It’s funny how winter weather just creeps up on you. Here the weather has been staggering between cool, autumn days and sunny, early-summer-like days. Then all of the sudden, yesterday morning, with no warning, I wake up and the house is 63 degrees inside. Brrr! Needless to say, I quickly turned on the heater and downed a cup of cappuccino, attempting to warm myself up.

I’d picked up plenty of food to cook for the weekend, but suddenly spaghetti squash with sea scallops and angel hair pasta with passata didn’t sound so appetizing. I wanted some stick-to-your-ribs, warm-you-to-the-bone fare. I wanted chili. (more…)

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Chili, Comfort food, Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Soups by Courtney

It seems to be something many families across America do – taco night. A fairly simple meal, customizable for each person with toppings, that the whole family loves. While my family has never been one to have days of the week dedicated to a food, such as Taco Tuesday or Stir-Friday, homemade pizzas, tacos & enchiladas, and stir-fry have often made the dinner list.

These tacos in particular are inspired by tacos my grandfather’s wife makes. I remember the first time I had her tacos I was thrown by the addition of potatoes to the beef, but I quickly got on board with the addition because they were so yummy. Many years later I learned the secrets to making her tacos, but as I’m wont to do, I added a few spices to add a bit of complexity to the flavors. (more…)

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Dairy free, Dinner, Gluten free, Mexican, Quick and Easy by Courtney

I stumbled upon this recipe one day when setting up a champagne cocktail bar. I knew I wanted to include one of my favorites, the French 75. I had some fresh raspberries, so I decided to do a simple Chambord and Champagne. To create a “bar”, though, I felt I needed three drinks. So off to the internet I went.

A quick search returned the classic champagne cocktail. It was easy enough. Just a few ingredients, sugar cube, bitters, brandy (and of course, champagne). But how would it taste? (more…)

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Dairy free, Drink Time, Gluten free, Vegetarian by Courtney

This weekend I decided to take the time to create plenty of homemade goodies to enjoy during the work week. One of the things my husband has been wanting since getting the espresso maker is “tiny cookies” to go with his morning cappuccino. So this weekend I decided to make one old favorite and something new as well.

The old favorite is an amaretti cookie. I discovered these in the A16 cookbook. It’s one of the desserts that looked fairly simple, so I tried it, and while my first batch had issues, I finally figured out the trick to getting the perfect amaretti cookies every time (so the recipe below is updated accordingly). (more…)

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Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy free, Dessert, Gluten free, Italian, Vegetarian by Courtney

Earlier this week I suggested the perfect drink to go with the Grilled Chicken Wings was a Manhattan. It’s not often that I suggest a cocktail pair with food, as I generally prefer my cocktails to be a before- or after-dinner drink. However, the first time I made the chicken wings, I happened to be drinking a Manhattan, and this yummy pairing was born.

Brown drinks aren’t my typical summer sippers, but when I made a batch of brandied cherries a while back, I started searching for cocktails to use them in. I didn’t have to look far, because once I had this drink, I was hooked. My cherries disappeared in no time. (more…)

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Dairy free, Drink Time, Vegetarian by Courtney