Great Quote from Richard Taylor, beekeeper and writer

"There are a few rules of thumb that are useful guides. One is that when you are confronted with some problem in the apiary and you do not know what to do, then do nothing. Matters are seldom made worse by doing nothing and are often made much worse by inept intervention." --The How-To-Do-It book of Beekeeping, Richard Taylor

Birthday Cake

Evidence of birthday observances dates back before the rise of Christianity. In pagan cultures, people feared evil spirits - especially on their birthdays. It was a common belief that evil spirits were more dangerous to a person when he or she experienced a change in their daily life, such as turning a year older. As a result, birthdays were merry occasions celebrated with family and friends, who surrounded the person of honor with laughter and joy in order to protect them from evil. Instead of gifts, most guests brought positive thoughts and happy wishes for the upcoming year. However, if well-wishers did bring gifts, it was considered an especially good influence for the birthday person.

The world's largest birthday cake was created in 1989 for the 100th Birthday of the city of Fort Payne, Alabama. The cake weighed 128,238 pounds, 8 oz. and used 16,209 pounds of icing.

Between The Sheets

The Between the Sheets Cocktail was born during Prohibition in the 1920’s. A speakeasy was the only place to get a decent drink, and no respectable Flapper would be seen without her flask neatly tied to her leg. Most cocktails only masked the taste of inferior booze, so fruit juices became the standard mixers for just this purpose.

Ingredients:
1 oz brandy
1/2 oz light rum
3/4 oz orange liquor
1 oz. guava juice
1 oz. mango juice
1 oz. passion fruit
1/2 oz. lemon juice

Beet Root

Beet Root is one of our favorite scents to wear. On the skin it gives the wearer a sense of the dirt it just came from, and the beautiful rouge-sweet juice within.

Red beets as we now know them probably didn't develop until the 17th century--but they have been eaten as wild, slender-rooted plant species with edible leaves over a broad sweep of land, from Britain to Indian, since prehistoric times. Early Russian homeopaths claimed it could cure tuberculosis, scurvy, and toothache--while Russian peasants believed it worked as an insecticide. During "babye leto" (Indian summer), they would bury beets imbedded with mosquitoes and flies in a ceremony meant to relieve them of insect bites. Ironically, Russian beauties--both peasants and ladies in high society--used the beet as rouge for their cheeks...to keep away mosquitoes and attract the opposite sex.

Robot Chicken: If You Give A Mouse A Cookie

A Brief History of Basil

It's not commonly known that basil originated in India. It was brought to the Mediterranean via the spice routes in ancient times. Basil spread to other parts of Asia, and became popular in the use of curries in Thailand, and in Italian cuisine.

In Romania, basil took a more romantic turn; when a man accepts a sprig of basil from a woman, he is officially engaged. The Greek word for basil means royal or kingly. It was believed that only the king himself should harvest this herb, and only with the use of a golden sickle. No matter what the country the consensus is that basil is Royalty amongst the herb family.

BANANA FLAMBE!!! OH YEAH!!!!

6 firm bananas
1 c. orange juice
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. rum

Peel bananas and slice in half lengthwise. Arrange in layers in buttered baking dish. Sprinkle each layer with orange juice and brown sugar. Dot with butter. Bake in 400 degree oven until fruit is softened, not too soft, about 15 minutes. Warm rum. Place bananas in chafing dish, bring to table and add heated rum. Ignite and serve when flames die down. Serve over vanilla ice cream.