The Pioneer Woman - Full RSS Feed

Carrot and Squash Curry Soup

Ree Drummond — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:56:07 +0000

This is a delicious, satisfying soup that’ll improve your vision, win friends and influence people, and make you love curry…if you don’t already. It’s easy to make, freezes well, and will make you a happier, more well rounded citizen of this planet.

How can you resist that?

(Fun tip: check out the new Print tool at the end. It’s all for you, baby!)

Chop up a bunch of garlic.

Then grab an onion or two. I almost always choose yellow onions over white; they seem more mild and rustic.

I realize that’s totally in my imagination, but I have to be me.

Please forgive me, but I’m going to show you how to chop an onion.

Again.

It’s just that once I finally figured it out, it was like a thousand light bulbs finally went on.

And I just can’t in good conscience hide that light under a bushel.

No. I’m gonna let it shine.

Grab about three carrots. Don’t peel them, unless not peeling them grosses you out.

Then you can peel them if you want.

Wash them really well, then slice ‘em up thinly.

Now grab three or four yellow squash….

And slice them up, too!

I love squash!

Go, squash!

Rah!

Sorry.

Now, just heat some olive oil in a heavy pot.

Throw in the onions and garlic…

And the carrots…

Then stir them around and let them cook over medium heat for about three minutes, or until the carrots begin to soften.

Sprinkle in a little salt…

Then throw in the squash.

Go, squash!

Yay, squ…

Never mind.

Stir it around, sprinkle in a little more salt, then let them cook for several minutes.

And now. And now. The top secret ingredient: curry powder!

(Do you guys use Watkins spices? Then you haven’t lived. Here’s where I get mine.)

Measure about a tablespoon; if you’re unsure of whether you’ll like the flavor, start with less and work your way up. Or you can leave it out altogether if you’re not a curry fan.

I happen to think it completely defines this soup, but differences make the world go ’round.

Sprinkle the curry right over the top…

And stir it all together to combine.

Your kitchen smells so good right now!

Next comes a little wine.

You can leave this out, too, but if you like to cook with booze, this creates such a nice flavor.

Then comes good ol’ chicken broth. I didn’t have any in the freezer at the Lodge, so I just poured it right from a Swanson’s carton. A big one. 48 ounces.

Mmmm. The color. That’s what curry does to things.

Now we’re going to cover the pot and simmer the soup for a good hour or so, just to get everything nice and combined and melded and merged and in love.

Oh, yeah. There it is.

Now we’re going to puree the heck out the soup, because I love pureed soups, and what I say goes.

At least it does between the hours of 11 pm and 5 am. When I’m dreaming.

An immersion blender is so much easier, but I don’t have an immersion blender at the Lodge.

If you do use a blender, you’ll probably have to puree the soup in two batches. When you do, just try to get an equal quantity of veggies and liquid in each batch.

Return the pureed soup to the pot and bring it to a healthy simmer before serving.

Or, if you’re planning ahead, let the soup cool and freeze in large Ziplocs.

Freezes beautifully!

Mmmm. This is so, so delicious.

Feel free to serve it as is, or…

Or…

You can grab a squirt bottle and pour a little…ahem…cream into it.

And just drizzle a little bit on top of the soup.

If the soup is really hot, the cream won’t cool it much, but if you’re concerned about that, you can simmer the cream on the stove first.

Either way, you really can’t lose.

Enjoy this, my dears! It’s filling, satisfying, flavorful, and so good for you!

Except for the cream part. But we’ll think about that tomorrow.

Carrot and Squash Curry Soup

3"x5" Cards | 4"x6" Cards | Full Page | Print

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 1 Hour

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
5 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Large Onion, Diced
3 whole Carrots, Washed And Sliced Thin
4 whole Yellow Squash (sliced)
Salt To Taste
1 Tablespoon Curry Powder (more To Taste!)
½ cups Dry White Wine (optional)
48 ounces, fluid Chicken Broth
Heavy Cream (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and stir to coat. Add carrots and cook for 3 minutes, or until they start to get soft. Sprinkle in a little salt.

Add squash. Stir and cook for a few minutes, until squash is soft and tender.

Pour in wine if using. Let evaporate for about 30 seconds, then pour in chicken broth. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot, and cook for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, taste and adjust seasonings. Turn off heat.

Puree soup using an immersion blender, or in batches in a regular blender. Return to soup pot and bring to a simmer. Serve hot. If you’re feeling naughty, drizzle heavy cream over the top.

The Homefront

Ree Drummond — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:16:23 +0000

Marlboro Man, Charlie, and the kids have been living without me since last Sunday morning. We knew this first leg of the Griswold Book Trip would be a little tough, not just because I was going to be away from the four punks for six whole days, but also because I brought my sister-in-law Missy and our mother-in-law on the trip with me…which basically meant there’d be zero estrogen on the ranch all week long.

I felt a little uneasy about this.

Estrogen can detect fevers, after all, and soothe tired hearts. Estrogen makes homemade macaroni and cheese and tickles backs at bedtime. Estrogen softens the rough edges of 5 am days and uses words like “baby”, “sugar”, and “sweetpea” to address the children.

Estrogen sounds like a tweetie bird.

Testosterone sounds like a grizzly bear.

Estrogen = soft
Testosterone = tough

Country kids need both.

I cried salty tears last Sunday when I hugged my girls and said goodbye…and I’m not a crier. I try to be strong around my girls and show them alternate ways to respond emotionally to difficult situations in life. Laughter, for one. Giggling, for another. Chuckling works, too. But this time, as I said goodbye to them for six whole days, I couldn’t hold back the tears. I was leaving my sweet birdies in the nest. Who would bring them worms and pick insects out from under their wings? They cried, too. It was a tough one.

The boys? They didn’t cry so much.

In fact, they didn’t say goodbye so much. They were in the creek, digging for lobsters.

We’re a Spongebob household. And I don’t care who knows it.

Next week in homeschooling, I’ll teach the boys the difference between saltwater and freshwater crustaceans, and explain just why their lobster creek search of last week was futile.

But for now I’ll just let them revel in their oceanographic ignorance and enjoy their childhood. They have a lifetime to learn the harsh realities of marine life.

Before I left home, I made sure to pack my cell phone charger for the trip because I knew my phone would ring constantly with calls from home.

Mama? When are you coming home?

I miss you, Mama.

Mama, you’re the best mother ever.

Charlie misses you, Mama.

I need you, Mama.

I want you to come home, Mama.

Mama? Can you hear me?

It was coming. I knew it. And I was charged and ready. Ready for the onslaught of phone calls. Ready to sooth over the phone. Ready to soften…and comfort…and call them sweetpea sugarpie sweetbaby.

I’ve spoken to my children twice the entire time I’ve been gone. Between getting up at 5 am five out of the six mornings, homeschooling with Marlboro Man, hauling off broken twigs and sticks, and helping Marlboro Man cook and clean up after meals, my four country kids haven’t had time to miss me. They’ve gone to The Wal Marts and bought movies. They’ve popped popcorn and watched them together. They’ve sorted cattle and moved cattle and worked cattle and processed cattle. They’ve given Charlie baths and dressed him up in American Girl outfits, and they’ve driven to the city and eaten at Chili’s.

And yesterday when I called, lonely and childless from my Phoenix hotel room, the punks were too busy to talk to me. They were busy drawing pictures of one another as vegetables, then auctioning off their creations to the highest bidder. Then Marlboro Man bought all of the pictures at a 75% markup and launched into a discussion about the free market system.

Marlboro Man’s good like that.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to return to Oklahoma before they forget what I look like.

Those people need me. They do.

They just don’t know it yet.

The Grand America: Part Two

Ree Drummond — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:12:00 +0000

This hotel requires two posts.

Wow.

The lobby.

The lobby is gorgeous.

Missy said she overheard someone saying they dug crystals out of the ground especially for these chandeliers.

Just who “they” are, and just “where” this alleged “ground” was, I never exactly heard.

I’m dubious, is all.

I wanted to just live in the lobby. But they didn’t allow holey yoga pants down there.

Good morning, Sunshine!

It was early. Very, very early.

Sniff sniff…

Yum!

Now, if I can only get to the bottom of what made me sneeze 9,000 times during my 36-hour stay in Salt Lake, I’ll start making my arrangements to move into this hotel.

Think they’ll let me bring Charlie?

He should fit right in around here. I’ll just park him next to the flowers and maybe no one will notice the turtle stench.

Salt Lake City Quiz – ANSWERS AND WINNERS

Ree Drummond — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:09:25 +0000

1. What was the Mormon population of Salt Lake City in 2004, as reported in the Salt Lake Tribune?

ANSWER: ANSWER NO LONGER COUNTS. First, I meant to ask “Utah”, not Salt Lake City. Second, I meant to ask a percentage number, not a raw number. Third, I’m a freak. SORRY! There’s no excuse for me.

2. Name the current mayor of Salt Lake City.

ANSWER: RALPH BECKER

3. In what direction does Salt Lake City lean politically?

ANSWER: LEFT; DEMOCRAT

4. How are Salt Lake City and the High School Musical movies connected?

ANSWER: THE MOVIE WAS FILMED AT EAST HIGH SCHOOL IN SALT LAKE CITY

5. Who were the other contenders for the 2002 Winter Olympics?

ANSWER: Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; Sion, Valais, Switzerland; and Östersund, Sweden

6. How many men and women make up the Mormon Tabernacle Choir?

ANSWER: 360

7. True or False: KISS performed at the closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

ANSWER: TRUE! And I heard that they rocked and rolled all night, but that might have been a vicious rumor.

8. How many years did it take to complete the building of the Mormon temple?

ANSWER: 40 YEARS

9. According to the National Weather Service, what is the normal annual snowfall in Salt Lake City?

a) 42.3 inches
b) 50.9 inches
c) 62.7 inches
d) 70.2 inches

ANSWER: C (62.7 INCHES)

___________________________________

WINNERS:

The first person to correctly answer all questions was…#3 Rachel.! Congrats, Laura—you win the $350 Amazon.com gift card.

The second person to correctly answer all questions was…#4 Jo. Congrats, Brenda—you win the $200 Amazon.com gift card.

The three randomly selected players who correctly answered all questions were:

#71 Jennifer
#383 Kate
#1241 Rachelle.

Congrats, you three! You win a $75 Amazon.com gift card.

Winners: Contact prizes@thepioneerwoman.com to claim your loot.

NEXT UP: Phoenix!

Smartypants Quiz – Salt Lake City Edition!

Ree Drummond — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:06:16 +0000

Ready for the Salt Lake City Smartypants quiz?

Jump right in—you can do it!

THE PRIZES:

The first person to correctly answer all questions will receive a $350 Amazon.com gift card. Woohoo!

The second person to correctly answer all questions will receive a $200 Amazon.com gift card. Yippee!

Three randomly selected players who correctly answer all questions will each receive a $75 Amazon.com gift card. Yahoo!

1. What was the Mormon population of Salt Lake City in 2004, as reported in the Salt Lake Tribune?

2. Name the current mayor of Salt Lake City.

3. In what direction does Salt Lake City lean politically?

4. How are Salt Lake City and the High School Musical movies connected?

5. Who were the other contenders for the 2002 Winter Olympics?

6. How many men and women make up the Mormon Tabernacle Choir?

7. True or False: KISS performed at the closing ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics.

8. How many years did it take to complete the building of the Mormon temple?

9. According to the National Weather Service, what is the normal annual snowfall in Salt Lake City?

a) 42.3 inches
b) 50.9 inches
c) 62.7 inches
d) 70.2 inches

Ready…

Set…

GO!

Winners will be announced at 5:00 pm Pacific time today!

Oh No I Di-in’t

Ree Drummond — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:50:19 +0000

Oh yes…

I did.

And I might have completely blocked it from my memory had my sister-in-law Missy not snapped these photos.

So thank you, Missy.

No, really. Thank you. It’s best that I see the truth.

I apologize to all of Salt Lake City,

Ethel

Hotel Room Tour – Grand America, Salt Lake City

Ree Drummond — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:10:07 +0000

This is my favorite hotel so far.

It’s the Grand America in Salt Lake City. And it’s absolutely beautiful. Built for the 2002 Winter Olympics by Earl Robert Holding, the hotel is elegant, old school, fancy…but shiny and new. I loved it!

I got my own room, right next door to Missy and my mother-in-law. The fun part is that throughout the hotel, there are pairs of rooms behind vestibule doors…so we could keep our respective doors open and walk back and forth and cause trouble with one another the whole time.

I look for that in a hotel room.

The hallway to the bathroom. And this was a regular room! Very big, very comfy.

The bathroom.

OH…the bathroom. It was absolutely beautiful.

This is it. This is home.

I love catching Missy in between moments. It’s my new favorite hobby.

The room decor in the hotel is traditional—almost a throwback to another time…

…Before gray and taupe and sleek lines took over the world.

Compare this room to my room at the St. Regis if you’re in the mood for a laugh!

The rooms couldn’t be more different.

Missy and Mother-in-Law’s room.

And the beautiful bathroom. I’m waving…see?

See the bathroom scale? We didn’t use it.

We’re on vacation, man.

If you visit Salt Lake City and have the inclination to treat yourself, I’ll tell you one thing:

I recommend the Grand America. It’s a lovely place on earth!

Inside Tip: The room service food is delicious! I ordered this yummy rosemary flatbread with hummus and olive tapenade…twice.

And I don’t care who knows it.

Illustrate and Write

Ree Drummond — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:32:35 +0000

(Posted by: Heather L. Sanders of Oh My Stinkin’ Heck)

Following Christmas during our last “school year” I noticed Kenny had gained confidence in sounding out, and attempting to write, short captions beneath his drawings and color pages. In response, we cut out some of our curriculum’s “assigned” Language Arts work to begin our own daily “Illustrate and Write” page instead.

What did we cut out?
At the start of last year we spent multiple days reviewing Sonlight’s spelling words (write them BIG, write them “small”, etc…), we began to work them on Mondays only. I would still enter the lists at Spelling City, and when it interested Kenny (which turned out to be about 3x a week), he would review them on his own through the various games they offered. (I posted my review of Spelling City in a previous post here if you are unfamiliar with this FREE online spelling program.)

We also merged his Handwriting and weekly Copywork into one assignment. I felt it was far better for him to neatly copy one or two sentences from one of his independent readers, mimicking correct grammar, than to write “E” and “e” 25 or 30 times down a page.

What we discovered?
He learned his Spelling words faster.
His Handwriting improved.
And? The daily “Illustrate and Write” turned-out to be the most enjoyable and comprehensive way to introduce new words, correct spelling, and naturally introduce grammar.

Go figure.

I didn’t tell him what to write about. After he gathered his supplies, he would twist circles in his chair, staring at the wall or ceiling, and chewing the end of his pencil. Then, not unlike a jack-in-the-box, he’d POP UP, pull-up to the table, and begin.

“puekepolls rea goweng to ther homs bkus tha got in a fit”
(Porcupines are going to their homes because they got in a fight.)

I LOVE watching the written word develop in my children, but even more, their excitement when I can actually READ what they wrote without their assistance.

I will admit, without the illustrations, I might have needed a bit of help here and there…

“the monstr monstrs win tha aer babes tha wil be aerrete to go away and tha cots a Lot uv fod and win tha aer odrr tha cats mor fod.”
(the monster – monsters when they are babies they will be all ready to go away and they catch a lot of food and when they are older they catch more food )

“Crss rae rilee coll But wen evrr thea run aott uv gass thea rilee run autt uv gass and I men it.”
(Cars are really cool But whenever they run out of gas they really run out of gas and I mean it.)

You might notice at this point I was not making any corrections.

“fictheeg wieh my DaD is alot uv fun and oens huct 5 fithcc and I cot 5 fithcc”
(Fishing with my Dad is a lot of fun and once hooked 5 fish and I caught 5 fish)

I wanted nothing more than to release him to illustrate and write.

“Dinusors ahr cool and tha livd a log tim a go but tha ahr ded.”
(Dinosaurs are cool and they lived a long time ago but they are dead.)

In just a few short weeks he began to add capital letters at the beginning of sentences and periods at the end. This was something that naturally moved into his writing from what he gleaned in his Independent Readers and Copywork (I did/do correct his Copywork). So exciting!

He wrote.
I read.
That was that.

Summer came and went. Kenny did a lot of writing on his own throughout the summer. Like the girls, he kept a notebook to use when we went for long car rides, ran errands, when he went with me to get the oil changed, or on our nice and quiet days at home…his writing improved over the summer months – something I noticed immediately at the start of this year’s Illustrate and Write pages.

“DaDDy in his suprman costum is rillee funee Becuss he follD me to the Beb and he syed do Your schollwrck”
(DaDDy in his superman costume is really funny because he followed me to the bed and he said do your schoolwork)

At the start of this year I began writing the corrected spelling of words just above or below his words so he could see them.

“Scool is rilly fun and cis we are home scoold I thec that do weng homescool is evin more fun for me.”
(School is really fun and since we are home schooled I think that doing homeschool is even more fun for me.)

The first time I wrote corrections on his paper he didn’t seem to mind, but I noticed he was agitated the second or third time. When I asked him why he was upset, he didn’t quite have the words to put to it. After discussing it with him I realized his root frustration – he didn’t like that he couldn’t get the words RIGHT on the paper the first time.

“I looooove sharks becoss they can suyim really fast. there really dagris but evrebute nos that speshule the fich.”
(I looooove sharks because they can swim really fast. they’re really dangerous but everybody knows that especially the fish.)

For a few weeks after this discovery he would tell me what his Illustrate and Write was going to be about and asked me to write the correct spelling of several words on the page so he could write it correctly the first time. Sometimes I wrote them ON the page and other times, jotted them down on a scrap paper.

“What I like ubaot the cheplen at the old haos is that it whas very baose, but I actsudetly (not on a bet) got my hed stuck in the spregs.”
(What I like about the trampoline at the old house is that it was very bouncy, but I accidently (not on a bet) got my head stuck in the springs.)

Of course, there were still corrections to be made and he began to realize there would always be new words to learn – that mistakes were okay – that even Momma had to look up words in the dictionary!

This is when I began to attach a notebook page for him to rewrite the misspelled words.

By the way, “Goob” and “Woob” are monster names…in case you’re wondering.

Many of the words he rewrites are not typical “first grader” words, but I figure since he can READ them and he WANTS to know how to spell them, there is no reason to hold back.

And so I don’t.

Resource: The Illustrate and Write lined pages shown above are a [FREE DOWNLOAD]. Scroll down midway on the page to the Primary Lined and Regular Lined Pages subheader – it is the first download in that section.

Jaden’s Beef with Broccoli

Ree Drummond — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:29:21 +0000

I have a friend.

Her name is Jaden. She’s a food writer, a food blogger, and a sweet, lovely person.

I love her more’n my luggage.

Jaden has a cookbook! It was released about the same time as mine. We are sisters in cookbook.

Never mind that our cookbooks are nothing alike.

Our cooking isn’t all that similar, either…except for one thing: we both like recipes that are simple. Everyday. Real.

It’s just that Jaden’s recipes are, like, Asian. Mine aren’t.

But other than that, they’re identical.

Except for the fact that Jaden actually knows what she’s doing in the kitchen and I’m a complete nutjob.

But other than that, we’re twins!

I love Jaden’s cookbook, and the first dish I wanted to make was Chinese Beef Broccoli. I knew my girls would like it.

The recipe calls for either sirloin or flank steak. I can never turn down a good flank steak, so that’s what I grabbed.

BEE-YOOtiful.

See that grain? That’s flank steak, baby.

Slice it very, very thin. This’ll ensure the bites are tender.

Strips of flank steak makes me happy.

Next, cut some broccoli into bite-size florets.

Finally (and finely), chop some garlic.

For the meat marinade, grab some corn starch…

Throw it into a bowl with some soy sauce.

Add a little cooking oil and stir it together…

And pour it over the meat, tossing to combine.

Here’s something I noticed about this recipe, and it’s another big difference between Jaden’s cooking and my own: Jaden is very frugal with her measurements. Where I would casually flop and throw and pour, she very carefully measures and uses not one drop more than she thinks the dish needs.

And that’s a very nice quality. Much better than my pouring and throwing and glugging and freaking out.

Now for the stir fry sauce. Grab some oyster sauce. It’s sold in the Asian aisle of my little smalltown grocery store, which means you can get it anywhere.

The recipe calls for Chinese Black Vinegar, which is most certainly NOT found at my smalltown grocery store. So I just used balsamic. Jaden said it was okay!

Combine those two ingredients in a bowl with some rice wine.

Okay! First thing we’re gonna do is steam the broccoli. In a wok or large sauté pan, add 1 inch of water and bring it to a boil.

Throw in the broccoli…

And place the lid on the pan.

Steam for three minutes…

Set the broccoli aside.

Pour off the water and dry the pan, then heat it and pour in some high heat oil. I used peanut oil.

Swirl the pan to coat with oil…

Then throw in the garlic…

Stir it around for about 30 seconds,

Then add the meat in a single layer.

Let them cook for 30 seconds without disturbing them, then flip ‘em over to the other side.

I did the meat in two batches. I didn’t want to crowd it in there.

When the meat is all cooked, throw it into the skillet, then pour in the stir fry sauce.

Stir it around. Then faint.

Out-of-this-world delicious!

Throw in the broccoli.

Stir it together…oh, YUM!

It’s so simple…but so flavorful!

Throw some rice in a bowl.

Long grain rice. Tender-firm, plain, and awesome.

And throw the beef broccoli mixture right on top.

I loved it and so did my girls! So easy, so quick…soooo good.

Thank you, Jaden, for the beautiful recipe…and for your beautiful cookbook! I love it.

Jaden’s Chinese Beef Broccoli (from The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook)

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL
1 lb (500 g) top sirloin or flank steak, thinly sliced into 1/8-in (3-mm)-thick strips
11/2 lbs (750 g) broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

BEEF MARINADE
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cooking oil
Freshly ground black pepper to season the beef

STIR-FRY SAUCE
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 teaspoons Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)

1 In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the Beef Marinade. Add the beef and let mari- nate for 10 minutes at room temperature.

2 In a small bowl, mix together the ingre- dients for the Stir-fry Sauce.

3 In a wok or large sauté pan, add 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli and cover to steam for 3 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green, crisp tender and you should be able to pierce the stem with a fork. Drain.

4 Discard the water in the pan and dry the pan well. Set the pan over high heat and when hot, add the high-heat cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and fry for 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the steak strips, keeping them in one layer and fry 30 seconds. Flip the strips and fry the other side.

5 Pour in the Stir-fry Sauce and stir to combine. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 30 seconds. Add the cooked broccoli back into the pan and toss to coat well.

What is Metering?

Ree Drummond — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:24:11 +0000

By Miz Booshay.

I will try my hardest to explain what I mean by metering.

I think this will be hard for some to understand and way too easy for others.

So here goes nothing!

Your camera has a little meter inside of it. It measures the light that is coming in through the lens.

You do not need to do anything to make your meter work properly if you are shooting on automatic.

If you feel daring and want to learn to shoot on manual, then you need to learn what is happening and how to control the aperture and shutter speed.

As you know, the aperture determines how wide the little blades will open when you take a picture.

Small numbers have a big opening and will let in a lot of light.

Big numbers will only open the shutter a little bit. Letting in less light.

Next, your camera has to know how long to hold its shutter open to properly expose your picture.

These two things work together.

Let’s say I am taking a picture of some leaves. I want the leaves to be in focus but I want the background to be blurry.

I go ahead and set my aperture to 1.6.

Exposure/Shutterspeed: 0.001 sec (1/1600)
Aperture: f/1.6
ISO Speed: 400

Now I have to set my shutter speed because I am shooting in manual.

In my camera is a ‘0′ and many little dashes that look a bit like a number line. When I look inside my camera this little ‘number line’ is at the bottom. I can also see more information along bottom of the picture such as shutter speed, f-stop, ISO and number of pictures left on the card.

I think this information is in a different place on a Canon.

(You can let us know in the comments where this is, please.)

Now, this is one of the hard parts to explain because we all have such different cameras.

You must line up your number line to match even with the zero.

This is done by moving a dial on the back of your camera. I move this button with my thumb.

(It is called the Main command dial on my Nikon.)

On my camera, left of the zero is slower shutter speeds and right of the zero is faster shutter speeds. To learn how this works, experiment with your camera.

(I have learned with my camera that I need to be a little bit left of the zero to expose properly.)

Each click to the left on my dial drops my shutter speed slower and slower. This means your shutter is going to stay open longer, letting in more light.

The only tricky part of leaving your shutter open longer and longer is there is a point where you will start to notice blur from movement.

If it is super bright outside, you will be moving your dial to the right causing your shutter to open and close faster, letting in less light.

Now, remember that this light meter is reading the light that is coming into your camera. My camera has three types of metering modes; Matrix, Center Weighted and Spot.

(You can look these up in your manuals)

I use Matrix and Spot.

Matrix meters the whole area you are pointing the camera at. Spot has a little beam that meters just what the center of the camera is pointing at.

I use spot metering a lot with portraits, especially when taking a back lit shot. My aim is to have a perfectly exposed face and if the background is not perfectly exposed, I am not too worried about it.

(Spot metering on her cheek.)

Exposure: 1/4000 sec
Aperture: f/1.4
ISO Speed: 640

See where it says exposure? That is the shutter speed. Don’t ask my why my ISO is on 640. Just being a dork.

The matrix mode is best for landscapes. Remember how I said I pointed at the sky and metered off the sky and then I pointed at the trees and metered off the trees. This just means I pointed the camera at the sky, looked in and moved my main command dial to be even with the zero and I took the picture.

(These were taken only a minute apart. It’s all a matter of shutterspeed/exposure)

When I said I metered off of the tree, this meant that I pointed the camera at the tree, looked into the camera and moved my main command dial to be even with the zero and I took the picture.

Because the sky was dark a different amount of light was coming into the camera thus the shutter speed was different than when I metered off of the tree.

They are partners in crime: Aperture and Shutterspeed. A mechanical teeter tooter….and wonderful balancing act.

All taking place inside your camera.

Our wonderful digital cameras can do all of this for you.

But if you want more control, you can be in charge of every little thing you do with your camera.

It’s a challenge but it is fun to be in charge and gives you creative control….and if that’s something you are interested in, why not give it a try?

Exposure/Shutterspeed: 0.004 sec (1/250)
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO Speed: 800

(In this picture, I metered the sky.)

(Who’s that girl?)

I sure hope this is clear to a few of you and I have not confused you. I wish you could all come over to my house and I would show you how this works.

That would be so much easier, wouldn’t it?

Encourage one another,
Donna

DENVER Smartypants WINNERS!

Ree Drummond — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:43:00 +0000

Here are the answers to yesterday’s Denver Edition Smartypants Quiz.

1. What is Denver’s nickname?

ANSWER: THE MILE HIGH CITY

2. What is the average temperature in Denver? (Select one)

a) 43.8 degrees F
b) 50.1 degrees F
c) 46.2 degrees F
d) 55.5 degrees F

ANSWER: B

3. Denver belongs to a select group of U.S. cities with teams from four major sports. Name the four major sports teams in Denver.

ANSWER: DENVER BRONCOS, COLORADO AVALANCHE, DENVER NUGGETS, COLORADO ROCKIES

4. Identify this Denver-born actor:

ANSWER: TIM ALLEN

5. What date was Denver City founded?

ANSWER: NOVEMBER 22, 1858

6. Where did the “LoDo” area of Denver get its name?

ANSWER: LOWER DOWNTOWN

7. True or False: Denver has more annual hours of sun than San Diego or Miami.

ANSWER: TRUE (Note: This data, evidently, varies from year to year. So I’m actually not counting this question in the quiz results.)

8. If you drink a beer in Denver, are you more or less likely to feel funky than if you drink a beer in Dallas? Why?

ANSWER: MORE LIKELY. ALTITUDE ENHANCES THE EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL.

9. What ingredients make a Denver Omelette…a Denver Omelette?

ANSWER: DICED HAM, ONIONS, GREEN BELL PEPPERS

10. Colorado state law prohibits building any structure that would block the view of the mountains from what Denver building?

ANSWER: THE STATE CAPITOL

11. Which step on the west side of the state capitol is exactly one mile above sea level?

ANSWER: THE 13TH STEP

12. What is the name of the Colorado Rockies’ mascot?

ANSWER: DINGER

______________________________________

WINNERS:

The first person to correctly answer all questions was…#1 Katie A.! Congrats, Katie—you win the $350 Amazon.com gift card.

The second person to correctly answer all questions was…#3 Brenda. Congrats, Brenda—you win the $200 Amazon.com gift card.

The three randomly selected players who correctly answered all questions were:

#380 Brenda
#931 One Cowgirl
#1118 Britton R.

Congrats, you three! You win a $75 Amazon.com gift card.

Winners: Contact prizes@thepioneerwoman.com to claim your loot.

______________________________________

SALT LAKE CITY edition coming up next!

Thelma, Louise, and Their Mother-in-Law

Ree Drummond — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:26:36 +0000

I’m on my Griswold-Style Book Trip right now, and because Marlboro Man and the kids had cow, soccer, calf, and manure obligations this week, I dragged along both his mom and Missy, Pesky Tim’s wife. We blazed first to Denver so I could sign cookbooks and meet some very nice people while trying to figure out exactly how to breath at high altitudes while wearing Spanx (I never quite figured it out), then to Salt Lake City, where I’ll be signing cookbooks tonight. It’s the first time I’ve set foot in the state of Utah and I’m looking forward to meeting some very nice people while leaving my Spanx in the hotel room.

Spanx are mean. And wonderful.

To put this trip into context, I should tell you that in the eleven and thirteen years, respectively, that Missy and I have been married to the brothahs, the three of us have never once gone on a trip together. I’m not sure the three of us have ever been out to dinner by ourselves before; none of us could name a time. Something about the husbands…and the mud…and the gestating…and the lactating.

It’s kept us pretty busy through the years.

We didn’t get out of the Tulsa airport before the fun kicked in.

Missy is a bucket of smiles. Who needs diazepam when you can fly with Missy?

Though we all really need to do something about her addiction to sweet tea. Blech. Cough. Gag. Who would drink such a grody concoction?

We didn’t even get out of the Denver airport before my two traveling companions wanted to start shopping. Seriously—this shop was about thirty paces from our gate.

Move along, Thelma. Move along, Mother-in-Law. Denver Proper has plenty of stores.

“Ree, you should wear this to your book signing!”

Uh…no. That’s not the look I’m going for.

NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO! Don’t go in, Missy! I have a very important appointment behind the closed door of a hotel room.

Those two gals are shoppin’ fools.

They’re just so happy to have a little vacation from the ranch. Out of the house. Away from the stove. Out of the shackles. Freed from the chains. Stripped of all roles in life except traveling companion to Louise, a blogger who just wrote her first cookbook and lived to tell about it.

First we checked into our hotel room.

You can read my expose here:

My Hotel Room in Denver

But just you wait, Henry Higgins, until you see the hotel where we’re staying here in Salt Lake City. You’ll die a thousand deaths. Then you’ll faint. Then you’ll feel dizzy.

That reminds me of a radio play I used to enjoy reading when I was a little girl. It was called “Who Stole the Salad Dressing?” and there was a character in the play that was all excited about the prospect of marketing his top secret salad dressing recipe. He says to his friend, “We’ll make millions! Thousands! Maybe even hundreds!”

As a little girl that always used to crack me up, man.

After checking in, our first order of business was to eat food we could never eat on a typical night back home.

So we chose this place. It was just a hop, a skip, and a jump from our hotel.

Oh, baby. I’d never felt happier in my entire life.

I was so happy, when the waiter brought us this little dish of olives…I started crying.

Ask Missy. She’ll tell you.

And when this bread came with the sundried tomato-infused butter? I turned into a blubbering idiot!

My poor mother-in-law considered hightailing it back to the Marriott and ordering pizza.

She’s exceedingly elegant and dignified.

I’m not. I cry over olives.

Here’s Missy drinking water.

I know she’d want me to share that moment with you.

Appetizer. Good lands.

Fried zucchini slices so thin they dissolved on my tongue.

They were like Listerine breath strips, only zucchini flavored.

Mother-in-Law had fish.

Louise (that’s me) had salad.

And Thelma? Thelma had the audacity to order beef!

She obviously didn’t read through the rules carefully.

I’m having a wonderful time on this trip. Aside from getting to spend quality time with Missy and my mother-in-law, I’ve had the chance to meet so many interesting, hilarious, generous, and just plain nice people. I’ll keep you posted on our adventures on the road, as well as the updates from home, which Marlboro Man provides me during the 93 phone conversations we have throughout each day.

I forgot to mention: I’m feeling just a tad homesick.

The 93 phone calls help.

Hotel Room Tour – JW Marriott, Cherry Creek, Denver

Ree Drummond — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:06:50 +0000

I dragged my mother-in-law (Marlboro Man’s mom. Duh.) and sister-in-law (Pesky Tim’s wife. Not technically a sister-in-law, but I like to bend the rules.) with me on this leg of my Griswold Book Trip of 2009. I didn’t want to just take of and go on a big trip by myself; I needed a little dose of family along the way, and besides that, my mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and I always have lots of fun together.

It’s Thelma, Louise…and their Mother-in-Law. We may never go home!

Here’s the lobby. It’s a nice, understated lobby—nothing too fancy, but pleasant and accessible.

But…wow! There’s a restaurant in the lobby called Second Home, and it’s pretty smashing! My mother-in-law loves Denver, because there’s always a mix of wood and rock and metal everywhere.

I loved the light fixtures.

But this is what she really loved. It’s an outdoor firepit surrounded by sofas.

My mother-in-law would die from happiness if she had an area like this at her house. She has a thing about outdoor fireplace areas.

I got my mother-in-law and Missy a suite so they could share a room and have plenty of room to splay out and revel in the fact that they actually get to go six whole days without making gravy.

This is a very happy time for all of us.

The suite was really nice, classically decorated, comfortable, and open. The late day light coming through the blinds was so relaxing.

We all fell asleep instantly!

I got myself a standard room because I had important things I had to do. Things like: sleep in a bed by myself, walk around the room in my underwear, and practice my Ethel Merman impersonations.

Standard rooms are perfect for this.

This is a very, very comfortable bed.

I had some important things to do in here, too. Things like:

Plucking
Exfoliating
Picking
Scratching
Scrubbing
Filing
Sloughing

I spent some quality time in here. That’s what I do whenever I stay in a hotel room—turn on the warm shower water, adjust the shower head so it’s in “Pummel the Shoulders” mode, and just stand underneath and let it beat me up.

It takes years off your life. Try it sometime!

Next up: Salt Lake City!

I’ve also got some good Christmas/Holiday Gift Ideas coming up next – you’ll love ‘em!

Shutterfly Photo Book Contest!

Ree Drummond — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:27:04 +0000

Contest Time!

This’ll be a fun one.

First, let me show you this:

Pioneer Woman “Faces” Photobook Sharing Page on Shutterfly

It’s a sharing page I created on Shutterfly.com, where I shared a photobook I created this morning. The photo book is filled with my favorite FACES—shots of my children over the past three or four years, shots of cowboys, my husband, dogs, birds, and cows. Faces are what I love best, after all, and it was the best theme I could imagine for a photo book contest!

Here’s a peek at one of the spreads (click on the spread to see the whole book!)

I love faces.

I loved making this photo book.

And I’m having a contest!

DETAILS

This week, I invite you to create a “Faces” photobook on Shutterfly (totally free), then upload it to my Pioneer Woman “Faces” Photobook Sharing Page. I’ll be reviewing each and every photo book myself, and will be awarding some great prizes!

HOW-TO

1. Sign up for a Shutterfly account (absolutely free, of course) if you don’t already have one.

2. Click here to select the size of Photo Book you’d like to create.

3. Click “Go Get Pictures” to create an album and load the photos you want.

4. Follow the steps to complete the photo book—the instructions really walk you through it. They’re very intuitive!

5. Once your photo book is completed, go to my Pioneer Woman “Faces” Photobook Sharing Page and share your photo book there.

6. Next Monday, November 9, I will announce one (1) grand prize winner and twenty (20) runners-up. I will also be awarding several “Honorable Mention” prizes.

THE PRIZES

Grand Prize – One winner will be awarded the following package:

1 Digital Camera
2 7×9 Photo Books
25 Greeting Cards
25 Stationary Cards
1 Calendar

Runner-Up Prizes – Twenty winners will be awarded the following package:

2 7×9 Photo Books
25 Greeting Cards
25 Stationary Cards
1 Calendar

Honorable Mentions – SURPRISE!

In addition to Shutterfly’s prizes, I’ll be awarding ten Honorable Mentions for fun, wacky categories.

This’ll be fun!

And I’m sorry, but I have to show you another spread:

Look at that baby on the left!

I can’t believe how much he’s changed.

__________________________

Thank you, Shutterfly, for sponsoring such a great contest!

Smartypants Quiz: DENVER Edition – ENTER NOW!

Ree Drummond — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:05 +0000

It’s time for the Denver Edition Smartypants Quiz.

The first person to correctly answer all questions will receive a $350 Amazon.com gift card. Woohoo!

The second person to correctly answer all questions will receive a $200 Amazon.com gift card. Yippee!

Three randomly selected players who correctly answer all questions will each receive a $75 Amazon.com gift card. Yahoo!

Are you ready?

Let’s do this thing. PLEASE NOTE: Comments will NOT be visible during the contest time. You will be able to see your answers immediately after you submit them, but no one else can!

Winners will be announced Tuesday!

1. What is Denver’s nickname?

2. What is the average temperature in Denver? (Select one)

a) 43.8 degrees F
b) 50.1 degrees F
c) 46.2 degrees F
d) 55.5 degrees F

3. Denver belongs to a select group of U.S. cities with teams from four major sports. Name the four major sports teams in Denver.

4. Identify this Denver-born actor:

5. What date was Denver City founded?

6. Where did the “LoDo” area of Denver get its name?

7. True or False: Denver has more annual hours of sun than San Diego or Miami.

8. If you drink a beer in Denver, are you more or less likely to feel funky than if you drink a beer in Dallas? Why?

9. What ingredients make a Denver Omelette…a Denver Omelette?

10. Colorado state law prohibits building any structure that would block the view of the mountains from what Denver building?

11. Which step on the west side of the state capitol is exactly one mile above sea level?

12. What is the name of the Colorado Rockies’ mascot?

A Grandmother and a Gentleman

Ree Drummond — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:10:50 +0000

Mike and Ga-Ga drove out to the ranch Saturday to spend the day with my mom, the kids, and me. Ga-Ga wanted to see my mom on her birthday, and Mike wanted to fold my laundry.

Ga-Ga drove. Mike navigated.

Mike doesn’t drive. Mike rides. Mike rides in cars, taxis, airport shuttles, and fire engines. And ambulances. And police cars.

Mike can drive. We used to have a golf cart, and he drove that sucker like the wind—not just up and down the golf course (much to the consternation of Eddie, the head greenskeeper), but also up and down the neighborhood. My dad even had ambulance stripes painted on it so Mike would feel official.

I give thanks every single day he never hit a puppy.

My dad even let Mike drive his car (my dad sat in the passenger seat) to the country club a few times, just to give Mike a sense of autonomy—sort of a golf course community version of “dad lets me drive slow on the driveway” from Rain Man. And Mike really did okay. Mike can drive. He can stay to the right of the yellow line. He can accelerate and brake and apply the turn signal at the proper times.

There’s only one problem. Mike can’t control his obsession with ambulances and other emergency vehicles. And if he hears a siren or sees flashing lights, his head turns in the direction of the action and never looks back at the road.

I mean never. It’s like the road isn’t even there. He forsakes the road entirely.

This will forever prevent Mike from being able to get a driver’s license.

And you know what? Mike’s okay with that. He lives in a tiny spot in the world where the network of friends and family—all of whom, thankfully, have cars—runs deep and wide.

And though he’s a man of few words, he has his own little way of showing his chauffeurs his appreciation.

Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie

Ree Drummond — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:27:49 +0000

You want to make these.

Oh, do you want to make these.

I have a problem these days. I’m experiencing an unnatural obsession with stuffed mushrooms. I’m not kidding—I lie awake at night, not contemplating the meaning of life or the fate of the universe, but just how many different ways I can stuff a mushroom cap.

It’s taking over my life. Is that normal?

Please say yes.

You’ll love these stuffed mushrooms, my dears. They’re beautiful and decadent and divine, and are the perfect little bite to serve before a holiday dinner party. Guests will kiss you and demand to be invited back next year.

Whether or not you invite them back next year is entirely up to you and outside the scope of my involvement. I just wanted you to be forewarned.

Garlic. Everything begins with garlic.

Except maybe chocolate chip cookies.

Smash ‘em with the flat side of the knife to crack ‘em open. And while you’re at it, please encourage this crazy lady to rub some lotion on her dry hands the next time she feels the need to take a picture of her scales this up close and personal.

Thank you for your cooperation. This is a recording.

Bloop! Now just peel off the outer papery layer and chop the garlic really finely.

Then, if you want to be a really thorough food blogger like me, please be sure to forget to take a photo of the chopped garlic.

Again, your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Chop a big handful of parsley.

Now slice up a few green onions.

Flavor, flavor, flavor!

Now grab a bunch of white button mushrooms—all sizes are fine. These were tired, getting ready to meet the same fate as that unforgotten-since-September zucchini in the back of my produce drawer (wasn’t pretty. wasn’t pretty one bit. was rank.) so I enlisted them for this job.

Wash ‘em, dry ‘em, then pull out the stems.

Stuffed mushrooms are a great way to rescue tired mushrooms.

Now. It’s time to get naughty. Melt some butter in a large saucepan.

Everybody’s doing it.

When the butter is melted, throw in the mushroom caps. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt.

Toss ‘em around and cook them in butter for a minute or two. This will start the cooking process and get the mushrooms coated in butter.

And that’s a very, very good thing.

Remove the mushrooms after about a minute, and place them, stem side up, in an ovenproof dish.

This is an Emile Henry pie plate, for those of you who must know these kinds of details.

Crowd ‘em in as much as you can.

In the same skillet, throw in the garlic, green onions, and parsley. Sprinkle very lightly with salt.

Stir them around for a minute or so over low heat. Don’t fry the heck out of the mixture—just let it warm up for awhile. Then—and this is entirely optional—splash in a tiny bit of white wine. Let it evaporate for a few seconds, then turn off the heat.

Now grab a wedge of Brie.

Cut off the rind, being careful not to cut away any of the beautiful, unimaginably delicious creaminess below.

Cut the brie into pieces, and place each piece into a mushroom cap.

And because every mushroom on earth is unique and special and no two mushrooms are alike, you’ll have to cut the brie to fit each mushroom individually.

Keep going until all the mushroom caps are filled.

Now top the mushrooms with the parsley/garlic mixture.

Goodness.

Gracious.

Sakes alive.

Now pop ‘em in the preheated oven for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until the brie is nice and soft and melted.

These are to die for.

The mushrooms are flavorful and tender. The brie is soft and melted and creamy. The herb/garlic topping gives it an unbelievable flavor.

You’ll love them!

Unless you don’t like mushrooms. Or parsley. Or Brie.

But I think even if you fall into that category, these might turn ya around.

Enjoy!

Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie

3"x5" Cards | 4"x6" Cards | Full Page | Print

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 package White Button Mushrooms, Washed And Stems Removed
4 cloves Garlic, Minced
¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Chopped
4 whole (to 5) Green Onions, Sliced (up To Middle Of Dark Green Part)
Splash Of White Wine (optional)
1 slice (wedge) Of Brie Cheese

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add mushroom caps and toss to coat in butter. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook for 1 minute. Remove mushrooms from pan and place upside down in a baking dish.

In the same saucepan (without cleaning it) throw in garlic, parsley, and green onions. Sprinkle very lightly with salt and splash in wine, if using. Stir around until wine evaporates, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Cut rind off of brie wedge, then cut pieces of brie to fit each mushroom cap. Place inside, lightly pressing to anchor each piece of brie.

Top mushrooms with parsley/garlic mixture.

Place into the oven for 15 minutes, or until brie is melted.

Note: mushrooms are best when they’ve been allowed to cool slightly. Delicious

Hooker: The Next Generation

Ree Drummond — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:04:17 +0000

She’s one of Hooker’s puppies.

Remember Hooker?

Remember the puppies?

It wasn’t that long ago.

I love her.

And she loves me. I know it.

I can just tell these things. I communicate with all animals on a very deep level.

Call me Dr. Reelittle.

And okay, maybe I had a pork chop in my hand.

But I still say the love is there.

Hotel Room Tour: The Hotel Skirvin, Oklahoma City

Ree Drummond — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:38:51 +0000

We stayed in the Hotel Skirvin the night we were in Oklahoma City.

It was delightful!

Built in 1910 by an oilman, The Skirvin was thought to be the nicest hotel in the entire region. It finally closed its doors in 1988, but was reopened in 2007 after an extensive renovation.

It’s an extremely beautiful and grand hotel, I can tell you that.

The rooms are roomy and elegant…without being overly opulent.

The bathroom was exceptionally pretty.

Any shower with a curved rod and monogrammed shower curtain is okay by me!

This was a standard king room at The Skirvin. I actually made the reservation and pre-paid for the room over a month ago, which made the rate extremely reasonable. (This is a new trick I’ve learned during the planning of my book trip stops—pre-paid rooms are much cheaper!)

(On another note, the Hotel Skirvin has been said to be haunted for a long time. Something about a maid…the owner of the hotel…and an illegitimate baby.)

(I’ll stop there…but you can read the legend here.)

(And I’d like to state emphatically that this claim did not decrease my enjoyment during the stay.)

Here’s the website:

Hotel Skirvin – Oklahoma City

Rounded Corner Winners

Ree Drummond — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:12:02 +0000

“Winner” is a relative term. There’s no way I could possibly honor all the wonderful submissions for the Rounded Corner assignment!

So I’ll just do a hail Mary, select three that made me swoon, and hope you all realize how much I’ve loved looking at your beautiful photos.

Group 1 Winner: Emily O. I can’t explain why I love this photo so much. It’s just so evocative; reminds me of another decade. Makes me feel like I’m there.

Group 2 Winner: IslandGirl. The color…everything. I love it.

Group 3 Winner: Superdewa. I got chills. They’re multiplyin’.

Congratulations, Winners! You each win a $150 gift card to B & H Photo. Enjoy your mini shopping spree! Contact prizes@thepioneerwoman.com to claim your loot.

THANK YOU to everyone for sharing your beautiful creations.

I love them all. They inspire me.