Starstruck: Meeting The Pioneer Woman

You guys!! Last Friday evening was so exciting. My friends Sandy and Bridget and I drove to Memphis to a huge and very nice Davis-Kidd bookstore with one goal in mind. To see Ree Drummond, also known as The Pioneer Woman, IN PERSON. To be able to giddily say things like, "This is so surreal!" while we watched her sign other people's books, like, 20 feet away. To chat with other fans, the nice people that we all are, while we tried to catch a glimpse of what Marlboro Man really looks like without seeming too stalkerish. (He was there, y'all! And we didn't even know he was going to be. It was Very Exciting.)

I've been a faithful reader of The Pioneer Woman's blog since a little over a year ago. Since then, I've tried many recipes that she's told me to (strawberry shortcake cake and BBQ chicken pizza now being made OFTEN at our house), we built a container garden to her specifications last spring, I've gotten into photography (especially of food and flowers) and often use her "actions" in Photoshop Elements to jazz things up a bit, and really...she has definitely been a blogging inspiration. I love her way with words and it made me remember how much I enjoy writing, too.

So when I found out that she'd be in Memphis during her current book tour for Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, I jumped at the chance to see this lady live and in person. Our friend Becky was supposed to go with us, but due to a bout of the flu...on top of a sinus infection...on top of viral bronchitis...she was, sadly, unable to go. We missed you, Becky! =(

We got there to the bookstore around 5:30, not knowing what kind of madness would ensue. Actually, there wasn't any madness. No chaos. No long lines. (Yet still plenty of people - towards the end of the evening, an employee guesstimated that there were 500-600 people there for this particular booksigning.)  Davis-Kidd had this brilliant idea of assigning a letter (we were Group "O") to groups of 25. And so, we didn't have to stand in line for three hours.

As we were waiting for Ree to appear, we ran into my friend Whitney, who lives in Memphis. She was very excited that her husband had singlehandedly arranged for The Pioneer Woman to travel to our area just two days before Whitney's birthday. What a good man, huh? ;)

Whitney = cute pregnant lady

Ree came out at 6:00pm, said a few words, answered a few questions, and then while Group A quickly lined up to meet her, we hightailed it over to the cafe inside the bookstore...Bronte: A Novel Bistro. Because of the clever name, I loved it already. We leisurely ate dinner (the chicken avocado wrap was spicy and marvelous) and chatted and didn't even leave the cafe' for an hour and a half. At least. But that was really because Bridget's peach cobbler didn't arrive in a timely manner. Her peach cobbler that wasn't really worth the wait, she lamented. Oh, well. We were in no hurry. (Did I mention we were in Group O?)

All we had concrete plans to do were to track down Marlboro Man...and snap a few discreet pictures...and then do a little bookstore browsing while we waited patiently for our group to be called. It didn't take long to find the one lone white cowboy hat perched atop a somewhat familiar face. Somewhat familiar because, really, I'm not sure any of us had seen his whole face before. On Ree's blog, his hat is always pulled down, casting a shadow. So, I'm here to show you What the Marlboro Man Really Looks Like.

Oh, wait, now I know why there's no clear pictures of him on her blog. ;) Luckily, we were all both amused and delighted to find that MM had drummed (drummond?) up his own unofficial autograph/picture line. We jumped in and within just a little while, we were able to photograph him in all of his cowboy-hat-and-starched-shirt glory. We enjoyed hearing him tease the little blond-headed girl in front of us. "Do you paint fences? Do you like to ride horses?" He was offering to put her to work right away. =)

We got autographs and a few fun shots with him. I asked him if he'd ever seen his life turning out this way, say, ten years ago. He grinned and shook his head. "No," he said, congenially.

Signing Sandy's books

There's his face! Don't their boys look just like him??

MM with Bridget; I tried to get Bridget to ask about Cowboy Josh!

Me, getting him to sign on his silhouette...Sandy's idea

After our meeting with the Marlboro Man, whose real name is Ladd, incidentally, we looked around the store for a bit and then finally settled onto some empty benches near Ree's booksigning location. We were able to watch and listen and just hang out for awhile. It was everything a booksigning should be -and Davis-Kidd, I'm very impressed with you. =)

The time was drawing near for our group to be summoned and I think we were all feeling a bit nervous. I really wished we could just sit and talk with her for awhile, to not be rushed, because I say stupid things when I'm rushed and nervous and starstruck. Ugh. The funny thing is that I know that Ree Drummond is the same way - I've felt a kind of kinship with her about that. But Friday night she was all dressed up and fancy and beautiful and seemingly at ease. And I was nervous.

Ree told Sandy that she looked like Marsha Brady. 

And then she asked her if she knew who Marsha Brady was. 

Ha! Of course we do. We're not quite as young as we look. =)

So when it was my turn, I walked up and she asked, "How are you?" and I said something along the lines of, "Just...good...how are you?" A combination of "Just fine" and "Good." That's brilliant, Kristen. Brilliant. I think she glanced at my face to make sure I wasn't in the middle of a stroke or a meltdown or something. When she was satisfied that I wasn't, she started signing my book and I started telling her (with a little bit more ease) about the necklace I was wearing. It was made by a friend's brother and I thought it was something unusual that she'd be interested in. She was. She wondered, nicely, how he made it and how he came up with the idea. We talked for a minute about it and I left her with one of his business cards. We got a group picture made with Ree and then after we walked off, I could finally breathe again. Whew! That was fun!

Ree and me

I enjoy this picture quite a lot. =)

Yes, sure, I said my wedding vows in front of a few hundred people, feeling completely at ease; I can teach kindergarteners in Bible class without breaking a sweat; I emceed our Chamber of Commerce banquet when I was the executive director and I did fine...but put me in front of PW and my words tumble out in a jumbled mess. Ohhh. I just realized what I did wrong. I practice(d) for those other things. Why didn't I do a quick run through before the book signing?? Yeesh. Well, next time I'll know. =)

The thing is, it really was all fun. Despite my last-minute nervousness, the whole evening was nice and casual and low-key. Lots of downtime but still plenty of things to fill it with. And it was great to hang out with Sandy and Bridget, both of whom I got to know a little bit better.

All because of our common interest in what's going on at the ranch. And how it all started. =)

Try to Contain Yourself...

So...we didn't have such good luck with our full garden last year. And when I say "we," I really mean Jeremy. Bless his heart, I have to admit, I was stressed out at work last summer and the last thing I wanted to do when I got home was to brave the sweltering heat that we know so well here in the South. Even though I was all gung-ho to plant things at the beginning because...I love herbs! And tomatoes! And squash! And sunflowers! And I love cooking with them! Well, not the sunflowers, but you technically could. Now, the sunflowers did sprout up beautifully and I enjoyed them. A lot. See?

But the rest of the stuff didn't do so great. Man, I hate weeds. We did have a very few new potatoes that were quite delicious, but it was kind of pain to figure out when they were ready to be harvested. ("Are they still too small? Should we dig them up? Should we not? How can we TELL?") Those potatoes, they were tricky. But anyway, we had one teensy ear of corn that Jeremy brought to me. I cannot lie to you - the taste was amazing...so sweet! But it was only a few inches long - and it was the only one! So disappointing!

So my husband made a stand. "No more gardens until I'm retired!" And I completely understood.

But I've always grown herbs...well, "always" is not quite correct...but for "several years" I have grown herbs in the summer. In pots. Basil, most particularly. Because it is quite ridiculous how much I adore basil. The smell makes me swoon! Sometimes...even at Lowe's, where I am not even the owner of it yet...I rub one of the leaves of a basil plant and then breathe it in. I'm pretty sure I close my eyes, too. I inherited my love of basil from my mother. She, too, swoons at just the smell of it wafting in the air.

Cooking with it is pretty marvelous, too. I have made pesto many times in my day and I will still want to order anything containing pesto when I eat at an Italian restaurant.

So, even though my husband has stated "No garden"...I automatically think that the herbs are not part of that. They're just not, O.K.?? But I had a difficult time growing the basil and mint last year in the containers I had. I'm not sure why, but I think it was a drainage issue. So...somehow...we started thinking about a container garden. Here are the reasons:

1. They are contained. This is obvious, but important. This is not a HUGE garden area that we will have to spend LOTS of HOURS weeding and watering and picking and caring for.

2. Speaking of weeds, a container garden is supposed to be superior about keeping out the weeds in the first place. And seeing as how we HATE weeds (the dandelions are the bane of Jeremy's existence right now), this was just sounding better and better.

3. This container garden can be reused every year without a lot of fuss and prep.

We went to Lowe's. This is not unusual. Jeremy loooves Lowe's. Oh, how he loves Lowe's! And I really enjoy it, too, especially when there are plants and containers and garden things to look at. Lowe's had a 4x4 container garden that you could purchase. We had looked at it in the sales circular and we looked at it in the store, cocking our heads from side to side, trying to make a decision. It was $69.00. Finally, my husband, aka "The Frugal One" (though I can be quite frugal a majority of the time, too) says,"I think we can make that for a lot cheaper." So we did. Of course, I had seen how to construct a container garden not too long ago on the Pioneer Woman's website, so that had sold me. =)

We decided to construct a 4x4 container much like the one Lowe's offered (but was sold out of - they're pretty popular) so that it would be easy to reach anything inside very easily. We chose cedar wood because treated lumber is a no-no for areas where you'll be eating the fruit of your labors. We weren't sure about that so we had to look it up...because Jeremy said, "I'd hate to be saying, 'This bell pepper tastes great! But suddenly I don't feel so good,'" as he doubled over in almost believable agony outside the treated lumber area at Lowe's.

We bought exterior screws, which won't rust (thank you, Pioneer Woman!). We bought potting soil- mostly the cheap stuff and then some of the better variety; it's apparently best to mix it. We chose sweet basil, cinnamon basil, mint, romaine lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, green and red bell peppers...and two lovely, lovely strawberry plants! I have never grown strawberries, but my friend Margaret always does, so I wanted to try. I buy them often at the store and they are usually stinkin' expensive, so I'm hoping this will stop me from having to spend so much money on strawberries!

Here's the kicker...we spent the same amount of money on EVERYTHING we needed that we would have spent on ONLY the 4x4 box container. We would have still had to buy the potting soil and the plants, so win-win. (Or win-win-win if you've seen The Office episode "Conflict Resolution." One of my favorite episodes.) We were pretty excited.

In the Pioneer Woman's tutorial, she spoke of the need to drill pilot holes. I had to ask Jeremy what those were...apparently, you have to drill a hole where you are going to put in a screw or else the wood will not have a place to go and the wood will split. Makes sense. I don't have any pictures of us actually putting this box container together...because I was the one drilling the pilot holes and screwing the whole thing together! Can you believe it?? It's the honest truth. I'm a girly girl, but my dad has always showed me how to do things and now Jeremy has taken over. I kinda like to learn new things like that, so this whole experience was so much fun for me! It was a little bit of hard work, but I loooved getting to spend the whole day with Jeremy working on our project. I mean, I really loved it. =) And then we went to Makin' Music that night. So now you know what a great day it was for me! ;)

Jeremy already had some weed prevention netting or whatever that we rolled out and tacked to the inside of the container. Then we dumped in the potting soils and got to planting. I did decide to plant the mint elsewhere because it would have taken over the whole area. It is now contained somewhere else.

Oh! And we also discovered some volunteer leaf lettuce that we had planted last year, but it never came up. So I transplanted it into the new space.

The finished project...

We had too many tomato and bell pepper plants to fit into the original container garden, so a few days later Jeremy started a new experiment. Some guys he works with always put huge sheets of cardboard on top of the ground in their garden. They cut holes in cardboard and the plants grow through it, but the weeds don't. Woo hoo, right? He staked it in the ground with pieces of wire coathangers so it wouldn't blow away. I gotta tell ya, this was one of the strangest ideas I'd ever heard, but I decided to roll with it. And the plants LOVE it. We had some really puny-looking pepper plants that immediately got really happy with their choice of location. It holds in the moisture super well.

That wasn't a pepper plant, lest you want to correct me. It's one of the tomato plants. But it's definitely happy, too!

I was calling the container garden, well, "the container garden" - and I was totally planning on calling the other one "the cardboard garden." But Jeremy had better ideas.

Meet the Cedar Garden:

And the Cardigarden:

I'm quite positive there will be more posts concerning these two plots of ground. And I'm pretty positive one of them (or more) may concern the lengths we'll have to go to to keep certain squirrels, birds, and rabbits out of them.

Happy Earth Day! To celebrate, I'll leave you with a few more pretty pictures of growing things in our yard...I love the fact that God chose to gift us humans with beautiful things to surround us. As someone who appreciates great design, I marvel at the variety of colors and shapes and scents of outdoorsy things. I like feeling that I'm a kid again when I discover some new flower or how much something has grown since last summer.

A new calla lily!

Our crazy tree...

Wild violets...they never last long enough in a vase, but I love them!

A lone, pale pink tulip...

...a home for a tiny spider.

Our plum trees that bloomed a few weeks ago - I'll planning to make plum jelly this year!

I just love phlox! Love it.

And vinca vine, too...

May you soon find yourself digging in the dirt, too. =)

Notes on a Fancy Italian Dessert

Many years of my life were spent without knowing the awesomeness of tiramisu. Actually, many years were spent disliking the way coffee tasted, even though I loved the way it smelled. So it would follow that once I discovered that I actually could, indeed, enjoy coffee (thank you, Starbucks, for adding sugar and cream and flavorings)...I discovered the fabulousity of  tiramisu. By the way, I tend to make up words. I get it from my mom. Embrace it. It extends one's vocabulary exceedingly well!

So, tiramisu. It's delightful. And difficult to make, I'm just gonna be very honest here. But Jeremy and I love it. I have wonderful memories tied to this dessert...when Jeremy proposed to me (about two years ago exactly) he cooked a wonderful dinner of chicken spaghetti with tossed salad. And for dessert we had tiramisu that he had picked up from the Carriage House Antique Mall Cafe' in Jackson. We'd eaten it there several times and enjoyed it immensely. (By the way, I taught Jeremy how to enjoy coffee. Many, many times he had turned down his parents' offers of coffee over the years - it's their favorite beverage. But they drink it black. And we cannot. Oh, we cannot.)

Tiramisu is fancy - it's perfectly special. It reminds me of getting proposed to, which is always a nice memory. =) Jeremy's birthday was a couple of weeks ago and we had a family birthday party for him at our house a few days later. I am HUGE fan of The Pioneer Woman and had previously filed away her recipe for tiramisu in hopes of making it for a special occasion. Her recipe title is Tiramisu - You Can Do It. Yes, You Can. YES, YOU CAN. Jeremy's birthday proved to be the perfect special occasion to try it. =) Wait, "Do or do not; there is no try." I think Yoda and The Pioneer Woman would get along.

Now, since we live in small town of six thousand-something, a couple of the ingredients were a tad trying to track down. First: mascarpone cheese...a wonderful Italian cheese, sort of like our cream cheese, but not enough like it to be interchanged. (I have since looked at the Kroger in neighboring Jackson, but no mascarpone cheese there either.) I did find it at the Publix in Chattanooga. I had high hopes for also finding the ladyfinger cookies there, too, but no such luck!

So I made the ladyfingers. Well, let me rephrase that. I made some ladyfingers from allrecipes.com: Ladyfingers. I wasn't crazy about them. They were kinda fun to make - I used a gallon-sized ziplock bag with a snipped-off corner to pipe them on the parchment covered cookie sheet.

But something didn't seem right. If I made them again I would add a pinch of salt and some vanilla, I think. They were bland. And so I waffled back and forth about actually using them in my tiramisu. After all, here's how much the mascarpone cheese cost me...and I had to buy TWO of them.

In my infinite wisdom (or fear of ruining an expensive and time-consuming dessert) I decided to have another try. I absolutely loved The Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Shortcake Cake and have made the spongecake recipe itself several different times since - in regular and miniature cupcakes, not just cake. It has a fabulous flavor. And not bland at all! So I decided to try piping it in ladyfinger shapes. I was pretty proud of myself for thinking of this, I gotta say.

But here's what happened once they were cooked...

I had to laugh when I turned the oven light on. Oh, well, it's a layered dessert. Who is gonna know, right??

You see them making fun of the true ladyfingers in the background? They totally were taunting them.

Next I had to make the custardy stuff, which had to chill and then be mixed with the mascarpone cheese and sweetened whipped cream. I do not own a double boiler, so I made do with a makeshift one, as was suggested by the Pioneer Woman herself.

The recipe calls for Marsala wine, which I did not include in my version. I think I actually cooked the custard stuff too long or on too high a temp maybe. It didn't exactly look like hers, especially after it was chilled. But it all ended up alright. She warns her readers not to whip the concoction to death...that a few lumps were normal. But for mine to be incorporated into the mascarpone cheese and the whipped cream (which I kind of ruined the integrity of) I had to whip it. Oh, well, it tasted super fabulous. I made some very strong coffee to drizzle over the ladyfinger layer and added a little almond extract along with the vanilla extract - in substitution for more Marsala wine.

As I layered the dessert, I got distracted. Don't get distracted. This is what happens when you get distracted...

I forgot to drizzle coffee on the second layer and had to scrape up the creamy layer to correct my mistake. Yeesh.

I was nervous about how it would turn out...and tired. When I set the dish in the fridge that afternoon, I thought to myself, "This may be a once-in-a-lifetime recipe." I waited to see how the overall taste was - and feedback from the fam - before I decided this for sure.

The verdict? It was a winner. Everyone loooved it. Even our two-year-old friend! She wanted seconds. =)

And my mom, who doesn't like coffee. I have to say, I didn't pour too much coffee over the layers because I didn't want it to be too terribly strong. Next time, I would do a little more. That's right...I said "next time." I would make this again. Now that I have my notes and know how things should go. =) I think the first ladyfinger recipe would be satisfactory, with my additions of salt and vanilla. Just gotta find some mascarpone cheese...preferably on sale.