Cranberry Manhattan

Cranberry Manhattan

Nov 29, 2018 · 6 Comments

Cranberry Manhattan a favorite cranberry cocktail! This easy Christmas cocktail (with it's pretty color it'd be great for Valentine's Day too) is the perfect way to celebrate the holidays.

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Easy Christmas Cocktails

If there is a ever I time that I appreciate an easy cocktail, it is around the holiday season. So much hustling and bustling, one thing that should be easy is a cocktail.

After a day of shopping, I want to put my feet up, gaze at the tree (so pretty when I take off my glasses!) and sip a lovely libation.

This Cranberry Manhattan checks off all the things I want in a Christmas cocktail - easy, pretty, and oh so delicious!

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DIY Homemade Herb Salt

Nov 29, 2018 · 26 Comments

Herb Salt - Sriracha Salt, Rosemary Salt and Lemon Verbena Salt! Herbed salt is so easy and adds instant flavor to foods. I know Sriracha isn't an herb, but it makes a delicious spicy salt! Use your favorite herbs single or in combination!

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Another Way to Preserve Herb Flavors!

Well, it seems as if fall is officially over and winter has begun. I don't know about you, but I want to hold on to the flavors of my fresh herbs as long as I can. While I love watching the weeds die, it is hard to say good bye to my herbs until next year.

I have tried my hand at freezing herbs, making pesto and drying herbs, so today I take it a step further and make Herb Salts!

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Aloft Asheville Downtown

Nov 27, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Aloft Asheville Downtown - a fantastic Asheville hotel. Located downtown, with shops and restaurants all within easy walking distance. Pet friendly too!

Where to Stay in Asheville

Whenever we visit a city, we always try to stay in a downtown hotel. We want to be able to head back to our hotel after a day of sight seeing and not have to get in our car again to go out to eat or to checkout the night life of a city.

We were planning a trip to Asheville, North Carolina to see the Biltmore Estate's Christmas display (will review next week!) Tossing around the idea of staying at a hotel on the Biltmore Estates, we decided instead to stay in a downtown Asheville hotel.

Based on reviews and photos that we found, we chose Aloft Asheville Downtown. It was perfect!

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Carrot Top Pesto

Nov 25, 2018 · 5 Comments

Carrot Top Pesto - did you know that you can make a delicious pesto from carrot tops? The perfect no waste food solution! Carrot top, garlic, cashews and olive oil! Use it like you would any other pesto.

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How to Make a Pesto

Did you know that you can make a pesto out of pretty much any green? I've made Basil Pesto a lot and even a Spinach Pesto.

Once you learn the basic formula for a pesto, you can try all different kinds. A pesto is simply a combination of greens, nuts, cheese, olive oil and garlic. You can combine those in almost an infinite number of combinations.

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Easy Weeknight Pasta Bolognese

Nov 25, 2018 · 23 Comments

Easy Weeknight Pasta Bolognese - ready in about an hour, this pasta sauce tastes like it's been simmering all day!

Onions, carrots, garlic, celery, ground beef, crushed tomatoes, parsley and basil. Everyone loves this easy weeknight bolognese!

Big plate of pasta bolognese with steam rising from it.

Pasta Bolognese gets it's name because it's a pasta sauce that originated in Bologna, Italy. Which I'm guessing must also be where bologna comes from.

The classic bolognese sauce can use several kinds of meat, usually beef, veal, and pork. It can have wine or heavy cream. Depending on the recipe you'll find it cooks anywhere from 2 hours to 4 ½ hours.

We love pasta, but it's a bit of an ordeal. A worthy ordeal, but still an ordeal. Not something I want to tackle on a Monday or a Tuesday.

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Chocolate Panna Cotta with Pumpkin Seed Brittle

Nov 23, 2018 · 28 Comments

Chocolate Panna Cotta with Pumpkin Seed Brittle. This make ahead dessert is rich, creamy and full of chocolate flavor. The pumpkin brittle is so easy and so delicious, make extra just for snacking! Milk, sugar, bittersweet chocolate, toasted pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon and butter!

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Make Ahead Desserts

I love make ahead desserts. By the time we are done eating dinner and I get up from the table and go get our dessert, it's almost like someone else made it for me.

They are also great around the holidays or whenever you have company.

This Chocolate Panna Cotta with Pumpkin Seed Brittle is one of my favorite make ahead desserts. The panna cotta needs to set for at least 2 hours, so either make it early in the day, or even better make it the day before.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Udon Noodle Soup

Nov 20, 2018 · 25 Comments

Slow Cooker Chicken Udon Noodle Soup - this chicken udon noodle soup is a big bowl of comfort food!

The amazing Asian broth with garlic, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, black peppercorns and more simmers away all day in your crock pot filling your home with the most tantalizing aroma!

Brown bowl filled with chicken udon noodle soup garnished with green cilantro on a wooden table.

We have had our first cold snap of the season and I have to say that even though my dishwasher is my most favorite thing in the whole world, the remote start on my car is a close second. There is nothing nicer than to get in an already warmed-up-a-little car. Cold weather also means the slow cooker has come out for the season.

Slow cooker = soup most of the time in my house and this past week was no exception. I've already made Slow Cooker Chicken Pho and Slow Cooker Beef Pho, but I was looking to try a different recipe.

I found this recipe in an old 2010 Donna Hay magazine. I loved the sound of the Asian stock. This will definitely be added to my round up of Slow Cooker Soups!

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Mulled Cranberry Sauce

Nov 18, 2018 · 37 Comments

Mulled Cranberry Sauce - a fruity red wine, candied ginger, orange zest, cinnamon, allspice and cloves make this homemade cranberry sauce so amazingly delicious!

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Tub filled with cranberry sauce and text overlay reading Mulled Cranberry Sauce.

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

How do you feel about Thanksgiving food? Are you a traditionalist? Green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup? Cranberry sauce from a can that you slice just like grandma used to do?

I admit it we are traditionalists here. Oh, I'll vary a little here a little there, but mainly it doesn't change much.

One thing that definitely doesn't change is this amazing homemade cranberry sauce! I've been making it since 1999 when I first saw it in the November 1999 Bon Appetit magazine.

Because doesn't everyone need a little boozy red wine cranberry sauce in their life?

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Coco and Luxie

Nov 16, 2018 · 30 Comments

Luxie and Coco Together

It is rare to find Coco and Luxie close enough together to a photo of both of them. When Luxie was a kitten, they played together a lot. Now that she is older, Coco doesn't seem to want to have too much to do with her. Sometimes she just walks by her and hisses for no reason.

I think Luxie misses their fun times together and always looks a little confused when Coco ignores her or hisses a bit.

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Festive Cranberry Cocktails!

Nov 11, 2018 · 13 Comments

Festive Cranberry Cocktails - celebrate the holiday season with some delicious winter cocktails. Cranberry cocktails make the perfect holiday cocktails with their vivid red color. Everything from a simple Cranberry Manhattan to Brandied Cranberries to a Homemade Cranberry Liqueur!

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Cranberry Cocktails for the Holiday Season!

It's that time of the year. The time to stock your freezer with 5 or 7 or 12 bags of cranberries, because one must never run out of Cranberries!

Right now, I have the arduous task of using up last year's stash so that I can make room for more this year. Luckily I have a selection of cranberry cocktails that will definitely make the task completely enjoyable!

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Coco Kitty on the Sideboard

Nov 9, 2018 · 14 Comments

Calico Cat Sleeping on Sideboard

We have this antique sideboard in our dining room. It was cluttered with food props and trays for my food photos. It was a mess. So, I cleaned it off one day, or at leas my idea of cleaned it off. I still left the jars filled with old silverware, coasters, candle holders, a basket of napkins and my collection of vintage salt and pepper shakers. Yes, that's my idea of cleaned off.

I added a fall table runner, and if you remember my story of Cats on Placemats, I rolled up our everyday placemats and laid them there.

Someone, has decided that she loves the cleaned off sideboard. Please excuse my blue flannel shirt in the mirror.

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Hot Chili Pepper Vinegar

Nov 7, 2018 · 34 Comments

Hot Pepper Vinegar is the hot pepper sauce to put on everything! This is so good on beans and soups! Makes a great gift too!

Bottle filled with peppers and vinegar with a steeping tag.

Some people call this peppa sauce, some people call it vinegar hot sauce, I call it hot pepper vinegar. Whatever you call it, you need to be making some now!

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Scalloped Potatoes with Gruyere

Nov 6, 2018 · 55 Comments

Scalloped Potatoes with Gruyere - this potato gratin is so rich and cream. Everyone loves cheesy scalloped potatoes and when you make them with gruyere cheese, they are even better! Perfect for holiday dinners and easy enough for every day suppers!

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Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes or Potato Gratin

What do you call a casserole filled with tender slices of potatoes, rich and cheesy and baked with cream? Do you call it cheesy scalloped potatoes or a cheesy potato gratin. It's a little confusing when you go searching for answers.

Most agree that the potatoes in scalloped potatoes are cut a little thicker than a gratin. Then I read that Au Gratin Potatoes have gruyere cheese in them and they are baked with cream.

So, these Scalloped Potatoes with Gruyere are a very cheesy and yummy blend of the best of both!

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Chamomile Pear Infused Vodka

Nov 5, 2018 · 10 Comments

Chamomile Pear Infused Vodka - the floral and fruity infused vodka is so delicious!

Dried chamomile flowers and a fresh pear create the ultimate infused vodka, perfect for fall (or anytime) cocktails! It also makes great gifts for foodie and cocktail-loving friends!

Jar filled with pear and chamomile vodka with pears beside it.

One of the easiest ways to add some flair to your cocktails is with infusions. They are usually really easy, with time doing most of the work. I have a huge list of infusions I want to try, but when I saw pears on sale, this Chamomile Pear infused vodka moved to the top of my list.

Don't forget that infusions also make a great holiday gift!

When adding pears to your grocery list, get an extra one so at the same time you can make Spiced Pear Liqueur!

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Apple Cranberry Chutney

Nov 4, 2018 · 39 Comments

Apples, cranberries, and warming spices create an unusual and delicious cranberry chutney.

Apples, cranberries, cinnamon stick, spices.

Well, you know what time it is, don't you? It's time for the bags of cranberries to start appearing at the grocery store. Which means, it's time for you to use the stash of frozen cranberries in your freezer.

You do have a stash of frozen cranberries don't you??? I personally keep at least 7 in my freezer at all times, I'm not sure why, perhaps I have deep, hidden fear of running out of cranberries.

I also like to start experimenting with different homemade cranberry sauce recipes. I don't want to try something new on the big day, so we start eating cranberry sauce at the beginning of November!

Which is how I discovered this unusual, but so delicious cranberry apple chutney from Tyler Florence, Stirring the Pot.

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Coco in the Evening Light

Nov 2, 2018 · 33 Comments

Coco Kitty in Evening Light

I was walking past the dining room, when I saw Coco kitty sitting on the dining room table. The last rays of the evening sun were just barely illuminating her white fur. I love this kind of light, all moody and natural. The notebook in the photo is distracting, but not enough that I want to spend any time in photoshop getting rid of it.

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Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Beans

Nov 1, 2018 · 12 Comments

Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Beans - warm, comforting and full of flavor! You will love having this delicious soup in the crock pot after a hard day of work. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cook up so tender with black beans, tomatoes, onions, red bell pepper and corn. Chipotle chiles, garlic, chili powder and cumin bring a nice spice and a little heat to the soup. Garnish with yogurt and fresh cilantro for this healthy, easy and under 400 calories soup!

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Slow Cooker vs. Instant Pot

I admit it, I am in love with my Instant Pot, as you can tell from Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup, Instant Pot Polenta with Herbs and Instant Pot Red Wine Beef Stew. I remember after the first few times using it that I thought I would never use my slow cooker again.

I've since rethought that. There is definitely room in this house for both a slow cooker and an Instant Pot. Yes, I know that an Instant Pot can also function as a slow cooker, but from what I've read, it's not quite as successful with that. Besides I love my slow cooker, it's not going any where.

The Instant Pot is great for when you want to get dinner ready in a hurry. The thing is, around 4 or 5 o'clock (depending on when you eat dinner) you've got to stop whatever you are doing and make dinner.

With the slow cooker, you did the work in the morning. By the time you sit down to eat, it's almost like someone else made you dinner. There is just something so nice about walking into your kitchen and dinner is there waiting.

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Salt Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat

Oct 31, 2018 · 2 Comments

Sat Fat Acid Heat by Samin Nosrat - not just recipes, but how to use the four components: salt fat acid and heat to improve your cooking. An excellent resource for the home cook and amateur chef!

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Becoming a Better Cook

Lately, I have been feeling frustrated with my cooking. I mainly cook from recipes, doing what someone else is telling me to do. I've cooked for so many years, I do have a good grasp of basic cooking. However, I was adding that squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end of recipe because someone was telling me to, not because I understood what that lemon juice was doing for the food.

It all started because I was watching Masterchef on tv. It seemed like at least once per episode some chef was saying that something needed more acid. Plus all these amateur cooks seemed to know what to do with every ingredient they were presented with.

If someone handed me some pork chops, I would go to my 200+ collection of cookbooks and find a pork chop recipe that looked good. What I want is to be able to look at the pork chops and know what I would do with them, without having to go look it up.

So, I went searching for a book to teach me the elements of good cooking, lucky for me, one was just published!

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Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup

Oct 30, 2018 · 17 Comments

Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup - an Instant Pot makes this classic soup ready in about an hour! So rich and comforting, it tastes like it's been simmering all day. A hambone or leftover ham, white beans, carrots, celery, onions and optional rosemary create this amazing bowl of soup! Everyone loves this yummy soup!

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Ham and Bean Soup vs. Senate Bean Soup

When I was young, I actually did volunteer work at a hospital just because every Thursday they had Senate Bean Soup. I loved it that much then and I continue to love it now!

You might be wondering is there a difference between ham and bean soup or senate bean soup (or you might not be and it's just me who ponders weird things like this.) I actually thought they were the same thing, but it turns out that Senate Bean Soup is much simpler.

Senate bean soup contains ham hocks, navy beans, and onions. This is the version I remember from the hospital and while I loved it, I add carrots and celery to mine. Mainly because practically every single soup I make starts out with carrots, celery and onions - which is also called a French mirepoix.

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Healthy Pumpkin Bread

Oct 28, 2018 · 19 Comments

No one will be able to tell that this is a healthy pumpkin bread! It is rich and moist with lots of pumpkin flavor.

Oats soaked in buttermilk keep it moist and a white whole wheat flour brings whole grain goodness without the heavy wheat flavor!

Sliced pumpkin bread in front of a ceramic pumpkin with text overlay reading Healthy Pumpkin Bread.

What do you want most in a pumpkin bread? A pretty color? Lot's of pumpkin flavor? Easy to make? Yes, to all of those, but I think what we all want is a moist pumpkin bread. I've had pumpkin breads that practically crumble apart.

Of course, I still ate them. Even dry pumpkin bread is better than no pumpkin bread at all. I'm happy to say that you've come to the right place for moist pumpkin bread.

I think it's the oats soaked in buttermilk and the combination of oil and maple syrup that keep this bread so moist.

Whatever is it, it's magic. Magical, moist pumpkin bread.

Click here to pin this now!

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2016 Mitolo Jester Vermentino

Oct 27, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Mitolo Wines uses Vermentio Grapes to make this 2016 Mitolo Jester Vermentino - a really nice Vermentino wine!

Vermentino Grapes

Vermentino is a light skinned white grape that is primarily found in Italy. It is primarily considered an Italian and Mediterranean grape. However, Mitolo Wines are growing these grapes in Australia!

Vermentino grapes produce a wine that is zesty, fresh and aromatic. Typical aromas of lime, grapefruit and even pineapple. They have good acidity with medium to low sweetness and and a medium body. They make a very refreshing wine, which pairs well with Mediterranean food.

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Coco Cat with Pumpkin

Oct 26, 2018 · 16 Comments

Do You Decorate for Halloween?

Now, that the girls have grown, we don't do much in the way for Halloween decorations. We don't really do anything specifically Halloween, it's more like just fall decorations. We have a white ceramic pumpkin and and an orange ceramic pumpkin (which Luxie thinks is hers) and a few fall table runners and napkins.

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Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Slaw

Oct 25, 2018 · 25 Comments

Turn rotisserie chicken, or leftover turkey into this light and flavorful Healthy Chicken Lettuce Wraps. With pantry ingredients like soy sauce, hoisin sauce and oyster sauce flavoring the chicken, you get an Asian flair that everyone loves. Bright shredded carrots and cabbage, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar make a gorgeous healthy slaw for the wraps.

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Healthy Lettuce Wraps

Have you tried lettuce wraps? I admit when I first saw them, I thought, where is the tortilla? Where is the flatbread? I thought they would taste like they were missing something. Mainly carbs, because if there is one thing I love it's carbs.

But guess what? I loved them. They were so fresh and light. The lettuce made the perfect wrap. It allowed all the fresh flavors to shine through.

I was hooked.

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Leopard Print Flats

Oct 24, 2018 · 6 Comments

Transitioning from summer fashion to fall fashion with light layers and leopard print flats. These leopard print flats add just the right flare to a simple outfit.

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Transitioning from Summer Fashion to Fall Fashion

Well, we finally seemed to have jumped into fall practically overnight! I was having such a hard time thinking about fall fashion when it was 90 degrees outside. However, we went from sweltering to shivering practically overnight! So, now I am all about fall fashion.

Fall is one of the trickiest times to dress here in Tennessee. We wake up to frigid temps, but by the middle of the day it's warm and sunny. I overcome these obstacles with light layers and cute shoes, and by cute shoes I mean leopard print flats.

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