Apple Cider Old Fashioned

It’s fall here in Michigan, which means one thing – apple season! Today, I’m sharing an apple cider version of my favorite cocktail – the old fashioned.

This apple cider bourbon cocktail recipe incorporates the classic elements of an old fashioned – bitters, orange peel and bourbon, but with a few unique twists.

Instead of the traditional sugar cube that’s usually muddled with the orange peel to add sweetness, I am using maple syrup to sweeten this apple cider old fashioned!

Most old fashioneds do not have any sort of “mixer” added to them – they are, essentially, bourbon over ice, with a little bit of sugar and bitters. While I love them the classic way, I will admit that sometimes, it’s a little strong for me.

So, topping this old fashioned off with apple cider makes it a little more of an easy drinking cocktail. 

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The irony of being a food blogger who makes a VERY small real-life Thanksgiving dinner has always amused me.

But for the holiday, I’m usually cooking for just four adults and one kid. It makes Thanksgiving dinner a very low-stress meal to host, because cooking for five doesn’t require shuffling dozens of pans and casserole dishes into the oven (or multiple ovens, which we don’t have!).

On the the other hand, it also makes it impractical to prepare a HUGE feast – there’d just be way too many leftovers to deal with (even after making my leftover mashed potatoes recipe and cranberry sauce muffins the next day), and food waste bums me out.

So, in real life, I stick to just the basics, which is usually a small Cajun turkey or turkey with maple bourbon glaze, mashed potatoes with homemade gravy, cranberry sauce, my husband’s grandma’s old fashioned dressing, and green beans or maple glazed Brussels sprouts.

But this blog is where I kind of live out my Thanksgiving FEAST fantasies (and test and eat them in the weeks BEFORE the holiday).

In my dreams, I envision a table loaded with a dozen side dishes, like Thanksgiving salad and roasted acorn squash slices and every other vegetable imaginable. Oh, and Thanksgiving Rice! Let’s talk about this Thanksgiving Rice recipe.

“Made this for Thanksgiving this year. Absolutely delicious. So easy to bake in the oven. Was perfect at 50 minutes.”

—Cindy

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Stuffed Baked Apples – Perfect for Fall!

It’s inevitable as the passage of time – toward the end of the winter, I start to long for spring and summer food. And toward the end of the summer, I start to long for fall and winter food.

Even though we’ve had record warm October days in Michigan recently, the calendar still says it’s fall, so I’ve been longing for carrot apple soup, my mom’s lasagna recipe cottage cheese, crackers with savory pumpkin dip and anything involving apples for weeks now. I love you, summer, but I’ve had enough buttermilk grilled chicken for now.

Other than a Halloween charcuterie board, nothing says “autumn” to me more than going to an apple orchard, eating warm donuts with cider for lunch, and buying way, way more apples than my family of three realistically needs.

Then spending the next month putting apples in everything I eat (even on a butter board) to prove to myself that buying all those apples was a great idea. These walnut stuffed baked apples are one of my favorite simple apple desserts.

The best part is that the recipe can easily be adapted to feed a big crowd, or can be prepared as a simple weeknight sweet treat for one or two. They’re even a great addition to your Thanksgiving recipes list, as a unique alternative to traditional apple pie (try a batch of Thanksgiving Rice Krispies treats, too).

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In my house, cocktails are just as seasonal as meals. Summers are spent sipping lemon margaritas and tequila mojitos on the front porch, and winters are endured snuggled up on the couch with a hot caramel coffee or brandy old fashioned.

As we transition from summer to fall (or as I like to call it, Halloween food season) here in Michigan, I wanted to create a cocktail that will take us from one season right into the next. It’s a little lighter and brighter than my bourbon apple cider, which I reserve for the cold, snowy days.

I love the bright flavor of a classic Moscow mule, or even my bourbon mule recipe or a strawberry Moscow mule in the summer. And of course, when I think of autumn, caramel apples are one of the first things that comes to mind. Why not a fall Moscow mule?

So, I present you with this Caramel Apple Cider Mule. Serve with an autumn butter board for maximum deliciousness.

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For this recipe, I set out to make a festive holiday cocktail, and I feel like I ended up with the most Michigan drink of all time. An ode to my home state, in a glass!

To make this Bourbon Apple Cider Punch, start by grabbing a carton of local apple cider. The best apple cider comes from Michigan apples, and no, I’m not at all biased. It’s also great in apple cider mules.

You’ll also need a bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine. If you want to keep it in Michigan, several Michigan wineries make sparkling wine!

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It’s finally starting to feel like fall here in Michigan, and I’m ready for some comfort food (and a platter of Halloween food ideas).

This time of year, my favorite meals are the kind where everything can be roasted on one sheet pan, or where (almost) everything can be made in a single skillet, like my Skillet Mac and Cheese. (more…)

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It’s official – I’m a middle-aged woman now. I actually LIKE cranberry sauce these days. I remember hating it as a kid (as most children do, I think), and even turning my nose up at it just a few years ago. It was just . . . such an old lady thing to eat, and so sour and weird.

Why was there fruit on my plate with all this savory food? My mother and mother-in-law were the only ones that partook in this side dish, so I would make a small batch just for them, send them home with any leftovers, and be done with it.

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Sometimes I hear voices in my head when I’m cooking.

Well, one particular voice. Chef Shawn, one of my culinary school instructors. I hear him yelling “That’s free flavor, chef! You’re not going to throw that away, ARE YOU?” More tips on all the ways to recognize free flavor in my “What I Learned In Culinary School, Part 3” post, but today, I’m focusing on swiss chard. I knew I wanted to use chard leaves in this autumn rice salad, because I love their slightly bitter, earthy flavor, especially when paired with sweet things like pomegranate seeds and dried cranberries.  (more…)

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I have to confess that I’m not the biggest chili fan. My mom only made it occasionally when I was growing up (I liked her lasagna with cottage cheese recipe much more!), and when she did, I mostly just ate the “broth” and left all of the “stuff” in the bowl.

I wasn’t much of a picky eater as a kid, but for some reason, traditional beef and bean chili just didn’t appeal to me. And still doesn’t.

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