Soup Du Jour: Black Bean Soup

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


Is there anything better than a warm blanket and a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter day? We have had a very mild winter here so far, but if you're in the Midwest, you know that's all coming to an end this weekend. The snow is kicking up and we're in the line of the arctic blast that's making the news, so my only plan for this weekend is a cozy couch, my blanket, and hot soup. If you're in the storm's path and are staying in too, I've got a recipe that's comforting, yet light (cause we're still doing the healthy eating thing, right?) and so perfect for taking the chill out of your bones. This Black Bean Soup from Golden Blossom Honey is great for lunch or add in a salad and a hunk of crusty bread for a light dinner.

 

Black bean soup is filled with a lot of nutritional veggies that pack a huge flavor punch, but also makes it a guilt-free meal. Jason doesn't get excited for soup, but when I made it earlier this week, he made a point of commenting on how good it was. If you're really trying to keep the calories down, swap out the sour cream for plain yogurt. That's my hubs favorite way of getting the tangy zip without consuming fattening sour cream. Additionally, you can pressure cook dried beans in 30 minutes instead of using canned beans for this recipe. Even if you don't make it this weekend, tuck the recipe in a safe spot and use it as part of your Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Yes, I know there's still 4 more months until that day of goodness, but you can never be too prepared for planning out an epic fiesta menu, now can you?

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1/4 cup lime juice
4 cans (16 ounces each) black beans
3 cans (16 ounces each) vegetable or chicken broth
Garnish:
chopped tomato
chopped red onion
sour 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!

Have you had any snow in your area this winter yet?

 

So Simple Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Muffins

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


Cheat day foods. Most of us have them, right? Ever since we put the holidays behind us, I've done exceptionally well with my food choices. But, sometimes a girl has to splurge, so this week I thought I'd turn my oven on, which hasn't seen much action in a month, dusted off an old favorite recipe, and went to work making a batch of super simple cinnamon sugar breakfast muffins.

I love baked goods but sometimes I don't feel like putting forth a lot of effort it takes into making them from scratch. That's where this recipe has earned its spot in my favorites because it doesn't require more than 2 bowls and I don't have to pull out my bulky stand mixer, or even my handheld mixer for that matter. 

The recipe calls for basic ingredients that you should already have in your pantry, so these can be made anytime you need to satisfy your sweet tooth. All you need is a whisk and a wooden spoon to whip the batter into shape and you're good to go. I'm not lying when I say it's so simple! 

The end result is a fluffy, yet a little chewy breakfast muffin that can be endlessly customized to suit your fancy. You can leave it basic and eat them right out of the pan (once they've cooled off a bit, of course), or mix in some seasonal fruits, chocolate chips, or walnuts. Whatever you like in your muffins is fair game here. 

I tore this recipe out of an old Family Fun magazine over 12 years ago and have made it countless times over the years. It's still one that my family gets excited for every time they see a brimming platter of these muffins sitting out on the counter waiting for them to devour. While I've tossed in so many mix-ins into the batter before, our all time favorite way to dress them up is with a cinnamon sugar topping. Normally I would just slap some butter over the tops, then dip in a cinnamon sugar mixture, but for the past few weeks I have been enjoying using Olivio, a rich and creamy buttery spread.

Olivio spreads offer a line of healthy alternatives to butter and margarine. Each buttery spread and spray is made with the goodness of 100% California olive oil, with zero cholesterol, less fat and fewer calories than butter. Which means I can pop a little over the top of my muffins and not feel as guilty about the indulgence. 

Olivio comes in a spreadable solid, which is perfect for baking, sautéing, or just slathering across a hunk of bread or your favorite breakfast muffin. They also offer a convenient buttery spray, which is great for spritzing over some steamed veggies, freshly popped popcorn, or anywhere you want to mist on a hit of buttery flavor. Best of all, it has zero calories per serving, so it's a wonderful option for those of us who are still sticking to our weight loss resolutions for this year. 

 

Yield: 12 Muffins Author: Theresa M

So Simple Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Muffins 

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup + 2 tbsp milk
• 6 tbs unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Cinnamon Sugar Topping 

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Olivio spread, for muffin tops

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease the bottoms of a standard sized 12 cup muffin tin.
2. Pour the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl. Combine with a whisk.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg until it is frothy. Whisk in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla. 
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour the liquid into the well, and using a wooden spoon, mix the batter until it's evenly blended. Spoon into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cavity 2/3 of the way full.
5. Bake the muffins in the center rack for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for an additional 7 minutes. Transfer the muffin pan to a wire rack until muffins are cool enough to touch, then remove them from the cups.
6. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread desired amount of Olivio over tops of muffins, then dip into the cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. Serve immediately, or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

https://www.theresasmixednuts.com/2019/01/so-simple-cinnamon-sugar-breakfast.html

*original recipe found in Family Fun Magazine

If you liked this recipe, be sure to Pin It on Pinterest!

Full nationwide distribution of Olivio started this month, so be sure to look for it at your local retailer in the refrigerated section. If you try this recipe, be sure to snap a pic and tag me on social media (marison459 on Twitter or Instagram) and let me know what you think!

What's your favorite recipe for cheat day?

 

 

Peggy Porschen - The Prettiest Little Bakery in London

London was Mariah's leg of our trip, so she had to plan out most of our itinerary for the several days we would be staying there. There was only one stop I absolutely had to make, and that was to London's prettiest little bakery, Peggy Porschen Cakes.

Of course I first heard about this charming little bakery on Instagram, because with the gorgeous floral arrangements they always have cascading over the entrance way, Peggy Porchen's is one of the most Instagrammable shops in London.

We were a bit pressed for time since we stopped by on our way to catch our train for Paris, so we didn't have the chance to sit down for tea and baked goods, but I definitely wasn't leaving without having a peek inside. As imagined, the interior is just as charming as the exterior.

The floral ambiance is carried all the way through, giving the vibe that you're having tea and biscuits fit for a princess. With how beautiful the bakery is, I was expecting overpriced treats, but the price point on all of the baked goods were reasonable, actually comparable or a little less than you would pay at Starbucks.

As one would expect from such a pretty shop, the cakes and cupcakes are just as lovely.

While I didn't have time to sit down and order off of the menu, I did grab a Lemon Lavender Tea Cake to enjoy on our train ride and it was ah-mazing!

The whole bakery is worthy of your Instagram feed, but be sure to grab a few goodies after snapping your pics. You won't regret it!

Do you have a local bakery/cake shop that you like, or do you just shop the bigger chains and supermarkets for your baked goods?

Healthy Eats - Muesli with Yogurt

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


We're almost 2 weeks into the new year. How's everyone doing with sticking to your weight loss and eating healthy goals? After a 2 month break, I've finally got back into a workout routine and I am remembering why I hate weighted squats so much. My lower body has been on fire all week, but since summer bodies are made in the winter, they are a necessary evil right now. We all know that fitness is only a small part of weight loss, since the most important part of our physical appearance starts in the kitchen. What we put into our bodies plays an even bigger role than exercise, and I've been even more conscientious about the foods I'm eating lately. I found this Muesli with Yogurt recipe on Golden Blossom Honey, and while they have it geared towards breakfast eats (it most definitely makes for a great breakfast), I've been portioning it out into smaller containers for an awesome post-workout snack.

I love this recipe because it can be made the night before for a quick eat & go breakfast, or if you want to do like I do, section it into smaller air-tight containers to keep stored in the fridge to refuel after your workouts. I'll leave 2-3 days worth stocked in the fridge at a time so I only have to make this recipe twice a week but am covered for several workout snacks. If you don't do dairy, Silk has a great almond milk yogurt that is a great replacement for the dairy yogurt this recipe calls for. Keep things fresh by alternating the toppings with your favorite dried fruit and nuts each day. And if you need a little extra sweetness, maybe add a square of dark chocolate occasionally. As Tom and Donna from Parks & Rec say, "Treat Yo Self!"

Ingredients

1 cup old-fashioned oats, uncooked
1 cup plain yogurt, low-fat or non-fat
1/2 cup diced dried tropical fruit, or dried fruit of your choice
1/2 cup pecans, walnuts or almonds, chopped
2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM RAW HONEY
2 teaspoons lemon juice

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!

What's your favorite way to get exercise in each day?

PB&J "Doughnut" Sandwiches for BTS #CraftPBJCreations #CollectiveBias

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CraftPBJCreations #Meijer #CollectiveBias. This post is sponsored by The J.M. Smucker Company.

Now that the holidays and winter break are behind us, it's time to get back into normal school day routines. I admit, my daughter is less than thrilled about waking early, cracking open the books, and homework, but she is looking forward to socializing with her friends, club activities, and lunch. Lunch is probably her favorite part of the day, and since she packs her school lunch most days instead of purchasing it at school, I thought we'd give her lunchbox a little refresh. A new year calls for a little lunchbox revamp, right? I ran to Meijer and picked up a brand new lunch bag/bento box combination, then grabbed a few lunchbox essentials from the grocery department.

You can never go wrong with a good old fashioned pb&j sandwich, so it's a no-brainer for us to reach for Jif® Peanut Butter and Smucker's® Fruit Spread. Both have been long standing family favorites, and it's not hard to see why. Jif® is the #1 brand of peanut butter in the US* and Smucker's® Fruit Spread is so tasty because of their use of high quality, hand-picked strawberries. When you put them together, you get a great taste and perfect pair. They're just better together!

I mentioned giving my daughter's lunchbox a little refresh for the new year, and instead of just slapping a few pieces of bread together and calling it a day, I thought I'd put a little twist on the classic pb&j sandwich and make pb&j "doughnuts" instead.

My daughter has never been a fan of the of bread crust, so instead of just chopping it off and leaving the bread as plain squares, we used a doughnut cutter to cut the bread into "doughnuts". I spread some Jif® Peanut Butter and Smucker's® Fruit Spread on the bottom piece of bread, placed the top bread slice over the filling, then pressed some candy sprinkles into the bread grooves to decorate it like a doughnut.

I didn't let the centers go to waste either. I constructed them the same as above, but rolled the exposed filling sides in sprinkles instead of trying to fit them on top. It was a fun way to put a new spin on an old classic. As I mentioned, both Jif® Peanut Butter and Smucker's® Fruit Spread were purchased at Meijer. I found them in the breakfast aisle across from the pancake mixes and cereal.

While picking up a few other lunchbox staples, I came across these Jif Power Ups® Snacks.

I grabbed a few boxes as well because not only would they be great to tuck into the lunch bag, the portability factor made me think these would be great for my daughter to also keep in her backpack for after school snacking. Her after school activities usually have her getting home close to dinnertime, so I feel better knowing she has a yummy snack to help her power through her activities until she's able to come home for supper. It's the perfect snack to keep her motivated to do her homework as well.

Jif Power Ups® Snacks come in 2 forms: Chewy Granola Bars or Creamy Clusters with peanuts being the #1 ingredient. Since they are made with Jif® Peanut Butter, goodness my family knows and loves, and contain no corn syrup, I feel good serving them to my daughter and she's more than happy to receive them.

These fun little PB&J doughnuts and Jif Power Ups® Snacks are a great way to get kids excited about going back to school after the long winter break. And, parents will be happy to know that from now until 2/2/19, you can save over $2 on Jif® Peanut Butter, Smucker's® Fruit Spreads, and Jif Power Ups® Snacks with mPerks digital coupons!

Hop on over to your local Meijer for these great lunchbox staples and create a fun twist to an old classic for your kid's lunch boxes too! If you would like to learn more about Jif® and Smucker's® products, be sure to check them out HERE.

If you liked this recipe, be sure to Pin It on Pinterest!

*Based on IRI sales

How would you use Jif® Peanut Butter and Smucker's® Fruit Spreads to give your kid's a lunchbox makeover?

Warner Bros. Studio Tour London

Thanks to my daughter, I'm pretty sure the last 4 or 5 of our family trips had to have some focus on Harry Potter. The whole Europe trip got planned specifically so Mariah could not only visit King's Cross Station, but so she could also go on the Warner Brother's Studio Tour and see all of the sets and props from the Harry Potter films. *Just a head's up: this is going to be a photo heavy post!*

Mariah thought it was a bit serendipitous that when she woke up that morning and checked her Facebook, her memories timeline popped up showing it had been exactly 5 years to the date that she made a post wishing she could visit The Warner Brother's Studio Tour - Making of Harry Potter.
 
Even though we booked our time slot before arriving, we did still had about a 30 minute wait to get into the actual tour. There were a few spots for photo opps while waiting though, like this iconic cupboard under the stairs set.

The tour starts with entrance to The Great Hall, which is quite impressive and sets the tone for the remainder of the tour.

After a brief informational message from the tour guides, the doors open to the remainder of the building and you are free to roam from there on out on your own.

I thought my girls were giddy going to Universal Studios and seeing the replica sets and props, but their excitement over viewing the real sets was totally worth this trip. They were flitting around from set to set and prop to prop just breathing in all of the magic that blew life into the movies.

You do get to climb aboard the Hogwart's Express and check out the cabin cars, and just like at the real King's Cross Station, there is a spot for photo opps to walk through Platform 9¾.

 

Midway through the tour, there is a spot to stop for refreshments. You absolutely cannot leave without a mug of Butterbeer. We noticed they were also selling Butterbeer flavored ice cream cones and decided we would grab one of those first, then would grab a mug of the beverage before leaving the tour at the cafe we spotted when we first arrived. Little did we know, this is the ONLY time on the tour you will be able to buy Butterbeer as it must be finished before returning on the tour due to licensing and not being able to carry it out of the attraction. We didn't think we would be allowed back through the tour to buy Butterbeer since we had already finished our tour, but thankfully the attendants were super awesome and called someone to walk us back through to purchase some.

For those who have been to Universal Studios, you'll be disappointed to know that they do not offer frozen Butterbeer here and the liquid isn't as tasty as what you'll find there, but the cream topping is much better than what you find at Universal.

You can take your refreshments back outside to tour the house on Privet Drive, The Knight Bus, Hogwarts Bridge, The Potter's Cottage, as well as hop in the Weasley's muggle mobile and climb aboard Hagrid's motorbike for a few more photo opps.

The final stretch of the tour is where you'll find the grand prize. The humongous replica of Hogwart's Castle.

It took us around 3 hours to go through the tour from start to finish, though you may need to factor in more or less time depending on how thoroughly you want to study each set and prop. While we've been to Universal Studios in both California and Florida and have experienced the magic of Harry Potter there, the Warner Brother's Studio Tour in London is a definite must-do for any Harry Potter fan. I'm glad we made time to see it during our European travels and would absolutely recommend booking a tour whether you're a fan of the series or just a lover of film making in general. The behind-the-scenes look is fascinating any way you slice it.

Does this look like a tour that would interest you if you were traveling to London?