Welcome to Arizona, Pioneer Woman!!

Do you follow The Pioneer Woman's blog like I do?? Oh, don't you just LOOOOOOOOOVE her?? I never tire of visiting her on the ol' cattle ranch - herding errant cattle, baling hay, brandin' and the likes. I love her photography section and refer to it often to help me understand my Nikon. Her confessions, humor and take on life are akin to having a cup of coffee with your ol' girlfriend....

This lovely lady has published her amazing recipes and food photography into a grand beauty of a book and as luck would land, my local independent bookstore hosted The Pioneer Woman, aka Ree Drummond, this past Thursday evening. Several of my friends, my sister and I galloped over for a quick dinner at the cafe next door and an evening with our favorite cowgirl. We were not disappointed!!
Ree Drummond was adorable! And charming, humble, kind, funny, witty, gracious and patient! She talked a bit about life on the ranch as a blogger, and now, author and her style was ingratiating. Soon, she took questions and comments from the audience and we laughed and chuckled throughout the variety of them. The line for the book-signing was loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong.... and at some point, we contemplated about leaving our books to have her sign them later on and then picking them up the next day. But I just HAD to meet the woman whom I won that fabulous red mixer from!! Plus, I had a couple of questions I needed answered.....

After much patience, and propping my foot up on a post (um...I seriously injured my leg in a fall - I am doing you a HUGE favor and sparing you the horrific pictures of my bruises - and as my camera went flying across the concrete as well, I'm thinking that is why these pictures are fuzzy..boo-hoo!!) we were in line for our turn with The Pioneer Woman! She was sweet as could be and seemed a bit curious about my name, Velvet Brick, as she wrote it in her signing on the title page. I assured her that it was my blog name and not my 'stripper' name! After gushing about how I had won one of her mixer contests and her commenting "Hmmm.... Velvet Brick...that sounds familiar.....' as she continued writing, I was able to ask her my burning question. I prefaced it with "I can take the truth, no matter what it is..." then I asked...."Did the cow with the prolapse... um... is she okay???"

Yes, that was my burning question. I've needed to know the answer since reading about it on her blog. This was my chance and I wasn't going to pass it up!

What a relief it was when Ree replied that said mama cow was just fine - she had come through that ordeal a-ok!!! Yeeeeee-hawwwwwwww!!

My sister, friends and I are all a-giddy over our beautiful cook books!! Signed by The Pioneer Woman, AND her sister-in-law AND even by her mother-in-law; who were traveling with her on this leg of her book tour journey. We're planning on having a Pioneer Woman cookout with each one of us bringing a recipe from a section of her gorgeous cookbook! Ree's asked that we take pictures and email them to her - with pleasure!!

Treat yourself and pick up a copy of this book or put it on your 'wish list' for Santa Claus - you won't be disappointed!