The first summer I worked at Lemuria, my mother called with a cookbook she thought I should purchase. The year was 2009, the cookbook was The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl. My husband is a huge meat eater whereas I am not. My mother thought this cookbook would be perfect for me as I was starting to cook more meat that usual.

My copy has pages stuck together, splotches of various sauces on each page, and each recipe has been tried. I’ve cooked through it several times. It is a staple in my kitchen. An extra perk is that she lays out each recipe step by step. There is a photograph of what you are doing should look like.  This is very helpful when you are unsure exactly what what the recipe is asking you to do.

Some of our favorites are: Katie’s Roasted Corn Salad, Sherried Tomato Soup, Chicken Spaghetti, Penne Alla Betsy (a shrimp dish), and Angel Sugar Cookies.

Since that came out, Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman herself, came out with The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. This is her memoir. It is filled with recipes, the story of her falling in love with Marlboro Man-her nickname for her husband and the story of how she came to be as she is today.

I have to admit; I’ve  jumped on the bandwagon. I’m a fan. I now visit her website often as I make my grocery list. I follow her (along with 294, 659 others) on Twitter. (Should you need a lesson on Twitter, see Mark’s blog here. )

Continuing on to keep my Pioneer Woman collection complete, the newest purchase is The Pioneer Woman Cooks Food From My Frontier. I already have several flagged to make in the coming weeks. Following the layout of her first cookbook, Dee lays out each recipe with photographs.

I’ve got a long list for the grocery for next week. It includes ingredients to make the following: Spicy Grilled Vegetable Panini, Whiskey-Glazed Carrots, Grilled Corn Guacamole, and Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp.

This unseasonable warm weather screams for something cool.  I recommend you making the Blackberry Chip Ice Cream. (Note: An ice  cream maker is not required!)  -Quinn

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