Five of my Favorite Things: Holiday Entertaining Edition

November 9, 2021 11 By EngineerMommy

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.

The holiday season has always been one of my favorite times of the year. From the classic tunes and the whimsical décor to the yummy food and festive celebrations, there are so many things to love about the season. Today I’ll be talking all about entertaining family & friends during the holidays, featuring some of my favorite products for a beautiful, magical season.

A lovely glass of wine!

For holiday celebrations, a great glass of wine is essential and I’ve been absolutely loving the delicate flavor & premium quality of Rodney Strong Wines. Back in the 1960’s, Rodney Strong realized that Alexander Valley in Sonoma County was an excellent spot for growing grapes for Cabernet Sauvignon. Currently, the company owns three Cabernet vineyards in the area (Jimtown, Geyserville and Cloverdale.) The area is ideal for a thriving vineyard, resulting in a Cabernet Sauvignon that’s rich in flavor with dark cherry & plum flavors, along with notes of black pepper, spicy oak, and crushed violet. It is a delicious accompaniment to burgers, grilled steaks or a rack of lamb.

Another alluring Sonoma wine, the Rodney Strong Chardonnay celebrates the flavor of pristine, high-quality fruit from the cooler, coastal areas of California. The result is an alluring, unique flavor, featuring aromas of lemon curd, pear, pineapple and apple with notes of oak and baking spices. Perfect when paired with grilled vegetables, a nice piece of fish or a cheese board, this Chardonnay is always a crowd-pleaser. With both of these wines, your wine needs are certainly covered for a festive season. For more info about Rodney Strong Wine Estates & to learn where you can pick up a bottle near you, be sure to visit this webpage.

Flavorful meals in a snap!

When it comes to time-saving holiday hacks, I’m a big fan of Dorot Gardens Herbs, which offer pre-portioned herbs, garlic and onions that can easily be added to any dish or meal. With all of the cooking I do during the holiday season, having ingredients pre-portioned & ready-to-go is such a time-saver. There’s no need to peel or chop – it really doesn’t get any easier than this. Talk about the ultimate kitchen hack! All you have to do is “pop” one serving out from the convenient tray.

Dorot Gardens offers quite a few varieties to choose from: Crushed Garlic, Crushed Ginger, Chopped Basil, Sautéed Onions, Crushed Turmeric, Chopped Parsley, Chopped Cilantro and Chopped Dill. I love that the ingredients are picked at peak freshness and then flash frozen into convenient trays within 90 minutes of harvest.  Another benefit of using this product is less waste – no need to worry about buying a whole bunch of herbs that will eventually spoil. There are so many fun ways to use Dorot Gardens products during the holiday season:

  • Want a super simple sauce for an Asian dish? Add the Dorot Gardens Crushed Ginger to some soy sauce for a flavorful sauce.
  • Need to add some flavor to your pasta dishes? Dorot Garden Chopped Basil packs a big flavor punch in each pre-portioned capsule. The basil would also be a lovely addition to soups, salads, fish, casseroles and so much more.
  • Looking for a flavorful, yet easy-to-prepare, sauce? Add Dorot Gardens Crushed Garlic (1 cube equals 1 garlic clove) to some olive oil with salt & pepper to add some pizzazz to salads, pasta, meat, chicken & vegetables.
  • The easiest dip ever? Add some Dorot Gardens Crushed Garlic and Dorot Gardens Chopped Parsley to some sour cream. It’s one of my favorite pairings – perfect for dipping veggies!

Hosting in style!

I recently had the opportunity to check out Friendsgiving:  The Official Guide to Hosting, Roasting, and Celebrating with Friends by Shoshana Stopek. Inspired by the ever-popular sitcom, Friends, this book is the perfect year-round guide for hosting memorable celebrations and is filled with amazing recipes, entertaining tips, and activities. If you’re a fan of the show, you will love the book since it’s filled with beautiful photos, famous quotes, and memorable scenes from the sitcom.

Friendsgiving contains three sections with different types of content. Part One contains famous recipes from the show, such as Righteous Mac ‘n’ Cheese and so much more. Part Two includes hosting tips, such as how to create the best party playlist and DIY décor. Part Three is jam-packed with fun activities (like Unagi Pictionary) to keep the crowd entertained all night long.

The perfect cookies for a sweet tooth!

No holiday celebration is complete without something sweet! Dewey’s Bakery, which first opened in Winston-Salem, NC, has been providing sweet treats for birthdays, holidays, milestones, and more since 1930. I love that  these delicious cookies are prepared with 100% real ingredients and based on time-tested recipes.

These Dewey’s Bakery cookies are super thin and packed with flavor. Free from artificial flavors, artificial colors and preservatives, this is a cookie I feel good about serving to my guests. I recently tried the Sugar Cookie and Ginger Spice varieties and they were both amazing. What a perfect way to finish off a holiday meal or just an easy way to elevate an ordinary day into something extraordinary. For 10% off sitewide, be sure to use promo code: DEWEYS10 (valid between November 10th- December 10th.) Experience these delicious cookies for yourself, which are baked with care at Dewey’s Southern hometown bakery.

Crunchy snacks for the win! 

One of my new favorite snacks is Frank’s Red Hot Almonds, which feature the famous flavor of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, which has been flavoring recipes since 1918. Sold in 20+ countries around the world,  Frank’s RedHot® is the #1 American Hot Sauce brand thanks to its unique blend of cayenne peppers. Frank’s Red Hot Sauce Almonds celebrates the unique taste of this hot sauce, enhanced by the delicious crunch of almonds.

Skip those boring, plain almonds – Frank’s RedHot Sauce Almonds (made from California Almonds) are delicious and completely packed with heat & flavor. Perfect for game day or as an ingredient in a do-it-yourself trail mix, these almonds are sure to be a crowd-pleaser this holiday season. Free from artificial colors or artificial flavors, Frank’s RedHot Sauce Almonds are also a better-for-you, post-dinner snack for any day of the week. 

I hope this post inspires you to elevate your holiday entertaining game! Are you excited for the holiday season? Which items on my list are you most excited to try for yourself?


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