Southern Blondie

The Viking Cooking School in Greenwood, MS

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Welcome to the Viking Cooking School in Greenwood, MS!

The Viking Cooking School classes are meant for culinary enthusiasts. Meaning, that you do not have to be a professional or know anything, OR you can just really enjoy trying something new and fun. No matter where you are on your culinary journey, the cooking school will absolutely be a fun experience for all. 



In December 2019, I received a gift card from my (now) in-laws to visit the Viking Cooking School. In 2020, we had the pandemic, in 2021 we were planning a wedding, so we knew we had to take a class in 2022 before the baby arrives in July. 

We decided on the Japanese Steakhouse class (spoiler: it was a GREAT decision!). 


The menu for the Viking Cooking School Japanese Steakhouse class included: 

      • Steakhouse Salad with Creamy Ginger Dressing
      • Teppanyaki Shrimp Flambé with Yoshi's Special Sauce
      • Hibachi Steak with Fresh Vegetables and Mustard Sauce
      • Japanese Fried Rice
      • Sample Recipes:
      • Edamame
      • Tangerine Sorbet



It's a very interactive class, everyone gets to dice, chop, slice, cook, sauté, whatever the recipe calls you to do. You are also paired up with another couple/couple of people to work on different parts of the dishes. 

I decided to take on the sautéing of squash and mushrooms. 


This class is fun for couples, but there was also a class where ladies were having a girl's night, and that would also be a blast. Basically, if you enjoy cooking and learning a new type of cuisine, or techniques, it's going to be a good time. 



Once we were done, it was time to serve family-style You'll see our fried rice, our beef with mushrooms and some sauces. 


After all the cooking, you'll be hungry to eat, and there is plenty of food to share!


We all took a group picture at the end to celebrate our time together. It was such a good time, that I can't wait to go back one day. It's a great gift for someone who enjoys food or cooking, or just an experience. 

Would you take one of their cooking classes?



 

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A Review of Sanctuary Cap Cana, All-Inclusive Adult Resort, Punta Cana

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Welcome to Sanctuary Cap Cana located in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. This all-inclusive, adult-only luxury resort was our pick for our honeymoon for many reasons. 

We chose the Castle Junior Suite Ocean Front located in the Castle section of the resort. This 893 sq. ft. suite includes butler service and wonderful views of the ocean.


    
   Because we were on our honeymoon, they made sure to bring a bucket of champagne when we arrived to celebrate our stay. It's the little touches like this that made the entire experience really enjoyable. 



I really loved the design of the room with the king bed, and the view of the ocean each morning waking up. There was plenty of space to relax, lounge, and (if you're messy like me) lay around your stuff. 



You could access the balcony from each side of the room, and there were comfortable chairs and a chaise lounge to use for relaxation.


To the right, you will see a cabinet that was filled with a minibar full of sodas, water and beer. You could certainly ask for another bottle of champagne or wine if you also wanted that on hand. 



The closet was massive, and after we arrived we began to hang up all of our belongings. There was also a safe for anything that you wanted to keep secure. 



The double-sink is always a nice feature, as is the walk-in shower with multiple showerheads. Not pictured: the jacuzzi tub to the right which was delightful after a long day of traveling. 


This was another view of our room. It was SO peaceful and calm, we only heard noise maybe once or twice our entire stay. The Castle section is a quiet part of the hotel that I would absolutely go back to stay in again. 




This is one of the meals that we had while visiting. Every meal was absolutely delicious. Our favorite restaurants were the Blue Marlin Restaurant and the Italian Capriccio Restaurant (pictured above). 

I could have included 1,000 more food photos, but you cannot go wrong with any of the restaurants on the resort. 


This is one of the main lobbies where you could go find a cocktail or a delicious coffee.

The entire resort is beautiful and thoughtfully decorated. There is not one area that hasn't been thought about to provide a relaxing, and enjoyable experience. 


We spent a lot of time at either the beach or the pool. Usually mornings at the pool and the afternoon at the beach. During lunch, they would have fun water aerobics for anyone who wanted to join in. 

I sat with a cocktail and watched the fun. I was on my honeymoon, so no need to work too hard. 


Most nights there was planned entertainment, and it was a lot of fun! Dancers, or singers, or this night it was acrobatics. You can go get a cocktail or glass of wine and just sit back and enjoy the show.


Cheers to what was an amazing trip. 

I hope you enjoyed my review of Sanctuary Cap Cana and all the resort has to offer a honeymoon, baby-moon or just a vacation! 

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Tips on Using Sam's Club Flowers for Your Wedding

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For our wedding, I knew that we could save a little money by ordering greenery and flowers from Sam's Club. For instance, the flowers you see on our cake are from Sam's Club, just their white roses that were opened, and placed around the cake. This would have been much more expensive had I asked the florist or the bakery to decorate.



It's really a great way to save some money during what can be a very expensive day. 



Here you will see how we decorated each table. 

The white table runners I ordered from Etsy (link here), the greenery from and white roses from Sam's Club. 

The vases were from Dollar Tree, and the round candles (link here) inside the vases were from Amazon. 


Here's a better look at the top of each table setting. 



Here is a closeup of each table, we just stuck flowers in the greenery throughout the table runners and they held up really well throughout the night. 


Cost of Sam's Flowers for a Wedding 




So we paid around $550 for all of our table decorations, plus extra flowers for the cake, and around the bar area of the wedding. 

I would absolutely do it again because of the ease and how much money it saved. We did spend money on centerpieces around the cake, but those flowers had also been used for the rehearsal dinner so they got extra bang for the buck. 

I do believe the flowers are more expensive right now, but I still think it was worth it. 

5 Tips for Ordering Flowers from Sam's Club: 

1. Prepare To Water

Make sure you have 5-gallon buckets with water ready when your flowers arrive. You will want to take them out of the boxes and put them in water so they can open a bit.  

2. Receive the flowers 2-days in advnace

 If your event is on Saturday, order your flowers two days in advance which gives them time to open.  

3. Buy a Spray Bottle

If you order garland, make sure to have a water spray handy so you can keep the garland looking fresh and not dried out.  I got a spray bottle at the Dollar Tree, so you don't have to spend a lot. 

4. Use Garden Shears 

 Use garden shears to cut stems and garland, do not try to use regular scissors, that will be too time-consuming.  

5. Order Ahead 

Place your order as soon as you are ready. This is not an order that you can place last-minute. 


Hope this helps if you are planning a wedding soon and want to save some extra money where you can! 


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How to Plan a Wedding in Little Rock, AR

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 On May 1, 2021, I got married in Little Rock, Arkansas. 

It was probably one of the most fun days of my entire life and I wanted to share all of our details in case anyone else is looking to get married in Little Rock. 


Little Rock Wedding Church Venue


We got married at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church in Little Rock, AR. The church does an amazing job with weddings,  I believe this has to be one of the most gorgeous churches in Little Rock. 



We decided to do first-look photos before the ceremony. We were both nervous about the whole thing (not each other, just getting it right with the ceremony) so we thought seeing each other first would help with those nerves. 


When it came to hair and makeup, I went with Jamie Lynn Jones. She's absolutely the best! 

My dress was from Nordstrom by the brand Tadashi Shoji. I found it online and didn't feel the need to keep looking. 

Little Rock Wedding Reception Venue





The best place I found for a wonderful wedding reception site in Little Rock was Heifer International. Luckily we had perfect weather for the event, but had we not, there is heat and the doors can be open or closed depending on conditions, 


Wedding Ideas for Guests to Sign



For our wedding, I didn't want to do a book for everyone to sign, instead, I had cards and envelopes for everyone to either leave their best wishes, or tips for a good marriage. They have been fun to open here and there throughout our last year of marriage. 

Little Rock Wedding Cake




Our wedding cake was created by Blue Cake Company in Little Rock, AR. We did a mix of red velvet and vanilla cake. It was DELICIOUS and I crave the red velvet cake all the time. 

The cake topper was created by Jon Hatton on Etsy. He was able to use the same typography that we had used throughout our wedding. 

The flowers were from Sam's Club. (I used a lot of flowers from Sam's club for the wedding.) 

Little Rock Wedding Catering 





For our catered food, we used Contigo at Heifer, which is also part of the Sauced Bar and Oven restaurant family. They did a fantastic job. Each table received its own cheese board, salad and then they delivered pizzas around during the reception. 

Little Rock Wedding Band




For our live band, we used Rip Van Shizzle. They were SO MUCH FUN! I love a live band at a wedding. If anyone is interested in their contact information, let me know and I'll send it along. 


Our wonderful Little Rock wedding photographer was Makenzie Evans. I wouldn't have hired anyone else. 


It was still one of the most fun, exciting, happy, lovely days that I've been able to experience in my life. 

Thank you for reading! 
- Maegan

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Tips for Hosting Holiday Guests

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It's the most wonderful time of the year, and the most stressful! Whether you're having guests, or you're going to be one, I have some fun and easy hosting tips for any gathering. 


KRUPS SAVOY EC415 Coffee Maker

Having lots of guests? You're going to need a lot of coffee. To save time and money, check out the SAVOY Turbo coffee maker from KRUPS.

The SAVOY Turbo EC414 allows users to brew their coffee 35% FASTER using the Turbo function and offers several other great features including: A built-in aroma tube on the underside of the carafe’s lid ensures optimal diffusion of rich coffee flavor, Bold setting for a richer taste, two auto-on options, keep warm setting with varying temperature and time options, 1-4 cup option for small batch brewing and more.
Buy it here: KRUPS SAVOY Coffee Maker 


T-fal Ingenio Hand-Powered Rapid Food Chopper


Ths holidays mean lots and lots of cooking, but all that chopping doesn't mean you should be in the kitchen for long periods of time.
Manually powered and doesn't require electricity, this gadget makes chopping, dicing and pureeing easier than ever. The patented system features two independent blades that provide efficient and progressive chopping in 5 seconds or less. Ideal for making salsas, fruit purées, salads or simply chopping an onion WITHOUT the tears!   
Buy the T-fal Ingenio Hand-Powered Rapid Food Chopper


Explore Cuisine Bean Pastas



No matter which holiday you’re celebrating, one thing we all have in common is a love for pasta! But sometimes these holiday meals aren’t as healthy as some would like them to be. Explore Cuisine understands that and has a number of healthy options for you and your family to try! Each of Explore Cuisines’ pasta products are loaded with protein and are vegan and gluten-free. This holiday season you can still enjoy those yummy meals without the guilt of eating unhealthy! (Check out a recipe below!!) 
Buy the pasta here. 

WELCH'S Mixed Fruit Snacks


Hide the 4 count Welch’s Fruit Snacks Christmas themed box throughout stockings in the house to keep the kids entertained. The Fruit Snacks are individually packaged, making them a quick and easy snack to serve the kids. Welch’s® Fruit Snacks feature fruit as the first ingredient, so they taste delicious.
Buy the Welch's Fruit Snacks here. 


Gaea Dirty Martini Juice


Gaea Dirty Martini Juice is specially formulated to accompany either vodka or gin. Made with previously discarded olive brine from Gaea's olive production, imbibers can stir things up with Dirty Martini Juice for Vodka, which contains olive brine infused with sweet and hot red peppers. Gin aficionados can enjoy Dirty Martini Juice for Gin, made with olive brine blended with coriander.


Brooklyn Crafted’s Ginger Beer

Non-Alcoholic, Fun-Sized Ginger Beer!
Cased in 7 fluid ounce bottles, Brooklyn Crafted’s small but mighty ginger beers are the perfect size for kids to enjoy on their own, or for adults incorporate into festive cocktails this holiday season. Made with 100% fresh ginger pieces you can actually SEE in each bottle. (Flip bottle upside down to see!) Available in four trendy flavors including Traditional, Earl Grey, Lemon & Lime and Mango.
Buy the Ginger Beer here. 


Santa Margherita Chianti Classico Riserva


This intense ruby-colored wine is characterized by vigorous tannins and fresh acidity, followed by an aroma of forest fruits and sweet spice against a backdrop of herbs and autumn leaves. Find more about this at  www.wine.com   



Gluten Free Green Bean and Pasta Casserole Recipe



Ingredients

·       Kosher salt
·       1 (8 ounce) package Explore Cuisine Edamame & Mung Bean Fettuccini
·       1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut in half
·       2 tablespoons butter or dairy free butter substitute
·       8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
·       1 cup gluten free chicken or vegetable stock
·       1 cup heavy cream
·       2 cups (7 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
·       Black pepper
·       Vegetable oil
·       6 shallots, thinly sliced

Preparation

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.     Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook for 4 minutes. Add the beans to the pasta and cook for another 4 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta and green beans.
3.     In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to brown, about 6 – 7 minutes. Add the stock and cream, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese then add the pasta and green beans. Add kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Add a little pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Pour the mixture into a 9 inch by 12 inch baking dish and bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbly.
4.     While the casserole is baking, prepare the shallots. Line a plate with paper towels. Pour enough oil into a large skillet to come up ¼ inch. Heat over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, add the shallots and let cook for 12 minutes, the shallots should be quite soft. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring often, until the shallots are well browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on the paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. The shallots will crisp more as they cool.

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5.     When the casserole is done, scatter the shallots over the top and serve.

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