Day 1

So last night I made my first Rachael Ray meal.

Oh wow, it turned out so good!

I started cooking about 45 minutes before my mom,

sister and niece came over. I wasn't sure how long it would take me to cook it all. It was a good thing I started early too, because I didn't finish until 5-10 minutes after they got there. But that's ok, I'm learning.

One thing I learned was that I need to read ahead in the recipe as I am cooking. I read through the recipe, but not right before I cooked it. So I found myself realizing that I should have been doing things sooner. For instance: I didn't have the mu

shroom sautéed before the burg

ers were finished cooking.

As I was cooking I had to laugh because I am so messy when I am working in the kitchen. I had the flour mixture for the onion rings everywhere! It was funny.

The Sirloin Burgers with Mushrooms, Swiss and Balsamic Mayo were very tasty. I used provolone, because I forgot to buy swiss. Either I bought the wrong mushrooms or Rachael Ray loves lots of mushrooms on her burgers. The recipe called for 12 baby portobellos and I cut up 6. Six mushrooms was even too much. The recipe didn't tell how much steak seasoning to use on the meat so I guessed. I think I could have added more, but it didn't hurt the flavor of the burger.

We all loved the Balsamic Mayo. My sister and I aren't big Mayo fans, but adding the balsamic makes it really good. It is nice to have leftovers of it too! I used it on a ham sandwich for lunch today and oh yum.

Next came the Thick-Cut O-Rings and Spicy Dipping Sauce. It had been a while since I had onion rings. And I have definitely never made them before. It wasn't too bad. It was messy of course, but they turned out really well. The only problem is the smell from the deep frying. Anyone know a good tip of getting that smell out of the kitchen? I've had my windows open and candles lit all day and it still smells slightly. I don't think that will stop me from making them again, but I probably won't make them very often.

The spicy dipping sauce had a nice kick to it. It was great with the O-rings, but you could totally use it with french fries or sweet potato fries.

I wasn't a big fan of the NY Egg Creams. It was kinda like an Italian Soda (which I usually like). I don't know, maybe I made it wrong. I didn't have any tall glasses, so it is possible that the measurements were wrong. But I tried it. :o)

Overall it was a great meal. I really did learn a lot. I think my goal for next week will be to read ahead and plan better as I am cooking the meal. :o)