Miranda Lambert’s ‘Y’ALL EAT YET?’ Is Part Cookbook/Memoir & A Tribute To The Women Who Raised Her

Known for putting her unique and original stamp on everything she does, it’s no surprise Miranda Lambert’s book “Y’ALL EAT YET? Is not your typical cookbook.

It’s certainly chock full of recipes. The long list of favorites include Stacked Enchilada Bake, Jalapeno Pimento Cheese, Scalloped Potatoes, Whiskey Cupcakes, Nonny’s Banana Pudding, and many more. But “Y’ALL EAT YET? Welcome to the Pretty B*itchin’ Kitchen is so much more than a book of guidelines for preparing great food, it’s a celebration of the people who gather round it.

“I think food is the same as music,” Lambert says. “Food brings the same memories and emotions when you hear a song, and you remember the first time you heard it. When you taste your mom’s home cooking, it instantly takes you back home. And that’s true for me, even if I’m on the road and make the recipe myself.

Throughout the book, Lambert shares stories about her childhood, her music journey, and life on the road. Readers will get to know Lambert’s grandmother, mother, and her mother’s close-knit group of friends who helped the singer/songwriter become who she is today.

“I grew up with a group of people who were all about boosting each other up through the good, the bad, and the ugly,” Lambert recalls. “I remember watching these ladies go through marriages, divorces, sickness, deaths, and everything that happens in life. We had so many highs and celebrated so many good things together, but also held each other through the hard stuff. And food is something everybody bonds over.”

She has many memories bonding over her mother’s famous chicken salad, Texas-style oven brisket, the LOAF, a.k.a. “the meal that will get the ring,” and her grandmother’s banana pudding. But even more important than the dishes themselves, are the people who come together to share them.

“It’s recipes, but it’s so much more than that. My mom uses the good china for no reason. That’s how I was raised. It’s so much more about being in the moment and not about perfection. I mean, we use boxed pudding in the banana pudding. Know why? Because we get to spend way more time together when it’s instant pudding. There’s so much to that.”

Lambert’s cookbook/memoir comes decades after leaving her native Texas and heading to Nashville to pursue her music dreams. Her interest in music began as a little girl, watching her father play guitar. She was soon writing her own songs and while still a teenager, began performing in local venues. She credits her family and her upbringing for keeping her grounded as she became successful.

“The quote in this book that is my favorite quote from my mom is ‘Know who you are and stick with it.’ That was her advice when I first dipped my toe into this business and it’s what has kept me constantly being my genuine self. It’s sometimes made me have to take a harder or a longer road, but I believe in it.”

Known for her “hard truth-telling songs” about life and love, Miranda Lambert’s music inspires women to stay true to themselves, follow their hearts, and blaze their own trails in life. She’s a three-time GRAMMY winner, she’s the most decorated artist in the Academy of Country Music with 38 ACM Awards, including a record-setting nine consecutive Female Artist of the Year award. And she’s won 14 CMAs, along with a host of other accolades.

While fans have come to know Lambert through her music, there’s much about her life, she hasn’t shared before. This new book, co-written with music writer, Holly Gleason, gives people a little more insight into Lambert’s personal side.

“It’s been really fun,” she says. “Obviously, I’ve never written a book before, but I’m a storyteller and this is just another extension of telling stories. There’s a lot of fun stuff here I haven’t really had a platform to share. It’s a lot of childhood memories, stories from the road and how I got where I am, and the women who helped me.” Here, Lambert stops for a second, then adds with a laugh, “I call it the sisterhood of the traveling casserole dishes.”

While much of the book is lighthearted and upbeat, Lambert is serious when she talks about “sisterhood.”

“These are just my stories with these women, but I think everybody has a group like that. And if they don’t, I hope they go find one. I hope this book inspires people to really surround themselves with old friends or people who can lift them up through the hard stuff and celebrate the highs. I think it’s so important for women to have that circle and to be there for each other.”

Lambert celebrates the release of Y’All EAT YET? during a busy time. She’s up for five ACM awards next month, including Female Artist of the Year and Best Album (Palomino), she’s performing in Las Vegas as part of her Velvet Rodeo residency, and she’s been writing quite a bit of new music.

“I also have a couple of really cool collaborations up my sleeve and I’m very excited about that. And I’m hoping to have new music out next year.”

She’s also heavily involved with a series of business ventures including her Wanda June home goods line at Walmart, her Idyllwind clothing and cowboy boot collection at Boot Barn, and her beloved MuttNation pet product line at Tractor Supply Company.

Music has paved the way for Lambert to do so much in life and she’s grateful.

“It all starts with the songs and everything I do is an extension of that,” she says. “It’s all very close to my heart.”