Recipes | Honey Tree Buzz (2024)

Made-a-move #32: Taking ideas and making them happen

Busy week with lots of accomplishments. But, as I am attempting to type this posting on a 7 inch tablet (for the 2nd attempt), while on a vacation, I will try to keep words brief.

Sorry for delay on pix for the post – I can say with confidence that I am not able to upload pictures from my 7″ tablet directly to my WordPress site – errrrr.

Last week in brief…

Saw a new recipe and tried it out – YUM! Honey Chicken Kabobs – so easy and worth the time to string them (especially with the help of my DD!)

Prototype, testing, modifications, sample market testing, feedback and suggestions:

Swim skirts x 4 for trip (yes, I know only 3 of them are in the picture):

Great vacation with the family and DH’s mom, but…

… it’s good to be home. I soooo needed a nap today! at least my DS got a good rest in during the trip:

Keep moving! Keep growing.

- DebBee

Made-a-move Monday #23: Buy food on sale, freeze extras for future

A few months ago we bought a *Great* new kitchen gadget – a Yonanas machine.

We made some up for my oldest DS’s birthday Monday night – a great refreshing treat on a hot day… especially when the A/C is on the fritz.

So what is so great about this treat?

It is all fruit! No sugar added! No dairy.

And it has the consistency of soft served ice cream! My DH is amazed by the fact that the fruit becomes so much like ice cream that it even melts! Here’s the scoop on it…

First you peel and freeze bananas after they start to turn brown; Cheetah-spotted Bananas as the Yonanas directions put it. This is where my “Move” for this past week comes in … I bought a lot of bananas when they were on sale last week and froze all of the extras when they became well spotted. No over-ripe bananas in the garbage!!

The bananas need to be well frozen as they are what give the finished treat the right texture. At least overnight is best.

Also have on hand other frozen fruit – either store-bought or frozen yourself (oops, I missed my chance to freeze the extra strawberries in time)

The Yonanas is made by alternatingly putting the frozen bananas (thawed 5 min) and other fruit (thawed approx. 20 min.) into the machine. The machine grinds the fruit and sends it out a spout as you go. It only takes a few minutes! After it comes out, you mix the ingredients together and it is ready to serve. Clean up is very easy – there are only 5 parts to clean up which are very easy to assemble and disassemble. The machine came with a recipe book with a variety of dessert ideas we are looking forward to trying out.

Have a great, sweet and successful week!

Making BBQ chicken inside, using a regular oven, may not be as fun as doing it outside on a grill, but it can be easy and very delicious. So, if cold, rain, mosquitoes, lack of charcoal or just lack of time is spoiling your craving for BBQ chicken, you may want to give this simple recipe a try.

Ingredients:

Chicken pieces as desired (ie in 8ths, leg quarters, etc)

BBQ Sauce (I like Kraft Original)

Honey

In a large bowl, mix 3 parts BBQ sauce with 1 part honey (approximately 1 cup of BBQ sauce plus 1/3 cup honey for 1 whole chicken cut in 8ths) – adjust to taste.

Wash chicken pieces, shake off water and put in bowl of sauce mixture. Turn pieces until all chicken pieces are evenly coated with the BBQ/ Honey sauce. If desired, you can let marinate approximately 1 – 2 hours, but this is optional.

Turn oven on to “Broil” setting. Place chicken pieces on rack in broiler pan with skin side down. Put on high shelf of oven and broil for 15 – 20 minutes until darkened as desired. Turn chicken pieces so skin side is up. Using basting brush (I like silicone), brush extra BBQ/ Honey sauce on top of chicken. Return to broiler for another 15 – 20 minutes until darkened as desired. Remove chicken pan from oven and cover with foil, change oven setting to “Bake” at 375 deg. F, and return covered chicken to oven for approximately 35 – 45 minutes. Cut into chicken to check if done – actual times may vary depending on oven.

Enjoy!

This week I made Foccacia bread, per special request, for an event with over 100 participants.

As I want to do and give my best, I am posting my Foccacia recipe (on a more normal scale) here to share with you. It takes a bit of work, but is soooooo worth it!! Make a move to try it and Enjoy!

Equipment needed:

Stand mixer with paddle attachment, dough hook optional

Ingredients:

• 2 cups warm water (about 105 deg F)
• 2 envelopes (4.5 teasp) active dry yeast
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup canola oil (or other oil of your choice)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoning
• 1 Tbs crushed/ finely minced fresh garlic
• 5 1/2 – 6 cups unbleached flour
• Toppings of your choice (ie, Coarse Kosher Salt, crushed rosemary, sliced tomatoes, fresh garlic cloves, chopped red onion, pesto….etc.)

Directions:

In mixer bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water and allow to proof (let it sit for 5 – 10 min). Add olive oil, canola oil, salt, Italian seasoning, and garlic. With paddle attachment, mix in 3 cups of flour – start at slowest speed and then increase mixer speed to medium to whip the dough until it begins to leave the sides of mixer bowl (approximately 7 – 10 min.)

Mix in 2 1/2 cups flour by hand or with a dough hook and knead until smooth.

Dough should be soft but not too sticky. If sticky, knead a little more flour in. Allow dough to rise until doubled in size either on lightly floured counter with large inverted bowl over it or in large bowl, covered (with plastic wrap or damp tight-woven towel) to keep dough from drying out. Rising time will depend on warmth of location (approx 30 min to 1 hour). If using regular active dry yeast (instead of quick rise), punch dough down and allow to rise again.

Divide dough to size desired (see below) and either roll flat with rolling pin or press out flat with hands to shape of pan.

Prepare pans by oiling them. This recipe is enough for two 13 inch pizza pans. Type of pan is up to you – the picture below is an 8″ square pan with just over 1 pound of dough (recipe would fill 3 of these pans).

Allow dough to rise in pans approximately 30 minutes (again loosely covered in plastic wrap to prevent drying – can oil the plastic wrap to prevent sticking).

Toppings: Put toppings on dough either before or after rising in pans (I do it after).

“Plain” Foccacia: First I lightly rub a little olive oil over top of bread dough. Sprinkle a little Coarse Kosher Salt and Crushed rosemary on top. Using 2 – 3 finger tips, poke lots of ‘dents’ downward in dough.

Garlic/ Tomato Foccacia: First I lightly rub a little olive oil over top of bread dough. Sprinkle a little Coarse Kosher Salt and Crushed rosemary on top. Press fresh garlic cloves (cut in approximately halves depending on size of each clove) down into dough. Press thin slices of tomatoes onto dough. Using 2 – 3 finger tips, poke lots of ‘dents’ downward in dough.

Other topping ideas: Diced red onion, basil, thinly sliced and/ or roasted peppers, pesto, olives, ….

Bake breads at about 385 deg F until golden brown on top and slightly brown on bottom (approximately 20 – 40 min. depending on size, thickness and quantity in oven)

Cool on racks.

Enjoy!

Apples and Honey are a favorite treat for a sweet start to the Jewish New Year.

This Awesome Apple Cake recipe is a close 2nd!! It is sooo easy and delicious – try and enjoy!! (Recipe is adapted from the “One Bowl Apple Cake” recipe from the Can’t Believe it’s Kosher! cookbook from Congregation Beth Israel Sisterhood, Milwaukee, WI)

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup oil
• 6 medium apples
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, cinnamon and oil. Peel and slice the apples and add to mixture in bowl (coating as you go to keep apples from turning brown.) Mix together the baking soda and flour and add to the ingredients in the bowl. Mix well (best with a fork) until all of the flour is absorbed by the wet ingredients. Pour mixture into a greased 9″ x 13″ pan or 2 – 9″ round pans. Bake for approximately 55 minutes.

A very Sweet, Happy, Healthy, and Successful year to All!!

- DebBee