Onward- look what I got for Christmas!
Having a baby has domesticated me a little. Plus, it's winter and I'm only working one day a week and Ranch Boy Jr. typically (as if anything with an 8 month old is typical.....) and conveniently naps right around dinner prep time. I used to enjoy baking (muffins and cookies and the like) but never cared much for cooking dinner beyond pasta or tacos (something I couldn't fub up!)
I got the Pioneer Woman's new holiday cookbook at Costco. Now I have all three (and the first one I met her and got autographed!) Why do I love to cook from her recipe books? Let me count the ways:
1. The ingredients are normal things I can find at a small town supermarket. 2. The recipes are easy to-follow and understand. Have you ever looked at a Martha Stewart magazine recipe? I swear they take hours and involve things like string and cheese cloth. Huh? I just learned how to use parchment paper. Baby steps, people! 3. The photos are delightful and helpful to me, in encouraging me to try to a recipe (because if it looks yummy, it probably is!) The photos also help me to know my attempts are on the right track. (Oh, that is what 'diced' looks like.....) Her cooking show is great, too! Even Ranch Boy will watch it with me. Sometimes we even drool.
I've made her meatballs (the sauce is to die for!) pulled pork, glazed ham, enchiladas, and Mac n' Cheese, just to name a few. I pretty much want to try everything and my mom just gave me a freezer full of freshly butchered beef so I've got my measuring cups and chiles ready..... (PW likes the chilies...)
I think Ranch Boy appreciates the effort at cowboy food as he's a meat and potato kind of man.
Who is your favorite cookbook guru?
Ranch Girl
4 comments:
Sounds yummy! and that dutch oven! NICE. I don't have a specific guru, but I agree, I like to work form cookbooks that use real food, you can get at the local store!I use a lot of recipes I learned from my mom and grandma, and some I just wing it.I used to watch the food network and get ideas, didn't necessarily follow the recipe exactly but , the basic idea.
Have fun!
oh , and I love the "Companys coming" books"
I've been really enjoying PW's show, also. I love that she is a real person with country interests and like you said, the recipes are pretty easy. I remember when she was just a blogger, so cool now that she has a show! I really want to try her awesome nachos and I just made her oatmeal cookies. Yum!
Oh my! You are getting domesticated with such enthusiasm for a dutch oven! Good for you! There are so many things around us to be enthusiastic about, don't you love it? I bet that is an excellent cookbook--I too would appreciate all the photos and easy/clear preparation. Martha Stewart is too complicated for me and will have you dirtying every dish in the house! Argh! I wonder if Pioneer lady has any good grain free recipes in her book. I don't eat beef or grain of any kind so that rules most cookbooks out for me. However, when cooking for others, sometimes it is nice to have a "normal" cookbook around. Thanks for the tip!
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