It was that revered sage, Winnie the Pooh, who once said,

“The only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey, and the only reason for

making honey is so I can eat it.”

This newsletter was written, designed and printed by the Kiva Group as an example of our work. What can we

do for you? Design a new ad campaign? A new corporate identity? Books? Annual Reports? Clean up your old

communications? Visit kivagroup.org for more information.

W H E R E F R E S H I D E A S G R O W

www.kivagroup.org

kiva freshshow me the H NEY

H O N E Y

Bees have been producing honey for at least 150 million years. The honeybee species we know today is still one of science’s great mysteries—it has remained unchanged for at least 20 million years. In the days before botany and biology, honeybees were thought to be mysterious and magical creatures that produced a “nectar of the gods” through complex labor.

The nectar itself remains an amazing natural product. Honey never spoils. There’s never a need to refrigerate it. It can be stored unopened, indefinitely, at room temperature in a dry cupboard. When they opened up King Tut’s tomb they found jars and jars of honey. All of it was still edible.

Honey has intrigued and delighted humans for more then 40 centuries. The earliest illustration we have of honey being gathered is around 15,000 years old and appears in a painting on the walls of a rock shelter in eastern Spain. In ancient Egypt, taxes were paid with honey, and it was the medicine prescribed most by Egyptians–of the more than 900 medical remedies we know about for that time, more than 500 were honey based.

In Greek mythology, it is said that Cupid dipped his arrows in honey to fill lovers’ hearts with sweetness. The ancient Greeks made little honey cakes from flour, honey, and oil, sometimes baked with fresh flowers inside them, as supplications to their gods. They even minted coins with bees on them.

The Romans painted pictures with melted dyed beeswax. In the Bible, this sublime nectar is dubbed “the heavenly

food.” John the Baptist was said to live on a diet of wild locust and honey. Napoleon used the bee as a symbol of his empire after his coronation in 1804–it stood for industry, efficiency and productivity.

Besides satisfying our sweet tooth, however, honeybees play an

extremely important role in agriculture. It’s estimated that 80

percent of the pollination of all fruit and vegetable crops in the nation is accomplished

by the humble honeybee. A recent study concluded that the direct value of honeybee pollination to U.S. agriculture was over $14 billion.

Honey also can play a healthy role in our everyday diet. Honey contains vitamins and antioxidants, yet is fat free, cholesterol free, and sodium free. According to some studies, honey is “nature’s energy booster,” and helps to prevent fatigue and boost athletic performance. Some studies even suggest that honey helps with memory. Finally, honey and beeswax have always been used for cosmetic and beauty purposes—and still are today in many skin creams, hair products, lipsticks, and hand lotions.

Yet no matter what other applications for which honey and honeybees may be put to use, always follow Winnie the Pooh’s advice on honey’s best usage: Eating, of course!

Adding Honey to the PotHoney is actually sweeter than sugar, and many recipes call for it as the main sweetening ingredient. Honey is also a good replacement for sugar in many recipes. It helps to keep cakes and cookies moist because it attracts water. Honey can also impart a distinctive flavor quite different than sugar.

But substituting honey for sugar in recipes may not be straightforward. Less may be needed, for instance, to ensure that honey’s sweetness doesn’t become overpowering. Also, since about one fifth of honey is water, the liquid content of recipes should be reduced by the same amount. If experimenting with honey in a recipe, try replacing half the sugar with honey. If you like the results, then try replacing all the sugar with honey.

Honey is most commonly used in desserts, but it is also an important component in savory dishes. Many marinades, sauces, salad dressings, and meat casseroles call for honey. In a marinade, for instance, honey helps tenderize meat while it is cooking. Honey also provides a barbecue flavor to food as it caramelizes. And a sweet and sour flavor may be accomplished by combining honey with sour ingredients like vinegar.

Where does honey come from?Bee pollination is vital to pollinating plants and trees and flowers. It also

has the end result of sweet honey. Up to 50,000 worker honeybees live in a typical beehive, spending their lives foraging for nectar. They bring this nectar back to the hive where they hand it off to bees that convert the nectar into honey. To do this, they spread a drop of the nectar in a honey cell and spend the next few days fanning their wings over the comb to evaporate moisture from the nectar. The bees then cap the cell with wax and the thickened nectar inside ages to become honey. Once the nectar has aged into honey, beekeepers may collect it and prepare it for sale.

It takes 8 to 10 pounds of nectar to make a pound of honey, for which bees had to travel about 55,000 miles and visit some 2 million flowers. A single bee produces less than a quarter teaspoon of honey in her lifespan. (All the bees in the hive are female except for the drones, which mate with the queen bee and then die). Americans consume about 1.3 pounds each of honey per year.

Bee Inspiredr!

Add bee friendly flowers and plants to your yard like honeysuckle, lavender, sunflowers, and coneflowers.

Avoid or minimize pesticide use. They are harmful to bees. Try neem oil as an alternative.

Buy local honey. This supports local bee keepers so they can continue to take care of their bees.

Leave bee hives alone when you find them. Don't disturb the bees or take their honey.

Honey bees must gather nectar from two million flowers to make one pound of honey!

People have used honey to treat their ailments for thousands of years, and honey is still valued today for its healthful properties. A veritable cure-all, its uses include everything from soothing sore throats and upset stomachs to healing wounds and relieving sunburn. Here are some of the long-standing uses of honey for feeling better:

A couple tablespoons of honey mixed with a squeeze of lemon in hot water helps cleanse the system and sooth cold and flu symptoms.

For a sore throat, some people take honey on its own or gargle a mixture of one part honey, two parts cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt.

A spoonful of raw honey is a great prebiotic, it nourishes the good bacteria that live in the intestines, which are crucial not only for digestion but overall health.

Honey is also a mild antiseptic, and so spreading it on cuts and minor burns helps prevent infection.

A dose a honey in tea or on toast isn’t just sweet, it also adds to the body’s supply of antioxidants, which protect against free radicals.

A spoonful of honey, full of unrefined sugars and carbohydrates, provides a quick energy boost. Scientists have found that honey enhances performance, endurance, and recovery in athletes.

healthyH O N E Y

H O N E Y

Almost one third of the national bee population has disappeared over the past 5 years. Below are some ways you can help save the bees.

H O N E Y G A R L I C C H I C K E N

6 chicken thighs, bone in or out, with or without skin

Salt and pepper, to season

2 teaspoons garlic powder, to season

6 cloves garlic, crushed

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup water (or chicken broth)

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar, or any white vinegar)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Season chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder; set aside.

Heat a pan or skillet over medium high heat; sear chicken thigh fillets or breast fillets on both sides until golden and cooked through.

FOR BONE IN THIGHS

Reduce heat after searing on both sides, cover skillet with a lid and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through, while turning every 5 minutes until done. Alternatively, see notes for oven method.

Drain most of the excess oil from the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons of pan juiced for added flavor.

FOR SAUCE

When chicken is done and cooked through, arrange chicken skin-side up in the pan (if cooking with skin); add the garlic between the chicken and fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the honey, water, vinegar and soy sauce. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the sauce reduces down and thicken slightly (about 3-4 minutes).

Garnish with parsley and serve over vegetables, rice, pasta or with a salad.

SOURCE: CAFEDELITES.COM

C H I P O T L E H O N E Y V I N A I G R E T T E

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 cup honey

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1-1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or mini food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

SOURCE: ONCEUPONACHEF.COM

H O M E M A D E H O N E Y I C E C R E A M

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean

1 cup honey (plus a bit more for topping)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until completely combined, sugar is dissolved, and vanilla bean is broken into super small pieces.

Poor batter into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s directions to freeze the ice cream.

(Optional) Pour ice cream into freezer safe container,

sealed, and freeze for 1-3 hours before serving to allow the

ice cream to firm up a bit more.

856.384.7773kivagroup.org

This newsletter was written, designed and printed by the Kiva Group as an example of our work. What can we

do for you? Design a new ad campaign? A new corporate identity? Books? Annual Reports? Clean up your old

communications? Visit kivagroup.org for more information.

H O N E Y

Sweet News! 1 cup white sugar or brown sugar

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon aloe vera gel (one that doesn't require refrigeration)

10 drops lavender essential oil or other skin-friendly essential oil

In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the ingredients. Store the scrub in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place. To use: Apply a tablespoon at a time to your hands. Gently massage the scrub over your entire body for 30 seconds. Rinse the scrub from the skin with water and a washcloth.

H O N E Y A N D S U G A R B O D Y S C R U B

SOURCE: LIVESIMPLY.ME

Honey is great for your skin, too! Try this nourishing scrub recipe which is great for dry skin.