Spiked Hot Chocolate Snow Day

This hot chocolate recipe was a delicious change up from the traditional Bailey's or Kahula spiking. The orange and cinnamon made it taste like one of those chocolate oranges. It was just what we needed for our little snowy adventure!

 The secret is to start with a good base. You could use water and a powder mix but I brought out the big guns for our first major snow of the season: milk and chocolate shavings.

Hot Chocolate with Orange Liqueur and Cinnamon

(Pinterest find!)

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons chocolate shavings
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
Cinnamon for sprinkling
Whipped cream
Directions:
1. In a small pot bring the milk and cinnamon stick to a simmer.
2. Whisk in the chocolate shavings.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in orange liqueur.
4. Top with whipped cream and a generous shake of cinnamon.
5. Go play in the snow!

Time to cross off some Winter Bucket List items!

The park was empty and snow-quiet. Only our footprints decorated the pathways.

 I couldn't resist the 1st snow angel of the season!

 These nifty little seed pods looked like snow covered ornaments.

 Back in the apartment, keep the snow coming!

My fingers are crossed for a snow day.

Bucket List Update!

We're checking things off our bucket list left and right! There are only 5 things left on our main list. I have plans to check off three of them this week. 

The corn maze will not be happening unless you count the corn maze ride we went on with our favorite munchkins. Every year for the last four years we have completed the corn maze with the Prep Crew. This year we spent so much time doing the other activities we were exhausted (and dehydrated! It got super hot for a fall day) by the time we got to the maze and decided to skip it. Sad story. So does the corn maze ride count? Mr. Lawyer also announced his displeasure with how that one was worded anyway: "We never get LOST in the maze. Psh."

We got married! This was the best and most fun thing to check off the list! It was amazing and I want to go back and relive that day so much. Everything was perfect.

Thanks to Ms. Sandy-Boo and her parents we were able to check bonfire (complete with fireworks!) off the bonus list. Nothing like a bonfire with a keg of Ommegang the night before your wedding!

 Sparklers!

A fall flavored (pumpkin spice and salted caramel!) coffee date in the park on a chilly fall morning. 

Crunching leaves is like crack for the soul.

 Peeping on some leaves!

 A hayride that resulted in apple picking and a pumpkin patch.

A double whammy of delicious apple heaven!

I got my bake on the past two months with some Apple and Pumpkin Pies.

 We've been having a ton of fun with the Fall Bucket list that I've started outlining a Winter Bucket List! Most of the things on it are holiday related so I might have to come up with a mid-winter list to get us out of the house...maybe with some museum and restaurants on it.

We're also chipping away at the Top 50 Philly Bars with our friends. It's a good way to be social and have some delicious beer!

Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

Yet another thing off the Fall Bucket List!

I'm a pumpkin pie girl and a traditionalist. I don't like to mess with things and I like my routine. Just ask my Grandma Nancy who has to make me broccoli salad at every family gathering. If you change things I'm not a happy camper. I was intrigued by this recipe but hesitant to butcher a perfectly good pumpkin pie. I'm glad I did! This was a nice change up but not glaringly different from a traditional pumpkin. There was a slight fruity sweetness due to the apple butter but that was all. It felt like a lightened up pumpkin pie. The proof is in the pie...or lack therefore of. If Mr. Lawyer finishes the pie (and crumbs!) in 24 hours I guess it is a keeper.

We had it with some bubbly because why not?

Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

(Taste of Home)

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup apple butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon each ground ginger, cloves and nutmeg
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)
Whipped cream
Directions:
1. In a large bowl combine eggs, pumpkin, apple butter, brown sugar, evaporated milk, milk, and vanilla. Whisk in salt and spices until well blended. Pour into pastry shell.
2. Bake at 400° for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cover edges loosely with foil during the last 20 minutes if necessary. Cool on wire rack. Garnish with whipped cream.

2013 Fall Bucket List!

The complete 2013 Fall Bucket List!

The bonus ones depend on our crazy wedding schedule, city living, and the weather. We are really hoping it's nice enough to squeeze one more camping trip after our wedding.

Checking "bake an apple pie" off the list!

I LOVE FALL!

Apple Pie Time!

Yaaaaaay Fall! I made an official "Fall Bucket List" for Mr. Lawyer and I to complete. I have always had an unofficial one that included the basics: pick apples at Beak & Skiff, eat the apples, drink lots of cider, consume some cider donuts, eat Grandma's apple pie with cheddar cheese. Beak & Skiff is this wonderful family owned orchard (since 1911!) in LaFayette, NY (just outside Syracuse). I have wonderful memories of going there almost every year with my grandparents. Grandpa Bruce and I would always split a hot dog and look at the beehive (you can see inside it!) while Grandma Nancy got her apples for pie. When I started going to school at SU I introduced my Beak & Skiff tradition to Mr. Lawyer and our friends.

This is one of my favorite pictures from the 1st trip. Nyk was pointing out the specific apples she wanted and Mr. Lawyer obliged. I think she wore footwear that wasn't conducive to ladder climbing. Beak & Skiff has some wonderful old and gnarly apple trees that are huge.

Mr. Lawyer knew that I missed this tradition and decided to surprise me with a trip to a New Jersey Orchard! Now I'm partial to my B&S but this orchard was very kid friendly and had a pumpkin patch! The trees seemed very young in comparison to what I am use to but the apples were still delicious. 

He's always in the trees doing the heavy lifting!

See what I mean about the little trees though? No ladder needed.

We managed to get quite the jump on our Fall Bucket List, including making an apple pie (bonus: with apples you picked yourself!). 

Confession: this is the first apple pie I've ever made. I mostly just eat Grandma's pie. 

A word about eating apple pie: It is essential that you eat the pie with sharp cheddar cheese. Mr. Lawyer asked me what the cheese was for when I pulled it out of the fridge. Adorable. I guess it's a NY/New England thing. It's delicious. Have a bite of pie, have a bite of cheese. Heaven.

I have this really cute kitchen towel that tells you how to make apple pie. It made the perfect backdrop.

Cheese time!

It's not Grandma's pie but it was pretty delicious for a first attempt.

Apple Pie

(from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:
1 pastry recipe for a 9 inch double crust (I used pre-made crusts)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice
4 to 8 Granny Smith apples depending on size- peeled, cored, and sliced
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer. Add the spices and mix well.
2. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Toss apples in liquid and then place apples and most of the liquid into the pie pan. Cover with a top crust. Pour any remaining sugar and butter liquid over the crust.
3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until apples are soft.

Adventure Time!

Mr. Lawyer and I are making a Philly Bucket List of things to do before we move out of the city. Czerw's Polish Deli has been featured on two Travel Channel shows (Bourdain's Layover and Zimmerman's Bizarre Foods) so it went on the list. It's in Port Richmond, a quick drive from us. The area had a very old school neighborhood feel to it and was a popular location for Polish and Lithuanian immigrants. We'll be going back for more goodies because we saw some more speciality stores on our drive out. We could smell a bakery somewhere but didn't see it! The service was great and we received a free sample of some "Polish Slim Jim" while waiting in line. It was basically a skinny smoked kielbasa. Yum!

We ended up with one pound of smoked kielbasa and a dozen cheese/potato pierogies. 

Yum yum!