Roadtrip!

As you are reading this I am currently on my way to meet the infamous Pioneer Woman, a.k.a. Ree Drummond! My sister Brandy, girlfriend Val, and I are heading up north to have our cookbooks signed by the woman my husband has dubbed “the best author in the entireworld.”

I am so excited to meet this blogging goddess who has mainstreamed the art of sharing your life via the internet. I was first introduced to her blog by my roadtrip buddies who have been big fans since nearly the beginning of the Pioneer Woman era. They both were captivated by her “real life Harlequin romance” story and urged me time and time again to take a break from my daily schedule ofDays of Our Lives and The Nanny reruns to read this woman’s story. Frankly, she had me from “hello.” And, like most of her fans I have been devotedly reading her blog since.

Although I absolutely love catching up with her daily posts about her gorgeous “punks” and life on the ranch I must admit I am almost more intrigued by her recipes. That woman knows how to cook! And not fancy-schmancy dishes that hold more value in their aesthetic than their edibility (it’s a word…I checked.) Mrs. Drummond has perfected the art of pleasing your palate (and, unfortunatley, fat cells) through simple fare like Chicken Fried Steak and Baked Macaroni & Cheese.Real people food. Her cookbook also features not-so-simple fare that holds absolutely no intimidation for a novice cook such as myself. Her compilation of recipes has inspired me to break away from my general mode of cooking and branch out a bit. And, for a feat of this magnitude,I would like to thank her in person. My husband has contemplated sending flowers.

I should also add that we plan on stopping for linner (lunch/dinner, unlike ‘brunch’ it hasn’t caught on yet but I’m working on that.) In my world, a meal with no kids is certainly something to celebrate in itself. I’m a little nervous about how I’m going to fill in the time it usually takes to cut up and blow on hot chicken fingers, geta refill for a spilled strawberry lemonade, answer random menu trivia questions and retrieve dropped crayons from the deep and dark abyss also known as “under the table.” But I’m sure I’ll manage.

Mindy