The Bee Croft

06/29/2024

This is the latest "do-gooder" - dare I say - nonsense going around. The commentary along with the photo below says:

"To help the bees...Grate an apple and add some water to a bowl. The bees will be able to get the sugars from the fruit and drink the water and not drown as they can stand on the pieces of fruit."

As a beekeeper, I strongely discourage people from doing this. First, in the summer months, honeybees don't need sugar from sources other than what they are naturally imprinted to go for. Additionally, the apple will ferment and attract yellow jackets and wasps. This will cause fights to the death.

Just put out water with marbles or some other non-food item in it that the bees can stand on and if the bees need the water they will find it. And consider offering them some natural forage. Here are some of their favorites that also offer them lots of what they need.

Mid-season flowers: Anise hyssop, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, catmint, cleome, penstemon, globe thistle, milkweed, monarda (bee balm), coreopsis, daisies, phlox, gaillardia, and yarrow.

Late bloomers: Potentilla, viburnum, aster, sunflower, and goldenrod

You can also put things in containers. It's very possible to do that with wide containers bursting with flowers. Just remember that honeybees will really only go after big opportunities. Generally speaking, a 4x4 foot space filled with the same flower will attract them. They don't go about from one kind of a flower to another like Bumbles and other pollinators will do.

04/27/2024

Happy Spring!

Recently I made a version of Greek Potatoes with Lemon and Garlic. (https://www.themediterraneandish.com/roasted-greek-potatoes/)

I served them with lamb meatballs (my own recipe) and pan-seared cabbage, accompanied by my homemade Greek yogurt "Garlic Yogurt Sauce". (My partner is cucumber and dill averse so the sauce is a great substitute.)

You can find the Yogurt Garlic Dressing recipe here: https://www.loveandlemons.com/garlic-yogurt-sauce/

I was doubtful about lemony potatoes but they were DELICIOUS! This is an image of the leftover potatoes and lamb set up for reheating. (Before the fresh parsley was sprinkled on top.) They went SO well together.....including the mingled remaining juices. 🙂

My lamb meatball recipe - which makes 4 adult servings - is as follows.....

Combine in a bowl big enough to work together all the ingredients:
1 beaten egg
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs

Crumble, drain, and add:
1/4 cup feta cheese (the block kind packed in brine..even better if it's authentic and from Greece)

Finely dice and add:
½ red onion

Mince and add:
3 cloves garlic
1 TBS flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp mint

Mix in:
1 tsp dried oregano (or 2 tsp fresh finely minced)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp KOSHER salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 TBS lemon juice

Combine with:
1 lb ground lamb

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 425°F and lightly oil a baking sheet.

Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl, and use your hands to mix until fully combined, but be careful not to overwork the meat.

Use a cookie scoop, to make 2 tablespoon size balls (or weigh the entire batch and then divide by 20 to get the weight each meatball should be) and gently roll them in your hands to get a perfect round shape. Then place them about 2 inches apart on your baking sheet. You should end up with roughly 20 lamb meatballs.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are browned and reach an internal temperature of 160°F.

If you have leftovers, all can be reheated - loosely covered with foil - preheated to 300 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes.

04/12/2024

Compost is your garden's best friend...not peat moss.

04/10/2024

Did you know that PFAS - aka "forever chemicals" - are in Band-aids and other mainstream bandages and are capable of leaching into your body through your skin? (see: https://time.com/6963358/pfas-forever-chemicals-bandages/)

(FYI....PFAS have also been found in a wide variety of garments such as rain jackets, hiking pants, shirts, yoga pants, and sports bras made by popular brands....and post for another time.)

What's the alternative? Bandages made from 100% bamboo with pressure-sensitive adhesive made from rubber and plant oils. It's the time of year when adults and children return to increased outdoor activities where cuts are more likely to happen so laying in some bandages is always a good idea. I'm currently checking out eco-friendly Patch bandages.

You can find out more about Patch bandages here: https://patchbandages.com/

You can buy them directly from the maker, Nutricare, as well as at Amazon, Vitacost, Grove, Target, and Walmart. If you buy through Amazon make sure that the seller is Nutricare or you could be buying counterfeit or stolen goods.

02/23/2024

🐝🐝🐝This is great advice. Stop buying into the nonsense promoted by the suburbia myth of throwing away perfectly useful dead matter that hosts beneficial insects and then becomes food for the soil.

Its about that time again...to let you know that it is NOT time to cut back your perennial gardens yet.

Even though it *seems* like Spring has sprung and you may be temped to get out and do some garden clean-up this weekend...don't be fooled! Remember, this is Nebraska, and the weather can and does turn on a dime!

You may have heard the general rule of thumb that it is safe to cut back your gardens once the day temperatures reach a steady 50 degrees F. While we're definitely going to be a lot warmer than that this weekend and into early next week, the second half of the rule also requires that the threat of a hard freeze has completely passed. The average last freeze in Lincoln generally occurs sometime during the last week of April, so we still have the potential for a lot more Winter weather, and keeping those dead sticks, stems, and leaves around just a little while longer is imperative to ensure that all of the native insects and other critters utilizing those materials for shelter still have access to them when the temperature, and likely more snow, inevitably falls again.

So please, we ask that you resist the urge to clean up your gardens this weekend and wait until at least mid, if not late April. The pollinators will thank you!

And as always, when it does come time to cut everything down for the year, remember to try and leave approximately 12-18 inches of the dead stalks standing so that our many species of stem-nesting bees can utilize them to successfully rear their offspring.

The wonderful graphic below (click to see the full image) developed by Heather Holm, Elaine Evans, Colleen Satyshur, and Sarah Foltz-Jordan shows the importance of this practice in the year-long lifecycle of this amazing group of pollinators!

For more detailed information about Leaving the Leaves and Spring Clean-Up visit our website at https://www.midwestnativesnursery.com/helpful-information

To download this graphic as a PDF and learn more about different types of pollinators, visit Heather Holm's website at https://www.pollinatorsnativeplants.com/plant-lists--posters.html

01/29/2024

Umm....no....it doesn't work like that...but it's still funny. 😂

01/20/2024

It’s the kind of weather that makes me crave warming spices like cumin, coriander, paprika, and harissa. We've had gray skies all day, snow showers, temps in the single digits with blowing winds, and a windchill of -5 Fahrenheit.

This.....is North African comfort food!

Lablabi (Tunisian Chickpea Stew) and Salatat Al Jazar (Moroccan Carrot Salad), mixed together and served hot on a bed of cubed Italian bread tossed with EVOO from Marikesch and toasted in the toaster oven at 400 degrees for only 5 minutes……for lunch…...on my lap….feet up and covered with a blanket because it’s really that kind of day.

IT’S DELICIOUS!

Both recipes come from The Mediterranean Dish

Lablabi: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/lablabi-tunisian-chickpea-stew/

Salat al Jazar: https://www.themediterraneandish.com/moroccan-carrot-salad/

Tip #1: Chickpeas - aka garbanzo beans - are super delicious when the skins are removed. It's easy to remove the skins from canned chickpeas (I buy Organic Garbanzos....they taste like home-cooked). I drain the beans - one can at a time - through a wire strainer and reserve the liquid for cooking. Then one can at a time, I put the peas in a lightweight bowl of very warm water, rough them up between my hands to loosen the skin, and drain the water off the side so the skins go with it. I repeat this several times until my chickpeas are as skin-free as I want them to be. I like to be very thorough. You'll know the skins are off when you can see the chickpeas' cut little "butt crack" as I call it. :)

Tip #2: I use a bit of organic low-sodium chicken broth instead of water when warming up the chickpeas to make it a tad more flavorful.

01/08/2024

Having to be tucked in due to cold and snowy weather can kick up the craving for something comforting and sweet. Today I offer you a recipe for a healthy treat that hits the spot....CHERRY CARDAMOM YOGURT CHIA PUDDING!! It can be eaten right out of the fridge or you can warm it up as much as you like.

Over the summer my partner and I got on a bit of an ice cream kick. We were hooked...and needed to stop. In an effort to find a healthy yet yummy alternative I "kitchen-witched" an idea and it turned out great! Yum, yum!

This is an all-organic healthy dessert that could really be eaten at any time. The final product can be eaten right away but it's better to let the chia seeds "plump" and soften for a couple of hours and the flavors of the pudding to develop.

For the cherries I used frozen, already pitted, organic sweet cherries.

🍒INGREDIENTS🍒

* 2 cups (10 ounces) pitted sweet cherries
* 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
* 1/8 teaspoon table salt
* 1 tablespoons water
* 1/2 cup chia seeds
* 1/4 cup honey
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1-1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
* 2 cups Greek yogurt (I used my own homemade.)
* Mini dark chocolate chips
* Chopped up cherries and a few more chocolate chips for garnish
🍒INSTRUCTIONS🍒

1. Simmer cherries, salt, and cardamom in a saucepan on low for 10 to 15 minutes. Check and stir frequently.

2. Put chia seeds in a blender. When cherries are done add them while still hot to the blender and blend on low just long enough to break the cherries down somewhat.

3. Add honey, vanilla, and almond extracts and blend for about a minute.

4. Add yogurt 2 cups at a time blending until well integrated.

5. Add 1/3 cup mini dark chocolate chips and blend until little specks of chocolate are blended throughout.

6. Top with additional chopped cherries and a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips.

01/06/2024

Good old-fashioned wassailing...blessings for the Trees!

Deep, in the darkest months of winter, a variety of cultures offered blessings to the trees for abundant harvests. A few years ago on this blog, I wrote about Wassailing at a friend’s orchard…

01/06/2024

If you haven't seen the story behind the change of this page's names, you can learn more by going here: https://www.facebook.com/TheBeeCroft/posts/pfbid029q3NpUFrnyynDQvWWtuYcB6wDJ61Kv7yBGR31FF18WsBfcYco7k5Yit37XyjdfzHl

Moving on....

Life has thrown us some curveballs over the past several months. For this reason, we had to take a break from actively engaging in bee stewardship. However, the focus on sustainable living and creating a pollinator and wildlife-friendly habitat continues! This is the first in what will be an ongoing series of posts focused in sustainable living and consumer practices.

As promised back in June 2023 our focus will be expanding to include tips and ideas for sustainable living and consumer practices, as well as featuring some of my more favorite "can't-do-without tools and the occasional yummy recipe.

It's been a while since you've heard from us but now we're back!

First up......BAMBOO TOILET PAPER! :)

After testing out several brands for quality and cost-effectiveness, the winner is Reel Paper. We tried Grove, "WhoGivesACrap" and several other brands...both recycled paper and bamboo. Reel's bamboo TP was the only one that didn't fall apart upon use. I also found myself using less because it is much more sturdy. Often the issue with the other brands was that the plies came apart and the bamboo paper tore and rolled when used....leaving little bits of paper behind. (No pun intended.) It is also FSC certified, which means no tree clearing is occurring in order to grow the bamboo being used for their paper products. (They also make facial tissue and paper towels.) The toilet paper comes in 100% plastic-free packaging and is delivered right to your door. If you'd like to try it you can find Reel toilet paper here: https://reelpaper.com/

Standard tree toilet paper is responsible for massive deforestation....particularly in the boreal forests of Canada. To learn more about that go here:

A grove of bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than an equivalent stand of trees. Because of this, planting bamboo is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and help fight global warming. Bamboo is a viable replacement for wood. It can be harvested in 3-5 years versus 10-20 for most softwoods. Bamboo also grows very quickly and doesn't need to be treated with pesticides or chemical fertilizers to stimulate growth. In fact, unlike most species of trees, a bamboo forest can reach full maturity in a single growing season of 3-4 months. A bamboo culm can be ready to re-harvest in a mere 3-5 years; an equivalent stand of paper pulp trees will take 50-100.

We've also purchased bamboo paper towels. None of them compare to Bounty but I'm not using that as an excuse to continue to buy it. The makers of Bounty are huge contributors to deforestation in Canada. I accept the less sturdy quality in exchange for reducing my paper towel use entirely. In addition to using the occasional Reel bamboo paper towel, I've purchased several recycled polyester microfiber cloths, "Swedish dishcloths" and reusable bamboo towels.

It turns out that microfiber is a much better window-cleaning tool than paper towels.

Swedish dishcloths are sort of like the love child of a sponge and a small dishcloth. They're great for quick counter wipe-downs, they rinse out well, aren't gross and floppy, dry pretty quickly, and can be sanitized in the dishwasher or microwave. They can be disposed of in a well-maintained composting system.

Reusable bamboo "paper" towels come on a roll just like regular paper towels. I use them just like a paper towel (except for blotting meats dry...for that, I still use a non-reusable bamboo paper towel), swish it in a bowl with some dish soap, rinse it well, and let it dry. It is recommended that it be exchanged for a fresh one and disposed of after a week's use. They are compostable. If you are looking to buy some, check reviews about them leaving "lint" behind. Some do and some don't. Of the ones that do it's mild and only occasional but it's even better if it doesn't happen at all.

I initially purchased high-quality microfiber cloths, Swedith dishcloths, and reusable bamboo paper towels from Grove Collaborative, however, they are easy to find online and sold by several merchants by doing a keyword search for them. I found it worthwhile to comparison shop regarding both quality and cost.

01/06/2024

You've likely noticed the change of our name from Blessed Bee Sanctuary to The Bee Croft. There is no special big reason for making this change other than I feel it more accurately reflects the nature of the lay of the land we live on, as well as serving as a nod to some personal ancestral roots. "Croft" is a traditional Scottish term for a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable, and usually, but not always, with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land, typically as a tenant farmer, especially in rural areas. A croft is also defined as a small, walled farm.

While admittedly I may be applying the word "croft" a little creatively, it is not creative by much. This land has a number of loose rock walls that are a result of land-clearing done way back when the Shakers settled here. They in a sense form distinct sections within the 7 acres we live on. We're certainly in a rural area. And finally...we believe in our hearts that while we may hold a deed to this land, it in truth continues to belong firstly to the Creator and in turn to the original inhabitants of this land, the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohicans. In this way, I consider us "tenants" or "crofters". While we are not "farming" per se, we are caring for, cultivating, and stewarding this land.

In that spirit, we offer the following land acknowledgment:

“It is with gratitude and humility that we acknowledge that we are living, learning, speaking, and gathering on the ancestral homelands of the Muhheaconneok, who are the indigenous peoples of this land. Despite tremendous hardship in being forced from here, today their community resides in Wisconsin and is known as the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. We pay honor and respect to their ancestors past and present as we commit to building a more inclusive and equitable space for all.”

Next up...the beginning of our series on sustainable living and consumerism. Stay tuned!