Santa's Little Helper

As a general rule, it is always fun to have a signature cocktail for a particular celebration - in fact, if you are throwing a party, embrace a fun cocktail and even name it after the guest of honor! We've had great luck with a Kir Royale and the Moscow Mule.

But, since it's Christmas, and we decorated the tree tonight, we needed a new fun cocktail to celebrate. The Santa's Little Helper called my name with a spiced infused bourbon - HELLO Santa! I picked up a bottle of Jim Beam Devil's Cut, threw the ingredients in a mason jar, and got ready for the fun.

I loved this one. Honestly, Josh does not like to alter the flavor of good bourbon. He'd rather drink it on the rocks. For that reason, I used half the bottle to infuse and the other half was just for him after he tasted a few sips of mine. Happy Holidays! On a side note, make this recipe your own - use apple cider instead of 7-up. Add your own favorite spices, just be sure to share with Santa! 

Santa's Little Helper
adapted from Aunt Peaches

1 bottle good bourbon
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon of whole cloves
1 cup of whole cranberries

Combine the above ingredients in a mason jar and allow to infuse (at least 24 hours). Fill a glass with ice, add three parts infused bourbon, one part triple sec, and one part 7-up. Garnish with boozy cranberries. Drink until full of holiday joy! 

Confessions of a Ramen Lover

I keep a stash of oriental flavor ramen soup in my cabinet, always. When we lived in England while I was in high school, since you can't buy it there, I would do the same thing and hoard fat mountain dew AND ramen.  I would save them for good and when I had either one I'd feel like it was Christmas morning. I've kept a secret stash of ramen ever since. My husband loves it too, and his favorite flavor is the chili which can be hard to find.  

When I saw a pin for a spicy ramen with sriracha, I flagged it in my memory, and last night we had an easy dinner which was the perfect time to make this recipe! I used slightly less butter in my version, which you will see below in parentheses. 

Since we're having a full disclosure kind of morning, these noodles were absolutely delicious with the PF Changs beef and broccoli frozen dinner for two. I even poured my noodles over my beef and broccoli and made a big bowl of goodness. 

Creamy Sriracha Ramen

from The Savory

serves 2

1 packet beef-flavored ramen

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (I used 2 tablespoons)

1 tsp sriracha

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (I sprinkled more on top)
Chopped scallions for garnish

Cook the ramen according to package instructions but do NOT add flavor packet. Once the ramen is cooked, drain it from the water and reserve half of the cooking water. Add half of the flavor packet, 2 tablespoons room temperature butter, 1 teaspoon Sriracha and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to the noodles. Add in 3-4 tablespoons of the reserved water. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve while hot. 

Egg Nog Overnight Oatmeal

The season of egg nog has officially arrived! I decided to continue last nights egg nog cocktail with a breakfast of egg nog overnight oats - I was able to find the SO delicious coconut nog (with 90 calories in 1/2 cup) for the oats, but for the cocktail I used the real stuff.

I actually had to put on my snow boots and walk out in the yard this morning to get our spoiled diva boxers off the front porch - I got the look that means we're going to pee right here on the porch unless you make us go in the yard - which means I too must go into the grass. Ahhhh. Sweet and spoiled are the best adjectives to describe our dogs. I made the most of the icy morning and grabbed my camera. 
I've been making overnight oats since I read about them on one of my favorite blogs - PB fingers. She posted this recipe a few weeks ago and I must say, it is a new winter favorite. I'm still on the look out for the Bolthouse Farms egg nog, but I wasn't able to find it at our local Kroger or the Fresh Market. Please share if you know where to find the Bolthouse version! 

Egg Nog Overnight Oats
from PB fingers 

2/3 cup old-fashioned oats

1 tablespoon chia seeds

6 ounces plain or vanilla greek yogurt

1/3 cup eggnog (Bolthouse farms holiday nog)

nutmeg

banana, cut into slivers

slivered almonds

craisins

Before going to bed, combine the oats, chia seeds, greek yogurt, and eggnog in a container, and soak in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, add a sliced banana, slivered almonds, a few craisins, and a dash of nutmeg. Add a splash of almond milk if the oatmeal seems to dry. 

Garlic Roast Chicken

The year 2013 has been a big year full of surprises for me. I now subscribe to Good Housekeeping and Better Homes and Gardens. I've turned into a nester, and love decorating my mantel for the holidays. I'm married. I have a food blog. I never saw any of this coming. For years, I only wanted to read In Style and Cosmo. I thought a wreath on the front door was plenty of decorating, and the only thing I liked to cook was scrambled eggs. The times are changing. 

I would have NEVER have said something like this - I'm in the mood to roast a chicken! It's true, all week I've been thinking about how wonderful it would be to get out my roasting pan, and roast the perfect beautiful chicken. Then, as if I needed another sign, I watched an Ina Garten episode and what did she do - she roasted a chicken! So, I made it happen, and we loved every single bite. 

Garlic Roast Chicken
from Ina Garten at the Food Network

1 (5 or 6 pound) roasting chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heads garlic, cut in half crosswise
1 lemon, halved
1/2 large Spanish onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut diagonally into 2-inch chunks
2 large yukon gold potatoes, cut into 6 pieces
4 Tbsp butter, melted

As soon as you get the chicken home, salt it inside and out, wrap it, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken and stuff the cavity with all the garlic and lemon. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place it in a roasting pan. Scatter the onion slices, carrots and potatoes around the chicken. Brush the outside of the chicken with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the chicken to 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil. Place the vegetables back in the oven and continue cooking for another 15 minutes. 

When the vegetables are cooked, carve the chicken and place the slices on a platter surrounded by the vegetables. Drizzle some pan juices over the chicken and vegetables. 

Adult Egg Nog

It is 32 degrees outside right now, and the perfect night for a cozy fire and snuggling. This cocktail was meant for nights like these! I think any dark spiced rum would work, though we used Captain. 

Captain Morgan with Egg Nog
1 oz Captain Morgan spiced rum
4 oz egg nog
1 pinch nutmeg

Pour rum into a glass and add the egg nog. Stir together and top with nutmeg. 

Rosemary Roasted Cashews

I just made these cashews for our work Christmas party, and had to put the container in my car so I could stop munching on them! They are perfect for the holidays, and I plan on making a few batches to put in the little mason jars and include in my Christmas baskets. Everyone loves cashews, and these are salty, spicy, a little sweet, and absolutely delicious! 

Rosemary Roasted Cashews
from Barefoot Contessa at Food Network

1 1/4 pounds cashew nuts
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the nuts on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes until they are warmed through. Meanwhile, combine the rosemary, pepper, sugar, salt and butter in a large bowl. Toss the warm nuts with the rosemary mixture until the nuts are completely coats. Serve warm or store in an airtight container. 

my favorite spaghetti squash recipe

Today we are going to take it back to the beginning, as my very first recipe post EVER back in January was spaghetti squash with marinara sauce. If you want to see how to roast spaghetti squash in the oven, click here to see the prior post. 

My love affair with spaghetti squash is ongoing, and I have been holding out on y'all by not sharing a recipe I discovered a few years ago. I have made this many times, as we love spicy food and the sriracha sauce gives it a kick. Josh was so excited when I told him that I was making this dish for us tonight. I always place an extra side of sriracha on the table for the crazy folk (my husband) who just can't get enough of that stuff. It's become our house ketchup, because we put it on everything! Without further ado...

Sriracha Spaghetti Squash with Turkey
adapted from Slender Kitchen

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound ground turkey or low-fat sausage
2 Tbsp sriracha sauce
2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
Garnishes - scallions and sesame seeds

Cook the spaghetti squash, either roast or cook in microwave.
In a saute pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or until it becomes fragrant and the onions begin to soften. Add the ground turkey and cook for 5 minutes, breaking it up as it cooks, until completely cooked through. Add the sriracha and hoisin sauce and stir together. Let simmer while scraping out the spaghetti squash. Stir in the spaghetti squash.

Serve in bowls and top with scallions and sesame seeds.