My most recent Audible listen is “Whiskey in a Teacup” by Reese Witherspoon. It was a short book, so I finished it quickly. I’m sharing bits of what I liked about the book, which is part memoir and part how-to guide for hosting, for those looking for their next read (or listen).
While I did not grow up in the South, I have always been fascinated by the history, lifestyle and culture — at least how it is often depicted. I like the approach to hospitality and the focus on family. Reese Witherspoon’s “Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits” painted a picture of life as a Southern woman, and I liked her enthusiasm for the topics she covers.
I learned a thing or two about hosting, for sure. I love that she gives recipes and ideas for hosting dinner parties and other events. I don’t often host people at our house because we don’t know many people in Chicago and most of our family is in either Arizona or Kentucky, but someday I would love to have more gatherings at our home, and her ideas for what to serve and how to host are genuinely helpful. (Well, they could use more vegetarian options, but she does suggest offering them.)
I was inspired by how family-oriented she is. I would love to adopt her idea of sharing each family member’s rose and thorn at dinner, during which each person would put away his or her phone and electronics. It’s not a new concept, of course, but we share that goal.ย That’s exactly how I want to raise my children.
Not all chapters were super captivating for me, but I enjoyed the book overall. Most of the dishes she mentions you’ve probably heard of before, but it’s worth checking out her take on them. (I have yet to make any, so I can’t discuss how good they are.) Also, there’s an entire section on monograms. I had no idea monograms were so important, but she sure seems passionate about them.
Reese Witherspoon really appreciates tradition, yet she seems progressive. I don’t think any of her opinions or statements would really offend anyone, although she does generalize about Southern women. I have always liked Reese Witherspoon, but I am even more fond of her now. She’s so charming! You don’t have to share much in common to enjoy her book. I also very much enjoyed hearing her accent.
Have you read “Whiskey in a Teacup”?
Related posts:
Thoughts on “Girl, Wash Your Face”
Thoughts on “Joy of Less”
Inspiration from “Year of Less”
