I Love Rachel Ray!!!

I really do. But first, let me explain. This weekend I decided to clean out my wallet (don’t ask, I’m compulsively neat) anyway, I found a gift card to Waldenbooks that I got for my birthday back in July, put into my wallet and promptly forgot about. Well we found a Waldenbooks at the Kanawha City Mall. The mall is actually a waste of a decent parking lot. They should tear it down and put up something more interesting, like a stamp museum. Anyway, I used the card to buy Rachel Ray’s Cooking Around the Clock. I am super excited to have all these new recipes! Sunday I made Jeff oatmeal cookie pancakes from the book and I am planning on the gingerbread waffles this weekend. Last night Jeff made the 30 minute Shepherds pie which was AWESOME!!!!! I really do love Rachael Ray, if it wasn’t for her I would only know how to make a few things, like mac and cheese and spaghettios. Hey those are yummy! I lived on those for years before I met Jeff. But now, thanks to Rachel I can let Jeff take a break once in awhile and I can make something. Of course I can’t cook when he is in the house because he stands over my shoulder and tells me what to add, edging me out until he is the one cooking and I’m watching TV. Mostly I’m okay with this situation, but sometimes I would like to make something. I know that my creations are not as good as what Jeff whips up, but hey at least I’m cooking! Jeff of course can look in the pantry and come up with a delicious recipe on the fly, I can not! At first I tried to do everything Rachel’s way, keeping it under 30, but then I learned that when I am unorganized and chopping and stirring at the same time I go crazy! So now I get all my ingredients ready before I start, do all the prep work, well some Jeff does because I am not allowed to use the really sharp knives, and have everything within reach. Then I can cook! I have also learned from my hubby to taste as I go along, which has helped me identify and use different spices. So I am very happy with my new book, and crabby girl has gone bye-bye. Jeff has a song that he sings that always makes her skedaddle! We are planning to check out a renaissance fair this weekend, so I will be back to let everyone know how that goes. And we were finally able to order the new computer! It is supposed to be shipped next week, so we will see what actually happens!!!