Pioneer Woman Cooks

NEWS FLASH! I just ordered several copies for Christmas gifts and was surprised to find that Amazon is offering this book at a very favorable price as compared to Walmart--as in almost half! Also, I was able to get free shipping by ordering three because I am not in a hurry! Great gift at a reasonable price!

For bloggers, Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond is a hero, er, uhm, a heroine. She has crafted her blog into something to which we all aspire--fun, entertaining, beautiful, and financially successful! If you don't know her site, check it out at Pioneer Woman. To Ree, I say, "Go, Girl!" She is an encouragement to all of us in blogland.

A couple weeks ago V and I learned that Ree would be in our city at the local Walmart. We met for an early dinner (couple glasses of wine to get us in the right mood) and set off to purchase a book and have Ree personally autograph it. Oh, we knew we'd have to wait in line, but we were willing to give Ree half-hour of our time...right! This is the sight that met us at the Walmart:



We purchased books but, alas, knew that the lines which stretched three and four deep to the back of the supercenter, then left to the other wall, precluded our actually meeting Ree...or the Marlboro Man, who was also signing.

But, rather than being discouraged, V and I were ecstatic to see Ree succeed in such a huge way. As I write this post, the NY Times has Ree listed as No. 2 bestseller for hardcover advice.

You won't find many new recipes here; the book is about how Ree actually cooks--her family's food, which closely parallels my own culinary heritage. Her recipes include mostly tried-and-true family favorites, like chicken-fried steak, chocolate sheet cake, and fried chicken. But it's fun to see Ree's take on these familiars. She also includes some intriguing recipes that I intend to try soon: "Simple, Perfect Enchiladas," (simple and perfect?! Sounds great to me!)and "Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich," which will be served to my houseguests over the holidays--must add something for the three manly-types who will be with us for a week!

But while Ree does not include many recipes with which I have no experience, her book remains a fun, beautiful presentation. Several copies will fill slots on my Christmas list...go buy your favorite cook one. C PS - Check out the very last page--just after the index. A little something for us girls...