Beekeeper’s Delight -Stolen Gold – Honey

The Beekeeper’s Delight…Springtime Flowing Liquid Amber!

Today I harvested a top box from 2 of my neighborhood hives… & they each were about 70% full of honey.   It is a dark amber capped honey from …when?  Last fall?

The 4 hives are all healthy & strong – lots of foragers going in with an orange pollen.  I am glad for that, as many other hives have been lost this year…not sure of the percentage, but each loss is a blow to the health of honeybees & the hopes for our pollinated future.

Pictures of the rogue comb from one box that was left with a large open area (4 frames missing) in the center – see how they started to make comb in the other direction – nicely spaced & very orderly in some places.

On another frame, the comb got completely out of hand – looks like comb/cells on top of other cells, till it hung down dangerously & filled the available space…a surrealist sculpture – created in community!  We keepers have a job to do – to help the hive by keeping “bee space” for them so that they are not obliged to fill the spaces with rogue comb which must be hard to navigate on an hourly basis.  It takes a few minutes & focused intent in our buzzy lives… you could say -  Bee conscious!

My latest tidy trick…I used the “Bee Quick” natural oils with a fume board to move those girls down the box so that when I took the box off, it was almost entirely empty & could be quickly & easily de-framed into a plastic bin with lid.  I laid the fume board on the top of the open tub while I worked the frames & was pleased that no bees found the opening.  No more hive-side stress of brushing off the bees, handling & scraping frames into a bucket  while angry bees buzz around…of course, I now need to open the hive again tomorrow to replace those dripping frames & their super.  It is SO worth it!

I am cleaning out older honey & messy old comb to make room for the fresh seasonal crop – it is better for them & a bonus for those of us who value this golden treasure

After the hot work of harvesting, I got the chance to present a little home schooling to the “Blue House Gang” as I scraped the honey from the foundation in the safety of my kitchen.   We all admired the shape of the wax cells, ate some chewy comb honey, put a couple of bees safely outdoors, & most of all – watched the rich golden sticky stuff fall gracefully & deliciously from my spatula into the strainer – it was pure magic to see for the first time!

And now?

Honey is still slowly dripping fro the top strainer inside my big pot, so – before bed I will pour it into jars & get to watch the amber golden flow one more time!

Bees Here Now,

Annie

PS Saint Pat’s Day – and yes, I am wearing green…from top to bottom!

The Garden Greenhouse

The Garden Greenhouse is being Built!

So exciting, the little greenhouse is happening!

Now we have dug & laid the paver floor, and are framing it out

…an 8×12 multi-use building on the western edge of the garden…

We have begun to clean up some repurposed windows for the West & South sides,

I have a full set of vintage patio doors & side lights to give elegance to playhouse entrance on the East side, with its “patio for having tea”. I am gong to plant climbing roses on both sides of the doors.

…the back wall is to be a solid wooden panel for hanging tools inside & hiding the handcarts outside.

Actually, it is much more imposing than I had thought.  I am not a builder, and in fact – now realize I cannot envision structures after they have become more than a door & simple walls.  It turns out the doors need “headers”, the roof requires eves, the walls have strong corner posts, all classic construction details that have somehow never come on my radar.

I helped Joel cut some wallboard – was just holding it steady, really, but have given a hand here and there in the process.

My job is more that of the designer of the overall garden space…

How to make best use of the tiny garden we urban folks have…compost piles, beds, fruit trees, nursery or greenhouse, plus a beautiful look to it all, & having fun!!!…quite the challenge!

I love the garden as it wakes up in the spring – the rose bushes look happy, their leaves all shiny & healthy, the early bulbs nod their heads in the breeze, the longer days seem to give everything beauty & hope!

Blessings of Spring to you All,

Annie

SIMMERING SQUASH in my Crock Pot

Simmering Squash in my Crock Pot

LAST CHANCE WINTER SQUASH SOUP

How to eat what you have on hand…
End of winter finds me cleaning out the pantry just like my great gramma did – and indeed – finding a small box of our homegrown butternut squash.  They are all so tiny (4 inches long) & in fact – have no seeds … these little babies were the ones I grew in my only-slightly-successful circle bed of the Three Sisters…beans, squash & corn, the ancient inter-planted companion staple foods for simple nutrition & long storage. Mostly I struck out in that cute little circle bed – no beans to pick, a dozen small, short ears of corn & these few puny squash. Ok – I did have one fabulous and huge squash, but she seemed out of place with the others…

The bed was a converted hard pan walkway in partial shade that I dressed with compost & turned, so maybe I shouldn’t feel too bad – but, still – wished I could have eaten a lot of lovely sweet corn last year!! I won’t be trying corn again with my shade problems & space issues…look out Farmer’s Market!

Back to the cooking…

So, easy to make a dinner with them – after breakfast – as Richard is doing the dishes, I just cut them up slightly, clean out the centers & pop into a slow cooker for a few hours of slow steaming.  By afternoon they are cooked up and soft.  If you are at work all day, you can leave them as long as you need, it won’t hurt the result.

Dinner is almost ready when you walk in the door – 5 minutes to chop one large onion – sautéed until soft in olive oil, then add a scoop of Thai spicy sauce (you could just use Italian seasoning or even simply salt & pepper to taste) and use your handy stick blender right in the crock pot…or transfer everything to a jar blender & give it a whirl!  Leave chinks of squash & onion for texture.  This delicious & hearty soup dish has no protein, but is a perfect serving of slow burning carbs, with very little but high quality fat calories from the olive oil.  With an addition of a cold bean or chicken salad, it is a simple yet balanced meal for the busy cook and her(his) family!

I love squash & pumpkin soups all winter long, and am sad to see the last of them go with the end of these lovely little baby squash from my pantry.

So – DO try making a simple squash soup before it is too late!  Or, plant some of those seeds & by September you’ll be eating this yummy vegetable again… Seeds from my biggest squash are already to sow & start in the  “greenhouse that is becoming”…now, that is an exciting thought!  The miracle of the seed & the harvest, the on-going cycle of nature & the seasons…seed to squash to seed to squash to seed…

Blessings on your Planting and Eating,

MORE yummy squash planted soon – started in my own greenhouse…now, that is exciting & VERY LOCAL!

-Annie