Our menu was as follows:

Chocolate raspberry muffins (Recipe here. These are amazing! Make them tonight if you can.)
Banana bread (Recipe here via That Wife.)
Sharp cheddar + Triscuits
Deviled eggs (I put lots of brown spicy mustard in them.)
Crudite
Sausage stars (Recipe below. Kind of a weird name but they are delicious!)
Red grapes
Cream cheese sugar cookies (Recipe here via inchmark.)
Raspberry lemonade with fresh mint
Orange juice

Sausage stars
1 pound cooked crumbled sausage
1 1/2 cups grated Monterey Jack
2 ounces chopped black olives
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup ranch dressing
wonton wrappers

Preheat oven to 350 F. Squeeze sausage dry. Combine sausage with all ingredients except wonton wrappers. Grease muffin tins. Place wrappers in tins; bake for 4 minutes. Remove from tins and fill. Bake on cookie sheet 4-6 minutes or until bubbly.

My family isn’t getting in until 11pm or so tonight, and though I know we’ll probably all want to go to bed pretty quickly, I also know we’ll likely end up staying awake and chatting for at least a little bit. My plan is to have mulled cider simmering on the stove when we return from the airport, filling the apartment with its amazing fragrance and ready to ladle into mugs. Doesn’t that sound delightful and oh-so-fall? Here’s the recipe I’m using, from Martha:

Mulled Cider
(Serves 8)

2 quarts apple cider (8 cups)
4 strips lemon zest
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole star anise (optional – we won’t be including as we haven’t been able to find them)
1 teaspoon whole allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves

In a large saucepan, bring cider, lemon zest, and spices to a boil; cover, and remove from heat. Let steep at least 20 minutes (or up to 4 hours). Ladle carefully into mugs, leaving most of the solids behind.

P.S. I might have to make this for someone as a Christmas gift. Too cute!

This Bow Tie Cupcake was my favorite part of the February Martha Stewart Living. I must find an occasion to make a batch as soon as possible.

See the recipe here.

I clipped this recipe out of my local newspaper years and years ago, so I have no idea who to credit it to, but it is a firm favorite among my family and friends. As a matter of fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say this will be the most delicious muffin you will ever taste. They also pack and keep exceptionally well.

Ingredients:
– 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1/4 cup granulated sugar
– 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
– 1/2 cup milk
– 1 egg
– 2 cups (one 11-ounce package) milk chocolate chips
– 1/3 cup red raspberry preserves

Heat oven to 350 F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, combine butter, milk, and egg. Add to flour mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in milk chocolate chips. Spoon half of batter into 12 muffin cups. Spoon a small dollop of raspberry preserves into each muffin cup; top with remaining batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.