Seasonal and sweet, apple cider is a timely and delicious ingredient for fall and winter cocktails. It’s part of Union Square Cafe’s seasonal cocktail.

Combined with applejack and gin, this cider cocktail is easy to make at home. Our thanks to Union Square Cafe and the Florence Fabricant/The New York Times for the recipe.

The recipe can be made in 15 minutes, plus 2 hours’ chilling.
 
 
RECIPE: SPIKED MARKET CIDER

Ingredients For 2 Cocktails

 
Preparation

[1] Cider is a great seasonal ingredient for cocktails. Also try this Bourbon Ginger Cider cocktail from Plays Well With Butter.

2. POUR into two old-fashioned/rocks glasses filled with crushed ice. Shake a bit of nutmeg on top and add the apple slices.
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*The restaurant makes its simple syrup with demerara sugar. Here’s the recipe for simple syrup.

[1] Nugget, the honey bear gets a new job: as a drink holder, served in a rocks glass with a garnish of leaves (substitute something edible, like pineapple or cucumber spears). Concept from Sunday In Brooklyn, photo by Eric Medsker.

The honey bear bottle: so adorable that many people choose their honey just because of the container.

But what happens when the honey is gone? Before we saw this photo, we had no use—and no space—for the empty containers.

Although it can be used as a squeeze bottle for anything, we had enough squeeze bottles.

So our honey bears were recycled into the plastic trash.

After we saw this honey-accented cocktail served in a honey bear (photo #1), we had second thoughts, and looked online for a source for empty honey bear bottles. We found two companies that appear to have no minimum order:

 
Today, you can find honey bears in the original size that holds 8 ounces of honey (or other product), as well as 12-ounce and 24-ounce sizes.

While a patent for a honey bear bottle design was applied for several years earlier by Edward Rachins, the first honey bear was manufactured and sold in 1957 by Ralph and Luella Gamber, the founders of Dutch Gold Honey.

They were looking for a unique container for their honey, and their design was an instant hit.

The bottle has become so iconic, that in 2007, Dutch Gold held a naming contest for the honey bear. The Gamber family selected “Nugget” from among the entries [source].

The honey bear has been used for other products. We’ve seen them with maple syrup, for example.

And The Carey Company, manufacturers of the bottles, has a Pinterest page showing, among other things, empty bottles turned into:

 
So the next time you finish the honey in your Honey Bear, wash him and put him aside. When you have two empties, use them to serve a cocktail or mocktail to your “honey.”

Not everyone wants chocolate for Valentine’s Day. Here are three better-for-you options for that someone special.
 
 
1. LAUDEMIO FRESCOBALDI EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

There are enough excellent EVOOs out there to make decision-making difficult. So here’s an easy choice:

Marchesi de Frescobaldi Laudemio Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil (photo #1). Silky and elegant, this olive oil is so good we prefer it to butter on our bread, drizzle it over vanilla ice cream, anoint a great steak and yes, dress a salad. The oil is so good, you don’t need vinegar—just a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime.

The Frescobaldi family has been making wine in Tuscany since 1000 C.E., and olive oil since 1300.

In the Middle Ages, Laudemio was the term given to the best part of the harvest, the EVOO destined for the table of the lord of the manor. Today, the name Laudemio Frescobaldi is given to one of the finest expressions of extra virgin olive oil.

This 2018 harvest marks the 30th anniversary of the Laudemio brand. For this special occasion, the olive oil has been packaged in a beautiful gold bottle, reminiscent of a perfume bottle owned by the Marchesa Fiorentina Bona Frescobaldi. The bottle is a keeper: When you’ve finished the contents, refill it with the current vintage.

The 2018 vintage, just pressed in October, is fresh, delectable and waiting for anyone who appreciates fine olive oil.

You can purchase it on Amazon ($43.99) and at other retailers. Here’s more about Laudemio.
 
 
2. SNAKE RIVER FARMS WAGYU

Snake River Farms is one of the country’s best purveyors of fine meats. For a protein-packed gift, they’ve chosen three gift packages:

 
There are many other meaty gifts to consider. Their Kurobuta ham is perhaps the best ham in our memory.

See all of the choices at SnakeRiverFarms.com.
 
 
3. YONANAS FROZEN TREAT MAKER

Yonanas was created for ice cream and sorbet fans who want the experience without the refined sugar.

It turns fresh fruit into soft serve “sorbet,” by processing the fresh fruit in the machine (photo #3).

Yonanas almost instantly transforms your favorite fruits—bananas, berries, mango, pineapple, the whole fruit department—into a silky-smooth frozen confection. All you have to do is pre-freeze the fruit.

[1] Outstanding extra virgin olive oil in a 30th anniversary gold bottle (photo courtesy Laudemio Frescobaldi).

[2] Wagyu for an intimate dinner for two (photo courtesy Snake River Farms).

[3] No-sugar-added sorbet, ready in a minute with the Yonanas Frozen Treat Maker (photo courtesy Yonanas).

There’s no sugar added. If your fruit ends up lacking in natural sweetness, our hacks are to sprinkle the sorbet with a bit of agave, honey or Splenda.

Yonanas Classic is available at retailers nationwide starting at $39.99. Check it out at Yonanas.com.