Watching Rachael Ray

We start off in the kitchen today for a snack for itty-bitties home from school that they can make themselves - Banana Sushi! Of course, Rachael says “big kids like them too - I ate like 7 of them earlier.” Ha!

Then she switches Tempo a little bit, because Dancing with the Stars season two champ, Drew Lachey, is in the house. First question, of course, is where does he keep his Sparkly DwtS trophy - he keeps it on the Bar, because it’s a little loud, and you have to be drinking to truly appreciate it. He still keeps track of Dancing with the Stars, and is enjoying the hosting gig for Carrie-Ann vs. Bruno Dance Wars. He’s also still touring with DwtS too - he loves the relationships he’s built through the show. He jokes that keeping up with his current 7 day a week schedule is made possible by a lot of booze.

He laughs when she asks if he dances at home and says if he doesn’t at the clubs, people are like PSHAW he cant dance. He has a standard to live up to, of course, and people ask him if he knows things that he doesn’t really. All the dances were made specifically for him and the piece of music, so most he remembers is that the Cha-Cha starts on two.

Drew gives us the inside scoop on Carrie-Ann and Bruno - that they really are like that, and it’s a challenge to referee them and get them to hold back a little - and he has to translate for Bruno half the time too! But he’s having a blast and loves it. He’s also a medic, being trained in the Army. He met his wife, who’s a dancer, and then he got 98 Degrees and everything has snowballed from there. His wife does the cooking, but he boils water - grills and does omelets. That’s the extent of his cooking. Lea, his wife, has gone on tour with him in order to to steal some time together. And Drew gets AWWWs all around as he busts out the pictures from his wallet. And she dances better then Daddy - he says she has soul!

Lea Lachey provided the snack of the day, from her new company The Sugar Cup. Drew is pleased to say he gets to nibble all the fruits of their labor before they send them out - not the ACTUAL cookies sent out, of course, but the test batches.

Next up - Chris Jordan - how cool is he? He takes pictures and makes statements about the environment. Every picture involves taking hundreds or thousands of items that represent what we use on a daily (or by minute) basis. For instance - 426,000 cell phones a day are thrown away, so he gets a few phones, photographs them over and over and puts them together digitally to make a large image. A former Lawyer, he left it all to chase his passion. His art is now traveling museums in an exhibit called Running The Numbers.

Next up - Chase Crawford from The Gossip Girl steps in to join Rachael on stage. He talks about moving from LA to New York and getting lost on the subway, but he loves it. He also loves the newfound fame, though he’s not used to it and trying to keep his head on straight and treat people with respect. Sometimes he does mess with folks who ask if he’s Nate from Gossip Girl - and replies “that’s so weird, I get that all the time, what’s Gossip Girl?” and gets told that the show is great and he should watch it. Other times he just smiles, and talks to the girls who want to send him emails and be pen pals and the like.

His family aims to keep him down to earth, and sent Rachael some photos that Rachael joked that he should sue - because who would do that to someone they love? He looked like the Cracker Jack kid. Personally, I loved the striped jumpsuit that made him look like he broke out of Toddler Prison. Awesome.

Last, but CERTAINLY not least - what’s for dinner tonight? Dinner Size Texas Chili Cheese Fries!

…and they feel FINE! No clogged arteries, no heart attacks, no 800 pound weight gain, and a healthy new addition to the family…

I’m talking, of course, about the One Year Project blog, where they spent the past 365 days, one year, literally every day with Rachael Ray.

H and L, a British lass and Denmark bloke transplanted to the US of A due to work, both stayed here, where both their daughters have been born, because they could. Fascinated by the Food Network cult, and Rachael Ray, they decided to make one meal a day, every day, from her cookbook 365: No Repeats, a Year of Deliciously Different Dinners. They went from page one, all the way through the end, start to finish. They didn’t deviate, they didn’t once decide they wanted something else, and they faithfully blogged the entire experiment for us to follow along, through moving, house construction, and oh yeah - giving birth to Baby N! Which certainly makes the fact that they were able to meet Rachael Ray at a book-signing and get her autograph pale in comparison!

They documented every recipe with photos and comments, and let us know what they REALLY thought of each meal, rating them from 1-5 stars. While there were only 21 Five-Star meals, there was a significant amount of Four-Stars (180) and Three-Stars (131) and in the end, only 27 were Two-Star, and a paltry 6 were diagnosed as One-Star. You know, that seems a pretty overwhelmingly successful cookbook to me!

Says H and L:

People often ask us how we found the food, how we would rate Rachael Ray’s recipes. Overall, I would say that we ate very well this year. There were a few humdingers, but generally we ate better than we expected, and undoubtedly better than we normally would have done.

I did have to ask the one important question they didn’t address in the end of the year report - and as soon as I have that answer, I’ll edit and add it here.

And hey! They’re not done! Having enjoyed the experience over all, they’ve decided to move on to Food Network’s Nigella Lawson, and spend 2008 working through her cookbooks. The rules are a bit different, but the idea is the same - Celebrity Foodie, Cookbooks, and Good Eating. Who could ask for anything more?

Are you finding it IMPOSSIBLE to get Rachael Ray Show tickets, and you’ll do ANYTHING to get them especially if it involves doing things for a good cause? Well have I got a deal for YOU! Over at Charity Folks Online Auctions, There’s something for EVERY appetite, from autographed T-pots, to VIP Tickets!

That’s right - at the auction, the folks at the Rachael Ray Show have put up 4 VIP tickets for a meet and greet on the set in NYC - and it INCLUDES airfare and accommodations! Now, it’s not cheap, currently the bid is $1,600 but all proceeds go to benefit the Yum-O organization, and it is a once in a lifetime opportunity! Bidding is open until October 8th!

To rich for your blood, or you only need tickets? No problem - Click here to bid for two tickets before October 10th!

Want her vintage fridge at the end of the season? Oh you’re SO in luck! Click here to keep track of RR Items as they go online for bidding!

Wednesday’s Rachael Ray Show!
Everybody loves Patricia Heaton, and she’s hanging with Rach for the day! She’s talking about her new show and what it’s like trading in Ray Romano for Kelsey Grammer as her leading man!

Then, we ask three viewers to put at-home beauty products to the test in our “human lab” experiment.

What’s for dinner? Horseradish Mashed Potato-Topped Shepherd’s Pie

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So, all alone Saturday night, with the kids off at Auntie’s, I decided I’d give one of those recipe’s listed last week’s Bare Pantry Recipe’s a try. They’re supposed to be easy, fast, and stress free, AND I had most everything, or could fake it, so why not - right? Right.

I considered the Aglio Olio, but then my friend, Jamie, told me that she learned the meaning of the word Puttanesca in her Italian class this week. A pasta dish is named Puttanesca because it is easy - as apparently the word “puttana” is Italian for, um, let’s just say, a “Woman of the Night.” Now how could I POSSIBLY resist making Tuna Puttanesca Sauce after learning THAT? Exactly. I couldn’t.

The recipe is rediculously easy. All told putting it together, from ingredients to plate, took a whole 15-20 minutes or so. I didn’t have (or like) olives, or capers, so I just ignored those. I topped it off with some grated cheese, with some toast on the side.

My first comment to my above friend was “Holy cow - anchovies DO melt away!” though I never got the ’salted nuts’ smell/taste that she promises. The end product was EXTREMELY tasty, though I think the tuna + anchovies gave it an overwhemling fishy taste. Not bad, just fishy. Of course, being Alaskan, I’m kinda used to the whole fishy thing, so it wasn’t offputting. It’s extremely filling, and yummy, and it put me into a delightful food coma where I sat around, belched loudly (because I’m all class, you know) and declared myself full to the gills. (HA! See? More fish humor!)

And I didn’t have to share a single bite with the kids. Aaaaaaaah, now THAT is awesome!

Rachael, Ray, Rachael Ray, 30 minute meals, RR, TV, a day, Food Network, Everyday

Well, here’s a video just for you! Kirsten, a novice cook, picks a stoup and makes it - including making some of her own substitutions as needed for what she has on hand. The video is 7 minutes long, and with the sped up in parts, but it makes it pretty clear she didn’t have a problem completing the meal - and that it tasted good too, even with her substitutions!

If Kirsten can do it - so can you! Yum-o!

Tonight, we decided to make the Meatza Pizza burgers that we found in Rachael Ray Top 30 30-Minute Meals, Kid Food. I included the recipe after the ‘more’ tag for those who want it.

Prep for this was ridiculously easy, and I don’t think it qualifies as a 30 minute meal, as the burgers can be pulled together in about 20 or so. I did use ground chorizo sausage mixed up with the ground beef, and dried spices (all but the minced garlic I had on hand. Jarred.) - but fresh wouldn’t have taken much longer at all.

We did discover a problem, however. Our burgers fell apart before we could flip them. Not sure if it’s because of the moistness of the sausage, or what, but they started to crumble. So! Being the industrious mom that I am, we just let them crumble, and tossed the mixture into the pot with our Rice a Roni cheesy rice we were having with the burgers. All mixed up together it was like a psuedo hamburger helper with a TON of taste.

In fact, I’ve never seen my 8 year old clean her plate so fast! It also got my nephews and niece’s seal of approval!

So - Meatza Pizza burgers (turned crumble with Cheesy Rice a Roni)? A total win all the way around! And now that they’re back outside playing, I can plop the rest of the crumbled burger/chorizo mixture onto a bun and munch away happily. Ha!

(Sorry no picture - the kids wanted to go watch a ball game, so we were in a hurry and I forgot.)

(more…)

What better way to close out May then to have cutie Colby Donaldson answer relationship questions for Rachael Ray fans? Who didn’t love the way he splurged on the 3 dates in 3 cities clips, and if you didn’t melt with his Mother’s Day gifts to his mom and grandma - well.

On the RR website, they’ve posted some reader questions and answers, as well as a link to send in your own! From going out on your own for a drink, to bringing the romance back into a busy household, to garnering respect in the work place - Colby has comments on them all. Check it out, and send in your own, as well!

(On a side note: I’m finally getting to watch Survivor: Amazon, where Colby was a contestant. Can I just say… YUM-O!!!)

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Are you an AT&T Cellular Subscriber, as well as a Rachael Ray Fan? Ever gotten to the store only to realize you forgot your shopping list to make that new recipe you wanted desperately to try? Well have I got an announcement for you!

Introducing Rachael Ray Recipes on the Run!

Recipes on the Run is a new wireless application that can be used by subscribers to download “Yum-O” recipes direct to their mobile phones! It’s the ideal cooking aid and shopping list for busy families looking for the balanced and easy to make meals.

Ray says that “with Recipes on the Run, I hope to inspire more home-cooked and healthy meals in today’s hectic lifestyle and bring fun back into the kitchen.”

Features of Rachael Ray Recipes on the Run:

Delicious Recipes - with 40 new ones added every month!

For the first time, both fans and foodies alike can have Rachael Ray’s easy-to-prepare meal recipes, cooking tips and customized shopping lists at their fingertips. For a low monthly fee, subscribers nationwide enjoy 40 new recipes every month, with the functionality to browse recipes by main ingredient or category and receive personal preparation tips directly from Rachael.

My Shopping List - automatically adds recipe ingredients to your wireless shopping list!

Once recipe selections are made, shopping is easier than ever. The “My Shopping List” feature allows subscribers to add recipe ingredients directly to a shopping list on their wireless device. When more than one recipe is added, the service will automatically combine quantities of identical ingredients, and advanced interactivity allows subscribers to add custom ingredients and mark off items as they shop.

Rachael’s Quick Picks - Spin the EVOO Bottle to get Yum-O inspirations!

Subscribers also can choose their favorite recipes or try “Rachael’s Quick Picks!,” a fun, random-recipe generator that allows them to spin Rachael’s “EVOO” (extra-virgin olive oil) bottle to get “delish!” meal inspirations.

My Keepers - Favorite Recipes at your fingertips for easy reference!
Recipe Sharing - Email directly from your phone to family and friends!
Rach’s Handy Tips and Tidbits!

Favorite recipes can be easily saved using the “My Keepers” feature, storing them to subscribers’ wireless phones for easy future reference. Or, recipes can be e-mailed to friends and family using the “Recipe Sharing” function.

During the initial 60-day launch period, AT&T Wireless will be the exclusive provider of Rachael Ray Recipes on the Run. Contact AT&T for more details, or your own provider to see when this feature will be made available for you!

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E! THS showcased Rachael Ray as promised on Saturday night. While E! THS is known for snarky and less the favorable portrayals of stars (and receiving criticism lately for going ’soft’), I felt the show was balanced and true to what we know of Rachael Ray.

They interviewed her teachers and councilors from High School, her mother and sister, as well as former employers, her crew and even l Roker - who got her the big break on the Today Show after seeing her on a spot during her local news.

From her start in her parents restaurants, to dishwasher at Howard Johnson’s to working (by choice!) from 5:45am-midnight at Agatha and Valentina.

Her first commercial for the restaurant featured Rachael behind the omlet station, and Joe Desantis says “She was great right off the bat. You could just see it, she had a presence.”

I loved what her teachers said of Rachael in High School. She was a cheerleader and they loved to “throw her around” as she was “game for anything.” And her French teacher proved that Rachael Ray and I have something in common: “I could always tell when she was participating. I could hear her voice… sometimes above all the others.” Ha! I gave my French teacher a set of chattering teeth the day I graduated. He said he’d never gotten a more appropriate reminder of a student before. Awesome.

Rachael worked her way up through the gormet food section of Macy’s after dropping out of Pace college, but parted ways when they wanted her to become a buyer for accessories - but she wanted to work in food, she loved the marketplace, and all the ins and outs of the service and food industry.

In 1993, she found herself at Agatha and Valentina, where she took her cues from her Mother’s strength for dealing with customers and the more old fashioned oldtimers who would be rough on a girl:

1. Never ask someone to do something you wouldn’t do yourself.
2. Understand you aren’t there to be buddies
3. Speak directly and look them in the eye
4. Tell them what you need and never insult them, and
5. Never accept an insult from anyone.

This is a tried and true method for earning respect with all those we work with and for.

After being held up by the same teenage boy twice in the same week, she left NYC and went home to regroup, before getting a job in Albany at Cowan & Lobel which was an hour away. She had to get her drivers license, and tells the story of her first test during which she killed a cat. She did get her license, though and that is where the 30-minute meal concept came to be after polling her customers on why certain things weren’t selling. Naturally, it was a huge success, and she garnered the attention of the local news crew.

It was the beginning of her success, of the Rachael Ray Empire.

Lest you think it was all sunshine and roses and biography background, they also went through her love life, her ex-boyfriends, and the times where she wasn’t sure where her next paycheck was coming from. And, of course, there was the interview with the owner of the Rachael Ray Sucks website community, Misty Ling who can’t handle Rachael’s cut sayings and perky personality.

“Her movements became more exaggerated, she became a cartoon of who she was…. the constant arm movements bother me. Evoo.. if your going to abriveate it, abbreviate it. It’s overkill, enough is enough. All thinks Rachael we make fun of.”

As Rachael herself says “They are perfectly entitled to think so! I don’t need to make the dumplings to feel fulfilled.” And about the tabloids “If that’s the price you have to pay, hey - it’s worth it.”

The show was well worth watching, so catch a replay if you get the chance on one of these dates: Monday, May 7, 11:00a - Wednesday, May 9, 10:00p - Saturday, May 12, 4:00p.

While it probably will be termed as overly positive - I think that is more indicative of the subject, then the spin of the show. Love her or hate her, Rachael Ray is a dynamic, energetic workaholic who gives her everything to each and every project. You can’t fault her for that - especially when we get the benefits of her down to earth, easy-going ways.

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I got in trouble the other day, for making my first RR recipe without my older daughter there to help. She loves to cook, and she loves Rachael Ray, and naturally she was mad that her younger sister got to help instead. So I remedied that situation tonight, but trying out yet another meal.

After gathering info on what the kids felt like having for dinner, we decided to try the French Dip with Italian Attitude as the whole family adores them, although the general attitude was “We’ll try it, but nothing beats our Auntie’s French Dips!” They knew it would be different, but Rachael Ray had huge shoes to fill if this was going to go over well with MY kids.

A quick trip to the store (I had to go anyway, I was out of my elixir of life - namely, Diet Coke) and the ingredients were gathered. We did, again, make a few substitutions because of where we live and the availability of certain ingredients. And we had to double the recipe, as it was written for 2, and there’s 4 of us.

So! The ingredients and our adjustments:
1 wide baguette
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano - [I] again, too expensive. We used grated Italian Cheese Blend - the kind in the can you shake over spaghetti? Yeah, that stuff.[/I]
1 small onion, chopped
2 large clove garlic, divided, 1 chopped, 1 crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups beef stock
1 sprig of rosemary leaves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound sliced roast beef
6 slices provolone cheese
[I]Additions: 2 slices pepper jack cheese for The Girl, and mushrooms. because we like them, darnit.[/I]

We overtoasted the bread a little bit, but it was salvageable. We also added the onions/mushrooms from the sauce to the sandwiches, and also in a cup for dipping.

The biggest problem we had? The sandwiches were too big! We all cut them into smaller pieces so that we could soak them in the sauce, but oh… such a small price to pay! It was FANTASTIC and a BIG hit with the kids. While they ALL agreed that they loved Auntie’s Au Jus sauce better, they agreed that this Italian version was pretty darn tasty and would certainly eat it again. In fact, here’s their rating on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being the worst, five being the best:

The Boy: 6.5! Not that it’s BETTER then Aunties, it’s DIFFERENT and are you gonna eat that piece? Yeah? bummer…
The Girl: 7! It was good! And easy! and did I mention GOOD?
The Pup: 82!!!! (No, dear, seriously.) Oh, ok. Yeah, definitely a 9 then.

Clearly, I’m going to have to rethink my rating scale. As for me, I give it a 4.5. It was good, and we’ll definitely make them again. I think it needed more garlic. Everything’s better with more Garlic!

–

Today on the Rachael Ray Show, President Bill Clinton spent the majority of the hour at the Kitchen Table, and along with Rachael Ray’s Yum-o! Organization announcement, they talked extensively about what President Clinton and his Alliance for a Healthier Generation is doing as well to help battle obesity in American kids.

Bill Clinton is still a dynamic speaker, and it’s clear he really cares about this Alliance, and helping families that work so much, and lack the time to come together in the kitchen, at the table, and rely on fast food and other things to keep them fed. It’s not a quick fix, as it’s not been a quickly growing problem. He’s working with schools to give better choices on their school menus.

President Clinton spoke a bit about his own struggles with weight, (Hello! we remember his Presidential runs to McDonalds, right? Hee!) and like Rachael, he preaches all things in moderation. It’s ok to splurge once in a while, as long as you’re basic diet is healthy!

It was a really good show, and if you missed it, try and catch a replay.

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Today, The Rachael Ray site unveiled their new Yum-O organization. A non-profit organization, Yum-o! seeks to empower kids and families to improve their relationships with food and cook, with easy to use tools, affordable and delicious meals.

Why Yum-o!?
Today’s kids and their families are pressed for time. Many don’t know how to cook or assemble basic meals or are simply too busy and tired to spend much time in the kitchen. In addition, easy access to inexpensive food with low nutritional value has caused eating habits to worsen. However, most kids and parents are eager to make better food choices if given the necessary tools. Yum-o! enables kids and their families to take control of their meals and improve their eating habits.

“Yum-o!” is the sound you make when you eat something really delicious. It is kind of a combination of “Yummy!” and “Oh wow!” You can’t help but smile when you say it because it’s such a fun word to say. A big part of the Yum-o! organization is about making cooking and eating something that makes people happy. Food should be delicious, fun and put a smile on your face.
Our three work areas are:

COOK - Educating kids and their families about cooking
FEED - Feeding hungry American kids
FUND - Funding cooking scholarships

Be sure to check out Yum-o.org for more information, recipes, and inspirational stories of people working hard to help our kids grow up healthier and stronger then ever before! I think this is a fantastic idea, and one even the hater’s can’t complain about. With the focus on our kids, American kids, how can we possibly go wrong? Visit Yum-o! today!

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