Spiced Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting

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.

 

 

Next week is my oldest daughter's birthday. This one will be a bit bittersweet for me since it's the last one she's going to have in this state for the foreseeable future. I mentioned before that she's moving out to Colorado in July, so gone will be the days of reaching her by a 2 hour car ride. I wanted to do something a little special for her day this year, so I booked us a wine tasting tour at the Oliver Winery in Bloomington. I'd normally make her a cheesecake as well, but since this is going to be an all day outing for us, I don't feel comfortable leaving a cream cheese based dessert in the car unrefrigerated for an entire day. But she still needs a cake, right? So I thought about making her a Spiced Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting, a recipe I grabbed recently from Golden Blossom Honey. Since it's not dairy based, other than the little bit of heavy cream in the frosting, I figured this one would be fine for a day in the car packed in a cooler filled with ice. 

If you have a sweet tooth for chocolate, then this is the cake for you! You've got your chocolate cake base, your chocolate ganache frosting, then I went a little extra and tossed some extra chocolate chips on the top for good measure. You could also do chocolate shaving ribbon curls for a finishing touch to make it a little more elegant. I'll admit, I doubled (maybe even tripled) the chocolate chips that the recipe called for in the cake batter because that's just how I roll. I missed the boat on getting my summer body in shape, so I'm just gonna enjoy all the treats and try again next year LOL. I did waffle on using a bundt pan here for more dimension to the cake shape, but ultimately went with the tube pan that was stated in the recipe. You could use either, but the more I look at this cake, I think you could pull it off as a giant doughnut and celebrate National Doughnut Day with this recipe next Friday. I mean, who's going to correct you if you offer everyone a slice?

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup strongly brewed coffee, cooled
1 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

 Ganache

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 1/3 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

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 cake for your birthday, or do you prefer a less traditional birthday dessert like cheesecake, brownies or pie? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bowtie Noodles with Grilled Vegetables

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 know it's not Memorial Day yet, but grilling season has officially begun in my book. Hot dogs, hamburgers and steaks tend to be the popular grilling items, but for this girl it's ALL about the grilled veggies. If you have a Dollar Tree close to you, they have these cookie sheet like pans with holes in them that are great to put sliced vegetables on that make grilling them a breeze. I stocked up on the pans last year, but I did see they are carrying them again this year, so if you can find them at your store, I suggest grabbing a few. As the weather heats up, I find myself looking for lighter meal options. Leafy salads are a huge staple here during hot weather months, but so are things like pasta salad, too. Fresh veggies are in abundance at the supermarkets right now, and I have been taking full advantage until I can harvest from my own garden later this summer. I had overbought on bell peppers earlier this week, so I ended up using them in this Grilled Vegetables with Bowtie Noodles and Parmesan recipe that I grabbed from Golden Blossom Honey. 

This recipe has everything you are going to need for a light, colorful and nutritious summertime meal. There's minimal prep going on here, and since the majority of this recipe is cooked on the grill, short of boiling noodle water, you aren't adding unnecessary heat to the house by turning on the oven. This can be a meal in itself, but you could also toss a chicken breast on the grill for those who like protein in their pasta dishes. I mentioned before that we'll be hosting a large grad party in late June, and I think this recipe would be perfect to double, or even triple to add to our side dish table. Made in batches large or small, this recipe covers all. Keep it handy for summertime potlucks, parties, or for a quick and easy meal to enjoy by yourself out on the deck. 

Ingredients

2/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon each dried rosemary, thyme, basil
1 1/2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 red bell pepper, quartered
1 yellow bell pepper, quartered
salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces bowtie noodles, cooked al dente, drained
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

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 vegetables to toss on the grill? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pork Chops with Applesauce

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.

 

 

Allison will be graduating in a few short weeks, and I have been trying to find an inexpensive way to feed the many people I know she's going to want to invite to her grad party. As we all know, inflation is at an all time high, and for those of us that have to plan a major celebration, we're going to have to get a little creative this year to save a few dollars. Chicken is usually a good route to go when you're pinching pennies, but as I was perusing the meat counter the other day, a sign caught my eye advertising Pork Chops with Applesauce and I thought that might actually work for the party. Like chicken, pork tends to be budget friendly, so I grabbed a few pounds then went home and searched for an easy and crowd pleasing recipe. As luck would have it, Golden Blossom Honey had exactly the Pork Chops with Applesauce recipe I was looking for.  

 

 

When you're working on feeding a crowd, not only does the budget factor in on what's being served, but the ease of the recipe plays a major role too. After a test run on pork chops, I've decided we're going to absolutely be tossing them into the party mix. I had this dish together in just under an hour, so that leaves plenty of time for me to tend to other party prep while it's doing its thing in the oven. If you don't have cinnamon on hand, I think you could easily just use cinnamon applesauce and skip the spice. Not that it's a huge time or money saver, but why add in more steps when you don't have to? This recipe works for crowds big and small, so be sure to save it for an easy week night meal or even for Sunday dinner. 

Ingredients

4 (1/2-inch thick) pork loin rib chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup applesauce
1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

 

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 hosting or attending any large celebrations this summer? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mixed Berry Spoon Cake

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.

 

 

Normally I wouldn't share two fruit recipe posts back to back, but something about the upcoming summer temps we're supposed to be getting next week, coupled with the fact that I didn't lose a single fruit tree or bush since last year has me all up in my berry feels right now. I thought I lost one of my two blueberry bushes, but as I was foraging for mint yesterday, I saw new life growing on the one that I thought was a goner. My cherry tree has so many flowers, it's promising me a bounty of cherries this year (about time too, since I've been growing that baby for over 5 years!) And, my raspberry bush is looking mighty healthy. I feel like the stars are finally aligning in my garden and this will be the first year that I get more than a few measly handfuls of fruit from each. I had a different recipe in mind to share with you this week, but my garden excitement had me change directions and pointed me to this Mixed Berry Spoon Cake, a Golden Blossom Honey recipe, instead. 

 

While the pictures are of store bought fruit because mine aren't nearly ready for picking, you don't need to worry about having fresh fruit on hand because this recipe calls for frozen mixed berries. Though I am pretty sure that when summer is finally here and if you're lucky enough to have a bountiful fruit harvest, you could swap out the frozen for fresh with the same results. Also, this cake can be eaten as is, but even though the recipe says it's optional to serve with a scoop of ice cream, I'm going to disagree and say it needs to be mandatory. I paired mine with vanilla bean ice cream and woweee! It was a match made in heaven!

 

Ingredients

Fruit:
1 (16 ounce) container fresh strawberries, quartered
1 (10 ounce) package frozen mixed berries
1/3 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Cake:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons butter, melted

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 growing any fruits in your garden this year? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fruit & Nut Tea Sandwiches

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 don't know how Mother's Day is sneaking up on us so fast, but it really is almost here and I don't feel as prepared for the day as I would like. Unfortunately, I'll be working out of town that day, so I'll either have to have Jason make flower deliveries to our moms without me, or I'll have to push time spent with them until the following day. I prefer the latter because it seems like I don't spend nearly as much time with my two favorite ladies as I would like these days. If we wait until that Monday, in addition to our normal gift of flowers, I can add in extra time spent with each mom while sharing a light snack of Fruit and Nut Tea Sandwiches, a Golden Blossom Honey recipe, as we catch up.  

 

Our moms are just like me and prefer consumable gifts over dust collectors, so flowers and a snack are always the most well received gifts in our family. The nice thing about these fruit and nut tea sandwiches is that there is hardly any prep involved and nothing needs to be cooked, unlike other consumables like cookies or pie. And for someone who is really busy, that's a blessing in itself. I've been finding really sweet berries in the produce section this month, but if strawberries aren't in season in your area just yet, you could add a touch more honey to the mascarpone mixture, or even swap out the mascarpone for cream cheese. You could also swap out the strawberries for any other berry of your choice for flavor that's more suited to your taste with equally delicious end results. These little finger sandwiches are so perfect served with a steaming mug of tea while catching up on the latest family gossip at mom's house. Or at your own house if you can convince your kids to get in the kitchen and do something nice for their mama next Sunday. 

 

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
rasin bread, pumpernickel party bread, crackers
strawberries, sliced
seedless grapes, halved
fresh parsley for garnish, if desired

 

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!  

 

 *I know that I am terribly far behind on responding to comments. I apologize and will be getting to those this weekend. Thank you all for your lovely visits and even lovelier words. I appreciate every one of you! 

  

How are you spending Mother's Day this year? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mexican Rice Salad

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.

 

 

Is it too early to start celebrating Cinco de Mayo? If you live in my house, the answer is no. I'm pretty sure I've consumed my weight in guac, chips and margaritas this past month. I love Mexican food and if I had my way, we'd eat it every day. I've been trying a few different side dish recipes to go with our tacos and enchiladas, and one that we all seem to enjoy regularly here is this Mexican Rice Salad recipe that I found on Golden Blossom Honey.

 

 

What's nice about this rice salad is that it's one that you consume cold, so it can be prepared a day ahead of time and it's ready to be eaten right out of the refrigerator when you need it. This is a recipe that I'll make a big batch of so we can have it as a side dish for dinner, but then there are plenty of leftovers for my lunch for several days afterwards. It's good for lunch. It's good for dinner. It's good for Cinco de Mayo. I mean, there really isn't a bad time for Mexican Rice Salad!

Ingredients:

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (1 large lime)
2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salad:
2 cups cooked long grain or basmati rice, cooked
1 can (15 ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup carrots, finely diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/8 cup scallions, 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!  

 

 

  

What is your favorite Mexican side dish?