Thankful for Hodgepodgers and Pioneer Women

What would a week of Thanksgiving be without the Hodgepodge?  We're all grateful to have a springboard for our thoughts every Wednesday, right?

Before I post this week's questions I have to share a picture-

Why, yes that is me (scrunched down at a very awkward angle) with my new best friend, The Pioneer Woman.  

Okay maybe not my best friend, but I'm absolutely certain we'd be friends if I lived on a neighboring Oklahoma ranch instead of a Big Apple suburb. Last Saturday Kim (Kimberly's Korner) and I went to a nearby town to meet Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman.  As an aside, Kim and I met through our blogs and discovered we lived not too far from one another which has been fun.  On Saturday she drove and I talked her ear off.

Anyway, Ree Drummond was signing books, specifically her new Christmas book for children, but also her cookbooks.  The store had a problem with their shipment of her newest cookbook so they only had her first one and her children's books for sale.  I was hoping to get her newest cookbook so was a little disappointed, but when I mentioned it that night to my daughter she pointed out I already own the new one.  Good grief.  I knew that.  As soon as she said it I knew it.  I've actually even made some of the recipes in that book.

Sometimes I worry my very own self.

The Pioneer Woman is positively adorable! She's funny too, and seemed so down to earth. Maybe that's because she isn't someone who went out looking for fame the way so many people do today. Instead, fame found her.

A lot of celebs decide to write children's books thinking, "I'm famous and people will buy it so why not?" I love that PW's children's books are based on the real life antics of her dog Charlie. She has four kids of her own and the books feel like a natural extension of life with a lovable, slightly lazy dog on a working ranch. On Saturday she had all the kids in the store gather round (one climbed right into her lap) while she read her latest, Charlie and the Christmas Kitty.  This story included a line where Ree barked just like a Basset Hound and the kids absolutely loved it. We definitely should be neighbors.

Coincidentally I'm making one of our favorite PW recipes tomorrow night-Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp, and actually I plan to have daughter2 prepare the dish.  She's made it before, and in my house when you do a task once it's yours for life.  How do you think hubs ended up with the job of cleaning our shower til the end of time?

If you come to my house be careful what you volunteer for-Ha!

Okay, I know not all our Hodgepodgers are American, but gratitude for all we have is universal so everyone can still play along with this week's questions.  Be sure to waddle on over here tomorrow so we can link our answers...

1. Turkey-love it or leave it?  White meat or dark?  What's your favorite thing to make using leftover turkey?

2. Gotta burn off all those carbs the day after a holiday feast so which would you rather do-run a 10K or climb a mountain?

3.  Do you feel like social networking has made your relationships better or worse?  Explain.

4. How do you find and express gratitude for the hard things in your life?

5.  In the US, the day after Thanksgiving has been dubbed 'Black Friday'.  Is most of your holiday shopping done live and in person, or is it done more through the magic of the Internet? How do you feel about stores opening at midnight Thanksgiving night? Will you be out amongst the masses on Friday?

6.  Speaking of the color black-which black item in your wardrobe would you say is your favorite?

7.  What do you appreciate about your life today?

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

The not-so-much a Pioneer Woman cooks

Before I start rambling let me announce the winner of the book drawing:

Congratulations Nel! Email me with your contact details and I will put the book in the post to you this week. If you didn't win this time check Nel's blog in the next couple of weeks as she'll be passing the book on to another reader soon.

Now, I don't know how it was in your neck of the woods this weekend but it was bitterly cold in these parts. And I'm not sure why I'm talking like this...evidently frigid temperatures make me talk like the Clampetts. Frigid temperatures also make me want to pull out my cookbooks and try some new recipes.

Okay, so I like cookbooks...love to buy them and love to read them but I'm not always good about remembering to actually cook from them. Like the rest of America I received a copy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks this Christmas. I've made several recipes via her website but on Saturday night I actually used the cookbook. I made her recipe for linguine with clam sauce and it was delicious. My husband loved it too but he struggled to understand the 'pioneer' part. She says this is one recipe that is maybe not as 'cowboy friendly' as some of her others but it is really tasty and also quick and easy...if you have her book give this recipe a try.

On Sunday we were still living with arctic temperatures which called for homemade soup and cornbread. I'm pretty sure that as a little girl parsnips fell into the category of vegetables that needed to be secretly stashed in my napkin when mom wasn't looking followed by an 'excuse me may I leave the table to go to the restroom' request. Brussel sprouts would have fallen into that same category. Not so as an adult...in fact I don't think there is a single vegetable I don't love. Or dessert but that's a post for another day. I don't think I ever cooked parsnips before moving to England but they're a popular vegetable there and I fixed them pretty often, usually roasted in the oven with a little maple syrup-yum! Yesterday I made a delicious Cream of Parsnip soup that we all love... if you've never eaten parsnips give this a try...they are sweet and a perfect vegetable for a cream soup. You will notice pretty quickly that I'm nothing like The Pioneer Woman when it comes to combining photography with cooking but I consider it a success that I remembered to take pictures at all. Here's the recipe-

You will need:

2 tsp. unsalted butter

1 cup diced shallots (about 3)

1/4 cup diced onion

3/4 cup white wine

3 1/2 cups peeled, chopped parsnips (about 9 small-medium)

5 cups chicken stock

3/4 tsp white balsamic vinegar (I didn't have this and used cider vinegar...regular balsamic would change the color of the soup and the cider vinegar worked)

3/4 tsp salt

pinch pepper

3/4 cup half and half

In a soup pot over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add shallots and onion and saute, stirring until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add wine, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Add parsnips, chicken stock, vinegar, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered, until parsnips are completely tender, about 45 minutes.

Remove pan from heat and use immersion blender to puree the soup (or cool slightly and carefully puree in batches in food processor or standing blender). Transfer puree to saucepan and whisk in the half and half. Warm over low heat until steaming.

I served this with The Barefoot Contessa's Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread which is fab-u-lous.

Seriously fabulous. I highly recommend...this cornbread recipe makes a large pan so I froze the leftovers. Enjoy!