Pioneer Woman and ME

Yesterday I was perusing Pioneer Woman looking for a nice wholesome treat to make for bookclub and I caught the cooking fever. Yes the fever. All of the food on her blog looked so amazing and I suddenly wanted nothing more than to spend my entire day cooking things I had never cooked before. So I left work at 3:00 and went to the grocery store. I had the best afternoon up to my elbows in food. Cooking really can be awesome. I was especially loving the colors of the vegetables going into my salad.

Many hours and a few too many dollars later I had created a very beautiful macaroni and cheese complete with one pound of freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese. Swoon. Some crispy mozzarella sticks. {And did I mention that these things are fried? And did I mention that when I tried to fry something a few days ago it melted into little pieces and was a complete and total disaster? I feel so accomplished.}And one of the most beautiful salads I think I have ever eaten. Behold: The Asian Noodle Salad. The dressing called for things like fresh ginger, garlic, lime, cilantro and jalepeno. Have you ever heard of anything better than that combo?While I was busy in the kitchen Tyler took the camera out and spent some time in the rain with the Azaleas. At least there is one good thing that can come of all the gray and rain. I think I am starting to wither and die from lack of sunshine.

After hours of cooking and lots of eating I headed to bookclub for lots of talking and lots more eating. Everyone contributed some home cooked goodness. It was a beautiful spread. It made me weepy. Here is just a smattering of what we feasted on:

Home baked "goldfish" by Malorie. Why would anyone ever buy goldfish again? Now that I know you can make them and have them in star shape!? Brilliant. And delicious.Hummus delight by Lindsay. Someday I hope to master the art of hummus like Lindsay.Tabbouleh by Katie. There was a bit of a Mediterranean flavor to many of the snacks. This is one little number I will definitely be making soon. And my lovely salad. While it looks a little messy, it was delightful. I loved it. And I made enough to eat it for the next 9 weeks. So come on over and get some.

A special thank you to Malorie for hosting a wonderful bookclub. I just don't know what I would do without the group of amazing women I am lucky enough to call my friends. And they even like to read! Yay.

And an extra special thanks to Pioneer Woman and her gift for cooking and explaining it in a way that even dummies like me can understand.