Ways To Get Your Kitchen Feeling Festive

In last month’s blog, we told you how to Design your kitchen storage around hosting for the holidays. Now that we are into December we are going to kick it into high gear and give you some tips on setting the holiday mood in your kitchen! With guests coming over you’ll want to make their visit cozy and memorable!

Seasonal Scents:

DIY Potpourri: Time to use that new pot filler or faucet to simmer up some potpourri! Fill a crockpot or large pot with water to one inch below the brim. Add the following ingredients from either recipe below and keep on low heat for the crockpot, or a low simmer if using a pot on the stovetop. Add more water if it gets low over the course of the evening.

Holiday Cheer:

• 1 ½ orange sliced
• 6 cinnamon sticks
• 1 ½ cup of fresh cranberries
• 3 teaspoon cloves (whole or ground)
• 3 teaspoon nutmeg
• Optional: Add a few trimmings from your Christmas tree for extra holiday cheer!

Williams Sonoma Inspired:

• 3 lemons sliced
• 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• 3 teaspoons vanilla

Baked Goods:

What better way to get your kitchen smelling inviting than baking? When I think of Holiday treats I think of Classic Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies. These cookies are a Holiday Staple for many!

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• ½ cup softened butter
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ cups of flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• Additional granulated sugar
• About 36 unwrapped Milk Chocolate Hershey’s Kisses

Steps
1.) Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit in a large bowl or with a handheld or stand mixer beat ½ cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and egg on medium speed or with a spoon until well blended. Gradually stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder until dough forms.
2.) Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in additional granulated sugar. Place dough balls on ungreased cookie sheets about two inches apart.
3.) Bake on the middle rack 8-10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Immediately press 1 Hershey’s Kiss into the center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet and place on cooling rack.

Oversized Decorative Jars:

Oversized jars such as clioche, bell, or apothecary jars are a great item to have year-round but these can be a key item to have for both storage and décor. Having several different sizes or styles make for a great accent piece. You can store seasonal fruits; A few ideas for decorative seasonal fruits would be cranberries, clementine’s, oranges, pomegranates. You also have the option of filling them with pinecones, candy, popcorn, ornaments, copper wire lights, pretty much anything. Display on a buffet or bar for guests to help themselves to snacks and drink garnishes!

Greenery:

Greenery doesn’t have to be limited to your Christmas tree and the exterior of the home, bring some indoors! Garland can make a great holiday accent when placed on top of upper wall cabinetry, or chandeliers. As well as oversized hoods that are encased in cabinetry. Bringing the outside in will be the perfect touch of greenery and fragrance (see: seasonal scents)

Another Holiday hit: mistletoe, place some mistletoe in your kitchen entryway, bonus points if its located near a drink station set up for guests! You can find real mistletoe at places like Trader Joe’s, your local florist, or nursery. Don’t forget about touches of Holly and pieces of spruce on things like centerpieces or place settings!

Wreaths:

You don’t have to limit yourself to placing wreaths on just the exterior of your home. You can bring those inside as well (see: Greenery) Making your own grapevine wreath is something you can use for years to come, gather your friends and make a night of it! Placing a wreath on your kitchen window or pantry door will have your kitchen feeling festive in no time! If you don’t have a window or door to place a wreath on you can repurpose an old window like the image above to hang in your kitchen or dining room.

We hope you picked up a few ideas to start some new Holiday traditions and get your kitchen and dining room feeling festive. Happy Holidays from all of us at Kitchens by Lombco. And lastly some EXTRA special cheers to anyone celebrating their first Holiday in their new Kitchens by Lombco!