Posts Tagged The Pioneer Woman

I love Packages in the Mail

Feb 2

Posted by ness in Blogs, The Pioneer Woman, Web Stuff, food | 5 Comments

Aren’t packages in the mail like *totally* exciting!!

Even if you know what they are, they’re still super exciting to receive.

Even my 4 year old spied the package and asked me all wide-eyed, “Is that for ME mommy?” to which I responded by throwing back my head, cackling like an old hag, hugging it closer to my chest and said, “NO, it’s MINE, ALL MINE.”

Then I did a Jim Carrey (as Ace Ventura) type run to the bedroom with it so I could open it without the kids getting their hands on it.

Want to see what I got?

So you can see where it was ordered from, and made it’s way all the way here to sunny SA (not so sunny yesterday I might add).

Trust the Yanks to have a super easy way to open a package. My bread knife that I’d taken with me for the purpose of hacking open the box was rendered totally useless…sometimes I’m so third world, I annoy myself.

The 4 year old, was all like, “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! What is it Mommy? Let me help you Mommy!!?? Is it from Farmer Crimsus?!?” (Note to self, do not be tempted to dispel the Father Christmas myth just yet, no matter how much the continuing talk about Christmas is annoying you right now).

My mother, who had brought over the mail (we share a PO Box), walked into the room at this point, and said, “Honestly! Why are you taking photos of opening a box?”

So I said, “For my blog.” (She is vaguely aware of the fact that I have a website, but let’s just say she takes the word ‘technophobe’ to the extreme, she nearly had a full blown panic attack when I banned her from using Internet Explorer and installed Firefox instead. Of course the next time she opened the browser she didn’t even realise it wasn’t the same…)

So she gives a sort of dismissive snort, as if *anyone* would be interested in reading about my little parcel in the mail. Feel free to assure me that you’re on the edge of your seats right about now okay?

I won’t keep you in suspense for ever… buwhahahahaha.

…

Sorry, the childishness, it’s a disease.

I can see the head!

Yes, I’m drawing parallels between childbirth and opening Ree Drummonds cook book from it’s packaging.

But in all the good ways!

Because soon the inconvenience of ripping it from the box will be forgotten and soon I will be gazing into it’s many colourful pages and just enjoying it.

Aaaah, there is she is!

Now I just have to hide the book until I’m ready to unleash it’s culinary magnificence, because other wise the husband is going to expect some kind of fancy dinner tonight.

First I need to hit up the shops for some supplies, and butter.

Yes definitely more butter.

As a seasoned PW cooks recipe reader, I know that I am going to need that.

Thanks to her I already have about 6 different kinds of vinegar in my store cupboard. Basic necessities like bread and milk are like hens teeth around here, but Rice Vinegar, I have you covered!

Maybe I’ll just take a quick peek…

Ree wasn’t kidding when she said that this was more than a cook book. I can actually sit down with this and see a whole lot more stuff about her life and on their ranch.

Stuff that we don’t see on her website.

This is a cook book that I will put on the nightstand and read when I get into bed tonight, and enjoy the photographs, drool over the dishes and if I’m feeling at all inspired (which I know I will be) I’ll be planning some menus for the coming week.

Now I just need to find some cattle to wrangle, to work off all that butter.

Hey, if you want a copy, they’re still priced really well, and these photos are proof that they can make it through the SA Postal service unharmed! Go and get your copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks here.

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Tags: blogging, food, Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, The Pioneer Womans Cookbook, Where can I buy the Pioneer Womans cook book?

Happy Me

Jan 28

Posted by ness in Activities, Graphic Design, TV Shows, The Pioneer Woman, Twitter, family, food | 4 Comments

I just had a small “Twilight Zone” moment.

I was standing in the kitchen preparing a marinade for the beef we’re having tonight for dinner, when I picked up my blackberry to read an email that just pinged in.

It was one of those ’so-and-so’ is now following you on twitter emails. The weird thing about it – or at least the ‘Twilight Zone’ moment came about because I realized that the person who was now following me (Jaden from Steamy Kitchen) was none other than the author of the book Steamy Kitchen - whose recipe I was using for the marinade. A recipe that I actually picked up via the Pioneer Woman, when she made it and published it on her blog (with Steamy Kitchen’s permission of course). For the foodies among you, I’m talking about the Beef with Broccoli. It’s insanely awesome. Jaden also has a cook book out, take a look here if you’re interested.

It just *really* struck my how much blogging, and bloggers have become a part of my life, and this has been an amazingly good thing.

I think my husband would agree that the entry of The Pioneer Woman’s recipes into his world has only been a good thing too. He’s practically swinging from the light fixture with happiness about the extension of my repetoire. His waistline does tend to argue this point, and whenever he requests that blasted fried chicken recipe, I try not to be too quick to point out that unless he’s about to go and saddle a horse and spend 8 hours either riding the range, castrating calves or being engaged in other waist reducing pursuits, then I probably shouldn’t make the chicken dish. Yet Again.

I hear a joyful clucking arise from the nearby poultry farm (or was that just my stomach?).

Anyhoo, apologies for my longer than normal absence. I’ve been engrossed (first in Eclipse ) and now currently in Breaking Dawn , and I swear if anyone puts spoilers in the comments box, I am just telling you now…I know where you blog…

Reading the book, and dealing with the amount of work that I have (forgetting for just a moment the two little male darlings of my life who currently require much fetching and taking, and tending and feeding) at the moment must be something akin to Bella’s bloodlust. Seriously. I mean hello – that freaking book calls to me while I’m busy getting on with things like work, eating, bathing, and yes I consider taking it to the loo just to get some alone time.

TV is a *thing of the past* I tell you. The ONLY TV that I am currently watching is Greys Anatomy on a Monday night at 19h30. That is IT.

Things are going so well right now work wise, I have a steady stream of work that is keeping me happily occupied (I’m definitely doing the right thing for me, I mean how many people get *excited* to sit down at the computer and work???) the only down side of course being that working keeps me from reading the rest of the book. But I’m being a good girl and getting it all done to the best of my ability. In a way I am glad that I am dragging it out just a little for myself. I usually don’t read books, so much as devour them, and since I read really quickly (Eclipse took me a little under 24 hrs – WITH all of lifes interruptions) I really am trying to enjoy every last detail of this story.

Anyway since I promised to take some photos (I didn’t take nearly as many as I should have) of the last few days food exploits I’ll leave you with a photo of Bakerella’s Fast Food Cupcakes, mine aren’t nearly as elegant perfect as hers, but dayam they are delicious! I should also point out that putting cupcakes in this format, completely threw my boys for a loop. They are both refusing to touch them…leaving all the more to the hubby and me. (This is a bad thing, but it’s also a good thing

I forgot to add – that bakerella used buttercream icing as her ‘cheese’ but I have used fondant. For those of you who are confused – this is a vanilla cupcake, with a brownie as the ‘patty’ with buttercream lettuce and tomato, and yellow fondant icing as the cheese. It’s very, very naughty.

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Tags: Breaking Dawn, Eclipse, food, Graphic Design, Steamy Kitchen, The Pioneer Woman, Twilight, Twitter

Great Bake Fest 2010

Jan 25

Posted by ness in Australia, Confidence Issues, Fun, Health & Beauty, food, weight loss | 2 Comments

Today, I’m prepping for a little catering project (totally for me, not a paid gig or anything) the likes of which will thrill my family’s tastebuds, and will exasperate our jeans.

If I were as organised as the Pioneer Woman, then I would be tweeting about it like she does on Thanksgiving, or sharing all her recipes like she does every other time, but for the most part, I’m going to a) try and get done and b) maybe take some photos. So here’s hoping I get some photos up early tomorrow.

Basically, I’m making all our favourite snacks and eats, because I’m celebrating my birthday tomorrow. Yes it was actually last week, but for various reasons, we decided that tomorrow would be a better day to celebrate.

So! I’m going to be making:

The Pioneer Womans Fried Chicken Strips (in hors d’ouevres size) with sweet chilli dipping mayonnaise

Glacé Cherries Wrapped in bacon – no link, as it’s a three step process – wrap cherries in streaky bacon, secure with toothpick and fry!

Lamingtons (in honour of the fact that it is Australia Day tomorrow – 26 Jan)

Bakerella’s Vanilla Cupcake/Brownie ‘Hamburgers‘. (no meat in these babies!)

So basically there are enough saturated fats in this selection, to practically ensure some sort of cardio-graphical-myopathilogical-infarction-related event… hmmm perhaps a look at somemedical coding training courses might be in order before I get started?

It’s basically a snacky, picky, nibbly little soireé for my family (clearly the chicken strips and bacon cherries are with my boys in mind) and for some family members who are stopping by after work for a bite and a glass of vino.

To celebrate ME. Yay! I do so love adoration, adulation and the spotlight.

Plus if I can pull off all these fiddly food things, it’s just another reason for gathering praise. (No I’m not a hopelessly arrogant attention seeker, but I *am* talking myself out of self-esteem issues, so bear with me mmkay?)

Plus! I get to wear the über cool, so chic, aussie flag apron that Eatshootblog sent me! I may just pair it with the matching bandana!

Okay, time to head out(of my blog), because I’m going to be flat out like a lizard drinking! (tee-hee).

Happy Monday everybody!

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Tags: Australia Day, Bakerella, Baking, Birthday, Birthday Party, Chicken Strips, Lamingtons, The Pioneer Woman

It is HERE!! The Pioneer Woman’s Cookbook is Finally Here!

Sep 3

Posted by ness in Amazon, Blogs, Book Review, Great Deals, food | 2 Comments

The Pioneer Woman

This Woman’s cooking changed my life. Well, her recipes, and the fact that she blogged them did!

I am NOT joking.

I used to hate cooking, but she made it easy, she took pictures – and she uses real butter!

She’s the Nigella of the midwest!

Unfortunately the flip side is now, everytime I cook something really tasty, my husband says, “Hmmm-mmm another Pioneer Woman recipe??” then smacks his lips and dishes up a second helping.

Not that I mind! Even my kids are eating their food up when I cook her stuff!

Anyhoo – you can pre-order her book from Amazon by clicking on the link at the top right of my sidebar.

GO and BUY it.

TRUST ME.

Your husband will worship you.

Your ass…not so much.

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Tags: Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman, The Pioneer Womans Cookbook, Where can I buy the Pioneer Womans cook book?

Sugar, Peanut Butter, and Harry Potter

Jun 12

Posted by ness in Activities, Harry Potter, Movies, Random Blatherings, Recipes, The Pioneer Woman | 4 Comments

I’m not joking.

Yesterday, in a fit of madness (theoretically before I actually had sugar, but that’s totally beside the point), I decided to make The Pioneer Womans Chocolate Crusted Peanut Butter Cream Pie.

The only difference with mine, is that I called it PMS Pie. Because darn it if my PMS symptoms weren’t shouting (((FALL BACK TO MINAS TIRITH))), sounding their orc horns and disappearing over the distant hills like a bad quote from Lord of the Rings.

Seriously, if you like chocolate, and peanut butter, you need to make this pie. It’s so freakin’ easy too, that I managed to remember all the ingredients without a shopping list and just had to check the recipe once for the order of chucking it all together. It’s one of those recipes where you chuck it all in, and bung it in the fridge, the only effort required is cleaning up afterwards.

I gave a slice to my husband after a hearty pasta/bolognaise bake for supper, and took it from me, with a doubtful glance (implying that he was already quite full), took one bite, and said, something which sounded like, “OH MY GAWD!” and when he’d cleared his plate in exactly 2.6 seconds, and helped himself to another slice, he mumbled something like, “Pi-nr Mun?” in between gob-smacking sounds, which I translated as “Pioneer Woman?” (because of course I couldn’t possibly think up something quite so delicious – no really I can’t!!).

I said yes, and then because I did want to put my own stamp on it of sorts, I said, “It’s PMS pie. She didn’t call it that, but I am.”

He didn’t answer me because he was too busy making, oomph, nom, nom, lick sounds.

So do yourself a favour and make it. It’s tewtally worth it man.

In other news, did anyone else notice that we’re just over a month away from the release of the new Harry Potter movie? I keep seeing advertisements that say ‘in cinema’s July 15th’. I have yet to see a Harry Potter movie more than a DAY after it’s released. This one is going to be *really* good too, I’m sure!

Remember it’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Book 6), and the third last in the series of movies because book 7 is being split into two movies.

I think I’ll make the man stay home, since he’s not a fan, and the poor thing wouldn’t know his expelliarmus from his wingardium leviosa, and, and well… those of us *who know*, know just exactly how that can get you into all sorts of unneccessary trouble.

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Tags: chocolate, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, Oreos, Peanut Butter Pie, The Pioneer Woman