Country Living Merry and Bright or Impress for Less

Country Living Merry and Bright: 301 Festive Ideas for Celebrating Christmas

Author: Country Living

Turn every nook and cranny of the house into a sparkling holiday wonderland! Country Living has created a delightful volume filled with hundreds of ideas for creating Christmas beauty everywhere—and it begins with the moment the first boxes of cherished ornaments come out. Every page is breathtaking, with unique color schemes that vary from the traditional red and green; fabulous tree-toppers; and exceptional ornaments, from paper dolls to leather baby shoes. Wreaths and garlands bedeck bed frames, doorknobs, and even hang from chandeliers. There are mantelpiece and tabletop displays with a contingent of Santa figurines, dazzling table and buffet settings, recipes such as chocolate snowflakes, and even some simple crafts—including a silvery cone of jingle bells embellished with a beautifully tied bow.

Constance Ashmore Fairchild - Library Journal

Christmas decorations are so popular that some people never get around to putting them away. Country Livingmagazine has compiled a book of tips and ideas for using all those accumulated ornaments and found items on trees, furniture, and walls. Except for a chapter of recipes for baked goods, there are few projects, just page after page of photos and suggestions. A good selection for public libraries needing more holiday material.

Look this: Complete Home Bartenders Guide or Food Network Kitchens Favorite Recipes

Impress for Less!

Author: Beth DAddono

How would you like to serve up five-star restaurant food at your next dinner party? QVC personality Hope Fox makes it possible with this one-of-a-kind cookbook, which shares amazing recipes from 100 top restaurants across the country—ten each from ten top food cities. Best of all, Fox has streamlined and simplified all of the recipes so you can easily prepare them in your own kitchen, using basic equipment and supermarket ingredients.

The book is brimming with impressively delicious starters and main courses—Braised Duck Legs with Asian Spices from Jean Georges in New York, Seared Scallops with Tomato Beurre Blanc from Restaurant Michael Mina in San Francisco, and Chicory Coffee Lacquered Game Hens from Commander's Palace in New Orleans, to name just three. With dishes like these, plus 97 more from restaurants like Spaggia in Chicago, Jöel in Atlanta, and Lucques in Los Angeles, it’ll be a cinch to impress your dinner party guests—for less!