Easy and Impressive Thanksgiving Edibles

The Holidays are all about entertaining. Yes, you can bake a Ham or a Turkey, put some breads, out, vegetables, potatoes. If you put a few minutes of extra time into what you are putting on the table you can really wow your guests. Presentation can make quite an impression. When your food is laid out beautifully it makes a meal so much better and so much more memorable. You don't have to be Martha Stewart but you can make everything you present so much nice with a little effort. Tablescapes is what one television cook, Sandra Lee calls them.

If you are thinking of putting out some fruit for guests or family to nibble on here's a spectacular way to show case them rather than just tossing them in a pile in a bowl. Try this.

A Cornocoepia

Supplies:

Pepperidge Farm Crescent rolls 2-3 packages.
Nice selection of ruit, apples, oranges,
A bag of assorted nuts in their shells, Pecans,Walnuts
Egg White for shine
Aluminum Foil heavy duty
Evergreen sprigs

Crumple a good couple of lengths of aluminum foil. Make it into a tube shape larger on one end whittling down to a point about two - three inches thick at the narrowest. The narrow end can curl upwards. Place this on your baking sheet or stone ware baking sheet. Give it a little push so it sits flat on the bottom but is still well rounded on the other thre sides. Its going to be the base for your Cornocoepia. Open your packages of Pepperiidge Farm Crescent Rolls and start laying them over this form. Paint the dough with egg white for shine.The dough will be the Cornocoepia. . Once you have the foil covered bake in the oven according to directions. Remove it when golden and take the foil out carefully. Once cooled this can be put on a nice platter and filled with fruits and nuts. You can add some Evergreen sprigs from outside if you have access to these.

Another fall themed easy to prepare dish is the Almond Pine COne.

Supplies:

Large back of whole, shelled almonds
Two to three containers of whatever dip you prefer to serve
Crackers
Some evergreen springs

Empty your containers of dip onto the board you plan on serving this on. Mold it into a pointed oval. Wide at one end, slightly point at the other. Start layering your almond like overlapping shingles from the top to the point. This will create the seed pod areas of a pine cone. Once you have all the almonds in place put the sprigs of greenery at the top and lay crackers all around the pine cone. Now your guests can use the almonds or the crackers to dip in the cheese.

Holiday Punch with Cranberry cubes

Supplies

Fresh Cranberries
Container of Orange Juice
Container of Cranberry Juice
Sliced orange
Colored sugar

In advance make up ice cubes. Pour the water and add a Cranberry or two to each cube. When you are ready to serve your punch, rim the edge of the punch bowl with colored sugar, mix your juices together and add the special Cranberry ice cubes. Put some nice orange slices in as well. This works for both Thanksgiving and Christmas and is so easy. This is a great idea for summer with mint leaves in the cubes or Nasturtium flowers. Smashing presentation for plain old punch.

Bear Bread

Supplies

Pepperidge Farm Crescent Rolls
Raisins
Egg White
Silpat or non stick baking pan or stone

Open your Pepperidge Farm Crescent rolls. Gently form a head circle , some legs in oblong shapes and a big round center .Two small circles will make the ears. Place raisins for the eyes nose and belly button. Paint with egg wash and cook according to directions. Now won't that be so much cuter than the usual basket of rolls. You can put those out as well but this is great for the kids.

ALl thse things make it look like your dinner was catered. Your guests wil be so impresssed.