SPECIALTY SHELF
Are you looking for some great books this holiday season to help you find decorating ideas, recipes or homemade gifts? Well, here we preview a selection of the best holiday books. Whether you want to cook delicious meals for your family or give friends a handmade gift this Christmas, these books will help you do all that and more.
BY ANGELA SMITH
Have Yourself a Very Vintage Christmas (2011) by Susan Waggoner is a mix of decorating tips, recipes and ideas for a vintage-inspired Christmas. Whether you're a fan of 1920s Art Deco style or the 1960s hippie era, you'll be pleased to find both included in this fabulous book. It's a great idea if you want to recapture the magic of Christmases past instead of one filled with modern gadgets. It even teaches you how to make those soft caramels everyone loved back in the day (a definite hit with your Christmas crowd!)
Knitivity (2011) by Fiona Goble is an adorable way to bring the nativity to life in a unique way. Gone are the ceramic knick-knacks and fibreglass figures. This year, replace your nativity scene with your own knitted version. The book will teach you how to choose the yarn for each project and also teach you basic knitting techniques. Even if you aren't a great knitter, this book breaks things down so that almost anyone can follow along easily. Patterns are provided for characters such as baby Jesus, the three wise men and an angel.
Another great book that involves knitting, but is more for gifts than decorations, is More Last Minute Knitted Gifts (2011) by Joelle Hoverson. If you want to make something personal for your friends or family this year instead of getting them a generic gift card or the latest gadget, then this book is perfect for you. The book is filled with 30 ideas, all of which are selected based on how long they will take to accomplish (anywhere from 2-8 hours). You can choose from blankets, cardigans, gloves or even an elf-like winter hat. All of these projects would delight the receiver, and can be made in different colours and with different yarns as well.
For those of you with children, Holiday Crafting and Baking With Kids (2011) by Jessica Strand is an excellent source for all things child-friendly. There are 26 projects within the book's shiny pages, and even some Kwanzaa projects, too (like a Kwanzaa paper goodie basket). The projects don't stop at Christmas, either, it can also be used at New Year's as there are ideas for that festive night as well.
The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook: Down-Home Meals for Every Occasion (2011) by popular Food Network stars Pat and Gina Neely will give you all the inspiration you need to cook a great meal this holiday season. The great thing about this cookbook is that it can be used year-round. It features every holiday you can think of and offers great recipes for each. All of the food is cooked Southern style, with lots of love and rich ingredients. Looking for something great for New Year's Day? Try Hoppin' John Soup or Deep-fried Cornish Game Hens. You're sure to find something for Christmas in this excellent cookbook and you'll have the added benefit of being able to use it again, and again.
For some more regional cuisine, there's The Pastry Queen Christmas: Big-hearted Holiday Entertaining, Texas Style (2007) by Rebecca Rather. The recipes in this book are from the big ol' State of Texas where the food is just as big as people's personalities. It's made up of more than 100 mouth-watering recipes for the holiday season - from Chocolate Cookie Crusted Eggnog Cheesecake to Texas Spice-Rubbed Roast Pork.