Merry Christmas!

This was the first Christmas we were all by ourselves. Usually either we go to my inlaws’ or they come to our house. That all changed when we moved to Texas since it makes it more of an ordeal to go one place or another.

Still, I made a Christmas dinner and now we are faced with mounds of turkey leftovers. I went to Sam’s about a week ago and they had 10-12 pound turkeys but I didn’t buy one since it was over a week away. Then I went this weekend and all that was left were big ones. I ended up with an 18 pound turkey for 2 people. (But it cost only $15!) I’m going to freeze most of the leftovers and make casseroles this winter: King’s Ranch, turkey pot pie, turkey enchiladas, turkey quesadillas, etc.

Besides the usual stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, I made Paula Deen’s Sweet Potato Balls. It’s mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, spices, orange juice & zest (I didn’t have an organic orange so I used apple cider instead), rolled into a ball around marshmallow, then the whole thing rolled in coconut cinnamon sugar. I made mine a little smaller since I had mini-marshmallows. They look really cute and festive. As far as taste, I thought they were just OK. Mine were a little dry, I’m not sure if that’s because I microwaved the sweet potato to bake it. I thought it could use a little butter, both for moisture and for flavor. When I thought of that, I was surprised that a Paula recipe like this had no butter written into it.

For veggies, I wanted something simple so I made a recipe from "Everyday Food" magazine. It’s carrots (little strips made with a vegetable peeler) sauteed in butter with peas. That recipe was definitely a keeper since it’s simple and straightforward, tastes like it looks. A lot of times when I cook it’s usually just the entree for dinner so it’s an easy dish to throw together to make the meal more balanced.

What a downer today is. I hate that "snap of the fingers Christmas is over" feeling. I’m not sure what to do with this blog. Obviously I haven’t posted much so I’m thinking of consolidating my efforts and just post everything on my other blog.

Chianti (no fava beans)

I haven’t posted lately because 1) I’ve been lazy and 2) I’ve been in a rut where it seems I can’t make anything that tastes good. It’s very discouraging. I don’t know if it’s me or as Debbie suggested, recipes aren’t as good as they used to be. There was a time when most everything I tried from a magazine or cookbook was halfway decent.

Some of the recipes I’ve tried were a ricotta pasta, black bean vegetarian burgers, pumpkin cookies and plain buttermilk pancakes. They all were lacking something or needed to be tweaked. I think I could manage to make an improvement on everything the second time around.

Since I live in a dry county, I carry around a list of wines recommended by newspapers and magazines, for when I’m in a wet area. A few months ago I was in Fort Worth and went to the Sam’s Club there. One of the wines they carried was recommended in an Every Day With Rachael Ray, the February 2007 issue. It was mentioned in a blurb about discount wines, a Sam’s Club "Find" Familia Cara Chianti Reserva 2001,described as "A tannic, food-friendly wine with a black-fruit core." $9 for 750 ml.

I’m not a big spender on anything, much less wines, I’m more of a Two Buck Chuck girl, or Sea Ridge or Forestville (usually 2 for $5-7 range).

Anyway, I like chianti and this one wasn’t bad. A nice change from merlot and cabernet. I hate it when I try a wine that’s over $10 a bottle and it’s disappointing. This one wasn’t like that. It was nice having a recommendation because I never know what to buy.

Smores Brulee (sort of)

On the "Fire and Ice" episode of "Paula’s Party," Paula made Smores Brulee. It was a chocolate creme brulee with toasted marshmallows on top, instead of burnt sugar. I cheated a little by using instant pudding. I toasted the marshmallows by using the halogen light in my microwave, instead of one of those torches (which I don’t have). The photo doesn’t have graham crackers because I went to grab my camera in a rush to take a picture before the marshmallows deflated. I’m not good at mise en place. The toastiness of the marshmallows was yummy, and the presentation is fun. It seems like the kind of dessert that would please adults and children alike.

Paula Does Dallas

Here's an article from the Dallas Morning News about Paula Deen's recent visit to Dallas. I didn't get to go, we were in Northern California escaping the Texas summer heat wave. It was the first time I've gone back to California and not felt as nostalgic or homesick as earlier trips. More about that later...I'm still catching up on things that need to be done offline.


Paula Deen entertains fans, shares recipes at Dallas taping of her television show

By JOYCE SAENZ HARRIS / The Dallas Morning News

If you missed the recent "Paula Deen Live" show at Fair Park, rest assured it was pretty much one big love fest. The cavernous Music Hall was packed with fans who hooted and hollered not just for the Food Network star, but also for her husband, Michael Groover; her bachelor son, Bobby Deen; her niece, Corrie Hiers; her agent; her magazine publisher; and her personal assistant, all of whom accompanied her. She also introduced Weezie Chesney, a fan who looks enough like Paula to be her sister.

The 11 a.m. show (another followed at 4 p.m.) was what you might call interactive and mostly unrehearsed. When Paula told the audience, "I have a surprise for one of you," one woman called out: "Is it Bobby?"

Raucous laughter ensued, of course. Mama took the opportunity to boast about how Bobby was one of People magazine's 50 Most Eligible Bachelors in 2006, and Bobby was an awfully good sport about the whole thing.

"I think it's so important that we laugh," Paula said, in a rare serious moment. "Laughter is like one of the best medicines. My God has a sense of humor; I know that."

Her fans obviously didn't mind Paula's occasional, mild ribaldries. They ate them up, even if they weren't among the eight lucky audience members who got to eat the meal she prepared onstage in a kitchen.

Actually, Paula didn't so much cook the meal as supervise it. Her chef de cuisine: Fort Worth restaurateur Tim Love (Lonesome Dove, Duce, Love Shack), who recently appeared on Paula's Party and showed up to surprise her.

"It's the Drinking Chef!" Paula squealed, referring to Tim's custom of starting his dinner shifts with a 5 p.m. shot of Tuaca.

Tim amazed Paula with his skill at juggling raw eggs ("You got three kids, you got to entertain them somehow"). He brought along wife Emilie, son Tannahill (a.k.a. "T"), and twin daughters Anna and Ella, all of whom came onstage to meet Paula.

The presence of the Love kids gave Paula the opening to announce that she had begun working two weeks ago on a children's cookbook, no doubt inspired by her adored year-old grandson, Jack.

She's also doing a cookware line in stainless steel and copper. "And it comes pre-buttered!" gibed Jim "Jimbo" Bohannon, the Westwood One radio host who served as Paula's master of ceremonies.

Along with Paula's kitchen assistant, Rebecca, Tim cooked the onstage meal of Smithfield pork chops ? Smithfield Foods being the primary sponsor of Paula's tour. Sides were fresh collard greens, which Tim and Paula cut in a chiffonade before cooking (she had an earthy description for the sulfurous smell), plus a butter-rich dish of macaroni and cheese.

"I find it hard to believe you're adding butter," Tim told Paula, deadpan.

"Oh, it's Saturday," Paula said. "Throw on the butter!" And the evaporated milk, and the cheese, and the sour cream.

Paula's surprise turned out to be her version of the old TV show Queen for a Day. She gave audience member Mary Wester more than $1,000 worth of goodies, plus "a diamond crown necklace from my jeweler, Michael Ross."

So a good time was had by all. And, in case you missed seeing Paula this time around, she hinted that she expects to be back on tour next year.

PAULA DEEN'S CHOCOLATE CHEWY COOKIES
2 cups powered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons cocoa, sifted
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
3 egg whites
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Stir together sugar, cocoa, salt and flour. Add egg whites 1 at a time. Beat well, then stir in pecans. Batter will be very thin.

Drop by tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until cookies have begun to brown on bottom and appear set. Allow to sit for about 2 minutes undisturbed, then remove cookies to wire racks to cool. Store in airtight containers.

Makes 18 large cookies.

PER SERVING: Calories 110 (38% fat) Fat 5 g (Trace sat) No cholesterol Sodium 42 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 16 g Protein 2 g

SOURCE: Paula Deen's 2008 Calendar (Random House, $13)

Before the Food Network

...people learned to cook from the generations before them. My mother-in-law was making a cobbler this morning, and said that when she got married, she didn't really know how to cook, and she learned most everything from her mother-in-law. So the way she makes cobbler is the way her husband's mother made it.

Instead of lining the dish with a crust, she rolls out the pastry and cuts it into strips. Then lays three strips on the bottom, adds the fruit filling, and covers it with three more strips. Recently she started using pre-made crusts, frozen Mrs. Smith's, thawing it out and rolling it out, instead of starting from scratch. Anyway, this method makes for a thinner amount of crust on top and bottom, and makes the whole process a lot easier.

This is her finished product. When I went to get my camera, I heard her say to my husband, "What's she doing?" I had to laugh to myself. I know I told them about this blog but it's not something anybody in the family looks at regularly.

Fig & Feta Salad

My co-worker Jennifer studied nutrition in college and made this wonderful salad that I want to share. Check out her blog sometime www.virtually21.blogspot.com

1 head of Romain lettuce
1/2 a medium Avocado
1 large fresh fig (or 3 dried)
1/4 C feta cheese
1/4 C toasted, sliced almonds
1/4 C dried cranberries
1 slice of prosciutto (sliced)

*optionalDressing-
2 Tbs Raspberry Vinaigrette (TJ's)
1/2 of a Lime's juice
1 Tsp. x-virgin olive oil
pinch of fresh ground pepper/salt

Feasting on Asphalt 2

MMy favorite way of learning about food is tied in with travel, especially when it’s someplace local or easily accessible (as opposed to a place like Dubai that I’m not likely to ever visit). I enjoyed the first season of "Feasting on Asphalt," it gave us fans a glimpse of Alton Brown out in the field. Maybe it’s because I’ve been to New Orleans (I took the photo above when we drove down Bourbon Street), or maybe the crew of the show got into the groove of things, or maybe because it was just a darn good show, that I was blown away by the first episode of "Feasting on Asphalt 2." I found myself constantly smiling and intrigued by the places they went. I liked the celebrity aspect, when they went out to dinner and had to abandon their plan and set up tables on the street, because there were so many tourists and autograph hounds there. Since I was born and raised on the Left Coast, I’m intrigued by the South and its traditions. I still don’t like sweet tea, but like the fact that it’s such a regional thing. Anyway, I’m looking forward to the rest of the episodes. My ideal travel trip is having the opportunity to try local foods while travelling, but that often isn’t the case, either because we’re too tired to explore or we’re afraid of getting sick, etc.

Speaking of new episodes, I like the new episodes of "30 Minute Meals" that I’ve seen. I’m not that keen on the new kitchen, but like that there is even a change. I wonder how they film the show so it looks different, it’s "glossier" than previous seasons. And Rachael seems to have toned down a little. I missed her giggling and she seems to be more relaxed again.

Other new things…I’ve started a new blog. It’s called "Everyday Texan" and focused more on Texas chow and the things I encounter here.

Congratulations Amy!

I thought it would be fun to try Amy’s "Eggs en Cocotte" since she was the big winner. I scaled it down to one egg, even though I like eggs, I’m generally a one egg person. I cross-referenced Joy of Cooking’s recipe and baked it at 350° F for 15 minutes. It was kind of hard to tell if it was done. I learned that the cream stays liquid, which is sort of deceptive (when trying to figure out if the white is cooked). Anyway, the final consistency was sort of that of a soft-boiled egg. I didn’t make the piperade, just ate it with homemade sourdough toast. Very tasty for something so simple. The only thing I didn’t like, which is a personal preference, is that the white stays sort of slimy. This would be a great dish when you have to cook eggs for a group of people. Everyone can eat at the same time, instead of trying to cook a few eggs at a time at the stove and serving in shifts.

One of the variations in "Joy" that sounded decadent was to line the ramekin with a lightly cooked piece of bacon.

I enjoyed seeing both Amy’s and Rory’s home lives last night. I was a little disappointed that there was no mention of Amy’s French husband. She reminded me of how I grew up, living in the same place all her life, and having lots of family around. Rory’s small town in Texas looks even smaller than where I live. I thought her restaurant looked cute and the food definitely looked great, but couldn’t help but wonder how it will do in the long run. Maybe her fame will help and out-of-towners will make an effort to stop there. It seems like new restaurants come and go very quickly, specially in a place where there’s a small population. Where I live, people are willing to spend $5 on a burger combo meal at the fast-food joint yet are hesitant to pay $10+ for an entree at a sit-down restaurant.

Less Than An Hour To Go!

I’m sitting here with an hour to go before the big finale of the "Next Food Network Star." I watched some of the reruns today and found them interesting now that we know more about the people. I’m especially intrigued by everyday things like what do chefs eat when they have to cook for themselves. I’ve seen a lot of cereal. Amy made lattes at least twice, and cleaned up after herself. On Top Chef, one of the chefs (I think it’s the one from Dallas) eats a lot of sandwiches, but they look like they’re from a deli.

The whole chef thing is intriguing. Do they make blue box macaroni & cheese for their kids? Or is it from scratch? What is it with the knives? Where do they get them and what makes them different than the Wustof’s I have in my kitchen. Why do so many of them claim to have sophisticated palates, yet they are smokers? Can people with sophisticated palates enjoy a meal at McDonalds? (By the way, the "Top Chef" episode on Bravo where they prepared a tasting dinner for a "club" of people with "sophisticated palates" made me think, give me a break…but I guess that’s why I’m not a chef.)

Anyway…this past week I’ve been going through my pantry and using some items I originally bought to have on hand as emergency dinner staples. One was a can of Rotel that had a use by date of June. I had forgotten I had it. So that made me look through what else I had and I found a can of sweetened condensed milk. I ended up making Spanish Rice and a pudding pie with those ingredients. My latest project is to try to use up some of the staples so that I can rotate and buy new items. I have a short attention span when it comes to planning meals. Sometimes I’ll think of something and buy the ingredients, then forget about it and move on to something else. This week’s project will be cooking up green beans (which can’t be put off since they’re fresh, unless I can them). Hubby likes them Southern-style, cooked to death with bacon and onions. I also have a surplus of tomatoes and basil. With that, I want to make either a panzanella or the Orzo Salad I saw on a recent "Everyday Italian" episode.

I’m kicking myself that I didn’t go out yesterday and buy the Harry Potter book. I went online and saw that my local library is getting it so I put a hold on it, but who knows how long that will take. I could be reading it right now!

Next Food Network Star - Vote Now!

We have until Tuesday 7/17, 9am/8c, to vote for the Next Food Network Star. Go to www.foodnetwork.com/star to vote.

I'm thrilled that the winner will be a woman. I'm rooting for Amy, she seems like a classy person and down-to-earth. I love Paris, and hope that she is somehow able to bring that in without coming off as too pretentious.

Really, it's hard to choose, I like Rory too. No matter who wins, I'll be thrilled for the winner and disappointed for the other person. I like Rory's personality, plus she's transplanted to Texas like me. I looked up Vega on the map and it's just west of Amarillo. I wonder how she came to live there. That part of the state seems to have the extreme weather, when it's hot, it's HOT and when it's cold, it's freezing.

I received a Food Network newsletter today that mentions an "Open House" show on Saturday 8 central, that shows Rachael's new kitchen. I watched a new episode of "30 Minute Meals" this weekend and saw it. I like the colors but not how much of it there is. It looks too institutional for my taste. I like a more homey feel.

Cupcakes

I finally got around to making Nigella’s cupcakes. They’re very simple, flour, sugar, butter, leavening, egg, vanilla and milk all mixed together in a food processor. When I took the top off, the batter smelled divine (tasted good too). On TV she said it would probably look like you don’t have enough batter but not to worry. You can see from the photo that it only fills the cups about half full. When they bake, though, they puffed up in the center.

Instead of the Royal Icing from the recipe, which uses raw egg whites, I made a 7-Minute frosting. That’s egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, a smidge of corn syrup and water. It’s mixed in a double boiler for 5 minutes, then 2 minutes off heat to cool. I added some coconut, inspired by an episode of "Good Eats" earlier this week about coconut cake.

The cake had an angel food taste but denser texture. It’s simple yet not lacking in flavor one bit. One of those recipes that make you swear off using boxed cake mix, it's so simple.

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Last week Rachael made baked jalapeno poppers on her show. Jalapenos are one of the few produce items here that are very inexpensive. I liked the idea that they are baked and not fried, and have spices to flavor them up. Most of the pre-fab ones I’ve tried are pretty much just plain cream cheese inside, with the pepper providing the kick & flavor.

These have cream cheese with manchego (no way I can find that here so I used a Mexican cheese blend), the chopped up tops, green olives, and some spices. They were great, the flavor of the peppers really came through. This was a good example of what a difference fresh ingredients makes. The only thing I’d do differently is cut off less of the top so that the filling is more contained, to prevent it from oozing out the sides. I had a few leftover and I put them on a black bean veggie burger. Delish!!!

Root Beer Floats

Sometimes the shows on the Food Network have something look so good that you have to have it. That’s what happened to me with the Wisconsin episode of "Road Tasted," when Bobby & Jamie went to the Sprecher Brewery. The root beer floats they had looked scrumptious.

I looked at root beer when I was grocery shopping that weekend. I didn’t want to buy a 12-pack (it was 4th of July weekend and it was on sale for about $3) just for a couple root beer floats. I ended up going to another store (since the Walmart I went to does not carry the Dallas paper...that's another story in itself), and they had Sprecher’s! It was a splurge, 4 16-ounce bottles cost over $4. In the scheme of things, though, it wasn’t that expensive.

Anyway, yesterday we ran some errands and came home hot and tired. A root beer float sounded like the perfect refreshment. It sure hit the spot. The root beer was OK, I can’t say that I’m a connoisseur. I did like the fact that it has honey in it and natural flavors. It was an easy and fun "recipe" to try.

Peanut Butter Cheese Cake Mini's

The other day I watched "Best Places to Pig Out" on the Travel Channel, and of course ever since then, I’ve wanted no-list foods like greasy burgers, fries and milkshakes. I’m one of those people that if you saw me, you’d laugh that I was even watching that show. I was intrigued not so much by the pig-out factor, but wanted to hear what places are considered local legends. One of the places on the show was a diner that has pancakes, in Seiad Valley, CA. Hubby has a friend that lives nearby and he said it is a small town, it’s surprising that it made it on the show. Small world.

Today I made Peanut Butter Cheese Cake Mini’s that was on "Paula’s Party" recently. They’re beyond cute. The reviews on Foodnetwork.com predominantly say that the recipe makes way too much crust and filling. I made half a batch and ended up with 6 regular (cupcake) size cheesecakes and 12 mini-muffin ones, with a little crust left over. I used more candy in mine so that was probably a factor. I didn’t want to buy a whole bag of Reese’s mini’s for only 6, and got a regular candy bar package instead. I was going to cut the two cups into six pieces, but hubby suggested using a whole candy in each one. I split fun-size Snickers up for the rest of them.

I took some to my sis-in-law’s and they thought they’d be good at a party. Cheesecake has a reputation for being too rich, and I think the fact that they’re cupcake-sized makes the mini’s more tempting than a regular slice. The "I’ll just have one" kind of psychology. They’re tasty, though, and it would be easy to say "I’ll just have one more."

I liked the taste of the Snicker’s ones. The caramel oozed into the crust and got kind of chewy, though, and the texture of the Reese’s ones were better.

Fusilli (Penne) with Spinach and Asiago Cheese

Earlier this week Debbie had told me about a dish she saw on Giada’s "Everyday Italian" show, that had fusilli and spinach. This was one of those recipes that I could tell I would like it just by looking at the ingredients. Garlic is sauteed in olive oil and then spinach and tomatoes are added, then cheese, pasta, and some of the cooking water. I didn’t have fusilli so I substituted penne. I also didn’t have enough tomatoes but used what I had. If I had sun-dried tomatoes in the pantry, I would have thrown some in too. Adding the spinach to the garlic kind of kept the flavor subtle, although next time I’d use even more since I LOVE garlic. One of the restaurants Debbie & I went to when we lived in the same area, was called "Magic Garlic." Next time I make plain old spinach I'm going to add garlic and asiago cheese, instead of butter. Anyway, I didn’t read the instructions completely and didn’t chop my spinach - you can tell by the clump in the picture. In the end it all tasted good, though. Hubby didn’t say anything - which in some ways is a compliment since it wasn’t a complaint. I didn’t tell him it is a Giada recipe. Maybe I should have, since he watches "Weekend Getaways" with me now.

For dessert I made spice cupcakes from a Better Homes & Gardens baking cookbook that my Mom had given me. I frosted them with 7 minute frosting (basically egg white & sugar, with a smidge of water, corn syrup and cream of tartar), using brown sugar instead of white. Homemade is so much better than a box. Nigella made cupcakes recently, but hers were plain and I wanted something with more of a flavor to them. These had cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and the cake was light, not like gingerbread. Yum. I still want to try Nigella’s recipe. Will let you know how that turns out.

Mashed Potatoes With Spinach

The mashed potatoes Rachael made on Monday’s "30 Minute Meals" looked interesting so I tried them tonight, minus the cod croquettes. They’re basically mashed potatoes with spinach added at the end. The heat of the potatoes wilts the spinach. They were delicious, I could easily eat just them for dinner and forget any meat. It’s makes regular mashed potatoes even more of an indulgence. Since the spinach is only slightly wilted, it adds body to the potatoes and makes it more of a side dish along the lines of an au gratin, as opposed to a starch like rice.

Frito Pie

This doesn't have anything to do with the Foodnetwork but since it has to do with food, I thought I'd share it here. Today's "Taste" section of the Dallas Morning News has a big feature on Frito Pie. It's one of those classic dishes that says "Texas." I love the showcasing of regional foods, which is why I enjoy Paula Deen/Southern cooking, Giada DiLaurentiis/Italian, and even Rachael's ties with upstate New York.

I enjoyed learning the particulars from the article. Basically, it's Fritos, Wolf brand chili, and optional garnishes of cheese, onion, sour cream, etc. I had tried Wolf brand chili before and really liked it, but it has so much more fat than my other favorite brand (Hormel). Maybe that's what makes it tastier.

Of course, I was going to pick up a bag of Fritos while I was at the store, but forgot, since I didn't WRITE IT DOWN on my list. I've gotten really bad...if it's not written down or on my list of places to stop, I'll completely forget about it.

Rice Pudding, Part II

I had been so disappointed with the rice pudding I made last week, since it seemed to have potential and the problem I had was due to my own error of overcooking it. I tried it again, still using the crockpot, but watching it carefully towards the end. It came out better, although it doesn’t look like Paula’s from TV (hers looked more custardy). It looks completely different from the last batch I made, though! I think I’ll try it one more time, and only stir it once, after the first hour, then let the custard set during the second hour.

When I was at the grocery store this weekend, I got a sample of Kozy Shack no-sugar rice pudding. YUM. I’d love to be able to make a homemade pudding that tastes like that. The store-bought kind seems more like rice mixed into vanilla pudding.

To completely change the subject, have you been watching "The Next Foodnetwork Star"? The first week, I was rooting for Paul. I liked his wedding cake the best, especially his personal touch of the two grooms to top it off. I thought that showed an expression of his personality and individuality. Maybe it’s too early, that nobody really seems to exude a sense of who they are and what they want to express with their food. This week, Adrien started to grow on me. He did a good job with his on camera stint.

What I’d love to see is someone who has a concept that is new. Not something that reminds me of an existing Foodnetwork Star. I made "ants on a log" for lunch yesterday (celery stuffed with peanut butter and raisins scattered on top)…and I got to thinking that I’d love to see a show dedicated to kid-friendly food. The "Cook With Your Kids" week on the network is fun to watch. It’s too bad it’s only a week. I’d like to see a high school student from a technical school as a contestant, or a senior citizen preparing healthy meals on a budget (confronting issues older people face, like reducing sodium and sugar), or a vegetarian who comes up with entrees that aren’t side dishes, like the bride wanted at her wedding. It’ll be interesting to see the contestants’ personalities and styles emerge as the series continues.

Paula Deen in Bossier City

Paula Deen was in my neck of the woods on June 2nd. I found an article about the show at FoodNetwork Addict’s blog, from the Shreveport Times. The photo above is from the Shreveport paper as well. I love the "Madonna" look with the headset microphone.

The article said, "The men and women in the audience in the Bossier City arena roared their approval throughout the impromptu show. Her country charm was only part of the appeal for the legions of local fans who lined up to see the restaurateur and Food Network star at the first Paula Deen Live 2007 Tour."

And here's what she cooked..."During the cooking portion of the show, Deen made pork chops, macaroni and cheese and collard greens. She was aided in the cooking by an assistant."

It sounded like some people were a little disappointed in the show, for the price. From reading the article, though, to me it sounded like Paula did what would be expected, chat and cook a little.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying her new show, "Paula's Party." At first I thought the raunchy jokes kind of went overboard but now that the show has been on for awhile, she's kind of hit her stride. I especially like how she incorporates her family into the show, and how they all interact with each other.

Rice Pudding

I’m completely frustrated and disappointed

Today I had the Food Network on while doing some ironing. Paula’s Home Cooking had inexpensive meals, including a mouthwatering rice pudding. It looked so good! I had all the ingredients and it was early enough to make it, so I did. The only difference was that I put it in a crock pot instead of baking it in the oven.

I mixed it all up and put it in the crockpot. I stirred it after an hour, it was still watery and I was wondering if it would take 2-3 hours like the most of the recipes in the Fix It and Forget It cookbook said (I used that for a guideline). After another hour, I stirred again, the edges were set and the middle was watery. Another 45 minutes went by, and all the liquid was absorbed. My heart sank. It was now overdone. I should have turned off the heat after 2 hours and let the remaining heat carry over and finish it off. Then it would have been perfect. At that point it looked almost like Paula’s, yellow and creamy. What I ended up with was disintegrated rice.

Hubby wanted more raisins too, so what I made has way more raisins than I care for. And of course, he doesn’t like it. Inevitably that’s what happens. I configure a recipe to his tastes, he doesn’t like it, and then I’m stuck with a bunch of whatever, not how I would like it. And guess who ends up eating it. Arrrgh. I’m tempted to try it again tomorrow. It was one of those things that I had within my grasp and it slipped away.