Oven chicken parm
Easy to make Oven Chicken Parm
Well I guess y’all are in the mood for easy recipe ideas and this Oven Chicken Parm is one of the best.
Ingredients:
2-3 boneless breast of chicken (4-6 pieces total pounded thin)
2 cups of fine Italian bread crumbs
3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese finely grated
1 cup melted butter
Mozzarella or Provolone cheese
Combine crumbs, cheese and any spices you like on a plate. Dip your chicken breast in melted butter, then remove and place in bread crumb mixture, turn and be sure both sides are well coated in crumb mixture. Place in a shallow baking pan and pour any remaining butter over the chicken. . Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes (check until golden. When golden I place cheese on top, put back in oven and turn the oven off for about an additional 8-10 minutes until cheese is bubbling.
I serve this many ways. With pasta and sauce is my husbands favorite, on buns for a sandwich warm or cold and sliced cold in salads. Lot’s of variety is the spice of life, right? Hope you enjoy!
Bon Appetite,
Kim
Easy Crockpot Beef Burgundy
Let’s get in the kitchen and make this easy crockpot Beef Burgundy. Wiith things being so crazy I am in the mood for comfort food. Ready to press the easy button? Let’s get started.
What you will need:
3-5 lbs of beef stew meat (I prefer Costco beef stew meat but you can also cut up your own round steak)
2 cans of onion soup
2 cans of golden mushroom soup
1 cup of red wine (burgundy preferred but any rich red wine is good)
1 large can or jar of mushroom drained.
5 tablespoons of flour, dash of pepper and salt mixed together
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
I package of no yolk egg noodles (some prefer rice)
I start by patting dry my beef. Put seasoned flour in a paper bag and then in small batches add beef and shake until covered. I then brown the floured beef in a pan with oil to brown on all sides (I’ve skipped this step before and it’s still very good but this is extra step that makes it excellent.) Then add all ingredients to your crockpot, cook on low for 6-8 hours until meat is fork tender. I put in the crockpot in the morning and by dinner time the house smells so good.
When beef is ready I cook egg noodles according to directions. I serve with red wine, crusty French bread and sweet whipped butter.
I hope you enjoy and let me know if you make this.
As always, thanks so much for stopping by.
XOXO,
Kim
Anniversary Celebration
Steak Frites Anniversary Dinner
This week Mr. Frickspicks and I celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary. Like everyone else we had to postpone our trip to Hawaii to celebrate our 40th anniversary. Of course, sipping a Mai Tai while listening to the waves and watching the sunset on Maui is one of our favorite memories but it wasn’t meant to be this year. I still wanted to make it a nice celebration for this anniversary. We are not eating out yet so a wonderful home cooked dinner was in the works. As luck would have it, The Wall Street Journal had published a recipe that I really wanted to try, Steak Frites! Y’all!!!!! This was THE BEST STEAK EVER! Hands down. It smelled so good and tasted as good as my Great Aunt Ethel’s cooking. And that is saying something! I’m sharing the secret to the best Steak Frites and it does involve BUTTER and no substitutions!
You will need
A cast iron skillet, 1 8-10 ounce filet mignon 1 1/2 inches thick, 2 tbs of good high fat butter. You let the meat and the butter come to room temperature for at least 1 hour before cooking. A spring of rosemary, a spring of thyme. When ready to start pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees.
Coat steak all over with flaky salt ( I use Maldon) and a generous quantity of coarsely ground black pepper. Heat your skillet over high for about 5 minutes until it smokes. Then coat the skillet with 1 tablespoon of a neutral oil such as canola.
Set steak in pan (yep its going to sizzle and make a mess all over your stove, but it’s worth it, trust me!) Do not touch it for 2 minutes, then with a tong (no forks to pierce the steak no no no) lift it to turn. If it still clings to the pan cook it 30 seconds more. Once steak releases fully, cooked side should be a deep golden almost brown. Flip it and cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes.
Transfer skillet to center rack in the oven. For rare, cook 4 minutes, for medium-rare cook 6 minutes. Remember that the steak will continue to cook on stovetop so stop slightly short of done to your liking.
Return skillet to stove. Off heat, add butter, 1 spring of rosemary, 1 spring of thyme and 1 clove of garlic bruised with the flat of the knife. Tip pan toward you and spoon butter over steak lifting occasionally so the butter coats bottom of meat, about 1 1/2 minutes.
Transfer steak to a plate along with with pan juices, cover plate with foil and let steak rest 10 minutes before eating to allow the juices to redistribute through meat. Serve immediately with french fries and a glass of red wine. (we substituted mashed potatoes, garlic bread and veggies)
This recipe will be a family favorite forever. I hope you try it and let me know if you do.
As always, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by. Stay well, stay safe and Bon Appetite!
XOXO, Kim
HILL COUNTRY MILE, BOERNE TEXAS
Have you heard of the Hill Country Mile? Nestled in the quaint town of Boerne, Texas, the strip on Main street has been named Hill Country Mile. This modern and historic city is not to be missed when visiting the Texas Hill Country. Boerne has seen such a transformation in the past few years and I for one am loving it! AMAZING boutiques, fantastic restaurants, wine bars, art galleries, coffee shops, hotels and all the small town charm anyone could ask for are waiting to welcome you! Not a chain store in sight. I love love love the originality of this place. This city embraces its history and yet is somehow very fresh and so very charming.
Main Street Boerne
Last week Erin from Cathedrals & Cafes and I explored the Hill Country Mile together and we had the most delightful time! Erin is a lifestyle and travel blogger from San Antonio. Once you see her work you will know she is a must follow on her blog here and here on instagram.
So here is a look at what we saw on our day visiting Hill Country Mile
Bechants
Let me introduce you to Bechants. This store is the most unexpected treasure right on the Hill Country Mile. Erin and I lucked out and received a private tour of this modern department store from Craig Brewer of Bechants. Craig described this store as retail heaven and I completely agree. Bechants has many “rooms” and each has its own specialty merchandise.
A few things you will find at Bechants are home decor, kitchen items, high end fine jewelry, fun jewelry, clothing, health and wellness products, MacKenzie Childs, stationery, fragrance for you and your home, children’s clothing, gifts and SOOO much more! The people who work at Bechants are a family. Everyone in every department will do their best to help you find just the right thing. If you appreciate great customer service you have come to the right place. The way they wrap up your selections with beautiful bags and tissue is that old time customer care that I find lacking in most places today. I was smiling ear to ear with all the attention to detail and to me!!!!!
And just to be clear you can find something at EVERY budget here. Let’s just say I might know this as a fact! Several very affordable and very special gifts will be awaiting my family and friends under our tree this year!
Bechants
Joli Boutique
Joli means pretty in french, and this store curates merchandise that is so pretty and unique. Most of the lines carried here are made in the USA or Canada! I really appreciate that the owner, Barbara, choses her apparel and jewelry to appeal to all ages and shapes. Her philosophy is that every lady should be uniquely beautiful. Joli boutique also carries special things for men and children. Joli has such wonderful selections and the best friendly service.
Joli Boutiqe
Joli Boutique
Joli Boutique
Laurie Saunders Ltd
Laurie Saunders Ltd
Laurie Saunders Ltd is a long time favorite shopping destination for me in Boerne. When Laurie took the old antique store location in Boerne, she waved her fairy decorating wand of renovation and poof this store is STUNNING! I knew I would be visiting on the regular!
With a sharp eye for detail and an amazing team that is so kind and helpful, Laurie’s shop deserves your time when you visit Boerne. It takes a very special hand to put things together they way the team does at this shop. I absolutely love visiting and getting inspiration. My heart is set on several pieces from here. (I hope Santa thinks I have been a very good girl.) Besides home furnishings, there is so much to see and shop at Laurie Saunders Ltd. Gorgeous antiques, Mexican dresses in the summer, outerwear of vests and light jackets for winter, candles, kitchen towels, stunning pillows, blue and white china, coffee table books, statuary, lighting, hostess gifts, holiday treasures, art, anything you can imagine to set a perfect table are all here along with LOTS more. Do not miss going in and saying hello.
Right now is an especially great time to shop with the Cure Cancer Card. If you donate $50 to Cure Cancer Partners Card, you will receive 20% off from October 18th to October 27th. Laurie Saunders Ltd and Joli are accepting the card as are many other merchants and restuarants. For more information click here.
Cypress Grille
All of this shopping really worked up my appetite and the Cypress Grille was just the place for a lovely lunch and a chilled glass of wine.
The food and the service are so wonderful at the Cypress Grille. I highly recommend it.
Before we knew it our day had flown by and it was time to head back to San Antonio. I hope you will take some time and go visit Boerne’s Hill Country Mile. I will be back to check out all the holiday trimmings and fun. This town will wrap you up in the holiday spirit!
Thanks so much for stopping by. Let me know your favorite place in Boerne!
XOXO, Kim
DINNER READY WITH H-E-B BEER & WINE DELIVERY BY FAVOR
It has been rainy and cold here in San Antonio. I think we are skipping fall and heading straight into winter! When the temperature drops you can find me in the kitchen. There is nothing better on a wet and cold day than a rich Beef Burgundy simmering away in the pot. The house smells so good and it warms my soul. Home cooking brings up all kinds of great family memories. My recipe calls for red wine. Josh Cabernet Sauvignon is my favorite. I was gathering all the necessary ingredients when I realized we were out of the Josh Wine that I needed! OH NO! The weather was horrible and I did not want to go out for one bottle of wine! I had heard that H-E-B has free beer and wine delivery with Favor. The time was right to give this a try.
There are two ways to order. One is to download and use the Favor app and the other is to order directly online. The price is exactly the same as in the store! Isn’t that great? With a selection as big Texas, you will find the best beers and wines all delivered right to your door in under and hour. I used the app to order some Josh Cabernet Sauvignon and Miller Lite. There is no minimum order or membership fee. After filling out all the information asked for, I pressed done. With the app I could follow the progress of my order through each step to my door. This convenience is life changing!
While waiting for my order, I lit a fire, turned on a little Frank Sinatra and got to work setting a beautiful table. A cozy dinner for two was taking shape! Before I knew it my order arrived. A valid ID is required for proof of age. Also keep in mind that alcohol is not available to purchase during certain hours.
Now it was time to get cooking. I added the wine to the beef and poured some for me too! The beer was delivered nice and cold too! The aroma of beef burgundy filled the house and when my husband walked in I could see him smiling as he said “Something sure smells good!” It was all so easy to make a wonderful night using this service. My day was spent getting ready instead of rushing around in the rain. The saying “Happy Wife, Happy Life”, proved true today!
Whether you need one bottle of wine or a huge order of beer and wine for a fun gathering, I hope you will try this service. Favor offers beer and wine delivery in over 30 cities across Texas! With the holiday’s fast approaching this app will be my go to. It saves me so much time, money and stress. It’s never been easier to say Chin Chin!
As always, thank you for stopping by! XO-
This post is sponsored by Favor. All opinions and views are my own.
ROME In A Day
After a bumpy boat ride from Capri to Naples, we got in a taxi that took us to the Naples train station. Once we figured out how to buy our tickets, we were off! We enjoyed a relaxing train ride into Rome. Traveling this way you do have to carry your own luggage and I have learned (the hard way) to pack much lighter next time! The streets of Rome were very crowded with Romans and tourists! After going to our hotel, which I will not mention due to a very bad experience, we dropped off our luggage and set out to enjoy every bit of Rome we could. Since we had both been before, we decided to take some side streets and explore. We enjoyed a lovely lunch and on every corner we saw beautiful architecture and breathtaking beauty. Rome is a city that is such a mix of old and new. It is a true melting pot of people too! The high end stores are there as well as darling little mom and pop shops. After having a delicious and much bigger lunch than normal we decided to skip dinner and go see the Trevi Fountain at night! Of course it began to pour, but just as we approached the fountain, the rain slowed down a bit and I have to say to see the fountain at night and in the rain was beyond magical. A couple got engaged and the entire crowd cheered. Just so much fun! It was a fabulous way to end our Italian holiday.
I hope you enjoyed coming along. As always, thank you so much for stopping by. Feel free to leave comments and questions. It is such a treat to hear from you.
XOXO,
Kim
Capri Travel Guide
Leaving Positano made me sad and excited too! After 4 days of no ferry’s running along the Almafi Coast due to weather and rough seas, we were finally in luck and hopped on one to take us to heaven on earth, Capri. We docked and left our luggage with the concierge that we had arranged to take up to our hotel for us. We then headed to buy tickets to the funicular for the inclined cable ride up to the beautiful city center of Capri. (arrange for your luggage to be taken up for you, it’s well worth it rather then dragging it up yourself! You can also take a taxi but we wanted to see all we could) The streets were very crowded but the beautiful high end shops (Armani, Chanel, Missoni, Moschino Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Brunelli Cucinelli, Dolce & Gabbana, Hermes, Alberta Ferretti, Gucci Dior, Fendi, and so many more) and gated gardens made this walk to our hotel delightful. From the moment we arrived at Hotel Flora, it was as if I was living in a dream! We took the elevator to our room where Stefan opened the door and showed us everything and he then opened the balcony door to show us the view! I started to cry! The beauty just overcame me.
After unpacking, we decided to stay by the pool and have lunch which was delicious. The service we received was top notch. Thank you to everyone at Hotel Flora, especially Stefan and Bruno! We then decided that we would wait until the last ferry left at 5 and then venture out to the street to explore. This was a brilliant move if I do say so myself, lol! We strolled and ate and shopped in peace and it was perfect.
This sculpture by Carole Feuerman is in the center of Capri overlooking the beautiful sea. Isn’t she lovely? I love the sculptor’s view on water as a symbol of life, how water cleanses and purifies. “Water touches all people, animals and things. Water connects one land to another. Water moistens and revives.” That is what Capri did for me, it revived me!
The days passed by and we saw so much! There were gorgeous flowers coming in for a wedding, shop owners who were as stylish as any fashion model regardless of age, little grottos with fresh flowers honoring Mary, so many different views, the best people watching and we enjoyed all the food too! But the best was yet to come. We decided to splurge and take a small boat out just for us! This is a day I will remember for the rest of my life.
I was hoping to be invited on board for a drink, but no luck!
We decided to explore Ana Capri too. The weather had turned a bit chilly but off we went. I’m so glad to have seen this quaint town with beautiful grounds and views too!
And just like that it was time to go! I cannot wait to go back to the Almafi Coast. The people, the views, the food and the shopping make this a dream vacation for all ages! (Wear flat and supportive shoes!!!!).
Next week will be our stay in Rome! I hope you will come along! And as always, thank you so much for stopping by.
XOXO,
Kim
My Positano Travel Guide
Buon giorno! Italy how I love you! You were everything and more. The breathtaking views, the food, the beach, the shopping! Oh y’all the shopping! I purchased this look including the scarf for under $30 in Positano at the cutest boutique that has locations around every corner! So here is Positano through my lens!
To visit Positano is like being immersed in a beautiful painting. From the time I was a little girl and saw paintings at my great Aunt Ethel’s house I have wanted to explore Italy. This is my second visit to Italy and my first to Positano! I mean just look at this place. The trip got started from Chicago, where my sister Lynn lives. We took Alitalia straight to Rome. We arrived early Saturday morning and the line to go through customs was about an hour and half long. It’s hot so dress appropriately! After getting our luggage we met our driver for the 4 (or so we thought) hour drive to Positano. It ended up closer to 5 hours due to traffic. Saturday may not be the best day to arrive in Italy. Everyone is off and the narrow streets are very crowded! (You can also take a train from Rome to Naples and then a ferry to Positano but it can be iffy if the seas are rough). As soon as we arrived I could just feel the tension melt away! We stayed at Hotel L’Ancora on the main street coming in and out of Positano. The views were amazing! It has a great restaurant where breakfast is included.
After getting our room we immediately got ready to hit the beach, called Spiaggia Grande! A word to the wise here, it is not a sand beach but a lava rock beach. There is a public beach with no chairs and you lay right on the rock, umm no thanks! Right next to the public beach is the cutest beach with umbrellas and tables for drinks and snacks where you rent chairs for a crazy amount of euro which is what we did! #worthit We actually fell asleep listening to the sea crash into the shore. Relaxation at its best.
Woke up pretty hungry and right on the beach there are so many options. There is a little joint right before the stairs up to the church and we strolled over. Cocktails with olives, chips and nuts (free with drink order). We ordered the most delicious slices of margherita pizza and I was feeling like the happiest girl in the world. Jet lag? What jet lag, I’m in Italy!!!! (we ate here several times, easy no fuss) Can I just ask why why why are the olives here so good? I admit to consuming lots of them every single day!
We then climbed up the mountain back to our hotel passing all the alleyways and shops along the way! (Do not wear anything but sensible shoes! Trust me on this. After a fall it was Birkenstocks constantly for me.)
This is the bar called Franco’s right next to our hotel. It’s a great spot to watch the sunset and see the Positano hillside light up like the jewel it is! The poolside bar at Hotel Poseidon has great views to enjoy champs and cocktails too!
Our weather was not the best (rain rain rain) and hindered many of our plans (got half way to Revello and the rains were just too much) but even so it was the first leg of a trip of lifetime. I guess I will just have to go back!
A Few Faves:
Da Adolfo Restaurant Have your concierge make a reservation. You take a boat with the cutest red fish sign and arrive at the beach club. Stay and enjoy the beach after lunch.
Collina Bakery Try not to go in, I dare you
There is so much more to share that I can’t fit it all in one post. Send me any questions you may have.
Next week Capri!
As always, thank you so much for stopping by.
Arrivederci! XOXO
Kim
OBSESSED
