Holiday Dessert Cherry Sauce

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

 

Pink and red everywhere these days, right? It can only mean one thing: Valentine's Day is coming in hot! Jason and I never celebrate as a couple, though I admit that I do miss the little crafts and treats that I'd make with our girls when they were younger. As indifferent as I have been to the holiday these last few years, I can admit that one of my favorite days of the year is February 15 when all of the good chocolates are 1/2 price! If you know me, I have a sweet tooth and almost never say no to treats that will quench the sweets cravings. I had a lot of downtime while we were in Florida in January, and some lovely kitchens to play in, so it was the perfect time to sort though some of my saved Golden Blossom Honey recipes and whip up some yummy things for us to eat at home (away from home). I thought about making this Holiday Dessert Cherry Sauce at Christmas, but cherries, while red, don't really scream Christmas to me. But they sure do say Valentine's Day. 

 

 

 

What drew me to this recipe was it offered an outlet for me to get my sweets cravings filled, but isn't necessarily a dessert in itself. It can surely be used over ice cream, cheesecake and pound cake. But, it is also fantastic for breakfast on pancakes, French toast, bagels, and even stirred into oatmeal, making it another versatile recipe from Golden Blossom Honey that you're going to want to keep on hand for not only the Valentine holiday, but for Mother's Day, Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day as well. Or really any day of the week. Because a dessert sauce this good doesn't need to be saved for a special holiday. It should be whipped up and served year round!

Ingredients

1 can (16 ounces) red tart pitted, water packed cherries, drain and reserve juice
3/4 cup reserved cherry juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

 

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! 

 

  

Will you be making any special treats this Valentine's Day? Do you look forward to the 1/2 price candies the day afterwards?

 

 

 

 

Open Faced Tomato Bacon and Blue Cheese Sandwich

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

This time of the year I would normally be turning to warm comfort foods, like stews, soup, or carb heavy casseroles since it's snowing and freezing in the Midwest right now. But, we've been in Florida for most of January and it's warm, breezy and beautiful here this time of the year so I've really had to adjust my eating habits this month. After spending a day sunning myself on the beach, the last thing I want to do is eat a hot bowl of soup for dinner. Or turn the oven on for that matter. So we've been eating a lot of sandwiches this month. One of the recipes I've made several times over is this Open Faced Tomato Bacon and Blue Cheese Sandwich from Golden Blossom Honey. 

 

 

This is a light and easy meal idea, perfect for busy week night dinners or for a relaxed weekend lunch. It requires minimal prep and cook time, so you can get everyone fed quickly without complaint. You absolutely do not have to wait for warmer weather to hit before indulging in this sammy. If you're planning a game day menu for that big upcoming football game, you could switch out the bread and make sliders. If you want to swap out the bacon and make this vegetarian, avocado is a delicious replacement. You know how much I love versatile recipes, and this is one that you could make minor changes to each time you prepare it and it would feel like a whole new recipe every time. Try it as written or put your own little personal touch on your sandwich and I'm sure you'll be making this time and time again like we have recently.

Ingredients

8 (3/4 - 1-inch) slices French bread (not baguette)
4 slices bacon
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 large tomatoes cut into 1-inch thick slices
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, slivered
1/4 cup 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! 

 

  

What comfort foods are you eating most these days?

 

 

 

 

Versatile Tomato Sauce

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

 

I've touched on the subject of convenience foods here a few times lately. I do think to some extent they serve a purpose, but not for every meal. However, one of my guilty convenience purchases that I tend to always buy is pasta sauce. As much as everyone tells me you can't beat homemade when it comes to pasta sauce, I still reach for a ready made jar when I do my grocery runs. But, we've been traveling a lot lately, and since I'm trying to get my money's worth from renting an Airbnb over a hotel each week, I've been making most of our meals from scratch this month. We eat some type of pasta weekly without fail, so I thought that I'd try my hand at making a homemade sauce to go with our noodles this week. I found this Versatile Tomato Sauce on Golden Blossom Honey and thought it sounded like an easy and tasty recipe to try out. 

 

 

To my delight, it turned out this was an easy and tasty recipe! Not to mention, much healthier than jarred pasta sauce from the grocery store. The nice thing about this, or any recipe really, is you can adjust ingredients as needed. 2 garlic cloves that this one asks for is a nice start, but I added in several more to suit my tastes. While I left the rest of the recipe as written, I do think the addition of sauteed mushrooms would be amazing, or ground beef if you don't want to keep the sauce vegetarian. We don't normally celebrate Valentine's Day in our house, but we do like to make a special meal for the occasion. This versatile tomato sauce is perfect not only for a weeknight dinner, but for a romantic one for the day of love, too. 

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced white onion
1/4 cup carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups ripe tomatoes, or 1 (28 oz) can Italian tomatoes with juice, chopped
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon oregano
1 Tablespoon basil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup red wine (optional)
1 Tablespoon GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

 

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 foods you always make from scratch over store bought?

 

 

 

 

Mediterranean Stuffed Potatoes

Disclosure- I received the mentioned product courtesy of the sponsor for the the purpose of this review. All opinions are genuine, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.

 

 

I once read that more than half of those who make resolutions in the new year end up giving up on them by February. For those who resolve to eat healthier or lose weight, it's no wonder why it's so easy to go back to old habits so quickly. After the boom of gym equipment, vitamin, and healthy food ads in early January, we're now back to brightly colored displays of candies and treats for the upcoming Valentine's holiday. Not to mention that big football game that's also right around the corner that has us salivating over thoughts of all the tailgate foods we want to dig into. Pizza and chicken wings and greasy fries, oh my! Those resolutions never stood a chance. But, hear me out. You can definitely enjoy the upcoming festivities and keep your health goals on track. While I don't have any resolutions this year for myself, I am always on the hunt for delicious recipes that won't wreck havoc on my body. I was digging through Golden Blossom Honey's recipes recently trying to find some healthier eating options to help stay on track even with the barrage of sugary and greasy eats that are now going to be thrown our way for the next month. This week I wanted to share with you this Mediterranean Stuffed Potatoes recipe that would be a great substitute for traditional potato wedges we so delight in on football Sunday.

 

 

With this recipe, you can have your potatoes and eat them too! Push aside those bacon, cheese and sour cream topped wedges and serve up this fantastic alternative instead. These Mediterranean potatoes are filled with all kinds of healthier stuffing options than normally presented when it comes to tatoes. And, if you recall, the Mediterranean diet was the diet to follow just a few years back, and one that I've been a huge fan of ever since learning about it. The only slightly unhealthy ingredient here would be the feta cheese, but the nice thing about feta is it is a strong cheese so a little sprinkle goes a long way. If you need to keep your oven free for the rest of your football party eats, I found these microwave ready potatoes at my supermarket that are fully cooked in about 15 minutes. Prepare the filling ahead of time and all that's left to do is split, fluff, fill and serve. Simple and healthy solutions like these will help you stay on track so you aren't in the giving up portion of those resolution statistics. And that will be something worth celebrating!

Ingredients

6 baking potatoes
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1 cup red pepper, chopped
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 Tablespoon GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (6 ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped, reserving 1 Tablespoon of marinade
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
6 black olives, pitted and chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
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 your favorite healthier option tailgating foods?