parmesan chicken

I don't think to make this recipe very often.  For some reason I have it categorized in my brain as fancier than every day dinner.  But for two people, it's really not that hard to make, and it's so good!  Here is the recipe I used; it's the one my mom always makes and it's one of my dad's favorites!

Ingredients:

• Chicken breast (I used 4 chicken frozen chicken tenders for two of us, they get pretty big with the breading!)
• Flour, just enough to coat the chicken
• Eggs, I used 1, the recipe calls for 2
• Spaghetti sauce (I used Rinaldi- it's my favorite, and it's the cheapest one they sell at Wal-Mart!  I used half of that jar, so 12 oz.)
• Bread crumbs, 1/2 cup
• Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup
• Oregano, 1/2 teaspoon
• Butter, 1-2 tbsp.
• Grated mozzarella, about 1 cup

Steps

• Preheat oven for 375 degrees.
• Pound boneless chicken breast flat (I didn't do that... tenders are pretty flat!)
• Coat with flour
• Dip in beaten egg
• Roll in combined bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and oregano.
• Fry in butter until brown (med-med high)
• Grease dish.  Lay down chicken.
• Pour spaghetti sauce over it, sprinkle with grated mozzarella
• Pour a little more sauce over that
• Chill if you wish.  Bake until cheese melts (20-25 min)
• Serve with angel hair

Happy Valentine's Day

My mom really outdid herself with these cupcakes.  She used the Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake Recipe and we piped on vanilla buttercream.  She sent us home with a few and I quickly regretted not grabbing some more.  They were divine.

Last night we went to a little restaurant that we hadn't tried before... it was delicious!  Then we came home, watched Alcatraz, then Brian made me a pink funfetti cake and we watched Beauty and the Beast.  Perfect! Since we went out last night, we are going to cook up something yummy at home tonight.  What are your plans?

I hope you have a sweet Valentine's Day!

6 months

Six months ago today Brian and I tied the knot.  I have to say that in our six months of marriage, it isn't just what I thought it would be: it's better.

Happy Monday, friends!

You can find more pictures of from our big day in the Wedding Week posts!  Photo by JMK Photos.

Friday Links

I'm so glad that it's the weekend.  I'm really ready for some rest and relaxation.  I feel like I've been going a million miles a minute online, and I've been under the weather and I just need to step away for a few days.  I'll miss you guys, but I'll be back on Monday!  Here are a few links to keep you busy!

Source: ornamelle.com via Kate on Pinterest

 {Because I certainly need a reminder sometimes.}

Do you have a sketchbook?  Share it!

I really need to start practicing these Tips for Capturing Emotions in Photos!

I can't get over how beautiful this painting is!  Actually, the whole blog is pretty awesome.

Get involved in some of these blog communities!

This is like links within links.  Make sure you check out the ones about identical twins and famous photographers with their iconic images- so cool!

New blogger?  Check out 10 Tips for First Year Bloggers, found via vmac + cheese.

Happy Friday, friends!

Baked Steak Fries

You would like these.  How do I know?  There is nothing to not like about them.  They are awesome.  Dipped in ketchup, honey mustard, by themselves... awesome.  Brian makes them all the time, which means I get to eat them all the time.  Yes!

Here's how it started: we had a bag of russet potatoes from when we made stew.  While I grew up on and love baked potatoes, Brian isn't a fan.  So at my mention of maybe having some baked potatoes, Brian started to look into some other options.  Somehow he came across this recipe and decided to give them a try.  I'm so glad he did!

I personally prefer the original recipe, but the garlic pepper are pretty delicious too.  We like to eat them with our favorite tilapia recipe, which we make a lot.  And the best part?  Brian is the maker of the fries, meaning that I don't have to cook them, but I get to eat them!  Sweet!

What have you been making lately?

family dynamics

I've always thoughts families and birth order and siblings were fascinating.  One kid, two kids, three kids... ten kids?  Oldest, youngest... only?  Just always thought where you fell in your family and how it shaped you was interesting.  I'm one of three, the oldest, and I have two younger brothers.  We are all three years apart.

When I was little I wanted a sister SO BADLY.  I thought my life would be like Little Women or something.    Clearly a sister would never walk into my room and swipe the roof off of my dollhouse!  And while I still think it would be fun to have a sister, being the oldest of brothers is a part of who I am.  I'm bossy, an overachiever, and a worrier.    Plus, there are definitely some perks to being the oldest and only girl:

• I am not easily grossed out.  You can discuss any bodily function (well, not the blood or violent kind) with me at any time, including meals, and I won't flinch.  I'll probably even join in.
• I always had my own room growing up.  I learned to lock the door at age 4 (see above, with the dollhouse).
• When we were little, I was the trend setter.  It didn't last long, but the things I liked, such as the pink sippy cup and the bowl with the heart at the bottom, were in high demand BECAUSE I MADE THEM COOL.  This is probably the only time in my life that I've experienced this power, and I squandered it by being annoyed that my brother wanted those things because, clearly, those things were meant for girls.
• I herd by nature, which makes me a really good field trip chaperone.
• I always get to sing the girl part during our Disney duets (of which there have been many.)
• I get scared watching other people ride bikes, and I'm quick to pull others back from railings at heights higher than 3 feet off the ground.  My brothers will tell you that this trait is always bad, but hopefully someday it will make me a highly attentive parent?
• I usually got to avoid taking out the trash, one of my least favorite chores.

I wouldn't trade my brothers for anything.  They are the only ones who get all of my obscure references to things we watched as kids.  They are the only ones who will join me in singing the Pokemon theme song in it's entirety.  And who would sit there and giggle with me as I Photoshop our faces on to Mini Me?  I guess what I'm trying to say is, not only would I keep my birth order and being the only girl and all that, but I wouldn't trade these brothers for anything.  In good times and bad times, they are part of me.

So friends, I want to know: how many brothers and sisters do you have?  Zero?  Ten?  Are you the oldest, youngest, or a middle?  SPILL!  And if you've never said hi before, now is the time.  I want to hear from you!

(All the photos are from my family's snapshot collection, EXCEPT for the wedding photo which is by JMK Photos)

balance

How was your weekend?  Mine passed in yoga pants and pajamas, but I worked most of the time.  Which is okay, because I kinda love this kind of work, but still, I think that balance is going to be a big theme is this little venture of mine.

Also happened this weekend: I came down with some sort of cold, our fire alarm went off no less than four times due to something gross in our oven, Brian made pizza, and I ate cinnamon rolls, chips and dip, sour patch kids, pizza, and icecream exclusively on Super Bowl Sunday.  Win?  I feel like I need to go on some sort of extreme cleanse today.  Ugh.

Friday Links

Sorry if I've been a little absent from Blog Land this week, friends.  It's amazing what happens to your Google Reader when you ignore it for a week- yikes!  In addition to attending Blog Brunch tomorrow, I'm hoping to tackle some of the many unread posts.

We don't have any Super Bowl plans to speak of... do you?  Brian and I are both pretty big non-sports fans, so maybe we'll just put together our own Super Bowl feast at home.  Maybe we'll even turn on the game for the commercials.  Who's playing again?

I made a few announcements on KBD this morning, including that prices will be increased on Monday!  If you're interested, contact me this weekend to get the current prices! (you can also email me at info {at} katelynbrookedesigns {dot} com!)

Some ideas for what to make for your Super Bowl feast.

The start of my Tips for Better Blogging weekly feature!

Definitely felt like I'd made it big on Wednesday!  Also, thank you all for your sweet comments!

All the Art to Inspiration images in one place!

I'm itching to find a use for these lace brushes, which I didn't know about until this post.

How to pack lightly for a trip!  I wish we were going on one really badly.

Stew

My mom makes a mean stew.  So this winter, now that I have my own crockpot and we are BFFs, I thought I would give it a try.  Verdict: not as good as Mom's.  But it was a start and I will definitely try again!  Also, I tried to lighten things up by buying one can of soup that was fat free and buying lean stew meat, so that probably was a big factor.

This is one of those recipes that's not really a recipe and can be changed to how you like it.  Here is roughly what I put in mine:

• 1 Vidalia onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 potatoes, peeled and cut (I cut them into eighths, but Brian felt like some of the chunks were too big, so smaller next time)
• 1.6 lbs of extra lean stew meat (you obviously don't need that exact amount, that's just how much was in the package I bought)
• 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup (I bought one regular and one fat free, and don't forget to put almost a full can of water for each can of soup!)

That's really it!  All you do is prepare everything and throw it in the crockpot on low in the morning.  The weird thing was that mine cooked on low for about 10 hours and the potatoes were cooked but not really soft, so next time I think I'll cook it on high for a few hours and then switch to low.

Have you tried to recreate any of your favorite recipes that mom makes?

I know that I basically stopped doing the Kitchen Escapades posts, but I decided that I liked doing one recipe per post better than doing a week's worth of recipes in one post.  You know, quality over quantity and all that, but also I don't like blogging about repeat recipes, and Brian was getting annoyed that I had to take pictures of dinner every night.  I think this way is better for us.  Also, I understand that these pictures look kinda gross.  I promise it tasted good anyway.

it's possible

If you've been around here for a little while you know that I started my web design business in November (and if you didn't, now you do!)  I had a few clients before 2011 was over- really the perfect amount for me to get started.  I was excited; I had hope.

Then January started.  And there was nothing.  I worked my butt off in hopes that it would result in some work.  I definitely got cranky and discouraged some days.

Source: lanaloustyle.blogspot.com via Kate on Pinterest. Artist: Letitia Buchan

Then last week, some things started coming together.  It was weird because I could almost feel that it was going to before it happened.  Like this is the week.  And it did.

I don't mean to run around blog land with my arms open shouting "I'VE MADE IT BIG, GUYS!"  Because I totally haven't.  That would be absurd.  I just have more design work than I ever have before.  I even had to tell school that no, I wasn't available to come in more than two days this week, because "I have some design work to do."  That felt good to say.

I am thrilled, grateful, excited, and... scared.  I love what I'm doing, but sometimes just the thought of knowing that you have to produce something that someone else will like in a timely fashion is stressful.  Naturally, I try not to think too much.

It felt good to write this post, friends.  I like sharing with you, and I'm not talking about food posts.  We'll have to do this more often.  Hopefully I haven't turned anyone off if you're out there and were maybe sorta thinking about hiring me.  Because I would love to work with you.  And I'm not too busy for you, I promise.

While I have your ear, hope over to Sketch and Wash today to check out my Art to Inspiration post!  You know you want to join in next month!

Also, Amy over at The Charming nominated me for the Liebster Award.  Isn't she sweet?!  Go love on her.