Have to Share

Sometimes I can’t help myself and I just have to share a good “resource”.

Here is the story.

A few days ago I was at Sam’s. I was there to spend the inordinate amount of money it costs us to stock up our pantry with basic supplies that will last all of a week. (I’m only half way joking.) I was also there to see if I could still find a little cookbook I’d seen a few weeks before called $5 Meals. When I was at Sam's the last time I’d looked through the book ($5 Meals) and decided that I already had most of the recipes in it and that I didn’t need it, (read that - I didn’t want to waste money on it) but as often happens to me over the course of a few days/weeks (and several meal plan headaches later) I decided that maybe I really did need that little cookbook. Also, it is important to note that I’ve been forcing myself to be more frugal so…$5 Meals seemed just the thing to help me out. Anyway, as often happens at Sam’s, if you don’t buy immediately, you are sometimes out of luck (did I mention that I also looked for the book at Target and Barnes and Noble with no success). But, there was another little cookbook with the intriguing title of “The Pioneer Woman Cooks”. Now, if you’ve been following along with me for any length of time, you know that my secret desire (read - I really, really want this) is to move to the country and disappear so that my kids can climb trees, wade in cold creeks and build forts made out of sticks and I can sit back in a rocking chair on the porch and watch the sunset - and so that Sundays become a day of rest and not of work (read that - no church committee meetings, deacon meetings or any of the other “meetings” that take up our whole Sunday and take it from a day of rest and worship to a day of work). So if you know this, you will know that opening this little book (with such a cute red headed lady on the cover) was something I couldn’t resist.

Well, long story short, the cookbook came home with me ($17 price tag and all - I do not spend $17 on a book without a lot of teeth grinding - and especially not a cookbook) and later that evening as I was waiting in the van for Mark to get off of work (we had to pick him up because in order to go to Sam‘s I had to drop him off at work) I read through the whole thing - all 237 plus pages (I waited a long time) and enjoyed every single minute. It is an odd thing to say that a cookbook was a “joy”. But, honestly it was. The author Ree Drummond was kind enough to include little stories and pictures about how she became “the pioneer woman” and about her cowboy husband, her children, her animals (cows, horses, and dogs), her friends and extended family, life on the ranch, and of course the food that she cooks. Did I mention that she is an awesome photographer. The pictures in the book are reason enough to buy it. She makes being a cowboy look like fun. And as an added bonus she has step by step pictures of how to make each dish - simple, wonderful dishes. No tofu or vegetables with weird names here. Just simple, easy, everyday food. Wonderful. The kind a girl can actually cook and her family will actually eat. Did I mention that the in the first couple of pages the recipes are for Pico de Gallo and Guacamole! I’ve decided that she must really be a Texan at heart. Btw, if you weren’t hooked by that, the first recipe is for BBQ Jalapeno Poppers. (This recipe is very similar. Yum, yum, yum!)

Anyway, that is not all. The cookbook came about as a result of her blog - ThePioneerWoman.com. I couldn’t resist checking it out - right now she has a recipe for Apple Fritters up that makes me want to put on my apron and pull out my pans. So if you are wondering what to cook for dinner tonight...this!

But, again that is not all. Guess what? (I’d already wondered about this before I checked her out.) Yes! She home schools. Make sure you read her post about how that came about. It will have you laughing. Did I mention that she has a great sense of humor.

Side Note #1: I don’t usually like to post about things I haven’t actually tried so I am breaking my own rule in posting this - I haven’t actually made any of the recipes in The Pioneer Woman Cooks yet, but having cooked for many years now, I can usually look at a recipe and know whether not it will “work” (read that - taste good or not) and I think these are keepers. Although, in a pinch I might simplify them a little - as I usually buy chicken breasts instead of fryer chickens. But, maybe I’ll reform.

Side Note #2: For those of you who already live on a farm and have chickens, etc. or desire to do so...I thought I’d pass on another bit of info. - while I was at Sam’s I also perused the magazine racks and came across a little magazine called GRIT. It is all about life in the country. There were two issues on the stand and one was all about raising chickens. I didn’t buy that issue, but the one I did buy is about gardening and other things (it has cookie recipes in it and is the one pictured in the link). Very interesting and helpful - even for this city girl.

So that's it. Just thought I'd share.