Shortcut Shortcake

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

 

 

While I may not celebrate Valentine's Day, I am a sucker for all of the holiday treats. Starbucks was trying to reel me back in with a drink coupon since I haven't stopped there in a good long while, and I noticed they had a new Strawberry Shortcake frappuccino on the menu for Valentine's Day and couldn't resist. Strawberry Shortcake is my favorite summertime treat, so I was pretty excited to give it a try. I'll just say that I am glad they sent the coupon, because I was not a fan. It was a strawberry frappuccino mixed with cinnamon, but Jason and I detected a coconut flavor also that just didn't vibe with the mix. I was expecting some shortbread and maybe freeze dried topping like they have on the ice cream bars, so maybe my expectations were high off the bat. Don't let me yuck your yum though, because you may like it. I was just disappointed. Since I didn't get my strawberry shortcake fix at Starbies, I figured I'd make my own shortcake at home instead. I've had this Shortcut Shortcake recipe from Golden Blossom Honey in my treat file that I've made many times over the years, and thought I'd finally get around to sharing it with you all this week since it would make for a lovely Valentine's Day dessert. 

 

 

Shortcuts are also one of my favorite things, next to shortcakes, and that's one of the few reasons why I've returned to this recipe time after time over the years. This shortcake has 3 of my favorite fruits mixed in, but I think they're more of a suggestion because you could use most any fruit that tickles your fancy and it would still turn out divine. The caramel sauce is so addicting, you'll never want to use store bought again. I always double the recipe for it because more is definitely better, maybe not for the waist line, but definitely for the taste buds. And we all deserve to indulge a little bit every now and again, right? Using store bought shortcake muffins really cuts down on the prep time, but finding those pre-made is hit or miss in my town. So, I opt to use Pillsbury Southern Style frozen biscuits and those work just as well. If you're looking for a special treat for your love, or just yourself this Valentine's Day, my suggestion is to skip the overpriced coffee house drinks and make this instead. It costs less and tastes so much better anyway! 

 

Ingredients

4 shortcake biscuits (homemade or store-bought)

Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Fruit Filling:

4 bananas, sliced

1 cup strawberries, sliced

1 cup blueberries

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

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! 

   

Happy Valentine's Day!   

Chicken with Tarragon and Mustard Cream Sauce

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

 

 

I don't even know how we've already turned to a new month in the calendar, but here we are. Between the weather and politics and the passing of the great Catherine O'Hara, I'm ready to just toss this whole year in the trash already. But, between all of the gloom and doom, there are pops of pinks and reds shining through with the upcoming Valentine holiday, so at least we have some cutesy feel good things to grasp on to for now. While it's a holiday that Jason and I don't really celebrate, it's my daughter's first with her new love. Since her beau appreciates a good meal, but lives in a town with only 3 restaurants, I thought it might be a fun idea if they stayed in and cooked their own Valentine meal together this year. My daughter loves the chicken piccata that my bestie makes for her when she's visiting from out of town because she is obsessed with the sauce over rice. Try as I might, I have never been able to get it made the way she makes it, which my daughter likes to tell me every time, even though bestie has explained the recipe to me a million times. Idk, maybe her version is made with love and mine's just made with an eat it or starve mentality and that's why hers is so much better than mine. So, I didn't want to suggest chicken piccata as a meal they could make together, but I did find a fool proof (meaning, Theresa proof) recipe for Chicken with Tarragon and Mustard Cream Sauce on Golden Blossom Honey that would be easy to make but gourmet enough to pass for a Valentine meal at home together. 

 

I did make this for a non-special meal for my husband this week, and I'd like to be able to tell you that he said it was delicious (which he did), but he inhaled it so fast, I'm not sure he even tasted it as it went into his mouth. I will tell you that the sauce is top notch as far as flavor goes. I made double what the recipe called for and poured it over my steamed rice and it was mouthwatering good! I did have issues finding fresh tarragon at our grocers for some reason this week, so I ended up substituting that for fresh rosemary and still absolutely loved the end result. The chicken cooked up tender, juicy, and flavorful, but that sauce was definitely the star of the show. I'd say that this recipe is a keeper not only for ordinary dinners, but would totally work for special occasions as well. 

 

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

3 teaspoons grainy 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 dine out or cook at home for Valentine's Day?  

Honey Yogurt No-Bake Cream Cheese Pie

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. 

 

 

Are we over this winter yet? I know most of the US is getting hit with odd snowstorms and record low temperatures. My own area has been a mess for the better part of the year. Being so close to Lake Michigan, we get that nasty lake effect snow, and this year alone we've already more than doubled the snowfall that we saw the last 2 winters. Our roads are so iced over and they are saying that with how cold it is, salt won't even melt it and they aren't sending out the road crews to break it up. So, we're all sitting at home just waiting for the cold snap to pass because it is too dangerous to drive and too cold to do much of anything outdoors. My daughter's favorite thing to do these days is ask if we have any "sweet little treats" in the house to make the gloomy days a little more bearable. I did have some leftover Christmas chocolates in the pantry, but this week we decided to make our own sweet little treat to pass the time as well as curb our sweet tooth. I wanted to make a cheesecake but didn't have the 4 bricks of cream cheese that my recipe needed, but I did have 2 bricks which was the perfect amount for whipping up a Honey Yogurt No-Bake Cream Cheese Pie recipe from Golden Blossom Honey. 

 

This pie is like a cheesecake, but creamier and faster to prepare since there's no baking required. It's a lot simpler than a full blown cheesecake as well because it's really just beat, pour, set, eat. Nothing is easier than that when it comes to homemade treats. I liked this recipe because of the lemon inclusion. Yellow always makes me think of warm, sunny days, and we could definitely use those vibes right about now. I was thinking that this would be a lovely dessert for Valentine's Day. If you wanted to switch up the flavor a little, you could swap plain yogurt for a flavored yogurt, like strawberry or cherry instead. I also thought that if you make your own crust (just graham cracker crumbs mixed with melted butter, then baked at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes) you could piece out the recipe into mini tart pans and customize the fruit topping to each recipient's individual tastes. For a special day or just because, this is one sweet little treat to brighten any day! 

 

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package softened cream cheese

1/2 cup RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 cup plain yogurt

grated rind of one lemon (or 1/2 lime; or 1/3 orange)

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1- 8 inch graham cracker crust

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 you doing to stay occupied through these winter storms?  

Meatloaf

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. 

 

 

 

My daughter asked me to make meatloaf last week, which was odd because I used to make it monthly years back and she'd never touch it. I haven't made it in several years and all of a sudden she thinks she might like to give it a try. Her grown up tastes are probably changing, as it tends to do as we age, so I figured I'd indulge her and made a loaf. Problem was, I gave away all of my cookbooks last year while doing a deep clean and de-clutter of my house. I remembered the basics of what is included, but the measurements wasn't information that I had retained. I knew I had made a meatloaf recipe or two from Golden Blossom Honey before, so I hopped back over to their website to jog my memory. They have several different recipes for it in their recipe index, and I know I've made their old-fashioned and turkey versions before, but their plain Meatloaf recipe looked like it was similar to the one that I used to make for my family when I first started cooking, so I decided I'd give that one a try. 

 

I picked this recipe because it didn't have any over the top ingredients listed. It seemed like your standard meatloaf, just like grandma used to make, which I appreciated. It seems like all of the food bloggers and recipe websites are all vying to be the next top chef these days, trying to come up with something unique and crazy to draw more views, but I think there's something to be said for classic recipes like this one. Simple, subtle, down home. Comfort foods like meatloaf don't need all the extra tweaks. Keep it easy like Sunday morning and you'll always be golden. The only thing I would change about this recipe is maybe adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup more of the breadcrumbs into the mixture because it didn't hold together as well as I would have liked. It's still delicious, but if you're going for presentation as well as taste, a little more breadcrumbs won't hurt. I always serve meatloaf with a helping of mashed potatoes and green beans because that's what my southern grannies always did, and there's nothing more comforting than a southern granny's cooking. Overall, my daughter enjoyed this meatloaf, so I'm glad to have found a similar recipe to the one I used to make in case it is requested by family again I'll have it at my fingertips. 

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, about 1 slice of bread

2 tablespoons onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, coarsely grated

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY MUSTARD

1/8 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Topping:

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY MUSTARD

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 a classic dish you don't like to see fancy tweaks added in?  

Tomato and Ricotta Bake

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. 

 

 

 

I go through these phases of eating the exact same thing for breakfast every day for months on end. Like, if I'm stuck on steel cut oats, that's what I'll eat every single day for the next two or three months without fail. Then a shift happens and I'm stuck on Honey Nut Cheerios cereal for the next several months. And so on. I haven't figured out if it's my neurodivergence kicking in or if it's my attempt to eliminate the anxiety of eating non safe foods that make my autoimmune disorder flare in the morning. Lunch and dinner aren't issues though. It's just breakfast that has to be routine for me for some reason. I know a morning food shift is coming when I wake up and crave something out of the blue. A palate cleanser of sorts to get me ready to swap over to my next breakfast obsession. This week I was really craving cherry tomatoes each morning, and while I don't like to spend a lot of time at the stove after just waking, I kept thinking about a recipe for Tomato and Ricotta Bake I saw on Golden Blossom Honey a while back. I was saving the recipe to try this Easter but decided that was going to be this round's palate cleanser before I move on to a bowl of Raisin Nut Bran each morning, probably until spring.  

 

 

I don't know if one would classify this as a breakfast dish, but are there really any rules when it comes to each individual's food preferences? I don't think there are. This just worked well for me for an early morning meal, especially since it doesn't require much thinking to get it from prep to stove to belly. I mean, people make omelettes with eggs and cheese and veggies, and if this has eggs and cheese and veggies also, it passes the breakfast check in my book. I really liked the addition of the toasted breadcrumbs on top and how it gave a nice contrast to the creamy ricotta and soft baked tomatoes. It was just a warm, delightful way to break from my monotonous morning meal routine. But, if it's not your breakfast cuppa tea, it also makes for a great appetizer or side dish. Like I said, I was going to save this for Easter (and will still do so as a side dish) so it works as a nice addition to any holiday dinner menu as well. And you know I love a versatile recipe like that! 

 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds cherry tomatoes, preferably a mixture of red and yellow

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

2 tablespoons scallions, chopped

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

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 a routine food eater or do you need variety at mealtime every day?  

Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. 

 

 

I am a cheap date and I really think that my husband could appreciate that more about me. Like recently he asked if I wanted to go out to dinner, then when I suggested Casey's pizza, he looked at me like I had 2 heads for requesting gas station pizza. Um, it's really good and inexpensive, so what's the problem? My daughter is in the same boat. Her boyfriend wanted to take her to a fancy dinner for her birthday and she was a bit miffed because she just wanted to go to the ramen bar. Not only because it's what she prefers to eat, but she could also eat free on her birthday. Even though it was his treat, she still wanted her free meal LOL. So, we're both looking forward to Jason pulling out of Indiana this weekend as he heads down to Florida because we're going to have 2 weeks of cheap, easy, and convenient foods on the menu that nobody will complain about. We'll eat a lot of tomato and cheese sandwiches, soup, burrito bowls, and lots and lots of pasta. Because we could eat pasta every single day and never get sick of it. Lemon pasta, garlic noodles, mac and cheese, lasagna, spaghetti... all the noodle dishes we can squeeze in. We even have this Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese recipe from Golden Blossom Honey on the menu because it contains some of our favorite veggies and cheese mixed with a zippy dressing that's oh, so scrumptious. 

 

This is a great pasta salad for lunch, but you could turn it into a full dinner by adding grilled chicken or shrimp and a side of French bread. This is one of those recipes that my daughter and I can get several meals from one batch, so it's another amazing recipe to chuck into the "saves time and money" recipe pile. If goat cheese isn't your preference, you can always swap out for shaved Parmesan, mozzarella, or feta. You can easily swap out or add in other veggies as well. Grilled zucchini is a favorite of mine to include. It's another great base recipe to add your favorites to in order to make it unique to your preferences and truly your own. 

 

Ingredients

8 ounces pasta (rigatoni, or pasta of your choice)

3 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped

2 scallions, chopped

10 black olives, pitted and chopped (Kalamata, if available)

4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 Tablespoon RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 teaspoon dried basil

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 cheap date night location?