Jealousy is such a bad characteristic...

but I am jealous. I guess you would say "coveting" more than jealous. But I'm getting ahead of myself on this post, so let me start over...

I have A LOT of cook books. I love them. I read them like a novel, and mark all of the recipes I want to make. Then, I actually do make some of them. ;-) A few months ago, I downsized my collection, and gave about half of them away. I held on to the ones I really love and use. One thing I have noticed is that most of the ones I kept are Christmas themed, or all about cookies/baking.

Hey, I know what I like. :-)

My family will tell you that I love collecting recipes, not just in cook books. I can't tell you how many recipes I have printed from the Internet, or copied from a magazine. I keep those in a three-ring binder, so that I cannot find the recipe when needed, and I print another copy. :-)

However, I believe I have THE COOK BOOK, and I want to recommend it to you. It is AMAZING, and very much something I would love to do some time. Here it is:




That's right, Ree at Pioneer Woman Cooks finished her cook book. I have not finished the whole thing, yet.

OK, I have flipped through it, but I can assure you I have found several recipes I will be copying and using this year, and by "this year" I mean before the end of '09. I am seriously thinking I may have to put money down and BUY this one at RETAIL. Yep, it's that good. I can also pretty much guarantee that before the end of this coming weekend I will have found myself a "semi" quiet corner in the house and curl up with a hot cup of cider to read the cook book cover to cover.

This is where my "coveting/jealousy" comes in. Not only do I want to make my own cook book someday (not for retail, just a personal thing for me and maybe some family members), I want Ree's kitchen. I want her talent for cooking/baking and I WANT HER KNOWLEDGE AND TALENT FOR TAKING AMAZING PHOTOS!" Or, maybe just her camera and photo software. That would work too. ;-)

Anyway, hop over to Ree's or Amazon and purchase your own copy of "Pioneer Woman Cooks" today; or just run down to your local public library and borrow it like I did. Just don't drool on the cinnamon rolls because someone else WILL want to check it out. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Blogs I read...

Well, I told y'all I'd be back with a list on Sunday or Monday. It's Monday, just a week later than planned. :-)

In my busy schedule I do try to take a little time for myself, and there are a few blogs I read regularly. Some everyday, some a couple of times a week, and some whenever the owner of the blog has a new update.

I'm rather eclectic, and there are many blogs I read, all for different reasons. Some give me a much needed laugh/smile every time; some are nostalgic and bring good memories. Others are informative or creative, and I love to learn new things, while some are inspirational and uplifting. And others? Well, they just help me to feel "normal" because, like me, they just want to feel like they are reaching the "outside world", but not on a "political crusade."

Does that make sense?

And, I especially love the ones that use more run on sentences than I do because then I don't feel like the lamest person on the earth who should have flunked English instead of getting an A or B.

Which would be why Little Mark's Uncle handles the Writing subjects in our homeschool.

Thank you very much and AMEN.

So, if you feel like trying something new, you might give these other blogs a try. :-)

http://thebigmamablog.com/

http://boomama.net/

http://www.fiddledeedee.net/

The above three are the very first blogs I ever started reading. I don't even remember how I found them, but I just love them. :-)

http://thepioneerwoman.com/confessions/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/photography/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/

If you haven't heard of Ree Drummond, AKA "Pioneer Woman" then let me introduce you. :-) I began reading her blog in '08 or '09, can't remember. It started when someone recommended her "love story" she had entitled "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels". I thought it was very fitting. :-) She was putting on her blog, a chapter a month I think. At least it felt that way when you were waiting for the next chapter! Yes, I was one of the women waiting at the computer in my PJs on Saturday morning when she said the new chapter would be up by 8:00 am.

I have no life; thank you for pointing that out.

(You can now purchase it in book form, here) Or her cookbook here.

OR her children's book here.

I have read them all, and own the cookbook. (LOVE the cinnamon rolls and chocolate sheet cake.) OH, and the jalapenos. (Sweet mercy, they are AWESOME!) I do make one change to the recipe though. I throw in a bag of real bacon pieces instead of wrapping it in bacon.

Did I mention the are AWESOME? I also make a change to the cinnamon rolls which you can read about here.

The woman can do it all. And she homeschools and runs a cattle ranch with her husband. Did I mention they are also turning Black Heels to Tractor Wheels into a movie? Yep, they are. Ree will be played by Reece Witherspoon. If she has said who is playing her husband I must have missed that post, but I have some great suggestions. :-) OH, and she will have her own show on Food Network very soon. They already filmed the episodes.

I want to be Ree when I grow up.

I have to admit, I don't read PW everyday anymore, because HELLO, there is a lot there. But, it is informative and fun. And, she still writes like she always has, even though now she's "famous."

OK, more links:

http://www.sugarpiefarmhouse.com/

This one is fairly new to me, but I am loving it. :-)

http://www.thethriftymama.com/

Again, fairly new to me, but great info.

http://daeofourlives.blogspot.com/

I love reading my friend, Amanda's blog. :-)

http://cozylittlecabin.blogspot.com/

And my friend, Vera's blog. :-)

http://www.myrepurposedlife.net/

This one is also new to me, but I LOVE the craft projects she shows. I especially want to make THIS.

http://juliesthoughtstothink.blogspot.com/

My friend, Julie, is always uplifting and inspiring. :-)

There are others that I read and recommend, but I'll stop here for now. I hope you enjoy them, and find something that interests you. :-) I know they will appreciate new visitors, just as I do. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Jalapeno Cheese Spread

 It's no secret that I love Pioneer Woman's recipes.   It's no secret that I love to cook/bake and read cook books.  I also like to adapt a recipe to fit my families taste.  Such as with PW's Cinnamon Rolls that I posted about here:


One of my FAVORITE PW recipes is her Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos.  I love them!  But, I could never get the bacon to cook all the way through.  So, my VERY smart brother suggested using bacon pieces and adding them to the cheese mixture, rather than wrapping it in bacon.  We tried it and IT WORKED WONDERFULLY!!  :-)


So, a couple of weeks ago we wondered how the stuffed jalapenos would work as a cheese spread for crackers?   Today I gave it a try.  SUCCESS!   


I wish I could take the credit for it, but it all originated with Pioneer Woman's original recipe.  I just put it all together and slathered it on a cracker.  And boy am I glad we did!!


I have already decided this will be making an appearance at the next Singles Game Night.  :-)


Here's what I did to make it:


About 8 -10 jalapenos, cleaned, rinsed and cut in half
2 8ox blocks of cream cheese
3/4 C of grated cheddar cheese
1/4 C of green onions; chopped
1 bag of REAL bacon pieces
1/2 - 3/4 C of BBQ sauce


Preheat oven to 350 F.   Line a pan with aluminum foil and lay out the peppers.  Bake for 30 min.  Place all ingredients in a mixer and mix using the paddle attachment.  Just until it's mixed well.  Enjoy on crackers.  

I'm sure it would also be wonderful with veggies.  I'm even toying with the idea of placing it in a dish and pouring BBQ sauce on top and heating it in the oven for a hot dip/spread.  We'll have to wait for another day to try that though because I'm pretty sure there won't be any left tonight to try it later.  :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

It's a sweet gift. :-)

Ok, I was supposed to go to a Sunday School Christmas party tonight, but we went Christmas shopping instead. :-) However, I did make the dessert I promised, and I thought I would share it with you. :-)

I forgot to take a picture of the "cast of characters", as Pioneer Woman would say, but I can give you a run down.

2 boxes of Duncan Hines Yellow cake mix

2 T Meringue Powder

6 eggs

2/3 C of Crisco Oil

2 2/3 C water

3 cans of Wilton Decorator Icing

Fondant

Icing Color

Ok, after baking the cake you have this:

Don't you just love how the cooling rack makes those neat little squares? :-)

Now you take the icing:

And color it green, so it looks like this:

Then you ice the cake. I'm pretty sure you can figure that step out by yourself. :-) After that you color the fondant with Christmas Red icing color and knead it until it is all red. Roll it out to 1/8 inch thick and cut it into strips using a pizza cutter.

Then you lay two peices of fondant across the cake to look like ribbons. Like this:

Curl into bow peices. You need about 14 of them. Lay them out so they can "air dry."

Then you peice the bow together using icing as the glue. The white things you see are the napkins. I was told if you put paper inside the loops it helps it to hold it's shape.

The you need to make a tag. use white fondant cut into a square. Decorate with green icing, and place red balls in the corner using leftover fondant from the ribbon. I used red food coloring, the same that I tinted the fondant with, and I painted "Merry Christmas" onto it using a brush.

You then peice the whole thing together and you get this:

It's not my best work, but for the first attempt I am happy with it. :-)

Love,

Wendy Darling

Friday Recipe Swap

You may remember that I linked to THIS cinnamon roll recipe from Ree at Pioneer Woman Cooks. Well, I tried them, and they are YUMMY. My family missed the brown sugar in the cinnamon rolls that I usually make, though. SO, I "tweaked" Ree's recipe just a tad. I only made two changes, and let me tell you I am glad I did. :-)

I still LOVE Ree's recipe as well, and if you would like to look at the recipe with all the REALLY nice pictures she has, then please hop on over and see it. You'll be glad you did. :-)

OK, here is the recipe I used, with the TWO changes I made.

Ingredients:

Dough:
1 C whole milk
1 C vegetable oil
1 C sugar
2 packages (4 1/2 tsp.) active dry yeast
9 C all purpose flour
1 heaping tsp. baking powder
1 scant tsp. baking soda
1 Tbl. salt

Filling:

2 C butter, melted
1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
2 T cinnamon

For the dough, beat the milk, oil and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Do not allow the mixture to boil. Set aside and cool to lukewarm.

Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on top of the milk for 1 minute.

Add 8 C of flour, stir until just combined. Cover with a clean towel and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour.

Remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt and the remaining 1 cup of flour. Stir thoroughly to combine.

Place dough on floured surface and divide into two parts. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 X 10 inches.

Pour melted butter on dough and spread evenly. Cover with half of the sugar/cinnamon mixture and spread evenly. Roll the dough tightly and pinch to seal. Cut in 1 1/2 inch slices and place on buttered pan. Cover and let rise at least 20 minutes. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Icing:

2 lbs. powdered sugar
1/2 C whole milk
6 Tbl. butter, melted
1/4 C strongly brewed coffee
Dash of salt
1 Tbl. maple flavoring or maple extract (I used Maple syrup)

The only thing I changed is the sugar types and amount. Ree uses 2 cups of white sugar, but I divided it between brown and white. Crushed pecans may be added on top, or inside the dough before rolling, if desired.

To see other great recipes, please go over to Gayle's at Grocery Cart Challenge. :-) If you would like to participate, be sure to link to Gayle's blog. :-)

Come back tomorrow for a book recommendation. :-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

Cookie Recipe

Well, I did it. I read the "Pioneer Woman Cooks" cook book cover to cover, and I have determined that it would take A LOT less time and effort to just buy the book rather than copy each of the recipes I want to try. :-) So, when I get the money I shall plop it down on a new copy. Seriously, this is one you should take a good look at. Be sure to ask for it at your public library. :-)

OK, today is Friday, and that means it is time for the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap. After you finish here be sure to hop on over to Gayle's to check out all of the great recipes linked there. :-)

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting in a doctor's office waiting for my Mom, and I was flipping through magazines. I found this wonderful cookie recipe, and I was REALLY tempted to tear out the recipe and take it with me. But, since that is one of my HUGE PET PEEVES, I just searched for pen and paper and wrote as fast as possibly could to copy it down. It is beyond delicious! :-) I made them and for Bible Study this week, and there were NONE left. Since Christmas is coming, and many people will be attending cookie swaps, I thought it would be good to share this recipe with you. ENJOY!!

ROLO COOKIES

1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar (packed)
2 eggs
2t vanilla extract
2 1/4 C flour
1t baking soda
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa
48 Rolo candies (unwrapped)
Powdered sugar

Beat butter, gradually add sugars, beat well. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Combine dry ingredients. Gradually add to mixture and beat. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Divide dough into 4 parts. Refrigerate the 3 parts you are not working with. Divide 1 part into 12 pieces. Flatten each piece and roll a Rolo into each one. Bake 8 minutes. Cool for 1 minute and then move to a cooling rack. Let them cool completely, then sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Love,
Wendy Darling

I got an award! :-)

I want to thank Kwizgiver for honoring me with the "When Life Gives You Lemons Make Lemonade Award". Thank you, Kwizgiver!! ;-) According to the rules I must:

1) You must link back to the person you received the award from.
2) You have to nominate 10 bloggers who are deserving of this award!

So, my 10 will be...

1. Gayle at Grace for Gayle and The Grocery Cart Challenge
2. Melanie at Big Mama
3. Monica at Daily Dwelling
4. Julie at Elisha Rose
5. Dee Dee at Fiddledeedee
6. Leighton at My Best Investments
7. Cleggy at The White Horse
8. Lori at Queen of Dirty Laundry
9. Candace at Be Jolly, By Golly
10. Ree at Pioneer Woman Homeschooling

Thank you to each of you for the joy you bring me, the inspriration, laughter, tears and lessons learned. I love visiting each and every one of you. ;-)

Love,
Wendy Darling

I got the "Beautiful Blogger Award" from Kwizgiver at "What if this is as Good as it Gets." Thank you, Kwizgiver. I am humbled and grateful.

The award does come with the some responsibilities.

1. I must thank the person who bestowed this honor upon me.

2. Copy the award and place it on my blog.

3. Link to the bestowers’ site.

4. Enumerate seven interesting things about myself. Here they are:

1) I love to bake.
2) I like decorating cakes.
3) My favorite ice cream is Chocolate Fudge Brownie with nuts.
4) My favorite colors are pink and purple (but not together)
5) I took Wado Kai (karate) in college, and was a yellow belt when I stopped.
6) I like to crochet.
7) When I was about 7 years old I road an elephant at the Houston Zoo.

5. Nominate seven bloggers that I find beautiful. Here are my nominees: Princess Ladybug, Elisharose, Pioneer Woman, Daes of our Lives, Grocery Cart Challenge, My Listening Heart, and Leighton Heart.

Love,
Wendy Darling

Hello/Recommendation :-)


I know, it's been awhile. :-) Things are going well with me, but busy. I'll post later catching up with me, but I read something this morning that excited me so much I had to share. I'm doing my "Happy Dance." :-) Ree from the Pioneer Woman IS publishing her "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" story AND there is a wonderful announcement in regards to that. But, I'll let her tell you. :-)



Love,
Wendy Darling

It's better than Harlequin Ya'll....

If you happen to be one of the few people on the internet who isn't reading Pioneer Woman's story let me tell you that you are MISSING OUT! :-) I swear that Ree should be publishing this. She would make a FORTUNE!

This story, posted in cliffhanger segments, tells about her meeting, and romance with her husband "Marlboro Man". It's amazing, ya'll. Just amazing. :-)

If you so choose, you may "begin at the beginning" by going HERE, where Ree has so graciously linked to each installment she has posted so far. :-) So, pop some popcorn, get a nice cold drink (or warm drink, your choice), sit back and enjoy... :-)

Love,

Wendy Darling