Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with this blood orange and hibiscus margarita. Cheers to all our loved ones who can no longer be with us!

This post and recipe was created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always opinions are 100% mine.

It’s the second to last day of #HalloweenTreatsWeek but the last recipe for me. Normally I would have squeezed in a PBchocSat combo for tomorrow but we have a bye week. Which I am all too thankful for because I seem to have contracted something awful that’s been going around and stayed home from work yesterday, and also missed out on the Ohio Eggs event last night (excuse e while I go pout). Hopefully by the time you are reading this I am feeling much better as I of course have many plans this weekend.

The festival of Dia de los Muertos may not be until Halloween but it felt like the day of the dead in my house yesterday as all I did was sleep. Thank goodness I already had these margaritas made or there’s no chance I would be sharing them with you today. Not that sharing anything with me right now is a good idea unless you want to get sick. Sorry, delirium jokes aren’t very funny. But I’m super happy with how these turned out, incorporating hibiscus into the simple syrup that adds just a little extra flavor when combined with the blood orange juice and tequila. Perfect for sipping while handing out candy to the kids ;-). Want more? Try my blood orange margarita jello shots or a purple margarita could be a purple people eater!

I used sponsored products for this recipe such as granulated sugar from Dixie Crystals, sprinkles and straws from Sweets and Treats Shop, and marshmallow sculls from Treat Street USA. Scroll down for the list of other spooky treats for #HalloweenTreatsWeek today and at the end of this post is the giveaway info and entry!

Check out the amazing #HalloweenTreatsWeek recipes from our bloggers today!

• Poison Apple Cupcakes from Big Bear’s Wife
• Apple Cider Jello Shots from Fake Ginger
• Ghost Meringue Cookies from Cookaholic Wife
• Eyeball Monster Cookies from Jen Around the World
• Spooky Eyeball Truffles from Sweet Beginnings
• Halloween Chocolate Cake from Back To My Southern Roots
• Bloody Eyeball Crinkle Cookies from Creative Southern Home
• Day of the Dead Margaritas from The Spiffy Cookie
• Ectoplasm Fluff Salad from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Loaded Bat Bark from Who Needs A Cape?
• Halloween Icebox Cake from Lemon Blossoms
• Creepy Eyeball Popcorn Balls from West Via Midwest
• Purple People Eater Cupcakes from Jonesin’ For Taste
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake Cheeseballs from Sweet ReciPEAs
• Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes from The Beard and The Baker
• Halloween Cakesickles from Pint Sized Baker
• Halloween M&M Cookie Bars from Katie’s Cucina
• Witches Midnight Puppy Chow from My Sweet Zepol
• Individual Jack Skellington Cheesecakes from Savory Moments
• Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Sprinkle Frosting from The Baking Fairy
• Halloween Brownie Parfait from Intelligent Domestications
• Bloody Good Fudge from A Blender Mom
• Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Pumpkin Frosting and Spooky Sprinkles from Nancie’s Table
• Spooky Shortbread Cookies from Shockingly Delicious

Two years ago: October 2017 Stitch Fix #25

Four years ago: Chocolate Chip Peanut Pie

Five years ago: Homemade Peanut Butter Goo Goo Clusters

Six years ago: Crispy Gnocchi

Eight years ago: Butternut Squash Soup

DAY OF THE DEAD (BLOOD ORANGE HIBISCUS) MARGARITAS

Serves 1

Ingredients:

HIBISCUS SIMPLE SYRUP

1 hibiscus tea bag

1 cup water

1 cup Dixie Crystals granulated pure cane sugar

MARGARITAS

3 oz. tequila

2 oz. fresh blood orange juice

1 oz. lime juice

1 oz. hibiscus simple syrup

Ice cubes

Bright sprinkles (I used Sweets and Treats) or coarse salt for the rim

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine water and tea bag and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep according to manufacturer instructions. Remove tea bag, bring back to a boil, and add sugar, whisking until it dissolves. Turn off heat and set aside to cool.
2. Rim the ridge of your glass with a lime wedge and dip in sprinkles or coarse salt. Fill the glass with ice, if preferred.
   In a cocktail shaker, combine the tequila, blood orange juice, lime juice, hibiscus simple syrup, more ice, and shake for about 30 seconds. Strain and pour over ice in glass. Repeat for additional margaritas.

Source: Adapted slightly from my Kiwi Margaritas.

Happy Halloween! It’s October which means it’s time for Spooky Season and this year’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek event! #HalloweenTreatsWeek is hosted by Angie from Big Bear’s Wife & its a creepy and haunting week-long event is filled with some amazingly wicked Halloween treats, recipes and some frightfully fun giveaways.

“When witches go riding, and black cats are seen, the moon laughs and whispers ‘tis near Halloween.”

For the 2nd annual #HalloweenTreatsWeek event we have 41 fantastically talented bloggers that are sharing their favorite Halloween recipes throughout the week! There are going to be over 160 Halloween themed recipes shared during this year’s #HalloweenTreatsWeek and we can’t wait for you to see them all! Follow the hashtag #HalloweenTreatsWeek on social media and look at the bottom of each post to see all of the Halloween recipes that we’re sharing!

Plus, don’t forget that we have 6 (six) great giveaways for you this week thanks to our amazing sponsors!

Scroll down to take a look!

Prize #1

Prize #1 — Dixie Crystals is giving away a “Dinner and Dessert Set” – ONE 6-Quart Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker, a Pyrex mixing bowl set plus some fun Dixie Crystals items like a Dixie Crystal Apron and Cookbook!

Prize #2

Prize #2 — Adam’s Extract is giving away – 1 Gift Pack – including 4oz Adams Best, 1.5 oz Peppermint, 1.5oz Almond, 1 bottle vanilla cinnamon sugar, 1 bottle pumpkin pie spice

Prize #3

Prize #3 —Wilton is giving away a Texturra 7-Piece Bakeware Set

Prize #4

Prize #4 — Sweets and Treats Shop is giving away a large baking box of goodies! Sweets and Treats will send one lucky winner a large assortment of sprinkles and lines and other samples of their products!

Prize #5

Prize #5 — Treat Street USA is giving away a set of Holiday Treat Decorations (1 Gummy Assortment, 1 Marshmallow Snowman, 1 Toy Solider and 1 Gingerbread Men)

Prize #6

Prize # 6– Litehouseis giving away the following: 1 Litehouse® Honeycrisp Apple Cider, 1 Litehouse® Old Fashioned Caramel, 1 Litehouse® Pumpkin Spice Caramel, 1 Litehouse® Butterscotch Caramel & 1 Litehouse® Chocolate Dip, Snack Packs

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway open to US Residents 18 years or older. All entries will be verified. No PO Boxes Please. Prizes will be sent directly from sponsors to winners, bloggers are not responsible for prizes. This giveaway runs from October 7th – October 13th at 11:59PM EST. Winners will be selected soon afterward and contacted by e-mail. Winners will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. There are a total of 6 (six) prizes and therefore we will have a total of 6 (six) winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.

Disclaimer: These posts and recipes are part of the week-long event, #HalloweenTreatsWeek but all opinions are 100% mine! We would like to Thank our amazing sponsors: Dixie Crystals, Adam’s Extract, Wilton, Sweets and Treats Shop, Treat Street USA and Litehouse! These wonderful sponsors provided the prize packs for our giveaways and also sent samples and products to the #HalloweenTreatsWeek bloggers to use in their recipes.

Tomorrow may be the 243rd birthday of the United States, but it’s also the release day of Stranger Things Seasons 3! Either scenario calls for a celebration cocktail, but if you are familiar with the Netflix original series, you know that a character named Eleven (aka El or Jane) is obsessed with Eggo waffles and as such became the inspiration for this cocktail. I did waffle (pun intended) between doing this or something with a float to emulate the upside down, but then I got these cool purple-bottomed glasses from JoyJolt and I knew the waffle-inspired cocktail had to go in it (because the float would be lost in the glass coloring).

This would be exceptionally good with a maple whiskey but I just had the classic stuff so the maple flavor was not as strong as I would have liked, but I didn’t want to make it too sweet by adding a ton of syrup either! The most important part is the mini waffle garnish so as long as you have that, El would be more than halfway happy. In fact this cocktail is down right dangerous as the citrus and maple mask some of the whiskey flavor making you believe it to be weaker than it really is. Guess that’s just like Eleven, looks like a frail little thing but can kick some serious butt.

Two years ago: Firework Oreo Cheesecake Bites

Three years ago: Weekly Meal Plan #19

Four years ago: Caramelized Onion & Roasted Red Pepper Salsa

Five years ago: Sour Patch Kids Cake

Six years ago: Fruit & Yogurt Popsicles

Seven years ago: Shortbread Cookies

THE ELEVEN

Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients:

2 oz. whiskey (plain or maple flavored)

1 oz. orange juice

1/2 oz. maple syrup

1 large pasteurized egg white

2 dashes Angostura bitters

1 Eggo mini waffle, toasted and cut in half

Directions:

1. Combine the whiskey, orange juice, maple syrup, egg white, and bitters into a cocktail shaker without ice and shake. Add ice and shake for another 10-15 seconds to chill.
2. Strain into a chilled glass filled with ice. Serve with waffle half as garnish.

Source: Adapted from my Maple Bacon Old Fashioned.

Disclosure: I was provided with complimentary glasses from JoyJolt but was not otherwise compensated or told what to post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Want crispy flavorful wings but don’t want to deal with a deep fryer? Make these wings in a slow cooker and finish them off in the broiler and you may end up thinking they are better than fried.

Man, did November make an entrance or what? All the unseasonably warm weather we were having throughout October? POOF! Gone. Whatever happened to a gradual decline in the temperatures? We seemed to have skipped right from the 80s to the 40s, missing that sweet spot of fall in the 60s and 70s which are perfect for backyard bonfires. Guess it’s time to bust out the slow cooker if you haven’t already.

While I am a big fan of utilizing the magical powers of a slow cooker year round, I definitely utilize it more in the cooler months because soups and stews keep me warm from the inside out. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that’s the only thing that gets cooked in there, my slow cooker tag is proof of it’s versatility as is this recipe I am sharing today.

When you hear the name P.F. Chang’s® the first thing you think of may not be chicken wings but I am here to change that. Step aside deep fryer, these slow cooker wings were made with the NEW P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu Soy Sauce, currently only available at Walmart (along with Teriyaki, Kung Pao, Sesame, and Mongolian), and they couldn’t be easier. Like many slow cooker recipes you add the protein, stir up the sauce, pour over, and cook! I did however add 2 more easy steps to really make these wings shine.

After cooking in the flavorful sauce made of P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu Lower Sodium Soy Sauce, honey, sriracha, and orange juice, I cooked down a portion of the sauce to create a glaze to brush on the wings before broiling until crispy. The end results is a crispy wing just as if it were fried. And that my friends is how the P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu sauces contribute to easy, creative Asian-inspired cuisine!

Interested into other sauces besides P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu Lower Sodium Soy Sauce? Don’t forget, the P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu sauces line also includes Teriyaki, Kung Pao, Sesame, and Mongolian. What will you make with these sauces?

Two years ago: Treacle Tart

Three years ago: Cinnamon-Sugar Pumpkin Bagel Bites for One

Four years ago: Baked Choco-Peanut Butter Doughnuts

Five years ago: Fresh Strawberry Cupcakes with Chocolate Cheesecake Frosting

Six years ago: Pumpkin Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

SLOW COOKER SWEET & SPICY WINGS

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 lb. chicken wings

1 cup P.F. Chang’s® Home Menu Lower Sodium Soy Sauce

1 cup honey

1/3 cup sriracha

1 cup orange juice

Directions:

1. Lightly coat the inside of a slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place wings in the slow cooker.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sauce, honey, sriracha, and juice. Pour over chicken. Add more orange juice if needed to cover.
3. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.
4. Preheat oven to broil, line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with nonstick spray.
5. Remove the chicken wings from the slow cooker and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Strain and reserve 2 cups of the cooking juices and place in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking until thickened.
7. Brush reduced sauce over chicken and broil until crispy, about 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway.
8. Serve garnished with cilantro or sliced green onions.

Source: Adapted from Girl Carnivore.

P.F. Chang’s and P.F. Chang’s Home Menu® are registered trademarks owned by P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, Inc. and are used with permission.

Step aside orange juice, there’s room for other kinds of fruit juices when it comes to mimosas. Which will you try first?

‘Tis the season for mimosas! I set up this mimosa bar for Easter brunch but there are far more opportunities for it in the near future. Mother’s Day perhaps? Or just any ol’ weekend? I trust you can find a reason without my assistance. The real question is, have you ever had a mimosa with a juice other than orange? Sure the staple is delicious but you should really mix it up some time. For my first mimosa bar, in addition to orange I had peach-mango and pomegrante-blueberry. And then for fruit garnishes I used blood oranges (from Limoneira), pineapple, and strawberries. Pair it with an easy brunch charcuterie board to really impress.

When I told my friends I was setting up a mimosa bar for brunch they didn’t anticipate what was in store. Admittedly the spread did look pretty impressive, yet it took little effort to set up and therefore might become a staple for future brunch gatherings. I simply poured the juices into clear glass carafes, placed fresh fruit in ramekins, and used one of my homemade cookie sheet chalkboards for the sign/directions. Not that they needed directions on how to make a mimosa as my friends are seasoned professionals but it looked fun at least.

Two years ago: Lemon-Lime Raspberry Mojitos

Three years ago: Strawberry Shortcake Cobbler

Four years ago: Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns

Five years ago: Pineapple Pancakes with Honey Greek Yogurt Topping

MIMOSA BAR

Makes approximately 18 servings

Ingredients:

3 liters of 100% assorted juices

3 liters of champagne, chilled (or more)

Fresh fruit, wash and sliced

Directions:

1. Pour juices into clear bottles. Add labels to indicate their flavors.
2. Place champagne in ice buckets.
3. Mix champagne and juice in a 1:1 ratio (or 3:1 if you’re my friends) in a champagne glass. Garnish with fruit and enjoy!

Source: All over the internet

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):

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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tag #TheSpiffyCookie

This sweet, citrus cocktail will sneak up on you just like a shark attack. Hence the name. Made with lemon, pineapple, maraschino cherries, orange juice, tequila, and rum.

Let’s celebrate. Because it’s almost the weekend, the weather has been warm but rainy, and because it’s just fun to celebrate everyday victories. In fact, after work today my lab is going to happy hour and as usual we have been planning and looking forward to it since Monday

. It doesn’t take long for one failed or successful experiment (usually the prior) to promote our yearning for a good happy hour. And it’s a great excuse to check out new restaurants. But if you would prefer to host a happy hour at home, may I suggest this cocktail?

This sweet, citrus, and booze infused beverage will sneak up on you if you are not careful – just like a shark. Definitely a drink to enjoy either from the comfort of your own home, or with a trusty DD.

(And if you were wondering, that is my jalapeno-cilantro hummus in the background.)

One year ago: Easter Recipe Roundup

Two years ago: Speculoos Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Dough Granola Bars

Three years ago: Flavor-Injected Glazed Ham

SHARK ATTACK COCKTAIL

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lemon, sliced

1/2 cup pineapple chunks, plus more for garnish

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, plus more for garnish

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup high alcohol content rum (I used Bacardi 151)

1/2 cup tequila

1/2 cup Triple Sec

Splash grenadine or pomegranate juice

Directions:

1. In a large pitcher, add the lemon, pineapple, and cherries. Stir in orange juice, pineapple juice, rum, tequila, and triple sec.
2. Pour into glasses filled with ice cubes. Garnish with a splash of grenadine and top with additional pineapple and cherries.

Source: Adapted slightly from Food Network’s Guy Fieri.

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on Instagram with the

tag #TheSpiffyCookie

I know we just spent the weekend being romantic but now it’s time to get boozy because it’s Mardi Gras! How about some rum infused cupcakes? Rum in the batter, rum soaked into the baked cupcakes, and then rum in the frosting. These cupcakes were inspired by the hurricane cocktail which is made of passion fruit juice, orange juice, lime juice, grenadine, and rum. You will find all of those flavors in these cupcakes however I could not find straight passion fruit juice and instead went with a mango-passion fruit blend. Oddly enough Bob did not enjoy these cupcakes at all, which upset me at first until he explained that he said it tasted like a fruity girly drink. Mission accomplished!

One year ago: Goat Cheese, Spinach & Tomato Quiche

Three years ago: Crispy Parmesan Green Beans

Four years ago: Feta & Broccoli Pizza

HURRICANE CUPCAKES

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

CUPCAKES

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup mango-passion fruit juice

2 Tbsp fresh orange juice + 1 Tbsp zest

1 Tbsp pomegranate or cherry juice (or grenadine)

2 Tbsp rum

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup buttermilk

Red or pink food coloring (optional)

BRUSH

1 Tbsp rum

1 Tbsp lime juice

FROSTING

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp mango-passion fruit juice

1 Tbsp pomegranate or cherry juice (or grenadine)

1/2 Tbsp rum

Pinch of salt

GARNISH

1 orange, sliced

12 cherries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
4. Reduce the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at at time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
5. Add the juices, zest, rum, and vanilla extract then mix until combined. (The mixture may start to look curdled at this point, but don’t worry)
6. Reduce the mixer speed low. Add the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk in two batches. Add food coloring if desired. Mix only until just incorporated, using a rubber spatula to give it one last mix by hand.
7. Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, rotating halfway through, or until just slightly golden and a toothpick inserted shows moist crumbs.
8. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. Using a toothpick, poke a couple holes in the cupcakes. In a small bowl mix the rum and lime juice, then brush the tops of the cupcakes. Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely before frosting them.
9. To make the frosting, whip the butter on medium-high speed of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment for 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing and scraping the sides of the bowl until all is incorporated. Give it a mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the juices, rum, and salt and mix on medium-high speed until incorporated and fluffy. If the frosting appears a bit too soft, add some additional sugar, one spoonful at a time until desired consistency is reached.
10. Frost cupcakes and garnish with an orange slice and a cherry.

Source: Adapted from my Strawberry Margarita Cupcakes.

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tag #TheSpiffyCookie

Citrus is a great compliment to ham but instead of glazing your ham, try these orange glazed green beans and butternut squash as a festive side dish.

Jump to recipe

Lesson learned: get a flu shot every year. This year was the first in 8 that I did not get a flu shot, mainly because I couldn’t get it for free anymore (oh how I miss the perks of being a student), and sure enough the flu found me on Christmas Eve of all days. I’ve been slowly recovering since with my biggest achievement coming in the form of a shower. Hooray cleanliness!

Before I realized what my sniffles were leading up to, I did help cook dinner on Christmas Eve for my parents (thankfully they had already passed the illness, likely to me). The menu consisted of smoked country ham from Benton’s, my dad’s homemade applesauce, cheddar biscuits, rosemary mac and cheese, and orange glazed green beans and butternut squash. I often make an orange glazed ham or other kind of citrus, but since we went with a smoked ham this year the citrus element went into the side dish instead. And it was the favorite part of the meal.

Welcome to Holiday Side Dish Week 2022 hosted by Heather from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks. This year we have over 45 side dishes to help you plan your holiday meals.

Friday Holiday Side Dish Recipes:

• Cauliflower & Carrot Gratin from An Affair from the Heart
• Creamed Lima Beans with Bacon from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Deviled Potatoes from A Little Fish in the Kitchen
• Hasselback Potato Gratin from Sweet Beginnings
• Homemade Sausage and Herb Stuffing Recipe from Blogghetti
• Loaded Cauliflower Casserole from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Mushroom and Wild Rice Casserole from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Homemade Egg Noodles in Chicken Broth from Art of Natural Living
• Smoked Baked Beans with Bacon and Jalapenos from Our Good Life
• Stovetop Spicy Sweet Potatoes from Magical Ingredients
• Sweet and Spicy Roasted Broccoli from A Day in the Life on the Far

ORANGE GLAZED GREEN BEANS AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH

Print

Yield: 4-6 Servings Prep Time: 20 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

GLAZE

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 3 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 Tbsp orange zest
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

BEANS & SQUASH

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1-1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled then diced into 1/2 in cubes (about 3 cups)
• 1 lb. green beans washed, trimmed
• 3/4 cup toasted pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• Salt, to taste

Directions

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all the glaze ingredients. Set aside.
2. In a large saute pan over medium head, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and swirl to coat pan. Add squash, stir to coat with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Shake the pan so squash spreads out in an even layer and let cook, without stirring, until browned. Flip and spread the pieces out again and let cook without stirring until browned. Let cook until the squash is soft, but holds it shape, about 15 minutes.
3. Once the squash is done, add green beans and glaze. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn heat down to low and add the pecans and dried cranberries. Stir and serve.

Source: Adapted from Heartbeet Kitchen.

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

Post updated 11/1/2022, photo above is the original.

Tequila sunrises are a great brunch cocktail. This version is made with crushed fresh raspberries instead of grenadine!

Welcome to the second annual brunch week hosted by Terri of Love and Confections and Susan of The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen!  Join us May 5th through 11th while we celebrate the deliciousness of brunch and to prepare for Mother’s Day and summer brunching season.  We have 32 bloggers bringing you their best brunch game, from cocktails to eggs benedict to donuts, there is something for everything this week.  Our amazing sponsors have donated some great prizes for a gigantic giveaway, please visit them all for more information.

Check out all the amazing recipes today:

Beverages:

• Frozen Peach Bellini from Love and Confections
• Raspberry Tequila Sunrise from The Spiffy Cookie
• Mango Mimosa from My Catholic Kitchen
• Pineapple Peach Mimosa from Big Bear’s Wife
• Rosemary-Orange Mocktail from The Kitchen Prep

Brunch Eggs:

• Caramelized Onion Tart from Hungry Couple
• Polenta Cakes with Crab & Eggs from Foxes Love Lemons
• Sausage, Spinach and Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole from Neighborfood
• Loaded Veggie Frittata with Sweet Potato and Hatch Chile from The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Mexican Omelete with Plantain, Avocado and Mango Hash from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Veggie and Scalloped Potato Frittata from Hip Foodie Mom
• Apple and Sweet Potato Egg Muffin Cups from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Frittata Muffins from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Main Brunch Dishes:

• Muscat-Glazed Lamb Lollipops with Roasted Grapes from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Spinach & Mushroom Quiche from Real Housemoms
• Paleo & Chicken Waffles from Quarter Life (Crisis) Cuisine

Brunch Breads and Sides:

• Dutch Baby with Roasted Strawberries from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Strawberry Mascarpone Stuffed French Toast from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Strawberry Lemon Crepes from Food Faith Fitness
• Carrot Cake Steel Cut Oatmeal from It’s Yummi!
• Banana Bacon Pancakes from Eat Your Heart Out
• Raspberry Oatmeal Pancakes from Healthy.Delicious.
• Mexican Chocolate French Toast with Spiced Blackberry Syrup from Cooking in Stilettos
• Brown Butter Peanut Butter Doughnuts with Mixed Berry Jelly Icing from Sarcastic Cooking
• Baked Chocolate Hazelnut Donuts from {i love} My Disorganized Life
• Banana Coconut Milk Pancakes from Chocolate Moosey
• Pumpernickel Bagels from Jen’s Favorite Cookies

Brunch Fruit and Vegetables:

• Honeycrisp and & Carrot Waldorf from The Vintage Cook
• Hazelnut Crepes with Rum Peaches from Savvy Eats

Brunch Desserts:

• Greek Yogurt Chocolate Cake from Roxana’s Home Baking
• Simple Oatmeal Cookie Jam Bars from Chelsea’s Messy Apron
• Raspberry Lemon Explosion Cake from White Lights on Wednesday

I am so excited to be a part of this year’s Brunch Week! There are so many great recipes this week which would be perfect for Mother’s Day brunch or any brunch throughout the year. In case that isn’t incentive enough to stick around all week, how about all the amazing giveaways that are up for grabs? Check out all the details and enter the giveaways HERE.

Today is not only the beginning of Brunch Week but also Cinco de Mayo! This combination lead to the decision to make an alcoholic beverage with orange juice to cover breakfast and tequila for the Mexican flair. Obviously I am talking about a tequila sunrise, but instead of using grenadine I mashed up some fresh raspberries using my OXO muddler which created red portion of the sunrise. Brunch just got a whole lot sweeter! And although this recipe is written for one drink, I trust that even when tipsy you will be able to do the math to mix up multiples if necessary.

Two years ago: Dulce de Leche Brownies

Three years ago: Homemade Salsa

RASPBERRY TEQUILA SUNRISE

Serves 1

Ingredients:

4 fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish

1-1/2 oz. chilled white tequila

4 oz. cold orange juice

Directions:

1. Place the raspberries in the bottom of a sturdy 6 oz. glass and crush with a muddler. Place a couple ice cubes in the glass, then pour the tequila over the ice followed by the orange juice. Garnish with extra raspberries.

Source: Adapted from Chow.

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This giveaway is open to residents of the United States only, age 18 & older. The #Brunchweek 2014 giveaway runs from Monday, May 5, 2014 7:00a EDT through Saturday May 10, 2014 at 11:59p EDT. Winners will be randomly chosen and announced on May 11th. Winners will also be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond to the email. If a winner does not respond in that time a new winner will be chosen. For more information, see the full terms and conditions in the Rafflecopter widget.
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Disclosure: California Walnuts, Bob’s Red Mill, Oxo, Dixie Crystals, Whole Foods Market Doctor Phillips, Grimmway Farms, Woot Froot, Vidalia Onion, Baloian Farms, Stemilt and Bonne Maman are providing the prizes free of charge.  I have received product related to these brands to use for #Brunchweek. All opinions stated are my own.

Remember the peanut butter Greek yogurt fruit dip? Well I made another dip for the fruit-dipping-lovers out there! The reason why I bring up the peanut butter one is because I made both of these dips at the same time as evident by the same fruit skewers in the background. I actually made these dips months ago when my cousin Alex got married. Which happened in early fall. Makes you wonder why I waited so long to post them. I could make up all kinds of excuses but in reality I just totally forgot about them. The pictures were on an old memory card and I was distracted by my fancy new camera with it’s brand new memory card. Thankfully old pictures don’t get stale or moldy…

…dang, I really know how to make you crave this dip.

One year ago: Cinnamon Apple Quinoa Parfaits

Two years ago: Beef with Barley Soup

ORANGE-VANILLA GREEK YOGURT FRUIT DIP

Makes approximately 2 cups

Ingredients:

12 oz. vanilla Greek yogurt (or plain plus 1 tsp vanilla extract)

4 oz. whipped cream cheese

Zest and juice of an orange

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients, mixing until smooth.
2. Serve cold with fruit.

Source: Adapted from Jen’s Favorite Cookies.

Post updated 9/9/19, the picture above is the original.