In September of 2019, I created a different blog that I have since made private. However, I did want to share this recipe with you all since I will most likely not be doing any other cooking this week. This recipe was made in February 2020, before COVID hit the United States. This post appears as it did when it was originally published.

In a future post, I will talk about my love of all things Ree, but for now, here’s the recipe review. Enjoy!

I have been a fan of the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, for a very long time. But for some reason I never really invested in buying any of her cookbooks. I’m not sure why, I enjoy watching her show and I dream of living on a ranch and waking up to beautiful sunrises. Eventually, I decided to take the plunge and purchase a couple of her cookbooks last year when Walmart had them on sale. I decided her first cookbook would be a good place to start. It would also allow me to see how her books and her style evolved over the course of the writing. The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes From An Accidental Country Girl (2010) instantly made me feel like I was watching her show. Her humor and love of food and her family is apparent on every page. I instantly fell in love with her books and asked myself, “Why did I wait so long?” The other book I purchased was The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015). This is a much larger volume and to be honest, I haven’t really had the time to go through it yet.

In the meantime I purchased a few more of her cookbooks for my Kindle since I am trying to cut back on my print book collection. And when she announced her next cookbook (which came out in Fall 2019), I immediately pre-ordered it through Barnes & Noble. Between the print and e-book collection, I now own all but one of her cookbooks.

Despite my love for Ree Drummond and her ranch lifestyle, I haven’t really had the chance to make any of her recipes. Until yesterday. I had plans with my friend and he and I enjoy cooking together.

I am more of the food connoisseur than he is, so I am usually tasked with picking out the recipe. There was no better time to try one of Ree’s recipes. I thumbed through the print books I have of hers and found a delectable dish in her most recent book: The Pioneer Woman Cook: The New Frontier – 112 Fantastic Favorites for Everyday Eating (2019).

I chose to make Shrimp Scampi Lasagna Roll-ups. While it was a step-heavy recipe, boy, was it worth the effort. This tasty, but rich dish is not for every day, every week, or even every month. But a special occasion or if you’re looking for something different and have a little bit of time on your hands. The steps are worth the effort. And what was even better: my friend loved it and did all the dishes!

What more could I ask for?

I think Ree and her cookbooks will soon become common place in my kitchen. It’s worth it!

Until next time, friends…