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? 

Quick Cheesecake With Lemon Topping

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.

 

 

Rain, gloom, and a bit of a chill. For it being the first week of June, it's not feeling like summer is on the horizon. Maybe it's the Canadian wildfires that are seeping down putting an overcast, foggy look to the sky, or maybe it's Mother Nature off her meds again. Who knows? But I can tell you I am ready for some sunshine already. My weather app tells me that we won't be seeing it peek through the clouds and haze for at least another week, so I decided to add a little sunshine yellow into our home this week the best way that I knew how. And that was by whipping up a Quick Cheesecake With Lemon Topping dessert. This Golden Blossom Honey recipe is just what we needed to brighten up some otherwise gray days around here.

 

Cheesecake is one of my all-time favorite desserts, and while I normally go for strawberry or caramel as a topping, I couldn't resist swapping those sweet flavors for a more tangy and sour flavor this week. While I think cheesecake is actually pretty easy to make at home yourself, this recipe really was one of the quicker ones I've ever made myself. I don't think I've ever used honey as a binding agent in cheesecake crust before, but I must say that I absolutely loved how it held the crumbs together but still kept the crust soft and chewy. It's definitely how I'll be making all of my crusts going forward. The cheesecake itself baked up beautifully and didn't crack on the top, which was surprising since I usually get a little cracking if I don't use a water bath while baking them. Here it would have been fine though since the lemon pie filling would have covered any imperfections, but if you opt to make this recipe without any topping, yours should hold together just fine without any splits or cracks as well. The only thing that I had to change was cook time, baking it for 50 minutes. I then turn the oven off, but leave the door closed for another 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator for several hours to fully set. If you don't like lemon, no worries. The cheesecake itself it an amazing base recipe that you could put pretty much any topping of your choosing on and it would still be perfection. For me though, I'm going to stick with the lemon a little bit longer and hope that encourages the sunshine to swoop in and stop letting this beauty be the star of the show. A girl can always hope, right?

 

Ingredients

Crust:

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 Tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Filling:

3/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 (16 ounce) can lemon pie filling

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 your favorite topping for cheesecake? 

Stir-Fried Beef and 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 love this time of year when fresh produce is in abundance. Our library had a seed bank to take from this spring, giving away many different herbs and veggie seeds to anyone in the community who wanted to plant a garden. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of space in my yard where the sun hits for 8 hours a day, so I have to be mindful of what I'm planting with the limited space I do have. I decided to grab a few herbs that I can container grow, but then I also grabbed some pepper and snap pea seeds since those plants don't take up much ground area. While my plants won't be fruitful for another 6-ish weeks, I am already plotting out how we'll use up our garden fresh produce once it's ready for picking. Since we eat a lot of stir fry during the warmer months, I thought this Stir-Fried Beef and Vegetables recipe from Golden Blossom Honey was one that we'd want to test this week so we'd have something to look forward to while waiting for our garden to sprout.

 

 

With the variety of veggies and a sweet sauce, this stir fry is packed full of flavor and texture, making it an enticing meal option for warm weather dining. The vegetables fry up crisp and the beef browns quick and tender. If you aren't into beef, chicken or shrimp would make great substitutes, or if you're trying to stick with a vegetarian option, add some shiitake or portabella mushrooms the last minute or two before removing the wok from heat. Serve your stir fry over noodles or rice, and add in a side of hot and sour soup or egg rolls and you've got a tasty feast with plenty leftover for lunch the next day. 

 

Ingredients

Sauce:

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

3/4 teaspoon dried ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Stir-Fry

1 pound boneless beef sirloin

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into 3-inch strips

1 cup sugar snap peas

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! 

   

Does your library give away garden seeds to the community? 

Blueberry Peach Sundaes

 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.

 

 

While it's not technically summer then, I usually look at Memorial Day as the start of the summer season. The kids are wrapping up the school year, the pools are starting to open, and grill scents fill the air almost daily. People seem to be a bit happier once summer hits, and that's probably because it's the season where people are more inclined to get together for sun and fun and not because another holiday is rolling around silently forcing families into obligatory gatherings. The seasonal depression is lifting, we're getting more Vitamin D, and who doesn't love a little sun-kissed glow from more time spent outdoors? Since I know a lot of people will be kicking the season off this weekend with their loved ones, I really wanted to share a grilling recipe to coincide with the extended weekend. Alas, it has been too windy and cold here for outdoor cooking. However, the cold didn't stop me shifting gears from the grill to the freezer because you'll hardly ever see me turning down an ice creamy treat no matter the forecast. I was going to share these Blueberry Peach Sundaes (a Golden Blossom Honey recipe) with you around Independence Day, but the fruit and ice cream sales this week were too good to pass up, so we moved them up a bit. Which is okay in my book because it just gives you more time to enjoy this delicious dessert this summer. 

 

One of the best things about summer are the treats! This sundae incorporates 2 of my favorite fruits, blueberries and peaches, into the sauce and I must say that it is divine! A perfect fruit pairing if there ever was one. My daughter and I are guilty of making late night fast food runs for ice cream, but the last few times we've grabbed sundaes, we've noticed the portions are so much smaller than they used to be, but the prices are double. Needless to say, we decided we'd cut way back on our late night sweet treat excursions and have stocked the freezer with tubs of ice cream to make our own sundaes like these for a fraction of the cost. That way we can still indulge in tasty summer treats and have money leftover for other summer outings. Which for me means fruit picking, that then turns into coming home and turning my bounty into desserts like this sundae. It's a vicious cycle, but oh what a sweet one it is. 

 

Ingredients

1 cup orange juice

4 Tablespoons Grand Mariner

4 Tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

5 Tablespoons butter or margarine

3 peaches peeled and sliced

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, drain well)

1 pint frozen vanilla yogurt or 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! 

   

What are your favorite sundae toppings or mix-ins?? 

Zucchini with Tomatoes

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 had to repot my aloe plant a few weeks ago because it was getting too big for its old container. I didn't have any soil on hand at the time, so I bought a cheap bag from the hardware store so I could hurry up and get the job done. Fast forward a few weeks... I went to water said aloe plant and noticed a weird, leggy looking stem growing in the pot along side it. I immediately get agitated, telling myself that's what I get for buying the cheap bag of soil, and pull the stem from the pot. I mean, who has time to weed indoor plants? Then, the scent hits me and I'm like "I recognize this scent. This is a tomato plant!" Just to confirm though, I pull up my plant identifying app and indeed, it said it was a tomato plant. What kind though is anybody's guess. Will it be little cherry tomatoes, beefsteak, roma? I don't know, but I planted it out in my garden with the other tomatoes and will keep an eye on it to see if it thrives and produces any fruit in a few weeks. The suspense will kill me before then, surely. I honestly feel like this is more of a post for the Dull Men's Club Facebook group, getting excited over the possibility of a free tomato plant! Almost like the suspense of getting a prize inside of the Crack Jack Box. Y'all, if this doesn't confirm that I have no life, I'm not sure what would LOL. With having tomatoes on the brain and in anticipation of my freebie plant blooming, I decided to lean towards this Zucchini with Tomatoes recipe from Golden Blossom Honey for this week's honey post share.  

This is a recipe that makes for a great summertime side dish, but it's also one that I would eat as a full meal on its own. It highlights some of summer's best produce- juicy tomatoes, zucchini, and basil plucked fresh from the garden. It's perfect for picnics, potlucks, or for a warm day lunch option when you need something light and refreshing to eat. My garden always produces more tomatoes and zucchini than I know what to do with, so if yours is the same, this is going to be the recipe you're going to want to turn to time and again for the next several months. And if you're also like me and share your excess bounty, print it out and include it with any gift baskets so your recipients can enjoy this dish as well. 

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced

3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick

5 large plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced

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! 

   

Have you ever found a surprise plant in your yard or planters?