Hope everyone had a great 4th of July! I stayed up late last night to watch the fireworks and am super tired this morning. But Day Camp must go on I’m off to work but had to grab a little caffeine first.

I’m not a big fan of coffee so I usually go for black teas when I need an energy boost.

I also remembered this morning the “creamed honey” the Day Camp director, Bridget, gave me last week. She lives in Charlotte and picked some up last week at a farmers market there.

I had never heard of creamed honey before and this is the first time I’ve ever seen it. It’s not honey and butter mixed together as my grandmother thought when I first told her. I have done a bit of research online but am still not super clear what it is. I know it is honey that is crystallized and fermented in order to make it spreadable instead of drippable (is that a word?! hehe). But truthfully, I write that and really have no idea what that means. Can anyone out there explain it to me?!

What I do know is that the taste and texture were outstanding! Bridget actually bought cinnamon creamed honey which made it even better. Such a rich sweet taste.

See how it just sticks to the spoon? Amazing!

It was a perfect cup of tea (and caffeine boost!) and without even knowing it I created a faux chai tea…of course with a bit of milk on top

If you see creamed honey at your farmer’s market or local store, I definitely recommend trying it. And if you have any recipes or more information about it, send it my way!

I’ve never really been a breakfast person.  Just ask my mom.  In high school, I remember having a quick glass of OJ and a granola bar before running out the door.  And I have never liked cereal!  I used to refuse to eat it but now tolerate it

Well, I’ve seen “overnight oats” on food blogs for quite a while and had never tried them.  When Kath made them earlier in the week, I decided I had to go for it!  I had oats at home and picked a few more ingredients at the grocery store including bulk organic cranberries, unsweetened organic coconut, and sliced almonds. 

So the basic premise is that you add equal parts oats, milk, and yogurt.  You mix it all together in a container and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. 

When you wake up…TA-DA!  Perfectly “cooked” oats.   Then you just add the toppings you want.  I used my local sourwood honey too!

It seriously tasted like ice cream…I’m not lying.  Try it.  You’ll love it!  And there is almost ZERO work involved.  Nothing like waking up in the morning and having breakfast already made

I forgot peanut butter the first time…a necessary addition for that little burst of protein   So when I saw this post, I knew I had the perfect thing:  an almost empty jar of pb!

So the next night, I added my oats, milk, and yogurt to the jar!  I also added a dash of cinnamon.  I went to bed excited to wake up the next morning

The following morning there was the perfect taste of pb…you’ll be surprised how much is left in there!  I could definitely taste it mixed in with all the other ingredients.  And trust me, the jar was clean when I finished

I had the honor of being invited earlier in the week to lunch at my grandmother’s college roommate’s house.  Sarah had Nathan and I over for lunch in Asheville and we had a great time!  I told her all about my blog and she gave me some local honey as a contribution for the posts   I keep finding that the best way to discover local food in your area is to ask the locals!  Easy, huh?  Sarah recommended lots of restaurants and stores and of course this honey:

Even Asher was excited!

I looked up Sourwood honey online and found this out about the tree:

“The Sourwood tree (Oxydendrum Arboreum) is also called Lily of the Valley tree, growing 40 to 60 feet tall with a diameter of one foot. The leaves are oblong, pointed at the apex, and have a sour taste. Flowers are white bell-shaped and hang in clusters 5-6 inches long at the end of the branches. Sourwood is most abundant in the mountains of North Georgia and Western North Carolina. The Sourwood tree blooms in late June through the month of July, during a period when few other flowers are blooming.” 

 And this about the HONEY: “Sourwood honey is extra-light to light amber color and extremely aromatic, with a distinctive rich honey flavor. In local markets it commands a premium price. When it comes to quality and taste, no other honey can match Sourwood Honey.”  I’m not sure I would have splurged on the honey so I am really thankful for the gift and the opportunity to cook with it! 

So of course I had to find a recipe that made honey the star and I chose none other than BAKLAVA!!  I love baklava!  Whenever it is offered at a bakery or cafe, I find myself instantly drawn to it and usually buying it.  But I have never made it.  So yesterday afternoon, I gave it a try.  I found this easy recipe with these few ingredients:

I started with the pastry, butter,  pecans, and cloves…

And got here…

And finally here…

While it cooked for 45 min. at 350 degrees, I started making the honey topping.

Once the pastry was done, the hot mixture was poured over it:

And then it cooled and was cut.  It was a bit too syrupy and I mainly blame that on myself.  I should have judged better and not poured the whole mixture over the pastry.  However, it cut beautifully and tastes great!  It really truly does taste like REAL bakalava.  I don’t think this is too bad for my first try.  And Nathan didn’t complain either

Love the trees peeking in