Rusty Pins~Valentines Hearts~Italian Nachos

Finally finished!!  I have been working on these for sometime now and today they got the safety pins put on and arranged in a bowl filler in my front entry way.  Hubby and I like to spend time together watching a little t.v. after the girls are down so I hand stitched them all on the couch upstairs.  It's relaxing to work with your hands like that.  They are double sided with the back being coffee stained muslin so I can turn them over and use them all year round tucked here or there.

I needed some rusty safety pins for this project so I set out to make my own.  Here's what I learned:

Day 1~ Soak your pins, or bells, or whatever you need rusted in bleach for a day.  Stainless steel ones won't work.  Just get the cheap ones from the dollar store.

Day 2~ Dump the bleach and then cover your pins with apple cider vinegar and a healthy dose of salt.

Day 3~ Dump the vinegar and let the items dry in the sun.  They will rust as they dry.  Note:  I had to keep adding more vinegar and salt for a few days to get them just how I wanted.

Or... You can get some stain and spray it on your pins for a very fast rustic look.  You can't really tell by the picture, but the pins look fantastic.

Have you ever heard of the restaraunt Johnny Corinos?  It's similar to the Olive Garden but in my oppinion the atmosphere (which counts for a lot with me) is way better and so is the food.

They have the best Italian Nachos there and I really wanted to try making some for DH birthday.  I must say they turned out dang good.

Here is the recipe I used:

1 package ground pork, cook in a saute pan until browned 

1 Package wontons (found by the salads at Walmart),cut on the diagonal to form triangles

1 jar Pepperochini peppers 

1 6-ounce package grilled chicken pieces(I just grilled my own at home)

2 roma tomatoes, diced 

Shaved Parmesan for garnish 

Jalepenos

1/2 cup sliced olives

Cheese Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups half-and-half

2 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, or other good-quality Parmesan

Directions:

1~ In a heavy, medium saucepan melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and then the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and whisk in the half-and-half little by little. Cook until thickened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat; add 2 cups of the grated Parmesan. Season with the salt, pepper and stir until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Cover and set aside.

2~ Heat a heavy saucepan or deep fryer to medium. Cook the wontons until light brown. This only takes a few seconds per side. Set aside on paper towels to drain.

3~ Pile the wontons on a large serving platter. Drizzle with warm cheese sauce. Add sausage, chicken, tomatoes, olives and peppers. Top with shaved Parmesan.

Hope you all have a great day.  Mine will be spent washing blankets, towels, sheets, bathrooms, fetching 7-up and crackers, and holding kids' hair back.  Isn't motherhood the best sometimes?!!