Quick Alfredo Pasta Sauce

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I always have such a difficult time ordering pasta when we dine out because it's so inexpensive to make at home, and it usually tastes better when made in your own kitchen. We just joined a family member for his 21st birthday at Olive Garden last week, which was picked for their fruity cocktails over their pasta dishes. My daughter is a hardcore fettuccine alfredo fan, insisting that I cook it for her several times a month. I thought I was going to have a short reprieve when that's what she ordered at the restaurant, but after the meal she remarked that she was never ordering alfredo from there again because their version was so bland. Then she proceeded to ask me to make it for dinner again soon because her craving wasn't curbed. *insert eye roll and heavy sigh* My signature sauce is made with heavy whipping cream and cream cheese as a base, and it's not a difficult recipe to mix up, it just requires a constant eye and stir to ensure the creams aren't overcooking. It's just a tedious process that I'd like to skip if possible. However, I was able to convince her to let me try a new at-home recipe this week when I saw that Golden Blossom Honey had a Quick Alfredo Pasta Sauce recipe on their website. 

 

What first stood out to me about this recipe is it can be made right in your microwave oven. But it also had some of the other ingredients that I include in my own recipe (butter, garlic, Parmesan cheese), so I figured it couldn't be too far off from what my daughter loves so much about what I cook for her. The nutmeg and honey were something new for us, so I was looking forward to seeing how that would shift the flavor profile away from my version. My daughter's final thoughts? "That's different from yours. Not a bad different, but an interesting different. Much better than Olive Garden and I'd totally eat that one again!" 

 

If you do not want to make this recipe in the microwave, it will cook up perfectly fine stovetop. If you find that your sauce is too thick, just stir in a little more milk until it thins out. If it's too thick, gradually add more Parmesan until you reach your desired consistency. We always mix in half a bag of cooked frozen peas and a full bag of frozen broccoli into our cooked noodles. We then top with the sauce and finish off with a sprinkling of more Parmesan cheese and some fresh ground black pepper. Serve with some crusty French bread and you've got a restaurant quality meal at a fraction of the cost. 

 

4 Tablespoons butter or margarine

2 large cloves garlic, crushed

4 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups milk

1 teaspoon GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

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 is your favorite pasta dish to make at home? 

Butter Lettuce Salad with Pears and Walnuts

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We're still having some warm weather days here in Indiana, so I haven't been so quick to let go of my leafy green salads just yet. Of course, we eat them year round, but more so when it still feels like summer outside. While we have a good mix of warmer days and cooler days now, I do find that I am leaning into salads that offer a more of an autumn vibe than those that use spring and summer fruits and vegetables as mix-ins. We've been topping our greens with apples, pomegranates, dates, and a mixture of nuts so we can make the most of seasonal produce while we can. And even though I am a pear lover, I don't tend to put them in my greens, but I made an exception this week because I wanted to try Golden Blossom Honey's Butter Lettuce Salad with Pears and Walnuts recipe for lunch. 

 

This is a perfect salad for those days where you are just craving the flavors of the autumn season. The pears offer a lovely contrast in flavor and texture to the butter lettuce, which left me wondering just why I've never really incorporated the fruit into my greens. I've definitely been missing out! What surprised me most about this salad is that you're getting many different flavor profiles in such a simple recipe. From the sweet fruits, the pungent scallions, the earthy nuts, the light greens, and the tangy dressing, it offers a fabulous mix of mouthwatering flavors that can't be beat! The dressing is a great alternative to oil heavy dressing because of the yogurt base that's sweetened with just honey and lemon. The next few months will have us surrounded by sugary treat offerings, so it's nice to have a delicious dressing that isn't processed with refined sugars. If it's still a bit toasty in your area but you want to indulge in autumn delights, this is a perfect seasonal salad to help you do that!

 

Ingredients

Salad:

1 head butter lettuce, torn into 1-inch pieces

1 large crimson pear, cored and thinly sliced (no need to peel)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup scallions, chopped

Dressing:

3/4 cup plain yogurt

3 tablespoons RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

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 are some autumn fruits and veggies that you've enjoyed this week? 

Carrot and Parsnip Saute

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Tis the season of the root vegetables. We're slowly moving away from the tomatoes, green beans, and snap peas, swapping those out more frequently now for carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets. Most nights I'll just season them and toss them in the slow cooker, steamer, or do a little oven roasting, but every now and again we'll saute them as well. Usually that involves just a quick drizzle of olive oil and a few herbs sprinkled in, but I found an interesting saute recipe on Golden Blossom Honey this week that involved a mixture of apple cider and honey and thought to myself that I might like to give that a try. So, I pulled out the ingredients for a Carrot and Parsnip Saute and got busy with the chopping. 

 

 

Does anyone else think parsnip is one of those easily forgotten fall vegetables? It's such an easy vegetable to work with, yet somehow it slips off my radar often. Probably because they look bland with their pale coloring in comparison to the brighter colors of the other autumn veggies. So, I am trying to make a conscious choice to add them to my grocery list a few times a month to break the habit of overlooking them at the produce stand. Parsnips are fiber rich, contain folate (so important for women's health!), a great source for Vitamin C (helping to get those immune systems in shape for cold and flu season), and are low in fat, so keeping those health benefits in mind, you really don't want to sleep on parsnips. They pair so well with carrots because both have a natural sweetness, but the earthy notes in parsnip help to tone down the sweet a bit so it's not overpowering. Plus, I like how visually pleasing the two look paired together, with the bright orange contrast against the cooler white, it adds a beautiful presentation on any autumn table. The addition of apple cider, honey, mint, and nutmeg offer a touch of warmth, making this a side dish that won't be soon forgotten. If you're looking to swap out the potatoes this holiday in favor of something with more pizzazz, carrot and parsnip saute is where the party's at!

 

Ingredients

12 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

3 large parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced

1 cup water

2 cups apple cider

1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

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 way to cook root vegetables? 

Poached Pear Delight

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. 

 

 

 

Happy October! We've finally landed in my favorite month. The heat and humidity are finally gone. The leaves have ever so slightly started to change. The spooky decor is up. And the seasonal treats are upon us! I love the flavors of autumn so much, but often wonder why pear has to take a back seat to apple and pumpkin? It tastes great, it smells amazing, and it can be incorporated into just as many baked goods as pumpkin and apple, but retailers just skim right over the pears. Rude! Since the food businesses want to be disrespectful of the fruit, I find that when I have time to make some seasonal treats for myself, I usually opt for something involving pear. And this week's sweet little treat that I made for Jason and I was Golden Blossom Honey's Poached Pear Delight. 

 

 

This isn't a quick recipe because of the poaching time, but it's one of the more effortless desserts to whip up. Most of the prep happens well before serving, so you can start the process before dinner prep, then everything will fall into place on time. Pears, honey and orange combined make for a perfectly cozy fall dessert, but I love that this one doesn't require baking in order to taste seasonal comforting goodness. A simple peel and poach and you're good to go. It's elegant enough for a dinner party and it looks so pretty on the table, but it's just as wonderful scaled down for a date night at home for two. The recipe does say to slice the pear halves after poaching, but I think they look prettier plated up in halves. But it's all about how you choose your presentation that matters. These pears, if you're thinking that far ahead, would make a lovely addition to your holiday menu. From date night, to dinner parties, to holiday gatherings, these poached pears will delight in any setting! 

 

Ingredients

4 cups water

1 cup SOUTHERN BLOSSOM HONEY

4 strips orange zest

4 pears, peeled, cored, halved

chocolate syrup

1/2 pint heavy cream, whipped

4 large strawberries, halved

1 bunch mint leaves

 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 are some of your favorite ways to cook/bake with pears? 

Chicken with Tarragon and Mustard Cream Sauce

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.   

 

 

 

We use our cast iron skillet sporadically throughout the year, but as soon as the weather takes a dip, it is in use pretty much daily. I don't know what it is about cast iron cooking that feels so cozy in the autumn, but just like with the slow cooker, I don't think we'd survive fall without our pan. Jason uses it in the morning for hash, eggs, potatoes.... all of the breakfast fixings. Then I'll use it in the evening for whipping up dinner. My southern grannies always made the best fried chicken in their skillets, but for some reason I never did learn the art of perfecting fried chicken like they did. (If any of you from TN or AR want to share the secret to a good southern fried chicken, I'm all ears!) Other chicken recipes though, I think I've got a pretty good handle on how they cook up in the cast iron pan. So one of the meals I made the family this week was Golden Blossom Honey's Chicken with Tarragon and Mustard Cream Sauce because it felt like a comforting meal to indulge in on a gray sky day.  

 

 

Chicken is of those meats that I'll cook the hell out of because I've always been terrified of seeing any part of the center that looks even the slightest bit raw. Honestly, I even let it go 10 to 20 degrees over the safe zone on the meat thermometer just to be extra cautious. This can sometimes make the chicken a bit on the tougher side, but I don't care. Better safe than sorry, right? However, I love a recipe like this one that has you returning the chicken to the pan after its initial searing to finish off by cooking in a broth or sauce because that always ensures a more juicy and tender outcome. I did double up on the sauce portion of this recipe because I personally love coating my rice with it. (Chicken piccata sauce is another great one to double on for that reason also!) I did not have any brandy on hand, so I substituted that part of the recipe with apple cider. Since there was no alcohol to cook down, my sauce was a little thinner than what the recipe as written would have produced, so I put a tablespoon of cornstarch/water mixture in to thicken it up a little and it came out perfect. The recipe isn't one of the fastest to prep and cook, but it was quick enough where I'd still lump it into a week night meal option instead of saving it for a weekend. It's warm and filling, and if you make a little extra, it is a great leftover lunch option the next day. 

 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned and halved

1/2 cup shallots, chopped

1/4 cup brandy

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY MUSTARD

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

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! 

   

Do you like cast iron skillet cooking? 

Hearty Tomato Bean Soup

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.  

 

 

I know, you all don't want to hear about summer's end, but Tuesday officially marks the start of autumn. We've already had a few days this week where I had to break out a cardigan to keep the chilly air at bay, and I could also hear the crowds from the first Notre Dame home football game, so I'm saying farewell to summer and hello fall! Which also means we're ushering in soup season, and that makes my little heart so happy. I just love how cozy these days feel this time of the year. There's something so comforting when there's a nip in the air, the skies are overcast, and there's a pot of soup simmering on the stovetop. I did think about making a pot of chili earlier this week, and while we did have a big dip in temperatures, it wasn't big enough to justify something so spicy and heavy as chili. I still wanted something tomato based though, so I scrolled through Golden Blossom Honey's recipes until I found a perfect soup to help transition between seasons and landed on this Hearty Tomato Bean Soup recipe and knew it was going to be an immediate winner.  

 

 

This simple soup is light, yet hearty. There aren't any heavy ingredient to weigh the tummy down, but it is high in plant protein and fiber, so it is still quite filling. The spices add a lovely warmth to the soup, but the honey adds a touch of overall sweetness to the recipe making it an inviting soup for shifting from summer eats into fall ones. I think the recipe is perfect as is, but if you wanted to bulk it up or add meat, crumbled or smoked sausage would blend in easily. This soup is great for lunch, or pair it with a crusty bread, side salad, or grilled cheese for a complete dinner. 

 

Ingredients

3 cups onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3 cans (28 ounces each) tomatoes, chopped with their juices

3 cans (16 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed

2 cans (13 3/4 ounces each) beef broth

1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

5 to 6 drops of Tabasco sauce

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

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 soups are you looking forward to cooking this autumn?