Thanksgiving is just around the corner and waiting till the last minute to plan can add unnecessary stress. Thanksgiving is the time to enjoy family and food, and give thanks for your good fortune. But, all of that can get undercut if you’re overwhelmed by all the prep that goes into hosting a big turkey dinner. This year, let us handle the stress and mess, so that you can maximize family time.

Catering by Michaels will deliver a delicious Thanksgiving feast right to your door. Enjoy a traditional homemade dinner without the workload. And choose from a variety of traditional or non-traditional sides and pies to customize your Thanksgiving meal.

Guests will definitely go back for seconds of Herb Roasted Turkey Breast, and our Butter Toffee Apple Pie always gets rave reviews. Add don’t forget to order our favorite White Cheddar Mac & Cheese for those picky eaters or just to up the comfort quotient.

View our entire Thanksgiving menu here.

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It should come as no surprise that fall harvest season is when you can get the best and freshest variety of fruits and vegetables. Some of the most common fruits and vegetables that come into season during the fall include beets, artichokes, pumpkins, pears, and of course… apples!

Hand-in-hand with the change of seasonal produce is a change in weather, and people love to find ways to warm up and seek comfort as the temperature drops. Fall favorite activities include hayrides and corn mazes, but not everyone has time to go out and pick apples in Chicago.

As we tend to find comfort in delicious food, a Catering by Michaels fall favorite is none other than the taffy apple. We use only the freshest apples to ensure the best tasting product over several fall-themed occasions, or to be handed out as gifts to trick or treaters and corporate clients!!

Taffy Apples: A Mouth-Watering Delicacy

First thing’s first – our taffy apples are anything but ordinary. If you love these fall delicacies as much as we do, then you’re in for a treat.

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Yom Kippur is considered to be one of the most important and holiest holidays in the Jewish calendar. “Yom Kippur” means “Day of Atonement,” which refers to the yearly Jewish observance of fasting, prayer and repentance. This Jewish holiday is part of the High Holidays – which also includes Rosh Hashanah.

Yom Kippur falls at the 10th day of Tishri, and this year, it begins the evening of October 11 and ends the evening of October 12.

Here’s everything you need to know about Yom Kippur.

Fasting

Fasting is an act of fulfilling the biblical commandment to “practice self-denial.” The fast enables putting aside physical desires to instead focus on spiritual needs. These spiritual needs are actualized through prayer, repentance, and self-improvement.

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Rosh Hashanah is a religious festival which literally means “Head of the New Year.” This festival marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year, as well as the start of a 10 day period of prayer, self-examination and repentance. For people who practice Judaism, it also marks the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve.

The Jewish Year

Rosh Hashanah is celebrated for two days, beginning in the Hebrew month of Tishrei. Because of the difference between the solar and lunar calendar, the occasion doesn’t fall on a static date each year, but usually happens in September or October in the secular calendar.

This year (2016), Rosh Hashanah will start the evening of October 2 and will end the evening of October 4.

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We’re sad to see it go, but the summer is almost over. Now, it’s time for beautiful fall which will shortly lead to what’s sure to be another cold winter in Chicago. But we’re not letting inevitability get us down! Instead, we choose to focus on the fun side of fall and winter — holiday parties. But we get a lot of customers who come to us hoping to really spice things up. The fact is, most holiday parties suck. But yours doesn’t have to. Be the office hero, and give this list to your boss or whoever’s in charge of your holiday work party.

Here are 5 holiday work party ideas that don’t suck.

White Elephant Gift Exchange

The best part about white elephant gift exchanges are that nobody knows what to expect. Instead of picking something out for a specific person (who you may not know well enough to adequately gift), everyone who wants to participate brings something fun. It’s easy for anyone to participate – the budget is set at a low monetary amount across the board (usually $10-20). Brit.co put together a massive list of white elephant ideas if you’re running low and need inspiration.

Costume or Fancy Theme Party

If you work in a casual environment, it can be nice to dress up. One of our favorite tips on the holiday work party ideas that don’t suck list is encouraging people to dress up nice. Or wear costumes! Either way, it gives everyone the chance to see their coworkers in a new light. Bonus points if you get a photobooth – those pictures will get shared all over social media and hold a special place on people’s desks.

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