September and October Recap

I had intended to be a bit more regular in posting over the last few weeks, but our honey work this time of year has kept us so busy that my downtime was mostly spent unwinding or trying to sort out the mess the house had become. Recapping from the end of September to these first two weeks of October includes the successful event that was our Annual Cider Social, attended by 60+ people this year, our baby shower, gathering honey and lots of extraction, and making over 100 quarts of applesauce. The Cider Social alone was packed with fun and lots of people we know. Its been going on for 6 years or so now, and has grown a little in popularity and variety each year. The big change this year was that it was Adam and I's first year producing the Cider Doughnuts. The 2 weeks previous to the event involved a lot of test batches of doughnuts, resulting in neither of us actually eating any doughnuts at the social. We did hear, however, that the doughnuts were some of the best many people had eaten. :) 

The next day was our long awaited baby shower. So many people put effort into making it such a beautiful, wonderful event for us. We are truly blessed by all of the love shown by those who came, helped, gave, and those who gave even though they couldn't come. Baby Bee sure is loved already!

In the weeks that passed after the shower, we've been busy collecting the last of the fall crop of honey from our various bee yards. We could never process this much honey so quickly without all of the updates to our processing equipment made this year. New equipment has made a tremendous difference in the speed and ability we have to go through more honey than we've previously ever collected. God has blessed us abundantly with the honey we've gotten this fall, as well as many new accounts with local stores. We are really enjoying all that goes into this family-run business. It requires a lot of devotion and hard work by all, but it is a huge blessing as well. 

This last week while Adam and Jim were out gathering honey supers from bee yards, Gail and I began our annual process of making/canning applesauce. In talking to our good friend/neighbor, we discovered a piece of equipment we didn't even know existed: The Squeezo. Roberta was kind enough to let us borrow the Squeezo this past week, and boy were we amazed! The 130 quarts we did two years ago took us around a week of long days making and canning applesauce. This past week using the Squeezo we made 116 quarts in 2 days! Its amazing what can be accomplished with some hard work and a much better piece of equipment! And yes, for those of you who think we're crazy and wonder what we do with all that applesauce....well we eat it of course! And we share it too :) Plus with Baby Bee on the way, it will be a great pre-pureed food for when he's ready for that!

On the Baby home-front, I have begun weekly appointments during this last month of gestation. The countdown is on people! I had reason to believe that Bee had dropped, so after discussing this with my doctor last week and a "lovely" internal exam, she discovered I was right. Bee is getting in position for birth, head down, though no dilation or anything else yet. They tell me this could last several weeks, but I'm still excited! Its getting so real! We even had our tour of the Women's and Children's Ward last Sunday. The nursery is ready, and I spend a half hour or so reading baby-prep books every night. Nesting you say? Well people that know me know I have organizing OCD anyway, so thats nothing new really, but Baby Prep nesting, yes thats happening.

 Its so hard to be patient. Not going to lie that Adam and I would both be thrilled if this baby boy decided to arrive a little early! We're so excited to meet him! Ok enough rambling. Until next time....

  

My Favorite Month

As I sit here in bed, propped up by pillows, listening to the sound of rain on the skylight (a sound we haven't heard in weeks), I can hardly believe its September and that we're at 31 weeks. There really isn't a lot of time left. This month is already flying by because of how busy it is. Last weekend was Labor Day, which meant Garlic Fest in Bennington, as well as meeting my baby cousin for the first time :) This weekend we head to Maine to join in on the fun of Megan and Joe's baby shower. It is just so cool that God worked it out for us to have our first babies so close together: just a week apart in due dates! It has been a huge blessing to go through all the phases with a friend, and share our experiences as we have them.

The four of us as newlyweds :)

Soon to be the 6 of us!

The following weekend is my birthday (just one of many reasons why I love fall, and especially September :), and the last weekend in September will be our annual Cider Social -September 26 at 7:00p.m., followed by my baby shower the day after. So much to look forward to! This is an exciting month for sure.

On top of all the fun we have planned, we've been extracting honey straight for the past week, with another several weeks ahead of us. This is a busy time of year for sure. Lots to do in preparation for winter and for the arrival of BaBee Howe. On the upside, the nursery is pretty close to set. There are just a few more pieces that need to arrive to complete it, the most important of course being Baby Bee!

As its now 10:30 I better wrap this up. This mama needs her sleep!

28 Weeks and Counting

Today begins the last trimester of pregnancy for me. Its hard to believe 28 weeks have gone by already with this amazing little life growing inside me. Summer has made the time fly by even quicker, because this season brings with it various activities that can only happen this time of year. July passed with a lot of hot days, made hotter by the fact that I spent the majority of them canning food from the garden. I can't complain though. We have a lot of yummy things to look forward to this winter, including pickles, homemade red and black raspberry jams, collards, green beans, and garden stew.

I was very grateful that my parents are close by and have a pool, because it is quite amazing how well a pool cools one's entire body temperature down, especially on those 90+ degree days. We also bit the bullet and bought a window air conditioner for our bedroom at the beginning of the summer, knowing it would be difficult to go through this summer pregnant and still be able to sleep without one. It has been quite a life-preserver on those unbearably hot nights, allowing me to sleep, when we would normally take a hiatus from all nightly rest for approximately 2 weeks until the heatwave passed. 

While buying a bigger bed and softer mattress made it possible for me to sleep without added pillows for the entirety of the second trimester, I have now entered the phase where my knees and belly need a little extra support. I go to sleep surrounded by what appears to be a fortress of pillows, much to Winston's comfort, as he cuddles up right beside me most nights. 

Last week taught me an important lesson: no woman, no matter how "unemotional" she might think she is, is exempt from the effects of pregnancy hormones. I went through the routine 1-hour glucose screening test to check for gestational diabetes last week. Since I had not seen my primary OBGYN before taking this test (I had last seen one of the other 3 docs in the office), I was not told what the parameters were for passing and failing. I wasn't too worried about the outcome, as I have been blissfully exempt from a lot of the sweet cravings that so often come with pregnancy. I have made a point to exercise just about every day, and eat healthier than I normally would do in the summer (since I normally eat ice cream multiple times a week during any given summer). I was even more careful about eating healthy the week before the test, so when I checked the patient portal and discovered my blood glucose was 133mg/dl after drinking the nasty orange drink and fasting since supper the night before, it didn't sound too bad. I even googled normal standards which said that 140 and under were considered "fine." I was completely caught off guard the next day, however, when the first thing out of the nurse's mouth was that I had failed the 1-hour glucose test and would need to take the 3-hour test. Keep in mind that the night before this was spent discussing how awful the 3-hour test was with 2 of my cousins. Upon hearing that I had failed, it was like a tidal wave of emotion hit me. I was instantly upset, weepy, and struggling to keep myself together (not like me). Even after hearing my doctor explain that 130 is the cutoff for pregnant women just to get a wider screening of potential gestational diabetes candidates, and that I really shouldn't worry too much, I was still very upset. Aren't I a healthy person? Do I exercise daily and eat healthy for nothing? I was given the alternative to test my blood sugar 4 times a day for week, to see if my levels actually are within normal range, which I chose to do after a little consideration. 

It took talking to multiple people telling me that I was likely fine and completely healthy, and not to worry about it, keeping myself busy with cleaning the house all evening, and a good nights rest before I was finally able to let the stress of it go, and accept that God would take care of me through this, no matter what the outcome may be. Since my office wasn't able to get the prescription for my reader in to my pharmacy before we left for campmeeting on Thursday, I was able to spend a relaxing weekend in Maine without worrying about my blood sugar, which I think God knew I needed. Upon getting back from Maine and starting my week of testing this morning, so far my 2 times checking it have been normal to low. 

God has been teaching me a lot of lessons throughout pregnancy, first and foremost that I have to trust Him in everything. So much of life is out of my direct control, but luckily for me He is bigger than all of it, and more than capable of taking care of me and BaBee Howe. 

Wandering In the Desert

When I look back over the course of my life I can see how God has been working with me. Even before I was born He knew everything about me: the family I would be raised in, my personality, what makes me tic, and how to reach me. A lot of growth has happened in my relationship with Him since I first surrendered my life to God as a teenager. I am not the same person today that I was then. There have also been dry spells. Times where the monotony of life dragged me into stagnant water. Looking back at those dry spells I can see my desperate need for God. Even though I read the Word, its passages at that time seemed empty, not reaching me or speaking to me. In those dry spells I often wondered what had caused the flame in my life and heart to go out. I realize now it was because I had lost sight of my deep need of God. I wasn't on the mountaintop or deep in the valley, I was stuck somewhere in the middle, treading water, without any will or hope of moving forward. 

I think we all experience those times in the desert, where we feel lost, unconnected with God and our purpose. What I have learned is that even in those times when it doesn't feel like God is near or that He cares or is listening, He is. We are the ones that distance ourselves from Him, not the other way around. Its all too easy to shift our focus from God above to the miserable state of sin in this world below and the sin in us. Sometimes the only way to reconnect with God at the end of those desert experiences is to completely give up our own will in the midst of our brokenness and loneliness. It is when we experience our deepest need of God that we fully realize how present He is and was all along. When we crawl into His arms, scarred, hurting, and with tears streaming down our face He dabs at the wounds, dries our tears, and speaks words of comfort and love. The same words once read without need sounded hallow and empty, devoid of meaning. For the soul in need of God, His Word comes alive, ready to heal, teach, and inspire growth in the reader. 

It is in that place of shelter, love, and comfort in Jesus' arms that I now find myself. I thank God for the tough experiences in my life, because without them I would not have been driven to God. I know personally why Paul and Jesus wrote to count it a blessing when trials and persecution come our way. They both knew it is those times that refine our character and make us into a people God is proud to say are reflectors of His character here on earth. 

When trials and challenges happen in your life this week, before reacting in anger, frustration, or sadness, turn to God and ask Him how the experience can be used to draw you closer to Him, and/or help someone else. You may be surprised to find that He is ready with either peace, an answer, or both. 

Migrating Beekeepers

Time sure does fly when we're busy. It was just 3 days ago that we arrived home, and yet it seems we're already preparing to leave again. Such is the bane of such short trips. I am not complaining, however, because any time we're able to spend at home with family and friends is welcome and appreciated. Even the snow I'm currently watching out my window as I write this is pleasant (don't hate please!). It is quite a change, however, since just last week we were sweating profusely in our layers of bee suits in the upper 70-degree weather.

In the past three weeks that we were south we made up for any time up here spent being a little less productive. The first week found us starting work at 6:00 in the morning unloading tractor trailers of bees coming back from California, spreading them out, and not finishing until 7:00 or later in the evening. After the bees were happily back in their southern homes, our days started a little later, around 9:00, but involved a lot of manual labor from making nucs, lasting until 7, 8, or even 9 at night, since Adam has been doing all the grafting for the queens we've needed for nucs. In the past three weeks alone, while working with our friends Gary and Terry Ford, we've made 700 nucs between their bees and ours. And the nuc orders are still coming in daily! This winter has been extremely hard on overwintered bees up north, so a lot of people are opening up their hives to find out that their beloved bees died of either cold, starvation or both. Its a good feeling to be in the business that we're in, because the world needs bees! With their amazing ability to pollinate the various flowers and trees we enjoy and consume food from, the world would not be the same.

We were also happy to come home for a short while to be able to visit with out beloved dog Winston. I never wrote anything on Facebook or on a previous blog, but just a few days after arriving in SC at the beginning of March, we made an emergency trip home to bring Winston to the vet. Shortly after arriving down there, Winston had an intense seizure. It terrified us. He had never had seizures before, and since he truly is our first child and beloved companion, we wanted to do everything in our power to make him happy and healthy. After visiting the vet and spending a lot of time thinking about it, we realized that Winston is simply not a traveling dog. He is happiest when he is free at home to curl up by the fire, hunt his typical rabbit grounds around the yard, and play with his best buddy Chester. It was a hard decision to make, but one we didn't regret, to leave him with Adam's parents while we returned to bee work in South Carolina. We worried about him a lot less as we knew he was in a loving, familiar home, with all of his favorite things: family, brother, freedom to run, and a warm wood stove to curl up next to. ;) He sure was happy to see us when we got home though! He couldn't stop smiling at us for several minutes!

Brotherly love

Stud

Being home has given me some time to catch up on all the paperwork, mail, and bills I couldn't get to down there. Unfortunately the service where we are is sketchy, so it makes doing internet work challenging. So I probably won't be able to update this again until we get home. We're heading back down at the end of this week and will be down South until the first week in May or so when we bring the bees back home. We'll be very busy making up the rest of nucs during that time, but we'll be balancing it out with some fun trips, like seeing my cousins in Chattanooga on the way down for Easter weekend, and then spending time with family in Florida at the end of April. I'm excited about those little things we get to do because of where our work takes us.

I'll try to update our However Wild Honey page on Facebook over the next couple weeks to show everyone what we're up to with making nucs. Keep up with what we're up to on Facebook, as its a lot easier to post pictures and short status updates that type long blog posts from my phone! Stay warm everyone and I'll pray the warm weather heads north soon!

Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup

At the end of a snowy day, after watching the blizzard rage outside and snowshoeing in it, there is nothing quite so satisfying as a bowl of delicious soup. During my daily dilemma of what to make for supper I remembered that I had a bag of broccoli in my freezer and hadn't had one of my favorite soups in a long time: Cream of Broccoli. I used to steer away from making cream soups, because in my frugal mind they require a lot of milk and cheese (aka expensive ingredients. Yes I know I'm ridiculous). After working in a kitchen for 3 1/2 years, however, I realized that some cream soups turn out just fine when started with a broth.

With that in mind, I hauled out my dutch oven (best pot I own and I highly recommend adding one to your kitchen) and filled the bottom with frozen broccoli. I then added some diced onion, mined garlic, and shredded carrots for color, and made my own broth combination. After it simmered for 30 minutes or so the broccoli was soft and the some of the broth had evaporated. I then added enough milk to give it a creamy look, and next made some roux.

 Roux is a thickening agent used in many soups, gravies and stews.

It consists of a liquid, either fat or water, mixed with flour to create a paste. I used canola oil for the liquid and added enough flour to make it thick, yet pourable from my measuring cup. I whipped this into my soup and let it thicken a bit before adding some cheese. Once the cheese had melted and was thoroughly combined, it was done. One taste test proved it to be delicious…and cheap! My favorite! 

Ingredients

3 cups frozen broccoli

1 Tbs minced garlic

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 cup shredded carrots

2 cubes chicken bullion (can sub vegetarian chicken seasoning)

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp celery salt

2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp fresh dill

Enough water to more than cover above ingredients

1 to 1 1/2 cups milk

Roux (see above)

1/2 cup cheese of choice (I used taco style)

Next time the winter blues are getting you down, stop and make yourself a bowl of this delicious soup and watch them melt away with each mmmm, yummy sound coming from your mouth :)

My Personal Superfood

We live in a  society that wants everything right now. From Keurig coffee machines that will brew a cup in less than a minute to iPhones that allow the user to make purchases simply by scanning your fingerprint. With all of the things we try to cram into our already busy day, we're always looking for ways to take shortcuts in order to get what we want faster.

The subject of health and diet is no exception. There are more ways to obtain food quickly than we can put a number on. Whether its fast food chains, precooked food you can take home from the grocery store, or simply going out to eat to save the time necessary to cook a meal, Americans have a plethora of choices when it comes to food that fits into our busy lifestyle. The problem with living such a busy life is that it denotes we eat food that fits into our timetable instead of food that promotes our well being. Our health becomes the victim, fallen by the wayside. Because of this problem, countless adds pop up on our electronic devices stating "Try this new diet pill that will shed pounds a day," or "Find out the one food to never eat in order to lose belly fat." Having a degree in Nutrition Science taught me the truth beyond the numerous diet fads out there. You can't solve the root of a problem by only treating the outward manifestations.

Eating a healthy diet is a lifestyle choice. I do it because I want my body to perform at its best, the way God intended it to. I want to be able to participate in the activities I love and feel good doing it. I could go on and on about how important it is to eat a healthy, well balanced diet, but instead I would like to focus on the most important meal of the day: breakfast!

I didn't always eat a well balanced breakfast. It usually consisted of coffee and a bowl of cereal, maybe a piece of toast for a little variety. Basically the main food group I was eating from in the morning was grains. By the time mid morning came around, however, I was starving, leading to snacking, usually from that same food group - grains (crackers, more toast, etc). Even though I was aware there was a problem with the meal starting my day, I ignored it. Combine this problem with hereditary digestive issues, inherited from my mom, it turned into a problem that put me in the ER one beautiful Sabbath morning, in extreme amounts of pain, mentally kicking myself (because I sure as heck couldn't physically do it at that point) for being so careless with my diet. I won't go into details about the exact medical condition I had, but if you really want to know, email me and I'll share it with you.

After that I decided my diet needed a change, and it needed to start with the first meal of the day. I began making fruit shakes. It started on a whim, just to see how it was, and it turned into a staple of not only my morning meal but also Adam's. Adam and I are no exception to the typical busy American couple, so it is difficult for me to make the time to eat at least a cup of fruit, yogurt, and orange juice separately, in addition to my beloved coffee and toast. I found the answer to my time and digestive problems in those fruit shakes. I vary the ingredients depending on what I have available, which in the winter is usually more frozen fruits than fresh, but a few things I add no matter what: bananas, yogurt (greek for extra protein, if I can get my hands on it), blueberries and orange juice.

We were given a bag of fruit that was getting ripe faster than it could be eaten, so this morning's shake turned out especially delicious and pretty.

Ingredients:

2 Fresh Bananas (can use frozen)

1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 apple (I peeled it but you don't have to)

1 peach

1 nectarine

4 strawberries

1 6 oz yogurt (fruit flavored or plain)

3/4 cup fresh baby spinach, 

a dab of our very own raw honey (of course!)

and enough orange juice to cover it all almost to the top

It turned out delicious! That one large glass of fruit shakes gets a lot of fruit, protein, and even a little veggie into my morning meal, and its oh so good. :) I have also added flax seed meal for a little extra fiber, but the shake alone does wonders for my digestive system. I have a friend who has also discovered the benefits of shakes for digestive health, so I encourage you to try it. Its worth the effort and expense I assure you.