Travel Destinations & Culinary Adventures

Pomegranate Martini

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Today, I’m celebrating. Time to raise a glass and say “cheers!”

It seems appropriate to honor good news with a freshly made Pomegranate Martini, a simple recipe that is ideal for serving your guests while entertaining. If you set out all of your ingredients in advance, this martini can be made in five minutes!

Grab a martini shaker and the following ingredients to prepare your bartending kitchen station:

  • Pomegranate juice (I used Bai Antioxidant Infusion Ipanema Pomegranate because I didn’t have pure pomegranate juice on hand.)
  • Orange Juice (used pulp-free)
  • Vodka
  • Apple Juice
  • Simple Syrup (heat 1/2 c. water, 1/2 sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves, then cool.)
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • 1-3 Lime rind curls for garnish in the bottom of the glass or hang over the rim

How do you celebrate the best moments of your life? With a dinner out on the town? A champagne toast with your favorite peeps? Here’s wishing you a happy upcoming holiday season full of only good news to take you into the new year!

Pomegranate Martini

onedelightfullife.com
This fruity cocktail brings a tart, berry flavor and is a crowd pleaser for any party.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course cocktail, Drinks
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 oz pomegranate juice
  • 1 oz. orange juice
  • 1 oz. vodka
  • 3/4 oz. apple juice
  • 1/2 oz. simple syrup
  • Juice of 1/2 lime
  • lime rind curls to garnish
  • ice

Instructions
 

  • Fill a martini shaker with 3/4 full of cubed ice.
  • Add all liquid ingredients.
  • Add lid to martini and shake vigorously for a few minutes.
  • Strain martini shaker into a martini glass.
  • Garnish with lime rind curls.

Notes

You can also use a citrus infused vodka, if you prefer.

Crisp Fall Day Cocktail

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Am I the only one who craves apples during the fall season?

Fuji, Pink Lady, and Gala are my go-to favs but there are so many more varieties that continue to be show stoppers in my fall recipes. If you know me at all, then you know I’m going to mix a delightful happy hour concoction like this Crisp Fall Day Cocktail made with delicious apple pie liqueur and chilled cider. Who’s ready to clang a glass with me and say “Cheers my dears?”

Okay, apple fans. This one is for you. Simply pour the liqueur, cider, and juice in a glass. Add ice and garnish with a straw and you’ve made yourself the easiest “it-must-be-fall-now” cocktail.

Fancy straws make happy hour that much…happier.

Not sure where to find apple pie liqueur? I’ve been to a couple of liquor stores and Dr. McGillicuddy’s and Travis Hasse’s each make an affordable liqueur to try in the occasional recipe around $9-$15. Partial to Louisburg Apple Cider since it’s located in my beautiful home state, Kansas, you could use any brand. (Shop local!) Finally, I add Old Orchard’s Black Cherry Cranberry Juice but if you can’t locate it, you could easily use any cranberry or cran-apple store-bought juice.

Has someone seen my flannel blanket?

If it’s not cocktail hour at your home right now, pin this recipe for later. You’ll thank me. Cheers my dears!

Craving more fall drink recipes? Try making my uber spooky cocktails for your upcoming boo bash or this Salted Caramel Apple Martini rimmed in dripping warm caramel!

*no affiliates mentioned in this post.

Crisp Fall Day Cocktail

One Delightful Life
3 simple ingredients make for 1 amazing fall cocktail
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course cocktail, Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 1 cocktail

Ingredients
  

  • 3 oz. apple pie liqueur
  • 1/2 c. apple cider
  • 1/2 c. black cherry cranberry juice or cranberry juice
  • ice
  • apple slices for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Pour liquid ingredients into a cocktail glass.
  • Add ice.
  • Stir with a straw.
  • Garnish with apple slices.

Notes

Wanna to get really fancy? Rim the glass in apple juice and crushed graham crackers.

Baked Apples Filled with Oatmeal, Dates and Brown Sugar

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Hello, Fall! Good to see you again.

October is the best month of the year. Why? It’s my birthday month (holla!), breweries are prepping for Oktoberfest, and the food….oh, the food!

Many cooks have prepared baked apples to welcome autumn, but my recipe incorporates chopped dates and walnuts with oatmeal to bring home real fall flavor. Leave room for dessert tonight because you will want to gobble up the entire apple. They serve well with vanilla bean ice cream too!

Baked Apples Stuffed with Oatmeal, Dates, and Brown Sugar
Prior to baking, stuff these babies as full as you can with the filling ingredients.

Here are the instructions for Baked Apples with Oatmeal, Dates and Brown Sugar:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wash two Pink Lady Apples. Core out the inside without penetrating the bottom. (Remove about half of the apple’s core.)

3. Add the butter to a small microwavable bowl and heat it about 10 seconds until it’s melted. Add remaining filling ingredients. Stir to combine all thoroughly.

4. Stuff each apple with the filling.

5. Set apples upright into baking dish. Add enough water around the apples until the bottom surface is covered.

6. Bake apples at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve warm. Devour.

Baked Apples
The apple’s exterior color fades during baking, but the flavor is accentuated. Trust me. These apples are delicious on their own or served with vanilla bean ice cream.

[mpprecipe-recipe:82]

Stuffed Baked Apples

 

Decadent Poached Pears made with Cabernet and Apple Cider

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I didn’t want to make the typical fall dessert. You know the kind. Pumpkin Pie. Caramel Brownies. Nope! I wanted to make something fresh, comforting, and over the top delicious. My Decadent Poached Pears made with cabernet and apple cider is the quintessential fall dessert.

Made with 19 Crimes Cabernet and Louisburg Mill Apple Cider, this recipe for Decadent Poached Pears takes a new twist on the typical poached pear recipe. Instead of adding orange juice, I used my favorite autumnal beverage, apple cider, which gives the pear glaze its rich flavor.

First, clean two red pears. Using a paring knife, remove the skin of each pear. Do not remove the stem. Slice the bottom of each pear off so it sits flat on the cutting board.

Second, add the cabernet, apple, cider, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon stick to a small stovetop pot.

Bring the liquid to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat. Stir frequently.

Third, add the prepped pears to the pot. The heat should be turned to low right now.

This is what the pears look like before you spoon the liquid over them.

Spoon the liquid over the pears several times. Allow to simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. After the five minutes expire, lay each pear on its side and spoon more liquid over it. Set a time for 5 minutes. After the five minutes expire, repeat the process turning the pears to their other side. Repeat this process for a total of 20 minutes are until the pears are tender.

Fourth, remove the steamed pears (they should be tender when pierced with a toothpick or spoon) and place them in a wide bowl.

Fifth, remove the cinnamon stick from the liquid. Increase the heat back to the high setting to bring the liquid to a boil stirring constantly for five minutes until it thickens to glaze. Remove from heat.

Lastly, spoon cabernet glaze over the pears and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Add cinnamon sticks for garnish.

Decadent Poached Pears made with Cabernet and Apple Cider

One Delightful Life
Impress holiday guests with this seasonal dessert that promises to wow a crowd and is super easy to prepare.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Dessert, fruit
Cuisine American
Servings 2 pears

Ingredients
  

  • 2 peeled whole red pears
  • 1 c. cabernet
  • 1/8 c. sugar
  • 1/4 c. apple cider
  • 1 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions
 

  • Using a small paring knife to peel the pear but leave the stem.
  • Slide off the bottom of each pair so it sits evenly.
  • Over medium heat combine the cabernet, sugar, and apple cider and stir frequently.
  • Reduce to a simmer.
  • Place the apples into the pot sitting on their base.
  • Add the cinnamon stick to the pot.
  • Spoon the cabernet liquid over all sides of each pear. Set a timer for five minutes.
  • After the five minutes expire, put the apples on their sides and spoon more of the cabernet liquid over them. Set a time for five minutes.
  • Repeat these five minute intervals two to three more times always rotating the pears each time to guarantee that the color covers the pear evenly.
  • Check the pears for softness after about 20 minutes of rotation intervals.
  • Remove the pears and allow them to cool in a wide bowl.
  • Remove the cinnamon stick.
  • Bring the heat of the pot back up to medium high and stir the cabernet liquid continuously until the liquid thickens to a glaze (approximately 10-15 minutes).
  • Pour the finished glaze over the pears and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Notes

You can substitute orange juice for apple cider if you prefer a citrus flavor note.

Insanely Easy Hasselback Potatoes

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Hasselback potatoes look fancy, but they are super simple to make. As long as you can slice a potato, you can make my Insanely Easy Hasselback Potatoes. Think of them as baked potatoes with class.

Let’s get started!

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Wash several Yukon Gold potatoes.
  3. Use a sharp paring knife to slice the base of the potato off (horizontally from end to end) so it rests level on cutting board.
  4. Slice multiple deep cuts into the potato perpendicular to its length and about 3/4 of the way through each potato. Don’t slice the potato clear through.
  5. Brush each potato with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt (I used truffle salt from World Market) and cracked black pepper.
  6. Place potatoes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
  7. Bake potatoes for 30 minutes at 450 degrees.

    This photo shows what your potatoes will look like once removed from the oven.
  8. Remove potatoes from oven and brush with butter (the real stuff). Then return the potatoes to the oven to bake for an additional 30 minutes. (Ovens vary so check at 20 minutes to see if they are done.)
  9. Remove potatoes from the oven and serve hot topped with your favorite ingredients. (I topped my batch of potatoes with homemade pesto.) 
  10. Enjoy!

Bake these potatoes for house guests or for the next family holiday dinner. Guests will say the potatoes are fancy, but you’ll know they are incredibly easy to prepare.

What’s your go-to holiday dinner side dish? Leave it in the comments below and I’ll try to make my version of it for the blog.

Sheet Pan Italian Sausage and Roasted Vegetables

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Sometimes the last thing you want to do is make dinner when you get home from work. Yet, the thought of another frozen pizza or takeout meal makes your head spin. The solution to an easy, home-cooked meal is a sheet pan dinner that is as easy to prepare as chopping ingredients.

My recipe for Sheet Pan Italian Sausage and Roasted Vegetables is incredibly simple and uses up many of the vegetables in your refrigerator. Start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees.

While your oven is heating up, clean and cut vegetables of your choice into chunks and add them to a large mixing bowl. Then, do the same to a package of link Sweet Italian sausage. Next, drizzle the vegetables and sausage lightly with olive oil, add a pinch of red pepper flake, paprika, Italian seasoning, and then salt and pepper. Finally, toss the bowl’s contents with a large spoon (or use your hands).

Transfer the contents of the bowl to a parchment-lined large sheet pan. Spread the sausage and vegetables evenly across the surface of the sheet pan so they roast evenly during cooking time. Bake 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from the sheet pan from the oven and move around the sausage and vegetables with a spoon. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes until the sausage no longer looks pink and the vegetables have softened and browned.

Warning: You’ll be tempted to grab chunks of cooked yumminess from the pan after removing it from the oven and pop them in your mouth. Don’t make this rookie mistake. It’s hot, folks. Super hot.

Want more easy to prepare dinner recipes for the week? Try Lone Star Turkey Chili with Sour Cream and Chives or Thin Crust Alfredo Pizza with Bacon and Kale. 

Let me know about your go-to favorite dinner recipe in the comments section below. Share it!

Sheet Pan Italian Sausage and Roasted Vegetables

One Delightful Life
Incredibly easy to prepare for a weeknight dinner, this sheet pan dinner was having you craving leftovers.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course dinner entree
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 1 package Sweet Italian sausage links 5-6 large diced
  • 3-4 large diced red potatoes
  • 1 large diced russet potato
  • 1 small large diced red onion
  • 1 small large diced yellow onion
  • 1 large diced green pepper
  • 2 whole garlic cloves
  • Handful of asparagus de-stemmed of tough stalks
  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 1/2 T. Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt
  • pinch red pepper flakes

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Dice all vegetables, garlic, and sausage into large chunks and place in a large bowl.
  • Add olive oil, seasoning, red pepper flake, salt and pepper.
  • Toss contents of bowl with a spoon our your hands until evenly coated.
  • Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 20 minutes.
  • Remove pan from oven and use spoon to move around the vegetables and sausage to help it cook thoroughly.
  • Bake for 15-20 minutes more until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables have softened to your liking.

Notes

Garnish with fresh herbs such as parsley or basil before serving (optional).
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