Tuesday, September 17, 2013

TED TALK Video: Marla Spivak: Why bees are disappearing

Bees pollinate a third of our food supply -- they don’t just make honey! -- but colonies have been disappearing at alarming rates in many parts of the world due to the accumulated effects of parasitic mites, viral and bacterial diseases, and exposure to pesticides and herbicides. Marla Spivak, University of Minnesota professor of entomology and 2010 MacArthur Fellow, tries as much as possible to think like bees in her work to protect them. They’re “highly social and complex” creatures, she says, which fuels her interest and her research.


Spivak has developed a strain of bees, the Minnesota Hygienic line, that can detect when pupae are infected and kick them out of the nest, saving the resBees pollinate a third of our food supply -- they don’t just make honey! -- but colonies have been disappearing at alarming rates in many parts of the world due to the accumulated effects of parasitic mites, viral and bacterial diseases, and exposure to pesticides and herbicides. Marla Spivak, University of Minnesota professor of entomology and 2010 MacArthur Fellow, tries as much as possible to think like bees in her work to protect them. They’re “highly social and complex” creatures, she says, which fuels her interest and her research.

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Fall Honey Recipes from National Honey Board



Pumpkin Honey Bread
(makes 2 loaves)  

  • 1 cup - honey
  • 1/2 cup - butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 can (16 oz.) - solid-pack pumpkin
  • 4 - eggs
  • 4 cups - flour
  • 4 teaspoons - baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons - ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons - ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon - baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon - salt
  • 1 teaspoon - ground nutmeg
In large bowl, cream honey with butter until light and fluffy. Stir in pumpkin. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly incorporated. Sift together remaining ingredients. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Divide batter equally between two well-greased 9 x5 x 3-inch loaf pans. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let loaves cool in pans for 10 minutes; invert pans to remove loaves and allow to finish cooling on racks.

Honey Citrus Soother
(makes 4 servings)
  • 3 - tea bags green or black
  • 1 - cinnamon stick
  • 3 cups - boiling water
  • 1/4 cup - honey
  • 1 cup - grapefruit juice
Place tea bags and cinnamon stick in a 1-quart tea pot. Add boiling water; steep 3 to 5 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and tea bags; discard. Stir in grapefruit juice and honey.

Bee Birthday Cake
(makes 10 servings)  
  • Cooking spray
  • All-purpose flour, for dusting pans
  • 2 cups - white whole wheat flour, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons - baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons - cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon - baking soda
  • 1/4 cup - butter, softened
  • 2 - eggs
  • 1 cup - honey
  • 1 teaspoon - vanilla
  • 2/3 cup - 1% milk
  • Frosting:
  • 8 ounces - cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup - honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon - vanilla extract
Heat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with cooking spray and dust with all-purpose flour. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and baking soda. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment with electric beaters, cream butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add honey and vanilla and beat until smooth. On low speed, add flour mixture to mixer alternately with milk, starting and ending with flour mixture, and mixing just until blended. Portion batter into prepared cake pans, dividing it evenly. Bake 20-25 minutes or until top of cake springs back when lightly pressed. Cool cake in pans 15 minutes; unmold onto a rack and cool completely.
Frosting:
Beat cream cheese, honey and vanilla until light and fluffy. Spread half the frosting onto one layer, place second layer; on top and spread remaining frosting on top. If frosting is soft, refrigerate about 30 minutes or until frosting starts to firm up; cut into 10 pieces.

Chewy Honey Oatmeal Cookies
(makes 24 cookies)  
  • 1/2 cup - butter or margarine, softened
  • 1/2 cup - granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup - honey
  • 1 large - egg
  • 1 teaspoon - vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups - quick cooking rolled oats
  • 1 cup - whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon - salt
  • 1 teaspoon - ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon - baking soda
  • 1 cup - raisins, chocolate or butterscotch chips
In medium bowl, beat butter with sugar until thoroughly blended. Blend in honey. Blend in egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth. In separate bowl, mix together oats, flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda; blend into honey mixture. Blend in raisins or chips. Drop dough by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 12 to 14 minutes until cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool 2 to 3 minutes before removing from baking sheet. Cool completely then store in an airtight container.

Hair Conditioner
 
  • 1/2 cup - honey
  • 1/4 cup - olive oil, use 2 Tbsp. for normal hair
Mix honey and olive oil. Work a small amount at a time through hair until coated. Cover hair with shower cap; leave on 30 minutes. remove shower cap; shampoo well and rinse. Dry as normal.