Friday, July 22, 2011

Pioneer Womans Cooks

So, on this blog, Martha is the cook & I am not. I mean, I cook & I like to cook, but I don't really advertise it. I own a Bakery & all, but I am not the baker, that's hubby. I used to cook all the time when the kids were little, and then for some reason I just stopped. I used to cook from cookbooks everyday. The one day I didn't. I don't know what happened, I just got over it & stopped.
Martha, a couple of friends & I have been going to cooking classes for about 18months, which is more of a social event than a class & I in the last month I have been getting back into cooking. I have bought quite a few cook books, done some experimenting, and I must say, I have enjoyed it. It does help when the kids like what I cook, maybe that's what turned me off cooking, fussy eaters?
I saw on Retromummys blog a few weeks back this cookbook & it had me intrigued as we have just been to the States and I was after some true American recipes, so I ordered the book. I am so glad I did. I love it.

In the book she tells a story about how she became a country girl after she was raised a city girl, and had to learn to cook all the traditional American meals for her cowboy hubby. The recipes are basic meals and easy to follow recipes. The first two recipes I made were the Lasagne, which is different to our normal lasagne, as it use Cottage Cheese. The only thing I found, which I will change next time I make it, is that it didn't hold together like my normal recipe. I think that's because it only has one layer of lasagne sheets on the bottom, and then another layer on the middle. I think, I will do more layers next time, but the flavour is so good. The whole family loved it, and in my house, that's a thumbs up. We served it with a salad. Even the visitors loved it.

Now, this probably isn't the best photo, i probably should have cut it. But hey, I can't be a cook and a photographer! In the book she says that this cake is the best chocoalte cake you will ever taste and do not waste another day without it, make it today. So, hey, who was I not to listen to her? We had to have it.
My daughter Grace & I made it, and I must say we were lucky it turned out at all, as we were giggling and laughing as we made it, and the pictures and instructions were numbered going down the page.....but we followed them going across the page and wondered why the picture had a nice runny mix when ours was looking like cookie dough??

Hmm, then we realised we hadn't added the water or the egg mixture...we went from step 5, to 7 to 9...oops. So we had no choice but to the go and add the water and the egg mixture and hope for the best!
My husband said, no wonder he is the Baker of the family and not us.....well I am happy with that as I do not have to get up at 2am to make cakes, imagine what I would do to a cake at that hour??!!
Well, the cake was a hit! It tasted pretty darn good for a cake that was made out of order, so it must be fool-proof!! Oh, and it didn't last very long either, I think the kids are happy I'm back in the cooking mode....
You can order your copy of the book here with free postage! (Usually)

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