5 Ways You Can Decorate Your Porch For The Festive Season

(Family Features) Your front porch is the first area of your home that your guests walk past before entering your home. As the days get gloomier and the snow gets heavier, decorating the porch seems like a pointless endeavor. However, this will go a long way in bringing out the festive moods of your guests, making your long-awaited reunion with friends feel less awkward, and your celebrations together feel more cheery, pleasant, and light-hearted.

Depending on the size of your porch, you can employ various fixtures, seasonal décor items, and other accessories to elevate the exterior of your home. While there is a limitless number of approaches you can take to bring your abode's exterior up a notch, here are six ideas that we think you should use to bring some Christmas cheer.

Seasonal Door Décor
The perfect way to bring the holiday spirit to your home is by using the traditional, classic festive décor, with evergreens like garlands and wreaths to get a neutral pop of color to the house. However, they are highly versatile and can be paired with various decorative accessories such as ribbons, ornaments, and bells to bring out a cheery and joyful mood.

We'd recommend going with bold winter hues such as dark blues, deep reds, sparkling silver, and classic golds for the most captivating color schemes and combinations. After the holiday season has ended, the evergreens can be repurposed after you have removed all the festive accents to bring a homely and rustic feel to the porch.

Festive Winter Motif Sign
One way you can truly welcome your guests is to put up a winter motif sign that gives off a warm and inviting atmosphere to your guests. You don't have to break the bank with this as any old vintage, collectible sign from your local décor store will do – this is excellent, especially if you're going for a more intimate, cozy, and homely feel. Otherwise, you could get your children involved and make your hand-painted sign that features winter designs and motifs such as snowflakes, snowmen, Christmas trees alongside festive greetings.

Winter Planter Pots and Arrangements
If you're looking to bring that rustic and intimate factor up a notch, a great way to do so is by displaying planter pots filled with evergreen plants like pine branches and winter-blooming flowers complete with wintry accents such as pine boughs, pine cones, and small logs. They are an excellent way of bringing color to your porch without being overbearing while still suiting the seasonal mood and festive spirit. Additionally, they can still be used for the rest of the winter, even after the holiday.

Rustic and Vintage Festive Sled
If you happen to have an old wooden sleigh at home, now is an opportune time to get it out and make a quaint and nostalgic statement. Of course, you can keep the wood its natural color for that old-fashioned, traditional vibe and decorate it with garlands, pinecones, ribbons, and ornaments to complement the rustic nature. However, if you're looking to go a little bolder, you can take the additional step of painting and coating in a festive color such as bright crimson or dark blue, and add in little fun hand-painted fun details to make it uniquely yours.

Holiday-Themed Flags
The most obvious way you can exclaim your excitement for the holidays is through festive-themed flags that are designed and adorned with classic wintry details such as branches, berries, pine trees, and birds. You can buy them through garden and hardware stores that come in many theme designs. Alternatively, if you are looking to save costs this year, you can choose to make your own and embellish it with your favorite accents of the season.

Photo Courtesy of Unsplash

The PURfect Choice for All Festive Seasons

PUR's Cold Pressed Juices are crafted using only the freshest, highest-quality natural ingredients that are locally sourced to reduce our carbon footprint and impact on the environment. We cold-press our juices to preserve as many nutrients and live enzymes to allow drinkers to reap the maximum benefits of the ingredients we use. At PUR, we don't have to compromise quality for quantity. That is why our cold-pressed juices are produced exclusively in Monterrey, Mexico, where we have better control over the cold-pressing process of our drinks. More importantly, our drinks are perfect for all seasons, including the winter, where you can share the joy of drinking our signatures cold-pressed juices with your family.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

For more information about cold-pressed juices, please do not hesitate to contact us!

4 Festive Dishes to Serve Your Guests for the Holiday Season

The holiday season is upon us, and the festive rush to departmental stores to get last-minute gifts for your friends, family, and loved ones has begun. But more excitingly, it also calls for large celebration feasts with the whole family that include hearty snacks, seasonal sides, savory main dishes, and irresistible desserts that complement one another perfectly.

From spinach-ham dips to deliciously glazed lamb chops to pumpkin-spiced scalloped potatoes to warm, fresh oven-baked apple pie, you will keep your guests joyful and content with these four festive from the moment they hang up their coasts to the goodbye hugs at the end of the night.

Treat Your Holiday Guests with the Spinach-Ham Dip

Before diving into the thick of the main entrees, this delectable Spinach-Ham Dip served in the bread bowls is the perfect combination of comforting and satisfying when served with bread cubes, crackers, or tortilla chips as an appetizing snack ahead of the big meal. These help to get the conversations among your guests going while prepping their palate and tastebuds for the delicious feast ahead.

This Spinach-Ham Dip is nothing short of warm, savory and creamy, combining ricotta cheese, sour cream, spinach, ham, parmesan cheese. Green onions are topped off for that aromatic profile melted in a viscous dip served in a freshly oven-baked bread bowl.

For more seasonal appetizer inspiration, visit Culinary.net (http://www.culinary.net/)

Ingredients

• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1/4 pound ham, cubed
• 3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 round bread loaf (16 ounces), unsliced

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350 F.
• In medium bowl, blend ricotta cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add spinach, ham, Parmesan cheese and green onions; mix until blended.
• Cut 1-2-inch diameter circle out of top of bread loaf. Reserve top. Remove bread inside loaf, leaving about 1 inch along sides. Pour cheese mixture into bread bowl. Replace top. Cover bread loaf in aluminum foil and bake 60 minutes, or until warmed through.
• Take bread removed from inside bread bowl and cut into dipping sized chunks.
• Remove bread from aluminum foil and place on platter. Scatter bread chunks around bread bowl to use for dunking in cheese sauce.

Courtesy of culinary.net

The Classic Holiday Dish with a Unique Spin

Potatoes have been a mainstay in many classic holiday ingredients. They can be used to make a myriad of delicious yet simple recipes like this Pumpkin Spice Scalloped Potatoes that complement our main course on this list. This unique holiday appetizer is made with potatoes marinaded with all the essentials of the pumpkin spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt and pepper.
They are the savory iteration of the traditional sweet potato casserole, a favorite among many during festive seasons. Moreover, as this dish uses baby potatoes, you won't need to do any peeling or cutting, which is a plus during the hustle and bustle of holiday celebrations.
Visit littlepotatoes.com for more holiday recipe inspiration.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 pounds Terrific Trio Little Potatoes, 1/8-inch sliced, kept in water until ready to use
• 5 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced, cooked until crisp and drained
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water
• 1 cup pecans, rough chopped

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 F.
• In pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low then slowly add milk gradually, ensuring it is incorporated before adding more. Turn heat to medium-high and cook until thickened, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In bowl, add drained potatoes, sauce, bacon, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Season with salt and pepper, to taste; mix well.
• In greased 8-by-11-inch baking dish, line potatoes on sides in desired pattern. Stuff extra bacon between potatoes from remains left in bowl. Pour extra sauce over potatoes.
• Bake 60 minutes.
• In small pot over medium-high heat, add brown sugar and water. Cook to melt sugar and allow to bubble, about 5 minutes. Add pecans; stir 2 minutes. Lay on parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to cool. Once cool, chop into pieces.
• Remove potatoes from oven and sprinkle pecans over top.

Courtesty of littlepotatoes.com

The Real Festive Deal

No memorable holiday celebration feast is complete without the Cranberry Maple Glazed Grass-Fed Lamb Chops that can truly illuminate the dinner table. Fresh cranberries are mixed with maple syrup to create a sweet yet tart glaze that perfectly marries the lamb chops' succulent and savory flavor profile. The result is a mouth-watering main entrée bound to be the star of the night that melts in the mouth. For this dish, we'd recommend using New Zealand grass-fed lambs for the most delicious results, as the quality of their meat is higher, and the texture tends to be more tender, softer, and easy to chew.
Visit beefandlambnz.com to learn more and find where to buy grass-fed meat for your holiday meals.
Ingredients
Glaze:

• 1 cup fresh or thawed cranberries
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 teaspoons orange zest
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• cracked black pepper

Lamb Chops:

• 8-10 New Zealand grass-fed lamb rib chops
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• olive oil

Instructions:

• To make glaze: In small bowl, whisk cranberries, maple syrup, orange juice, orange zest, garlic, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Set aside.
• To make lamb chops: Pat lamb chops dry with paper towel.
• In small bowl, whisk brown sugar, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt and garlic powder.
• Sprinkle dry rub on lamb chops and press mixture into meat.
• In large skillet, heat thin layer olive oil over medium heat until drop of water sizzles in pan. Sear rib chops 2 minutes on each side, or until internal temperature reaches 140 F. Remove chops from pan and set aside.
• Add glaze to pan and cook 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly until reduced by half.
• Drizzle glaze over chops before serving.

Courtesy of beefandlambnz.com

The Seasonal Sweet Delight

If you're looking for a buttery and flaky dessert is sure to please your guests to end off the satisfying celebration feast, the classic Apple Pie is an excellent option that never fails to lift up the festive mood. The dynamic combination of nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice all come together to lend its fragrance to the sweet and tart apple slices in conjunction with the mealy, golden brown pie crust. Not forgetting the brown sugar, which is the crème de la crème of the apple pie, bringing a sweet, caramelly, nutty flavor that is essential in all pies.
Visit dominosugar.com to find more holiday desserts ideas to bring your friends and family together.

Prep time: 30 minutes

 

Cook time: 40 minutes

 

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 prepared 9-inch double-crust pie pastry, divided
• 3/4 cup Domino Light Brown Sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 pounds apples, cored, quartered and sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 F. Line 9-inch pie pan with half pastry then prick bottom and sides withfork.
• In large saucepot, combine brown sugar, flour, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, lemon juiceand lemon zest. Add apples and toss to coat evenly. Slowly heat over medium-low heat,stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and apples begin to soften and cook down to about6 cups.
• Turn apple mixture into lined pie plate. Top with remaining pastry. Trim and flute edges withfork. Slit top crust to allow steam to escape.
• Bake 35-40 minutes, or until crust is golden.
• Serve warm or at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Courtesty of dominosugar.com

The PURfect Choice for All Festive Seasons

PUR's Cold Pressed Juices are crafted using only the freshest, highest-quality natural ingredients that are locally sourced to reduce our carbon footprint and impact on the environment. We cold-press our juices to preserve as many nutrients and live enzymes to allow drinkers to reap the maximum benefits of the ingredients we use. At PUR, we don't have to compromise quality for quantity. That is why our cold-pressed juices are produced exclusively in Monterrey, Mexico, where we have better control over the cold-pressing process of our drinks. More importantly, our drinks are perfect for all seasons, including the winter, where you can share the joy of drinking our signatures cold-pressed juices with your family

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

For more information about cold-pressed juices, please do not hesitate to contact us!