The pressure is on!

So as most of you know, I am not a great cook.  I am a good cook and can follow a recipe.  But I get intimidated easily (especially with some of the more fancy tools, words that I don't understand and ingredients that I have never heard of) and, to be honest, I just don't have the time to sit around and make a big meal for kids that won't eat it and a husband that really won't appreciate all the time and effort that went into preparing it.  Don't get me wrong, Ted will appreciate the meal  - he appreciates every meal.  He just might not understand that it took longer and involved way more ingredients, chopping, sweating, reading, etc. to make than say, spaghetti.  So I don't cook fancy stuff (or anything requiring more than say 5 ingredients) all that much.

But as I have said here before, I am kinda obsessed with The Pioneer Woman.  Well, not kinda, REALLY obsessed.  In that I am blog-stalking her.  I read her posts every day and sometimes go back for more (on the same day).  I am definitely going to get her book when it comes out on February 1, 2011 and if someone reading this doesn't know what to get me for Christmas, you can get me her cookbook.

So that brings me back to cooking.  The guy that I refer to as Ted's boss (he is really not his boss since Ted is a partner and really doesn't do much work with him at all any more . . . now that I think about it he doesn't do ANY work with him anymore . . . but he was a major influence at one point and is really Ted's mentor).  Well anyway, he used to have Ted and me and two other work couples over to his house for a fancy Christmas dinner.  I am talking fine china, silver, nice wine, the works. And his wife is a great cook.  And she is beautiful and graceful.  Hate her (kidding of course!) This year he decided not to do it for a variety of reasons (mainly that there are some people he works with a lot now who have not been invited in the past and feelings would definitely get hurt if they knew) so Ted and I decided to step in and host with the same small group.  Which means that I will be cooking.

So where did I turn but to none other than The Pioneer Woman!  And she did not fail.  She posted this fabulously easy (I hope!) recipe for Filet au Poivre which sounds really fancy (and looks it too) but is also pretty easy to make.  Yes, I will have to cook while everyone is there because it is one of those make the sauce and pour it directly on the steak type of deals, but my kitchen is open and it will be fine.  I can't wait.  Now I have to decide on the sides as well as appetizers and dessert.  The pressure is on!