Set the Perfect Holiday Table

I worked as a waitress in my early adult years. One of my jobs was at a fancy country club. When I was there, I learned a thing or two about holiday soirees. When I got older, I can tell you that it did help to know which fork to use.

When setting my holiday table, I like to choose a theme. This year, I went for a more woodsy rustic theme. I do this in general with my holiday decor and try to change it up each year. I use the same old stuff, buy a few new things, and make it different each time.

If you have little kids, you may wish to go for paper napkins and a dark table cloth, or easy to clean placemats, or even drawing paper. If you have older kids, or no kids, you may chose something a little more elegant with cloth napkins and a white tablecloth. Either way, consider protecting your table from spills and accidents (you can buy a quilted underlay for your table cloth that also protects it from hot dishes). Also, start from a blank canvas, and build on your theme. You may wish to layer your table cloth or mix and match your dishes. I always create a centrepiece with flowers, or candles or something fun...just make sure that it does not mean that your guests cannot make eye contact without standing on their toes or bobbing their heads around your silk flowers.

Next, consider your place settings. I try to set mine in the proper format but I always mess it up. For reference, your forks go on the left and your knife and spoons on the right of your dinner plate; the napkin also goes on the left or across the plate in the middle. Glasses go on the right above the knife and spoons, and salad plates on the left above the forks. Place them small to large from the outside in. As I said, I always screw this up, much to the chagrin of my mother. For a more casual table, just stack your cutlery in a pile or in cups, and let guests help themselves.

I like to place dishes of food and dessert for the second course on a side buffet. Wine and water jugs go on the table so guests can help themselves.

For a festive, old school vibe, consider Christmas crackers and make your guests wear the paper hats! We always had this on the table and to this day, I love them (if this is foreign to you, each cracker comes with a paper hat, bad joke and usually a small toy inside its colourful paper...in order to open them you pull the "cracker" so that it opens much like a firecracker).

For young kids, you may want to make a kids table. We always had this and it was an honour as a teen to graduate to the adult table. Sugar cookies with a pot of icing and sprinkles can be the fun dessert course for the kiddies - their older cousins can help while the adults enjoy a bit of freedom with an after-dinner brandy or specialty coffee.

Most of all, have fun and don't be too serious! That time Uncle Andrew got too drunk at the table or your souffle flopped just makes for a fantastic Christmas story for years to come (at my first wedding, grandpa tripped and sported a black eye for the wedding, and one of the groomsmen almost lost his trousers when his suspender snapped!)