Theresa's Mixed Nuts

Ham Toasts with Corn and Red Pepper Relish Appetizer

2026-06-05T00:27:26.820-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

I always feel like June officially marks the start of the summer party season. We've got Father's Day celebrations this month, then I personally have a wedding and graduation coming up soon, so there will be no shortage of spending time with good family, good friends, and good food. Most of the celebrations I'll be attending this summer will be hosted outdoors, and while I am not required to bring a dish to any of the events, I was raised to never show up empty handed. So, for the grad party that's hosted at the park next week, I thought bringing picnic type finger foods would be a nice contribution and would most likely pair well with what the host already has planned to serve the guests. I snatched up this Ham Toasts with Corn and Red Pepper Relish Appetizer from Golden Blossom Honey a few months back and have been anxiously awaiting the party season to start so I finally have a reason to whip it together.

These little bite sized appetizers are the perfect finger foods for outdoor entertaining. Garden fresh veggies top little toasts for the most delicious, mouthwatering summer snack. The original recipe says to use slices of whole grain bread cut into quarters, but you know if I can find a shortcut that's just as good, I'm going to make that swap. I grabbed a sleeve of mini party bread from the deli which helped cut down on the prep (which was already minimal) and kept everything uniform and neat in size. You can assemble them ahead of time, or you could make them charcuterie style by putting the bread, meat, and relish spread out on a wooden board and let the guests put as little or as much of each topping on their toasts as they like. Either way, this is going to be a popular crowd pleasing appetizer for every summer event you're hosting or attending this year.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/3 cup red onion, chopped

1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1 cup frozen corn, thawed

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 teaspoon ground thyme

1 teaspoon grainy mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pinch cayenne pepper

4 slices hearty whole grain bread

8 slices lean smoked ham

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 received any outdoor event invites for this summer yet?

Potatoes with Spiced Walnuts

2026-05-29T00:11:36.281-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

My best friend was visiting from Georgia this week and I was pretty excited that the weather held out both days she was in town. I feel like we had a very windy, rainy, chilly May, so she must have brought that Georgia sunshine with her because it was finally nice enough that we could clean off the patio furniture and have our first outdoor meal of the season. While out on the deck, I found myself thinking about all of the upcoming summer gatherings and getting excited for those backyard barbecue foods that are about to fill plates real soon. I'll never turn down a potato salad, but those can be tricky in the summer heat if they are mayo based because you have a short window for serving before it starts to go bad. But, I found a new potato side dish that I plan to use this summer instead so we don't have to rush to side dish serving: Potatoes With Spiced Walnuts, a Golden Blossom Honey recipe.

You know I am a fan of easy, cheap, and delicious recipes, and this one fits the bill for all 3 of those requirements. I simply toss some red potatoes into my steamer while preparing the dressing and we have a complete potato side dish ready in under 15 minutes. I like that this recipe doesn't have heavy mayo as a base ingredient. It does have bacon, which could be a bit heavy in the tummy, but I think it could be left out and it wouldn't make too much of a difference where flavor is concerned since the dressing is quite bold and flavorful in itself. These potatoes can be served warm or cold, so they are the perfect summertime side dish for all of your picnic, barbecue, and backyard gatherings all season long.

Ingredients

Toasted Walnuts:

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon butter, melted

Potatoes:

2 pounds small red skinned potatoes

Dressing:

5 slices bacon

1/2 cup scallions, minced

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/3 cup dry sherry

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY MUSTARD

3 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

1/3 cup vegetable oil

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 picnic side dish?

Raspberry-Orange Puree

2026-05-22T01:17:47.499-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

After the heavy lake effect snow storms we had this winter, I was really worried about my fruit trees and bushes this year. I lost a huge chunk from the main stem of my cherry tree, my lilac tree split in two, and the raspberry bush just looked plain rough. Alas, I guess there's truth that sometimes if you beat the hell out of your plants they come back stronger than ever because short of the loss of my lilac tree, it looks like everything else is in excellent form. I even noticed a new blueberry bush stem popping up when I thought I killed the whole plant 2 years ago. Nature sure does surprise you at times. My excitement for garden fresh fruit has expanded tenfold and we can't wait to harvest from our yard this summer. My daughter is looking forward to the cherries, but it's the raspberries for me.

Jason and I always start our morning with breakfast together. We've worked out a system that if it involves eggs or biscuits and gravy, then it's his job to cook. I get stuck with pancakes, french toast, or oatmeal. Yesterday it was a pancake day. I noticed we were out of maple syrup, but I did have a bag of frozen raspberries on hand and a lot of oranges left over from my Meijer haul. I thought that in place of our missing syrup, we could try something a little more summery while anticipating our own raspberry crop to come in, and ended up making Raspberry-Orange Puree, a Golden Blossom Honey Recipe, for the topping.

This sweet puree turned out not only scrumptious, but beautiful too. It was a fun way to classy up a mundane breakfast item. Topped with whipped cream turns it into a sinful indulgence. The puree doesn't have to be used as a breakfast topper though. You could also use it as a summer dessert sauce on ice cream and pound cake, used as a fruit dip, or pour over a brick of cream cheese as a cracker appetizer spread. Who knew that 3 simple ingredients could hold so many possibilities? And if you want to really punch it up, eat it while singing to the tune of Prince:

Raspberry Puree.

If it was warm she wouldn't eat much more.

Raspberry Puree.

I think I love her.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries (thawed to room temperature)

2 Tablespoons SOUTHERN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 would you use this Raspberry-Orange Puree?

Tri-Tip Steak with Blue Cheese

2026-05-15T00:50:19.494-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

I was just running a crafting workshop at my friend's store last week and someone was grumbling about figuring out what to make for dinner. We all ended up chiming in about how it's one of our least favorite chores and about how trying to figure out dinner plans every single day is one of the worst things about being an adult. Feeding a family day in and day out is tedious, isn't it? As we're winding down into the last few weeks of the school year and gearing up for long summer days, I am always on the hunt for recipes that take some of the mental load off my plate. I need something that has just a few ingredients and not a lot of cook time because my days are already stressful enough, and I'm sure yours are as well. That's why I've been hoarding simple recipes, like this Tri-Tip Steak with Blue Cheese from Golden Blossom Honey, to help ease the burden of what to make for dinner on a busy weeknight.

This is a recipe that you can have on the table in 20 minutes, so it's perfect for busy weeknights or lazy day meal planning. My husband remarked that the house smelled just like Christmas when I'm tasked with baking a roast and taking it to my mom's house, so this could even pass for a fancy-ish meal if you have guests coming over for dinner. I didn't have any bourbon on hand, but whisky made a great substitute for an amazingly delicious sauce. Since my husband is allergic to blue cheese, I didn't serve him any steak with it, but I do think you could replace that with brie, feta, or crumbled goat cheese and that would pair well with the beef too. Before long we'll be looking for grilling recipes, so while we're still in the chilly spring days (at least in Indiana), sooner rather than later would be a good time to give this recipe a try.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds tri-tip, sirloin or flank steaks

coarse ground black pepper

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup canned beef broth

1/4 cup brandy

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped

4 tablespoons blue cheese, crumbled

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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!

Blue Cheese- yay or nay?

Greek Honey Cake

2026-05-07T20:32:00.000-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

My daughter and I love to watch baking challenges on television. We're especially into the cake competitions. Nailed It on Netflix is a favorite of ours because it makes us feel pretty good about our own baking shortcomings. But we also love the really creative ones. We're about to finish the second season of Wizards of Baking and boy do those contestants have talent! The bad thing about watching these sweets shows is that we always want cake about halfway through and there is never any in the house. My husband tries to curb our griping about not having cake during our viewing by bringing us an ice cream cone or something else sweet but not as satisfying. So, I decided I was going remedy our issue and make us one to enjoy tonight as we watch the last episode of season 2. I had this Greek Honey Cake from Golden Blossom Honey saved for the last year or two, waiting for a special occasion to try it out. For us, the season finale is special occasion enough, but seeing how it's Mother's Day weekend, it could work for those celebrations as well.

Sticking with my goal of bringing you affordable recipes when I can, I chose to feature this cake this week because it is made entirely with pantry staples. There are no fancy ingredients or extra grocery runs to get it to come together so it's a perfect simple dessert idea. It's a tender, moist, and flavorful cake that's going to hit the spot when the cravings for sweets kick in. I paired it with an orange and cinnamon tea and the combination was divine! I would suggest lining your pan with parchment paper or investing in a silicone cake pan because the syrup is sticky and will make the cake stick to the pan even with the proper prepping ahead of time. I did make this a day ahead of time, then popped it into the refrigerator to let the syrup soak and set over night. Decorate with sliced oranges, whipped cream, or even edible flowers for a lovely finishing touch. While I'll never have the talent to compete on cake competition television, I was pretty impressed with how cute this cake turned out. If you make it for Mother's Day, I'm sure mom will be just as impressed, too!

Ingredients

Syrup:

1 cup SOUTHERN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Cake:

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon orange zest

1/4 cup milk

1 cup chopped walnuts

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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!

Happy Mother's Day!

Chicken and Potato Barbecue Bake

2026-05-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

One-pan dinners are the greatest invention ever, don't you agree? While I used to have a passion for cooking, some days I feel like fixing dinner turns into an all day event with the prep, cooking, and cleanup. For one meal, I'm just kind of over it. These days I'm more about getting in and out of the kitchen as quickly as possible, so I've been relying on my slow cooker and recipes that only require one pan to get it to all come together without much work on my part. While we're still in the chilly bits of spring, I've been using my oven almost daily because I know once that summer heat hits, it will be put into hibernation mode. I found family packs of chicken and potatoes super cheap at the grocers this week and decided that since my husband finally has a full week off at home, it would be a great time to pop this Chicken and Potato Barbecue Bake (a Golden Blossom Honey recipe) into the oven.

While this is technically a 2 pan meal since I needed to cook the sauce ingredients over the stove top, the return on my time investment made that extra pan to wash worth it. I filled up the roasting pan with extra chicken pieces and potatoes knowing that this recipe would be great for leftovers to help further save time and drive down costs. My house smelled amazing as it was baking and I know dinner is a good when my husband compliments it before I've had a chance to ask how he liked it.

I know many of us out there are worried with the astronomical rise in gas, groceries, and utilities that food insecurity is becoming a real issue these days. So when possible, I'm going to try to feature low-cost recipes to help stretch your food budget. If you have a Meijer close to you, the 5 pound bags of potatoes (as well as 5lb bags of oranges) are on sale for $1 each this week, so a perfect time to stock up. I also only bought dark meat for this recipe and ended up clocking everything right around $8 for the whole pan, so $2 per serving. That made 4 chicken thighs, 4 chicken legs, and 4 potatoes with the vegetable sauce. Using white meat and vegetables not on sale will increase the total a little bit, but this still comes out to be a very inexpensive meal idea as well as a time saver in the kitchen.

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup onion, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup green pepper, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup celery, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup catsup

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 pounds chicken pieces

4 medium baking potatoes

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 one-pan dinner?

Warm Bananas with Citrus Salsa

2026-04-23T19:33:00.001-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

Some health complications landed me a stay in the hospital earlier this week. Thankfully all is okay now, but while I'm recovering, I've been instructed to stick with a low-fat diet until further notice. That didn't sound unreasonable until my sweet tooth caught wind of the limitations and realized we were putting the brakes on our late night ice cream and chocolate snacking. So that left me wondering what exactly I could exchange those unhealthy options for but still satisfy those sweet cravings I usually get as the day wears on. So I started flipping through all of the desserts on Golden Blossom Honey to see if anything would fit the bill and actually ended up with a fantastic option: Warm Bananas with Citrus Salsa.

This low-fat dessert is warm, inviting, and sweet enough to to curb the cravings on those desserts that are higher in fat. I do love a good caramelized dessert, and this one is definitely a keeper. Aside from peeling the fruit, there's hardly any prep time involved in getting the recipe together, which I really appreciate since I'd rather focus more on recovery these days than spending a lot of time in the kitchen. While we still have some chilly nights ahead of us this spring, this is the perfect cozy dessert to indulge in without guilt. Honestly, it's great for summer, fall, and winter too. Because we don't need the weather to dictate when we can enjoy a tasty treat like this, do we?

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons slivered almonds

3 tangerines

2 navel oranges

1 mango, peeled and cut into chunks

2 Tablespoons RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

3 Tablespoons brewed tea

1 Tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise

3 Tablespoons light brown sugar

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 low-fat dessert?

Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

2026-04-16T20:27:00.000-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

With the warm weather finally on our side, my daughter and I decided it's time to start plotting out the garden. We only planted a few things the past few years because our busy schedules demanded most of our time, but with the rising cost of groceries, we're going back to planting as much as we can to make the most of our yard space and relieve the strain on our wallets. We started our seeds a few weeks ago, and after this weekend's freeze passes, we'll be ready to get the starts into the ground. We eat a lot of salads year round, but more so in the summer months, so we're focusing on planting more salad types of veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, etc) and greens over other produce to capitalize on what we eat the most during the growing season. Knowing that this will be a salad heavy summer for us, I started saving a lot of recipes to help keep things new and exciting for the next 6 months. One of the recipes that caught my eye was this Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette that I came across on Golden Blossom Honey.

What drew me to this salad was its simplicity, yet the ingredients are strong enough that you don't need to add in anything extra for maximum flavor. I find arugula to be one of the stronger tasting leafy greens, and red onion is particularly powerful to me as well, but even by combining the two peppery and pungent ingredients, the sweetness of the lemon and honey levels everything out so no one flavor overpowers the other. This is one of those salads that you can toss together in 5 minutes, so it's perfect for lunch or as a side dish to a main course meal. If you aren't a fan of arugula (my daughter is not), that's ok. You can easily swap that out for any greens of your choice (spinach and kale are both excellent options, in my opinion). This salad is full of flavor, refreshing, and budget friendly, so it's going to be a staple for us throughout the upcoming warmer months.

Ingredients

1 (5 ounce) package baby arugula leaves

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

16 long shavings of Parmesan cheese

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

salt and pepper, to taste

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 expanding your garden this year or keeping things the same?

Fettuccine with Roasted Tomatoes, Asparagus and Fennel

2026-04-09T22:14:00.000-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

After living by myself for the last month, my husband is finally back home from his work obligations in the south, and that means I'm having to readjust my mindset on only having to worry about myself as far as dinner goes. I tend to stock up on pasta when it's just me at home, and last month my eyes must have been bigger than my belly because I ended up with way more pasta than I could eat alone. With summer nipping at our heels, I thought it would be a great time to use up some of my extra pasta noodles while testing out this new recipe that I found on Golden Blossom Honey for Fettuccine with Roasted Tomatoes, Asparagus and Fennel.

Since we're not quite out of chilly weather, the roasted vegetables are a great way to add extra warmth to the pasta, but they also give the promise of the taste of fresh summer veggies soon to sprout in our gardens. It's quick work getting everything together, but paired with a loaf of Italian bread and a glass of wine, it can go from a quick weeknight dinner to something a little more upscale for date night at home. This pasta dish is also a great recipe for entertaining, especially on a budget. I know we're all trying to find ways to cut corners with rapidly rising costs of living, and I appreciate that I can still enjoy a filling and delicious meal with my husband without having to worry about adding expensive ingredients to my cart just to get dinner on the table. And I think that's something most of us can get behind these days! Whether you're going for simplicity or a touch of fancy, this recipe swings both ways.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

5 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes

1 fennel bulb, ends trimmed and cut into 8 wedges

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 pound fettuccine

1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 kind of pasta noodle?

Marinated Shrimp Appetizer

2026-04-02T22:27:00.000-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

Appetizers might be one of my favorite parts of a holiday meal. I like to fill a small plate with a sampling of finger foods to munch on while catching up with loved ones. I am prone to go for the cheeses, gherkin pickles, and veggies with dip, by my daughter and husband always insist on having a shrimp cocktail ring to snack on as well. While I do like shrimp, I have never been a fan of the little red cups of cocktail sauce that comes in the platter, so I usually skip it altogether. I'm probably not a fan because the sauce enhances the fishy flavor and I want to mask it. I prefer to drown my shrimp in butter and garlic or beer and coconut, but I recently found a new recipe on Golden Blossom Honey for Marinated Shrimp Appetizer that had herbs that would easily tone down the fish flavor and had to give it a try.

There are several strong herbs as well as onion and vinegar that make up the marinade, and that really helps tone down the fishy flavor, so I was quite pleased to get to enjoy shrimp as an appetizer at our early holiday celebrations this year. This is a recipe that comes together quite quickly, but if you're looking to save time, it can be made the day before and you can let the shrimp marinate in the dressing over night. Then all you'll have to do is remove the shrimp, discard the marinade, and serve. You can just pop it in a bowl, or if you want to try to appear to be fancy, serve it over a bed of lettuce or kale leaves. It'll add a nice backdrop of color to the pink shrimp. If you'll be hosting Easter this year, this will make a great and crowd pleasing addition to your holiday menu.

Ingredients

1 pound medium shrimp (30-40 count), peeled and deveined

3/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/3 cup onion, coarsely chopped

Marinade:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

2 teaspoons salt

pepper to taste

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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!

Happy Easter to those who will be celebrating this Sunday!

Spring Carrot Soup

2026-03-27T00:34:00.000-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

The temps are rising, the daffodils have popped up, and the rain showers are in full effect here, and while it is officially spring, I'm not ready to get my hopes up yet that the cold days are finally behind us. The weather has been nothing short of insane this past year, so I'm keeping my soup pots on standby in anticipation of a few more days of needing a hot bowl for comfort on a chilly day. While I was searching for some Easter recipes last month, I came across this Spring Carrot Soup recipe on Golden Blossom Honey and thought that not only would it be a nice starter to an Easter dinner, it would make for a perfect transitional soup between seasons.

This is a soup that I think can be eaten either hot or chilled, so that's why I group it in with the transitional recipes to shift from one season to the next without much fuss. It's light, creamy, and refreshing, which makes it a perfect first course to your holiday (or any!) meal. Hit it with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of chives for extra pizzazz and added color that's especially pleasing to the eye. This is a soup that can be eaten paired with a side of your favorite bread or rolls for a satisfying lunch, or add a salad to make it a full dinnertime meal. Head to the farmer's market for the freshest carrots and enjoy the flavors of spring in this soup all season long!

Ingredients

1 bunch of carrots, about 1 pound

1 baking potato

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup chopped shallots

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

2 tablespoons SOUTHERN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

black pepper to taste

Garnish

plain yogurt or sour cream

chopped scallions or chives

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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!

Is it starting to feel like spring in your area?

Pecan Fudge Tart

2026-03-19T19:25:00.001-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

With Easter hot on our heels, I've been trying to brainstorm something different to take to my in-laws for dinner this year. I feel like for the last 15 years I've switched between peanut butter balls or peanut butter pie because it's what is requested year after year, but I'm ready for a change. I've been going back and forth between a brownie trifle or a decadent tart because we all have a major sweet tooth in my family, a rich dessert will be in demand the replace the family favorites I'll be skipping this year. I saved a couple of trifles on my Pinterest dessert board, but I also had this Pecan Fudge Tart, a Golden Blossom Honey recipe, saved to test out. I did a trial run this week and once it all came together, the scales were tipped in the favor of this tart over all of the other dessert recipes I saved to Pinterest.

This pecan fudge tart will delight anyone who has a sweet tooth as big as ours. Its rich filling really packs a punch in the sweetness department, so even if you have a big family to cater to, one tart will be enough because a little slice goes a long way! I am a huge fan of pecan pie, but I know there are many who don't care for that dessert, so for me this is a great compromise. You get the pie loaded with pecans and a sweet filling without the syrupy, goopy mess that usually comes with the traditional pecan pie. With store bought crust and a short ingredient list, this tart comes together quite easily. However, it looks so fancy, your guests will definitely think you put way more effort into it than is actually required. To give it just a little more oomph, I tossed some dark chocolate shavings over the top and added a few toasted pecans, but that step was purely cosmetic. Definitely optional if you don't want to put in any extra effort, but I'm one who always likes to add a little flare when I can. You can pair it with some fresh brewed coffee or tea for an indulgent after dinner dessert that will surely have your family requesting it again at the next holiday gathering.

Ingredients

1 9-inch ready made pie crust, baked according to package directions

Filling:

1/2 cup chocolate syrup

3 eggs

2 Tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

3 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 cups pecans

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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!

If you celebrate Easter, what's on the dessert menu this year?

Brisket of Beef

2026-03-12T23:27:00.000-04:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

Saint Patrick's Day isn't for a few more days, but since my husband is going to be out of town for the next few weeks and will miss that day, as well as Easter at home, we had to move up our holiday plans this year. Even though I was never a corned beef eater, I faithfully make a brisket every March 17 to celebrate my husband's Irish heritage. It's usually the only time of the year that I'll buy corned beef, so I'll grab a good portion size because he'll eat for days on the extras and I can make what I want to eat without any complaints from him until it's gone. It's really a win, win for the Mahoney household. This year I decided to go with Golden Blossom Honey's Brisket of Beef recipe because I had a bottle of red that was gifted to me over Christmas that I wasn't a fan of poured but figured it would be perfect for cooking. Since this recipe used up a hefty portion of the bottle, I was glad that it wouldn't be collecting dust or going to waste.

There are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, but that's ok because it makes for a complete meal. There are no extra sides to plan out, so just get everything in the pot and you'll be good to go. Corned beef, to me, has always been tricky because you run the chance of it either coming out of the oven too dry or tough. But with the broth/wine mixture you needn't worry about dryness or a tough bake here. My husband said that this corned beef was the most tender, juicy brisket he's ever had. And even though he's technically American Irish, we're just going to say it's Irish approved. At the very least, it's Jason approved so that endorsement is as good as a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Ingredients

2 large onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tablespoons corn oil

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 Tablespoon GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

3 Tablespoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 (28 ounce) cans vegetable broth

1 3/4 cups red wine

2 bay leaves

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 4 pound beef or corned beef brisket, first cut

8 small red skinned potatoes, cut into quarters

1 large turnip, peeled, cut into small pieces

6 large carrots, peeled, and cut into four pieces

4 large parsnips, peeled, cut into small pieces

chopped parsley for garnish

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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!

Wishing you all a lucky St. Patrick's Day next week!

Mustard Glazed Pearl Onions

2026-03-06T00:01:00.004-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

I looked at the calendar the other day and was shocked to realize that we're only a month away from Easter. It seems to come earlier and earlier each year, but after the endless, brutal winter we just went through, I am embracing its arrival asap since that means spring is near. I won't have to host this year, but if I were having the family over for Easter dinner, I would definitely add these Mustard Glazed Pearl Onions to our menu. Since I don't eat ham that's become the main course for our family holiday gatherings, I am always seeking out new and tasty side dishes that keep me looking forward to the meal. This onion recipe that I found on Golden Blossom Honey is a delightful side dish that is not only tasty, but a snap to prepare.

You can make quick work of this recipe by using frozen pearl onions, which is perfectly fine to do and still tastes great, but I'd highly recommending buying fresh since the frozen are roughly half the size of the fresh. I made these both ways recently and felt like the mustard to onion ratio was much better matched on the larger, fresh onions. This recipe compliments most meats, making it a perfect companion to your Easter main course dish. Since the onions cool quickly, I wouldn't suggest making this if you're going to be a guest outside of your home. It's best served soon after it comes out of the pan, so I'd just pass it along as a suggestion to the host if it's something you'd really like to try.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter

1 (14-16 ounce) package fresh pearl onions, peeled and cooked to crisp tender or frozen pearl onions, thawed

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY MUSTARD

salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 prefer onions raw or cooked?

Lentil and Sausage Soup

2026-02-26T17:52:00.001-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

Every once in awhile, I like to make homemade mac and cheese for dinner. My daughter and I are good with making a full meal out of the noodles and cheese, and my husband will eat it like that without complaint, but he usually prefers to have a meat mixed in with his portion to consider it a complete meal. I'll buy smoked sausage when I am planning on having mac and cheese for dinner because it's easy to heat and add to his bowl. The problem is, smoked sausage usually comes with 2 links to a package, so we end up with way more meat than he'll eat in one sitting. If I don't feel like freezing the extra link, I find a soup recipe to use up the remainder. So after our mac and cheese dinner this week, I planned to use up the extra sausage and the last bits of an open bag of lentils in my cupboard to make a pot of Lentil and Sausage Soup, which is another great Golden Blossom Honey recipe.

I am always looking for delicious and comforting soups during the colder months of the year, and this one fits the bill perfectly. It's hearty on its own, but it's also what I like to call a dipping soup because we'll serve it with a side of bread or dinner rolls to dip into the soup to soak up some of the liquid and give the bread flavor instead of using butter or oils. I usually never use water when making soup because I prefer to use a broth or stock as the liquid base, so I did swap out the water in the recipe and replaced it with chicken broth. If you're going for a vegetarian version, you can omit the sausage and use a vegetable broth instead. We've almost reached the winter finish line, but don't be in a hurry to put the soup pots away just yet. There's still a stretch of cold weather ahead, so keep the pot and this recipe on standby to get over the last few dregs of the season cozily and with a fully belly.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 ounces smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 carrots, diced

3 large cloves garlic, minced

6 cups water

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 1/4 cups green lentils, rinsed

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 "dipping soups"?

Hawaiian Fish Fillets

2026-02-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

My husband travels a lot for work, and when he brings home his dining receipts, I'm constantly reminded how awful he eats when on the road. He's always on a tight schedule, so usually it's just faster and easier to swing through a drive through or convenience store for a meal, then get back on his way. But when he is home, I try my best to balance his diet by cooking healthier, lighter meals. This week was unseasonably warm so I thought it would be a great time to lean into the weather and pull out the frozen mahi mahi fish fillets I had tucked into the freezer to make him some Hawaiian Fish Fillets from Golden Blossom Honey for lunch.

Even though the fish is breaded, it's still a light and healthier meal option over take and go or processed foods, so I don't mind the little bit of flour and butter that's a part of this recipe. This is an under 30 minute meal, with most of the work going into chopping the veggies. I am sure you could buy the pre-diced varieties in your freezer section if you're looking to speed things up, but I have a good chopper so I don't make a big deal over the extra work there. Since the fish finishes cooking in the sauce, it comes out flaky and juicy. You certainly don't have to worry about dried out, overcooked fillets here! Hubby was definitely a fan of this recipe, so I'll be saving it to cook more often on those weeks he'll get to eat at home.

Ingredients

salt and pepper to taste

2 pounds Mahi Mahi, skinned, or other fillets

4 Tablespoons butter or margarine

2/3 cup onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup red or green bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 teaspoon ground ginger

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 do you find healthier meal options when traveling?

Shortcut Shortcake

2026-02-13T00:01:00.001-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

While I may not celebrate Valentine's Day, I am a sucker for all of the holiday treats. Starbucks was trying to reel me back in with a drink coupon since I haven't stopped there in a good long while, and I noticed they had a new Strawberry Shortcake frappuccino on the menu for Valentine's Day and couldn't resist. Strawberry Shortcake is my favorite summertime treat, so I was pretty excited to give it a try. I'll just say that I am glad they sent the coupon, because I was not a fan. It was a strawberry frappuccino mixed with cinnamon, but Jason and I detected a coconut flavor also that just didn't vibe with the mix. I was expecting some shortbread and maybe freeze dried topping like they have on the ice cream bars, so maybe my expectations were high off the bat. Don't let me yuck your yum though, because you may like it. I was just disappointed. Since I didn't get my strawberry shortcake fix at Starbies, I figured I'd make my own shortcake at home instead. I've had this Shortcut Shortcake recipe from Golden Blossom Honey in my treat file that I've made many times over the years, and thought I'd finally get around to sharing it with you all this week since it would make for a lovely Valentine's Day dessert.

Shortcuts are also one of my favorite things, next to shortcakes, and that's one of the few reasons why I've returned to this recipe time after time over the years. This shortcake has 3 of my favorite fruits mixed in, but I think they're more of a suggestion because you could use most any fruit that tickles your fancy and it would still turn out divine. The caramel sauce is so addicting, you'll never want to use store bought again. I always double the recipe for it because more is definitely better, maybe not for the waist line, but definitely for the taste buds. And we all deserve to indulge a little bit every now and again, right? Using store bought shortcake muffins really cuts down on the prep time, but finding those pre-made is hit or miss in my town. So, I opt to use Pillsbury Southern Style frozen biscuits and those work just as well. If you're looking for a special treat for your love, or just yourself this Valentine's Day, my suggestion is to skip the overpriced coffee house drinks and make this instead. It costs less and tastes so much better anyway!

Ingredients

4 shortcake biscuits (homemade or store-bought)

Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Fruit Filling:

4 bananas, sliced

1 cup strawberries, sliced

1 cup blueberries

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

mint leaves

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Chicken with Tarragon and Mustard Cream Sauce

2026-02-05T22:16:00.000-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

I don't even know how we've already turned to a new month in the calendar, but here we are. Between the weather and politics and the passing of the great Catherine O'Hara, I'm ready to just toss this whole year in the trash already. But, between all of the gloom and doom, there are pops of pinks and reds shining through with the upcoming Valentine holiday, so at least we have some cutesy feel good things to grasp on to for now. While it's a holiday that Jason and I don't really celebrate, it's my daughter's first with her new love. Since her beau appreciates a good meal, but lives in a town with only 3 restaurants, I thought it might be a fun idea if they stayed in and cooked their own Valentine meal together this year. My daughter loves the chicken piccata that my bestie makes for her when she's visiting from out of town because she is obsessed with the sauce over rice. Try as I might, I have never been able to get it made the way she makes it, which my daughter likes to tell me every time, even though bestie has explained the recipe to me a million times. Idk, maybe her version is made with love and mine's just made with an eat it or starve mentality and that's why hers is so much better than mine. So, I didn't want to suggest chicken piccata as a meal they could make together, but I did find a fool proof (meaning, Theresa proof) recipe for Chicken with Tarragon and Mustard Cream Sauce on Golden Blossom Honey that would be easy to make but gourmet enough to pass for a Valentine meal at home together.

I did make this for a non-special meal for my husband this week, and I'd like to be able to tell you that he said it was delicious (which he did), but he inhaled it so fast, I'm not sure he even tasted it as it went into his mouth. I will tell you that the sauce is top notch as far as flavor goes. I made double what the recipe called for and poured it over my steamed rice and it was mouthwatering good! I did have issues finding fresh tarragon at our grocers for some reason this week, so I ended up substituting that for fresh rosemary and still absolutely loved the end result. The chicken cooked up tender, juicy, and flavorful, but that sauce was definitely the star of the show. I'd say that this recipe is a keeper not only for ordinary dinners, but would totally work for special occasions as well.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned and halved

1/2 cup shallots, chopped

1/4 cup brandy

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

3 teaspoons grainy mustard

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 dine out or cook at home for Valentine's Day?

Honey Yogurt No-Bake Cream Cheese Pie

2026-01-30T01:32:00.000-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

Are we over this winter yet? I know most of the US is getting hit with odd snowstorms and record low temperatures. My own area has been a mess for the better part of the year. Being so close to Lake Michigan, we get that nasty lake effect snow, and this year alone we've already more than doubled the snowfall that we saw the last 2 winters. Our roads are so iced over and they are saying that with how cold it is, salt won't even melt it and they aren't sending out the road crews to break it up. So, we're all sitting at home just waiting for the cold snap to pass because it is too dangerous to drive and too cold to do much of anything outdoors. My daughter's favorite thing to do these days is ask if we have any "sweet little treats" in the house to make the gloomy days a little more bearable. I did have some leftover Christmas chocolates in the pantry, but this week we decided to make our own sweet little treat to pass the time as well as curb our sweet tooth. I wanted to make a cheesecake but didn't have the 4 bricks of cream cheese that my recipe needed, but I did have 2 bricks which was the perfect amount for whipping up a Honey Yogurt No-Bake Cream Cheese Pie recipe from Golden Blossom Honey.

This pie is like a cheesecake, but creamier and faster to prepare since there's no baking required. It's a lot simpler than a full blown cheesecake as well because it's really just beat, pour, set, eat. Nothing is easier than that when it comes to homemade treats. I liked this recipe because of the lemon inclusion. Yellow always makes me think of warm, sunny days, and we could definitely use those vibes right about now. I was thinking that this would be a lovely dessert for Valentine's Day. If you wanted to switch up the flavor a little, you could swap plain yogurt for a flavored yogurt, like strawberry or cherry instead. I also thought that if you make your own crust (just graham cracker crumbs mixed with melted butter, then baked at 350 degrees F for 8 minutes) you could piece out the recipe into mini tart pans and customize the fruit topping to each recipient's individual tastes. For a special day or just because, this is one sweet little treat to brighten any day!

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package softened cream cheese

1/2 cup RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 cup plain yogurt

grated rind of one lemon (or 1/2 lime; or 1/3 orange)

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1- 8 inch graham cracker crust

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 doing to stay occupied through these winter storms?

Meatloaf

2026-01-22T18:50:00.000-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

My daughter asked me to make meatloaf last week, which was odd because I used to make it monthly years back and she'd never touch it. I haven't made it in several years and all of a sudden she thinks she might like to give it a try. Her grown up tastes are probably changing, as it tends to do as we age, so I figured I'd indulge her and made a loaf. Problem was, I gave away all of my cookbooks last year while doing a deep clean and de-clutter of my house. I remembered the basics of what is included, but the measurements wasn't information that I had retained. I knew I had made a meatloaf recipe or two from Golden Blossom Honey before, so I hopped back over to their website to jog my memory. They have several different recipes for it in their recipe index, and I know I've made their old-fashioned and turkey versions before, but their plain Meatloaf recipe looked like it was similar to the one that I used to make for my family when I first started cooking, so I decided I'd give that one a try.

I picked this recipe because it didn't have any over the top ingredients listed. It seemed like your standard meatloaf, just like grandma used to make, which I appreciated. It seems like all of the food bloggers and recipe websites are all vying to be the next top chef these days, trying to come up with something unique and crazy to draw more views, but I think there's something to be said for classic recipes like this one. Simple, subtle, down home. Comfort foods like meatloaf don't need all the extra tweaks. Keep it easy like Sunday morning and you'll always be golden. The only thing I would change about this recipe is maybe adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup more of the breadcrumbs into the mixture because it didn't hold together as well as I would have liked. It's still delicious, but if you're going for presentation as well as taste, a little more breadcrumbs won't hurt. I always serve meatloaf with a helping of mashed potatoes and green beans because that's what my southern grannies always did, and there's nothing more comforting than a southern granny's cooking. Overall, my daughter enjoyed this meatloaf, so I'm glad to have found a similar recipe to the one I used to make in case it is requested by family again I'll have it at my fingertips.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, about 1 slice of bread

2 tablespoons onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, coarsely grated

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY MUSTARD

1/8 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Topping:

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY MUSTARD

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 a classic dish you don't like to see fancy tweaks added in?

Tomato and Ricotta Bake

2026-01-16T18:18:00.001-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

I go through these phases of eating the exact same thing for breakfast every day for months on end. Like, if I'm stuck on steel cut oats, that's what I'll eat every single day for the next two or three months without fail. Then a shift happens and I'm stuck on Honey Nut Cheerios cereal for the next several months. And so on. I haven't figured out if it's my neurodivergence kicking in or if it's my attempt to eliminate the anxiety of eating non safe foods that make my autoimmune disorder flare in the morning. Lunch and dinner aren't issues though. It's just breakfast that has to be routine for me for some reason. I know a morning food shift is coming when I wake up and crave something out of the blue. A palate cleanser of sorts to get me ready to swap over to my next breakfast obsession. This week I was really craving cherry tomatoes each morning, and while I don't like to spend a lot of time at the stove after just waking, I kept thinking about a recipe for Tomato and Ricotta Bake I saw on Golden Blossom Honey a while back. I was saving the recipe to try this Easter but decided that was going to be this round's palate cleanser before I move on to a bowl of Raisin Nut Bran each morning, probably until spring.

I don't know if one would classify this as a breakfast dish, but are there really any rules when it comes to each individual's food preferences? I don't think there are. This just worked well for me for an early morning meal, especially since it doesn't require much thinking to get it from prep to stove to belly. I mean, people make omelettes with eggs and cheese and veggies, and if this has eggs and cheese and veggies also, it passes the breakfast check in my book. I really liked the addition of the toasted breadcrumbs on top and how it gave a nice contrast to the creamy ricotta and soft baked tomatoes. It was just a warm, delightful way to break from my monotonous morning meal routine. But, if it's not your breakfast cuppa tea, it also makes for a great appetizer or side dish. Like I said, I was going to save this for Easter (and will still do so as a side dish) so it works as a nice addition to any holiday dinner menu as well. And you know I love a versatile recipe like that!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds cherry tomatoes, preferably a mixture of red and yellow

2 tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

2 tablespoons scallions, chopped

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons dried basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

1 cup ricotta cheese

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup heavy cream

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 routine food eater or do you need variety at mealtime every day?

Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese

2026-01-08T22:11:00.000-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

I am a cheap date and I really think that my husband could appreciate that more about me. Like recently he asked if I wanted to go out to dinner, then when I suggested Casey's pizza, he looked at me like I had 2 heads for requesting gas station pizza. Um, it's really good and inexpensive, so what's the problem? My daughter is in the same boat. Her boyfriend wanted to take her to a fancy dinner for her birthday and she was a bit miffed because she just wanted to go to the ramen bar. Not only because it's what she prefers to eat, but she could also eat free on her birthday. Even though it was his treat, she still wanted her free meal LOL. So, we're both looking forward to Jason pulling out of Indiana this weekend as he heads down to Florida because we're going to have 2 weeks of cheap, easy, and convenient foods on the menu that nobody will complain about. We'll eat a lot of tomato and cheese sandwiches, soup, burrito bowls, and lots and lots of pasta. Because we could eat pasta every single day and never get sick of it. Lemon pasta, garlic noodles, mac and cheese, lasagna, spaghetti... all the noodle dishes we can squeeze in. We even have this Pasta Salad with Goat Cheese recipe from Golden Blossom Honey on the menu because it contains some of our favorite veggies and cheese mixed with a zippy dressing that's oh, so scrumptious.

This is a great pasta salad for lunch, but you could turn it into a full dinner by adding grilled chicken or shrimp and a side of French bread. This is one of those recipes that my daughter and I can get several meals from one batch, so it's another amazing recipe to chuck into the "saves time and money" recipe pile. If goat cheese isn't your preference, you can always swap out for shaved Parmesan, mozzarella, or feta. You can easily swap out or add in other veggies as well. Grilled zucchini is a favorite of mine to include. It's another great base recipe to add your favorites to in order to make it unique to your preferences and truly your own.

Ingredients

8 ounces pasta (rigatoni, or pasta of your choice)

3 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped

2 scallions, chopped

10 black olives, pitted and chopped (Kalamata, if available)

4 ounces soft goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 Tablespoon RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 teaspoon dried basil

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 cheap date night location?

Italian Vegetable Soup

2026-01-02T00:17:00.003-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

Happy New Year! If there's anything I can say about the weather these past few months, I'd say quite unpredictable! From heavy lake effect snows hitting us in November, to almost beachy weather at Christmas, and now we're back to icy roads and shoveling the drive several times a day, it's been one of the wildest winters I've experienced in recent years. Jason's saying to hell with interest rates and has been scouring Florida and Texas real estate because he's already over it lol. I can hold out though. Our store will be closed the next 2 months (cause nobody is visiting an outlet mall on Lake Michigan in the winter), so I've been putting my heated blanket to good use. Yesterday it was super nippy out, so I thought I would get my household chores done, make a hot pot of soup, then get cozy under my blanket and spend the rest of the night eating said soup and catching up this month's book club selection- The Compound, which I'm really enjoying, if you're wondering. The soup I went with was Italian Vegetable Soup from Golden Blossom Honey because during these cold and flu months, I want to keep my immune system in tip top shape. This soup is loaded with vitamins and minerals, so I figured it's a great way to keep my body on the up and up while keeping my tummy full.

Don't let the long ingredient list fool you. You should already have most of it on hand as they are kitchen staples. All I had to run out for was fresh Parmesan and Swiss chard leaves. With a good veggie chopper, you can make quick work of this recipe. From start to finish, you can have everything done in under an hour. This soup does have ham as an ingredient, which my daughter and I don't eat, but it was easy enough to sautee that separate from the onions then add it to my husband's bowl upon serving. Speaking of my husband, he's not usually a huge soup eater, but he did ask for seconds on this Italian Vegetable Soup, so I'd call this recipe quite a success upon that request. Additionally, even with his second helping, there is enough left over to reheat for dinner tonight. Two nights of healthy meals for 3 people that's not only delicious but budget friendly shoots this recipe straight to the top of my favorite winter soups. A great recipe find and the perfect way to start the New Year off right!

Ingredients

1/2 small green cabbage, rinsed and sliced

6 Swiss chard leaves, rinsed and sliced

1/4 cup cooked ham, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup Italian parsley, chopped

1/2 cup onion, finely chopped

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 ribs celery, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 small zucchini, diced

1 (28) ounce can Italian tomatoes, chopped, with their juice

1 tablespoon GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

6 cups vegetable or beef broth

1 (19 ounce) can white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup rice, uncooked

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 books do you have on your TBR list for January?

A Honey of a Pot Roast

2025-12-26T01:57:00.000-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

I hope you all had a lovely and relaxing Christmas! We scaled back a lot on the gatherings this year and made it a point to keep the month of December as stress-free as possible. We didn't bake any cookies or host our traditional family breakfast. I bought most gifts online and opted for gift bags instead of wrapping paper. And, I didn't even put up a tree at home. After nearly 30 years of sticking with the same routine, I decided to shuck tradition for once and just exist in my own space. And it was glorious. But, the one thing I didn't skip out on was our annual Christmas Eve dinner. We spend every Christmas Eve with my mom and I am always tasked with bringing the main course meat for dinner. I usually make a prime rib or something similar, but keeping with the theme of simplicity this year, I opted to bake A Honey of a Pot Roast from Golden Blossom Honey instead.

I honestly chose this recipe because there were minimal ingredients and it looked pretty effortless as far as prep went, both of which were really important to me this year. Plus, even though there weren't many ingredients or steps in the recipe, it still sounded flavorful. I decided to toss some potatoes and carrots into the pan halfway through cooking to make this a true one pan meal. I was so impressed with the final result and how everything cooked to perfection with ease, I will more than likely stick with this roast for any other holiday dinners that I'm tasked with bringing the meat dish to. It will make a nice feast for New Year's, or thinking ahead, for a special Valentine's Day meal. Or, simply for a lazy Sunday dinner. It's great for holidays or for easy family days at home. I love a recipe that can swing both ways, between holidays or quiet family days, this roast works for all.

Ingredients

4 lbs. beef chuck roast or other suitable cut for pot roast

1/2 package onion soup mix

3 Tablespoons water or dry red wine

1/2 cup tomato juice

2 Tablespoons GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

1 bay leaf

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 have a busy or mellow holiday season this year?

Holiday Fruit Tray

2025-12-19T00:01:00.004-05:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post.

Tis' the season of overindulgence on sweets. Everyone seems to be in the kitchen whipping up goodies for gifting, holiday parties, or just because it's a fun thing to do this time of the year. It's so easy to over do it on the sugar intake without even realizing it. I always notice that the dessert table usually has as many offerings as the main course at Christmas, and I'm guilty of being one to contribute to the sweets pile with my chocolate chip cookies and buckeyes, which I spend my whole birthday on the 23rd baking. So in an effort to cut down on the sugary treats and maybe enjoy some free time on my birthday for once, I decided to skip the holiday baking this year. I know my family will probably not be pleased about that, but I plan on bringing something sweet to snack on with a healthier twist. This Holiday Fruit Tray recipe from Golden Blossom Honey is a great alternative to those sugary snacks that are in abundance at the holidays, and I think that it has so many yummy, sweet fruits piled on top, not a single person is going to miss a table with a little less dessert stacked on it.

Yes, I do realize that fruit and honey contain natural sugars, but it's a much healthier option over the processed sugars that you find in cakes and cookies. And while I've always had a sweet tooth myself, I have noticed over the years that if real, whole foods are offered, I tend to reach for those more than the unhealthy choices. While this holiday fruit tray is a breeze to toss together, it's a real time saver as well. If you're the parent of younger children, chances are you do the family gift exchanges on Christmas morning, then have to spend the afternoon making a side dish or dessert to take to the grandparent's house that evening, followed by getting everyone cleaned up and out the door on time. We had many years that we had 2 extra stops to make on Christmas day, and I remember being plain exhausted before nightfall. I am so glad those days are behind us now! I would have loved to have thought of something like this holiday fruit tray to save me time and sanity back then. Alas, this is my gift to you this year. The wisdom to say no to the extra baking, no to the extra unnecessary treats, and yes to more free time along with healthier offerings during the holidays. You're welcome.

Ingredients

1 pomegranate

2 large oranges, peeled and thinly sliced

2 small grapefruit, peeled and sectioned

6 dried figs, halved

1 1/2 cups red and/or green grapes, halved

1/3 cup pistachio nuts, shelled and coarsely chopped

4 Tablespoons RAW GOLDEN BLOSSOM HONEY

CLICK HERE FOR FULL RECIPE

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 non-sugary snacks during the holiday season?