Vegan Muffins: Recipe Swap

My mother works as a nurse, and she's darn-tootin good at what she does. I guess she was telling a patient about how much I love to bake, and so begins the recipe swap. A notecard with this on it arrives home for me:

Oatmeal Cookies
"Heat oven to 375 degrees and oil cookie sheets.*

Cream:
1 1/4 c. "Earth Balance" (butter substitute)
3/4 c. dark brown sugar (packed)
1/4 c. evaporated cane juice crystals (such as "Florida Crystals")

Add:
1 T. "Ener-G" egg replacer w/ 1/4 c. water (beaten seperately)
2 T. Water
1 tsp. vanilla

Add & mix:
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3 c. rolled oats

Stir in:
1 1/4 c. walnuts, chopped
1 c. raisins

"How many cookies you get depends on how you divide the batter. The neighbors who game me the recipe makes only nine--big, huge circles. I made two dozen.

"Drop onto the cookie sheet, then flatten and shape with the back of a spoon.

Bake approximately 16 minutes (golden on top, but still moist). Cool on rack before storing."

Apparently, this woman is a vegan, something I tried one year for lent. It was rather difficult for me because I went about it very unhealthily.** If it had eggs or butter or the like in the recipe, I just wouldn't go for it. This is rather stupid, I now realize, because there's so many alternatives! My mother confused a gluten-free muffin recipe I once made up with a vegan recipe, but I can work with that.


Now, I have yet to actually try out her recipe, but the idea was that maybe we could start swapping recipes. A lady I've never met who knows me through her nurse... I find it interesting. All the more interesting with the added challenge of vegan cooking. So, I have decided to play with muffins using my personal favorite substitutions. More blackberry, because I have it on hand.


Vegan Blackberry Muffins
1 1/2 c. all -purpose flour, divided
1/2 c. oat flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 T. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 ripe banana, mashed (substitutes eggs)
1 c. soy milk (substitutes milk)
1/4 c. applesauce (substitutes butter)
1 c. blackberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift 1 1/4 c. of all-purpose flour with oat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. In another bowl mix banana, soy milk, and applesauce. Pour this over the flour mixture. Stir just enough to moisten the flour.*** Dust 1 cup fresh blueberries with the reserved flour and stir gently into the batter. Pour paper muffin cup liners two-thirds full of the batter and bake about 15 minutes. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen muffins.


They turned out fairly well, moist and not too sweet. My friend, who prefers things too sweet, said they would be better with some sort of frosting, so I smeared some Nutella on one and that made it perfect. Now just to copy the recipe down and send it off to this random woman!

*I would just use parchment paper.
**I should really try it again, now that I'm more informed. Maybe next year.
***The batter should not be smooth.

Mango-Blackberry Cobbler

Mmmmm... cobbler.

We still had a few leftover bags of blackberries from last year's picks, and my mother accidentally left one out after grabbing a handful for her oatmeal. Can't let that go to waste! I'm trying to get over my sugar-phobia, so I had some myself. If I might say so myself, it was pretty delicious. My friends and I play this game every week or so, and I like to make food for the occasion. Plus, my sister and dad are in town to enjoy some too. Not to mention, I love baking. But who needs an excuse anyways?


Mango and Blackberry Cobbler
(Recipe from Baking Bites)

16oz fresh blackberries
16-oz fresh mango, cubed
1 medium apple, thinly sliced
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon**

Preheat oven to 357F.

Combine blackberries, mango, apples, cornstarch and sugar in a large bowl. Toss well and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Pour into an 8×8-inch or 9×9-inch square baking dish.

In the same bowl you used for the fruit, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla and whisk to combine. Pour batter (should be similar to cake batter) over the fruit in an even layer.

Bake at 375F for about 45 minutes, until dark golden brown. The center will spring back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the cake will come out clean, just like a regular cake that is done. Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.***

Serves 6-8


*I used 2% milk, and it turned out just fine.
**My addition, because I love cinnamon.
***With vanilla ice-cream! Alone is swell as well.

Lemon-Lime Bars

I attended a farewell party for two dear friends who will be moving to Portland, Oregon. It'll be sad when they aren't around. Change is sometimes difficult, you know? I will enjoy going to visit them.

Lingfei is from China, Chris's dimpled, charming wife, and she made an authentic Chinese dinner for a dozen or so of us. Let me just say, it was a spectacular feat, complete with a half a dozen dishes or more including, fried rice, fried eggplant, wilted spinach and eggs, cashew chicken, a cabbage dish, a tomato dish, fried tofu, various vegetable dishes and meat dishes, a shrimp stir-fry, wontons, and fried bananas and apples for dessert (among others!). The theme was fried food, it seems. And MSG--about half a bagfull. I don't normally eat either of those foods, but I decided to enjoy myself, and I think we all did. She just kept dishing these things out, even after everyone was satiated. I came to the party a few hours early to help out, and it was quite a project. She was wonderfully adorable, a perfect hostess.


Bellies full, we walked home in the cold, thundering night together, me finding my way into bed around four in the morning.

I had made a dessert for the night, a little lemony treat inspired by a friend's craving a week or so back. We didn't really get to it though, not even close, so it became the dessert for our National Man Day Barbeque on June 14 the next day.


Lemon-Lime Bars
(Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens, May 2008 Issue)

2/3 c. butter
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, divided
4 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel, divided
6 eggs
2 1/4 c. granulated sugar*
1/2 c. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. finely shredded lime peel
2 T. sifted powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 13x9x2-inch pan with heavy foil; set aside.

2. For crust, in large mixing bowl beat butter on medium to high 30 seconds. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Beat in 2 cups of the flour until crumbly. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the lemon peel. Evenly press on bottom of prepared pan. Bake 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, for filling, in medium bowl combine eggs, granulated sugar, remaining 1/2 cup flour, lemon juice, baking powder, and nutmeg. Beat on medium 2 minutes. Stir in remaining lemon peel and the lime peel. Pour over hot crust. Bake 20 minutes more or until edges are browned and center appears set. Remove to racks; cool 1 hour. Refrigerate, covered, 2 hours.

4. To serve, sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar. Lift from pan using foil; cut into bars.

5. If desired, add Candied Slices (recipe follows).**

Candied Citrus Slices In large skillet combine 1/4 water and 3/4 cup sugar; bring to boiling. Add 2 lemons or 10 key limes, thinly sliced. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 1 to 2 minutes or until just softened. Transfer to rack; cool.

*Or less, depending on if you're like me who loves the sour lemony flavor.
**The candied citrus slices weren't really a hit, mostly picked around. I like them more as decoration, so it might be prudent to half or quarter the recipe. It makes too much.

Bwiiiiffff!!

It's the Clif's first birthday!


We shall celebrate in July when I get back from Alaska. All the woofs will be invited, but the woof of honor will need lots and lots of presents! I'm thinking BBQ on the beach? Lots of friends, foods, and splashing around.

Ski to Sea 2010!!

TEAM WE LOOK BETTER NAKED FINISHED THE RACE WITH NO INCIDENT!!

Ski to Sea is an annual race in Whatcom County comprising of seven legs and eight team members. It starts up on Mount Baker--four miles of cross-country skiing, a hike up a mountainside just to go downhill skiing, then the runner begins the descent down the snow-capped mountain towards the road biker eight miles away. The road biker then travels nearly forty miles to the town of Everson, speeding off the mountain and through the foothills. From there, the two canoeists wind down the Nooksack River (the hardest leg, in my opinion). The mountain biker has a short trip to Bellingham where the kayaker takes off in the bay. Finally, at Marine Park in Fairhaven, the race ends with a bell to ring at the finish line.

We Look Better Naked didn't place in the top ten, nor in the top one hundred or two hundred, but I'm still very proud of us. Those of us who began on the mountain (two skiiers, runner and road biker) began our day at 4 o'clock in the morning of race day, driving up snuggled close in the car. I waited hours for my leg to begin, sleeping on cement and wandering throughout the hundreds of bikers and bicyclists. Luckily, my boyfriend was there with me. Look, a Bellingham Herald photographer snapped a shot of us:

Bikers around here are intense. I placed 334 our of 462... Not that great. I could have done better; My biggest mistake was not drafting anybody else. However, the amount of fun I had... When I first started the leg, there was a big cheesy grin on my face. I was riding with the elite, the big dogs, and I was finally part of this big race that seemed to impossible only a year ago. The weather cleared up, the road dried out, and the route was perfect. So scenic and gorgeous. I'd like to give a shout out to 330 for being very thoughtful and entertaining for a good chunk of the ride. "The boys have fallen asleep!" apparently. Next year I'll know what I'm doing and will kick some butt! I can't wait. I really cannot wait.


TEAM 426:
Cross Country Skiier: Alana Thelan
Downhill Skiier: Danica Yates
Runner: Annelise Nielsen
Road Biker: Me
Canoers: Mariah Brown-Pounds & Sabrina Lorgen
Mountain Biker: Chaya Dupree
Kayaker: Mary Ann Dupree

Plum-Rhubarb Yogurt

Nothing quite compares to the delectable goodness of a hot rhubarb cobbler, a little vanilla ice-cream on the side. I have enjoyed pies and cobblers and crisps and bars with rhubarb since my days living in North Dakota. We've always had a patch growing at some hidden corner of our yard.

However, one thing about rhubarb, sugar makes it sweet.

I know that is kind of an obvious statement. Sugar makes anything sweeter. Now that I am more conscious (slightly overly-conscious) of the foods I eat, sugar isn't nearly as enjoyable as it once was. Nowadays I tend to avoid processed sugar where I can.

I've been toying with the concept of incorporating rhubarb into a main course, but aside from that, also turning it into a dessert that doesn't have a gallon of sugar in it.

I know this recipe needs work, but this rhubarb yogurt has potential. It reminds me a bit of those fruit-at-the-bottom yogurt cups, with the mushy, doesn't-really-resemble-food stuff that tastes surprisingly yummy. I've tried several varieties of the recipe, and I'll likely try several more, but this one has plums in it (which give it a pretty color aside fromThe texture is wanting, and it needs more flavors, but here it is:

Plum-Rhubarb Yogurt

1 c. rhubarb, sliced and diced

1/2 c. plums, cut up with peel

1 packet stevia

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. non-fat plain yogurt**

1 T whipped cream (optional)***

In skillet with enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, saute rhubarb until soft and tender. Add plums to hot pan Remove from heat, stir in stevia, cinnamon, and vanilla. Chill for at least an hour. Combine rhubarb mix with yogurt. Plop a dallop of whipped cream on top, if so desired.****

Makes two servings. (Approximately 95 calories per serving with whipped cream).

*Of course I would have prefered strawberries, a perfect combination fruit, but my freezer contains a dozen pounds of Italian prunes from last year's harvest of my neighbor's trees. (Bought, not stolen).

**Maybe try it with vanilla yogurt or even strawberry, and of course it doesn't have to be fat-free.

***Honey-sweetened whipped cream is delicious. Fluffy and delicious, it's a nice touch.

****After careful evaluation, I have decided this would be improved with raisins and/or nuts.

Bike-to-Work-and-School Day 2010

Success! This was the first year I didn't actually have school or work to attend on what has become one of my favorite days of the year, so I joined four of my friends on my Novara Divano to hit as many stations as possible. The morning began at 5:30 AM, as I live a distance away from town and my cronies; Biking started at 6:00 AM.* Can I just say, I love bike pods? Biking solitary is great**, but mounting your metal steed and peddling with your friends makes you feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Anyways, we met up and visited about twelve or thirteen stations, traveling about 25 miles.

Bike to School and Work Day is kind of like Halloween, except that it is far superior. ONE: You can be as old as your Great Aunt Mildred and still be excited about the day without being scorned for being "too old" to trick-or-treat. TWO: The free goods are considerably better than a bagfull of candy***. Food includes organic apples, bananas, and oranges, handfuls of Clif Bars and breakfast cookies, 100% juice, fresh bread from the local bakeries, and also coffee, pastries, donuts, etc. if you like that kind of stuff. To boot, they hand out bike maps, patch kits, reflectors, and the REI booth was giving tire levers away to those who biked. THREE: Nothing says springtime like a long bike ride, and nothing says friendship like a strong bike-pod. FOUR: Everyone participating is so friendly and thrilled that you're biking!

Our adventures lasted up until the booths began closing shop around 10 AM, but we got around. From there, we headed to a basement with a bed and a couch and a beanbag and all crashed**** (after one episode of the beloved Red Dwarf). Glorious.

Finally, the after-party: A local brewery hosts the Bike to School and Work Day celebrations, where a local band provides live music and the raffles are chosen. Unfortunately, none from my party won anything this year, but I did get an authentic Mount Baker Bike Club biking jersey. The lady raffling things off told the audience to come up to the stage if he or she is participating in Ski-to-Sea this year doing the road bike leg. That was me! And I was the only one, or the only one brave enough to approach. I had to answer one question: "Is this your first time doing the race?" which I answered with enthusiastic nods of the head. Check it out--


Cool, huh?

What a day, what a day. The important thing is to spread the word about alternative modes of transportation. Bicycling rather than driving everywhere affords a method of having fun and working out, with the added benefit of saving money on gas, and more crucial, being conscious of the world around you.

According to this website that I log all of my "smart trips" on, in the past several months I have:

Eliminated 3676 miles from being driven.

Prevented:

•2987.76 pounds of carbon dioxide (contributes to global warming)
•11.01 pounds of hydrocarbons (contributes to smog)
•100.4 pounds of carbon monoxide (poisonous gas)
from being emitted into the environment.

Saved 153.29 gallons of gasoline and $461.40 dollars.

So go out and bike to work! The more you do it the more you'll love it, and you'll wonder how you could have spent so much time in your Toyota!*****


*I haven't been that up and lively so early in the morning for a considerable amount of time. It was beautiful. And I was amazed how light out it was.
**Especially at 2 AM when the roads are completely abandoned!
***I, for one, am not much of a fan of candy and spent my childhood (and adolescence...and even last year when I went trick-or-treating in my gypsy costume) giving away my candy to my father or my sisters or my friend.
****Well, four out of five of us did. We all suffered from late late nights and early early mornings. The fifth (poor thing) actually did have school and work to do.
*****This is just a short little blip. More about this later, I hope.

Perfume for the Lay-tays

Lady Gaga, Mrs. Love-it, and Marcelle have lived with my for several months now and still have yet to lay a single egg among the three of them. They are old. And fat! Alas, I have no delicious egg-scramble, but they are well-loved regardless. Running is an awkward process, and their latest feat of cuteness is poking their heads into a flowering bush to get the aroma. In essence, putting perfume on.

I love the sweet and musty odor that farm animals carry, but right now my hens smell quite divine.

Meanwhile, the little chickies are learning how to give themselves a dirt bath.

Peddle On Your Old Bike!

It's that time of the year again, when spring is in full bloom and the sun's warming up our little toes. Middle of May means BIKE-TO-SCHOOL-AND-WORK WEEK is here. One of the [many] things I love about northwest Washington is the bike craze that's going on here: people endorsing bicycle commuting and riding in general. Dozens and dozens of folk cruise down my county road everyday, a purr of tires kissing cement and chains revolving in their own happy merry-go-round. Beautiful.

So dust off your bike and go for a ride! Bike-to-school-and-work week starts Monday, so join us bicyclists and save some gas while enjoying the springtime and your functioning joints.

My Little Egg-Butts

When I first created this blog, I had just brought home my first hive of bees and three little ducklings. A few weeks earlier, three fat hens and five little chickies joined the family. Thus, the inspiration for the title came from the birds and the bees that were on my mind at the time.


One things I learned really fast: Ducks are dirty creatures. Even with my friend's warnings and my dad saying that they are "the most damned dirtiest things," I couldn't help but take home the fluffy white duckling and two gray-brown ones. A girl was keeping them in her apartment and realized that, yep, they grow! Ducks need space to move, water to swim in. So free ducks, cool. They smell, they're loud and obnoxious and reasonably unintelligent, but I'm glad I have them. They're a nice addition.


I became especially attached to my little "egg-butts," as my friend [the Chicken Whisperer] called them, really quickly. When I go out in the mornings to let them out of the coop nowadays, they always run out to greet me and swarm my feet, making their cute little chirping noises.


Anyways, I've been away from home for a few days now, and I come back to find one of my little reds dead in a grocery bag with her neck snapped. Reason is unknown, but my mother said she found her in the pen like that. A little conspicuous, isn't it? If it was a hawk or a raccoon or something, why would they just leave their kill untouched? It was surprisingly heart-breaking--I've had chickens that have died in the past, but there's something about one of yours that you've raised since it was a new hatchling dying... I buried her out by the bees, put some flowers over the grave. Oh, my little red.

The chicken coop now has a net over top of it, better to protect my chicks from predatory birds, even if that wasn't the case. You can get free netting down by the docks, if you live anywhere near an ocean.

Here, meet Blackie!

The Birthday Mourning

"I mourn the loss of another year," my boyfriend says solemnly instead of the traditional Happy Birthday! Well, I grew up in a family that whole-heartedly celebrated a birthday (not since I was probably ten, but I've silently continued on my own), and I think, at the very least, one should celebrate another year of not dying. However, his family never held that sort of opinion. In fact, his mother forced him to go do farmwork on his birthday this year, and neither her nor his father realized that it was, in fact, his birthday, and he was, in fact, twenty-three.

Another reason he is fiercely opposed to birthdays is that like the rest of us, he is a child at heart and doesn't want to grow up. He feels his body is failing him* and it's only downhill from here.

Knowing this, I don't blame him for this attitude, but his dreary view of aging is rather disheartening. So in honor of his birthday wishes, I devised an elaborate plan; He asked for a grave,** I gave him a grave.***


There were two groups of people involved: the Mourners and the Laborers. The plan was the Mourners would dress all in black to go pick him up, walking in a mourning procession (each solemnly carrying a cupcake with a single candle lit on top). Meanwhile, the Laborers would be up on Galbraith Mountain**** building a funeral pyre. If everything was timed right, the pyre would be afire right as we reached the spot.

Well, things didn't exactly go as planned, but my boyfriend***** got the gist of it. We caught the sunset atop the radio tower****** before approaching our camp in the bluffs, and he was definitely surprised to see a campfire lit already and his pyre sitting close by. It wasn't lit (wet, windy day), but it was excellent! The guys who made it put a lot of work into making it sturdy, functional, and... well, pyre-like. The birthday boy could even lay across it--He was thoroughly pleased. (Photos courtesy of Katrinka).

Anyways, so our campfire turned into a big, angry blaze of glory, as it always becomes with my boyfriend around. There were a dozen of us or so for a good portion of the night, all huddled together enjoying the night. It only started pouring rain when we were heading for our tents at around two in the morning. As always, we spent the next day recuperating and vegging out together, watching movies (most in a giant cuddle-puddle on the floor) and eating lots of food. Mmmm.

---

Of course, if there's a birthday we need birthday cake! In honor of my boyfriend, I made a chocolate-chip cookie-dough ice-cream cake, for Alex is notorious for his love of sugar, and specifically for cookie-dough.


Cookie-Dough Ice-Cream Birthday Cake
(Recipe inspired by Sugar Plum).

Chocolate Chip Cookie Layer
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate

To make the chocolate chip cookie layers, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; continue to cook the butter, whisking frequently, until it starts to brown and foam, about 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat browned butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined and grainy, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined. Gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined; stir in chocolate. Chill dough in the refrigerator, lightly covered, for 1 hour. Meanwhile:

Chocolate Cake Layer
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup yogurt or sour cream (I had neither, so used cottage cheese)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans.

To make the chocolate cake layers, in a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together oil, butter and granulated sugar until well combined and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Beat in egg, vanilla and yogurt until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until combined, about 1-2 minutes.

Divide batter into cake pans. Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; run a knife around outside edges and invert onto wire racks to cool completely.

Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Line cake pans with parchment paper.

Put some cookie dough aside. Divide the remaining and spread evenly into pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan before running a knife around outer edges and lifting out paper-lined cookies; remove paper.

Ice-Cream
1 quart chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, softened

Spread the ice cream evenly between cookie and cake layers*******. Put a layer of the extra cookie dough in the middle. Freeze for at least 20 minutes before covering with ganache. Meanwhile:

Ganache
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
4 ounces coarsely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
2 teaspoons corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove pan from heat and stir in chocolate until melted and smooth. Cool to a good consistency before pouring over ice cream cake. Freeze.

Makes ten good size servings.

(I just have to say, this was terrible fun to make! It's my first ice-cream cake. Awful picture; It actually looks pretty).


*For several years now, he has suffered from bad knees that stop him from doing all the things he loves (most especially running and biking). He's lived with this injury for four or five years now, and (though I am currently completely helpless) I intend to fix them as soon as I plausibly can.
**No, really--I asked what he wanted for his birthday and he said, "A six-foot deep hole that I can throw myself in." Geez.
***I know that sounds completely morbid, but I was trying to bring light to this birthday, to satirize it in a kind of way. ****Galbraith is one of our most frequented and beloved camping spots around here because it is basically in our backyard, but a world away.
*****You know, I still feel uncomfortable saying "boyfriend." It sounds so... cheesy. I must come up with another way to address the man.
******Terribly breathtaking, terribly illegal.
*******I would recommend putting ice-cream on each layer, then stacking them to reduce melting. It was a little messy...

Adventures in Beekeeping

Saturday I picked up my three-pound package of honeybees. My heart was fluttering in my throat at the prospect: I've been planning on starting this hobby for months now, since last summer. It's a tradition: my grandfather did it before my father, and I've just learned today that even my great-grandfather raised bees. I'm even using my grandpa's equipment, though freshly painted and cleaned. A few families of mice and lots of spiders were living in the beehives when I got my hands on them. Needless to say, it's been a few years (a decade?) since they've been used. Now it's my turn.

My friend rode with me to pick my bees up. The sound of a thousand bees buzzing in unison in the backseat agitated Alex, but the noise was oddly soothing to me. Like a lullaby. I found them fascinating. The box contains the queen bee hanging in her own personal miniature box. The other bees form a solid mass around her, holding onto the box and then each other until they become one entity. When I arrived home (alone, my friend gone home) and the bees had time to settle as it was getting cooler, they became silent, but their overwhelming presence remained.

Let me tell you: Bees are INTIMIDATING. In a clump that size, they could inflict some serious hurt if they decide to swarm. And I messed up royally as I was setting them up in their new home. When you go to move the queen bee into the hive, you're supposed to smack the box hard on the ground or something so all the bees move off the queen and the top of the box. I forgot to do this. I pulled the queen out with a mass of bees attached; Their weight pulled her down through the hole... It was one of those moments where you just want to close your eyes and see that it didn't actually happen when you reopen them. It did, it did. So I flipped the box over, shook her out and about half the colony with her.


I managed to do what needed to be done without getting stung once, amazingly. My dad says that honeybees will only get really aggressive when there is honey in the hive to steal. Plus they are much more mellow in the evening and early morning when it is cool out. There were several times when a chunk of bees would fly at me and land, but I would just stand calmly and wait for them to leave. It seemed to me the bees were just curious as they crawled up and down my arms, on my red pants, along my veil, like a dog smelling your hand before you pet it. Pretty amazing, especially after I had been jarring their box, brushing them in all different directions, stealing their queen, etc.

Soon I will have to go back in and remove the cork from the queen's little nest because the bee suppliers forgot to give me the sugar-cork that she's supposed to eat her way out of. I am prepared to be stung, to be nervous, and mostly to learn lots of new things by trial-and-error. I'll keep you posted!