Adventures in the Kitchen

Valentine’s Day Heart Pie Pops

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I’m getting in the spirit with these adorable pie pops! My friend is throwing a Galentine’s Day party on Monday, and I’ll be baking a fresh batch of these babies to bring with me.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Your favorite pie dough
1 large egg, with a splash of water
your preferred flavor of jam
Lollipop sticks (make sure to get the oven-safe kind)
Heart cookie cutter

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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Make sure your dough is rolled out nice and smooth, about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out hearts using the cookie cutter, and spoon jam into the center, leaving a decent amount of room around the edges. (I recommend using a slightly larger cookie cutter than the one I used.)

I chose to make some pie pops and some mini pies. Make sure to add the popsicle sticks before the jam and the top heart.

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Use a fork to press the edges of the heart together to seal. You’ll most likely have some jam spilling out—just embrace it!

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The last step isn’t pictured, but you simply brush the dough with the egg wash and stick them in the oven for 20-30 mins. The egg wash helps them get nice and golden. And there you go!

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Rustic Napkin Ties

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I’m hosting a ‘Friendsgiving’ at my place this year and I’ve been thinking about ideas on how I want to decorate the dinner table. I wanted something rustic, yet chic and sticking with the theme of autumn.

One of my brilliant ideas (there were a lot of bad ones first) that I came up with were these cute little napkin ties. They were so simple to put together, but I think they add the perfect touch!

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Here’s what you’ll need:

Cinnamon Sticks – (are you surprised? Hello, blog name!) these are a bit larger than the ones you might find in the grocery store. Try looking in a specialty store or when in doubt, Amazon!

Twine – this adds to a nice rustic touch and it’s easy to find at most stores. If you’re sticking to a specific color scheme, you can always swap out the twine for ribbon in your color of choice.

Rosemary sprigs – this looks pretty and adds fun little pop of green. Plus, it smells delightful! If you’re not a rosemary fan, you can do the same garnish with thyme, lavender, sage, etc. Be creative!

All you have to do it fold your napkin into a rectangle, lay down your herb sprigs and place the cinnamon sticks on top. Once you’ve done that, tie your twine or ribbon so that the bow is on top of the herbs and cinnamon sticks.

And there you have it! A fun little napkin tie fit for a fall feast!

Edible Flowers

I have fallen in love with adding rose petals to my food – especially desserts! I think they really transform any dish into something a little more colorful and unique.

I had seen this done many places and wanted to give it a try. It’s SO easy that you’ll want to add a rose petal garnish to just about everything. All you need are some fresh roses in a color that complements your dish. Rinse them off, let them dry and place them in a vase with fresh water until you’re ready to use them. The roses should last up to five days this way with daily water changes. I’ve noticed that darker shades have a more pronounced flavor, so it’s worth trying out different colors to find one that matches your taste. A word to the wise: while all rose petals are edible, it’s important to avoid those that have been sprayed with pesticides—yuck!

This raspberry tart I made is pretty enough on its own, but I think the garnish of rose petals added an elegant touch. Not only was it pretty to look at, but the pink roses added a subtle, yet pleasant flavor. Now I’m on the lookout for other dishes that could use a sprinkle of rose petals!

Warning: Has Amazing Health Benefits

It’s safe to say that I am a cinnamon fanatic. Why else would I name my blog Cinnamon & Style? I love adding a dash of cinnamon to just about everything I can. Coffee, tea, dessert – you name it, I’ve probably cinnamon’d it. I’m so committed to cinnamon that I even carry it around in my purse so I’m never without!

Not only does it taste delicious, but cinnamon has some awesome health benefits. Along with giving your metabolism a natural boost and helping with weight loss, cinnamon can reduce risk factors linked to heart disease, lower blood sugar and can help your body fight off infections. What’s not to love, right?

I had to share my latest way of getting my cinna-fix on: this delectable and refreshing apple cinnamon infused water. It’s so good for you and couldn’t be easier to make! All you need is a big pitcher and the following ingredients:

1 Granny Smith apple – thinly sliced

1 cinnamon stick

Ice

Cold water

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Place the apple slices at the bottom of the pitcher and top those off with the cinnamon stick. From there, fill the pitcher about halfway with ice and then add water. It’s that easy!

Pro-tip: make this before bed and let it sit overnight in the fridge. That’ll give all the flavors plenty of time to come alive and it’ll be perfect to have in the morning before breakfast. A pitcher of this should keep in the fridge for about three days, but it’s so delicious that it’ll probably be gone WAY before then!