How To Enjoy the Season - Easy Tips and Delicious Recipes

Take Time to Enjoy the Season From the first day of winter to Christmas to Chanukah to Kwanzaa, December is totally filled with holidays to celebrate - well, except for that first day of winter. And so this article is also filled with lots of cooking and entertaining tips and holiday recipes just for you. With all of this celebrating, we tend to wear ourselves out pretty quickly. Already this past weekend, I saw people fighting over a parking space. How ridiculous did that look? And the season has barely begun. So make every attempt to keep it in perspective. Nothing has to be perfect - really. If you don't have the chance to totally transform each gift into a beautiful package, or make a 5 course meal, it is ok. Especially this time of year, plan ahead, make those lists, organize your meals and shopping trips and trips to stores that are clustered together. Ask yourself- "how can I make this easier on myself?" each time you are faced with a holiday project. Make a list of what are the most important things for you to do, top to bottom, and then decide what gets done and what will not be done this year. Like those Christmas cards - for me, the list does get smaller because for whatever reason, that is not something I really enjoy doing. So I gave myself permission to cut back, and hope that my friends will understand. It is a little relief which gives me more time to spend on more pleasurable activities. So go ahead - make your own list and give yourself and your family a little more time to enjoy what this season is all about. _________________________________________________________________ ___ Elegant and Simple Table Decorations There are two themes that I enjoy most at the holidays- one is sparkle and the other is natural. That almost seems like they are opposed to each other, but I enjoy both, depending upon the mood I am in. To start choose a theme and choose your color scheme. For example, I love all sliver, or sliver and blue, or red, red, red. You might also enjoy different shades of green with gold. Experiment- choose what make you happy. For sparkle, I love lots of glass balls of different sizes and textures. (Target is a great place to find lots of these at great prices.) You can also buy silk flowers dusted with glitter, or even pine cones that are sprayed gold or silver. For natural, if you have a yard or park nearby, go clip evergreen branches, holly branches, and whatever else looks like winter. Yesterday I bought some plain fresh wreaths and went into the yard and cut some juniper branches to tuck in the wreaths. Add bright ribbons and balls that are glittery and you have a lovely and inexpensive wreath. It only took about 15 minutes to finish these. Fill a vase with assorted nuts in their shells and add some branches and ribbons. For your centerpiece, fill smaller vases with fresh cranberries and water and add red and white roses, carnations, and lilies, and some evergreen stems for a really beautiful arrangement. GET CREATIVE WITH THEMES: Choose a candy-cane theme. Use red and white flowers, with candy canes hanging from the rim of the vase. Use candy canes as place cards. Have a white tablecloth with a red runner. Tie red and white ribbon on napkins. Ribbons are a wonderful way to decorate. Choose a color and go from there. Add ribbons to a chandelier and hang gold or silver snowflakes for a festive look. You can choose bell theme- use silver as the main color, add bells of all sizes to your centerpiece, or add bells to your place cards. Hang a bell tied to a colorful ribbon on the back of the chairs. Silver stars are also a great selection with the bells. Blue and white or blue and silver are delightful for the season. Dress the table with a white tablecloth, use a beautiful blue runner, perhaps in an organza that you can get from the fabric store. Use silver candles or silver menorah, or silver snowflakes. Tie shiny silver ribbons around napkins. White flowers such as lilies or white roses mixed with silver spray are a very elegant look. SOUNDS AND AROMAS: The holidays are about not just the presentation, but also about feeding the other senses. Be sure to have some favorite music playing, especially while wrapping gifts. Light some scented candles, put a pot of water filled with cinnamon sticks, orange peels and cloves. Simmer on low - just be careful the water doesn't boil out. These will add to your enjoyment and, if you let it, will help to restore some calmness to everyone. So these are a few ideas to help get you started. Pick something that makes you happy and go from there. BE creative - get the kids involved and have fun. _________________________________________________________________ ___ HOLIDAY SECRETS TO ENJOYING YOURSELF Small Stress Reducers For Entertaining: Have small gatherings or an open-house and limit the time that guests will be there. Order some foods, such as appetizers, or the main course or the desserts from a local specialty food store who has a great reputation for excellent food. This was you can concentrate on just one or two things that you make yourself. Or, if they offer, have guests bring an appetizer or dessert to cut down on the number of courses you need to make. PLAN AHEAD: from the guest list to the foods to the drinks, start at least 3 weeks in advance and make those lists. Sometimes you need to say no! If you are overwhelmed, you can graciously decline an invitation and just go to those events where you know you will enjoy yourself. This is a time to give to others. If it is an elderly neighbor who is alone, or the local Foodbank which is in desperate need of food donations, do a little something. It may just be a small gesture to you, but it will bring big smiles to others. I include this under stress relievers because in giving, we get lots more in return. These little things can add up to helping you find some real pleasure this season. _________________________________________________________________ __ December Recipes: Lots of recipes for you this month. Enjoy! DRINKS: Punch: Punch is making a comeback- it's easy, and can be done ahead or you can throw it together at the last minute. Just use your favorite fruit juices - a mix of cranberry, pineapple, ginger ale, orange juice. Add some fruit slices - oranges, apples, lemons, maraschino cherries and you are ready to go. Add spirits such as champagne or serve it as a non-alcoholic drink. There are hundreds of recipes on line - look for your favorite and serve, chilled, in a festive bowl. Poinsettia: In a champagne class, fill it 2/3 of the way with chilled champagne, add