LAKEVILLE-MIDDLEBORO, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This time of year, the holidays can feel more like a holi-daze – but adding festive flair to your fancy fête can be a merry process with a little help from one exceptional berry – the cranberry! From rustic to refined, here are five happy hosting tips that will make your holiday get-togethers look (and feel!) like a million bucks, straight from the experts at Ocean Spray.
- Deck the halls with more than holly: Make your party pop with simple upgrades around the house! Step one: stock-up on fresh cranberries while they are on store shelves. You’ll be surprised by what a few cranberries, greens and glue can do. Take place cards for instance – our little red gems can help make your tablescape party perfect in 1, 2, 3! Not sure what to do with all those holiday cards? Put them on display by stringing them on a beautiful cranberry garland.
- Perk-up your punch: There’s no party without the punch. To keep drinks cool, even when the party heats up, try making this festive punch ring. Water, fresh cranberries and mint are both pretty and practical in this easy DIY dish.
- Use your pantry to its full potential: You don’t need to look far to spruce up your menu – you may have the perfect ingredients already in your pantry! Items like Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce and Craisins® Dried Cranberries add big, bold flavor to a dishes like Holiday Glazed Pork Roast and can liven up cocktails by transforming simple champagne into a fun, festive Lava Lamp!
- Embrace all things (semi) homemade: If you’re planning for a cookie swap or just looking for another dish for the dessert table, look no further than these Cranberry Ginger Drop Cookies. This recipe is the perfect pairing of classic holiday flavors – gingerbread and cranberry. Don’t love baking? Buy premade cookie dough and stir in Craisins® Dried Cranberries and chopped pecans before you bake. That’s DIY made easy!
- Forget the flowers: Skip the trip to the florist and create your own centerpiece by wrapping holiday tree clippings and fresh cranberries around candles, or add a little ambiance with these decorative candle cups.
Need a little DIY direction? Just call Ocean Spray’s Holiday Helpline at 1-800-662-3263 or visit Ocean Spray’s Plan-It guide for tips and tricks. Looking for more holiday inspiration? Find it on the Ocean Spray® Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest pages.
Last Call! Vote on your Favorite Holiday TV Greeting
Cranberry lovers interested in helping Ocean Spray choose its holiday TV greeting have until December 23 to vote for their favorite holiday greeting, and then share it with friends and family for a chance to give back. For every share, the cranberry cooperative will donate a can of cranberry sauce (up to 100,000 cans) to local food banks across the U.S. The winning holiday greeting will air during “It’s a Wonderful Life” on NBC on Christmas Eve at 8pm. View the three never-before-seen holiday greetings and cast your vote today at http://bit.ly/1q1pIEy.
About Ocean Spray
Ocean Spray is a vibrant agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry and grapefruit growers in the United States, Canada and Chile who have helped preserve the family farming way of life for generations. Formed in 1930, Ocean Spray is now the world’s leading producer of cranberry juices, juice drinks and dried cranberries and is the best-selling brand in the North American bottled juice category. The cooperative’s cranberries are currently featured in more than a thousand great-tasting, good-for-you products in over 90 countries worldwide. With more than 2,000 employees and nearly 20 cranberry receiving and processing facilities, Ocean Spray is committed to managing our business in a way that respects our communities, employees and the environment. In fiscal year 2013, Ocean Spray posted gross sales of $2.2 billion and net proceeds of $380 million. For more information visit www.oceanspray.com or our corporate blog at www.insidethecranberry.com.
