A Year of Holidays

When it's time to celebrate a holiday, reach for The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays, by Ree Drummond (HarperCollins Publishers. New York, 2013). This book is packed with delicious recipes, illustrated instructions, and a homey narrative about family and holidays. With the July Fourth celebration close at hand, there is bound to be something delicious to add to the holiday spread!

The cookbook includes twelve chapters, covering the main holidays such as Valentine's Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas, as well as important occasions like Mother's' and Father's Day, Cinco de Mayo, Halloween and New Year's Eve. Recipes start with Resolution Smoothies (green, orange and purple) and end with Chocolate Mint Shooters, with everything in between, from Salmon Scrambled Eggs and Buffalo Chicken Bites, to Pasta Salad and Skillet Cornbread. The recipes are scaled for the holidays, so no need to calculate portions for a crowd. The steps are illustrated with beautiful photographs that instruct the new cook and delight the seasoned chef.

Instead of "homesteading in the city", Drummond is a city girl who married a rancher in Oklahoma and became a "homesteader" (sometimes pioneering just means trying something new)! She is a writer, photographer and entrepreneur (www.the pioneerwoman.com). I have really enjoyed learning more about her story in this book, and trying out her recipes. Since the book is all about holidays, I especially appreciated her "Do-Ahead Game Plan" sections, with strategies for starting preparations a day or two ahead of the event. Now, back to the upcoming July Fourth holiday - I've got my eye on a recipe for Key Lime Pie (and already have a three-pound bag of Key limes in the fridge)!