Aw, honey honey!!

Last week I shared about my Mom's Garden and one of the things I mentioned they have up there is a beehive.  My parents purchased their own bees and harvest the honey every summer.  My dad even has the cool spacey bee suit! Too bad I don't have a picture of that!

I didn't win the Farmers Market Photo contest but this is one that did.  Taken by Staci Longest of Newton at the King and Queen County Farmers Market near Richmond, VA. I thought it appropriate to share her beautiful photo with this post.

Honey is amazing.  It can go with just about anything sweet or savory.  Use it as a sweetener in baked goods or in your tea.  Its awesome with certain kinds of cheese. I love it with feta cheese!  Sometimes I'll make scrambled eggs in the morning and top them feta cheese and a sprinkling of honey...its so yumma yumma!! The salty savoriness of the cheese combined with the sweet stickiness of the honey is delightful! I'm not a huge fan of maple syrup so I like to use honey on my pancakes and waffles instead. 

Check out these homemade secret-recipe waffles Superking made with some fresh blueberries straight from the farm, sprinkled with a little powdered sugar, a little dab of butter, and drizzled with honey from my parents hive!! Delish!

There are so many subtle flavor differences you can get from one honey to another. It all depends on what flowers and other pollinating plants are nearby the hive.  As the bees travel from one plant to the next, what combination will they come up with to flavor this year's honey?

There's something sort of mysterious about honey too.  It has these ancient healing qualities that have been around since the dawn of time that are still used today! Did you know honey can used as an antiseptic and promotes faster healing for cuts and scrapes? It can used as an antioxidant and cleanser for your whole body and skin.  Many natural beauty products include honey.  I love Burts Bees products!! One of my favorites of theirs is a cleanser that has royal jelly in it (which is a special honey made just for the queen bee)! I have very dry skin and that stuff makes my skin feel as smooth as a baby's bottom!

Honey can be used to fight infections and reduce inflammation.  As a singer myself and a voice teacher, I always tell my students the best thing they can do if their voice is sick or to prepare for a performance, is to drink a warm cup of tea with honey and lemon juice.  It does wonders to heal and soothe your throat and also lubricate your voice.

one of my favorite mugs with my bee themed tea infuser in my bee themed kitchen (see below)

yes even the curtains have little bees on them behind my beehive wind chime

Honey is an excellent remedy for digestive issues.  Have tummy trouble or maybe heartburn after eating a bunch of heavy fried foods? Take a spoonful of honey!  Mary Poppins sang about a "spoonful of sugar", she shoulda sang a spoonful of honey! Honey has been known to cure diseases and correct other health disorders such as yeast infections, arthritis, even fighting cancer.

Its great for an energy booster and building up immunities as well. So next time flu season comes around, try a spoonful of honey each day! Its at least worth a try. If nothing else, it'll help make your day a little sweeter!