finding time for cooking

for the time-starved or curious culinary adventurer

The Best Thanksgiving Recipes: 20+ Of My Family’s Favorites

Thanksgiving is a BIG deal in my family.  And that includes the food…which is why I feel like I have some of the best Thanksgiving recipes around.  You know, the tried-and-true ones that the family requests over and over. 

See, I have a big extended family, and we spend the day before baking, cooking, and prepping.  The morning of Thanksgiving is always insane—my mom’s up super early with the turkey, then leaves around 10:30 to get down to my grandma’s.  I get up a little later, go for a run, finish up all the remaining dishes, and head down around noon.

We eat a huge lunch, then graze all afternoon and have leftovers for dinner.  We play football, watch football, play cards, and talk.  Chase the kids around.  

When you’re cooking for a big crowd (anywhere from 25 to 50 in past years; usually around 25-30 these days), there are some realities in the kinds of dishes that make sense.  Anything super time-intensive that doesn’t yield a lot of servings is automatically out.  

So these are some of my favorite relatively easy Thanksgiving recipes that I’ve contributed over the years, and it’s all about the sides, breads, desserts, and cocktails.  Turkey just…exists.  Hope you enjoy and everyone has a safe, happy (American) Thanksgiving with family and friends!

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A Whiskey Cocktail for Fall: Preservation Punch

First of all, the look of this cocktail is just dreamy.  Second, it’s absolutely delish and you need it in your life immediately.

What we have here is “preservation punch”, a lovely whiskey cocktail where sweet berry preserves are offset with acidic lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.  The result is a balanced drink that makes me think of the transition between seasons.  

Preservation Punch: A Lovely Fruity Whiskey Cocktail | I tried this Slane cocktail from a bartender in Oakland via @thirsty, and loved the balance of sweet and acidic. A perfect fall cocktail using whiskey, jam, lemon juice, and a bit of balsamic vinegar. #cocktail #fallcocktail #drinkrecipes #whiskey

Beyond how pretty it is, this is a flavor profile that really works for me.  Partly because I’m a well-known lover of jam.  But also just because it doesn’t *taste* like jam. 

Once shaken with the other ingredients, the jam ends up providing texture and body without adding much sweetness. 

Preservation Punch whiskey cocktail for fall

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The Best Iced Coffee Ever…Using An Aeropress

I have a deep and abiding love for great coffee.  But historically I haven’t had a lot of iced coffee.  One here or there, but it wasn’t a habit.  Until the last six months of being at home due to coronavirus, when all the sudden I became a total master at making iced coffee at home using my Aeropress.

How to Make the Best Iced Coffee at Home | Making an iced coffee with the Aeropress is easy & delicious | finding time for cooking

And I somewhat accidentally discovered my hack for the best iced coffee ever…using sweetened condensed milk.  Now it’s not like I’m the first person to ever think of that (in fact, it’s a staple of Thai and Vietnamese coffee and iced tea).  

But I had some sweetened condensed milk sitting in my fridge from making a delicious bourbon milk punch cocktail, and wasn’t sure what to do with it.  On a whim I decided to use it instead of simple syrup, and realized that it added a lovely rich velvety quality, enough sweetness, and didn’t water down the end result like milk does.

Aeropress iced coffee, best and easiest at home

A long, long time ago I posted about the Pioneer Woman’s cold brew iced coffee recipe, and hadn’t really tried anything else until this Aeropress style.  It tasted fine enough but not amazing, and was kind of a pain to make, so I just never ended up doing it often. 

Just as I was about the publish this post, I found this article on Epicurious that explains why cold brew *doesn’t* give you the best tasting iced coffee, and it finally made sense to me.  It creates a more deadened, kind of stale flavor, uses way more coffee beans, and gets oxidized over time. READ THE POST

Basil Gin Gimlet Cocktail

Apparently I’m not the only one with a basil gin gimlet on the brain.  I hadn’t even heard of them until a couple weeks ago, when I saw an article about them that intrigued me.  I created a blog post draft because I have a stupid amount of fresh basil to use.

Then I tried out an awesome new restaurant last weekend and they just so happened to have a basil gimlet on their menu.  Serendipity for sure.  I tried out my own recipe the next day and I have to say that I AM IN LOVE.

Basil Gin Gimlet Cocktail | This easy basil gin cocktail recipe is tart, herby, and refreshing. A twist on a gimlet cocktail made with gin, it's a great way to use up basil, perfect for late summer's abundance of basil. It only takes a couple ingredients and is an amazing easy cocktail recipe. Gin, lime, basil, and simple syrup! #cocktail #gimlet #basil

A delicious basil gin cocktail, this twist on a gimlet

I’ve already talked a little bit about the gimlet cocktail in my French gimlet post…this is an herbaceous twist on the tart and boozy classic and it’s perfect for this time of year. READ THE POST

Bohemian Cocktail (Gin, Elderflower, & Grapefruit)

As someone who has a gin and tonic with grapefruit garnish as my go-to drink, I always end up with peel-less grapefruits that need thrown away.  But it’s a shame to throw away all that delicious juice, so I keep my eyes out for a good recipe to use it in…ENTER THE BOHEMIAN COCKTAIL.

What is that, you might ask?  I honestly hadn’t heard of it either until recently.  It’s a simple gin, elderflower, and grapefruit cocktail that is totally delicious.  And that you need to make STAT.

I’ve adjusted the proportions slightly, to amp up the grapefruit a bit and back off the elderflower…to me it balances out the tart and sweet better and keeps it from being too sickly sweet. 

bohemian cocktail from above with a fun gin coasterREAD THE POST

A French Gimlet Cocktail With Gin

I distinctly remember the first time I ever had a French gimlet.  I’d been visiting my BFF in L.A. for a pre-bachelorette weekend just the two of us. 

A French Gimlet Cocktail with Gin...easy 3-ingredient cocktail | This easy drink recipe is sweet, tart, and boozy. Just good gin, fresh lime juice, and St. Germain elderflower liqueur. A perfect cocktail for summer, cocktail with lime juice, how to use St. Germain. #gimlet #gincocktail #gin #cocktail #drinkrecipe #summercocktail #limejuice #stgermain

We’d been shopping all day for honeymoon necessities, and her (now) husband made us homemade pizzas while we rested our weary feet.

We scarfed pizza and she made us French gimlets…strong, tart, sweet.  We had one, then another, then a third.

And then she gave me a steely-eyed long look over the top of her glass, paused for a second, and said, “I can’t drive you to the airport.”  Thus began my $60 Uber to LAX…they pack a boozy punch.

A beautiful French gimlet cocktail with a sunset

What is a French gimlet?  It’s basically a regular gimlet, but with the addition of St. Germain liqueur…the elderflower adding a “je ne sais quoi” to the traditional gin and lime juice combo.

I can’t find an exact origin of the cocktail, but the regular gimlet is said to originate from the Royal Navy in the late 1800s or early 1900s as a way to get sailors to take their lime rations and avoid scurvy.  SIGN. ME. UP.READ THE POST

A Classic “Army and Navy” Gin Cocktail

I’m obsessed with how pretty this drink is.  Though I’m a gin lover, I still haven’t tried out all the classic gin cocktails.  I haven’t even *heard* of all of them.  But as soon as I saw a recipe for a classic “Army and Navy” cocktail, it jumped to the top of the list.

And somehow it feels appropriately patriotic for a 4th of July posting.

A Classic Gin "Army & Navy" Cocktail | This simple classic gin cocktail is crisp, boozy, & perfect for summer. An Army & Navy drink recipe that's easy to make, and will wow guests. A perfect summer cocktail recipe, using only a few ingredients. #gin #cocktail #drinkrecipe #lemon #orgeat

What is an Army and Navy cocktail?

As with many classic cocktails, there are a few conflicting stories. 

It’s said that this cocktail recipe was created to honor the Army & Navy college football rivalry.  The rivalry’s tradition dates back to 1890, though from what I can tell the cocktail dates back to World War II, first appearing in a cocktail book in 1948.  Or conversely, that it got its name from the famous Washington D.C. Army and Navy Club.  I prefer the first option.

It’s traditionally made with gin, and is a twist on a gin sour recipe.  I like to think that the gin and lemon are a nod to sailors in some way, but that’s completely made up on my part 🙂

A Classic Gin "Army & Navy" Cocktail | finding time for cooking blog

Most of the ingredients are completely run-of-the-mill, except the orgeat syrup.  You can buy it on Amazon or make yourself.  Not sure if liquor stores would have it, but you could look.

A Classic Gin "Army & Navy" Cocktail | finding time for cooking blogREAD THE POST

“If Egg Nog Was Good” Bourbon Milk Punch Cocktail

A few months ago, if anyone had told me I’d be obsessed with a cocktail that includes bourbon and dairy (with the exception of a boozy milkshake), I’d have thought they were crazy.

But here we are…

Bourbon Milk Punch Cocktail | This delicious twist on a classic milk punch uses bourbon and sweetened condensed milk for a boozy, velvety drink. If you're looking for an easy pantry cocktail, this is it! #bourbon #milkpunch #cocktail #classiccocktail

What is a milk punch?  

So apparently “punch” is from the Sanskrit word pañc, which means “five”…five ingredients, in this case.  I can neither confirm nor deny but that sounds pretty cool.  A milk punch is a classic but flexible cocktail formula:  generally including liquor, sweetener, milk and/or cream, and vanilla, usually with a nutmeg garnish.  There’s more fascinating milk punch history here.

Apparently we’re in the midst of a milk punch revival.  I’d never really heard of them until recently, and then all of the sudden started to notice them on menus.  I first tried a clarified milk punch (having a major moment) at George’s Bar in Louisville, and it was amazing!  I am, however, too lazy to clarify milk myself…

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A Classic “Brown Derby” Cocktail

I was first introduced to the Brown Derby cocktail over a decade ago at an amazing little secret speakeasy called Prohibition. 

Hidden behind a red London-style phone booth, I was transported to a time of jazz, silent movies, and delicious boozy drinks.  I’d never really been around cocktails, but I was a convert.

A Classic Brown Derby Cocktail | A delicious bourbon grapefruit cocktail with a great history. This tart and easy cocktail is perfect for spring, with fresh grapefruit juice, honey syrup, and boozy bourbon. #cocktail #easycocktail #easydrinkrecipe #grapefruit #bourbon

Last weekend (for work reasons) I had Derby on the mind.  The Kentucky Derby, that is.  It’s the time of year when all of Louisville would have normally horse fever.  Except it isn’t. 

The horses won’t run on the first Saturday in May for the first time since World War II, and a lot of folks here are feeling the void of that spring rite.  So the other night I decided to try whipping up a Brown Derby cocktail in honor of the Derby.  

No, they’re not technically related, but that’s how my brain works 🙂  

The Brown Derby is a delicious bourbon grapefruit cocktailREAD THE POST

Rye Port Manhattan Cocktail

Given the gloomy, chilly spring weather we’ve been having here, my cocktail game has had more of a fall vibe, and it seemed time for me to finally tackle one of the great classic cocktails, the Manhattan.  Since I can’t ever just do the thing straightforward, I’m going with a rye port Manhattan.

Because, here’s the thing—I don’t like Manhattans.  I think it’s because of the sweet vermouth that provides the distinctive flavor, which I don’t like.  So I went looking for a Manhattan without vermouth, something that maintains that iconic flavor but that I actually *like*.  Enter delicious ruby port…

What is a Manhattan cocktail?

The standard Manhattan has remained remarkably consistent over the nearly 150 years it’s been around.  A basic Manattan is two parts rye whiskey, one part sweet vermouth, two dashes of bitters, and served “up” (chilled but no ice) with a cherry or twist (lemon peel). 

The original might have actually been equal parts rye and vermouth, which for someone like me who does NOT like vermouth or sweet vermouth sounds especially gross.READ THE POST