Recent Posts

Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 10
11
Farm Livestock / Re: Baby Goats Anyone?
« Last post by The15thMember on April 09, 2024, 10:25:51 pm »
Here's some pictures of Beverly in the house today.  She finally took the bottle around suppertime, once Haley tried a new style of nipple.  This is the first time we've successfully bottle-fed a kid, so Haley is very pleased.  Bev will come inside tomorrow too, just to be sure she's got the bottle down, and then hopefully she'll be able to take one whenever it's needed. 






12
Farm Livestock / Re: Baby Goats Anyone?
« Last post by The15thMember on April 09, 2024, 04:57:38 pm »
We had our last batch of babies for this year born very early Monday morning.  Bella was the last doe this year, and it seemed like things were starting to get going late on Saturday night, so we were hoping that maybe for once we have kids born during the day on Sunday, but instead she kept us strung along until after 1:00 AM.  She had a white average sized buckling, a huge tan buckling (the biggest kid we've ever had), and a small tan doeling (the smallest kid we've ever had).  We are kind of on a Winter's Tale jag after naming one of Prim's kids Peter Lake, so we named them Pearly, Cecil, and Beverly.  Haley is worried about Bev being able to compete with the boys since she is so little, so she's been in the house all day trying to learn to take a bottle in the hopes that Haley can supplement her if need be.






13
Honey, Bee Forage; Nectar & Pollen Sources / Re: What blooms where and when
« Last post by Bakersdozen on April 09, 2024, 11:06:17 am »
3/31/24 66061: Ajuga aka Bugleweed

4/8/24 66061: mustard
14
Any and Every Thing / Teaching Apiary
« Last post by Bakersdozen on April 08, 2024, 10:39:20 am »
I spent Sunday afternoon at our local bee club's teaching apiary.  It was established through a grant from the Great Plains Master Beekeeping program.  We started last year with 4 colonies. This year the goal was to grow to 10. A dead out was given from a Veteran's Scholarship recipient that had to move out of state.  The donated woodenware with the split will be auctioned off in June to fund future scholarships. With 6 students observing, I helped my friends demonstrate package installation under extremely windy conditions. At times the wind could almost knock you over. Then we made two splits from 3 colonies.
I got some good pictures of entombed pollen. In the last few years entombed pollen has become something for us to be aware of.  It's stored pollen that is contaminated with pesticides. The bees are aware that it's contaminated, so they seal it off so it's never used. We have to rotate this out if there becomes too much of it on one frame.







15
Any and Every Thing / Package pick up promotion
« Last post by Bakersdozen on April 06, 2024, 11:20:48 am »
We have one beekeeping distributor in the Kansas City metro area. He has customers from both sides of the state line. He's a great guy and a wonderful ambassador for the honey bee. He asked our local bee club to be present during package pick up weekends in April. The purpose was to promote ongoing education.  We signed up for shifts and were prepared with Kansas and Missouri club information as well as both state wide organizations. Not surprisingly, some folks were picking up packages without any prior education or they were replacing deadouts, meant to join a club but never got around to it, and so forth.

The owner's right hand man (she's the one with the clip board) explained that they plan light the first weekend of package pick up.  That gets all the kinks worked out then they really do business the other three weekends in April. However, one man picked up 50 packages of bees while I was there.  All I could see was dollar signs!  :bee:






We were also asked a few questions, but you know beekeepers. We are always happy to talk about bees.  Surprisingly, a few people recognized me!
16
Recipes Using Honey / Honey-Butter Thins cookies
« Last post by Bakersdozen on March 31, 2024, 03:49:01 pm »
These cookies turned out different than I anticipated and better.  I thought they would be crispy in texture, but they are soft and tender.  I mistakenly made Honey Buttercream icing because I thought they would need something to keep them soft. Icing is not necessary. They stand well on their own.

Honey-Butter Thins Cookies
1 cup salted butter, softened

1 3/4 cups sugar, plus more for rolling

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup honey

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat butter with a mixer on medium 30 seconds. Add 1 3/4 cups sugar, the baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in honey, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat in flour until combined.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in additional sugar and arrange 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake until edges are set and lightly browned, 10 to 12 minutes.
17
Swarms, Cut Outs, Trap Outs and Bee Trees / Re: Double Whammy
« Last post by Bakersdozen on March 30, 2024, 10:54:47 am »
Easy! and a nice size swarm!
18
Swarms, Cut Outs, Trap Outs and Bee Trees / Double Whammy
« Last post by iddee on March 29, 2024, 05:54:52 pm »
A friend and I brought this woodwork to his house Tuesday. The bees are going in and out in the small hole in the center. Today they swarmed. He caught the swarm. Now he has two hives from it. We will do a cutout when the weather gets warmer.





19
Recipes Using Honey / Honey Glazed Buttermilk Oatmeal Coffee Cake
« Last post by Bakersdozen on March 28, 2024, 11:53:08 am »
This is an upside down cake.  It does have a lot of steps and repeats. So, follow the directions closely. I usually avoid recipes that are tedious, but this seemed like it was worth the effort. It's nice and moist.
Honey Glazed Buttermilk Oatmeal Cake
½ cup honey

⅓ cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup

2 teaspoons lemon zest

4 teaspoons lemon juice

½ cup chopped pecans

1 ½ cups rolled oats

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

⅔ cup buttermilk or sour milk (see note)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup butter, melted

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Honey (optional)

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup honey, 1/3 cup melted butter, the corn syrup, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Pour into a well-greased 9x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside.

In a blender or food processor, finely grind oats. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in flour, brown sugar, 1/2 cup pecans, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter and the vanilla. Add the milk mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

Spoon batter evenly over honey mixture. Bake in a 375° oven about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and immediately invert cake onto a serving plate. Cool about 10 minutes. Serve warm drizzled with additional honey, if you like.

You can use any leftover lemon juice to make the sour milk. Use 2 teaspoons of the lemon juice.  Vinegar will work too.

I had a little of the topping bubble over while it was in the oven. If you can, put a cookie sheet pan underneath.
20
Any and Every Thing / Potential for shortages of sugar
« Last post by Bakersdozen on March 28, 2024, 10:58:12 am »
I really get annoyed when there is a mad rush and stock piling of items like toilet paper or meat products at the store. The panic caused by these events during Covid is still vivid in my memory.  That being said, I just read that as a result of the Francis Scott Key bridge being hit by the cargo ship in Baltimore there could be an impact on sugar shipments, as well as coal and cars.  There is the potential for delays and price increases as the shipping industry finds new routes. We saw some inconveniences last year when a cargo ship blocked the Suez Canal. I would hate to see beekeepers caught in a sugar shortage or price hike when they need to feed. Please, don't think that I am only thinking of my inconveniences when six people are missing and presumed dead.
Pages: 1 [2] 3 4 ... 10