Hi Cooking Moms, Dads & Friends,

I hope you had a good week! I’m still recovering from last weekend in Nashville. My aunt invited me to be her plus one on her company mini-vacation. Heck yes, I was in! From amazing food and music to a lot of laughs. What a great trip! I can’t wait to go back some day. Hey, that would be a destination for one of my culinary trips, don’t you think? Let me know if that’s one you may be interested in by emailing me at info@thecookingmom.com!

Now it’s time to start thinking about Thanksgiving. It’s coming up soon! I love seeing gorgeous fresh cranberries at the grocery store. Here in Wisconsin, we might be known for our cheese and beer, but you might not know we are the top cranberry producer in the country. So, this month I'm going a little crazy for cranberries. You can do so much more with them besides making cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving!

I’d be the dog house if I didn’t make Cranberry Meatballs during the holidays! We love them as an appetizer for game day! I also make them every Thanksgiving. They are perfect for snacking on during the day before our big meal. They are always a WINNER and so easy because I use frozen cocktail size meatballs. I just throw all the ingredients in my Nesco slow cooker and a few hours later we’re ready to dive in! They are tasty as the main course for dinner too. So yummy over mashed potatoes! I’m getting hungry just thinking about them.

Speaking of easy appetizers, it doesn’t get much easier than my Cranberry Crostini with gooey melted brie cheese. These are pretty and a great way to use leftover cranberry sauce too. Click Appetizers for more recipes sure to be a huge hit this holiday season!

If you are stuck in a recipe rut and looking to try something new for dinner, you gotta try my Cranberry Chicken Bake. Just 4 ingredients. It sounds kind of crazy but it’s DELICIOUS! Trust me on this. It’s fantastic served over wild rice!

My Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Sauce and Rosemary is another fall favorite. It's super quick and effortless. I like to serve it with wild rice or better yet my Cranberry Almond Couscous. Couscous is so easy to make. And most kids love it! It would make a healthy and pretty side dish for Thanksgiving too.

Need a new slow cooker recipe? My Apple Cranberry Pork Roast is a winner! Just throw it all in there and you’ll come home to dinner done and a "let's eat now" smell in the house. Click Dinner, Sides and Slow Cooker for more of my favorite fall recipes.

For breakfast why not treat the family to my Cranberry Orange Oatmeal? It’s got a little sweet and sour goodness going on. Heathy too! Click Nice ’n Lite and Breakfast for more recipes your family will love.

November is just flying by. I can't believe Thanksgiving is just a couple weeks away! This year it will so wonderful to have both kids at my table. I won’t be with my mom this Thanksgiving because she’ll be with my sister in Arizona, but she’ll be in my heart! My mom’s favorite is a fresh Cranberry and Grape Salad. With a little whipped cream on top it’s so pretty. Don’t you think? Click Salads for more of my favorite holiday salad recipes.

For dessert, my kiddos don’t love pumpkin pie. What’s wrong with them? LOL! How pretty are these Cranberry Orange Cupcakes for an alternative? Straightforward too because they start with a boxed cake mix. I decorate them with easy breezy Sugared Cranberries. HELLO GORGEOUS!

This year, why not make the house smell like cinnamon and spice with my Mulled Apple Cranberry Cider? I love to have it simmering on the stove. Delicious sipping on a chilly fall morning or on the couch at night by the fire.

Click Desserts and Drinks for more of holiday recipes and ideas that will make you look like a rock star!

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! To find out why my trips are so special check out my blog post Culinary Vacations with The Cooking Mom. 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!

Back in June, 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 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 welcome 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. We’re headed to South Bend today for hockey. Notre Dame takes on the Wisconsin Badgers. This is gonna be good! 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