Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Yesterday was one of those rainy, cool, October-is-tomorrow kind of days.  Garret and I spent Friday and Saturday at my mom's in Albany, so Sunday was our only Vermont weekend day this weekend.  We had aspirations to drive a little, grab some chicken wings and a beer at a pub, and watch football.  We don't really watch football, per say... but on a rainy Sunday, I like the experience of it.  It reminds me of home.

Anyway, that was our aspiration.  When it came time to actually go out and do all of this, we realized that a) we didn't really feel like eating chicken wings, we both wanted something healthy. And b) we didn't really want to do the drive that would be required of us to get to the place with the good wings.  But I was still craving a seasonal-inspired afternoon that embraced the coolness in the air. So, instead, I decided to make a autumn "lunch out" at home: homemade maple balsamic vinaigrette over a salad with a pumpkin ale sprinkled with a cinnamon sugar mix.

I like to make "special" seasonal meals at home.  It's easy to do, it just takes a little creativity.  In the end, we got the same satisfaction we would have by going out and getting these seasonal foods at a restaurant, but we also got the warmth of our fireplace.  Plus, we got to hang out with Murgs.

The recipe for maple balsamic vinaigrette is below.  I highly recommend it -- it's not too sweet.  Actually, the maple just offsets the acidity of the balsamic enough to make it just an all around more delicious version of normal balsamic vinaigrette.

Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette 

You will need: 

1/2 a cup of olive oil

1/4 a cup of balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons of maple syrup (serious maple syrup, not my beloved Mrs. Butterworth's)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1 clove of garlic, pressed (or minced)

Making the dressing is easy: just throw it in a bowl and whisk away.  I had a little bit of trouble getting it all to mix at first, so have patience.  If all else fails, throw it in a bottle or jar and shake it up.

❤Lauren