Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey...

The past year has turned many of us into sommeliers, mixologists and expert spirit tasters. While we are eager to get back to some of our favorite haunts and enjoy a craft cocktail with our friends, the weekly Zoom wine and spirit tastings have really helped refine our palates and exposed us to different producers we would not have normally tried. While we have tried some wacky (but delicious) new cocktails from some craft cocktail delivery services we still keep coming back to the classic whiskey sour again and again. Below are some of our favorite whiskeys we have discovered and are and sipping now.

Owens Valley spirits are artisanal spirits crafted in the beautiful Owens Valley of Bishop, California

Devils Creek Distillery is a family endeavor. They are proud to be the Eastern Sierra’s original, independent, artisan distillery crafting fine spirits in Mammoth Lakes, CA.

For special occasions no doubt, but Blanton’s is pretty hard to beat

Bulleit is a favorite go to!

Recipe: Candied Heirloom Orange Peels

Winter means citrus season here in California. We are so lucky to have access to such an abundance of varieties like Cara Cara, Sumo Mandarins, Ruby Grapefruit, Clementines, Heirloom Oranges and our favorite Blood Oranges. Our weekly CSA box has had a bounty of these beauties lately and it got us inspired for a new flavor. We have been wanting to mix in some ingredients for some time now to add an element of texture and flavor and these candied orange peels are just the ticket! We are still playing around with the future flavor but we are thinking a rift on Mexican Hot Chocolate with deep cocoa, lots of warming cinnamon and the candied orange peels mixed in. For now-they have been a great accompaniment to our afternoon shot of espresso and we wanted to share with you! So here we go!

To start, we peeled about 3 Heirloom Navel oranges and 2 Blood oranges. The easiest way to peel to assure you can cut nice strips is to score the citrus into 4 segments with a pairing knife and then peel back the ski-you will want to make sure the white pith is included.

Next-fill a pot with enough water to just cover the citrus peel strips and boil for about a minute or two to remove some of the bitterness.

Now for the sweet part! You are going to create a simple syrup of sorts which is one part water to two parts sugar. This creates as slightly thicker syrup than a traditional simple syrup which will help with the ultimate tackiness of the citrus peels so that the sugar that you are going to roll them in adheres. I added a little vanilla bean to mine and simmered for 30 minutes, turned off the heat and then allowed to sit for another five minutes.

Next, lay the citrus peels on a wire rack to dry-patience is key here, dry for eight hours minimum but ideally for about twenty-four hours.

After allow to dry, you should have a tacky but not overly squishy citrus strip. Roll in your favorite sugar to coat-we used good old regular white cane sugar but you can use raw sugar, coconut sugar, you name it!

You now have candied, coated citrus peels that you dip in chocolate for an even sweeter treat, eat on their own with your afternoon coffee, add to vanilla ice cream, truly whatever sounds good! Below are some sample bags of the new flavor to share with friends!

Happy sugaring!

Friday Happy Hour-Smoky Jalapeno Paloma Recipe

Summer is on its way and that means bright, refreshing cocktails mandatorily drank outside. The Paloma, is the perfect hot weather cocktail; typically made with tequila, lime juice, Squirt and ice, in a tall, salt-rimmed glass. It is simple, balanced and ridiculously refreshing. Sweet, sour and a bit salty, with a hint of bitterness from the grapefruit, it covers the whole flavor spectrum. There is no better summer drink.

We punched ours up a bit by doctoring the traditional “lazy man’s margarita” with the addition of mezcal, fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and spicy jalapeno simple syrup. The flavors meld together for an earthy, smoky, yet still delightfully refreshing grown up version of La Paloma. Southwest summer sophistication in a glass.

A very brief history of the drink: La Paloma, translating to, “the dove”, really didn’t start getting a strong footing south of the border until the early 1990’s. That being said, its virtually the national drink of Guadalajara. By the end of the decade, the drink started filtering into the United States, starting in California and then radiating out of the Southwest. It gained in popularity at the Orange County restaurant, Tlaquepaque.

We find that this summer cocktail pairs best with sunsets and a savory flavors, like Rosemary Garlic Giddy Up Nuts, shrimp ceviche, or carne asada tacos. Cheers!

-The Paloma-

Ingredients:

1oz 100% Agave tequila-blanco or repasado

1oz mezcal-repasdo

3-4oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

2-3 oz La Croix grapefruit soda

.5-1oz jalapeno simple syrup (see note below)

Combine ingredients in a glass with crushed ice, stir, garnish with your favorite aromatic and enjoy!

*To make jalapeno simple syrup combine one part sugar and one part water in a small saucepan. Heat to dissolve sugar, then add sliced, fresh jalapeno. Heat for another minute or so and then remove from heat and allow to steep for at least 20 minutes

Epic Adventures and New Friends

The Pacific Crest Trail, or PCT, has rapidly been gaining popularity over the past few years. It is a grueling 2,600 mile trail that makes its way from the Mexico boarder, travels up California, through the Sierra Nevada mountains and ends in Canada. It's vast, has long stretches without water, forces you to endure desert heat, mountain elevation and all sorts of wildlife. Maybe it has to do something with Reese Witherspoon's portrayal of Cheryl Strayed in Wild or maybe it has something to do with more and more people wanting to completely disconnect from everyday chaos and re-connect with nature. Either way, the trail is hot, and we get a lot of hikers stopping through Mammoth Lakes. 

A few weeks ago a good friend from Australia reached out to us and asked if we could help out his good girlfriend who set out on this epic trip by herself. The ultimate bad-ass babe. She started in Mexico in early May and would be making her way to Mammoth on July 6th. We picked her up and offered a bed, shower and laundry for however long she needed; all complete luxuries for someone who has called the great outdoors their home for the past two months. We got to know some of her friends that she has made on the trail as well, over a BBQ and some late night beers under the stars in our backyard. These are four of the loveliest, most gracious people you will ever meet. We ended up hosting Jay from South Korea, Pete from New Mexico, Lance from San Diego and Kirsten from Australia for the next few days. They were able to see the best of Mammoth, listen to some live music, drink some good beers and eat some great food all while giving their legs a much deserved break. We were treated to stories of their faraway homes, trials on the trails and made to feel like we were right there when they summited the highest peak in North America. 

Kirsten, Jay, Lance and Pete, we were honored to be your trail angels for a couple of days and can't wait to follow your adventures over the next few months on your way up to Canada! 

Backyard Apple Almond Flour Muffins

I love to bake. My loving of baking is pretty much how I ended up on this crazy almond adventure to begin with. There is something incredibly therapeutic in cooking and baking. You get to take all of these disjointed ingredients and make a delicious creation for the people you love. I'm fairly certain my love and ability to cook and bake is what has landed me a fiance. 

But life and work has been getting in the way lately and there has not been as many messes made in our kitchen as there should be. So I have made a mini resolution to get back in there and play around more. It's interesting because somehow, "We have nothing to eat" ends up producing the most delicious food. This morning was one of those mornings, two people, 1 egg, 2 pieces of bacon and like 10 lbs of apples. After my suggestion of apple sauce for breakfast was met with a flat "no" I turned to the pantry to see what inspiration may lie in there. After scraping together a little of this and a pinch of that these Backyard Apple Almond Flour Muffins were born. Without further ado, the recipe: 

To make the applesauce for this recipe, peel, core and chop 2 1/2 lb. apples. Place in a heavy saucepan with 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool and then puree in food processor. Taste and add sugar if needed. The applesauce can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator. It can be used at room temperature or cold in this and other quick bread recipes. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups almond flour (any flour will do but in the spirit of Giddy Up, almond flour was used)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/3 cup almond oil, walnut oil or canola oil
• 1 egg
• 1 heaping cup applesauce (see headnote above)
• Unsalted butter for serving
• Cinnamon Sugar for topping

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Grease 12 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray. 

In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice. 

In a bowl with a fitted mixer, beat together the oil, egg and applesauce until smooth. Add the flour mixture in two additions to the applesauce mixture and mix until until evenly moistened. The batter may seem dry at first, but it will loosen and smooth out as you beat the mixture. 

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them level with the rim of the cup. Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve them warm or at room temperature, with butter. Makes 12 muffins. 

And these babies were good, like really good. As evidenced by the crumbs and mixing bowl licked clean. Happy weekend and happy baking! 

New Year's Resolutions

2018 you are our year, we can feel it! 2017, overall you were great, you showed us the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. There was a lot that was learned and we can honestly say that gratitude was the biggest outcome of 2017. Gratitude for the good and the bad and the ability to roll with, get comfortable with and learn from both. Not a bad life skill to work on.  But there is just something about a clean slate. The new year brings endless possibility and to say that we are ready to slay is an understatement.  2017 was all about laying the groundwork for what will hopefully be our biggest and most exciting year yet! Giddy Up was born out of the desire to wander, to explore, to dream of something bigger than ourselves and we are so excited to put it all to the test.  We cannot wait to share everything with you as it all comes together. 

We've never really been ones for resolutions, they are always have the best intentions but never seem to survive past February, if we are lucky. But upon further reflection that just seems like a cop out. The world needs more accountability right now, more compassion, more curiosity, more inspiration. So in honor of wanting to be a good citizen in the world and in hopes of helping to inspire, here are our New Years Resolutions (all in the format of speaking to ourselves): 

1. Volunteer More. The holiday spirit always sparks a temporary boost in wanting to help others but why does that spirit have to fade come new years? You know that homeless guy that you see every day on your way to work? Go talk to him, bring him a hot meal and find out his story. We all crave that human connection. You know those cute puppies that are available for adoption that pop up on your Instagram feed all the time, and you think aww for a second? Go help out at the shelter, take one for a walk or better yet take a crazy leap of faith and actually adopt your new best friend! Speaking from experience animal companionship helps everything. Take that fleeting of idea of "'I should do something" and DO IT! The feeling is addictive. 

2. Get Cultural. Like really cultural, not Museum of Ice Cream cultural. We love good a IG photo as much as the next but there is so much beauty in this world. Go to more concerts, open mic nights, films and museums. Go marvel in something that someone else created.

3. Save Mo Money. Christmas is over, and it was good to you. You do not NEED anything else. You know what will feel better than a fancy watch, statement bag or 100th lipstick in a slightly pinker shade than the last 10 that you bought? A fat bank account with robust investment portfolio!  And you know what is more fun than checking your social media apps 10 times per day, checking your Fidelity Investments app to see how much money you made today! 

4. Dream Big. No more excuses, no more whining, no more waiting. You get one chance, make something bigger than you. No exceptions. Demand more from yourself. Whats the worst that could happen? 

So there they are kids! Feel free to comment, check in, and hold us to them. Hopefully they inspired you as well. We wish you all a very happy New Year. Make it your best one yet! 

Tulum Dreaming

Let. Me. Tell. You. Tulum is every bit as amazing as everyone says it is. After the minor setback of finding out that our airline had gone out of business the nice folks at Interjet (never heard of them I know, but they were great) were able to squeak us onto a flight that departed just 30 minutes after our now non-existent flight. After landing in Cancun we rented a car (highly recommended)  and drove to Tulum where we checked into Papaya Playa. After that it was all mojtos, cenotes, Mayan ruins and pristine beaches. This little town in Rivera Maya should definitely be in your travel list! Never stop exploring!! 

Birthday Success!

The old man's 60th birthday in Park City, Utah was an amazing success! We skied, we ate, we conquered! Friday was an amazing day at Deer Valley Resort followed by an incredible dinner at Apex at the Montage. Saturday, we tore up over 7,000 acres at Park City Resort and then hit historic Main Street for an out of this world dinner at Handle, highly recommended!

Superbowl Sunday did not disappoint with a gorgeous morning of skiing followed by a broncos win! It was a great way to turn 60 and we made some memories that will last forever.

Milestone Birthday!!

This weekend we are packing up the car and headed on a road trip! But this road trip is different, and very very special. This weekend we are headed to Park City, UT to celebrate Dad's 60th birthday!!! What better way to celebrate this milestone birthday than feeling more alive than ever carving down the steeps of Deer Valley with some fresh Utah powder? Exactly, I can't think of a better way. I feel so lucky that I get to share this with him and that at 60 years old he can still tear up the mountain. Top the weekend off with some great food, a trip to High West Distillery oh ya and a little game called the SUPER BOWL! It's going to be a good weekend, Happy Birthday old man! xo

Can you guess what snacks will be accompanying us on the 8 hour drive? Giddy Up!  

Two New Nor Cal Shops to Get Your Giddy Up

Giddy Up Nuts is so excited to call two amazing local shops in the Northern California area home! You can now get your Giddy Up Fix at Shoppers Corner in Santa Cruz and Mar-Val in Groveland. See our Stockist page for address details. Both stores feature amazing local products and produce, check them out! 

Artisanal LA Holiday Shop

Last weekend Giddy Up Nuts had the pleasure of participating in the Artisanal LA Holiday Shop in Old Town Pasadena. It was such a great event and was so much fun to meet all of our customers and sample some of our delicious flavored almonds and offer these awesome holiday gift crates. Apparently they tasted pretty darn good because we SOLD OUT!! We thank you so all so much for your support and it always stokes our fire to get that positive feedback. Our holiday crate supply is replenished and back in stock so be sure to visit the online store today to get yours in time for that special foodie on your holiday list or that perfect hostess (because don't get us wrong, we always love a good bottle of wine but don't you want to be that guest that stands out from the crowd?) Each crate comes with a trio of flavors and is wrapped perfectly for the holidays. Order yours today!  

Giddy Up Nuts Is Coming to Lassens Grocery

It's been a few months in the making but Giddy Up Nuts is so excited to announce that we can now be found in six of Lassen's retail locations: Los Feliz, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Thousand Oaks, Bakersfield and Simi Valley. 

Bacara Resort

Pumpkin Spice Fever!!!

Despite the soaring temperatures here in Los Angeles (it's 106 today!!) the unofficial start of fall has happened. How you say? The return of Pumpkin Spice fever!! That's right, the PSL is back at Starbucks which commemorates that time of the year when we Los Angelenos break out the boots and scarves despite the Indian Summer like weather. Get your pumpkin spice fix this season with Giddy Up Nuts' Pumpkin Spice seasonal flavor! All the flavor of your favorite pie with no guilt!! Order your bags of seasonal Pumpkin Spice now!! 

Sunlife Organics

Giddy Up Nuts has some new real estate! Come visit SunLife Organics in Calabasas for some some delicious smoothies and bowls and while you are there pick up a bag of Giddy Up Nuts. We are so excited to have placement at this new retailer and can't wait to come to the other SunLife locations.  

Cultivate LA 2014

Giddy Up Nuts is proud to be a part of Cultivate LA 2014! This is such an amazing event that not only brings together California's leading wine and food makers but also unites the nations top chefs and foodies for an amazing cause! Chef ambassadors this year include Curtis Stone, Duff Goldman, Eric Greenspan and Ricardo Zarate. The event will take place October 11th 2014 in Los Angeles and tickets are still available. Check out http://www.unitedfriends.org/news-events/cultivate-la/ for more information on the star studded event as well as the great work of United Friends of the Children! 

Independence Day!

"Do one thing every day that scares you"....I received an email this morning with this subject line and I think that they are definitely words to live by! Starting a company is certainly sometimes scary but taking that leap to decide to live and die by your company full time is completely terrifying. For this year's 4th we headed up to Mammoth, the beautiful place where the idea of Giddy Up was born. Its easy to get caught up in the day to day and let what you really want fall by the wayside. When you have a full time job and everything else that comes along on the side in life it gets near impossible to take a second to ask yourself what you really want in life. Even harder to actually find the time to pursue those passions!  But being up in that magical place above 7,000 feet renewed the entrepreneurial spirit and a pact was made this Independence Day weekend that by the end of summer (maaybbee beginning of fall) Giddy Up Nuts will become the full time gig. Then it will really be Independence Day! Huge risk? Yes. Completely terrifying? Yes. Going to be totally worth it? Hell yes!! We have been working on some new labeling that should be making their debut next week and that means that the pitches to new retailers can start happening in full force. Things are about to get really exciting so stay tuned, lets Giddy Up! 

Urban Radish

 Come and find the nuts at a brand new location! You can now find your favorite Giddy Up Nuts flavors at Urban Radish located at 661 Imperial St, Los Angeles, CA 90021. It is the cutest little grocery located in the Arts District in Downtown LA that specializes in fresh, local foods. Check them out!