Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

For the past two years, Pioneer Woman Cooks has been my go-to, culinary mecca when I need inspiration and a chuckle. Ree is phenominal and I love whole whole site just as much as I love the cooking section. She is the foul temptress that fills my house with apple dumplings and pan-seared steaks. And I thank her for it.

Serious eats is my second favorite :o)

@flavorcountry: I have a great red beans and rice recipe that I adapted to taste like Popeyes. I know for a fact that they use hamhock to flavor their beans, but since we don't eat pork, I found that using hot dogs, yes hot dogs, gives it a wonderful flavor, along with some chopped up (turkey) bacon for smokiness. Here is the link to my recipe: http://4hatsandfrugal.blogspot.com/2008/07/red-beans-and-rice-hot-dog-double-agent.html

I also have a fried chicken tutorial on my blog as well. I find that a brine is important but it doesn't matter if it's a buttermilk one or not. Being the granddaughter of a southerner, I know that it's all in the technique. If you know to brine, drain, dry, egg and flour, you are on the right track. Add in whatever you want to that equation. Also, being the grandkid of a southerner, I know to give away a recipe that is my "second string" and keep the first string to myself. Ha!

Oh thank you for this thread! I used to visit GA every summer and boiled peanuts were the one thing I would ask for right away. I got lucky a few years ago and my grandfather bought me some raw peanuts back from his mother's farm in GA. The way I cooked them was in the slow cooker overnight(8+ hours). It was a nice, constant temperature and perfect for boiled peanuts. It really is all about simplicity with boiled peanuts.

Jaime Deen is the hottest. Great sense of humor, tall, southern accent, rich mother, I'll take it!

Tyler is so dang handsome but has a wicked case of ADD. The hot ones usually do.

All and all, Mr. Alton Brown has my vote. I'm attracted to intelligence....and glasses

Out of respect to the creator of the recipe, I follow it to the tee the first time I make it. AND, I maker sure to give the original recipe props if I end up changing it. Too many people take recipes from others, add in lemon pepper or a pinch of sugar, and then all of a sudden it's now THEIR recipe. That's bullocks. Give credit where credit is due...

OK, I didn't get to see it tonight but I tuned in on the last two minutes and saw that Debbie is NOT in the top two! Thank the Lord! No matter how good of a cook you may be, being a back-stabber, liar, and victim all the time, there's no way I would watch her show.

Now Melissa, that's doable. If we can bare through Giada or Rachael, Melissa will be a walk in the park.

lol that was amazingly scary and hilarious. She would be one of those people that says "expresso." Makes my skin crawl....

Mozzarella cheese with tomato sauce inside using brioche bread. we call it "grilled cheese pizza" and it's so unbearably good.

Homemade monkey bread. I made the dough myself and everything. Wonderful.

Well, those are all great suggestions! I run a blog about living frugal on one income, and recipes are my favorite part, so I've had to become an expert in making wonderful things on a very low budget.

The suggestion of cutting down your drinks is a good one, but we love our juice here, so here's what we do: I take a half gallon of 100% juice, pour it in a gallon container, and add 4 cups of hot, brewed tea to it. You can use black, green, or your favorite herbal tea. You may think that this just waters down the juice(which it does) but the heat really enhances the taste of the fruit AND you get the benefits of drinking tea in every cup you have. In order to make this last, everyone starts off with a glass of juice for dinner and after that glass, if you're thirsty, you have to have water. Cranberry and Apple are our favorite juices to do this to.

Also, I've learned that my weekly meal planning has saved us tons of money. It helps me keep tabs of what's in my fridge, freezer and cupboards(you have to look at them before you even sit down to think about your plan), but it's helped me use up those odds and ends that may be hiding in the corners. Please take advantage of this.

Also, shopping at warehouse clubs is not needed if you live in an area with many grocery stores. They will always have competitive pricing that will knock the socks off any warehouse club price. Unless you have a big family, it's unnecessary to waste your money on those memberships. Paying attention to sales cycles of your favorite items will yield better results.

If you need any other ideas, please feel free to check out my blog: www.4hatsandfrugal.blogspot.com

That was so easy....NY post...gotta be Bethany...

Cinnabon copycat recipe is on the money and most of the olive garden recipes seem to be good....especially the one for the breadsticks. Yum!