Cherry Bran Muffins

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.

 

 

Between my husband, my daughter, and I, we all split daily shifts at our new storefront, each taking a day working 10am to 8pm. These make for very long days, so we have to plan ahead for how we're going to get lunch midday since we haven't bought a refrigerator for our break room yet. Jason and Allison just use a delivery service, but I'm not much of a take out fan these days, so I'll usually pack myself some protein bars or granola to hold me over until I get home and have a late dinner. Muffins are also high on my hold-me-over list, so when I saw these Cherry Bran Muffins on Golden Blossom Honey, I knew that I wanted to make a batch to take to work this week. 

 

 

This muffin recipe stood out to me with the use of bran cereal in the ingredients. I'm a huge fan of bran cereals on their own, but have never used them in my baking. I wasn't quite sure how it was going to play out since whole flakes are used, no crushing or anything. Was it going to add an odd texture or lumps? I didn't know, but hoped the wet ingredients would tame the crunch down a bit. Then I worried that my batter looked too runny, but instead of taking my usual "let me try to fix this approach", I decided to trust the process. I'm glad I did because these baked into perfect, moist little muffins that were so delicious and great for eating at home or on the go. Have them for breakfast or as a midday snack, or you could even turn them into a dessert muffin like I did for half of my batch and top each with a little cream cheese frosting (1 brick of cream cheese and 1/2 cup powder sugar mixed together). If you're not a cherry fan, or if you want to change things up, you could always substitute other dried fruits for the cherries. I'm already thinking autumn and am picturing dried pears or apple slices. Those would pair nicely with the warm cinnamon ingredient. Or, if you're still on a summer kick, dried peaches and blueberries would work well here, too. You know I love a good base recipe to play off of, so I can't wait to try a few new fruit concoctions as the seasons change. 

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup 100% bran cereal

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup dried cherries

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 other dried fruits would you use in this recipe?   

Soy Glazed Green Beans

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.

 

 

How are your gardens doing this year? Mine were awful. I had a 2 day window to pick cherries from my tree and raspberries from my bushes before the fruit shriveled up and died. To top it off, both of my blueberry bushes bit the dust as well. I think it's fair to say we got about a handful of fruit from our yard this year. Maybe less. We had too much rain at the beginning of summer, then a few weeks of scorched earth heat, I don't think my produce ever stood a chance. Between the weather and my limited time these days, I ended up giving up on the garden this year. There was no energy to sit around and baby my plants, so we'll be doing store bought produce for the remainder of the year. Thankfully we can still hit up the local farmer's market for garden fresh fruits and veggies this summer. I did snap up a lot of green beans recently because I love putting them in my steamer pot with a few pats of butter to serve as a main course side dish once or twice a week. But I saw this Soy Glazed Green Beans recipe on Golden Blossom Honey and thought we'd try that for a change this week. 

 

These green beans are so flavorful! A sweet, savory, and salty mix all rolled into one amazing side dish. I've never thought to put cashews in my green beans, or any other nuts for that matter, but what a surprisingly fun combination that turned out to be! These beans pair well with any cut of meat, poultry, pork, or seafood, as well as tofu, seitan, and tempeh, so it makes for a pretty versatile side dish. You can boil the beans as the recipe states, but I still popped mine in the steamer because I think that's the best way to get the perfect crisp/tender consistency that I like without over boiling, which I'm prone to do. The sauce actually cooks up pretty thick on its own, so you could probably skip the cornstarch if you wanted to, but that's totally up to you. Serve these up for a fast side dish, or bring to potlucks and picnics this summer for an effortless but flavorful offering. 

 

Ingredients

2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed

1/3 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

3 teaspoons cornstarch

3/4 cup cashew nuts

2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 bunch scallions, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

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! 

   

Tell me about your gardens this year. How are they doing?

 

*I know I'm about a month behind on replying to comments. I will be getting to that this week. With the grand opening of my new store (which wasn't so grand as it's still a work in progress LOL) I have fallen behind this month. I'll be back on schedule soon!   

Strawberry Surprise

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.

 

 

 

Happy Independence Day to my US friends! It's shaping up to be a sunny and hot day without a cloud in the sky in our area, so I imagine the festivities are going to go on all night long. Probably all weekend long, if we're being honest. The celebrations actually started here several weeks ago, and since my new storefront is right on the lake, I watch fireworks nightly while I am working on my building. Jason and I usually grab a late dinner so we can sit outside and watch the show, but tonight we should be wrapping up the finishing touches and getting all of our product moved in and ready for our grand opening, so the fireworks will feel extra special. A celebration of a year's planning, several months of hard labor, and what feels like a lifetime of stress and uncertainty will finally be coming together and that deserves a special treat on top of the fireworks as a reward for our accomplishments. I'll be taking this Strawberry Surprise, a Golden Blossom Honey recipe, tonight to help me bask in the glow of the lit up sky and my lit up heart. 

 

Strawberry Surprise is a light, refreshing fruity dessert perfect for your weekend celebrations, or simply as a dessert to end a summertime meal. It's one that is very easy to prepare, and since we're still in the thick of sweltering heat, it's a bonus that it's a no-bake dessert. It does take a little planning because of the chill time, so you may not be able to whip this up in time for your celebrations today unless you're reading this post early in the morning, but if your area is anything like the Midwest, you've got a weekend of gatherings, so there will be plenty of time to piece this together for the dessert table. Just a quick tip to pop the pan in the freezer about 30 minutes before serving. This will make slicing through the dessert a lot easier and keep the squares uniform. 

 

Ingredients

1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin

1 1/2 cups hot water

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/3 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/2 cup light cream

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)

fresh strawberries and mint for garnish

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 a safe and fun 4th of July!   

Chicken Salad with Strawberries and Nectarines

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.

 

 

My daughter found out I was using ChatGPT to quickly organize some business files this week and she wasn't pleased. Apparently I'm causing this massive heatwave because the AI software uses up lots of water, contributing to global warming. Who knew? Sorry, y'all. I'll try to kick my AI habit so we can see some cooler temperatures here soon. In a peace offering, allow me to share a refreshing salad recipe to help beat the heat this weekend. I love mixed greens in the summer and even better when fresh fruit is added in. My husband doesn't consider it a complete meal unless a protein is included, so I consider this Chicken Salad with Strawberries and Nectarines from Golden Blossom Honey a winner of a summer salad recipe if there ever was one. 

 

On sweltering days like most of us have been experiencing this summer, the stove and oven are off limits in our house. It's just too hot to even think about turning them on, so salads are a perfect go-to meal for those kinds of days. While there is chicken in this recipe, the great thing about that is it uses a prepared rotisserie chicken from the grocers, which not only saves time, it saves you from having to add any extra heat to your kitchen. The homemade poppy seed dressing is the perfect pairing for this fruit-filled salad. I usually add a raspberry vinaigrette to my fruity salads, but I think the poppy seed dressing is my new favorite. It's creamy and not too heavy, so you can eat it on the worst heat days without feeling weighed down. I plan on having this salad many more times this season while the fruit is at its peak, and I encourage you to try it as well! 

 

Ingredients

Dressing:

1/3 cup mayonnaise, regular or lite

1/3 cup sour cream, regular or lite

2 tablespoons RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

3 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Salad:

1 cooked rotisserie chicken, from grocery store

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

2 ripe nectarines, sliced

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion

1/3 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

6 cups mixed baby greens

4 strawberries for garnish

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 use ChatGPT or any other AI programs for business or personal use? 

Fresh Berry Chocolate Tart

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.

 

 

From weddings to graduations and everything in-between, we're officially in summer party season. If you're looking for a tasty treat for your gatherings, do I have something special for you today! The inspiration for today's share came a few weeks ago when we were in Minnesota at the Mall of America and we spotted this cute little French inspired bistro inside. While I was in a hurry and didn't have a chance to sample their delicacies that day, it did spark some memories from our trip to Paris years ago and how I still dream about all of their amazing pastries to this day, especially the fruit-filled ones. So when I saw this Fresh Berry Chocolate Tart recipe on Golden Blossom Honey, I figured it was going to be as close as I was going to get to French pastries without the expensive plane ticket across the pond. 

 

 

The secret to this delightful dessert is using a pre-made sheet of frozen puff pastry. Because honestly, unless it's your profession, nobody has time for making homemade pastry dough. A thin layer of chocolate and fresh summer berries will top the golden, flaky crust, making it a decadent seasonal treat that will be the highlight of the dessert table at any gathering. Nobody needs to know how easy this is to make, either. It never hurts to let them think you're just as good as the French when it comes to beautiful and delicious pastries! I'll keep your secret if you keep mine. 

 

Ingredients

1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed (half of 17 1/4 ounce package)

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon sugar

3 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon plus 1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

2 tablespoons sour cream

1 cup blackberries or blueberries

1 cup strawberries, hulled and cut in half lengthwise

whipped cream or vanilla ice 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! 

   

How many summer parties do you plan on attending this year? 

Swordfish a L’Orange

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.

 

 

Father's Day is this Sunday and Allison has been struggling with what to get Jason for the occasion. I had to remind her that we're not really gift people, and he'd probably be happiest with a Costco size bag of trail mix or a case of his favorite diet soda. Or better yet, a home cooked meal that I wouldn't normally make for him, which usually falls in the seafood category. The was an advertisement for lobster in this week's grocery flyer, but she's on a broke college student budget, so I suggested maybe fish tacos or this Swordfish a L'Orange recipe from Golden Blossom Honey because it seemed more in line with not only her budget, but her cooking skills as well. 

 

You all know that even though I like to think I have some expertise when it comes to culinary creations, I will almost always gravitate towards those easy recipes when given a choice. And while I've never made swordfish before, after looking over the cooking instructions, I knew that this was going to be about as simple as they come as far as recipes go and it was definitely going to be one our daughter could handle cooking all on her own. From prep, to cook, to plate, this recipe was all done in under 20 minutes. It cooked up tender, juicy, and had the right amount of flake you want to see for cooked fish. The orange and honey added a delicious sweetness to the dish, and while I am not a fish eater myself, even I was tempted to eat more than a sample bite when all was said and done. It will be a great dinner idea for Father's Day, but it's one that's going to get you through these hot summer months as well. It's light, tangy, and refreshing. A perfect warm weather dish for any seafood lover! 

 

Ingredients

1-1/2 to 2 pounds swordfish

2 large oranges

4 Tablespoons grated orange peel

6 Tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

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's on your Father's Day menu this year?