Grown-Up Drinks!

One of my favorite things about the Fall Season is the yummy beverages. I have always despised apple juice, but love hot apple cider and look forward to it all year. I only drink black coffee but can be found sipping a Pumpkin Spiced Latte on a couple occasions in October and November. I'm always looking for a new fall beverage and today after messing around in the kitchen I came up with an idea.

Sobieski Cinnamon Vodka is amazing. I mixed it into a Coke and it taste spectacular. Then I had another idea. Why not put a tiny bit in some hot apple cider! Score! Cinnamon Apple...Amazing! A great beverage to sip with your feet up after the trick or treating is complete and the kids are snuggled tightly in bed!

Day Nine! Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies!!!

I've been on a peanut butter and chocolate kick. My recent love for oatmeal has had me thinking of creating a new cookie. I wanted to combine a few recipes and come up with a cookie that has all the elements I've been dreaming of. 

I found a recipe that with a few tweaks could easily become what I had in mind. I quickly got to work. 

I'm not going to share the recipe yet, because although the this round little delight was incredibly flavorful and hit the mark in so many ways, I was not thrilled with the texture. Immediately after the cookies came out of the oven I knew how to fix it and wanted to start over. Next time it will be perfect!!!

Day Six....SCONES!

I have dreams about scones. Their crumbly exterior, usually containing some sort of fruit or nut component that sweeps me off me feet. I was spoiled at a young age; my first job was in a coffee shop and we baked the absolute most spectacular scones in the world (well maybe in the United States, and at the very least in Las Vegas). I wish I had the foresight at sixteen to know I should have taken the recipe with me when I moved on to my hostess position at eighteen. But I was young, naive and imagined a world of simple recipes which resulted in out-of-this-world pastry. Oh how I was wrong...

So when a nice older man set up a table at my local Whole Foods, giving samples of his scone mix which he and his wife serve at their Bed and Breakfast in Tucson I was far more excited than your average shopper.  The best part of his mix....it was plain with a fabulous list of different types and what ingredients you will need.

On this day, DAY SIX of TRY SOMETHING NEW I decided to make Apple Cinnamon Scones. OOOHhhhhhhhh boy were they delicious. Have I mentioned I LOVE TRYING ALL THESE NEW THINGS!?!

Yep, I made a Cognac Sauce!

I'm not a very saucy girl! I've attempted a couple simple gravy recipes but have never been thrilled with the result and never, ever have I tried to make a sauce. I've always wanted to, but this has been my kryptonite, something I am terrified of and the results I've experienced thus far can be the death of my mood and my meal. I'm embarrassed to admit that I usually rely on recipes that don't require 'saucing it up' or I reach for a powdered version that instructs you to just add water! Horrible, I know. I can feel your judgement already!

SO last night I gave in and after throwing my silly little fears out the window, I created not only a NEW meal for my family, but one that was unbelievably yummy and to top it all off, embarrassingly simple yet dripping with a tasty sauce. Cognac sauce to be exact!!!

The meal was out of the latest Real Simple magazine: A skirt steak with cognac sauce, crisscross fries (which are store bought and the best I've ever had) and a romaine salad with an oil and vinegar dressing, red onion and crumbled blue cheese. Here is the recipe for your own cooking pleasure:
YUM-O DINNER!

I bought Alexia Waffle fries which are all natural and already seasoned to perfection! I also switched out the blue cheese for another crumbled cheese because we had it on hand! The oil and vinegar dressing is simple but really delightful, possibly one of our favorite aspects of the meal. And the cognac sauce....well we have an overly stocked liquor cabinet and a beautiful cognac was on hand for my cooking pleasure. I recommend you use a good bottle...the sauce reduces and the flavor stands out, which wouldn't be so awesome if you went for a cheap-o brand!

Day Two of 31 DAYS OF TRYING SOMETHING NEW went great! Now....what to do tomorrow?

WAFFLE LADY WEDNESDAY: Holy Granola!!!

I LOVE granola. Love, love, love granola. But I also think very few granolas are made well. Too sweet, too artificial, to hard and boring....I finally gave up all together. The last great granola I had was from a farmers market and long gone from my grasp.

Enter my favorite lady...THE WAFFLE LADY! I know by now you've heard enough. I can hear you now...yes, Amanda, we know...you love The Waffle Lady. But seriously, this lady does much more than waffles and even oatmeal. She makes the absolute best granola in the world.

When we moved to Phoenix, I was devastated to learn we had move to a WAFFLE LADY free area. Not one store carried my prized brand. I did what every rational girl would do, I order four cases of oatmeal and twelve boxes of Waffle mix. Yes, even I know I'm nuts. As a thank you for such an order the wondrous Waffle Lady threw in some granola for me to try.

So now I'm hooked. I've gone from Waffle Lady Daily Oats each morning to alternating between that and Chobani Greek yogurt with Waffle Lady granola poured all over it! So yummy....

Get this...these are the ingredients in this holy moly awesome bag....
Organic Old Fashion Oats, Natural Sunflower Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Natural Almonds, Natural Vanilla, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Raw Honey, Butter, Salt.

It's amazing!

Oh and friends....the link for the WAFFLE LADY Gift Bag didn't work last week, so it's still up for grabs. Email me at amanda@litfestmagazine.com for your chance....ends Monday, August 8.