Sweet Potato Pie

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Andrea

Pumpkin pie is one of those items that I stopped making for our Thanksgiving dinner a few years back. Don’t get me wrong, I love pumpkin!

But we have it all the time and I use it in a lot of different applications. Sweet potatoes were something that was completely traditional for Scott to have at Thanksgiving so we couldn’t skip them.

What to do? They had to be part of the menu yet as a side dish would put us way over the edge.

I decided to remove them as a side dish and return them as dessert.

This has worked out very well! We’re still getting sweet potatoes for the big day but not as a sticky gross mess (sorry but that whole marshmallow thing needs to go!). Instead it’s served up in pie form!

And if you’ve got folks who claim they hate pumpkin (GASP!) you can serve them this instead!

This year I experimented a little and added a crumb topping and some good rum into the mix.

Bourbon Brined Turkey

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Andrea

Beer brined, cider brined, and I’ve used wine in a brine. This year I decided to just throw caution to the wind and bust out the big guns.

Bourbon.

For Thanksgiving this year, I decided to go with a Southern inspired meal. Mashed potatoes and stuffing were standard but I made collards for a side dish and wanted to make my turkey have a bit of a Southern flair to it.

I went back and forth on what to use in the brine. Finally it occurred to me that bourbon would probably be really tasty when used in a brine. It’s sweet, smooth, and it’s made in the south.

I put the brine together the day before Thanksgiving and it smelled amazing! And a little boozy. Happy Holidays!

Andrea’s Bourbon Brined Turkey

1, 12-14lb Turkey

Brine Foundation:

2/3C Bourbon, I used Knob Creek

3 1/2C Chicken Stock

4C Hot or Boiling Water

1C Kosher Salt

1/2C Brown Sugar, Packed

Additional Seasonings and Ingredients:

Bourbon Applesauce

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Andrea

Yesterday, I talked about how much bourbon I’ve been using in baking and cooking lately. One of the things I mentioned was making Bourbon Applesauce.

I had some apples that needed used up and quickly! They weren’t good to eat, kind of mealy, a little too soft, and the skin was wrinkled.

I wasn’t about to toss them because I knew they could be used for something! I thought it over for a couple of days and realized that making applesauce would be the perfect solution!

After cooking the whole thing gets pureed which takes care of the mealy and soft aspects of the less than perfect apples. The skin gets peeled, so that problem is solved as well!

I’ve made applesauce before but I really wanted something a little different this time around. Something a little more spicy and something with a bit more kick. Once I realized that I could use bourbon, well everything just fell into place after that!

Coconut Lime Spritzer

Posted on July 22, 2010 by Andrea

Guys I am so behind on recipe posting! I have a ton in my little notebook of stuff that I need to get written up and published ASAP! So be prepared for a recipe posting spree over the next few weeks, K? :)

I again bring your attention to the fact that it’s summertime and that means HOT. Or if you live where I do, it means HUMID with a side of sticky. You don’t really want to do much of anything except take time out to sip on something delicious and preferably very cold.

I do not drink mixed drinks because that kind of alcohol always seems a little heavy on my stomach. Plus a lot of drinks are made so they are super sweet and I’m not one for sweet. Even with wine I do not like sweet. Scott on the other hand likes mixed drinks a great deal and I will occasionally make him a little sumptin’ sumptin’ to sip on while dinner cooks or perhaps while he’s manning the grill out back.

Kentucky Summer Sippin’ Tea

Posted on May 28, 2010 by Andrea

To me, one of the best things about blogging is that it gives you the chance to meet people you otherwise might never have crossed paths with. It makes the world a little bit smaller and helps us make meaningful connections with others. I have met so many people because of this lil blog and I’m so thankful for that.

Blogging also helps us get the chance to sample products we might otherwise never have known about. One of my blogging buddies, Lori, sent me this tea for my birthday earlier this year. She’s in Kentucky and sent me a blend of tea made at a local Inn. Elmwood Inn is located in Perryville, KY and they’ve been making teas since 1990. Once a public tea room, they now focus exclusively on selling and importing teas.

The tea Lori sent me is Elmwood’s Kentucky Blend Tea which is a combo of different Chinese black teas. The first mug of this I had, was on an unseasonably cold April afternoon. It was perfect! Sometimes black teas can have a bit of a bitter finish to them but this was very smooth and needed very little honey to help balance it out.