoons paprika


• 1 cup chicken stock


• 1 cup creme fraiche


• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, to thicken

Directions:

1. heat 2T of oil in a heavy pan, add onions and fry for 10-15 min, stirring occasionally until softened and lightly colored. Take onions out of the pot to brown the meat.


2. cut the pork in to bite sized slices or chunks, then add to the pan and stir over a fairly high heat to seal and brown all over.


3. Stir in the paprika, cook briefly, then add the onions, and the stock and bring to a boil.


4. Reduce the heat so that the liquid is simmering, cover and cook for 35 min, until the pork is tender.


5. Stir in the crème fraiche and cornstarch and simmer for a further 2 minutes.

Put this over egg noodles, or if you're feeling creative - really garlicky white bean puree. Top with fresh parsley and black pepper.

When I'm done feeding my face, I'll be checking out this Sunday Link Party.

Sunburst Mirror

If you have a blank wall, that needs a little somethin', what better than an ornate mirror? Trends change, but you'll never go wrong with a sunburst mirror. Big impact to fill a large blank space.

Consider this mirror, available on AMAZON.  It's also is available in silver. Beautiful. However, this will set you back $350! Similar versions are available under $200, but that's still too much for me to consider.



I can afford about $5. So, of course, I turned to some of the creative DIY bloggers who have the perfect solution!

• Chop Sticks: Another Sunburst


• Wood shims: sunburst mirror DIY


• Dowel rods: DIY Starburst Mirror


• Clothespins: Circle Mirror


• Straws: Midcentury Modern Starburst Mirror


• Poster board: How to Make a Sunburst Mirror


• BBQ skewers: My Sunburst Mirror


• Paint stir sticks: DIY: Paint Stick Sunburst Mirror


• Tree branches: A Sunburst Mirror Project


• Cardboard: Recycled Cereal Box Sunburst Mirror


• Forks, butter knives and spoons: A Starburst Mirror for the Dining Room

I found a little mirror at the dollar store. The best thing about this mirror was the suction cups on the back - because, all I would have to do was wrap picture wire around two of the little cups, and hang the whole thing with a command hook. (I'm always looking for the easy way out!)

So, first things first. if you don't have a round mirror, I urge you to try a dollar store because it doesn't matter which color you get, because you can spray paint it the color you like.

For my project I used BBQ skewers for the starburst - I had two packages. In one package the sticks were much slimmer and more flimsy, so I used the thicker version.  I considered buying chopsticks at the dollar store, but there were only 8 per package, and I would need quite a few.  That's when I thought about the BBQ skewers. Every summer I pick up a package or two, so I had plenty!

Truly, this is one of the easiest projects ever.  You could use just about anything for the sun burst - chopsticks, real sticks, paint sticks, clothespins... Plus you could use any color spray paint (I used black) but you could use silver, gold, bronze, or bright colors.

First turn your mirror upside down because you'll glue the skewers (or whatever you choose) to the backside of the mirror.

[caption id="attachment_824" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Dollar Store mirror[/caption]



I started by gluing the first four skewers on the mirror, and kept adding skewers as evenly as I could.

[caption id="attachment_826" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Glue Gun

Glue all the Skewers[/caption]

Once all of the skewers were glued, I had to decide how to cover the mirror so that I could spray paint. I confess, I was feeling a little lazy (there's a surprise) and didn't want to tape the mirror, which, with rounded edges would take a lot of tape.  SO, I found a round tupperware lid which covered the mirrored portion perfectly.  I just held it in place and sprayed. Once the front was done, I turned it over and sprayed the back.

I knew exactly where I wanted this to hang. The finished product went on a wall that was completely blank and boring, and had been bothering me.

[caption id="attachment_828" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Finished Sunburst Mirror[/caption]

I love it. I bombarded Big A with my enthusiasm:

"Don't you love it? I love it! I'm going to make one for my sister! It only cost me 1$! Doesn't it look good?".

He had to admit, or give in to make me shut up, and say he liked it.  Win.



 

 

Old Picture Frames

Probably the easiest quick-fix yet!

Since we built our home and moved in a year and a half ago recently, we're still going through boxes from the old house. We have 45 several years, and 5 kids worth of "stuff", so filling up large garbage bags and trips to the Thrift Shop have been commonplace. There are clothes, there are LOTS of stuffed animals, there are filing cabinets, there are shoes... you name it, we have it.  Most of what we're uncovering goes straight to the dump, but some things are usable, and there are a few totes full of things we just don't want to throw away, but don't know where to put it.

One such box is full of my Cooks Illustrated magazines.

I don't know if you know of this magazine, but the recipes are bulletproof and the cover art is beautiful. Prints and canvases of the art are available on line at a pretty penny. So, it's been in the back of my mind to use the magazine covers for something.

And then yesterday I stumbled upon an old picture frame.  It was faded. It was worn.  It was, well, ugly.

[caption id="attachment_814" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Old picture frame[/caption]

Still. I was bored. So I carried it up to the kitchen and peered into my Narnia wardrobe/craft cabinet.

[caption id="attachment_815" align="aligncenter" width="225"] craft cabinet[/caption]

I found two types of ribbon, which, conveniently would cover the frame perfectly.  The width of the wider ribbon was exactly the width of the frame. So, glue gun in hand, and Big A, peering at me with suspicion (that's how he gets when I hold a glue gun), I soon had a prettier frame for the cover photo from one of my old Cooks Illustrated magazines.

[caption id="attachment_817" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Ribbon Frame[/caption]

The edges of the frame were already black, so I didn't have to even bother covering them up.

[caption id="attachment_818" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Old Frame[/caption]

I like that swirly black and white ribbon, but it was a little too white for me, so I just added a strip of black ribbon on top. I didn't measure to center the ribbon, I just used my super-power of eyeballing it.

And then I framed my favorite cover picture.

[caption id="attachment_820" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Finished Ribbon Frame[/caption]

Little A (19), who is waaaay to like his father, thought this was all very amusing. He scoffed: "are you seriously going to frame a magazine picture?"

Hmph.

(Just ignore him.)

So, I still don't know where I'm going to hang this framed "magazine picture". But I'll find somewhere.

Meanwhile, I'm going to spend a little time looking through my old issues. I'd forgotten how interesting the recipe testing is, and how humorous at times. The recipes may not be cutting-edge, but this is the one place you can learn how to cook the best roast chicken, the tastiest French Onion Soup, or the richest tasting stew. All the while picking up knife skills, and cooking tips.

You can get a whole cookbook of the no-nonsense recipes here:The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook: 2,000 Recipes from 20 Years of America's Most Trusted Cooking Magazine