Here are some helpful tips and ideas on how to entertain your friends and family during the holiday season. Enjoy every moment of family time and have your home set up in a way that it creates moments of time together. There are many things that you can have ready that creates an environment for family time.
Have the Living Room Area cleaned out ready for guests to sit into it.
Turn on some soft Christmas music to set a festive mood.
Set out sugar cookies and a few cans of frosting with the sprinkles and let your guest create their own cookie masterpiece.
Pleasing smells in a home always bring a smile to the face when you walk in the door. Maybe it is apple cider and cloves in the crockpot or maybe it is a PlugIn on the wall.
Decorations are fun- You don't have to go all out. You may have a Christmas Tree or just a wreath- that is ok. Having a focal point though set's the mood and tone for the celebration.
Another idea is a Charcuterie board. If you're not already familiar with it, the term "charcuterie" may sound fancy and inaccessible. But if you're a fan of hot dogs or pepperoni, you're a fan of charcuterie.
What Is Charcuterie, Exactly?
From the French chair for meat and cuit for cooked, charcuterie is simply the art of preserving meat. Charcuterie (pronounced shar-KOO-tuh-ree) has been around for centuries and, much like cheese, became popular because it kept food around for longer — the heart of charcuterie is frugality.
Charcuterie Boards vs. Cheese Boards
By now, you might be scratching your head thinking, "What about all the 'charcuterie' boards we see on Instagram that don't actually feature any meat?" It all comes down to semantics.
A charcuterie board is a selection of meats surrounded by foods that complement those meats, most commonly fruits, nuts, crackers, and dips. A cheese board is a collection of cheeses surrounded by foods that complement those cheeses. You may find charcuterie on a cheese board and cheese on a charcuterie board, but they are technically not the same. However, the terms have become largely interchangeable.
The idea of Charcuterie Boards became more popular again, because of the pandemic and feeling trapped. Many people wanted to go out and do "something"- Anything....they wanted to be a little more fancy. They wanted to have house guests. So bringing out the Charcuterie board and making some easy pick up and take foods allowed for that without breaking any of the "safety" rules.
There are many different looks that you can create. The idea is to start with the meat of course. Pick out some favorites that your family and friends will enjoy. Then you can add on to the board with items that would complement the flavors. Maybe you want some cheese or some fruit. Some choose to use bread and jams. There really is not a wrong way to put it together. Think about what foods will do better sitting out for a period than others. Such as apples, you may not want to use them cut, because they may turn brown....if you do want them- slice your addple and place in a Ziplock back with some Sprite Soda Pop become your gathering. The citric from the soda pop will keep the apples whiter longer.
This tray does not have to become expensive either. Often you can find some rolled meat and cheese premade in the deli department. Don't overdo the board, unless this is the meal of the day. If it is just an appetizer, then make it smaller- appropriate to the scale of the gathering and allow your guests to pick and try as the conversation grows.
We wish you and your family the Merriest of Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! Be blessed and take time to enjoy those blessings around you that we may rush through every day!
If you love Design Time, you will not want to miss this 1 hour Special Addition of Design Time on December 30th at 10am. Here you see more. The start of the process, the before, being built and finally the after results that we know you love to see.