we are just hours away from december.

and i know i’m not the only one wondering where the hell twenty-eighteen went.

but whether we are ready or not, it is racing to an end. and the next month will be jam packed with festive events and holiday parties. we will all be short on time and in need of quick and easy tricks up our sleeves that impress.

walnuts are a hearty, meaty nut that lends itself perfectly to a little sugar and spice. they are a great addition to any charcuterie board are amazing in a salad and are quite tasty all by themselves.

sweet & spicy walnuts

serves: 2 cups

prep time: 2 minutes

cook time: 5-8 minutes

total time: 10 minutes

ingredients: 2 cups walnuts. 4 tbs butter. .5 cup brown sugar. 1 tbs pink salt. 1 tsp cayenne pepper. parchment paper.

start by preheating a large pan over medium high heat. combine all your ingredients in the pan and toss well. cook over medium hight heat until the sugar start to caramelized. stir everything well so the walnuts are evenly coated. be careful once the sugars start to caramelize as it can burn quickly.

once all the walnuts are coated, pour them out onto the parchment paper in a nice even layer so they don’t stick.

enjoy warm or store in an airtight container until you are ready to use.

xo, a

sweet & spicy walnuts

serves: 2 cups

prep time: 2 minutes

cook time: 5-8 minutes

total time: 10 minutes

ingredients: 2 cups walnuts. 4 tbs butter. .5 cup brown sugar. 1 tbs pink salt. 1 tsp cayenne pepper. parchment paper.

start by preheating a large pan over medium high heat. combine all your ingredients in the pan and toss well. cook over medium hight heat until the sugar start to caramelized. stir everything well so the walnuts are evenly coated. be careful once the sugars start to caramelize as it can burn quickly. once all the walnuts are coated, pour them out onto the parchment paper in a nice even layer so they don’t stick. enjoy warm or store in an airtight container until you are ready to use.

greetings on a rare monday friends!

i took a few days off to celebrate the holiday with my family and to take a much needed breather.

but i’m back, energized and ready to finish out twenty-eighteen with a bang!

now, thanksgiving has come and gone. and the only bits left of the turkey are the bones. whatever you do, DON’T TOSS IT!!!! there are few things more delicious than homemade chicken or turkey stock. you went through all that trouble to roast a whole bird, and those bones, and everything clinging to it are the key to amazing stock.

now i know you are thinking, that sounds like a lot of work. can you rough chop a couple things and throw them in a pot? if the answer is no, you have bigger problems to solve. if the answer is yes, you will CRUSH stock making.

homemade stock

serves: about 4 quarts

prep: 10 minutes

cook time: 2 hours - 24 hours

total time: 2 hours 10 minutes

ingredients: remaining bones & meat from your turkey or roasted whole bird. 6 quarts water. 2 whole brown onions, roughly diced. 3 whole carrots, roughly chopped. 2 celery stalks. 5 smashed garlic cloves. a handful of your favorite fresh herbs (i like to use oregano, thyme and sage, but you can use a combo of whatever you have on hand or whatever your favorites are). 2 dried bay leaves. 2 tbs kosher salt. 5 whole peppercorns. large stock pot. mesh strainer. large extra bowl. things to store your stock in like large mason jars.

**cooks note** you will notice that in the ingredients photo mine are just a bunch of odds and ends. odds and ends are great for stock. if you don’t have any odds and ends from vegetable cuttings, use the ingredients list provided. stock is one of those things that you can tailor to your own taste. do what you like and enjoy. there is not right or wrong.

start by heating your stock pot on medium low heat. add all the ingredients to your stock pot. bring the water to a boil.

once the liquid has come to a boil, lower the temperature to low and allow the liquid to simmer for an hour and a half.

now, you can stop the cooking right there if you like. but if you have the time, the longer you simmer it, the better it will taste. i simmer mine overnight, adding some extra water and a few pinches of extra kosher salt before i go to bed. you can do it either way and it will still be 100 times better than store bought stock. so go with what works for you! once you have simmered your stock, remove it from the heat. allow it to cool for a few minutes. use your mesh strainer to skim any impurities or fats off the top. then strain the whole pot through the mesh strainer into the extra bowl or pot.

allow the liquid to cool completely and store for your future use.

here are a few of my favorite uses for stock.

potato leek soup

butternut squash + bacon soup

roasted carrot & ginger soup

xo, a

homemade stock

serves: about 4 quarts

prep: 10 minutes

cook time: 2 hours - 24 hours

total time: 2 hours 10 minutes

ingredients: remaining bones & meat from your turkey or roasted whole bird. 6 quarts water. 2 whole brown onions, roughly diced. 3 whole carrots, roughly chopped. 2 celery stalks. 5 smashed garlic cloves. a handful of your favorite fresh herbs (i like to use oregano, thyme and sage, but you can use a combo of whatever you have on hand or whatever your favorites are). 2 dried bay leaves. 2 tbs kosher salt. 5 whole peppercorns. large stock pot. mesh strainer. large extra bowl. things to store your stock in like large ball jars.

**cooks note** you will notice that in the ingredients photo mine are just a bunch of odds and ends. odds and ends are great for stock. if you don’t have any odds and ends from vegetable cuttings, use the ingredients list provided. stock is one of those things that you can tailor to your own taste. do what you like and enjoy. there is not right or wrong.

start by heating your stock pot on medium low heat. add all the ingredients to your stock pot. bring the water to a boil. once the liquid has come to a boil, lower the temperature to low and allow the liquid to simmer for an hour and a half. now, you can stop the cooking right there if you like. but if you have the time, the longer you simmer it, the better it will taste. i simmer mine overnight, adding some extra water and a few pinches of extra kosher salt before i go to bed. you can do it either way and it will still be 100 times better than store bought stock. so go with what works for you! once you have simmered your stock, remove it from the heat. allow it to cool for a few minutes. use your mesh strainer to skim any impurities or fats off the top. then strain the whole pot through the mesh strainer into the extra bowl or pot. allow the liquid to cool completely and store for your future use. here are a few of my favorite uses for stock.