Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls with brown butter cider glaze - yummy, but I have to say I had doubts on this one. The dough didn’t rise much, so I added a 1/3c of heavy cream to pan before baking to moisten them up. Everyone here likes them! The swirls are mesmerizing, aren’t they? The recipe is 👇🍽️🍴

It’s a doubleheader Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew! This time we have a Cinnamon Girl - a potent mix of reposado tequila, high proof rum, citrus, and honey ginger cinnamon syrup. It has some kick - tastes a bit peppery to me as well. Andrew says it is well-balanced. Recipe we used is below! 🍸🍴🍽️

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is yet another variation - a Blood Orange Limoncello Lemon Drop martini! It’s strikingly pretty, seasonal, and yummy. The recipe we used is below. 🍽️🍴🍸

Adding more autumnal goodness to my life - tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is an Autumn’s Bees Knees (again, I love variations of cocktails!) and has gin, apple cider, lemon juice, and our honey ginger cinnamon syrup. Smells and tastes wonderful! The recipe we used is below! 🍽️🍴🍸

I have made Italian sausage and white bean soup FROM SCRATCH ON A WEEKDAY! Come on, autumn has to show up now. Enough of 80 degree days. I want cool days, falling leaves, and to be able to wear sweaters again! 🍴🍽️

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is a Ginger Cinnamon Gold Rush! The Gold Rush normally uses honey syrup - but we used honey ginger cinnamon syrup. It makes for a delightfully autumn-y drink. Kudos to Andrew for picking this one out! The recipe is below! 🍸🍽️🍴

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails is the Plum Whiskey Sour! My latest bespoke syrup is made from black plums, and this a pretty and tasty cocktail. The black in the black plum is only the dark skin - the flesh itself is bright yellow, so I was surprised at how red the syrup was. The recipe is 👇🍸

Tried making something new - soft pretzels. Personally, I am not a big fan of soft pretzels (I am not from this area!), but they are Aspen’s latest food fixation. I took 1 bite to make sure they weren’t poisonous. Aspen has had 3 so far, so I’ll call it a success. The recipe I used is below! 🍽️🍴

It’s an Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew doubleheader with The Right Word! We do love Last Word variations - and to Andrew’s consternation, I tend to like the variations better. I do like the St. Germain and Lillet Blanc in this one. The recipe is below! 🍸🍽️🍴🧶

It’s a beautifully sunny and temperate day, so this afternoon’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the Italian Plum Margarita! Andrew grimaced at the plum - it isn’t his favorite fruit, but it is a nice tart cocktail between the tequila and Italicus. The recipe we used is below. 🍸🍴🍽️

This night’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is Apples in the Apiary, a honey sweet fall cocktail with Empress 1908 gin, Celtic Honey (honey liqueur infused with Irish Whiskey), honey, and apple juice. And I have to say I knocked the garnish out of the park. The recipe is 👇🍸🍴🍽️

It’s a doubleheader Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew! This lemony delight is the Bumblebee’s Knees - a variation of a Bee’s Knees cocktail, with an added twist of Green Chartreuse. This is the first time we used the Ungava gin I bought in Ontario earlier this year. The recipe we used is 👇. 🍸🍴🍽️

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is #2 with the fig syrup - the Honey Fig Margarita! We even used Terilee and Nick’s honey for this one. Sweet and figgy, and very easy to drink. Oh - and I’m working on a new pair of socks. The recipe we used is below. 🍸🍴🍽️🧶

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the Fig’s Kiss! Our first drink with the fig syrup - the fig itself is a bit muted here to the St. Germain, lemon, and mint - but there are hints and the drink is a pretty pink. 🍸

More bespoke simple syrup for cocktails! I made this one last night, but it was too dark to take a good pic. Local fig simple syrup! One of my neighbors was giving away figs from her garden, so I knew what I had to do. Isn’t the color beautiful? 🍽️🍴🍸

This was an interesting food experiment - Chicken Apple Cheddar Chili. I used 2 huge apples I received in my CSA share, and the only mods were adding in a few cloves of minced garlic and some celery. The result was more like a bean soup than chili, but quite tasty. The recipe I used is below. 🍽️🍴

10th Finished Pair of Socks of 2025! Plain Vanilla socks in the Opal die Expedition Organisationstalent Olivia 4ply colorway. As much as the color of these socks made me happy, there were issues: the yarn was broken and knotted off in 2 places, there was a strip with no dye, etc. 🧶

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is our inaugural one with the Honey Ginger Cinnamon syrup - The Cinnamon Girl! This is a very interesting cocktail - sort of like an orange cinnamon margarita, but it also has a bit of gold rum in it. Intriguing! The recipe we used is below. 🍸🧶

So, I went yarn shopping today… this was my first time to the Lehigh Valley Fiber Fest in Allentown, PA and the yarn selection was fantastic. I even came out of there with a Japanese apron (that’s the bear print)! And I even bought with a list in mind (more solids for Christmas hat presents). 🧶

Back on my bespoke syrup journey - and holy cow, is this one ever autumn in a jar! Honey Ginger Cinnamon syrup - at this point I am just willing autumn into existence. This is going to make some fun cocktails! 🍴🍽️🍸🍁

It may not look pretty, but it sure is tasty! Rice Cooker Pepper Beef and Rice - it was an easy one pot dinner, and my only changes were using hoisin sauce instead of oyster sauce, and using a peas and corn mix rather than just corn. Aspen gave it a thumbs up! The recipe we used is below. 🍴🍽️

I’m at the point in the socks when I need to decide who these socks are for… if for me, I start decreasing for the toes now. So, who are these socks for? 🧶

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew - the Lemongrass Margarita! Once again, I am loving the herbal taste the lemongrass adds to the drink. This is what is behind me when I normally take the drink pics - my little TBR shelf. I have read the top one! The recipe we used is below! 🍸 📚💙📚🚀

This Good Mom says bad words, knits socks, and watches documentaries while her husband makes pancakes on Sunday mornings. It’s better that way - he makes much better pancakes than I do. 🧶 ☕️

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is a super yummy one - a Lemongrass Lemon Drop! I made the lemongrass syrup earlier today (and my house smells lovely as a result), and it gives the lemon drop a wonderful herbal note. Would definitely have this one again. The recipe we used is 👇 🧶🍸

Bah humbug. Pulling out most of the freaking heel because I tried to fix something and messed it even worse. 🧶

Ninth Finished pair of socks for 2025! Aspen claimed these ones almost as soon as I started knitting them. Plain Vanilla socks in Black Cat Custom Everyday Sock yarn in the Hitchhiker colorway. I bought the yarn a few years ago ago while on vacation in Chilliwack, BC. 🧶🇨🇦🧶

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the Peach Lemon Drop! Okay - we’ve done a margarita, Paloma, and a Lemon Drop with the peach syrup - and have enough for one more kind… any suggestions? The peach here was subtle, but still made for a great Lemon Drop. 🍸

What is this dork doing? Trying to catch the light reflection from my cell on the wall behind me. I swear he is an orange cat in disguise. 🐈

And sometimes I do fancy breakfasts. No real recipe here - just scrambled eggs on naan and topped with sharp white cheddar. Lazy Saturday morning - we’re finally settling in to watch The Thursday Murder Club. 🍴🍽️

And in tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the Peach Paloma! Nicely balanced - the sweetness of the peach syrup counters the acidity of the grapefruit and lime. The recipe we used is below. 🍸

And then this was tonight’s dinner - Chicken Caesar Smash Tacos! Super tasty and quick. Took me more time to prep than they took to cook. The recipe we used is below - and my only change is I didn’t bacon on hand so went without! 🍴🍽️

Forgot to post this yesterday! I made the viral Trader Joe’s Lobster Bisque Pasta. The recipe I used is below - my only change was to garnish with basil because I hate parsley. Oh! And I used fettuccine instead of farfalle. 🍽️🍴

And we’re back with Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew! Tonight we are having a Peach Fuzz Buzz - a margarita-like drink with peach syrup and Campari rather than Cointreau. Very tasty! Can’t say the peach really comes through, but I like the addition of Campari. The recipe we used is below. 🍸

8th Finished pair of socks of 2025! Plain vanilla socks in Bramble Ridge High Twist Sock in ‘Mega Duck’ - there must be a story with that name! I picked up the yarn at the Entwined Market in Langford, BC while on vacation. I love unexpected yarn festivals!

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew - a Blackberry Vodka Mojito! We used my blackberry syrup rather than muddling blackberries, and mint from my very sad container garden. It’s nicely balanced between sweet and lime. We have more blackberry syrup… need to find another drink. Recipe 👇! 🍸

And in tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew we have a Blackberry Gin and Tonic! Andrew says it is a bit sweet and next time he would probably halve the blackberry syrup. I like it! The recipe we used is below! 🍸🐈🐈 PS - the cats were unimpressed.

I have the prettiest boy. 🐈

And in tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew - we have the Honey Elderflower Margarita - featuring honey from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory curtesy of my sister Terilee and my BIL, Nick. Very sweet and yummy! Recipe below! 🍸🐈

7th finished pair of socks of 2025! I actually finished these about a week ago on vacation. I’m quite pleased with them - thought they would be more traditionally rainbow-striped, but these are more striking. Plain vanilla socks in Langyarns Move Wool Addicts, bought at Yarn Maven in Smyrna, DE. 🧶

Happy 23rd Birthday to my eldest child, the one who came to be in the middle of a thunderstorm, and who has left me in wonder ever since. I love you, Willow! 🎂

Sixth Finished Pair of socks for 2025! Handmaiden Yarns Trail Sock in a vanilla sock pattern. It’s been a while since I’ve knit with Handmaiden, and these are very sturdy socks. 🧦 🧶

This salad was so good that I had 2 servings! In season corn, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, and avocado in a lime-cumin vinaigrette. The recipe I used is below. 🍴🍽️

Ever cook something and until you taste it you are doubtful it is going to work out? This is that dish - and I am happy to say it was freaking delicious! Coconut Ramen Dumpling Bake - ramen baked in the oven. I also made ramen eggs (because Andrew loves them). The recipe I used is below. 🍴🍽️

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails is the Strawberry Rhubarb Margarita! I made the syrup for a party tomorrow, and had to taste test it. Andrew says he likes how the rhubarb adds to the tartness of the lime juice. The recipe we based it on is below - but we bumped up the tequila.

And in tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew we have the Blood Orange Martini! This was a cocktail made out of necessity - we had 2 blood oranges left that needed to be used up. Hermione was not interested in the slightest. The recipe we used is below 🍸🐈

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is a refreshing and not terribly boozy drink - the Basil Limoncello cocktail. I like it, but think maybe a bit more limoncello and vodka would not go amiss here. The recipe we used is below! 🍸

And it is a doubleheader Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is a funny one - a Bloody Dingbat 🙂 The drink is called Dingbat, but since we used juice from blood oranges, it’s a Bloody Dingbat. Smooth and pretty - and I assure you, Andrew and I don’t call each other a dingbat… much. 🍸

And in tonight’s Wedding Anniversary version of Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew - we have the Nuclear Daiquiri! This is an herbal doozy with overproof rum, Falernum, and Green Chartreuse. Happy 27th Wedding Anniversary to us! The recipe we used is below. 🍸

Tonight’s Adventures in Cocktails with Andrew is the Blood Orange Mexican Mule! Delightfully citrusy with the blood orange juice and blood orange ginger beer. My book is Role Playing by Cathy Yardley (just started it). The recipe we used is below! 🍸