Seasonal Family Almanac: Recipes, Rituals, and Crafts to Embrace the Magic of the Year by Emma Frisch & Jana Blankenship
A review by Laura Larson, Odyssey Books
Emma Frisch, author of Feast by Firelight, and co-owner of Ithaca’s own glamping resort, Firelight Camps, has partnered with Jana Blankenship to create a book which is part recipe, part craft manual, and part meditation on our connection to the seasons. The result is Seasonal Family Almanac which invites you to deepen your connection to the world around you. Structured to mirror the rhythms of the seasons and the cycles of the moon, this guide reminds readers to live intentionally in the world around us and encourages us to live our days at nature’s pace.
Seasonal Family Almanac will inspire you to leave the comfort of your reading corner, go outside, and engage with what is happening locally and seasonally around you through food, play, and crafts. You’ll be prompted and encouraged to make note of what is happening in the world outside your own front door. What foods are available locally, and thus seasonally? How can you connect to the daily, monthly, and yearly rhythms all around you?
Frisch and Blankenship provide advice on how to dress (in the “there is no bad weather, only bad clothing” school), what to bring on a hike, how to build a fire, and create homemade self-care products that reflect each season’s distinct needs and offerings. The prose is accessible for children and adult readers alike, with helpful guides to the relative challenge of a recipe or craft.
One of the most wonderful aspects of life in the Fingers Lakes is the way every season offers its gifts. Whether you call the Finger Lakes home for a single day or all your days, Seasonal Family Almanac is a perfect way to bring the seasonal gifts of our area into your everyday life.
Laura Larson is the owner of Odyssey Bookstore. After many years away, Laura is excited to be back in her hometown of Ithaca, enjoying the wonderful edible and outdoor bounty of upstate New York.
