My Award-Winning Chili & A Chili Cook Off

Every year, the Rustbelt Farmer's family throws a chili cook off for Mama Pattison's birthday. My award-winning chili entry is an in-depth recipe, to say the least, but go big or go home, right? Next year, I'm throwing two jars of salsa and a chicken in a crockpot and calling it done. So here you have it... quite possibly the only chili recipe you'll ever find on this blog. Where do you stand? Are you pro chili? Do you have any award-winning chili secrets?

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Boeuf Bourguignon: A Comforting Winter Stew

The best part of investing the time and effort (which is really less than you think) in this Boeuf Bourguignon recipe is it keeps on feeding you. From our fancy New Year's Eve table, to watching Fargo on New Year's Day (it felt appropriately cold outside to revisit that classic film) and a few days after that, we had warm bowls of comforting stew to nourish us and torture the dog with its aroma (poor baby, but no wine broth for her).

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Harvest Salad with Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash

Hearty and comforting, this harvest salad with quinoa, roasted beets and squash will balance heavier holiday eating. The recipe is loose, so you can alter it to fix your cravings or empty your fridge. This is really a choose-your-own-adventure style recipe. Want something even heartier? Bulk up the quinoa and make this a gluten-free grain bowl. 

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An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck

If you’re craving the comforts of fall for every course, then this Apple Themed Menu is for you! 

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com

To celebrate the ripe old age of six, my sisters threw me a 101 Dalmatians party that friends still talk about (or, at least, I still talk about). There was definitely a snowman theme at some point (I’m a January baby), a beach “getaway,” an innocent sock hop when most parties included spin-the-bottle, and an Amélie themed shindig well into adulthood. Do you see the common thread? I LOVE ME A THEME PARTY, and dinner parties are no exception.  

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com

Shortly after I met Ashley, a fellow Pittsburgh food blogger, I met her yard, and all the design gears in my brain started to spin. The ivy, the dappled light, the wooden deck… all of it begged for a dinner party. We hatched the idea for a Pittsburgh food blogger potluck, and because I was involved, we hatched the idea for a themed Pittsburgh food blogger potluck, more specifically an Apple Themed Menu.

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com

So on a sunny Sunday, I styled some of my favorite plaids, baskets and gourds. Then, eight of us gathered, told our two truths and lies, shared lessons learned,  demystified instant pots, and combined all of our culinary creativity into one apple themed menu, from sips to sweets. It made bidding farewell to summer a little bit easier, a little more ceremonious. 

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com

If a fall gathering is on your horizon, consider challenging your guests to a themed potluck of your own, or if you’re feeling like a super host, take a stab at recreating this blogger-tested apple themed menu. Or, if you’re feeling like a reasonable human being with realistic goals, give these recipes a whirl over the course of the season. (full menu below)

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com
Special thanks to the Urban Farmer for putting his graphic design skills to work to create the menu. 
From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com
Ashley of My Heart Beets testing her Apple Cider Punch

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com
Lindsey, “The Food Mood Girl” with her Apple Cheddar Scones

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com
Curried Apple Pilaf | Carrot, Apple Ginger Soup | Apple Cheddar Scones

From The Orchard: An Apple Themed Menu for a Pittsburgh Blogger Potluck // www.WithTheGrains.com

From The Orchard:
An Apple Themed Menu 
(Gluten-Free)

(more…)

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