Southern Living Big Book of Christmas ****.*
by the Editors of Southern Living Magazine
I’m joining Jain with my Edible Book Review at Food for Thought, where pages from your book magically mix with the kitchen and your camera~
And Jenny Matlock for Alphabe-Thursday~ this week’s letter assignment is the letter J~
A compendium & all-in-one guide to a Joyous Season, this book covers decorating all through the house, preparing a feast for the senses~ with table settings & centerpieces that are cause for celebration.
-
More than 340 kitchen-tested recipes
-
18 complete menus, perfect, for any time of year
-
Nearly 400 full-color recipes
-
Over 100 seasonal how-tos and decorating ideas
If you’re looking for inspiration, you can find celebration menus for your family & guests . . . memorable menus with festive updates to traditional favorites~
12 Menus of Christmas for Entertaining with Ease~ with make-ahead options and over 80 recipes. . .
A Beef Tenderloin Repast, Turkey with All the Trimmings, An English Feast, A Roasted Lamb Dinner, A Southern Holiday Supper & A Tuscan Dinner Party to name a few. . .
I chose a few recipes from the Christmas Express section where you can be party-ready in minutes~ with recipes featuring make-ahead or time-saving twists.
Peach and Pecan Tapenade with Goat Cheese~
A traditional French condiment with a Southern twist with pecans and dried peaches. Make ahead omitting nuts, cover & store in fridge up to 2 days. Stir in nuts before serving. If you’re not a fan of goat cheese, you can always substitute mascarpone or cream cheese.
You can find the recipe here.
Another make-ahead, quick & easy recipe, using prepared mini phyllo pastry shells~
Caramel-Chocolate Tartlets, recipe here.
Make the tartlets ahead and freeze them in the plastic trays sealed in zip-top freezer bags.
Countdown to Christmas Dinner. . .’Tis the Season for Family Gatherings & Good Food~
Enjoy Crab & Oyster Bisque, Cabbage & Apple Salad with Roasted Onions, Coffee-Crusted Beef Wellingtons, Cast-Iron Herbed Potatoes Anna, Carrots with Country Bacon, Scalloped Greens, Cardamom-Scented Sweet Potato Pie & Chocolate Tiramisu Charlotte~
Prepare the whole menu, or just pick a recipe or two!
Honey-Peppered Goat Cheese with Fig Balsamic Drizzle, recipe here.
Another make ahead appetizer with big flavor, but you’ll also find make ahead recipes for Bourbon BBQ Baby Back Ribs, Boeuf Bourguignon, Twice-Baked Smoky Sweet Potatoes, & Citrus Cheesecake. . .
A sweet ending to your meal that is sure to tempt your tastebuds~ Cheesecake-Stuffed Dark Chocolate Cake~
I’ve not made this but it is on my list for an impressive dessert. . . while it is not make-ahead, it’s express in the sense that it uses cake mix, canned frosting, frozen cheesecake bites & a jar of caramel sauce.
You can find the recipe for it here.
Gifts from the Heart—share the spirit of the season with cleverly packaged gifts from the kitchen. From the Quick-Fix Food Gifts section, Marinated Cheese & Olives~
Marinated Cheese and Olives, recipe here.
Celebrate the Joy of Christmas with this complete guide that inspires and delights with fresh ideas for cooking, baking, entertaining, and decorating.
Be sure to visit Food for Thought, and see what everyone is reading & eating~
HO*HO*HO HERE WE GO! i have had this book on order since oct 17th at the library, and i was number one… that means someone has most likely stolen it since they can’t renew a book i am waiting on and i should have had it nov 1st… so i will just have to soak in all your JOY! i am so excited, i did an earlier year’s version, so this is great fun for me to see what i missed!
that tapenade looks fantastic! we LOVE goat cheese :)
but i like dessert better, those lit cups are so sweet~
ohhhh i am groaning at that the fig balsamic drip… i made my own fig vinegar which i had for dinner last night with pears, blue cheese and fresh greens… HEAVEN! the drizzle on cheese is calling us tonight~ we are twins again, i share the recipe in tomorrow’s kick off~
oh i LOVE southern living, and i swear i learned that from you! happy happy food for thought for you, i have been like a busy elf getting a post ready for almost everyday in december, i want to go down smiling!
looks like a wonderful book full of magic wonders for the Christmas season…a colourful post..xx
I’d love to get my hands on that gorgeous book, Mary!
The food looks wonderful, too!
I always enjoy the Southern Living special books. Everything looks beautiful and sounds delish, but I am drawn to the marinated cheese and olives. This will be good for the occasional snack dinner during the Holidays.
Good job Mary! CGE
Oh – I’m still full from dinner but those recipes look scrumpcious! Can I come to your house fro Christmas dinner? Who’s ever there on Christmas Day will be lucky!
Honey-Peppered Goat Cheese with Fig Balsamic Drizzle… YUM!
Mary I love books like this! I sometime just look at the photos and dream more than actually making anything from them, however, as the holidays are so busy and I stick to my old favorites. The Honey-Peppered Goat Cheese with Fig Balsamic Drizzle sounds so amazing, so I’m saving that recipe!
Sigh…off I go to Amazon to order this!
Everything looks yummy. The book sounds like a great gift. I think I would enjoy just looking at the picture. Tapenade would be right up my alley.
Beautiful Post! All inspired and hungry now!
Oh, I totally need to get myself a copy of that book! Wow, it’s like a how-to guide for Christmas! So fun! Those are also some amazing food shots you shared. I could totally go for a lot of those right about now! Especially those tartlets!
What a delicious start on our journey through J at Alphabe-Thursday this week.
I love that joy cutter. I am going to goggle it when I get off to find one. I’d like to make my sugar cookies this year with the words: joy, peace and hope.
This book looks amazing…I am going to look for it, although I suspect my husband would get dizzy with me showing him ideas!
Thanks for linking. This made me feel so joyous and jubilant!
A+
I always loved Southern Living! My son Joey used to work for it, and so did my BIL. Great pics and recipes!!
Ya got me. I’m feelin’ that Christmas spirit after looking through all these wonderful photos!
=)
I need this book, and I’m so glad you included the recipe link for the marinated olives and cheese!
a feast for the eyes!!!!!!
Beautiful book, gorgeous photos and everything looks so yum. I’m going to check our library. Thanks.
I’ll have a tartlet-or two please:@) That looks like a beautiful book, and the recipes sound great!
So many wonderful and beautiful recipes. My friend just gave me a subscription to SL for my birthday and I am so excited! This book looks like a perfect go-to for Christmas. Thank you for the recipe links ~ they all look yummy!
What a cool sounding book. I’ll have to check into that. That cake is calling my name!
I can see another cookbook that Mrs. Claus needs to pick up for me! Those goat cheese appetizers looked divine. Absolutely lovely!
Everything looked so yummy!
Oh yum, that tapenade looks amazing!
Bravo, Mary….another winner of a review! I bet you’ve increased their sales x10 with this one post, alone. I want to order it for my DD but ya’ wanna bet I read it, cover to cover, first? LOL
Fabulous photos & food…those cheese & olives have me salivating! Spectacular!!
Mary, we definitely like goat cheese here, and the tapenade looks delish! This entire post is JOY. Love the shots of the book on that gorgeous platter and the way you created the mosaics of the pages. Well done! I’m going to see if this book is available at the library. Looks like a good one! Thanks for sharing you beautiful food. I’m going to make the chocolate bites. Great idea to freeze them in the trays. ~ Sarah
I am so glad that you shared this one! At first, as I was reading your post, I thought I would love this book! But now, I see that it would be a perfect present to give to other family members as well! Hm…wonder if there is a discount if more than 10 copies are purchased! :o)
Thank you again for sharing this and your lovely photos of the recipes that you tried out.
Blessings & Aloha!
Please do pop over to my blog, if you have the time :o)
I am heading out to get the ingredients to make the marinated cheese and olives! I’ll have to see if the library has this wonderful book.
Oh all the beautiful pictures sure have made me hungry.. I love that you actually try out the recipes in the cook books.. I do some but not nearly that many. It all looks scrumptious.
Ahhh just lovely Blog! I found you thru the Tablescraper! Im followin you now…Seasons greetings from Janet at Singingwoods! ox
I have soooo many cookbooks, but this looks one more I just might have to add. It looks like you brought some amazing reipes right off the pages to life! Just spectacular. Thanks for bringing your book review to Seasonal Sundays.
– The Tablescaper
What a great post! The food all looks so yummy. And the book sounds like a msut have.
What a fabulous book. The pictures are wonderful and so yummy looking. Thanks for sharing.
Amazing! Yes, you are amazing! Your pictures are grand! Thank you!!
What a great book, and you took it and ran with it, making such fabulous delights! The peach and pecan tapenade looks fantastic, everything does!
Love the mosaic, makes me very hungry :)
Fabulous book. So much in there looks delicious.
Oh my I am so hungry now…
What beautiful food! :0)
Gorgeous, tempting recipes! I will have find this book! I love how you have it displayed. I want one of those mini phyllo thingies right now!
that book looks amazing … and the joy cookie cutter is just so darn cute, and those tarts …yummmmm!
What a great book ! I love a big Christmas book, especially one chock full of new ideas. I don’t think this one is on the stands up here, but perhaps I’ll see it in WA at the end of the week.
beautiful books and delicious recipes
Now I am hungry!
What a wonderful looking book full of wonderful looking recipes. The pictures in this article make my mouth water. I work with Better Recipes and am always looking for new and different recipes. Right now I am focusing on Christmas dinners. How about some Spiced Citrus Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries, or Baked Onions with Sour Cream Raisin Sauce. Check out these and many other Christmas dinner recipes What a wonderful looking book full of wonderful looking recipes. The pictures in this article make my mouth water. I work with Better Recipes and am always looking for new and different recipes. Right now I am focusing on Christmas dinners. How about some Spiced Citrus Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries, or Baked Onions with Sour Cream Raisin Sauce. Check out these and many other Christmas dinner recipes Christmas Dinner Recipes