This holiday season, Bob Evans can not only take care of the food, but also help you put the hospitality in hosting. Bring the values of family and togetherness from the farm into your home with the Bob Evans’ Holiday Help from the Farm.
At Bob Evans, hospitality is the centerpiece of any holiday celebration. That is why we are teaming up with The Emily Post Institute so you can help everyone feel welcome and at home during your holiday celebrations. Holiday Help from the Farm combines the wisdom and beliefs of Bob Evans, whose life was dedicated to hospitality, with the renown and knowledge of The Emily Post Institute, to take the stress out of the holidays and keep the focus on what matters: time with family and friends.
Through The Bob Evans Holiday Helpline, Bob Evans is now a complete resource for all-things holiday, not just the food. Bob Evans Holiday Help from the Farm combines the wisdom and beliefs of Bob Evans, whose life was dedicated to hospitality, with the renown and knowledge of the Emily Post Institute.
Top tips from Lizzie Post:
- Plan in advance so you can enjoy the holiday, greet each guest as they arrive, and
- make everyone feel special and appreciated.
- Mentally prepare yourself to roll with the punches. Things always go wrong but as
- long as you remain calm, your holiday event will be a success.
- Keep your focus on your friends and family. It doesn’t matter if the turkey burns or
- the table is not set to perfection, the most important thing is that your guests feel
- welcome.
Spend less time in the kitchen this holiday season thanks to the many food options from Bob Evans. From our Farmhouse Feasts to our refrigerated sides, Bob Evans helps you spend more time with your family and concentrate on what really matters: togetherness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Bztes0eEE&feature=youtu.be
For families who want to enjoy a farm fresh, homestyle meal from Bob Evans, but want to celebrate the holiday in their homes, Bob Evans is once again offering the popular Farmhouse Feast, which must be ordered in advance, as well as a quality catering option for any event – farm-fresh, homemade foods at a great value – for gatherings of any size. Bob Evans makes holidays stress-free by bringing the fresh-cooked meal to you and allowing you to spend time with your guests, not cooking for them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYUtegmFwfI&feature=youtu.be
How to Diffuse Tough Conversations
The election is over and there is sure to be political talk around your table this holiday season. That is just one of the many topics that can derail the discussions at your gathering. So, how do you keep the conversations from getting ugly? There are few ways to handle to handle this. You can set ground rules before the meal even begins by saying something like, “It has been a crazy year so I would like us to refrain from any political discussions. We all have a lot to catch up on so let’s concentrate on that.” If there are still contentious conversations happening, redirect, don’t correct! Say, “John, I’d love to get away from politics (or any other type of drama, etc.) and hear about your vacation to Greece.” Make it personal and encourage the discussion. If you try to redirect the conversation a few times and it is not working, as the host, it is completely appropriate for you to say, with a smile and firm tone, “We are finished talking politics at the table.”
Trouble with electronic devices, like smartphones, at the table?
Holidays, in particular, are a time to connect with people you don’t see all the time, which is hard to do when glued to a phone. Encourage your guests to be in the moment, but don’t discount the role phones play in connecting us with those who aren’t with us. Invite your guests to take pictures before the meal and then encourage them to put their phones away. As Bob might have said, the best group chats happen around the table.
Other tips to make everyone feel welcome and special
1. Take the time to greet every guest. Ask a friend or family member to be on hand to help out with other things, so you can be available to say “Happy Holidays” to each guest as he or she arrives and make every guest feel special.
2. Personalize decorations. Create personalized place cards for each guest and display in a prominent location, like on the plate at each setting.
3. Make concessions for different allergies and preferences. Many of your guests will have food allergies or preferences. Connect with all your guests before the event so you can ensure there are options available for everyone because everyone matters at your table.
4. Diffuse tough conversations. One great way to avoid uncomfortable conversations is to prepare some conversations starters in advance. You can set the ground rules before the meal even begins so that conversations around the table go smoothly. Another way is to consciously prepare a seating arrangement that separates the people who might disagree on certain issues.
5. Send hand written notes. You will probably receive a host gift from quite a few people and sending a hand written thank you for both the gift and their attendance lets every guest know their attendance and contribution mattered to you. These small gestures can make a big difference.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZGjeYzNKyk&feature=youtu.be
Whether guests are looking to dine-in at a restaurant or enjoy a complete meal at home, Bob Evans can help prepare a delicious, stress-free holiday feast. Offerings include the Premium Farmhouse Feast, which includes the entire holiday meal and serves up to 10 people for only $109.99 to a la carte sides (everything from mashed potatoes to pumpkin pie) to complete catering options.
For other tips, people can call the Bob Evans Holiday Helpline: (855) 4MY-TABLE or visit this Holiday Help from the Farm website for more information.
