Fried Chicken & Mozzarella Ravioli and Mustard Sauce

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I am not a person who likes to fry things a lot, but today, I was craving fried ravioli for lunch.  I didn't have any in my food storage, so I stopped by NPS and they just so happen to have unfrozen Pasta Prima Ravioli on sale.  SCORE!!  I picked up a package and off to home I went.

I have never made fried ravioli, but hey I like to try new things.

 This was easy and DANG GOOD!!!


Fried Grilled Chicken & Mozzarella Ravioli with Mustard Sauce

• 1- 8oz. package of fresh ravioli (I used Pasta Prima 100 % Natural Grilled Chicken & Mozzarella Ravioli, I'm sure you could use any fresh ravioli you like.)
• 4 Cups vegetable oil
• 2 Tbs. Natural Stone Ground Mustard
• 1 Tbs. Agave Nectar

1. Heat oil in a sauce pan to med. high.
2. Once oil has reached desired temp.  gently drop ravioli in oil.
3. With a skimmer spoon gently roll ravioli in oil, making sure both sides are becoming a golden color. (This happens fairly quick, 45 seconds to a minute.) Then remove and place ravioli on a plate lined with a paper towel to collect the excess oil.  (I did this in two batches)
4. While those are resting, in a smaller bowl simply mix the 2 Tbs. of mustard with the 1Tbs. of Agave Nectar. And your done.  (The ration for the sauce is completely my tastes, you can add or subtract whatever you like.)

I hope you enjoy.  Thanks for droppin' by. 

Last Minute Collegiate T-Shirt

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As I am getting ready to drift off to blissful rest, I am violently shaken, by a completely distraught child.

"Mom tomorrow is wear your favorite college to school day!!!"  "I need some Ute stuff MOM!!!!!" 

All I can say is, "Honey it's 10:45 at night and I am already in bed, sorry."

He came back with, "But Mom, I have this red shirt, can't you do something with it, by the time I have to go to school."

I said, "I'll see, goodnight."
Couldn't sleep all night!!!!  So this is what I did at 4 o'clock this morning.

I think the pictures are self explanatory, but if you need a play by play here it goes:

STEP 1:  In word, print off your college's letter in the size and font you want.  (I actually used photoshop and CollegiateBlackFLF as the font)

STEP 2:  Trace onto freezer paper your design.  Make sure you trace on the paper side not the shiny side.

STEP 3:  With a dry iron (NO steam) set to the highest setting.  Press straight down with the iron.  DO NOT move iron around as if you are ironing.  That could possibly catch the edges of your freezer paper and it will be ruined.

STEP 4:  Once the freezer paper is completely attached, slide either a piece of cardboard or something inside the shirt as a barrier between the front and back of the shirt ( I used a manila folder).  This will help so there is no paint seeping to the other side of the shirt. 

Now you can start using your fabric paint.  There are a variety of paints you can use everything from slick, like I have used here, to glitter and puff.  And you can apply them in whatever method you choose.

Here I squiggled some paint on and dotted it all around my design, making sure I really got the edges.  I then went back and just did squiggle lines.

STEP 5:  Once you have painted your design the way you want it to look...It's time to remove the template.  Hold down the T-shirt as you carefully pull the template off.  Pull up towards you, away from the shirt.  This will help you not get any of the paint that is still wet on the template onto other areas of the shirt as you are removing the template.

STEP 6:  Let the shirt dry for at least 4 hours.  And do not wash for at least 72 hours.  (Because I was in a hurry, I actually used a space heater with a built in fan to dry this shirt quicker).

There you have it!! 

If you have any questions, leave a comment below.  Thanks for droppin' by.

Cranberry-Banana-Almond Nut Bread

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I love to cook!  The only problem is that I am not very good at following directions when it comes to cooking.  I love to experiment and I love to do things a little different.

Today, I tried my hand at Banana Bread making.  I have only made banana bread twice in my whole life.  Not a real fan.  It always comes out too dry.  But my 7-year old son spotted a few very black bananas on the counter and joyfully said, "Let's make banana bread, Mom!!"  

I usually just chuck those into the garbage before anyone notices.

Whenever I have had banana bread I have had to slather it butter to put back some of the moisture lost in the baking.  So, if it were ever to be somewhat good for you I killed it with the ton of butter I "frosted" the slice with.

Well, with all that said, I knew I was going to have to make this loaf a lot differently.  And the first thing I did was use my own home-ground wheat flour.  And of course I had to add my son's secret ingredient, which adds so much moisture that you won't need all that butter.  At least I don't think you will.

Cranberry-Banana-Almond Nut Bread

• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/4 C soften butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1/2 C sour cream
• 2 1/4 C 100% whole wheat flour (use hard white if you can, makes bread not as heavy as with red)
• 1tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 C applesauce (my son's secret ingredient, shh don't tell him I told you)
• 1/2 C chopped almonds
• 1/2 C cranberries (I use the cran-strawberries from the bulk section from my local grocer.)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until nice and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time.  Blend them well with the butter sugar mixture.
4. Mash the bananas then add them by stirring them into the mixture, then do the same with the e sour cream.  Once that is all mixture put in the applesauce (the secret ingredient!!)
5. In another bowl sift together all the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon). NOTE: I sift to give the wheat flour a little lift.  Remember this is wheat flour so it is a little heavier then the white all-purpose flour.
6. After you have sifted your flour, add it to the wet mixture.  Kinda stirring/folding it in.  Then add the nuts and cranberries.
7. Spray a bread pan (I think mine is a 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5)
8. Pour your dough in the pan and back for 1 hour or until knife comes out clean.
9. Let the bread rest in the pan for about 10 minutes and then remove it from pan and cool completely on a cooling rack.

NOTE:  This bread can easily be done with regular white flour.  All the measurements and times stay the same.

If you make this wonderful bread, leave me a comment telling how you liked it.  And if you did it differently....tell me what you did.

Easy Does It...

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I have tried to find a blog that, I know that I will post to.  I have a family blog, a health blog, a blog that I gave a name to, but I haven't done anything with.  I have closed a bunch of blogs because the name just was not right....and on and on and on.

Well, here I am starting another one.  I guess trying to mark my place in the blogesphere.

The name:  Lemonade & Porch Swings.

First of all, let me tell you, I am a southern girl.  I grew up in North Carolina, although I was born in the windy city of Chicago, Il.  My memories are there, as well as several members of my family and scores of friends.

Growing up there, I was able to see all of the beautiful homes.  Large yards and porches wrapped all the way around the house, are plentiful.  There is one house I love.  I actually visit it every time I am in town.  It's yellow and white, with a massive wrap around porch and several porch swings and table settings dotting french doors all along the front.  It is a beautiful home.

I have imagined myself sitting there on the front porch with my family and friends on a blistering summer day drinking an iced cold lemonade swing back and forth on a porch swing, laughing, talking, creating memories....just taking it easy.  I imagine a lot of beautiful things I can create, make and admire in that house.

That is what this blog is about.  Nothing serious.  Just enjoying the wonderful things of life: crafts, recipes, quilts. stories, books, etc.

So I hope you learn somethings from L&PS, but more importantly, I hope you can share with us your craft ideas.  I am more than happy to post it here.

Thanks for stoppin' by!!