Innholdsfortegnelse for Holiday 2024 i Pioneer Woman

Howdy, friends, and ho ho ho! I know it isn’t quite Christmastime yet, but as I write this letter to you, I find myself getting very impatient for all the family time, traditions and nostalgia the whole season has to offer. It seems like this has been a particularly long year for everyone, and I’m thinking this holiday season might be just the reset we all need. I’m ready! I started Christmas shopping early this year because I’m usually scrambling in the last two weeks to find everyone the perfect gift. Yes, I do thrive on tight deadlines (I’ve sure had a lot of practice with them!), but I decided to change things up for Christmas 2024. My gift guide in this issue represents the fun variety of presents, both…

Velvet Top Jewel tones always look extra luxe. Pair this emerald top with a gold necklace and a fun, festive bag. Velvet Blazer hot pink blazer and a pretty blouse can turn a pair of jeans into a perfect party outfit. Velvet Dress You’ll have fun accessorizing this simple, elegant dress. Try a gold bag and a pair of cowboy boots! Velvet Pants You can be comfy and chic at the same time: Top these stylish pants with a fuzzy sweater and a glam silver hat.…

Ree’s daughter Alex and her husband, Mauricio, have lived in Dallas since they got married in 2021, but this is the first year they’ll be sticking around in December—their baby is due in early January! The couple always dedicate a night to decking out their living room and kitchen while they listen to Christmas tunes. Alex puts out the same kind of classic decorations she loved as a kid, including personalized stockings and a Nativity scene, but she and Mauricio have added their own touches too. “When I was growing up, all the traditions made our childhood so special,” Alex says. “It’ll be fun once we have our daughter to see what traditions evolve.”…

I can safely say that I’ve eaten more Christmas cookies in my life than most people: I’ve been a judge on Food Network’s Christmas Cookie Challenge for years! And yet it’s still impossible for me to choose a favorite kind. I have a soft spot for sugar cookies (always have, always will), but give me bars, thumbprints, sandwich cookies…I love them all. Here are six different styles to try for your cookie platter this year. Make a bunch and share with friends! Pumpkin Whoopie Pies Prep time: 25 min ★ Total time: 1 hr 10 min (plus cooling) ★ Makes: about 24 COOKIES 1½ cups all-purpose flour½ teaspoon baking powder¼ teaspoon baking soda¾ teaspoon kosher salt1½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice1 cup packed dark brown sugar1 cup vegetable oil1½ cups canned…

Do you like to ride the horses on the ranch? Which horse is your favorite? —Debi Rozeski, Riverside, CA I will ride if I’m needed, which isn’t very often, but I typically don’t ride for fun! In this old photo, I’m riding Snip, Ladd’s late horse. He was an absolute dream. Paige rides all the time, though—it’s part of her job. There’s a great video of her on my website: thepioneerwoman.com/paigerides. Do you keep gifts on hand for unexpected holiday drop-ins? —Chris Kepley, Cape Coral, FL No, I could never be that organized! I do have my own cookbooks at home, but sometimes I feel funny saying, “Merry Christmas! Here’s my book!” So I only give them as gifts when I know someone might really love and use it. I…

Ladd says: “Any dish with bacon is a winner in my book.” Ree says: “The cherry peppers in this dip give it a nice zesty kick!” Caramelized Onion and Bacon Dip Prep time: 30 min ★ Total time: 1 hr 15 min ★ Serves: 6 to 8 6 slices bacon3 onions, halved and thinly sliced1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce1 teaspoon kosher salt½ teaspoon black pepper1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature½ cup mayonnaise2 scallions, chopped1½ cups grated monterey jack cheese (about 4 ounces)Chopped fresh parsley, for toppingToasted sliced baguette and/or sliced vegetables, for serving 1 Preheat the oven to 425˚. Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, turning, until crisp, about 8 minutes. (Adjust the heat if the bacon is getting too dark.) Remove to paper towels…

FOR THE Homestead FOR Cowgirls FOR Cowboys FOR LITTLE Cowpokes FOR Pioneer Pets All gifts available at walmart.com. Find more of Ree’s favorite gifts at thepioneerwoman.com/gifts.…

Candy fads come and go but it’s safe to say the candy cane is going to stick around as a Christmas favorite: The sweet dates back to 1670! Legend has it that a German church choir director handed out white sugar sticks to keep kids quiet during the Nativity reenactment, and the treats soon became a holiday tradition. Candy makers eventually added hooks so families could hang the candy canes on Christmas trees, and by the late 1800s, they’d improved on the form even more with festive stripes and mint flavor. (People believed that mint had health benefits.) In the 1950s, automated candy cane machines, invented by an Arkansas priest, started bringing the treats to the masses. And the rest is history!…

There are very few rules when you’re decorating a Christmas tree, except maybe this one: You can never have too many ornaments! Every one of them tells a story—about childhood holidays, favorite trips or funny obsessions. And the more ornaments you have, the more elaborate the tales of Christmases past. This year, consider adding an ornament that represents your state so you can show a little hometown pride on the tree. Or buy one for a friend: These make great gifts!…

This is without a doubt the busiest cooking season for me. I never quite know when my kids, their friends, spouses, fiancés or dogs will show up, so I like to be prepared to feed anyone and everyone! That’s what this mini cookbook is all about: I put together a bunch of new apps, roasts, sides and desserts, and I’ll just flip through it whenever I need to plan a big meal (so, basically every week until January). I hope this makes the holidays a little easier for you too! Appetizers Flatbread with Blue Cheese and Pears Prep time: 20 min ★ Total time: 45 min ★ Serves: 6 to 8 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the pan1 pound pizza dough, at room temperature1 small garlic clove, grated1…

When most of us think about ballet, The Nutcracker comes to mind first, and there’s good reason for that: More people have seen it than any other ballet. And more dancers have performed in it than any other—including Ree, who was a regular as a kid and teen. “The Nutcracker is such a joyful ballet to dance in and to watch,” she says. “I can’t imagine Christmas without it!” The story is based on the 1816 book The Nutcracker and the Mouse King by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (who also brought us Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty) created the score, and the first stage production took place in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in December 1892. Despite the gripping plot and spectacular choreography, the performance was not well received. “The…

Every winter, animal shelters fill up with homeless dogs and cats brought in from the cold. They typically stay for a while because pet adoptions slow down during the holidays. But one shelter in Minnesota has come up with a way to house the dogs and boost their adoption odds at the same time: It sends the pets out to foster homes for the holidays. Madison Weissenborn, who oversees volunteer and community work for Minneapolis Animal Care and Control, came up with the idea in 2022. She named the program Home for the Holidays and, before Thanksgiving, reached out to staffers and previous foster parents to ask if they would take in pets for the long weekend at a minimum. “We’d provide the supplies, and all people had to provide…

Previous Winner Amy Wood La Crescenta, CA “Do you like my new mare-do?” How to Enter Go to thepioneerwoman.com/captioncontest from October 25 to December 6, 2024, and enter your best caption. The winner will receive $500 and three runners-up will each receive $50. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. The Pioneer Woman Magazine Holiday 2024 Caption Contest. Sponsored by Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Beginning October 25, 2024, at 12:01 a.m. ET, through December 6, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET (the “Entry Period”), go to thepioneerwoman.com/captioncontest on a computer or wireless device and submit the entry form pursuant to the on-screen instructions. All entries must include your name, address, email address and an original caption for the photograph that appears in the Holiday 2024 issue of The Pioneer Woman Magazine.…