Caramel Apple Sangria

Sweet Honeycrisp apples, crisp sparkling apple cider, white wine, and caramel syrup join forces to create a fantastic festive libation!  Honey whiskey and vanilla bring out the flavor of the caramel, although the whiskey is optional (I used Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey Whiskey).  Because the apple cider, caramel and apples are so sweet, I opted for a drier white wine, but you can really use any wine you'd like.  Finally, the caramel/sugar-coated rim sets these babies over the moon!  This really is a delicious, sweet drink that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!  

15-Minute Shrimp Mei Fun

We've been pretty busy lately, so I've been making a lot of my quick and easy dinners.  Of all of my 15-minute meals, this one is my family's favorite.  It's better than anything you can get from Chinese take-out (or so my husband proclaims), and it is incredibly easy to make.  Mei fun simply means thin rice noodles, which you can find in the foreign section of your grocery store labeled rice vermicelli.  This mei fun is light and healthy, and has a beautiful, mild sauce.  I used frozen peas this time, but you can really use any vegetable combination you prefer... celery, broccoli, snow peas, asparagus, etc.  I'll never forget my little sous chef's reaction the first time I made this dish - she couldn't get enough of it!  Oh, reminisce with me little.  Four years ago... *sigh*  They grow up too quickly.  She looks pretty comfortable with those chopsticks, though!

Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake & Gingersnap Trifles

Happy National Dessert Day!  Treat yourself to these quick, easy, and delicious pumpkin cheesecake trifles with crushed gingersnaps.  They're so good, you might find yourself eating the whole thing like I did!

Homemade Cinnamon-Spiced Applesauce with Canning Instructions

One of my favorite things to do on a chilly fall day is make applesauce.  It's super easy, tastes better than any of that store-bought stuff you can buy, and it makes the house smell ahh-mazing while it's simmering!  For the best flavor, try to use a variety of apples that are good for cooking such as Fuji, Gala, Pippin, Jonathan, Gravenstein, Rome, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and McIntosh.  Honeycrisp apples are also very good (actually my favorite), but they are a little more on the watery side.  Whenever I use Honeycrisp apples, I reduce the amount of water to usually 3/4 cup.  The beauty of homemade applesauce is that it's very forgiving.  The natural sweetness of your apples will ultimately determine how much sugar you will want to use.  Always start out using less sugar than you think because you can always add more later.  If your applesauce is too sweet, add some lemon juice.  Try substituting the water for apple juice and even add a touch of pure vanilla extract for some more depth of flavor.

For making a larger quantity of applesauce for canning, see below.

Spaghetti Squash, Chicken & Broccoli Soup with Cinnamon

Nothing satisfies the soul on a cold autumn day quite like a warm bowl of homemade soup.  This is a delicious lightened up version of chicken and broccoli soup that is both hearty and healthy.  Instead of using pasta or rice, I added roasted spaghetti squash.  What really puts this over the top, though, is the delicate touch of cinnamon.  It really is a fantastic fall soup that will please even the pickiest of palates!  

Simple & Succulent Slow-Roasted Pulled Pork Barbecue

This recipe is so easy that I almost didn't share it, but it came at the perfect time, so here it is!  It was a very long day of work immediately followed by cleaning, running errands (piano lessons, groceries, etc.), helping my little sous chef with her homework (Everyday Math can be so frustrating)... all while being reminded that I hadn't fulfilled my promise to "play with me" yet.  At the end of the day, I thought to myself, "I sure am glad I put that pork in the oven at 6:00 this morning!"  It was dinnertime.  I yanked the pork out of the oven, pulled it apart, mixed in some barbecue sauce, and served it on buns.  Viola!  After a day like that, I'm thankful for an easy meal!  It's so tender and juicy... and with little-to-no effort on my part!  Time for wine.  Cheers!

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Glaze

It started a couple weeks ago while we were celebrating the wedding of some friends.  After a very touching, beautiful ceremony, we found ourselves enjoying cocktail hour with friends and family.  Mid-conversation, a tray of what looked to be martinis were presented to us.  Pumpkin martinis you say?  Sure, I'll try one.  One sip, ahhh - I was in heaven!  They were the most it was the most (okay, so I had two!) delicious pumpkin martini I have ever had!  I tend to not jump on the pumpkin train as quickly as everyone else does when autumn rolls around, but I am officially on board!  Choo choo!  

For my first pumpkin recipe of the season, I made these delectable pumpkin cinnamon rolls.  I decided to amp up the pumpkin and add it not only to the dough, but to the filling and the glaze.  Making cinnamon rolls from scratch may be time consuming, but these are so worth it in the end!  They are certainly a family favorite, and they don't last very long around here at all.  They are amazing warm, but I enjoy them the most when they are cold.  I indulged in two of these bad boys today, so please excuse me while I go do some crunches.