Honey Lime Fruit Salad

I love to have fruit in the house for healthy snacking but sometimes it can get a little boring on it’s own. When I was a kid, we ate our fair share of fruit salad. Our fruit salad consisted of our favorite fruits mixed with a little cool whip. So yummy! But this time around, I needed a dairy-free version as my in-laws were visiting and my mother-in-law doesn’t eat dairy. I remembered this recipe I came across quite awhile ago and thought it would be the perfect way to make simple sliced fruit a little more special at breakfast.

The honey lime dressing was a bit sweet but had an amazing citrus zing that was just perfect on the fruit. You could use any fruit you like or have on hand for this recipe. I think bananas would be a great addition as long as it was being eaten right away. Don’t mix in the “dressing” too soon or the strawberries will get really soggy. I made it about a half hour before serving so it had a little time to chill together but not too long to get mushy.

This is a perfectly light and refreshing side that will be perfect throughout the much anticipated spring and summer!

Honey Lime Fruit Salad
recipe from Oh You Cook

1 pint strawberries
1 pint blueberries
1  bunch (about 1 1/2 lbs.) seedless grapes
1/4 cup honey
juice from 2 limes (about 2-3 tablespoons)

1. Rinse strawberries, blueberries and grapes then gently pat dry. Hull strawberries, then cut each in half or quarters. Remove stems from grapes and blueberries, if any.

2. Gently combine all three in a large bowl or aluminum tray. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together honey and lime juice. Pour over fruit.

Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots

We have been all about carrots lately. They are a great vegetable to have on hand since they last forever and you can prepare them in all kinds of ways. My mom has always hated cooked carrots and her grandma always told her “cooked carrots will kill you.” It’s been a running joke throughout our family forever so she always gives me a hard time when I tell her we are having cooked carrots with dinner.

I love the sweet and tangy taste that the sauce lends to the carrots. And they really couldn’t get much easier. Have you noticed a trend of ease with the recipes I share? I’m all about easy meals for weeknights as I’m sure many of you are too.

For hot, summer days I am considering placing all the ingredients in a foil packet and throwing them on the grill.

Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots
recipe from So Wonderful So Marvelous

2 lbs. carrots {peeled, washed and cut into chunks}
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
Herbs and Seasonings {I used salt, pepper and thyme}
3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss carrots with 2 Tbsp. olive oil and herbs/seasonings of your choice. Place in a 13 x9 and roast for 20-25 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine remaining 2 Tbsp. olive oil, honey and balsamic vinegar. After the 20-25 minutes, remove carrots and evenly toss with the honey mixture. Return them to the oven for another 5 minutes.

Honey Garlic Meatballs

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before but I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I don’t think something is worth doing unless it is done exactly right. This causes a lot of stress in my life at times. I’m working on it. But in the meantime, I found a way to make uniformly sized meatballs with ease…and it makes me happy! Now they are all the perfect and exact same size! Ok, maybe I’m a bit too excited about this.

After you mix the meatballs, flatten the mixture into a 1 inch thick rectangle. Try to make sure it’s an even amount of inches in both directions. Does that make sense? The length of the meat mixture was 9 inches and the width was 6 inches. Cut into 1 inch squares then roll into a ball. Awesome, right?

Anyway, to the recipe. Football season is upon us and I thought it would be nice to share a tasty, easy appetizer for your football gatherings. Joel and I both graduated from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln so we are huge Husker fans. We have a lot of friends that also are alumni so we always get together for each and every game. I first tried this recipe at one of these parties and they were the first thing to disappear. These are a great addition to any appetizer spread.

Honey Garlic Meatballs
recipe from Taste of Home’s The New Appetizer

*Notes: I make these up an hour or two before hand and throw them in the crockpot on the warm setting. Spray measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray before measuring out honey, that way it won’t stick. I think these would be great with ground chicken, turkey or pork too!

2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp. salt
2 lbs. ground beef
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. butter
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce

1. In a large bowl, combine eggs and milk. Add the bread crumbs, onion and salt. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place in two greased 15-in. x 1-in. baking pans. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter until tender. Stir in the ketchup, honey and soy sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain meatballs; add to sauce. Carefully stir to evenly coat. Cook for 5-10 minutes.

Recipe linked to This Chick Cooks, Jam Hands, Mouthwatering Monday’s, Naptime Creations and Full Plate Thursday.

Honey Mustard Pork Burgers

A few months back I was flipping through a cookbook I’ve had for awhile and came across this recipe. Joel and I are huge fans of honey mustard and burgers so I don’t know how this recipe didn’t jump out at me before. Needless to say, these burgers have become a fast favorite in our house and we eat them often.

The flavors in these burgers are simple but come together and pop nicely due to the mildness of the pork. And who doesn’t love a recipe that has 5 super accessible ingredients? They literally take minutes to mix up and grill quickly for an easy weeknight meal. I love to have sweet potato fries alongside these yummy burgers!

Honey Mustard Pork Burgers
recipe from Blue Ribbon Recipes

2 lbs. ground pork
40 saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1. Combine ground pork, crushed crackers, mustard, honey and lemon juice in a large bowl. Form into 8 patties.
2. Grill on medium heat, turning once, until juices run clear, about 12 minutes.

Recipe linked to Mangia Monday’s, Nap Time Creations and This Week’s Cravings.