Celebrate with Babs: Holiday Recipes & Family Traditions

by Barbara Costello

It only takes two years to start a tradition! From New Year's Day to Christmas and every holiday in between, your adopted grandmother Babs shares all of the holiday recipes and motherly advice you need to make every celebration special.

With menus for festive moments throughout the whole year, you'll always know what to serve. Babs bestows upon you 100 of her family-favorite recipes—passed down from family and friends through the generations, recorded on tattered and torn recipe cards, and all stored in her old wooden recipe box. She also shares the holiday traditions her family has grown to love so you can pass them down to your family, too, and elevate all of life’s gatherings into memorable occasions.

From little party hacks and entertaining tips, hosting the holidays will become less stressful and more meaningful. Celebrate with Babs will insert itself at the center of all of your gatherings for generations.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food

256 pages, Hardcover

Published April 12, 2022

Reviews

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a solid book with some good foundational celebration recipes! Focused on recipes for crowds or special occasions, with takes on classics I found unique enough to not feel too repetitive. I bookmarked a ton! I also appreciated the lay-flat binding and layout/photos throughout.

[Miss✧Pickypants ᓚᘏᗢ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this book without knowing Barbara Costello, or Babs as she is know to her fans, was a Tik Tok celeb chef. Nowadays, if you've got fans, seems like you can have a cookbook.

That said, it's a good cookbook for less experienced cooks. If you need a gift for a newish cook, this would make a nice one. It's got tons of color pictures, of both the food and Babs' family. My thoughts are cookbooks should have photos, and this book delivers in that regard. Less experienced cooks could use these recipes to develop their repertoire, and then expand their skills from these foundational recipes (or not).

More experienced cooks will likely have a similar experience to me. There was one lone recipe that I found interesting (the warm pumpkin pudding), but I didn't find any other new recipes, ingredients or techniques, the reason I enjoy reading cookbooks.

[chris schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are on Instagram or TikTok you know who Babs is! If not, find her - Brunch with Babs! She is a 73 year old mother and grandmother who has over a million followers - she is kind and loving, she cooks and shares recipes and tips on life, parenting, relationships, home maintenance, and how to find your place in the world. She is genuine and caring! She has been on tv shows to cook and talk about her family and still is a regular person. Her husband joins her and he is sweet too! Her cookbook shares family recipes and traditions. The recipes are yummy and fun to make. The cookbook covers all holidays! She is a breath of fresh air, calm in the storm and always has an encouraging word! Kind of like a Mr. Rogers on a cooking show.

[E.M. Rabbit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I think it’s a wonderful first step for people who don’t know how to cook and/or looking for ways to bring family and friends together.
I appreciate that she broke out the recipes into seasonal/holiday sections, and I love that she emphasizes the importance of making family traditions and sticking with them.

I have made a few recipes all were simple, solid, and delicious. I really like her Irish soda bread recipe (I used cranberries). Yum, yum, yum.

[Sydney Levi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as a Christmas present and started reading it today and just kept reading til the end. Seems like a fun book to use for all sorts of celebrations or just to spruce up dinner! Fun and practical advice for hosting in the home.

[Diane Hidey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really. 3.5 stars. A tik tok star becomes a celebrity and shares her recipes. It’s got lots of simple things to make. Didn’t have many recipes I would use. But LOTS of pictures, which is often lacking in cookbooks. I’d say this works be a good book for a newer cook.

[Mary Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book! The recipes have history and are very accessible. The stories are highly entertaining. And the photos - of Babs and of her food - are lovely.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too many recipes I want to make immediately. I had gotten it from the library but I think I’m going to have to buy it!

[Karen Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have

I cook. This book has wonderful easy to make, and explained perfectly recipes


This is a cookbook that you purchased!

[Liz Bracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a comfort cooking cookbook. It may appeal more to my generation (b. 1950s) than younger ones. The recipes are not cutting edge and aren’t going to set your holiday cooking on fire. But they are tried and true, have come down sometimes through a couple generations of Bab’s family and they’re pretty much no fail. Celebrate your holiday, serve great food, and don’t stress about it.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good cookbook, pretty traditional recipes. Each dish I've made turned out very yummy, but I do have a few issues.
1. So much alcohol! We don't drink and I'm not driven to go to the liquor store just for a recipe so I have to find replacements
2. Some of the recipes have extra steps that could be simplified
3. Leftovers of these recipes don't always taste as good reheated (Irish soda bread really needed to be eaten fresh and hot, the brunch casserole got rubbery in the fridge)
Obviously tasty enough for 4 stars, but those three issues are things I would think about going in. Also I think this is the highest rating I've ever given a book written by an influencer, congratulations Babs you superceded 2 stars!

[Adrienne Painter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Goodreads Giveaway and Barbara Costello for this book. It was an absolute joy, and brought back many memories of childhood Fourth of July and Christmas gatherings. My Aunts used to make some of the recipes featured in this cookbook. Mrs. Williams’s peanut butter bars was always one of my all time favorites growing up…who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter!??
I love the categorization by holidays and the family stories with the recipes and I can’t wait to make something from this book!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Felt the warmth and coziness of America’s favorite grandma as I flipped through this book. I loved how she organized her recipes by event. I cried when I read the Mother’s Day Brunch intro. So tender and sweet. Moms are the best! I also love the traditions she mentioned of Gratitude Soup during Thanksgiving, and Gingerbread lattes on Christmas morning! The Valentine’s Day meal was super cute too, and I’d love to make it a tradition when our family is a bit older. Overall very cute! Recipes look good, but not impossible. Excited to make some next week for book club!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thank you so much to Barbara Costello, Goodreads Giveaways and Alpha Publishing for sending me this copy to review.

What a fun, easy to use cookbook. The stories that Babs tells in each section are funny and endearing at the same time. Just as the title states, the book is divided into holiday sections and gives multiple recipes in each section. I'm looking forward to trying many of the recipes!

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! I love babs! She’s one of my favorites to watch online because seeing her feels like home. It feels like growing up in the 90s with my parents and grandparents. Her cookbook feels like that took. Loving the recipes — where really are classic favorite for any household. I especially enjoy that the book is broken up into seasons a s holidays. The memories and pictures of Barbara’s family included make me smile so much.

[Cynthia J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful Recipes Clear Helpful Directions Too

I loved everything about this cookbook. The tips were very helpful for serving storing etc. The directions easy to understand. I've tried a few of the recipes within a day of buying and was not disappointed in how they turned out. I ended up reading the entire book just for her stories about the recipes and really enjoyed the time spent. Looking forward to all of the rest of the recipes and more from Babs.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun collection of recipes for all skill levels. I loved the beautiful photos and easy-to-follow instructions. I’ve made a few recipes for Easter from here and my family couldn’t believe how beautiful it all turned out and how delicious it tasted. The Easter bread will be a new family tradition for sure! This book felt like a big, warm hug from my grandmother.

[Dodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

After seeing Babs on Instagram I wanted to check out this book. I think it would be great for a beginning cook, especially if asked to host Thanksgiving or bring a dish. Babs includes complete menus with recipes for occasions from birthdays to holidays. It's standard fare for those events, and you've probably made some version of these recipes.

[Mary Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great gift for fans of the author. A fun and attractive book for people who are interested in simple crowd pleaser recipes for various holiday gatherings, special family dinners or pot lucks. There were many recipes which I would like to try as most are simple with easily accessible ingredients.

[Bip Grinklebink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Goodreads, Alpha Publishing, and Babara Costello for sending a copy for review.

A series of great recipes from my favorite YouTube Nona. I've been following her channel about a month before getting this book, and I'm pleased that the book is just as fun and informative as her videos.

[Cindy Kerr-Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started following her on Instagram thru a referral from my daughter in law…this cookbook focuses on our different celebrations ..Christmas,New Years, Easter, Thanksgiving etc. She gives a good variety of different foods/recipes for these different holidays…add this book to your cookbook library

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this type of cookbook: traditional, family-style food that shares the best ingredients, without being fussy. I’ve already enjoyed the broccoli salad and will be making many, many more recipes.

Full color pictures for every recipe and Babs’ stories and traditions make it come alive.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Babs on Instagram and just love all her recipes and tips! Finished the cookbook in a day and have some ideas for recipes I’d like to try. Nothing looked too difficult so I’m adding a few to my meal planning this coming week!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was gifted this cookbook for Christmas, and the 1st recipe I tried out were Buttermilk Biscuits. Loved them. The book is sectioned off by holiday. And I'd like to tackle the Superbowl recipes next, especially corn pudding with our chili. Loads of great cookies, cakes & desserts to come. 😋

[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to read cookbooks, and this one does what it promises, gives ideas and recipes for good food and celebrations that families encounter.

Lots of photos of the finished product, clear instructions and tons of advise.

Babs is the grandma we all wish we had.

[Carly Lockman · Rating 4 out of 5]

IMO the real reason to read this is for the scattered Chicago-Italian recipes from the author’s fist generation grandparents. I’m always on the hunt for those nostalgic recipes from my home town, and they can be surprisingly tough to find.

[Haley Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started the new year out right with a new cookbook! This was a delightful mix of storytelling, hosting tips and tried & true homemade recipes. I can’t wait to make some of the dishes throughout this year’s holidays!

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot wait to make some of these recipes!

[M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Babs is a delight.