Tradition Thursday: It's Eggnog Time!

A La Carte Kitchen

When it comes to holiday culinary traditions, there's really nothing quite as popular as eggnog. We did a little research to find some well-loved eggnog recipes to share with you.

The creators of these recipes say they've spent years perfecting them. If you've never made the homemade stuff, perhaps this is the year to try it for your holiday entertaining!

Amazingly Good Eggnog Recipe

Alton Brown's Eggnog Recipe

Jeffrey Morgenthaler's Eggnog Recipe

Clean Plates' Recipe, with dairy-free and non-alcoholic options

Ten Tips For Easy Thanksgiving Entertaining

DigsDigs

Thanksgiving is only a week away, so today we're bringing you some simple entertaining tips we've come up with for throwing a great Thanksgiving feast, or any dinner party. Planning ahead will help you stay organized so you can actually enjoy the day alongside your guests!

1) Shop early

There's nothing worse than going to the store the day before Thanksgiving to find that half the ingredients you need for your meal are sold out.

2) Prepare your fridge

Clean out the fridge in the days before Thanksgiving to make room for the meal prep and leftovers.

3) Have appetizers ready

This will keep guests happy and prevent them getting anxious while waiting for the real meal to begin.

4) Plan fun table decor

Whether simple or formal, putting a little extra thought into your table decor will really set the tone for your dinner experience as a special occasion and puts everyone in the holiday mood.

5) Consider using place cards

If you're planning for lots of guests, keep things easy by using place cards for seating.

6) Have a kids table

Put younger kids together for the meal and prep for messes. They'll have much more fun and parents will be able to relax and enjoy the adult company more.

7) Plan for your food presentation

A buffet is definitely the easiest way to go. Think through what the dishes will be served in ahead of time.

8) Use labels

Label the dishes so it's easy for guests to select what they'd like to eat.

9) Have multiple sets of condiments at the table

To avoid the "can you pass the..." question, have things like salt and pepper and cranberry sauce placed in several places on the table.

10) Have plenty of to-go containers on hand

This is an easy way to share leftovers with guests as they're leaving.

"Flower" Dusting

To close out our week of "flower" entertaining we are talking about decorating your fiesta - the finishing touches for any host.

Now that you've incorporated flowers into your food, drink, and serving dishes it's time to focus on decorating. It's summer time so everything is in bloom and ready to be placed on your table.

A "green" way to decorate is to use your potted plants as table decor. It creates a rustic yet chic look and the best part is that you can reuse the plants.

Place flower heads on cheesboards, place cards, dessert bards, and appetizer plates. Simple mums are colorful and budget friendly and their hearty heads are perfect for sprinkling around. They can last a long time without water.

Gorgeous, rich colors for an outdoor get together.

Your Daily "Flower" Serving

Continuing with flower entertaining:

Part of hosting any "food" related event is figuring out creative ways of serving it. Flowers are a great way to serve some popular dishes.

A great flower to serve mousses and other small desserts is in a tulip head. Tulips are perfect "cups" and their bright color single-handedly decorates your outdoor event.

"Flower" Drink

To continue with our outdoor entertaining while incorporating flowers today we'd like to give you some fun ideas oh how to spruce up your refreshing cocktails.

Make some flower-filled ice cubes. Do this by adding a little water to the ice tray, place a flower (or flower petal) on top and add to the freezer. Once frozen bring it out and pour more water into the tray and place back in the freezer. By freezing in stages you will ensure the flower freezes in the center of the cube.

Another great idea is to replace your everyday straws or cocktail umbrellas with edible flower stems. This will add color and special detailing to your soiree.

A bright splash of color!

Bottoms up!