Watching Rachael Ray

We start off in the kitchen today where we’ll start with a fast, faster and fastest meal - Chicken and Stuffing style. First up is Roast Chicken and Roasted Veggies with Mushroom-Apple stuffing for the fast version.

Time for the first guest, a good friend and a good eater, of course, and they both love the Big O - Oprah. It’s Gayle King! After Rachael tells her she looks good in Yellow, Gayle calls her out on how she said she’s a good eater, not a good cooker, which is honest because she doesn’t cook at all. She makes pancakes with bisquick, so she has something, and Gayle says Rachael always makes people feel good. The funny part is that Gayle doesn’t cook - but is there to promote a cookbook. She says she’s not made the recipes, she’s eaten them though! It’s the new O, The Oprah Magazine Cookbook.

Gayle, of course, was impressed with the food back stage, and they talk about Rachael’s dislike of mayo. Gayle counters with her dislike of cottage cheese, she says it reminds her of curdled milk. Rachael says it tastes like ricotta cheese. After a break, they talk about their mutual love of Oprah. Gayle says she had a great time on the road trip with Oprah - but it drove Oprah crazy because Gayle sings in the car. They had a lot of fun meeting people across the country, which Oprah enjoyed much more then Gayle’s singing.

They touch on the tabloids and how they take a grain of truth and build a story of lies around it. Gayle asks Rachael what she and Oprah are fighting about - and Rachael says nothing, she sent her a note an snack of the day for her birthday, and Oprah sent back a note with a butterfly on it. Gayle says it doesn’t bother her anymore, and Rachael says that usually she does, but reading about the Oprah thing broke her heart.

Gayle has some of her favorite things - spanks, clogs, and cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. Then they put her on the spot with Truth or Dare. Truth first - have she ever missed an episode of the Oprah show? She says no, she records it every day and the only time she didn’t watch was the week her mom died in 94 - but has caught it in reruns. Then it’s time for a Dare, and Rachael dares her to sing her current favorite fun. Gayle only does it because Rachael does it with her, and they hold a little singalong and channel they’re inner Mariah Carey.

Then it’s a Splurge vs. Save, Wedding style. Melissa Floss of The Knot shows how to have a dream wedding on any budget. You have to pick your priorities, and then they show off the latest trends and their inexpensive counterparts: flower girl dresses, bridal gowns, cakes, centerpieces and chocolate favors. The one that amused me the most was the Styrofoam cake with the real cake bottom layer used to cut and eat for the ceremony, then they take it out back and bring in sheet cakes to eat. Funny! Of course, mine only cost me the supplies to bake it, because a family member made mine. Said family member also stole all the left overs and I never got anything other then that first bite, but whatever. *snerk* It was still cheap!

Then it’s back into the kitchen for the Faster version: Mushroom-Apple Stuffing Stuffed Chicken Breasts with parsnip Smash and Fennel-Apple Saute. Then the Fastest - Mushroom-Apple Stuffing Stuffed Chicken Roll-ups with Pan Sauce and Apple Fennel Salad.