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Party Planning Tips
Dreaming of a Green
Holiday: Organic Holiday Entertaining Tips
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(ARA) - 'Tis the
season to be green! Whether it's an organic
Thanksgiving or a festive holiday party, celebrate
the season with friends and family by hosting a
truly memorable, eco-friendly fete.
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Impress guests with
thoughtful holiday entertaining that promotes good cheer and
good practices. From delicious, healthy holiday dishes and
organic spirits, to eco-friendly cookware and natural
tabletop accessories, here are a few small steps that can go
a long way to ensure festivities with minimal environmental
impact and tons of holiday cheer.
Farmer's Market -- Inside your
Pantry!
The winter months can be a difficult time to keep your
kitchen fully stocked with fresh, organic produce and
ingredients. Keeping delicious, healthy organic packaged
products on hand allows for quick and easy holiday dish
preparation. It is becoming increasingly easy and
cost-effective to keep an organic kitchen all year long with
products available right on your grocery store shelves.
Del Monte Organic, for example, is a complete line of
organic canned veggies including Cut Green Beans, Sweet
Peas, Baby Leaf Spinach, Whole Kernel Corn, French Style
Green Beans, Sliced Carrots, Diced Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce,
and Crushed Tomatoes ($.59 to $1.89, available at major
grocers nationwide, DelMonte.com). Like fresh counterparts,
Del Monte Organic is preservative free.
And, eating organic doesn't have to mean the holiday meal
has to lose its nostalgic appeal. Simply revamp traditional
family recipes with organic options. Try substituting Del
Monte Organic French Style Green Beans in the traditional
green bean casserole, for example.
"Eating organic foods limits you and your family's exposure
to potentially harmful pesticides, and ensures a smaller
environmental footprint. Additionally, organic options often
have more antioxidants than conventional foods," says Laura
Molseed, registered dietitian for Del Monte Foods.
Good Holiday Spirits
Top off the holiday cheer
with organic wines and spirits. Organic wines are increasing
in popularity, and crowd-pleasing choices such as Frog's
Leap, Sinskey, Sincerity, and Bonterra Vineyards are fast
becoming some of America's most renowned organic vino brands
(available at www.Bonterra.com).
For a delicious non-alcoholic alternative, serve guests warm
apple cider made with fresh, organic apples.
What's Cooking
While it's important to cook
with organic ingredients and foods, it's also important to
consider meal preparation. GreenPan is the first cookware
product to utilize Thermolon non-stick coating which is PTFE/PFOA-free,
and will perform at high temperatures without deterioration
or releasing fumes or toxic chemicals that are harmful to
the environment. Additionally, 50 percent less energy is
used in the manufacturing of GreenPan's coating compared to
traditional non-stick cookware and is therefore considered
"green" in manufacturing (GreenPan Cookware is exclusively
available at HSN, www.HSN.com).
Season's Greetings
A thoughtful, eco-friendly
holiday card serves as the perfect invitation to your
gathering. While using recycled paper is a nice sentiment,
try using cards or invitations made with paper that will
bloom into beautiful flowers to spread an extra dose of
holiday cheer. Botanical PaperWorks offers an assortment of
elegant holiday cards embedded with wildflower or spruce
tree seeds (available at www.botanicalpaperworks.com) that
can be planted outdoors or potted. Guests will surely
remember this extra special touch this holiday season.
Natural Beauty
Crisp, tasteful organic cotton
table linens can add a subtle touch of natural
sophistication. Organic cotton is grown using methods and
materials that have a low impact on the environment.
Rawganique and VivaTerra both offer beautiful organic
tablecloths, napkins and linens (available through
www.Rawganique and www.VivaTerra.com).
Fresh, organically grown blooms paired with winter branches
and pinecones make for beautiful and natural centerpieces.
Consider local flowers found at the farmer's market or
purchase beautiful arrangements online. Organic Bouquet (www.organicbouquet.com)
is the leading retailer of organic flowers. It offers floral
arrangements sourced from growers that are committed to the
highest social and environmental standards. Each bouquet is
hand-selected and shipped fresh from the farm.
Mood Lighting
Conserve energy and dim the
lights. Use soy candles or lanterns made of sustainable
materials to cast a soft glow to warmly welcome guests to
celebrate the holiday season with you.
Courtesy ARAcontent
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