Hot buttered spiced apple cider with rum

This recipe contains alcohol and is intended for those readers who are 21 and over. Please drink responsibly. 

How can it be that this is only the second drink containing alcohol that I've shared on this blog?!? I mean, really? I guess it's mainly because my husband and I are generally boring drinkers - beer, whiskey on the rocks, or the occasional glass of wine. We don't really make a lot of mixed drinks except when he whips up a martini every now and again... However, I think it's time to change that. 

I've been wanting to try a buttered rum or hot toddy or some other warm and festive drink for a while now. This drink is a combination of hot buttered rum and hot spiced apple cider and it's delicious - so perfect for the holidays or any cold evening. A lot of the recipes I read for buttered rum were loaded with butter and brown sugar! My version is lighter on both of those and will make two drinks. The addition of butter is just enough to add a touch of creaminess and froth to the drink. 

I'm sharing this cocktail recipe today in celebration of 5 years of this blog! I never imagined I'd still be blogging about recipes and, even crazier, that I don't see an end in sight - I still have so many recipes I want to make and share! I'm thrilled to have "met" so many fantastic, creative, and inspiring people through this medium. I truly thank all of you who stop by and read, leave comments, share and talk on social media, etc. So this drink is a toast to all of you! Cheers!

Whole wheat acorn squash waffles with walnut and cinnamon syrup

I've been on a bit of a breakfast recipe kick lately when it comes to winter squash. This time, it's waffles - waffles infused with a mashed acorn squash, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and topped with more cinnamon, sticky toasted walnuts, and warm maple syrup. 

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Yes, this is my kind of weekend breakfast. I wanted to use acorn squash for a couple of reasons. The first is that we had some really small ones, so I was hoping that i would be able to use it all in the recipe and not have any leftover squash remains. 

The second is that acorn squash is not very sweet when compared to many winter squashes and I like this in a breakfast that I'm going to douse in maple syrup. I'm not a fan of sweet overload, especially in the morning.

This recipe made 9 waffles for me, though this will depend on the size and shape of your waffle iron.

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.

Mexican hot chocolate cookies

Soft and chewy chocolate cookies with a hint of cayenne and cinnamon make these delicious Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies.

Pumpkin spice granola

Granola is a staple in our household, though usually it's in bar form (I need to update that recipe as I've made many changes over the years, especially in reducing the sugar). We make granola bars almost every Sunday for our weekday breakfast. Every once in a while though, I crave granola cereal with cool creamy milk. It's usually happens around this time of year when there's pumpkin puree around because that's how I almost always make it. I love granola that is full of spices. It fills your home with wonderful aroma as it bakes. You can eat this granola just as is, but I like to eat it as cereal or with plain yogurt. I wanted to have it around for Thanksgiving week for quick, nutritious breakfasts that make me think fall! Plus, it's a perfect recipe for Week 4 of 12 Weeks of Winter Squash!

On a side note, it seems that the manual focus is working better on my camera, so I'm getting decent photos again now (autofocus is still toast). I love the little pitcher in this photo. My Grandmother made it and the matching plates in her ceramics class!