The Pioneer Woman

I am bringing my Kindle on the plane this morning but I also just received this book so I am tucking it in my handbag as well...

By Ree Drummond - HarperCollins - 2011 - Hardback - 352 pages

From the book jacket..."That's when I saw him—the cowboy—across the smoky room." I'll never forget that night. It was like a romance novel, an old Broadway musical, and a John Wayne western rolled into one. Out for a quick drink with friends, I wasn't looking to meet anyone, let alone a tall, rugged cowboy who lived on a cattle ranch miles away from my cultured, corporate hometown. But before I knew it, I'd been struck with a lightning bolt . . . and I was completely powerless to stop it. Read along as I recount the rip-roaring details of my unlikely romance with a chaps-wearing cowboy, from the early days of our courtship (complete with cows, horses, prairie fire, and passion) all the way through the first year of our marriage, which would be filled with more challenge and strife—and manure—than I ever could have expected. This isn't just my love story; it's a universal tale of passion, romance, and all-encompassing love that sweeps us off our feet. It's the story of a cowboy. And Wranglers. And chaps. And the girl who fell in love with them. 

From Amazon.com...Popular blogger and cookbook author Drummond shares the story of her courtship and marriage to her husband, whom she refers to as Marlboro Man. Though Drummond grew up in Oklahoma, she never imagined she'd end up there for good. After four years of college in Los Angeles, Drummond was only making a pit stop home before moving to Chicago. A chance encounter with a devastatingly masculine cowboy in a local bar changes everything. Though several months elapse before Marlboro Man calls her, the spark between them ignites as soon as they start dating. A rancher with deep roots in the land he works, Marlboro Man isn't going anywhere, which means Drummond has to decide whether, to be with him, she's willing to give up her dream of moving to Chicago. By the time Marlboro Man proposes, the decision is made, and Drummond prepares to marry the love of her life and discover what being a rancher's wife will entail. Charming and bright, Drummond's story will be an inspiration to those who despair of finding old-fashioned, lasting love. --Kristine Huntley

I "found" the Pioneer Woman a couple of years ago. I noticed that every time I googled a recipe, links to her recipes were always included in the search results so I thought she might be on to something. I tried a few of her recipes and found that they were easy to follow and very well written. She has a fantastic sense of humor and she takes amazing photographs of EVERY step (and then some!) so her recipes are great for beginners. Whenever I have used one of her recipes, it has turned out perfectly. I have two of her cookbooks -  The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from An Accidental Country Girl and The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food From My Frontier and love them both. I enjoy just reading through them and looking at the photographs - no cooking required! I also follow her blog (www.thepioneerwoman.com) - she posts a lot of interesting articles, not all food related.  She made my heart skip a beat with this photo she posted on Friday (in her Home & Garden section)...

How pretty is that?!? And functional, too.

We are off to the airport in a couple of hours. Last night, Sonder discovered our suitcases (I hid them in the guest room and packed secretly) and now he is giving me puppy dog eyes and moping around the house. Since he is on so many medications for his allergies and needs to be bathed every other day with a special shampoo, we are boarding him at our vet's for this trip.

My best intention is to try and get a short post in while we are away but I am not sure if that will happen. In any event, we will be back on Thursday so, until then, have a great week!