A stack of winter squash makes a
Thanksgiving centerpiece that keeps for
weeks—and then can be eaten! Photo
courtesy HGTV. Here are more of their
centerpiece ideas.

Some people like a Thanksgiving centerpiece of flowers in seasonal colors, perhaps with some autumn leaves. We’ve been known to create cornucopias full of fruit and an elaborate bread basket decorated with cranberries, lady apples and garlands like [in the words of our father] a “Thanksgiving Christmas tree.”

One year, we held a pumpkin decorating contest, where guests brought their gourds from home, already designed. The winning pumpkin had the place of honor at the dining table, with others decorating the foyer and other areas of the home. The winner was a gorgeous pair of pumpkins seen on HGTV.com: a large pumpkin sprayed in copper metallic paint with pretty black hard candy decorations glued down the folds, and plain smaller pumpkins in silver metallic paint.

More ideas (see photos) here:

• A short glass vase layered with different whole nuts, with florists’ moss between the layers, topped with feathers.
• A vase of apples, attached to sticks to resemble a bouquet of roses.
• A glass vase or clear salad bowl filled with pomegranates, lady apples, clementines, fresh green leaves and metallic-sprayed pine cones.
• A stack of three heirloom winter squash—like flatter pumpkins but in different colors (remove the stems from the bottom two.

• A narrow, rectangular tray of candles in different heights and widths.
• A narrow, rectangulartray of colorful miniature gourds.
• A narrow, rectangular tray of lady apples.

But if there will be a lot of kids in attendance, the people’s choice award would go to a large chocolate turkey.

CHOCOLATE TURKEY CENTERPIECE

The handsome gobbler in the photo is a three-pound milk chocolate turkey from Moonstruck Chocolates. Nine inches tall (you can place it on a base for more height), its intricate details are personally hand-decorated by Moonstruck chocolatier Julian Rose.

It also makes a heck of an impressive hostess gift.

After dinner, you can appoint someone to “carve” the turkey (break it into pieces with a clean hammer). If everyone is too stuffed to eat it, you pack pieces into plastic sandwich bags to take home.

Three pounds of chocolate tom turkey. Photo courtesy Moonstruck Chocolate.

The turkey $100, which includes shipping, at MoonstruckChocolate.com.

Baskin-Robbins is celebrating Veterans Day all month long, honoring military veterans new November Flavor of the Month, called First Class Camouflage.

First Class Camouflage, emulating camouflage in its colors and design, is a combination of chocolate, salty caramel and cake-flavored ice cream.

On Veterans Day itself, November 11th, there’s an in-store donation program to support the USO (United Service Organizations*. Baskin-Robbins will donate 10 cents† from ice cream scoops sold at all U.S. locations to the USO. Baskin-Robbins’ support is part of the USO’s “Every Moment Counts” campaign, which calls on Americans to honor and create special moments for troops and their families, who make daily sacrifices as they serve.

So what better excuse to enjoy an ice cream: the ability to honor veterans, U.S troops and military families. Your choices:

• In a standard cone or cup.
• In a special Camouflage Waffle Cone or Waffle Bowl, which are decorated green, brown and tan.
• In a First Class Camouflage Layered Sundae, which includes Oreo cookie pieces, hot fudge, caramel praline topping and whipped cream.

If you want to give thanks for our troops, serve a scoop atop a slice of apple pie at Thanksgiving.

For more information about the USO’s “Every Moment Counts” campaign, of which First Class Camouflage is a part, visit USOmoments.org, and consider a donation of $11 on 9/11.
 
ABOUT CAMOUFLAGE DESIGNS

Since the mid 18th century, camouflage patterns have been used by military forces to protect personnel and equipment from observation by enemy forces. Colors and materials have been applied to including vehicles, ships, aircraft, gun positions and uniforms.

“Camouflage” is a French slang word that came into common English usage during World War I, when the concept of visual deception became an essential part of modern military tactics. In that war, the advent of long-range artillery and observation from the air expanded the field of fire, so camouflage was widely employed to decrease the danger of being targeted and to enable surprise.
 
*The USO provides critical support to forward-deployed troops, military families, wounded warriors, troops in transition and families of the fallen. The USO is a private, non-profit organization, not a government agency.

†The donation is inclusive of all regular (4-ounce) and kids (2.5-ounce) scoops of ice cream sold as cups and cones on Tuesday, November 11th, 2014. It is based on regular-priced cup and cone scoop sales only, including kid size. It does not include scoops that are used in other desserts (sundaes, beverages, cakes, take home, novelties, etc.).
  

People get the government they deserve, said Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821), a French count, lawyer, diplomat, writer and philosopher. (The quote is often misattributed to better-known commentators such as Abraham Lincoln and Alexis de Tocqueville.)

De Maistre’s actual statement was “Toute nation a le gouvernement qu’elle mérite”—every nation gets [has] the government it deserves.” It was published in 1811 in a book of his letters. The statement is variously translated as “Every country has the government it deserves” and “In a democracy people get the leaders they deserve.”

It’s Election Day. Exercise your right to vote. Even when the choices don’t appeal to you, one candidate has got to be more appealing than another. Leave the choice to others, and you get the government you deserve, if not necessarily the one you want.

Even if you’re ambivalent about the candidates, there may be issues that will affect you for a long time. So do a bit of reading up and head to the polls.

Then, you deserve a treat. Is there anything better than fresh-baked bread?

You can bake bread with a message, and use it as a signature dish for any special occasion: BOO for Halloween, FEAST for Thanksgiving, NOEL for Christmas, LOVE for anniversaries and Valentine’s Day, CONGRATS for promotions or great report cards, and so forth.

Present the bread on a platter with a side of sweet and/or savory spreads, cheeses, pâté, other favorites, or simply butter and jam.