Martha Stewart's Christmas

There were pages completely torn out of this book. A huge bummer since it stated “very good condition”. What was left of it is great, though.

I can see this book is not new. It is to me, and I find is very inpirational! I use it every year for Christmas, for getting the house ready, for baking, for decorating and setting the tables, for ideas on how to use my plates, bowls and dishes in different ways, for altering things I already own into new settings - I do own a few of her C-mas books, this is by far the best one. If you celebrate this holiday - or just want to arrange a beautiful winter feast, you will not be sorry to own this book!(I use it as gifts for friends, and have already bought three..)

I loved the 'feel' of this book, very festive. The presentation is beautiful.What disappointed me a little was that there was no pattern for the gingerbread mansion that was featured in the book, which was the main reason I bought it. It's a little too easy for me to just be told to 'use your imagination' and 'the possibilities are endless'. I expected more!Other than that, it is a very nice addition to my book collection with timeless ideas and inspirations, or just to browse through when christmas season comes around.

Yesterday I made Noel Nut Balls and the chocolate-dipped almond cookies for the fifth or sixth Christmas in a row, and chances are I'll make several of the other recipes before the end of the holidays. The cookie recipes are easy to follow, guaranteed to please and the cookies themselves can be frozen for weeks without any change in texture, appearance or flavor. However, I can't imagine many busy people whipping up the cassoulet or even the fruitcake unless they are experienced cooks who can confidently evaluate and execute rather expensive (in terms of ingredients) recipes.The craft and gift ideas run the range from easy and very rewarding (such as making your own wrapping paper, which turns out to be a great activity to do with children-- and those gold and coppery designs look sensational under the tree) to the fantastical...like using a jeweller's drill to make holes in nuts for decorative purposes. Still, this is a book full of ideas for holiday activities and creations for people with the full range of abilities and available time and it really is enjoyable to read and to look through. I am buying a second copy because the first has literally fallen apart. This is the second Martha Stewart book to have broken into pieces (Entertaining did, as well) and I do question the quality of binding.

I adore Martha Stewart. She's a terrific teacher and this is absolutely the best Christmas "idea" book I've ever read. I love the recipes and photos. It's a book I will treasure and one I will use over and over again. Thank you, Martha!

I was very impressed with this book. Have spent hours reviewing it and pondering ideas. Just great!!!