Simple And Awesome Honey Recipes

Ancient Romans and Greeks recognized that honey was an excellent source of energy for athletes. With the advances in technology we are better able to understand the benefits of honey sugar, and how to manipulate it for everything from candy to complex sauces, but many people are ignorant of the antioxidant benefits honey can offer.

Flavanoids – more commonly known as vitamin P – and phenolic acids, which can be found in honey, help the body fight free radicals. And did you know that there are dozens of honey recipes you can make at home that give you the same, sweet flavor offered by the processed sugars you pick up at the store?

For instance, consider honey barbeque sauce. How do you know if there’s really any honey in that bottle you bought last week for your barbecue? There are better honey recipes to use instead, such as this quick and easy recipe for barbecue sauce. Combine 1 can condensed tomato soup, 2 tbsp salad oil, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp mustard, cup honey and a dash of hot pepper sauce. Mix all together in a saucepan, bring to a boil, simmer and remove.

When the craving for something sweet hits you, you can buy some frozen yogurt or custard from the store and, with a home maid honey caramel sauce, turn it into a decadent treat. It’s fewer calories than an ice cream sundae and more healthy as it uses honey sugar rather than chemicals. Simply mix a cup and a half of honey, half a cup of heavy cream into an oven safe container and heat to 238 degrees Fahrenheit. Then add in a tablespoon of butter, one teaspoon of vanilla and an eighth of a teaspoon of salt. Your sauce will thicken and turn into a rich, glorious sauce that will make your mouth water.

There are also honey recipes for sweet, healthy snacks that, once made, can be kept for weeks. Rather than chips, candy, or cookies, try granola. Cover it with milk and eat it like cereal. You can add salty nuts to go with the honey sugar flavor, depending on preference.

Mix 2 cups coarsely chopped nuts, 4 cups rolled oats, and 1 cup raisins into a large mixing bowl. Blend together and set aside. In a large saucepan, combine cup melted margarine, cup honey, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 tsp ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. After mixing together, bring to a boil, allowing to cool for 1 minute. Remove and pour over oat mixture, stirring until blended. Pour onto a greased cookie sheet, then bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring every 5 minutes. After it cools, crumble for a delicious treat.

If you make an effort to replace your granulated sugar with a small amount of honey sugar, it won’t be long before you don’t even notice that absence of refined sugar. Test your regular recipes with honey sugar, taking care to account for the liquid measure. Remember to reduce your liquids by a quarter cup per each cup of honey, and add half a teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used in baked goods.

As we take a long, hard look at natural foods, comparing organic and homemade to store bought and chemically ‘improved,’ we begin to realize how our bodies are affected by the empty calories we get from fast food and processed sugar. Honey recipes are easy to use and give us all the flavor of sugar, with honey sugar being so much better for us. Be creative and try making your own honey recipes to serve your own family.