I enjoyed this book from the word "Go!" As a lover of all things historical, I truly enjoyed the bits of history intertwined throughout the beautifully written stories. Did you know that the cranberry used to be called a craneberry? Or maybe you know what grapes, blueberries, and cranberries have in common? We found out that they are some of the only fruits that are native to the North America. Well, this and more can be learned as you read through the pages of Cranberry Christmas.
Ever year I host our family Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration that we have affectionately deemed "Thanksmas." There are printable pages for napkin rings and placecards that will be a part of this year's celebration thanks to this lovely book. My girls and I enjoyed the time we spent together creating place settings for our holiday table. As we created our "masterpieces," we had the opportunity to talk about the stories included in the book. These stories are easy to relate to and fun to read at any age.
The recipes in Cranberry Christmas are simple and delicious. With Thanksmas just around the corner, I have picked my favorite recipes to try out on the family. Not only will my table be absolutely beautiful, I will now be able to serve some delicious cranberry treats that I otherwise wouldn't have been able to. My absolute favorite recipe that we tried was the Colorful Slaw with Cranberries. Not only is it simple to make, it is delicious and absolutely beautiful.
It is a cinch to use this book as a unit study during the holiday season. There is something for every age. If you have elementary age children the poems and stories can be used as copy work or memory work. I found the recipes and printable resources useful when it came to my teenagers. They love both projects and cooking, so this gave us the tools necessary to prep for our holiday celebration. We also enjoyed the games inside, who doesn't enjoy a holiday word find now and then? Cranberry Christmas also goes into some detail describing how this versatile fruit is harvested, and gives a lot of ideas for hands on projects to reinforce the learning process. Cranberries can be used to dye cloth, make homemade paper, color food naturally and much more.
The most beautiful thing we created after reading this book was the Cranberry Garland. It takes a little time, but is completely worth it. Since we have dogs that were interested in making it an afternoon snack for themselves, we will use it as a centerpiece on the table instead of garland on the tree!
The thing I love the most about this book is the way that God's love shines through the pages. Not only did the author make sure to give glory to the creator of this bouncy fruit through the historical information, but the short stories show the love of God and the true reason we celebrate the holidays.
I am confident that you will enjoy this book. There is something for every age and every stage in life.
This post is a review for Schoolhouse Review Crew.
Find more blogs here: www.SchoolhouseReviewCrew.com
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