 The countdown to Thanksgiving is on and I'm doing my own little happy dance because I get to be a guest at my in laws house this year.🦃 One might reasonably assume that since I've been relieved of my hosting duties that I've stopped making grocery lists, posting menus on the refrigerator and frantically cleaning my house from top to bottom.😂 Because that would be ridiculous.🤦🏻♀️ Well, call me crazy because I'm doing ALL of that this week. 🤷🏻♀️
It's against my nature to show up at anyone's house without bringing something that I've made in my kitchen. This year, I'll be showing up to Thanksgiving dinner with a salad and dessert in hand. I haven't quite settled on which dessert that I'm going to be making but these Pecan Brown Sugar Cookies are certainly a contender. These are one of my favorite Fall treats and if you decide to make a batch - you'll understand why.  Pecan Brown Sugar Cookies 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 cup brown sugar 2 large egg yolks 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2/3 cup pecans 4 Tablespoons granulated sugar
 Bake 8-10 minutes at 350.  Ciao!
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 Happy Veteran's Day!!  Shout out to all of the veterans - especially those in my own family. My husband, my father in law, my grandfather, my uncle and my cousin have all selflessly served this great country. I'm going to be honest - I struggled to find the right words to properly express my gratitude without sounding like a cliche. Thank you hardly seems like enough for all that you sacrificed and fought for. Bravery doesn't seem like a big enough word either. So just know that I appreciate you and I'm praying for all of you today.  If you were to ask me to describe my veteran husband to you - I'm fairly certain that I couldn't do it without using the word sacrifice. He's sacrificed for me, for our kids and for his country. So today, to honor my favorite veteran - I wanted to post one of his favorite recipes on the blog. He will eat just about anything (except shepherds pie) but what he truly enjoys is a nice juicy steak or a pile of smoked pork smothered in barbecue sauce on a bun. 🥩 In search of the perfect recipe, I scoured through the nearly 100 recipes that are in my blog cue right now and to my disbelief, I couldn't find a single beef or pork recipe in the lot. 😬😳 I stopped eating red meat and pork a few years ago and apparently, without even realizing it, I stopping blogging those recipes too. This is my explanation as to why I'm posting Turkey Patty Melts on this veterans day blog.💁🏻♀️ It was the closest thing that I could find to a meaty recipe. 😂 For some reason I feel like I need to defend myself by telling you that on occasion, I do make red meat and pork for dinner just because I know he loves it.🤣 And in case it helps - he loved these Turkey Patty Melts in spite of their lack of red meat. 😅  Turkey Patty Melts 1 shallot, chopped 1/4 cup panko 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey 1/4 cup milk 2 Tablespoons butter, melted 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire 1 pound onions, sliced thin 1/2 cup water 2 Tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon brown sugar 8 slices sandwich bread 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard 12 slices Swiss cheese
 Distribute onions evenly over patties. Top with remaining bread slices.  Melt 1 T. butter in clean skillet. Add 2 sandwiches and cook until browned on each side. Repeat with remaining patties.  Ciao!
 There's an ongoing debate in our house regarding the proper way to drink apple cider.🍎🍏 I strongly believe that apple cider should only be consumed in a steaming state out of a Fall themed mug adorned with a cinnamon stick used as a stirrer. My husband, on the other hand, believes that apple cider tastes best when its cold and served in a frosted mug.🙅🏻♀️🙊 Please help us settle this dispute once and for all by sending me a comment that will help me convince my better half that he's been enjoying his cider at the wrong temperature his whole life. 😂  No matter which camp your in, the cold cider or warm cider camp, we can all agree that cider is a delicious and nostalgic seasonal beverage. I just seems like it's the obvious compliment to a pumpkin biscotti or cinnamon scone. The point of this post isn't to try and bring you to the right camp, (we both know the proper way to consume cider is hot 😅) it's that apple cider can actually be enjoyed in quite a few different ways. Have you tried seen my recipes for apple cider doughnuts, apple cider cupcakes or apple cider pork tenderloin? If you happen to find yourself with an excess of apple cider this season, might I be so bold as to suggest that you reduce it and use it to make a batch of Apple Cider Caramel Rolls? This might be one of the only ways to enjoy the delicious beverage that might be better than sipping it out of a warm mug.🤣 Is there anything more decadent than a freshly homemade apple cider spiced cinnamon roll topped with a rich, caramel glaze?
Apple Cider Caramel Rolls Caramel 1 cup sugar Squeeze of lemon 6 Tablespoons butter 1/3 cup heavy cream 2 Tablespoons reduced apple cider ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Filling 1/2 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar 2 Tablespoons reduced apple cider Pinch sea salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 Tablespoon cinnamon Roux ⅓ cup bread flour ½ cup water ½ cup warm milk Dough ½ cup warm water 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast ½ cup sour cream 4 cups bread flour ½ teaspoon salt ¼ cup canola oil ½ cup sugar
Add sugar and lemon to a 4 quart pot. Cook and stir over medium heat until melted.
Brown butter in saucepan.
 Bake at 20 minutes at 350.  Remove from pan and transfer to a serving tray.  Pour caramel over rolls.  Ciao!
 We've had 2 days of chilly-ish weather in Georgia so naturally I immediately immersed myself into all the Fall activities. 🍂😅 Oh, and by Fall activities - I mean making caramel apples, sipping warm apple cider and baking pumpkin biscotti while my husband takes care of raking up all the leaves in the yard. We're a team after all. One of us bakes while the other does the physical labor. 🤣  Spring may be my favorite season outside but Fall is definitely my favorite eating season. 😂 There's nothing better on a chilly day than a steaming bowl of hearty soup or a big serving of warm, cheesy casserole to warm me up from the inside out.🍜 Honestly, I feel like part of the appeal to these warm comfort foods is the convenience. There's something appealing about knowing that my freezer's stocked with containers of our favorite soups and chilis that I can pull out whenever we're in the mood for a warm satisfying meal. And what goes better with soup than a decadent double cheese scone? Did I mention that these are freezable too?  Double Cheese Scones 2 cups flour 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 4 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 4 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar 1 cup milk 1 egg
 Double cheese scones are a delicious compliment to any Fall meal. Make them your own by switching out the cheese with your favorites or adding some fresh herbs. If you find a combination that you love - share your recipe with me.
Ciao!  Temperatures are still soaring into the 80's here in Atlanta but my theory is that if I start baking my favorite pumpkin spiced treats - Fall will come.. right?!? 😅 I was determined not to let this late October heat wave put a damper on my annual Fall pumpkin baking extravaganza so bring on the pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice - oh my. Tis the season for mouthwatering recipes packed full of the delicious flavors of Fall - regardless of what the thermostat says.  Pumpkin coffee cake is a perfect breakfast treat, afternoon snack or even dessert. I originally planned to drizzle this streusel topped breakfast cake with a warm vanilla icing but once I tasted this richly spiced, buttery cake, I decided that it didn't need it. But if you want to transform it into more of an elegant Fall dessert - add a drizzle of icing to the top for a touch of added sweetness.  Pumpkin Coffee Cake Cinnamon streusel 2/3 cup flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon salt 6 Tablespoons cold butter Cake: 1 1/2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ginger 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon allspice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup pumpkin puree 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  Bake 45 minutes at 350.
Ciao!
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