To Paula Deen every new day is a new opportunity to cook. She cherishes both the daily changes occurring as the seasons turn, and the holidays that evolve as the year goes forward. It is no surprise that she would create a calendar. The recipes will have you turning pages of the year ahead and the tips and the comments that dot the pages reflect Deen's ebullient personality. Deen gives a month-at-a glance as well as a weekly calendar, and she has noted our favorite holidays as well by penciling in advance notes reminding us when to start preparation.
Advising us to take little time for self-indulgence, she has brief memos with admonitions such as "Curl up with a good book," or "Take a blanket outside and stargaze with your sweetie," or "Visit a local farmer's market and enjoy all the season has to offer."
There are a wide variety of recipes, some seasonal and some classic recipes with the Deen spin on them. She kicks off the year and the calendar with Hoppin' John Risotto, her take on the traditional New Year's day southern dish, then moves into a classic Chicken Pot Pie, Italian Sausage Soup, and Chocolate Sugar cookies. For lovers of southern cooking, there's a Grits Pie, sweetened for dessert, a classic Southern Fried Chicken, or a Key Lime Ice Cream Pie. Continue turning the pages of the year and find Salmon Burgers and savory Vidalia Onion Pie perhaps Peach Amaretto Parfaits.
There are photos throughout, many of the recipes and an assortment of Deen herself dressed for holiday at some moments, casual at others, but always smiling and full of life.
This is a wonderful present to give to any of Deen's many fans.
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