The holidays are coming! What last minute details can you do to help celebrate together? Kathy will share some great ideas on table decorations and how to create some sweet, family friendly treats you can make at home on next week's Design Time- Morning News at 9am!
So a few tips to remember while decorating your table for Thanksgiving company....
Think of who is coming!
This is so important! Please take a moment and think who will be celebrating with you.
Are there going to be kids? Maybe then, you should NOT have lit candles at the table. So often we hear about house fires due to the turkey cooking, but also, there are many burn victims under the age of 10 caused by candles and dry decorations on the family table that have been left unattended. Little ones are drawn to those flickering lights, just like their birthday candles and they want to blow them out. The dry leaves or straw you placed under the candles that looks so pretty is not worth a trip to the emergency room! INSTEAD use battery operated tea lights if you want the look!
Thinking of kids again...have something ready for them! Do something extra for them.
Get a few coloring sheets ready and crayons. Have a snack on their spot. It is hard for all of us to wait till dinner time. Have a turkey made out of Veggies or a small sweet treat that they will enjoy. Cover a juice box with a brown piece of paper and make a turkey face on it. See images below for some ideas. Make a treat as you wait. See the recipe below.
Think of your guests...Does anyone have low sugar or health issues? One of the worst Thanksgivings I remember is when Grandpa starting to get weak. We asked if he was ok, and he told us he was, but his numbers were dropping and he did not want to cause an issue. Dinner took longer than expected and he got shaky. Then he was on the floor. The ambulance had to be called. Watching the team working on him on the kitchen floor in front of the beautiful decorated table is not a memory I cherish. It was a very scary moment. We were truly THANKFUKL that we all were able to celebrate together, but we were very close to being one person short that night!
So, it is a good idea to put out some appetizers or all sorts: Protein, sweets, starches....just incase someone needs something for health issues until dinner is ready!
Make it Easy
You have a lot to do hosting dinner even if it is only for your family. Make it a little bit easier for you. Keep your decorations simple. Add one thing special. Maybe that is decorative water glasses, special napkins or the gold silverware (do you know they make plastic gold silverware). Add a wreath to a bottom of a vase is a simple way to decorate a table.
If you have center decorations on the table, place them on a tray or a platter so you can pick them up easily and move them to anther location during the meal. See images below of how the look is similar, but one is much easier to move if needed. Then you can talk to your guests without having your view interrupted.
Enjoy the people and then time together. No one may remember how great the pumpkin pie is, but they will remember how hard Mom laughed telling the story about when they tried to canoe down the ditch to the Saginaw River.
Moments Matter! We are so very thankful for you! Thank you for keeping our business alive and becoming our family and friends over the past 64 years!
Sweet Treat Recipes- Chocolate Covered Yummies!
Make them with the family or for the family
Ingredients
8 squares Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate, at least 72% cacao (or Chocolate Chips work too)
1 cup unsalted cashews, peanuts or mixed nuts
NO NUTS? NO PROBLEM- use, Chow Mein Noodles, Potato Chips, Marshmallows
Decorations/ Sprinkles/ anything fun and pretty you want to have the kids help with!
Instructions
Prepare a cookie sheet by covering with wax paper.
In a microwave safe measuring cup or bowl, break up pieces of chocolate and cook in microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat in 30 second intervals until the chocolate is almost melted. It usually takes about 1-½ minutes. Stir until completely smooth. Don't rush it. Chocolate will burn. You need to do slowly and mix in between. Glass may get hot. Watch the kids!
Add nuts or other items that you are covering to chocolate and stir to coat.
Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
Add Sprinkles or decorations to the top of the drops while chocolate is warm so the decorations will stick.
When all candies are made, place cookie sheet in refrigerator until set, about 1 hour.
Once set, you can store them in a resealable plastic bag until your next chocolate craving. If you leave them out, anyone passing by will take one, two, three and they will be gone, very, very, quickly!