Pioneer Woman

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.

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Chocolate Covered Toffee

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,

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Pie

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,

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Ina Garten’s New Cookbook

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. 

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Colorful Cooking

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;

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