Pioneer Woman

Although her blog is wildly popular, I wasn't really familiar with The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummund, until I found her cookbook while browsing Barnes & Noble with my husband and son on a recent Saturday morning.

I love Ree's story of how she met her Marlboro Man and he rescued her from the hectic pace of city life in exchange for life on a ranch.  Our lives seem impossibly different as I live in the 4th largest city in the U.S. and she lives in a small town ranch.  But I just enjoy her so much!  Not to mention that she is a photographer with amazing talent for capturing beautiful real-life images.  Her tutorials are awesome too.



This weekend I recorded and watched her new show on Food Network.  She cooked the kind of food that I know my husband wishes I would cook for him (chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes - with lots of butter - and gravy from the grease drippings, and sausage breakfast sandwiches).   I think it would make my hubby so happy, so I'm gonna surprise him and cook it for him this week:)

Did you catch the show too?  What did you think?  

Chocolate Covered Toffee

As if the desserts devoured on Thanksgiving weren’t enough, on Saturday I had an insatiable craving for chocolate-covered toffee.  After realizing how simple it is to make this deliciously buttery chocolately goodness, I started making it at home last year (about once or twice a year).  It’s fun to make because you get to use a candy thermometer (but you don’t have to if you don’t have one) and the scientific process of how these few ingredients meld to make this delicious treat fascinates me.  The only problem is that after I make it, I can’t stop eating it!  In fact, I’m eating it now as I draft this post!  I use a recipe I found on foodnetwork.com.  There is no redeeming nutritious value in this recipe whatsoever, but I love it!

  

 

Oh yeah!  This is definitely my favorite part!

And when no one’s looking, why not have a dip?

Sometimes I’ll put the tiny bits into the mold cup and sprinkle in a touch more salt.

After you’ve nibbled up the excess toffee, it’ll look like this

I like to put the toffee into individual paper cups for easy (and pretty) access.  And you certainly don’t have to use a candy mold.  You can simply pour the hot toffee onto a sheet pan lined with wax paper and then pour the melted chocolate on top.  When it’s solid, just break it up into smaller pieces.

p.s.  At the end, you’ll think you’re saucepan has been ruined forever, but don’t fret, just soak it in some hot soapy water for awhile and it’ll be good as new.

These guys don’t stand a chance!  Yuuuuummmmy!!!!!

Have you been indulging in sweet treats lately?

Pie

If turkey is the traditional Thanksgiving main course, then pie must be the traditional Thanksgiving dessert.  I read that pumpkin, apple, sweet potato and pecan are some of the most common varieties eaten at end of the Thanksgiving meal.  I know I’m looking forward to eating some pie next Thursday! My sis-in-law will definitely make a pie or two from scratch, but my parents will have baked some of those frozen ones you find at the grocery store.  I love to enjoy a homemade pie, but I’ve also had some great “buy frozen and bake” pies too.  

I think there are three ways to go for pie at Thanksgiving: 1) bake from scratch, 2) buy frozen from the supermarket, or 3) get one premade from a specialty store.

From Scratch

If you are so inspired to make your own pie, you can read Smitten Kitchen’s Pie Crust 101 and Pie Crust 102 posts.

Smitten Kitchen’s Apple Pie

Smitten Kitchen’s Chocolate Pudding Pie

And here’s a cool tutorial on how to make that gorgeous lattice topping.

Elsie Marley

Frozen

One of the best frozen-just-pop-it-into-the-oven-pies I’ve ever tried is the Mrs. Smith’s Deep Dish Apple Pie.  This pie is really flaky and has great flavor.  It’s sold in the frozen section of the grocery store and, in my neck of the woods, it always sells out, so if I want it for Thanksgiving, I buy it early.  It takes 60-70 minutes to cook. 

 

Specialty Store

In Houston there are some wonderful bakeries and specialty stores who do all the work for you and make delicious pies.  One store in particular is known to have a line an hour long on holiday eves like Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I guess if it’s tried and true, it can become a tradition to get in line for one of these pies each year.

Grand Central Bakery

Will you be having pie at your Thanksgiving table?  If so, which kind?

P.S.  I am guest posting at Michaela Noelle and Ten June today (Thursday Nov 18).  I shared what Grace means to me with Michaela and our updated Thanksgiving table at Ten June:)  Thanks for having me ladies! 

Ina Garten’s New Cookbook

In her interview with House Beautiful, Ina says that this time, she challenged herself to make even easier recipes with deep, fabulous flavor.  I’m happy to see that she also shares entertaining tips in the new book, which, according to Amazon, comes out October 26.

The Barefoot Contessa is one of the first people (besides my Grandma!) that inspired me to cook.  I love her easy-going and approachable nature and how cute she and Jeffrey (her husband) are.  When I first got married, I bought every one of Ina’s cookbooks and spent hours reading them cover to cover.  I also recorded and saved all her television shows until we moved and I lost them- I think I had somewhere around 60 saved!  I love how she always does a dessert and often features a table setting or some other element of entertaining with her real friends.  I’m nowhere near a great cook, but I’m learning and trying. 

In fact, this past weekend, I made several Ina dishes, and they came out pretty well.  I will warn you that the photos of the food are not mine!  See image credits below.

Friday Night:   Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese and Basil; Mustard Roasted Potatoes; and Garlic and Herb Tomatoes.  We eat a lot of roasted vegetables around here.  This was a fancier version of the typical grilled chicken we normally do and so easy, just put a piece of goat cheese and basil under the skin and bake. 

Saturday Morning:  Sour Cream Coffee Cake.  I love, love, love this coffee cake.  It uses sifted cake flour, which makes the batter so light and fluffy.  It’s especially wonderful in the morning with a hot cup of coffee.  Of course, it’s got enough calories for the entire day, so I don’t make it too often-  but I try not to think about that while I’m eating it:) And by the way, as I write this, there is only one piece left!

 

Saturday Night:  Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms.  The recipe calls for sweet sausage, but this time I used hot and it was really good.  I also halved the recipe and it was just enough for Jimmy and me.   I’ve made this at holiday dinners and everyone who likes mushrooms loves them.  We ate them with the left over potatoes.

Outrageous Brownies.   I didn’t make these this weekend, but have made them in the past and they are delish!  They are brownies with chocolate chips in them.  Yum!! 

And an honorable mention goes to Ina’s Whipped Hot Chocolate, that I used to make nightly (from scratch, on the stove), with skim or 1% milk and minus the half and half. 

Do you love Ina too?  Have a favorite recipe?

 Images:

Ina Cookbook:  House Beautiful

Chicken: Image via “Mommy I’m Hungry”

Potatoes:  Beantown Baker

Tomatoes:  Food Network

Mushrooms:  Handle Heat's Flicker Photostream

Brownies:  Domestifluff

Hot Chocolate: Val City Girl

Colorful Cooking

The post yesterday on the paint colors in my home reminded me that while I was out shopping the other day, I passed by Williams Sonoma and saw the Le Creuset dutch ovens in the most wonderful new colors.

Of course, they’ve always had these mostly primary colors and I’ve often randomly pondered which color I would choose, were I to invest in one.  You’ve pondered this too, right?! But I never could decide.  Nothing else in my kitchen is red, so I don’t think I’d choose her; the ivory is kind of plain; the orange and greens are nice; not so sure about the blue, but yellow is also cool.

 

But now they have a beautiful plum, teal, black and white. 

 

But, the one I really love and think I would purchase for our home is OCEAN.  A gorgeous color!

    

My question to you is: (1) what color do you have or would you choose, and (2) if you do have one, is it worth the investment?