More from the Amazing CSN!

CSN continues to amaze me!  Up until 7 or 8 months ago, I didn't even know who they were, what they did, or all the great things they have on any one of their 200+ websites.  See these dining chairs on the right over there?  If I hadn't just bought a whole new dining room table set last year, I'd have to seriously consider matching these up with a gorgeous table in my dining room.  They're certainly drool-worthy.  :o)

Oh, well, since new dining rooms chairs won't be appearing in my house any time in the near future, I guess I'll have to settle (it's not hard, really) for something else from their great site!  :o)  Me thinks I need to try to complete my Paula Deen Stoneware Collection.  If you've been around my blog for any length of time, you may have seen one of the review posts I did for CSN and some of this gorgeous stoneware collection.  Well, guess what?  They have it in blue now!  And not this bright, terrible color, but one of the most beautiful shades of soft blue that I have ever seen.  Oh, if I didn't already have it in the other color (which is still gorgeous, BTW, but blue IS my favorite color)!!!

Anywho....be watching in the coming weeks for some great stuff from my kitchen!  I seemed to have recently developed an addiction to baking...oh, this is not good for someone who needs to go on a diet.....

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.

It's Time for More Paula Deen!

Yay!!! I'm so excited to get my second opportunity to review some Paula Deen products! :o)

Thanks to the people at CSN, who have everything available under the sun from lights to purses, you can pretty much find anything you need for your house or for a nice gift for someone. And this time around, I'll be able to add to my collection of Paula Deen items. I was so impressed with her stoneware products the first time around because they cook evenly, and are easy-peasy to clean. Even better--they are dishwasher safe!

Now, here's where it gets dangerous. See, I've been on a diet for a week now, and doing pretty good with it, too, if I do say so myself. I've been able to resist the temptation of Dr. Peppers, chocolate, and bread in all its forms. So, it's gonna be really tough to review a pie plate (just pick any kind of pie...they're all good), a 9X9 baker (the perfect size for my cornbread recipe), and the mixing cup that measures out flour nearly every time I bake something. But hey, hubby's not on a diet, so I guess he'll just have to eat all the food!

In case you missed the last review of Paula Deen goodies, click here to read about my first adventure! And be watching in the next few weeks for my review (and um, how I hope to stay away from temptation). :o)

Paula Deen and a Giveaway, Too!

Well, the time has finally come to share some goodies with y'all!! A few weeks ago, I blogged about getting the chance to do my first product review courtesy of CSNStores.com. Not only was I getting the chance to do the review, but there was also a surprise in the works for my readers. So, sit back with your cup of coffee or tea, and be prepared to drool at least a little. :o)

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My first item up for review is the Paula Deen 9 X 13 Stoneware Baker. It's first use was for this delectable little recipe I came across a few weeks ago for Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls. I originally saw the recipe over at Colletta's blog, Colletta's Kitchen Sink. Then, when I realized I was about to get a new baker, I thought....what a perfect first recipe! :o)

I love every single thing about this piece! Even though it's color is not even remotely part of my overall kitchen color scheme, that won't stop me one bit from using it. I love the enamel finish since nothing else in my kitchen has it, and it helps me build upon my existing cookware pieces. Probably my favorite thing about it (as well as the loaf pan coming up next) is that they're so easy to clean! All of my other stoneware pieces (mostly from Pampered Chef) cannot be washed with soap because the stoneware is so porous. The Paula Deen collection of stoneware, however, is dishwasher safe, and even if I didn't want to use the dishwasher to wash it, it doesn't matter because I can have this thing washed and rinsed in a snap!
Next up is the Paula Deen 9 X5 Stoneware Loaf Pan. Now, I am no expert when it comes to making bread....which is why the actual loaf of bread itself is not very attractive. But in this case, I'm fortunate that it didn't have to look all that pretty to still taste good. This particular loaf of bread is Milk and Honey Bread. Definitely a first-time recipe for me with my first-time use of this pan. I was so very pleased at how evenly the bread cooked, with the bottom of the loaf turning a perfect golden brown. The recipe itself called for the pan to be sprayed before I put the dough in. When I went to remove the bread from the pan after it had cooked and cooled, I was so impressed that there was nothing stuck to the bottom of the pan! I don't always get those results from some of my other pans! And just like the 9 X 13 Baker, it was the easiest cleanup you ever saw! I told hubby that he better watch out....I may become a bread-making machine!

And last, but not least, the third item up for review is one of her books--Paula Deen's Kitchen Wisdom and Recipe Journal. I haven't had a chance yet to use this book really the way it's supposed to be used, but oh, how I know it will come in handy in my kitchen! :o) The whole book is divided into three sections with tabs for each section, and lots of blank pages throughout to list favorite recipes or recipes that are from friends and family. And occasionally, there's a little tidbit of wisdom from Ms. Paula herself. I tell ya, this girl is country as cornbread, and it shows when she goes to "talking" in the book. I can't wait to start fillin' this thing up with all sorts of recipes, especially the ones from my family. I already know the first one that I'll write in there--my mom's recipe for Lemon Icebox Pie....yum!

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So, I promised some goodies, too, didn't I? Well, the great folks at CSNStores are offering 2 great items for one lucky person. First up, you have the chance to win your own copy of Paula Deen's Kitchen Wisdom and Recipe Journal as well as the Paula Deen Cookbook Stand in Antique Bronze. Both of these items are great, and have a value of $27! Who can pass up TWO ITEMS that great for free?!?! :o)

Here's how it'll work:

Option 1--Leave a comment with your email address for one entry. If you do not leave an email address, your entry will be tossed out.

Option 2--Leave a comment and become a follower or subscriber to my blog for two entries.

Option 3--Leave a comment, become a follower/subscriber, and post this giveaway on your blog for 3 entries.

The giveaway will be open through Wednesday, March 24th, and the drawing will take place on Thursday, March 25th. The winner will be contacted by email within 24 hours of the drawing, and will need to provide their mailing address and phone number to receive their free items. Contest is limited to US addresses only.

One other footnote....

To keep this post from being so long, I did not include the recipes for the Milk and Honey Bread or the Lemon Icebox Pie. The bread recipe is from one of my other cookbooks, and the pie is my mom's recipe. If you're interested in either recipe, send me an email (my email addy is up at the top of the blog) and I'd be happy to pass them on to you.

I'm About to Have Some Fun!

This week, I was offered the coolest opportunity since I've been blogging. Now, I love reviewing books, and helping authors spread the words about their great books, but this is gonna be something altogether new for me entirely.

In just a few days, I'll be doing my first product review. YAY!!!! :o) I'll be getting the chance to review 3 different products from the cookware.com website and allbarstools.com website which carries items from a stool to silverware. Both are a part of CSNStores.com which is huge, I tell ya. If you can't find something on there you like, well,....you need to get out more. :o) . Now, I've left out one other important piece of information. I have an addiction to Food Network, and especially a few certain celebrity chefs like Rachael Ray, Sandra Lee, Pat & Gina Neely, and Paula Deen. And now, I'm about to get to review some of Paula Deen's products from the cookware.com website! Hooray!! :o)

Now, one of these products is a book...a cookbook, actually, and I just know it's gonna be FULL of great information to help people like me out in the kitchen. Now, I'm not a bad cook, at least according to my husband, but every girl needs tips and tricks to make her food taste just a little bit better....especially when we're talking about Southern food. :o)

Then, to go along with the cookbook, I'll also be reviewing 2 of Paula Deen's pieces of stoneware, this one and this one. I can already smell the great food that's about to come out of my kitchen thanks to CSN Stores and Paula Deen.

Oh, wait....there's MORE! I'll be hosting a giveaway for some Paula Deen goodies, too! One of them is a copy of the cookbook that I'll be reviewing plus one other surprise. :o) So, be watching in the next few weeks because we're gonna be having ALL kinds of fun over here!

**A HUGE THANK YOU to CSN Stores for this awesome opportunity! :o)