Bee Friendly

Imagine a world without honey - that pure, sweet liquid gold produced by honey bees and derived from the nectar of flowers. Sadly, there is a honey bee crisis and the future of honey is in jeopardy!

Did you know that the honey bee population in the West has declined by more than 25% in the past year? In fact, honey bees have been abandoning their hives and dying in at least 35 states across America. One cause is linked to a phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), but the causes of CCD are not known.

According to the US National Honey Bee Board and various international food regulations, "honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substance," so it is truly one of the world's most natural resources. Bees play a vital role in our food supply by pollinating one-third of all the foods we eat, so keeping them alive is crucial to maintaining the natural balance of our eco-system.

You can help preserve this sweet natural resource! Plant bee-friendly flowers and plants in containers or a garden. Lavender, violets, sunflowers, rosemary and many other flowers and plants attract honey bees. To get more of the latest buzz about this important topic and ways you can help, visit this site sponsored by Häagen-Dazs: http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/

Spring Tease

Today was a splendid spring day here in the Big Horn Basin with a high of 67 degrees. I worked feverishly to clean out the flower gardens and get some prep work done for my new veggie garden, because the weather is changing like the wind, and predicted to remind us of winter in the next few days.

I'm ready to hang up the coats but while waiting for warmer weather, I'm doing what I can to enjoy a taste of spring by sowing some seeds inside. I planted corn, zucchini, and carrot seeds today, and my herbs are starting to sprout! How I look forward to the day when I can transplant my crop to the garden, probably some time in mid-May, and await the harvest in late summer.

Until then, I'm trying to be patient and preparing some of my favorite spring foods, like chicken stir-fry with veggies - get this recipe and more favorites on my recipes site.

The Cowboy Chocolatier

Photo by Rick Carpenter

For the love of chocolate, I drive to a lovely hamlet named Meeteetse (pop. 351), about 45 minutes from my home. The sweetest spot in town is a gourmet chocolate shop owned by Tim Kellogg, who is known around Wyoming as the "Cowboy Chocolatier."

Tim has a glorious array of confections that he prepares daily. In addition to his luscious truffles, there are way too many divine creations for me to list here; but of interest to me this month are all the beautiful chocolates he has for Easter - adorable white chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs, chocolate farm animals - that will indulge the chocolate-lovers' appetite.

So, I encourage you chocoholics to visit Tim’s online store for a sample of his seductive treats, or stop by the store in Meeteetse - I promise, you won't be disappointed!