Saturday, June 30, 2007

food influences

I've done pretty well here at home, cooking for our health.  We've banned salt far, far away, to the point of even buying no-salt-added ketchup and no-salt canned tomatoes; I cook low-fat most of the time.  Holidays I make the good old fattening dishes, but I can tell I'm not as good a cook as I once was on those things.  Use it or lose it, the saying goes.  I'm losing my touch with a lot of the old farm-style foods I seldom make any more.

Enter Pioneer Woman, the best blogger ever.  Note that I did not say my favorite blogger, or the one I'd most like to meet.  I doubt Ree and I have much in common, when you get right down to it.  But her style of writing, her humor, and her pictures inspire me!  I use photos a lot more these days, thanks to Pioneer Woman.

Anyway.  Pioneer Woman Ree occasionally  shared recipes on her main blog, and has lately set up new digs specifically for cooking.  So far, there hasn't been a healthy one in the bunch.  But those I've tried are all delicious. 

Just to show the kind of influence she has, two of her dishes (chicken spaghetti and  "the best chocolate cake ever) are very similar to a couple of recipes used by my Arkansas friend, Lona.  But I had never tried to make them until PW shared them.  Why?  I think it's the pictures!   Ree takes pictures of every tiny step in making a dish; including, toward the end of each food entry, shots of some luscious bite of heaven perched on the end of her fork.  So you just HAVE to make it to see if it's as good as it looks.

As I type this, there's a Pioneer Woman brisket slow-cooking in my roaster.  Brisket has been a big family favorite around here, and nobody else could convince me to flavor it up in a different way.  But I've had such great success with PW's other foods, I just had to try.  It's no doubt loaded with sodium, since there's a whole bottle of soy sauce in there.

In my freezer is a pan of Ree's chicken spaghetti, waiting for an opportune time to be taken out and slid in the oven.

So, let me warn you:  reading "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" may be hazardous to your health.  It can derail your diet and clog your arteries.  Don't go there.  Most especially, don't go there hungry.

Speaking of food, you can check out how Cliff's garden is growing on my blogger site.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now I HAVE to go pay a visit...just to take a peek!! LOL!
Pam

Anonymous said...

I love her and it is all your fault!  You were the one who hooked me up and it is the ritual I look forward to every morning!  I did try her first sandwich which was to die for and yes probably a cholesterol nightmare.  But it was sooo good.
Traci

Anonymous said...

I, like you, do my best to really watch what goes into my cooking! But it's always fun to see what others are doing! Your brisket sound delicous and I bet it just melts in your mouth. I'll pop on over to see what kind of creations PW is cookin up!
Thanks for the tip and the link! Take care of you and yours ~ Have a nice weekend!
Katie

Anonymous said...

LOL - her chocolate cake has been my downfall....

~Amy

Anonymous said...

I noitced that in a lot of pics she has both hands in it so someone must be helping her take the shots and you are right they are step by step by step.  I like that too....did you think her sink looked rather small?

She has a beautiful journal....would love to see her make a cookbook

Anonymous said...

yeah...Ree is death to a diet!!!!
Becky....

Anonymous said...

I'm sure I'd be so much better off if I could break the salt habit.  I at least switched to sea salt but, salt is salt!  I am what you would call a "saltaholic".  But my doctor did tell me that I could eat all the salt I want and I took that very seriously.  Why, I even salt my diet Coke -- mostly because I don't like Coke but it's free at work and the salt takes away the sweetness and makes it somewhat palatable!  I could probably shed this last 5 pounds if I gave up the salt (water weight).  But now that you've made me so curious about Pioneer Woman, that 5 pounds off may turn into 5 pounds on.  I must be strong!  Linda

Anonymous said...

I will never give up my sodium!

Anonymous said...

Oh Mosie, where would I be if you had not introduced me to more bloggers than one could ever know.  Yes, I love Pioneer Women.............but I have a brisket recipe than is EVER BETTER.........and lower in sodium.   I'll send it to you.   Anne

Anonymous said...

You're making me hungry and I have got to bring my cholesterol down.

Anonymous said...

Hi there.  I have noticed my taste buds getting really picky about salt these days.  I can really taste it.  Hubby does most of the cooking and has had to cut back b/c I taste it 10 fold!  When I buy, I sometimes by the no-salt versions - when I think I can get away with it and no one will notice.  LOL.  Something like ketchup wouldn't fly though.  Everyone would see.  he he

You all have done so well though to change your ways of eating to a healthy way of eating.  America certainly does not lend that approach to easily to us.

Have a good weekend and 4th.
Sonya