Rachael Ray: A tribute

Love her, or hate her, and to be fully honest, I do both on a regular basis. Maybe it’s her obnoxious use of E.V.O.O. for extra virgin olive oil, which doesn’t really shorten anything, as she has to repeat “extra virgin olive oil” after she says it each time on the show. Or maybe it’s how each time she goes to her cupboards or fridge she tries to balance all the staples in her arms and makes a big show of how handy she is carrying the stuff to the counter. Look, I can get an entire load of laundry to the bed for sorting and folding when I unload the dryer, but you don’t see me doing it on a show. Stop it. Get a tray and stop with the theatrics. And then there are her Rachaelized vocabulary words which grate my nerves like a hunk of cheese on a micro-plane: sammies for sandwiches, and stoup for stew/soup hybrids. Stop it Rachael, stop it NOW!


But I have found my new hero in her, and it’s not a hero Sammie, it’s her new show, A Week in a Day.

God bless you Rachael, you have done what some have tried, and I think, by golly, you did it. I recorded two of her shows on the Cooking Channel and sat down pen and note pad in hand to watch and take notes. I was home sick with some kind of seasonal ick, so doing anything food related was a rather dicey situation, but this show made me perk right up and take notice. She delivers on her promise of five meals in an afternoon of prep time for reheating later in the week. All of the dishes are hearty in makeup, as they have to sit in the fridge for a few days before service, which is fine. They are also pretty kid-friendly, which is great.

With the two kids, our work schedule, the kid’s schedules, and our apparent rock star lifestyle, a show like this is a big win on all accounts. Our cholesterol levels (it seems that both Tod and I have pudding for blood) as well as our waist lines will attest to the fact that we are eating processed and convenience food on a regular basis. Well, thanks to St. Rachael, we can hopefully get back on track and get healthy again. Here is a link to the show’s website: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/rachael-rays-week-in-a-day/index.html

My only suggestion would be to have a readymade grocery list for each week on the website that could be printed out. Yes, I said it. Make it REALLY easy for us Rachael. Certainly one of your many minions could do this for you each week. Thanks for all you do, you’ve made getting a healthy dinner on the table easy-peasy.