Inspiration / Recipes

Kids starting school, cool evenings, outdoor pools closing, and apples falling to the ground-- its starting to feel like fall! In honor of the cool fall weather, brew up a nice warm cup of mulled apple cider tuck into your favorite chair and wish summer a fond farewell. Osterhaus Family Mulled Apple Cider 1 gallon of Apple Cider 1 cup of orange juice 1t whole allspice  1t whole cloves 1t cinnamon 1 orange thinly sliced Cinnamon Sticks for Garnish Pour the Apple Cider into a crockpot or large sauce pan. Add the orange juice and the spices. Add the orange...

We have to thank our friends at The Spice House for this amazing gingersnap recipe. I think we all agreed that these were the best gingersnaps we had ever had! What makes these gingersnaps so wonderful? The secret ingredient has to be the crystalized ginger nibs. If you are lucky enough to live in Milwaukee, you can buy a special kit from The Spice House, located in the historic Third Ward District, which contains all the spices and the ginger nibs you need to make these. If not, you can order anything you need from their website or visit one of the...

This is another great recipe for experimentation! The base black bean soup is great with the addition of sausage, chicken, avocado, or shredded pork. We often make Cuban Black Beans and Rice and use the leftovers to make this soup the next day. If you use Cuban Black Beans, you can omit the peppers. 1 Onion 1 tablespoon Olive Oil 1 Red Pepper 1 Green Pepper 1 Bay Leaf  1 teaspoon Cumin 1 teaspoon Crushed Oregano 1 tablespoon Chipotle (or chili in adobe) 1 tablespoon Ancho Chili Powder 1 tablespoon Sea Salt 1 tablespoon Black Pepper 1 tablespoon Garlic Powder...

If you are new the the whole spice blending game, taco seasoning is a great place to start. It is easy, forgiving, and leaves a lot of room for experimentation. The standard ground beef taco seasoning purchased at a grocery store is expensive, bland and contains all sorts of unnecessary junk like sugar, msg and whey.  With the contents of a standard, well-stocked spice rack, you can create several blends to suit different spice tolerances and preferences. The base around which every taco seasoning recipe is built is chili powder, paprika, and cumin. From there, many add onion and garlic...

This recipe is a great one for the home cook who wants to experiment! There are lots of other ingredients that would make great additions to this soup, such as, black beans, sautéed zucchini, roasted red pepper, smoked salmon, shrimp or smoked sausage. Just add them in at the end with the chicken and remaining corn. 3 Tablespoons of Butter or Olive Oil 1 Medium Onion (Finely Diced) 2 Medium Red Potatoes (Diced in 1/2 inch squares) 4 Cloves Garlic or 2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder 1 Minced Canned Chipotle Pepper or 2 Teaspoons Ground Chipotle Pepper 1 Quart Vegetable Stock...