Local Honey: Puget Sound Beekeepers Association at Gifts & Greens Galore Event

This year my apple pies have a local touch, thanks to the beautiful honey I bought from the Puget Sound Beekeepers Association. The honey is rich amber and absolutely delicious. I found this honey source in 2016 when I was driving past the Washington Park Arboretum one December afternoon and saw signs for the Gifts & Greens Galore event. 

Inside the Graham Visitor Center at the Arboretum, the Gifts and Greens Galore event sells pre-bundled fresh cut greens donated by area gardeners and Arboretum horticulturalists as well as nature-inspired decorations, ornaments and honey. Shopping at this event helps to "support maintenance, environmental education, and volunteerism at the Arboretum!"   

There are a variety of places to buy honey from the Puget Sound Bee Keepers Association, but I thought that this was a particularly great way to attend a local event, buy a unique hostess gift and support local beekeepers. Huzzah!

Mark your calendar for Saturday, December 7, 2019 from 10 am - 3 pm at the Washington Park Arboretum gift shop & visitor center. Free admission and parking.  

#beekeepers #localhoney #washingtonparkarboretum #hostessgift

Gifts and Greens Galore at Washington Park Arboretum

Have you heard about the Washington Park Arboretum's Gifts and Greens Galore? I'm realizing that I'm going to have to live in Seattle a while, see each season's activities and note what I want to attend next year. I keep stumbling upon things a little late.

This really neat one-day event at the Washington Park Arboretum gift shop sells pre-bundled greens from the arboretum and members' gardens. Pricing is $5, $10 or $15 per bundle and is marked with colored zip ties. There wasn't much left when I arrived just before the sale closed, but I could get an idea of what they offered and I love it. I can see myself fashioning a wreath from these fresh greens or even a circle centerpiece to ring a large candle.

The arboretum has a terrific gift shop year-round. This event showcased a selection of nature-inspired jewelry, laser cut wood candle holders, felted ornaments, bird seed balls and packets as well the item that got my attention: honey!

This is honey collected from hives inside the Washington Park Arboretum! Isn't that interesting? 

The countless blooms and blossoms of the season distilled into a natural wonder. I had to have a jar. I am so pleased that they use hexagonal jars in a nod to the honeycomb shape and I was interested to notice that the honey came in a variety of shades. No doubt due to when and where it was collected. I chose one that was darker, as most of my honey is pale amber in color.

Make note on your calendar that the Washington Park Arboretum's Gift and Greens Galore event will be early December next year - check their website next fall. I'll see you there! 

It's Mostly Honey: A Journey Through the Airport TSA

A day in the life of our move: 

When Dan was home, I gave him a postal priority box packed tight with treasures marked "suitcase." I told him, "It's mostly honey." 

He forgot and put it in his carry on. He called later to say he's now known at TSA as the honey whisperer. They couldn't believe that the box was full of jar after jar of honey (from Paris' La Maison du Miel and the Paris Opera House, from the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria B.C. and from Beekman 1802). 

When they got to the beautiful jar of lavender buds mixed in white sugar, they relented and told him he could check it. Do you remember my Honey Bar? 
Sometimes it's hard to move delight.

#TSA #moving

Bee Specific: Northwest Flower and Garden Show 2016

I am covering the 2016 Northwest Flower and Garden Show to provide insight and increase enjoyment. My blog posts will spotlight specific categories and will leave a trail a breadcrumbs to help my readers find the items or features that will interest them the most. The categories are: Apartment Living, Farm Chic, French Flair, Romantic Touch, Love of Cuisine and Bee Specific.

Gardeners know that bees are everything. I noticed all kinds of bee and honey related items in the show and I want to put them in the spotlight and encourage you to help keep the bees in Washington state strong. I thought these mason bee homes were very interesting and they are on the shelf in McLendon Hardware (booth 2434, green, Plant Market). 

To brush up on the necessity of bees, you can sit in on a free seminar:

"Beneficial Orchard Mason Bees: Our Northwest Native Pollinator" on Friday, Feb 19 at 10 am on the DIY Stage

or

"Gardening 101: Protecting Vital Wildlife and Pollinators" on Saturday, Feb 20 at 2:15 pm in the Rainier Room.

Bee sure to look for Bainbridge Beewax Works (booth 2150) which offers exquisitely designed beeswax pillars. Burn them if you must, I would leave them in their natural glory as art on the shelf-  delicate vines and flowers twisting round and round. 

Have you ever served white cheddar cheese with a slice of apple and a dab of honey on a cracker? It is delicious! Tarboo Creek Honey (booth 2426, green, Plant Market) is selling gorgeous jars of honey (above) and beeswax candles from their own bees. We tried a sample and bought a jar on the spot.

Northwest Flower and Garden Show at the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle. Show is open Wednesday, Feb 16 - Saturday, Feb 20 from 9am- 8pm, and Sunday, Feb 21 from 9am - 6pm.
#NWFGS #springinfeb #seattle

Maison du Miel: I found this Beautiful Bee Soap at Honey Heaven

It's a bit mysterious and very French.  This is an elegant honey-scented bee-shaped soap that I have gifted to myself.  I bought several on my last trip to Paris at the wonderful Maison du Miel and brought them back as presents for a few lucky girls. I had saved one bee soap and decided this week that, at long last, it's time that he is appreciated.  I have hung my very fancy soap-on-a-rose in the shower at the cottage and I have enjoyed the beautiful honey-scented bubbles all week.  The bathroom has a bit of honey in the air for at least an hour afterwards;it's lovely. The experience is just what I thought it would be when I bought it and I am happy to enjoy it myself.

Sometimes we forget to enjoy the things we have.  We save the special paper napkins or we never light that beautiful candle.  Part of my objective in writing about moments of delight is to remind you that if you enjoy something, you should experience it.  

Spoiling a friend with a helium balloon or a cupcake is wonderful. At the same time, you have to let your friends spoil you, its only fair.  If reading a magazine is a great escape for you, do it.  Use the pretty soap.  Eat the jam you brought back from Williamsburg.  

Go on, you know you want to. 

Honeycomb and Roasted Grapes Make For A Luscious Cheese Tray

Want to know the #1 thing I look for at a farm stand or farmer's market? Honeycomb. A beautiful block of "made by the bees" honeycomb.  A marvel of nature that I don't think gets the admiration it deserves.  The structure is beautiful, the contents delicious and it is made by instinct - fascinating.

I bought one of these clear boxes of honeycomb (above) at the Shadowland Seed booth within the Sara Hardy Farmer's Market in Traverse City.  It was of the highest quality and I served it several times with cheeses and roasted grapes on an appetizer tray.

Roasted grapes, you say?  Yes, a new favorite of mine to keep appetizer hour interesting.  This particular night, I roasted seedless red grapes on the vine. Placed a piece of nonstick aluminum foil on a rimmed cookie sheet, wash and then drape the grape clusters onto the tray, drizzled them with a touch of olive oil and a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and roast the grapes at 450 degrees for approx 8-10 min - watching closely.

The grapes were delicious - very lush and sweet; they took on the flavor of a roasted apple, believe it or not.  I did find that "plucking" the roasted grape from the stem often resulted in loosing the inside of the grape - the skin came off but the flesh clung.  

Now I remove most of the grapes from the vine and roast them scattered on a cookie sheet, with just one small clump left on the vine for effect.  That makes the grapes much easier to pick up and eat.  

The next time you are hosting a party, try roasting grapes! Thanksgiving, perhaps?  

Decant Honey

I know that I am a little kooky sometimes, but I have had "decant honey in Beulah" on my to do list for over a year now.  Last Summer, I was in the Market Basket in Beulah and noticed this local honey display, isn't it neat?  Customers bring their own container and a salesgirl will decant "dark" or "light" honey for you.

So this year on my annual jaunt around Benzie County with my mom, I made sure to stop at Crystal Crate and Cargo (a great housewares store in Beulah) first to buy something that I could decant honey into.  No easy task, but I settled on a Salad Dressing Shaker/Measuring Cup that has a tight seal.

("action" shot - decanting honey)

And the best part is that the honey is fabulous!  I bought the light variety and I've been drizzling it on nonfat plain Greek yogurt with a sprinkling of raw almonds every morning this week - yum!  

Chrenka Apiaries make Heavenly Honey

Oh the joy of having a friend in the honey business.  Every Fall I get a glorious pint of liquid gold delivered to my doorstep;  I am one lucky girl.

My friend, Tracy, and her husband, Joe, have been dabbling in bee keeping for a few years now and I am convinced that the secret to their superior honey is their exceptional garden.  You see, the flavor of honey is determined by the flowers that the bees pollinate.  Clover field nearby?  You're likely to get clover honey. 

At Tracy's house, the bees have their pick of an extensive vegetable and flower garden and every year, Tracy and Joe harvest a batch of delicious honey that they call "Sweetness & Light." 

It sells out fast, so I have learned to reserve a pint early.  Next year I am going to see if she'll let me order 3 pints.  There is only so much to go around and I don't want to be piggy.  But I have to ration her honey and more would be welcome! 

Did you notice the cherry wood honey dipper?  Joe is a gifted craftsman and this year he decided to offer his handmade honey dippers for sale too.  Such a smart addition to the business, and they are beautiful too.  If my friends ever create a website and start doing mail order, I'll be sure to post a link here. 

You heard it here first, "Sweetness & Light" by Chrenka Apiaries.  Liquid delight.

Queen Bee

I love honey and when I had the chance to photograph an active hive (in a narrow glass box) this is the result!

Can you see the honey glistening in the honeycomb? So natural and so gorgeous - love it!

I think of September as a time when all of my friends are "busy bees" buzzing about their hives and gathering the information they need from the fields.

I love when Fall activities are finally on the calendar, field trips are planned, committee meetings start up. I was surprised last week when I had to buy a 2011 calendar to keep up with all the dates coming in.

So think of yourself as a "Queen Bee" this week, managing the house, planning the fun and making things happen. Buzz...buzz.

Oh, Honey!

One day my doorbell rang and my dear friend, Tracy, was standing at the door. My dear friend Tracy...that lives 3 hours away! At the time I had some big worries, had talked them all over with her on the phone and then it must have been a day or two later and there she was!

She had diverted her route (to visit family on my side of the state) to drop off something to cheer me up. She came with a ribbon-wrapped jar of honey. Not just any honey, but honey produced on her land, by her bees. Honey that was extracted from the comb by her family and carefully decanted into pretty little jam jars.

She said that she wasn't sure, but she was pretty sure, that her honey was medicinal.

Do you love it? Trust me, it was just what the doctor ordered. Love.

Bee Sure to Visit BeeDazzled

I love this little place! Tucked away in northern Michigan, BeeDazzled is an herb garden and beeswax shop in Benzonia that specializes in "gifts from the hive." My favorite part is what you see here. Walking from the car and seeing this view. It smells like honey and Springtime and calm.

A favorite of mine is their lavender-scented lotion bars (when you hold them, the warmth of your hand melts the bar and releases the emollient oils) - they make wonderful hostess gifts.

So the next time you see a sign for a shop that sells honey, bee sure to stop in! You never know what handmade treasures you'll find.

Paris: Opera

Yes, yes, going to the ballet is lovely. But why did I insist on stopping at the Paris Opera?

I wanted honey!

That's right, a little birdie told me that bees are kept on the roof of the Opera National de Paris building and that the resulting honey is sold in a boutique in the lobby. Seriously? Does anyone know this? I can't think of anything more wonderful than honey made from the flowers in and around Paris.

I found and bought a pretty little jar and I can't wait to try it! Short & Sweet.

Honey Bar

Over the holidays, we had a dinner party and this little writing desk "became" a tea & coffee station. It looked so cute that I have permanently deemed it "The Honey Bar" in honor of the bee skep tea set I found (love it!) and all the honey-related items that have been given to me over the years.

My sweet mother-in-law gave me the crystal honey pot, my friend Angie gave me the Longaberger tea basket (see the station wagon "tie-on" loaded for vacation? She says it is in honor of my weekend trips up north). The honey spoons are like lollipops and make teatime extra special. Ohhh...and see the jar on the shelf? It is filled with heart-shaped candied ginger. Now who wouldn't want a cup of tea from this little station? Oh, honey....