Sunday, February 20, 2011

Sweet Sweet Honey of Mine

My dad's fiance, Bev has her very own honeybees. I've always wanted to know someone with honeybees, but never imagined it to be possible. I mean, what are the chances right. Its not like we live in the deep, hot South. Brydon is going to suit up this summer and do some harvesting with her, I think I may just watch, but we'll see...A couple of weeks ago, my dad and Bev dropped off this gigantic bucket of the first honey of the season, aka- the best honey, since its flavour is in its truest most defined time, with complexity and the perfect amount of deep sweetness. It is truly oooey gooey love on your tongue, and seems to go in all my cooking these days.

I can't believe I have this enormous bucket of goodness. It must weigh over 40-pounds easy. So if you're honeyless (I love that word, even though it doesn't actually exist) and would like to try some liquid heaven, please let me know. I would love to share my gold with you. I'll send you away with an old fashioned mason jar, wrapped in ribbon and labelled Bev's Healing Honey. I'm totally on that this week, can't wait to create the pretty, wholesome jars.

I feel incredibly blessed to have an endless source of honey. I've always known its special. When we were small kids we used to stay at my grandma and grandpa's place out in Red Water. My grandma has always been into health and never had any store bought sweets lying around the house (besides maybe those awful soap gummies, you eventually love). So it was either a small cup of semi-frozen Welches Grape Juice eaten with a spoon (so fun) or a teaspoon of golden honey. The perfect treat.

After reading more about it and of course, The Secret Life of Bees, I've learned its sacred indeed. It never goes bad, I mean NEVER. It will actually last for centuries if its stored properly, and a little teaspoon all by itself truly takes the edge off the day. Here's Morgan having her daily fix of it. How can I say no? The health benefits are endless, never-mind the overwhelming bliss benefits.

Honey has been around since 2100 B.C., but presumably even much earlier. This is just the first human recording. Legend says, cupid dipped his arrows in honey before aiming at his unsuspecting lovers. Its often still referred to as 'the nectar of the Gods'. It was so valuable at one time, it was actually used as currency, tribute or offering. Honey bees must tap over two million flowers to make just one pound of honey. The average honeybee worker will only make one twelfth of a teaspoon during its lifetime! These bees are obviously not afraid of commitment and hard work. Talk about a heap of energy for sooo little. I guess its just that precious, and they know it. In other words, honey is damn special and bees are vital to our earth's natural cycle. So we better treat em with some r.e.s.p.e.c.t. They sure as heck deserve it.

I mean really, just look at the joy this stuff induces! The uses are endless too- the perfect salve for a cut that needs speedy healing and cleaning, to die for with warm butter on a homemade biscuit right out of the oven, and I even indulge in whisking it with egg whites for an edible face mask. I know, crazy right. It makes your skin glow like nothing else. Its not the pregnancy friends, its the honey!

Sunday brunch.

Now, speaking of super sweet. Who wouldn't want this freakin adorable ginger bread house on the edge of their chai latte? Perfect with a honey, peanut butter and banana crepe. Yummmm.


Thank you Bev.
You have truly given us the sweetest gift of all.

P.S. If you are not craving honey by now, you are a nutbar. xo

4 comments:

  1. That could have been sitting on Grandma's counter...still to this day nothing better than a peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich...makes me feel like a kid again...thanks, Laney!

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  2. I know so many Stephanie's, which one are you, or do I even know you!? Glad you liked it. Its gotta the ultimate comfort food, if you can even consider it food, its more like a big reward for the tongue. xo

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  3. Yes you know me - it's your cousin, Stephanie!

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  4. Thought so, but didn't want to assume, I only know 6 of you!!! Damn Stephanies, you could take over the world. Ha ha. You've also never called me Laney before...so wasn't sure.

    Grammy was so good about giving us healthy sweets, what a sweetie she is. I miss those days back in Red Water- even if grandpa threatened us with 'lickens' YIKES. Lazy days of playing endless War and Fish, flower picking, dressing up and playing in their creepy basement, putzing around in the garden, eating buckets of fresh peas, and the best bedtime stories with grandma, OH and of course, who could forget the VON FART Family! Haha! What a smelly crew we were. Loved it.

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