The Local Honey

I {heart} food. Period! But I am also quite lazy about getting the right amount of fruits and veggies. I stumbled upon this smoothie recipe awhile bad and finally whipped one up today. It tasted great and I felt like I truly ate my fruits and veggies! Well, not a whole days worth but a decent amount by 10am. Iowa Girl Eats has some fabulous recipes and other fun did bits. Check out her Friday Favorites .. she has some great finds on there. I’m also loving her workout log. What a great way to be accountable for daily workouts!!

Let  me introduce the Green Monster Spinach Smoothie — I swear, aside from the spinach that was getting stuck in my teeth, this tasted more like peanut butter then a spinach salad

Photo from Iowa Girl Eats

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 frozen sliced banana

1 Tablespoon peanut butter

1/2 cup 0% Vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt

1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (or other kind of milk)

4 cups baby spinach (or more, or less)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutritional stats:

350 calories, 10g fiber, 21g protein

Be sure to check out her site for more information on this healthy lil concoction including the nutritional benefits of spinach. Remember, it was good enough for Popeye’s muscles!!

I made this delicious little cake for Easter and it was good. It was good the first time, second time and I just enjoyed it for a third time!! Stick a piece in the microwave for about 30 second and WOW! Use the extra sauce, it’s so worth it! I would also suggest poking some holes in the top of the cake before you pour the sauce so that the cake can absorb some of the sweetness. YUM!

Source

Salted Caramel Bundt Cake from The Tasteful Life

Cake Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Crème fraîche
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, room temperature

Preparation for Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease and lightly flour inside a bundt pan.

3. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and set aside.

4. Using a mixer beat the butter until creamy.

5. Add the sugar and continue to mix until it becomes light and pale.

5. Next add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract and Crème fraîche 1/4 cup at a time until it is all mixed in.

7. Next add your flour mixture in small amounts allowing each bit to mix in completely before you add more.

8. After all the ingredients are mixed in spoon the batter with a spatula into the bundt mold smoothing it out on top.

9. Bake for 50 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

10. Once the cake is done let it cool for about 12 minutes before you invert it onto another rack letting it cool completely for about an hour.

Caramel Glaze

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick of butter
Sea salt (I used fleur de sel)

Preparation for Carmel Glaze

NOTE: I Updated this recipe with 2 variations of the Carmel Glaze that both worked for me and turned out a nice caramel. I want to share both with you.

If you are prone to seeing sugar rocks start to form then try adding the butter and the sugar at the same time while whisking as they dissolve and blend together. See Version A below.

Version A:

1. Add the butter and sugar together and melt them at the same time while whisking (Medium Heat) .

2. As the butter and sugar start to dissolve add the cream and continue to whisk (Medium to High Heat)

3. Once it starts to froth and bubble take it off the heat while still whisking. Continue in Version B below with step 5.

Version B:

1. In a sauce pan add the sugar and whisk over a medium heat allowing the sugar to melt.

2. Once it starts to turn an amber color add the butter and whisk at a fast pace.

3. When all of the butter is completed melted and mixed with the sugar you can remove it from the heat.

4. Next add the cream while you continue to whisk until the mixture is in a cream caramel glaze form.

5. Pour this glaze into a glass container or a bowl and set aside.

6. Once the cake has cooled you can pour the caramel over the top covering it in a decorative fashion.

7. Sprinkle the top with sea salt and serve!

It’s raining, it’s pooring .. well you get the idea This being said, I love me some soup or stew on a cold rainy day. Of course I have a million recipes that I am always eager to try. Today I made this delish {and healthy} stew courtesy of Cookin’ Canuck. My camera is being temperamental again {of course cause I just bought a new computer and don’t have money for a new camera, isn’t that the way it always works?}. That being said, I am sharing one of her photos so you get the idea of what this cozy lil’ meal looks like. It had so many flavors that melded together and it was super filling. Quinoa is one of my favorite new foods so I love that it was part of this recipe.

Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash & Quinoa Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded & chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs {I used boneless skinless breasts because I had them on hand}
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 can (14 oz) petite diced tomatoes
• 2/3 cup uncooked quinoa
• 3/4 cup pitted and quartered kalamata olives
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

1. Steam the butternut squash until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the squash pieces and set aside.
2. Steam the remaining squash until very tender, an additional 4 to 6 minutes. Mash this squash with the back of a fork. Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, bring the chicken broth to a simmer.
4. Add chicken thighs, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken thighs to a plate and allow to cool. Pour broth into a medium-sized bowl.
6. Return the saucepan to the stovetop and lower heat to medium. Add olive oil.
7. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to turn brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Add minced garlic and oregano. Cook, stirring, for 1 additional minute.
9. To the saucepan, add tomatoes, butternut squash pieces, mashed butternut squash. Stir to combine.
10. Stir in reserved chicken broth and quinoa. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the quinoa turns translucent, about 15 minutes.
11. Shred the chicken with your fingers or a fork.
12. Stir the chicken, olives and pepper into the stew and simmer, uncovered, to heat, about 5 minutes.
13. Stir in parsley and serve.

Serve with some fresh ciabatta bread and perhaps a glass of vino. Cheers!!!