More Paula Deen...thanks to CSN!

Okay, if you have NEVER visited CSN stores online, then you are missing out on such a treat!  They have been so great to me as a reviewer, and I simply cannot say enough great things about them.  ;o)  You may remember a few months ago where I mentioned that I would soon have another opportunity to review some products from their site.  I decided to expand my collection of Paula Deen cookware, and chose to review three products:  a 9x9 baker, a pie plate, and a mixing cup.  Let me just tell you...I love them all!

First up, the 9x9 baker. 

Now, I love to cook.  I particularly love to bake....and pretty much anything cooked in my sweet little oven I will eat.  The desserts are the best.... *happy sigh*  (Oh, dear, I'm getting carried away.)  I decided that I wanted to try my barbecue baked chicken recipe in this perfect-sized baker.  Not only is it perfect for chicken (think 3-4 lb. whole chicken), it is also perfect for yummy things like cornbread and brownies....commence drooling now.  :o)  The baked chicken recipe that I use is no fuss, and doesn't require that there be a lot of extra space in a baking dish.  That's when I knew this sweet little baker would be baking my chickens from this point forward.  It cooks like a dream--so evenly--and it's also provides a great presentation for the food. 

Next, I tried out the pie plate.  Now, while I love to bake, baking pies has never been one of my strong suits.  I love to bake cakes, rolls, breads, cookies, and just about anything else you can think of, but pies always seem to cause me problems (mostly, because I fill the shell too full, I think).  But in an effort to master pie making, I decided to try out this beautiful Paula Deen pie plate from CSN.  The recipe of the day for the pie plate was a Coconut Chess Pie....and trust me, you'll want this recipe (link at the bottom of this post)!  I've always wanted to try my hand at Coconut Chess Pie thanks to it being a dessert item on the menu at Texas de Brazil.  Mine was nothing like there's...in fact, I think it was better.  (I may be on the road to success with pie making after all!)  Cooked in this gorgeous plate, I don't think I'll ever have another pie problem again.  Just like the baker, the pie plate cooks so evenly, and this pie looked awesome when it came out of the oven!  After little more than a couple of hours, there was none of it left at my house...pie making success!

Also, while making the pie, I tried out Paula's handy little measuring cup.  Just like the other two pieces (and everything else in this line), it's beautiful.  The colors that are on these pieces are a mix between brown, rust, red, and green, and they all match perfectly.  This measuring cup is ideal for wet ingredients more than anything else...the dry ones weren't really doing as well.  Because I think it's use is more for decor than function, this probably won't be my every day measuring cup.  The measurements are printed on the inside, and because it's a stoneware cup and not a glass one, I really had to shake the dry ingredients around to make sure I had the proper measurements. 

Hey, if you're looking for a very nice gift for someone's kitchen, these or any of the other pieces in Paula Deen's stoneware collection are an excellent choice.  Each one is in a great price range, and would be ideal for a newlywed or maybe a couple's housewarming party.  All I know is that I'm a fan of this collection for life!

**Click here for the Coconut Chess Pie recipe.
**Click here for the Barbecue Baked Chicken recipe.  (Note:  I do not use the stuffing mix that is called for in this recipe.)
**Click here for my other Paula Deen Stoneware review.