Katie Brown Celebrates: Simple and Spectacular Parties All Year Round

Katie Brown Celebrates has over 100 tasty recipes that make your mouth water with anticipation. With an introduction from the author, this wonderful book has month-by-month recipes, though they could be used any time of the year. With an innovative and delightful 6 page picture index at the back, I have to tell you, this book has tempted my taste buds and inspired my own creative party-hosting abilities. There are countless, vibrant and beautiful photographs, with each recipe photo showing you exactly what you're version should look like. Some recipe titles include: Parmesan Soup with Swiss Chard-Stuffed Dumplings Gorgonzola-Stuffed Potatoes White Bean-Lamb Stew Herbed Feta Puffs Pizza Stick Roll-Ups Green Garden Soup Lemon-Rhubarb Trifle Moroccan Braised Chicken Apple Brownies Pear Salad With Jicama Radish, and Celery .....And MUCH, MUCH MORE! With unique and creative party planning and menu ideas, many of which I have never seen before, you are sure to find everything you will need to delight even the most discerning of guests. I very highly recommend this book! (10 out of 10 Diamonds) - Absolutely LOVED it!! © 2008-2009 Bobbie Crawford-McCoy (Book Reviews By Bobbie). All rights reserved.

Here is the Cadillac of cookbooks; it even smells good! The beautifully colored glossy pages are divided into the twelve months of the year with plans for a celebration party that includes invitations and decorations to recipes for appetizers through desserts. Easy craft projects are clever. Recipes are easy to follow. Mix and match menus ideas are in the back, along with a color index. It's a can't miss entertainer's tool.

Do you love to entertain but need some fresh ideas? Are you afraid to entertain because you think it's too difficult? If you answered yes to either of those questions, Katie Brown Celebrates: Simple and Spectacular Parties All Year Round is for you. In this book, Katie Brown gives you recipes, and ideas for decorating and favors for a party a month. She covers everything from a Spicy Graduation Celebration to A Birthday Valentine to Holiday Brunch. At the back of the book she has included Mix and Match Menus (using the included recipes) to create even more celebrations. There's also a great picture index in the back. One of the things I love about this book is that the dishes and decorations don't look professionally made - they look like something that can be duplicated easily. As an example, I've included the picture of the Wafer Cake she made for a Kids' Day party. The cake is made from a mix and the frosting is from a tub. All you have to do is create the decorations. I tried out the recipe for Herbed Feta Puffs (from The Welcome Wagon) and they are simple and delicious. I have to admit to "sampling" quite a bit of the filling as I made these.

This is Katie Brown's fifth book, newly released from Hachette Books. This latest book is all about celebration. " After all, the art of celebration is what makes life fun - it is what creates tradition and memories." Brown provides us with the tools and ideas to make our own celebrations and memories. There are monthly ideas including graduations, birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and many more. Each month is introduced by an anecdote from Brown's life. There are decorations, favours, table settings and of course recipes for every occasion. There are some great quick ideas - try using different colours and widths of duct tape to give a picnic table a new tablecloth. There are more involved ideas to create elegant tableaus as well. What I enjoyed most were the recipes. There are some basics that are sure to become family traditions - Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast Roll Ups has been tried and enjoyed in my kitchen. And some new twists on old standbys - Whole Grain Potato Salad, Apple Brownies. As well, there are some recipes that are completely new that I cannot wait to try - Parmesan Soup with Swiss Chard Dumplings is on my list. But my sweet tooth rules - there are some totally decadent desserts featured that had my mouth watering. The entire book is filled with glossy, colour photographs detailing everything. There is also a section with the recipes broken down into categories - soups, main, desserts etc. Brown has also combined the recipes into new occasions - garden lunch, candlelight dinner and more. This is a great book to follow or use as inspiration as you create your own celebrations.

from the glossy full page pictures, to the simple yet elegant recipes. Katie Brown gives us a dinner party to host for every month. Each month has a specific theme which she carries through the recipes and table decorations and setting. Three projects are given for the table layout for each month, and these are all so simple and inexpensive that even I could do them - and that is saying a lot. I do not craft. The book is very beautiful, I will make sure to keep it out of the kitchen when I am using the recipes though, mine tend to get encrusted in all sorts of unidentifiable substances. One of the really great things about this book is that the dinners were actually prepared and eaten by Katie and her guests. The pictures of them enjoying the food are fun and natural. (I especially love that Katie is not made-up to within an inch of her life, but is photographed in her natural state - freckles and all.) I could not, of course, do a review of a cookbook without trying one of the recipes. So, today I made the Honey-spiced almonds to eat on our salad for dinner. The instructions were clear and simple. The ingredients I had on hand. The finished product absolutely delicious.