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Honey Flan
Oil & Honey Edition

Reposting a recipe because it’s so easy and elegant and perfect for a summer dessert, plus it uses honey! Last week I posted a Coconut Flan recipe using honey and coconut milk.. I enjoyed the flan so much and was so surprised at the ease in making it that I decided to try another version, this one more traditional and the perfect end to a dinner party.

When we moved to North Carolina my man Dan surprised me with a Ninja Blender! I love my Ninja and make smoothies often but I look for other ways to use it in the kitchen too. Last year at the BlogHerFood conference I visited the Ninja booth quite a bit and received a great cookbook from them. It’s amazing how versatile a “blender” can be, if it’s a good one. I was happy to be able to use it to make this flan recipe go even quicker and easier than I ever imagined making flan would be. I had in my head (pea brain) that making flan would require slaving over a pot of milk, eggs and sugar getting it to just the right stage before pouring it into ramekins for baking. Boy was I wrong. Last weeks recipe as well as this one, both so effortless, have turned me into a flan making woman!

This dessert is elegant and can easily be made ahead. It is dreamy and creamy with faint floral notes and sweet honey. Orange Blossom honey is the perfect choice for this recipe but feel free to experiment with other flavors of natures golden nectar. Here is a helpful note: flans release with no trouble if you set them in an inch of warm water for a few minutes before un-molding.

Remember – local honey is not only good for you but is helping to support your local beekeepers who are doing a service by keeping bees who pollinate every third bite of food we eat!
Honey Flan
Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

7 tablespoons honey, divided

1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup whole milk

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Sprinkle sugar in a 3 quart saucepan; place over medium heat and cook gently shaking pan until sugar melts and turns a light golden brown.

Slowly stir in 3 tablespoons of the honey.

Stir gently until melted.

Remove from heat and immediately pour hot caramelized sugar into 6 (6oz.) ramekins.

Process condensed milk, milk, eggs, egg yolk and salt in a blender.

Add remaining 4 tablespoons of honey and process until smooth and well blended.

Pour mixture evenly over the sugar in each ramekin.

Place ramekins in a 13×9″ pan.

Add hot water to a depth of 1 inch.

Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until slightly set.

Flan should jiggle when pan is shaken.

Remove the ramekins from the water bath and place on a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes. Cover and chill for 3 hours or more.

Just before serving place ramekins in an inch of warm water for 3-5 minutes to help with inversion.

Run a knife around edges of flans to loosen; invert flans onto serving plates.
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July 24, 2016
Wild Orange Salad Dressing
Oil & Honey Edition

My newest favorite salad dressing uses wild orange essential oil. You might notice a trend…with wild orange eo! It is so versatile in the kitchen I can’t help but love it! If I could only have one dressing on my salads for the rest of my life it would be this one! It uses ingredients you likely have in your pantry. If you aren’t familiar with essential oils you may not have that one ingredient. Using orange extract or orange water is an option but the flavor won’t be quite as lively and delicious. I used Orange Blossom honey because the flavor is perfection with the wild orange oil but a simple wildflower honey will work equally as well.

Apparently I’m not the only one who thinks this dressing is the bomb. My salad and dressing were awarded first place in a recipe contest at a food conference just last month. The number one comment I heard when it was served to 250 food bloggers at lunch was, “Oh my gosh – this dressing is delicious!”

For the entire salad and dressing recipe go here. The dressing recipe is below and I’m certain you will love it on any salad. It is of course spectacular on the grilled chicken and blueberry salad pictured above!

If you’re interested in learning more about essential oils message me @The Orange Bee on FB, email me, linda@theorangebee.com or leave a comment here. I’m happy to help and answer any questions you might have!
Wild Orange Salad Dressing
Ingredients

DRESSING

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon organic dijon mustard

⅓ cup white balsamic vinegar

1-2 drops Wild Orange Essential Oil

2 Tablespoons mayonnaise

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Orange Blossom Honey

Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions

Mix all dressing ingredients together except for olive oil.

Drizzle oil slowly into dressing mix and whisk until well blended.

Drizzle over salad.
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July 10, 2016
Facts You Need To Know About Honey

OIL & HONEY EDITION

Today I am sharing some honey facts with you! You may be surprised at the many benefits of honey. I’m not referring to a bottle or jar of honey you purchase in a big box store…no, no, NO! To be certain you are eating or using pure honey you should purchase from a local beekeeper or at your farmers market. It’s easy enough to tell where honey comes from by reading the label or knowing who you are purchasing from.

It only takes about a teaspoon of honey per day ingested however you choose. Stir it into your coffee or tea for a natural sweetener, drizzle some over your bowl of oatmeal or yogurt, pour a bit over fresh colorful berries or citrus fruits, or the easiest way is to enjoy it on a spoon! Yes, that’s right, just dip a teaspoon into your jar of honey and find your inner child, lick said honey off of spoon! Delicious!

I love to cook with honey, especially in the sweets department, but find it equally as delicious in entries and appetizers. Here are links to a few of my favorite “Honey Recipes” .

Honey-Jalapeno Glazed Salmon

Honey Flan

Spicy Honey Cider Syrup

Goat Cheese with Honey-Pepper and Fig Balsamic Drizzle

Benefits of Honey

Honey is made up of sugar and water. After the last bit of nectar is placed in a cell the bees fan the liquid to evaporate the water until it’s just right , preventing fermentation, at which time the bees cap the cells with wax.

Honey if sealed properly will never go bad – it may crystallize in the jar. If you have a jar of crystallized honey simply place it in a bowl of very hot water and it will melt back to it’s liquid state.

Honey is known for it’s healing properties:

Sooth a sore throat

Promote healing of cuts and burns

A tablespoon a day helps relieve local allergies

Honey helps build our immune systems and improves digestive systems

Credible skin softener

Honey & Infants

Honey contains a naturally occurring spore, which is collected with the nectar. These spores can’t be removed – especially with pure, raw honey production -.

A baby’s immature digestive system doesn’t contain enough acid to inhibit the toxin from being produced – therefore children’s younger than one year of age should not be given honey.

Below are some sweet little bees who make honey!

July 3, 2016
Time To Travel – Seeing The Shore

Summer is upon us and this means – time to travel. I love being at home but I also relish my travels. It’s a balancing act! We are leaving the heat and humidity behind and heading north to the granite state, Maine. Rugged coastlines, lobstah and fried clams await our presence. Haha – I just realized besides the gorgeous views of pounding surf on a rocky shoreline, food is my focus. To help ward off those extra calories we might be consuming there will be kayaking, climbing hundreds of steps to reach the pinnacle of lighthouses, bike riding in Acadia National Park, and long walks along the coast line.

We will be traveling with dear friends who’ve never visited Maine. All four of us are thrilled to travel to this wondrous state. I am sharing my camera with my man, Dan on this trip. This is an extremely hard idea for me to grasp – yet it was my idea. In lieu of lugging along countless bags we will share the lens! He will shoot lighthouses, splashing surf on craggy coastlines, breathtaking views and me. I’ll shoot food, food and more food along with farmers market finds, friends and hopefully some spectacular scenes.

I won’t be posting here until I return mid July, except for the “Sunday Stingers”, my Oil & Honey Edition posts. In the meantime, I’ll share a few bits, pieces and photos on Facebook and Instagram – hopefully our paths will cross there!

June 27, 2016
Arthritis Pain Relief

OIL & HONEY EDITION

I suffer with arthritis in my fingers and wrists from time to time. Swollen joints, stiffness and pain. I’m not ready to take drugs for this, nor does my physician suggest that I do so. One of the reasons I love essential oils so much is I find immense relief from the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis when I rub them on my fingers and wrists.

Using a single oil or a blend of oils diminishes the pain rather quickly and I’m not overloading my poor liver with tons of OTC anti-inflammatory drugs.

If you’re interested in learning more about my favorite essential oils message me on The Orange Bee @FB, email me – linda@theorangebee.com or leave a comment here. I’m happy to help and answer any questions you might have! To stay up to date on my Sunday Stinger – Oil & Honey Edition be sure and subscribe to The Orange Bee!

June 26, 2016
Texas Shrimp & Grits
Texas Shrimp & Grits

I served shrimp & grits last night for dinner. It is a quick and easy “southern gourmet” meal so I had to repost the story and recipe because you need to make this!

This dish traditionally was served for breakfast to shrimpers coming into shore after long weeks at sea, but it’s turned into one of Americas favorite trendy comfort foods for dinner. Popular chefs such as Paula Deen, Bobby Flay and Martha Stewart to name a few all have their own version. Celebrated as Low Country cooking it has strong parallels to New Orléans, Cajun, and Caribbean cuisines. But just what, exactly, is Low Country?

If you aren’t familiar with the origination of Low Country cooking; the area stretches along the South Carolina coast from the Savannah River in Georgia north to Pawley’s Island. Think saltwater marsh and Spanish moss hanging from live oaks and you’re thinking Low Country. The region teeming with aquatic life, gives area cooks the basis for almost every meal. The names of many Low Country dishes are as colorful as the local ingredients found in them. She-Crab Soup, Hoppin’ John, Frogmore Stew and Shrimp & Grits are a sampling of this appetizing style of cooking.

Growing up in deep south-east Texas, just at the border of Louisiana, the Low Country and Cajun style of cooking have rubbed off on me and this popular Shrimp & Grits rage has had my mouth-watering. Fresh gulf shrimp, fished from the warm waters of The Gulf of Mexico are my favorite seafood. Probably because for as long as I can remember I’ve eaten them for breakfast, lunch or dinner; fried, boiled, broiled, sautéed, stuffed, or grilled, you won’t catch me turning down these yummy little crustaceans. Oh and warm, creamy, cheesy grits – what’s NOT to like?

It seemed a natural undertaking to come up with a recipe for Shrimp & Grits that worked for me. I perused many recipes, settled on the ingredients I wanted to use and I discovered that wild-caught gulf shrimp, as luck would have it, were on sale at my local grocery store. Whoo Hoo! I couldn’t have been more pleased with the results, creamy, cheesy grits, rich and flavorful gravy, tender shrimp, and bacon! Tell me that doesn’t sound divine!

Shrimp & Grits
Texas Shrimp & Grits

Author: Linda Walbridge
Ingredients

For the Grits:

1 cup yellow grits (instant is fine)

3 cups water or 2 cups water and 1 cup chicken broth

3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp. Tabasco

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 tsp. white pepper

kosher salt

Ingredients for Shrimp and Gravy:

1 lb. peeled fresh, wild-caught shrimp

1/2 cup of bacon, Tasso or andouille Sausage, cooked and chopped (Tasso would be first choice but I am unable to find it locally)

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup green onion, sliced

1/2 tsp paprika

2 tbsp. parsley, chopped

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions

Bring liquid to a boil, whisk in grits and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until porridge like, stirring consistently. Add cheeses, Tabasco, butter and pepper and mix well. Keep mixture warm.

Cook bacon in skillet, when done remove w/slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. If fat rendered is too little add a bit of canola oil and sauté the mushroom in the same skillet you fried the bacon in. When tender, add green onion, sauté 2 minutes, add garlic, and shrimp. when shrimp begin to turn opaque add remaining ingredients (wine-lemon juice) and continue cooking until shrimp are cooked through and sauce has reduced and warmed through. Be careful not to over cook the shrimp or you will have rubbery, tough sad little creatures.

Spoon warm grits into bowls and top with shrimp mixture, drizzling gravy over all. top with cooked bacon.
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June 23, 2016
I’ve Got A Remedy For Snoring

OIL & HONEY EDITION – In honor of Father’s Day

Do you spend night after night tossing and turning, wearing out your elbows and pounding the pillows because you sleep next to someone who is snoring? See that meme above – that’s the truth! I know my hubby gets up earlier than I, so it is understandable that he might fall asleep sooner than I, I don’t mind that at all. What drives me nuts, is the snoring!

We tried propping up the pillows differently but that didn’t help. My man refuses to see a doctor about his snoring and the one time he did ask his internist about it the guy said, “sleep on your side”…thanks dude that doesn’t help. When my arm was broken it was damn near impossible to poke him with my elbow because…well it was extremely painful. Yes I could use my other arm, but the bottom line here is we needed the snoring to stop or at least be minimized.

I wondered every morning am I the only woman on the planet who deals with this? Please… how do you get through a night? It could wreck a marriage if one partner feels the need to sleep in a separate room night after night. Here’s how it works for me. Scenario 1 – we go to bed in the same room, he falls asleep and snores, I punch him a few times and he grumbles that he’s not even asleep so he can’t be snoring – I get annoyed and leave the room, favorite pillow in tow. Scenario 2 – I get lucky and fall asleep first (usually when sports are on) but wake up in the night to potty, upon returning to the bed discover that it’s shaking – he’s snoring! Scenario 3 – We both fall asleep around the same time and before I know it the walls are crumbling around us as the snoring is at an escalated pitch tonight – I punch, prod and poke, I put in ear plugs, cram the pillow over my head and lay there feeling my blood pressure rise until I…yep grab my favorite pillow and head to the quiet of the guest room. Can you relate?

When I’d had enough of hauling myself and my pillow into the guest room due to a husband who snored like a freight train I questioned if there was “an oil for that”. I was skeptical, yet pleasantly surprised to hear there was an oil blend that might reduce the snoring. I ordered a bottle and began to rub it on the bottoms of his feet right before bed. I also cup my hands over his nose, (something I’d contemplated on those crazy nights of thunderous snoring but with different results) and have him breathe deeply about 3 times for the aromatic benefit of the oil.

The first night we tried it he didn’t make a peep. He’s been using the blend of oils for over a year now. I am happy to report that not only is his snoring lessened greatly, it’s more like a quiet car engine now, but he feels well rested every morning. He rubs the oil on his own feet now as he’s discovered the benefits of using it. I also diffuse it in our room many nights which helps us all, pets too, breathe easier and rest better. It is a game changer for certain. He sleeps better I do too and we’re sleeping in the same room – just as it should be!

If you’re interested in learning more about my favorite essential oils message me on The Orange Bee @FB, email me linda@theorangebee.com or leave a comment here. I’m happy to help and answer any questions you might have!

June 19, 2016
Coctel de Camarones
Coctel de Camarones -this is without a doubt one of my absolute favorite dishes. As the weather is heating up here in North Carolina I’m dreaming of digging into one of these. When I take a bite and close my eyes I am transformed to a gorgeous ocean view with sea breezes blowing through my hair! I’m sharing an older post from a hot summer day in Texas with my recipe for Mexican Shrimp Cocktail because you might just love it as much as I do.

I was first introduced to this amazing “shrimp cocktail” in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in the early 80’s. I hung out there for a few months, living in a rented apartment, with breathtaking views of the azure sea, tropical foliage and daily visits from parrots. Small and colorful parrots, flitting from limb to limb, free entertainment at best. It was a little bit of paradise for a short moment in time.

I suppose in our young years living “away” or “abroad” has a certain appeal. At that time the appeal was, living life simply, without a care in the world. Heading to the beach daily, hanging in my favorite beachside haunts, where the fish was fresh and the beer was cold. The waiters called me by name and took great care to keep me happy. Ah yes, those were the days! I have many memories from this stint in Mexico yet the one that stands out is my introduction to “coctel de camarones”. My man Dan will tell you, if I see it on a menu in a restaurant where the shrimp is likely to be fresh I’m ordering it. Like I said, “it is one of my all time favorites”.

Our temperatures have been soaring into three digit days and not really even cooling off at night. I needed something cool and refreshing for dinner. I bought some fresh shrimp at the farmers market, gulf shrimp, to be exact, also a favorite of mine. After grilling a few, and sweating quite a bit to do so, I decided a chilled shrimp recipe was in order. After perusing several summer issues of Cooking Light and such I remembered Puerto Vallarta and “coctel de camarones”. BINGO!

The gulf shrimp boiled to perfection, the cool and creamy avocado and the bright orange tomato, mixed with onion, crunchy cucumber, cilantro and a bit of diced jalapeño was exactly what I needed. The freshness of the cilantro, the snap of the shrimp, the bite of jalapeño, it took me back to the peacefulness of salty ocean air, the sound of waves gently lapping the shore and hearing my name called as only a person of Mexican heritage can call it, “Ms…Leenda, mas cerveza?” “Ah, si, por favor”.

Enjoy!
Coctel de Camarones – Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Linda Walbridge

1 48oz. can Clamato 2 avocados, chopped 1 onion, diced 2 tomatoes, chopped 2 cucumbers, diced 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (wear rubber gloves) 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped 1 pound of shrimp, boiled, peeled and deveined 1/4 cup ketchup 2 limes, juiced 4 dashes of tabasco
Ingredients

1 48oz. can Clamato

2 avocados, chopped

1 onion, diced

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 cucumbers, diced

1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (wear rubber gloves)

1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 pound of shrimp, boiled, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup ketchup

2 limes, juiced

4 dashes of tabasco
Instructions

Mix all veggies together and add Clamato, ketchup, tabasco and lime juice, stir well.

Add cilantro and shrimp and mix together.

Cover and chill for 2-3 hours.

Serve in individual glasses, topped with avocado and cilantro.

Serve with tortilla chips on the side.
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June 15, 2016
Keeping Happy Cats
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PawsToSavor #CollectiveBias

We have 3 cats! Yep – every time I count heads there are 3. The funny thing is these cats don’t really belong to my man, Dan or me! Nope, one actually belongs to our older daughter LuLu and the other two, truth be told belong to our youngest Miss T. Two girls, one boy, two tabby’s one calico. All lucky cats by any measure!

Cat 1 – Sabrina- aka Beanie

Cat 2 Dottie – aka DotDot

Cat 3 – Marley – aka Mr. Marley, Marley Man, Mister

So here’s the deal, these are all cute cats, each with it’s own unique personality, no surprise, right? But….when they are hungry there is no denying them a bowl of food! To dismiss their cries of hunger could be dangerous to a human. Sabrina, the grey tabby has a habit of spreading out right in front of the refrigerator only to be tripped over, when she is hungry. From this spot she can watch my every move and be ready to jump up the moment I reach for the cat food!

Mr. Marley has a very loud “meow”, which sounds distressful to say the least, that he emits all over the house to let me know when he is starving. He has this way of strolling into the room where I am, letting out this crazy cry, and the moment I move toward the door he turns and scampers away making this funny “thump thump’ sound as his paws hit the floor on his race to the kitchen. This is his look in the photo below. I think it’s pretty tell-tale of how he feels when he’s hungry, like you’re feeding me “NOW” right?.

Dottie, is the pesty one. She works at opening the cabinet door where their food is stored, runs between my legs and follows me everywhere, vocalizing with her girly whine of a meow. If she happens to be outdoors she sits in the door like the pic below. All three cats have their own unique way of letting me know “it’s time to eat”!

Recently when I ran into PetSmart for dog food I noticed Purina® Pro Plan® Savor® Shredded Blend for cats. Real poultry or fish is the number 1 ingredient offering optimal levels of protein and fat. The high-quality ingredients are all chosen for a specific purpose. Purina® Pro Plan® dry formulas feature a combo of crunchy kibble and tender shredded pieces for a taste and texture cats love. Dot and Mister both love crunchy to be sure. When I carried the bags outside to shoot a photo and set down a bowl of food for my shot here’s what happened. Dottie and Marley came from nowhere and dove and I mean literally dove into the bowl of food! They were nice to each other and took turns getting a bite.

Cats sharing food!

If you’d like to learn more about Purina® Pro Plan® cat foods click here. Here is a fantastic offer from PetSmart if you choose to purchase. SPEND $15 on any Purina® Pro Plan® product, 5/31–7/5. SAVE $15 on your next purchase of 10.5-lbs. or larger Purina® Pro Plan® Dry Cat or Dog Food or Litter by 7/31.

With summer upon us we will be doing quite a bit of traveling and I always want to ensure our pet sitter has an easy time with his charges. I’m feeling good about leaving a few bags of Purina® Pro Plan® for him to feed while we’re away. Knowing our cats are being fed with nutritious tasty food allows me to savor my summer moments as they savor mealtime.

Taking good care of these 3 cats, especially since they are loved by my daughters, means I want the best for them. I know how to keep them happy – read below.

“5 ways to Keep Happy Cats”
1. Let them cuddle up in a special blanket or bed.
2. Be sure they have plenty of fresh water.
3. Feed them when they are hungry – when you know the signs that’s easy to do!
4. Give them a window to watch out of, particularly if they are indoor cats.
5. Be sure to give them lots of belly rubs or scratches behind the ear.
Our cats share warm cuddles on a cold winter night, entertain us with their funny and free of charge antics and love us and mealtime. Keeping them happy is essential at mealtime and knowing they are happy allows me time to kick back and not worry about tripping over a hungry cat! Here are a few more photos of Dottie, Beanie and Marley Man in their day to day lives.

Marley as a kitten and now – he’s hasn’t changed much!

Purina® Pro Plan® Savor® Shredded Blend can be found on the cat food aisles in PetSmart
June 14, 2016
Attract Pollinators To Your Garden
OIL & HONEY EDITION

Pollinator at work!

We all know I am on the side of pollinators. Butterflies, bees, and wasps are all pollinators and necessary for food production! I prefer not to use poisons in my garden, flower beds or anywhere in my yard. I keep a habitat for pollinators to flourish in that is safe. I admit I’m not crazy about the wasps or yellow jackets but I don’t try to eliminate them with poison. Trying to eradicate one type of pollinator will surely lead to the demise of all.

My newest oil passion has lead me to a “pollinator attractor”. It’s as simple as blending one of the essential oils with a bit of water and spraying on and around flowers to attract bees and butterflies to the garden. Simple! It’s a safe and effective way to bring the beautiful butterflies and bees of all types into your garden this summer!

Honeybee pollinating an Abelia.

If you’re interested in learning more about my favorite essential oils message me on The Orange Bee @FB, email me at: linda@theorangebee.com or leave a comment here. I’m happy to help and answer any questions you might have!
Pollinator Attractor

Recipe Type: Gardening
Ingredients

5-6 drops Wild Orange Essential Oil

1 cup water

1 spray bottle
Instructions

FIll a spray bottle with one cup of water.

Add essential oil.

Shake well before each use.

Spray on floors and buds to attract pollinators.
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June 12, 2016