Tag Archives: cocktail
March 31, 2023
Easter Edibles

With Easter right around the corner, I want to share a few fun ideas for your celebration. I’m strictly sticking with dessert, cocktail, and snack options here. You don’t need me telling you what to bake for brunch or cook for dinner (or where to go out to eat if you prefer) 😊 My family has the same conversation every year about what we’re going to eat…and we always go with the exact same thing as the previous year. It’s tradition, we know what to expect, and everyone looks forward to the meal. I think the same applies to a lot of families out there. So, that’s why I like to focus on the “sides” if you will. It’s themed food that’s delicious, easy to make, and adds to the celebration in a way that doesn’t break tradition yet lets us enjoy something new. So please enjoy the “treats” I’m sharing with you … Continue reading
March 26, 2023
Spring Cocktails

Thank goodness for cocktails! Having a cocktail can be like a little vacation or perhaps a way to relax after a hard day of work. This time of year, it’s a way to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring as we look forward to all the snow melting, flowers starting to bloom, and warmer days. I’ve been working on some fun cocktails and hope you will continue reading to join me on this experience 😊 I chose to garnish each cocktail with an edible flower. I won’t talk about the process for me to obtain the edible flowers but know it was not easy during the winter when I was working on the recipes, and I am forever grateful for the Festival Foods employees that came to my rescue. If you do happen to luck out and find edible flowers at your local grocery store, I highly recommend purchasing some. They don’t taste like much but make … Continue reading
March 11, 2023
Shamrockin’ Food

St Patrick’s Day is next week, and in an effort to get everyone excited about the holiday, I want to share some of my favorite St Patty’s Day recipes. All are easy to make, themed for the holiday, and taste amazing. The 4 recipes I’m going to cover in this blog can be standalone meals/appetizers or could be combined into one big SPD feast! Here are the recipes: Irish Nachos Guinness Pulled Chicken Sandwiches Lucky Charms Marshmallow Bars Drunk Leprechaun Irish Nachos are a fun twist on traditional nachos because they are essentially the same thing, but you use potatoes in place of tortilla chips. The potatoes are sliced thin and baked until they are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They are topped with melted cheese, crumbled bacon, green onion, sour cream, etc. It’s a crowd-pleasing appetizer or side dish that is perfect for your St Patrick’s Day party. The recipe can be … Continue reading
February 17, 2023
Mardi Gras Grub

Mardi Gras falls on Tuesday, February 21 this year. It’s traditionally celebrated on “Fat Tuesday” which is the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. It’s a wonderful celebration filled with plenty of food and drink…New Orleans style! We like to celebrate Mardi Gras every year with a fun and festive meal at home. Sometimes we are with friends and family and sometimes it’s just us. Either way, the drinks are flowing, and the food is plenty. Any reason to make a themed meal, right? I like to have a big entrée that allows us to have plenty of leftovers. This year we are making Spicy Gumbo. To keep us lubricated, we’ll be enjoying a cocktail while we cook. And for an appetizer and dessert, we’ll be snacking on a simple themed treat. It’s an easy menu that I’ll walk you through how to make! Mardi Gras White Chocolate Covered Pretzels – These are a wonderful finger food … Continue reading
February 9, 2023
Cupid’s Cocktails & Confections

Valentine’s Day is a few short days away. Do you have plans or know how you’re going to celebrate? A lot of people have set traditions each year and like to go out to dinner or prepare a fun meal at home with their friends and/or loved ones. We prefer staying in and making a meal at home. We feel less rushed, it’s fun to cook together, and we can make something special to celebrate the holiday. Two things I like to focus on when creating new Valentine’s Day recipes is desserts and cocktails. Both will enhance your dinner and make the event more memorable and are required to complete the meal (in my opinion). So, let’s walk through my new recipes and hopefully something will catch your eye to prepare for Valentine’s (or Galantine’s) Day! I’m going to start with the cocktails because 1) they are easy to make, 2) they are delicious, and 3) you need … Continue reading
May 5, 2022
Derby Day

Are you ready for the Kentucky Derby? It’s usually held on the first Saturday in May, making it this upcoming Saturday, May 7, 2022. A lot of people like to gather with friends and family to watch the races and enjoy some good food and drink. I believe it’s known as “the greatest two minutes of sports” so why not spend all day in the kitchen for 2 minutes of cheering pleasure? 😊 Kidding…it’s a very fun horse race to watch! I will be preparing the following items to enjoy during our viewing pleasure, and you might notice a theme… Kentucky (where the derby is held) and whiskey/bourbon (sponsors of the event and heavily influenced in the south). Kentucky Hot Brown Dip Whiskey Spiced Chicken Wings Kentucky Oaks Cocktail Maple Bourbon Candied Pecans Kentucky Hot Brown Dip is a rich a creamy dip that encompasses the wonderful ingredients and flavors of a … Continue reading
January 26, 2022
Valentine’s Day Treats

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Do you know how you are celebrating? They are so many options…spend time with a significant other or your kids, maybe a few close friends (think Galantine’s Day), or boycott the day all together 😊 Which I know some people like to do, and that’s OK! We tend to make a last-minute decision on how we will celebrate and some years we go out to eat and some years we stay in. With COVID and rising cases, we’ve been looking for more “at home” options to say safe and healthy. With that being said, I’m not prepared to talk about dinner options today 😊 but do have a few other Valentine’s Day themed treats to share with you. Homemade Valentine’s Day Pop Tarts Valentine’s Day S’mores Frosted Pink Sugar Cookie Bars Strawberry Lemonade Frosé Raspberry Pina Colada Homemade Valentine’s Day Pop Tarts are a favorite for us! They are basically homemade Pop Tarts that … Continue reading
October 10, 2021
Apple Harvest

We are in the midst of apple season in MN has some of the best orchards around! Prime apple picking is mid-to-late August through late October and makes for a wonderful family tradition! Our family went to a local apple orchard recently and it was a blast. We enjoyed some delicious apple treats, took a nice walk through the orchards, picked out a pumpkin to bring home, and just had an all-around good day. Most people have a favorite kind of apple but with so many varieties to choose from, I think it’s hard to pick. And different kinds work for different recipes, so you have the option to sample different flavors while you cook and try out new recipes. Not everyone has time to spend at an apple orchard or doesn’t have any locations close to home. In that case, you probably swing by your local grocery store to … Continue reading
October 5, 2021
It’s Pumpkin Spice Season

It’s that time of year…. fall…. or pumpkin spice season, as some like to call it. I did a little research on the fall phenomenon that is pumpkin spice and was quite intrigued by my findings. Did you know that pumpkin spice earned its name because it was originally used in cakes and pies that contained pumpkin? I didn’t but McCormick (the seasoning brand) started marketing the spice to save consumers the effort of having to make their own homemade version and could instead buy the spice at their local grocery store. Pretty cool, huh? The spice mix is generally a blend of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice. I admittedly have all these spices in my cabinet but understand that not everyone else does, so I can make homemade pumpkin spice if needed, but something the store-bought version is easier 🙂 I also learned that cravings for … Continue reading
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