Christmas with Paula Dean

by Paula H. Deen

"I've gone through all my books and put together this collection of my most treasured recipes and memories for the holiday season to share with you...You'll find a few new dishes, a sprinkling of new holiday stories, and some family pictures you might not have seen before."

There's no holiday Paula Deen loves better than Christmas, when she opens her home to family and friends, and traditions old and new make the days merry and bright. Filled with Paula's trademark Southern charm and happy reminiscences of Yuletide seasons past, Christmas with Paula Deen is a collection of beloved holiday recipes and stories interspersed with cherished family photographs. Included are Paula's most requested homemade gifts of food; a collection of cookies sure to become your family's favorites; easy dishes for a Christmas breakfast or brunch that will let you enjoy the food and your guests; impressive fare for Christmas dinner and holiday entertaining and, of course, spectacular cakes, puddings, pies, and other sweet things.

"So Merry Christmas, y'all, and best dishes and best wishes from me and my family to yours."

Genres: Cookbooks, Christmas, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Holiday, Memoir

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Paula Deen (born Paula Ann Hiers) is an American cook, restaurateur, author, actress and Emmy Award-winning television personality.

Deen resides in Savannah, Georgia, where she owns and operates The Lady & Sons restaurant with her sons, Jamie and Bobby Deen. She has also published five cookbooks. Though married in 2004 to Michael Anthony Groover, she continues to use the surname Deen from her first marriage professionally.

Reviews

[~☆~Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cook book which is not a good one for me!

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

My husband loves Paula Dean, he calls her 'his woman'. I love her cooking too but it doesn't love me. I'm glad to see that she is loosing weight because she has diabetes and she is trying to eat healthier. However, this is not a low fat or low carb cook book. It is pure classic Paula. I try to eat low carb but sometimes for holidays I splurge a little. So I am going to try something different this year instead of my usual sweet potatoes with marsh-mellows and walnuts I am going to try Paula's Sweet Potatoe Bake. (Maybe with low-fat cream and margarine instead of butter.)I'm sure it will be great!

[Jennie Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being that I own all of Paula's cookbooks, I could not pass this one up. The recipes aren't new. They can be found in her other cookbooks and if you watch her show frequently, you have heard all of these stories at one time or another. With that being said, I rarely use this book. If you are a die hard fan and must own everything, then purchase this book. If you are someone that wants a cookbook that you go back to time and time again, this is not it. This book would make a nice Christmas gift to someone that is a new cook and starting their own holiday traditions.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would make a nice little Christmas present or hostess gift during the holidays. The recipes definitely have a southern touch as one would expect with Paula Deen but they are easy and don't require 100 ingredients for each.

[Ann Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book gave some touching insights to life as Paula Deen.

I have tried several of the recipes and they have all been delicious

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved Paula Deen since stumbling upon one of her Christmas cooking shows on the Food Network back in the day. She was charming and funny and stories she told about her sons as children had me on the floor with laughter. This book is filled with wonderful recipes and stories from Deen's life, along with helpful kitchen hints and anecdotes. I look forward to utilizing some of these recipes one day! The only downside to this book? Far too short! I could have read on and on forever.

[Teressa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite Christmas cookbooks. I just love the stories she shares. I have tried many recipes from this cookbook and every single one turned out well. Typically, her recipes turn out well for me.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Paula Deen & have cooked several of her recipes. But oh this cookbook - No! There are no photos for the recipes! There are family stories & the tale of how she got engaged to Michael - there are family Christmas photos. But here's the other kicker they are all black & white.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm interested in trying some of these recipes- Fruited Rice Curry Mix, Ultimate Oatmeal Cookies, Frosted Pumpkin Bars, Blueberry 🫐 Muffins, and especially the Twice Baked Potato Casserole! I would have liked pictures of the food!

[Clinton Senior · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not horrible but not fantastic. We had to laugh though we don't know if this was an inside joke or what. Her Aunt's famous cranberry sauce is the same recipe on the back of the cranberry bag.

[Susan Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mmmmm Good

Excellent collection of recipes that can be prepared any time of year, not just at Christmas. The equivalent charts at the end of the book are very helpful.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very easy to follow and use cook book, with simple, homey recipes. Pick it up and cook for the holidays.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great recipes! Plus Paula adds Christmas memories that are a nice contribution.

[Gato Negro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I bought this in time for the holidays. The recipes and stories are especially southern and I am looking forward to making several things.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rarely try recipes from cook books but I still like to read them.

[Marjorie McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not healthy eating by any means! I enjoyed reading the stories and gained five pounds reading the recipes. I thought I’d pass this book on but now don’t think I’ll be able to let it go!

[Natalie F]

Dnf, no pictures

[Pris robichaud · Rating 3 out of 5]

Get Out Your Binoculars, Folks, November 10, 2007
I purchased this cookbook for a friend who loves Paula Deen and collects cookbooks. This one might serve as a stocking stuffer- it is so small 4x6 at the most. I would be embarrassed to give this as a present without adding something to go with it.

There are several stories written by Paula Deen about her past Christmases. Stories about how she and her family celebrate. There are 203 small pages. The recipes look fine. The table of contents separates the food into Gifts of Food, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Morning, Christmas Dinner, Holiday Open House, and Desserts.

A caveat would be to get a good night's sleep and eat lots of carrots if you intend to use this book to cook, the print is quite small and I can see headaches a comin'. I am at a loss to understand the concept behind putting out such a small sized cookbook. Paula Deen seems to be a very nice woman who has a large following of fans. She needs to stick to the tried and true- regulation size cookbooks. Now I need to figure out what I will purchase to go with this pint-sized book to give to my friend.

Not Recommended. prisrob 11-10-07

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very good recipes in this book. One that caught my attention was a recipe for Chocolate Cheese Fudge! Paula uses Velveeta Cheese in this recipe. At first that sounded a bit strange...but I am going to give it a try. According to her it makes for a very creamy "melt in your mouth" treat! She gives a variation for those who like peanut butter fudge.

Mixed in with the recipes are some short narratives of holiday memories. One of the most touching was the one where Michael proposed to her. What a wonderful and romantic event!

The book contains some family photographs but does not contain pictures of the food. The book is full of Southern charm and hospitality. The recipes are fairly simple and not too detailed! Most are on one or two short pages and well organized.

Love the recipe for homemade vanilla extract using bourbon! Great ideas for giving gifts and for the spirit of giving in general.

I recommend this cookbook for those who are looking for some great ideas for the holidays. Some great traditions from Paula's life and kitchen that can easily be translated to yours.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just blazed through this cookbook today. It was great reading the author's stories about Christmas.
I enjoyed looking at the recipes because alot of them were completely new to me, but also they seemed simple enough that anyone could make them.

Most recipes were less than 10 ingredients. I have a few marked down in it that I will be trying out. In some cases, if they turn out well, I will be looking at swapping a few ingredients for more calorie-wise options. ;) A couple of the ingredients are brand names, and I am not sure if I can get them in Canada, but I will see what is out there.

[Celia Juliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this little cookbook, which is sprinkled with Deen's (and her sons') anecdotes about Christmas and their traditions. Most of the recipes look good, though I haven't made any yet. If you're a Paula Deen fan, or like Christmas cookbooks, I'd check it out--though it's pretty small for the list price (I have it checked out from the library). I want to add, a few days later, that the recipes I've tried are yummy. But a caution: Deen's instructions are sometimes a bit vague, so beginning cooks beware.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paula's back spreading Christmas cheer with humor and another batch of great recipes. I got this book for Christmas and cooked our Christmas Day breakfast with a recipe straight from its pages. It's a short book filled with great Christmas memories from her family and recipes that will create memories at Christmas with your own.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a cute read; however, if I were to make any of her delicious sounding recipes, my cholesterol would be through the roof as would my calorie intake! It's nice to dream of the recipes when you're reading her books though. This is definitely a book I would give as a gift though.

[Lenore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the print in this very small recipe book, to be difficult to read. It was printed in the colors of the season, red and green - not a smart choice for print. I've seen some of these recipes on her other books.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have xeroxed several recipes that I am interested in trying and I love the stories, especially the one where Paula's husband proposed -- so romantic!

I only wished that she would have included some pictures with this book.

[Melissa Lee-Tammeus · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have made a ton of the recipes out of this little book - excellent appetizers and fun traditional stuff to keep making year after year - love it, No pictures, though, but the recipes are so easy and good, all is forgiven.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lady writes just like she talks, and I could hear her reading this in my mind which is probably why the 3 stars. She definitely has some really great looking recipes that I look forward to trying:)

[Ema · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a few interesting recipes in this book accompanied by cute little stories from Paula Deen's family life. If you like shortcuts, many of the recipes include store bought pie crusts and dough used in ways you would not expect.

[M.ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about past Christmas memories of Paula Dean's. Recipes are great to read too!

[Garryvivianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

More funny stories, some shared hard times & great recipes. More butter!