honey orange beehive cake

There's nothing like an impromptu party on a Sunday afternoon!  On Sunday my youngest daughter earned her honor bee.  I didn't even know what an honor bee was until about a year ago when the older girls on a temple trip were talking about their aspirations to earn theirs.  I gave no encouragement to my daughter as she entered the YW program a year early than expected due to the new changes.  But she decided to do it and she did.
I remembered the cake form I'd had in my pantry for a long time (years?) and hadn't used.  This seemed like the perfect opportunity.  The cake form is Nordic Ware.  I didn't follow the recipe given since I had to pretty much make do with what I had.
Note:  I was grateful for the bee decorations I had purchased on a trip to take my oldest to EFY a few years ago. 

honey orange beehive cake
cake:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Mix two boxes of yellow cake mix as directed and add 2 teaspoons orange extract.
Prepare the Nordic Ware pan by coating with shortening and spraying with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour 3 cups of cake batter into each side of the cake form.
Bake 50-60 minutes.  Cool 15 minutes in the pan.  Use a long knife to level off the cake by trimming off rounded dome.  Invert onto cooling rack and cool completely.

honey icing: (this recipe came with the Nordic Ware)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon honey (I used 2)
1-3 tablespoons milk
Mix the ingredients together with an electric mixer in a medium sized bowl until smooth.
I used this honey icing to "glue" the two sides of the beehive together.  I had plenty leftover so I used the rest to drizzle over the top of the cake instead of the buttercream frosting recipe that came with the pan (I was simplifying!).

bees:
Since I didn't have all the correct ingredients I improvised and used melted chocolate to pipe the bodies of the bees then used royal icing for the wings and stripes.  Just improvise!

Use the honey icing to "glue" the two sides of the beehive together.  Drizzle the rest over the top and add the bees.  Enjoy!  My family loved it!

slow cooker teriyaki chicken

Great recipe and so easy!

slow cooker teriyaki chicken (gimme some oven)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup cold water
3 tablespoons cornstarch
optional toppings:  sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds

Add the chicken breasts to the bottom of your slow cooker in a single layer.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the garlic, onion, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and black pepper until combined.  Pour the mixture on top of the chicken breasts.  Cover slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until chicken shreds easily with a fork.
Remove chicken with a slotted spoon to a separate bowl and shred using two forks.
Transfer the remaining teriyaki sauce from the slow cooker to a medium saucepan.
In a small bowl combine the cold water and cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved and no longer lumpy.  Pour the cornstarch slurry into the teriyaki sauce mixture and whisk to combine.  Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and let it boil for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat, and pour the sauce on top of the shredded chicken.  Toss to combine.  Serve topped with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

basil-parmesan crusted salmon

Salmon is my favorite and this was a really nice recipe.  I really enjoyed dinner tonight and it was a joy to see my youngest enjoy it too!  I love it when taste buds grow up. :)

basil-parmesan crusted salmon (skinnytaste.com)
4 salmon fillets, boneless skinless
1/2 lemon (about 1 tablespoon lemon juice)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons mayonnaise (I used light)
6 fresh basil leaves, minced plus more for garnish
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Line a baking pan with foil.  Place the salmon on the baking pan.  Season salmon with lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Mix the mayonnaise with basil and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese in a small bowl.  Spread completely over the salmon.  Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake 10-12 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon.

burmese chicken soup

Hall of fame.  I tried this soup because I trust Costco and this recipe was in their Costco Connection magazine.  It's soooo flavorful and delicious.  Try it.

burmese chicken soup (Costco Connection magazine, January 2020)
1 tablespoon grape seed oil (I used olive oil)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 shallot, finely diced (I minced 1/2 white onion)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 cups chicken broth, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 (13.7 ounce) can light unsweetened coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
1 bunch cilantro, washed, stems removed and roughly chopped

Heat medium Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium-high heat; add oil.  Saute the garlic, ginger, and shallot until aromatic, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the spices and the salt and saute another minute, stirring.  Lower heat to medium and add the sweet potatoes and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Deglaze pot with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.  Add the remaining chicken broth, chicken and coconut milk; bring to a simmer.  Cover pot and simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked and sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
Add lime juice.  Stir in half the cilantro.  Spoon into bowls, garnish with remaining cilantro and serve.  Makes 8 cups.