RACHAEL RAY!!

Last weekend I read in the paper that Rachael Ray was going to be in town doing a book signing of her most recent cookbook at the Cool Springs Williams-Sonoma. Being one of her "groupies" and the fact that Emma likes her too, and loves to cook with her mom, I decided this would be a memory-making day for Mommy and Daughter. I quickly called the store to see how to see her, and they said you have to buy a cookbook from our store, and that is your ticket in.....you can get up to 5 cookbooks. Great!!! How much are they? $24.95......Really, I'm pretty sure I just saw it at Costco for $15, but......I'm making a memory. I'll take 2, one for me, and one for Emma to have when she goes off to college. I know she will remember this day forever........she's only 5. Now, we all know that this day is totally about me......who am I kidding? So, I let her play hookie from school, and we headed to the mall, getting there at 11:30 a.m. The book signing started at 1. It is pouring down rain, cold, I have no umbrella, and we take off hand in hand, singing in the rain to see Rachael Ray. "Oh My, what are all of these people doing here?" The were herds of people, already with their cookbooks in hand, lined up sitting down from Williams-Sonoma, all the way down to and around Macy's all the way to EyeMasters. By the way, we hadn't had lunch yet. I go to the desk and get our cookbooks, then head to the back of the line. A rep came by and said that Rachael could sign 1500 books in 4 hours, and so far half were in line. Let's do the math.....that means we are about number 750. It is going to be a long day. And it was. Try entertaining a hungry 5 year old in line for 2 1/2, yes, 2 1/2 hours. Thank goodness Williams-Sonoma brought around snacks and drinks, Rachael Ray's recipes, of course, for us to nibble on. Yes, it was a long 2 1/2 hours, but we made the memory, have the photos, and it was worth it.....I think. Oh, I forgot to say that at one point, I spilled hot chocolate in the bag where I was keeping the cookbooks (we were looking at them at the time) so I didn't want to get the cookbook's dirty, so I emptied the wet trash out of the bag, into the trash can, only to realize as the line began moving that my "ticket" was part of that trash, so, yes, I had to dig through the mall trash can to retrieve my "ticket". 'Tis the Season!!! Here are some yummy "nibblers" that they served us. Little Bitty Cheese Balls. Genious, that's why she is famous. Enjoy!!!

CHEESE AND NUT BALLS

8 oz cream cheese softened
4 Tbls butter softened
10-oz shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup mango chutney, chopped
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped
2 handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon or a handheld mixer. Add the cheddar, chutney, half the nuts, and half the parsley and combine thoroughly. Chill the mixture overnight, or until very firm. The next day, scoop the mixture out by tablespoons and form into balls. Roll the balls in the reserved nuts and parsley. Small balls can be served over mild greens, and fruit or salad.