When Southern Living publisher, Oxmoor House (an imprint of Time Home Entertainment),  contacted me about the possibility of reviewing another one of their books, I was eager to accept as always.  You just know that I am a long-time, huge fan, right?   And you also know that I’m a lover of Christmas as well even though I ONLY have one tree these days — down from as many as three in the past.  So…when they told me that this new book was Christmas All Through the South: Joyful Memories, Timeless Moments, Enduring Traditions, I literally responded with a resounding yes in a split second after receiving the request.  Do you think I may have sounded a tad bit too eager?

And ya’ll this is one beautiful piece of art.  But it’s not just another pretty face; I’m loving the inspirational stories that are shared in it.  Honestly, I expected it to be more of a holiday cookbook, and while it does have an abundance of delicious-sounding menu ideas and recipes, it has far more than that.

The first section is entitled “Joyful Anticipation” — appropriate for this time of the year when all of the Christmas decorations are finding their way to the store shelves and the catalogs are already featuring “suggestions” for toys that are sure to be THE ones your kiddos will want to find under the tree. Those traditions and rituals that we all have —from the special ornaments on the tree or even the tree itself — those are the memories we cherish and the ones we pass on to our children and grandchildren.

We are reminded that “even before the first gift is wrapped comes the official beginning of the season” when Morgan Murphy shares “The Perfect Yuletide Evergreen.”  However you fetch your tree — from the farm, from the lot, or even the backyard (a story for another day), you just know that it will be a perfect one, the best one yet.  And maybe after you’ve inspected EVERY available tree,  you’ll enjoy the suggested menu for A Hearty Picnic in the Pines: rosemary scented cold cider, skillet fried chicken, apple-cabbage slaw, sweet potato salad, chameleon icebox cookies, or what is sure to be my favorite — caramel drop-banana bread trifle. 

When you get that all prepared, be sure to invite me over to join your festivities and to help you hang your most beloved ornaments.

You know the ones, don’t you?  The plaster of Paris thumbprint.  The clothespin reindeer.  The jar lid photo frame.  Whatever yours is, you are sure to relate to “Ode to the Homemade Ornament” by Kim Cross.  And after the tree is all bedecked with those lovelies that ne’er will you part, perhaps we’ll share a tidbit or two from the suggested Cocktail Supper Menu featuring some old favorites like Crab Meat Mornay, Smoked Salmon and Dill Crème Fraiche, and, of course, Pecan Bourbon Balls.

Woven throughout the remaining sections (Delightful Destinations, Hearth Gatherings, Sparkling Celebrations, and Festive Recipes) are  more memorable stories, menus, recipes and elegant decorating ideas.  You’ll also be able to take a photographic tour of some  iconic Southern destinations such as The Biltmore House, The Greenbrier, both of which are on my touring bucket list, and the Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans where Hubby and I honeymooned.

Those gorgeous white cakes that always grace the cover of the December issue of Southern Living?  You’ll find many of those famous recipes collected here along with a five-layer Red Velvet-White Chocolate Cheesecake and Fondant Snowflakes.  But that’s not all.

This book is sure to become a keepsake every Southern belle (or beau) will treasure and enjoy year after year.  As Rick Bragg writes in the foreword, “The Southern Christmas is rich in its traditions, its own beauties, its own recipes and notions and, yes, peculiarities.  It is why, no matter where we live in this world, we yearn to come home [to the South perhaps] as time draws near.”

It’s a beautiful hardcover coffee table book to be sure, but it’s also a tremendously useful resource.  I can’t even begin to share it all.  Just reading Christmas All Through the South is like coming home for the holidays.

Go buy yourself an early Christmas present and get this book.  Trust me.  You’ll be glad you did. 

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book from Oxmoor House in return for my review.  As always, the opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Photo Source: Christmas All Through the South