With all that's been going on in my life lately, it's been a long time since I spent an entire afternoon in the kitchen. But on Thursday afternoon of last week, after a rapid-fire trip to the grocery store, I spent three or four hours on my feet, making a big meal from scratch. There's something about making food that is just so good for the soul.

I've lived in the South for most of my life, but it hasn't been until much more recently that I really connected with my southern roots. I suppose Mardi Gras is as good a time as any to figure it out--mostly because there's gumbo. I love gumbo. So I made some gumbo, with rice. And cornbread. And potato salad.

I scooped piping-hot spoonfuls of spicy sausage and shrimp gumbo over rice for my husband that evening when I had a bit of a revelation--it doesn't matter where you're from, or where you live. You can be down south or up north or somewhere in between, but love is the thing. Love, and food. (And maybe a cute dog in a silly hat.)

Get all three Mardi Gras recipes today on the La Crema blog.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of La Crema. The opinions and text are all mine.

Photos by Rémy Thurston for Freckled Italian.

I used to think that people were either really into Valentine's Day or really against it, but now I know that you can just be happy to eat chocolate and drink wine with someone you like a lot (although let's be honest, I think that's what life should look like every day of the year).

To celebrate Valentine's Day without being too cheesy, I decided to make some chocolate truffles (sounds impressive, super easy--exactly what I'm looking for in a recipe) and put them in cute little handmade bags for a festive truffle trade! It's like a cookie swap, but a little more lovey-dovey.

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients:

• About 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips
• One cup of heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• Toppings: cocoa powder (sweetened), powdered sugar, melted white chocolate

For the package:

• Tulle
• Tissue paper
• Ribbon

Instructions: 

1. Place the chocolate chips in a large bowl.
2. In a saucepan, heat the cream and butter over medium heat and stir until it begins to boil gently.
3. Remove from heat and pour the cream mixture over the chocolate chips. Stir until completely melted and smooth. Cover and place in the refrigerator until it hardens (overnight is fine).
4. Remove the truffle mixture and use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out bite-size truffles. If you want, you can use your palms to roll each one into a smoother ball, or you can just leave them uneven.
5. Cover with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or a drizzle of white chocolate. Keep any extras in the refrigerator.
6. You can pack them up in cute little bags by using some tissue paper and tulle--I cut two pieces and crossed them before putting the truffles in the center. Then I bunched it all up and tied everything with a red ribbon.

I love chocolate and red wine--it's such a classic pairing. I'm really into Matanzas Creek's Sonoma Coast Merlot these days. If you make some truffles this Valentine's Day, let me know!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Matanzas Creek. The opinions and text are all mine.

Can you believe it's New Year's Eve? 2015 went by in a flash. Rob and I went out for a delicious dinner last night and have plans to sit on our couch with Chinese food and champagne tonight, which is why today's post is especially appropriate!

A few weeks ago, before the rush of the holidays, I had two of my best Charlotte girlfriends over for a movie night complete with hot apple cider and some super festive popcorn. This little tradition started for me when I lived in Minneapolis and my friend Daci came over to help us decorate our tree, eat snacks, drink warm beverages, and watch Elf.  Then she invited me over with a few other girlfriends for more cider, cornbread, and Love Actually. 

Basically you just need snacks, some festive warm drinks, and a holiday movie. Pop Works & Company was nice enough to send me some popcorn to share with my friends: we feasted on the Salted Caramel & Fudge, Cookies & Cream, and Birthday Cake flavors. (They're all awesome but my favorite was definitely the Salted Caramel & Fudge.)

And since it's New Year's Eve and if you're like me you are refusing to watch a holiday movie tonight, I've included a list of non-holiday holiday movies, which are a thing if you didn't know. But I think they're different for every person. Here are mine, and why (yes they're all musicals):

• Rent, because it takes place around the holidays and I'm pretty sure ends on New Year's Eve. Don't hold me to that--it's been a while since I've seen it, but I always want to watch it around this time and I think I'm going to.
• Les Misérables, because it was released in theaters on Christmas day but isn't about Christmas so I listened to the soundtrack nonstop after seeing the film and also because there's really never a bad time to watch Hugh Jackman and/or Eddie Redmayne do their thing.
• Frozen, because it takes place during a magical winter and it's cozy.

Pop Works & Company is offering their Pop Box (what I received--three different flavors) for $15.99 and you can get free shipping through tonight (New Year's Eve)!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.