I don’t have a problem…

I’m going to start a new blog series - meals my kid won’t eat. Orzo with pesto Alfredo sauce and turkey meatballs, topped with cherry tomatoes along with steamed asparagus and mini garlic bread. 🍽️

The bespoke simple syrup journey continues! This is an unusual one - persimmon simple syrup. The preparation method was different, too - rather than cooking the syrup, you let equal weights of chopped up fruit and sugar masticate overnight. Let’s see what fun we can have with this one! 🍸🍴🍽️

It’s a Not Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew night - because we have separate cocktails. Andrew has a Death In The Afternoon, a cocktail invented by Hemingway - a mix of Absinthe and champagne. Mine is Between the Sheets, with Cognac, Créole Shrubb, Rum, lemon juice, and some simple syrup. 🍽️🍴🍸

This was dinner tonight - a baked Italian Sausage Gnocchi dish! Very yummy! It made a huge amount, so lunch is set for the next few days. The recipe is posted below, and my only mod was to add tomato paste. 🍽️🍴

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is one we completely made up! I’m calling it the Sweet and Spicy Whiskey Toddy! It’s 1c decaffeinated cinnamon spice tea, 2oz Celtic Honey whiskey, and 1oz Domaine de Canton Ginger liqueur, and 2 lemon slices. Fragrant and warming - so very nice! 🍸🍴🍽️

Tonight’s *not* Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the Apple Sidecar! We used my homemade apple spice syrup. A perfectly pleasant drink, but I was hoping it would be more spice forward… and then Andrew reminded me there was only a 1/2oz of syrup in this drink. The recipe we used is below! 🍽️🍴🍸🧶

Best meal for a cold day - Beef Stew baked in Dutch oven. My mods: used leeks instead of onions, deglazed my pan with some cranberry juice and dark soy sauce, and put a dollop of balsamic glaze in before putting in the oven. So tasty and the meat was just falling apart. Recipe used is below. 🍽️🍴

Going to finish this book today! I am so used to reading ebooks that holding physical books is awkward. George says he doesn’t care how or what I read as long as he gets to sit in my lap. 🐈📚💙

Not an Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew! He made it, but sat this one out. This is the Reverse Margarita, and has my fancy ice cubes in it! It’s a simple drink - Creole Shrubb, tequila, and lime juice. Wonderfully citrusy and sweet, and festive to boot. The recipe we used is below. 🍸🍴🍽️🧶

George and his spooky ambience 🐈

And in tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew, we have the Star Daisy! Lovely Apple and Orange mix, and we subbed in ginger syrup for simple syrup. Unfortunately, my fancy ice cubes were not ready yet! The recipe we used is below. 🍸🍽️🍴🧶

Making fancy ice cubes! I made cranberry and rosemary, cranberry and mandarin orange, and one of mandarin orange and candied ginger. Now to figure out what cocktails to make with them! Any recommendations?🍸🍴🍽️

And he’s back! Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails **with** Andrew is the Creole Sidecar, and it is delicious! Cognac, Creole Shrub liqueur, lemon juice, and we added in a smidge of ginger syrup. The recipe we used is below. 🍸🍽️🍴🐈

Yet another *not* Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew - the Social Butterfly, made with the butterfly pea flower syrup. This drink can be made with gin or vodk and it has a lovely light taste with the syrup, St. Germain, lemon, and hint of absinthe. George was intrigued. Recipe 👇 🍸🍴🍽️🧶🐈

I was industrious today! I made turkey stock from my turkey carcass, but then I used it making Turkey and Wild Rice soup. My mods: used leeks instead of onions, no extra celery but added in the carrots and celery from the stock (that I puréed before adding to soup). The recipe I used is below. 🍴🍽️

Another *not* Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew (he is under the weather, so not partaking) - but we have the Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cosmo! George says he is suspicious of those berries. Tart and sweet at the same time, it’s a good use of leftovers! The recipe link is below. 🍽️🍴🍸🐈

Had to break out the wool socks today. Don’t mind my fur-laden ottoman - I have 2 cats and a dog! 🧶🐈🐈🦮

Not an Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew since I am the only one having this one (though he did mix it for me), but here is the Ginger Favola! Gin, limoncello, Italicus, lemon juice, and ginger simple syrup - it is fabulous mixed together. The recipe we based it on is below. 🍸🍽️🍴🧶

I am so pleased with tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew! We used the cranberry apple tea infused vodka to make a Cranberry Apple Zingy Ginger cocktail - and it is lovely. Not only is it a pretty color, but the cranberry apple infusion works perfectly here. The recipe is below! 🍸🍴🍽️

My new experiment - vodka infused with cranberry apple herbal tea. It’s going to infuse for at least 24 hours, and then we’ll see what we have. If nothing else, it will be a pretty color! Recipe: 2 heaping tablespoons of loose tea mixed with 1.5c of vodka. 🍸🍽️🍴

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is an unintentional riff - the Dry Polish Martini! The intent was for the Polish Martini (vodka, honey liqueur, and apple juice) - but we accidentally added lemon juice in. No matter - still good, just a bit drier than expected! The recipe is 👇 . 🍸🍴🍽️

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails is the Spiced Cranberry Old-Fashioned! Yet another one for our spiced cranberry syrup (and with the cooked cranberries on the stick). Deep, warm tasting - with the lovely sweetness from the syrup. The recipe we used is below. 🍽️🍴🍸

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is so seriously yummy - the Spiced Cranberry Gin Sour! We used my spiced cranberry syrup rather than simple syrup and muddling cranberries. At the bottom of the coupe glass is one of the cooked cranberries from when I made the syrup. Recipe is 👇. 🍽️🍴🍸🧶🐈

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the Harvest Margarita! Not terribly sweet (despite the Cranberry Orange Spice syrup), but very tasty. I was surprised at the light color given how dark the syrup is. George says it makes his nose itch. The recipe is below! 🍽️🍴🍸🐈

The bespoke cocktail syrup journey continues! I wasn’t going to get a good pic of this one - it is all grey and gloomy here today. It’s a spiced cranberry orange syrup with dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. It’s a dark maroon red, and it tastes very intense. 🍽️🍴🍸

It’s a late night Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew - and it’s our first hot cocktail meet the Earl Grey Whiskey Hot Toddy! We used my Earl Grey syrup and bumped it up by adding a half ounce of Celtic Honey liqueur as well. I think we need to invest in some clear cups for this… Recipe is 👇. 🍸🍽️🍴🧶

My beautiful boy. I love it when the weather gets cooler and my cats want to snuggle. 🐈

Happy Birthday to me! This is 53. No make up save lip balm, morning light, no filters. I feel good. 🍁🧶🎂🍸📚

In tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew, we have the Earl Grey Italicus Margarita! We swapped out the agave for the Earl Grey simple syrup - so we have 2x bergamot between the Italicus and the syrup. This drink tastes and smells fabulous - I need a candle that smells like this. 🍴🍽️🍸

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the Earl Grey Sidecar! I like this - citrus from the lemon and Cointreau, and just a hint of tea taste from the Earl Grey simple syrup. I can smell tea more than taste it, but it is a lovely cocktail. The recipe we based it on is below. 🍴🍽️🍸

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the London Grey Martini! Gin, St. Germain, lemon juice, and the Earl Grey syrup I made earlier today. Sweet and floral - very drinkable. We did scale back the syrup to 1/2oz, and Andrew said next time we would add more lemon juice. Recipe is 👇. 🍴🍽️🍸🧶

The bespoke syrup journey continues - today we have Earl Grey syrup. Now to re-find that Earl Grey martini recipe I saw previously… I bet this would also be fantastic in a steamer. 🍴🍽️

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the Spiced Apple Cider Manhattan! We subbed the maple syrup for the cinnamon spice syrup I made last week to amp up the autumn vibes. I quite like it - Andrew says he would go with a bit less syrup next time. The recipe we used is below. 📚💙🧶🍽️🍴🍸

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the Ménage à Quatre! Ungava gin, Cointreau, Lillet Blanc, and lemon juice - it’s a lovely citrussy drink and not terribly sweet. The recipe is below. The book I’m reading is How to Summon a Fairy Godmother by Laura J. Mayo. 🍸🍽️🍴🧶📚💙

It’s perfectly normal to find 19 pairs of reading glasses when cleaning your room, right? Right???!

We have such pretty foliage right now. I love autumn. 🍁🍂🍁

Halloween doubleheader Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew - a Spiced Honey Whisky Sour! I like this one, although Andrew says he would step back the simple syrup a bit. We used the spiced syrup I made today rather than plain simple syrup. The recipe we based it on is below! 🍴🍽️🍸

It’s a Halloween Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew! This is the Spiced Autumn Aperol Margarita - and I am questioning the wisdom of a drink over ice outside on 10/31, even with the fire! The recipe we used is below - we doubled the lime juice and added in the spiced syrup. 🍴🍽️🍸 🎃

Had to make some simple spiced syrup for tonight’s cocktail. It’s just 1c sugar, 1c water, 3 cinnamon sticks, 1 star anise, and about 1” of ginger coins. Simmer for 15 minutes, take off heat and steep/cool for 30 minutes, then strain into a jar. George approves! 🍽️🍴🍸🐈

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is a doozy - Widow’s Kiss - a potent mixture of 100 proof Apple Brandy, Yellow Chartreuse, and Benedictine. Andrew says this is a one and done cocktail, and I have to agree! The recipe we used is below! 🍸🍴🍽️

New recipe tonight - Cheesy White Bean and Tomato bake. I upped the protein by adding about 1.5c of chopped rotisserie chicken as well as 3 big handfuls of baby spinach. Yummy and filling - although I think I would add more liquid next time. The recipe I used is below! 🍽️🍴

Knitting Friends - Does anyone recognize this cowl pattern? I had a coffee-and -knitting-basket mishap over the weekend, and found this at the bottom of my basket. No pattern or notes. 140 stitches around (10 stitches to each section). DK weight yarn. Please help! 🧶

And we have a bonus Adventures with Cocktails with Andrew! Not a doubleheader since I’m not having this one (and Andrew doesn’t like pear so he didn’t have mine). He’s calling it the Interjection (a Last Word, but with Luxardo Del Santo instead of Green Chartreuse and lemon instead of lime). 🍸🍴🍽️

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the Pear Martini! I like this one - once again, the pear juice and spiced pear syrup are a mild addition, with the St. Germain shining through. I attempted a fancy garnish. I was not successful. The recipe we used is below! 🍸🍽️🍴🧶

In tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the second one using the spiced pear simple syrup - the Spiced Pear Margarita! We upped the tequila by 1/2oz, and it is quite yummy. It isn’t overwhelmingly pear-y despite pear nectar and the pear syrup - I like it! The recipe we used is below. 🍸🍽️🧶

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is a tasty one - it is literally in the name - Tasty Spiced Pear Cocktail. This is what I made the syrup for the other day, and based on this, I look forward to having it in other cocktails. The recipe we used is below! 🍸🍴🍽️ 🧶

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew (and Ginny!) is the Honey Cider Bee, and it is good! It’s another variation on the Bee’s Knees cocktail, and we used the last of the spiced honey syrup from a few weeks back. The recipe we used is below. 🍸🍽️🍴

More bespoke syrup for cocktails! This is a spiced pear syrup, made with sugar, water, white wine, pears, cinnamon stick, lemon peel, and star anise! 🍴🍽️🍸

Holy cow, this was good. We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving Day today and I made this crustless pumpkin pie (because my kid hates pastry). It’s also gluten free. My only mod was to use a mix of heavy cream and milk because my can of evaporated milk had expired. The recipe I used is below! 🍴🍽️