A fun night sampling Christmas treats — and spotting teacups!

Last week was a busy one with two different book signing events on the agenda. I'm aways grateful for opportunities to speak with those who are interested in my books, but the event I attended last Wednesday night was definitely one of a kind! The Senoia Area Historical Society hosts something they call "Cook the Book" each month, where a cookbook is selected and the members all make a recipe from that book. This month, the featured book was the cookbook I wrote last year, The Vintage Christmas Cookbook, and Alex and I were invited to be their guests, and I was to say a few words and sign some books. Here I am with Beth Young, their program coordinator, who is always a pleasure to work with.

It was so much fun (and quite an honor) to see all of those sweets and realize that they came from my own cookbook!

My favorite, I quickly realized, was the Peppermint Chiffon Pie. That light filling practically melts in your mouth, and frankly, I enjoyed it even more since I didn't have to make it!

Several of the attendees made these old-fashioned Market Bulletin Orange Balls (so named because my grandmother cut out the recipe from Georgia's old Market Bulletin years ago). Quite a few of us mentioned what a nice surprise it is to bite into something citrusy like these treats at the holidays.

What made the evening even more delightful was all of the vintage decor that they shared, from vintage Santas and old Christmas hankies …

To angels …

And the thing I was most excited about sharing here, vintage Christmas figures in teacups!

Remember beaded ornaments? I seem to recall making a few of these back in the day.

I must confess that it hadn't occurred to me to do anything with my Christmas teacups other than display them on a teacup stand, and this gave me a whole new outlook on that.

Can you stand one more teacup photo? I spotted this one in a museum display and naturally had to stop and read about its significance.

I'm sure the museum has frequent visitors from The Veranda, a lovely B and B just a few blocks away that is meaningful to me for quite a few reasons. I hosted my old roommate's bridesmaids luncheon there in the late nineties, and my stepdaughter's wedding reception was held there in 2009. It's a beautiful place, and back when it was known as the Hollberg Hotel, Margaret Mitchell interviewed Confederate veterans on the steps there as she was researching Gone With the Wind. It's always fun to visit with friends in Senoia, and I always learn something new at their museum!