Paper Palate

In a recent issue of OK! Magazine, everyone’s favorite perky cook Rachael Ray let loose with some of her favorite way to celebrate Fall:

Tailgate in Style:  Use an empty beer box as a makeshift cutting board; marinate the meat in a resealable plastic bag, then just pack the bag in the cooler when you leave for the game.  When the party’s over, pour the water from your cooler over the grill to cool off the hot coals.

Host Halloween:  Create a “heaven and hell” theme.  For heaven, cover your table with a white tablecloth and mounds of pillow filling; serve miniature “clouds” (aka supermarket meringue cookies) at the buffet and white treats like yogurt-covered almonds and marshmallows.  For hell, use red lightbulbs, make gravestones out of cardboard or foam and light up red baloons with lights.

A Parisian Party: To bring the bistro spirit into your dining room, write your menu on a mirror or window with dry-erase markers or new chalk pens; serve wine European-style in tumblers or juice glasses; place wildflowers in an old decanter or vase for a rural French feel.

Photo from Food Network.