quinn's place

pete got me these glorious hammered moscow mule mugs for christmas last year. i love them. they are beautiful and keep your beverage so so so icy cold!

i do love me a good moscow mule, but i discovered that whiskey mules are maybe more tasty to me! i'm not a crazy big whiskey drinker, but i quite enjoy this whiskey + ginger beer.

i originally had a montana mule at

rachel's ginger beer

in pike place market in seattle. this is when i realized that i enjoy this version a bit more than the vodka variety. RGB is amazing by the way.......i really really love ginger, so this place is mah jam. the blood orange ginger beer is soo fab.

i've seen whiskey mules called "montana mules" or "kentucky mules." i'm not sure what the official mixology title of this beverage should be, but i would assume you could name it after any place where the peoples consume oodles of whiskey... [???]

i think it sounds best with the m + m alliteration. oh yeahhh. alliterations always.

ps. don't be hatin on the dirt cheap trader joe's rebel yell whiskey... i hadn't realized that we already had a whole bottle of whiskey in the freezer before i spotted this bottle at tj's.

oh wells!! whiskey drinks all fall and winter in this haus!

REEDS

!!! is so yummy. i think reed's is the go-to ginger beer and ginger ale in town.

ah fooey. i just realized that i shot this with the ginger ale bottle, but i had a reed's ginger beer here, too!

my favorite ginger beer that i've discovered out in the wild is probably

crabbie's

. and...it has alcohol...in it!!! ginger beers are usually non-alcoholic. mmm. it's so good. i had a bangarang moscow mule (or 2) at

fadó irish pub

downtown seattle and encountered this delectable crabbie's brew.

these here whiskey mules were concocted for fall times. i just felt like having a refreshing whiskey + ginger drink, added the standard lime wedges, threw in some apple slices for fall flare and a bundle o' fresh mint from the garden.

and because mint makes food pictures look much mo' betta.

these beverages were crisp, cold, zingy, slightly boozy, and full of flavor.

and with bonus-super-cold-whiskey/ginger-soaked apple slices to chomp on, too.

pack that mug with ice! the colder, the better.

add a couple of ounces of whiskey, about a cup of your ginger beer of choice, fresh lime wedges, thin crisp apple slices, and a bunch of fresh mint.

and you're set to enjoy this super chill cocktail.

better drink some now, before its butt-ass cold outside.

oh boy. i'm thirsty.

Autumn Montana Mules

Recipe makes 1 drink // Easily multiplied

Ingredients:

1-2 ounces whiskey
8 oz. ginger beer
2-3 lime wedges
2-3 thin apple slices (fuji or honeycrisp, etc.)
fresh mint

Instructions-

Add the whiskey and ginger beer to a copper mug. Give it a stir, pack with ice. Gently stir until super cold. If you have crushed ice, use that!!! [I freaking love crushed ice. It makes every cold beverage better, I say.] Squeeze lime and leave wedges in the mug. Garnish with thin apple slices and mint, for extra excitement.

Enjoy!

here come the cozy foods.

not a huge fan of the term "hash" when referring to this delicious hearty breakfast, but i suppose it works better than the word "pile."

this is a lovely meal to make on a weekend morn on a brisk fall day.

i was making this a lot last fall and was so excited to make it again this year.

it did not disappoint.

it's easy, savory, filling, hearty, and comforting. the rosemary is key. if you have rosemary growing outside (or find some down the street. haha. for real, there's free rosemary everywhere if you're looking. and by free, i mean don't let your neighbs see you), pluck off one little branch.

that'll do, pig.

i boiled the sweet potato in a pot of water for about fifteen minutes, just to soften it up a little bit. then cut it up into bite-sized chunks. heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium heat in a pan, and let the sweet potatoes brown up a bit on each side. add the freshly chopped rosemary.

it will begin to smell oh so delightful in your kitchen in no time. the more rosemary, the better.

continue to brown the sweet potatoes on all surfaces, flipping them over every few minutes.

add the black beans and gently incorporate with the sweet taters and rosemary, just until they are hot. try not to stir it all up too wildly. i try to avoid letting the black beans split and get all weird and soggy and mashed all over the place.

once the black beans are heated to your liking, add a light sprinkle of black pepper and salt. reduce heat to low and just let it keep warm while you cook your egg and make toast.

fry an egg, sunny side up.

make toast. broil cheese on top until melted. our broiler situation is wacky, so i walk a fine line between cold cheese and black toast. in a perfect world, this cheese would be lightly browned on top. i had sliced gouda on hand, which was really yummy on toast. i've also used havarti for melty cheesy toast which is also amazing and obviously all the cheddars of the world. whatever melting cheese you have around will probably do!

scoop an even "pile" of the sweet potato and black bean combo onto your plate. carefully place the fried egg on top. sprinkle your cheesy toasts with a little chopped rosemary, too.

mmmmm.

i'm a huge advocate of varying textures within a meal.

sweet potatoes, black beans, and eggs = soft & mushy.

three soft & mushies do not make a right.

[in fact, most foods with mushy textures are hard for me to finish without wanting to gag. see: bananas and oatmeal. woof. i like them, but i really have to focus to eat a whole bowl of oatmeal. is that weird? anybody else get sick of soft textures while you're still physically consuming them? this is a main reason why i don't really care for fish or seafood at all. i know. worst pacific northwesterner award.]

cue the crispy, cheesy TOAST. oh thank heaven.

phew! a few bites o taters and egg here, a couple bites o crunchy, cheesy toast there. aah. all is well in the textural harmony of this breakfast.

free that yolk!

fall flavors

and

color. oh so good.

it's really filling, i tell ya! i couldn't even finish it all.

see?

bonus: the lingering aroma of rosemary in the house is far more pleasant than other lingering breakfast smells that force you to open all the doors and windows for the rest of the day. mmhmmm. i love you bacon, but youz a lingering stinker.

thus, a winning meal all around.

Sweet Potato, Black Bean & Rosemary Breakfast Hash with Broiled Gouda Toast

Recipe serves 2 // Easily multiplied

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato
2 TB olive oil
3/4 cup black beans
2 eggs
fresh rosemary sprig
salt and pepper, to taste
2 slices of bread
2 slices of gouda cheese, havarti, or cheddar (whatever melting cheese you have on hand)

Instructions-

Bring a pot of hot water to a boil. Using a slotted spoon, carefully place the sweet potato in the boiling water. Let cook through for about 15-20 minutes, until potato feels a bit soft when pressed with a fork.

Let the potato cool on a cutting board for 5 minutes. Cut the potato into bite-sized chunks, leaving some skin on, if you wish. [Personally, I like potatoes with the skin left on.]

In a large pan, heat 2 TB of olive oil over medium heat. Add the potato chunks and let brown on each surface, rotating the potatoes over every few minutes.

Chop the freshly washed rosemary needles into 1/4 inch bits. Sprinkle about 3 TB of chopped rosemary all over the sweet potatoes, and continue to flip and rotate the potatoes to brown.

Add about 3/4 cup (or more or less, your preference) of rinsed whole black beans to the pan. Gently fold the beans in to the mixture until they are heated. Try to avoid mashing them at all.

Sprinkle a pinch of salt and black pepper over the potatoes, and reduce heat to low.

Make toast. Add sliced cheese on top and place under broiler until melted or browned. Pay attention to this part! I nearly set our kitchen ablaze every time I use the broiler.

In another small pan, fry 1 or 2 large eggs in a TB of olive oil (depending on how many people are eating or how many eggs you want. i would probably only have one egg ^^^ see my issue on soft textures above).

Plate an even scoop of the potato and black bean hash. Carefully place the fried egg on top. Add black pepper on top of the egg. Serve with the gouda toasts, sprinkled with extra chopped rosemary.

Enjoy with coffee and a relaxing weekend morning :) xo

home

autumn montana mules.

sweet potato, black bean & rosemary breakfast hash with broiled gouda toast.

quinn's place