Hi Cooking Moms, Dads & Friends,

I hope you had a great week! Last week I spent a few wonderful days out in northern California. One of the highlights was a whale watching trip in Monterey Bay. It was AMAZING - we saw so many! They are huge! We got so close you could even smell them, which they say is called whale breath. It smells pretty fishy, but the whole experience was something I’ll never forget. Get this. The marine biologist on our boat said these whales are headed to Mexico soon for the winter. In January, I’m hosting a culinary trip in Mexico. I’m so excited to go whale watching again! Click Culinary Vacations with The Cooking Mom for more on my upcoming trips.

I’m working on putting together new group vacations for 2022 and 2023. Let me know if you you’d be interested in a trip to gorgeous Northern California filled with wine tasting, whale watching, shopping and eating our way around the quaint small beach towns of Carmel, Big Sur and Pebble Beach. I love hearing about your bucket list trips. Click info@thecookingmom.com to share your thoughts and let me know if you want to get on our list to hear about all my new upcoming vacations.

Now that Halloween is over it’s time to start thinking about the next holidays. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it. Now is a great time to start thinking about and planning your holiday menu! It’s always to fun make something different and really special for your family and friends. I’m not saying you shouldn’t make your family’s favorites, but I’m saying why not try something new this holiday season?

We LOVE appetizers in our house! You know the pre-dinner snacks and nibbles. I’ve got a new recipe that is THE ULTIMATE appetizer for the holidays. Click my new blog post How to Make Crab Stuffed Mushrooms to read more and see lots of pictures too! These Crab Stuffed Mushrooms seem very indulgent and fancy but they are actually pretty simple to make! They are also a cost-saving way to serve seafood at your holiday parties on a budget. If you are a mushroom lover like me, you gotta try them!

It’s unseasonably warm here in the Midwest. No complaints here. I’m loving it! It’s going to be a beautiful weekend. Why not fire up the grill? Celebrate the weekend with my Chicken Fajita Packets. Easy breezy and no cleanup. LOVE THAT!

Get the weekend started with my 8 Layer Mexican Bean Dip. It’s always a winner! Perfect for game day too.

Speaking of the game, even though Aaron Rogers won’t be playing this weekend, we’ll be watching! My Green and Gold Beef Teriyaki Kabobs are a taste of football season! So yummy and healthy too! Love grilled pineapple. You can grill or broil the kabobs. Either way they are delicious!

The weekend is a super time to make chili. My Way Too Easy White Chicken Chili is my FAVORITE! I love tomato based chili but sometimes it doesn’t like me if you know what I mean. LOL! For game day I double the batch and keep it warm in my Nesco slow cooker. I put out a bunch of chili fixings and then everybody can pile on the toppings like shredded cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream and Fritos! YUM!

No matter what the weather, my slow cooker always gets a workout - even for breakfast! Have you ever made oatmeal in your crockpot? My Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal is SO GOOD! Just throw it all together before you go to bed and in the morning breakfast is done. Not to mention your house smells like vanilla and cinnamon! Oh yeah, and you can heat up the leftovers in the microwave for easy breakfast during the week. Click Breakfast and Brunch for more recipes your family will love.

For dessert, got leftover Halloween candy? We always seem to have it. Use it to make my Snickers Dip. I serve it with crunchy apples, graham crackers and pretzels for dipping. It’s a tempting no-bake dessert. Everybody will go nuts over it!

Another great way to use up that candy is make my Fall Snack Mix. Just pop some popcorn, throw in some pretzels, candy corn, Reeses Pieces, and some dried cranberries and almonds if you like. Put it in a large bowl and watch it disappear. Perfect for movie night or the big game. Click Desserts for more fall and holiday treats.

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

Besides cooking I love to travel! I’m so excited to be hosting amazing vacations. Let’s meet new friends and travel together on these trips of a lifetime!

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 so good! 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 so wonderful! 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 for the Holidays!

If you like my recipes, I think you will love my cookbooks. Order one for yourself and they make special gifts too! Both of my cookbooks are full color, and each is filled with nearly 200 unique recipes. They're available on Amazon. 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. I’ve got to pack for my weekend trip to Nashville! I’m meeting my aunt there for a girls' trip this weekend. I can’t wait! Let me know at info@thecookingmom.com if you have any favorite spots or restaurants we need to visit. I promise to post pictures! You can always see what I'm up to on Instagram, 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