I inherited my mother's copy of this book, published in 1966. It was my first introduction to Tasha Tudor and her beautiful artwork. TAKE JOY is full of Christmas stories, poems, carols, recipes, accounts of her own family celebrations and quaint illustrations. I love her recipe for fudge:
SETH'S FUDGE
3 squares cooking chocolate
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
Chop up squares of chocolate and put in heavy saucepan with sugar, salt, milk and syrup. Place of LOW heat, stir until mixture boils. This takes a while, about twenty minutes, so have a book to read while stirring. Then cook to stage where it will form a soft ball in water (234 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat, stir in butter and cool to lukewarm. Add vanilla and stir vigorously about 5 minutes and turn into a large bread tin, buttered. Makes about a pound. Cut when cool and wrap each piece in aluminum foil or wax paper.
TAKE JOY! TASHA TUDOR CHRISTMAS BOOK
written and illustrated by Tasha Tudor. (ages 7 and up). An old-fashioned Christmas book.
A TIME TO KEEP: THE TASHA TUDOR BOOK OF HOLIDAYS
Month by month, Tasha Tudor's delicate illustrations bring to life the holidays of an earlier time. A warm-hearted celebration of family and tradition, this treasury of "times to keep" will be cherished and enjoyed all year long. (Ages 7 and up)
THE DOLLS CHRISTMAS
by Tasha Tudor. (ages 4-8)
Christmas is a special time at Pumpkin House, where two dolls named Sethany Ann and Nicey Melinda live. Every Christmas they invite their friends to join them for an elegant dinner party and a marionette show. The dolls have fun getting ready for their party: they send out invitations to their guests by Sparrow Post, decorate their very own Christmas tree with silver nutmegs and golden pears, and prepare doll-size cookies and other treats for the party. Then at "candlelight-time" on Christmas Day the guests begin to arrive, and the evening isn't over until the last carol has been sung around the tree.
To read more about Tasha Tudor, read my past blog post about her.
This book reminds me of my blog friend's book, written by Avril (mother) and daughter Frances. Here is the link, it is called http://treasureseekerstudio.blogspot.com/2010/12/oh-christmas-tree.html
ReplyDeleteI love reading books ever since I was a little kid. Now that I am a father myself, I encourage my kids to read good books. There are a lot of good books to read like the Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter or those which are written by Stephen King.
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