Beef and butternut squash chocolate chili

This post is sponsored on behalf of #Choctoberfest and our generous sponsors. I received free product from Divine Chocolate. As always, all opinions are my own.

This chili combines beef, two kinds of beans, butternut squash, and is simmered in a sauce of warm spices and creamy chocolate for a delicious Halloween or autumn meal. 

Garlic and thyme smashed sunchokes

Disclosure: This recipe is part of #FallFlavors week. I was provided products from sponsors to assist in recipe development. As always, all opinions are my own.

Smashed sunchokes are sweet, a little crispy, and full of garlic and thyme flavor. If you've never eaten sunchokes before, this is a great introduction to these tasty root vegetables. 

Curry barbecue chickpea and eggplant tacos

Disclosure: This post is sponsored on behalf of Bar-B-Que Beast. I received product to help in creation of this recipe. As always, all opinions are my own. 

These fusion tacos combine barbecue and curry flavors into one delicious Indian-inspired taco full of chickpeas and eggplant. These vegetarian tacos are bold in flavor from the curry barbecue sauce.

Slow cooker chicken bacon ranch sliders

Disclosure: This recipe is being shared as part of #NationalSlowCookerMonth. I received products from our event sponsor Rhodes Bake N Serve Bread for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

Creamy ranch chicken is slow cooked and topped with bacon and cheese on slider sized rolls for a delicious family pleasing meal.

Slow cooker sausage pasta e fajioli soup

Disclosure: This recipe is being shared as part of #NationalSlowCookerMonth. I received products from our event sponsor Camellia Brand Beans for this post. As always, all opinions are my own.

Hearty, warming, and delicious soup is what you need on a cold winter day. This slow cooker soup is full of vegetables, beans, sausage, and pasta for a complete and filling meal.

Passion fruit & blood orange curd tart

This post is sponsored by #FreakyFruitsFriday. I received fruit from our generous sponsor, Melissa's Produce, to assist in recipe creation. As always, all opinions are my own.

This sweet and tangy tart is similar to a lemon tart, but better and more complex! It's delicious, creamy, and full of a tropical feel for a delicious and refreshing dessert.

Individual Jack Skellington cheesecakes #HalloweenTreatsWeek

This post and recipe were created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies to help in recipe development, but as always all opinions are 100% my own.

Individual Jack Skellington cheesecakes are not only delicious, but they are also a super fun Halloween dessert or party treat! These creamy little cheesecakes with a chocolate graham cracker crust are sure to please.

Cinnamon & sugar soft pretzel bones #HalloweenTreatsWeek

Soft pretzels shaped into little bones and dipped into a cinnamon and sugar mix make a delicious and fun Halloween treat!

Halloween hidden bat loaf cake

A vanilla loaf cake topped with homemade vanilla frosting and fun sprinkles is filled with a hidden surprise -- chocolate cake bats! A super fun treat for Halloween!

Thai red curry dragon fruit chicken salad

This post is sponsored by #FreakyFruitsFriday. I received fruit from our generous sponsor, Melissa's Produce, to assist in recipe creation. As always, all opinions are my own.

A twist on chicken salad using Thai red curry paste, coconut cream, fresh dragon fruit, and Thai basil for a delicious and fun light dinner or lunch.

Apple vanilla oatmeal cookies #AppleWeek

This post is sponsored on behalf of #appleweek. Our generous sponsors, Envy Apples, Torani, Chocoley, Bob's Red Mill, The Republic of Tea, Taylor & Colledge, Flahavan's Irish Oatmeal, Nairn's, and Zyliss have provided us with products for recipe creation and a giveaway for our readers. As always, all opinions are my own.

Soft and chewy oatmeal cookies filled with vanilla bean paste and apples make a perfect fall treat.

Whole wheat cardamom rhubarb scones

Nutty whole wheat, tangy rhubarb, and a hing of cardamom all come together in these delicious scones. Scones and coffee are a perfect match and these whole wheat cardamom rhubarb scones are a lovely treat for spring.

Chipotle turkey, apple, & sweet potato chili

Disclosure: This post is sponsored on behalf of #appleweek. Our generous sponsors, Swiss Diamond, Envy Apples, Imperial Sugar, Nordic Ware, Rodelle Vanilla, Flahavan's Irish Oatmeal, Nairn's and The Spice House have provided us with products for recipe creation and a giveaway for our readers. As always, all opinions are my own.

 

A chili packed with sweet potatoes, apples, turkey, black beans, and seasoned with chipotle in adobo, cinnamon, coriander, and more makes for a delicious, hearty, and unique fall meal. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I am so excited to share this recipe with you! Apples are a huge part of our fall and my husband and I love visiting our local orchard where they have new apple varieties as well as heritage varieties. We go picking every fall and I'm always creating new apple recipes as well as old favorites. 

I was soooo happy to be able to receive a box of Envy Apples to try for #AppleWeek! These apples were new to me and to my family, so trying them was a big deal for us. Our kids were sampling them with me as soon as we got the box. 

I popped one in my husband's lunch. I gave one to my mom to take home one day, too. The kids and I loved them. My husband texted me saying what a great apple it was. My mom called and asked where she could buy them. They is no question these apples are winners! They are crisp, lightly sweet, and have a delicate apple flavor - plus the skin is so pretty in color and nice in texture. 

We will definitely be adding Envy Apples to our favorites now. They are so good for eating out of hand, but they are also terrific for cooking. I knew I wanted to make at least one savory apple dish this week and had long been thinking of adding apples to a chili. 

This chili far exceeded my expectations and will be a regular in our autumn meal rotation from now on - trust me, it may sound a bit add, but all the flavors blend together for a perfect one-pot meal! 

This recipe will serve about 4-6 people depending on hunger level and any sides. It's great with corn bread or a side of corn chips/tortilla strips for scooping or sprinkling on top.

Oven roasted apple butter

Disclosure: This post is sponsored on behalf of #appleweek. Our generous sponsors, Swiss Diamond, Envy Apples, Imperial Sugar, Nordic Ware, Rodelle Vanilla, Flahavan's Irish Oatmeal, Nairn's and The Spice House have provided us with products for recipe creation and a giveaway for our readers. As always, all opinions are my own.

 

Apple butter is taken to another level when you slow roast it in the oven. The apple flavor condenses and you get a hint of a caramelized flavor for the most amazing and deeply apple-y apple butter! 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This is my first recipe for #AppleWeek! I'm so excited to join this event this year because as my readers know I have a bit of an apple obsession. Stay tuned all week for bushels of fabulous apple recipes! 

This apple butter was made in this Swiss Diamond XD Nonstick Roasting Pan. I am so excited to be able to add this roasting pan to my cookware collection. According to Swiss Diamond's website, their XD coating features not only a new nonstick diamond-reinforced coating formulation, but also an advanced PFOA-free and eco-friendly production process. 

The apple butter in this recipe reduces down a lot of leaves apple residue on your pan, but clean-up was so simple - just soapy water and a sponge and it wiped right off. This roasting pan is going to be perfect for our family all year round for making roasts, chicken, and even casseroles. Don't forget to enter to win one of the awesome prizes from our sponsors!

I lightly spiced this apple butter to really highlight the apple flavor and not overwhelm it with too much spice. I also did not add any sugar as I used sweet apples. If you use more tart apples, or want a sweeter product, feel free to add some brown sugar to the recipe after it is pureed. This recipe will make about 2-1/2 cups of finished apple butter. 

I left one small jar in my refrigerator and froze another two jars for later. Any sweet apple will do in this recipe. I used Gala apples and left them unpeeled for even more apple flavor, but you can peel them for an extra smooth apple butter. 

I like my apple butter spread onto biscuits or toast, or even used to make apple butter oatmeal muffins.

Honey cinnamon summer berry crisp

Disclosure: Chef Shamy provided me with two flavors of their butter as a #CookoutWeek 2018 sponsor. All opinions are my own and I was not required to post a favorable review.

Four kinds of fresh summer berries are baked together with honey and cinnamon and topped with a crisp made with cinnamon and brown sugar honey butter. 

Roasted maple blueberries & a review of "The Fruit Forager's Companion"

Disclosure: Chelsea Green Publishing provided me with a review copy of this cookbook. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase an item from these links, a small percentage goes to support the work of this blog. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

When I saw that Sara Bir had a new book coming out dedicated to recipes for foraged fruit, I was super excited to say the least. But, this isn't just a book of recipes, it's full of information - why people forage fruit, doing so respectfully and safely, and also what makes these wild fruits special to us. 

OSOhome personalized wood cutting board review {and special offer!}

Disclosure: OSOhome provided me with the cutting board for my review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Photo courtesy of OSOhome - I love the apple!

 Today I'm doing a post that's a bit different (i.e., not a recipe), but I hope you will enjoy it! 

I was lucky enough to meet Monica of OSOhome at the World on Your Plate 11th Annual Conference on Food & Sustainable Living in October where I sat in on her Entrepreneurship workshop. I took this workshop on a hunch that I might pick up some good tips and ideas for growing and marketing my blog. Little did I know that I would also meet someone who owns a small business that creates beautiful and eco-friendly wood cutting boards and is also pretty local to me (just a short drive over the bridge)! As you all know, I'm very passionate about local foods, supporting local farmers and food artisans, and also the environment, so when they asked me to review their cutting boards - it was a no-brainer! I am picky about the companies I support and promote on my blog, but after meeting Monica, learning about their company, and receiving the product, I'm a full supporter of their work!

 My cutting board after I opened the box. The wrapping and presentation was very pretty.