Some food, some drink.

Beta recipes are my own experiments that I've only tried once. Usually palatable, they often could be better with a little tweaking - So please do, and let me know what works!

I just don't understand how folks could possibly have a difficult time getting rid of turkey leftovers. If I had to pick just one critter to eat henceforth, Ben Franklin's favorite avian dinosaur might be it. I smoked a bird for holiday nosh, and with what was relegated to leftovers, I decided to make soup. This turkey tortilla soup starts with  homemade turkey stock that's been infused with herbs, spices, onion, garlic, and ancho chile. To make it hearty, the broth is liberally garnished with smoked turkey, black beans, and diced tomatoes and chiles. And because it wouldn't be tortilla soup without the tortillas, we're…

When I first started baking cookies for Christmas, I got a hold of a recipe for Chocolate Cookies topped with a melted Andes Mint humbly titled "Best Chocolate Mint Cookies". Humility aside, it truly is a good cookie. Imagine the penultimate edge of a brownie put into convenient cookie form, smeared with a cool, creamy, Andes Mint. At our house, this is a Holiday cookie on the "must bake" list. A list of only nine ingredients makes it easy, and this is a recipe that makes plenty so they're great for sharing too!

Sometimes where cookies are concerned, it feels like it's all been done. So, when I found a recipe for a cookie that bakes in a waffle iron, I knew I had to try it. The original recipe for this Pennsylvania Dutch Cinnamon Waffle Cookie or "zimmet waffle" was pretty lean on description and accurate measurements, so I took it upon myself to reconstruct this relatively simple recipe so that the buttery, spicy goodness that is this cookie recipe might be properly shared. And, because it's seldom in my nature to leave well enough alone, I concocted a glaze using real maple syrup to compliment the fragrant, floral spiciness of the cinnamon. With a little trial and error, vague measurements and instructions from the original recipe were nailed down, resulting in a quick cookie recipe that comes together with only six basic ingredients…

A warm fire, a brilliant Christmas tree, good company, and full bottle of cinnamon schnapps. It's just not the Holidays around here without cinnamon schnapps to sip on; and the best kind of schnapps is the kind you make yourself! With a few simple ingredients and some careful attention, a big ol' bottle of spicy-smooth homemade cinnamon schnapps can be made for pennies on the dollar. Also makes a thoughtful gift for those on your list who like to imbibe!

Every year, I do my Thanksgiving turkey a bit different. A good gobbler is high art as far as I'm concerned, I am a fool for smoked turkey. It may just be one of the world's most perfect foods. Now that I've indoctrinated myself into the cult of 'que, there was no way that I wasn't going to show my Thanksgiving turkey the smoke. This smoked turkey starts with brine that infuses said poultry with all the flavors of fall, and finishes its journey in my barbeque basted inside and out with a Bourbon whiskey apple butter mop.

Finally, a food gift that can be given without fear of rejection (or even worse, regifting). Homemade smoked salt is a DIY food gift you can feel good about giving, as it's gluten-free, vegan and all-natural. It's a seasoning that no self-respecting foodie's kitchen should be without, and assuming you've got a means to smoke, it's a cheap and easy solution for holiday gift-giving.

There's a new caffeinated beverage in town, and this one's got everything you want, and none of what you don't. Zoom Water is an all-natural spring water from the mountains of Idaho that's been bolstered with the zing of naturally-sourced caffeine. The good folks who make Zoom Water have taken the time to answer all of my questions about their appropriately-named beverage, and even gave me a few to try for myself. So does Zoom Water really taste as clean and refreshing as the all-natural mountain spring water that it's sourced from? Follow along, good reader, and find out!

"Cheesecake." Just saying the word will cause some folks to gain two or three pounds. The rich, indulgent decadence of cheesecake is my dessert Achilles' Heel; If I'm in for one piece, I'm usually in for two. With Thanksgiving and Christmas on deck, I'm ready to focus my baking on what I'll be serving at a holiday table; and this pumpkin cheesecake tops the list. Sure cheesecake by itself is all kinds of exorbitant, but this pumpkin cheesecake adds the bite of a gingersnap crust and is frosted with a sour cream and chile chocolate ganache to add insult to caloric injury. All the same, even if this recipe seems a bit over-the-top for your liking, I think this read might be worth your time if you are a friend of cheesecake and you're looking for sure-fire ways to avoid that dreaded cracked top that is the bane of…