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.

over the weekend, i had a bit of a pinch me moment. sunday, wes and i did a thirty minute cooking demo at an athletic apparel store at a major mall. we drew a small crowd of people, and it was an athletic apparel store, but it was still AWESOME. 

seriously pinch me. is this my life now? 

we had two awesome volunteers come up and work with us, we gave out a ton of tasty brunch samples (it was a how to step up your brunch game demo) and chatted with a bunch of people about possible future business. including a possible second cooking demo. let's just say two full days later i'm still feeling the emotional high. 

one of the recipes we demonstrated was the signature granola i've been working on for our future restaurant. yes, you read that right... i'm just giving the recipe up. but the best part about this granola, is that it is a pretty simple base that you can easily adjust to your taste, what you have on hand or what is seasonal. you know... customize it! 

orange blossom granola
serves: 4 cups
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 30 minutes
cool time: 10 minutes
total time: 45 minutes
ingredients: 3 cups rolled oats. 1 cup slivered almonds (you could sub whatever nuts you prefer here). 3 tbs butter, melted. .33 cup honey. .25 cup orange juice. 1 tbs orange zest (you could sub other citrus). beans from .5 vanilla bean. 1 tsp salt. 

start by preheating your oven to 300 degrees f. 

in a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, and the orange zest. 

mix well and set aside. 

then in another medium bowl combine the butter, honey, orange juice salt and vanilla bean together. 

whisk until completely combined. 

drizzle your liquids over the oat mixture. 

dig in and use your hands to combine well. 

spread your granola over a parchment lined baking sheet in an even layer. bake, stirring the granola about halfway through, until lightly golden brown. 

pull the granola out of the oven and allow it to cool. 

you can cool it till it's cool enough to eat and enjoy it warm, or you can store it in an airtight container for a week or two. 

xo, a

range blossom granola
serves: 4 cups
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 30 minutes
cool time: 10 minutes
total time: 45 minutes
ingredients: 3 cups rolled oats. 1 cup slivered almonds (you could sub whatever nuts you prefer here). 3 tbs butter, melted. .33 cup honey. .25 cup orange juice. 1 tbs orange zest (you could sub other citrus). beans from .5 vanilla bean. 1 tsp salt.
start by preheating your oven to 300 degrees f. in a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, and the orange zest. mix well and set aside. then in another medium bowl combine the butter, honey, orange juice salt and vanilla bean together. whisk well to combine. drizzle your liquids over the oat mixture. dig in and use your hands to combine well. spread your granola over a parchment lined baking sheet in an even layer. bake, stirring the granola about halfway through, until lightly golden brown. pull the granola out of the oven and allow it to cool. you can cool it till it's cool enough to eat and enjoy it warm, or you can store it in an airtight container for a week or two.