Sheaf of Wheat Bread

Ingredients:
2 loaves frozen whole-wheat bread dough, thawed and cut into strips
1 egg, beaten

Preparation:

Cut the loaves of dough into 15 strips, and roll the strips out into long, thin breadsticks. Layer the breadsticks. Place five breadsticks side-by-side on a cookie sheet. Place four more sticks on top in the seams of the first row. Place three more in the seams of the four sticks, and then a row of two on top (figure A).

Fold the remaining breadstick in half, and twist to form a braid. Place the braid around the middle of the breadstick bundle and tuck the ends underneath. Fan out the breadsticks at the top of the bundle, and use scissors to snip the ends to resemble a wheat pattern (figure B). Glaze with the beaten egg and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Butter Bouquet

Start with a one-pound block of cold butter. Slice thin slices of butter with a cheese slicer. Fold the slice and stand it on its end on a cold plate. Continue adding slices around the original piece until a flower is formed (figure C). These can be made ahead of time and frozen.
Acorn Cake

Ingredients:

1 pkg. commercial brownie mix
1 can commercial chocolate frosting
nonpareil wafers

Preparation:

Bake brownies in an egg-shaped pan. Remove and frost curved side. Place two rows of wafers as an acorn cap (figure D).

Sweet Baked Pumpkin

Ingredients:

1 small sugar pumpkin, top cut off and seeded
2 small apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin-pie spice

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in the cleaned-out pumpkin, and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 1-1/2 hours or until the apples and pumpkin are soft. Serve hot from the pumpkin over ice cream in a hollowed out small pumpkin (figure E).

Decorating with an Outdoor Theme

Designer Nadia Ramirez decorates a classic Tudor home for Thanksgiving by bringing a garden theme to a Thanksgiving celebration.

Figure F--Make apple votive candles by hollowing out some apples and placing a votive candle in the center. Fill a stainless-steel tub with water, place it on a stand near the door and float the candles in the tub.

Figure G--Place a harvest basket filled with pumpkins and other produce near the front door.

Figure H--Begin creating a harvest table by laying down an animal-print runner. Add autumn leaves, pumpkin votives, heirloom plates and vintage crystal.

Figure I--Bring an outdoor theme to the buffet table by using metal buckets as bases for side dishes, new garden trowels as serving pieces and a basket of gourds as a decorative piece.