Frozen Cafe Au Lait

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 never been much of a hot coffee drinker since I'm more of a hot tea kind of girl. But, I do get a craving for Starbucks frappuccinos from time to time. If you haven't had their new pistachio coffee/frappe, go get yourself one now because they are super delish. I'll wait. I usually only make a coffee run when they are 2 for 1, or if I have a coffee date with my girls since I'm cheap like that. But we're having spring-like weather here this month, and with the warmer temps, I've been really tempted to pay full price and grab myself a large frappucicino. Then I remembered that I've been saving this Frozen Cafe Au Lait recipe from Golden Blossom Honey to try this summer and thought what the hell. There's no time like the present to give it a whirl.  

 

Coffee fans are going to delight in this creamy, frozen concoction, and if you're not a coffee fan, I'd suggest giving it a try anyway. It might surprise you. I love me some tiramisu and thought this frozen cafe au lait tasted just like I would imagine tiramisu to taste if it came in ice cream form (and it very well may, but I'm sure it will cost a pretty penny for a pint). This recipe only has a few simple ingredients, so it's a great alternative to overpriced coffeehouse treats. And, if you dump it into the blender with a little ice and a splash of milk, you could easily convert it to a frappuccino that would rival Starbucks any day.

Ingredients

2/3 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon espresso powder or instant coffee powder
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM RAW HONEY
1 pint vanilla ice cream softened

Topping:
1/2 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM RAW HONEY
espresso powder 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!  

 

 

How do you take your coffee?

 

 

Make Cranberry Scones This Weekend

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.

 

We are in the middle of some major house renovations, which can be very stressful. Short of my 5 day trip last week, all of my free time has been working on projects around the home. Yesterday I needed a mental and physical break from renovation projects, so I took to my  happy place- the kitchen, where I knew I could steal a few moments of me time. I haven't had time to do much baking in months, so I was long overdue to pull out the mixer, crank up the oven, and get lost in the art of creating baked goods. I ran out of breakfast bread before we went to NOLA and haven't had a chance to pick up more from the grocers, but I figured I could hold off on a trip to the store by making a batch of these Cranberry Scones, a Golden Blossom Honey recipe. 

 

Need a break from whatever you have going on in your life? These scones are a great distraction! They are so easy to bake up and are made with ingredients that you should already have stocked in the pantry. The scones are so light and almost melt in your mouth. The key to light, fluffy scones is to not overwork the dough. The recipe says to knead 10 times and that's all you really need to do. If you work the dough more, you run the risk of the scones baking more dense and chewy. If you don't like cranberries, you can substitute most any other dried fruit in its place. I especially want to try this recipe again with dried blueberries or strawberries. Yum!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 (3 ounce) package dried cranberries
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1 egg, slightly beaten

 

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 activity do you do when you need a break or need to get re-centered?

 

 

Giveaway For My Gnomies

 

It's been a minute since I've offered a blog giveaway, so what better time to do so with the approaching St. Patrick's Day holiday? Are you feeling lucky? If so, toss your entries into the pot and you'll be entered to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

The giveaway is open to ALL and will run through 3/10/21. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to winning email before a new one is chosen. As some participants aren't on all social media platforms, I offer multiple ways to enter, but remember, each one is optional. Enter only the ones you'd like an entry for. Also, it is the entrants responsibility to make sure Amazon ships to their country as no prize substitutions will be made. Good luck!

 

Entry-Form

 

 

 

Louisiana Gumbo! Taste of the South

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.

 

Sorry I've been M.I.A. this week. I'll be publishing and returning comments and emails here shortly. I decided almost on a whim that I was going to pack up Allison and Kyle (Mariah's boyfriend) and take a drive down to New Orleans this week. Before anyone wants to throw shade, all of the activities we had planned, other than sleeping, involved walking the city to see the houses and historical sites, and driving around looking at the houses that decorated for the occasion. I figured it would probably be the only time in my lifetime that Mardi Gras wouldn't be elbow to elbow with tourists since there are no parades or parties being held this year, so off we went. Jason wasn't able to get the time off of work, and I felt bad that he was going to miss out on getting some of that delicious grub Louisiana is known for. So, before we left I cooked him up a huge batch of this Louisiana Gumbo, a Golden Blossom Honey recipe, as a small consolation prize. 

 

 

This isn't something that I would normally make at home since I have never been a seafood eater, but I knew it had all of the ingredients that the hubs normally loves in a dish, so why not give him a little treat? I did have a small sampling myself because I'm always up for trying new things, and thought it was actually pretty good. Since this is more in Jason's flavor palate, he mentioned several times how much he liked it, so it would be a hit with any seafood lover, I'm sure. Now, my groceries-to-go shopper forgot to include the green pepper that I ordered for this recipe, so I substituted that with a jalapeno pepper that I had on hand at home, which added a huge kick of spice to the dish. If you like spice, I'd say that was a happy surprise at how much more depth it added to the dish. If you don't like spice though, I think any mild pepper you have available will work well here. 

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 large ribs celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes, chopped with their juices
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped okra, partially thawed
1 (4 1/2 ounce) can medium shrimp, drained
1 (6 1/2 ounce) can lump crabmeat, drained
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes

 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 fan of Creole food?

 

 

Honey Yogurt Raspberry Fudge Torte for Valentine's Day

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.

 

 

For some of us, Valentine's Day is going to look a lot different than it has in years past. I think the majority of us will be staying home for a change, so this is the year where loved ones can get creative in the kitchen and try new recipes to celebrate the day. I mean, what better way to spend the day with those you love than making memories and eating good food together? Golden Blossom Honey has an amazing recipe list where you're sure to find a lot of great options for dining at home this Valentine's Day, but one of my personal favorites is this Honey Yogurt Raspberry Fudge Torte.

 

The nice thing about this recipe is that it doesn't actually call for fresh raspberries, which tend to spike in price for the holiday. Instead, you flavor the center with raspberry jam, which is much less expensive and easier than messing with making your own raspberry puree. The tortes bake up light and fluffy with a cake-like consistency, but rich in chocolatey flavor like fudge. Who needs a night out at an overpriced restaurant, anyway? This is a sweet way to end a sweet day with those you love. 

Ingredients

2 large eggs
1/2 cup hot coffee or water
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3-1/2 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup softened butter
3/4 cup 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!  

 

 

Do you usually stay in or go out for Valentine's Day?

 

 

Seattle's The Great Gum Wall

Did you know Friday was National Bubble Gum Day? I posted a snap on my Instagram in honor of the day, but thought I would share a few more related pics in a blog post. While I haven't shared much from our west coast trip from last year (me being lazy, like usual), I did get some of my pictures sorted to finally start sharing with you all. On the last morning of our road trip, we woke in Seattle. We had a few early hours to kill before having to catch our flight, so we caught an Uber to Pike Place Market. We were just going to grab a Starbucks at the original store, but Allison mentioned maybe taking a short walk to The Great Gum Wall. Now, this was before Coronavirus was making news, so we didn't think much about walking this weird, but overall nasty little alleyway. Today, though, I'd probably need a hazmat suit just to go anywhere near it LOL. 

People have been sticking their used chewing gum to the brick wall since the 1990's, and since it's only been cleaned once since, there is A LOT of gum accumulation on the walls! It is said that when it was cleaned in 2015, some sections of the wall were thick with several inches of gum, and 2,350 pounds were removed in total. They did try to keep it clean, but people were sticking gum to the wall at rates faster than it could be cleaned off, so they gave up on the effort. Allison and I did leave our own little mark, because when in Rome...

Yes, we did sanitize very well after leaving our mark. Seattle's Gum Wall made the list of top 5 germiest tourist attractions in 2009, right up there with The Blarney Stone, which we did kiss on our visit to Ireland a few years back. I suppose we have a subconscious desire to tempt the fate of the germ gods while we travel.

Some people get creative with their chewing gum and draw pictures or spell out words. Others use it as a sticky tape to post messages to the wall. 

I hear it gets to smelling really rank in the hot summer months. Thankfully, we were there in January, so there wasn't any heat to warm up the stench. It didn't smell bad during the short time we were there.

I did have to wonder what anyone from somewhere like Singapore would think of coming to Seattle and seeing the gum wall. They can't even have chewing gum there, confiscating it before you can bring it through customs, I'm told.

Once you get over the ick factor, it is a wild little area that makes for a colorful backdrop for pictures. Probably not something I'm keen to visit during a pandemic, but overall I'm glad we ventured over for a peek. 

What's your favorite flavor of chewing gum?