Don't Forget These 20 Maine Essentials for Your Holiday Meal

As you shop for your big holiday meal, remember these Maine products that will make it a successful day and support local businesses.

Are You Just Talking About Food?

These days, I don't cook Thanksgiving or Christmas meals, but visit other homes on those days. But I remember the years when I hosted Thanksgiving at my house. I loved not only preparing the meal and coming up with new recipes to add to the old favorites, but also dressing up the table to look as festive as possible. I'd dig out all the nice stemware that I didn't use all year long and place it on a pretty tablecloth.

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How Can My Thanksgiving Meal Help Others?

Living in Maine, we have so many options for making any holiday more flavorful and appealing. And the best part is that, by purchasing all these Maine-based products, we're helping our fellow residents earn a living. It's a win-win situation that will bring the blessings of the holiday to more than just those sitting around your table.

How Can I Involve My Guests in the Maine-Based Fun?

I came up with 20 ideas for Maine products that you should have for your holiday meal, but I'm sure I probably missed a few. Get creative. Think outside the box. What types of delicious foods could you create with Maine products? It actually could be a fun family project. Contact the people who will be attending your holiday meal and challenge each of them to come up with a Maine-based dish or non-food addition to bring on that day. Hopefully, these 20 things will help you come up with some ideas of your own.

Don't Forget These 20 Maine Essentials for Your Holiday Meal

Adding a few of these suggestions to your holiday meal can help support local businesses and make it a successful and delicious event.

Gallery Credit: Cindy Campbell

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LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Rachel Cavanaugh