(It’s a sunny Saturday morning here at the ranch and Ree’s signature sweet rolls will here in about fifteen minutes! More on our time here next week. In the meantime Arden, Elaine, and Christen are our winners! Congratulations!)
It was only two years ago when Maggy and Sharon said, “Mom, it’s time. You’ve got to start a food blog.” They were right.
As I was contemplating my identity as a food blogger, both girls were insistent: check out The Pioneer Woman. Once again, the girls were right. The woman who had charmed them was about to dramatically broaden my world
Maggy had discovered The Pioneer Woman as a young bride living outside London. At that point her cooking repertoire was limited to burgers, and Bolognese. She grew up around cooking, of course, and when she was in high school I tried to coax her, but hanging out at the mall was more interesting than learning to make meatloaf with me.
I dutifully sent her off to college with a set of my books that promptly got lost in all her moves. But then Maggy found Ree, the person she could check in with every few days and find a new recipe her man would love.
Sharon had always been drawn to the kitchen and didn’t need as much recipe inspiration. A hopeless romantic, she was drawn to Ree’s prose. During her two-year stint as Fine Cooking’s assistant web editor, she admits spending office hours reading Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. It was, after all, her job!
And then I started paying frequent visits to The Pioneer Woman site. Like my daughters I was attracted to Ree’s classy, warm, bumptious virtual ranch. I was thrilled that the daughter I thought would never take to the kitchen was calling home to say she had just made Olive-Cheese Bread, Ranch Dressing, or Marlborough Man-approved Crash Hot Potatoes.
I wanted to find a way to thank this woman who had entertained one daughter with heart-throbbing romance and lured the other into the kitchen with crowd-pleasing recipes. I did the only thing I knew to do. I sent her a couple of cookbooks and a note thanking her for all she’d done. When it comes to raising kids, it’s true: It takes a village.
And now I thank Ree for helping Three Many Cooks find our way into the food blogging community. We hope to show the same kindness to our friends and colleagues just starting out.
In anticipation of Maggy’s and my visit at the Ranch this weekend we’re giving away three sets of Ree’s three books: The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Charlie The Ranch Dog. Deadline is 6:00 PM Friday, June 24 Central Time when the party starts. In the spirit of the weekend’s theme, tell us your go-to recipe for when you’re just havin’ people over.
P.S. Sharon, we know come July you’ll be mightily relieved to have your intensive Hebrew course behind you, but know that Three Many Cooks feels a little incomplete without you at the Ranch.
Here’s Ree’s Blackberry Cobbler to add to the fun!
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups blackberries (fresh or frozen), rinsed and pat dry
- Heat your oven to 350 degrees and butter a baking dish.
- Melt butter in a microwavable dish. Pour 1 cup of the sugar and flour into a mixing bowl and whisk in the milk. Mix well. Pour in melted butter and whisk it all together.
- Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle blackberries over the top of the batter; distributing evenly. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup sugar over the top.
- Bake until golden and bubbly, about an hour. If you’d like, sprinkle an additional teaspoon of sugar over the cobbler 10 minutes before it’s done.
Cheesy Potatoes!
Chicken Pot Pie from The Perfect Recipe!
First of all, what a great question! I’ve picked up some great ideas just by reading the responses. I usually make what I call “toppings,” and my husband calls “slurry in a hurry.” It consists of some kind of sauce-based chicken (such as curry or tikka masala), rice, and a variety of self-serve toppings (such as cilantro, green onions, diced tomatoes, raisins, coconut, sunflower seeds, sliced hard-boiled eggs, or whatever else I have handy). I add a green salad and we’re good to go. Guests can fix up their plates as they wish.
Fried chicken with homemade potato salad and corn salad. Yummmmmmmm!
Anything from Perfect One-Dish Dinners. So far the italian sausage cassoulet and the beef rioja are my favorites. And the green chili chicken with dumplings. I sub masa for the cornmeal. Yum. Want to try the white coq au vin. LOVE that book. LOVE Ree.
I always like to try new things when I’m having people over. I guess I don’t have a go to recipe!
I love the Pioneer Woman and I follow you in our local paper!
Chicken Chili or spagetti. I can’t mess those up! I’m still learning how to cook 🙂
I love to make spaghetti and meatballs to entertain with…Toss a salad and add bread and you are good to go… I use my favorite Marinara sauce recipe from “Carmine’s” cookbook. I love that restaurant and the sauce is yummy and fresh….and the meatball recipe I love is from a restaurant on Long Island called Maroni. I make them and everyone is happy. It reminds me of Lady and the Tramp…so fun.
Fajitas are good for me. Any kind of meat and I always have onion and peppers on hand.
chicken spaghetti from The Pioneer Woman. chicken. pasta. cheese. the other “foodie” trifecta at my house:)
Bacon wrapped meatloaf from the PW!
My go-to recipe is quiche! There’s no one that doesn’t seem to like it!
spaghetti!! or stuffed squash
PW’s bacon wrapped meatloaf. My boyfriend thinks it is the greatest!
I always have the fixings on hand for enchiladas-an enchilada casserole can be made in about 20 minutes! Another fave is bean and cheese empanadas but those take more time.
Thai curry. Have a great time at the ranch!
Your fabulous biscuit-topped chicken pot pie from the One-Dish Dinners cookbook, of course!
Sauteed scallops, basmati rice, a green salad and Ina Garten’s Lemon Yogurt cake. Delish!
Chicken and rice casserole with PW’s Rosemary Butter Rolls. We have them 3-4 times a month.
Ree’s Hot Crash Potatoes are my go-to side dish!
Bologna sandwiches
Make ahead mashed potatoes!
Make ahead mashed potatoes
Chicken marsala.
lasagna
Pulled pork is always a crowd pleaser.
My go to is always whole filet of beef.. roasted… everyone loves it and it seems so special…
I am always asked to make party potato’s. My mom’s go to recipe from the 90’s. They arn’t healthy or low fat … sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic, garlic, garlic and instant potatos all mixed together and baked with a stick of melted butter poured over the top…. Love them!
We love to make beer butt chickens. Easy and everyone loves them!
Pasta salad!
Have a fabulous weekend. I learned from my Grandmother that if you love people you feed them. My favorite go to recipe alternates between a hot n spicy pasta or chicken breast with a sauce that has mayo/whip cream and parmesan cheese in it. Both are delicious…add a salad and some wine and everyone is talking, smiling and having a good time.
Tortellini and green bean salad with tomato pesto or Orzo, Pea, and Feta salad with Caesar grilled chicken.
Grilled chicken/bell peppers/onions with brown rice.
We love a recipe we got from an old neighbor, Crabbies, basically crab meat & cheese on English Muffins. Yum!
Cole Slaw!
Texas Caviar dip. My recipe makes a HUGE batch, so I have to make it when I have people to help eat it!
Mac and Cheese (PW’s recipe of course) 🙂
Ree’s meatloaf and mashed potatoes! To die for!! I’m new to your site. I was on Tasty Kitchen and saw a link here. I’ll be back often–thanks Ree!
roast chicken or curry! and for dessert, Ree’s Strawberry Shortcake Cake!
Twice baked potatoes (with green onions, butter, sour cream, bacon, and cheese), anything chicken (or bbq steaks), variety of salads (pistachio, garden, broccoli or cole slaw, macaroni – not mayo based – broccoli salad). Jiffy Cinnamon Rolls, Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie…and I could go on!
I make a mean biscuit and pie, I make great pie.
Chicken with pan sauce or chicken taco pie!
Roast Chicken with lemon, Orzo with Parmesan & Basil, & a big tossed salad. Lemon pound cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. My son’s favorite meal!
This post captures the spirit of blogging, inspiration, & motherhood so well, and I LOVE that you will have the opportunity to meet. I can’t wait to hear all about it :).
Either fajitas or tacos. That way people can make either the taco or a salad out of all the fixins!