Summer Spirits
Cheers to summer weather and sunny drinks
The grill is all fired up, and you’re BBQ smells on point because you’ve read all about our grilling with honey tips. Now you can sit back and enjoy a cool one. But wait! Before you reach into the cooler for a mixture of barley and hops, consider trying one of these tasty cocktail ideas that are a sweet substitute to the ol’ stand by.
These colorful concoctions are the perfect adult beverage for your next patio picnic, and if you haven’t already guessed it, we’ll confirm it – yep, they all include our favorite ingredient: Sioux Honey – and for these recipes: SUE BEE® INFUSIONS™ Strawberry, Lemon and Vanilla Honeys. Sweet summer sippers indeed!
Blue Lagoon
Ingredients
1 ounce vodka
1 tsp of SUEBEE® INFUSIONS® Lemon Honey
1 ounce blue curaçao
4 ounces lemonade
Lemon wedge (for garnish)
Directions
Put all ingredients into shaker. Shake well and pour over ice. Garnish with lemon wedge.
Summer Sea Breeze
Ingredients
4 ounces grapefruit juice
2 ounces Cran-Strawberry juice (or regular Cranberry juice)
1 tsp SUEBEE® INFUSIONS® Strawberry Honey
1½ ounces vodka
Strawberry for garnish
1 tablespoon of sugar
Directions
Put juices, honey and vodka in shaker. Shake well. Pour drop of honey on your finger and coat the edges of your glass. Dip glass in sugar to coat the rim. Pour shaker mixture over ice in glass. Garnish with strawberry.
Honey Spritzer
Ingredients
2/3 cup SUEBEE® INFUSIONS® Vanilla Honey
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
4 cups chilled champagne, white wine or seltzer
Directions
Bring honey and water to a simmer in a saucepan. Cook, stirring, until honey dissolves. Let cool completely. Stir in lime juice. Power over ice. Top with champagne, white wine or selzter. Garnish with lime.
Honey + Oats = Mmm!
3 overnight oats recipes (with honey) that are oh-so yummy
Overnight oats are nothing new. But, my goodness, there seem to be a dozen new overnight oats recipes posted on the internet every day.
That’s because there probably are. Just google “overnight oats,” and the list of recipes is seemingly endless. “Cinnamon Roll Overnight Oats,” “Blueberry-Cashew Cream Overnight Oats,” “Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats,” “Jim’s PB & Honey Protein Punch” – the list of recipes goes on and on. Best of all, there is no right or wrong way to make overnight oats, and the customizable toppings make this health-minded meal one of the most versatile around.
Create your base
No matter which kind of overnight oats we make, we always have a few must-have ingredients:
- Oats: It’s in the name, right? Rolled oats offer fiber, protein, magnesium, potassium and omega-3 fatty acids, among other things.
- Honey: Oats by themselves are a bit plain, so we always add a natural sweetener like AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Honey. We like the naturalness of honey rather than refined and overprocessed sugar. Keeping it natural and pure is our motto.
- Almond milk: You can use any milk, but this is our favorite because our beloved honeybees are the primary pollinator for the U.S. almond crop.
This is an ideal base to get you started. In fact, this is all you need for the “overnight” part. After that, the toppings are endless.
To get the “overnight” part, stir these ingredients together in a jar, top it with a cap or a food wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Let the oats soak for at least two hours. Overnight is best, but we often make ours in the morning before heading to work. We’ll place it in the refrigerator at work and by lunchtime, voila! We have a delicious and nutritious-minded lunch.
Add toppings
As we mentioned, there are no rules, so you can add your toppings all at once, or after your oats have had time to soak. Those toppings can range from fresh fruit and dried fruit to nuts; seeds; coconut flakes; yogurt; peanut butter; protein powder; chocolate chips; spices like cinnamon and nutmeg; etc.
3 combinations we love
Everyone has their favorite combinations; here are three that we enjoy:
Jim’s PB & Honey Protein Punch
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Organic Honey
1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
1 tbsp chia seeds (rich in nutrients, including fiber, magnesium, protein, calcium and iron)
2 tbsp peanut butter (or 12g of powdered peanut butter) for more magnesium and protein
2 tbsp of plain nonfat Greek yogurt (great source of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus)
1/3 cup chocolate chips
1 scoop (30g) protein powder
Directions: For this one, Jim adds all the ingredients together in a 1-quart Mason jar, shakes vigorously and then refrigerates overnight. In the morning, it’s ready to be devoured! So good!
Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats (from fitfoodiefinds.com)
Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup strawberries, diced
1 tbsp chia seeds
Pinch of salt
1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp honey (we prefer AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Organic Honey)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Graham crackers, crushed
Directions:
Place strawberries, almond milk, Greek yogurt, honey, and vanilla into a high-speed food processor (a blender works, too) and process on high until the strawberries are pureed.
Transfer the mixture to a large Tupperware and add the rest of the ingredients. Combine with a spoon.
Cover the Tupperware and transfer it to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or, for best results, overnight. The longer it sits, the thicker the overnight oats will be.
When you’re ready to eat, add more almond milk, as desired, and top with crushed graham crackers, strawberry jam, fresh strawberries and a drizzle of honey.
Almond Butter Overnight Oats with Bananas and Honey (from laurafuentes.com)
Ingredients:
2 to 4 teaspoons honey (we use AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Organic Honey)
2 tsp ground flax
2 cups old-fashioned oats
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
4 tbsp almond butter
2 bananas, divided
Directions (for 4 servings):
On a flat surface, place 4 bowls or lidded glass jars. Fill each with ½ teaspoon ground flax, ½ cup oats, ¾ cup milk, and 1 tablespoon almond butter.
Peel and mash one banana. Divide mashed banana into the four oat mixtures. Pour milk over the banana and oat mixture and, with a spoon, combine the ingredients.
Refrigerate for eight hours or overnight.
When ready to eat, serve cold or warm it up for 30 seconds in the microwave. Slice the remaining banana, top each oat mixture with banana slices and drizzle 1 teaspoon of honey over the top. Combine and enjoy.
Need more overnight oats ideas? Try “12 Overnight Oat Recipes Made with Honey.”
Honey Spritzer
Ingredients
Directions
Bring honey and water a simmer in a saucepan. Cook, stirring, until honey dissolves. Let cool completely. Stir in lime juice. Power over ice. Top with champagne, white wine or selzter. Garnish with lime.
Summer Sea Breeze
Ingredients
4 ounces grapefruit juice
2 ounces Cran-Strawberry juice (or regular Cranberry juice)
1 tsp SUEBEE® INFUSIONS® Strawberry flavored honey
1½ ounces vodka
Strawberry for garnish
1 tablespoon of sugar
Directions
Put juices, honey and vodka in shaker. Shake well. Pour drop of honey on your finger and coat the edges of your glass. Dip glass in sugar to coat the rim. Pour shaker mixture over ice in glass. Garnish with strawberry.
Blue Lagoon
Ingredients
1 ounce vodka
1 tsp of SUEBEE® INFUSIONS® Lemon flavored honey
1 ounce blue curaçao
4 ounces lemonade
Maraschino cherry
Directions
Put all ingredients into shaker. Shake well and pour over ice. Garnish with maraschino cherry.
The Best Carrot Cake … Ever?
Well, it has honey in it, so it’s off to a good start
Before she became an award-winning celebrity chef, Trisha Yearwood was a multi-platinum-selling country music artist. Her debut single, “She’s in Love with the Boy,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart and helped propel her debut album to double-platinum status.
Since then, Trisha has released 15 more albums, had several No. 1 country hits, won three GRAMMY Awards and multiple Country Music Awards, and has been inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
She’s also an amazing cook. In 2008, she released her first cookbook, “Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen,” with her mom, Gwen. It reached the New York Times Best Sellers list and led to more popular cookbooks from the duo.
Trisha’s success with her cookbooks led to an Emmy-winning TV show, “Trisha’s Southern Kitchen,” which airs on the Food Network.
One of her latest creations, “Trisha Yearwood’s Honey Carrot Cake,” has been creating big buzz on social media over the past several weeks, and we know why: It has honey in it!
That, and all sorts of delicious ingredients. It’s easy to make and, yes, it is absolutely scrumptious. Try it out for yourself.
Trisha Yearwood’s Honey Carrot Cake via FoodNetwork.com
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter, for the pan
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/2 cup honey (We use AUNT SUE’S® Organic Honey)
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 to 3 tbsp milk
Directions
For the carrot cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a standard-size loaf pan and line with parchment to overhang the edges by a few inches.
Stir together the all-purpose and whole wheat flours, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Combine the vegetable oil, applesauce and honey in a mixer bowl and beat on medium until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until light, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture and beat on low just until combined. Add the carrots, pecans and coconut and beat just to incorporate. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few crumbs, 55 to 65 minutes. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then unmold and cool completely.
For the cream cheese glaze: Beat the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Beat in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the milk, a tablespoon at a time, to make a thick, spreadable glaze. Spoon the glaze over the cake and spread to the edges.
Sun’s Out
Nothing compares to a freshly brewed batch of honey sun tea
It’s a familiar sight on porches and backyard decks when sunshine fills the afternoon sky in spring and summer: glass sun-tea jars with fresh tea brewing inside. And nothing says summer like a fresh glass of sun tea with SUE BEE® INFUSIONS™ Lemon Honey.
It’s a simple recipe – water, tea and honey. But we still have a few tips to make your sun tea as tasty as can be.
3 Tips to Brewing the Perfect Honey Sun Tea.
The Tea – There is plenty of flexibility on what kind of tea to use for sun tea: regular tea, green tea, black tea, herbal tea, and so on. (The beauty of sun tea is that they ALL taste great when you pair them with SUE BEE® INFUSIONS™ Lemon Honey, so go with your favorite.) Depending on how strong you like your tea, use 8 to 10 regular-sized tea bags per gallon (4 quarts) of water.
Glass vs. Plastic Jars – We prefer glass because it allows for sunlight to start the oxygenation process that eventually brews the tea. Plus, plastic can alter the flavor of the tea.
Placing Your Jar – We like to begin with water at room temperature – not too hot, not too cold. Then, place your container in direct sunlight. There’s a sweet spot for brewing between 3 1/2 and 5 1/2 hours, depending on how hot the sun is that day. Too short and the tea won’t have time to stew. Too long and you can over-brew the tea. Find the sweet spot.
After your tea is sun brewed, bring it inside and add SUE BEE® INFUSIONS™ Lemon Honey. Add 1 cup of honey per gallon (4 quarts) of tea. Stir well and enjoy over ice. Refrigerate what’s left over.
You Feeling OK, Honeybee?
We should all be concerned about the health of the American honeybee
Honeybees aren’t on life support. Yet. But their health is under constant supervision from concerned honeybee advocates and beekeepers, including the 200+ Sioux Honey Co-op members.
In the United States, the treasured, honey-making insects have been in a recovery mode of sorts since 2006 when the mysterious Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) began in earnest. Despite exhaustive research and dedicated projects to deciphering the cause of CCD, the sudden disappearance and deaths of entire hives overnight remains a mystery.
But what’s not unknown are several other reasons why the honeybee – which we rely on to pollinate 71 of the 100 crops that provide 90% of the world’s food – continues to die at an alarming rate. Currently, the Bee Health Collective – a collaboration of stakeholder organizations that gather and share current, credible information about honeybee health – estimates that 40% of honeybee colonies in the U.S. die each year.
Those reasons include what the collective calls the ‘Four P’s’:
- Parasites – The honeybee’s No. 1 predator is the varroa mite, tick-like creatures that attach themselves to honeybees and can destroy entire colonies. It’s like a tick on a human that’s the size of a dinner plate.
- Pathogens – Bees encounter viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens that can have serious impacts on colony health and survival. Some of these pathogens are highly contagious on their own, and others can also be spread by the varroa mite.
- Poor nutrition – Honeybees and native pollinators are literally “losing ground” as agricultural land use expands. Corn and soybeans are the two monoculture crops that use the most land in the U.S.
- Pesticides – From agriculture to home gardens and lawn use, honeybees encounter these weed-killing chemicals in many places.
Other reasons for death among the honeybee population:
- Loss of biodiversity due to circumstances like climate change.
- Destruction of habitats that offer shelter for bees via forest fires, floods, tidal surges from hurricanes, and other natural disasters.
- Small hive beetles, another destructive pest.
As we’ve mentioned in previous blog posts in our honeybee sustainability series (“Wait! Don’t Throw Away That Honey Bottle,” “The Honeybee Stewards,” “Sustaining Sustainability” and “Priceless Pollination”), Sioux Honey beekeepers – along with other commercial beekeepers – have been keeping up with the losses by helping create new hives through the “splitting” of healthy hives. Beekeepers take a portion of an established colony and transfer it to a separate hive nearby and, thus, create two colonies from one.
In the most recent report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the number of honeybee colonies for beekeepers with more than five or more colonies was up 2% year-over-year in January 2021 compared to January 2020, with a total of 2.92 million honeybee colonies in the United States.
The USDA tracks the number of honeybee colonies lost and the number that was added each quarter, and beekeepers’ additions consistently outpace the numbers lost. The most recent quarter showed a significant gain for the honeybee population in the U.S. between April 2021 and June 2021 – 255,860 colonies were lost. However, beekeepers more than doubled the losses by adding 677,690 new colonies. Thank goodness for Sioux Honey and other beekeepers. While other insects, like butterflies, provide pollination services, it’s the honeybee that pollinates the most foods we consume – more than 130 different fruits and vegetables. In the U.S. alone, honeybees pollinate an estimated $15 billion worth of crops every year.
Creating a ‘super bee’
In addition to creating new hives of honeybees, beekeepers are also leading the charge to create new strains of honeybees that are stronger and able to naturally defend themselves against predators like the varroa mite. One of those people is Sioux Honey beekeeper David Thomas who lives in Keaau, Hawaii and runs bees on the Big Island, as well as in his home state of Louisiana. David is at the center of a groundbreaking project called the Hilo Bee Project, which is a public-private partnership developed with the USDA, Project Apis m., and David’s honey operation, the Hawaii Island Honey Company.
Combining breeding tools and expertise in a commercial beekeeping operation, these partners have been working to develop a honeybee that is naturally resistant to varroa mites with traits to be successful in commercial beekeeping. Those traits include being able to produce comparable amounts of honey compared to non-varroa-resistant honeybees and being docile and unaggressive in manner.
David built the research laboratory at his honeybee operation in Keaau and every one of his 6,500 hives (about 260 million honeybees spread across the Big Island) include queens that have been bred from the project.
“Honey production is good, and the bees are doing quite well,” says David. “The work is progressing well, and our bees are resisting the varroa mite, so we’re hoping to keep testing these bees and working on making them available to more commercial beekeepers.”
So far, the project to create the ideal varroa-resistant queen honeybee has resulted in the distribution of 30,000 production queens for use by 20 commercial beekeepers.
“The ongoing breeding project in Hilo remains hopeful,” says Danielle Downey, executive director at Project Apis m. (PAm). “And PAm is funding some projects that may deliver new ways to use organic acids to treat mites.”
Project Apis m. is a non-profit that funds research and efforts to improve honeybee health and vitality. The organization’s name comes from Apis mellifera, the scientific name for the honeybee. Currently, PAm has more than 40 active research projects, and every one of them has the ability to make a major difference for beekeepers.
Another ray of hope, says Downey, is “our efforts to replace forage on the landscape. We passed 55,000 acres this year, but we really hope to see that decimal move. The programs offer free seed and technical guidance to land managers and growers who want to plant for bees.”
Project Apis m. provides free and subsidized seed mixtures and seeds to support honeybee health in California through the organization’s “Seeds for Bees” program,” which encourages the use of cover crops to increase the density, diversity and duration of bee forage in California orchards, farms and vineyards, while improving soil health. The seed mixes available through Seeds for Bees are designed to bloom at critical times of the year when natural forage is scarce but managed and native bees are active.
Want to help create your own little patch of forgeable land for honeybees? If you are able and have the space, create a honeybee-friendly garden. Planting flowers and plants that honeybees, butterflies and other pollinators can forage not only helps sustain the honeybee, it also adds colorful, natural beauty to a yard. It’s a win-win. And here are five tips to get you started.
Strawberry Spinach Salad with Honey Poppyseed Dressing
Ingredients
1/4 cup SUE BEE® INFUSIONS Lemon Honey
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp poppyseeds
Salad
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup strawberries halved
1 cup mandarin oranges
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
Mix together SUE BEE® INFUSIONS Lemon honey with liquid ingredients. Add poppyseeds. Mix well. Drizzle over greens of your choice.
Mint Julep
Ingredients
2 T – boiling water
8 – mint leaves
1 1/2 tsp SUE BEE® Honey
2 oz. – bourbon
crushed ice
Directions
Pour boiling water from a kettle or pot into a small bowl. Add mint leaves; stir until wilted. Add honey; stir until dissolved. Let mixture stand until cool; strain and discard mint. Combine 2 oz. bourbon with honey mint syrup. Pour bourbon mixture over crushed ice in a frosted tumbler or tall glass.
Derby Drink
How to make a honey-blessed mint julep for the big race
We knew mint juleps were the drink of choice at the Kentucky Derby, but whoa! Did you know that about 120,000 mint juleps are served each year at the annual thoroughbred race inside the Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Ky.? That’s a LOT of mint juleps!
According to kentuckyderby.com, the feat requires more than 10,000 bottles of ready-to-serve bourbon cocktail, 1,000 pounds of freshly harvested mint and 60,000 pounds of ice. Luckily it’ll take a lot less to make one at home. And a little AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Honey will add just the perfect amount of sweet.
Honey-kissed Mint Julep
Ingredients
2 tbsp hot water
3 mint leaves
1 tbsp AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Honey
2 oz bourbon
Crushed ice
Mint sprigs, for garnish
Directions
Add hot water and mint leaves in a cocktail mixer; stir until wilted. Add AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Honey and stir until dissolved. Let mixture stand until cool, then strain and discard mint.
Combine 2 ounces of bourbon with honey mint syrup. Pour bourbon mixture over crushed ice in a frosted tumbler or tall glass.
Garnish with mint sprigs.
Priceless Pollination
Measuring the value of the treasured honeybee
Honey. Glorious, golden honey. So natural, so versatile, so delicious. And it’s one very good reason we all need to ensure that the honeybee remains sustainable for … well, forever.
In recent weeks, we’ve outlined a variety of motivations for preserving the future of the honeybee in our blog series on sustainability: “Wait! Don’t Throw Away That Honey Bottle,” “The Honeybee Stewards” and “Sustaining Sustainability.”
And while honey is important, there is an even more vital reason we must secure the sustainability of the honeybee: pollination.
Sustaining our food supply
You might have heard an often-used phrase: Honeybees are responsible for pollinating one in every three bites of food. It’s hard to measure the accuracy of that but, in theory, it’s factual. Consider: We rely on honeybees and other pollinators to pollinate 71 of the 100 crops that provide 90% of the world’s food.
Let that sink in for a moment.
While other insects, like butterflies, provide pollination services, it’s the honeybee who pollinates the most foods we consume – more than 130 different fruits and vegetables. In the U.S. alone, honeybees pollinate an estimated $15 billion worth of crops every year.
Among the foods honeybees pollinate: apples, pumpkins, blueberries, cucumbers, onions, avocados, cherries, broccoli, cranberries, grapes, lettuce, strawberries, watermelon, and on and on.
Love coffee? Thank the honeybees; they pollinate the coffee cherry, which is a fruit, and the coffee bean itself is a part of the fruit.
Many of those crops would disappear if not for the honeybee. And while some may be able to survive without their pollination services, farmers will tell you their yields are higher, and the fruits and vegetables are larger and healthier when they have been pollinated by honeybees.
You might have noticed a very popular nut we haven’t mentioned yet – one that is entirely dependent upon the honeybee: almonds. This one is so significant that we devoted an entire section to it.
Honeybees and almonds
We’ve been throwing out a lot of numbers, and we have a few more because they are essential to stressing the impact the American honeybee has on the U.S. production of almonds.
First, how many almonds are we talking about? The USDA reports that California has 1.6 million acres of almond trees (and growing each year), which produces 3.1 billion pounds of almonds, with a value of $7.6 billion.
The vast majority of almonds are grown in California, which is responsible for 80% of the world’s almond production. California sends its almonds to more than 90 countries worldwide.
All of those numbers would be “0” if not for the pollination services of honeybees. And, as you might have gathered, a lot of honeybees are needed to pollinate California’s 1.6 million acres.
Two hives of honeybees per acre of almonds is recommended, which means 3.2 million hives are needed to pollinate all those almonds. California beekeepers provide about 500,000 of those hives, with the rest coming from beekeepers across the country.
Beekeepers, including the majority of the Sioux Honey Co-op’s beekeepers, take their honeybees to California a few months after their final harvest of honey in August and early September. The almond pollination season is in early February and continues into March.
How about another number? If 3.2 million hives are needed to pollinate all of California’s almonds, and if every hive averages about 25,000 honeybees, that’s about 80 billion honeybees!
Not all of those honeybees are from commercial beekeepers. According to the USDA, for beekeeper operations with five or more colonies, the number of beehives totaled about 2.92 million in 2021.
Furthermore, it should be noted that not every single acre of almond trees gets two hives, but that is the number that is recommended for each acre.
Help from the USDA
Like all of us at Sioux Honey, the USDA supports the critical role pollinators play in agriculture. To that end, the USDA provides research and data collections, diagnostic services and pollinator health monitoring, pollinator habitat enhancement programs, and pollinator health grants.
Currently, the USDA is seeking nominations from now until May 31, 2022, for its newly formed National Pollinator Subcommittee. The subcommittee will be part of the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board, which provides feedback to the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA’s science agencies and university collaborators on food and agricultural research, education, extension and economics priorities and policies.
“USDA takes very seriously our duty to protect pollinators so that they can continue to play a critical role in our food production system,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a recent press release.
The NAREEE Advisory Board’s Pollinator Subcommittee will provide input on annual USDA strategic pollinator priorities and goals and will make pollinator health-related recommendations to strengthen USDA pollinator research efforts. USDA is both a major funder and conductor of pollinator research, with research initiatives spanning across five USDA mission areas: Status and Trends (e.g., pollinator inventory and monitoring, economics and social sciences); Pests and Pathogens (both established and emerging); Environmental Stressors (e.g., weather stress, pesticide exposure, migratory and stocking density stress); Forage, Habitat and Nutrition; and Genetics and Breeding.
USDA expects to appoint seven new Pollinator Subcommittee members in accordance with the federal statute. Candidates selected to the Pollinator Subcommittee may serve one to three years, with terms anticipated to start in July 2022.
For information on how to apply, visit the NAREEE website.
A Honey of a Salad
Fresh greens, colorful fruit, natural honey – this one can’t miss
Salads are perfect for spring and summertime lunches, especially if you’re aiming to add more greens to your diet. And as luck would have it, we know a scrumptious recipe for a Strawberry Spinach Salad with a Honey Mustard Dressing that you will love.
Ingredients for the Dressing
4 tbsp SUE BEE® INFUSIONS™ Lemon Honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Directions for the Dressing
In a small jar, combine SUE BEE® INFUSIONS™ Lemon Honey, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, poppy seeds, mustard, salt and pepper. Seal the jar; shake vigorously to combine. Set aside.
Ingredients for the Salad
2 5-oz containers baby spinach
1 lb strawberries, halved or sliced
2 oranges, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Directions for the Salad
Add the spinach to a large bowl or platter and top with half of the strawberries and orange slices. Drizzle with half of the dressing and then gently toss to coat.
Now top the salad with the remaining berries, orange slices, pecans and goat cheese. Drizzle with your desired amount of the remaining dressing. Enjoy!
“Bee Happy or Buzz Off” Giveaway Rules
SIOUX HONEY ASSOCIATION CO-OP (SHAC) OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES
NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE THE CHANCES OF WINNING.
1. Eligibility: This giveaway is only open to legal residents of the United States who are 18 years or older as of the date of entry and is void where prohibited by law. Employees of SHAC, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, and suppliers, (collectively the “Employees”), and immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of Employees are not eligible to participate in the giveaway. The giveaway is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
2. Agreement to Rules: By participating, the Contestant (“You”) agree to be fully unconditionally bound by these Rules, and You represent and warrant that You meet the eligibility requirements. In addition, You agree to accept the decisions of SHAC as final and binding as it relates to the giveaway and these Rules.
3. Campaign Period: Entries will be accepted online starting on May 20, 2022, and ending May 31, 2022. All online entries must be received by midnight Central Time, May 31, 2022.
4. How to Enter: To enter, You must follow the Sioux Honey page on Instagram and like the giveaway post. The entry must fulfill all giveaway requirements, as specified, to be eligible to win a prize. Entries that are incomplete or do not adhere to the rules or specifications may be disqualified at the sole discretion of SHAC. You may enter only once. You must provide the information requested. You may not enter more times than indicated by using multiple email addresses, identities, or devices in an attempt to circumvent the rules. If You use fraudulent methods or otherwise attempt to circumvent the rules, your submission may be removed from eligibility at the sole discretion of SHAC.
5. Prizes: The Winner(s) of the giveaway (the “Winner”) will receive a “Bee Nice or Buzz Off” Giveaway Package, which includes a bottle of AUNT SUE’S® Organic Raw & Unfiltered Honey, a bottle of SUE BEE® INFUSIONSTM Hot Honey, a container of SUE BEE® SPUN® honey and decorative sign. The specifics of the prize shall be solely determined by SHAC. No cash or other prize substitution shall be permitted. No substitution of prize or request for the cash equivalent by the Winner is permitted. No transfer/assignment of prize to others is permitted unless the Winner does not respond to contact by SHAC within one week of initial contact. At that point, another Winner will be chosen. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for SHAC to use Winner’s name, likeness, and entry for purpose of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.
6. Odds: The odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received.
7. Winner Selection and Notification: The Winner will be selected by a random drawing under the supervision of SHAC. The Winner will be notified by a comment and/or message within five (5) days following selection of the Winner. SHAC shall have no liability for the Winner’s failure to receive notices due to spam, junk email or other security settings or for the Winner’s provision of incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information. If the Winner cannot be contacted or is ineligible, the prize may be forfeited and an alternate Winner selected. Receipt by the Winner of the prize offered in this giveaway is conditioned upon compliance with any and all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. ANY VIOLATION OF THESE OFFICIAL RULES BY THE WINNER (AT SHAC’s SOLE DISCRETION) WILL RESULT IN THE WINNER’S DISQUALIFICATION AS THE WINNER OF THE GIVEAWAY, AND ALL PRIVILEGES AS THE WINNER WILL BE IMMEDIATELY TERMINATED.
8. Rights Granted by You: By entering this giveaway, You understand and agree that SHAC or anyone acting on behalf of SHAC and SHAC’s licensees, successors, and assigns, shall have the right, where permitted by law, to print, publish, broadcast, distribute, and use in any media now known or hereafter developed, in perpetuity and throughout the World, without limitation, your entry, name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, image, statements about the giveaway, and biographical information for news, publicity, information, trade, advertising, public relations, and promotional purposes without any further compensation, notice, review, or consent. By entering this content, You represent and warrant that your entry does not violate any third party’s proprietary or intellectual property rights. If your entry infringes upon the intellectual property right of another, You will be disqualified at the sole discretion of SHAC. If the content of your entry is claimed to constitute infringement of any proprietary or intellectual proprietary rights of any third party, You shall, at your sole expense, defend or settle against such claims. You shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless SHAC from and against any suit, proceeding, claims, liability, loss, damage, costs or expense which SHAC may incur, suffer, or be required to pay arising out of such infringement or suspected infringement of any third party’s right.
9. Terms & Conditions: SHAC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Campaign should virus, bug, non-authorized human intervention, fraud, or other cause beyond SHAC’s control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, or proper conduct of the Campaign. In such case, SHAC may select the Winner from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by SHAC. SHAC reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers or attempts to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Campaign or website or violates these Terms & Conditions. SHAC has the right, in its sole discretion, to maintain the integrity of the Campaign, to void votes for any reason, including, but not limited to: multiple entries from the same user from different IP addresses; multiple entries from the same computer in excess of that allowed by Campaign rules; or the use of bots, macros, scripts, or other technical means for entering. Any attempt by an entrant to deliberately damage any website or undermine the legitimate operation of the Campaign may be a violation of criminal and civil laws. Should such attempt be made, SHAC reserves the right to seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.
10. Limitation of Liability: SHAC and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers, and directors shall have no responsibility for any liability (including tax liability), illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim, or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from: (i) such entrant’s participation in the Campaign and/or his/her acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize or any portion thereof; (ii) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to, the malfunction of any computer, cable, network, hardware, software, or other mechanical equipment; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions, telephone, or internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Promotion; (v) electronic or human error in the administration of the Promotion or the processing of entries.
11. Disputes: THIS GIVEAWAY IS GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES AND OF IOWA, WITHOUT RESPECT TO CONFLICT OF LAW DOCTRINES. As a condition of participating in this Campaign, participant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved between the parties and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Campaign shall be resolved individually without resort to any form of class action, exclusively before a court located in Iowa having jurisdiction. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances shall participant be permitted to obtain awards for and hereby waives all rights to, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, including reasonable attorney’s fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with entering this Campaign). Participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.
12. Copy of Rules/Winners List: To obtain a copy of the Winner’s name or a copy of these Official Rules, mail your request along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Bozell, 2215 Harney St, Omaha, NE 68102. Requests must be received no later than May 31, 2022, 12:00 p.m. CST.
13. Sponsor: The Sponsor of the giveaway is Sioux Honey Association Co-op, 301 Lewis Blvd, Sioux City, IA 51101.
14. Facebook/Instagram: The Campaign hosted by SHAC is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram.
Quick Honey Marinade
Ingredients
1/2 cup SUE BEE® honey
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp baking soda
Directions
In a bowl mix together all ingredients. Pour over your favorite meat, poultry or fish. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. 2-3 hours is ideal.
The Honeybee Stewards
How beekeepers – and YOU – can help keep honey and the honeybee sustainable
Luckily for the honeybee, our Sioux Honey beekeeper families are among those who are helping make sure the honeybee is sustainable long into the future – not just for the precious materials the honeybee produces (honey, wax, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, venom for therapy) – but also for pollinating about one-third of the global food supply. Specifically, of the 100 crops that provide 90% of our global food supply, 71 are pollinated by honeybees and other pollinators.
Beekeepers are stewards of not only the honeybee but of the land upon which the honeybees forage. As stewards of the land, Sioux Honey beekeepers encourage farmers to avoid using pesticides and herbicides on their crops. Our beekeepers do everything they can to steer their honeybees away from crops or land where farmers have treated the weeds and insects in and around their crops. Beekeepers take great care to place their hives in natural, pesticide- and herbicide-free areas.
To help beekeepers in this endeavor, organizations like the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship offer apiary registries, which are tools used to help protect honeybees from exposure to chemicals that are toxic to bees. By adding the locations of their beehives to the registry, pesticide applicators will avoid applications of pesticides that are toxic to bees in proximity of the registered location during heavy honeybee foraging. Other states have similar programs. It is team efforts like this that can help ensure the honeybee remains sustainable for future generations.
Increasing the honeybee population
In recent years, the honeybee’s global population has been diminished by things like the decrease in forgeable land due to monoculture farming, the relentless varroa mites, and mysterious, hard-to-pinpoint reasons that often fall under the label of “colony collapse disorder,” where entire colonies disappear overnight.
Sioux Honey beekeepers – along with other commercial beekeepers – have been keeping up with the losses by helping create new hives through the “splitting” of healthy hives. Beekeepers take a portion of an established colony and transfer it to a separate hive nearby and, thus, create two colonies from one.
In the most recent report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the number of honeybee colonies for beekeepers with more than five or more colonies was up 2% year-over-year in January 2021 compared to January 2020, with a total of 2.92 million honeybee colonies in the United States. The USDA tracks the number of honeybee colonies lost and the number that was added each quarter, and beekeepers’ additions consistently outpace the numbers lost. The most recent quarter showed a significant gain for the honeybee population in the U.S. between April 2021 and June 2021, 255,860 colonies were lost. However, beekeepers more than doubled the losses by adding 677,690 new colonies.
Sustainability from the honey lover’s perspective
The beekeepers are doing their part to help keep the honeybees and honey sustainable for the foreseeable future, for which we are grateful. But how can those of us who love honey and cherish the honeybee do our part to make sure our children, our children’s children and so on are able to enjoy honey the way we do?
In a recent blog post, we offered tips on how you can create new forgeable areas for the honeybee. It’s as simple as adding a single flowering plant in your yard. But what else can you do? You can help spread the word about why honey is such a better sweetener than sugar – from adding it in your favorite drinks or on your favorite foods to baking and using it as a substitute to any recipe that includes sugar.
Sugar is a calorie-rich ingredient that has little nutritional value on its own [1] [2]. And sugar is often added to processed foods to improve flavor, color, texture and shelf-life [3]. Consuming too much sugar has been associated with diabetes, tooth decay and poor cognitive functioning [4] [5] [6]. Harvard Health says too much added sugar can be one of the greatest threats to cardiovascular disease [7].
Honey is particularly great for baking. Because honey is sweeter than sugar, you’ll need less of it. The general rule is, for every 1 cup of sugar use 1/2 to 2/3 cup of SUE BEE® honey or AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Honey. Other tips for baking with honey include:
Reduce liquids: Honey contains a small percentage of water, so when substituting honey in recipes that call for 1 cup or more of sugar, reduce the other liquids in the recipe by 1/4 cup for every 1 cup of honey.
Add baking soda: If the recipe doesn’t already call for it, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda, which helps balance honey’s natural acidity to allow the baked good to rise properly. In cookie recipes using eggs, or in recipes with no other liquids, increase the flour by 2 tablespoons for each cup of honey.
Lower the temp: Honey caramelizes faster than granulated sugar, and therefore burns faster, so reduce the oven by 25 degrees.
Share and help spread the word
If you enjoyed this blog post on honeybee sustainability, forward it to a friend. And you might also enjoy other posts in our series:
Sustaining Sustainability: For the honeybee’s sake, let’s celebrate Earth Day every day
Wait! Don’t Throw Away That Honey Bottle: You can help with sustainability for our beloved honeybee
Sources:
[1] Men’s Fitness
[2] LiveStrong.com
[3] Science Daily
[4] Time
[6] Forbes
[7] Harvard Health
Taco Time
Just a half hour and this mouth-watering meal is ready to eat
In just about 30 minutes, you can throw this zesty culinary concoction together and feed the whole family. These spicy chicken and black bean tacos – with the spice of our SUE BEE® INFUSIONS™ Hot Honey – have become our new favorite, and we think you will enjoy them, as well.
Here’s how to make them:
Ingredients:
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tbsp SUE BEE® INFUSIONS™ Hot Honey
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
4 canned chipotles in adobo sauce, finely chopped
1 tsp kosher salt, add more to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
Tortillas – flour or corn
Sliced avocado for topping
Directions:
Combine the chicken, SUE BEE® INFUSIONS™ Hot Honey, chipotles, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder and salt in an electric pressure cooker and mix ingredients.
Cover and set steam valve to sealed position. Cook on high pressure for 14 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for five minutes. Then release the remaining pressure manually. Open the lid.
Remove chicken and shred it, and then return it to the pot. Stir in the black beans and lime juice, set to sauté and let the beans warm for about three minutes. Serve in tortillas (with avocado, if desired).
Moms Rock!
Mother’s Day is coming – have you planned how you’re going to spoil her?
Whether you are planning a special day for mom on Mother’s Day or simply pampering yourself, we have some ideas on how to go about creating the perfect way to relax on this special day.
Our Honey Avocado Face Mask is a soothing experience every mom should enjoy. And it’s simple to make. Just mix together AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Honey, Greek yogurt and avocado, apply and relax. Ahhh, so refreshing.
Honey Avocado Face Mask
Ingredients
2 tbsp AUNT SUE’S® Raw & Unfiltered Honey
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 avocado
Directions
Slice avocado in half, scoop out and mash with a fork. Add Greek yogurt and honey. Mix together and apply to face. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Rinse and apply moisturizer.
While mom is relaxing …
And while mom is enjoying her face mask, serve her some of our delectable, oh-so-scrumptious Honey Peanut Butter Truffles. These buttery yum-yums melt in your mouth and are quick and easy to make – just five minutes and they’re ready to be devoured.
Honey Peanut Butter Truffles
Ingredients
1/4 cup SUE BEE® honey
1/4 cup oats
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter or almond butter
1 package of chocolate candy coating (any brand)
1/4 cup coconut (optional)
Directions
Mix together SUE BEE® honey, oats and peanut butter. Roll into one-inch balls. Heat the chocolate candy coating according to directions on package until chocolate is smooth. Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate until coated and place on wax paper. Top with coconut.
Honey Vanilla Monkey Bread
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups SUE BEE® Infusions Vanilla honey
2 16 oz tubes of Pillsbury Grand Flaky Layers biscuits
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Directions
Pour sugar and cinnamon into gallon-sized plastic bag. Remove biscuits from tubes and cut each biscuit into quarters. Place quartered biscuits into plastic bag with sugar, one tube at a time. Shake bag, covering biscuits with sugar and cinnamon mixture. Layer biscuits into greased bundt pan. Heat butter in saucepan over low heat. When butter is completely melted add in SUE BEE® Infusions Vanilla honey and mix thoroughly. Pour honey and butter mixture over biscuits until covered. Heat oven to 350°. Bake for 35-45 minutes until it no longer feels soft in the center. Remove from oven and let stand for ten minutes. Serve warm.
Honey Peanut Butter Truffles
Ingredients
1/4 cup SUE BEE® honey
1/4 cup oats
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter or almond butter
1 container of Dolci Frutta hard chocolate shell
1/4 cup coconut (optional)
Directions
Mix together SUE BEE® honey, oats and peanut butter. Roll into one-inch balls. Heat Dolci Frutta according to directions on package until chocolate is smooth. Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate until coated and place on wax paper. Top with coconut.