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Honey

Quick, fun quiz:  Name the first 8 phrases or things with the word “honey” in it that come to mind.

These are mine:

• Honey Nut Cheerios
• Honey I shrunk the kids
• Honey, I’m home
• I love you honey
• Honey Boo Boo
• Honey bee
• Honey… the movie
• Honey roasted almonds

Did any of yours match mine?  If so, I grant you an air hug.

So… why the quiz about honey?  Well, honey is mentioned ALL the time!  It is everywhere!  And one place it should DEFINITELY be is in your kitchen.

This time of year can bring coughing, tiredness, scratchy throats, etc.  I have already had a little dose of that and I am sure most of you have too.  Honey can be used as a natural cough suppressant.  In fact, Penn State college of Medicine did a research study and found that honey is as effective as over-the- counter cough medicine.  Guess Mary Poppins needs to redo her song… “A spoonful of honey helps the medicine go down.”

I found a great recipe that I know I will try the next time I have a rough coughing spell.

Nurse Barb’s Honey Cough Syrup

Ingredients:

• Zest of 2 lemons= 1 ½ tablespoons
• ¼ cup peeled, sliced ginger or ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup honey
• ½ cup lemon juice

Directions:

In a small saucepan, add lemon zest, sliced ginger, and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, and then strain into a heat-proof measuring cup.  Rinse the saucepan out and pour in 1 cup honey. On low heat, warm the honey, but do not allow it to boil. Add the strained lemon/ ginger water and the lemon juice. Stir the mixture until it forms a thick syrup.  Pour into a clean jar and seal with a lid.  This can be refrigerated up to 2 months.  For ages 12 and up, take 1 to 2 tablespoons every 4 hours.

The recipe was provided by the National Honey Board.

Honey can also increase energy.  It is a high carbohydrate food (17 grams of carbohydrates and 64 calories per tablespoon) and can add flavor to just about anything.  It’s a one-ingredient food too… you know how much I love that!

I also enjoy the story behind honey.  I appreciate the hard work that went into making honey by bees and the beekeepers.  And did you know that there are more than 300 varieties of honey found in the United States?  Pretty AWESOME if you ask me.

So, now I have to ask… what is your favorite thing to put honey on?  I like to sprinkle honey on my peanut butter and banana sandwiches.  Yum!

Eat well,

Bri

Roasted Kettle Kernels

Love that crunch!

I am all about the crunch.  I am sure you have your texture of choice too.  I am the person who always toasts bread and the one you can hear snacking from a mile away due to the snack's crunchy loudness.

I get NatureBox once per month to try out some new snacks.  I have a favorite lately.  Ever heard of Roasted Kettle Kernels?  Almost like Corn Nuts, but better ingredients.  I used to love Corn Nuts as a kid so was thrilled to welcome these back into my life again with some non genetically modified (GMO) ingredients.  Don't worry, I am not going to throw any jargon at you about GMO vs non-GMO (great idea for a future blog post on my sister blog Simple Delights though).

Since I get these through NatureBox, I am not 100% sure if you can find them in a grocery store. My guess would be that you could find them at a Whole Foods or Central Market (or any other specialty store of the like).

The ingredients are below.  Sugar is the 2nd ingredient so you do not want to overdo these or eat them ALL the time, but I love the heck out of the crunch.  When I need a new snack, these provide a tasty update to my snack repertoire.

If you like crunch, give them a try.  Have a favorite crunchy snack?  Please share!

Eat well,

Bri

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

What to BRING Wednesday... to that holiday party!

I have chocolate covered strawberries on the brain.  And not because I have had these recently or have even seen them in stores lately, but I think they would make a great holiday treat.  If you have all those holiday parties to go to and need a treat to bring, why not bring something sooooo delicious AND adds a little nutrition bang for that buck?

So this week, I take out the "eat" and replace with "bring" for "What to BRING Wednesday!"  My holiday party is Dec 13th where I am to bring a treat so I plan on following through with this idea.  What about you?  Have a healthy, but TASTY holiday treat?

I have not made chocolate covered strawberries myself and if I had to guess, they are probably pretty messy.  But, getting a little messy in the kitchen never hurts anyone.  So here is a recipe I think I will try from Real Simple:

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Ingredients:

1 lb strawberries (~20)

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Directions:

1. Coarsely chop the chocolate.  Wash and dry the strawberries.
2. Place the chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth.
3. Holding a strawberry by the stem end, dip in the melted chocolate, letting the excess chocolate drip off.  Repeat with the remaining strawberries.
4. Place the strawberries on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.  As you set each berry down, slide it 1/2 inch to the side to prevent the formation of a chocolate "foot".
5. Refrigerate the strawberries until the chocolate is firm, at least 30 minutes.  They will keep for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, covered.

Original site for this how-to can be found here:  Real Simple Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Eat well,

Bri

Don't forget the leftovers

Who doesn't love Thanksgiving?  It is a time of being thankful for those around you and for the food on your table.  And if you are anything like my family, there will be plenty on that table.

Save the leftovers!  Some of the best meals can be made out of your leftovers.  A few of my favorites are:

• Turkey and cranberry sandwich: If you have rolls left over, use that as the bread.  Or if you have your favorite bread handy, use that.  Use a little cranberry sauce as your condiment and load up some turkey in there.  Sometimes I will use mustard too (because I love the heck out of the stuff) and lettuce.  I have also tried this with a little bit of cream cheese (a little bit goes a LOOOONG way so keep that in mind).  Yum!  
• Turkey casserole:  This is one of my mom's favorites.  She makes a casserole with the leftover dressing and turkey.  Super easy, as all you have to do is mix the two in a casserole dish and bake it!  She will sometimes add potatoes and gravy if needed or cream of mushroom soup.
• Turkey soup or stew: You can really put anything in your soup or stew.. that's what I love about them.  Use your favorite vegetables, add the turkey and chicken broth, and make your soup or stew with love.  Need a little more help?  Check out this recipe from AllRecipes.  Looks delish!  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hearty-turkey-stew-with-vegetables/
• Turkey bulgur salad: I love the way turkey and bulgur taste together with a little twist of fruit.  I usually make this salad with a little pineapple, but since it is Thanksgiving and cranberries are so IN right now I found this recipe that looks tasty from Taste of Home:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/turkey---bulgur-salad

Have a favorite Thanksgiving leftover recipe?  Please share!  

And before you enjoy your meal, think of everything you are thankful for.  I am thankful for all of the important relationships in my life... family, old friends, new friends, and of course my furry loves too.  They bring a smile to my face daily!

Eat well,

Bri

An apple a day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away!  And pleases the taste buds!

My all-time favorite food is an apple.  I am in awe that I have not written about these gorgeous things yet.  Sure, I have written about apple chips and apple cider vinegar, but not apples.  What was I thinking?

So anyway, let's start with an important question.  Why do I like apples?  Well, for one, what other type of food has hundreds of varieties?  I could try a different apple every week if I wanted to.  Second, they are easy to grab and go.  I pack one in every single lunch I take to work (not always the same variety mind you- I keep it fresh & fun like the fresh prince of Belair).  Third, they are delicious.  This should really be the #1 reason because taste really is important when it comes to food to anyone with a tongue.  Fourth, they are nutritious.  These babies are high in fiber and vitamins.

Curious what variety to try?  Here are a few to start with...

1. Golden Delicious:  These never get old and have a pleasant taste.  They are not as tart as Granny smith apples, but sweeter than their red counterpart (the Red Delicious).  Great versatile apple!
2. Honeycrisp: These can be on the pricey side, but everyone I talk to say this is their all-time favorite apple.  Honeycrisp apples are out of this world delicious!
3. Gala:  Easy to find at any grocery store and has a good flavor for an on-the-go treat.  They are usually one of the least expensive apple varieties.

Another one of my favorites right now is the Macintosh.  It is very shiny and beautiful in color.  It

The Macintosh apple

is sweeter than my usual Golden Delicious, but offers a good break from the norm.

So tell me... what is your FAVORITE apple variety?  And if you say you don't know, jump on the apple wagon and try at least 1 or 2 new varieties this week.  Apples are in season so eat up!

Eat well,

Bri

Cookies by George 350

I love a good local business and I love a good cookie or two (or three, but who is counting?).  Put those two together and you get George 350.  

I had a get together at my house this past weekend and needed a treat to serve.  I am not much of a baker.  Perhaps I will get my bake on more in the future, but for now I will let the pro's do the baking.  Anyway, I sent in my order to George 350 and these were perfect to serve.  Portion control is easy with the smaller sizes.  The taste is out of this world.  The variety of flavors can reach all different taste buds.  And the owner is super cool!

A bag of cookies comes with about 10 cookies inside.  They are $7 a bag and worth every penny.  The flavors I had at the party were: 

Tasty treats!

• I heart chocolate & toffee (my favorite!)
• Coconut, sunflower seeds, & oats.. oh my 
• snickerdoodle dee-lish
• Peanut butter
• I heart Santa (sugar cookies with a Christmas candy corn in the center- so cute!)

The owner, Tony, is also open to suggestions and special requests.  With the holidays coming up, these can make tasty treats to pass out to co-workers, friends, and family members.  Make a basket of goodies and include a bag!

To learn more about George 350, be sure to "like" the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/george-350/582727051786198

Eat well,
Bri