Hi Cooking Moms, Dads & Friends,

I hope you had a great week! It’s been the most beautiful fall in Wisconsin. This week we had temperatures near 70 degrees. I’m lovin’ it. The trick or treaters sure did too! I can't remember a warmer Halloween night.

Now that Halloween is over it’s time to start thinking about the next holidays. Thanksgiving will be here before you know it. Now is a great time to start thinking about and planning your holiday menu. It’s always to fun make something different and really special for your family and friends. I’m not saying you shouldn’t make your family’s favorites, but I’m saying why not try something new this holiday season?

We LOVE appetizers in our house. You know the pre-dinner snacks and nibbles. This weekend get out your slow cooker and throw together my Cranberry Meatballs. We LOVE these! Crazy easy too. I make them all the time for game day and holiday get togethers. They are ALWAYS a winner. Just 5 ingredients!

Speaking of cranberries. Move over pumpkin spice. It’s cranberry time! 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 AMAZING! Trust me on this. It’s fantastic served over wild rice.

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 nice, healthy and pretty side dish for Thanksgiving too! Next week I’ll be on TV in Minneapolis cooking up my all time favorite recipes for Thanksgiving. I hope you’ll watch me on The Jason Show and Twin Cities Live Thursday November 10th. I can’t wait!

Why not fire up the grill this weekend? We’re still grilling! Celebrate the weekend with my Chicken Fajita Packets. Easy breezy and no cleanup!

Get the weekend started with my 8 Layer Mexican Bean Dip. It’s always a winner. Perfect for game day too!

For dessert, got leftover Halloween candy? We always seem to have it. Use it to make my Snickers Dip. I serve it with crunchy apples, graham crackers and pretzels for dipping. It’s a tempting no-bake dessert. Everybody will go nuts over it!

Another great way to use up that candy is to make my Fall Snack Mix. Just pop some popcorn, throw in some pretzels, candy corn, Reeses Pieces, and some dried cranberries and almonds, if you like. Put it in a large bowl and watch it disappear. Perfect for movie night or the big game. Click Desserts for more fall and holiday treats.

Order Amy's Cookbooks!

If you like my recipes, I think you will love my cookbooks. Both of my cookbooks are full color, and each is filled with nearly 200 unique recipes. Lots of secrets, tips and fun stories, too! Click Amy's Books on Amazon to order.

The Cooking Mom Vacations! Join Me for Trips of a Lifetime!

WE JUST GOT MORE ROOMS! Join Amy Summer 2023 on Mackinac Island for Lilac Fest!

Besides cooking, I love to travel. I’m hosting amazing culinary vacations to the places you’ve always wanted to visit. My trip to Mackinac Island next June SOLD OUT immediately, but I’ve got GREAT NEWS! We were able to get a few more rooms! Mackinac Island, Michigan is one my favorite places. There are no cars on the island, just bikes and horses and carriages. It’s so charming. It’s like you’ve stepped back in time. We’re staying at my favorite resort, Mission Point Resort, voted one of the BEST on the island and in the Midwest. It’s AMAZING! We’ll be there for 4 magical nights June 12-16, 2023 during Lilac Festival. The whole Island is covered in lilacs. It’s so gorgeous. It smells beautiful too! Click Join The Cooking Mom on Mackinac Island to get pricing and see lots of pictures.

Read all about the fun we’re going to have and the delicious food we are going to eat. Hotel rates on the island have sky rocketed but my trips are group trips and because of that we can negotiate the best deals. We worked hard to get the absolute BEST rates possible for lots of included things, like your ferry ride to the island, gourmet cooked-to-order breakfasts every morning at the resort, a wine tasting and lunch on our drive to get to the island, a big wine and cheese party, a delicious welcome dinner and more! It’s going to be a blast! You can get pricing and book directly by clicking on this link Book Your Spot! Or call Sara from Rose Travel at 720-884-7913 or email her at [email protected] if you’re interested! We ONLY have a handful of rooms and they'll get snatched up quickly. I hope you’ll join me!

Just 4 Cabins Left! Join Amy on a River Cruise in France in April 2023! SALE EXTENDED!

LAST CHANCE TO SAVE BIG! If you’ve always dreamed of going to France, let's do it! Reserve your spot now to join me in France next spring! 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. 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!

You’ll get 10 percent off ONLY if you book and pay in full by Monday 11/26/22. There are just 4 cabins left! Click Join The Cooking Mom on a French River Cruise to get all the dates and details. This trip is going to be so wonderful. Join me!

SOLD OUT - The Cooking Mom in Puerto Vallarta January 2023

My trip to Puerto Vallarta in January is sold out! Email me at [email protected] to let me know if you’d be interested in going there with me in winter 2024.

Click Culinary Vacations with The Cooking Mom to see what makes my trips unique and different from the rest! Let me know if you’d be interested in joining me on my trip to Italy September 2023. I’ll be announcing the exact dates and details VERY SOON. Stay tuned! I’m planning more AMAZING trips for 2023 and 2024 right now. Email me at [email protected] and let me know if you want to get on my list for exclusive early trip announcements. I want to know where you want to go, too. Let me know!

You can always see what I'm up to on Facebook and Instagram. Follow me! Hey, check out my food videos on YouTube, too.

I hope you all have a great weekend! Cook up some memories!

Take care,
Amy, The Cooking Mom