We made it through what felt like the longest month, and our team is welcoming February with open arms!

As always, we are working behind-the-scenes drumming up new recipes, taking all the photos, and sending those recipes to our Simply Testers who make and test every single recipe that goes on our site. But before we get carried away, let’s see which recipes you were loving the MOST in January.

It was a big month of easy appetizers, comfort food, soups and salads. In case you missed any of these fan favorites, it’s not too late to get in on the (delicious) fun!

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What did the trendy cocktail say to the classic cocktail? “I’m glad that you’re Old Fashioned.” And … thank you, folks, that’s all for tonight!

Even if you know nothing about cocktails, chances are you’ve at least heard of an Old Fashioned. Made with just four ingredients – whiskey, sugar, Angostura bitters, and an optional (but recommended) orange peel or Luxardo cherry garnish – the Old Fashioned is up there with other cocktail greats like the Manhattan, Negroni, and Sazerac.

It’s super simple to make, too, as is appropriate for a cocktail designed to highlight its main ingredient – whiskey!

THE BEST WHISKEY FOR AN OLD FASHIONED

The best whiskey for an Old Fashioned is … the whiskey you like! Many reputable mixologists and cocktail enthusiasts have opined on whether you should use rye or bourbon, but honestly, you can use either. Which do you prefer? There – that’s your whiskey for an Old Fashioned!

I like this drink with bourbon. I used Buffalo Trace most recently, but other mid-tier bourbons like Maker’s Mark, Bulleit, or Knob Creek would all be excellent choices.

SUGAR CUBE OR SIMPLE SYRUP?

Old Fashioned purists say the proper thing to do is to muddle a sugar cube with the bitters (and either a little club soda or water) in the bottom of the rocks glass. Non-purists, like myself, think that’s nice but the sugar never seems to fully dissolve this way. Either my muddling skills are weak (quite possible), or there might be another way.

I’m in favor of using simple syrup for an Old Fashioned because it’s easy and convenient. Here’s how to make it.

IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIMENT, TRY DIFFERENT BITTERS

Angostura bitters is traditionally used in an Old Fashioned. (Fun fact: Apparently Angostura bitters is kind of like Coca Cola, in that only five people on earth know the recipe, which reportedly consists of over 40 different herbs and spices! That may be true, but I mostly smell nutmeg right off the bat.)

You can’t go wrong with Angostura bitters, but if you’re making an Old Fashioned in the winter or around the holidays, I recommend using a few dashes of Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Bitters instead. You get way more cinnamon and clove on the nose, like a winter holiday in a bottle.

MORE WHISKEY COCKTAILS TO ENJOY THIS WINTER: 

Old Fashioned Recipe

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Welcome to The Friday Buzz, our roundup of all good things, good advice, good feelings. It’s the happy hour of blog posts! Up this week… The best chopper for garlic! The best Crock Pot to ever exist! The best dance that has ever been danced! And so much more! 

I think it’s safe to say that I am a world renowned chocolate hoarder. It’s so true, it’s scary.

I was cleaning out my desk and found at least a half-dozen chocolate bars. I’m talking Moonstruck chocolate bars (that come from my local city of Portland!), Ikea chocolate bars (have to pick up a few every time I’m there!), and good old-fashioned dark chocolate bars.

But what’s my recent obsession? These Alter Eco Chocolate bars. The brown butter one especially strikes my fancy, but I’ll take any of them. I have some stashed in my office desk, behind some canned beans in the pantry, in my nightstand, and at least a few other places that shall remain nameless because I don’t want to give away all my secrets. I think it’s safe to say that I’m a chocoholic and it’s helping me live my best life possible.

Let’s see what’s helping the Simply Team live their best lives possible this week, shall we?

OUR FAVORITES FROM THE WEEK

• SAY CHEESE! Andy has really been enjoying Daiya non-dairy cheese and he’s practically obsessed with this! Looks so good.
• Chop it like it’s hot – One of our readers, Carol, recommended this alligator chopper for garlic! She said it’s her favorite, so naturally I had to order it and am testing it out.
• Cooking with FRIENDS – I just discovered THIS CROCKPOT and immediately need to get a hundred of them.
• Tarantallegra! If you haven’t seen this Harry Potter dance, then what are you waiting for?!
• Breaking News! Paris Hilton has her own cooking show on YouTube. *gasp* Can you guess what she’s making first?

MEANWHILE, WHAT’S BUZZIN’ ON INSTAGRAM?

You all went CRAY CRAY over Nick’s Mini Garlic Butter Pretzels! Combine the fact that they’ve got butter, they’ve got garlic, they’re mini, AND the Super Bowl is just around the corner, I can definitely see why these little gems of joy captured so many hearts!

READER COMMENT OF THE WEEK

Judy commented on our One Pot Chicken and Orzo and is helping her grandkids broaden their little palates. She commented:

I am grateful for coming across this dish. I am a grandma of a 4 & 6 year old, who I am attempting to broaden their horizons with food. If I never see another chicken nugget, Mac and cheese, or ground burger spaghetti recipe again, I’ll die a happy lady. What I did was bloomed a pinch of saffron to a 1/4 cup of warm chicken stock, finally diced a link of smoked sausage (andouille), and a 1/4 of frozen peas. The “littles” loved it, and I am adding this delish dish to my small but growing family friendly meals. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

You go, Judy!

Cheers to a fab weekend!

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Description

Grain free granola made with a blend of coconut, a variety of nuts, coconut oil and cinnamon. It’s crunchy, delicious and low in sugar.  

Ingredients

• 3 cups unsweetened coconut flakes
• 2 cups raw nuts, roughly chopped (I used 1 cup raw cashews, 1/2 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped, 1/4 cup raw walnuts, 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds)
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil or butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly, and spread evenly on the sheet.
3. Bake 30-40 minutes until golden, rotating halfway through cooking time.
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool, then eat while it’s still crispy.

Notes

• I like storing the granola in my fridge or freezer so it stays extra crunchy.

• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 cup
• Calories: 169
• Sugar: 1g
• Fat: 16g
• Carbohydrates: 5g
• Fiber: 2g
• Protein: 4g

Keywords: coconut granola, coco-nutty granola, grain free granola, grain free coco-nutty granola

METHOD 1: TOASTED GARLIC BREAD

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut the bread in half, horizontally. 

2 Spread with garlic butter parsley mixture: Mix the butter, garlic, and parsley together in a small bowl. Spread butter mixture over the the two bread halves.

3 Heat in oven for 10 min: Place on a sturdy baking pan (one that can handle high temperatures, not a cookie sheet) and heat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 10 minutes.

4 Sprinkle with Parmesan (optional) and broil: Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over bread if you want. Return to oven on the highest rack.

Broil on high heat for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the bread begin to toast and the cheese (if you are using cheese) bubbles. Watch very carefully while broiling. The bread can easily go from un-toasted to burnt.

5 Slice: Remove from oven, let cool a minute. Remove from pan and use a bread knife to cut into 1-inch thick slices. Serve immediately.

METHOD 2: SOFT GARLIC BREAD

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Make the butter, garlic, parsley mixture as above.

2 Slice the bread and insert butter mixture: Make 1-inch thick slices into the bread, but do not go all the way through, just to the bottom crust. Put a teaspoon or two of the butter mixture between each slice, or between every other slice if you only want the garlic mixture on one side of the bread.

3 Bake the garlic bread: Wrap the bread in aluminum foil and heat for 15 minutes in the 350°F (175°C) oven, until the butter has melted and the bread is warmed.

4 Serve: To serve, remove from foil and present the loaf wrapped in a clean tea towel. Tear off slices to eat.