Gold Medallion!
I am thrilled to share the news! KEEP ‘EM FULL AND KEEP ‘EM ROLLIN’ received a gold medallion at the Will Rogers Medallion Awards banquet in Fort Worth last weekend. Also at the banquet were two of the people that contributed so much to make this book possible. Shirley and Don Creacy traveled with their chuck wagon for fourteen years, and many of the recipes included in the book are old family favorites that Shirley adapted for the wagon. The Wild Cow Ranch Cooking Team can brag on receiving numerous awards. Much thanks to the Creacys, and the other ranch cooks that so generously shared their recipes for this award winning book. I couldn’t have done this without them.
Medallion winners were also able to meet readers and autograph our books at Red Steagal’s Trapping Show at the Fort Worth Stockyards during that weekend. KEEP ‘EM FULL tends to peak the interest of more men than women. I think some of them like the Introduction section in which I summarize the history of the Texas Longhorn breed and history of the cattle trailing industry. One reader told me that the dishes are the food that he grew up eating, particularly the smothered steak. His mother passed before he could get the recipe, and he says it tastes just like what she used to make. Those old recipes have stood the test of time, that’s for certain.
As an author, it’s wonderful to get recognition for our work. I’m even more excited as a reader, to meet these talented people and learn about their work. It was a fun-filled weekend to say the least. My “To Be Read Pile” is more than adequate now to get me through the winter. For once, I’m looking forward to snow.
END OF TRAIL EATS
There is a second cookbook in the works! I am so excited that my editor, Sarah Parke, and TwoDot Books is interested in doing another installment relating to this era of American history. The second book will began where KEEP ‘EM FULL left off. With the largest controlled livestock movement in history the question that comes to mind is where were they going?
END OF TRAIL EATS will focus on recipes from the Cowtowns, supply stations, and saloons sprinkled with historical photos and those great trail driver quotes and firsthand accounts. I’m super excited to begin digging into the research. Target publication date will be early spring 2024. I will keep you posted.
As you know, Will Rogers was a respected writer and cowboy entertainer whose work embodied and demonstrated the traditions and values of the American cowboy and the American West. Originally created to honor outstanding volumes of Cowboy Poetry, the Will Rogers Medallion Award soon expanded into other categories as interest and reader demand increased. The purpose of the Award is to honor this facet of his legacy as well as to highlight current books that embody strong content, excellent production values, and enduring interest. The awards competition takes place annually, and the awards ceremony is held every fall in Fort Worth, Texas.
You can order KEEP ‘EM FULL from wherever your favorites books are sold. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target, WalMart, or your independent bookstores, just to name a few. Happy eating!