MULLED CIDER DAY (Plus recipe)

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  September 30th is MULLED CIDER DAY!! Last night we went to a farm near us and they had fresh pressed apple cider for sale.  We ended up coming home with 2 gallons, and I discovered that today was mulled cider day!! Perfect coincidence!  I love mulled cider(We call it wassail) in the fall. If we go out anywhere and they have hot cider or wassail, I am all over it.  One of my favorite things.  This apple farm we used to to to had SLUSHIE cider!! It was amazing. 

WHAT IS MULLED CIDER?

 Mulled cider is a traditional hot drink made from apple cider and flavored with spices like citrus, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Traditionally the cider used is a "hard cider", meaning there is alcohol involved, but you can use regular apple cider for a chilly weather drink that everyone can enjoy.

Mulled Cider comes from the pagan tradition of Wassailing. Traditional wassail was made from mulled ale, curdled cream, roasted apples, cloves, ginger and nutmeg and sugar. It was typically served in giant silver or pewter bowls. The term wassailing usually refers to the pageantry of carrying in the giant bowl with pomp and circumstance and splendor. A song was sung and then everyone partook of the wassail bounty.

Today Wassail generally refers to a hot apple cider stewed with various spices and fruits.  

Does anything smell better than a pot of wassail on the stove?  The whole house smells like autumn and thanksgiving and Christmas all rolled into one.  Cold fingers being warmed by the mug of spiced cider, a fire crackling away in the fireplace, maybe friends are over for a bonfire.  Hot Mulled Cider/wassail is the perfect treat.

Best part...if you make too much you can store it and reheat the next day!

This recipe uses 1/2 gallon of apple cider, so recipe yields about 8 cups

YOU WILL NEED:

1/2 gallon Apple Cider

1/2 lemon, sliced with peels.

1  small orange  sliced, with peels. 

10 whole cloves

3 star anise

3 cinnamon sticks

1/4 cup fresh cranberries

1 nutmeg pod, lightly zest the surface to scratch it up a bit

2 TBSP brown sugar

you will also need a mesh strainer.

in a large pot, combine the apple cider and brown sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Bring to boil over medium high heat.  As it starts to come to a boil add the remaining ingredients and reduce heat to medium and let boil for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer..the longer the better.

when ready to serve, pour cider through mesh strainer and into mugs. You can garnish with a cinnamon stick or a citrus slice if desired.

**You can try various spices for your own version.  Some people use ginger and allspice berries, some people only use orange, some people omit the cranberry. Some people love cinnamon and clove.  It is up to you how spicy and how detailed you want your cider to be.

** Dont feel like going through all that work?? There are premade mixture!! You just add it to your cider or hot water. stir and boil!! Or you can get premade spice blends with real bits of dried fruit and spice pods etc.

**Like the smell but not the taste?? Get a wassail/hot mulled cider candle!!

** Plus you need cute apple mugs to drink it from

Easy Honey Glazed Vegetables

 

Eat your vegetables so you can grow big and strong...

This is an easy and delicious way to use up those leftover garden veggies (Or storebought...you know the ones you keep meaning to use, but they look at you all pathetic every time you open the fridge).

This recipe has you almost doing a blanch on the vegetables first to tender them up so you arent hovering over the frying pan all night waiting for them to cook down. The longest part is waiting for the water to boil!!

YOUWILL NEED:

4 or 5 Carrots- peeled and quartered

1/2 pound of Asparagus, trimmed and woody ends discarded

2 cups Sugar Snap Peas, washed.

3 TBSP Butter

4 TBSP Honey

1.5 TBSP white Balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

IN a large pot of salted boiling water, boil carrots 3 minutes.  Then add asparagus and snap peas, boiling for 1 more minute.   Remove from heat and drain well.

IN a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in honey and vinegar until combined well. Add vegetables and season with salt and pepper.  toss and make sure everything is coated well. Let cook about 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer another minute.

Transfer to serving bowl and ENJOY!!

ICE CREAM CONE CAKE POPS

 

SEPTEMBER 22ND IS ICE CREAM CONE DAY!! So Today 's recipe is inspired by that and is a recipe for Cake pops that look like cute little ice cream cones!

You use pre-made cake cones (flat bottom), and get some chocolate candy melts and colored candy melts (or you can do white and use food coloring) and some various sprinkles and candies like M&M or Reeses Pieces.

YOU WILL NEED

Cake Cones

Yellow Cake Mix

Can of  whipped Vanilla Frosting.

Chocolate Candy Melts

White Chocolate Candy Melts 

                                                                   Food Coloring

                                                                   Sprinkles

• Bake yellow cake mix in 9x13 pan as package directs.  Let cool.  
• Take Cake mix and crumble into a bowl. 
• Mix with 1 cup of the frosting, until coated well.
• Shape into 10 balls and place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  
• Freeze until Firm

TO DECORATE

Melt half the white chocolate melts and dip your frozen cake balls with a thin layer.

 Return to freezer until coating is firm.

Melt the chocolate candy melts and dip the rim of each cone in the chocolate. 

quickly place your cake pop on this cone and let harden.

Place remainder of the chocolate in ziplock baggie if you want to use for further decoration on your cones.

Melt the other half of the white chocolate and color to desired shades. Place in ziplock then snip the corner to squirt,  or condiment squeeze bottles.

Squeeze melted chocolate over the top for a fun design. TOp with sprinkles and other candy if desired.

Let harden.

You can also use the pointy end sugar cones for this, but will need something to display them in. Cake cones have the flat bottom which make it easy to stand by itself.

ENJOY!!

 

MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH

 SEPTEMBER 17 is Monte Cristo Sandwich Day!!  Did you know this delicious sandwich came with its own holiday?   To celebrate fry up one of these bad boys AND ENJOY !

A Monte Cristo Sandwich is traditionally a sandwich with ham, turkey and swiss, then dipped in a french toast like egg batter and fried.  It can then be served plain or sprinkled with powdered sugar and served with raspberry jam or preserves.   So it's a grilled cheese sandwich on super steroids!

It is definitely more of a savory sandwich, but the jam and sugar add just the right touch of sweetness! If you are like me you really dig a sweet and savory combo, and the Monte Cristo really helps scratch that itch.

HISTORY:  Most food historians believe the Monte Cristo is a cousin of the Croque Monsieur. (a ham and gruyere sandwich fried in clarified butter).  Starting in the 1930s many cookbooks started including this sandwich under the name French Sandwich, French toasted cheese sandwich or French Ham Sandwich.  It is generally accepted that the Monte Cristo was first served in California diners and restaurants in the 1950s.  

In 1966 Disneyland in Anaheim California helped cement the popularity of the Monte Cristo Sandwich  when they began to feature it in New Orleans Square at the Blue Bayou and Tahitian Terrace restaurants.  It continues to be a popular item to this day.

serving size is 1 sandwich

YOU WILL NEED:  White Bread (A good hearty/sturdy bread)

                                    sliced turkey

                                    sliced ham

                                    swiss cheese

                                    Mayo

                                   2 TBSP Milk

                                   1 egg

                                  2 TBSP butter

1st- Prep the Bread.  Take 3 slices of a good sturdy/hearty white bread. Stack them up and cut off all the crusts. 

2nd. In a nonstick pan or cast iron skillet, place the butter and start it melting.  THEN

3rd. In a shallow dish whisk together the egg and milk and set aside.

                NOW

START ASSEMBLING THE SANDWICH

1. Place 1 slice of bread and  Top with slice of swiss cheese and some ham.

2. Take 2nd slice of bread and spread some mayo, place mayo side down on ham. Spread more mayo on side facing up.

3. Add turkey and top with another slice of swiss cheese. Top with remaining slice of bread.

4.  Press down on the sandwiches to flatten them together  (Smoosh em good!!)

NOW ONTO COOKING THE SANDWICH:

1. Dip flattened sandwich quickly into the  egg mixture to cover both sides (you want it coated, not soaked) and place in hot pan  in the melted butter.  

2. Cook until the bread is toasted and the cheese starts to melt.  Carefully flip sandwich and fry on other side.

DIG IN!

1. Cut Sandwiches on the diagonal and serve as is         OR

optional: dust lightly with 10x (powdered) sugar and serve with a side of raspberry jam or preserves!!

Enjoy your Monte Cristo!!

Easy Guacamole

 September 16th is National Guacamole Day....who knew?  (Now you do!)

I remember when I was a kid I HATED guacamole (Or thought I did, I refused to eat it because I just KNEW that anything that looked like a wad of snot had to be terrible).  We would go to mexican restaurants and I would always say No Guacamole. 

Fast Forward years later when I actually tried avocado and realized just how much I missed out on for all those years!  I am OBSESSED with it.  When we go out to eat I will order tableside guac. I order extra guac on the side, Guac to me is like Franks Red Hot..."I put that sh** on everything.

Of course the #1 ingredient is Avocado.    The best avocados for Guacamole are the little HASS avocados.  The really big ones from florida are tasty to eat on their own, but are full of water, which makes for a less tasty guac.  So find a little hass that isnt hard as a rock, the skins are a little darker, and has a soft touch when pressed(not stick your finger through soft, but yields under pressure soft) Do the squeeze test in several places to determine ripeness.

WHAT YOU NEED:

2-3 ripe Hass Avocados

1/2 sweet onion , diced small

2 roma tomato , diced small

fresh cilantro, small handful chopped

jalapeno, chopped small

garlic, 1-2 cloves chopped 

lime juice  

salt, pepper 

cayenne pepper (or see optional)

OPTIONAL : Tajin  Clasico seasoning  (I have found this adds a nice kick without being all cayenne peppery  and LOVE IT in my guac.)

DIRECTIONS:

Remove flesh from avocados and discard pit and skins mash lightly with fork or potato masher, sprinkle with lime juice so avocado doesnt turn brown as quickly. mix.

add onion, tomato, jalapeno,  garlic, and cilantro.. fold in and mix to distribute evenly.

add salt and pepper to taste. Add cayenne or Tajin Clasico.

can be eaten immediately, but like anything tastes better after flavors have had time to meld and really get to know each other.

cover with saran wrap directly on top of guac to keep all air out. refrigerate leftovers.

enjoy!!