Groupie

In my life there have been very few times when I have felt like a groupie. In fact, I really can't think of one... besides last night.

It all started about 2 years ago. It was Adam's birthday and I decided that I wanted to make him a chocolate sheet cake - one like my mom used to make - so I got online and did a search on Google. A few possibilities popped up and as I compared the recipes I found, I decided on one from a blog. On this blog, the author had the recipe completely broken down, step-by-step with a picture (or two or three or four) for each step. I thought it was really cool and unique to post a recipe this way. Then I got to work on Adam's chocolate sheet cake. And it was the best. Ever. It was so good! Everything about it was just perfect - it was moist, it was melt-in-your-mouth soft, it was so chocolate-y but not overly rich, it was deeeeeeelicious!

So I went back to that blog and I looked at all of the other recipes that were posted. Each one was in the same format as the sheet cake - step-by-step with lots of pictures. And I felt very compelled to try all of them. And I did. Over the following few weeks I tried a bunch of different recipes - and each one was a hit. And I made about five more sheet cakes. No exaggeration. And in the two years since that first fateful visit I have returned again and again - it's been my go to place for recipes or ideas for what to make for dinner.

The blog is by a woman who calls herself the Pioneer Woman because she lives on a working cattle ranch in the middle of nowhere, Oklahoma. I found myself drawn to her site so frequently for recipes, that I started reading the other areas of her site - confessions, home and garden, photography, and the story of how she met her husband - and loving it all. She is a great self-taught photographer and posts a ton of her pictures to enhance the experiences and stories that she shares. And besides that I just really liked her humorous and engaging writing style.

Well, she's put together a cookbook. It was just released at the end of October. I pre-ordered one for myself and it is beautiful. Inside and out. This is the front cover:



This is the back:



I love all of the pictures and colors!

And best of all, the book's format is similar to her website's format: step-by-step with lots of pictures!



Cool, huh?! I can't wait to try her chicken pot pie!



And this? This is what the Pioneer Woman calls "Flat Apple Pie". And I love it. I love this pie. It's changed my pie-baking life! It basically tastes just like your typical (yet delicious) apple pie but it takes a fraction of the time to prepare. And that's always a good thing. The thing about this pie is you just throw the dough on a baking sheet, put the apple filling in the middle of the circle of dough and fold the edges of the dough over and you're done. It's a beautiful thing! I hate fiddling with pie crust! I don't mind the making of the dough or getting the filling together - I just don't like forming the crust so it's all pretty. I'm not a perfectionist so inevitably my "fluted" edges end up looking like a three year old was put in charge of the crust - and it's a little bit embarrassing. This pie has changed all that - it looks rustic and charming and I don't have to try to flute any edges. It's awesome. And liberating!




So, I know I already sound like a groupie, but it's about to get worse.



I got my cookbook and I read every page. I relished every picture. My mouth watered over the recipes that I hadn't yet seen. I looked forward to many fun nights recreating the dishes.

And I was happy.

Then I found out that the Pioneer Woman (her name is Ree) was starting her book tour and would be coming to do a signing in Salt Lake. We decided to go. It was crazy chaotic. There were so many people and it was held at a very small (but very quaint and charming) book shop. By the time we got there they had already given out all of the tickets. We didn't even know you had to have tickets! We had the option of waiting until all of the ticket holders had gone through and then waiting until the waiters had gone through. But they were only on B, and the tickets went through R, and it was already 8pm. Having Audrey and Lucas with us made trying to wait the multiple hours impossible. My hopes of getting my book signed and meeting Ree in person were dashed.

In a last-ditch effort, I decided to see if there was any way to just slip in really quick - thinking maybe if they knew I had babies with me they might make an exception. I wasn't at all hopeful. I just knew they would say, "sorry, but no." And they did.


But then Lucas' cheeks worked their magic.



A kind samaritan handed me her just-used "B" ticket and they let me get in at the end of the "B" line.



Thank you, kind samaritan!

Thank you, kind organizers!


About 20 minutes later I was having my book signed.



Ree was lovely and warm and engaging.



Just like I thought she would be. Thank you, Ree!


I think she was charmed by Lucas' cheeks too.



But who wouldn't be?

If you haven't been to her site, you must go. Go now. NOW. Start with her recipes! Start with her Chocolate Sheet Cake! You can't go wrong - all of the recipes are beautiful and straight-forward and absolutely delicious!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/monthly-archives/

Happy cooking!