Rachael Ray

Its that holiday hosting time of year and today I did a series of interviews highlighting a few time saving products for Holiday Dinners! The interviews went great, I had over 20 total, in Spanish as well as English. It makes for a long morning but I love doing it! I had the opportunity to talk to morning tv anchors from Dallas to Denver and from Syracuse to Seattle. It was a really great time.

Here is a run down of all of the products featured!

A No Fuss Appetizer

The key to no-fuss entertaining is to use what you have in on hand and get a little creative. I love stuffed mushrooms for the holidays and a way to spruce them up is to take some portabellas and stuff them with a yellowfin tuna, bread crumbs, onion, celery and a little mozzarella and parmesan cheeses. I like to use Starkist Yellowfin Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil because it adds a ton of flavor and it comes in convenient pouches so it’s really easy. So you mixed the ingredients together and bake for 10 minutes, that’s it. Here is the recipe!

Ingredients

2 pouches (2.6 oz.) StarKist® Yellowfin Tuna in Extra Virgin Olive Oil

10 - 12 medium portabella mushroom caps (about 3-inches in circumference each)

1/8 cup bread crumbs

1 stalk celery, chopped finely

1/8 cup onion, chopped finely

½ red pepper, chopped finely

1/8 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

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1/8 cup parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Clean mushroom caps and remove stem if needed.  Place on a cookie sheet, rounded side down.
3. Mix tuna with next 6 ingredients in bowl.
4. Place tuna mixture inside mushroom caps.
5. Bake in oven until cheese melts - about 10 minutes.  Turn broiler on and broil on high for 1 – 2 minutes to brown the cheese.

Drinks for Everyone

No matter what the holiday event is, drinks can really sets the tone. One fun product that I really love is Soda Stream home soda maker. In less than 30 seconds it transforms tap water into high-quality sparkling water or soda so it’s an affordable, eco-friendly, and convenient way to serve up festive drinks using soda mixes like cranberry-orange or grapefruit.I have one of these Soda Stream gizmos and I LOVE it!

What about Wine?

Alamos offers hand-tailored, food-friendly Argentine wines that are a perfect choice for the holidays.  Among its offerings, the Alamos portfolio boasts Malbec, a traditional Argentine varietal that pairs beautifully with dark meats and rich sauces, as well as a Chardonnay that is a common favorite and perfect for celebrations this time of year.  The Alamos Chardonnay is made in the Argentine style and pairs well with buttery flat breads and crispy salads. At only $13 a bottle, Alamos wines make a great stocking stuffer for the vino-lover in your life, without breaking the bank.

And How About a Simple Dessert?

For dessert, everyone loves chocolate and there’s so much you can do with chocolate that doesn’t even require baking. Dove Chocolate Discoveries has no-bake desserts that are sure to impress your friends and family this season. For example you can pipe Chocolate Mousse into Petite Chocolate Dessert Cups, garnish with their pre-molded dark chocolate leaves and you have a gorgeous dessert! Another easy dessert is to pour Dove Chocolate Discoveries Chardonnay Caramel Sauce over ice cream. Super simple and so sophisticated!

Here are a few of my general tips for Staying sane while throwing Holiday Shin Digs

- It’s important to set a budget for yourself for your Holiday dinners. To keep costs down and make sure your guests feel like they are a part of the festivities fee free to ask guests to bring their own dishes. Everyone loves a pot luck!

- Stock up on the staples that are used in the kitchen all the time butter, salt, sugar, olive oil, lemon juice. And, if you’re going to buy a turkey, get two small turkeys instead of one large one. They cook faster and more evenly, and there’s more flexibility in where they can be stored in the freezer or refrigerator.

- Upgrade your gadgets: A good potato peeler, sharp kitchen shears or measuring spoons with easy-to-see numbers makes life so much easier. Invest in the big pot if you need one - don’t forget about cookware!

- Get the kids involved in decorating! Have them run out to get pine cones, acorns and leaves and bring the outside in with easy centerpieces

- Let them be in charge of the table. Kids love to get involved! Let the kids decide who is sitting where and let them set the table. They’ll enjoy their new responsibilities and it’s one less thing for the cook and hostess to worry about.

HERE IS A LINK TO MORE PHOTOS OF MY FUN FILLED MORNING!

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