Fresh eggs are a huge part of our household. My FIL raises chickens and supplies with dozens of fresh eggs so I can appreciate this episode.  I was wowed by the care he puts into caring for the chickens and it’s no wonder he’s called the Egg Man, and the best around at that. Enjoy the episode and if you missed the others, you can catch the other two webisodes of Into the Heart of Italy over at Yahoo Shine!

I bet you thought this would be some informative post huh!!! WRONG!  I  was bored so took advantage of Photobooth on my iMac!

Clearly I need something to do!!  Hope you guys have a wonderful evening!

I’ve never been to, much less hosted a Pampered Chef Party but WOW did I have a great time!  (Party is still open and items can be purchased through the link. Things still on sale!) I’ve always been familiar with the company thanks to my Mom. She’s a kitchen junkie and loves their products.  Now after hosting my party, I know why.  The hands-on activities sealed the deal for me.  Getting to help with the recipes was a blast. It was sorta like having Sunday dinner with family. Everyone was helping with a task and playing with the kitchen tools and having a great time.  The food was fabulous and you’re gonna die when you see the dessert. OH.SO.GOOD. {{drool}}

When the consultants arrived, they had and did everything.  She talked to the guests about some of the products, what the company stands for and how they will donate $2 for every Round-Up from the Heart Trivet purchase made. Love that!  As the host, I was given a cute recyclable bag with a few goodies.   The entire presentation was very brief actually but I know why. It’s the interaction with the cooking and using the product that sells. Seriously!  If you could just feel and see the weight and quality of their stuff, you’d fall in love immediately.

Okay, so let’s get to the good stuff.  On the menu was Grilled Chicken Penne al Fresco and Chocolate Velvet Cake with Strawberries (full recipes this week), with the main dish being made and served in this beauty, the Deep Covered Baker. {{drool}} It’s stoneware and you’d love it.  Even more awesome, the Grilled Chicken Penne is made in this piece, in the microwave.  Yes, I said the microwave.  With all the back to school hoopla, this is an awesome time saver for getting meals to the table in a flash!

We popped the tomatoes.  What? You don’t know this trick?  Well let me just share it with you.  You put these in your microwave, cover with saran wrap  or a lid, and cook until they burst.

While those were cooking in the microwave, in that very handy batter bowl, one guest chopped up basil while another peeled and sliced garlic.  I have to say, that Garlic Peeler & Slicer Set is AWESOME! You rolled the garlic in the tube to peel it and then places it in the slicer tube and sliced away…paper thin slices too!!

All these fresh herbs and vegetables were added to make the recipe to make GrilledChicken Penne al Fresco and it was delicious & healthy! You’re dying for the full recipe aren’t you? TOO BAD!! You have to wait until Wednesday!  I know, I’m evil huh!

And now to tease you with dessert because guess what?  That full recipe comes on Friday! HAHA  Below  is a very strong, good quality Ice Cream Dipper.  I know several folks who have this and love it.  You’d be surprised at how having one of these compared to the store models or even worse, your spoon, can be so much better.  And you see what she’s putting it in?  SO cool.  I would use for mayonnaise all the time!  It’s called the Measure-All Cup and is GREAT for measuring liquids! She put the correct amount of ice cream and pushed it right out!  So simple.  Loved it.

Chocolate, strawberries, and Bamboo……need I say more? {{drool}}

SOMETHING FOR YOU

Did you like the Deep Covered Baker above?  It comes in white or cranberry and is up for grabs!  It can obviously be used in the oven but because it can be used in the microwave to save time when preparing meals, the giveaway entry will focus on that. 

Bake a 5-lb chicken or turkey breast, 4-lb roast, casseroles and more! Unglazed on the inside for perfect performance; glazed on the outside for perfect presentation. Lid inverts into baker for space-saving storage. 12 1/2″ x 9 1/2″ x 5 1/2″, 13 cups, 3 qts.

HOW TO ENTER

Leave a comment here telling me ways you cut down cooking time at home.  Have you cooked with Pampered Chef in the microwave before?  And if you do enjoy the line of products already, I’d love to hear what your favorite pieces are…you know, so I can add them to my own wish list!

2 additional ways to enter….

• 1) Share on a social networking site like facebook, twitter, foodbuzz, etc.
• 2) Browse the Pampered Chef site and tell me what you’d love to have.

This giveaway ends on September 20th.  Good luck to all!

Disclosure: This giveaway and party was made possible by Pampered Chef.  My opinions are of my own AS ALWAYS and I truly love the products and welcome them as gifts for Christmas and my birthday, just sayin’……….

I’d love to hear what your favorite food/cooking shows are and maybe what which ones you’d like to hear/chat about here at My Wooden Spoon. Lemme know! In the meantime, here is the lineup of some series premieres on Food Network.

FOOD NETWORK SERIES PREMIERES

Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin
Premieres: Thursday, September 17th at 9pm
Renowned for his expertise in wildlife and conservation, Jeff Corwin sets his sights on exploring human culture through regional cuisine in his first Food Network endeavor: Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin. With an open mind (and mouth), this thrilling primetime series follows the passionate foodie and anthropologist as he tears through exciting locales like Thailand, Mexico, Greece, Peru, Morocco, and the United States on radical culinary adventures. Learning from the natives, he samples the exotic foods and local customs that mold each community. Jeff enjoys countless surprises and unforgettable flavors during this fun-filled culinary quest – all in a day’s work!

“Morocco”
Jeff Corwin takes a wild journey through the culinary wonderland of Morocco. Off the coast of Essouraia, Jeff bobs in tiny boats, line fishing for gigantic conger eel. Then Jeff milks a camel to make an exclusive cheese and a traditional smen, a rancid butter that increases in value with age. Up to his ankles in goat dung, Jeff digs for elusive argon nuts, the main ingredient for the flavorful “liquid gold of Morocco” – argon oil. He hits up Marrakech to create a tagine, an earthen pot dish cooked in the furnace of a bathhouse, and a Bisteeya, the famous pigeon pie. A steep hike up to the High Atlas Mountains and the Berber village of Aguersuoual is the ultimate BBQ for Jeff where he cooks a whole ram in an underground oven.

“Greece”
Jeff Corwin makes his way back to beautiful Greece, where he spent time as a graduate student. On the island of Crete, Jeff power milks dozens of sheep in minutes and churns the results into a toulomotyrion, a soft cheese fermented in a goat’s stomach. The ultimate “guest” meal on Crete is slimy snails, so Jeff hunts them and slurps them down. He then goes underwater in a quest for octopus and the tasty roe of the spiny sea urchin. Catch in hand and with nerves of steel, he cooks up Kakavia, a fisherman’s stew with the dangerous “scorpion fish.” In the Peloponnesus, things heat up as Jeff skewers a whole lamb for the spit, complete with organs wrapped in intestines, called Kokoretsi, as an appetizer.

FEATURED SERIES

Chopped
Premieres: Tuesday, September 8th at 10pm
This September, Chopped presents a special four-week event featuring previous episode winners who are returning to compete again. This time, previously victorious chefs risk becoming first-time losers as they take on new challengers. For the winner of each episode, the prize is $10,000 and the chance to compete again for more prize money in a battle against three new chopped champions.

Premieres: Tuesday, September 8th at 10pm
In the first installment of a special four-part series, previous Chopped champions return to compete again. When a Southern seafood specialty appears in the appetizer basket, two of the returning chefs have the added pressure of skillfully representing their roots. Then, in the entrée course, not every chef’s dish meets the mark in terms of portion size. Creativity and performance determines which champion earns the win and the chance to come back and take on three more previous Chopped winners.

Premieres: Tuesday, September 15th at 10pm
In part two of this special series, the reigning Chopped champion returns to battle for superiority in the kitchen against three more Chopped winners. When the chefs present their appetizers, the judges must do some investigating. Then for the entrée course, along with ground chicken and apples, the judges find a shocker on one of the chef’s plates. Which talented chef manages to pull out the win, and which chefs go home as first-time losers?

Premieres: Tuesday, September 22nd at 10pm
In this must-watch third installment of a special four-part series, the reigning Chopped champion and three other previous winners return to compete. In the appetizer round, the judges are baffled when one of the chefs chooses a very unusual method of cooking squab. In the entrée round, one contestant struggles to stay calm after discovering that three of the four items in the mystery basket are unfamiliar. Then in the dessert round, the chefs are dumbfounded by what they must combine with grapefruit. The chef that out cooks the competition is the one who comes back to battle it out all over again.

Premieres: Tuesday, September 29th at 10pm
In the final competition of the championship series, four Chopped champions face off for a chance to reclaim the title and bank an additional $10,000. When the chefs open up the appetizer basket and find bananas, endives and a whopper of a surprise, it becomes clear that to win it, these champs will have to bring it! Then in the entrée round, a melon mishap has the judges wondering how forgiving they should be. The ultimate Chopped champion will then be crowned!

SERIES

Iron Chef America
The heat rises in Kitchen Stadium as Iron Chef America continues with brand-new episodes pitting the American Iron Chefs against fierce new competitors.

Premieres: Sunday, September 27th at 9pm
“Symon vs. Culinary Students”
In an unprecedented battle, the Chairman invites three culinary students from The International Culinary Schools at The Art Institutes to challenge Iron Chef Michael Symon, who takes on the upstarts with two of his own young protégées. Tune in to see whose cuisine reigns supreme!

Food Network Challenge
Each month, Food Network gets the competitive juices flowing with Food Network Challenge bringing viewers the biggest and most exciting food battles from around the world. With bragging rights and a $10,000 cash prize on the line, the Challenges are intense.

Premieres: Sunday, September 13th at 8pm
“Amazing Pie Championship”
Follow four professional bakers as they head to Celebration, Fla., to compete in the National Pie Championships. Over 120 pies will be created, vetted and judged, but only one pie will be worthy of being named “Best In Show” earning the grand prize of $5,000.

Premieres: Sunday, September 27th at 8pm
“Fantasy Vacation Cakes”
Four top pastry chefs are challenged to create cakes that are inspired by the fun, food, and relaxation that they enjoyed on their four-day Carnival cruise to the Bahamas. The pastry chefs must do their research while on board and include at least three elements from their cruise experience into their cakes. At the end of the cruise, one competitor takes home $10,000.

Ace of Cakes
Every week at Charm City Cakes in Baltimore, it’s a new deadline and new situation. Ace of Cakes shadows Duff Goldman and his eclectic staff of culinary experts, artists and architects as they bake, construct and frost the most elaborate and unconventional cake creations imaginable.

Premieres: Thursday, September 10th at 10pm
Duff and his new buddy Brett make a cake for a Best Buddies International Gala hosted by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Ben engineers an evil robot cake from the BBC TV series “Dr. Who” that spins, yells and destroys. The entire bakery staff gets to settle some workplace grievances at Splatter Hill paintball field, and then Duff and Mary Alice make their long-awaited stage debut with the Annie National Tour.

Premieres: Thursday, September 17th at 10pm
Duff and the Charm City Cakes team create a cake in honor of Carnival’s new port in Baltimore. Duff then presents the cake to the captain and crew aboard the ship.

Julia Child (Meryl Streep) and Julie Powell (Amy Adams) in Julie & Julia.   This movie is based on two true stories, Julie & Julia intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both at loose ends…until they discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible.

I’m really excited about seeing this, how ’bout you??  It’s also quite interesting to read the real Julie’s blog.  I was reading that Julia Child actually did not approve of the “cook one recipe every day” project.

Jones says Child did not approve of Powell’s cook-every-recipe-in-one-year project. The editor and author read Powell’s blog together (Julie and Julia was published a year after Child’s 2004 death). “Julia said, ‘I don’t think she’s a serious cook.’ ” Jones thinks there was a generational difference between Powell and Child. “Flinging around four-letter words when cooking isn’t attractive, to me or Julia. She didn’t want to endorse it. What came through on the blog was somebody who was doing it almost for the sake of a stunt. She would never really describe the end results, how delicious it was, and what she learned. Julia didn’t like what she called ‘the flimsies.’ She didn’t suffer fools, if you know what I mean.”

Wow.

Anyways, I’d love to hear your initial thoughts on the movie, after you’ve seen the movie, and how you think Meryl Streep did in portraying Julia Child, which in my opinion, would be hard shoes to fill but if anyone could do it, it would be her.

Can you believe it? I got to meet the Queen of Butta, Paula Deen at the Blogher Conference in Chicago.  {{WOW}}  This is probably my fourth of fifth time showing this picture off but I don’t care.  It IS Paula Deen after all and that’s freakin’ cool.

Now I love Paula for her cooking (and Paula’s cookware, especially the wooden spoons..heehee) because I consider that the best southern comfort food around, however, it is her life story that is inspirational and captures my heart the most.  A quick recap for those of you who don’t know what’s she’s about……

Before she got into the professional side of cooking, Paula was a homemaker and bank teller.  In 1989, she divorced leaving her with $200 in her pockets and two teenage boys to raise.  Instead of wallowing in self pity, she started a very small catering business, The Bag Lady, where she would make up sandwiches (and other food) and have her boys deliver the food.  She never delivered food herself due to her fear, Agoraphobia, fear of public places.  Paula has said that her fear was probably due the fact that she was held at gunpoint at one time in her life.  GAH!!!

Next thing you know, “The Bag Lady“, outgrew her kitchen and moved on to bigger things.  She was hired by Best Western Hotel, to cook of course and within 5 years or so, she owned her own restaurant, The Lady and Sons.  Freakin’ awesome I’d say!!  I’m sure she never imagined that she’d own her own restaurant, much less come to be as big as she is now.

Almost 10 years later, after her divorce, she published her very first cookbook, The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook.  She moved on to TV, promoted on QVC, and went on to make other cookbooks.  In 2003, Paula Deen got her own cooking show, Paula’s Home Cooking.  Can you tell I’m a fan yet???  I even get her magazine!

GET COOKIN’

After all this, she’s still a-goin’ and has launched something new called Get Cookin’ where she shares her stories and such through her own words, photos, and videos!  And guess what, you can participate too by uploading your own videos and photos.  Connect with her and other foodies on a more social level.  LOVE IT!  You get to see her as herself…sometimes no makeup;)

Finally, one more picture of me staring the beautiful Paula Deen while she answers a question for someone…….clearly I’m in love.  She’s an amazing women to say the least and I’m so honored to have met her.

P.S.  She really is just beautiful inside and out.

The winner of the Last Cake Standing challenge and $50,000 was Mary Maher who finished the challenge making a sweet 16 cake for the sextuplets.

All three challengers making it to the end were deserving to be there and it was exciting to watch it unfold. I read through all the comments on my previous Last Cake Standing post and found everyone’s take very interesting. I have to agree, Bronwen was very ugly at times and her attitude towards Mary (when talking to the camera) could have been so much better. She is no doubt a wonderful cake maker but when you say catty things and sarcastically make fun of someone else’s cake, then you lose my respect quickly. HOWEVER, she’s really good at what she does and I thought all her cakes were awesome!

Courtney was a surprise to me and I thought her cake was awesome! She deserved to be right up there and gave them girls a run for their money! She’s a big sissy though and needs to toughen up. There’s no crying in cake making!!! lol

I would love to know your thoughts and hear how YOU would have ranked them 1st-3rd.

Have you noticed some of the platters I’ve been using in my photos? They are from Southern Living at HOME.  I have to say, I was quite surprised by the beauty and quality of these pieces.  I’ve never had much for entertaining purposes and while these can be used anytime, I enjoy bringing them out for my photos or when company is over.

You’ll be seeing more of this stuff along with other items I think would be great for entertaining with, cooking with, and even giving as a gift.  All are/will be available for purchase so check out the Mercantile often because I’ll also have specials and giveaways of course!

I really do like having nice things to serve my food on because I work hard making those meals for my family and friends.  I take pride in our get-togethers whether it’s a regular ol’ barbecue or dinner with the boss!

Do you care what you serve your food in when you have friends or family over?  What are some brands that you enjoy?

By the way, I could have showed the catalog pictures of the serving pieces but I wanted to keep it real and show you how the average person can even make bread look good:)

Tomorrow’s recipe is Baked Squash so stay tuned for that!

I debated on whether I should write about this here or on my cowboy blog but since my main focus will be on chuckwagon dining, I thought it would make a good fit here.

I don’t know about you but I love to entertain and while I don’t always use the western theme, it is most certainly a huge part of my life.  I probably love to decorate more with it than actually use it.  Is anyone else like that?

I came across Crazy Horse West not too long ago.  They have an array of western items from leather goods to western hats to cowhide rugs but what caught my eye was the Chuckwagon collection.  A collection that includes two of my favorite things, cowboys and brands. 

Not only did I find the ever so popular dinnerware, I found some other fun pieces that I don’t often see like the office/bedside water set.  It reminds me of the old days.  Today, this would be something juice might be served in and I love it.

The coffee server and teapot is my other fave.  This would be the one that I’d put up for show though.  Something to sit up on my counter and just look pretty.

They have goblets, glassware, flatware and even matching salt-n-pepper shakers.  So many wonderful items that I feel like I’m in heaven.  And by the looks of things, many of it is ON SALE.  If any of you know anything about cowboy stuff, you’ll know it can be quite expensive because it’s almost always the highest of quality.  When you see it on sale, you better act on it quickly!

I give Crazy Horse West two thumbs up for offering quality products at reasonable prices. Head on over and check them out won’t ya!

Your turn pardner!

What’s YOUR entertaining style??  What are some of your favorite pieces to bring out for company?

Oh, and guess what!  One of you will win any item of your choice up to $25 in value!

TO ENTER

Head over to the Crazy Horse West website and pick something that you like. Come back here and tell me in the comments!

Additional ways to enter. Please leave each one you do in a separate comment to count.

• Blog it including a link to this giveaway.
• Tweet it including a link to this giveaway.
• Subscribe to my blog via reader or by email.

Giveaway ends on April 19th.

EDITED TO ADD: Mary Maher was the winner of the Last Cake Standing Challenge and the $50,000. Great cakes, great ladies and a fun challenge to watch!

One Food Network shows I’m looking forward to checking out, is Last Cake Standing.  Have you seen the buzz?  The talent is unbelievable!

LAST CAKE STANDING

Food challenge!  I love to watch challenges and am in awe of the cakes that are created.  They are amazing.  Set your tuner for April 5th, 8pm/7CST. My tivo is ready just in case I can’t be around.

6 pastry chefs will be thrown into a 4-round challenge and eliminated  one by one where the winner will take home $50,000!

The six Challenge all-stars are: Michelle Bommarito (Ferndale, MI), Courtney Clark (Ann Arbor, MI), Mary Maher (Chicago, IL), James Rosselle (Los Angeles, CA), Elisa Strauss (New York, NY), and Bronwen Weber (Dallas, TX).

EPISODES

Episode 1 – Premiering Sunday, April 5th at 8pm ET/PT

In the premiere of Food Network Challenge: Last Cake Standing, six enthusiastic Challenge all-stars receive their first task: illustrate one aspect of their lives through cake! The action-packed competition begins with surprise instructions to move into their kitchens and immediately start creating their signature cakes. At the elimination ceremony, a curveball shocks the competitors when they, instead of the judges, are told to eliminate the first cake artist.

Episode 2 – Premiering Sunday, April 12th at 8pm ET/PT

The five remaining competitors take a field trip to Denver’s City Hall where they embark upon an exciting, but complicated challenge: create a top-notch wedding cake in only eight hours. The competitors serve as wedding ceremony witnesses and consult with the newlyweds before completing impromptu cake sketches. The judges reveal the next elimination and the winning cake is served at the reception that very night.

Episode 3 – Premiering Sunday, April 19th at 8pm ET/PT

The competition heats up when the four remaining competitors design over-the-top cakes based on an original superhero, decked out with extreme elements like moveable parts and fireworks. Hours before the competition, they are divided into teams and required to combine their cake designs. The winning team advances to the finale, and the losing duo faces off in an intense, 30-minute “cake-off” to determine who will move on and who will go up in smoke!

Episode 4 – Premiering Sunday, April 26th at 8pm ET/PT

The final three competitors endure a 24-hour cake-making marathon – the longest competition in Challenge history! The finalists create a unique five-foot birthday cake for a set of sextuplets. Upon completion, they must transport their cakes 20 miles to the birthday party. Strategy, endurance and skills are tested and one talented cake artist is finally crowned the winner!