Summer Only Comes Once a Year by The Pioneer Woman

Summer Only Comes Once a Year by The Pioneer Woman

I wrote this on Instagram, but I’m going to share it here too. I decided the Monday before the Fourth of July (after accidentally wearing my grody wear-around-the-house flip flops to church the day before – a whole other story) that my feet were atrocious and I HAD to get a pedicure before our Fourth of July celebration so I could wear a cute pair of sandals. So I put on the aforementioned grody flip flops and headed to my hometown an hour away.

After I finished at the nail salon, my pretty red toenails and I drove through Starbucks to get coffee. As I was handing my $5 bill to the person at the drive-through, the Oklahoma wind caught it and the money blew away. No one was ahead or behind me in line, so I pulled up five feet so that I could open my door, then yelled “DON’T WORRY! I’LL GET IT!” as I barreled out of the car.

After running after and grabbing the wayward bill (success!!!), I tripped and scraped the top of my left foot on a shrub that was part of Starbucks’ landscaping, causing a four-inch gash (well, a bleeding scratch) where my pride used to be. Fortunately, you can’t see the wound under the straps of these shoes, but rest assured it will probably leave a faint scar, which will forever serve as a reminder that I shouldn’t waste time on pedicures and just let people see my feet for what they are.

Or that I should never leave the house again—one or the other.

 
 
This pickup at the Merc reminds me of my life. Dogs everywhere!

Just the way I like it.

 
 
This makes me want a baby so I can have onesies in my house again.

(Any comments mentioning the fact that I will be a grandmother someday will be promptly deleted.)

(Har.)

 
 
Here is a pic of Mauricio, Alex, and Paige. We ate at the Merc when they were all here for the Fourth, and it was nice for us all to be together.

 
 
In other news, B-Man is extremely tall and very old! Like, he might as well be in his eighties!

He wears it well, I think!

(I love you, B-Man.)

 
 
The night we had dinner at the Merc, we had a last minute cancellation at The Boarding House. Ladd and I thought it would be fun to stay the night and let Alex and Paige watch the boys at home.

 
 
You know when you check into a hotel room and you look around and everything’s fresh and new? (Well, except for the towel Ladd used when he first walked in.) That’s how it felt for me. The night was young! It was filled with such promise!

 
 
So we both kicked off our boots/shoes, I poured myself a glass of red wine, and we watched “The Quiet Place” on TV.

(So good!!)

 
 
There were even warm chocolate chip cookies by the bed!

Then guess what we did? We went home at 11:00 pm, after the movie was over. We are so cool!

On Opposite Day.

We missed the kids!

 
 
I’ve been filming more episodes of my cooking show here on the ranch over the past couple of weeks. Here are a couple of pizzas I made!

 
 
They’re pizzas we serve at P-Town, and I love them.

 
 
And let’s talk about these biscuits: Ham. Swiss. Honey mustard butter. Amazing.

 
 
Peanut butter protein bars for the boys! They aren’t the most photogenic, but oh…are they delicious.

 
 
These mini cheesecakes, on the other hand…delicious AND photogenic!

 
 
My crepe myrtles are going bonkers right now! I love them so.

 
 
And the ranch has been a busy place. This is the third week of cattle shipping, which means six days a week, we are up at 4:00 am. Sleep deprivation is rapidly setting in, and yesterday I called Ladd Herman by accident. When I first woke up this morning at four, I actually thought I was a giraffe. That’s how confusing things are starting to get.

Fortunately, summer only comes once a year…

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Summer Only Comes Once a Year by The Pioneer Woman

I wrote this on Instagram, but I’m going to share it here too. I decided the Monday before the Fourth of July (after accidentally wearing my grody wear-around-the-house flip flops to church the day before – a whole other story) that my feet were atrocious and I HAD to get a pedicure before our Fourth of July celebration so I could wear a cute pair of sandals. So I put on the aforementioned grody flip flops and headed to my hometown an hour away.

After I finished at the nail salon, my pretty red toenails and I drove through Starbucks to get coffee. As I was handing my $5 bill to the person at the drive-through, the Oklahoma wind caught it and the money blew away. No one was ahead or behind me in line, so I pulled up five feet so that I could open my door, then yelled “DON’T WORRY! I’LL GET IT!” as I barreled out of the car.

After running after and grabbing the wayward bill (success!!!), I tripped and scraped the top of my left foot on a shrub that was part of Starbucks’ landscaping, causing a four-inch gash (well, a bleeding scratch) where my pride used to be. Fortunately, you can’t see the wound under the straps of these shoes, but rest assured it will probably leave a faint scar, which will forever serve as a reminder that I shouldn’t waste time on pedicures and just let people see my feet for what they are.

Or that I should never leave the house again—one or the other.

 
 
This pickup at the Merc reminds me of my life. Dogs everywhere!

Just the way I like it.

 
 
This makes me want a baby so I can have onesies in my house again.

(Any comments mentioning the fact that I will be a grandmother someday will be promptly deleted.)

(Har.)

 
 
Here is a pic of Mauricio, Alex, and Paige. We ate at the Merc when they were all here for the Fourth, and it was nice for us all to be together.

 
 
In other news, B-Man is extremely tall and very old! Like, he might as well be in his eighties!

He wears it well, I think!

(I love you, B-Man.)

 
 
The night we had dinner at the Merc, we had a last minute cancellation at The Boarding House. Ladd and I thought it would be fun to stay the night and let Alex and Paige watch the boys at home.

 
 
You know when you check into a hotel room and you look around and everything’s fresh and new? (Well, except for the towel Ladd used when he first walked in.) That’s how it felt for me. The night was young! It was filled with such promise!

 
 
So we both kicked off our boots/shoes, I poured myself a glass of red wine, and we watched “The Quiet Place” on TV.

(So good!!)

 
 
There were even warm chocolate chip cookies by the bed!

Then guess what we did? We went home at 11:00 pm, after the movie was over. We are so cool!

On Opposite Day.

We missed the kids!

 
 
I’ve been filming more episodes of my cooking show here on the ranch over the past couple of weeks. Here are a couple of pizzas I made!

 
 
They’re pizzas we serve at P-Town, and I love them.

 
 
And let’s talk about these biscuits: Ham. Swiss. Honey mustard butter. Amazing.

 
 
Peanut butter protein bars for the boys! They aren’t the most photogenic, but oh…are they delicious.

 
 
These mini cheesecakes, on the other hand…delicious AND photogenic!

 
 
My crepe myrtles are going bonkers right now! I love them so.

 
 
And the ranch has been a busy place. This is the third week of cattle shipping, which means six days a week, we are up at 4:00 am. Sleep deprivation is rapidly setting in, and yesterday I called Ladd Herman by accident. When I first woke up this morning at four, I actually thought I was a giraffe. That’s how confusing things are starting to get.

Fortunately, summer only comes once a year…

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How to Make Marmalade by Meseidy

I’d always been wary of marmalade, mostly because I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. To me, it was just jelly with a bunch of stuff in the way. I’d been peeling oranges all my life, and I couldn’t fathom how eating the rind and pith could possibly taste good—no matter how much sugar you mix with it.

 
 

I always pictured marmalade as one of those things served exclusively during proper English tea time. You know, in one of those fancy table settings featuring a towering tray of scones served with clotted cream, jam, and marmalade on the side.

 
 

It wasn’t until I attended culinary school that I learned how deeply I had misjudged marmalade. A classmate made marmalade, and another baked some English muffins. With a bit of encouragement, I toasted a fresh English muffin and spread on some of that “jelly with a bunch of stuff.” (This was just one of the things I loved about culinary school. Not only did I learn a ton, but it was also an opportunity to try foods I had never tried before.) That was the day I discovered, to my utter surprise, that I loved marmalade. 

 
 

What is marmalade?

Marmalade, preserves, and jelly are all different preparations of fruit spreads. Unlike other fruit spread that only use parts of fruit or fruit juice, marmalade is a made with whole citrus: pith, pulp, and rind.

 
 

Although it is typically made with oranges, it can be made with any kind of citrus fruit. The most traditional variety of orange used when making marmalade is the bitter Seville orange, but if you cannot find them, any orange can be used. 

 
 

I am a huge fan of oranges and I’ve been known to eat four oranges in one sitting. So I’m not really sure why I waited so long to try marmalade. But I’ve come to truly love it. With four simple ingredients, it’s easy to make, and I love how it’s loaded with both bright citrus and bitter notes.

 
 

Canned marmalade makes a great gift for friends, or you can stockpile it and keep it all for yourself. It is typically served on toast, scones, or English muffins but it’s also a great addition to sauces or glazes used on savory proteins. Citrus-glazed ribs or orange chicken, anyone?

 
 

Here’s a little canning quick guide in case you need it:

Sterilize jars: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Use enough water to cover the jars without the water overflowing when cans are added. Meanwhile, wash jars and lids in hot soapy water. Carefully add cans, rings, and lids to the boiling water. Leave them to boil 10 minutes.

 
 

Transfer to a clean kitchen towel to dry. Keep the water at a simmer.

 
 

Fill jars: Do not overfill the jars. Leave a minimum of ¼ inch of head space. Make sure there are no air bubbles along the sides of the jar. Wipe the rims of the jars down with a clean cloth before capping and tightening rims.

 
 

Process jars: Carefully lower jars into the simmering water. Water should be an inch or two above the top of the canning jar. Leave the jars to simmer in the water for 15 minutes.

 
 

Remove jars to cool: Transfer the jars to a clean kitchen towel to cool. Let them sit for a day to completely cool. While cooling, your jars will start to pop and create a vacuum seal. Once they have cooled, test the seals by pressing down on the center of the jar lids. Any lids that spring back have not sealed. These jars should be placed in the refrigerator and eaten first.

 
 

If you’ve been wary of trying marmalade, take it from me: Don’t be! It’s sweet, tart, a little bitter, but wonderfully delightful. 

 
 

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How to Make Marmalade by Meseidy

How to Make Marmalade by Meseidy

I’d always been wary of marmalade, mostly because I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. To me, it was just jelly with a bunch of stuff in the way. I’d been peeling oranges all my life, and I couldn’t fathom how eating the rind and pith could possibly taste good—no matter how much sugar you mix with it.

 
 

I always pictured marmalade as one of those things served exclusively during proper English tea time. You know, in one of those fancy table settings featuring a towering tray of scones served with clotted cream, jam, and marmalade on the side.

 
 

It wasn’t until I attended culinary school that I learned how deeply I had misjudged marmalade. A classmate made marmalade, and another baked some English muffins. With a bit of encouragement, I toasted a fresh English muffin and spread on some of that “jelly with a bunch of stuff.” (This was just one of the things I loved about culinary school. Not only did I learn a ton, but it was also an opportunity to try foods I had never tried before.) That was the day I discovered, to my utter surprise, that I loved marmalade. 

 
 

What is marmalade?

Marmalade, preserves, and jelly are all different preparations of fruit spreads. Unlike other fruit spread that only use parts of fruit or fruit juice, marmalade is a made with whole citrus: pith, pulp, and rind.

 
 

Although it is typically made with oranges, it can be made with any kind of citrus fruit. The most traditional variety of orange used when making marmalade is the bitter Seville orange, but if you cannot find them, any orange can be used. 

 
 

I am a huge fan of oranges and I’ve been known to eat four oranges in one sitting. So I’m not really sure why I waited so long to try marmalade. But I’ve come to truly love it. With four simple ingredients, it’s easy to make, and I love how it’s loaded with both bright citrus and bitter notes.

 
 

Canned marmalade makes a great gift for friends, or you can stockpile it and keep it all for yourself. It is typically served on toast, scones, or English muffins but it’s also a great addition to sauces or glazes used on savory proteins. Citrus-glazed ribs or orange chicken, anyone?

 
 

Here’s a little canning quick guide in case you need it:

Sterilize jars: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Use enough water to cover the jars without the water overflowing when cans are added. Meanwhile, wash jars and lids in hot soapy water. Carefully add cans, rings, and lids to the boiling water. Leave them to boil 10 minutes.

 
 

Transfer to a clean kitchen towel to dry. Keep the water at a simmer.

 
 

Fill jars: Do not overfill the jars. Leave a minimum of ¼ inch of head space. Make sure there are no air bubbles along the sides of the jar. Wipe the rims of the jars down with a clean cloth before capping and tightening rims.

 
 

Process jars: Carefully lower jars into the simmering water. Water should be an inch or two above the top of the canning jar. Leave the jars to simmer in the water for 15 minutes.

 
 

Remove jars to cool: Transfer the jars to a clean kitchen towel to cool. Let them sit for a day to completely cool. While cooling, your jars will start to pop and create a vacuum seal. Once they have cooled, test the seals by pressing down on the center of the jar lids. Any lids that spring back have not sealed. These jars should be placed in the refrigerator and eaten first.

 
 

If you’ve been wary of trying marmalade, take it from me: Don’t be! It’s sweet, tart, a little bitter, but wonderfully delightful. 

 
 

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