Today marks many things. First, it’s the second-to-last day for one of my coworkers before she leaves us for another job in Wisconsin. Since we have a lab meeting tomorrow we will be venturing out for lunch today despite the clouds/chance of rain. Thankfully we don’t have to panic too much about cramming in as much time with her as possible because she has a boyfriend here in Columbus which will have her coming back to visit very frequently. I told him it’s a good thing we paid him, which got a good laugh.

Secondly, today is two of my friends’ and former lab-mates-in-crime birthdays! I used to bake crazy birthday concoctions for their birthdays every year and they usually involved peanut butter and chocolate because they were smart like me and realized it is one of the best combinations ever created. Last year was the first year of our separation and I actually mailed them both birthday goodies. This year however, I slacked off… sorry! How about a toast instead for both events? And not the crispy bread kind with butter on top, but a cool fruity alcoholic beverage. I made you all an adult version of a Shirley Temple but it’s not too crazy boozy because I only used amaretto. Feel free to spike with vodka is you’re feeling extra sassy today.

P.S. Ever since ZipList went under I’ve been on the hunt for a new recipe box sharing option for you all and it seems like I’ve finally found one – Yummly! I am now officially a publisher on Yummly which means you use the “Yum button” (located on the left hand side and at the bottom of each post along with other sharing options) to save recipes to your personal recipe box. Also be sure to check out my Yummly page to easily find and “Yum” my recipes. Happy yumming!

One year ago: Blueberry-Cherry Buckle

Two years ago: Healthier Cookie Dough Fondue

Three years ago: Goat Cheese Ricotta Gnocchi with Walnut Thyme Butter Sauce

SASSY SHIRLEY TEMPLE

Serves 1

Ingredients:

Ice cubes

1 oz. amaretto

1 Tbsp grenadine

4 oz. ginger ale or lemon-lime soda

Squirt of lemon juice

Directions:

1. Place ice in a tumbler. Pour amaretto and grenadine over the ice. Top off with ginger ale (or lemon-lime soda), a splash of lemon juice and stir. Serve with a cherries and a lemon slice for garnish.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original, with the help of my friend Haley

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Hit the trails of Ohio with this nutty Ohio trail mixer cocktail made with homemade strawberry jam, bourbon, amaretto, walnut bitters, and thyme.

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Today for Thirsty Thursday I am pairing up with the 5 O’Clock Fashionistas for their “Coaster 2 Coaster” series! Every Tuesday and Thursday different bloggers are sharing cocktails inspired by the states in which they reside. While I am a bit home-confused after living in Texas, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, and now Ohio again, since Ohio is where I currently call home that is the state from which I pulled my inspiration.

Unfortunately their website no longer exists, so instead of heading over to their page to find out what I mixed up for my Ohio Cocktail you can just read it here as I have transferred over my original post.

The state nut of Ohio is the buckeye but unfortunately does not lend itself to eating. While I considered creating a peanut butter and chocolate cocktail inspired by the popular buckeye candy resembling the shape and color of a buckeye nut, I decided to get a little more creative with a cocktail based around nut-flavored elements in the form of amaretto and black walnut bitters. And also bourbon, because bourbon rocks.

Of course, the state of Ohio is also often known for THE Ohio State University, whose mascot happens to also be the buckeyes. Being my alma matter and (former as of November 2018) employer  I have quite a bit of buckeye pride. In order to honor one of the school colors (scarlet) I also added some strawberry jam to the mix to give it a nice red tint. All of the flavors mixed together result in a nutty yet slightly fruity cocktail. Perfect to enjoy have a summertime hike!

One year ago: Strawberry Almond Scottish Oatmeal

Two years ago: Homemade Mozzarella & Caprese Salad Skewers

Three years ago: Blueberry-Blackberry Muffins

OHIO TRAIL MIXER COCKTAIL

Print

Yield: 1 serving Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 oz. bourbon
• 1 oz. amaretto
• 1 Tbsp strawberry jam
• 1 sprig of thyme, plus more for garnish
• 2 dashes of black walnut bitters
• Ice cubes
• Club soda
• Fresh strawberry, for garnish

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients except club soda to a mixing glass and fill with ice.
2. Shake until mixed and strain into a cocktail glass. Top it off with club soda.
3. Garnish with a sprig of thyme and a strawberry, if desired.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

What’s your favorite summer cocktail? How would you like to turn it into a boozy popsicle for adults? These tropical boozy popsicles are the perfect treat for a backyard BBQ.

Welcome to day four of #HotSummerEats! I took a day off yesterday to guest post on The Cooking Actress but you should still check it out as it was a recipe for a delicious summer dessert – Ginger-Nectarine Galette. But on with the show! Don’t forget that in addition to all the summery recipes shared by your favorite bloggers, you can also enter to win our awesome giveaway, courtesy of some amazingly generous donations from sponsoring companies. Use the Rafflecopter widget at the end of this post to enter and for more details CLICK HERE.

It’s interesting how extreme temperatures can be from one place to another. After 7.5 years of sweltering Memphis summers during grad school I was ready to escape. While the weather in Knoxville was slightly milder during my one year stint there, it was still pretty freaking toasty. But then I moved to Columbus, OH during the coldest time of the year. Those first few days unloading the moving truck were torture as the highs were often single digits or lower. Thankfully those days are long gone (at least until next winter) and it’s time to bask in the sun! Naturally that means it’s time for frozen treats. Hot drinks/food in the winter and cold drinks/food in the summer. It’s all a system of balances.

Using the Casabella juicer I set out to make one of the cocktails featured in the Summer Cocktails cook book I received from Quirk Books. But I got a bee in my bonnet and decided to turn it into frozen boozy popsicles because popsicles arn’t just for kids, adults can enjoy them too! Since I wanted them to actually freeze and not turn into slush, I reduced the alcohol content and little and increased the orange juice.

One year ago: Cheetos Marshmallow Crispy Treats

Two year ago: Brussels Sprout Mac and Cheese

CABANA BOY POPSICLES

Makes 6 popsicles (depending on mold size)

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen pineapple cubes

2 oz. fresh orange juice

1 oz. bourbon

1 oz. amaretto

1/2 Tbsp sugar, or to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until smooth.
2. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. (Alternatively, you can pour into a glass and drink immediately.)
3. Once frozen, remove from molds and enjoy.

Source: Adapted slightly from the Summer Cocktails cook book.

Items you may need (affiliate links):

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Disclaimer – Thank you to #HotSummerEats sponsors BenBella Vegan, Caribeque, Casabella, Gourmet Garden, Intensity Academy, Not Ketchup, Out of the Weeds. Pirate Jonny’s, Quirk Books, Spicely Organics, T.Lish, and Voodoo Cheffor providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for#HotSummerEats without additional compensation.All opinions are my own.

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Spike your hot, spiced apple cider with amaretto instead of rum. Amaretto spiced apple cider will warm you up from the inside on those chilly fall evenings.

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Welcome to ‪#‎10DaysofTailgate hosted by Culinary Adventures with Camilla! There are nearly two dozen bloggers with over one hundred recipes to inspire you through an entire tailgating season. From Chili, Meatballs and Wings to Sangria, Pretzels and some sweet Desserts, we have all your tailgating recipe needs covered. #10daysofTailgate runs from September 20th through September 30th. A huge thank you goes to our event sponsors who have graciously donated prizes for our readers. There are fourteen different prize packages so make sure you enter the rafflecopter HERE and don’t forget to follow the hashtag on Twitter too, #10DaysofTailgate.

When tailgating for a night game sometimes a cold beer does not appeal. It’s getting cooler at night which means a warm beverage would be most appreciated. Amaretto spiced apple cider to the rescue! But instead of being spiked with rum I used amaretto. The almond flavor pairs exceptionally well with apples. It’ll warm you up from the inside.

But wait, here’s some more spiced apple cider:

• Apple Cider Mule
• Apple Cider Palmer (non-alcoholic)
• Cranberry Apple Cider Sangria
• Orchards be Dram-ed (Spiced Apple Cider Cocktail)
• Salted Caramel Apple Cider Bliss

Here’s what everyone brought to the table today…

Starters
Cheesy Maple Leaf Farm Duck Bacon Oven Chips by Making Miracles
Mango-Mustard Crock Pot Wings by Curious Cuisiniere
Cheesy Pulled Pork Egg Rolls by From Gate to Plate
Herbed Deviled Eggs by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Sips
Amaretto Spiced Apple Cider by The Spiffy Cookie

Dips
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

Mains
Green and Gold Grilled Chicken (Green Curry and Pineapple) by Cheese Curd In Paradise
Turducken Meatballs by Miss Laura’s Kitchen
Meaty “Beast Mode” Baked Beans by OnTheMove-In the Galley
Chicken Apple Bratwurst Burgers by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures

Sides
Grilled Green Beans, Mushrooms, and Duck Bacon by The Pajama Chef

One year ago: Stuffed Red Velvet Truffles

Two years ago: Homemade Yellow Cake Mix

AMARETTO SPICED APPLE CIDER

Print

Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 15 Minutes 15 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 1/2 gallon (8 cups) apple cider
• 1 tsp allspice
• Pinch nutmeg
• 8 oz. (1 cup) amaretto
• Apple slices and cinnamon sticks, for garnish

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine cider, allspice, and nutmeg. Heat over medium until warmed and almost boiling. Remove from heat and stir in amaretto.
2. Serve garnished with apple slices and cinnamon sticks.

Source: The Spiffy Cookie original

There were however a couple select bottles that I did keep and brought them with me. Such as a new bottle of Patron silver, several bottles of wine, and the remnants of Disaronno. Now, my parents do not drink alcohol except on the rare occasion but that didn’t stop me from getting excited by the idea of making pork chops with an amaretto glaze.

It’s been a long time since I’ve cooked pork chops, but these were the most tender and juicy pork chops I have ever had. I’m not sure if it was pounding the crap out of them with a meat mallet that did it or the cooking method, but either way they were fantastic. And in case you didn’t think it could possibly get any better, they were also smothered in a amaretto-maple glaze. Winner winner chicken pork chop dinner.

Three years ago: Easy Garlic Knots

AMARETTO-MAPLE GLAZED PORK CHOPS

Makes 4 pork chops

Ingredients:

1/4 cup amaretto

3 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp ground mustard

4 boneless center cut pork chops

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small saucepan, combine amaretto, sugar, maple syrup, worcestershire, vinegar and mustard. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then reduce to a simmer and let cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring every now and then. Remove from heat and let sit to thicken.
3. Pound pork chops with a meat tenderizer, then season on both sides with salt, pepper and paprika. Heat a cast iron (or oven-safe) skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with canola oil and once hot, add pork chops. Sear on one side for 2-3 minutes, or until golden Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Turn off heat, add chicken stock to skillet, then place in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
4. Once finished, pour glaze over top and serve immediately.

Source: Adapted slightly from How Sweet It Is.

The blog hopping party is back in time for Valentine’s Day! I was so excited when Erin, from Big Fat Baker,announced that she was thinking of extending the Holiday Blog Hop past Christmas. These blog hops are great for finding new blogs and recipes with a theme involved (if you would like to join fill out the contact form found HERE). Today for the Valentine’s Day theme, we had to incorporate at least one of three ingredients, which were: beef, heavy cream, or strawberries. Once you’re done here, be sure to check out the others blog hopper’s posts listed at the bottom!

While digging through my bookmarked recipes, I noticed there were far too many that would be great to make for your Valentine this year. Even with the help of narrowing it down by ingredients! But when I saw this dark chocolate version of strawberry shortcake I knew I had a winner. After all, in addition to the dark chocolate and strawberries (already making me happy) the whipped cream topping has pudding AND Amaretto in it – wee!! I’ll have my dessert with a little liqueur, thank you very much. This recipe just screamed “love”, even if it’s only a love affair with the dessert itself ;-).

For the first shortcake I assembled, I wanted to slice the shortcakes in half like a bun in order to make a multilayer shortcake. Yea, that shortcake crumbled into a (delicious) pile. Learn from me – do not try to cut the shortcakes. Just stack them up in their slightly thicker glory. Then serve with a little extra cream topping and strawberries.

And the Amaretto cream? Sure at first it looks like you’ve made far more than necessary, but you’ll end up wanting to eat it straight up. Or maybe you’ll start thinking of the strawberries and chocolate shortcake as mere vehicles for the cream. With the cream cheese and pudding mix in there it tastes like cheesecake, in the consistency of pudding. So where does that leave me? I’ll be in the corner mixing the attempted-sliced-but-crumbled-shortcakes in with the strawberries and cream. Make-shift trifle anyone? You don’t want to see the pictures of that though. Focus on the prettiness I’ve shown here (when I did not try to cut the shortcakes in half).

P.S. I love mixing Amaretto and coke together. It’s lovely beverage.

One year ago: Guiltless Fettucine Alfredo

DARK CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES WITH AMARETTO CREAM

Makes 3 large or 6 small

Ingredients:

SHORTCAKES

2/3 cup 2% milk

1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup unsalted cold butter, chopped

CREAM

8 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened

1 (3.4oz) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1/4 cup Amaretto

1-1/2 cups 2% milk

8 oz. frozen light whipped topping, thawed

2 lbs. sliced strawberries, leaving a few whole for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat (or grease pan well).
2. Place 2/3 cup milk and dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Cool.
3. Meanwhile, add flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl, and whisk together until combined. Add butter and cut in with fork until crumbly in texture. Slowly add milk and chocolate chip mixture and stir in until just combined.
4. Using an extra large cookie scoop, spoon mixture into 6 large circles (or 12 small) onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until set (or about 8-12 minutes for small). Cool on wire racks.
5. Meanwhile, in large bowl mix together cream cheese and pudding mix with electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Slowly mix in Amaretto and milk until well combined. Fold in whipped topping. Cover and refrigerate for about 1-2 hours or until firm.
6. To assemble, place one shortcake on serving plate then top with cream and strawberries; end with another chocolate shortcake. Top with more Amaretto cream and strawberries if desired. Repeat with remaining shortcakes.

Source: Adapted slightly from Snappy Gourmet.