Make this year’s dinner an event to remember with the following tips:
#1 Look up sophisticated “big-dish” recipes
#2 Use quality ingredients in your Christmas cooking
This can be as simple as using real vanilla beans in your dessert preparation, choice cuts of steak meat, or fresh greens for your salads.
#3 Order your desserts online for a hassle-free dinner experience…
It’s now easier than ever to order desserts online through delivery services like Honestbee!
They’ve got dozens of specialty dessert places to choose from, like J.CO Donuts, Mrs. Fields, Brownies Unlimited, Caramia, Auntie Anne’s, and Paper Moon.
#4 … Or challenge yourself to make your own dessert, if you have time
It can be anything from a quick and easy bibingka to a no-bake cherry cheesecake! You can search for a step-by-step guide on All Recipes, a compendium of recipes from people from all over the world.
#5 Prepare a few before-dinner appetizers for guests to munch
It’s important to keep any early arrivals satisfied while you’re putting the finishing touches on dinner!
Photo courtesy of All Recipes
Follow the high-class “grazing table” trend and prepare a simple cheese and crackers arrangement in the living room? It might be a good alternate use for the traditional kesong puti!
#6 Create an ambiance in the dining room through lighting or scents
Lighting and smells are important for creating a relaxed feel within your dining room! Try setting out setting out orange peels or cinnamon sticks in dishes to keep the room smelling good.
You can also opt to lower the glare of your electrical lighting and adding a few lit candles to your table setting for a cozier, more intimate setting!
#7 Add a little something special to your table decor or place settings
Make those dream table settings you see on Pinterest a reality this Christmas with fancy place mats, nice tablecloths, or even carefully arranged origami!
Browse on Lazada for inspiration or any missing items on your list. It might be worth it to add them to cart already, though— the 12.12 sales are almost here!
Shop on Lazada with Maya until December 12, 2018 for a chance to win a brand-new Toyota Rush G A/T! Just purchase at least P500 worth of items, pay with Maya, and use the code PAYMAYAPAMORE upon checkout to qualify.
Learn more about the promo here!
#8 Add a few mini-games during dinner for extra fun
Who says all you can do during dinner is eat? Add a few non-disruptive activities to the latter half of your dinner, especially if you have small kids (or kids at heart) to amuse!
For example, hide a peso bill or gift check beneath one of the plates or guests’ chairs for them to find! It fosters the spirit of giving, and keeps the excitement going.
#9 Serve traditional Christmas drinks like eggnog or hot chocolate
The nights are getting colder, so warm the family up with mugs of eggnog or hot chocolate made from scratch!
Both are simple to make, and need very few ingredients. Eggnog, for example, only needs fresh milk, egg yolks, heavy cream, and granulated sugar.
#10 Hold a few after-dinner activities for the family
Get everyone moving after dinner to wake them up out of their food coma!
Split the family up into teams for a few rounds of Pinoy Henyo, board games, or group charades! These don’t take up a lot of space, and won’t mess up any Christmas decorations you have around the house.
Setting up a memorable Noche Buena may require a lot of planning, but the smiles on everyone’s faces will make it worth it in the end.
We hope you found these tips helpful!
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