Tangerine Honey White Bread #BreadBakers

This month's Bread Bakers is brought to you by.....Mayuri of Mayuri's Jikoni who chose the theme of Natural Sweeteners.

Courtesy of Google Images

I chose to use honey as my sweetener in this bread that I adapted from one found on Taste of Home. I get my honey locally from my friend, Kim, usually but last year was a bad year for her hives so I am hoarding what little I have left.  However, whenever we go to Florida we stop at a local produce market where they sell Tangerine Honey and stock up.  This honey is delicious with just a hint of tangerine flavor.  We love to have it on toast in the mornings so when I saw this recipe for bread I decided to use the tangerine honey for proofing the yeast.

The results were amazing.  This bread was perfect for toasting and serving with additional tangerine honey.  It was also awesome piled with ham salad as a sandwich.  Of course, most of it was just cut, slathered with butter and enjoyed.

Tangerine Honey White Bread

adapted from Taste of Home

1 (.25 oz) pkg Active Dry Yeast 

1 1/4 c. warmed milk (110-115*)

3 T. Tangerine Honey

2 T. butter, melted

1 t. salt

3 1/2- 41/2 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in warm milk in large bowl of stand mixer for 5 minutes.  Add the honey, butter, salt and 3 c. of the flour.  Attach dough hook and mix on low speed until smooth.  Add additional flour, half cup at a time, until the dough is soft and coming together.  Knead on med low speed for 5-7 minutes, until smooth and elastic.  Form dough into a ball and place into a bowl that has been treated with cooking spray, turning once to coat all sides of the dough.  Cover with a warm, damp towel and allow to rise until doubled, approx. 1 hr.  

Punch down dough and form into a loaf.  Place dough in a loaf pan that has been treated with cooking spray, cover again with a warm, damp towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 375* oven for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.  Print Recipe

More Breads with Natural Sweeteners

• Blackberries and Honey Bread by Kidsandchic
• Cheddar Honey Flowers by Ambrosia
• Date and Chai Muffins by Mayuri's Jikoni
• Date Sweetened Banana Bread by Herbivore Cucina
• Eggless Banana Chocochip Bread with Cranberries and Coconut Sugar by Sizzling Tastebuds
• Eggless Carrot Coconut Quick Bread by Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Eggless Wholewheat Maple Banana Oat Muffins by Spill the Spices
• Einkorn Drop Biscuits with Peaches and Blueberries by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• English Granary-Style No Knead Bread by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Grape Bread by The Bread She Bakes
• Healthy Banana & Blueberry Bread by Baking in Pyjamas
• Honey Almond Banana Muffins by Baking Yummies
• Honey Cider Quick Loaf by Food Lust People Love
• Honey Cornbread by Magnolia Days
• Honey Oat Pain de Mie by Hostess At Heart
• Honey Pineapple Pull-Apart Rolls by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Jackfruit Honey Bread by The Schizo Chef
• Jackfruit Semolina Muffins with Jaggery by My Cooking Journey
• Mangalore Buns by Sneha's Recipe
• Maple Bacon Cheddar & Pickle Pull-Apart Bread by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Maple Pecan Scones by Cook's Hideout
• Maple Oatmeal Bread by A Baker's House
• Pain au Levian avec Banane by What Smells So Good?
• Tangerine Honey White Bread by A Day in the Life on the Farm

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Strawberry Basil Mojito for #SecretRecipeClub

I was pretty stoked this month when I learned my assignment for SRC was the lovely Nichole of Cookaholic Wife.  You see, while I may be new to Group B of this club, I am very familiar with Nichole's blog, as we have been in many events together.  Most recently we completed #CookoutWeek and Nichole had tons of great recipes that she put out there for us but the recipe I chose was from our Fresh Tasty Valentine event way back in February.

I printed out this recipe back then with the thought of making it this summer when fresh basil was abundant and strawberries were in season.  How advantageous is it that I was assigned Nichole's blog in July?!!  Providence...this was definitely a match made in Heaven...and this drink is Heavenly!!

Speaking of a match made in heaven, take a look at the photo gracing Nichole's page telling you about herself and her blog. But first make yourself this drink...then go read about Nichole as you sip this refreshing drink.  Better make a double batch because I have a feeling that once you get to the Cookaholic Wife you are going to be there for a while perusing 7 years worth of wonderful recipes and memories.

Strawberry Basil Mojito
slightly adapted from Cookaholic Wife

1 c. water
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. fresh basil leaves + 3 additional leaves
1 c. fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 c. white rum
juice from 1/2 lime
club soda
strawberries, basil and lime for garnish

Prepare a basil simple syrup by placing the water and sugar in a small saucepan and cooking over med high heat, stirring until sugar melts.  Reduce the heat to low, add the basil leaves and let simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Place the strawberries, 3 basil leaves and lime juice in a cocktail shaker and muddle with a muddler or wooden spoon.  Strain the solids from the simple syrup and add to the cocktail shaker with the rum.  Shake until well combined.

Fill 4 tall glasses with ice, divide the rum mixture between the glasses and top with club soda.  Stir to combine and garnish with lime slices, basil leaves and a strawberry if desired.  Print Recipe

Secret Recipe Club is a group of Food Bloggers divided into 3 subsets.  Each month we are assigned a blogger within our subset to learn more about.  We read through their blogs, follow them on facebook and, best of all, peruse all their recipes until we find one that we can't resist.  We make said recipe and then come together on our assigned day (for my subset it is the second Monday of each month) and reveal whose blog we were assigned and what we were inspired to make.

Here is what the other Group B Members are sharing today

An InLinkz Link-up

You know it's been busy when I miss posting the Weekly Menu

It has been a fun and wonderful few days around here.  My sister in law, niece in law and great niece arrived in the early morning hours on Thursday.  We visited for a very few minutes and then caught some shut eye.  In the morning, we feasted on sausage, eggs and fruit.  Both my niece, Natasha, and her daughter, Molly, are gluten intolerant so this is a great learning experience for me.

We all piled into the car in the afternoon and headed to the park with plans of going to the Aquarium.

We stopped and enjoyed the fountain.

But when we got to the Aquarium, we found it is only open on the weekends. So we went next door to the Conservatory where we enjoyed the koi pond and this turtle resting on a log.

Then we went inside and enjoyed all the beautiful flowers.

We were famished by the time we got home so I threw together this easy, peasy, fast and delicious skillet that only takes as long as the rice takes to cook.  I am including the recipe below, right before my Weekly Menu.

The following day we had Little Miss Melody.  Molly was beyond thrilled.  We went to the area park where they played on the splash pad.  We came home to a lunch of hot dogs and beans and then took our naps.  In the afternoon we played in the kiddie pool on the deck and we served up chicken and beef kabobs for dinner.

Saturday we headed downtown for Eastern Market.  I love going to Eastern Market, it is huge and we left with bags upon bags of fresh fruits and veggies to get us through the week.  I also picked up some gluten free pastas.

After shopping, we stopped again at Belle Isle State Park to hit the Aquarium before heading to Hamtramck for an authentic Polish lunch.   We ordered in pizza for dinner before we had to leave to pick up our son, Chuck, at the airport.

This morning we were up bright and early.  I fried up some bacon and made a frittata for breakfast. After breakfast, Mary, Natasha, Molly and Mary's sister, Pat, left to go to the west side of the State to their sister, Sue's, house for a few days.  My brother, who came across country on his motorcycle landed at Sue's on Thursday and has been waiting for them to join him.  They will all be home on Wednesday.

Tonight Amy, Doug, Tingting and Mel are joining us for dinner so they can see Chuck.  I threw some Swiss Steak into the crockpot.

Tomorrow my friend, Sue and her daughter, Kelly are joining us for dinner.  Kelly lives in Nashville and is home for a visit.  I introduced you to Kelly and Lou during the summer when we went on our road trip.   Kelly reviews recipes for Cook's Illustrated as well as creating her own recipes.  She is currently working on a formula for Crab Bisque so we are having a Bisque Cook Off.  That should be fun.

I'm not sure yet what the rest of the week will hold but I do know for sure we are going to need to eat so after the recipe that I am sharing for the Italian Sausage and Shrimp Skillet you are going to want to scroll down for the Weekly Menu.  Enjoy!!

Italian Sausage and Shrimp Skillet

adapted from Real Simple

1 1/2 lbs. Italian Sausage, casings removed if links

1 T. olive oil

1/2 of a large sweet onion, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes 

1/2 T. Italian Herb paste

12-15 Large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 c. frozen peas

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in large skillet over med heat.  Add the sausage and brown pressing with a fork or potato masher to break into small pieces as it cooks.  Drain the fat from the pan reserving 1 tablespoon.  Return meat and reserved fat to the pan along with the pepper and onion slices.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, 2 or 3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes along with their juices and the herbs.  Bring to a boil, stirring to loosen any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Add the shrimp and peas, reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook until shrimp is pink and cooked through.  Serve over rice.  Print Recipe

Weekly Menu

Saturday

Order in Pizza

Sunday

Swiss Steak over Egg Noodles

Monday

Crab Bisque

Fish Skewers

Grilled Asparagus

Rice Pilaf

Tuesday

Venison Stroganoff

Mashed Potatoes

Sweet Corn

Wednesday

Grilled Chicken

Potato Planks 

Green Beans

Thursday

Pork Chop Suey

Steamed Rice

Fish Friday

Fried Perch

Mac and Cheese

Cole Slaw

Pina Colada Trifle for #SundaySupper

We are celebrating Coconut today in honor of National Pina Colada Day that is celebrated on July 10th each year.  We were invited to this party by Constance of Cosmopolitan Cornbread who asked us to bring along our favorite Coconut Creation for #SundaySupper this week.

When I think of Pina Coladas and coconut, it takes me right back to the Tropics.  Oh how I would love to be sitting on a sandy beach right now, enjoying a Pina Colada after a day of scuba diving.....ooops...sorry about that....I got distracted.

But seriously, I love tropical flavors....coconut, strawberries, pineapple, rum.....so I decided to share all those flavors with you today in a wonderful and gorgeous Pina Colada Trifle. I love making trifles because they looks so beautiful and people are so impressed when you present them.  Nobody needs to know just how easy they are to put together.  It can be our little secret.

Start off by whipping some heavy cream.  You can sweeten it if you want but this trifle is plenty sweet enough without any added sugar to the cream.

Then make your instant pudding according to the directions on the package.  It will take 5 minutes to set to soft serve.

During that 5 minutes you will cube up a pound cake, put it into a bowl and sprinkle it with some coconut rum.  Set it aside and let the rum soak in while you slice up some strawberries and pineapple. I had bought some coconut that was already toasted but if you need to toast the coconut you will want to do that as your first step so that it has time to cool before using.

You have been in the kitchen less than 10 minutes now and it is already time to start constructing the trifle.  Start by placing half of the cake in the bottom of the trifle bowl.  Sprinkle that with half the strawberries, cover that with some toasted coconut and then half of the pineapple.  Add a layer of pudding and a layer of whipped cream, using half of each.  Repeat this and then sprinkle some additional coconut on top.  That's it!  15 minutes and it is ready to go into the refrigerator and be brought out after dinner to wow your family and guests.

This is the perfect ending to a Tropical themed dinner or Luau.  I took this particular trifle over to our friend's, Kim and Kurt's, when they had us over for dinner.  We spent a lovely evening on the patio with dinner and drinks and then enjoyed this perfect ending to a perfect evening.

Pina Colada Trifle

1 pint heavy cream

1 (5 oz) pkg instant vanilla pudding

3 c. milk

1 loaf pound cake

1/3 c. coconut rum

2 c. strawberries

fruit from half of a pineapple

3/4 c. flaked coconut, toasted

Place cream in bowl of stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment.  Beat on low speed until cream starts to thicken, increase speed and beat until light and fluffy.  Set aside.

Place pudding mix and milk into another large bowl.  Whisk until pudding is dissolved, about 2 minutes.  Set aside for 5 minutes until pudding is soft serve thickness.

Cut the pound cake into cubes and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle with the rum.  Toss to coat and set aside.

Hull and slice the strawberries, set aside.  Peel, core and cut half of the pineapple into bite size pieces.

Place half of the pound cake into the bottom of a trifle bowl.  Sprinkle with the strawberries and 1/3 c. toasted coconut.  Add half of the pineapple and cover ingredients with half of the pudding followed by a layer containing half of the whipped cream.  Repeat, ending with the whipped cream.  Sprinkle top of trifle with remaining coconut.  Print Recipe

Creative Coconut Creations

Great Starts

• Coconut Granola Bowla by Family Foodie
• Gluten Free Coconut French Toast by Gluten Free Crumbley
• Make Ahead Healthy Piña Colada Breakfast Parfait by Easy Cooking with Molly
• Piña Colada Granola (grain free) by My Life Cookbook
• Piña Colada Nut Bread by Where Latin Meets Lagniappe
• Piña Colada Overnight Oats by Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Piña Colada Pancakes by Dizzy Busy and Hungry

Dive in with Sides and Appetizers

• Easy Piña Colada Salad by April Golightly
• Piña Colada Coleslaw by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Coco-Nutty Main Dishes

• Chickpea Potato Curry by Sunday Supper Movement
• Piña Colada Chicken and Rice by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Piña Colada Chicken Skewers by The Crumby Cupcake
• Pineapple Barbecue Chops with Colada Slaw by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Slow Cooker Pineapple Chicken Curry by Caroline’s Cooking

"Col-lots-a" Desserts

• Coconut Pound Cake by Cosmopolitan Cornbread
• Cookies and Coconut Cream Popsicles by Books n’ Cooks
• Creamy Dairy-Free Vegan Coconut Ice Cream by Positively Stacey
• Easy Piña Colada Fudge by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Easy Piña Colada Poke Cake by Crazed Mom
• Homemade Samoas by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• How to make a Piña Colada Flan by Asian In America
• Island Breeze Piña Colada Panna Cotta by The Weekend Gourmet
• Kheer by What Smells So Good?
• Mini Roasted Blueberry and Coconut Cream Trifles by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Piña Colada Bars by Dessert Geek
• Piña Colada Cream Pie by Cookin’ Mimi
• Piña Colada Cupcakes by The Redhead Baker
• Piña Colada Energy Balls by Wholistic Woman
• Piña Colada Ice Cream by Palatable Pastime
• Piña Colada Rice Pudding by Hardly A Goddess
• Piña Colada Trifle by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Piña Colada Upside Down Cake by Bottom Left of the Mitten
• Pineapple Coconut Pudding by Magnolia Days
• Samoa Smacky Delicious Mix by Cooking With Carlee
• Toasted Coconut Sour Cherry Sundae by Pies and Plots
• Tropical Fruit Cups by The Freshman Cook

Sweet to Sip Beverages

• Boozy Coconut & Caramel Milkshakes by Momma’s Meals
• Coconut Banana Rum Smoothie by Desserts Required
• Coquito by Monica’s Table
• Lime Coconut Lassi by Food Lust People Love
• Piña Colada Freeze by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Piña Colada Smoothie by A Mind Full Mom
• Spiced Piña Colada by Family Around the Table

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Tortellini Antipasta Salad

I have a very quick and easy recipe for you today.  You can serve this as a side at your next BBQ or picnic or as a main meal.  I did both, serving it up along with our Italian Sausages on Independence Day and then enjoying it for lunch the following day.

It only takes minutes to put together.  As long as it takes to boil some water and cook some tortellini per package directions.  While the tortellini is cooking you prep the remaining ingredients, rinse the pasta in cold water, toss it all together and put it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to meld the flavors.

Tortellini Antipasta Salad

2 pkgs (9 oz) or 1 pkg (20 oz) 3 cheese Tortellini found in refrigerated section of store

4 oz. Mozzarell, cut into bite size chunks

5 oz. summer sausage or hard salami, cut into bite size chunks

1 (3 oz) can sliced ripe olives, drained

1/2 c. shredded carrot

1 small or 1/2 of a large English Cucumber, washed and diced into bite size chunks

1 c. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1/2  bottle of your favorite Italian Dressing 

Cook pasta per package directions.  Rinse under cold water.  Place in large bowl with remaining ingredients.  Toss to coat.  Add more dressing if desired.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Print Recipe

Pulled Pork Pizza on the Grill

Last week I shared a recipe for Root Beer Pulled Pork and mentioned that when making pulled pork I like to make a big batch.  It takes the same amount of time and effort while providing you with several days worth of meals.  It freezes well so you can package it in 1 or 2 cup servings and then pull it out to make any number of great recipes like quesadillas, sandwiches or this great pizza that I am sharing with you today.

I started out by taking out an extra roll of  dough that I had made and put into the freezer.  You can use any dough you like.  If you don't have any in your freezer though, save yourself a trip to the store and try this recipe I am sharing. It takes less than an hour so it is perfect for a weeknight meal.

We had gone to the Farmer's Market and I had gotten some wonderful beets that I roasted on the grill and used for a salad that I served along with this pizza.  That left me with these gorgeous greens.  I caramelized some onion and sauteed the greens along with them.

I rolled out the dough and placed it right onto a pizza peel that I had sprinkled with some corn meal to prevent sticking.  I put a layer of sauce, the veggies and then the pulled pork.  I used store bought sauce as I had it in my refrigerator.  You could also use bbq sauce or make your own pizza sauce using this easy peasy recipe.

I sprinkled it with Colby Jack cheese and placed it directly onto the grate of my gas grill that had been preheated to very hot, about 500*.  It only took about 8 minutes to cook with the lid down. Make sure you check it often so the crust doesn't burn. You could also place this on a pizza stone or baking sheet in a hot oven if you prefer.  You will still have a delicious, fast and easy peasy pizza in no time flat.

Pulled Pork Pizza

1 pizza dough, store bought or homemade

1 small sweet onion, sliced

1/2 T. olive oil

1 t. sugar

1 bunch beet greens or other leafy greens, washed and chopped

1 c. prepared pulled pork in BBQ Sauce

1/2 c. pizza sauce or BBQ sauce, store bought or homemade (links included)

1 c. Colby Jack Cheese, shredded

corn meal to spread on pizza peel to prevent sticking

Place the olive oil and onions in a large skillet over med heat, sprinkle with sugar and cook slowly for 10 or 15 minutes until golden brown and tender.  Add the greens with any water still clinging on their leaves and cook until wilted.  Remove from heat and set aside. Roll or hand pull your pizza dough to a 10" round and place onto a pizza peel that has been sprinkled with corn meal. Place the sauce on the dough leaving about a 3/4" edge.  Sprinkle with vegetables over the sauce and then cover with the pulled pork.  Sprinkle the cheese over the top and place onto the grate of a gas grill that has been heated to high (about 500*).  Close the lid to the grill and cook for 8-10 minutes until dough is cooked through, toppings are heated and cheese is melted.  Check after 5 minutes to ensure the crust doesn't burn.  Turn off burners directly under the dough if necessary.  Print Recipe

Awesome News and Awesome Cookies

Our house went up for sale on June 6th.  As July approached and we still hadn't gotten a bite, we started to get concerned because the purchase agreement on the house we are buying expires on the 16th of this month, so we decided to hold an open house.

When staging the house I knew I wanted some yummy smells to greet the prospects as they walked in the door so I decided to bake.  While trying to decide what I should bake, I came across a post by my friend, Amy of Amy's Cooking Adventures, that contained Patriotic Desserts.  One of the recipes was her Best Cookies Ever that she decorated with Red, White and Blue M&M's.

I decided to adapt that recipe into another using ingredients that I had on hand.  I changed the sugar/brown sugar ratio because I only had 2/3 cup of brown in my cupboard.  I used regular size chocolate chips instead of minis, peanut butter chips instead of Reese pieces and I only used 1/3 c. of the mini M&M's.  

I set them out next to the flyers on the house and some napkins.  We had over 9 families walk through our home.  Most of them helped themselves to the cookies as they toured the house.  I can't give these awesome cookies the credit for the offers we recieved......I am giving that credit to the St. Joseph statue that we buried upside down in our garden.....but I am sure that the cookies didn't hurt.

After the open house, we joined our friends, the Benda's, for an evening cruise down the river on their boat.  They provided subs for dinner.  Frank made up a pitcher of Rum Punch and I brought some of the cookies.  Their granddaughter, Angel, took a bite of the cookie, broke into a huge smile and said "This is the best homemade cookie I have ever had".  That is high praise indeed....Thanks Amy, I am naming my cookies after you.

Amy's Awesome Cookies

adapted from Amy's Cooking Adventures

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. white sugar
1 (3.4 oz) package vanilla instant pudding
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 ¼ c. all purpose flour
2/3 c. chocolate chips
1/3 c. mini M&Ms
1/3 c. peanut butter chips

Place the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with paddle attachment, and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the pudding mix and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each. Stir in the vanilla.

Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the baking soda, salt, and flour. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and M&M's. Using a 2 tablespoon scoop, drop the cookies onto baking sheets covered with parchment paper. Bake in a preheated 350* oven for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.  Print Recipe