Clips from Rachael Ray's Talk Show

Interview with Marcia Gay Harden:



Rachael Ray and Gloria Estefan make Cubano Mac and Cheese:

Rachael Ray Roundup

Aren't you proud of how many posts I did this week? It's almost like I'm back in the world of the living. Now, I'm still not sleeping for more than three hours at a time (we've had a few nights where the baby slept five hours and I was in heaven), so please don't expect too much from me!

This week, I managed to do a little bit of cooking, mixed in with some frozen meals from Dinner MyWay. I made Go Green Chicken Sammies, but failed to take a picture of them. Bad blogger. I don't have photographic proof, so you'll have to trust me when I say they were very good. As you'll see below, Cate at Sweetnicks made them too this week. Great minds think alike! I also made Sliced Steak Gyros, so look out for a review of that recipe in the coming weeks.

Here are some Rachael Ray posts from around the blogosphere this week. If you see a post that you think would be good for the Roundup, or you write one yourself, e-mail me so I can be sure to include it.

• Stacey at Simply Tasty served Rachael Ray's recipe for Mexican Chocolate Fondue.
• The Crane Family had rave reviews for Rachael's recipe for Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells.
• CIA - Cooking in an Apron features an adaptation of Rachael's recipe for Iced Lemon Cookies.
• Brooke of ...And a Cookie for Dessert made use of her grill to try Cheddar Studded Turkey Burgers.
• Cate at Sweetnicks tried Go Green Chicken Sammies (although she refused to play along, so she called them sandwiches).
• Karen at Busy Mamas is back, this time with a review of a recipe for Peas and Cheese Tortellini from the weekly menu planner in Every Day with Rachael Ray.
• Vicarious Foodie adapted Rachael's recipe for Mac-n-Smoked Gouda with Cauliflower to create her own Cauliflower Mac and Cheese.

Rachael's Shoe

If you've been watching Rachael Ray's talk show, then you probably saw the shoe at left being featured on the show. It's part of a new line from Rachael's buddy Gretta Monahan, called Gretta Style.

Gretta's selling her brand new footwear collection on QVC. The first shoe is called “The Rachael” and retails for $45.

As for the rest of the line, here's the summary:
"Inspired for stylish women with busy lives, this line of sandals, heels and ballet flats emphasizes on-trend styling like cone heels and peep toes, and comfort features such as soft, flexible materials and insole padding. Each shoe features signature elements, including a pink-painted bottom, made from a special component that prevents scuffing, and metallic hardware embossed with a G! The entire collection will be available to view on QVC.COM after the premiere."

Let me know if you run out and get yourself The Rachael!

Rachael's Not Feuding with Oprah!

Why oh why do the tabloids have to make up stories? Well, I guess selling papers is their main motivation, but you'd think they could come up with something better than the latest story, which is that Oprah and Rachael Ray are feuding.

MSNBC debunked the rumor by citing an interview with Rachael and Oprah's best buddy, Gayle King, which aired yesterday. In the interview, Gayle says: “I read something that you two were fighting. I know that’s not true.” King told Ray.

Rachael commented that when the rumors stared back in January, she and Oprah "hadn’t even spoken in months." And when they did speak, it was all sunshine and happiness: "Ray told King that when the news broke, 'we had written each other sweet notes, it was her birthday and I sent her snack of the day and she sent me a note.'”

So, yet again, there's no truth to this rumor. Oprah and Rachael Ray are still buddies!

Photo from MSNBC.

It's a Keeper: Chips and Veggies with Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

This is yet another one of those recipes that I can't believe I haven't posted before. I served this Chips and Veggies with Sun-Dried Tomato Dip along with the Garlic Herb Spread on Super Bowl Sunday. Yeah, I'm a little behind on posting these recipes, so sue me.

Every single time I have made this dip, someone has asked me for the recipe. I know there is a shocking amount of feta cheese in the recipe (which means it also isn't cheap), but you gotta just go for it. For some reason, it doesn't scream feta once you start eating it. Maybe because of the strong sun dried tomato taste?

I use this as my "healthy alternative" dip at parties, but it's so good I think people don't even know I'm giving them something healthier. As you can see, I serve it with pita chips, red bell peppers, carrots, and celery. I think it would also be good with Triscuits or slices of sourdough baguette.

3/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 sack chips (recommended: Onion and Garlic Yukon Gold Chips, Terra Brand, or other Mediterranean flavored gourmet chip), available on snacks aisle of market [These chips could work, but I've never tried them, mostly because it seems like the chips would have too much flavor and fight with the dip.]
1 pound baby cut carrots
1 green bell pepper, cut in strips
4 stalks celery, cut into sticks

Combine cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, herbs, milk, black pepper in food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl. Serve with chips and veggies. [Yeah, pretty easy recipe to put together, huh?]

Clips from Rachael Ray's Talk Show

Interview with John Cusak:



Interview with Christina Milian:

Rachael Ray Roundup

I have been such a lazy blogger lately! However, the last of our visitors (let's be honest, they are really Darcy's visitors) are leaving this weekend, so we'll be on our own! With all the help around the house, I was able to do some cooking this week, which was really nice. I made the old favorite Buffalo Chicken Chili and tried two new recipes - Hula Chicken and French Bread Pizzas. All of them were hits and I'll be posting reviews.

Here are some Rachael Ray posts from around the blogosphere this week. If you see a post that you think would be good for the Roundup, or you write one yourself, e-mail me so I can be sure to include it.

• Rachael Ray's talk show has been nominated, yet again, for a Daytime Emmy. This year, the show was nominated for best talk show, along wiht The View and The Ellen Degeneres Show.
• Alysha at The Savory Notebook tried one of our favorites - Chicken Greek-a-Tikka Salad with Parsley-Feta Pesto.
• Dining Alone features a review of Rachael's recipe for Chicken Thighs with Artichoke Orzo.
• Rachael's buddy Gretta Monahan started a fashion line and named one of the shoes after Rachael.
• TMZ reports that there is no feud between Rachael Ray and Oprah.
• Tracey Thompson at Foodie Obsessed discussed Rachael's New Food Crew idea.