All Episodes Talk

[anneofcleves]

 

I agree that a brine makes something salty. But washing it after a brine that includes whiskey and god knows what else means you washed EVERYTHING away. A brine isn't a marinade. You're doing it wrong, Ree. 

 

Actually, as much as it pains me to defend her, rinsing the bird after brining doesn't wash anything away except excess salt that might make your drippings too salty.  Brining affects the muscle of the bird and enables it to absorb liquid through the brining process and lose less of it while cooking.  So rinsing the exterior doesn't negate the effort of brining.  My eternal question with brining is whether or not the flavorings do any good and whether it's enough to just use a solution of water and salt.

 

Please don't make me defend her again.  It just doesn't feel right. ;-)

[chessiegal]

I'm a big fan of brining. America's Test Kitchen does it for many meats. Their brine for pork chops makes  a huge difference between a tough dry meat and a moist tender chop.

[txvoodoo]

My eternal question with brining is whether or not the flavorings do any good and whether it's enough to just use a solution of water and salt.

 

That's basically my thought, too. Why even bother with the whiskey? Why not just shove a few $10 bills up into the bird?

[HyeChaps]

I wonder if this was recorded even before Alex went away to college.

[CMH1981]

I'm sure this Thanksgiving episode was filmed either the year before or during some other non-Thanksgiving season.

 

So, you more seasoned bakers....how did Ree exactly fuck up those Parker House rolls?  They looked extremely flat.  The funny thing was all I could hear in my head was Paul and Mary from the GBBO saying she over or under proved her dough based off how she messed them up.

 

Wow, that trivia tip that Ree memorized about the fraternity brothers was just awful, you could totally tell it was scripted...especially the comments to it.  I don't know what it is like to be on camera or whatnot, but I would think at this point the whole family could be relaxed and just enjoy the meal and the company of everyone and the cameras could just capture that...we didn't need scripted comments.

 

That "thankful" video was stupid.

 

In the new commercial I only noticed Ree, Ladd, and the youngest Drummond son.  I do agree that perhaps the snarky comments on how it was all strangers and Ree in the previous commercial caused them to reshoot it.

Edited November 22, 2015 by CMH1981

[anneofcleves]

So, you more seasoned bakers....how did Ree exactly fuck up those Parker House rolls?  They looked extremely flat.  The funny thing was all I could hear in my head was Paul and Mary from the GBBO saying she over or under proved her dough based off how she messed them up.

 

I don't bake like I used to, but my thought was that she did 2 things wrong:  1) she rolled them too thin (she does this with many baked goods, I've noticed, like scones and cinnamon rolls), and 2) she par-cooked them so they didn't get a full rise in the oven during the first bake, and then when she warmed them up she over-baked them.  They honestly looked a lot like the kinds of rolls I would make when I was a kid just learning to bake.  She doesn't demonstrate a high level of skill with any baked goods, especially yeast breads and short breads.

Edited November 22, 2015 by anneofcleves

[peacheslatour]

 

In the new commercial I only noticed Ree, Ladd, and the youngest Drummond son.  I do agree that perhaps the snarky comments on how it was all strangers and Ree in the previous commercial caused them to reshoot it.

I saw Hyacinth and, I think, the other son.

[BradandJanet]

Ree set the table for the Thanksgiving dinner two (three?) days in advance and didn't at least turn the glasses or the plates upside down. Of course, maybe her house is so perfect that no manure-laden ranch dust makes its way in, but I'd be surreptitiously wiping my plate and glass with my napkin before I took any food or drink. 

[3pwood]

I set the table in advance once & found a cat perched on one of the plates an hour before dinner.  

[peacheslatour]

Here's a tip for all of us using the "good china" this holiday.  Wash it and the silver before using.  We went to Thanksgiving at my aunts one year and all the plates, glasses and flatware smelled and tasted of mildew.  She had just taken it out of storage and put it on the table.

[Hildegard802]

I had to watch the goofy cousin campout show. This isn't cooking. This is pigs at a trough kind of "food." The woman is an abomination.

Today was the day I finally remembered to look for her products in Walmart. There was a ton of it on the shelves. Looks like no one in my area wants it. I was impressed with the sharp metal edges of the utensils and measuring cups. Also impressed with how small the cannisters are and what a pile of junk the two-jug drink dispenser is. I've never seen anything so flimsy. On the other hand, the dishware is very heavy. The cast iron stuff has a very rough finish. The pots and pans are very lightweight.

[Westiepeach]

I had to watch the goofy cousin campout show. This isn't cooking. This is pigs at a trough kind of "food." The woman is an abomination.

Today was the day I finally remembered to look for her products in Walmart. There was a ton of it on the shelves. Looks like no one in my area wants it. I was impressed with the sharp metal edges of the utensils and measuring cups. Also impressed with how small the cannisters are and what a pile of junk the two-jug drink dispenser is. I've never seen anything so flimsy. On the other hand, the dishware is very heavy. The cast iron stuff has a very rough finish. The pots and pans are very lightweight.

Nobody is buying her products in my neck of the woods either. Quality is horrible.

[grisgris]

I was at WalMart over the weekend and saw this. Any clues WTH these are?

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136350785@N06/shares/935c9o

Edited November 24, 2015 by grisgris

[Kohola3]

I

was at WalMart over the weekend and saw this. Any clues WTH these are?

 

Ugly, useless, overpriced, made in China crap.  The Chinese have really gotta wonder what the hell we do here in America to be buying that kind of junk.

 

Seriously, I have no idea what those could possibly be.

[Qoass]

Are they candlesticks?

[Iboatedhere]

I was at WalMart over the weekend and saw this. Any clues WTH these are?

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136350785@N06/shares/935c9o

 

I thiiiiiiiink they're paper towel holders.

[Hildegard802]

Ah yes, they are indeed paper towel holders. I, too, had the privilege of seeing one up close and in person.

Have you read the glowing reviews on Walmart's website? I can't help but think there's been some scrubbing going on.

[MissT]

I was at WalMart over the weekend and saw this. Any clues WTH these are?

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/136350785@N06/shares/935c9o

I they are supposed to be paper towel holders.  They are pathetic ugly ......   I'm surprised she didn't put butterflies on it.

Edited November 24, 2015 by MissT

[anneofcleves]

I had to watch the goofy cousin campout show. This isn't cooking. This is pigs at a trough kind of "food." The woman is an abomination.

Today was the day I finally remembered to look for her products in Walmart. There was a ton of it on the shelves. Looks like no one in my area wants it. I was impressed with the sharp metal edges of the utensils and measuring cups. Also impressed with how small the cannisters are and what a pile of junk the two-jug drink dispenser is. I've never seen anything so flimsy. On the other hand, the dishware is very heavy. The cast iron stuff has a very rough finish. The pots and pans are very lightweight.

Ha!  Best and most honest review ever.

[grisgris]

I thiiiiiiiink they're paper towel holders.

 

Thanks everybody. That makes sense. The chicken things at both the top and base threw me. I see it now. Sheesh... fugly and from a former marketing person's perspective, very poor packaging. It gets your attention alright, just not in a good way.

[Hildegard802]

The overall impression I got is "stuff thrown together as a money grab, knowing adoring fanbase will buy anything that has my name on it." To me, that's sad. And you know there will be more to come. Flowy sack tops, cheap boots, Bedazzled baseball caps . . . all sold by Walmart.

[grisgris]

I want one of those paddle things that Ladd and Josh wave at the cattle. Would those be in lawn & garden, pets or outdoor/pool items?

[peacheslatour]

The overall impression I got is "stuff thrown together as a money grab, knowing adoring fanbase will buy anything that has my name on it." To me, that's sad. And you know there will be more to come. Flowy sack tops, cheap boots, Bedazzled baseball caps . . . all sold by Walmart.

Sheer hubris.

[Lura]

I'm still back there with WhitneyWhit and AnneofCleves and Whitney's new show.  I love the idea!  I just found a few tiny problems that need surmounting.

 

Ree cooks mostly beef, she says, because she lives on a cattle ranch.  This means that we'll have to send Whitney (and maybe all of us) to Peru or the Himalayas where llamas live.  Are you with me?  OK, that means that WhitneyWhit is going to have to do a whole lot of research finding church cookbooks that have recipes using llama meat.  Of course, maybe WhitneyWhit could just convert beef recipes into llama recipes.  Does anybody know what llama meat tastes like?

 

Another problem:  Some llama farmers live in caves carved right into the rock, thousands of feet above the valley or river floors.  I mean, it's scary if you look  down.  They're as high, or higher, than some airplanes fly.  How is Whit going to like living there?  And how do we sous chefs navigate down to her cave?  Not by ropes -- even they don't reach.

 

Then, another issue is that Ree cooks a lot of Mexican and Chinese take-out food.  What that means is that Whit will have to be able to cook recipes from Uganda and Japan (or any other two foreign countries).  Does anybody know how?  I don't.  Maybe Whit does.  We'd better ask her.

 

As I said, I think AnneofCleves has come up with something, and I think WhitneyWhit could turn this show into the top show on the FN.  I probably think too much, and the problems aren't as insurmountable as they seem.  Like, where are we going to find a Marlboro Man in one of those places?  Do llamas like to be ridden?  You won't catch me branding one!

 

Ohhhh, this was a joke?  AnneofCleves was only kidding?  Well, you could have told me sooner!!!  I've spent all this time trying to make Whit's show work, and now you tell me it was only a joke!!! 

HUMMMF! 

Edited November 28, 2015 by Lura

[chakajo]

Saw today's show. She is wasteful. She left cheese in the plate and not swipe the pan. Is every Walmart commercial going to feature her and her family? Just saw the Christmas version.

[grisgris]

Enough is enough! Ree needs to learn some restraint in the number of ingredients she adds to her recipes. That satay sauce -- ginger, garlic, shallots, curry powder, tons of soy sauce, peanut butter, lime, coconut milk and hot sauce. Holy Moley!

 

I also wasn't impressed with her twist on spinach- artichoke dip. Pepper jack cheese AND feta. Ugh. What's wrong with good old plain Parmesan (which she also added.) I prefer to let the flavors of the spinach and artichokes shine through.

 

Again with the caprese bites. If you're using good quality ingredients to begin with, no need to muck them up with unnecessary sauces and glazes. I suppose the plum/balsamic stuff would have been OK on a meat dish like Ree said it was originally intended for. Not on top of mozzarella that she's already marinated in olive oil and cayenne pepper.

 

I think I read somewhere that cooks who lack in confidence and skill try to overcompensate by seeing how many additional ingredients/condiments they can add to a dish. Case in point.

[CMH1981]

Am I on glue or did Ree just take credit for homemade pita wedges by saying she bought pita bread, cut it up into wedges, brush w/ olive oil, sprinkle salt, and bake?!  So in her mind homemade means buy something at the store and put your own little flourish on it and voila...it's like you made it from scratch?!  In that case I guess I didn't realize I was toasting my own homemade bread every morning for breakfast...you know...buying bread from the store then toasting it and cutting it in half.

 

All the food on this episode looked nasty.  The "marinade" she made for the chicken kabobs...again I ask experienced cooks here, but w/ the "marinade" being that thick would it really be considered a "marinade"?  I can't see how any of those ingredients in the state she mixed would penetrate the chicken to give it flavor.  It looked more like some thick concoction you would dredge chicken in before frying it.

 

I saw the new Walmart holiday commercial too...it seems like w/ each new commercial it's featuring more and more friends and family...instead of the "faux" friends from the first round of commercials to hock her crap/lifestyle.

[sabretooth]

I counted at least four uses of "scrumptious" during today's episode. Ree, meet Mr. Roget and his nice book of new words.

For what she paid for the cheap balsamic vinegar and the jar of plum jam, she could have bought a decent bottle of vinegar and used that for the skewers. Also, where was the basil? Doesn't Caprese salad usually have basil in it?

[grisgris]

I counted at least four uses of "scrumptious" during today's episode. Ree, meet Mr. Roget and his nice book of new words.

For what she paid for the cheap balsamic vinegar and the jar of plum jam, she could have bought a decent bottle of vinegar and used that for the skewers. Also, where was the basil? Doesn't Caprese salad usually have basil in it?

 

Yes it does. It's one of the star ingredients. So why not omit it entirely and use rosemary?!!! When watching Ree prepare those skewers by stripping the rosemary stems, all I could think about what how much those cost. Around here, a bag with about four rosemary stems costs about $3.00-$4.00 (Of course, Ree could have picked her rosemary from her herb garden, so I'll give that a pass.) I've had food served on rosemary skewers before and even though the leaves were gone, there still was that very strong piney flavor. Great if you're eating something like a little lamb kabob (I think Giada's done those before.) Not so great for a caprese salad affect, especially with that plum-balsamic concoction. (Another wasteful note: Ree could have said that she was saving the rosemary leaves she removed for a for something else later.)

[anneofcleves]

Enough is enough! Ree needs to learn some restraint in the number of ingredients she adds to her recipes. That satay sauce -- ginger, garlic, shallots, curry powder, tons of soy sauce, peanut butter, lime, coconut milk and hot sauce. Holy Moley!

 

I also wasn't impressed with her twist on spinach- artichoke dip. Pepper jack cheese AND feta. Ugh. What's wrong with good old plain Parmesan (which she also added.) I prefer to let the flavors of the spinach and artichokes shine through.

 

Again with the caprese bites. If you're using good quality ingredients to begin with, no need to muck them up with unnecessary sauces and glazes. I suppose the plum/balsamic stuff would have been OK on a meat dish like Ree said it was originally intended for. Not on top of mozzarella that she's already marinated in olive oil and cayenne pepper.

 

I think I read somewhere that cooks who lack in confidence and skill try to overcompensate by seeing how many additional ingredients/condiments they can add to a dish. Case in point.

 

You captured all the same thoughts I had, gris gris.  This assortment of appetizers reminds me of something you'd expect to see at a group potluck where everyone brings whatever the hell they feel like bringing.  There was absolutely no cohesion with the menu, especially given that one person is planning it.  And to top it all off she serves the total mess of flavors with a <gag> MELON FLAVORED COCKTAIL </gag>.

 

And sabretooth, yes you typically see Caprese salad served with basil.  I can't imagine those piney, rosemary skewers doused in a sickeningly sweet reduction containing plum preserves.  Served with a <gag> MELON FLAVORED COCKTAIL </gag>.  

 

Does her party start out with all the girls going out to the boys' "man cave," rolling a few, and then smoking them?  I suppose after that, they'd eat anything.  Maybe sprinkle some crushed Cap'n Crunch on those Caprese skewers.  nom nom nom...

Edited November 29, 2015 by anneofcleves

[patty1h]

I tune in to PW as my Saturday morning background TV, while making breakfast, making the bed.  Imagine my surprise when I heard Chicken Satay - something I always wanted to try, so I sat down to pay attention to the recipe.  The chicken marinade seemed simple, but when she got to the peanut sauce, I got woozy.  She just kept adding more and more stuff.  A lot of strong flavors there, that I think would be doing the overkill jig in my mouth.  Before I go for Ree's sauce, I may research some others that are a bit simpler.

 

CMH1981 said the chicken marinade looked thick.  I made Chicken Tikka Masala once and one of the steps is marinating the chicken breast pieces in yogurt/spices overnight, then broil. I don't remember having a problem with thick gloppy gobs on the meat - it cooks into the surface.   I read that yogurt makes the chicken tender; I can attest that the spice did flavor the chicken and it was very tender.  Ree only marinated hers for 1 hour but I take her word for it that that's enough time to do the flavor/tenderizing thing. Chicken Tikka MasaIa became my favorite chicken dish after that. 

[Lura]

Ree does not know anything about cooking that her mother didn't teach her, and that wasn't much.  Forget the church cookbooks -- Ree made herself a recipe box filled with her mother's dishes.  I agonize when she looks at the camera with a sheepish admission about tweeking one of her mother's recipes.  I know it's bound to create havoc with the dish.

 

I could not believe a maple-mainly bourbon marinade AND gravy for her turkey!  You know, very top chefs will tell us that you should have respect for your meat (or main ingredient).  Ree has NO respect for what she's cooking.  She likes to give the camera a grin and a naughty look when she adds one of those foreign ingredients, going for a laugh that she doesn't get in my house.  She apparently thinks she's cute.  As long as she gets a scripted "This is good, honey" from Ladd, she keeps on going with the crazy additions.

 

I think that Ree is so set in her ways and so convinced of her abilities that she'll never change. 

[maggiemae]

Sigh....when I think I have a great recipe and get a lot of compliments I don't try to tweek it.

Actually, my sister does....and it is never so good as the original.

I don't get that.

Sigh....when I think I have a great recipe and get a lot of compliments I don't try to tweek it.

Actually, my sister does....and it is never so good as the original.

I don't get that.

Edited November 29, 2015 by maggiemae

[chakajo]

can't wait to see what ree is going to fix for the Christmas show

I am noticing a theme with food network cooks now most if them are doing cocktail party food now

[Lura]

OHmagosh!  I just suffered through Ree's preparation of finger food for her girlfriends' get-together.  It's just a pity that her friends couldn't watch the show and then stay at home!

 

I didn't care for anything Ree made.  I'm not being picky.  I just didn't care for what she put together.  The worst thing, for me, was the Spinach Artichoke Dip.

 

Ree first made a white sauce for the dip.  WHY?  I'm lucky because our supermarket sells it pre-made and also makes the recipe available.  It's absolutely delicious and takes about ten minutes to stir together, if that.  It tastes a lot like the dip I've had at friends' houses, and none of us cook it.  There is no white sauce in it.  I'd hate to taste Ree's with a flour mixture in it.  I like to add chopped water chestnuts into mine for a little crunch.  They don't impart much flavor, and others have done the same thing.  Spinach Artichoke Dip is my very favorite.  Maybe that's why I felt that Ree ruined it.

[SanLynn]

So many things I could say about this new show but somehow the only thing I kept saying to the tv this week was "What the hell...." when I noticed she went back to her bizarre pronunciation of balsamic vinegar.... Oy.

[HyeChaps]

This was absolutely the most boring episode I have ever seen.  Nothing held my interest.

[anneofcleves]

Ree first made a white sauce for the dip.  WHY?  I'm lucky because our supermarket sells it pre-made and also makes the recipe available.  It's absolutely delicious and takes about ten minutes to stir together, if that.  It tastes a lot like the dip I've had at friends' houses, and none of us cook it.  There is no white sauce in it.  I'd hate to taste Ree's with a flour mixture in it.  I like to add chopped water chestnuts into mine for a little crunch.  They don't impart much flavor, and others have done the same thing.  Spinach Artichoke Dip is my very favorite.  Maybe that's why I felt that Ree ruined it.

 

I couldn't figure out why she made a white sauce, either.  It's one of those dips that you mix together cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and stuff like that and it comes together into a (dare I say) glorious concoction.  Pepper jack and feta cheese seem like a couple of cheeses that really seem like they'd compete against one another.  And, I think as someone else said, totally overpower the artichokes.  

 

I think she fell off of a horse, hit her head, and has no common sense and no taste bud function left.

 

ETA:  And just because it's been a while since I made it, I found an Alton Brown recipe.  Looks like it's straight out of 1985, minus the Knorr soup mix.  I totally am going to make this.  It's been too long.

 

Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip

 

Ingredients

1 cup thawed, chopped frozen spinach

1 1/2 cups thawed, chopped frozen artichoke hearts

6 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Edited November 30, 2015 by anneofcleves

[chessiegal]

And yet her latest cookbook is #1 on the Best Seller's list. Are her latest abominations in it? And she's laughing all the way to the bank. Go figure.

[anneofcleves]

If her cookbooks are at all like her blog I would have a coronary.  I cannot stand this trend she created via her blog of having 10,000 photos of individual steps that precede the actual recipe.  Are people really that dumb?  Wait, never mind.

 

I was biting my tongue over Thanksgiving hearing people rave about her mashed potatoes.  My mom made a comment after someone went on about how good they were like, "She puts cream cheese and butter in them and then bakes them?  Oh, we were doing that YEARS ago."   I think my reply was, "Yeah, but Mom you at least left the Lawry's seasoned salt out.  Thank you!" 

[maggiemae]

I've made and had tons of SAD like Alton makes, or similar, but NEVER one like Ree's. I don't get it.

[grisgris]

I couldn't figure out why she made a white sauce, either.  It's one of those dips that you mix together cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and stuff like that and it comes together into a (dare I say) scrumptious concoction.

 

Hey, Anneofcleves, I did a little editing of your other post!  LOL!

 

Spinach-artichoke dip was a staple for the monthly "food day" we had at a company I worked at many years ago. One woman always brought it. Hers was the classic recipe with minimal ingredients. It was always the first to go. You had to have it with the round Tostitos!

 

 

If her cookbooks are at all like her blog I would have a coronary.  I cannot stand this trend she created via her blog of having 10,000 photos of individual steps that precede the actual recipe.  Are people really that dumb?  Wait, never mind.

 

 

I was waiting on a friend at WalMart a few weeks ago and thumbed through Ree's new cookbook. Every recipe I glanced at has been on her show. And yes, each one is accompanied by lots of photos. (Not as many as on her blog, but too many.) A "recipe" like one of her numerous "open 17 cans and dump" creations took a good 3 pages to document via photos.

 

Like I said upthread, what she lacks in content/quality, is made up through excess in other areas (e.g. ingredients and photos.)

 

Edited November 30, 2015 by grisgris

[Lura]

I wonder whether anyone here noticed.  Ree had used the word "glorious" at least twice while raving about her dishes.  Then, she began to prepare the white sauce for her Spinach Artichoke Dip.  As she stirred it together, she looked down at it and proclaimed,  "That is one of the most beautiful things in life!"  White sauce??? 

 

Ree is a total goody-goody.  She doesn't say a word against anyone or anything, which is a nice way to be, but she takes it a giant step further.  She exaggerates something's goodness to the point of ridiculous.  Every time she does it, I think she's kidding, but she has a completely straight face.  I think most of us would have said, "It doesn't look like much now, but wait 'til you taste it!" 

[chakajo]

I don't know how her cookbook can be number one. I went to go read reviews. Most people were saying that her book had more pictures of her and the kids than any of the recipes

I went to my local Walmart to look at some of the Pioneer Woman's cookware there was a lot of it left and to me it didn't look worth buying

if she could come up with a recipe that uses cow patties believe you would have idiots out there raving about it

[peacheslatour]

Yesterday they showed the party for the building they restored.  I think they actually did a great job on that.  I know they are using the upstairs for offices, but what is the main floor supposed to be?  They have a lot of sofas, chairs, pictures of the family and rugs.  It's a big space, but I can't figure out what it's supposed to be.

[IOU Payne]

 

I wonder whether anyone here noticed.  Ree had used the word "glorious" at least twice while raving about her dishes.  Then, she began to prepare the white sauce for her Spinach Artichoke Dip.  As she stirred it together, she looked down at it and proclaimed,  "That is one of the most beautiful things in life!"  White sauce???

 

Absolutely NOT!!  I have a sentimental attachment to white sauce because it was the first thing we ever cooked in Home Ec class in Grade 8.  It was magical to watch the roux absorb the milk and thicken into a sauce as I whisked.  But aside from the process, to me, it's gag-worthy.  If this is "beautiful", then I need another adjective, TYVM!

[grisgris]

Somebody needs to take Ree aside and tell her that her flowy tops and hair clash horribly with the busy holiday decorations in the background of her set. My head was spinning, especially as the scenes cut back and forth between each fugly garment.

 

For my taste, the cherry-topped cookies and the gumdrop things were too similar in appearance and both cookies had identical flavor profiles. Coming off just having watched a holiday cookie baking competition, I wasn't impressed. (I'm not saying that she presents herself as some type of pastry decorating whiz, but those green cookies were pretty sloppy.) One of the judges on the other show asked if you're making cakey cookies, then why bother and just bake a cake?

 

Those gumdrops looked like nothing more than booze-less jello shots.

 

I'm never one to complain about adding bacon to anything, but I questioned adding bacon to the smoked almonds. If the snacks sat around for any extended period of time, say, eaten over the course of a few days, wouldn't the bacon get congealed and render the entire portion a greasy mess?

 

Instead of the pretzel turtles, there is an easier, faster and I suspect, better-tasting recipe out there made with Rolos and pretzels.

[anneofcleves]

I'm never one to complain about adding bacon to anything, but I questioned adding bacon to the smoked almonds. If the snacks sat around for any extended period of time, say, eaten over the course of a few days, wouldn't the bacon get congealed and render the entire portion a greasy mess?

 

Williams-Sonoma has a recipe for maple bacon spiced nuts that is really good, but with the bacon I think they need to be eaten right away.  And served warm at a cocktail party (like Ina Gartens's greasy but very delicious roasted nuts) - not on a holiday cookie platter. 

 

The way she had that crazy mishmash of flavors arranged on those plates, I really would hope the recipients would eat everything right away.  With little separation and no cover/wrap on the bacon-y nuts, I'm envisioning some serious cross-contamination of flavor going on, with those poor sugar cookies ending up tasting like a frosted, bacon-y, Asian-flavored Cheez It.  You know what I mean, right?  Just put some mint-flavored cookies next to some basic sugar cookies on your holiday cookie platter, wrap it up tightly, and see what everything ends up tasting like the next day - mint.  I probably would have put the nuts and the cheese straws in separate tins, but I guess she didn't design any into her hideous line of Walmart dishware.

 

As a total freak for gumdrops, especially well-crafted ones, hers almost made me cry.  Jello as the flavoring?  Jesus.  These are people you love?  Why not at least use a natural fruit extract? 

[maggiemae]

There is a bacon seasoning salt (J&D's) sold on Amazon....great reviews. It's been around for a while although I have tried it. Much more appropriate than real bacon in her nuts.

[SanLynn]

Do people really add sour cream to their cake cookie recipes? That made me gag. Also making me gag were the cheese straws as the combination of butter and cheese just did not look good to me.

 

And the jello in the gumdrops.... I saw that one coming a mile away though, lol.