4 Unique styles for Hosting (3)

4 Unique Styles for Hosting Over the Holidays

When it comes to holiday entertaining there are many ways to bring different groups of people together. A memorable holiday gathering leaves a lasting impression–a warm feeling of family, community filled with rambling conversations, peppered with flavors that fill the stomach as well as the soul.

Hosting a successful holiday gathering goes well beyond just the theme of Thanksgiving or Christmas. Consider who you will be entertaining, and what type of atmosphere you would like to create.

The recipe for a successful holiday gathering is very simply–a classic combination of food, people, drinks, and meaningful discussions. Food has the power to bring people together–whether you’re serving family members, business colleagues, or new friends. Every choice you make–from theme to menu to music–should center around creating this atmosphere of warmth, openness, and discussion. However, every host or hostess adds their own personal flavor to the event–a sprinkle of fun, a dash of competition, or a heaping spoonful of classic elegance.

Choose a theme by thinking about the reason for your holiday dinner party. Are you entertaining close friends, neighbors, inviting your boss or colleagues? Are you celebrating a holiday with just your relatives or a mix of family and friends?

Consider The Atmosphere You Want to Create

From there you can consider the atmosphere you’d like to create. Will this be an intimate event, or will the evening be an energetic introduction of many new acquaintances? Is this a formal dinner, or a casual gathering? Would you like your guests to feel calm and relaxed, or excited and boisterous?

The atmosphere and theme work together. Even a theme as simple as “Christmas Dinner” can be interpreted in many ways. Is it a classic, elegant, Charles Dickens-style Christmas? A Southern charm Christmas? A fun, whimsical, snow wonderland Christmas with elves and sparkles? A gingerbread and candy Christmas?

Once you’ve decided on the atmosphere you plan to create, you can begin to really narrow down your theme. Many factors can determine a theme.

1. Hosting An Eclectic Group

This is the perfect time to try out some fun finger foods. Maybe make it a pot luck of appetizers. Create a light and casual get together where people can mix and mingle, bring along their children and catch up with others. Imagine guests standing around with a signature cocktail or glasses of sparkling cider, chatting away with an assortment of finger foods and sweets. Mix up the music to appeal to everyone’s style.

2. The Formal Sit Down Dinner

Perhaps you want to dust off your grandmother’s china and host a formal dinner with napkins folded into swans and glistening holiday candles. Place guests according to their interests and hobbies so that the conversation is lively at the table. Keep in mind that this is not much fun for little ones. We are not saying don’t invite them but there was a reason Grandma sat you at the kids table.

3. Hosting Outdoors

Depending on the climate where you live, outdoors can be an amazing way to host friends and neighbors for the holidays. Perhaps you will spark up a fire pit and serve up some butternut squash soup and rustic bread.

Even if you are fortunate enough to live in a region that boasts long lovely springs and blissful autumns, you still cannot always count on Mother Nature to deliver the perfect weather, can you? Having an entertaining plan that incorporates the inside space of your home into the flow of a party can cut down on the anxiety of a pop-up storm or another unplanned unpleasant occurrence.

4. Traditional Family Dinner

Entertaining small can be wonderful. Take care not to create the atmosphere of a weeknight family meal. Make the dinner special for your intimate group. If you want to create a magical dinner for your immediate family, think about special moments in their lives that you want to honor or celebrate and turn your table settings into personalized themes with photos and mementos. You can list the years achievements like you would in a Christmas letter but instead of sharing their accomplishments with the world, share how proud you are of them at the holiday table. This can work regardless of the holiday.

Simple is still memorable

There are thousands of creative, whimsical, elegant, and classic ideas for decorating a tablescape, which can easily be found online. Sometimes just browsing through photos can help you brainstorm the perfect theme and decor for your dinner party.

However good the food, however fine the drink, and however fun the atmosphere — the highlight of a dinner party remains memorable and meaningful conversation among friends and family.

If you plan a few questions beforehand, you won’t be stuck in a rut if the conversation starts to dwindle. Deep, meaningful conversations over wine, candles, and good food — this is the stuff memorable dinner parties are made of.

Your holiday dinner should be as distinct and unique as you. The games, atmosphere, themes, and menu should reflect who you are. Likewise, a host or hostess shouldn’t have to stress out; a dinner doesn’t have to be complex to be amazing. Remember: All of the lace, flowers, and candles on earth won’t make a holiday memorable–at the end, what everyone remember most are how they felt, the people they connected with and conversations.

All of the lace, flowers, and candles on earth won’t make a holiday memorable–at the end what everyone remember most are how they felt, the people they connected with and the conversations.

Cheers. Here’s to creating an unforgettable holiday lasting happy memories.

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Holiday Entertaining Check List

santa reading list

Make The List – Check it Twice!

Starting from the beginning with a well thought out entertaining plan will determine everything from your menu to your choice of music.

Once you’ve determined your menu, take a few moments to write down each and every ingredient you’ll need for each course. Any event planner or caterer will tell you – staying organized is key! You’ve got a lot of things to think about: cooking, decorating, invitations, seating arrangements, games. It’ll be far easier and less stressful if you take a deep breath and take the time to organize. The last thing you want is to run back to the grocery store two or three times because you forgot a small ingredient!

On a separate document, make a list of every decor item you need. Put a checkmark next to any items you already own.

Most event coordinators will tell you: Begin planning early. Give yourself at least a month to plan. Here’s a simple checklist of your timeline for planning a dinner party.

A Month Before Your Event

  • Check Pinterest for unique themes
  • Brainstorm desired atmosphere and decor items
  • Create guest list
  • Begin planning menu

Three Weeks Before Your Event

  • Design and send invitations
  • Determine theme
  • Create a shopping list of required decor items
  • Begin shopping for decorations

Two Weeks Before Your Event

  • Guests RSVP; finalize the list of attendees
  • Check dietary needs for guests
  • Create seating arrangements
  • Finalize menu
  • Create a shopping list for ingredients

One Week Before Your Event

  • Choose music; begin creating a playlist
  • Create name cards if needed
  • Create ice-breaker question cards if needed
  • Deep clean house – Baseboards, lighting fixtures, etc.

Three Days Before Your Event

  • Use finalized shopping list; buy ingredients
  • Purchase alcoholic beverages – wine, champagne, beer, or cocktail mixes.
  • Purchase bottle-openers and corkscrews for opening wine.

The Day Before Your Event

  • Prepare as much of the menu as you can, so you can easily heat and serve the next day.
  • Trash out, restrooms clean
  • Begin decorating and laying out centerpieces, tablecloths, candles, flowers.
  • Hook-up playlist to make sure music plays
  • Go ahead and set your table as much as possible — one less thing to worry about tomorrow.

The Day Of Your Event

  • Prepare any remaining menu items
  • Warm-up previously-prepared foods
  • Layout hors-d’oeuvres and drinks for cocktail hour
  • Arrange all dishes for the prepared courses in the order you’ll need to serve them
  • Set the mood by lighting candles, turning on your playlist, and staging your home for guests.
  • Finally, get dressed for your holiday gathering
reading a book by a fire

Ideally, all of this early-preparation will leave very little work for you to do on the actual day of your holiday gathering. Be sure to take some time for yourself. Drink a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, and take a few moments to enjoy your space before your guests arrive.

Food Safety

5 Thanksgiving Food Safety Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Turkey cooking mistakes

properly thaw frozen turkey
Mistake #1 – Not Properly Thawing Frozen Turkey

When it comes to thawing the bird- the key is to think ahead.

  • How many pounds do you have?
  • How many days will you be required to leave it in the refrigerator to reach its thawing point?

The dangerous mistake occurs when the turkey is not thawed in the refrigerator. Never thaw on the counter or just sitting in a sink full of water.
The FDA guideline states frozen food of any kind should only be thawed in one of 3 ways:

  • In the refrigerator
  • Under continuous running cold water
  • In the microwave. (If food is thawed in the microwave it must be cooked immediately.)

Thankfully Butterball has a calculator that will help you plan

  • How much turkey you need by weight
  • How long to thaw a frozen turkey by the pound
  • How long your cook time will be
Undercooking the Turkey
Mistake #2 – Undercooking the Turkey

Cooking a turkey can be a daunting task if you have never done so. Be sure to remove all of the innards and the neck which will be tucked inside. You can use them to make a stock for the gravy.

The danger lies in the internal cooking temperature of the turkey. Turkey is considered poultry and the FDA urges that all poultry must be cooked until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Make sure you have tested your food thermometer. Keep it handy and check various parts of the bird. It is not done until every area you insert the thermometer in reads at least 165 degrees F. To test the accuracy of your thermometer you can place it in a glass of ice water for thirty seconds. If it reads 32 degrees F your device passes the test.

Properly reheating side dishes

Reheat the Side Dishes to the Correct Temperature
Mistake #3 – Not Reheating the Side Dishes to the Correct Temperature

Most people will make at least a few of the Thanksgiving side dishes ahead of time. This makes perfect sense considering how much cooking is involved.

Where this can become dangerous is assuming that since a side dish was once cooked properly it can be served with just the chill removed. All ready-to-heat food is required to be heated until an internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

The reason you must reheat to an internal temperature of 165 F is that bacteria grow very rapidly as food passes through what is called the temperature danger zone.

The temperature range for the danger zone is 40F-140 degrees F. These little bacteria can make someone very ill. Especially when it comes to children, the elderly, pregnant women, and anyone who may be immunocompromised. Think about who might be sitting at your table this holiday season and use your thermometer to check temps as you reheat the side dishes.

Properly refrigerating food sooner than later

Leaving Food Sit Out Hours After Serving
Mistake #4 – Do Not Leave Food Sit Out Hours After Serving

Many people have a sit-down family-style meal where everyone passes each delicious dish one at a time. Other households prefer to serve a wonderful buffet-style meal in which everyone makes a plate from a central location and carries their Thanksgiving dinner to their own seat. 

Regardless of how you prefer to dine, food-safety should still be top of mind.

Remember the old days where children were always instructed to wash their hands before dinner? This is still a great idea, in fact, in a post-pandemic world, everyone should wash their hands before sharing serving utensils. You as the cook should be washing in between touching each food item.

When it comes to serving your Thanksgiving feast the biggest rule of thumb is to not let any of the food sit out for more than two- hours. Once everyone has had time to eat, pack up the food, and get it in the refrigerator. If it is still hot or warm, simply divide it into smaller containers.

Mishandling of the Thanksgiving Leftovers
Mistake #5 – The Mishandling of the Thanksgiving Leftovers

Packing food in small containers with leftovers in them makes sense on so many levels.

  • If you are packing that leftover turkey stuffing and gravy into single-use disposable containers, your wonderful Thanksgiving leftovers can be offered to your guests as they leave.
  • If the containers are reheatable, you can portion out some ready-to-go meals for your family too.

    In the long run, this is the most efficient way to eat all the lovely thanksgiving food items in a timely manner. We live by the food-safety 3-day rule. By Sunday night all the leftovers must be frozen or thrown out. Make sure you follow the food safety rules of reheating foods to 165 degrees F also. Yes, you can eat the turkey meat cold, but if want some mashed potatoes and gravy or mac and cheese, remember to use the thermometer.

When it comes to food safety, you really cannot pick and choose. Bacteria and viruses are part of the world around us. We must learn to live with them and use the knowledge at hand to protect those around us.

As the cook and or the host of a meal, it is your responsibility to ensure that you have properly warded off the potential spread of viruses and properly killed off any bacteria that can potentially make you or someone you love ill. Having a happy holiday season starts with being healthy.

Remember: thaw food properly, cook poultry to 165 degrees F, reheat foods to 165 degrees F, refrigerate leftovers within two hours, freeze or discard leftovers after three days and wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands.

Have a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving!
To learn more about safe and healthy meal prep visit our site at Meal Prep Made.

Holiday Blunders (3)

10 Holiday Entertaining Blunders

We have all encountered one or all of these situations at one time. We have provided not only the hosting faux pas but the tips to ensure that when it’s your turn to entertain, you will be able to navigate the hosting of your party with ease and avoid these all too common entertaining blunders.


1. A Flurry of Confusion


The hosts are still preparing food an hour after the party started. No one knows where to place their gifts or leave their coats. Guests are scrambling through kitchen drawers looking for a wine opener.

Tip: As hosts of a party, being prepared and on time is can be challenging. Your guests deserve to enter a well planned environment. Make a list of everything you need to do to prepare and utilize t time management skills. We have written an article that can help Holiday Entertaining Checklist.

2. The Snooze Fest


A formal holiday dinner party where you were seated for the next two hours alongside a guest you have absolutely nothing in common with.

Tip: When planning out the seating arrangement at a dinner party, make sure you seat people with like interests together. As the host it is your job to keep the conversations moving, Always be scanning the table for lulls in the conversation and find a commonality for people.

3. Menu Snafu

You leave a party hungry.

Tip There are many people with dietary restrictions. Make sure you are aware of allergies or known food sensitivities prior to planning your menu. Make sure there is enough food for the amount of guests. It is always better to have more than less.

4. Sporting of the Lampshade

You arrive to find earlier guests or worse, the hosts already well on their way to feeling no pain

Tip: Start a party off with less alcohol by offering a spritzer in lieu of a glass of wine. A light beer instead of a 10 % stout, or a punch with light alcohol rather than a shot.

5. The Glass House

You were told it was okay to bring your small children to the party only to find precious antiques placed all over the house at their eye level.

Tip: As the hosts, you do not have to redecorate your entire home but do place precious items above the reach of very small children. Make sure they do not have access to anything that can be harmful to themselves such as cleaning supplies, sharp objects or medicines.

6. The House is a Mess

You’re not sure what has happened, however it is apparent that the house keeper has not visited in sometime.

Tip: Cleaning over several days before your party is an easy way to ensure that you will have time for tidying up your home the day of your event. If you have clean laundry that is not going to be folded, tuck it away in a closet. No one wants to look at a pile of your undergarments while nibbling on an appetizer.

7. The “I Am Too Stuffy” Party

Pretentious people stand around in their own cliques while you try to fit in with small talk about the caviar.

Tip: In business situations, this can not always be avoided. But when hosting, it’s your job to match up the guest list appropriately.

8. The Uncomfortable Family Drama

You are forced to listen to Uncle Joe and his half-sister publicly air their respective families past grievances.

Tip: When putting together a guest list, sometimes you may not have a choice but to invite certain relatives. However, try to mitigate the drama by structuring a less formal seating arrangement.

9. Who left the dog out?

Fido is running amuck and jumping on everyone who had food in their hands.

Tip: Pets are great, but not always at your holiday party. Some well-meaning people do not understand that they should not feed your four legged friends. Accidentally dropped party food or spilled alcohol can be poisonous to pets.

10. Hosting if someone in your home is ill.

Tip: After all the world has been through since 2020 we should all know better. If someone becomes ill, it is better to contact all your invited guests to let them know you must cancel or postpone your festivities. It is never in good form to share an illness with guests.

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The Tablescape Contest

Knowing that the holidays would soon be upon us, we asked the members of our Love of Food Facebook group to share their beautiful table settings and participate in a contest. These are some of the photos that are being considered for our contest. We have named each one in the caption under its photo.

If you would like to vote for your favorite, visit our Facebook Group using the link above. The contest will be pinned in the group until Dec 25th when the winner will be announced.

THE AUTUMN LEAVES TABLE
THE REINDEER TABLE
THE DINNER OF THE DEAD TABLE
THE GILDAD BUTTERFLY TABLE
THE RED GLASS TABLE
THE BLACK WHITE AND RED TABLE
THE BIRDS NEST TABLE
THE CHRISTMAS BUFFET

4 Unique styles for Hosting

Holiday Table Setting Tips

When it comes to creating, serving, and showcasing food, the choices are limitless. From setting the tone for a fun party to a formal dinner, and everything in between. All you need is a little creativity, some dinnerware, table cloths, glassware, and holiday decor. A theme will make your food stand out and set the right mood for a memorable holiday meal.

Designing Your Holiday Table- Where Should You Begin?

Many times people shy away from entertaining because the idea of having to set up an extravagant table appears like a daunting task. But it does not have to be hard. The key is starting a week or two ahead of time and follow these simple steps.

1. Elegance or Fun

The first rule of thumb is to decide is who will be in attendance? Perhaps your guest list includes your very traditional mother in law, and or your new boss. If this is the case, the answer is simple. You should shoot for elegance above all else. If it’s a group of close friends and neighbors you may want to decide on a fun theme.

There can however be extenuating circumstances once you take your guest list into consideration. Can you have both? The answer is kind of… yes.

Case in point; this Thanksgiving we have little ones attending. While we still all want everyone to feel as if they were being treated to a wonderful meal, we had to consider spills, drips, table bumps and busy hands. We opted to ditch the formality but weave in a sprinkle of elegance. While our tables will not be magazine cover worthy and as fancy as previous years, we are blessed to have children in our lives.

Grandmother’s antique platters will not make their appearance. We will skip the tall candles and the decorative glass votives. Low profile decor that is more stable will dawn our table. The crystal long-stemmed wine glasses that can tip too easily will be replaced with stemless options. Instead of the fancy table cloths, our tables will be draped with cloths that will be no worse for their wear if/when they get spilled upon.

Our tables will still be quite festive, and have a hint of elegance but are more approachable for all the guests. The parents of the little ones will feel more relaxed, as will we, as the hosts. Here are some of the designs we plan to use.

The most important part of creating this sacred space where we will partake of our Thanksgiving meal is that each and everyone seated at the dining table is made to feel comfortable.

Now that you have considered who will be attending, what do you do next?

2. Select A Signature Piece and Build Around It

Start with one signature piece for inspiration that will help define the theme of your design, Sometimes it can be a fantastic dinner plate.

It does not always have to be the dinnerware that is your muse. We found this rooster placemat and decided the theme would be farm/country. From there we were able to gather pieces, gift bags and really hone in on the details. Fresh vegetables were even part of the decor.

Once we hosted a birthday dinner for a girlfriend from Texas and that gave us the idea of a fun cowgirl theme. The inspiration for this, believe it or not, was not the hat but the cute little checkered pigs we found at a craft store.

3. You Do Not Have to Break The Bank Creating a Centerpiece

Beautiful tables can be made from Items you source just about anywhere. These beautiful flowers are from a Crepe Myrtle tree located in our neighborhood. Tall weeds were growing around them so they were added for greenery. You can also find sticks or Cat N Nine tails. Even wheat grass can be a great way to add color and dimension to your tablescape. Just be sure to spray anything before coming in from the outside with a solution of dish soap and water to remove any insects hiding in tiny crevices.

4. Secret Dollar Store Finds

This past Halloween, we were challenged to set a great table using mostly Dollar Store finds. We hosted a dinner and a brunch using the same items. It was the best 15 dollars we ever spent. Storing these items does not make sense for our space, so the next day we packed it all up and made a donation to the local thrift store.

Thrift stores can be a great place to find pieces that you can use for your dinner parties. One time we hosted a birthday dinner for a friend who happens to really like the color blue. We found some pretty blue glassware sitting on the store shelves just begging for us to take it home. We made a small donation to a good cause and made our friend smile when she saw her favorite color proudly displayed on her table. When the party was over we gave her all the glassware to keep.

Thrifting is only one of the ways to have fun with your tablescapes. We know some of you cringe at the thought of using someone else’s dishes, but if you think about it you do this each time you dine out. Yes, it would be nice to walk into Sur La Table or Pottery Barn and purchase everything showcased, but unless your last name is Rockefeller, that kind of expenditure for each and every holiday is not sustainable. We even set our Christmas table with pretty red snowflake plates that we found in a box at a local thrift store. This year we donated them back to the same store. That is good example of re-use.

5. Incorporate and Repurpose Already Owned Pieces

You do not have to purchase dinnerware and decorative items for every holiday. The best way to make the most of pieces you love and a table look different is to repurpose them.

For the Halloween tables shown previously we repurposed everything and transformed the dinner table to a buffet. The tree in the middle of the table is an old jewelry tree that we found on clearance at Kirklands. This tree will make its reappearance on our Christmas table. Instead of spooky bats and orange lights it will sparkle with white lights and hold little ornaments. Perhaps it will be repurposed again at Easter where it can drip with pastel colored ribbons and dangle little eggs. One piece repurposed over and over.

Your table is your canvass to create on.

  • Think of it as a piece of art
  • Find your muse for inspiration
  • Follow the tips that we have provided

It does not matter if you will have lots of company or just an intimate holiday dinner. Like a Broadway production, a well staged table allows your food to shine as the star of the show. You and your guest will be seated in the front row. Your holiday dinner table is the vehicle for meaningful dialogue, laughs, and entertainment. Like a well written play the storyline of your dinner may be cherished for many years to come.

We hope you have found some creative inspiration and clear direction on getting started. To see more beautifully dressed tables you can preview of the submissions from our table scape contest on our Facebook Group Page.

Float Cover

Let’s Float Through Summer

There is a certain treat I do enjoy from time to time during the hot months…an ice cream float!

Author Deanna Martinez

When I was little, my mom used to enjoy Root Beer floats. To this day, I still enjoy Root Beer! However, there are so many flavor combinations you can choose to make an ice cream float. I am here to get your creativity flowing with a few ideas to get you started.

First, pour your carbonated beverage into a tall glass. Then, add a scoop or two of ice cream. Finish off with a straw.

For a special treat, you can top your float with whipped topping! 

Classic Root Beer float

  • Root Beer and vanilla ice cream

 Punch bowl float

  • Ginger ale and sherbet

Creamsicle float

  • Orange soda and vanilla ice cream

Cranberry float

  • Cranberry ginger ale and your choice of vanilla ice cream or a fruity variety

Fruitsicle float

  • Cheer Wine and vanilla ice cream

The possibilities are truly endless. How about vanilla coke and chocolate ice cream? I could go on and on.

On a side note, we should all have a great ice cream scoop in our kitchen. I have two great options for you here:

Tupperware Ice Cream Scoop (with Kathy)

Pampered Chef Ice Cream Scoop (with Laura)

Fun fact: The ice cream float was invented by Robert McCay Green in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1874. He sold vanilla ice cream with soda and offered a choice of 16 flavored syrups. 

Click on the Photos Below for More Ice Cream Float Recipes

Living-Roon

The Ultimate Guide to A Christmas Feast

If you are someone who usually attends and enjoys Christmas at the homes of others. Your senses are delighted with the colored balls, and gold and silver streamers. The twinkle of thousands of little lights, the smells of cookies baking in the air, and the sounds of Silent Night looming in the background. Your hosts have thought of every little detail to make your experience magical and reminiscent of Christmas past.

decorated home for christmas

This is not by accident and the holiday magic does not just happen. It takes planning and playing around with creative ideas to hit just the right notes. From something as simple as an entryway to the final dish served at the table, the devil is in the details.

If it is your turn to host your family’s Christmas celebrations this year, not to worry, we will guide you through some of what it takes to create a magical experience for all.

Selecting a Theme

First and foremost you need to think through who is attending and what kind of atmosphere you want to create for what you are trying to convey. If you will have children your theme will look very different than a celebration for just adults. If you will have a mix of both, do not try mixing Disney stuffies with an adult flower arrangement as it will not work. Instead, think about your home’s entertainment capability, and designate a place for each age group. There is a fine line between nostalgia and tackiness so remember to create spaces that are appropriately themed for the ages of your guests.

There is a fine line between nostalgia and tackiness so remember to create spaces that are appropriately themed for the ages of your guests.

For example, a children’s tree in the living room with a mix of kid-approved themed decor. Perhaps with the television set up to loop Children’s classic holiday movies. If they are teens you may want to make the tree more video gamed themed and select movies that are appropriate for their age.

childrens ornaments on a christmas tree

For the adults in another room, you can set up a madmen bar, decorate a nostalgic tree with ornaments of days gone by, and play classic Christmas music by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

If it is just for the ladies, perhaps a glam tree with pink ribbons and gifts with big bows underneath, fluffy pillows, and a song list on your Spotify to include Santa Baby and All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Cary.

Don’t forget the bathrooms. Make sure they too have a bit of holiday cheer. Stay in a theme as much as possible. Find sprays that smell like the holidays and if you do not have a Christmas tissue holder, look for the themed boxes of Kleenex.

Hang a wreath in the room or find pictures of angels, cherubs, and/or funny moose to hang up. Avoid putting up any pictures of Santa looking at someone in the loo, that would just be creepy. Santa’s of course are welcome around the home at Christmas time. I found this beautiful gold and silver frame at a yard sale and simply cut out Santa’s face from a gift bag to put in the frame. The other Santa lives upstairs during the holidays. He is a Dollar Store find and adds some cheer to the home office.

Once you have set your mood in the home for Christmas, you can focus on the décor for your Christmas feast starting with the table setting. This year the celebrations are a bit more intimate due to Covid restrictions. However, that does not mean you should settle for paper plates in front of the television. Instead, celebrate with the ones closest to you and make the most of treating the special people in your lives.

Christmas Table Settings

Table settings should be fun and functional so avoid too much décor when you know you have limited space. We set up our table for four diners (we did end up with five for the meal) but could have easily fit six place settings if we needed to. We chose a color for our table based on the classic look of our tree in the dining room. We also opted for some nostalgia pieces on the table to complement the theme of the tree. I made a centerpiece from fairy lights and ornaments. I used these mini stockings to hold the silverware. Had I hosted a larger crowd I would have done place settings with ornaments. (They sell the ornaments with little clips on them at Hobby Lobby for just that purpose). I opted to not buy a new tablecloth this year and rather I found some ribbon to just dress up the plain classic white and gray linens that I already had.

My placemats were silver but my chargers were gold. I like a more eclectic look for my table. I mix silver and gold all the time, I have a friend who says it makes her nervous. By all means, your dining table and home decor should reflect your personality and your style. This article is written as just a guide to hopefully help to inspire you.

Your dining table and home decor should reflect your personality and style.

Before Dinner Cocktails

A signature Christmas cocktail is a must for a holiday feast. Whether you imbibe alcohol or not you can make a festive drink of some sort for everyone to share before the meal. It can be as simple as a glass of cider for a fun mocktail or a full-on cocktail. We had a guest mixologist in our presence so we enjoyed this Apple Cider Bourbon Sour with a beautiful apple sliced, sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice, and rolled into a rose. They were delish! Special thanks to Stephen for bringing us such a special treat.

We also tested out another cocktail for New Year’s Eve that we found on Pinterest. I am happy to announce that this really works and looks good! It is the ever so popular Baby Yoda cocktail. Basically, an Appletini all dressed up to look like Baby Yoda. Isn’t this too cute?

baby yoda appletini cocktail

The Christmas Feast

Antipasto is a holiday tradition in our home and Christmas is no exception. This salad is best described as a crowd pleaser since it will contain some things each and every person loves and something they despise. For me it is a chance to eat anchovies and beets which my husband hates. He loves pickled okra and baby corn which I could care if I ever tasted again in my lifetime.

What Christmas dinner would be complete without beef as the centerpiece? I know that everyone enjoys having a prime rib roast for Christmas, however, I was looking for some nostalgia this year. For me, that meant my mother’s popovers served alongside a traditional roast with gravy. ( I forgot to take pics of the gravy, oops) I can tell you I tried something very different in making the gravy. I did use the pan drippings however I added pork stock that I have frozen. It added a depth of flavor and richness to the gravy that was unexpected.

Pork stock added a depth of flavor and richness to the gravy that was unexpected.

Popovers are basically the same thing as Yorkshire pudding where the only difference is the fat in which they are cooked. Yorkshire Pudding is cooked in beef fat and Popovers in butter. We made them both ways for our Christmas feast and the beef fat turned out a bit tastier and did not darken as easily on the bottoms as the butter did. But If you do not have beef fat on hand I would still make them, just turn the heat down a smidge from a recipe designed for Yorkshire pudding.

I know that many people choose a prime rib roast for Christmas dinner I did not instead I opted for another roast. Simply because you just do not get a good gravy from a greasy prime rib and I want my popovers to be filled with rich, yummy brown gravy. This roast is a top round or as many would call it, a London Broil. Cooked properly and sliced against the grain it is one of my favorite cuts for a roast. I seared the roast at 450 F for twenty minutes, removed it, slathered it with salt, pepper, butter, and herbs. Cooked it at 350F until it reached its optimal temperature. We went to an internal temperature of 130- 135F and then let it rest for 20 minutes covered.

top round roast

I am on a Duchess Potatoes kick these days. I love the rich texture and flavor of this potato casserole. To make it a bit more festive I piped the potatoes on the top of the casserole and added some paprika and herbs. Traditionally these are piped into little individual pods and baked on a cookie sheet, but who has time for that really?

duchess piped mashed potatoes

I hosted some meat and potato lovers at this year’s Christmas table. You see they were away from their family for the holiday so I strived to create a warm sense of home in my meal. In my world, that translates to a rich and hearty dish. What says comfort as well as potatoes? Well, a big scoop of homemade gooey mac and cheese does of course!

homemade mac & cheese

Our Christmas feast ended with my husband’s famous Ricotta Cookies. (along with my peanut butter fudge and a friend’s banana pudding which did not make it to the photoshoot). These soft but dense Ricotta Cookies need no milk for dunking. They are not overly sweet and melt in your mouth! Our friends and neighbors ask for these every year.

homemade ricotta cookies for christmas

Our Christmas feast was a success, we all had full bellies, lots of laughs, and an evening of twinkling lights surrounding us. We hope that you too will have a Christmas full of cheer this year.
Merry Christmas 2020!

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How To Host Thanksgiving Like a Pro

Hosting on Thanksgiving Day is no easy feat. Sure, your mom and grandmother made it look easy, however, it’s those years of trial and error that allowed them to pull it off like an expert. Remember that old saying “practice makes perfect”. From planning a guest list to storing the fine china for the next holiday and everything in between these wise and experienced folks will guide us through how they make their Thanksgiving Day celebration a success. 

Plan Your Events Ahead Of Time

There is no such thing as an impromptu Thanksgiving meal. If you plan to host a Thanksgiving gathering you should be thinking about things such as your guest list, budget, menu, and space at least a month ahead of time. If you are reading this article and it is a week before Thanksgiving don’t worry there will still be some tips provided throughout the article that will allow you to pull off a gathering in the short term. Just be aware you will have to work a bit harder, spend more than you should have to, and you will likely have to sacrifice formality and elegance.

Think about who will be at your gathering, it is okay to have an eclectic crowd, it often makes for the most memorable Thanksgivings and sets this gathering apart from others in our memories. Think about what you learned sitting around the table as a child. Likely there were lessons about family dynamics, patience, and civility. Perhaps you heard differing views on current topics or stories about your parents when they were growing up. Just keep in mind where you seat people, placing two people next to each other who do not agree on most issues and do not get along is a bit risky. When planning your guest list you also must think about how many people you can comfortably entertain in your space.

Consider Your Entertaining Space

What we did after we moved all the couches to one wall and move the coffee table out of the room is set up two folding tables to make a long and wide table. The idea was to have lots of room for the tablescape in the center and comfortably seat my 10 guests.

Whether you have a small apartment or a large home, space is a crucial element in making your guests feel comfortable. Make sure there is enough room for people to mix and mingle before being seated. For example, if you live in a small apartment with a balcony why not serve appetizers and a welcome cocktail or mocktail on the balcony? Have a rain plan ready like a small tent if the patio is not covered.

If you live in a very large space it would be best to create cozy areas for people to gather in just 1 or two rooms. You can even block off areas of the homes by making them less inviting. Try simply turning off a light in that room or by placing couches or other pieces of furniture at the opening of the room facing backward. This sends an underlying message that the room is off-limits. Plan for a place for your guests to put their purses, shoes, and coats, this will help contain clutter.

Set Up The Seating

Plan your table seating, always take into consideration the extra people who may get added to the list at the last minute. Make sure you have enough chairs and room for these folks. I think in my parent’s house this is how the children’s table evolved. You can get creative by adding in a table in the kitchen and calling it the chef’s table. One friend who had a small dining room and a small living room used to place a table in each room, however, she made sure that she sat at one table with her guests and her husband sat at the other to ensure everyone felt special and cared for. 

Have A Plan For The Food

We all live with a budget, whether it is a strict rule or more of a flexible set of limitations. Restaurants must watch food costs closely in order to be profitable so why not take a cue from the pros. When hosting a Thanksgiving meal in your home, food costs can run amuck if you do not plan. This is because we strive to fulfill memories of our favorite flavors, treat ourselves to food we do not always have on hand, and have to accommodate the various dietary needs of our guests. 

The very first step in your menu planning is to create a spreadsheet of your guestlist and placing any food allergies, sensitivities, or preferences next to their names.  

Plan for foods that can be made in advance, somethings like homemade cranberry sauce or cranberry relish can be made two days ahead and still taste like you just whipped it up. You will be surprised at how much can and should be made ahead of time. This will save you time on Thanksgiving day so you can spend time with your guests and it will save you money. For example, biscuits and rolls cost cents to make as do pies and other baked goods. Making items on your menu in advance will allow you to serve more scratch-made foods.  Food that is not mass produced always tastes better and homemade dishes are what make your Thanksgiving meals more intimate. 

A good tip is to try your recipes in advance, Thanksgiving is not the time for a trial run. I try out new dishes at potluck events or just invite a few neighbors over to try it to see if it goes over well. If it passes the taste-test, the dish makes its’ way onto my Thanksgiving menu. This year a new Sweet Potato Casserole with Bourbon, Bacon, and Pecans was tested three times and perfected prior to Thanksgiving. I also made a Kale and Spinach Au Gratin dish twice before Thanksgiving. These were both made a day ahead in their respective casserole dishes and stacked in the fridge just fine. 

If you buy a frozen turkey like most people do you must take it out of the freezer 3-5 days ahead depending on the size. Defrost in the refrigerator and remember to put something under it in case the packaging leaks and to catch any condensation. 24 hours before you plan to cook it remove all the innards. There is usually a neck bone and some giblets inside on either end. Don’t throw these away as they can be added to the stock for your homemade gravy. We smoke our turkey every year, but whether you decide to bake, smoke, or deep fry your bird, always plan to make gravy. Our turkey for 2020 was herb-encrusted, we have made it with pecan wood which gives it a deeper darker skin (shown below)

Setting The Table 

Plan your tablescape, decide on your color and theme. Do you want it to be rustic, elegant, perhaps a mix of both? Not enough matching plates, don’t worry. Buy plain white plates they will work with anything and you can alternate printed china plates with plain white plates. The same goes for stemware and napkins, it does not all have to match perfectly.

Who will be seated where? If you are having all family it could be fun to place small picture frames with old family photos into the mix. If you plan to have flowers on the table make sure you take into consideration, allergies that your guests may have. Never, ever use scented candles as this interferes with the smells of food. Always have a tablecloth regardless of how formal or informal your Thanksgiving table will be.

If you are hosting a less formal Thanksgiving gathering such as a potluck you may plan to have guests eat their turkey from some type of paper plate. A quick search on Google netted me some ideas for the table settings using paper plates. If you go this route please spring for the more expensive sturdy plates. You do not want gravy seeping through, messy spills, and the risk of an embarrassed guest. If you are planning to be less formal, I still suggest using quality utensils. The Dollar Store has the silver color or you can opt to use heavy-duty clear utensils they are always appropriate.

I prefer to let people sit where they are the most comfortable, but you may want to assign seats, If you do, there are so many wonderful options for place card holders that you can DIY for pennies.

I rarely serve wine from anything other than glass or crystal. Avoid the plastic fake stemware as it is never stable when half full and is tacky.  If you have a very large crowd it is acceptable to use the plastic short cocktail glasses for soda and drinks. 

Remember to plan for all your serving dishes and utensils, there is nothing worse than rifling through cabinets and drawers in front of your guests looking for a suitably sized bowl or your late grandfather’s antique carving set. 

Cleaning Before The Day

Refrigerator space is one thing many people do not plan for. One week before Thanksgiving I run through all the condiments and containers. I use up anything I can and discard anything that has sat too long. This gives me a chance to wipe down the shelves with a soapy cloth and rinse vegetable and fruit drawers. My fridge will not only have more space, be clean for food storage, but will be presentable for my guests. 

Don’t forget the outside and top of the refrigerator. Clean things you may miss on a weekly basis, the ceiling fan, that picture of your great grandmother on the wall, dust and vacuum the day before, don’t bother washing the floors unless absolutely necessary, this is best left for the day after to clean up any spills.

The day of your gathering clean the bathrooms, run and empty the dishwasher, empty the trash. Before your guests arrive, wipe down the counters and clean the sink. 

Have a plan worked out with a co-host or close friend to help you with removing trash, clearing dishes, or opening the wine bottles You would be surprised at how much these little things get in the way of actually entertaining and enjoying your guests. 

Being A Gracious Host

As your guests arrive take their coats and purses to the designated spot and hand them a flute of something bubbly, perhaps champagne, prosecco, sparkling juice, or seltzer water. Placing a cranberry or two in the flute along with some rosemary and/or an orange slice is quite festive. Raise a toast to each one and tell them how special they are to you and how grateful you are to know them.

photo courtesy of Parsnip and Pastries

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Love of Food Magazine!

Candied Bacon 1023

A Story About Pig Candy

Who doesn’t like bacon? It seems that we are a bacon obsessed world sometimes. What makes bacon even better, how about candied bacon? My friends have always joked that I should write a cookbook called “Jan’s bacon on everything”. We all know it’s fatty, we all know it’s salty, and we know it is a processed food, however, we like it anyway. I have a friend who even wraps his Thanksgiving Turkey in bacon before smoking it.

Growing up we always had a coffee tin filled with the white grease with the brown speckles sitting on a shelf in the refrigerator. Mom used that grease in cooking most things in her cast iron fry pan. Which brings me to the smell of cooking bacon. It is one of my favorite smells in the world. There is nothing better than waking up to the smell of someone cooking bacon in the kitchen. What it is about this smoked pork product that makes our tummy growl, our saliva glands activate, and when we crunch into it makes us so happy? Yes, Bacon is the ultimate comfort food.

It is in the spirit of our love for bacon that I decided to kick it up a notch and make some candied bacon also called pig candy in the Southern BBQ world. It comes from the belly and once it is smoked and or cured it becomes bacon. These amazing Barbecue experts will prepare it over smoking wood charcoal which kicks in even more flavor.

How to Cook Candied Bacon

This recipe does not require you to be a pitmaster or even cook it on a smoker. it can be made in your own oven. It is a bit messy as the sugar and fat melt off the strips of bacon. If you are using the oven be sure to line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and maybe even a little aluminum foil. Why both? I have no scientific proof of this but I think the aluminum foil helps to brown the bacon a bit more, and the parchment paper keeps the pan clean. So I line the pan with parchment first and then place a smaller piece of foil on top of the parchment.

To flip or not to flip is the question? I cook my bacon for 15 minutes and then flip it, add a bit more of the sugar mixture, and cook for another 15 minutes. Since we are talking dos and don’ts here I will never, ever, ever do this in a frying pan as the bacon never crisps, it just gets sticky and makes a big mess to clean. Always use good quality thick-sliced bacon, avoid those thin store brands that shrink up to nothing when you cook it. If you can get it from a butcher’s market that would be advisable, however, there are some thick cuts that will work just fine from the grocery stores.

When your pan is lined properly, find the rack that you cool the holiday cookies on and place it on top of the lined pan. This is what will allow the bacon grease and sugar to drop from the slices and will keep the burning sugar off of your bacon. Yes, some of the grease and sugar will turn black on the bottom of your pan. To avoid infusing the smell of burnt sugar into your kitchen and your food, set the over rack on the mid to upper-level position before you pre-heat.

You will know when the bacon is done in approximately 15 minutes after flipping it, as you see it become a nice light brown color. Not a blackish brown, if it is blackish-brown you have burnt the sugar and it will not be good. Do not worry if it is not yet firm as you let it cool it will become more firm sitting on the rack. give the bacon 15 minutes to cool. Do not be tempted to pick it up before it cools as the sugars will stick to your fingertips and cook them like bacon. This will hurt, they will not taste like bacon, just burnt skin. I have learned from experience. Patience is a virtue!

Below is a recipe that I have adapted over time and think this will give you a result your family and friends will rave about. It is the perfect combination of salty, sweet, and a little spice. You can serve this as an appetizer or as an accouterment. Picture this bacon crumbled sitting on top of a wheel of warm brie cheese. I like to make the candied bacon an option for my brunch guests on the Bloody Mary bar. It makes a great accompaniment to a Bourbon cocktail or even adds just a little extra something in a glass of apple cider. Speaking of apple cider and bourbon, I used a quarter of a slice of this candied bacon on top of my Halloween Apple Cider Bourbon Jello Shots. That sure did make the adults trick or treating happy this year.

Whichever way you plan to enjoy candied bacon just know that your family and friends may be spoiled forever, you may never be able to serve them just plain old bacon again.

A Recipe For Pig Candy

Ingredients

  • 1 Pound of Thick-Sliced Bacon (I prefer applewood smoked)
  • 1 Cup of Brown Sugar
  • 2 and 1/2 Teaspoons of Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon of Course Black Pepper (more for sprinkling optional)
  • 1 and 1/2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon
  • Parchment Paper
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Cookie Sheet
  • Cooling Rack

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
  2. Set the oven racks to the middle of the oven as cooking too low or too high will not yield the desired result.
  3. Prepare the cookie sheet by placing the parchment in the bottom, with a small layer of aluminum foil over the parchment, then place the cooling rack directly on top of it. If you are making the full pound you will need a second pan also set up and or plan your time to make these in batches.
  4. Decide if you are serving whole strips or if you are serving a half or quarter strip. (For a tall drink you will need a full strip, but for a bite as an appetizer, a full strip may be a bit much.) Cut the raw bacon to the size needed.
  5. In a large bowl combine the brown sugar, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and black pepper
  6. Add a few slices at a time and coat well with the sugar mixture
  7. Lay the coated slices out on the cooling rack, do not crowd them, give them room to brown and crisp up properly.
  8. Place in the oven and check after 10 minutes to see if they are ready to flip, if not give them 3-5 more minutes. Remove the pan from the oven do not try to flip in the oven or you will have a mess.
  9. If you see any bare spots you could carefully spoon a tiny bit of the mixture on top of the flipped bacon or you could sprinkle some of the ground black pepper for a spicier taste and a more textured effect.
  10. Place them back in the oven for 15- 20 minutes more, until browned. Do not let them overcook. They will harden when cooling. Below are some pictures of the placement of my bacon on the various rack and differing amounts of time. The bottom rack burnt the sugars on the bacon at 30 minutes, however the top rack at the same time with the lower quality bacon cooked just fine. In the second test with better quality bacon, the top rack seemed slightly under cooked. That is why the middle rack is perfect.
  11. Remove from the rack after 5 minutes and let cool on a plate for approximately 10 minutes before handling

Enjoy!


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A Halloween Dinner Party to Die For

Make your Halloween Celebrations stand out like a Tim Burton Movie! 

What could be more appropriate for the Saturday before Halloween than a spooky adult dinner party? If you have kids, send them to a grandma’s house for a sleepover and get ready to take over Halloween adult style! 

Creating The Atmosphere

The advice in this article is provided to ensure that your dinner party is sophisticated and less like an awkward 5th-grade dance. To start with, avoid tacky, kid-like decor, and kid party food at all costs. There is a fine line between scary and kitschy and you must be able to work pieces together to create a mood. If you are adept at decorating you may be able to pick a sci-fi theme and pull it off, however, most of us may just need to go to Hotel California. 

Pick your favorite scary movie and look at how the professionals set up the scenes, pay attention to the colors and props used and take a cue from the experts as to how to make your home more creepy. Try to make your dining room resemble at least one of the indoor scenes in that favorite flick. If you need more inspiration there are many music videos that can also be a great help in setting a tone for decorating. Check out Beyoncé’s “Haunted” music video Or some of the old classics television shows like the Munsters, or Addams family. If you are in need of some props and prop ideas check out the HorrorDome online, we especially liked these portraits for the walls.

Once you have a theme with a tasteful, but spooky setting, drape everything in the dining room in flowy black fabric from sideboards to the tables and chairs. Or if you prefer you can use sheets to drape everything in white and accent in black. Or you can spill red paint on the sheets for that just murdered look.

If you want a less scary mood you can try using red and purple as your primary colors. You can put small fairy lights everywhere and place mini flashlights, or candles at the place settings so that when you have the lights down very low all you can see is the glow of the faces of your costumed dinner guests.

Avoid strobe lights in the dining room however they can be effective in other areas such as the backyard. 

Forget paper plates and pull out the bone-china. Place mirrors on the tables and or on the ceiling if you want to go all out. Candelabras with black candles can light the mood. Place a Ouija board under the candelabra for effect. Tarot cards can be spread out as well with a crystal ball. 

Use cloth napkins. Black preferable, but depending on your motif you could do red.

Wrap the napkins in pearls, a string of fake diamonds, or a single feather  You can use an old scrabble game to spell out murderous name place cards in front of each table setting. Use spooky words like Murder, Evil Spirit, Boo, Blood, etc… or names of Serial Killers Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Lizzy Borden, or Evil Fictional People Like Hannibal Lector, Chucky, or Freddie Kruger, Maleficent.

Maybe trick out the doorbell with an eyeball that you press.  If you have a Ring doorbell it now has chimes for Halloween!

Remember it’s not just the decor, you are setting the tone so dress the part. Why not be elegantly spooky?- As the hosts perhaps you will dress as Morticia and Gomez Addams from the Addams Family Movie, Carrie or Beetlejuice. Get into the characters and act like them as you greet your guests to set the tone. Encourage your guests to arrive in costumes as their favorite evil dinner guests. It will make the pictures, social media posts, and the evening much more fun. 

Your theme can be as imaginative and as thrilling as your guests can stand. You may or may not want to add in a party game or two. Turning the evening into a murder mystery party could be exciting. Decide who will be the murderer, create the story or buy one online. Place a piece of paper at each table setting with the written clues and let your guests become suspicious of each other and try to reason out the clues to solve the mystery. Place under the killer’s chair (the murder weapon or a damming clue) that identifies them as the killer to reveal at the end of the game. 

You could play the guessing game of who am I? Give each person an envelope with the name of a serial killer or villain inside and take turns letting the others ask questions about who they are. 

Let your imagination sore when planning your music selection. Think bigger and more grown-up than Monster Mash. Think more like the music from the famed Beetlejuice. You can hear it now, can’t you “Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana. Daylight come and me wan’ go home”. Research other soundtracks from scary movies and musicals. 

  1. Poor Judd is Dead with the first line saying “a candle lights his head” from the musical Oklahoma is appropriate. 
  2. Pushing up Daisies from the Brothers Osborne can be worked in since it points to the topic of death. 
  3. The Stranger Things theme track is very popular and can be a great addition to your music line up. 
  4. She Wolf by Shakira
  5.  I Put a Spell on you By Nina Simone,
  6. Pet Cemetery by the Ramones
  7. Haunted by Beyonce (the music video is very adult themed)

Line up some spooky music videos on a playlist on YouTube.  Set up your tablet in the guest restroom and loop the playlist so guests are kept in a spooky trance even when they are away from the party. You can do the same for larger screens in the family room or outside on a screened-in porch although the process is more complex on HDTVs and may involve downloading a third-party app. Every room in the house should reflect the tone of the evening. 

Don’t forget guest rooms, make sure as people walk by any bedrooms on your first floor that the decor in there is devilish too! Maybe spread a red velvet cloak on the bed, some handcuffs hanging on the headboard and or a raven in a cage as a chandelier. Keep the same elegance flowing with that theme anywhere that your guest eyes may wander. 

What To Serve for The Dinner 

One of my favorites is a large whole fish with the heads still on. You can pick this up at any seafood market and it’s easy to grill or smoke outside. It will look amazing on a platter set on the table or sideboard. You can also make individual whole lobsters.

As an appetizer, use glass parfait or ice cream sundae glasses, line with lettuce, fill it with red cocktail sauce and drape cooked and chilled shrimp with the heads intact all around the glass. You can also do this with crawfish. If you and your guests are not seafood fans, not to worry ribs can be another good choice. Beef short ribs can be made in the crockpot and simmer all day. Or BBQ pork ribs just slice them and lay them out on a platter before serving. You can also serve a crown stuffed rib roast and carve it out at the table.

If you are not squeamish, there is something called a suckling pig, it is a baby pig you can get them with the head intact and roast it.  Or call around to a butcher shop to try to find a pig’s head and place it on the table with an apple in its mouth served alongside some pulled pork sliders.

If you are not a meat or fish eater you can roast vegetables to look like they have rotted by leaving them whole while roasting. Serve lentil soup from the heads of decorated pumpkins with painted faces or just make a Pumpkin Cannelloni with a side of kale and blood-red roasted beets with feta cheese. 

Individually plated green salads topped with a basil leaf, a small slice of mozzarella, tomato, and a slice of black olive can be made to look like an eyeball can be fun. Do not go overboard with the eyeballs or you will lose the sophistication element of your food.  Remember your food needs to look elegant, stay away from most of the tacky party food ideas. After all, this is an adult-themed dinner party. 

Adult Halloween Party Desserts

A coconut pudding served in martini glasses with a drizzle of red raspberry syrup and a crumble of chocolate cookie is perfect because the pudding and crumble can be done ahead of time and kept chilled. All you have to do is drizzle the pudding just before you serve it. Perhaps you may want to add a bit of drama to your party with fire. You can make a tableside cherries flambé or bananas foster, but be mindful of your very flammable decor. If you want something more simple, a cherry cheesecake or a red velvet cake is also adult appropriate. 

Do Make Cocktails!

Blood Orange Blackberry Cocktail can be elegant and scary sounding. Smoked rosemary in a simple gin martini or in an old fashion transforms the elixir into a new fire and brimstone kind of drink. If you want to learn how to make smoked cocktails. Check out this article by Whiskey Advocate.

Dry ice can be used for effect in any cocktail you prefer as it adds a foggy effect. Good old fashion red wine is always a hit with dinner and looks so pretty poured into glasses on the Halloween themed dining table. 

The Mocktail

Buy the syringes for cocktails, they are everywhere this time of year. Fill them with Grenadine syrup (yes you can make your own from pomegranate juice). Place the syringe in a glass with clear flavored seltzer and let the guests plunge the red syrup into the drink themselves. 

Dessert Cocktails

A fun dessert cocktail idea is to make apple cider bourbon jello shots. I am making these for adult Trick or Treat this year, except I will add a slice of bacon.

Disclosure 

When planning your cocktails take into consideration if your guests will have to drive. Have a plan for an Uber, Lyft, or a designated driver. Spending Halloween locked up in jail for a DUI or worse would just be a real buzz kill. 

We hope that we have given you some inspiration for a grown-up Halloween dinner party that your guests will remember and talk about for years to come. 

 Enjoy your spooktacular evening! 

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Father’s Day Meal Ideas

For Father’s Day, skip the gift of a tie. These days no one is dressing up or even heading into the office. Instead, why not show your dad you love him with a meal fit for a king? You can treat him to a special Father’s Day-inspired meal that you prepare and serve yourself in the comfort of your own home, or his. We have put together a few ideas that will certainly receive his stamp of approval.

Starting with Beef

Most men love a good steak but are only allowed to eat it on special occasions, so why not go over the top with a Smoked or Grilled Tomahawk Steak. This cut of meat is quite controversial in many BBQ groups since its impressive bone is weighed and included as part of the total purchase price. Some barbecue aficionados will argue that it is a waste of money, however, others love it for the taste and the show. It is quite impressive spilling over a normal-sized dinner plate. You can always use the bone for soup, that’s what we do.

You know your father better than anyone else, so based on his personality, decide if he would like digging into his steak like a caveman or if he would still prefer a little indulgence just served with a dose of frugality.  Either way, we have you covered with a special Father’s Day steak. 

If your dad would disapprove of all that bone. You can always opt to go with the Tomahawk’s little brother, The Cowboy Ribeye.  We did ours as a smoked version and then reverse seared it on the grill. But if you do not have a smoker this works fine with a regular grill too. Make sure you alway use a meat thermometer to ensure it is cooked to his preference. 

Where do you find these cuts of beef?  Sometimes Harris Teeter or Publix carries them, or you can visit your local butcher shop. Don’t wait until the last minute or you may not find these popular Father’s Day cuts of beef. 

I have included the herb butter recipe for you as well.

What about those men who do not eat beef?

We suggest the St.Louis Style Pork Ribs. We smoke our own ribs, but grilling them or oven cooking them low and slow also works. Use a dry rub that has smokey qualities to it. You can mix your own rub using chipotle, brown sugar, and salt or purchase a premixed one from the spice store. We love Savory Spice in Raleigh VomFASS in Cary or Grill Billies BBQ in WakeForest or Wendell. Pair these ribs with a summer vegetable and a cool drink and your dad will be thrilled. 

But what about the dads who don’t eat meat?

Why not pamper him with the fish that eats like a steak. You can grill, pan fry or bake swordfish. With this recipe you cannot go wrong.

Some dads are vegetarian and if this is the case, boy do we have a winner of a dish for you. This flavor-packed Grilled Eggplant Caprese dish is our very favorite way to eat vegetarian. Your dad will feel special knowing you made this just for him. 

Don’t forget dessert!

To finish off a wonderful meal, something sweet is always welcome. We have got a few ideas that will help you end a perfect Father’s Day. Here are some simple ideas.

Ensure your Father’s Day meal is a success, make him a happy man. After all that he has done for you in his life, what a better way to show you you love him than by cooking for him. Food is love!