Southern Seasons: 12 Months of Tea-licious Recipes & Ideas

By: Linda J. Hawkins
Publisher: Heart to Heart Publishing, Inc.
Publication Date: May 2017
ISBN: 978-1-937008-53-6
Reviewed by: Amy Lignor 
Review Date: December 5, 2017

To classify this book as a cookbook is just not enough. Yes, it certainly fits into said category by offering recipes that you will most definitely want to create in your own kitchen, but author Linda J. Hawkins has gone far beyond that. For anyone with one of those awesome grandmothers who made those cookies you were salivating over all week long, knowing you were headed to the grandparents’ house for Sunday dinner to enjoy them while spending time with the family you loved (Miss you, Grandma!), this one is most definitely for you.

Aptly fitting the description the author gives in her introduction, this book is full of “Tea-riffic” information! First, we begin with the photographs. This book offers up some of the most stunning pictures imaginable. Cutting the book into seasons, then by month within each season, pictures appear spotlighting everything from a landscape glistening with a blanket of snow to a spring garden filled with the newest flowers just beginning to bloom – waking up in order to give the world a fresh, new look under the much warmer sunshine. Then, you have the words. This is not only a group of recipes with directions and ingredients, but also pages of quotes from poets, inspirational words from the Bible, and kind, fun, peaceful short stories shared with readers about the tea parties that went from events to yearly family traditions in the Hawkins’ household.

The author lets readers in on facts about the enjoyment of tea served with glorious foods, and even shares a list of various signature tea parties that can be held to include friends, families, children, and more. The list talks about everything from a “Little Ones First Tea” event to a “Seashore Tea” that can be held while looking out upon the awesome beauty of Mother Nature’s waves.

Not only are the teas spoken about delicious, but the appetizers – from candy to dips – and the main courses that range from Roasted Maple Glazed Tenderloin to Almond Crusted Chicken with Strawberry Balsamic Sauce, are also provided with easy to follow recipes to make sure the meal you feast upon at your “tea party” is truly unforgettable. Some are even extremely unique, like Delightful Divinity which is served at your “Friendship Tea” to celebrate those close pals who play a large, caring part in your life. Add into all this an Etiquette page, and a slew of extra gifts from the author that show you some of the amazing places she has traveled, and you most definitely have a stellar, high-level guide that shows you how to live an enjoyable life.

Quill says: This is truly a “must-have” for the household, enabling everyone to create tea-riffic family traditions.

For more information on Southern Seasons: 12 Months of Tea-licious Recipes & Ideas, please visit the author's website at: www.lindajhawkins.com