Upside-Down Pear Ginger 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.

 

 

There's something about the way the world seems to shift, even if the temperatures haven't, when we reach mid-August. The days are already getting shorter, the nights a bit cooler, and there's a sense that autumn is on the horizon. I saw some caramel popcorn balls at the candy store earlier this week and it had me longing for the tastes, colors, and scents of the fall season. I. Am. Ready. For. It! Even with my limited time these days, I've had an odd urge to bake recently. Odd because I am adamant about not turning the oven on when our temperatures are consistently hovering in the 90's. But something about seeing those caramel popcorn balls, as well as the pears on the trees in the local school yard this week really set it in my mind that I was going to bake something, and it was going to be something with pears. You know, because I am ready for autumn, if I haven't mentioned that lately. Our friends over at Golden Blossom Honey have so many wonderful recipes that include pears, and I thought about doing a crisp or turnover, but I kept getting pulled back to their Upside-Down Pear Ginger Cake. It seemed to have all of the elements that I love about the upcoming season, so I figured why not?

 

If you are looking for a moist, flavorful upside-down cake to usher in the autumn season, this is the one! I don't think I've ever had an upside-down cake bake up so perfect before, and I was totally loving the way this one turned out. Usually the fruit overcooks or sticks to the bottom of the pan, thus tearing up the cake in the removal process, but this stayed all in one piece. I did tweak the pan prep just a smidge by coating a light layer of cooking spray to the pan first, lined the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, then melted the butter over that. I also adjusted the cooking time to 50 minutes since my cake wasn't quite done in the recipe's time frame. Other than those slight changes, everything was ran through as stated in the recipe and it came out beautiful! You can eat this one warm or at room temperature, but trust me when I say eat it warm. And don't skip the whipped cream! I mean, you can, but the cream adds a layer of indulgence that almost feels sinful. I can confidentially say that this is my new favorite pear cake and I predict I'll be baking it several more times through the fall and winter seasons. 

 

Ingredients

Topping:

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

2-3 Bosc pears, peeled, cut lengthwise, cored and sliced

Cake:

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon salt

whipped 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! 

   

Have you baked anything lately?   

Summer Pasta

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 mentioned that I gave up on my garden this year because most of it died during the heatwave we had all of July. I stopped watering and pruning and even clearing the weeds from my beds. I figured we'd try again next year. I did head down to it the other day though to pick some mint because that's the one thing that won't die in my yard, no matter how hard I try to rid myself of it and noticed one little plant was growing tall, looking healthy, and starting to fruit. Remember me telling you about the tomato plant that sprouted in a bag of soil I bought for my houseplants? That damn thing didn't flower or fruit all summer after we planted it in the garden, but when I walk away and neglect it for over a month, I come back and it has over 15 tomatoes starting to sprout. WTF!? This plant is shaping out to be the most fruitful tomato plant I've had to date. It's like the Little Engine That Could. Had a rough start, but given time, will be a success. I don't get it, but I am not looking a gift horse in the mouth. Free tomatoes make me happy! It did make me start to think about all of the garden produce we did miss out on this year though. I miss having fresh zucchini, peppers, and cucumbers since we cook with them a lot during the hot season. Especially now that I am working outside of the home several days a week, I've been on a mission to find quick and healthy dinner ideas for when we have to eat late since I get home after dark on those days. I'll usually call my daughter on the way home to find out what she thinks sounds good, and I'd say 90% of the time "some kind of pasta" is her answer. Since we can still stock up on in-season produce at the grocers and farmer's market, I thought this week we'd try this Golden Blossom Honey recipe for Summer Pasta. 

 

Adding veggies to my pasta dishes is nothing new, but I can't say that I've ever added in corn, let alone roasted corn, so I was immediately intrigued by this recipe. The roasting of the corn and zucchini adds a warm, smoky flavor to the dish, the tomatoes add a bit of tartness, and the honey rounds it out with a touch of sweetness. Capers usually aren't my favorite unless they are soaked in lemon juice, but even I had to admit that they added a lovely bite to this pasta. I'd normally put shredded Parmesan cheese on a dish like this because I find that grated Parmesan tends to dry out pasta quickly, but admit that the grated was a good call here. This is a filling, satisfying, and relatively healthy vegetarian meal idea for those days you don't feel like cooking all day or need to get dinner served quickly. 

 

Ingredients

Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups fresh corn kernels cut from cob or frozen, thawed

2 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup shallots, coarsely chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

6 plum tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons capers

1 pound linguine

grated Parmesan cheese

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! 

   

Did you find any surprises in your garden this year?   

Curried Broccoli Soup

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 think that I am so over this summer, my body is starting to crave the comfort foods of autumn. My family raised their eyebrows last week when I made a big pot of chili and expected them to eat it for dinner on a 90 degree day. They knew better than to say anything, but I don't think they were too pleased with my dinner choice that day. This week I was really wanting some broccoli and cheddar soup, but I also wanted to be a decent human and not subject them to hot foods on sweltering days. Still wanting soup though, I decided to scour my trusty friend's recipe index over at Golden Blossom Honey for a cold soup that might get me over the cravings, and just so happened to stumble upon a little gem of a recipe. This Curried Broccoli Soup is the most perfect soup that can be served without any issues during the warmer months of the year when soup isn't at the forefront of anyone's thoughts when it comes to meal options.

 

Even on the hottest days, you can serve up this soup without any complaints. It's light, cool, and refreshing, so it won't leave you feeling weighed down, which is a blessing in itself when the sun is trying to melt everything in its path. This is a sweet and savory soup, so it's a 2 for 1 where flavor profiles are concerned. Since it is pureed, I would suggest this soup for lunch over dinner since it's not overly filling, or as an appetizer if you wanted to serve it as a dinner course. It would pair nicely with a slice of crusty bread, or even with some garlic toast. I realize that we're more than halfway through the hellish heat of summer days, but it's not over yet, so you're going to want to save this recipe to get you through the last stretch of heat before autumn approaches and we can move on to heartier comfort soups. 

 

Ingredients

1 large head of broccoli, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 medium onions,chopped

5 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 Tablespoon GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest

8 ounces plain nonfat yogurt

 

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 you serving for dinner on extreme heat days?   

Roasted Chicken Breast 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.

 

 

Can you believe that it's already time for back to school? I was shocked seeing the aisles of school supplies out last week when I was at the grocers. Like, where did the summer go? I believe those in the south are going back next week and ours up north will be headed back in less than 3 weeks. It's that time of the year that our schedules are jam packed, the last thing that we need is to add to the mental load. For me, having a solid weeknight dinner plan in place always helps take some of the pressure off thinking about my daily to-do pile. I especially love finding one-pan recipes to help cut down on dish duty. Anything that can shave a few minutes off the overloaded schedule I will always gravitate towards. So when I saw this Roasted Chicken Breast and Vegetables, a one-pan recipe on Golden Blossom Honey, it felt like the most appropriate time to exclaim "Winner, Winner, Chicken, Dinner!" 

 

 

The sauce and the veggies can be prepped in the morning, then all that's left is tossing the pan into the oven in the evening. A real time saver for when you're already exhausted at the end of the day. The chicken bakes up with a golden, crisp skin and juicy center. The orange gives it a light, lovely citrus flavor which blends beautifully with the earthy tarragon. It's like a gourmet meal without the gourmet effort. This is a great recipe for those of you who are growing root veggies in your gardens this year and need an idea of how to put some of it to good use, as well as for those of us who just need some breathing room in our day.

 

Ingredients

Sauce:

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup orange juice

grated zest of 1 orange

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

4 bone-in chicken breasts halves with skin

1 1/2 pounds small red skinned potatoes, halved

6-8 carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 2-inch lengths

4-6 plum tomatoes, quartered

several springs fresh tarragon

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 the kids started back to school in your area yet?   

Cherry Bran Muffins

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.

 

 

Between my husband, my daughter, and I, we all split daily shifts at our new storefront, each taking a day working 10am to 8pm. These make for very long days, so we have to plan ahead for how we're going to get lunch midday since we haven't bought a refrigerator for our break room yet. Jason and Allison just use a delivery service, but I'm not much of a take out fan these days, so I'll usually pack myself some protein bars or granola to hold me over until I get home and have a late dinner. Muffins are also high on my hold-me-over list, so when I saw these Cherry Bran Muffins on Golden Blossom Honey, I knew that I wanted to make a batch to take to work this week. 

 

 

This muffin recipe stood out to me with the use of bran cereal in the ingredients. I'm a huge fan of bran cereals on their own, but have never used them in my baking. I wasn't quite sure how it was going to play out since whole flakes are used, no crushing or anything. Was it going to add an odd texture or lumps? I didn't know, but hoped the wet ingredients would tame the crunch down a bit. Then I worried that my batter looked too runny, but instead of taking my usual "let me try to fix this approach", I decided to trust the process. I'm glad I did because these baked into perfect, moist little muffins that were so delicious and great for eating at home or on the go. Have them for breakfast or as a midday snack, or you could even turn them into a dessert muffin like I did for half of my batch and top each with a little cream cheese frosting (1 brick of cream cheese and 1/2 cup powder sugar mixed together). If you're not a cherry fan, or if you want to change things up, you could always substitute other dried fruits for the cherries. I'm already thinking autumn and am picturing dried pears or apple slices. Those would pair nicely with the warm cinnamon ingredient. Or, if you're still on a summer kick, dried peaches and blueberries would work well here, too. You know I love a good base recipe to play off of, so I can't wait to try a few new fruit concoctions as the seasons change. 

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup 100% bran cereal

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 1/4 cups milk

1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup dried cherries

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 other dried fruits would you use in this recipe?   

Soy Glazed Green Beans

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.

 

 

How are your gardens doing this year? Mine were awful. I had a 2 day window to pick cherries from my tree and raspberries from my bushes before the fruit shriveled up and died. To top it off, both of my blueberry bushes bit the dust as well. I think it's fair to say we got about a handful of fruit from our yard this year. Maybe less. We had too much rain at the beginning of summer, then a few weeks of scorched earth heat, I don't think my produce ever stood a chance. Between the weather and my limited time these days, I ended up giving up on the garden this year. There was no energy to sit around and baby my plants, so we'll be doing store bought produce for the remainder of the year. Thankfully we can still hit up the local farmer's market for garden fresh fruits and veggies this summer. I did snap up a lot of green beans recently because I love putting them in my steamer pot with a few pats of butter to serve as a main course side dish once or twice a week. But I saw this Soy Glazed Green Beans recipe on Golden Blossom Honey and thought we'd try that for a change this week. 

 

These green beans are so flavorful! A sweet, savory, and salty mix all rolled into one amazing side dish. I've never thought to put cashews in my green beans, or any other nuts for that matter, but what a surprisingly fun combination that turned out to be! These beans pair well with any cut of meat, poultry, pork, or seafood, as well as tofu, seitan, and tempeh, so it makes for a pretty versatile side dish. You can boil the beans as the recipe states, but I still popped mine in the steamer because I think that's the best way to get the perfect crisp/tender consistency that I like without over boiling, which I'm prone to do. The sauce actually cooks up pretty thick on its own, so you could probably skip the cornstarch if you wanted to, but that's totally up to you. Serve these up for a fast side dish, or bring to potlucks and picnics this summer for an effortless but flavorful offering. 

 

Ingredients

2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed

1/3 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

3 Tablespoons soy sauce

3 teaspoons cornstarch

3/4 cup cashew nuts

2 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 bunch scallions, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

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! 

   

Tell me about your gardens this year. How are they doing?

 

*I know I'm about a month behind on replying to comments. I will be getting to that this week. With the grand opening of my new store (which wasn't so grand as it's still a work in progress LOL) I have fallen behind this month. I'll be back on schedule soon!