Back to Books

Ok I got a little carried away there with the cooking posts. Let's be honest, I didn't achieve anything breathtaking in my musings on porkchops and cupcakes; but, I now feel confident enough to cook for other people. Since I've found my wings in the kitchen I think I'll let that aspect of my life simmer(see what I did there?!?) and focus on the thing I love most: READING! I know, the potential excitement is killing you prematurely.

There are few books that I absolutely detest(Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, I'm calling you out).  Most genres are rather enjoyable and I find myself easily lost in pages detailing; adventure, sorrow, love, mystery, hope, etc. I love reading anything from a graphic novel(Walking Dead) to an autobiography.

As much as I enjoy books, there are only a few in my lifetime that have taken my breath away enough to be counted among my absolute favorites. City of Thieves by David Benioff, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell, The Dragonlance Legends Trilogy by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, and Night by Elie Wiesel are a few of the ones that changed how I looked at the world and altered me in the process. The newest addition to this elite list is a book I read last week: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.

Enchanting is the best one word summarization I can submit. For the first time in my life I was counting the remaining pages and feeling disappointment at their dwindling number. Morgenstern writes in such a beautiful and engaging manner that you find yourself reading certain passages again and again. Within moments she endears each character to you so much that you feel the void of their absence from the page. However, the void is quickly filled with another delightful personality.

Magic really does exist in the world within Le Cirque des Reves and after completing the journey with Celia and Marco you realize that magic exists in our world as well. Chemistry between the two young competitors is palpable bringing to the surface the romantic in everyone. Morgenstern writes with an ebb and flow style that has you on the edge of your seat at moments and serenely sipping on the storyline the next. Any thought of putting the book down and reading it in segments is rendered null and void after a few pages.

If you read anything this year; let it be this book.

Just A Little Baking

Last week I made some goodies. No dialogue just want to share the pretty pictures :)

Aluminum Chef

Hello again! If you've ready any of my cooking posts before you're aware that simplicity is a winning factor in helping me choose recipes to make. The one I made tonight is my own concoction created from minimal time and limited ingredients. 

Ingredients:

-Boneless chicken breasts (as many as you are serving)

-Mexican rice

-Black beans

-Milk

-Flour

-Seasonings (your choice)

I had a spare chicken breast from a previous meal I had made and wanted to have a well-rounded dinner as opposed to a sad single person dinner where I heat the chicken and dip it in some sort of ketchup or BBQ sauce. Instead I decided to cook some Mexican rice, adding in a half can of black beans to add some depth of flavor. 

Next I dipped my chicken into a bowl of milk and coated it with a combination of flour and multiple seasonings. Remember when you were a child and would get a "suicide" drink from the drink fountain?!? Well you should. For those of you who didn't have a good childhood this drink meant adding just a touch of each soda to your cup. I went old school with my seasonings and sprinkled a bit each seasoning I had and mixed it into my flour. If you aren't as ballsy as me, you can add a dash of salt and pepper. I then fried my chicken in vegetable oil on medium until it was golden brown and no more pink remained inside. 

Lastly, place the chicken over your rice and beans combination and you are set for a great dinner. The chicken was extremely juicy and the various spices added to the already flavorful rice layered with beans. It was a tasty treat that required absolutely no skills in the kitchen; it had my name all over it!

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

Aluminum Chef

Okay seriously y'all, this was one of the most delectable, melt-in-your mouth, amazing meals I have had recently. AND, it totally came in a box. This is they type of meal where it is so yummy that your taste buds force you to comment out loud about they joy they are experiencing. After each bite I had to express to the universe the deliciousness that was occurring.

Usually during my one new meal a week challenge I attempt to make something from scratch; however, I saw this sitting in the middle of Walmart and bought it on a whim. I can only imagine how delightful a chicken pot pie made by your grandmother might be, but I'm pretty sure this would give Granny a run for her money.

The magical creators of said Chicken Pot Pie in a Box are Velveeta. They provide everything except for the chicken. Instructions are blissfully easy to follow and the whole meal only takes 35-40 minutes to make in total. (Half of that is just letting it bake in the oven) I'm urging you to seek your local grocer and give this meal a try, you will be glad you did.

Throw in a great beer and this is definitely a dinner of champions.

The final product :)

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

Aluminum Chef

In this journey through aisles of Kroger I've never encountered before this has been my favorite dish by far. Albeit I'm too proud to ask an employee for help in finding what other people would deem as routine items, it might suffice to significantly shorten my grocery shopping times. This recipe only required 2 laps around the store, so I'd consider it a success. Along with better knowing the layout of my local grocer, I have also learned how to correctly spell parmesan cheese!

Ingredients:

-Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

-1/4 cup of milk

-1/2 cup bread crumbs

-2 tsps roasted garlic and bell pepper seasoning 

-1 tsp chives

-3 tbsp of butter

-1/2 cup chicken broth

-1/4 can of diced tomatoes

-3 cloves garlic (minced)

-1 cup heavy whipping cream

-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese blend

-2 tbsp basil

I got this recipe off a blog and they were very specific about the brands of spices and seasonings used. However, I didn't have time for all that and I simply used a couple of seasonings that I knew tasted good with chicken and bread crumbs. So that part of the recipe is easily interchangeable. You combine the bread crumbs, chives and seasoning in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. (I also threw in some salt and pepper) Place the milk in a separate bowl. 

Next you are going to pound the chicken flat and dip each breast in the milk followed by the bread crumb mixture. Make sure you get a nice even coating before placing in a skillet on medium heat (where you have also placed the butter). Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and cooked through. This takes about 10 minutes. 

After the chicken is golden brown (above right) place to the side and keep warm. In the same skillet sauté garlic for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in cream and tomatoes, bring to a boil and stir for one minute. Reduce heat to low; add parmesan cheese, basil, salt and pepper and stir entire sauce for about 5 minutes. 

Now you have your dinner ready to go. Just drizzle as much of this delicious sauce on your breaded chicken and add your veggie of choice. If you don't want to spend time making the sauce by hand, there are plenty of sauces you can buy pre-made which would suffice. But, this sauce is worth the extra effort. If you're looking to save time use canned vegetables or instant potatoes and skim the minutes from your side dishes. 

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

Gettin Crafty

   

A few months ago I had some free time on my hands and decided to get a little crafty. Obviously mustaches were involved. I was planning a Bachelorette party for my bestie and wanted a cute souvenir for each girl to take home with her. Since Friday night we were planning on guzzling wine I figured an etched wine glass would be a nice touch. For the initial glasses I taped a stencil to the glass and painted on the etching fluid. (It took a lot of coats and I would recommend using a different product for better results) 

The mustache glasses were easier because I placed a sticker and painted over the entire glass. This method required less precision and touch-ups. Next I waited and waited and waited before rinsing the glasses clean. This project was extremely easy and cost efficient. You can make any shape, initial, etc. all you need is a sticker or stencil. 

Below are the final products! Happy crafting :)

 

Aluminum Chef

Chicken Parmesan & Chicken Roll-Ups

This week I crafted 2 delicious dinners and I am posting them together b/c I want to and you can't stop me. So there. But enough sass, let's direct our focus back to the yummy meals I prepared this week. On Monday night I made Chicken Roll-Ups, this is a dish my Momma made all the time and I got the recipe from her.

Roll-Up Ingredients:
-2 packages of crescent rolls
-2-3 tbsp of sour cream
-1 can of Cream of Chicken
-Chicken breasts (pre-cooked and shredded)
-Cheddar cheese
-Paprika & Parsley

The first step is to combine the Cream of Chicken w/ a large dollop of sour cream and several dashes of both paprika and parsley. Add salt and pepper to your taste. My Momma's recipe has onions in it, but I would change that to onion flavoring or none at all because the onions are very crisp and I didn't like the texture profiles contrasting each other so starkly.

Anywho, you lay out the crescents flat and add chicken and a dab of sauce. Roll the crescents up and add a good amount of sauce on top. I decided to attempt half of my rolls with cheddar cheese since I had some extra.

You then place the pan in an oven preheated to 350'F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. After tasting the rolls with cheddar and without I was unanimously in favor of the roll-ups sans cheddar. The cheddar didn't taste bad, but it muted the flavor of the sauce. Without the cheese present I could really enjoy the the chicken roll-ups much better.

 Chicken Parmesan Ingredients:
-1/2 cup of milk
-1 egg
-Breadcrumbs
-Olive Oil
-Your choice of red pasta sauce
-Mozzarella cheese
-Vermicelli
-Chicken breasts

Whisk your milk and egg together and dip each chicken breast in the mixture before dipping it in your breadcrumbs. Once the chicken is fully coated place in a skillet w/ olive oil and cook until golden brown on both sides. (Should only take 3-4 minutes). After it is golden brown
place your chicken in a baking dish and put a layer of mozzarella on top. Layer on a generous amount of your chosen pasta sauce, followed by another layer of mozzarella. 

Bake at 350'F for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling.

While the chicken is cooking I boiled water and cooked my vermicelli to accompany the dish. This only takes about 6-7 minutes so you can wait and have both done at the same time. Once you remove your chicken parmesan from the oven, you place it over a bountiful amount of vermicelli. You could use spaghetti as well, but I like the thinner noodles for this.  


What I chose to do is only cook 1 chicken breast (since it's just me eating) and use the remaining noodles and pasta sauce for meals throughout the week. I kept the sauce in its original container in the fridge and put the noodles in tupperware. This way I am able to add olive oil, pasta sauce, and different toppings to my noodles each meal to vary up the flavors.

This dish was extremely tender and juicy and easy to make as well. If you are looking to impress that special someone or show off for your family and friends this is your ticket. Minimal prep time and all you need to add is a salad and some garlic bread and your feast is made.

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

Thoughts About Stuff

Monday night is upon me and I find myself snuggled up with my newly acquired Earl Grey tea and adorable yellow mug as I get inspired by contestants on Biggest Loser. Although I enjoy the show, the 2 hour run time leaves me with ample time to focus on other things during commercials and lulls in the show. This evening I have the urge to write and after reviewing my last few posts I decided that I had to write about anything beyond food. I enjoy my trials and successes with my Aluminum Chef challenge for myself, but I need to mix things up now and again.

Goals has been the theme of this week's episode and contestants are setting personal goals and challenging those in their community and America as a whole to set goals and improve their lives with small steps. I can relate to the lack of self control that many of these individuals struggle with except mine is not in the arena of food. I lack self control in other areas of my life such as self improvement, specifically in the spiritual realm.

Overwhelmed. This is the emotion I often feel whenever I attempt to set goals for myself. I start off extremely enthusiastic and ready to take on everything in the world. Lent this year has been a prime example. I felt like I needed to improve my relationship with God and Lent was an ideal jumping off point. Like every other time I set goals, this time I went overboard. I decided to give up several food and beverage items, add daily quite times, fast on Sundays, add more prayer, add more time in the Word, and exercise more.

As I looked forward to the events coming up I began to realize how inconvenient I would be to others if I tried to follow all these rules so I marked off a few. Then Lent began and I did good with no soft drinks, but as they days added up so did the amount of things I needed to accomplish each day. Instead of enjoying reading the Bible and praying I found myself frustrated with the chore ahead of me. I rushed through and got less out of it than before and it suddenly began to dawn on me that this is my pattern. I set too many goals and then when I can't do every single thing on my list I feel disappointed in myself and worthless so I give up on a lot of things.

My approach is what needs to change. I don't have a problem with food because I don't think about it excessively and make it a chore. I eat when I'm hungry and don't count calories or give myself reasons to feel guilty. Finally I am taking a cue from my healthy eating habits and applying it to the remainder of my life. I am happiest when I don't have a set schedule. This freedom allows me to not feel guilty because I don't set myself up for failure. I made a vague goal instead for this Lent to grow closer to God.

I am accomplishing my goal by attending church on Wednesday and Sunday nights every week. I love going to church and look forward to these services. I also am praying when I think about it instead of at a set time. These steps appear small, but they increase my desire to know God better and improve our relationship. They eliminate the mandatory chore feeling from previous attempts.

Now I pray, read the Bible, and attend church when I want to and it happens more increasingly as I am no longer forcing myself to out of obligation. I am so tired of feeling guilty and so I won't do it any more. Henceforth I am going to work on becoming a better person in small achievable steps. I should have known being an avid ready that small goals would work better for me than large ones because the books I read fastest are filled with a multitude of small chapters. When there is an end in sight I can strive forward more easily and with each new success I am more motivated to attempt a new achievement.

I challenge you to pick an area in your life that you want to make better and set a small goal. See what happens; you might just surprise yourself and triumph. I adore good writing and good quotes so I leave you with a few for motivational fodder:

With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts. -Eleanor Roosevelt

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time. -Thomas Alva Edison

You are never too old to set another goal or dream another dream. -C.S. Lewis

Even if you fall on your face, you are still moving forward. -Victor Kiam

Aluminum Chef

Hawaiian Roll Ham Sandwiches:

This relatively simplistic yet highly flavorful recipe is excellent for game days, a small snack, or the perfect partner to a bowl of soup. My mom has made these for our family for many years so I decided to try some different ingredients and mix things up to find the right flavor combination.  

 

Ingredients:

-2 packs of Hawaiian Rolls

-Ham ( I used the sandwich meat version)

-3/4 cup of butter

-1 1/2 tsp of Dijon mustard

-1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

-1 1/2 tsp dried onions

-poppy seed

-12 slices of cheese (the recipe calls for swiss, which is delicious, but I had shredded cheddar and mozzarella at the house and chose to use those)

The first thing you do is halve each roll and place the ham and cheese of your choice down before adding the top half. You then mix the Dijon, Worcestershire, butter and onion and melt until smooth. This mixture you drizzle over your sandwiches. Bake at 350'F for 10-15 minutes. I wanted to experiment so I used mozzarella cheese in one row, sharp cheddar cheese in one row, and added tomato slices to one row. 

I really enjoyed the tomato slices. They added a slightly sweet moistness to the sandwich which counterbalanced the crunch from the baked roll. My favorite was the sharp cheddar because it complimented the glaze nicely and added just enough tang to keep the meal interesting. The mozzarella was good, but offered a much more subdued flavor. In the future I would use either swiss or sharp cheddar and add tomato slices to a couple. As you can see from my picture, the one thing I would do differently is fold my laundry after I pulled these bad boys out of the oven so I can avoid burning them.                                                                                                                      

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

Aluminum Chef

Okay so I had an eclectic collection of canned goods eyeing me from the cabinet every time I peered in to its depths.

I decided to take some basic flavors and combine them into a healthy snack. I really love having something available to munch on since I have odd hours some days and can't always eat meals at their scheduled times.

I grabbed 1 can of black beans, 1 can of pinto beans, 1 can of kidney beans, & 1 can of corn. I simply drained each can after rinsing it with water and mixed the beans/corn together in a bowl. Grab your favorite chip and this minimal munch is ready to eat!

This is great because you can add tomatoes, onions, cilantro, etc. to enhance the flavors and cater to your specific palette.

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

Aluminum Chef

Ranch Pork Chops:

Last week I whipped up some delicious honey glazed pork chops, but since I am only cooking for one I had extra chops. I popped 'em in the freezer and tonight I used the left over chops to make ranch pork chops.

Ingredients:
-6 pork chops (I only had 3, so I saved the remaining flour batter in a Ziploc bag for another day)
-1 packet Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
-1 cup all purpose flour
-Salt/Pepper
-5 tablespoons of vegetable oil
-1 cup chicken broth

Mix the flour, ranch mix, and salt and pepper together in a medium sized bowl. Dredge each chop in the flour mixture. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Cook each chop until golden brown on both sides. (While doing this pre-heat your oven to 350'F)

Once you have the golden brown pork chops place them on a baking tray and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. During this time take 1 tablespoon of the flour/ranch mixture and pour into the oil left over in your skillet. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Next add HOT chicken broth to the skillet. (If it is cold you will get a pretty nice facial and some sweet grease splatter) Cook for 4-5 minutes, until sauce thickens.

At this point your pork chops should be ready to take out of the oven. Ladle as much of the sauce on your chop as wanted. It is delicious and I added quite a bit and dabbed each bite with the sauce to get as much of that flavor as possible in each mouthful! 

I chose to accompany my ranch chop with Rotel macaroni and cheese. Since this past Sunday was the Super Bowl I had leftover Rotel dip. Anytime I have extra Rotel and no chips I always make Rotel Mac & Cheese. It is a flavorful twist on a classic and extremely easy to make. Just boil macaroni noodles as you normally would. Once they have cooked add the Rotel and serve away. Any pasta would work, but I prefer macaroni noodles.

You can make your Rotel dip as spicy or as mild as you like. The recipe calls for 1 can of Rotel diced tomatoes and 1 package of Velveeta cheese. I always use 2 cans of Rotel to have a hint of spice. The same is true for the Rotel Mac & Cheese. You can use less noodles to enhance the spicy flavor or you could use a 1 pound box of macaroni noodles. I boil the entire box and then stir in a little of the Rotel at a time until all noodles are evenly coated.

Overall this was a wonderful comfort meal. I felt like I was back home as a little girl eating delicious flavors that warm your throat and soul. I wouldn't change a thing about the Ranch Pork Chop recipe.

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

Aluminum Chef

Honey Glazed Pork Chops:

This meal was insanely simplistic and very affordable.

Ingredients:

-4 pork loin chops

-salt/pepper to taste

-2 tbsp packed brown sugar (dark)

-2 tbsp honey

-Nonstick cooking spray

Directions: Add salt and pepper to both sides of each pork chop. In a large skillet over medium heat cook the chops until brown, flipping once. While you are cooking the chops on the stove preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Also combine the honey and brown sugar in a small bowl. 

Once the pork chops are golden brown (seen on right) place them in a baking pan. Heat the honey mixture in the microwave on HIGH for 20 seconds. Use half of the honey mixture to coat one side of each pork chop. I stabbed holes in each chop with a fork so the honey mixture could better soak into the meat. 

Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Flip the pork chop over and glaze with the remainder of the honey mixture. Cook for another 15 to 20 minutes. 

This was delicious and the honey gave the perfect hint of sweetness without overpowering the flavor of the pork chop. I enjoy how easy this recipe was to shop for and complete. 

Since the ingredients are minimal this recipe is not hard to change up for different serving sizes. I only cooked two pork chops since I was eating alone. However, you could make this for a large family. I think children would also really like this dish because it has very basic flavors. 

The only note I would add to this meal is that the honey and brown sugar glaze was an adequate amount for 2 pork chops; if I were to cook 4 chops as the recipe suggested, I would double the quantity of honey and brown sugar used.

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

My original post and my inspiration for Aluminum Chef

Aluminum Chef

Watching Iron Chef is a favorite pastime for my family. Over the years we have been confounded, entranced, and inspired by the wide array of culinary prowess. My Dad and youngest sister, Em, are the main devotees to Food Network and the glories it holds. This year I have decided to challenge myself to attempt one new dish each week. In honor of my beloved Iron Chef I have named the blog posts related to this goal, Aluminum Chef. Aluminum is both durable and malleable, on this journey through the kitchen I hope to embody both. However, there will be no secret ingredients as I am a novice at best when it comes to cuisine.

In the words of the chairman, "Allez Cuisine!"

This week I have started off simply with a crockpot roast. To save cooking time I bought beef loins in small sections that would fit with all my veggies.

Ingredients:
-beef tenderloin (pre-cut)
-small potatoes (cut into fourths)
-5 medium carrots (peeled and cut into one-inch segments)
-2 small onions (peeled and sliced)
-1 packet of instant gravy
-1 cup of water

I pre-mixed the gravy before adding everything to the crockpot. I set it to low and waited 3 hours (I stirred every 30 minutes just to ensure even cooking). I love how low maintenance this was.

In the future I would have used 2 packets of instant gravy or I would have used 2 bottles of Guinness beer to enhance the flavor. The only issue I could take is that the meat was a little dry because there wasn't enough sauce for it to soak in. Adding either extra gravy or substituting with the beer would alleviate that problem.

Overall, the meal was juicy, tender, and fulfilling. Not a bad start to this dinner challenge. 

I would love any suggestions or tips from those of you in the kitchen who have more experience! Also, if you know of any delicious, somewhat healthy recipes that I should try out please add in the comments section!

In honor of the chairman I feel that Aluminum Chef needs its catchphrase as well. I'll stick with French:

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

Major Robert Westin

Challenge #12: Connect the following in an 800 word story: 

1947 convertible, switchblade, and parachute.

Wind whipped through the C-47 and slapped the buckle straps against Robert's face, jarring him from his transient daze. He went over each connection on his parachute in a systematic manner, drawn from dozens of previous jumps. Each thought was routine, ingrained. His complete cognizance was unnecessary as he noted the fraying shoelace of his right boot, the bristling blonde hair on the neck of the private before him, or the pallid coloring of the first jumper's face.

His mind was now sharply focused as his body floated above the dirt owned by Italy, specifically Gela, Italy. Earth crumbled beneath his brown leather boots as he slid to a stuttered halt. Robert was grateful for the modified Type T-5 parachute he was wearing with the quick release box. Not every serviceman was as lucky and several were gunned down while attempting to escape their chutes. Captain Westin used the high grass of the fertile plain as his cover as he crawled toward the tree line. 

Twenty-eight men remained of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Captain Westin determined the route his men would take to link up with the 1st Infantry Division in Sicily 80 kilometers north. An hour outside of Gela dust clouds alerted the 504th of incoming vehicles. The men crouched on the east side of the road lying prone. Instead of a feared enemy tank they were met with one of their own, a beloved "Deuce and a Half" known to civilians as the GMC CCKW. The nickname originated from the 2.5 ton weight of this military supply truck.

Westin and his men rode into camp at Sicily the following day with enough time to shovel down c-rations and a gulp of black coffee, cold. Exhaustion loomed over many of the mens' heads as they trudged toward Italian troops and certain death for many. Robert fought valiantly and was awarded the Silver Star, but his treasured possession gained during the fight was an Italian switchblade he stripped from a fallen adversary. The blade was known as the Italian stiletto for its design. The blade came to a point and was engineered brilliantly for a thrusting motion. Another memento he carried was shrapnel buried in his left thigh. Robert wasn't enthusiastic about this souvenir, however it was the one that granted him a trip home to Chicago. 

Life picked up once he landed in O'Hare and he started on a speaking tour selling bonds. Robert was promoted to Major to help win over donors. Major Westin was a natural at public relations and after the war he used his knack for talking to people to earn a living. Selling cars was something he was very passionate about and followed naturally his passions from youth. Growing up he idolized his mechanic father and loved all things cars. That passion never waned and was thriving as he opened Westin Motors in 1946.

Business was steady and Robert felt satisfied, but he longed for companionship. He viewed women like the automobiles on his lot: shiny paint didn't mean a quality engine, fast ones are fun but not reliable for everyday, and a dream car, just like a dream woman, was worth the wait. Little did he know that with his latest shipment of Buick Roadmaster convertibles his story would change once more. His lot proudly displayed three of these brand new cars, one black, one gray, and one red to match the "fireball dynaflash" under the hood. Robert loved the pearl gray version and daydreamed of cruising that 8-cylinder beauty down a country lane at sunset as the wind tickled his neck.

Major Westin was closing up one Thursday in June when Eva walked onto the lot. She was a thin brunette with ruby red lips and a twinkling smile and she wanted a test drive. Eva explained that her family lived west of Chicago in Brookfield and this car would be driven on mostly dirt roads, the type of road where she intended to take her test drive. They coasted kicking up a trail of dust. Wind danced through Eva's hair and carried her melodic laughter with it. The setting sun was eclipsed only by her exquisite aesthetic.

When they arrived back on the lot, Eva had a determined look and informed him the car was overpriced and she would offer him $1895 and not a penny more. Robert offered her a different deal: the car was free if she agreed to marry him; if she didn't agree to the terms, he vowed to sell her the car for the exact price she quoted and spend the remainder of his days convincing her to be his wife. Luckily for Major Westin, Eva took the deal and they were married that August.