Ten-minute table

KAREN WIGHT

Happy Thanksgiving. If you are cooking today, your mind is filled

with time tables: how long will the turkey take to cook, when do you

start the mashed potatoes, will you have enough time to fix the

gravy?

Today would be a good day to have another set of arms, or another

good cook in the kitchen. Speaking of timetables, I’ll guess that

another project today sounds like a bad idea, but if you haven’t set

the dinner table, I can give you ideas for a 10-minute centerpiece

that will make your table a feast for the eyes.

Seasonal holidays make decorating the table a snap. Send the kids

outside with a brown paper bag and find the nearest liquid amber

tree. Have them collect the most interesting leaves they can find.

The leaves that have fallen off the trees are beautiful shades of

red, burgundy and gold. Fill the bags -- you may want a few extra

leaves for the mantle, underneath the plate chargers and the buffet

table. Have the kids rinse off the leaves in the bathtub and pat them

dry.

If you have leftover pumpkins from Halloween or nuts in a bowl,

set them aside for your project. I love magnolia leaves. The front is

glossy and green and the underside is fuzzy and brown. If you have a

magnolia tree, put a few of its leaves to good use, they make great

fillers between the pumpkins, fall leaves and nuts.

If you have a few strands of gold beads that you use for the

Christmas tree, get them out. Pull out a few candles or votives. I

like gold candles, but this year, I added orange to the golden glow

to keep the kids happy. Anyone can arrange the table; there’s no

“right” or “wrong” with this centerpiece.

If you’re using a tablecloth, put it on the table and then start

creating a long and narrow collection of leaves, pumpkins, nuts and

candles. Having a long and low centerpiece will not impair

conversation, and everyone will get a piece of the visual action.

Nestle the candles and votives among the floral and, voila, instant

centerpiece.

As an extra nod to the kids this year, I sprinkled orange glitter

confetti on top of the leaves and tablecloth. We have nature in all

its glory, candles to create the mood and glitter to prove that it’s

a party.

When you serve dinner, dim the overhead lights or just bask in the

candlelight. The glitter reflects the light, the glossy green leaves

look illuminated, and the leaves add just the right warmth that this

holiday is all about.

Start to finish? I figure after the kids collected the leaves and

rinsed them off -- 10 minutes. And it kept them busy for a while. The

most beautiful part of this project? You can throw most of it away

when you’re done. Concentrate on your food, but take a little time to

decorate your table. A great presentation nourishes the soul the way

a great meal nourishes the body.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs

Thursdays.