Rosemary Yuzu Gin Fizz

Two things that inevitably speak to me of winter are citrus and evergreens. I know that winter is still a couple of days away, but when you wake up daily to find everything outside of your front door covered in soft white frost, it kind of puts you in the mindset a little bit early. Therefore, it just feels timely to sip this this winter-inspired fizzy gin cocktail featuring the flavors of yuzu (a citrus fruit) and rosemary (an evergreen).

I recently tried a bottle of Yuzu Liqueur (made by iichiko Bar Liqueur) for the first time, and thought that the lightly sweetened citrus liqueur would be perfect in cocktails of all sorts for the holiday season. The fresh, piney scent of rosemary seemed like a natural accompaniment to the base yuzu citrus flavor, and combined, they just beckoned for the addition of a botanical gin.

Pimm's Cup Ice Pops

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy icy cold cocktails. From frosty blended drinks, to tall sweaty glasses filled with ice cubes that clink and slosh every time you lift them, there's just something about raising a toast under the hot sun. Of course, sitting alone under a shade tree isn't so bad, either.

As much as I enjoy sipping, it's no secret that I enjoy turning my cocktails into boozesicles even more. There were these Tequila Sunrise Ice Pops, and these Cherry Mojito Ice Pops, not to mention these Lemon Lime Margarita Creamsicles—and that's just to name a few. Sure, it's convenient to have a portable frozen cocktail, but it's the whimsy and nostalgia that get me every time.

Boozy Raspberry Marshmallows (Chambord Marshmallows)

If you look very closely, you'll see a faint, dusty rose tinge to these marshmallows. That, my friends, is the boozy portion of this homemade marshmallows recipe. I've been meaning to try my hand at boozy marshmallows for a while now. I was aiming for a somewhat delicate flavor; maybe something a bit floral or perhaps fruity.  After a quick liquor cabinet inventory, Chambord was the winner.

Chambord is a beautiful reddish-purple raspberry liqueur, so at the thought of using it, visions of deep pink marshmallows danced in my head. Imagine my surprise when the color was beaten into submission. I watched as the whisk gradually worked in the molten sugar and erased all but a faint trace of color I'd imagined.

Grilled Shrimp Burgers

Now that the weather has warmed up and the grill has once again taken up residence on the patio, I've been a grilling fool. I'm sure everybody has their own "go to" foods for the grill. Ours are chops, brats, hot dogs, chicken breast, corn on the cob, beef burgers and marinated skirt steak (for tacos). On special occasions I actually get a nice thick steak. But what I really look forward to is that familiar smokiness permeating some fish or seafood.

I have pescetarian tendencies, but my family does not. Each of them likes certain types of fish or seafood, but would revolt if I tried to completely remove other meat permanently from their diets. So instead, I just slip some in as often as possible.

Homemade Graham Crackers

Homemade crackers taste so much better than storebought crackers. It's a fact. No matter how many times I make them, the level of goodness never ceases to amaze me. Not to mention, if you've never made crackers at home, it's so much easier than you may think.

Crackers are a popular snacking choice in my house. I won't claim to make all of the ones we eat from scratch. But, I try. I've tried many sort-of copycat kid-pleasers such as cheese crackers, club crackers, sociables, homemade goldfish crackers, and butter crackers. But the type that I make most often are more of the "pinkies up" varieties. The type that are seemingly more sophisticated (yet the kids still devour them). Crackers that fall into this category are usually thin and crisp, and often have seeds of some sort studded throughout, and sometimes they include yeast or sourdough, such as flaxseed and black pepper, olive oil and seed, or crunchy seeded crackers.

Whiskey Raspberry Glazed Duck Breasts

Silly me, I got married on Valentine's Day, therefore condemning myself to a lifetime of anniversaries with over-booked, over-crowded restaurant dinners. Fortunately, the husband and I are resourceful. Instead of fighting those dinner crowds, we opt instead for eating out for lunch; {knock on wood} we've never once had to brave a crowded restaurant.

It was late morning when we said our vows, and afterwards, all the friends and family who were there (which were not many) headed over to a local Mexican restaurant for a celebratory lunch. It's sort of become a tradition for us to eat at that same restaurant for lunch every year on our anniversary. It's unspoken, but that's where we always end up.

Bloody Mary Chicken Wings

When January rolls around, so many people are focused on finding recipes to back up their resolutions; this usually means lighter fare. Words like healthy, skinny, and lightened-up take over the search bar. I totally get that. The holidays kick my butt, too. For me though, January triggers something entirely different—a craving for chicken wings!

I think wings are a natural accompaniment to January. Or maybe I should say they're a natural accompaniment to football and the art of gathering around the television eating things with your fingers. Now, I realize that this is actually the tail end of the season, but for one reason or another, it's bowl games and play-offs that trigger my desire for wings.

I'm pretty sure I look like a madwoman, preparing for the chicken apocalypse, as I stack every last package of chicken wings and chicken drumettes from the cooler into my shopping cart. Should I even mention what happens once I get all that chicken home? Let's just say that if a fridge was a pair of jeans, I'd need a pair of pliers to zip them up.

Golden Raisins in Chardonnay Syrup over Baked Brie

I'm that girl at the party hanging out by the cheese tray...

And today I'm holding fort over at Food Fanatic with a wheel of melty Brie that's topped with tipsy golden raisins in a luxurious Chardonnay syrup that is flecked with vanilla beans, aka Baked Brie with Chardonnay Raisins.

Visit me there to read more about my love of cheese and grab the Baked Brie with Chardonnay Raisins recipe!

Raspberry-laced S'mores

So, I've kinda-sorta taken over Food Fanatic today. But for totally good reason! It's a twofer, complete with boozy, melty, raspberry liqueur-laced homemade marshmallows and the homemade graham crackers to go along with them! And you know as well as I do what marshmallows + graham crackers means, right?

Chocolate and fire are nearby!

In this instance, it's dark chocolate studded with little bits of raspberry, perfectly playing up the Chambord in the marshmallows. They're not just good S'mores, they're CRAZY GOOD S'MORES!

Tequila Sunrise Ice Pops

Who says popsicles are just for kids? Not me! I dabble in the art of ice pop making year-round, but come summertime, my friends and family tell me I'm a force to be reckoned with. As soon as the air ceases to drop below 70 degrees or so, no liquid is exempt from the freezer.

Over the years, I've built up quite the collection of popsicle molds - a girl needs options. People always ask me where I get my molds. Some I've purchased online from Amazon, some I've received as gifts (friends, you know me so well), but most are ones that I've spotted in supermarkets and dollar stores over the years.

Keep your eyes peeled for seasonal end caps. When summer draws near, you'll find all sorts of fun props and tools, including popsicle molds. If I see a popsicle mold for a dollar or two or three, I'll pick up a couple. Not only is it fun to have a variety of shapes and sizes of molds at home to choose from, it also allows you to make more at once!

Shrimp Fettuccine in Creamy Hard Cider Sauce

I have this lofty goal of streamlining my liquor shelves. Although I've always cooked and baked with booze without a second thought, I started making a point of doing so a while back. You see, one of the benefits of being a food and beverage writer is that oftentimes, free bottles of booze show up at your front door. The (very small) downside of that is that those bottles can start to take over.

So yes, adding the booze to the food I'm making has become quite deliberate. Yet, the amount of bottles seem to be increasing instead of decreasing. Of course, the fact that I also buy booze of my own accord doesn't help. But you can hardly blame me for not being able to resist a good deal.

The grocery store that I go to most often will sometimes have a cart near the check-out that is filled with marked down bottles of wine or beer. Would you be able to pass up a 6-pack of Hard Cider for $5.00? Crisp, bubbly, and refreshing...yeah, obviously I'm not.

Toasted Coconut Oreo Cookie Balls

Sometimes it takes me a while to catch up with trends. I probably shouldn't admit that I've never made Cake Pops or Push-Up Cakes, and don't even get me started on the Macaron debacle! So, it should come as no surprise that I'm just now getting around to making Oreo Cookie Balls for the first time.

The story sort of starts with the classic "why mess with a good thing" debate. I grew up dipping old-fashioned Oreos in milk. The end. I wasn't even the kind of kid who liked to twist them apart and lick off the cream. Probably because I always thought (and still do) that the cream by itself is just too sweet. I did like the plain cookie, but if I ate it, I'd just be wasting the cream. See my dilemma?

But as my story usually goes, I give in. I succumb to the trend. I mean, a trend isn't a trend for no reason, right? People seem to like them. Plus, I like to try things at least once. Even if I'm a year or two behind everybody else.

Peach, Maple, and Bourbon-Glazed Ham Steaks

Growing up, we always piled into the car on holidays and headed to my grandparents' house. As the grandchildren got older started having children of their own, there were more card tables and folding chairs pulled up from the basement to accommodate everybody. As the family got bigger, so did the bird or the ham that was roasting in the oven.

As the house filled up, the noise level grew right along with the inviting scents wafting out of the kitchen. If you happened to be one of the last ones to arrive, a blanket of warmth and comfort enveloped you the moment you opened the door.

Grandma and Grandpa are getting older now, and though they usually still invite everybody over on the holidays, sometimes we just aren't able to make it. Between my kids getting older and having activities that (yes) overlap with the holidays, unpredictable work schedules, scary road conditions, and the overwhelming desire to hunker down in the house for as long as we possibly can, we often wind up celebrating and making meals for a smaller crowd. A much smaller crowd. Usually just the 5 of us.

Whiskey Mussels en Papillote for Two

Is it just me, or do the places that you visit become a part of you? Since St. Paddy's Day is almost here, let's use Ireland as an example.

I have always looked forward to St. Patrick's Day, but in the way that a non-Irish American girl with an appreciation for food and culture does. More years than not, I've made Corned Beef and Cabbage. If I get a good enough head start, I'll even cure my own brisket so that we have homemade corned beef. I've been known to eat Reubens all week long, just to get in the spirit.

Beef and Guinness Stew? Oh yes. Champ? You bet. Bangers and Mash? Of course! Don't forget the Soda Bread, Brown Bread, and the Cabbage and Bacon Soup. But then it happened. In 2012, I hopped onto an airplane for the very first time in my life, and 8-1/2 hours later, I landed in Dublin.