Archive for April, 2010
Raising Bees for Honey and Money
In the Bible, Israel was called the “Land of Milk and Honey”. There has to be something very significant about that, and I’m convinced it has to be the food value. Just a bit of an aside here: the Israelites did not drink cow’s milk; it was either sheep or goat milk. If I had to give America a label, it might be the “Land of coffee and sugar”.
Think about the nutritional value of honey versus sugar. Just think about it. I am not going to give you any scientific analysis here. We’ve all heard about the harmful effects of consuming too much sugar. I’ve concluded that honey is a food with extremely high nutritional value. Now, does that mean we abandon Starbucks in favor of milk and honey? Probably not, but as a self-sufficient homestead, small business or hobby, raising honeybees, or beekeeping, can be quite rewarding, both nutritionally and possibly even monetarily.
Did you know that Bee Pollen is just about the most perfect food there is? It has all the nutrients to give you what you need to sustain life. So, why not grow your own?
10 Healthful Reasons to Have Honey Around
• Honey is nonirritating to the lining of the digestive tract
• Honey is easily and rapidly assimilated
• Honey quickly furnishes the demand for energy
• Honey enables athletes to recuperate rapidly from exertion
• Honey is, of all sugars, handled best by the kidneys
• Honey has a natural and gentle laxative effect
• Honey has sedative value, quieting the body
• Honey will relieve an annoying cough (when mixed with lemon juice or apple cider vinegar)
• Honey will relieve the pain from a burn and promote healing of the burned area
• Chewing of capped honeycomb has been known to relieve sinus problems including seasonal hay fever
And here is something else to chew on (pun intended). While there is no scientific proof, those in the bee industry are fairly certain that eating honey from your local area may cut down on your seasonal allergies. That’s because the honey has bits of pollen in it that activate your immune system just like the allergy shots you get at the doctor’s office… only this is ALL NATURAL! It’s definitely worth a try, right? A teaspoon or two a day is all you need.
To try your hand at beekeeping or just get more information check out the links below.
http://extension.missouri.edu/explorepdf/agguides/pests/g07600.pdf
http://www.beginner-beekeeping.com/?hop=wask21
http://img4.sunset.com/static/pdf/OneBlock_Bee.pdf
Honey and Lemon Sore Throat Remedy
I am one of those people who are prone to sore throats, especially during our windy seasons. This is the only thing I’ve found that helps soothe the pain.
In a large coffee mug or small tea pot, put in one thick slice of lemon and a heaping tablespoon of organic honey. Pour boiling water over and stir until honey dissolves. Sip while still hot, but not scalding. It may sting at first, but after a few sips your throat will be soothed. Drink often throughout the day (renewing lemon and honey with each batch); bacteria can’t adhere to moist throat tissue.
photo credit: San Diego Shooter
Sunday Baking
Sundays are a day of rest at our farm. It’s a time when we leave most hard core jobs for another day. Whether we consider it the end of a week or just the beginning the pace is slower and more relaxed, with time to stroll in the garden and soak up some sun.
Sunday is also the day I bake my weekly bread. It’s a ritual I enjoy and one that lends itself well to a day of puttering. The weather is chilly and gloomy out there, a sharp contrast to the gardening-inducing sun of previous days. It is warm inside and the quiet melodic tunes coming from the radio seem to keep time with my wooden spoon moving around the bowl. I don’t know the name of the song, I don’t bother to pay attention to such mundane things on days l like this, but it a grand way to pass an afternoon. Grand indeed. Heat up the tea pot, kick off my shoes, cradle a newborn chick in my hands and breathe a little slower. Everyone has their own way of celebrating their faith. This is mine. A time when time itself seems to almost stand still, where songs sink deep into the soul reminding us of life’s more important meanings, where the food is good and a cup of tea puts a life on the mend. Life is good. Have a soulful day, all.
Buttermilk Whole Wheat Bread
(from Bernard Clayton’s New Complete Book of Breads)
(makes one 9″x5″ or two 8.5″x4.5″ loaves)
Ingredients:
2 packages dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (105-115F)
1-1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1-1/2 cups bread flour, approximately
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup shortening, room temperature
2 tablespoons brown sugar or molasses
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
Step 1 – In a large mixing bowl sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir briefly to dissolve. Set aside while allowing the buttermilk to reach room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Step 2 – When at room temperature, pour the buttermilk, bread flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour, shortening, brown sugar or molasses, baking powder, and salt into the yeast mixture. Blend with 50 strong strokes of a wooden spoon, or at low speed in a mixer until the flour and the dry ingredients are absorbed. With a wooden spoon or mixer flat beater stir in the remaining whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and, when it becomes thick, work with the fingers. Allow 4 to 5 minutes for the whole wheat flour to fully absorb the liquid before adding more flour. The dough will be slightly sticky and soft. You may wish to add more bread flour to help control the stickiness.
Step 3 – Sprinkle flour on the work surface and turn out the soft dough. In the early stages of kneading, a metal spatula or dough blade will help turn and fold the dough. It will also scrape up the film of dough from the work surface. Knead with a strong push-turn-fold action, occasionally lifting the dough above the counter and banging it down hard. Knead for 8 minutes, buy hand or with a dough hook.
Step 4 – There is no “first” rising–the dough is put in the pans and set aside to rise. Divide the 2 pieces, if desired, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Shape into balls; press the balls into ovals the length of the pans. Fold in half lengthwise, pinch the seam, and place in the pans with the seam under. Push the dough into the corners of the pans. Cover the pans with wax paper and leave at room temperature until the dough has risen 1″ to 2″ above the level of the pan, about 50 minutes. (Rising times will be reduced if using instant yeast.)
Step 5 – Preheat oven to 425F 20 minutes before baking.
Step 6 – Bake the loaf or loaves in the oven until they are golden brown and loose in the pans, about 30-35 minutes. Cover with foil if the crusts are browning too rapidly. The loaves are baked if the sound is hard and hollow when thumped on the bottom crust.
Step 7 – Remove loaves from the oven and place on wire racks to cool.
Mason Jar Lemonade and Iced Tea
Masonades!
We have a barbeque restaurant in town that serves cold drinks in quart-sized mason jars. They call them MASONADES, packed with ice, easy to handle and the perfect size so that you’re not slurping the bottom in just a few drinks.
With the days getting warmer, a lot of us are spending more time outside. Whether you’re enjoying time in the barn, lounging in the garden or just running to town for errands, spring is a great time to enjoy a batch of good old fashioned refreshment.
I’m a big fan (huge actually) of fresh, homemade, lemonade and brewed iced tea. But, since there are only two of us, it doesn’t make sense to make a big pitcher. Taking a hint from my local BBQ joint I came up with a way to make my own single-serving sized drinks in portable containers, which is great when you’re on the road and want a cold drink to take along with you, or when you’ve been outside digging in the garden and need something instantly cold and sweet to boost up your blood sugar. Enter Mason Jar Lemonade and Iced Tea – quart-sized servings of hand-squeezed lemonade or fresh brewed iced tea. You can make enough for a whole weekend in few minutes, which makes me wonder how powdered drink mixes ever became popular.
Here’s what you need:
Quart mason jars (with lids)
Fresh organic lemons
Water
Ice cubes
Natural sugar or honey
Natural lemon juice
Organic black tea bags or flavored tea bags
Fresh mint or lemon verbena from the garden
Here’s what to do:
Fill jars halfway with warm water (the warm water helps dissolve the sugar and honey). Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice into a jar, and plop the cut lemon into the jar as well, making the water tart and filled with little bits of pulp and flavor. If you really want to kick up the tartness – add some fresh lemon juice (about a teaspoon) to the mix. Then add as much sugar or honey as you like (depending on your mood and the weather it could be as little as a teaspoon or as much as 2 tablespoons). Top it off with ice till it’s nearly overflowing. Seal the lid and shake the hell out of it until its one big, frothy, icy delight. There you have it. Farm fresh, all natural, and ready for travel.
For the Iced Tea:
I just pour hot water from a kettle into room-temperature jars with an organic black tea-bag and let it cool on the kitchen counter. Then I drop in a lemon slice and a bit of sugar, some ice, a sprig of mint and sit it in the fridge alongside the jars of lemonade. When it’s cold enough to condense water off the sides, it’s manna from the still.
For an added treat try flavored teas like Blueberry or Raspberry. Better yet, mix the tea and the lemonade, half and half, in one jar for a killer organic fresh-made Arnold Palmer.
I make several of these and stash them in the fridge so I’m never out of a refreshing drink. Instead of grabbing a can of soda, I grab a cold jar of real lemonade in a reusable container, which not only tastes amazing, but feels more authentic than any processed beverage.
Need to please a crowd?
Try this “Lemonade for 100” recipe from the “Joy of Cooking”.
Boil for 10 minutes
4 cups water
8 cups sugar
Cool the syrup. Then stir in:
71/2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
To serve, simply mix the concentrate with 4 gallons of cold water and serve over ice.
There you have it – enough lemonade concentrate to quench the thirst of any army.
Add style to your outdoor gathering by serving it in pint-sized mason jars with bowls of sliced lemons, mint and lemon verbena as garnishes.
I am a Farm Girl Geek
Yep!
Yes, Sir!
That’s me.
I’m a farm girl geek. I own clothing with farm themes on it. I have sheep on my sweaters and livestock on my gloves. I don’t need to be reminded that I’m a farm girl at heart. But, I like to show other “closeted” farm girls that they don’t need to be afraid to show their true selves – even in our over consumptive suburban part of the world. It causes people to pause, to strike up a conversation about their own attempts to be more self-reliant. I applaud what ever measures they have taken. And, with these simple steps and small encounters we can build a network of friends with the same goals.
So – come out of the closet folks! Wear your farm gear proudly! And, start to build a network of like-minded people in your own community.
photo credit: Shovelling Son
Recent comments
Aenean nonummy hendrerit mauris. Phasellus porta.