Spiced Apple Cider and Butternut Squash Snickerdoodles

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I’m not going to write a post about how things change with the seasons. It’s been done too many times (we get it Ben Gibbard, you’re sad). Instead, just enjoy these fun and easy seasonal recipes. If you don’t enjoy them, you probably read the recipes wrong. These recipes are like hugs while wearing your favorite sweater… or that warm feeling could just be glucose rushing to your brain.

Spiced Apple Cider

• 1 quart Apple Juice/Cider 
• 2 Cinnamon Stick
• 5 Whole Cloves
• 1/3 cup Dark Spiced Rum (Kraken of kourse)
• 1 Fuji Apple sliced
• 1 1 in. Orange zest

1. Heat everything in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat until the liquid comes to a simmer and your entire house smells like autumn. 
2. Serve in fancy mugs or mason jars and garnish with an apple slice. Then drink to keep the cold weather at bay.

Butternut Squash Snickerdoodles

• 2 3/4 cup A.P. Flour
• 2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 1/4 cup Shortening
• 1 3/4 cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon ground
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/3 cup Butternut Squash as prepared in this recipe 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Mix the sugar (1 1/2 cups of sugar), eggs, butter, vanilla, shortening and butternut together in a large mixing bowl. Mix with one of those new fangled electronicized mixers until the consistency of the mixture is that of canned icing.
3. In a separate bowl sift the salt, baking soda, flour, and cream of tartar together, (if you don’t have an extra mixing bowl you can use the hollowed out skull of your enemies). Mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. 
4. In a small bowl mix the rest of the sugar and cinnamon together.
5. Using a kitchen scooper make small dough balls and roll them in the cinnamon sugar. Place the balls on baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet and place directly in your mouth. 

Uhh, in conclusion enjoy everything fall has to offer and watch out for cloves in your cider! Enjoy!

All photos taken by Katy Weaver. Check out her site!

Light n’ Breezy

I’m sure there’s a name for this cocktail, but I like the name I came up with and I don’t feel much like Googling the name of the drink. Long story short, I wanted to make a dark and stormy, but for some reason I couldn’t find any ginger beer, so I went with ginger ale instead. It has less of bite, but the result was still blogworthy.

Pairs well with fish tacos! Especially these fish tacos!

• 1/4 cup crushed Ice
• 1 shot Dark Spiced Rum (I use Kraken) 
• 1 Small Lime worth Juice
• Ginger Ale

1. Add the ice to a tumbler. 
2. Pour the rum over the ice.
3. Add the lime juice
4. Fill the rest of the cup with ginger ale. Stir. Garnish with a lime slice.
5. Enjoy!

These great photos by Katy Weaver

Thai Chicken and Waffle Sandwich

One of the greatest pieces of advice I’ve ever heard was from Alton Brown who said, “Never take advice.” I am open to criticism and feedback though, because without them you can’t get better. But advice is more one sided than a HP Laserjet P3005ch printer (it doesn’t have duplex printing). When it comes down to it, you’re the only one who knows what you really want and what you have to do to make it happen, so start being selfish and start working towards something awesome. 

For some reason in today’s culture, selfishness is portrayed as a negative trait, although people forget is that this is what made this country great in the first place (that’s right I’m making this a cultural thing). We broke away from the British Empire because we wanted to do things OUR way. We didn’t get involved with WWII until we were attacked and it affected us. 

Knowing that your crazy idea is a great one, and actually having the guts to go out there and make it happen doesn’t make you insane or eccentric; it makes you successful and a goddamn American. Frankly I’m tired of having artificial roadblocks being put up, especially for people of my generation.  Just get out there and create something, whatever it may be. 

What do those old-man style ramblings have to do with Thai chicken and waffles? Almost nothing. But let’s be honest, “Thai chicken and waffles” sounds like a weird, crazy idea, until you actually make it happen and try it. Remember an idea is only as good as its end product, so ignore that advice and prove those nay-sayers wrong.

Before I get into the recipes, I want to make a couple shout outs! First, thanks to Flavour Gallery for sending me an awesome apron (I was wearing it the entire time I was cooking all this). They also have a bunch of cool food t-shirts you should check out. The second shout out is to Kraken rum because I love the stuff and would love a free bottle or two. The great thing about Kraken rum is that you get to yell, “RELEASE THE KRAKEN!” Everytime you open the bottle.

Dirty Coladas

I know it’s not a direct translation, but dark rum produces a “dirtier” look than white rum

• 1 part Kraken Dark Rum
• 1 part Coconut Cream
• 2 parts Pineapple Juice
• 2 parts Ice

1. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until the ice forms a smooth texture. 
2. Pour into a glass and garnish with a lime slice.

Rice Vinegar Slaw 

• 1 Carrot grated
• 1 Zucchini grated
• 1/2 Red Cabbage chopped
• 1/2 Red Onion chopped
• 1 clove Garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• Juice from 1 Lime
• 1 pinch Salt
• 2 tablespoons Sugar

1. Add the cut up vegetables to a large mixing bowl toss with the vinegars, lime juice, sugar, and salt. The best way to mix everything up is to use your hands.
2. Once your salad is tossed, let the slaw sit in the fridge for about 15 min before serving. 

Ginger-Lime-Coconut Waffles

• 1 1/4 cups Rice Flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 can Coconut Milk
• 1 heaping tablespoon shredded Coconut
• 1 Egg
• 3 Tablespoons soft butter
• 1 teaspoon ground Ginger
• 1 pinch of Five-Spice
• 1 Lime juiced and zested

1. Sift together all dry ingredients. 
2. Add the lime zest and shredded Coconut to the dry mixture.
3. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients. Once the batter is mixed together add to your waffle iron. [These are really good by themselves too, don’t think you need to make a Thai chicken and waffle sandwich when you make these.]

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

• 1 lbs. Chicken Breasts cut into thick strips
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 teaspoons Fish Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
• a dash of Garlic Salt

1. Heat the oil over high in a wok or large skillet. 
2. Add the pepper flakes to the oil and let their flavors seep into the oil.
3. Toss the chicken into the cooking vessel. Move the chicken around a bit so it doesn’t clump together in the pan. 
4. Add the fish sauce, garlic salt, and brown sugar to the pan. Keep stirring to avoid burning the sugar. The chicken should finish cooking within a couple minutes, depending on what type of stove you have. 
5. Serve with the sauce that is created when cooking the chicken. 

Assemble your sandwich by placing a waffle on a plate, add the chicken and some of the sauce then the slaw and a bit of cilantro and top with another waffle.

Once again my partner in crime, Katy Weaver, is responsible for these mind-blowing photos. She’s right in the middle of her busy season and still finds time to help me out with this little project, she’s sort of the best you guys.