Thursday, May 12, 2016

It all started with a cup…

I started watching The Pioneer Woman on Food Network pretty much since Ree Drummond started on there. I loved the idea of an actual down-home cooking show in the midst of all those froo-froo cooking shows that make crap I’d never eat. I had been following her blog and Facebook for quite awhile even before that and decided that her blog is what my blog wants to be when it grows up.

It doesn’t hurt that she lives in Pawhuska, Oklahoma which is like… 65 miles away. Like, I could have seen her when I used to go to Bartlesville, Oklahoma all the time. Seriously. And my sister, a fellow Pioneer freak, has seen the entrance to her ranch…….

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Source: My Wonderful Sister Hillary.

But she didn’t go in… Cause that would be too stalker-ish.

So when she came out with her new line of cookware for Walmart I was ecstatic. Like seriously…. I was cavelling. Totally.

But alas… I am not made of money. So I held back.

And I held back. I watched them put the amazingly cute vintagey country chic items out on the shelves and I drooled.

Until one day… I bought my favorite coffee cup (other than my hedgie)

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This adorable cup… It’s the Flea Market Country Garden Mug and it retails for $4.38 at Walmart. Walmart.com shows it as in store only, but you can buy a set of four online. Anyways… I was happy with this being the only piece I could afford.

A week or so later I started noticing that the glaze on the inside of my cup was starting to crack. It wasn’t horrible or anything, so I just shrugged it off. A week or so after noticing that, I noticed that the crack had worsened and there were new cracks. I lamented to my sister who told me to contact Ree via her Facebook page and tell her what was going on. Since it was a new brand, she’d (or whoever oversees her Facebook page) would want to know so they could do something about it.

So I sent a message to her Facebook page and really didn’t think I’d get a reply.

A few hours later… I got a reply back! Surprised smile 

Like I said, I dunno if it was Ree, but I was excited none the less. Whoever it was (I wanna say it was Ree because I’m optimistic like that) called me Breanna, but oh well. She could call me chopped liver and I wouldn’t care. LOL. They directed me to email her manager so we could work things out.

So I emailed her manager, Morgan and got a quick response. She said she’d send a replacement mug out soon!

A few weeks later I got a big ole box in the mail. Ripped it open and found a brand new mug AND a wooden spoon from the collection. I know this doesn’t seem like much to some people, but to me it meant a lot. In a day in age where customer service isn’t the highest priority; where it flies by the roadside eclipsed by getting bigger and better products out faster and in higher quantity, the little things get left behind. It meant a lot that they took the time to rectify the situation (even though there really wasn’t one!) and I love the fact that they made me feel special… Like I actually mattered.

That sold me on the entire brand. I decided then and there that I needed as many pieces as possible.

So…. What did I do?

Waited for tax return time!!! Happy Valentine’s Day to me!!!!

PWCookware

I oogled and ahhhed and sighed and exclaimed as I opened each piece.

Not only are they super cute (I got the turquoise shown here) (the pans have butterflies stamped into the stainless steel of the handles) but they’re super sturdy too.

They’re not like restaurant grade or anything, but they’re right up there. The non-stick coating is high grade and well… Non stick. The skillet that they include in the set is a little on the tiny side, so I had to get a bigger (matching) one later on because that’s what I like to cook fried taters in. The cast iron skillet is soooooo tiny and cute. I haven’t used it (or seasoned it) yet, but I will someday lol.

This set opened the flood gates…. I needed spoons, measuring cups, the can opener (which is the best can opener I have ever used); basically everything. I don’t have it all, because I still have to be conservative, but I really want it all. I want the pitcher, the cookie jar, the cake stand (even though I don’t make cakes like that I still want it). OK… I want everything. Then she came out with linens. I haven’t bought many of those, but what I do have I love. Her tea towels are nice and thick and super absorbent. Very high quality.

I can’t say it enough. I love her stuff. I love her cooking. I love her company’s customer service. I love her. Well, ok… That’s a bit much, but I really do admire her quite a bit. And my blog still wants to be like hers when it grows up. Maybe someday!

You know what else I love? My step mum’s quiche. I had never had it before my dad and step mum got married. After that I looked at it like this weird-ass alien pie. What on earth did anyone need with an egg pie??? Then I got over myself and tried it.

Oh. My. God. I fell in love. So I’m sharing the love with you. Pull up a seat and a good cup of coffee and read on. (Recipe is at the end of the tutorial!)

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Get your pie crusts ready. I used premade Pet-Ritz deep dish pie crusts. Poke holes all over it with a fork and pre-cook for like 10 minutes or so.

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Pose your cute (ohmigodtheyresocute) measuring cups (and measuring pitcher) with your out of the oven pie crusts. Let the pie crusts cool and ooh and ahh over the cups LOL.

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Fry up your bacon! (This is my bigger PW skillet).

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Drain and crumble. Get rid of most of the grease in the skillet, keeping back two or three tablespoons of grease for later. Wipe the skillet clean.

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Fry up your sausage! Drain the sausage and empty the grease from the skillet. Wipe down the skillet again and return to heat.

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Chop your onion with your awesome PW knife. I dun have the PW cutting board Sad smile when I’d go to get it, my Walmart was always out so I took it as a sign that I didn’t need it lol.

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Throw in the grease from before. Add the bacon grease back into the skillet and sauté the onions and garlic until softened and fragrant.

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Then notice that the PW spatula you’re using says “Love is the key ingredient <3” and awwwwww.

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Oogle out your measuring cups again…

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Little more…. These things are so danged cute.

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and yep……… some more…..

Get back on task!!!

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Drain your onions on some paper towel, because they’re kinda well…. Greasy….

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Get out the batter bowl you got yourself with the pretense that you got it for your mom…

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Crack yo eggs and add some nice heavy half and half. Gah! This is gonna be so gooooood!

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Add all your yummies like cheese and spices and mix up.

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I am so glad this tastes better than it looks….

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Cause yeah, it don’t look good at all….

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Add all the yummy to the pie plates. Top with cheese and an X of bacon I guess. You might want to cover the crust with a little aluminum foil so the crust doesn’t burn. Now you bake.

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Admire your salt and pepper shakers and the awesome utensil crock.

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And the super cute measuring cups again as you put them away because you didn’t end up using them.

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Finally! The wait is over! And yes, they’re a little over-done anyways. Pfft. But they were still fabulous!

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This makes me drool just looking at it.

So yeah. You should go out and buy all the PW stuff. I know I want to….

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This is no way endorsed by Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman. Although I wish it was. I would like to be adopted by Ree. Ree… I’m here… LOL

OK now on to the recipe

The Bomb Breakfast Quiche

(For one deep dish pie crust. If using two crusts just double the recipe)

Preheat oven to 375

6 lg eggs, beaten

1/4 c half and half

1/2 medium onion chopped

1 tsp garlic, minced (to taste)

12 oz sausage or bacon, browned and crumbled

1 tsp parsley

8 oz shredded cheese of choice

Salt and Pepper

Punch holes in crust with fork. Place on cookie sheet and pre-bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Beat eggs, half and half, parsley, salt and pepper. Stir in onions and garlic, sausage or bacon and half of the cheese.

Pour into prepared pie crust. Top with remaining cheese. Cover edges of crust with foil and put into preheated oven. Cook for 15 minutes, remove foil. Cook for additional 10 minutes or until knife inserted into middle comes out clean. Let sit and cool a bit before eating. Enjoy!

1 comment:

  1. I love the Pioneer Woman too!! I have been following her blog for years. I bought her glass pitcher and it is gorgeous and sturdy. It looks vintage and I love it!!!

    ReplyDelete