We all know those infamous game day snacks that show their beautifully delicious faces this time of year. The football turns on, the oven pre-heats and whatever overly salty frozen snack we can find hits our lips. I’m so guilty of this. Growing up in the south, you had wings and fried chicken, takeout pizza or some kind of crazy high-calorie bite around.

Now, that said, I’m in no way trying to say that game day snacking is off limits. Thanks to my friends at Barnana, makers of the super banana snack, I’ve created the ultimate barbecue nachos that will be the talk of the tailgate. Here’s how it all goes down. Barnana’s Brazilian Barbecue Plantain Chips are a crispy crunchy nutrient dense delight. The wonderful thing about their chips is that they are nice and thick so they can hold up to all the delicious toppings we all crave.

I take a layer of plantain chips and top that with my favorite spicy queso blanco (I prefer cashew queso), then a layer of pulled pork. For my pulled pork, I use a whole pork shoulder that’s been in the crockpot overnight until fork tender. Then repeat with plantain chips, queso and pork until you have 2-3 layers of the goodness. Barnana has plenty of flavors so feel free to experiment. You can also used pulled brisket or chicken if pork isn’t your thing. Top the whole thing with guacamole and you have a 5-10 minute hit making snack that your friends and family can dig into until half-time.

Who says game day items have to break the scales? With a few healthy swaps and some self-control, you’ll be the champion of ’em all.

Happy fall, y’all! As we enter into this new season, it’s time to start remembering what we are thankful for. The weather is cooling, the colors are changing and my favorite holidays are upon us.

This year I am giving thanks for la Madeleine French Bakery & Cafe. That’s right, this year la Madeleine is selling a Heat at Home Holiday Feast. It’s the perfect solution for Friendsgiving or anyone that would like more time with family without sacrificing taste. The delicious menu includes oven-roasted turkey breast, cranberry apple cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans almondine, wild mushroom sauce, cranberry chutney and sourdough breadsticks. The entire menu feeds 10 generously, takes 2.5 hours and gives you back time to hang with family and friends. When you order, Heat at Home means more time with friends and family, less time grocery shopping with the crowds, brining turkeys, messing up your kitchen, etc and it equals about $12 per person!

What I love about la Madeleine is that they are are family-friendly and approachable French. Plus who doesn’t love quality ingredients, recipes handmade with care?! Craving just the Sides? If you prefer to make your own turkey, you can purchase the sides separately! They also have a full bakery offering seasonal desserts as well as signature recipes like the famous Sacher Torte cake available for your holiday event.

Pre-orders have officially begun for events from 11/1 – 12/24 and 24 hours notice is required for orders. Click here to order and use code “eatstyle” to save on heat at home. Happy holidays!

Ready to experience the most magical part of wine country? Look no further than the gem that is Sonoma County. Craving wine? You can get that here with options spanning more than 425 wineries ranging from rustic to regal. Hike among towering redwoods, cruise along rugged Pacific coastline and get to know inviting towns. Just 45 minutes away from San Francisco, this region of California is welcoming to all.

I’m sharing my must-visits and must-do’s for a long weekend in this amazing place. Lucky for Dallas, we now have a direct flight from DFW to Santa Rosa as of this summer. How amazing is that? If you’re not able to do just that, you can make the short jaunt from SFO but direct really is the way to go. On our first day in Healdsburg, we venture to many wineries that make the region great. Starting with an amazing tasting with James and Kerry MacPhail at Tongue Dancer Wines. I highly recommend starting your visit with Tongue Dancer as we learned so much during our time. The tasting room was beautiful and we sampled delicious Pinot Noir, Rosé and Chardonnay. Don’t miss it!

Next, we found our way to Moshin Vineyards. The Moshin Estate is comprised of four vineyards, all planted along Westside Road at the southwestern border of the Middle Reach neighborhood of the Russian River Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area). This classic neighborhood is known for producing textured wines with ripe flavors and gentle aromatics of florals, earth, and baking spices — elements you’ll find in the various styles of Moshin Vineyards Pinot Noir. We visited with Rick Moshin and even had a chance to picnic with the Moshin team among the vineyards. What a treat! After lunch, our final tasting of the day was Fogline Vineyards. Launched in 2009, Fogline makes small lots of Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah and Chardonnay. Evan Pontoriero and Brent Bessire believe that mountain fruit grown above the fog line creates more balanced, focused wines. I couldn’t agree more after the superb tasting Evan lead us through.

If you must make it to one winery while you are in Sonoma, my favorite hands down was Jordan Winery. From the opulent and pristine surroundings and accommodations to the people and wine itself, this place is paradise. Jordan is proud to be family-owned and operated since 1972 and it shows. We were lucky enough to join head winemaker Maggie Kruse for the Bounty of Sonoma Dinner.  This al fresco wine dinner party began with a reception featuring Jordan Cuvée by Champagne AR Lenoble and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a multicourse dinner by their head chef, featuring deliciously fresh ingredients sourced either from the garden, local farms and a few surprises from outside the area. Each course was prepared with a combination of traditional French and modernist cooking techniques and paired with a specific vintage of Jordan, beginning with Chardonnay before moving into vintages of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon. The evening concluded with a dessert reception and coffee in the Jordan dining room. Heaven!

Day two meant more tasting and we began at the famous Dry Creek Vineyard. After a tour by our awesome guide Darren, we tasted our way through their spectacular portfolio and even decided upon a few great finds to take home with us. Why not! A quick pit stop at bustling Dry Creek General Store, another killer tasting at Ridge Vineyards and we ended with my favorite on day two, Seghesio. Seghesio Family Vineyards, a leader in crafting Zinfandel and Italian heritage wines that embody Sonoma County, has been around through 5 generations and 120 years. It quickly became apparent that whenever this wine was on the menu, we had to order it! It’s that good.

A trip to Healdsburg isn’t complete without a visit to the exquisite Valette in downtown. Valette was born from two brothers’ lifelong dream of creating a unique dining experience in their hometown of Healdsburg. The goal is to provide a canvas for local farmers, winemakers and artisans to showcase their crafts. What we discovered is so much more than that with their must-order 5-course ‘Trust me’ Tasting menu. I am still dreaming about that meal and you will too after it’s (sadly) over.

Just a three hour plane ride from Dallas lies a garden of good eats, unbelievable vineyards and places that you’ve never experienced the likes of before. So when you need an escape or just a reason to celebrate life, visit Sonoma County.

Not up for cooking a whole feast but still want to eat well? Whole Foods Market has the perfect option that will make your Easter even easier. They’ve unveiled their Easter and Passover order heat and serve meals and sides online, then you just pick them up at your local Whole Foods Market. What could be easier? Well, ordering today is the important part but other than that it’s a click or two away from Easter or Passover party success.

For my Easter meal I’ve selected delicious options like a delicious cheese platter that will satisfy your guests while the rest of the meal finishes cooking. Pair it with some delicious crostini and a couple of sweet fig jam sides and you have an excellent starter. For sides, I am a huge fan of their Asparagus with Lemon, Parsley and Roasted Almonds, delicious Roasted Beets and Shallots with Sherry-Shallot Vinaigrette and a Passover-friendly Joan Nathan’s Brazilian Haroset with Apples, Dates and Cashews.

Let’s not forget about your main meat course. While most tables will be filled with lamb or ham, I decided on an amazing prepared Wine-Braised brisket you can just heat and serve to cut out the stress. I mean how easy is that? Whole Foods Market has thought of everything. It’s wonderful just how the products simplify your life and provide you with the best possible quality.

Finish your set-up with some fresh florals and an amazing tablescape for the ultimate spring celebration of flavor and fun thanks to Whole Foods Market.

Oh there’s no place like home for the holidays. There is, however, one place that makes home even better for entertaining this time of year. Whole Foods Market is an integral part of my day-to-day, whether it’s a routine grocery visit or a party-shopping extravaganza. I always find something exciting and delicious to share with my loved ones.

I’ve partnered with Whole Foods Market to showcase just how simple holiday entertaining can be when you set out a spread of bites and sips that make the season bright. Whole Foods Market is the store with the best selection and quality for easy entertaining items! I am constantly finding inspiration for holiday parties and small friend gatherings from my local store. Another great factor of choosing Whole Foods Market? Convenience. I love to pick and choose from a variety of different foods and beverages to keep my parties exciting and ensure that my guests are well fed with all different needs. Don’t forget about taste! With a fine selection of items, the entertaining set up is always filled with pure deliciousness.

Some of my favorite WFM exclusive holiday items to snack and sip on this year? If it’s a breakfast or brunch time event, set out some seasonal truffles or a hearty but flavorful Panettone to be served with Allegro Celebration Coffee. As the afternoon progresses, be sure to offer holiday Italian Sodas (apple, pear, ginger + fig, cream soda happen to be personal favorites) with a selection of specialty cheeses with mini toasts. You can even add in some olives and fresh snacks from the grab & go bar near the checkout lane. Evening time soirees are perfect for frozen appetizers, a sweet scoop of Eggnog Gelato and a cup of love courtesy of Whole Foods Market cider with mulling spices. Oh and don’t forget the champagne for the adults!

Once your entertaining fete is successfully in the books, go shopping! Buy for the ones you love and get them a Whole Foods Market gift card so that they can shop around for holiday inspiration as well!

Well there you have it, your fool proof plan to making this holiday hassle-free with Whole Foods Market.

*Thanks to my friends at Sprinkles Cupcakes for graciously providing the sweet treats for this post

During this holiday season, I am striving to do better in many areas. One of those ways is getting together with friends to celebrate more often. Whether it is a small gathering or a large party, getting near and dear ones around for bites and drinks can be the best way to usher in the season and make memories to last a lifetime.

In full honesty, my favorite way to entertain is over sweet treats and more specifically, a get together isn’t the same without Sprinkles Cupcakes. The company has made the season merry and bright for since 2005 and now their holiday offerings are better than ever. I recently got a group of friends together for a housewarming and Sprinkles were the perfect party bite to celebrate the day. We all have our favorite flavors and Sprinkles rolls out some special additions this time of year. I am always partial to the classic red velvet but this month they are sharing some new flavors. The spirited JOY box is filled with Chocolate Peppermint, Red Velvet, Vanilla and Gingerbread cupcakes adorned with Sprinkles JOY sugar decorations. Watch out Red Velvet, I may have a new favorite. There is also a HAPPY HOLIDAYS gift box to pick your favorite dozen which brings a festive touch to your soiree.

Did I mention these cupcake boxes make a great host/hostess gift? Sure to put a smile on their face. Don’t miss Sprinkles cookies and brownies as well! They are new to the assortment but oh so yummy. Lastly, Sprinkles has added gluten free and vegan red velvets for any dietary restrictions. How cool is that?

So make the season a little sweeter with Sprinkles and jingle all the way to cupcake bliss!

For years, the art of entertaining has been an elusive craft that we all covet. When we go to a large dinner party or celebratory event and there is a spread for days, the crowd goes wild. Oftentimes, however, those amazing displays of delicacies seems out of reach and out of our wheelhouse. For me, I’ve always thought that putting together my own perfect charcuterie board was not even something to bother with. The meats, cheeses, condiments and rustic board must haves were better left to the professionals. Well I am happy to say, I’ve conquered my fears.

I’m thrilled to be partnering with Dietz & Watson to share their #ChooseTheTable message by showing how I choose the table with this ultimate build-your-own charcuterie board using their premium meats, cheeses, spreads and pickles. It was so simple to go to my local grocer, peruse the amazing items from this storied brand and build out my board.

To prepare for this adventure into a new culinary playground, I got some inspiration. Dietz & Watson is going around the country working with some of the industries top chefs to get a new take on how to use their products to elevate your table. More on that later, but let’s just say I had blast browsing their wide array of products to find the ideal flavor profile for my picnic. Through my shopping trip I found that there are a few essentials when it comes to putting together a charcuterie board:

• Start with the meat. I chose Dietz & Watson‘s Pastrami and spicy Genoa Salami for two very different flavors. I wanted my guests to enjoy a little of both to get a sense of how much pride goes into the brining and spice driven process.
• Get cheesy. Perfectly creamy provolone served as my first choice of cheese because of its universal appeal and blending ability. Next, I went with a smoked gouda that would pair well with something sweet and the pastrami for a kick. Lastly, I went full pinky up with New York State Champagne Cheddar Cheddar Cheese which is a great complement for a party platter, an hors d’oeuvre tray, or a dessert platter with fresh seasonal fruit.
• Speaking of fruit… grapes and fresh berries are a great way to break up the meat and cheese party. A bite of sweet, a bite of salty and you will have fans for days.
• So saucy. When you want to balance things out, add a condiment to the mix! I chose to add in apricot preserves, a spicy stone-ground mustard and gherkin pickles for something to snack on in between charcuterie.
• Carb load. Finish of your board with the perfect delivery vehicle for all the above. Rustic french country baguettes are your best bet, let them sit out for an hour or so before serving for the perfect crunch.

Now for the fun part, a giveaway you won’t want to miss. For 75 years, Dietz & Watson has prided themselves on offering you premium food for your table and now they’re inviting you to their table! You can ENTER for a chance to win seats for you and a guest at an exclusive culinary experience hosted by Dietz & Watson and Chef Stephan Pyles at Flora Street Cafe here in Dallas on December 12th. The menu will be bursting with fresh, seasonal flavors utilizing Dietz & Watson products that can be found at local retailers.

It’s not often that I get to mix and mingle with some of my favorite on-screen characters in real life. Thanks to the folks at Moët Hennessy, last night I got that very opportunity.

Hennessy Paradis Impérial hosted me at a private dinner with actor and Dallas native Josh Henderson at NOBU in Dallas. The dinner celebrated the launch of the brand’s first global campaign – Made of Precision – and highlighted the ultra-precise selection, maturation and blending required to craft Hennessy Paradis Impérial as only 10 out of 10,000 eaux-de-vie of any given vintage are eligible to become part of this blend.

It’s become routine for me to visit one of my favorite Dallas sandwich shops routinely every weekend so when I heard East Hampton Sandwich Company was opening a sister full-service restaurant, I needed to go.

Hudson House, the first full service restaurant by Hunter Pond, founder of East Hampton Sandwich Co, along with partners Kyle Brooks, Wes Freeman, Hank Keller and Justin Hollis,  is now open daily for happy hour and dinner. Located in the Park Cities area of Dallas at 4448 Lovers Lane, the East Coast inspired neighborhood restaurant serves an all-American menu along with a raw bar specializing in East Coast oysters and classic cocktails.

We were lucky enough to be invited to try the restaurant on a busy weekday evening. While the restaurant doesn’t take reservations for parties with fewer than 8 people, we snagged a table easily. “Jack’s Bar”, a small 4-seat bar where guests can have a drink while waiting or a table or to-go order is in the rear of the restaurant and has a dedicated entrance. The oyster and cocktail bar are connected as one and run the length of the dining room, which is made up of mostly comfortable booth and banquette seating.

The avocado dip and Tuna Tartare are the perfect starters. The avocado dip is super creamy and straight forward and pairs well with its salty, crunchy chip counterparts. The tartare could use a little more spice but was awfully nice and fresh, albeit our wonton crisps never arrived to scoop it up.

For mains don’t miss the soon-to-be-famous ‘Big Brother’ Lobster Roll comprised of chilled lobster tail, the “good butter,” yuzu pickles and lemon mayo. It truly was delicious and we are told the roll is made in-house. Another wonderful entree was the Mapled & Planked Salmon served with lemon broccolini, salad. The salmon was flaky, I just wish there was a little less sauce because the fish was so perfectly cooked.

Desserts here come in either sweet and sour. Your choice of chocolate silk or key lime pie are as about traditional as it gets and you’ll be fighting over the last bite. Thank you again Hudson House!

I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some pretty magical places in my lifetime. From the Far East to Europe, India and the Caribbean. Nothing can top the thrill of being wowed on American soil though. This past weekend I was able to experience the truly amazing area of Napa, California for a whirlwind 24 hours.

In all honesty, this trip was a bucket list item for me. To be able to see the vineyards first-hand, touch and try the grapes and learn the storied history of how the wine country came to be put me beside myself. The area we meandered is called “Stags Leap District” and is home to many of the most elegant Cabernet Sauvignons grown on American soil. The Stags Leap District, barely a mile wide and three miles long, is planted with 1,350 acres of vineyards. In 1976, long before the government designated the area as an official American Viticultural Area, a 1973 vintage Stags Leap District Cabernet Sauvignon swept the famed Paris tasting, besting the likes of First Growths Mouton-Rothschild and Haut-Brion. Today, Stags Leap District wineries such as Chimney Rock continue to produce Cabernet Sauvignons that compare favorably with the world’s greatest wines.

Between history lessons, we were able to visit 3 very exciting and different vineyards. We began our day at Chimney Rock, an estate where only red Bordeaux-variety grapes were planted – forty acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, twelve acres of Merlot, four acres of Cabernet Franc, and three acres of Petit Verdot, before the estate grew. We were treated to a private sampling of their finest wines, the Tomahawk Cabernet was my favorite. The estate even produces “Iconoclast”, a wine exclusive to the Four Seasons Resorts.

When we got hungry, we were lucky enough to make our way to the home of the owners of the Cavus Vineyards. Originally from Dallas, the owners are proud of Cavus and keep it a family run vineyard nestled in the hillside of the Stag’s Leap appellation in Napa Valley. We were treated to a market fresh lunch and tasted a few of their prime select pours. The vines themselves are 27 years old and are mostly made up of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot which are planted on just under 2 acres facing to the northwest. Beth Adams, a former Dallasite turned local winemaker, led us down to the breathtaking Steltzner Vineyards after lunch where we met with winemaker Bob Pepi. We got up close and personal with the grapes which was so cool given that is harvesting season. Pepi gave us a detailed breakdown of the winemaking process, a history of Steltzner and even let us taste the grapes. Trust me they are better in your glass.

Our last stop of the day was at Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, notably known for being the winery that won the Cabernet Sauvignon competition in the 1976 Judgment of Paris, was founded in 1970, and is considered a Napa Valley first-growth estate. This estate holds a special place in my heart as ARTEMIS Cabernet Sauvignon is my anniversary wine and boy is it delicious. We were able to handily sip and taste our way through many of the offerings and left with an education in wine for sure.

If you are looking for a place to stay while in the area, let me recommend the Andaz Napa. Not only is it centrally located but the rooms are super chic and quaint for the rustic surroundings.

Check off your dreamy vacation and get an education in one of our country’s most beautiful areas, Napa Valley and the Stags Leap District.