¼ cup – peeled, sliced ginger , or ½ teaspoon of ground ginger
1 cup – water
1 cup – Harmony Hollow Honey
½ cup – lemon juice
Directions
In a small saucepan, combine lemon zest, sliced ginger and 1 cup of water. Bring mixture to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, then strain through into a heat-proof measuring cup. Rinse the saucepan out and pour in 1 cup of honey. On low heat, warm the honey, but do not allow it to boil. Add the strained lemon ginger water and the lemon juice. Stir the mixture until it combines to form a thick syrup. Pour into a clean jar with a lid. Note: This can be refrigerated for up to 2 months.
For children ages 1 to 5, use ½ to 1 teaspoon every 2 hours. For children ages 5 to 12, use 1 to 2 teaspoon every 2 hours. For children 12 and older and adults, use 1 to 2 tablespoons every 4 hours.*
* Remember, honey is recommended for children after the age of one.
Recipe courtesy of Nurse Practitioner Barbara Dehn, RN, MS, NP.
One of my best harvests this summer was from a few hives that had been near a LOT of mesquite trees while they were in bloom. The honey is some of the lightest, sweetest honey that I have seen.
Unfortunately, though, mesquite nectar tends to crystallize. Quickly. Did I mention that it gets granular and crystallized fast? It does. Really…
Honey is a mixture of fructose and glucose (and amino acids) – and every flowering plant that created nectar – makes the nectar at different ratios of glucose to fructose. Once the bees dehydrate the water from the nectar (from about 80% water to about 17%-18% water) – it becomes a supersaturated sugar solution. Eventually – natural honey WILL crystallize – the “when” is determined by flower source (factored out to sugar ratios) and moisture content. Some honeys will stay liquid for years – and some will crystallize almost before we can spin it from the frames.
Here’s a shot of my last jar of my personal stash of mesquite tree honey:
The entire jar has crystallized almost solid.
The fix is to warm it. I put this particular jar in my truck – with the windows rolled down a bit to keep it from getting too hot. A few hours later, I checked it – and it was completely liquid again.
Here it is AFTER being in the cab of the truck for about 2 hours.
Be careful not to get the honey too hot. If it gets above about 130 deg. F, then there is a potential to destroy beneficial enzymes in the honey. So, keep the honey to a range of about 100-110 deg. f. to keep the beneficial aspects intact.
In a medium bowl, combine milk, honey and beaten egg; mix well. Add baking mix and stir until moistened. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake at 400°F for 18 – 20 minutes.
Comments
These muffins are easy to make and they are very moist. Yield: (10-12 Muffins)
Tip
The Science of Honey: Weight a Minute An easy way to measure honey for a recipe is to remember that one 12-ounce container of honey equals one cup. But not all liquids have the same measure. One cup of water equals eight ounces. This is because liquids such as honey also contain solids and are more “dense” than water.
I have recreated the blog post made by Daisy WindSong (Chelsea Riley) for her JumpSTART program for children. A presentation on bees and pollinators was given to the children of a Dallas area homeless shelter. Shared are various forms of passion – whether it be a hobby, exercise, meditation technique, or other activity that is useful in our lives to give these children ideas and hope for their tomorrow.
Our first meeting of JUMPSTART was a huge success! Here’s a few pictures from our evening!
We started off the evening with a nice open heart circle and some stretching to get us relaxed and ready for our meditation!
Then Rex shared a song with us all and we sang along as he played the harmonium! (note from Rex – I brought 1971 forward to 2015 with a rendition of “Teach the World to Sing” – originally by Coca Cola corporation, then re-lyriced by the New Seekers to remove the commercial branding in the song. Lyrics below. The kids were given a song sheet – and much to my surprise, sang along with me. It was fantastic!)
Rex then quizzed us on our knowledge of bees! I was surprised by how much the kids knew!
Then finally, they were revealed!
I’m so grateful for that sturdy little box! The kids had a blast and no one was stung!
Thank you, volunteers of JUMPSTART! You make this project great in every way!
My rendition of Teach the World to Sing – with a little Sanskrit fade-away addition at the end of the song.
Harmony Hollow Apiary / Rex Smith will be vending at the Blisstonia Experience in November 2015. (Fri-Sun – 13th-15th – Near Goliad, Texas). I will have the following products at the event:
BLISSTONIA is an immersive 3-day experience deep in the heart of Texas! This is an invitation to embark on epic journey as we co-create a heart-based community through sacred play and celebration. Join us as we…
~ DANCE in a sacred, intentional space to powerful LIVE MUSIC
~ Engage in WORKSHOPS taught by dynamic teachers
~ CAMP IN NATURE as we enjoy the groves of huge oak trees, fields of wildflowers, sparkling ponds and rolling hills of the beautiful LAND where our event takes place.
BLISSTONIA is more than a music festival. It’s a homecoming.
Featuring LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCES from:
♫ THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE — Los Angeles, CA
♫ DRUMSPYDER — Oakland, CA
♫ THE NADIS WARRIORS — Austin, TX
♫ BHAKTI HOUSE BAND — Dallas, TX
♫ WINDSONG — Dallas, TX
♫ BOURGEOIS MYSTICS — Austin, TX
♫ HAYDEN JONES — Houston, TX
♫ ENLOOM — Houston, TX
♫ BAYOU CITY FUNK — Houston, TX
We’re offering 3 stations featuring WORKSHOPS ALL DAY to awaken your creative spirit: ecstatic dance, contact improvisation, acro yoga, tai chi, transformational theatre, co-creative partner dance, embodied voice journeying, Butoh dance, Open Heart-Open Mic and more!
The OM ZONE will serve as a sacred space of quiet serenity for people to relax and meditate and will also host sound healing sessions, crystal bowl sound baths and group meditations. The VENDORS VILLAGE will feature a consciously curated selection of local merchants selling hand crafted artisan goods, jewelery, whole foods, treats, healthy beverages & tonics.
We’re also offering a COSMIC CANVAS ART GALLERY featuring live painters and artists from all over the state of Texas, a GODDESS GARDEN and KIDS ZONE for the little ones. Plenty of spots to play!
Blisstonia is a *** family-friendly, alcohol-free & drug-free event ***
~ Children 18 and under are FREE of chrage ~
No alcohol is ever served or sold at our event. No illegal substances are allowed on the property. Our intention is to create a safe, mindful, family-friendly space to connect & play. This is an invitation to enter a heightened state simply through the power of music and movement, remembering that deep transformation and inspiration can take place by experiencing the technology of dance & the high vibration we collectively generate.
Welcome to BLISSTONIA! We look forward to playing with you 🙂 ♥ 🙂
My daughter was given these cowgirl boots as a holiday gift approximately 6 years ago. She wears them pretty regularly while working with horses. Riding, cleaning stalls, tromping through fields and streams, and more. They have been well used, and the leather was DRY. Until yesterday, she had not treated the leather with anything (nor had she ever polished her boots).
After seeing the difference that was made with MY boots – she was inspired to add the leather conditioner to her pair of boots. After wiping off any debris, she used an old shop-rag to apply the conditioner paste to the boots. We let the boots sit overnight to absorb as much of the oil as possible. The following morning, she warmed the leather with a hair-dryer to make sure as much of the oils and wax would absorb into the fibers of the leather as possible. Then she applied a second coat – let them sit for a while more – and then wiped off the excess.
They now look fantastic, and she promises to re-apply the conditioner as needed – and to not let the leather dry out again.
Made with food-grade mineral oil and natural beeswax. Fantastic wood sealer for wooden items such as: butcher’s blocks, kitchen utensils, cutting boards, salad bowls, wooden spoons, and much much more (wood that is unfinished).
Seals the wood and highlights the natural wood grain.
(Left Photo – Before sealing; Right photo – After Sealing)
Simply apply to the dry wood with a soft cloth. Let it sit for a while for the oils to penetrate the wood grain, then wipe off the excess sealer.
I have also had good results with lightly warming the utensils (appx 140 deg. F “warm setting”) in the oven after coating (set them on a piece of aluminum foil to prevent any drips) Remove the utensils from the warm oven, then coat again to fully seal the wood grain. Wipe off excess.
Re-apply Harmony Hollow Wood Conditioner as necessary. This product only contains two ingredients. All natural beeswax from Harmony Hollow Apiary’s beehives, and food-grade mineral oil.
Combine honey, oil, eggs and milk in large bowl; mix well. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl; mix well. Stir into honey mixture. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Spoon into two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2-inch greased and floured loaf pans. Bake in preheated 350°F oven 40 to 45 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
In 1974, the movie, Benji, was released. This house was one of the homes used in the movie. You can see the exterior of the house at 3 min 58 seconds into the movie. This home is now affectionately known as “The Benji House” in McKinney.
Then, in the early 1990’s the home was purchased – with the intention of renovating it back to it’s original glory. The only thing the homeowners have to give them a guide is an old photograph. There were no plans or blueprints (that are available any more).
The next photo is how it looks today – from a similar angle.
The contractor that is performing the renovations encountered a hive of honeybees in the 3rd story roof line of the South Western corner of the home.
Here is what is seen from the outside:
And the bees are entering and exiting through a baseball-sized hole in the roof shakes – just above and to the left of the window shown.
It was unknown whether the bees had occupied the space in the 3rd floor wall – or if they were in the joist space between floors – or in the wall joist below the hole.
Initial exploration was to the 3rd floor interior wall. We eliminated that the comb was in the joist space by means of a laser thermometer. (and I was able to stick my hand into the joist space from the 3rd floor access)
Once it was determined that the bees were definitely in the joist space to the outside edge of the 2nd floor window – the removal began. Because of the age of the building materials – the contractor provided an employee on-site during the removal to assist and actually open the house up for me – and then he will replace all the removed boards. This was his first time to work with bees – and he was a trooper! I provided an extra bee veil and jacket for him to use throughout the removal.
And the first board is removed. We could see the bottom edge of comb. The next boards were removed.
(view looking up from the opened first board).
Three boards removed now…
And working our way up to the top.
Finally – all the comb with honey, brood, and eggs was removed – and the worker bees and queen were vacuumed into a collection box – to be reunited with their brood comb at the bee yard.
With the wall cleared of comb, insulation was placed to fill the space so that it cannot be occupied in the future. And the contractor will put all the wood back into place.
Withe the bees removed – my truck is loaded up, and ready to head to the bee yard.
Grease 12 muffin cups with butter. Roll out thawed dough on lightly floured board to 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Mix honey and cinnamon. Using back of spoon, spread in even layer over dough. Sprinkle with nuts. Roll up dough, starting from long edge and end with seam on bottom. Cut dough roll using a gentle sawing motion into 12 equal-size buns. Place buns, spiral side up, in muffin cups. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and let rise 30 to 60 minutes or until buns puff and fill cups. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and carefully turn pan upside down onto board, letting syrup drip onto buns before removing them from pan.
