Like Christmas

I was like a kid on Christmas Tuesday when my friend and former coworker Angela McRae let me be one of the few privileged people to lay eyes on her first published book, "Dainty Dining." See below:

As the subtitle of the book suggests, the book includes "Vintage recipes, memories and memorabilia from America's department store tea rooms."

Let me preface my review of this book by saying that, in real life, I'm like "eh" about tea. I have a spot of it here and there. Mostly when I have a sore throat. My appreciation for tea came from Angela's gentle nudging. Add to that the fact that most of these tea rooms were extinct before I became cognitively aware, and I thought I would be giving my friend's book the ol' obligatory, cheery review.

I was wrong. As I write this blog, I'm devouring my advance copy. I'm so captivated by this book. Jonathan loves it, too!

The first thing I noticed is that the book is packaged perfectly. It looks amazingly professional — and it's pretty, too! Pretty in pink, to be exact. That was no surprise to me, though, because Angela's favorite color is pink.

The content inside does not disappoint, either. The pages are packed with beautiful pictures, delicious, must-try recipes and interesting stories from our nation's history.

It's a wonderful niche publication, but it definitely has mass appeal. You should pick up a copy for yourself — and definitely for anyone who appreciates tea and longs for the return of the department store tea rooms (I do, now!). This would make a great Christmas gift.

For more information on ordering, check out Angela's blog: teawithfriends.blogspot.com.

I am so proud of my friend's accomplishment. She deserves this — she poured her heart and soul into this. I hope she's basking in the moment. But not for too long, then she needs to get started writing her next book!