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Cynthia Mason Moran

@coffeequeencooks

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Lazy dinner! Potato soup (Costco) in a bread bowl (also Costco) with leftover smoked bratwurst. Total time: 5 minutes by @coffeequeencooks

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8 days ago

Tasty pairing for October: Pumpkin Spice Martinis paired with Bacon, Apple, and Date Flatbreads.

The Pumpkin Spice Martini is from the @jm_hirsch book "Freezer Door Cocktails". It's a flavored martini made with Bourbon, agave, pumpkin pie spice, orange and chocolate bitters, and topped with fresh apple cider. This drink is strong and tasty! The recipe makes 5-7 cocktails and can be stored in the freezer door and enjoyed anytime.

The Bacon, Apple, and Date Flatbreads recipe is from @testkitchen and paired perfectly with the martinis. Store-bought pizza dough is topped with mascarpone cheese, fresh rosemary, crumbled bacon, dates, sharp white cheddar cheese, sliced apples, and red onions.

🍸🍂Tasty Pairings – October Edition 🍂🍸
Cool Evenings call for tasty pairings! There’s something special about a great sip + bite. We’re sharing our favorite drink (cocktail, mocktail, wine, or beer) paired with a simple, delicious nibble—perfect for happy hour, a cozy night in, or your next get-together.

Each of us brought something a little different, and we hope you’ll find a pairing to try🥂Take a moment to visit everyone and see what they created—you might just discover a new favorite to sip, snack and savor all season long! 🍂

✨Want to join us? We share new pairings on the first Thursday of each month—message one of us:
@seeds_of_determination
@cksheehy68
@aglassofwhimsy

#TastyPairingsOctober2026

@the_lakehouse_life
@angiellarkin
@coffeequeencooks
@palletdecorandmore
@jess_beingjess
@kellyannmakes
@summerrrmason by @coffeequeencooks

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18 days ago

Late summer cookbook inspiration vs some of what I actually cooked. I made at least one recipe from every book! Bonus photo of my granddaughter ‘cooking’ in her little toy kitchen! by @coffeequeencooks

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19 days ago

Morning garden harvest! 🍅🫛🥒🌶️ by @coffeequeencooks

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3 months ago

Tomato Salad With Jalapeño Ranch from @bonappetitmag and @shilpauskokovic
This recipe was a delicious way to use tomatoes, jalapenos, and chives from my garden. by @coffeequeencooks

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3 months ago

Burrata Crunchy Croissant from page 56 of The Complete Cheese Pairing Cookbook by @morgancheeses.

A beautiful weekend day called for a picnic brunch and this sandwich was perfect! Croissants are flattened, brushed with melted butter, brown sugar, and honey, then browned in a skillet until crispy. They are sliced open and layered with burrata cheese, ham (I substituted crispy prosciutto), arugula, crushed pistachios, and a balsamic drizzle. The author recommends pairing with a Pinot Grigio for "a refreshing acidity and citrus notes that complement the creamy richness of the burrata and the sweetness of the honey".

This fantastic picnic was enjoyed at Annabel Lake, a privately owned public space at @bishopranch in San Ramon, California.

The Complete Cheese Pairing Cookbook by Morgan McGlynn Carr is my cookbook of the month for #onebookthreerecipes, hosted by @whennonnocooks and @ron_cooks17. This is the first of three recipes I'll cook from the book this month. by @coffeequeencooks

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8 months ago

Spiced Butter-Roasted Carrots with Walnuts from page 101 of Something from Nothing by Alison Roman.
These carrots were fantastic and will be made again very soon! This is a quick side dish with a lot of flavor and the perfect amount of spice. Unfortunately, the walnuts burned before the carrots were fully caramelized. When I make this recipe again I will either top the roasted carrots with toasted walnuts right before serving or leave them out entirely.
Joining the #rainydaybitescookbookclub hosted by @rainydaybites in a deep-dive of this excellent cookbook by @alisoneroman . This month's theme was something from the Vegetables & How to Make Them Even Better chapter. taken in San Ramon, California by @coffeequeencooks

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9 months ago

Winter Fondue Board from page 81 of On Boards by Lisa Dawn Bolton. This board included her recipe for Fondue Mix (page 123) and Pickled Cranberries (page 170).

This was a fun and delicious board! I used sliced salami, quickly blanched green beans and broccolini, purple cabbage, black grapes, and a crusty baguette.

Thank you to @hockeymom_73 and @david.glenn for the serving board!

Happy to be cooking along with @cookbook.junkie again for Pickle Week. The pickled cranberries were delicious. The tartness mellowed after a few days, leaving the cranberries with a delightful tang that complemented the melted cheese beautifully.

📚@lisadawnbolton @appetite_randomhouse
🛒@genesfinefoods @windmillfarms taken in San Ramon, California by @coffeequeencooks

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9 months ago

#52weeksofcocktails
Week 1: Martini
Gin Martini from page 75 of Pour Me Another By J.M. Hirsch.

Thank you to Joanne @uglyducklingbakery for hosting and #cheerstotheweekend 🥂 taken in San Ramon, California by @coffeequeencooks

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10 months ago

Red Chile Brunch Enchiladas with Spicy Potatoes and Fried Eggs from page 124 of Mexico One Plate at a Time by Rick Bayless.

I always have a difficult time making recipes from this book and this one was no exception. I originally made it yesterday, and after more than an hour of hands-on action, way too many dirty dishes, and some angry expressions, I produced mushy potatoes on top of a very floppy tortilla that was somehow wet and dry at the same time. Due to sheer exhaustion, I completely disregarded the egg and salad topping.

Today I decided to try this recipe again and (cue angels singing) this was the result. 10/10, even without the salad topping. The sauce developed a lot of flavor overnight and the potatoes crisped up perfectly when reheated. This time the meal took a total of 20 minutes and no colorful language was used.

Note to self: always prepare as much as possible in advance when cooking from this book!!

Swipe to see yesterday's disaster!

Happy to be cooking along with @cookbook.junkie again for Enchilada Week! Coincidentally, we both cooked the same recipe so check out her page to see another version of this.

#cookbookjunkie #renchiladaweek #breakfastenchiladas #rickbayless @rick_bayless #mexicooneplateatatime taken in San Ramon, California by @coffeequeencooks

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10 months ago

Last Sunday of summer: making beef stock, recipe cataloging, garden progress, silly cats, Ikea trip, chili season, bread pudding (spiked, with ice cream) & relaxing. by @coffeequeencooks

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a year ago

We had a wonderful time with great friends at The Grove at @ciaatcopia and thoroughly enjoyed their Avocado Toast Experience. After our brunch we visited the Chuck Williams Culinary Arts Museum, peeked into the Culinary Institure of America classrooms, and had a nice walk around downtown Napa.
Thank you so much @ciaatcopia for gifting me this experience! taken in The Culinary Institute of America at Copia by @coffeequeencooks

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a year ago