This month I was given the opportunity to review At Ease: A Salute to Creative Entertaining by Lynn R. Wilson.
To call At Ease a cookbook doesn’t do it justice. Reading At Ease felt like not just a breath of fresh air, but better – a breath filled with the warmth of the magical days of yesteryear.
A time when homes glowed with the laughter of families and friends gathering together over carefully selected cocktails and delicious food. A time when courtesy and thoughtfulness were considered above all else.
To make it even better, $1.00 of each book sold is donated to military family charities. When Lynn speaks at military installations, she donates to their Welfare Funds. The sales from bookstores and online are donated to various charities. So far proceeds have gone to the Fisher House, Sole Survivor Foundation, AUSA Family Programs and OME (Operation Military Embrace).
At Ease goes beyond the traditional cookbook. Each section is divided by month and includes not just scrumptious recipes fit to serve a crowd, but also lovingly written details of how to craft your invitations, decorate your party and entertain your guests.
At Ease is divided into 12 sections, each categorized by month and every month includes ideas for two different types of themed dinner parties.
Each of which has a slight twist or variation to make your dinner party unique and memorable, such as her suggestion to hold a holiday trivia night with friends and family in December to celebrate the festive season without adding any typical gift exchange stress.
Lynn Wilson, the author of the book and a self-defined “Army Brat” and military wife, says At Ease was the, “culmination of 38 years of entertaining in various locales throughout her husband’s army career.”
She wrote the book to inspire others to entertain and show people that entertaining can be stress free and fun. I, for one, can say that the book does prove just that.
Upon closing the covers of the book, I was immediately filled with the desire to befriend more people in the military community, don my apron, and invite them over for a fabulous dinner party.
At Ease is a reminder of the best of what the military community represents, friendship, family, support and the importance of spending quality time with each other over a home cooked meal. It was a joy to read and I can already tell it will be my personal tome to turn to for creative entertaining for years to come.