I got this cookbook hoping it’d solve my what-to-cook-on-holidays issue, but I don’t find it particularly helpful for that, the exceptions being holiday recipes to delight children.

Popular as The Pioneer Woman may be, this book has a number of annoying problems. For starters, the format is really annoying, with photos inserted for every step. This makes the directions less straightforward to read and stretches recipes that would normally fit on one page onto multiple pages. Also, the unnecessarily large pictures of the finished recipes result in other annoyances. For example, a preamble pic on one page and the recipe starting on the back of that page. How much better it would have been to have a smaller photo, with everything on one page.

Speaking of directions, sometimes the order of the directions is incorrect (e.g., in the recipe for salmon scrambled eggs, the salmon should be chopped before you start cooking the eggs instead of afterwards, which would not allow enough time to chop the salmon ere the eggs were overcooked or totally ruined.

In addition, why do I have to wade through all of the directions to find the pan size? Again, the interspersed photos add to the hunting. ( )

LOVE this cookbook! I used so many of the Thanksgiving recipes (turkey brine, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes) for my first Thanksgiving as a newlywed (and my first time baking a turkey), and everything turned out great. I've used several of these recipes at other times besides the holidays, but I love having a tried and true cookbook with fabulous holiday options I can trust. Highly recommended! ( )

Why was I disappointed? It seems every recipe Ree makes on TV seems to use simple ingredients and be on the simple side of preparation but, for some reason this cookbook overwhelmed me rather than inspired me. Not that the recipes were necessarily complicated but, the book itself is just cram packed and overwhelming. Not really that much fun to read or look at. I think I was hoping for more holiday cheer or something. I didn't feel the excitement for a holiday as I thought I would. One thing is for sure, it's a big, heavy, nice looking book. Ree delivers on giving lots of recipes in her books. They can't be called wimpy! Maybe you will like it better than me. ( )