Turkey Salad with Cherries and Walnuts

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

 

 

I usually try to hold out as long as possible, but I finally broke down and turned my air conditioning on this week. The temps were getting a little too spicy, even for this warm weather loving girl. We had a few days where a heat advisory was in effect, and when that happens, we minimize our stove top and oven use. Those days we eat light, usually opting for simple meals that consist of sandwiches or salads. So when the high temps hit this week, I decided to serve one of my favorite Golden Blossom Honey salads: Turkey Salad with Cherries and Walnuts for dinner. 

 

In the summer months I love topping my salads with fruits. Most restaurants in my area usually have a strawberry and nut variety on the menu, and while I do adore that combo occasionally, I actually prefer a cherry and nut blend if given the choice. That's why I heavily lean on this recipe during warm spells. The dressing is mild with a hint of tang but pairs quite well with the turkey mixture. While there is mayo in the turkey salad portion, it's not a lot so it won't sit heavy in the belly which is really important to me on those extra hot days. If you aren't a turkey fan, you can easily swap that out for ham or grilled chicken, or leave it out altogether. If you'd like to make this a complete meal without oven use, add a side of crusty bread or dinner rolls for a light, yet fulfilling meal. 

 

Ingredients

1 pound smoked turkey breast, diced (ask the deli to slice a thick piece)

1/2 cup scallions, chopped

3/4 cup celery, chopped

1/3 cup mayonnaise, regular or low-fat

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme

2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

5 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons SOUTHERN BLOSSOM HONEY

salt and pepper to taste

10 ounces mixed baby greens

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE 

 

 

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

Are you running air conditioning daily now also?

Ham Toasts with Corn and Red Pepper Relish Appetizer

 Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

 

 

I always feel like June officially marks the start of the summer party season. We've got Father's Day celebrations this month, then I personally have a wedding and graduation coming up soon, so there will be no shortage of spending time with good family, good friends, and good food. Most of the celebrations I'll be attending this summer will be hosted outdoors, and while I am not required to bring a dish to any of the events, I was raised to never show up empty handed. So, for the grad party that's hosted at the park next week, I thought bringing picnic type finger foods would be a nice contribution and would most likely pair well with what the host already has planned to serve the guests. I snatched up this Ham Toasts with Corn and Red Pepper Relish Appetizer from Golden Blossom Honey a few months back and have been anxiously awaiting the party season to start so I finally have a reason to whip it together. 

 

 

These little bite sized appetizers are the perfect finger foods for outdoor entertaining. Garden fresh veggies top little toasts for the most delicious, mouthwatering summer snack. The original recipe says to use slices of whole grain bread cut into quarters, but you know if I can find a shortcut that's just as good, I'm going to make that swap. I grabbed a sleeve of mini party bread from the deli which helped cut down on the prep (which was already minimal) and kept everything uniform and neat in size. You can assemble them ahead of time, or you could make them charcuterie style by putting the bread, meat, and relish spread out on a wooden board and let the guests put as little or as much of each topping on their toasts as they like. Either way, this is going to be a popular crowd pleasing appetizer for every summer event you're hosting or attending this year. 

 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 teaspoon ground thyme

1 teaspoon grainy mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pinch cayenne pepper

4 slices hearty whole grain bread

8 slices lean smoked ham

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE 

 

 

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

Have you received any outdoor event invites for this summer yet?  

Potatoes with Spiced Walnuts

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

 

 

My best friend was visiting from Georgia this week and I was pretty excited that the weather held out both days she was in town. I feel like we had a very windy, rainy, chilly May, so she must have brought that Georgia sunshine with her because it was finally nice enough that we could clean off the patio furniture and have our first outdoor meal of the season. While out on the deck, I found myself thinking about all of the upcoming summer gatherings and getting excited for those backyard barbecue foods that are about to fill plates real soon. I'll never turn down a potato salad, but those can be tricky in the summer heat if they are mayo based because you have a short window for serving before it starts to go bad. But, I found a new potato side dish that I plan to use this summer instead so we don't have to rush to side dish serving: Potatoes With Spiced Walnuts, a Golden Blossom Honey recipe. 

 

 

You know I am a fan of easy, cheap, and delicious recipes, and this one fits the bill for all 3 of those requirements. I simply toss some red potatoes into my steamer while preparing the dressing and we have a complete potato side dish ready in under 15 minutes. I like that this recipe doesn't have heavy mayo as a base ingredient. It does have bacon, which could be a bit heavy in the tummy, but I think it could be left out and it wouldn't make too much of a difference where flavor is concerned since the dressing is quite bold and flavorful in itself. These potatoes can be served warm or cold, so they are the perfect summertime side dish for all of your picnic, barbecue, and backyard gatherings all season long. 

 

Ingredients

Toasted Walnuts:

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon butter, melted

Potatoes:

2 pounds small red skinned potatoes

Dressing:

5 slices bacon

1/2 cup scallions, minced

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/3 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY MUSTARD

3 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

1/3 cup vegetable oil

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE 

 

 

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

What's your favorite picnic side dish?  

Raspberry-Orange Puree

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

 

 

 

After the heavy lake effect snow storms we had this winter, I was really worried about my fruit trees and bushes this year. I lost a huge chunk from the main stem of my cherry tree, my lilac tree split in two, and the raspberry bush just looked plain rough. Alas, I guess there's truth that sometimes if you beat the hell out of your plants they come back stronger than ever because short of the loss of my lilac tree, it looks like everything else is in excellent form. I even noticed a new blueberry bush stem popping up when I thought I killed the whole plant 2 years ago. Nature sure does surprise you at times. My excitement for garden fresh fruit has expanded tenfold and we can't wait to harvest from our yard this summer. My daughter is looking forward to the cherries, but it's the raspberries for me. 

 

Jason and I always start our morning with breakfast together. We've worked out a system that if it involves eggs or biscuits and gravy, then it's his job to cook. I get stuck with pancakes, french toast, or oatmeal. Yesterday it was a pancake day. I noticed we were out of maple syrup, but I did have a bag of frozen raspberries on hand and a lot of oranges left over from my Meijer haul. I thought that in place of our missing syrup, we could try something a little more summery while anticipating our own raspberry crop to come in, and ended up making Raspberry-Orange Puree, a Golden Blossom Honey Recipe, for the topping.   

 

This sweet puree turned out not only scrumptious, but beautiful too. It was a fun way to classy up a mundane breakfast item. Topped with whipped cream turns it into a sinful indulgence. The puree doesn't have to be used as a breakfast topper though. You could also use it as a summer dessert sauce on ice cream and pound cake, used as a fruit dip, or pour over a brick of cream cheese as a cracker appetizer spread. Who knew that 3 simple ingredients could hold so many possibilities? And if you want to really punch it up, eat it while singing to the tune of Prince:

 

Raspberry Puree. 

If it was warm she wouldn't eat much more.

Raspberry Puree. 

I think I love her.

 

Ingredients

 

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (thawed to room temperature)

2 Tablespoons SOUTHERN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE 

 

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

   

How would you use this Raspberry-Orange Puree?   

Tri-Tip Steak with Blue Cheese

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. 

 

 

 

I was just running a crafting workshop at my friend's store last week and someone was grumbling about figuring out what to make for dinner. We all ended up chiming in about how it's one of our least favorite chores and about how trying to figure out dinner plans every single day is one of the worst things about being an adult. Feeding a family day in and day out is tedious, isn't it? As we're winding down into the last few weeks of the school year and gearing up for long summer days, I am always on the hunt for recipes that take some of the mental load off my plate. I need something that has just a few ingredients and not a lot of cook time because my days are already stressful enough, and I'm sure yours are as well. That's why I've been hoarding simple recipes, like this Tri-Tip Steak with Blue Cheese from Golden Blossom Honey, to help ease the burden of what to make for dinner on a busy weeknight. 

 

This is a recipe that you can have on the table in 20 minutes, so it's perfect for busy weeknights or lazy day meal planning. My husband remarked that the house smelled just like Christmas when I'm tasked with baking a roast and taking it to my mom's house, so this could even pass for a fancy-ish meal if you have guests coming over for dinner. I didn't have any bourbon on hand, but whisky made a great substitute for an amazingly delicious sauce. Since my husband is allergic to blue cheese, I didn't serve him any steak with it, but I do think you could replace that with brie, feta, or crumbled goat cheese and that would pair well with the beef too. Before long we'll be looking for grilling recipes, so while we're still in the chilly spring days (at least in Indiana), sooner rather than later would be a good time to give this recipe a try. 

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds tri-tip, sirloin or flank steaks

coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup canned beef broth

1/4 cup brandy

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

4 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE 

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

Blue Cheese- yay or nay?

Greek Honey Cake

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. 

 

 

My daughter and I love to watch baking challenges on television. We're especially into the cake competitions. Nailed It on Netflix is a favorite of ours because it makes us feel pretty good about our own baking shortcomings. But we also love the really creative ones. We're about to finish the second season of Wizards of Baking and boy do those contestants have talent! The bad thing about watching these sweets shows is that we always want cake about halfway through and there is never any in the house. My husband tries to curb our griping about not having cake during our viewing by bringing us an ice cream cone or something else sweet but not as satisfying. So, I decided I was going remedy our issue and make us one to enjoy tonight as we watch the last episode of season 2. I had this Greek Honey Cake from Golden Blossom Honey saved for the last year or two, waiting for a special occasion to try it out. For us, the season finale is special occasion enough, but seeing how it's Mother's Day weekend, it could work for those celebrations as well. 

 

Sticking with my goal of bringing you affordable recipes when I can, I chose to feature this cake this week because it is made entirely with pantry staples. There are no fancy ingredients or extra grocery runs to get it to come together so it's a perfect simple dessert idea. It's a tender, moist, and flavorful cake that's going to hit the spot when the cravings for sweets kick in. I paired it with an orange and cinnamon tea and the combination was divine! I would suggest lining your pan with parchment paper or investing in a silicone cake pan because the syrup is sticky and will make the cake stick to the pan even with the proper prepping ahead of time. I did make this a day ahead of time, then popped it into the refrigerator to let the syrup soak and set over night. Decorate with sliced oranges, whipped cream, or even edible flowers for a lovely finishing touch. While I'll never have the talent to compete on cake competition television, I was pretty impressed with how cute this cake turned out. If you make it for Mother's Day, I'm sure mom will be just as impressed, too! 

 

Ingredients

Syrup:

1 cup SOUTHERN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Cake:

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/4 cup milk

1 cup chopped walnuts

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE 

  

 

You can find this recipe, as well as many more delicious recipes right on the Golden Blossom Honey recipe page! Be sure to follow Golden Blossom Honey on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on new products and promotions.

If you like this recipe, be sure to come back every Friday, where I feature a new recipe from Golden Blossom Honey, and be sure to Pin It on Pinterest! 

Happy Mother's Day!