Tag Archives: honey

by

Cinnalmond Bites and a Giveaway!!

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
33

Hey, guys!

I’m super excited to share this recipe today because it comes with a giveaway for the cookbook No Bake Makery, for you! Though it doesn’t happen as often as I’d like, I love an opportunity to give you stuff. I’m a gifter and I love it. BUT! let’s talk these little cookie, truffle bites.

These little bites are dead-easy to make. Everything gets whirled in the food processor all at once–chocolate cookies, cinnamon toast cereal, almonds, salt, a teensy bit of milk, and some honey.  The dough is then scooped, rolled, and chilled before getting dressed with some candy coating (or tempered chocolate). These bites are sweet-sweet-and-salty. I could see kids going crazy-nuts for these (and they could totally help!), but they make the perfect two-bite indulgence–which is sometimes all I want, just a few bites of sweetness.

No Bake Makery is a cookbook of sweet little treats by Cristina Suarez Krumsick (Tweet or Like), in the book you can find the recipe for these Cinnalmond Bites, along with dozens of other little, two-bite, no-bake treats…Now, for the giveaway details!

To enter, simply leave a comment sharing what your favorite no-bake treats are, as well as a good contact email address. I will choose one winner at random Wednesday, May 15th. Unfortunately this giveaway is only open to US residents with non-PO Box addresses.  (Don’t fret, I have another giveaway schemed up that will be open to all :)

*A copy of No Bake Makery was provided to me by the publisher, as well as the giveaway copy. As per usual, all opinions are my own. 

Cinnalmond Bites

From No Bake Makery

The recipe calls for almond milk, but I’m sure you could use whatever milk you’d like. These are also great from the freezer. 

12 chocolate sandwich cookies (Like JoesJoes or Oreos)

1 cup cinnamon toast cereal

5 tablespoons sliced almonds

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups candy melts or candy bark (or temper some chocolate, if you dare)

Line a cookie sheet with wax (or parchment) paper and set aside.

In a food processor, process the cookies and cereal until fine crumbs form, about 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons of the almonds and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and process for another 30 seconds. Add the honey and almonds milk and process another 30 seconds. Transfer to a clean bowl.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls (I chilled the dough for 30 minutes before beginning this step). Place on the prepared cookie sheet and chill another 45 minutes.

Roughly chop the remaining almonds and mix with the remaining cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Melt the candy coating according to package instructions. Dip balls into the chocolate and place back on the sheet, sprinkle with almond mixture, and chill until coating is set, about 1 hour.

by

Pint-Size Chicken ‘n’ Waffles

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
25

There are certain things that always get me flavor-wise: sweet + savory, bonus points for spicy, lots of crunchy texture, a little novelty and a little fun. Make it mini, and I am sold!

These Pint-Size Chicken ‘n’ Waffles, from Tiny Food Party by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park of the blog Spoon Fork Bacon, are everything mentioned above, in a perfect, pint-size bite. Chicken and waffles is a totally novel dish, a little kitschy, yet totally delicious. Maybe, somehow, this poultry+breakfast item craze has escaped you. Maybe it’s a little too weird and the idea of breaking into a chicken-leg-on-top-of-a-waffle-drizzled-in-syrup seems a touch cumbersome, then I urge you to make your first foray into the world of chicken and waffles a miniature one.

I have made chicken and waffles at home before, and ordered plenty in restaurants, but Sean and I both agree, these are definitely the best ones. Not just because of the recipe–I mean, I used a frozen mini-waffle here–because, it makes the most sense. It’s a two-bite miracle; no wrangling of chicken bones or dinner utensils required. I swapped the honey butter suggested in the recipe for a mix of honey and tabasco sauce. The honey brings floral sweetness, while the tabasco brings tangy-vinegar heat, and pairs up perfectly with the crunchy-savory chicken and waffle.

I made these for a fun lunch on an easy weekend, but I’m thinking they would be really fun for a game-day spread or any festive gathering…I mean, who can resist? It’s a tiny, crunchy, sweet-savory, Pint-Size Chicken ‘N’ Waffle Wonder!

Pint-Size Chicken ‘n’ Waffles

Makes about 30

Recipe from Tiny Food Party by Teri Lyn Fisher and Jenny Park

You could purchase a tiny-waffle-maker, I nearly did but stopped myself from becoming a single-use-appliance hoarder. I still kinda-sorta-really want that dang waffle maker, but my will is maintaining some integrity and, for now, frozen mini-waffles work perfectly. Below I have included the suggested honey butter, as well as the spicy-honey sitch that I favor. Do both, do either, or make your own thing. Happy Tiny Food Party-ing! 

10 chicken tenders, cut into 3 equal pieces (or a couple boneless chicken breasts, 2-3 depending on size)

2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups vegetable oil

30 mini waffles, or regular waffles cut into 30, 1-inch pieces

Honey Butter:

4 Tablespoons softened butter

2 1/2 Tablespoons honey

Whisk until combined.

Spicy Honey:

3 Tablespoons honey

several dashes Tabasco sauce

Whisk until combined, add as little or as much Tabasco as you like.

Place the chicken in a bowl and cover with buttermilk. Cover, refrigerate, and soak the chicken in the buttermilk for several hours to overnight.

Preheat oven to 375*F. Place waffles on a baking sheet and toast for 12-15 minutes.

In a shallow dish, whisk together flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, onion powder, and pepper. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, remove chicken from buttermiilk, dredge through flour mix, shake off excess , and carefully place chicken pieces in hot oil, cooking about 5 minutes per side or until golden, crunchy, and cooked through. Drain on paper towels.

Spread honey butter onto waffles, if using, and place 1 chicken piece on each waffle. Drizzle with spicy or plain honey and serve warm.

 

 

 

by

Cocktail: Simplest Margarita

Tags: , , , , , , ,
11

So, I know that America’s favorite Mexican food and booze holiday has passed, but margaritas aren’t just appropriate for Cinco de Mayo…and I know it’s only Monday, but a girl can dream of the weekend, right?

Sean and I aren’t major party-people, we’re the stay-at-home type…but that doesn’t mean we’ll pass up any excuse to enjoy Mexican food (arguably one of our favorites) and cocktails. These margaritas are super simple–in both execution and ingredients. I mixed these up in a carafe so we had our cocktails ready to pour. One could easily double or even triple this recipe for a crowd. I’m not much of a blended drinks kind of gal–I like my margaritas on the rocks with a crunchy salted rim. I used flaky Maldon salt for these, to up the crunch factor…kosher salt is also a good choice, or that margarita salt sold in that sombrero shaped box.

There aren’t any fancy additives like bitters or top-notch tequila–though, I’m sure this cocktail would be elevated by either–just lime, water, honey, and booze. Fresh lime adds that tell-tale tang and cuts the sharpness of the tequila, while the honey brings it’s floral sweetness. Simple and refreshing.

Simplest Margarita

Makes plenty of cocktails for 2, just enough for 4. 

This is more of a ratio situation that recipe. It’s a 2:2:2:1 sort of concoction, 2 parts each Lime/Water/Tequila to 1 part Honey–Agave would be an appropriate substitution for the honey. I have also made these with grapefruit, subbing half of the lime juice for grapefruit. Also, if you can stand it, use fresh squeezed juice. 

1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (6-7 limes)

1 cup silver tequila (I used Jose Cuervo)

1 cup water

1/2 cup honey

salt for rims and lime wedges for garnish

In a glass measurer, dissolve honey in water. Pour lime, tequila, and honeyed water into a pitcher or carafe. Stir. Using a wedge of lime, moisten the edge of your glasses of choice and dip into a plate of salt to rim. Place ice cubes into the glasses and pour margaritas over the top. Toast and enjoy!

 

 

 

by

Recipe: Coconut Oil Granola

Tags: , , , , , , ,
34

This is a far different breakfast post than the last. Rainbow doughnuts aren’t exactly the wisest of breakfast choices, but oats definitely can be.

We all know oats are a super healthful breakfast choice…the thing is, I kind of, sort of don’t love oatmeal. Not really at all. I know a lot of people that are big fans of the stuff, but I just can’t get with it. I can, however, get with granola. I think it’s the crunchy, toasty nature of the stuff that wins me over. Add in some nuts, spice, and any number of mix-ins and I’m sold.

This batch has is full of toasty coconut, as well as coconut oil, macadamias, sunflower seeds and almonds for nuttiness, chewy and sour dried cherries, a little lemon zest for brightness, a variety of spices for warmth, and honey for a little something sweet. There’s also a beaten egg white in there, making this granola the chunky variety. Granola comes together quickly and only requires a bit of baking and stirring before you have crunchy, golden brown goodness for topping yogurt or tossing into a cereal bowl with milk.

Coconut Oil Granola

Adapted from The Kitchn and this recipe.

You can switch up the nuts, seeds, and dried fruits to your liking. You can also use olive oil instead of coconut. Chocolate chips even make a great mix-in, but should be added after baking and cooling.  

3 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup almonds, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup dried sour cherries

1 cup unsweetened coconut chips

pinch of salt

zest of 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon allspice

3/4 cup honey

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment.

In a large mixing bowl combine oats, nuts, sunflower seeds, cherries, coconut, salt, lemon zest, and spices, toss to combine well.

In a medium saucepan melt together honey and coconut oil, just to combine. Add vanilla, remove from heat and pour over oat mixture, stirring to combine and coat well. Add the egg white and mix to coat well. Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet in an even layer and bake 15 minutes, stir and continue to bake in 10 minute intervals, stirring between each until granola is uniformly golden. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before breaking up and storing in an airtight container. If you do not allow it to cool completely the granola will not be chunky, but just as delicious still.

To make the yogurt granola cups start by macerating some berries in a bit of sugar to taste, spoon into the bottom of a clean jar, top with greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey, and a handful of granola. If you use a jar with a lid, you can take this treat on the go.

 

by

Recipe: Graham Crackers

Tags: , , , , , , ,
12

 

It’s a week from Thanksgiving and I am super excited! I love, love, LOVE the holiday season.  All of it. I love the decorations, the camaraderie and spirit, the cozy evenings, and, of course, the food and drink! For me, Thanksgiving is all about food and family, whereas Christmas is all about the gift giving…I’m one of those people that relishes in finding the perfect gift. I L-O-V-E it…but we’ll talk about that later. Let’s talk Thanksgiving now.

This Thanksgiving is a totally different scenario for Sean and I. It’s the first year that we aren’t going to be with our families back in Nevada. We’re feeling lucky and excited though, because my brothers-in-law and father-in-law are all traveling out to Michigan to spend the holiday with us! I usually don’t do a lot of cooking during the major holidays, especially with my family, since there are always plenty of people to take over those duties and there are a lot of favorites dishes that are the territories of moms/aunts/grandmas. This year, though, I’m doing all of the menu planning and cooking! Yee! I’m going to employ Sean to be my kitchen helper and I’m sure at least one of his three brothers will help too.

There’s turkey and hard cider gravy, mushroom stuffed pork loin, dried cherry and sausage dressing, shaved brussel sprouts with walnuts, caramelized green beans, mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes, scalloped corn, and homemade cranberry jelly, on the menu. Also, lots of bread-y things like pumpkin-cheddar muffins and copious amounts of dinner rolls, as well as a coconut-banana cream pie AND a cheesecake. The menu is way more than enough to feed 6 people with huge appetites, but I don’t think Thanksgiving is even worth the effort unless there are piles of leftovers…I’m all about crazy, Thanksgiving leftover sandwiches!

I made these graham crackers in anticipation of next week, because I need crumbs for cheesecake crust. Duh. I certainly could have purchased graham crackers, like I usually do, but I’m excited for this crazy, homemade Thanksgiving, so I made my own. I get a little overzealous that way. These grahams are great. Like, really, really, really great. They don’t contain graham flour, which is odd, but they taste like the real deal. Only better. They have undertones of honey and dark brown sugar, a snappy crunch, and wholesome nuttiness from a little whole wheat. I left them unadorned of a cinnamon-sugar topping, since I just plan on grinding them up for crust anyway, but if I were making them to snack on and spread with pb or frosting, I would definitely sprinkle away.

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? I’m curious to know, are you cooking or contributing a dish? And, what is it?! Are you leaving the cooking to someone else and just eating? If so, what’s your favorite dish?

Homemade Graham Crackers

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

So, I totally didn’t have the 1/3 cup of honey for these grahams, I only had about 3 tablespoons. To make up for it, I used a combination of maple syrup and honey. These things happen, it all worked out. 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons, whole wheat flour

1 cup dark brown sugar, packed lightly

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

7 tablespoons butter, cubed and frozen

1/3 cup mild honey (or a combination of honey and maple syrup)

5 tablespoons whole milk

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

In either a food processor fitted with a steel blade or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attatchement, combine flours, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, pulse or mix to combine. Add cubed butter and pulse or mix on low until you get a coarse meal.

In a measuring cup stir together honey, whole milk, and vanilla. Add the milk mixture to the dry mixture and pulse or mix until just combined. The dough will be quite sticky. Wrap the dough loosely in plastic and pat into a 1 inch rectangle. Wrap well and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.

Working with half of the dough at a time (keep the other half refrigerated), roll out dough, using flour as needed, into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into crackers, either with a knife, pastry wheel, or cookie cutters. Re-roll scraps once for more crackers. Place grahams on parchment lined baking sheets, about 1 inch apart, and chill until firm. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 15-20 minutes until crackers just barely yield to the touch and are dark brown, but not burnt, in color. Remove from the oven, cool slightly on the cookie sheet, and remove to cool completely on a cooling rack. The crackers will crisp as they cool. Store in an airtight container.