The Pioneer Woman Book Signing

Tuesday, Dec 1, 2009 - 6pm.

My very first book signing!

Ree Drummond, who has a blog called "The Pioneer Woman" -

is signing her new book

"The Pioneer Woman Cooks"

@ Borders Bookstore

off Preston and Royal.

This is me waiting. She is to appear at 7pm.

There wasn't even a line or anything when I purchased the book and received my bracelet.

So, how naive of me to think that this might take a hour or maybe 2 tops!

See Ree? Can't you see her? She's standing there with her hand's together - in black..

I know.. I need a new phone.. iPhone does NOT have zoom.

This is a lovely cookbook. She has a great sense of humor, and takes fabulous pictures.

... this is the reward.. which I am glad.

I didn't take a picture with her because I was looking like a soggy dog by midnight.

Boy, did I learn lessons...

Lesson #1: Call the bookstore and find out the specifics.  In this case, they were giving out bracelets early in the day - which was the way to go, because by the time I got there at 6pm and got my bracelet, I was #400. No wonder there wasn't a line.   There were 800 people in line to get their book signed.  I got my signed at midnight, and there were people there until 1:30 in the morning.

Lesson #2 :  Be prepared to wait and wait and wait.  Dress comfortably, bring snacks.. and make sure you bring someone with you that is equally as interested.  (I brought my co-worker since we commute together.  She had never heard of the Pioneer Woman - but figured it's a book store and she'd find stuff to do - again with the mindset that it'd be 2 hours MAX.. not 6 !!! )

Bundt Trifecta

For Christmas, I decided to bake 3 bundt cakes using my 3 different bundt pans.

I was going for a "hat trick" which means completing the same thing 3 times successfully (for example in hockey, if the same person scores 3 times in the same game, it's a hat trick), but ended up with a "trifecta" which means I predicted (successfully - based on my experience cooking with these pans) the order of success these cakes turned out!

Let's start with 1st Place

I love this pan. It's a Martha Stewart that I bought at K-mart like a million years ago.

Here is the "Apricot-Lemon Cake" with a lemon glaze and frosted cranberries that I made. It was the favorite amongst all my dinner guests.

Apricot-Lemon Cake Recipe
Ingredients
1 lemon cake mix
1 cup apricot nectar
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs

Glaze
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 lemon

Directions
Beat ingredients in a bowl for 4 minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool.
Mix powdered sugar and lemon together
Pour over cooled cake

2nd Place

A friend gave me this pan recently.

I used Homemade Gourmet's "Grandmother's Great Gingerbread" mix with cinnamon glaze.

3rd Place

This is a traditional (and cheap) bundt pan.

It's hit or miss every time.

I'm not sure how long I've had  it or where I even got it.

By the time I got to this cake, I was in a hurry, and didn't allow it to cool down enough

resulting in this...

OOPS... maybe I didn't let it cool

Winter Grilling

So I have had this small "George Foreman Grill for One" for about 4 years now.

I bought it when I lived in a small condo, and didn't have room to store anything.

Surprising, I've used it more than I expected.

It does pretty good chicken

and

AWESOME

Panini's!

I got this big daddy grill for Christmas.

Ok.. maybe it's not Big DADDY

but it is to me!

It comes with removable plates.. much easier than my little one to clean.

Now my 2010 goal is to actually get a real outdoor gas grill.

For some reason, I'm scared I'm going to catch the neighborhood on fire...

but it's a fear I plan on conquering this year.

Cupcake Cake Pan

I usually post my baking success stories..

but...

this

isn't of them

My nieces are 5 & 7, so I thought this would be the perfect cake for our belated Christmas Celebration this past Saturday.

 Look how adorable these cakes are!

(Am I the best aunt ever or what?)

Oh

my

GAH!

(***heavy sigh***)

Ok.. so..

HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU FROST THIS THING?

First, I trimmed both layers so that they laid flat on each other

I tried "piping" the frosting on the top spiral layer...

that was goopy and messy.

Basically, there is not a picture of the finished product because when it was done,

it was hideous... edible but not pretty anymore...

I gave the pan to my sister-in-law!

PW's Phyllo Mushroom Bundles

These are crazy delicious!

This was my first time to work with phyllo.

I did ok for my first time, I must say !

Click here to check out the recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website

A Gift for a "Domestic Goddess"

...which isn't ME..

but I really did need a new vacuum cleaner, so I was excited !

It cleans both carpet and tile..

YAY!

Here is my old vacuum

and

NO

it is not a dyson **heavy sigh***

it was $40 at Walmart when I bought it 2 years ago.

I loved it at the time - but who doesn't LOVE a new vacuum cleaner?

Now it clogs up and picks stuff up and moves it to other parts of the floor

but the worse thing..

it overheats which means you have to "vacuum" fast or you might not get one room completed..

(or at least have the dirt distributed equally across the floor - giving the appearance of clean since it has the "vacuumed" tread marks)

If you are looking for such a vacuum, let me know.. but hurry fast

I might put it on craigslist.

What To Get A "Foodie"

Rachael Ray's Expandable Lasagna Lugger

 in Green

It has 2 insulated levels.

This is the bottom...

...and this is the top...

I also got the lasagna dish as well.

Perfect Christmas present!

Another Great "Foodie" Gift

A Microplane "zester"...

This is one of those things I've been wanting.. and just never bought myself.

Well, I got it for Christmas

My life is now complete.

Strike a Pose

Is it a Gap Commercial?

No, just my son being a goofball.

Although, I believe everything he is wearing is from the Gap..

Christmas Day - PW's Potato Salad

We had Christmas dinner at my house

My stepsister brought the ham and my neighbors brought the pork

This is Pioneer Woman's (PW) Perfect Potato salad.

It is one of the best I have ever tried.

Click here  to go to PW's site for the recipe.

I made it exactly as directed.

except

I didn't have a fresh dill from the garden or a potato ricer

so I just mashed them the old fashion way

they were very creamy

and

fabulous...

(BTW - I do want a potato ricer now!)

Christmas Day - Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole

I made this on Christmas Day.

The recipe is courtesy of "chaos in the kitchen"

Click here for the recipe.

It is the best broccoli-cheese recipe I've made yet.

I was leery of the onion and celery,

but

OH MY GAH

I will forever use onion and celery from now on

I did change things up a little

I used a can of cream of chicken-mushroom soup and a can of cream of mushroom soup.

(I accidentally picked up a can of "Light Italian Wedding Soup" instead of the Chicken Mushroom..

Thank goodness, I had one of the staple cream soups in my pantry.)

I used also fresh broccoli

I ended up with more broccoli and rice than the recipe called for
so...

I compensated with extra milk and extra colby jack cheese

(because you can NEVER have enough cheese)

 To stay true to my love of cheese,

I even topped it off with more SHARP cheddar cheese