Winter is coming. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but I always feel a bit of dread mixed in with my joy. I love the celebrations, crisp weather, visiting with family and friends, and extra goodies (several of my colleagues are extraordinary home bakers!).
However, I am often overwhelmed with all the extra social engagements toattend, the planning, the decorating, the cooking, and on and on. Thankfully, thereare many inspiring books to help us all navigate the holiday season. Here are afew highlights:
- Merry Teatimes by Lorna Reeves – Place settings, simple recipes, and tea pairings make this an excellent resource for a holiday party-- and an afternoon tea party means that no one is forced to stay up late. The author, a well-known figure among tea aficionados and a former editor of Tea Time magazine, even offers gluten-free options and kid-friendly menus.
- A Booze and Vinyl Christmas: Merry Music-And-Drink Pairings to Celebrate the Season by Andrè Darlington – Looking for more of a vibe? This holiday companion to the author’s Booze and Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks has your back. Forty popular holiday albums from the 1940s to the present are featured, each with a cocktail pairing.
- A Very Prairie Christmas Bakebook: Cookies, Candies, Cakes & More: Vintage Baking to Celebrate the Festive Season by Karlynn Johnston – This book contains over 120 recipes for sweets and treats including many classics. This book is great for both those who bake all year and those who only bake during the holidays. Karilynn Johnstone, owner of The Kitchen Magpie website, is a master of nostalgia. Also, she owns six Christmas trees.
- Jewish Holiday Cooking: An International Collection of More Than 250 Delicious Recipes for Jewish Celebration by The Coastal Kitchen – This collection has recipes for an entire year of celebrations. Recipes span the Jewish diaspora so that many different traditions, among them Sephardic, Ashkenazic, Mizrahic, are honored.
- A Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook: Celebrating the Holiday with Family, Community, and Tradition by Jessica B. Harris – Not just a cookbook, but a celebration of African American culture. Readers will find proverbs, ceremonies, blessings, family projects, and a themed menu for each of the seven nights.
- Holiday Hacks: Easy Solutions to Simplify the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Keith Bradford – Advice offered in short, sweet bites. There are lots of good suggestions to manage the season in a form that won’t add stress.
- 10-Minute Decorating Ideas for a Cozy Christmas: Festive and Easy-To-Do Ideas for the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Karianne Wood – Contains over 60 decorating ideas that are easy, quick, and inexpensive from the creator of the award-winning blog, Thistlewood Farms.
- Laura Dowling Designing Christmas: Practical Tips for Festive Décor by Laura Dowling – A guide to beautiful floral decorations both simple and complex, including step-by-step tutorials and beautiful photography. The author served as Chief Floral Designer for the White House from 2009 to 2015.
Looking for more winter and holiday inspiration? You can find more suggestions here and here.
