Currently I’m prepping my portfolio for Surtex. Surtex is a trade show of design and artwork created for ”product end-uses: decorative fabrics, linens and domestics, wall coverings, floor coverings, apparel textiles, stationery, greeting cards, gift wrap, tabletop, giftware, toys, ceramics, packaging and publishing“. I will have a portfolio of original, illustrated patterns at A Fresh Bunch‘s booth (Booth 444) May 20-22 in New York City.

Here’s a sneak peek of a few designs I’m working on:

When my husband was a kid, his parents’ close friend, Vinnie, made the world’s best Spaghetti all Carbonara. When Pete speaks of it, his eyes glaze over and he begins to drool. Sadly, Vinnie, passed away years ago and the recipe has remained a mystery. I’ve spent the last several years looking for one that can rival Pete’s childhood memory. Each attempt was too dry, too eggy, too bland or too white. According to Vinnie, “Spaghetti all carbonara is YELLOW, not white”.

Last week I finally struck gold with a recipe from, you guessed it, Cook’s Illustrated. Pete ate four, yes FOUR, servings. The kids and I loved it, too. It was silky creamy, extra flavorful and a beautiful shade of yellow!

I upped the bacon to 3/4 pound (I know my audience). For me, the key(s) to this recipe were warming the serving bowl, mixing the ingredients with extra pasta water and loads of salt. While this isn’t a healthy meal I’d serve on a regular basis, it is a decadent treat worthy of any special occasion. It would also be great for unexpected company because the ingredients are pantry staples.

My search is over. I could kiss whoever wrote this recipe.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 lb. bacon, sliced halved length-wise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 3 large eggs
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated (3/4 cup)
• ¾ ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (about 1/4 cup)
• 3 small cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced to paste
• 1 lb. spaghetti

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof serving bowl on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in large Dutch oven or stockpot.

2. While water is heating, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Add wine and simmer until alcohol aroma has cooked off and wine is slightly reduced, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Beat eggs, cheeses, and garlic together with fork in small bowl; set aside.

3. When water comes to boil, add pasta and 1 tablespoon table salt; stir to separate pasta. Cook until al dente; reserve 1/3 cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta for about 5 seconds, leaving pasta slightly wet. Transfer drained pasta to warm serving bowl; if pasta is dry, add some reserved cooking water (I added 1/3 cup) and toss to moisten. Immediately pour egg mixture over hot pasta, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes or 3/4 teaspoon table salt; toss well to combine. Pour bacon mixture over pasta, season generously with black pepper, and toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

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Life Palettes is a weekly series for 2012
Each week I create a color palette from a snapshot of my everyday life.
If you’d like to play along, check out ColourLovers for more about color palettes.

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This post began as a rant about participation in our democracy. When I re-read it, I realized it was WAY too soap box-y for a Friday afternoon. Instead, I’m sharing my annual self portrait. (Can you tell I’ve got serious writer’s block?) When I opened this file, I had a good laugh.

You know the story: Mom behind the camera doesn’t exist in the family history because she’s, well, behind the camera. Wah. I photograph myself once a year for that very reason. Sadly, I don’t put much effort into this task – I do it with zero forethought. So here you have it: Me with uncombed hair, a Patriot’s apron (’tis the season) and a dead chicken.

Done! See you in 2013.

For more real life moments and details about the weekly OM meetup,
please visit Linda on her blog, A La Mode Stuff.

I don’t have a recipe post for you this week because I’m not coordinated enough to get good photos and feed my family in a timely manner. So this week you get a photo of leftovers aka lunch.

I did try several new recipes that got big thumbs up from my family:

• Tortilla Casserole adapted from Cooks Illustrated - Made for the kids and grandparents. Everyone liked it, plus it was easy.
• Baked Manicotti – De-lish! Made ahead for a busy weeknight. I programmed our oven to be preheated when we got home. Popped this in the oven, made a salad and we were eating 30 minutes after we walked in the door.
• Chicken Parmesan - A bit labor intensive, but SO worth it. It was the best Chicken Parmesan I’ve ever had. It’s my husband’s favorite dish to order in a restaurant and he raved. There was plenty yummy sauce left over for spaghetti or dipping sauce later in the week. This recipe was a home run!

These recipes are originally from Cook’s Illustrated. Some were found in books I borrowed from the library. Others were found online. I’ve since purchased a subscription to the Cook’s Illustrated online website. It has a groovy iPhone app I use when planning, shopping and cooking. After 8 keeper recipes in a single month, I knew it was a sound investment.

New recipes in the bull pen for the coming week are Chicken Teriyaki, Spaghetti Carbonara and Baked Potato Casserole. And who knows, I may even try something new for the Super Bowl. Go Pats! (I’m obligated by marriage to say that.)

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Life Palettes is a weekly series for 2012
Each week I create a color palette from a snapshot of my everyday life.
If you’d like to play along, check out ColourLovers for more about color palettes.

For more real life moments and details about the weekly OM meetup,
please visit Linda on her blog, A La Mode Stuff.

It turned out to be a great weeknight dinner. Jack, age 8, was happy to bread the meat while I made simple side dishes of corn (steamed frozen) and rice (thank you fabulous rice cooker). With his help, the result was fast, easy and oh-so satisfying comfort food.

Crunchy Pork Chops
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¾ cups freshly grated Parmesan
• 4 boneless center-cut pork loin chops
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

1. Whisk the eggs in a shallow dish to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another shallow dish mix in 1/2 teaspoon salt and Italian seasoning. Place the cheese in a third dish. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops. Cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Serve immediately.

Note about the photo: I did a super quick photo shoot before I served this dish. I used several tricks I picked up from the book I mentioned in last week’s post including, adding parsley in a triangle pattern, plating on a smaller dish and using a white foam board as a reflector. I think it is an improvement over last week’s photo. Don’t you?

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Last week we went to the Reno Bighorns basketball game. I packed Kate’s sketchbook in case she got bored. She used it to record every basket made during the game. Her stats were flawless and she had a fantastic time. Looks like we may have a future stat girl in the family.

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Life Palettes is a weekly series for 2012
Each week I create a color palette from a snapshot of my everyday life.
If you’d like to play along, check out ColourLovers for more about color palettes.

Boy, how did we miss this? I first noticed a problem in late fall, when Kate’s reading really took off. When she was tired, she complained it was difficult to read. Denial took over and I attributed it to fatigue. The problem persisted so we visited our beloved optometrist. Turns out Kate needs glasses.

When I was a kid, I had terrible vision problems. Surgery, vision therapy, eye patch, glasses. You name it, I had it. You’d think I’d be hyper-vigilant about my kids’ vision. Instead, it appears I opt for denial mode. During Kate’s intensive exam, my childhood flooded back to me. I felt my heart rate rise and anxious energy stirring. I was heartbroken to see her struggling. I sat, quietly panicking in my chair.

When we got the final assessment from the doctor, he said, “She’s doing great. She just needs glasses.” I can’t begin to tell you the sense of relief that flooded over me. No vision training. No torture. No frustration.

Just glasses. Thank heaven.

For more real life moments and details about the weekly OM meetup,
please visit Linda on her blog, A La Mode Stuff.

Artist 1: Angie 

Mediums: Prismacolor Colored Pencils and Pitt Artist Pens in M, S and F

This was hands down my favorite Drawing Lab to date. Kate and I had a blast doing it. I had backed off on the Lab because Kate wasn’t getting a jolt out of it and I didn’t want to ruin it for her. Last night, she asked about the book and requested we do a lab together. Yeah!

In the instructions, Carla tells us to start by drawing an eye, then go from there. If we get stuck, just draw lines and they will come together. That’s exactly what I did. And, it actually came together! While I was drawing my monster, I had the song FAME! stuck in my head. I couldn’t shake it. When Kate suggested I add a background, I took a cue from my subconscious and added the lyrics. She’s my American Eye-dol and I just love her!

Artist 2: Kate

Medium: Prismacolor Colored Pencils on copy paper

Kate drew several monsters, this one being her favorite. The assignment seemed to be natural for her. She dove in and drew and drew and drew. I’m telling you we had a great time!

Next Lab: Unit 4 Lab 27 | Drawing Clay Creatures

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The Drawing Lab is a weekly linkup inspired by Carla Sonheim’s book Drawing Lab for Mixed Media Artists. Each Thursday, I post drawings from three generations of my family, my mom, myself and my 6 year old daughter.

You are welcome to play along! Share your drawing and a brief recap of your process, positive or negative. Post your work on your blog or on Flickr.

Please remember, this is raw creativity. Our drawings won’t be perfect or gallery ready, instead they will be an organic starting place for the artist inside each of us. For more about this series, check out my kickoff post. Happy drawing! Angie