What happened to Spring? Too cold for me and much too cold for the bees. It should be at least 12 degrees Celsius before you open a beehive. And seeing as the thermometer in my car on the way to my bee class read 6 degrees, we weren't going to get a peak in the hive. Instead, about 15 of us huddled in the beekeeping clubhouse to learn about the different breeds of bees, frame sizes and where to best place a beehive.    We discussed three of the most popular races of honey bees, not very many considering that there...

I am so happy that I have the opportunity to be a part of a beekeeping class offered by the beekeeping club of Konstanz. Yesterday afternoon was my second class so I have a lot to catch you up on. But first, a little bit of Greek Mythology which our instructor shared during our first class. Did you know that Zeus, the god of the sky and the ruler of the gods, was raised on honey? The story goes that Cronus, the father of Zeus, ate each of his children after they were born as he feared that they would overthrow...

Fall is all about preserving Summer! Thus far, I have harvested the remainder of my tomatoes and canned pasta sauce, harvested my cucumbers and made the best refrigerator pickles ever and now I've finished canning the last of my jalapeños and habaneros from the garden. For those of you who are in need of a little extra spice in your life, this recipe is for you!     Here's what you need: 4 cups white vinegar 1 1/3 cups water 1/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 lbs. chiles cut into slices 8 garlic cloves     After...

It's back to school this week in Southern Germany. I want to get everyone out of the house on time and the kids want a yummy breakfast. Enter refrigerator oatmeal. Just mix the ingredients of your choice in a pretty recycled Weck jar, leave them in the refrigerator overnight and grab a spoon the next morning. If you're really in a hurry, you can even make it a grab-and-go breakfast. Packed with nutrition, high in protein, calcium and fiber; low in fat and sugar; Get your day off to a healthy and stress-free start!    To start, mix the following...

If you haven't discovered this beautiful magazine yet, there's still time to pick up a copy of the March/April/May issue out now. Once you have it, skip directly to page 92. And now please allow me to blow my own horn a bit here as I am so happy to share this lovely article about apidae candles with you. You can read it here (it's a German magazine so the article is only in German but the pictures are beautiful as well).     I invite you to make yourself a cup of tea, curl up in your favorite chair and read...