The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Welcome home
HGTV helps families find a ‘Home for the Holidays’
Welcome home: There’s no place like home for the holidays. Whether it’s the house you’ve lived in for years or one from which you’re hosting Christmas for the very first time, a warm and welcoming home in which to gather together is essential for the holidays.
“House Hunters” is an immensely popular staple on HGTV, and the series has followed countless couples and families through the ups and downs of choosing a new home. This year, the reality TV series adds to its long list of spinoffs with “House Hunters: Home for the Holidays,” which premieres Tuesday, Nov. 27, on HGTV.
Through its many and sundry versions, “House Hunters” has helped buyers settle into homes in the average American town, around the globe (“House Hunters: International”), in unconventional buildings (“House Hunters Outside the Box”) and more.
In “Home for the Holidays,” though, it’s more about “when” than “where.” As HGTV announced in its release for the new spinoff, the eight-episode series is all about the holidays as it delivers heartwarming stories of families for whom settling into a new home in time for Christmas has special meaning. For some it will be a first Christmas in their own home or as new parents, while others have something special in mind for the kids, or traditions to carry on. Whatever the reason, time is of the essence for the buyers to find a new house not just to move into, but to get decked out and Christmas-ready to welcome friends and family over to celebrate.
A new house is an exciting milestone at any time of year, but it’s extra special to know that it’s soon to be filled with loved ones eating, drinking and making merry. “House Hunters: Home for the Holidays” premieres Tuesday, Nov. 27, on HGTV.
Party perfection: Giada De Laurentiis may make it look effortless, but entertaining can be a daunting prospect to some. Between housing guests, cooking for a crowd and making sure everyone’s having a good time, an adept host or hostess inevitably has a lot of balls in the air.
And the pressure’s even heavier during the holidays. It’s a time when people who don’t often play the host during the rest of the year suddenly find themselves with a house full of hungry guests. It can be a stressful time, but fortunately the Food Network darling has you covered with “Giada’s Holiday Handbook,” airing Sunday mornings during the holidays.
This is the fourth season that the “Handbook” has graced screens, and there are still plenty of recipes, tips and party inspiration coming your way, just in time for holiday entertaining. This season aptly got started with a holiday kickoff buffet brunch abounding with classic fall flavors. The following week, Giada welcomed her family for Thanksgiving dinner, putting some Italian twists on delicious holiday staple dishes. Themes and recipes become more Christmas-based as the weeks march on toward the holiday.
Food is definitely the Cordon Bleutrained chef’s milieu — she possesses a seemingly endless repertoire of recipes and cooking tips, often related to her native Italy — but “Holiday Handbook” is more than just a cooking show. Giada aims to make a gathering just as enjoyable for the host as for the guests, and that means making things as smooth and stress-free as possible. Along with crowd-pleasing recipes, each episode includes tips on creating themed party favors for guests, as well as suggestions for music and decor to really make a party shine.
The holidays can be a stressful time — especially if your house if packed with friends and family — but if you’re at a loss for how to handle it all, take a few leaves out of Giada’s handbook. “Giada’s Holiday Handbook” airs Sundays on Food Network.