Southern Blondie

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.

Buy the Gaea juice here.

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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It's the SIXTH month of "Thirty-ONEderful Charity Donation" and this month I am donating $31 to The Van in Arkansas. I, for one, cannot believe that it is December. Today is also my half-year birthday, which means I am half-way through my year of Thirty-ONEderful!

December for most of us means holiday parties, presents and time off work. But for a lot of homeless in Arkansas, it means colder nights without a lot of resources. That's why for my donation this month, I am donating to a group called The One, Inc., who has a program called The Van. This group works to find those who may be homeless to help provide them with basic human necessities. Here's what their website says:

Many of the wonderful people who help support The One, Inc through The Van program!

"The One, Inc.’s mission is simply to locate and love our unsheltered homeless neighbors, wherever they may be.

We primarily serve these needs by going to the people. We visit current homeless camps, search for new camps, comb alleyways, check under bridges, and seek out people deep in the woods, etc. We take supplies such as food, water, clothing and hygiene products to people where they are. The One, Inc. seeks to build relationships with members of the homeless community so that we may then identify barriers to obtaining income and housing, and help our friends move beyond their homelessness. We are dedicated to be relational, as opposed to programmatic."

Because the colder weather is coming, they are also looking for donations of blankets, tarps, coats, flashlights, etc. You can find the full list here.