Tis’ the Season for Baking (and Looking) Good | Whiskey Brown Sugar Glazed Ham + French Country Rye Bread with Slow Cooker Brandy Apple Butter

Hello, friends.

So, Christmas is now dangerously close. Unfortunately, final exams are even closer which seriously bums me out. I’m tired of being a student of higher education. I just want to bake and sleep through my responsibilities. Ugh! Why is being an adult so hard?! Okay, rant over. That’s right, today marks the start of final exam week for me. Luckily, I don’t have any tests until later in the week which gives me ample time to study as well as procrastinate by baking. During final exam week, I enjoy gathering together with friends, getting in the kitchen and making some delicious food, and sitting down together to eat, converse (and study). For the holidays or a weekend night study session, one of the great lessons of hosting I’ve learned from Momma Crawford is to make it simple. You want a dish that tastes delicious but doesn’t take an arm and a leg to make, especially during this stressful time of the year. Luckily, I’ve teamed up with JORD Wood Watches to share with you some of my culinary tips for hosting and/or attending a holiday gathering this season (and how to look good while doing it!)

P.s. Be sure to the read to the end of this post for an exclusive $25 e-giftcard you can use to get either my watch or any other style of watch from JORD. 

Salted Caramel & Whiskey Apple Pie

Hello, friend. 

Is it too early in the season to share a recipe for apple pie? I don’t think so! When you taste this spiced-buttery goodness that is this pie you’ll understand why I’m sharing it now. My version puts a boozy twist on the classic recipe by using whiskey in the filling. A flaky, buttery crust creates the perfect contaminant for the sweet and tart cinnamon apple filling. The filling is made the night before allowing time for the apples to release their juices. These juices are then reduced in a pan over medium heat before being added back to the filling. Then it is lattice topped before being brushed over with an egg wash and sprinkling with sugar and baked until golden brown perfection. A warm salted caramel sauce is drizzled over the top for one of the BEST pies ever.

Strawberry compote no-churn ice cream with a whiskey dark chocolate sauce

Hello, friend. 

I’m back, with a recipe and two exciting pieces of news. If you follow me (on any form of social media for that matter) you’ll know that I am absolutely terrible at updating people on what is happening in my life. It’s half me forgetting to and half contemplating if there is anything of importance worth sharing. What I do want to share is that I’ve been thinking (now that’s a scary thought!) a lot about the blog and where I want to see it go in the coming months. My goal is to expand upon it. I hope to go from a sole “food blog” and evolve it into a more “lifestyle blog”, with posts on photography, writing, style, behind the scenes, travels, reviews, videos, and etc. Will that ever happen? Frankly, whose to say. I’m not entirely sure what I want to do! I’m just a twenty-something with big dreams and a little blog. When I know, I will probably forget to tell you.