Misala Handmade

Tell me you are not smitten by these adorable coin purses handmade by Michelle Chan from Dubai !! Originally from Hong Kong, Michelle moved to Dubai with her husband when he was based in the UAE. Each purse is hand-crafted and designed in Michelle's home studio in Dubai.

Pork Chops

There’s something so comforting about a skillet of golden pork chops sizzling away on the stove. This recipe brings together a few pantry favorites—ranch dressing, Progresso breadcrumbs with parmesan, and a creamy mushroom sauce—for a dish that feels both homestyle and a little indulgent. The chops fry up with a crisp crust, while the sauce adds that cozy, creamy finish. It’s the kind of meal that makes the kitchen smell wonderful and gathers everyone around the table.

Pan-Fried Ranch Parmesan Pork Chops

Ingredients

4 pork chops (bone-in or boneless, about ¾ inch thick)

½ cup ranch dressing

1 cup Progresso breadcrumbs with parmesan

1 can (10.5 oz) cream of mushroom soup

2 tablespoons oil or butter, for frying

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Season the pork chops lightly with salt and pepper.

Brush each pork chop evenly with the ranch dressing.

In a shallow dish, combine the Italian-style breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese. Press each pork chop into the mixture, coating both sides well.

Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry the pork chops for 4–5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 145°F (63°C).

Meanwhile, warm the cream of mushroom soup in a small saucepan, adding a splash of milk or water to reach your desired consistency.

Serve the pork chops topped with the creamy mushroom sauce, or serve the sauce on the side for dipping.

Optional

For extra flavor, sauté a handful of sliced mushrooms in the same skillet after frying the pork chops, then stir them into the mushroom sauce. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley or chives before serving

Charlotte Mann

British artist Charlotte Mann turns blank walls into detailed life-sized murals using only a black marker. Her dizzying creations are like wallpaper adorning the boring walls of basements, lofts and even museums.

Another Blogging Hiatus

Sorry pallies, for slacking in the blog department. Don't know why but I seem to lack the inspiration or motivation to blog these days. Blame it on the lousy weather we're experiencing - the heat just sucks out whatever energy that's left in you or maybe it's this turning 50 thing - you wake up one day and realize that you don't want to squander away whatever that's left of your mortality though you haven't the faintest idea what you wanna do. But  I missed you, my dear online buddies! I really don't have anything to blog about so I took a couple of pics of Oreo, our pet guinea pig just to get my blog going.
Isn't  she adorable?

 

 

Applique Designed By Jane

Found these exquisite felt brooches by British designer Jane Smallcombe. Jane loves all crafts and has been able to knit and crochet since she was about five years old.

Birdies

Vintage Bouquet Felt Brooches

Owlie

A Pocketful  of Posies

Over The Rainbow felt brooches

W/W - Happy 50th Birthday To Me

Yes, I turned the big 5-0 last week and I'm freaking out!  The years have spun by too quickly, too soon. Is hitting the half-century mark supposed to be a milestone of some proportion? It scares me that while some of my peers  are already grannies, my eldest son is only 15 years old.  And the thought that I haven't achieved half the things on my bucket list isn't very comforting either.
At 17, I thought I would be at the highest rung on the corporate ladder by the time I was 40. Nope, it didn't happen. And by the time I'm 50 I should have travelled the world - sadly, still not there.

Sorry pallies, I have no life-changing epiphanies or any deep experiences to share, just a few things I've learned  from surviving half a century.

Here are some random thoughts

1. I'm officially over-the-hill. Gulp!
2. Menopause is a bitch.
3. Karma is a bigger bitch
4. Kelly Clarkson is right - What doesn't kill you makes you stronger
5. Don't sweat the small stuff - life is really too short.
6. Happiness is a choice - you either move on or fester in your misery
7  Whatever you do, if your intentions are bad, your plans always backfire. Let your conscience be your guide.
8 It's OKAY to be afraid of growing old - that means you are forced to make changes to your life.
9. Used to be, video calls existed only in Sci-fi movies....... now we Skype.
10. Used to be, filling in the gender blank in forms was either male or female.... now we have several options.
11. I am not a bad person - some people just bring out the worst in me.
12. The lyrics from Joni Mitchell's The Circle Game keep playing in my head -
                    "We're captive on the carousel of time,
                     We can't return, we can only look behind
                      From where we can
                      And go round and round
                      And round in the circle game"

To all the baby boomers out there, Congrats! We have made it to 50! 

So some dreams and goals were lost along the way but there will be new dreams, maybe better dreams and plenty before the last revolving year is through.

Sharing this beautiful quilled card  made by my talented bloggy buddy from Romania - Aurelia Eugenia @ http://aureliaeugenia-ideisicreatii.blogspot.com/

My quilled birthday cake. Isn't it absolutely adorable!!

And oh, one more thing - Hair mascara is man's greatest invention!

Kathy Klein's Danmalas

These stunning flower circles or danmalas (in vedic sanskrit dān: the giver, mālā: garland of flowers) are the creations of Kathy Klein, a devout lover of plants, animals, people and the divine presence within all.She creates the danmalas by first centering herself in a meditative devotional space. Next she gathers flowers and natural objects while her mind is kept in mantra, resting in the immaterial. Then, through an act of grace and giving to all, she allows the materials to fall to the will of creation patterns.

In Situ

Monkey Takes Self-portrait

Image credit  - You tell me!!!

Believe it or not, this is a self portrait. When award-winning photographer David Slater left his camera unattended, this grinning macaque seized his opportunity. Fascinated by his reflection in the lens, he then somehow managed to work the camera. He even managed to snap a shot with Slater in the frame!

 "One of them must have accidentally knocked the camera and set it off because the sound caused a bit of a frenzy, said Slater, 46. At first there was a lot of grimacing with their teeth showing because it was probably the first time they had ever seen a reflection. They were quite mischievous jumping all over my equipment, and it looked like they were already posing for the camera when one hit the button. The sound got his attention and he kept pressing it. At first it scared the rest of them away but they soon came back - it was amazing to watch. He must have taken hundreds of pictures by the time I got my camera back, but not very many were in focus. He obviously hadn't worked that out yet."

Interestingly,  controversy brewed  when website Techdirt questioned about the ownership of those photos. The website was later asked to remove the image from its pages by a news agency acting on behalf of Mr Slater – sparking a fresh debate about the true copyright holder.

Here are some quotes from both parties.
Slater - "Until I hear from the monkey’s lawyers, I will stick to the belief that I own the copyright"

Techdirt - "If I leave out a stack of crayons for my son and he colors the walls, do I get the copyright on it?"

What's your take on this?