Impress Your Mother With A Family Dinner

Deck the halls and the holiday table with the right decorations to make any holiday meal even more appetizing. A simple yet stunning centerpiece, candles, and the proper flatware are all you need to festively adorn your table.

1. I like to use a simple white tablecloth with a contrasting place-mat. Use name cards for a sophisticated formal touch.

2. The simplest ideas are the best ones, especially with all you have to do during the holidays, so take a minimalist approach to flowers for your table. Instead of doing an arrangement of different flowers, which can be difficult, pick one type of flower and do a large mass of them. It will look dramatic yet understated. Or, pick one color scheme, like orange, and mix all types of flowers with the same hue. Another idea is to mix bunches of herbs in with the flowers: sage imparts the perfect color and aroma during spring. Try mint in the spring and basil in the summer. For a modern approach, place single flowers in small vases and arrange the vases in the center or down the table. A clear vase filled with colored ornamental bulbs also makes a nice centerpiece.

3. Don’t forget vibrant and aromatic seasonal fruits and vegetables. Use them whole and uncooked to garnish holiday platters or to grace ornamental fruit bowls. Fruit arrangements can be stunning and made in lieu of or in combination with flowers. Try floating flowers in a bowl of water with sliced or whole seasonal fruits, such as kumquats and cranberries during the fall and winter, or strawberries and blueberries during the spring and summer. Harvest corn and seasonal gourds like pumpkins and squash also make colorful and festive harvest baskets, perfect for any traditional table centerpiece. For a contemporary look, use squash in the same hue, like pale green; coat the squash with a shiny layer of lacquer for added vibrancy and place in dark brown bowls. Offset the centerpiece with white table linens and china.

4. Candles—from large decorative sconces to small tea lights—create instant atmosphere. Let the flame sparkle against your fine crystal or clear glass creating an ethereal and intimate atmosphere. For a clean modern look, fill a small glass vase or bowl with water and float a small candle, cranberries, and sliced kumquats in it.

5. Use your best silverware or simple silver cutlery. Remember to lie out all the proper flatware for the courses you plan to serve. Always place the utensil one will use first furthest from the plate, such as an appetizer fork or soupspoon. Lay the forks on the left side of the plate: first the appetizer fork, then the salad fork, and last the entrée fork, closest to the plate. The knife, with the sharp edge facing towards the plate, fish knife, and soup spoon are set to the right of the plate, in that order from left to right. Dessert forks and spoons go at the top of the plate. And don’t forget the butter knife, which lies atop the bread plate, blade facing the center of the bread plate, above the forks on the left. Drinks go above the knives to the right of the plate.

6. Place a nice folded linen napkin neatly to the left of the forks for formal occasions or on top of the plate for less formal gatherings.