Hi Cooking Moms, Dads & Friends,

I hope you had a great week! I’m waking up in beautiful Scottsdale, Arizona today. I’m here for my niece’s wedding. I haven’t been here in almost 2 years! I grew up here and this is where most of my family lives so it’s wonderful to be back home! We’ve been doing some early morning hikes. Gotta get up early to beat the heat, but it’s worth it. I promise to post pictures from the wedding and the trip on Facebook and Instagram!

I can't believe it's almost October already! Summer and September just flew by. But, I do love fall in Wisconsin, so I’m excited for that. When I get home I cannot wait to celebrate Oktoberfest. My way of doing it is just making my favorite German recipes. Back when I was in college at Marquette University, I used to work at a legendary German restaurant in Milwaukee called Mader’s. Have you been there? I haven’t been there in decades but the food used to be delicious and the place to go for German food!

When I’m craving German food, I make my German Dinner in the Slow Cooker! It reminds me of my days at Mader’s. Sauerkraut, potatoes, apples, smoked sausage and a beer. What's not to love? It's AMAZING and so easy! Not to mention the house smells so good when this is cooking. YUMMY! What a great dinner to come home to. Click Dinners for more main dish ideas.

On the side, I love my Spinach Salad with Sweet and Sour Dressing and my homemade 4-ingredient Beer Bread. So much cheaper to make than those box beer bread mixes. It costs just pennies and it's so good! Click Sides and Salads for more ideas.

It’s still grilling season! For game day we love doing brats my way in my Brat Tub. The BEST WAY EVER to do brats!

If you like brats, you’ll LOVE my Brat Bundles. Perfect for game day! Click Appetizers for more munchie and dip recipes.

Here’s my new super Easy German Potato Salad recipe! It’s so delicious with whatever you’re grilling this fall and it’s a 30 minute recipe, maybe even less. LOVE that! Delicious warm or cold.

For breakfast, why not really WOW the family with my German Apple Pancake? I love this recipe because it makes you look like a total rockstar! Nobody needs to know how easy it was to make. And here again, you probably have all the ingredients to make it right now. So, what are you waiting for? Makes the house smell so good! And no flipping pancakes all morning!

We love it with Brown Sugar Bacon. Brew up some coffee and maybe make a mimosa too and that’s a great Sunday brunch! Bring it on!

Want to do something a little more healthy? Get out your crockpot and make my Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal. It cooks overnight while you’re sleeping. You wake up and breakfast is done! How cool is that? Plus, the leftovers re-heat great for quick weekday breakfasts on the go. Click Breakfasts for lots more recipes.

For dessert, it’s gotta be German Chocolate Cake! The coconut pecan frosting is SO GOOD. Click Desserts for more tasty dessert recipes.

Join The Cooking Mom on a Vacation of a Lifetime!

Have you heard I’m now hosting culinary trips? My trips are different from the rest. We’ll stay in the very best hotels and go in search of delicious food. My trips are a stress-free and a super fun way to travel. I’ve got 5 amazing trips planned and more to come! To find out why my trips are so special check out my blog post Culinary Vacations with The Cooking Mom.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Escape Winter and Join me in Puerto Vallarta in January 2022!

Winter will be here before you know it! Let’s beat the winter blues and spend a week in one of my favorite cities, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico! This is gonna be one heck of a trip! We’ve got a SUPER FUN group going. Join us! We’ll stay in a small (just 70 rooms), 4-diamond luxury beach front resort. All of your gourmet food and wine and top shelf cocktails at the resort are included! We’ll also join local foodies in search of Puerto Vallarta’s freshly made warm tortillas, the ultimate street tacos, tamales, amazing fresh seafood, and fabulous cocktails too. It will be whale watching season during this trip. We are currently offering a discount of $140 per person! Call Brittany at Bon Voyage Boutique Travel TODAY to take advantage of this offer 920-725-2880. Click Join The Cooking Mom in Puerto Vallarta to see pictures and get lots more details.

Just a Few Rooms Left! Join The Cooking Mom in Ireland in April 2022

I’ve always dreamed of going to Ireland! Let’s experience it together. This trip is almost booked up! We just have a few rooms left. From Irish cooking classes, to scone baking, Irish cheese, and Jameson whiskey tasting! We’ll do it all. We’ll even stay in two real castles! I can only take a small group so get your reservation in soon! Click Join The Cooking Mom in Ireland to read more about this trip and find out how to reserve your spot!

Mackinac Island for Lilac Fest in June 2022!

Earlier this summer I hosted a trip to one of my favorite places, beautiful Mackinac Island, Michigan. It was amazing! I LOVE this island. Have you ever been? If not you need to go! There’s no place like it! Join me next summer because I’m going back. We are staying at my favorite resort on the island. It’s fabulous! We’ve even added an extra night so there will be more time on this trip to sightsee, shop or just relax! This trip is already filling up. We can only take a limited number of people. Click Join The Cooking Mom on Mackinac Island to get all the details. We’ll be there next June during lilac season. It’s absolutely gorgeous that time of year! I hope you’ll join me. This trip will fill up quick so call Brittany at Bon Voyage Boutique Travel 920-725-2880 or email her at brittany@bonvoyagebt.com to book your spot!

Join Amy on a River Cruise in France in April 2023!

Bring on lots of wine tasting, gourmet meals, fresh croissants and pastries and so much more! Join me on a river cruise through Southern France from Burgundy to Provence. It’s the ULTIMATE way to see France! In April of 2023, we’ll cruise the Rhone river on a gorgeous new boutique ship with only 150 passengers. It’s first class all the way and it’s a true ALL-INCLUSIVE river cruise, meaning all your food, drinks, and excursions are included. Gratuity too! Plus, you’ll have the option to stay a couple days after the cruise to experience Paris. It will be spring and the blossoms will be in full bloom. It’s going to be stunning! Click Join The Cooking Mom on a French River Cruise to get all the dates, pricing and tantalizing details. This trip is going to be truly over the top and AMAZING! Join me! Plus, there are special discounts if you book now!

I'm starting to plan now for more culinary vacations in 2023! I want to know where you want to go. Email me the trips you’d be interested in at info@thecookingmom.com!

Order Amy's Cookbooks!

If you like my recipes, I think you will love my cookbooks. Both of my cookbooks are full color, and each is filled with nearly 200 unique recipes. Lots of secrets, tips and fun stories, too! Click Amy's Books on Amazon to order.

Please Invite Me!

Now that life is getting more back to normal, I’m excited to start doing live cooking demos again! I'd love to come to your town and meet you! Tell your library about me. I’ll come do a cooking demo for your company or event too. Click Hire Amy for more ideas for how we can spend time together!

Gotta run! We’ve got the rehearsal dinner and lots going on for the wedding today.

You can always see what I'm up to on Instagram. Follow me! I'm also on Facebook and Twitter. Check out my videos on YouTube, too.

I hope you have a great weekend. Cook up some memories!

Take care,
Amy, The Cooking Mom