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In the News - November 2009
Turkey shouldn't be the only décor on Thanksgiving table
SEARCY, Ark. - Turkey may take the center of the plate at Thanksgiving, but
the table still isn't complete without a centerpiece, said Sherri Sanders, White
County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
"Considering the celebration's humble beginning, simplicity is perfect for
the table setting," she said. "The food itself - the red of cranberries, the
warm brown of the turkey, the green of green beans, the orange of pumpkin pies -
does much to enliven the table."
Sanders offered a few suggestions for a simple, but stylish Thanksgiving
centerpiece:
- Try arranging fruit, vegetables and colorful autumn leaves in a
basket or a bowl.
- Find some branches with colorful leaves and some branches with
colorful fruit on them and place them in a large vase or jug. Fruit
branches that look great include ornamental crabapples, cedar
branches, cattails, cornhusks, wheat or other grain right from a
field.
- Search the yard for an interesting branch that will fit the
center of your table. It's a good idea to spray the branch with
insect repellent several days before using. Then let it air in
basement or garage for several days to rid it of odor. Position the
branch down the center of the table, resting miniature pumpkins in
the crooks and bends and spreading nuts and gourds on the table
around the branch. Add votive candles for an evening meal.
- Instead of place cards, write each guest's name on a tiny
pumpkin. For the centerpiece, cut the top from a pumpkin and scoop
out seeds; fill with trailing ivy cut from the yard. Cut the ivy
early and give it a basement spray wash. Shake to dry before
arranging in the pumpkin.
- Cranberries filling a variety of tall, slim vases add wonderful
color, with or without a strategically placed ribbon. Cranberries
also are wonderful in place of florist marbles in arrangements. A
good-sized clear vase filled with cranberries to which you add
corkscrew willow or other interestingly shaped branches can be
simple and stunning.
- If you dine after dark, put cranberries in those narrow vases,
fill with water and add floating candles for a wonderful glow that
can reappear to brighten the December holidays. Be sure to never
leave lighted candles unattended.
For food safety and nutrition information contact your county extension
office, or visit www.uaex.edu.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture and offers its programs to all eligible persons
regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability,
marital or veteran status, or any other legally protected status, and is an
Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
November 20, 2009
Media Contact: Elizabeth Fortune
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2120
efortune@uaex.edu
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