Chicken with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

When I was living in Milwaukee, we used to go out to eat at a nouveau Italian restaurant called Louise's. It was definitely a favorite, and after Mom moved from Wisconsin, we'd try to go there every time she came to town for a visit. They make their own fresh pasta, and all of the dishes are delectable, but one in particular always kept me wanting more. When I moved to Arizona, I decided to try to recreate the taste of this dish (since I couldn't reasonably fly to Milwaukee every time I was craving it!) and after many near-misses, I think I've got it very close! Granted, I don't usually make my own fettucini pasta, but this recipe is just the thing to ease those cravings!

Clean and cut 2 lbs chicken tenders into bite-sized pieces.

Sauté chicken in 2T olive oil until lightly golden.

Add 1 crushed garlic clove to the chicken and cook just until translucent.

Add 1/2 bottle of a non-oaky Chardonnay to deglaze the pan. (We use Barefoot - it's inexpensive and adds a good flavor without being overwhelming)

Add 1 can of low-sodium chicken broth - you can use homemade chicken stock here if you have it, but prepared broth works very well.

Allow the chicken to simmer over low heat until the liquid is reduced by about half. This will allow the wine and garlic to flavor the chicken, as well as keeping the final dish from being too liquid. I usually let it simmer as long as I can, covering the pan if it seems to be losing too much liquid. When the stock is reduced, and you're ready to proceed, add approximately 2 oz of sun-dried tomatoes, julienned. I use the dry-packed tomatoes, not the ones in olive oil.

Once the tomatoes have softened a bit, and about 1/4 cup of fresh-grated parmesan cheese and allow it to melt into the sauce.

Add 1/2 pint heavy cream (or a little more if you like it really creamy). I tried this using half & half, and found that to get the right texture I needed more than 1/2 pint, and then it was too runny, so I just use the heavy cream and try to keep the rest of the meal light. This does make a lot of pasta, so I figure the amount of cream in one serving isn't too horrible.

Stir in 1 lb of cooked pasta. I like to add the pasta a bit at a time, until the balance of pasta to sauce seems good - This sometimes means I have some pasta left over - I just freeze it for another use.

Serve hot, with fresh parmesan and sliced green onions to sprinkle over the top. Enjoy!

Big Steps!

We've gotten our first chart designed, laid out, printed, and ready to sell! We have a few more designs to follow shortly, and they will be announced here as soon as they're complete.

So - without further ado - From Every Mountainside!

The hornbook-mounted piece is stitched on 40 count Lakeside Linen in Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk. The mountain and words are stitched over two threads, and the girl and flag are stitched over one.

The framed piece is stitched on 32 count Lakeside Linen, also in Crescent Colours Belle Soie.

Both the hornbook threadkeepers and the star-studded, hand-grained frames are available as well.

We're very excited that our charts are finally starting to be produced, and we hope you will be as well!

Hornbook Threadkeeps

Wanted to get a quick photo up of our newest items - hornbook thread keepers! They're the perfect size to tuck in your project bag and have lots of space to add a stitched piece. We have some charts in the works to fit these, and those will be polished up and available soon! In the meantime, these are available through Attic Needlework, or ask for them at your local shop! Happy Stitching!

Lots of new things!

We've been busy here and have lots of new things to share with you!

We have been naming each of our frame styles after a town or place that has some significance in American history, and our most recent addition is Saratoga. The frame is available in any size, with or without the chain. The molding itself is about 1 inch wide. We've chosen the primitive finish for these two chain-frames. Both of these have the red color peeking through, but the frame is equally gorgeous in other colors. The first shows off one of Carriage House Designs 'Tavern Signs' lovingly and beautifully stitched by Jean Lea. We think it's perfect!

The next design is a Priscilla's Pocket original. While researching Saratoga, we learned about the Battle of Saratoga, which was a major turning point in the American Revolutionary War. It was here that General John Burgoyne and the British forces were surrounded and defeated in a month long series of events highlighted by two battles in September and October 1777. Word of Burgoyne's defeat reached Benjamin Franklin in Versailles in December, and two days later, King Louis XVI assented to negotiations for an alliance. France declared war on Britain one month later. In honor of this critical point in our history, we decided to graph the quilt pattern, 'Burgoyne Surrounded' to accompany our Saratoga frame. We are in the process of learning the printing and production process and as soon as we do, it will be released for sale.

Next is a brand new graining style, we've got a couple of name ideas for this one, but so far Carriage Tracks is winning out. It's shown here framing Lizzie Kate's Time for God, again stitched beautifully by Jean Lea in Belle Soie silks and on Lakeside Linen. This is such a darling design, and the frame complements it beautifully, don't you think?

For Christmas, we framed this photo for my brother-in-law, who is the ultimate Chicago Cubs fan: He loves it! It's fun to see how the grains look on richer, brighter colors, and can really show off the artwork or photo.

Closing today with a little view of our Thanksgiving and Christmas this past year, from making pancakes, to tree decorating, to riding the Komodo Dragon (statue!) at the Phoenix Zoo. Lots of fun was had by all!

Thanks for visiting!