Tapas Tuesday: Mulled Apple Cider

Now that the weather is cool, it is time for one of my favorite adult bevs.  Whether you are tailgating, answering the door for trick-or-treaters,  or just sitting in front of the fire, Mulled Apple Cider is a festive delicious treat.  I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman.  This concoction really hits the spot, and it makes your house smell fabulous.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 Whole Cinnamon Sticks
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground Cloves
• 8 Whole Allspice Berries
• Orange Peel from 1 Orange
• Lemon Peel from 1 Lemon
• 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
• 6 cups Unfiltered (fresh squeezed is great) Apple Juice
• 1/2 cup Dark Rum (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Place cinnamon sticks, ground cloves, allspice berries, orange peel, and lemon peel in a medium saucepan. Pour in maple syrup and apple juice, then bring to almost a boil. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and serve in mugs.  Add 1/2 cup of dark rum (or more) if you choose.  Enjoy!

Party Supply Monday: Fine China

 

Southern Hostesses love to entertain and pull out the fine china. Recently, I picked out our china, Herend Golden Edge, while setting up our wedding registry. Isn't it lovely?! This Herend Golden Edge is classic, and I love the scalloped edges. One of the main reasons I picked this pattern is because I could not choose just one Herend color that I liked the most. It all came together when I picked out the Chinese Bouquet Multicolor Salad Plate (below) as an accent because I did not have to choose just one color. I cannot wait to start collecting my pattern, and I promise to use it for all sorts of special occasions!

Secret Source Sunday: Sucre

Today's secret source is Sucre in New Orleans! Sucre is "a sweet boutique" that offers chocolates, gelato, pastries, and macarons of all flavors. In a city known for its culinary delights, Sucre has made its mark as NOLA's best sweet shop! They specialize in the flavors of New Orleans, and offer many gift package and party favor options. Their goods are as beautiful as their storefronts, which are clean and modern. With two locations in The Big Easy, you will have to stop by on your next trip to New Orleans! If you can't make it there, then you can always order their goods from their delightful online shop!

Outdoor Saturday: Big Sur Lantern

My favorite fall outdoor decor piece would have to be my Big Sur Lanterns! They come in three sizes (I love having the trio) and look fantastic when lit up with a candle inside! If I want to jazz them up a bit, I will hang grosgrain or satin ribbon in various colors on the handle! These are great decor that can be used inside and out! I have already purchased several of these for Christmas gifts! 

Party Friday: Paperless Post

Great news! Paperless Post has answered our prayers and added PAPER to their "paperless" line!!! YAY! I absolutely LOVE their whimsical designs and I am so excited to order my first "paper" party invitation from Paperless Post for the next shindig! Love!

Southern Thursday: Four Roses Bourbon

Next week, this Southern Hostess has a big event and we will be serving Four Roses Bourbon - the folks from Four Roses in Frankfort, Kentucky will be here to serve bourbon cocktails during cocktail hour. Excited! I just love their name and logo - so Southern! After a long absence from the US (even though it was the top selling bourbon in the 30s, 40s, and 50s) to focus on Europe and Asia, Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is back!

Tapas Tuesday: Black Bean Corn and Feta Dip

Easy and delicious...

1 can of Bush’s black beans

1 can of Del Monte whole kernel yellow corn

1 bunch of green onions

1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of sugar, honey, or preferred sweetener

3/4 – 1 cup of crumbled feta

Directions

Drain the beans & corn, combine in a bowl. Add the ACV, olive oil, & sugar. Chop up the green onions & dump them in with the feta. Stir carefully so the feta doesn’t fall apart. Best if chilled over night. Serve with Tostitos Scoops. Enjoy!

Party Supply Monday: Custom Golf Tees

When planning a wedding, Southern Hostesses love all the special touches. My word of advice... don't forget the groom! He may not be interested in caterers or florists, but he probably has his own ideas too. My fiance Scott is an avid golfer, and wanted custom golf tees to pass out to his friends, groomsmen, and golf buddies! We ordered 1,000 custom tees for $58 from Par Golf and Scott LOVES them! We did natural color tees with navy font to keep in wedding colors. I have to admit, they are pretty cute and we plan to use them for welcome bags, bachelor party favors, and more!

Secret Source Sunday: Meri Meri

Meri Meri is a fabulous stationery and party supply company that started at a kitchen table with scissors and glitter and one employee in 1985 in Los Angeles. Now distributing their products worldwide, Meri Meri has grown to a big studio about an hour outside of London, England and includes 20 designers who still love glitter! Their products are fantastic quality - they are available at many stores and online in the USA. I love all their attention to detail and the fun themes, like Big Rig and Howdy Cowboy! Their party goods make me want to throw a party!

Outdoor Saturday: Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix

It's Outdoor Saturday and that means football! There are few things I love more than drinking a Bloody Mary on a crisp fall Saturday morning in The Grove at Ole Miss... I wish I was there right now! I must say that I love Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix - it's delicious! Look what I discovered in Oxford - single serving bottles of Zing Zang! These are perfect for taking to outdoor football tailgates before the game... enjoy!

Party Friday: Party Favors

My niece is having a Haunted Sleepover tonight with a few friends. To make it extra fun, we made some spooky party favors and put them in some glitter take-out boxes with a skull sticker and some ribbon. We got some fun Halloween games like Spooky Bingo and they will each get a flashlight to play "spotlight tag." Here are the party favors - I think they turned out pretty cute!

Southern Thursday: State Pillows

Southern Hostesses love these state pillows by Cat Studio. Wouldn't these look so cute at the lakehouse or the Florida pillow at the family beach condo? This Tennessee pillow would be a great gift for my parents for our cabin in PickWick! They are made by Cat Studio, and although they are based out of California, I see a lot of Southern influence in their goods. They make pillows, dish towels, glasses, mugs, aprons, beach towels, and more! At $160 per pillow, they are an investment... but a fabulous conversation piece! 

Wonky Wednesday: Groomsmen Gifts

As you know, this Southern Hostess is engaged! With the upcoming wedding in April, it was time that my fiance asked his groomsman to be in our wedding (since we have been engaged nearly two months!) Scott wasn't too thrilled about calling them up and saying, "Will you be my groomsman / usher," so we had to think of something a little more "us" to do. 

Since our wedding is in Memphis, we picked a Memphis beer, Ghost River, added some chocolate music notes & chocolate golf balls from Memphis favorite Dinstuhl's Fine Candy Co. and a pair of Elvis sunglasses... just in case The King makes a visit to our wedding! ;) Then we rode around town and left them on their doorsteps. We got quite a few phone calls and texts last night... very fun! Scott still has a couple of deliveries to make today... hopefully they don't read my blog and see this before they get their boxes! Something tells me that they probably don't. :) Did you notice the navy gingham tear-off napkin in the bottom of the box? Love that! 

Operation Groomsmen is complete.

Tapas Tuesday: Taco Soup

It's getting cold outside, and that means it's time for taco soup!  Here's one of many recipes you can find on the internet... 

1 lb lean ground beef (or turkey)

1 onion, chopped
1 pkg taco seasonings
1 pkg dry Ranch seasonings
2 large cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can whole kernel corn

Brown meat and onion. Drain. Add seasonings. Drain beans and corn. Add to meat along with tomatoes. Simmer until well blended and hot. Eat and enjoy.Add a bit of grated cheese or sour cream and this simple soup is perfect for cold nights.

Source: Cooks.com

Party Supply Monday: Michiemay Paperie

Today's party supply is by Michiemay Paperie. These glam banners, which range from $30-$42, are so fun for special events and parties! I love their sayings - L'amour, Swoon, Bonjour, and Cheers! These would be fun for wine club or a bachelorette party! 

 

Secret Source Sunday: Paper Mart

Today's secret source is my favorite place online to order ribbon and packaging supplies - Paper Mart! I love ribbon, and you can order 50 and 100 yard rolls of beautiful grosgrain ribbon for $2 - $5 a roll! Can you believe that price? I have their ribbon in almost every color, and it always comes in handy when wrapping gifts! Their double faced satin ribbon is also fabulous and affordable. They also have the cutest containers and gift bags - I have ordered samples of many of their goods for our upcoming wedding! I have always loved packaging and gift wrap, so that's why Paper Mart is one of my favorite sources!

Outdoor Saturday: Gourds & Flowers

My crafty sister Christie always goes all out for holidays! She recently (or three weeks ago) decorated for Halloween and fall - I always laugh at how early she starts decorating for holidays. This runs in our family - I blame our parents for our love for holiday decor and early decorating habits. :) Why is this my post for Outdoor Saturday? Well, Christie likes to bring the outdoors in... she does this with gourds and miniature pumpkins in the fall. She loves to use the items that she already has, like her McCarty Pottery candle holders, sugar mold, and vase, and changes them every season. Bringing in fall gourds and flowers (and adding ribbons) totally changes the look of these everyday pieces. Bringing the outdoors in is a great (and usually economical) way of decorating for the season! 

Party Friday: Holiday Gift Tags

It's Party Friday! TGIF! I am getting in the holiday spirit and that means that's it time to pick out my holiday gift tags! Since Scott and I are engaged, I will get some tags with both of our names on them this year! I love these gift tags from Minted - simple, chic, and a bit modern.  These are at the top of my list!

Southern Thursday: Southern Cooking

Southern Hostesses love cookbooks! I love The Southern Foodways Alliance Cookbook and A Southerly Course is on my wish list! Most Southern cookbooks seem to be built around old family recipes, and I love the beautiful photos and the old stories. The use of farm fresh ingredients is also fantastic! What are your favorite Southern cookbooks?

Busy week!

It's been a busy week so I have not been able to post.  I will get back on track tomorrow with Southern Thursday!