15 Easiest Wedding Reception Table Decor Ideas Ever!
January 23, 2012 | 
Author Are you looking for some really easy, simple to set up wedding reception table decoration ideas? You’ve come to the right place. Everyone wants their reception tables to look great and match their overall wedding theme. But, your tablescapes don’t need to give you a headache or break the bank. You are going to be quite busy the day of your wedding, so you need quick, easy centerpieces! Many of our ideas are quite affordable, as well as no fuss!
1. Seasonal fruit in decorative bowls or baskets. Did you know that you can spray paint inexpensive bowls to match your color scheme if necessary? Go “green” – Give guests beautiful centerpieces, and snacks at the same time! Beautiful color, and no waste.
2. Tulle fabric table runner with floral items or arrangements. This combination can be as simple or as elaborate as you’d like, and will easily adapt to any color scheme. Use your bridal party bouquets as some of the floral accents – especially at the bride & groom’s ‘head table’.
3. Pre-made floral arrangements. Probably the most simple, yet beautiful way to spruce up any table. Short or very tall are best for conversation. Be cautious of tipping with very tall, slender floral arrangements on small tables & outdoors.
4. Shells, candles & sand. Gorgeous possibilities await with this summer wedding centerpiece idea. Do a practice layout before the wedding day and take a picture of it when you get it just right (so your helpers know how you want the elements arranged). Have a shoe-box sized plastic bin available for quick clean up of the sand after the reception.
5. Fabric napkins, stemware & votives. Don’t underestimate the simple, crisp beauty of glass and candlelight! Beautiful, inexpensive & eco-friendly!
6. Petals and tea light candles. Arrange them into swirling shapes or randomly spread them out for a soft, easy look. Use buds or whole flowers too (just the heads) if you like! Make a heart shape with the tea lights on round tables.
7. Stemware, petals & wine bottles or sparkling cider. Set up in the middle of round tables or in clusters at rectangular tables, this combination would be both practical and lovely. Go “green”. Could be set up on a colored cloth.
8. Fresh cut greenery, candy canes & candles. So easy, fragrant and fun for holiday weddings! Use white Christmas light strings if your venue doesn’t allow candles to be lit.
9. Pre-made wreaths (lay flat) and candle. Not just for the holidays, wreaths can be created to match any theme and color scheme. Simply lay them out! Works especially well for round tables. Wreathes also make nice gifts afterwards for the bridal party or for other helpers as well.
10. River rocks. Go “green” – Consider using polished, river rocks as decor. As soon as your event is done, bring them back to nature… Use a large size and have guests write inspirational words on them as keepsakes for you!
11. River rocks, bowls & floating flowers. Easy to assemble and has a very natural look. Can easily match any color scheme. Eco-friendly centerpiece!
12. Mirror, confetti and candle(s). Adding petals also would soften this look. Very easy to set up and adds lots of shimmery color and light to your tables.
13. Balloon bunches. Lots of bang for your buck! You’ll need something heavy to anchor them down, although you can purchase them with plastic heart-shaped ‘anchors’ on each balloon. Make sure strings are kept long to foster conversation at tables.
14. Candelabras with ivy. Classic and so simple to set up. Ivy could be fresh cut or silk. Candles can match your color scheme. Candelabras can be rented!
15. Fresh cut flowers in vases. Use seasonal flowers from your yard, a friend’s yard, florist, or grocery store. SO simple to set up and clean up. Give the flowers to your guests as they leave the reception so they can be put to good use afterward. Ask your venue, florist or caterer if they have vases.
Top Cool Gifts For a 13-Year-Old’s Birthday
If your favorite 12-year-old is about to turn 13, it is time to get some cool gifts for a 13-year-old’s birthday.
What would light up the face of a 13-year-old girl or boy? Would it be a sparkling silver shoulder bag… a remote controlled airplane… or a magic kit? Or, perhaps a special birthday dinner in a restaurant with great food, a big cake, and plenty of ice cream.
Settle back for now and let us take a look at some cool gifts that may fit the bill.
Electric Guitar – This electric guitar is ready to play. No TV or sound system is needed. There are built-in songs with a selection for indie, metal, punk, and rock. Your 13-year-old may have a budding career as a rock star.
Pastel Painting Set – This set contains 48 pastels of every color, a block of pastel paper, and a bottle of fixative spray. Your young artist can paint an original painting or paint a picture that is pre-drawn on the paper.
Radio-controlled Trucks – These great trucks come in either a GMC Yukon Denali model or a Dodge HEMI. They are a full 30 inches long and have a roaming range of 100 feet. These remote controlled toy vehicles have giant wheels for rough terrain as well as smooth.
Hannah Montana Projector – Invite friends over, turn down the lights, and pass the popcorn. It is time for the Hannah Montana show. You can project the show on a screen, the wall, or the ceiling. The projector comes with remote and slides. Use a sound track from the show to accompany the pictures.
Pinball Wars Game – This pinball game is a game for two players that switches to a game for one. The standing table is filled with electronic lights and sounds. It has dual LCD scoring as well as internal drop pockets. This cool gift could keep the whole family occupied.
Barbie Girls and MP3 Player – This super gift will bring a lot of joy. There are two Barbie girls and you can mix and match their outfits. Plus, included with the Barbie girls is a good-looking MP3 player with adjustable earbuds and a docking station. This gift could be the hit of any party.
Name Scroll on a Painting – Here is one gift that is always a big hit. This scroll is hand-printed with your 13-year-old’s first name and its meaning, and includes famous people with that name. The background is a painting of a kitten, a dog, horses, flowers or other scenes. There is a golden crown, a seal, and a border. This treasured gift is ready for framing.
Well, that is about it. Have a good time shopping for cool gifts for a 13-year-old’s birthday. And, remember to have a great time at the birthday party.
Weird and Wonderful Recipes Just For Fun
There have always been really strange recipes around that are passed from kitchen to kitchen until they fade and a new fad takes over. Usually they are perfectly edible, they may even taste quite good, but at least one ingredient is strange or used in a peculiar way.
Bacon Mugs
I found a version of this on Stumble. The resulting mugs make great containers for salads, rice etc. Use small ovenproof dishes upside down. These you cover with foil pressed well down. These you cover with bacon. I t is best if you cross two rashers over the upturned base and then wind one or two more rashers in and out to make a bacon basket. Cook these on a baking tray to catch drips. How long they take to become crisp will depend upon the bacon and your oven. A hot oven is best, but may produce some smoke. The bacon will shrink of course, but removed carefully from the foil after cooling and they should keep their shape. I must try this with vegetarian bacon, but these crisp up really quickly so keep a careful eye on them. Another idea might be to create a basket in a long, shallow dish.
Carrot Jam
This comes from a Second World War time book, so is really old. The fact that the recipe has survived this long must mean that it is worth making. Next time I make carrot cake I
will split it and spread it with some of this. I cannot give quantities as it depends upon how much mashed carrot you have.
Wash and peel your carrots. Chop them small and boil in slightly salted water until soft. Drain and sieve or chop finely in a food processor. To one pound of this pulp add on pound of sugar , 1 teaspoon of powdered ginger and the juice and grated zest of a lemon.
Boil all these together as when making any other jam. Pot when it begins to get thick.
Rose Petal Jam
My darling Granddad would allow me to pick his precious roses to make this. Some petals, especially white ones need trimming at the end where they join the flower as this part of the petal can produce a bitter taste.
2 mugs of rose petals packed fairly tightly, 2 1/2 mugs of sugar, 2 mugs of warm water, 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
Cut the petals into 1/4 inch strips. Cover with the water and cook for about 10 minutes. Strain this, reserving the petals, and use the liquid to make a syrup with the sugar and honey. Boil and then simmer for 5 minutes before adding the petals once more. Then cook on the lowest possible flame for about 40 minutes- an asbestos mat helps with this recipe. Add the lemon juice and cook for a further 20 minutes. Pour into sterile pots and seal. Some would want to add a little colouring, but I am a purist and never do.
Jelly Fruit – Americans would probably call these Jello Fruit.
I remember these as a great treat at birthdays when I was a child. Somehow eating the jelly from out of a fruit shell made it taste better – at least in my imagination.
Each fruit will give you 4 portions. Halve your oranges. Remove all the flesh taking care not to damage the skins. Place the dry skins upright on a tray, or better still balance them in muffin tins which means that they stay upright more easily. Make up your jelly/jello a little thicker than normal and pour into the empty shells as full as you can as it shrinks a little when it sets. Place the tray in fridge and let set. Then cut each half shell once more so that the orange shell is now in quarters which make them much easier to eat. All you have to do now is to think of something to do with all that orange flesh. Now that my family is grown I wonder if it will work as jelly shots?
Crocheting Benefits: Why People Love To Crochet
There are many reasons why people love to crochet.
For one, crocheting is therapeutic. Because of its calming, rhythmic movements, many studies have shown positive results for people suffering from chronic depression, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and schizophrenia. Crocheting is also for common ordinary people who simply enjoy the feeling of accomplishing something with their after-work, idle time. Crocheting relieves stress and muscle tensions after a hard day at the office as crocheting easily takes your mind off from work and draws you deeper into a solitary hobby where you can collect your thoughts as you let your fingers and the crochet hook do their work.
Yarn colors also have positive effects on the eyes too. Colors in soft, fuzzy materials provide a diversion to the cold, hard and glaring screens of your office computers that you have been staring at for the whole day.
Aside from the psychological and emotional benefits of crocheting, it also provides material benefits. I have known three housewives who have gone into crocheting, first as a hobby, and then into business, making sweatshirts, shawls and pillowcases in different designs and different colors. Of course, the income may not be as high as when you sell hotdogs during baseball season but it does add a considerable amount of cash into the household income, not to mention the personal satisfaction of having been able to consign and sell your own handiwork in small, local shops. Other items that can be made by crocheting are cellular phone cases, fashion bag parts, tablecloth, and coasters.
Crocheting can also bond people. It provides a healthy venue for women and even young girls to come together to share thoughts and exchange views while exchanging crocheting patterns. It is both a social as well as a solitary hobby. While some people like to meet friends through this common interest, some people are also more comfortable working independently on their crochet and their work comes out just as fine.
Most of all, people who are into crocheting simply enjoys the fact that crocheting tools are small and handy and can be easily kept in purses to take out when a good crocheting diversion is called for.
A List of Different Varieties of Apples
An apple a day is said to keep the doctor away, but the many kinds of apples number in the dozens, and one may need a doctor for trying to commit them all to memory. This list of different varieties of apples narrows the choices down to some of the most popular ones, as well as offering some recommendations for serving them.
CORTLAND
Taking its name from Cortland County, New York, this is a mid-season apple variety that comes out in mid-September. It has easy-to-peel bright red skin with yellow streaks and gray-green spots, and sweet-smelling white flesh that does not discolor even when cut open. An all-purpose apple, it is recommended for use in baking apple pies and as applesauce.
EMPIRE
An early-October mid-season apple, the Empire is a cross between the McIntosh and Red Delicious apple varieties. Round and medium-sized with spotted skin and creamy-white flesh , this all-purpose apple is especially great for salads and applesauce.
GOLDEN DELICIOUS
True to its name, the Golden Delicious has yellow skin and sweet, juicy, semi-firm flesh. Very fragile, it has a tendency to shrivel and bruise, and so must be handled carefully. In season from autumn to winter, it is used in pies, salads, applesauce and apple butter.
GRANNY SMITH
Named after Maria Ann Serwood Smith (1799-1870), who first cultivated it in 1868. The Granny Smith apple has light-green skin and has a texture harder than other apples of its hue. It is a favorite for use in salads and pies.
McINTOSH
Not named after the computer (most probably the other way around), this apple variety takes its name from John McIntosh, who discovered it in his farm in 1811. In season from early to mid-September, its skin is dark-red with green streaks and has a crisp, juicy, delicious flesh. It is favored for pies, applesauce and apple cider.
RED DELICIOUS
A late-season apple harvested in mid-October, the Red Delicious was at some point considered by some as The Great American Apple. Commonly eaten out of hand, the reasons for its name are perhaps obvious.
SPARTAN
The product of scientific breeding, the Spartan is a cross between the McIntosh and as yet unspecified apple variety. With dark-red, white-spotted skin, and ranging in size from medium to large, ithis all-purpose apple is sweeter and more crisp than its parent the McIntosh.
Apart from the ones just cited, the list of different variaties of apples goes on and on. Nutritious as well as delicious, the various types of apples are as numerous as the various ways of eating them, offering a multitude of options for enjoying what is perhaps the most popular among all fruits. If one has an apple a day, one might as well try a different kind each time.
Vintage Kitchens of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s
1930s: The Steam-lined -Depression Era “Modern Kitchen”
By the 1930′s, the kitchen was being transformed from the old fashioned kitchen to the “Streamlined-Modern Kitchen” with time saving features, better organization and much improved ventilation. The “all-electric kitchen” was promoted in popular magazines with numerous advertisements showing newly designed small and major appliances. Mixers were the homemakers dream now designed with numerous attachments that could sift flour, mix dough, grate cheese, squeeze lemons, whip potatoes, shred, slice and chop vegetables and even sharpen knives. “Depression Green” was the “in” color used on the wooden handles of kitchen utensils, on kitchen cabinets and tables and on kitchen wares. Often accessories were cream and green replacing the white and black look of the previous decades.
Other popular color combinations in the 1930s were Gray and Red or Crimson, Silver and Green, Pearl Pink and Blue, as well as the use of checkered patterns on textiles. Kitchen wares such as canisters and Bread boxes tended to be softly painted with perhaps a simple decal.
In 1935 the National Modernization Bureau was established to promote modernization throughout the country. Manufacturers competed for better designed appliances and kitchen accessories. Color began to enter the kitchens of the thirties and articles in magazines featured decorating tips on color schemes and how to incorporate the kitchen into the rest of the home. Kitchens were no longer work stations but gaining as much attention as the rest of the home. Small and large appliances were available in color and Sears and Montgomery Ward featured colorful kitchen wares and “japanned” accessories such as canister sets, range sets, cake savers, bread boxes and waste baskets.
1940s: The Postwar Colorful Era
The Post War kitchen of the 1940′s began to become family gathering places and now tables and chairs made of chrome bases with enamel, linoleum or plastic tops could be added to a more spacious kitchen which replaced the smaller work centered earlier kitchens. Separate formal dining rooms were being replaced by kitchens that could accommodate the family and guests. The kitchen was becoming a very inviting space and primary colors dominated the interior décor palette. Magazines advertised products for your “Gay Modern Kitchen”. Combinations of red, green and yellow or red and black were popular as well as brightly colored tablecloths, textiles and curtains. Flowers, fruits and Dutch motif were in vogue and found on shelving paper, trim, decals and kitchenwares. Appliances continued to be produced with streamlined designs, rounded corners and smaller proportions. The combination washer/dishwasher was introduced as well as the garbage disposal and freezers for home use.
1950s: The Atomic Era-Pastel Color-Space Age
Dramatic changes would occur in the kitchens of the 1950′s as space age, atomic era designs and materials entered the scene. The fifties kitchen featured plastics, pastel colors such turquoise or aqua, pink and yellow (cottage colors), Formica and chrome kitchen table and chair sets matched formica kitchen counters and were easy to keep clean with messy little ones. After the war there was more time for leisure promoting kitchenware’s and accessories for picnics, barbecues, parties and the home bar.
The introduction of color T.V. in the 1950s brought full color into America’s living rooms where homemakers could now see all the exciting products and appliances available to them. Following World War II, there was a new generation of plastics and time for “gracious living” and entertaining. Kitchens and homes saw the transition from glass, ceramic and tin products to numerous types of plastics which made casual living easier. Melmac and Melamine dishes, Lustro-ware and Tupperware storage accessories and “thermowall” for picnics were a huge success. Vinyl was used for tablecloths, chair covers and furniture and bark cloth with boomerang and abstract shapes was popular. Tablecloths and dishcloths continued to be brightly colored and souvenir textiles were added to the home with tropical, Southwestern and Mexicana themes. Poodles, roosters and designs with kitchen utensils, tea pots and coffee pots decorated potholders, appliance covers and linens. Appliances were built-in and came in fifties colors such as turquoise, soft yellow, pink and copper.
Top Ten Things to Do in Spring
It must be serendipity that I am in currently in the janitorial industry and that I enjoy cleaning. I use my skills as a sales and marketing director to sell my ritual of welcoming spring.
While some people enjoy lounging, daydreaming or reading when the days are still cool but sunny I enjoy tying up loose ends and starting with a “clean” slate. So what if others do not share my enthusiastic spring dance in honor of mother-nature! Why do they insist on their own dance and will not applaud my magnificent performance? Here are my favorite things to do in spring:
1. Spring clean & de-clutter home & office:
Make a caddy of your basic tools. I use multi-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths, lamb’s wool extension duster, furniture polish, disinfectant spray, trash bag and a laundry basket to put items I am removing from the room. If your ceilings are high you may need a small step ladder. I also have a broom to get behind furniture I can’t move and for carpet edges and corners. A vacuum with attachments is also very handy. Place your equipment outside the entrance of the room you are cleaning. Give each room a thorough, top to bottom cleaning. This is the perfect time to launder the curtains and bedding. If you are up to the challenge you can also flip furniture cushions, mattresses and rearrange the furniture. The best approach I have found is to start each room at the entrance door and circle the room. Start your high dusting, touching all surfaces on the walls such as picture frames, shelves, etc. If the curtains are not going to be taken down, remove the dust on the tops & fabric folds. Cobwebs can get anywhere, including the flat walls. Get under and behind the furniture with the duster and/or broom. Dust inside the window frame. Wash the windows. Use a microfiber with just a mist of all-purpose cleaner and dust the surfaces you can reach. The last thing I do is use my disinfectant spray and vacuum.
2. Get rid of clothes not worn:
I bring storage containers or boxes and kitchen trash bags and a black marker. First go through the shelved clothing, second the clothes that are hanging and third clothes that are in drawers. Make a pile on the floor of clothes that should be place in the garbage. Box up the seasonal things you are going to keep. Things you are giving away put into the trash bags. Use the marker and put your name and season of clothes on the boxes. Label the bags with the person’s name you are giving them to, yard sale or Goodwill. Store away the seasonal boxed clothes, put the give-away clothes in your garage or auto so you will not forget to take them away.
3. Clean yard, porches & garage:
All of these are good for family team work, but this one especially is. The garage needs and occasional de-clutter and cleaning. You will need a broom, plenty of boxes or plastic containers, a black marker and maybe some white mailing labels to write on. If you have a large major crisis in there you may want to copy the show “Clean Sweep” and get out three tarps on the drive or yard. Tarp number one is for things to keep, tarp number two is for giving away or yard sale, tarp three is trash. When you have everything out that you can, you may now dust, sweep and/or pressure wash. Organize tools by their use and season. Keep the yard tools together, garden tools and the basic repair tools together, etc. The sports equipment and toys are also organized and the off season sports equipment and toys should be boxed and put up. Tarp number one “things to keep” will be boxed up and labeled and neatly put back into the garage. Tarp number two “things to give away or yard sale” should be boxed, bagged or price tagged for yard sale. Label the give-away or yard sale items and neatly put back into the garage. Tarp number three “trash” items need to be bagged if they can fit into garbage receptacle or hauled to the dump if necessary. Now the garage is neat and clean!
4. Thoroughly detail autos:
Have a contest with someone if you are detailing two autos! Guard yourself from the sun. Tools needed are a vacuum with attachments, trash bag, towels, paper towels, 2 microfiber cloths and a large terry cloth, two old large beach towels, a long handled car wash broom if you have one, and a stiff brush for the wheels & tires and bucket & sponge. I also fix a small caddy with window cleaner, Mr. Clean, some Q-Tips, Armor-all, Febreze, car wash, wax with an applicator or soft cloth and tire “black” spray. Start on the inside and fill up your trash bag with any garbage in the auto. Look under seats and in the cracks of the seats. Pick up items that will hurt your vacuum. Take out all the carpets and lay them down to vacuum. Then fill a bucket with about a gallon of water and an ounce of Mr. Clean. Use this water first to scrub the seats with a very damp cloth, it may remove some stains and it smells good. Then wash the dash, wheel, seat dividers and inside the doors. Constantly clean your cloth in the bucket. Dip Q-tips in the water and use to get the dash cracks, corners and areas the cloth couldn’t get into. Spray Armor-All on a microfiber cloth and wipe down the dash and hard smooth surfaces made from similar material to shine up and make like new. When finished put that cloth away from the others so you will not use it again. Time for the inside windows! I use a window cleaner and paper towels to wash all the inside windows, then I go back over them with a microfiber cloth and it really polishes good. The last thing I do is vacuum the carpet. Be sure to adjust the seats forward and backward to get all areas. Last I give the fabric and carpet a spray of Febreze, carefully avoiding my windows. Vacuum the carpets that you took out. If you want to organize the trunk and vacuum, this is a good time. Now get the windows up and shut the doors. Empty your bucket and refill with plenty of water and a little carwash. Hose down the entire auto and wash by sections. Immediately rinse off each section as you go around the auto. When you think you are done walk around the auto for any touch-ups. Now use your stiff brush and scrub the wheels and tires a few times, then rinse. Hose off the carpets you removed and let air dry. Use a beach towel to dry off all areas of the auto. After drying and no water spots it is time to wax. My favorite auto wax is the new spray on wipe off type, but if you are using the paste wax it is done the same way. Put wax on a section at a time, and then remove it with the second beach towel. Let the paste wax dry before buffing off. Again check all around the auto for any areas that need touched up. After waxing I wash the windows with paper towels and then polish with the microfiber cloth. Your wheels and tires should be dry by now so you can spray your “black” spray on them. Now that is a sparkling beauty!
5. Get planting beds & flower containers ready:
You can start seedlings indoors or wait for the nursery centers to stock your favorite plants. Guard yourself from the sun. Tools you may want for the large planting beds are a tiller (if large area) rake, shovel, garden claw, landscape fabric or plastic, gloves, trash bag potting soil (my favorite is Miracle Grow with the water holding material). First pull all weeds and place in trash bag. Rake the surface of leaves, old mulch and debris, put in trash bag or compost bin. Use shovel or garden claw to turn the soil (till if large area) and mix in your potting soil. After the area is complete, cover with the landscape fabric or plastic. When you are ready to plant, cut holes in the landscape fabric or plastic and place plant where you want. To finalize your flower gardens, cover the fabric or plastic with mulch or rocks. For the flower containers, if they have previously been used they must be washed and let air dry. When the weather is warm enough you can plant. Place some large stones or broken pottery pieces in the bottom for drainage. Fill pots ¾ of the way full. Decide where to place your plants and surround them with potting soil and firmly press down. Give a good drink of water. Check on weekly to remove dead material and water if needed.
6. Start seedlings indoors:
Pick a few seeds you want to start, veggies, herbs, flowers (Burpee is my favorite brand). You can use a sun lamp, although I never have. Just don’t start too early or they will grow too large before you can transplant. The easiest way is to get the jiffy pots ready for water and seeds. You can also use a rectangle receptacle like a cake pan and fill with potting soil and sprinkle on the seeds and water. Pour off excess water. Save your seed envelopes to mark your plants or you won’t remember what you are growing and where. When the weather is warm enough and all chances of freezing are over they can be transplanted either in a prepared bed or container.
7. Write down new things to do in the summer and fall:
I like to write down things I haven’t done in a while, new things or things to do with particular friends and family; go to museum with mother; watch movie with Linda. Learn how to rollerblade, take a painting class, run a marathon, go boating and so forth. I have things to do indoors for rain and outdoors for sunshine. Keep your list next to your calendar and when you want something to do check one off. Make arrangements a week or so ahead so you will have a full social calendar.
8. Begin a customized fitness plan:
First schedule a check up with your family doctor and make sure you are okay to become more active. Define what you want to accomplish and a date to accomplish this by. If you have more than one goal, do this for every goal. Example: I want to lose 30 pounds by August. Next step is to plan out how you will accomplish this. Example: I will clean out my kitchen and replace with healthy low calorie foods. I will walk one mile every day. I will lift weights thirty minutes every other day and so on. Keep positive affirmations and motivational post-its on your bathroom mirror and refrigerator.
9. Get a new hair cut, hair style or color:
Be browsing the magazine for cuts and color you like to get an idea or two. Visit your favorite hair salon or one that a friend refers. Ask the stylist to recommend a cut and or color for your complexion, lifestyle and budget. Ask questions regarding maintenance before you decide. Your cut must be quick and easy to maintain if you lifestyle is very busy. If you are young you can easily go more dramatic and bold. If you are more mature or have a career you may want to stick with some classic styles and color, but different than you usually get. This is a great ego boost and when you are confident and happy, it will rub off on everyone around you.
10. Take a long walk, hike or bike ride in a scenic area:
This is a great family outing, or couples and friends outing. Bring your dog if you can. If you have a favorite park or recreation area, plan a day and a picnic for this event. This could ba a great way to scout out a camping area. Take the basics, sandwiches, fruit and water. Dress for the occasion and don’t forget sun protection. Bring a rain jacket or wind breaker in case the weather suddenly changes. Let someone know where you are going and bring a cell phone. Bring a Frisbee or football to mix things up. Just enjoy the time to spend with good company and appreciate the beautiful earth.
With a “clean” slate completed there is still ample time to soak up all the crisp air and sunshine. I feel I have accomplished something great and it makes me feel terrific about the next great season!
Look for more articles coming soon!
Wine and Food Pairings – Which Wine to Serve with Dinner
Most people love to throw dinner parties for their friends and family. But, they may avoid serving wine because they do not know exactly what to serve. Do you serve red or white with fish? Will Merlot be okay if you are serving a Mexican dish? Do not stress over it – there are some basic wine rules you can follow.
The number one rule of thumb when choosing wine is “red wine with red meat, white wine with white meat.” This is not always true, but it generally works quite well when you are unsure. One exception is chicken. The meat is white, but a nice fruity red wine goes well with it. The same can be said for tuna or salmon, so you do not have to always follow the rule of not serving red wine with fish. The second rule is the rule of complements. It is okay to match sweet seafood such as lobster with a sweet white wine. The next rule is the opposites attract. While you usually want to match like flavors, sometimes a contrast, such as a White Bordeaux with bluefish can be wonderful.
Outside of the basic rules, there are certain things you can look for and certain things you can avoid depending on what you are serving. Here are some hints as to what to serve with particular types of food.
Salads and Appetizers
You should avoid serving wine during your salad, as vinegar and wine do not mix well. But, if you are having an appetizer, you need to consider the ingredients in the appetizer to help you choose your wine. If you are having a cheese tray, the type of cheese will help you determine the wine. For example, cheddar is best with dry reds, Merlots, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Pinot Noir goes best with Swiss. Camembert and brie are great with a Chardonnay. The cheese we tend to think of as Italian such as parmigiano, romano, and reggiano go well with Italian dry red wines like Chianti and Barlol. If you are serving something a fried appetizer, consider serving a crisp, fruity white or red wine to help cut the oily flavor.
Beef, Steak and Lamb
Do you remember the “red wine with red meat” rule? That one is great to use when serving beef, steak, and lamb. Choose a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or a burgundy like Pinot Noir. You can also consider serving an Italian red such as Barolo or Chianti.
Fish and Seafood
To be safe, stick with a dry, crisp white wine. Sauvignon Blanc goes well with white fish while Sancerre and Muscadet go well with oysters. If you want to be different, try a fruity red wine (without tannins). But, use caution when serving red, especially if you are serving white, delicate fish. Cabernets with tannins combined with fish can leave a metallic taste in your mouth.
Poultry, Pork and Veal
For the most part, you want to follow the “white meat, white wine” rule with these. White chardonnays and Pinot Blancs are great. If you want to serve red with chicken, remember to choose a wine that is fruity like a Merlot or Zinfandel.
Turkey
Think back to Thanksgiving. Do you remember how well your cranberry sauce went with the turkey? The same rule applies here. For turkey, since it has both white and dark meat, you want something fruity and tart such as a Beaujolais for red or a Riesling for white.
Spicy Foods
If you are planning on service something spicy like Thai or Indian food, a sparkling wine works best. Avoid wines with tannins and look for something fruity. And, make sure the wine is well chilled. Cold wine goes well with spicy foods.
Dessert
The best thing to serve with a delicious dessert is a dessert wine. In fact, you can skip the dessert part and just serve a dessert wine to your guests. These are sweet wines often sold in smaller bottles as you don’t drink as much dessert wine as you do regular wine. Wines such as Sauternes, Beerenauslese, Bermet and Cammandaria will make a great end to any evening.
The most important rule about what wine to serve is to avoid being snobby about wine. There are no right answers, only basic rules to go by and even those, as you have seen, can be changed. Do not be afraid to experiment with different tastes. Chances are if you do not act like there is anything wrong with the wine you are serving, your guests will not either.
Apples in American Culture – Why, Apples are as Amercian as Apple Pie!
Here in the United States, though, we have many traditional fruits. Of course, perhaps the most popular and most traditional fruit that we grow is the apple. In fact, apples are such traditional fruits that they have become ingrained in our culture.
Take a look at some of the ways in which apples have moved off the tree and into our language, games, and stories:
It is a very common in our culture for someone to say, “That is like comparing apples and oranges,” Meaning that you are trying to compare two things that are incomparable.
Apples have even made it into our folklore: most kids know the story of Johnny Appleseed, the boy who traveled across the United States with an upside down pot on his head, dispersing apple seeds.
And everyone knows that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Although this proverb has some merit, most still just pass it off as an old wive’s tale. An apple a day will not keep the doctor away if you do not also eat right, exercise, and refrain from excesses such as smoking and drinking a lot!
A phrase that really shows how apples have become a major part of our society is, “that is as American as apple pie!” Apples are completely ingrained in our culture, and apple pies are an American icon, reminiscent the “happy” years in the United States.
A rotten or bad apple is not just a piece of bad fruit. This idiom describes the one “bad” or “rotten” person in a group.
Other popular phrases that we often use in our culture are: “the apple of my eye” and “how do you like them apples!”
As you can see, there are many ways in which apples are fully ingrained into our culture. In fact, it is likely that no other fruit is nearly as important to our American culture as the apple is.
The apple is truly a traditional fruit in the United States, and it is a fruit that seems to have many traditions associated with it.
For instance, “bobbing for apples.” This is a game that is especially popular around the autumn months and Halloween. In this game, a large bucket or cauldron is filled with water, and apples are place in it to float. Participants must bob for the apples, trying to catch one in their teeth, without using their hands.
If, though, you take a look at another culture, a culture in another region of the world, they will likely have far different traditional fruits. And along with their different traditional fruits, they will likely have different idioms, stories, and games based on those fruits, wound into their culture.
An Ideal Personalized Present – Movie Gift Baskets
Finding the ideal gift can often be a difficult chore. If you find that you tend to run out of ideas for what to give your friends and loved ones, this article about movie gift baskets is for you. The baskets are ideal gift-giving solutions, and you’ll actually have fun preparing them. They are so versatile that they can be given for all occasions and you can personalize them to please and delight everyone you offer them to. After all, everyone derives pleasure from watching movies while eating their favorite snacks.
Movie gift baskets are perfect romantic Valentine’s Day gifts, for example. Prepare a basket containing your special girl’s favorite chocolate, popcorn and / or candy and one or two romantic movies you know she’ll enjoy. The Internet is a great place to look if you’re not sure which movies to buy. Your friend is bound to appreciate the thoughtfulness of personalized movie gift baskets, and you’ll spend a lovely evening together right at home. Don’t forget to stock up on your favorite drinks too.
These gifts don’t always have to be romantic. This is one gift idea that you can adapt to any occasion. Rather than mindlessly buying flowers for sick relatives or friends, show how much you care by offering them movie gift baskets. Simply fill up a basket with small snacks or fruit and add a couple of funny movies to raise the spirits of the ill person and help him / her to get better. Boredom often aggravates a bed-ridden person’s condition, and movie gift baskets are an excellent way to fill up the long hours and raise the spirits of any depressed patient. Making an effort to find out which kinds of movies the person prefers and including those in your basket will make it a memorable gift that will be even more appreciated.
Baskets containing candy, popcorn and a selection of scary movies are perfect to offer your friends on Halloween too. Christmas and Easter are other occasions when movie baskets can come to the rescue! There’s nothing easier than making a Christmas movie gift basket. Holiday season candies and great Christmas movies are available everywhere. Choose classic Christmas movies for older people and movies like ‘The polar Express’ for children. Gift baskets for Easter can contain things like colored jelly beans and bunny-shaped Easter chocolate, plus religious movies or any traditional entertainment movie you know our friends enjoy. As you can see, movie gift baskets are the ultimate personalized, fun to make presents for everyone, at any time!
In fact, you may find yourself making up your own special occasions just for the fun of preparing them. One idea, budget permitting, is an ‘Academy Awards Night’. Prepare gifts that contain popcorn flavors and one or more of the Academy Awards nominated movies. Another idea would be setting up a ‘Classic Movie Night’ where the baskets would hold some of your and your friends’ favorite old movies. You could even ask your friends to chip in and make these on a monthly basis, enjoying a movie night in your homes on rotating schedule. These baskets can also keep family members happy if you go on vacation to a place where television channels don’t offer much to see.
There’s really no limit to what you can add to movie gift baskets. Personalize them to suit both the occasion and the people who will be using them. In addition to popcorn and movies, you can include such things as movie guide booklets, plastic forks for greasy popcorn, paper napkins, nuts and lollipops; the list is endless.