So my reason

I haven't been posting any reviews for a couple of reasons.  First, I have been watching my food intake and working hard at losing some pounds and so my menus have been more low fat, low cal type stuff.

But, I do want to continue this and I will.  :)  I will just do 1 or 2 reviews a week...  sounds fair to me and my family who obviously loves the cookbook!!! 

So stay tuned...I am still here!!! 

I made Migas!

YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!!!  This dish called migas I made for dinner last night for myself, my handsome husband and my father-in-law.  It was easy and super tasty and great for leftovers! It wasn't a meal you can walk away from, you had to man the stations at all times which made it a bit difficult for my 4 month old that wanted my whole attention.  He just loves me soo much that he feels that he needs to be in my arms at ALL times!  Not that I'm complaining, it is such a cuddlier! I love it! But making dinner is sometimes difficult!  I end up dancing around looking like a fool but my boy is smilin! 

So as I shook my hips, I chopped up green and red peppers, onions, and fried corn tortilla shells.  Instead of fresh tomatoes, I had a can of diced tomatoes, so I used those.  You cook those up and add a ton (dozen) eggs and cook until scrambled.  Then you add yummy cheese, my choice was Monterrey jack cheese and last but definitely not least, fresh cut cilantro!!!! 

BIG hit in this household.  A great dish for a meatless dinner.  Another hit from PW! 

Puffs, Puffs, everywhere!

So I wanted to voice that I made those wonderful Puffs again.  I can't get away from them!!!  I made this batch for work since it was my turn to bring a little somethin, somethin, to the unit meeting.  I figured since I was baking on a week night, I would make two batches!  I should have stuck with one...with it being baling season, the husband was off working which meant no help with the baby cowboy.  I thought "no problem! I will wait until he goes to bed!" NOT!  Turns out to the be the night bedtime isn't as easy as normal!  I think babies know when we parents are trying to accomplish something that we can't normally do with child in arms.  BUT, after two hours....PUFFS WERE CREATED!

I bagged the ones I needed for work and then texted my handsome husband to tell him about his bounty at home.  He loves these first thing in the morning with coffee!!  He was excited!!!  As was I, to be done baking!

Noodle Head!

The last recipe to attempt is the Chicken Spaghetti. It consists of spaghetti noodles, chicken, cream of mushroom soup, a green pepper, an onion, and some seasoning with a kick of Cayenne pepper! Whoo Hoo!  Love the Cayenne!  There nothing like having a spice that gets your attention at every bite!  This is a baked casserole type dish, so I made two so that I could freeze one.  Aren't I a smarty?

This was an OK meal.  Probably not my favorite.  But it was quick and easy.  Especially since I cook my chicken on the weekend and shredded it and bagged it so that I wouldn't have to do that step during the week when I am on a time crunch.  I try to prep everything I possibly can on the weekends for my weekday meals.  Yes, I am one those menu planning/prep ahead ladies.  It is saving my behind on time and energy during the week, let me tell you! 

So for the household, this probably wasn't a favorite for the hubs and child.  There are still left overs...that is my sign. 

Until the next recipe....

Pizza Dough and Calzone

So I will start off talking about the Pizza Dough recipe in The Pioneer Woman Cooks.  This was an easy peasy recipe to follow and only took about small amount of time to create a wonderful crust.  I did it while my baby boy slept!  It consists of the basics, flour, yeast, oil, salt, and some other ingredients.  I made it a day before and kept it in the fridge until I was ready to use it.  I am pretty sure my daughter can make this recipe, so I am going to let her give it a shot tonight! She said she wanted a recipe that wasn't simple, but also wasn't really hard.  I think for a 9 year old, this will be perfect! 

So I made the Pizza Dough to go with the Calzone recipe in the book.  My father in law has been staying with us and helping move cows that are out on range.  So I have been trying to be sure him and my husband have something to eat throughout the day.  I think after a week, peanut butter sandwiches were getting old! So I thought these Calzones would be perfect for a switcharoo!  I made a double batch so that there were plenty of leftovers after we had a chance to test them at dinner.  Final consensus: WINNER!!! DING DING!! 

My brother in law stopped by, he is a wheat farmer up the hill from our ranch, and I told him to grab one to go.  He was kind enough to give me an actual review, "the crust is nice like a pastry and the filling isn't too messy."  Love his details! So he grabbed himself another and headed home. 

Inside the "not too messy pastry" calzone is sausage and hamburger, three cheeses and onion and a can of tomato and peppers. 

This cookbook is just too awesome!! Easy to follow and I love to read it even when I am not cooking!  HA!

Another winner!!

Sunday Pot Roast

Sorry about the short hiatus...I had to go back to work after a month and a half of maternity leave. It has been an adjustment and I am blessed with many people to help with that adjustment. But I have been cooking!!!! Here's the latest:

There is nothing like a family dinner than gathering on Sunday and eating pot roast. That is what we did! The Pioneer Woman has got it right with this slow cooking hunk of meat! She used a chuck roast, as did I. It has the right amount of fat content to keep things moist. First you pan fry some quartered onions and then you remove those and add carrots. You remove those and you sear the roast to add a nice crispy outside layer and also to add the chunks of goodness on the bottom of the pan! You then put in some beef stock and get the yummy morsels off the bottom and add everything in with some fresh herbs and let it sit and simmer for hours! This was a very easy meal to create and the aroma of herbs and meat simmering all day was a bonus!

As for the family review of this hearty meal. Two thumbs up! My husband used the leftovers with some BBQ sauce and made a little sandwich out of it. He's a thinker! He's a rancher! A quick sandwich does the trick! My daughter loved it too. Course she had to eat hers with some ketchup...but me, I savored every juicy bite!

This is definitely a meal you can put in the slow cooker in the morning and leave and have dinner ready for after work. It has great flavor and many "leftover" possibilities! Since I am back to work full time, this will be a choice meal to have. Maybe not that cut of roast since it can be kinda pricey but I am sure any roast will do. Good job Pioneer Woman! Another winner! (Has there been a bad one yet? HA!)

Gosh, I love this cookbook!

Oatmeal Crispies

I wanted to make a little something for my daughters softball team that has a double header tonight. It was either The Pioneer Woman's sugar cookies or the oatmeal crispies. I decided on the what seems wholesome and more healthy oatmeal crispies. These bad boy whip up quickly, which we all know I like that! The only hard part was creaming the shortening and sugars by hand and I did with a fork! If anyone wants to donate a hand blender or a mixer, send me a message, I'll send you my address! There is a wonderful combination of brown and white sugars, pecans, oatmeal, and flour. And I must say I am amazed that is the first recipe in The Pioneer Woman cooks where we didn't use butter!

I made the dough this morning while my lil cowboy napped in the Moby carrier. And then a few hours later, after he woke, I sliced and baked! Easy peasy!

I have a picture of the cookies but I type these blog entries on my blackberry and for some reason I can't post them. Very frustrating because I was looking forward to heightening your senses with this photo.

So the test of if they are a hit with the kids will have to come later. But I can tell you this much, the dough was a hit with my husband, he came in before putting mineral out and snatched a piece! And the baked cookie was a hit for me!

Disclaimer: I have to admit that I burnt my last small batch. But I'm sure they wil be tasty crunched up and put on ice cream or yogurt!

Smokin hot sandwich

The Pioneer Woman lit up our dinner table with this tasty sandwich she named after her husband, The Marlboro Man. This tasty man candy sandwich consists of cube steak and onions combined with worcestershire sauce, lemon pepper, seasoning salt, black pepper and tabasco to taste. And of course, Pioneer Womans favorite, BUTTER! All this smothered together on a stadium bun. YUM YUM!

My husband has asked if I could make this once a week? Heck ya! Not only is it the most delightful hot sandwich but it is time and budget friendly for this poor ranch family! 20 minutes to the table. And its cube steak people...cheap cut!

Thanks again Pioneer Woman! Another keeper in the recipe book!

Ohh La la!

I have died and gone to puff heaven!!! These decadent little breakfast morsels are perfect for those busy mornings of chasing cows or balin hay. These sweet puffs are quick and easy to whip up in no time flat. The Pioneer Woman states in her cook book that she learned this recipe in French class in school. Thank goodness for that class! The world should not be denied this cinnamon and sugar goodness. The ingredients were simple and usually on hand here in my tiny kitchen. Flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, sugar, shortening, eggs, milk, butter and cinnamon. My cowboys thought these were just the ticket and asked that I don't wait too long before making these again. They might even let me help them work in return! HA!

The Pioneer Woman has done it again. Can't wait for dinner tonight! Marlboro Man sandwiches.

What's cookin good lookin?!

I'm back at it folks. My cooking skills need to be put to good use! I hope I haven't forgotten how! Good thing The Pioneer Woman Cooks is detailed! I have been absent ont the account that we had a handsome new cowboy addition to our family! He is 6 weeks old today. I am going to get my shopping done tonight after my daughters softball game and cook some awesome grub tomorrow night for my family to help me review. So stay posted folks. The Ranchers Wife Review is back!