Edible Fruit Arrangements - A Great Way to Treat Your Guests

Edible fruit arrangements have been around for quite some time now, and chefs of many restaurants have used this technique to treat their guests. However, if you are looking to treat your guests in a novel and attractive way also, an edible fruit arrangement for your dining table would be a great choice.

It has generally been noticed that when a fruit arrangement has been done nicely, guests hesitate to pick fruits from there and eat because they do not want to spoil the arrangement. They do not realize that the main purpose of that arrangement was that guests could eat from there. If you have invited guests over for dinner or will be inviting them sometimes soon, you can begin making your arrangement for the dining table with a vase or a plate. After you have selected a nice piece of utensil to hold the fruits, you need to look for the different types of fruits that you would be decorating the utensil with.

The most common fruits used in a decoration are strawberries, pineapple, grapes and apple. You can also use parsley leaves to add a little bit of greenery to the decoration. Other things that may be needed include flower shaped cookie cutter, pair of scissors, bamboo skewers and a knife.

You can cut the pineapple into small piece and the use the flower shaped cookie cutter to give them shapes of flower. Then you can use the bamboo skewers to pin to the pineapple flowers and place in the vase or plate. Other fruits can be used to add color and variation to the decoration.

Having Overnight Holiday Guests? Serve Them Eggnog Pancakes Or Easy Ham and Cheese Quiche

Cooks always like to know they have served their guests something different than the usual but that is also tasty. If you are having overnight guests during the holidays or you are planning a holiday brunch serve your guests these Eggnog Pancakes. Using boxed mix and commercially prepared eggnog, making these little treats is quick and easy. Or make this Easy Ham and Cheese Quiche. The quiche goes together quickly and leaves you free to visit while it bakes for 45 minutes.

EASY HAM AND CHEESE QUICHE

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup melted butter

1/4 tsp salt

dash of pepper

3 eggs

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup cubed ham

1/2 cup biscuit baking mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 or 10-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the milk, butter, salt and pepper. Lightly beat the eggs and add to the milk mixture. Add the biscuit mix and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate; sprinkle with the Swiss cheese and ham. Using the back of a large spoon, gently press the ham and cheese into the mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Let stand for about 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

EGGNOG PANCAKES

2 cups boxed pancake mix

1 egg

1 1/2 cups commercially prepared eggnog

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of nutmeg

Lightly grease griddle and turn heat on so it will be hot for cooking. Put pancake mix into a medium mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk egg, eggnog, vanilla and nutmeg together. Stir egg mixture into pancake mix just until moistened. Pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto griddle. Turn pancakes when bubbles form on top. Cook until second side is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Host a Spectacular Christmas Brunch Party That Your Guests Will Remember

Did you have one too many Christmas or Holiday parties to attend last year? Is this year's calendar already filling up, but you still want to have a few people over? Perhaps you just want to do something different this year for your family. How about hosting a Christmas Brunch instead of an evening party? You can plan it for any of the weekends after Thanksgiving or possibly even Christmas morning or New Year's Day.

Advantages:

You still get to use that beautiful Christmas tablecloth that you just purchased.
You will be able to get to bed at a reasonable hour.
The kids are generally in a better mood and more alert in the morning.
Don't have to worry about guests drinking and driving or staying until all hours of the evening.
You get to eat some great breakfast and brunch items that you may only make occasionally.
Easier to get together on a Saturday or Sunday morning with those busy people that you know.
Shouldn't interfere with most football games.

Ideal number of total guests for a brunch party: 4-8

Ideal time of day for a brunch party: 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, but this can be flexible.

Brunch Ideas:

Belgian waffles and buttermilk pancakes are always a favorite in our house. Make it easy on yourself and keep it simple. It is perfectly okay to buy pre-made mixes, sauces, and toppings. In fact, this could be used as a great reason to have your guests over. Buy 3 different kinds of pancake mixes that you haven't tried before, make ½ batch of each, and have a tasting party.

To make it special for the holidays here are a few ideas: Make real whipped cream using 1 pint of heavy whipping cream sweetened with powdered sugar and than add ½ tsp. of ground cinnamon while whipping the cream. Just delicious and it adds an extra special touch on pancakes and waffles. For the pancakes, make them small, not more than 4-5" in diameter. Serve with real butter.

Where you can get really creative is in the toppings. Real maple syrup is a must, but also consider blueberry syrup with plump whole blueberries, apple-cinnamon syrup with chunks of fresh apple, a raspberry sauce or any flavor of jams and jellies as excellent toppings for pancakes and waffles. Try to have a variety of 2-3 flavors available. Once your guests try some of the different flavors, the maple syrup may end up taking a back seat.

Light Accompaniments:

You really need to have a lighter accompaniment to offset a big meal of pancakes or waffles. Fresh fruit is a great choice and it can be served in many different ways.

Prepare ahead a fresh fruit platter or place fruit into individual serving bowls. A selection of red and green seedless grapes, sliced strawberries, blueberries, kiwifruit or any other seasonal fruit may be used. Adding a splash of a white carbonated soda to each fruit dish is very refreshing. You can also top off the fresh fruit with the cinnamon whipped cream noted earlier.

Festive Beverage Ideas:

Egg nog (only in small amounts as this is very filling)

Champagne and orange juice

Rich dark coffee with a splash of a flavored syrup such as vanilla or hazelnut

Add some candles and sparkle to your brunch table and make it festive. No need to wait for evening to get out the good china and centerpiece decorations.