Category Archives: Things I Love

These are the things I love. They’re not paid endorsements in any way. If they were, I would certainly tell you. They’re just a collection of things I love enough to share with you.

December 21, 2011 · 5:07 PM

Cookiepalooza – man, that was fun!

Snowmen. Made out of Nutter Butters. Adorable!

I had 7 friends over yesterday to bake holiday cookies. Cookiepalooza – that’s what we called it. Instead of the standard cookie exchange, we decided it would be fun to spend an entire day together baking, visiting and playing cards. Turns out having 8 ladies in one kitchen making 9 different treats doesn’t leave much time for games. But don’t let that fool you. There was NO shortage of fun. There was no shortage of sweet treats, either. We made over 750 pieces of sugar-laden goodness yesterday. And my house smelled fantastic. Cookiepalooza rocked.

With Christmas carols playing in the background, we tackled cookie recipes one or two at a time until they were baked off and cooling. Then we would rotate in the next two recipes and work through them, and so on and so on. In all, we baked for 7 hours. We made 7 types of cookies and two treats in the ‘other’ category – Rolo & Pretzel Turtles and Nutter Butter Snowmen. I’ve made the Rolo Turtles before, but they seemed a lot cuter made from star-shaped holiday pretzels. Those 5-pointed little stars look like arms, legs and heads. Plus, they’re a snap to make. {Get it… snapping…turtles}

Rolo Turtles made with star-shaped holiday pretzels

The Nutter Butter Snowmen were new for me. I knew when I saw them on the Brown Eyed Baker’s Blog that I would make these. I couldn’t resist. They’re just too cute! Thanks to Jonah Bear, my 5-year-old grandson, I knew the wonders of fruit roll-ups, so I grabbed a box to add a decorative touch – scarves! Tip #1: use the multi-flavored striped roll-ups and cut them into strips with a pizza cutter. Tip #2: dip the Nutter Butter cookies one half (or end) at a time. The scarves get tied on at the center, so the dip line doesn’t show. Tip #3: to attach the scarves, wrap around the middle and twist like you would a twist-tie when buying produce. Then press gently on the twisted portion to stick them down. Tip #4: those tiny tubes of frosting in the baking aisle make perfect faces.

Striped fruit roll-ups make great snowman scarves
Some truths cannot be denied, and one of those truths is that my friend Kaki doesn’t bake much. Yesterday, she pulled a rabbit out of the hat that had us all shaking our heads. She made the most incredible homemade gingersnaps I’ve ever eaten. I’m not kidding. If there hadn’t been people around to see me do it, I could have eaten an entire tray with a 1/2 gallon of cold milk. Then she dipped them in white chocolate, and I passed out. Must have been the excitement and novelty of it all. Or maybe it was because they were so gosh-darned good and made my kitchen smell like heaven. Well played, Kaki. Well played.

Kaki's Homemade Gingersnaps

But wait! There was so much more. Here’s the rundown:

Linda – made a family recipe for pecan cookies
Pat – made her old-school orange slice candy cookies
Sheriee – made cowboy cookies, then dipped them in chocolate
Cindy – made chewy chocolate krinkle cookies
Judy – made buttery oatmeal coconut cookies
Cindy & Kaki – paired up to make those Rolo pretzel turtles

And I made coconut shortbreads from Cookie Week (from the Cookies for Kids Cancer Best Bake Sale Cookbook) and the Nutter Butter snowmen (with help).

I’d like to say the best part was all the cookies we made, but I can’t. There was no best part. It was ALL fabulous. We had a blast making all the cookies. We had a hoot decorating and dipping things in chocolate. We loved helping each other and watching timers and washing dishes and generally having each other’s backs all day long. No cookie went untouched or unloved by anyone. It was truly a group effort, the scale of which has never before been seen in my home. I’m not joking when I say we used every square inch of tabletop space in 4 different areas – the kitchen, the breakfast nook, the formal dining room, and even the foyer. Think I’m joking? Here’s my formal dining table as a cooling station:

Judy's coconut oatmeal cookies & turtles cooling in the dining room

And that’s just the dining table. This buffet table along the dining room wall was also used to cool cookies as they came out of the oven (hence the old bath towels layered under the waxed paper). And the cookies just kept piling up.

Chocolate Krinkles & Orange Slice Cookies by the dozens

But that’s not all. We cleared the stuff off the top of the table in my entry foyer and used it to stage cookies once they were cooled, bagged and tagged. This photo only shows less than half of what was made. It was insane, folks!

Cookies waiting to go home for the holidays

I wish my house could smell like this forever. I wish I could invent ‘scratch-N-sniff’ computing so you could smell it, too. And I wish you could all know my friends – they’re a fabulous bunch. And I also wish you could have joined us, but then I’d need a MUCH bigger kitchen. And a whole wall of ovens. And cookie tables in all my bedrooms, which I’m not entirely opposed to.

Cookiepalooza was so successful, there was immediate talk of making this an annual affair. I think that’s a great idea. The question is which of my friends would like to host; but we’ve got 12 months to think about that. Happy holidays, everyone. I wish you love and peace and joy, now and in the coming year.

Buh-bye now! Don't forget to grab a bag of cookies on your way out!

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October 27, 2011 · 10:58 AM

A Blue & Green Giveaway

Update: Congratulations to Cyndi (comment #1), winner of the Blue & Green Giveaway! This contest is closed. Thank you to all who participated! -NB

I love blue and green (my favorite colors).

And I love finding super cute stuff for really great prices.

And I love sharing these treasures with friends.

So… because I love blue and green, and because I love cute kitchen stuff, and because I think one of you deserves a special treat, I’m opening up a giveaway for the following items:

Two super cute Crate & Barrel kitchen towels

Two sets of four Chantal 1/2-cup ramekins

Two coordinating honeycomb-patterned silicone hot pads/mats

So to recap, that’s:
Two (2) Crate & Barrel cotton kitchen towels in super cute patterns
Eight (8) Chantal oven & microwave-safe 1/2 cup ramekins in green, and
Two (2) cute honeycomb-patterned silicone mats for handling hot ramekins

You know you want this blue & green kitchen dream!

Please read all the rules:
1. Leave a comment on this blog to participate. One entry per person, please.
2. Use a legitimate e-mail address so I can contact you. It will not be shared.
3. You must be a resident of the U.S. with a mailing address (no P.O. boxes).
4. This giveaway closes at 6:00pm Central Time on Friday, November 4th.
5. The Complete Package will randomly draw one winner from all entries.
6. The winner will be notified by e-mail. If they do not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be drawn. (Please don’t make me do that!)
7. Once I have a confirmed winner, I will post an announcement on the blog.

The disclaimer portion of this post: All prizes were purchased by me (aka NanaBread) with my own cash money. No portion of this giveaway was donated or sponsored in any way. I’m just a girl, standing in front of a pile of cute kitchen stuff, asking you to love it. And if you’re the first to name that convoluted movie quote reference, I’ll give you a second entry. Good luck to all who enter!

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September 14, 2011 · 11:38 AM

Mr. Spoiled Rotten Smushy Face Stinky Butt Love Muffin

This is my little dog, Ziggy. He is a 12 year-old Boston Terrier love muffin.


He doesn’t know he’s a dog, and that’s my fault. I’ve always referred to him as my furry son. My Baby refers to him as her little brother. The Complete Package calls him “my man” or “my little buddy”. I call him Zigman and Sugar Booger. Mostly, we just call him spoiled rotten.

Ziggy is a Virgo who loves cheese, ice cream, car rides, “Billy the Exterminator” on Netflix, laying on the back porch in the sun, small children and long walks on the beach. He wants to come back as himself in another life.

He also loves long naps on the sofa, covered in his favorite afghan. That boy loves a good blankie, and he makes no bones about wanting to be covered up.

When sleeping, Zig snores like a 400-pound man. Has ever since he was a puppy.

We know he’s due for a bath when he starts smelling like Fritos. Stale Fritos.

That little area just above his nose is the softest spot on his entire body. It’s baby bunny soft. I love that spot. And I’m pretty sure that one day I may actually rub all the fur off the tips of his ears. They’re super soft, too. So is his tummy. I’m in luck there, because he turns into a big bowl of jelly over a good tummy rub.

He’s my sweet little Mr. Spoiled Rotten Smushy Face Stinky Butt Love Muffin, and I think I’ll keep him. Although, to be honest, I think he’s keeping us.

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September 7, 2011 · 8:03 AM

Our Perfect Meal

Smoked pork tenderloin, stir-fried cabbage & Texas caviar - oh, my!

The Complete Package and I have discovered our perfect meal. We made it this weekend, but usually we save it for New Year’s Day. It’s one of our favorites of all time and it confirms my theory that sometimes the simplest foods are the most wonderful. Here’s the rundown:

Pork Tenderloin
rubbed with Salt Lick dry rub (it’s spicy & wonderful) and smoked over oak

Stir-Fried Cabbage
green cabbage chopped & braised in a hot skillet with bacon, salt & black pepper

Texas Caviar
black-eyed peas w/jalapeno, purple onion, cilantro, red wine vinegar & olive oil

Oh, baby. Who wouldn’t love to put down a plate of this cabbage? When you add a slab of smokey pork tenderloin and Texas caviar, it’s amazing. Try it for yourself and see if you don’t agree. It’s simple. Beautiful. Flavorful. Perfect.

One tip: if you’re sensitive to cabbage, consider serving this meal with a simple appetizer – Beano. {And just like that, she makes a subliminal fart joke.}

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May 23, 2011 · 7:51 AM

Things I Love: The Cookbook Edition

As I sat on my sofa browsing my favorite cookbooks for next week’s menu, I had a sudden urge to grab my camera and share some of my favorites with you. I’m not good at suppressing urges, evidently. For example, I compulsively collected cookbooks for YEARS, easily amassing 50+ books, some of which I rarely read. I’ve finally gotten a grip on my addiction, clearing my collection down to my Top 20 or so, but it wasn’t easy. Some I can’t part with are in a cabinet, but my favorites are left out on the kitchen counter so I can grab them at will. Here are the best of those I keep within arm’s reach.

The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook

I received this as a wedding present 29 years ago, and it’s still the cornerstone of my cookbook collection. I love the full-color photo index pages. When nothing sounds good, these gorgeous photos help me find inspiration.

In addition, they have illustrations throughout the recipe pages to give you technical assistance if you need it. As a menopausal space cadet, I can use all the assistance I can get. I make no apologies for that. It is what it is.

Cleora’s Kitchen, by Cleora Butler

This is more than a cookbook; it’s the memoir of a beautiful woman named Cleora Butler who worked as a cook in the homes of Tulsa’s great oil barons back in the golden age of oil barons. It’s a tribute to her family history, as well as the history of cooking and entertaining throughout her 70+ years.

What a remarkable woman she was. The stories she shares add a level of depth and clarity to her recipes I haven’t found in other cookbooks. Another thing I love is the structure of the chapters – done by decade. Starting with “The Early Years” of her childhood (pre-1920’s) and taking you through the 1980’s, her walk through the recipes that shaped her career and her life are enlightening.

If you’re into simple, family style cooking and you love noodle casseroles, try this one from Cleora’s collection. It was a hallmark recipe in its day.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks, by Ree Drummond

I’ve made no secret of the fact that I am a Pioneer Woman fan. I love her beautifully executed website, and am an active participant in the Tasty Kitchen recipe sharing page. It should come as no surprise, then, that her cookbook is an extension of her website. It’s colorful and fun, like Ree herself.

It contains the recipes she loves, complete with full-color photos, as well as stories of her life on the ranch and her family, whom she lovingly refers to as The Marlboro Man and her punks. Of course, she also includes her extended family, farm hands, friends and household pets who have also become celebrities in their own right (ie. Charley the Basset Hound). This is home cooking at its best, with a spattering of her trademark humor to keep it entertaining. Anyone who believes food should be wrapped in bacon is my kind of cook.

The Lighthouse Breakfast Cookbook, by Michelle Bursey & Carol Korgan

This little gem is published by the owners and chefs of the Heceta Head Lighthouse Inn on the Oregon coast. We had the pleasure of staying one night in the Lightkeeper’s House B&B a few years ago. It came with a 7-course breakfast that lasted 2 hours. It was without a doubt the most fabulous breakfast I have ever experienced. Hands down. Bar none. Their staff focuses on using the best local ingredients that are available, and the love they put into their food is experienced in every single bite. Buying their cookbook was a no-brainer for me.

See that blueberry smoothie in the middle? It was a life-changing revelation. Made from blueberries picked on the grounds of the lighthouse, it almost caused me to ask a complete stranger if he was going to finish his. Almost.

The Pastry Queen, by Rebecca Rather

I don’t know where to start with this one. I love it so much, I can hardly stand it. If I had to play “Sophie’s Choice” and choose only one cookbook to grab in case of an emergency, it might just have to be this one. Those spiky Texas Big Hair Tarts on the cover grabbed my attention, but the rest of the book had me running to the cash register. If baking is your religion, this could be your Bible.

If you dream of being a baker, you must get to know Rebecca better. If you’re a Texan, you’ll feel like this remarkable woman and her recipes are part of your heritage. If you find yourself anywhere near Fredericksburg, Texas, I command you to go visit her Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe. It should be at the top of your to-do list. Seriously. While her photos are fabulous, her recipes taste every bit as wonderful, if not better. I never tire of looking through this cookbook.

And I can’t visit her bakery without buying these adorable pink pig cookies for the grandkids. If you have an avid baker in your family, consider picking this cookbook up as a birthday or holiday gift. It’s a winner.

Throw in my two favorite America’s Test Kitchen cookbooks (I can’t begin to tell you how much I learned from them) and you have my list of favorites. What I want to know now is which cookbooks you treasure. Which can you not live without? I’d love to know what inspires you.

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April 21, 2011 · 7:15 AM

Things I Love, Volume 7: Anthon Berg Fruit & Marzipan Dark Chocolates

It’s no secret that I love dark chocolate. Anyone who knows me or reads my blog regularly knows that there’s almost nothing I won’t do for a good dark chocolate. They also know that I love to travel. Fortunately, the The Complete Package and I have been lucky enough to have taken some fabulous trips, and one of the perks of travel is trying local foods. For me, that includes chocolate. Everyone has their souvenir priorities. I really don’t need another t-shirt. I want chocolate!

One thing I’ve learned about chocolate is that it is different everywhere you go. Sometimes the differences are subtle and sometimes they’re diverse. One of my favorites is Anthon Berg chocolates from Denmark. Have I been to Denmark? No. Do I have to go to Denmark to get these? No! And that’s the beauty of it. Last week, while shopping with Mom and two of my sisters, we stopped at Chocolat du Monde in Rice Village (Houston), and there on the shelf were two boxes of Anthon Berg raspberry chocolates. And they were 1/2 off. Have mercy!

Here’s what I love about Anthon Berg chocolates – they’re filled with fruit stewed in booze layered over marzipan (almond paste) and dipped in dark chocolate. Yeah, you heard me. I’m showing the raspberry with orange liqueur. They also make plums in Madeira, apricots in brandy, strawberries in champagne, cherries in rum and grapes in muscat wine. The plums in Madeira have always been my favorite, but the raspberry is giving them a run for their money. They are world class. And they’re really not boozy in flavor. You get a hint of booze with an explosion of fruit. And when you combine it with that almond marzipan and dip it all in dark chocolate… well, it’s amazing.

If you’re a chocolate nut or just want to see the pretty packages, go to:
http://www.anthonberg.com/Products/Travel%20Retail/Fruit%20-%20Marzipan.aspx

And if you’re in Houston and find yourself poking around Rice Village, drop in at Chocolat du Monde. The gentleman behind the counter couldn’t be nicer, and he stocks a fantastic variety of chocolates. Try the dark chocolate sea salt caramel. You won’t regret it.

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February 14, 2011 · 7:05 AM

What do I love? Let me count the ways.

I love my family. My husband, The Complete Package. My daughter and her sweet husband. My mother, my four sisters, my mother-in-law and our big extended families. We are blessed to be part of such a large, wonderful clan.

I love my grandbabies – Jonah Bear and Lilly Bug. When I see My Baby with her sweet babies, I am transported back to those days when she was little. I see so much of her in them, with Bama Boy thrown in. And I see myself and TCP in them, too. They are little extensions of everyone in our family in many ways.

I love my dog. He’s old and he snores and insists on having his way all the time. But he’s cute, and he’s sweet, and he snuggles with me when I’m sick and he plays with me when I’m happy and he never leaves my side. He’s my buddy.

I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on soft, fresh oat nut bread and grilled cheese on a good hearty white bread with real butter. Lots of butter.

I love Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream.

I love my top 5 movies: It’s A Wonderful Life, Forrest Gump, Benjamin Button, The Notebook and The Princess Bride.

I love a good cup of Lola Savannah Hawaiian Grog coffee with one spoon of sugar and a heap of low fat Coffeemate in it. And I sometimes switch it up with a cup of Stash black chai tea with my favorite Savannah Bee Black Sage Honey. That stuff is liquid gold.

I love flannel pajama pants, worn t-shirts and fuzzy socks in the wintertime.

I love baby animals, but who doesn’t?

I love my Jeep Liberty. It’s a 2003 with 115,000 miles on it. It’s silver with black leather interior. When I got it, I named it after Brad Pitt. When friends asked why, I told them it was because it was pretty enough to take out somewhere nice, but I wouldn’t mind getting dirty with it, too. In my defense, I’d just seen Legends of the Fall. Get it? Handsome, rugged…it made sense at the time.

I love pancakes. Light, fluffy pancakes. Sometimes with fruit, sometimes with chocolate chips, or bananas, or pumpkin. And TCP’s buttermilk pecan waffles.

I love Asics running shoes. That’s my brand. They fit me perfectly.

I love pasta, chili and soup better on the second day.

I love my Tempurpedic mattress. It’s like sleeping on a cloud.

I love snow, but I don’t get to see it much since I moved to Houston.

I love Chinese and Mexican food enough to rotate them every other day.

I love the mountains, I love the rolling hills, I love the flowers, I love the daffodils, I love the fireflies when all the lights are low, boom-dee-otta, boom-dee-otta, boom-dee-otta, boom-dee-otta.

I love the girls in my Bunco group. We all worked together at one time or another at the same elementary school. Some work there still. And 15 years later, we’re still making each other laugh until our cheeks hurt.

I love the almost life-size black bear The Complete Package bought us on our vacation to Disney World. My Baby and I walked past him and pet him in the gift shop of the Wilderness Lodge every day for a week. One week after we got home, he arrived on our front porch. BEST…VACATION…SOUVENIER…EVER!

I love music. I could listen to it all day long, over and over again. I love all kinds of music. Except country music. Sorry.

I love dark chocolate anything. Pretzels? Yup. Cake? Yes ma’am. Cookies, brownies, out of the package in big chunks? You betcha.

I love that you may just still be reading this mess this far into it. So I love you, dear readers. You don’t need flowers or candy or cards or dinner in a fancy restaurant to make you feel special today. You just need love. And I love ya’. Happy Valentine’s Day.

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February 2, 2011 · 8:00 AM

Things I Love, Volume 6: Dickinson’s Gourmet Preserves, Jams & Jellies

This post will be short & sweet – both literally and figuratively. My biscuit’s getting cold, and I don’t like cold biscuits. Especially when my butter is already melting into my fluffy biscuit layers. I’ve never considered myself a “jelly” person. I never ate much of it. Then I found Dickinson’s gourmet preserves and jams, and it changed my mind. I bought the black raspberry and apricot to use for thumbprint cookies, and they were so incredible, I started buying them to put on my English muffins and buttermilk biscuits. Now I’m in love….jelly love. And it’s a groovy kind of love. Before you get caught up in the “gourmet” part of the name, I should tell you they are a division of Smucker’s. That makes them a little less hoity-toity in my book. And don’t let that half-empty jar of blueberry fool you, either….the black raspberry is my personal favorite. Good gravy, it’s spectacular! The flavors are intense, and some of them have big chunks of fruit (apricot, cherry & blueberry). And now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my biscuit before it gets cold. You know how I hate a cold biscuit.

Oh, one last thing…I’m also in love with Krustaez Oat Bran Muffin Mix. Here’s a tip for you to try: replace the cup of water with a cup of orange juice, then spoon a dollop of Dickinson’s jam on top. As the muffins bake, the jam will sink into the middle. Use a variety of different jams in one batch, and you’ll have Surprise Oat & Jam Muffins, since you won’t know what you’ve got until you bite into it.

Here are the muffins, warm & smelly. Open them up, and there's the jelly!

For more information on the Dickinson’s brand of products, check them out at:
http://www.dickinsonsfamily.com/products/Products.aspx

Note: NanaBread is not related to anyone named Dickinson and is not “on the take” or “in cahoots” with this or any other vendor. She is just a girl, standing in front of a biscuit, asking him to love her. Wait…that was a movie, right? Sorry. Bottom line: NanaBread’s not selling jelly, just enjoying it. A lot.

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January 3, 2011 · 10:34 AM

“Buy Local” Spotlight: Salt Lick BBQ

If smoked meat is your idea of heaven, the Salt Lick BBQ is the place!

If you are lucky enough to live in the Austin area or the hill country around Austin and find yourself craving smokey meat, you owe it to yourself to visit the Salt Lick in Driftwood. It is the mecca of smoked meat and sweet, spicy sauce. And I love the atmosphere almost as much as the food. You can easily spend an evening sitting on the patio under the live oaks sharing cold beverages, local music, and great friends. It’s like hanging out at a neighbor’s house, if your neighbor had an enormous patio surrounded by hundred year old live oak trees right next to a world-class barbecue restaurant. A girl can dream, right? And like your friend’s house, you’ve invited to bring your own beer. Because the restaurant is located in a dry county, they allow guests to bring in their own beer. I recommend Shiner and/or a 6-pack of Dr Pepper. It’s a Texas tradition.

The altar of smokey meat at the Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood

There are many things I love about the Salt Lick. One is that they offer to serve you from a menu, or you can order “family style” and they’ll keep bringing food to your table until you beg them to stop. Another is that it’s built into an old rustic ranch-style farmhouse and the furniture and atmosphere reflect that old western charm. I love that the meat pit where all the action happens is inside the restaurant so you can drool over it, and they’re gracious enough to let you walk right up to it or around it to see the glorious piles of smokey meat and take pictures. I’m enamored with the sesame
scented coleslaw, the potatoes served in the shape of someone’s gloved hand, and the warm bread, sliced onions, and salty pickles that dot the table. I love that the worn farm tables look like something out of my great-grandmother’s barn. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING surpasses the meat at the Salt Lick. There’s not a bad batch of meat on the menu. The ribs fall off the bone, the sausage is flavorful, and the brisket is perfectly tender and wears that pink smoke-ring of perfection we Texans crave. The only thing that will keep you from stuffing yourself like a Thanksgiving turkey is the need to save room for cobbler. Your choices are peach and blackberry, both served with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream (on request). And since they’re both too awesome to choose one over the other, I recommend you get both. Just ask for extra spoons and be prepared to share. After a big meal, four people can easily share one serving of cobbler. If you’re dead set on only ordering one, I highly recommend the blackberry.

My dinner - the sausage and brisket plate. I wish this photo was scratch-n-sniff.

Before you leave, hit the small merchandise corner by the front door. They have great t-shirts and hats, but my favorite “take aways” are the sauces. They have really, really good sauce. Cross my heart. They also sell excellent dry rubs for the home chef. If you’re too far to visit but too fascinated to pass it up, they have an online store. If you’re close enough to visit, then by all means do. Pick a nice evening with cool temperatures and a great breeze. Stock an ice chest with cold beer or sodas for the kids. Throw a deck of cards or a board game in the car in case you decide to hang out in the courtyard before dinner. Skip lunch or eat light before you go, and don’t forget to wear your stretchy pants.

For more information on the Salt Lick BBQ including directions and the online store, visit their website at http://www.saltlickbbq.com/

Disclaimer: NanaBread is not tied to the Salt Lick BBQ in any way, even though she’d like to tie herself to one of those farm tables and stay until they run out of brisket and cobbler. She has never been compensated for providing feedback on the restaurant or their products. Ever. She just loves the place and can’t keep her big mouth shut. Big surprise.

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December 8, 2010 · 7:36 PM

Things I Love, Volume 5: My New KitchenAid Mixer from Pioneer Woman

The KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer in Sugar Pearl Silver

I haven’t really talked about this much, but I won a KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer from Ree Drummond’s website, The Pioneer Woman. She gave away 3 beautiful red mixers over Thanksgiving weekend, and I was one of the lucky winners. You’re probably thinking “wait, that’s not a red mixer in the photo.” I know. I’ll explain, but first I have to say that I can’t stress the word lucky enough, because there had to have been about 80,000 entries. I had a few minutes while we were on vacation in Germany over Thanksgiving to read her blog. The Complete Package was in the shower, so I didn’t think he’d mind. He threatens weekly to hold an intervention to deal with my obsessive love of the Pioneer Woman website. Joking here, but I admit, I am addicted. I love the photos, the stories, the recipes, and the friendships I’ve made via her site.

Anyway, I popped in to read her blog while we were on vacation and I posted a comment to enter the mixer giveaway. I never dreamed I’d win one. That kind of luck has always eluded me. When we got home the next weekend, I checked my e-mail and was stunned to see a message from a fellow PW reader saying, “Congratulations on winning the mixer!” WHAT!?!?! I immediately went to the Pioneer Woman website to check, and sure enough…there was my entry listed as a winner. Holy cow. I feel like I’ve won the lottery! I’ve looked at these KitchenAid stand mixers for YEARS, but would never spend that kind of money on one. It really is a dream come true. First the German Christmas Markets and now this. I do believe my luck is changing! I have to say “THANK YOU” to Ree Drummond, and to Lindy, her prize coordinator. I absolutely love my new mixer. And I love that they allowed me to trade the red color for this beautiful silver. Why? Because it matches my stainless steel appliances perfectly, and I’m all about coordinating colors.

So far, this has been a great week. I finished my Christmas shopping, I sent out my Christmas cards today, I won a gorgeous mixer, I had dinner with my awesome friends Monday night (thanks, ladies!), and, oh yeah….I posted a story about three of the travel show hosts we watch on PBS that inspired our trip to Germany for the Christmas Markets, and one of them commented on my blog! GET OUT!!! It’s true. Joseph Rosendo from Travelscope read my story and commented on it. That’s so totally cool of him, and just one more reason why he’s one of my travel heroes. I’m telling you, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world this week, and I’m very, very grateful.

It's a perfect color match, and looks like it was made to sit there!

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