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Tag: Lemon

  • An Exciting Day

    An Exciting Day

    Banana-Blackberry Bread

    My bees have arrived!  My excitement level has been high today.  I’m feeling a little more calm now that they are settled and I believe I will be able to tell you a little about the day.

    This morning I was pretty anxious waiting for my bees to be delivered.  The weather was not cooperating as it was cloudy, cool and windy.  Bees like sunny, calm and warm.  I was worried we would need to abort the delivery.  I decided if I baked something it would take my mind off of worrying about the girls arrival.  I was not about to leave and run to the store so I did what I always do and snooped around in the pantry and frig.  I’d stuck some bananas in the refrigerator while we were out-of-town this past weekend and they were perfectly overripe, just what I needed to bake with.  Upon scanning a few recipes I found one for Banana-Raspberry Bread.  I did not have raspberries but I did still have blackberries in the freezer.  Perfecto!  You can use either and I’m sure it will be delish.  This recipe also packs some healthful benefits, fiber and antioxidants from the berries and potassium from the nanners.

    I got busy baking bread and the next thing I knew I got the phone call I’d been eagerly awaiting.  The bread was out of the oven and cooled so the timing was just right.  I threw on my bee suit and waited…..

    To hear more about today’s bee adventure go to the “Bees & Honey” page at the top of my blog.  You will find photos and learn more about the arrival of my beautiful bees.

    Here is the recipe for the moist and tasty banana bread.  Adoring hubby declared it to be “pretty good stuff”.

    Enjoy!

    Banana-Blackberry Bread

    Banana-Blackberry Bread in stone pan

     

     

    Ingredients:
    Vegetable oil cooking spray
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    3/4 cup of sugar
    2 tsp. baking powder
    1/2 tsp. baking soda
    1/2 tsp. salt
    4 large overripe bananas, mashed
    1/4 cup skim milk
    1 large egg
    1 tsp. vanilla extract
    1 cup fresh blackberries or raspberries

    Preheat oven to 350*.  Coat a loaf pan with the cooking spray.  (I used my stone loaf pan)
    In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt; whisk to blend.  make a well in the center of the mixture and set aside.  In another bowl mash the bananas and combine with milk, egg and vanilla; fold in the berries.  Pour the banana mixture into the center of the dry ingredients and fold together until combined.  Do not over mix.  (I always find no matter how gently you fold some berries crush and color the batter – not to worry)  Pour batter into pan; bake one hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.  Remove from pan; cool completely before storing.

    Milk is the perfect accompaniment to banana-blackberry bread
  • My Bees Have Arrived

    My Bees Have Arrived

    Today is a day I have long-awaited.  I’m extremely happy to announce that my first hive arrived today around 1:00 in the afternoon.  Today was not the perfect day for bee transport but that was overlooked and Mr. Floyd delivered the girls as planned.

    The second hive will be delivered in about a week to prevent any confusion among the bees.  Bees need to have time to scout around and realize they moved to a new neighborhood and be able to recognize their new home.

    It was a fairly simple procedure.  The bees were netted in their home and transported in the back of a pickup truck.  The bee yard has been ready now for a few days and all that remained was to lift the netting and move the hive to its blocks.  Mr. Floyd and I moved the netting and he carried the box for me and set it on its blocks.  Next I shook out the bees still hanging onto the netting.  Bees have a sense of smell so they can smell as well as see their hive so they all congregated around the hive, checking for cracks or any openings they might need to seal off.

    Hive wrapped in netting to secure the bees
    Bees waiting to be set free
    Moving the hive body to the “Bee Yard”
    Placing the top on the hive

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I removed the roof and placed a super on top of the hive box.  The super is where they build honey as well as lay brood.  I placed the top back on and that was that.   In about 4 to 5 days I will remove the top and one by one check the frames for evidence of the queen. I might locate her or at least see that she has started to lay eggs.  The bees will need to do some housework on the super as it was a little dirty.  They clean it up and make it ready for the queen to lay eggs.   At this time the bottom hive box has honey for them to consume and stay healthy until they can begin foraging for pollen and nectar.

    Ok, I hope you will stay tuned for more info as my week progresses.  Patience will be my greatest virtue this week as I am eager to take a look inside to see how my bees are progressing.  Stay tuned…..

    My first hive – what a happy day
    The bee on top is using her tongue to share some honey with her sister. The long reddish-brown tongue can be seen making the exchange.
  • Mail-Order Cookbooks

    Mail-Order Cookbooks

    When you were a little girl or boy did you ever receive a cookbook in the mail?  First of all as a child having mail delivered to my home was the coolest thing since sliced bread. I suppose many of us still enjoy getting mail, particularly when their is a brightly colored envelope bearing a pleasant note from someone dear, a package, a long awaited letter, an announcement or possibly money!

    I do not recall going to book stores as a child but I do remember getting my first cookbook via the U.S. postal service.  My Mom ordered it and I’m sure sent a few cents to the Imperial Sugar Company of Sugarland, Texas.  It could be that she sent a label off of a bag of sugar or maybe a combination of a cookbook coupon and money.  However, she did it I remember receiving “My First Cookbook” in a brown envelope in the mail.  I was around eight years old and delighted to have a brown envelope with my name printed on the front in the mailbox.  This cookbook is nearly an antique by some peoples standards.

    It’s a little worn and yellowed around the edges.  It is complete with my name written in the front cover where the box says “My Name Is:”.  My entire name; first, middle and last. It also has some measurements jotted in pencil on some of my favorite recipes like Quickie Cake and Circus Cookies.  On the back inside cover is a box that says, “My Favorite Recipes”, here I’ve written these three; Sweet ‘n Peanut Buttery Sandwiches, Quickie Cake and Jerry’s Bars.  I made all those goodies often and today while photographing the book I made a Sweet ‘n Peanut Buttery Sandwich.  You know what?  It tasted just like it did when I was eight years old, plopped up on my mom’s turquoise formica kitchen counter!  Soft butter spread on plain bread, topped with peanut butter and sprinkled with brown sugar.  When you bite into it that brown sugar crunches just a little then melts in your mouth along with the peanut butter and butter.   Can’t beat it.

    My First Cookbook

    In my collection of first cookbooks is also a book titled “You & Peter Pan In The Kitchen”. There is a price printed in the bottom right hand corner of the cover. It is a rather pricey little book – 35 cents to be exact.  It came from The Kitchens of Peter Pan, Chicago, Illinois.  I don’t recall making too many recipes from this book but I know I made the Criss-Cross Cookies.  You’ve probably made them too.  Then and now delicious.

    When I was around eleven I received another cookbook in a brown envelope in our mailbox. This one directed at teens, I was a pre-teen but close enough to warrant getting this book titled, “Teena in the kitchen with her friends best recipes”.  It too came from the Imperial Sugar Company in Sugarland, Texas.  It comes with a Table of equivalent measures on page 1 and an introduction written by Teena herself.  Impressive for an eleven year old growing up in nowhere Texas.  Most recipes have a handwritten note by them, signed by Teena’s contributing friends Wendy, Alice, Molly, Laurie, Margaret, Lisa, Libby and Dot.  Fabulous Fudge Cake and Chocolate Dream Frosting was my fav recipe from Teena and her friends.  I betcha I’d still like it today.

    Mail Order Cookbooks

    I’ve had a great time glancing through my oldest cookbooks.  I may own some older but these were my own first cookbooks splattered with memories of my first adventures in the kitchen.  I just may whip up a batch of Jerry’s Bars, or some of Alice’s Summer Snowballs or bake some Circus Cookies on the next rainy day.  After all these are tried and true old-fashioned, nearly antique recipes.  How could I go wrong?

    If you ever owned or still own any of these cookbooks or remember getting mail order cookbooks I’d love to hear about it.  Please feel free to post your comments.  Stay tuned….

  • Sleepless in Chocolate

    Sleepless in Chocolate

    Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding

    I slept like a baby last night.  This is because on Monday I made a batch of “bittersweet chocolate pudding”.  Are you wondering how sleeping like a baby and making pudding are associated?  I’ll get to that in a minute.

    It all started when I was checking to see what was in the pantry and noticed a box of Jello instant chocolate pudding.  You know, the kind where you add 3 cups of cold milk, stir with a whisk and chill.  For some reason I decided if I was going to use 3 entire cups of nice, cold milk that I would rather make pudding from scratch – chocolate pudding.  So, I began to look through my many cookbooks for just the right recipe.  Oh, of course the ingredients needed to be in my kitchen, as I was not making a run to the store. Joy of Cooking contains 4500 recipes but the one for chocolate pudding calls for unsweetened chocolate, not in the cupboard.  Next, the 1992 edition Southern Living Cookbook calls for milk chocolate morsels,  not in my cabinets.  Who wants milk chocolate when you can have dark or semi-sweet morsels anyway?  The next book I pulled off the top of my frig, where my most used cookbooks reside was The Complete Cooking Light Cookbook. Ahha, I think, maybe I’ll even find a healthy, lightened-up version of chocolate pudding. Voila!  A recipe for Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding that calls for Dutch process cocoa and bittersweet chocolate – got ’em and it’s only 249 calories in a half cup serving.  I’m game.

    So, the connection between sleeping like a baby and chocolate pudding will now be revealed.  I ate a dish of pudding around 8 o’clock and when I laid down around 10:30 to go to sleep I could not fall asleep.  I hadn’t had any coffee past 10 a.m.  so I knew that was not my problem.  The only thing I could attribute to my sleeplessness was the chocolate pudding.  I lay in bed tossing and turning with illusions of dark, rich pudding oozing through my brian.  This caused me to research a little about the effects of caffeine in chocolate. What I understand after perusing a few articles found on – where else- the internet, is that chocolate really only has trace amounts of caffeine.  In fact, the Merck Index, 12th edition says that a very small amount of caffeine is found in the hulls of the cocoa seeds, which are discarded before processing.  The Hershey website states that the amount of caffeine present in chocolate and cocoa based products differs depending on the type and amount.  Cocoa powder contains the highest amount followed by unsweetened baking chocolate. Hershey continues by stating,  most people are surprised to find that a 1.55 ounce bar of milk chocolate contains about 12 mg of caffeine, the amount of caffeine in about 3 cups of decaf coffee.  About.com lists brewed coffee, 8 ounces at 60-120 mg caffeine and dark chocolate at 20 mg per 1 ounce.  If my math is correct that means if I ate 8 ounces of dark chocolate in one sitting I’d ingest 160 mg of caffeine, not so different from 2 entire cups of coffee.  I doubt that I could eat 8 ounces of pure dark chocolate in one sitting without making myself ill.

    Well, I am a tad confused, having always heard chocolate contains caffeine, I had assumed it contained enough to keep me awake.  I now doubt that to be true.  None the less I had difficulty falling asleep that night and definitely made up for it the following evening by heading to bed earlier that usual and sleeping like a baby.  My disclaimer regarding the effects of the pudding is:  it is dark, decadent, intense, deliciousness, which may stir your innermost being into a rich chocolate frenzy, therefore making it difficult to sleep like a baby.

    Enjoy!

    Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding

    Ingredients
    3 1/2 cups fat-free milk, divided
    1 cup Dutch process cocoa
    3 tablespoons cornstarch
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1 cup sugar
    1 large egg, lightly beaten
    1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
    2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
    1 tablespoon vanilla extract

    Combine 1 cup milk, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in a large bowl, stir well.

    Combine 2 1/2 cups milk over medium heat in a large heavy saucepan until tiny bubbles form around the edge, (do not boil).  Remove from heat; add sugar, stirring with a whisk until sugar dissolves.  Add cocoa mixture to pan, stirring until blended.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.

    Combine egg and egg yolk in a medium bowl.  Gradually add hot milk mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Return to pan.  Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly, about 2 minutes; stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; add bittersweet chocolate and vanilla, stirring until chocolate pieces are melted.  Serve warm or chilled.

    249 calories per 1/2 cup serving

    One last comment; all my adoring hubby could mutter as he ate a dish of pudding was, “it’s SO chocolatey, SO chocolatey, but really good!”

  • Butter Fricky

    Butter Fricky

    Whole Wheat-Oatmeal Bread

    I had never heard the phrase “butter fricky” until last Thursday – have you ever heard it? Last week in my pre-school class we baked biscuits and made honey-butter.  I baked the biscuits, Pillsbury frozen ones, which I happen to think are pretty darn tasty, while the kids were in library time.  After they returned from the library and washed their grubby little fingers they were each given a bowl with some soft butter, a glob of honey and a spoon for mixing.  It’s surprising how many children are not given jobs in the kitchen at home. They do love to learn  in the kitchen at school however, and from time to time we bake or make goodies at school.  They all stirred diligently until the honey was mixed in with the butter.  Then they were all handed a warm biscuit told to break it apart and spread the butter mixture on the biscuit.  They were pretty excited to be trying a new task and a new taste.  As they begin to bite into the warm, flaky biscuits spread with the soft, sweet honey butter I asked, ” how does it taste?”  The first comment delivered with a big smile, from a dark-haired, dark-eyed little girl was, “butter fricky!”. There you have it, the new catch phrase for the old combo of bread and butter.  I rather fancy it!  How about you?

    Reminded of how delicious the simpleness of bread and butter can be I decided to bake fresh bread on Saturday.  As soon as I smelled the fragrance of yeast I remembered why baking fresh bread has many rewards.  Not only is the smell of fresh-baked bread incentive to make it often, I’m motivated by the healthy aspect as well.   No preservatives, not too much salt or sugar and easy to make.  I find the fragrance of yeast bread wafting out of the kitchen pulls people in to see just where is that smell coming from.  It takes me back to elementary school when the smell of fresh-baked yeast rolls drifted from the cafeteria, encouraging kids to buy a tray lunch complete with a hot, puffy roll plopped on top. Possibly the best thing coming from the cafeteria were those melt in your mouth rolls.

    We have already polished off one entire loaf of this bread.  It makes wonderful toast (spread it with honey-butter),  a delicious snack and it’s great for sandwiches.  I find myself compelled to say, “with a swipe of butter it’s just downright butter fricky”!

    Check out the “Bees and Honey” page -“The Bee Yard- Dogs & Additions” (at the top of this blog) for an update on my bees.

    Enjoy!

    Bread & Butter

    Whole Wheat- Oatmeal Bread

    Ingredients:
    2 cups milk
    1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (NOT quick cooking) plus additional for topping
    1/2 cup warm water (105-115*F)
    2 tablespoons active dry yeast (3 packets)
    1/2 cup mild honey
    1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus additional for buttering pans
    3 cups whole wheat flour
    About 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    2 teaspoons salt
    Vegetable oil
    1 large egg, lightly beaten with a little water
    2 8×4″ loaf pans

    Heat milk in a 2 quart saucepan over low heat until hot but not boiling, then remove the pan from heat and stir in oats.  Let stand, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cooled to warm.

    Stir together warmed water, yeast and 1 teaspoon of honey in a small bowl; let stand for about 5 minutes or until foamy.  Stir yeast mixture, melted butter and remaining honey into cooled oatmeal.

    Stir together whole wheat flour, 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour and salt into a large bowl. Add oat mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until a soft dough forms.  Turn out onto a well floured surface and knead with floured hands, adding just enough of remaining unbleached flour to keep from sticking, until dough is soft, smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  Form dough into a ball and transfer to an oiled large bowl, turning to coat. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1- 1 1/2 hours.

    Lightly butter loaf pans.  Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times to remove air.  Divide dough in half and shape each half into a loaf, then place 1 loaf in each buttered pan, seam side down, tucking ends gently to fit.  Cover loaf pans loosely with a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a draft-free, warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

    Put rack in middle position of oven and preheat to 375*.  Lightly brush tops of loaves with some of the egg wash and sprinkle with oats.  Bake until bread is golden and loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom, 35-40 minutes.  Remove bread from pans and transfer to rack to cool.

    Tips & Tidbits:
    Use a candy thermometer to test water temp before adding yeast.
    If yeast does not foam, discard and start with fresh yeast.
    Better yet, be sure and always check the expiration date on the yeast before beginning.
    For extra tasty loaves use a  stone pan.
    Bread will remain fresh wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature 4 days.  I’ll be shocked if you have any left after 4 days!

  • Almost Ready

    Almost Ready

    Ok, I know some of  you might be thinking, “does she know bees have stingers?”.  Yes, I do know that.  However, that small fact does not interrupt my excitement concerning the arrival of my bees.

    The good news is; today the fence was painted by my adoring husband, we secured the fence panels to complete the “bee yard” and my bee man gave me a BIG jar of honey.  Life is good!

    Luscious honey made by happy bees.

    I baked bread today using honey, Mr. Floyd’s honey.  Said bread is whole wheat, oatmeal and honey – and I  declare it to be fantastic!  You can expect to see photos and find the recipe posted one day this week.  The Orange Bee family  has eaten half a loaf this afternoon and Mr. Floyd and his charming wife, Kathy ate 2 slices each, with butter, when I delivered a loaf to them.  The barter system is still in existence for those of us who grew up out in the country and still live in the same.  I gave a loaf of bread and in return Mr. Floyd gleefully gave a jar of honey.

    I eagerly await the day I can give a jar of honey for a favor or nicety done to me.  If you live close to The Orange Bee you might want to remember that…. Coming soon, more delicious recipes, captivating photos and tidbits about bees.  Stay tuned…

  • Lemon Cream- Sounds Like Spring

    Lemon Cream- Sounds Like Spring

    Lemon Cream Gnocchi

    If you haven’t noticed by now I have spring on the brain.  I will tell you I love winter.  I really like coats, mittens, furry boots, and toasting my tootsies by the fire.  I like swirling warm, amber cognac in a snifter and sipping it by the fire.  I love to ski down wide, snowy slopes while the tall pines whiz by.  I like rosy cheeks peeking out of winter hats.  I like brisk walks in the chilled air.   See, I love winter!  On the other hand I also welcome spring.  The truth of the matter is, fall is my most favorite season.  But, since it is not close I’m ready for spring.  Flowers will be blooming, trees will blow green again, windows will be thrown open, heavy blankets are packed away and the air is fragrant with spring blossoms.

    Spring also conjures up images of lighter fare.  Gone are the hearty soups and stews of winter.  Think of chilled beverages, lemonade, spritzers, Sauvignon blanc poured in tall glasses to sip in the late afternoon.  Fruits and vegetables become more plentiful in the markets, with beautiful colors to enjoy.  Lighter meals are dished up all over America. Pastas bowls are filled, simple soups are sipped and salads are spun.

    Today I made a lighter meal for lunch.  Lemon-Cream Gnocchi.  Gnocchi is a somewhat filling pasta but served in a lemony cream sauce with baby peas and fresh leafy spinach it was perfect for this sunny, warm day.  This is a dish that can be served and enjoyed all the way through summer.  Changing my recipe by adding fresh shrimp, crab meat or even chicken would make a filling entrée for dinner served with a light salad on the side. It is so simple you can throw it together in just a few minutes and have a delightful lunch or dinner.  I hope you will try it when spring fever overtakes your brain.

    I’m crossing my fingers for warm, sunny weather tomorrow and through the weekend to be able to finish the “bee yard”.  I feel in my heart that my bees are ready to make the trek over to their Orange Bee home.  I’m constantly reading about bees and bee keeping and am preparing to give my bees the happiest home ever.  Happy bees make happy honey!

    Enjoy!

    Lemon-Cream Gnocchi

    1 cup frozen baby peas (not thawed)
    1/2 cup heavy cream – (or mix cream and 1/2 & 1/2)
    1/4 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes (you may adjust to taste)
    1 garlic clove, minced
    3 cups packed baby spinach
    2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
    1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
    1 1/2 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
    1 pound dried or refrigerated gnocchi
    1/4 cup parmesan

    Simmer peas with cream, garlic, red-pepper flakes, red bell pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a heavy skillet, covered, until tender, about 5 minutes.

    Add spinach and cook over medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and juice.

    Meanwhile cook gnocchi according to directions and drain when al dente.

    Add gnocchi and parmesan to sauce and stir to coat.  Thin with a little more cream if necessary and heat over low until thoroughly heated.  Serve immediately.

    I could not resist photographing this beautiful red bell pepper.  I’m posting it for your enjoyment!  I love photos of specimen fruits and vegetables.  I had a hard time putting the knife to this perfect pepper, but I managed for the sake of the recipe.

    Perfect Red Bell Pepper

  • Last Summer’s Bounty-Tonight’s Dessert

    Last Summer’s Bounty-Tonight’s Dessert

    Thank goodness for freezers!  Last summer I was trying to figure out what in the world to do with over 150 pounds of fresh peaches.  One method was to peel, pit, cut up and sprinkle with a little fruit fresh stuff, then freeze them in zip-lock baggies.  I am so pleased that I preserved them in this way as they make the most delicious pies, cobblers and today I discovered “Crisps”.

    A week or two ago my sweet bee man gave me a few bags of his blackberries preserved identically.  It won’t be long and the peaches will be ripe and ready for picking, as will the blackberries.  I decided today that it would be necessary to begin making room for the new crops of peaches and berries to fill the freezer. In July, a task which seems overwhelming, but come February, when peaches in the grocery, are tasteless and dry, are a welcome ingredient in my kitchen.  Hopefully in July when my counters and tables are covered in peaches begging to be dealt with, I will remember this light bulb moment.

    One of my favorite ways to make a meal, dish or dessert is to dig through my cupboards, frig and pantry and whip up some deliciousness based on what is in the house.  Today I needed something sweet….have you noticed from time to time, actually rather frequently, I “need” something sweet?  Adoring husband used to question why I unfailingly felt the need for something sweet after dinner.  He’s over that now!

    Tonight we will all enjoy this yummy Peach-Blackberry Crisp.  I like the way it bubbled up inside the dish.  I like the purple color that bled through.  I like that when you dig into it the beautiful peaches peek out.  It is juicy, crunchy, sweet and delectable.  A scoop of vanilla ice cream would make a delightful accompaniment – we’re all out – but we’re good. Tomorrow I’ll make a trip to the grocery for a small carton of Blue Bell Vanilla Bean and we can enjoy it all over again.  If you are not blessed to have Blue Bell in your area, I’m sorry, you have no idea what you are missing (as far as store-bought ice cream goes).  It is a Texas favorite and rightly so!

    Enjoy!

    Peach-Blackberry Crisp

    1 1/2 pounds of peaches, pitted, peeled, and cut into wedges
    2 cups blackberries, picked over and rinsed
    1 tablespoon cornstarch
    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    1 tablespoon almond extract
    1/3 cup sugar
    2/3 cup all-purpose flour
    3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
    1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
    1/4 teaspoon of salt
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
    3/4 cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted

    Preheat oven to 350*

    In a large bowl toss the peaches, blackberries, cornstarch, lemon juice, almond extract and sugar until well mixed.

    Peaches & Blackberries

    In a small bowl combine flour, brown sugar, oats, salt and cinnamon, mix well.  Add the broken bits of butter and blend until mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Stir in the nuts.

    Pour fruit mixture into a 3 quart baking dish, sprinkle topping over it evenly, and bake in the middle of a preheated oven for 45-50 minutes,   or until bubbly and topping is golden brown.

    Peach-Blackberry Crisp Topping

  • Spring Is In The Air

    Spring Is In The Air

    Pineapple-Avocado Salad

    Hello Orange Bee visitors!  I am refreshed from my long weekend of relaxing, visiting, shopping, and reading.  This past weekend I was in west Texas where spring was in the air.  With temperatures in the 80’s I enjoyed flip-flops and warm breezes.  I admit as much as I like to try new recipes and cook I appreciated not spending any time in the kitchen except to load an occasional coffee cup or wine glass into the dishwasher.  We ate out all meals over the weekend, which was swell for keeping me out of the kitchen but I was feeling it in my waistline.  You know, too much salt, the chips and salsa or bread basket delivered pre-dinner can sabotage a waistline.  Don’t get me wrong I can exert self-control when eating out but after several days of restaurant food  I was craving fruits and veggies fresh from my frig tossed with one of my homemade dressings.

    Pineapple- Avocado salad is what I came up with.  I love to toss what looks good from my fruit basket, crisper drawer or pantry into a salad and whip up a fresh dressing. Normally I would use fresh pineapple but having been out-of-town I didn’t have one sitting around so I used canned.   This salad makes me think of spring with its creamy avocado and juicy pineapple chunks mixed in with all those colorful lettuces.  Having a little taste of warm weather, bare toes and indulging in this delightful salad brings hope for spring to be right around the corner.

    As I write, my adoring husband is welding pipes together to complete the “bee yard”.  He is multi talented and valuable in helping me to finish preparing for my girls to move in.  You know, most bees in a hive are girls and as winter months approach the male bees remaining in the hive are carried off by the girls so as not to have them lazing around or eating stored honey during the dormant time of year.  This time of year, the girls are preparing cells for their queen to lay eggs and determining just how many boys will be born into the hive.  Once the boys are mature they take off from the hive, fertilize maiden queens and then they die!  Their one purpose in life is fertilization and then their party is over.   Alas, my bees will be arriving this weekend, weather permitting.  I cannot begin to express how excited I am to start this adventure.  I have been studying and reading about bees and bee keeping in all of my spare time.  I feel prepared and look forward to sharing my bee escapades with you.  Stay tuned…

    If you are feeling a little spring feverish throw together this delicious salad, put on your flip-flops, kick back & enjoy!

    Pineapple-Avocado Salad

    Green and red leaf lettuce
    1 ripe medium size avocado, cubed
    1 can of pineapple chunks, drained – save juice
    Handful of almonds – finely chopped
    Chives – finely chopped
    Fresh ground pepper

    Dressing:
    1/2 cup pineapple juice
    1/4 cup vegetable oil
    2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
    1 Tablespoon sugar
    1/8 Teaspoon salt

    In a jar or bowl combine dressing ingredients and whisk together or shake well.
    Toss greens in a bowl.  Dip the cubed avocado into the pineapple juice, arrange over lettuce.  Add drained pineapple to the salad greens and avocado, pour dressing over and toss.  Place salad on plates and sprinkle with chopped almonds, chives and fresh ground pepper.

  • All Hail The Queen

    All Hail The Queen

     

    A frame not yet full of honey

     

    Yesterday I met one of the queen bees who will moving to my “Bee Yard” next weekend.  I was invited to join my bee mentor, Mr. Floyd for another inspection of his hives.  I was pleased that he offered an extra bee suit to adoring husband, allowing him to see what all the buzz is about.  I appointed him head photographer so I could work and investigate the hives.  He graciously accepted the task.

    Unfortunately the sun did not act graciously and we worked under cloudy skies – not the bees favorite conditions.  We opened and inspected about 7 or 8 hives.  When you inspect a hive, for those of you unfamiliar with bee keeping, you first smoke the entrance and around the top to calm the bees.  Next the top is removed, allowing a view into the hive.  When the top comes off the bees are exposed to light and are warned that something is happening.  Did  you know that bees live in darkness inside those hives?  Most of the bees stay on the frames and continue to work but a few always seem to come buzzing out.  A little more smoke is pumped into the hive at this time and the bee keeper removes the frames from inside the hive and inspects for brood, aka baby bees, amount of honey production, any intruders, population of bees in the hive and this time of year for the queen.  By this time the bees remain calm or they might show that they are angry for having been disturbed.  Yesterday all but one hive remained calm, albeit they do come out and explore what is going on. When the one hive seemed a little angry we returned the frame and the lid and left them alone knowing they were a healthy bunch!

     

    Bees working in frames

     

    We had completed our inspection of all but 2 hives and had yet to locate a queen.  We moved to a small hive and Mr. Floyd told me it was one that would be moving to my yard.  I was pretty excited to see how well “my” bees were doing.  I began to ask him about seeing or not seeing the queens, and was telling him I’d only seen a queen one time, when he’d removed bees from our camper.  I was wondering out loud if I would be able to spot a queen on my own when lo and behold I spotted “my” queen.  She was beautiful and busy.  You’ll see her photo below.  She posed for the paparazzi as I stood there in amazement!  She is the larger, brownish bee near the top center.  Mr. Floyd gave me kudos for spotting her and pointing her out. That event made my day and I am still smiling at having found the queen bee in my hive.

     

    All Hail The Queen

     

    The bee yard will be buzzing with excitement next weekend when the bees move in.  I’ll be praying for sun and warm days and nights to help them settle into their new digs.  I think my photographer got some fabulous shots yesterday.  Stay tuned for more adventures which will be taking place right in The Orange Bee bee yard. Meantime take a gander at the shots from yesterday.  Thanks honey!

     

    Removing frames for inspection

    Replacing a super full of honey and bees. Weight is about 30-40 pounds

    I love this shot of the bees!