Day 30: Honey Marinated Bison Steak

I don't typically like marinated meat. Good meat doesn't need more than light seasoning. However, a honey-based marinade seemed a great finale for 30 Days of Honey, particularly since I'm marinating bison steaks from Wild Idea Buffalo, sustainably raised in the Black Hills.

Yield: enough for two small steaks

Ingredients

2 tsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp thyme
sea salt, to taste

Directions

Combine ingredients in a bowl and marinate steaks for at least an hour (I marinated for eight).

I broiled these for four minutes per side. My dinner guests and I sampled three different cuts: ribeye, sirloin and tenderloin. The tenderloin seemed to be the favorite cut and the marinade was, frankly, not a hit. I probably won't use this again for bison steak, though I could see this recipe being quite good with chicken or pork. A great steak needs nothing but a bit of salt and pepper. Oh, did I mention that already?

Day 29: Soothing Honey Lemon Drink

This is a great drink to soothe a sore throat or just for warmth on a chilly evening.

Yield: 1 serving

1 tsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a mug and add boiling water. Stir until honey is completely dissolved.

Day 28: Honey Face Wash

On the third-to-last day of the month, I realize something I should've been doing all along. Testing honey as a face wash. Always on the lookout - to date unsuccessfully - for a way to cleanse my face that's truly natural but also effective.

This organic, raw honey made in Minnesota* is certainly natural. Effectiveness TBD, but the purported antibacterial properties (among other things) of raw honey indicate its potential as a facial cleanser. We'll see, but on day one I'd say the results are no better or worse than anything else I've tried.

I cleansed my face with the Norwex cloth I always use, then rubbed about a teaspoon of honey in my palms to liquify it and then applied it to my face. I rinsed thoroughly and followed with the Clarisonic.

I'll continue the honey face wash experiment and post results next month on jenniferia.com. 

*I had to buy a jar of honey locally, as I gave a jar of the Italian acacia honey to my grandma Dottie.

Day 27: Lemon Rosemary Shortbread with Honey Cream

I love shortbread. Whole Foods sells a shortbread so delicious - plain or lemon lavender - that I could eat the entire package in one sitting. For that very reason I only buy them once in awhile. Then when planning 30 Days of Honey I came across this recipe from Stephanie Meyer (not the Twilight author, though that should be obvious), who was also the source of the bacon jam and with whom I'm kind of obsessed these days.

Anyway... I'm not sure where the honey cream idea originated. I'd like to say it was my own idea, but I'm sure I read it somewhere, I just can't remember where.

Yield: 2-3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

Shortbread:
2 cups unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
zest of 1 lemon, grated
2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
additional flour to knead

Honey Cream:
1 pint heavy cream
2 tsp honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in flavorings. On medium-low speed, mix in flour until just incorporated.

Flour a work surface. Transfer dough—it will be very soft—to work surface and knead for about 5 minutes, adding up to 1 cup of flour to create a soft dough that stays together.

Pat dough out into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Cut it into desired shapes. I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Because how many opportunities does a grown woman have to make heart-shaped things, outside of V-Day and a <3 Facebook status <3 (used sparingly)?

Space cookies at least 1 inch apart on a lined or greased baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden but not browned. (Mine took exactly 20 minutes at 300 in a convection oven).

Transfer cookies to racks to cool.

While cookies are baking, beat cream until slightly thick. Slowly add honey while continuing to beat until firm.

Serve cookies with a dollop of honey cream and a bit of fruit, if you like.

Looking at this photo, it probably goes without saying that the Whole Foods shortbread is a distant memory.

Day 26: Eggplant Stew with Honey and Golden Raisin Polenta

I adapted this dish from a Rachael Ray recipe. The stew would also be quite good on its own or with brown rice or quinoa.

Ingredients

1 cup crimini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 quart chicken stock, divided
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 red onion, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 large carrot (or 12 baby carrots), peeled and thinly sliced
3 to 4 celery ribs, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cubanelle peppers (or other sweet peppers), chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into bite sized pieces
1 medium eggplant peeled of half the skin and cut into bite-sized cubes
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
1 quart whole tomatoes
1 cup water
Handful golden raisins
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
1 cup quick cooking polenta
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano (optional)

Directions

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms for a minute.

Add garlic, crushed pepper, onions, carrots, celery, peppers, and eggplant to the pot as you chop them.

Add the bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and cover the pot. Stir occasionally for 10 to 12 minutes

Uncover and add the balsamic vinegar.

Add 2 cups of the chicken stock and the tomatoes. Simmer over low heat for a few minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Heat the remaining 2 cups stock with 1 cup water, golden raisins and rosemary over medium high heat. Whisk in polenta and stir until thickened (about 3 minutes).

Remove from heat and stir in honey and cheese (optional).

Dish polenta into bowls and spoon the stew over the polenta.

Day 25: Kale Chips with Honey

This is adapted from recipes I found here (because it only requires 12 minutes in the oven) and here (because it has honey). I do need to reacquaint myself with my food dehydrator - plans for drying fresh, local produce this summer - but why wait hours for kale chips when I can have them in minutes? (One reason might be how easy it is to burn these...as I did...)

Ingredients

1 bunch kale, washed and thick stems removed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut kale into small pieces and toss with olive oil, salt and lemon juice.

Add honey and toss a bit more.

Spread onto lined baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes. Watch them very closely, as they burn quickly (as mine did - but they were still good).

Day 24: Honey Mango Crisp

When looking for an Easter dessert recipe, I discovered this one. Apparently, the NY Times is also into mangoes this week. It was so simple and the coconut really added a unique flavor, particularly when pairing the crisp with coconut ice cream, as I did with So Delicious coconut milk ice cream.

Ingredients

4 cups peeled and sliced ripe mangoes
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, chilled
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of a 9-inch round glass baking dish or pie dish. Pile mango slices into buttered baking dish. Pour honey over the mango slices.

In a food processor, combine flour, brown sugar and salt to mix. Cut butter into small pieces. Add to food processor and process until mixture forms buttery crumbs. Add coconut and process with one or two pulses. Alternatively, mix ingredients using a pastry cutter or two knives.

Sprinkle topping evenly over honey-topped mangoes in baking dish.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

Day 23: Honey-Lemon Cheesecake Squares

I was fortunate to have my mom here to make these with me; a nice ending to a fun family day. It's an epicurious recipe I altered slightly. After I made them I noticed several reviewers suggest doubling the filling amount and having tasted them I agree. The recipe below is not doubled.

Yield: 16 (1 1/2-inch) squares

Ingredients

6 graham crackers
2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 large egg
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp finely grated fresh lemon zest
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup acacia honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Crumble graham crackers into a food processor, then finely grind with sugar and a pinch of salt. Add butter with motor running, then press mixture evenly over bottom of an ungreased 8-inch square baking pan.

Bake for 10 minutes, then cool 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend cream cheese, egg, milk, zest, and lemon juice in cleaned food processor. Add honey and blend filling well.

Pour filling over crust and bake in middle of oven until slightly puffed and set, about 30 minutes.

Cool cheesecake in pan, then chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours.

Cut into squares.

Day 22: Rosemary Pound Cake

This recipe is inspired by the April issue of Martha Stewart Living (nice iPad app, btw), but I obtained the specific recipe from this blog. While a few days remain in 30 Days of Honey, so far this is my absolute favorite thing I've made this month, at least in terms of return on investment.

Ingredients

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, plus 1 large egg white
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup Rosemary Honey, recipe below

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter 2 loaf pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter that as well.

Whisk together flours, baking power, and 1 tsp. of salt.

Beat butter, sugar, rosemary, and vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Mix in eggs and egg white, one at a time.

Add flour mixture in two portions, alternating with milk.

Divide batter between pans and bake, rotating halfway through, for 50-60 minutes.

Brush cakes with rosemary honey and cool for 15 minutes.

Serve warm with more honey.

Rosemary Honey

1 cup acacia honey
5 rosemary sprigs

Bring honey and rosemary to a simmer in a small saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let steep until cool, about 45 minutes. Remove rosemary, or leave in for stronger flavor.

Day 21: Honey Chicken Wings

I really wanted to make a Moroccan Tagine for 30 Days of Honey. Well, it's more of a Moroccan stew in a dutch oven, since I don't actually own a tagine. The last one I made was so delicious and, because I make too much of almost everything, it was just as good frozen and reheated. Unfortunately, it's impossible to buy a butternut squash in April. Maybe I'll do a 30 Days of Honey follow-up in the Fall.

In the meantime - and equally as good - is this recipe from my high school classmate and friend, Bonnie.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 to 3 lbs chicken wings
Salt, pepper and poultry seasoning
4 tbsp brown sugar
minced garlic to taste (I used about 3 cloves)
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Season wings with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.

Mix sauce well and pour over wings.

Bake for one hour, turning after 30 minutes (baste with the pan sauce).

Bonnie says these freeze nicely for later reheating.

They're so tasty, yet so simple that I feel inspired to host some sort of sports-watching party or something. Lacking the resources for an instant party, I may or may not have sat in front of the television with the entire bowl of wings in my lap. It's ok, though, because I didn't eat them all. Really, I didn't.

Day 20: Blueberry Oatmeal Scones

This recipe comes courtesy of Jenn, who lived across the street from me when we were kids. I added blueberries and substituted hemp milk for cow's milk. These are fantastic and quick!

Yield: 8-12 scones

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup cooked oatmeal
2/3 cup milk (I used hemp milk)
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour (or more if needed)
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt the butter and honey together, then add the cool cooked oatmeal. Mix in the half the milk at a time.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. If you used salt to cook your oatmeal be sure to adjust the amount of salt.

Add dry ingredients to oatmeal mixture. If the mixture seems too moist, add a little more flour. (This will depend on how moist your cooked oatmeal was.)

Add blueberries.

Roll out to 1" thick and cut in wedges. It can also be scooped with an ice cream scoop or tablespoon and flatten to 1".

Place on greased (or silpat lined) cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until browned.

Serve hot with butter and honey.

Day 19: Honey-Balsamic Lamb Chops

I'm not sure why, but lamb elicits a fair amount of commentary in my world. From Europeans who assume Americans have never eaten lamb, to those of my same small-town origin citing lamb as an indicator of the sophisticated palate associated with eschewing rural roots, to some who consider eating baby animals whom I may have once bottle fed to be a bit too cruel...lamb seems fraught with meaning.

Why must something so beautifully simple be made into something complicated and significant? Here's what I know: Lamb is delicious, I have a freezer full of it and that makes me happy.

I get lamb from my uncle Duane, who raises lambs (a few, mostly for the enjoyment of it) 45 minutes from downtown Minneapolis. His are, without a doubt, the best lambs I have ever tasted and many a dinner guest has agreed ("I didn't think I liked lamb until I tried this").

Usually, I prefer my lamb chops with just a bit of sea salt and pepper, broiled or grilled. But since I love lamb and am trying to incorporate my favorite foods into 30 Days of Honey, I'm giving Giada's recipe a try.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
2 tablespoons millefiori honey
3/4 cup canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 small lamb chops
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

Directions

If using a grill, preheat it now. I'm not feeling the grilling urge and am quite partial to the broiler.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the balsamic vinegar, garlic, and honey. Pulse until blended. With the machine running, slowly pour in the vegetable oil until the mixture is smooth and forms a thick sauce.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Season the lamb chops with salt and pepper.

Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary.

Put lamb chops under the broiler for 4 to 5 minutes each side until medium-rare.

Spoon the sauce over the top.

Day 18: Honey Rice Pudding

This is a variation on a Martha Stewart recipe. Mine uses brown jasmine rice, has less sugar and honey and substitutes hemp milk for cow's milk.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups hemp milk (half plain, half unsweetened vanilla)
1/2 cup brown jasmine rice
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract (omit if using vanilla milk)
pinch of salt
2 tbsp millefiori honey, plus more for drizzling

Directions

Bring 3 1/2 cups milk, rice, sugar, vanilla (if using) and salt to a boil in a saucepan.

Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed (about 20-25 minutes).

Remove from heat. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup milk and the honey.

Let stand for 5 minutes.

Divide into bowls and drizzle with honey.

Day 17: Brioche Bostock

I love Salon's food writer Francis Lam. His recipes are unique and interesting and usually coupled with some kind of clever story. I admire the passion he puts into perfecting simple things like scrambled eggs, so when I came across his Bostock recipe awhile ago, I knew it was a must-try. It also happens to contain a bit of honey, so is perfect for this month.

It was inexplicably challenging to obtain a loaf of brioche this week. I considered using challah and now that I've made this once I may actually try it next time with french bread. Sweet breads are almost too sweet for this sugar-soaked and frosted concoction.

Because I couldn't find brioche and didn't feel like backtracking for the challah, I decided to make my own. I consulted my favorite bread cookbook - Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day - for a brioche recipe. There were two and it happened that I had the ingredients on hand for the gluten-free recipe but not the traditional recipe, except milk. I substituted hemp milk so the bread was actually gluten-free and dairy-free (and quite good!). The brioche contains honey as well, so this is a two-for-one recipe.

This recipe might seem complicated. Jack said it looked like "a lot of work," but I hear this from him often and therein lies the key difference between my brother and me. It was not that difficult and could be considered simple if using store-bought bread. Totally worth the effort.

BRIOCHE

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp granulated yeast
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp xanthan gum
1 1/4 cups milk (I used hemp)
1/2 cup millefiori honey
2 large eggs
1/2 cup neutral-flavored oil (I used safflower)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

I skipped the egg wash/sugar topping because I was making this for the bostock, but am including this part of the recipe:
 
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water) for brushing on the loaf
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top crust

Directions

Whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.

Combine the liquid ingredients and gradually mix them into the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. I used my stand mixer, but a food processor or spoon/hands would also work.

Cover the dough and allow to rest at room temperature for approximately 2 hours.

Grease a brioche pan (or a regular loaf pan, which is what I used).

Shape into a ball and elongate to fit the pan. Allow the loaf to rest, covered loosely with plastic wrap, for 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Here's where you would brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until brown and firm.

If making brioche for the bostock, allow to cool, cut into 1.5 inch thick slices and keep on the kitchen counter covered with a dish towel until stale. I made the bread on Thursday night and it was adequately stale by Sunday morning.

BOSTOCK

Yield: 4 servings (8 slices)

Ingredients

Almond Syrup

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch salt

Frangipane

2 tbsp sugar
4 ounces (one stick) butter
8 ounces almond paste, room temperature
2 eggs
3 tbsp flour (cake is best, but all-purpose will do)

Baking and Assembly

Stale brioche (or other hard crusted bread)
Toasted, sliced or slivered almonds, to taste, for topping

Directions

Almond Syrup

Bring everything to a boil. Let cool. Will keep for weeks in your fridge.

Frangipane

Cream butter and sugar in a mixer, as if for cake.
Break up almond paste into 1-inch chunks and add to butter and sugar, mixing until not quite fully incorporated (a few BB-sized bits are OK).
Add eggs one at a time.
Add flour all at once and continue mixing until just incorporated. It should be very soft and spreadable, like the creamed butter and sugar. Store in the fridge or freezer, where it will also last for weeks.

Bostock assembly

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Cut bread into 1.5-inch slices (or if you made your own brioche, it's probably already cut).

Dunk the slices in a bowl of syrup until they stop bubbling, then squeeze them out like a sponge and place them an inch or two apart on your pan. You really need the bread to be stale or it’ll turn to mush.

Spread the frangipane from edge to edge, about as much as you would to make a peanut butter sandwich.

Sprinkle almond slices on top and bake in a 350° oven about 15-20 minutes, just enough to set the frangipane and slightly caramelize the edges and keep the inside moist.

Day 16: Spring Honey Blossom

My friend, neighbor and former colleague Rebeca has many talents, one of which is inventing cocktails. I suppose one could call her mixologist, except that I tend to dislike these types of clever labels (see also: foodie, the cloud...I could go on - perhaps a topic for a future post). In any case, I knew 30 Days of Honey would not be complete without a honey cocktail crafted by Rebeca.

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

5 ounces fresh lemonade
1 1/2 ounces Mount Gay Rum
3/4 ounces Hennessy
1 tsp millefiori honey

Directions

In a low ball glass, mix rum, Hennessy and honey. Heat for a few seconds in the microwave to fully melt honey. Add lemonade and ice.

Delicious! Now for some Saturday evening fun.

Day 15: Bacon Jam

Those who know about my love affair with bacon knew I would find a way to include it in at least one recipe, despite its typical incongruity with honey. The original recipe from Minnesota Monthly uses maple syrup, but honey makes a fine substitute. This recipe is really all about the bacon anyway.

Yield: about 3 cups

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs bacon sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup millefiori honey
3/4 cup very strong brewed black coffee
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When bacon is browned, use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain all but 2 tbsp of drippings from the pan. I used Pastures A Plenty bacon - closer to 1 pound - and only about 2 tbsp of drippings remained.

Place Dutch oven back on the burner and adjust heat to medium. Stir in the onions and garlic and saute until onions are mostly translucent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the bacon and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

Turn heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until onions are soft and the liquid is thick and syrupy, 30-40 minutes. If mixture starts to become dry, add up to 1/4 cup water.

Transfer the bacon and onions to a food processor and pulse several times or until the bacon jam is a spreadable consistency. I kept it rather chunky.

Scrape into a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month (unless you eat it all before then, which I certainly will).

I'm pairing it with the Ethiopian honey bread I made last night. Delicious!

Day 14: Ethiopian Honey Bread

My childhood friend and classmate Becky offered this contribution to the blog, courtesy of her friend from Ethiopia. She says it's name is something like "Deformadabo."

Becky makes this recipe in a bread machine, which gives me a great excuse to dust off mine. I've never quite felt the love from my bread machine - it might be the loaf shape or missing the physical contact with the dough or something else - but maybe this will inspire me to use it more often.

Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients

1 cup water
3 tsp canola oil
1/4 cup millefiori honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk
2 tsp yeast

Directions

Combine dry ingredients then add wet ingredients.

If using a bread machine, bake according to machine directions.

Without a bread machine, let rise, punch, make into loaf, let rise again and then bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

It being quite late I only had a small sample from the hole on the bottom of the loaf (one bread machine advantage). This bread has a wonderful flavor and would be fantastic on its own or with a bit of butter. However, I have something exciting in mind for tomorrow that I think will pair so well with this bread. I can hardly wait!

Day 13: Apple Cider Vinaigrette

This is a recipe that has to sit overnight. So while I'm making it today, I won't actually eat it until tomorrow. And from the quantity I made - wanting it to fill up the quart-size Mason jar - I will be dressing my salads with this for an eternity. Or until I probably throw it out in a few weeks.

It's a nice balance of sweet and tangy, ideal on a simple salad without additional sweet ingredients.

Yield: 1 quart

Ingredients

3 cups apple cider
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a jar (a quart Mason jar works well).

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove cinnamon stick.

Can be stored in refrigerator for several weeks.

Adapted from Epicurious.

Day 12: Honey Marinated Pork Chops

This delicious pork chop marinade arrives from the kitchen of my dear friend Doris, whom I haven't seen in years. Maybe this is the summer for me to make a trip to Rhode Island? It's been a long time lady!

Doris' version of this recipe involves "eyeballing" the amount of ingredients, which I would typically do as well. Since this is a recipe blog, I've formalized the quantities.

Yield: 3 pork chops

Ingredients

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup millefiori honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Directions

Mix the ingredients in a bowl and add to pork chops. Marinate for at least an hour.

Broil for about 8 minutes per side.

I paired the pork chop with braised kale. Yum!

Day 11: Almond-Apricot Granola Bars

I made granola last week and intended to use it for today's recipe, but it's gone. I suppose I could've made more, but this gives me a chance to use my favorite granola from Birchwood Cafe.

Yield: about 12 granola bars

Ingredients

1/2 cup almond butter (or other nut butter)
1/2 cup millefiori honey
1 cup crispy brown rice cereal
1 cup granola
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped (or any dried fruit)
1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions

Put almond butter and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until they melt together; whisk to combine.

Put the crispy cereal, granola, almonds, apricots and salt in a bowl and add the mixture of almond butter and honey; stir until thoroughly coated.

Line an 8-inch square baking dish with plastic wrap. Spread the granola mixture evenly into the dish, pressing down gently, and cover with more plastic wrap.

Refrigerate until set, at least one hour. Once set, remove by lifting the edges of the plastic wrap out of the dish; peel off the plastic and cut the bars to any size you like.

Day 10: Protein Smoothie

Having just returned from out of town and unprepared for today's honey recipe due, in part, to baking five (or six?) different versions of yesterday's recipe, I needed something quick and easy.

I've mentioned my attempts to limit dairy in my diet and, while there's no viable replacement for cheese, hemp milk has proven to be a satisfactory milk substitute in many cases. I particularly like the unsweetened vanilla and use that in this recipe. Other non-dairy milk could be used, as could regular milk, juice or water.

Hemp has exceptional nutritional value (and no, it can't get you high) and I've incorporated it in my diet via the milk as well as protein powder. Honestly, the protein powder tastes quite bad. Similar to eating dirt. The honey helps. So although I've used it in this recipe, others may choose a more palatable protein powder. Or none at all.
Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened vanilla hemp milk (I like Tempt brand)
1 tbsp hemp protein powder
1 cup frozen blueberries (or any fresh or frozen fruit)
1 tsp acacia honey

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend thoroughly.

Day 9: Blueberry Sweet Potato Muffins

These gluten-free, dairy-free muffins took about three months to perfect, with dozens of nearly inedible cast-offs.

After much research, I settled on the 70/30 flour/starch ratio recommended by Shauna James Ahern. She also suggests measuring by weight rather than volume; making that change was the turning point in perfecting this recipe.

Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (makes approximately 2 cups)
98 grams brown rice flour
98 grams sorghum flour
42 grams potato starch
42 grams arrowroot powder 

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (see above)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1/3 cup water (or non-dairy milk like rice, hemp or almond)
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potato
2 cups blueberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. 

Wash sweet potato. Puncture skin with a fork and microwave for 5-7 minutes, turning every couple of minutes, until softened. When cooled, remove skin and mash.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Mix together eggs, honey, water, vanilla and mashed sweet potato. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in  blueberries.

Spoon into muffin pan (greased or lined with baking cups). Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Day 8: Lemon Drop Body Scrub

With today's temps in Minneapolis forecast to reach the high 60s or even 70 (gasp!), the last pesky patch of snow in my yard is sure to melt. It's also a great day to scrub dry winter skin to give it a fresh, summery glow. I used jojoba oil, but olive oil, sweet almond oil or really any oil will work fine.


Yield: 3-4 full body applications

Ingredients

1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon jojoba oil
1 tablespoon vegetable glycerine
1 cup sugar

Directions

Combine lemon juice, honey, oil and vegetable glycerine in a bowl.

Slowly add sugar and stir to combine all of the ingredients.

If too runny, add more sugar to soak up the excess liquid.

Scrub head to toe (or where needed). I don't use it on my face, but it could make a nice face scrub as well.

Store extra in a container with lid for up to one month.

Day 7: Quinoa Salad with Roasted Beets, Carrots, Chick Peas and Baby Spinach

If you're not eating quinoa (keen-wa), it's another must-try. It's a delicious, healthy food that's a great substitute for rice or couscous and also works nicely for breakfast.

This recipe includes one of my favorite foods: beets. Trader Joe's sells packages of six small roasted beets that is the perfect amount for this dish.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

3 cups cooked quinoa

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon millefiori honey

Salad:
Half pkg of baby carrots, diced
1 cup drained rinsed chick peas
2 handfuls of baby spinach leaves
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
6 small roasted beets, cut into bite-sized pieces

Directions

Rinse and cook quinoa per package directions.

Combine the dressing ingredients and whisk. Set aside.

Combine the warm, cooked quinoa in a mixing bowl with all ingredients except beets.

Pour in the salad dressing and toss lightly. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Gently add in the beets. Do not over mix or your entire salad will turn beet red.

This dish would do nicely with a sprinkle of goat cheese. I must just have cheese on the brain after eating that creamy pasta sauce last night and today for lunch. Cheese withdrawal isn't easy.

Day 6: Creamy Pasta Sauce

When I came up with the idea for 30 Days of Honey, I put the word out on Facebook that I'd like to try some friends' recipes. This one, courtesy of my friend and former colleague, Colleen, is simple to make but tastes absolutely incredible. The honey really does tone down the acidity of the tomato sauce - one of those things you don't think you need until you have it.

Colleen's recipe (actually Ed's creation) allows for flexibility in both ingredients and quantity, so I made a few changes based on what I had available. The key ingredients are pre-made pasta sauce, cream cheese and honey. Meat and veggies are cook's choice. Colleen suggested the quick and easy diced pepperoni stick or bag of sliced pepperoni, which I will definitely try next time.

Here's how I prepared it.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground mild Italian sausage
1 jar of pasta sauce
2 bell peppers, seeded and diced
5-6 crimini mushrooms, diced
3-4 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons millefiori honey

Directions

Brown sausage over medium heat. When cooked, add pasta sauce.

Add peppers and mushrooms.

Allow sauce to simmer while you start the pasta. I served this over brown rice spaghetti. If you haven't tried brown rice pasta, do it soon. I haven't bought wheat pasta since I tried this because it simply tastes fantastic and is, I presume, healthier. Even the pickiest eater I know, my brother Jack, likes it.

Stir in cream cheese to taste. I used about one-third of a block. As with all cheese, if some is good, more is better. I cut back on cheese several months ago after I identified dairy as the cause of my skin problems. That's not to say I never eat dairy, but when I do I make it worthwhile. This is absolutely worthwhile.

Add honey. If you are sampling the sauce as you add in the ingredients, you will notice immediately how the flavor changes and mellows when you add the honey.

You know when something tastes so good you can't wait for it to cool down and you keep shoveling it in even as it burns your mouth, possibly making a mess in the process? Yeah, this is one of those. 

Day 5: Honey Granola

I thought including a granola recipe would encourage me to break out my food dehydrator, but then I remembered that the dehydrator was a big, messy hassle and it took almost an entire day to make the granola. Why not use the oven instead?

Any dried fruit will work well in this recipe. I used golden raisins and was surprised when they came out of the oven dark brown, crunchy and bitter.  I edited the recipe to reflect what I *should* have done - add the dried fruit after the granola is baked.

I'd typically prefer whole almonds in granola, but have some slivered almonds I need to use.

Yield: 3 cups

Ingredients

2 cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup slivered almonds
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup acacia honey
1/2 cup raisins or other dried fruit

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine oats, flax seed, brown sugar, cinnamon and almonds in a bowl.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt butter, add honey and stir until blended.

Pour butter and honey over dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated.

Spread mixture on a baking sheet and bake until golden and slightly crunchy, 25-30 minutes.

Cool to room temperature. Granola will get crunchier as it cools. Toss with raisins and store in an airtight container.

Day 4: Celery, Apple and Pecan Salad

On Saturday I attended my first BlogLove event at Houndstooth hosted by the fabulous ladies of LoveFeast Table. I was invited by Kara Jensen Zitnick of LaunchHER, whom I've known since college. She claims it's been 20 years and although I can't quite come to terms with having been an adult for that long (maybe because I haven't acted like one), reality appears to be on her side. I hadn't seen Kara in a long time, so it was great to catch up and, as an added bonus, create a little buzz for 30 Days of Honey.

Monday dinners are always a bit of a challenge for me. It's close to 8:30 by the time I get home from yoga on Mondays, so I like something quick and light for dinner. This salad is both - and the sweet, crisp flavors anticipate summer.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Salad:
8 ribs of celery, leaves removed
1 Granny Smith apple
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Dressing:
1/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil (olive oil will work too, but I love hazelnut oil and this is a perfect recipe for it)
1 teaspoon millefiori honey
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Spread pecans on a baking sheet and put into the oven while it preheats. By the time it's heated and the salad made, the pecans will be nicely toasted (5 minutes or so).

While the pecans are toasting, prepare the dressing. Whisk together all the ingredients and set aside.

Cut celery and apple into desired shapes. I cut the apples into chunks and the celery into thin strips, but any shape will work.

Remove pecans from the oven and combine with celery and apples. Toss with dressing.

Day 3: Curried Honey Sweet Potato Soup

I may not have mentioned that the recipes selected for this blog all meet a few criteria: new to me, an adaptation of a favorite that didn't originally include honey or a recipe that is new-ish to me but still a work in progress.

This one's new to me and turned out slightly spicier than I expected. Those with mild palates (Mom, I'm looking at you!) might cut the curry powder to 1 tsp or less.

Yield: 8 cups (4-6 servings)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 medium-sized garlic cloves, peeled and minced
6 cups chicken stock
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 medium russet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons millefiori honey, divided
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Directions

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a soup pot or dutch oven. Add onion and sauté until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.

Add stock, potatoes and salt. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Transfer mixture to the food processor (in batches, if necessary) and puree.

Return soup to low heat and add bell pepper, curry powder, pepper, ginger and 5 tablespoons of honey.

Bring to a simmer and season to taste.

Microwave remaining 1 tablespoon honey for 5 seconds on high.

Serve soup drizzled with a little warm honey and sprinkled with chopped cilantro, if desired.

This would go nicely over rice, which is how I will eat it tomorrow for lunch.

Day 2: Almond Butter, Honey & Coconut Freezer Cookies

I've already received so much positive feedback about this blog - thank you!

These cookies are easy and somewhat healthy. They make an ultra-tasty snack, yet are not out of place for breakfast. They're also gluten-free and dairy-free.
 
Yield: about 1 dozen 1-inch balls

Ingredients

1/2 cup almond butter (or peanut butter)
1/4 cup acacia honey
3/4 cup crispy brown rice cereal (raw oats or Rice Krispies for a non-gluten-free recipe)
lots of cinnamon
dash of cardamom
spoonful of unsweetened shredded coconut + extra for rolling balls in

Directions

Mix almond butter and honey together first – then add cereal, cinnamon, cardamom and coconut. Mix and roll into balls then roll in extra shredded coconut. Let them set in the freezer for an hour before eating.

I've paired these cookies with the seasonal and theme-appropriate Pollinator Blend from Peace Coffee.

Day 1: Intro and Breakfast

Why honey?

When I returned from my adventure last summer, tucked inside my 160+ pounds of checked luggage was a bounty of edible goodies from Italy, South Africa and Switzerland. I've been slowly rationing the best of it, including four jars of honey made by my Italian colleague, Tullio, who produces honey from bees he keeps near Turin.

You'll see there are two types of honey: the lighter acacia (left), from the flower of the same name, and the darker millefiori (right), from a variety of flowers (in Italian, mille=thousand and fiori=flowers).

This blog was inspired by my desire to use the honey in a memorable way. There's certainly nothing revolutionary happening here. Honey will play a role in every day's post - usually small in quantity, but always in the spirit of incorporating a bit more sweetness into each day.

As I've prepared for this month (a daily post required a surprising amount of advance planning), friends have already provided recipes, inspiration and ideas. If you've got a honey recipe (or one in which honey could be substituted/added), I'd love to add it to the mix.

Why now?

Although the snow has still not completely melted here in Minneapolis (any day now, please), it's technically been Spring for a couple of weeks. Honey, like Spring, is associated with flowers and insects and sunshine and warmth.

Here we are in April, the first full month of Spring. The perfect time for 30 Days of Honey.

Let's start at the beginning. Breakfast.

I love oatmeal in the morning. Real oatmeal that takes more than 30 minutes to cook. But who has 30 minutes a day to spend making breakfast? If you do, please arrive at 7:00. I'll be waiting.

So what's an oatmeal-loving, time-challenged gal to do? While some claim that instant oatmeal is equivalent to slow-cooked, I prefer the taste and texture of slow-cooked, steel cut oats (usually Country Choice Organic, since they're local). I make enough for a few days and refrigerate individual servings to reheat in the morning. 

After reheating the oatmeal, I top it with ground flax seed, cinnamon and dried fruit (usually blueberries).

Oatmeal doesn't need any additional sweetener - the blueberries are more than enough - but in the spirit of the blog I've added a teaspoon of acacia honey.

You can see the honey glistening around the edges. Simple and sweet.