@JoannaGaines Is My Spirit Animal

You may be living under a rock if you haven’t heard of Joanna Gaines or Waco’s Magnolia Silos, or even the HGTV show Fixer Upper. I’d venture to guess we might not even run in the same circles if this is the case. But, if you’re like me, and Joanna Gaines is your spirit animal too, then we might end up being soul sisters.
Read on for my review of our trips to the Silos and JoJo’s newly released cookbook, Magnolia Table.

** This post does NOT contain affiliate links, though I do link to products for your convenience.

I’ve been a fan of HGTV’s Fixer Upper since season 1 and I’ve never missed an episode. I love how they take the “worst house in the worst neighborhood” and turn it into something spectacular. I’ll even admit to getting teary during some of the reveals. Yeah, I know, I’m a sentimental sap- but if you’ve been reading this blog for any time at all you already knew that. Anyhoo. To say I’m a fan of the show, Joanna Gaines, or the Magnolia movement of late is a bit of an understatement.

When the Silos opened a few years ago, I was chomping at the bit to visit and to be fair the hype was pretty outrageous. Let me set the record straight. Yes, I thought it would be bigger. Yes some of the stuff was out of my price range. Yes, it was hot as blazes in Waco in the summertime. BUT…it was worth it. The entire experience was a feast for my home decor loving heart.

No detail was spared from the storefront, displays, or the grounds. They went all out and it is BE-youu-tiful. It’s a place where you want to just go hang out at the picnic tables and sample the food trucks, take a stroll around the pretty gardens or even get into a good old fashioned game of cornhole. I do recommend that you carefully consider the time of year you visit because Waco summer is toasty if you’re not used to Texas heat.

I was happy to turn around a month after my first visit and take my mom and the girls down for their first trip- in the even hotter than you can imagine Waco heat. This time, instead of walking around gawking at all the pretties, I remembered to take a few pictures!

So, yeah, I couldn’t afford to buy much- though they really do have some very reasonably priced selections, I was in it for more of the experience. I did end up buying a salt cellar, and a tee-shirt. Oh and the cupcakes!!! Don’t forget to visit the bakery!

When Joanna released her new cookbook, I was anticipating a Mother’s Day gift that kept on giving and my family didn’t disappoint. One trip to Target and voila that hot off the presses book was mine all mine. And I did’t waste any time in diving into it and planning meals. The cookbook is truly quite beautiful. The lovely photos center around the Gaines family, their home, and simple pleasures of food, farm, and family fun. The recipes are actually surprisingly un-fussy. The text and photos pair nicely for an intimate family story and I know Joanna is proud of this loving piece of herself she was willing to share to the masses. I believe her family will treasure the legacy of her recipes and the photos.

The first meal I decided to cook was the Almond Chicken Tenderloins (211) and the Brussels Sprouts (165). Ok. Y’all. For real go get this cookbook. First, I did not have to go to the store and buy a bunch of fussy ingredients. I had everything in my pantry/fridge. Second- holeeey YUM. No joke. Third?? My kids LOVED IT! Triple win!

The chicken was juicy and lemony with a buttery crunch from the almonds and so easy to make. Also, I’ve been roasting my brussels sprouts in the oven for a long while now, but she adds some special ingredients for a glaze that’s out of this world! I won’t ever make them plain roasted again. 

And I can’t share the recipes because you know copyright and stuff… but here’s some pictures of the yum you can look forward to if you go get the book, already!! And just so you’re not totally left hanging after reading all this, head over to  the Magnolia site where Joanna has generously shared a few recipes from cook book on her blog so you can test drive in case you’re a try before you purchase kind of person.

Totally looking forward to my next trip (this summer because I apparently love melting into a puddle) and visiting the newly opened Magnolia Table!