Pine Nuts and Anise 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.

 

 

I don't know if it's the same for you, but the stress of the season is starting to build up over here. We're just over 2 weeks before Christmas is at our doorstep and I still have Halloween decorations up. For a girl who used to be so on top of her game, I'm totally failing at the holidays these days. However, Jason and I did trek off into the forests of Colorado last week and cut down our Christmas tree, so at least that was checked off the to-do list. Before anyone (ahem, Dez) gets angry about the tree cutting, it's regulated by the government as part of forest management to keep overgrowth under control, so we didn't willy nilly axe down a tree. There's still so much to do though, from gift buying to cookie baking and even meal planning. My in-laws thankfully will be making the Christmas dinner so we'll end up bringing a dessert. With the stresses of the season already piled high, I've vowed to make the easiest recipe possible and think I've found it in this Pine Nuts and Anise Tart from Golden Blossom Honey. 

When I went on the hunt for a sophisticated but simple dessert, it was like Saint Nick himself had a hand in guiding me towards this tart. I don't think I could have found a better recipe to fit the bill if I tried any harder. The Christmas season is a perfect time to break out the pine nuts. The warm, earthy flavor combined with the anise spice makes for the perfect wintertime dessert. Pair it with a Sauvignon Blanc and you'll feel like pinkies up but without spending a fortune. I know that pine nuts are a bit on the pricey side where nuts are concerned, but if you have a Sam's or Costco near you, they have large bags that really bring the price per pound down significantly. I paid around $10 total to make this tart, so in addition to helping relieve some of the time stress I'm feeling these days, it's helping to alleviate the financial stress of the holidays too. If you're in need of a little miracle to help you get through the season with a little less worry on your plate, this recipe is the gift that you've been hoping for. 

 

Ingredients

1 9-inch pie crust

Filling:

1/3 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

3 Tablespoons anisette liqueur

1 teaspoon anise seed

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 cup pine nuts

 

 

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 completed your holiday prep or are you like me and stressing about getting it all done in time?

Figs in Port Wine Sauce with Warm Camembert

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 need to start this week's post with a huge apology for missing last week's recipe post. I had my house clean, my laundry caught up, my bags packed, including camera gear, extra batteries, and cookware for the recipe I wanted to make. I was feeling pretty good about having my ducks in a row for once. Daresay, a little cocky with how I pulled everything together before we hit the road for Colorado. Of course, nothing is ever that easy for the Mahoney clan. It wasn't until 2 days before Thanksgiving when I was making a list for ingredients for our holiday dinner that I realized that I left my Golden Blossom Honey at home. Our AirBNB was up in the mountains and grocers were slim pickings to choose from nearby. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday, even Amazon wasn't going to be able to get me my favorite honey in time. As much as I hated it, I had to admit defeat. The Figs in Port Wine Sauce with Warm Camembert was just going to have to wait until I was back in Indiana. 

Thankfully it's the season of festive eats, so the recipe was not going to go on the back burner for long. While I had initially earmarked this appetizer for our Thanksgiving dinner, it's a recipe that can span from Thanksgiving through New Year's without question. Dried figs are great for snacking on year round, but I find that I usually only cook with them during the holidays. They are an elegant little fruit that add so much class to your menu, and since they are so affordable, you'd have to be insane not to include them in your holiday meal planning. I know that cheeses like Brie or Camembert aren't everyone's cup of tea, and even I won't eat either cold, but warmed in the oven, spread over bread and topped with a red wine fig sauce? Irresistible! I may or may not have eaten almost a full round of cheese myself after I made this recipe. No matter if you're hosting the gatherings at your place this year or if you'll be a guest, this is the appetizer that you're going to want to stake claim to serving or bringing to the party. For less than $20 you can have the classiest dish set on the table. 

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) Camembert cheese round

1 cup ruby Port

1 cup dried Mission figs (found in raisin aisle), halved lengthwise *I left mine whole because I think they look pretty when they are plump after boiling in wine, but you do what feels best for you!*

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 loaf French baguette, sliced and lightly toasted

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! 

   

Where did you celebrate Thanksgiving this year?

Sausage and Apple Stuffing

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.

 

 

As part of my freezer clean out last week, I found a bag my husband has stashed in there and labeled as "Christmas Sausage".  I'm sure he was saving it for our family Christmas breakfast we usually host, but since we'll be pushing that back a month or two due to our busy schedules, I figured it wouldn't inconvenience him too much if I used it up before our travels. If you recall, I made my mom and her household an early Thanksgiving dinner, and since you can't have a holiday dinner without stuffing (at least in my family you can't), I also included a batch of Sausage and Apple Stuffing, a Golden Blossom Honey recipe, for their meal. 

 

 

This is a clever combination of flavors, marrying sweet and savory into one scrumptious side dish. My daughter wasn't thrilled with the idea of granny smith apples taking up residence in a dish she thought she would otherwise love, but even she couldn't deny the flavor combination was one that couldn't be beat. I've gotten lazy with stuffing over the years. It's all too easy to get a box of Stove Top and call it a day, but absolutely nothing beats the taste of homemade. I know we're all busy and tired and scraping by most days, but if you're trying to decide on convenience over homemade this year, I wouldn't skimp on time or money when it comes to stuffing. If you're a fan of the sweet and savory combination, then I insist you try this recipe. My picky eater daughter gives it her seal of approval, so that's a home run for stuffing where I'm concerned!

 

Ingredients

12 cups (2 – 7.5 ounce bags) seasoned bread cube stuffing mix

1 pound mild Italian sausage, bulk or if links, remove casings

1/4 cup butter

1 cup onions, coarsely chopped

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and coarsely chopped

2 cups celery, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

2 teaspoons dried sage

1 cup apple cider

1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup sliced almonds

 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 make your stuffing from scratch or rely on a box mix?

Honey Orange Glazed Turkey

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.

 

 

Within the next month, I'll be in Indy, Boulder, Denver, Omaha, Traverse City, and Louisville. Needless to say, we won't be eating from our own fridge for quite some time. I started a fridge/freezer clean out not too long ago, but decided that while I was going to be home this week, I'd do an even deeper dig and eliminate as much as I could before we left. I knew I had a small turkey sitting in there that I bought around Easter for dirt cheap during a grocers special that needed to get cooked asap or who knows how long it would be sitting in there otherwise. Jason's already in Indy and Allison and I don't eat turkey, so I thought since I wasn't going to be seeing my family for Thanksgiving this year, I could do the next best thing and surprise my mom with an early holiday dinner. Jason usually is in charge of cooking turkey during the holidays, but I figured if he could do it, I could too. I went to my #1 source for recipes, Golden Blossom Honey, and found a Honey Orange Glazed Turkey recipe that was absolutely perfect, because I also have a lot of citrus fruit to use up as well. 

 

 

Never in all of my 43 years has anyone served a citrus roasted turkey, so I was a little skeptical in my thinking if my mom was going to like it, but a free dinner is a free dinner, so let's just go for it. For someone who never makes the main course at Thanksgiving, I was really happy that this recipe was super easy to follow. I think for any first time hosts this year, this would be a great recipe to start developing your turkey cooking skill set. I debated on making the gravy because I never eat it with my mashed potatoes, but Allison and I both decided to give it a try and agreed it got 2 thumbs up. My mom and the rest of her household were super excited about the early family dinner and gobbled everything up, so I'd say the citrus glazed turkey was a huge success! Whether it's your first time hosting for the holidays or you just want to shake up the turkey dish this year, I'd highly recommend this honey orange glazed turkey. If it didn't get a single complaint from my family, I guarantee it won't from yours either. 

Ingredients

2 teaspoons dried sage

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

12-14 pound turkey

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 large onion,sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 large carrot, sliced

1/2 cup orange juice

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1/2 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

approximately 3 cups chicken broth

5 Tablespoons vegetable oil

5 Tablespoons flour

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 cooking the Thanksgiving turkey this year?