Holiday Gift Guide 2013: The Pioneer Woman Cooks A Year of Holidays by Bee Drummond

"The Pioneer Woman Cooks A Year of Holidays"

By Ree Drummnd

Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks

Pub. Date: October 29, 2013

Print: $29.99 (978-0062225221)

Kindle: $29.99 (B00FDRUZQ4)

Pages: 400

Where to Buy:

Description from the back cover:

There's nothing more delicious than a holiday.

Oh, is it ever true. Whether it's the anticipation of Christmastime or the ghoulish glee of Halloween, if I see a holiday on the horizon, I simply can't contain my excitement. There's just something about the traditions, the family togetherness, the resurfacing of childhood memories . . . the making of new ones. Holidays are wonderful, special, and fun . . . and they always make me happy.

And one more thing: They make me want to cook!

The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays is an all-out celebration of the scrumptious, mouthwatering recipes that define our favorite occasions throughout the year. From luck-inducing Hoppin' John on New Year's Day, to a perfectly savory/sweet Glazed Easter Ham, to luscious Caramel Apples on Halloween, to a crowd-pleasing Thanksgiving feast with all the fixins, these pages are positively brimming with recipes guaranteed to make your holidays deliciously memorable . . . and memorably delicious!
Twelve different holidays are covered in delectable detail: From New Year's Day to New Year's Eve . . . and all my favorites in between. Host a party for the Big Game for your football-loving friends, make Mom a lovely Mother's Day breakfast-in-bed, invite your sweetie to a Valentine's Day romantic dinner for two . . . or ring in the New Year with a fabulous cocktail party. There's food, glorious food in this cookbook, and you won't run out of yummy things to make.

I hope you enjoy and devour every page!

Billy's Review:

Many Thanksgiving and Christmas themed cookbooks are released every fall, but this is the first time I have seen a cookbook with recipes for a full year of holidays. The cookbook is titled "The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays" by Ree Drummond.

Does the author's name sound familiar?

Ree Drummond is an award-winning blogger (thepioneerwoman.com), New York Best-Selling author of cookbooks and picture books, and she has her own cooking show on the Food Network called The Pioneer Woman.

"The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year Of Holidays" has 140 step-by-step recipes to celebrate the holidays, starting with New Year's Day and ending with New Year's Eve. Now you don't ever have to scramble around at the last minute trying to come up with a great holiday meal for your family and friends.

Start 2014 with a healthy Revolution Smoothies made with Greek yogurt, pineapple chunks, grapes, an apple, a pear and a banana, so basically it is the perfect breakfasts drink to kickoff a New Year with a new you. Have you ever heard of the old wise tale to eat black-eyed peas on New Years day to bring good fortune throughout the year? Well, many people do this every year, including me, but eating black-eyed peas can become boring. Ree has made a great recipe called Black-Eyed Pea Salsa. Now you can continue your New Year's tradition, but with tortilla chips!

Though the Super Bowl is not an actual holiday, almost all Americans celebrate the pastime championship game. Ree has created a whole chapter on the event with seven tasty recipes including Dr. Pepper Cupcakes!

I don't see very many recipes for Valentine's Day, but Ree has added a whole section for breakfast, sweets and dinner for two.

Of course Easter is the next biggest holiday after Christmas and Ree has including a wonderful section full of intriguing recipes from Hot Cross Buns to Glazed Easter Ham. She even gives a few recipes that will help you get rid of the Easter leftovers.

There are many recipes for Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July and a few creepy treat recipes for Halloween.

Ree leaves her magical touch on the Thanksgiving Feasts and offer a few tips on what to do with all the leftovers. There are eleven Christmas Delights recipes including the Christmas Cherry Cookies. Learn how to make an unforgettable Christmas Eve Dinner with Prime Rib and Rosemary-Garlic Roasted Potatoes. After your family unwraps their presents, you can all eat a wonderful Christmas Morning Brunch.

Besides from writing and hosting her own cooking show, Ree Drummond is a talented photographer, which she displays pictures of her husband, children, ranch and pictures of herself when she has a child throughout the cookbook. There are many cookbooks out on the market that call for ingredients that are not available for the average person not living near a big city, but Ree's recipes call for simple ingredients you can find anywhere. Whether it’s for your mother, grandmother, wife, sister or any cook in your family, "The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays" is a wonderful book to own, especially with the holidays only a few weeks away.