Bees and Buffy, the Vampire Slayer
This Bee is CLEARLY in communication with Danguy. I am Very sure of this.
What a fine day. I always love getting to spend an afternoon with The Birdchick, and The Bees. Today there wasn't much to do, but we spent a lot of time with the bees, just watching them. We did add another super to the Bickman Hive, those bees are going to town! As is the Kitty hive, we will get lots of honey. The other hive, not so much.
There was a bit of rouge comb on the top of a Super in the Bickman Hive, which broke open when we broke in, creating a lovely pool of honey, and within minutes, a swarm of workers came and cleaned it right up. Amazing to watch, they got it all.
When Beekeeping, you have to watch each other's back. I looked down at Sharon's glove, and saw the Biggest Spider In The History of the World! (Well, felt like that at the time) We had been lying on the ground near the entrance, watching Bees go in and out, and this guy hitched a ride. I said (calmly, I am sure) DON'T MOVE DON'T MOVE!!!!!!!
When your Beekeeping partner says that (Or anything else, like say RUN!!!!! You do it. ) And I turned her hand over and there it was...
I am very proud of the calm and rational manner in which we handled it.
This picture was taken of the Spider on my glove, after we came back from running and screaming SPIDER SPIDER!!!!!!!!
The rest of the evening was spent making The Rat Dish (Which only Val so far has been brave enough to spell, and watching Buffy. This is my first crack at it, never really saw it, but I am hooked. I saw the first episode, then three from the second season.
Joss Wheaton can tell a story. I am so looking forward to the rest of it. Mim and Venus have decided views on a Mistress who stays out until 11:00pm watching TV with a dog (and we are not talking about the Birdchick here!) tho, and are now Watching every word I type, making certain they get equal time.
(Mim asks that I mention I did in fact shut her in the door coming in tonight, catching her tail in a horrible life threatening manner. For this I most humbly beg her pardon)
Love, Bees, Bengals and Buffy,
Lorraine
posted by FabulousLorraine @ 9:26 PM
54 Comments
54 Comments:
And what did Mim do in the door, if I may ask? Trying to go out and explore? Possibly to drag you back home where you belong?
I have a favourite eggplant salad recipe there (actually, the recipe comes in two versions so you could make it twice).
I am quite sure she was trying to explore, despite having had an hour last night outside on her leash.
I am pretty sure I don't want to hear that Kitty Scream again tho, poor dead. I think they missed me as they are both curled at my side, wrapped up together on the couch here.
Thanks for the recipe, I will give it a try. I have what can only be termed an Un-holy amount of eggplant, or Aubergine, as we call it.
I have another great recipe for some sort of savoury cake involving aubergines (since you are using the French word), rice and cheese, which can be eaten either warm or cold - great for picnics. I'll dig the recipe out (and make some while I am at it).
Mmm, eggplant. Have you ever had moussaka? That's a great way to use up lots of eggplant. And zucchini, too. I'm partial to the Moroccan-style moussaka, as that's where my mom grew up; the Greek version is nice and all, but not the same as my mom's. I'll see if I can find a better version of the recipe than the one I know, as I cook with quantities like 'enough to fill the pan', 'until you're tired of chopping', 'until it smells right', and other really vague terms.
Honey... I still have not gone and bought more honey for my coffee. The Bees are totally taking orders from Danguy. Totally.
Poor Mim's tail! Is she okay?
Mim is fine, she is just a drama Queen. Tho I did feel badly, she is sleeping peacefully...
I do make a fine moussaka (HA! Spell check knew that one) But am always up for new ideas. Honey on the way to you Val, I owe you a housewarming giftie, and have put a jar aside for you, just keep forgetting to SEND it...
Aubergine cake????? This I must have...Who knew??
Glad Mim's fine and was just being a drama queen (why does this not surprise me at all?).
I'm likewise intrigued by eggplant… cake. Wonder if it's like meat cake. Maybe on the new site, we should have a section for recipes?
It's cool; send the jar when you can, you have a ton of stuff on your plate. :)
I do admit to being fairly busy some days. Ok All days.
Just had an e-mail from Save The Assistants.com reminding me and asking me might I not consider writing something for them. Very cool.
Of course, now I have to DO it...
You all SO know how it goes, time, never enough....
Holy cow that's a BIG spider. Bugs that big scare the living bejaysus outta me. Especially spiders. Running and screaming seems like a completely logical reaction to me.;)
Poor Mim. I'm sure she's told you over and over how much you owe her by now. lol
All of this recipe-ing is making me hungry. Ratatouille sounds yummy..and so does moussaka..or maybe some baba ganoush? I think I see eggplants in my future..;)
Poor Mim. Cats can't be expected to be reasonable about their tails, I don't think.
I never saw Buffy at the time either, and have been regretting this since I like everything else JW has ever done. Recently a couple of people I know have revealed themselves to be just getting into it now... nice to know I have company when I eventually get to it...
ratatouille, ratatouille, ratatouille. See, I can do it too. (No credit to me; I don't have to think much about spelling.) Mmmm, aubergines...
Imam bayildi!
No, that's an eggplant dish, I swear! :)
Try here for the Moosewood version I usually use, or here for a more traditional Turkish recipe. And this one has the best version of the story about why exactly this eggplant dish is named, "The Imam fainted".
Poor Mim and her tail! wow, its not even 8 am and i am ready for dinner. moussaka sounds wonderful, as well as the eggplant cake - can't wait to see the recipe. i am such a plain cook, and now that i am alone, haven't been doing any - my stove is dusty. all of you are inspiring me to maybe try, or maybe just wish hard for a magic fairy cook to visit me at night and load my fridge with tasties. sigh.
oh, and the almanac predicts a colder and snowier winter this year - and I agree, feels like fall here, the mornings are getting very chilly.
Hello! Happy Day to everybody.
That ratatouille recipe's easy! \o/ I can do that. Hooray, I know what's for dinner-- though I do keep promising Mr. Jess a curry and then not following through. Decisions. I have a good recipe for minestrone, too, but it's kind of warm for soup.
Now I'm hankering to see Buffy again-- I missed the whole final series when it was on. I think we're in for a Babylon 5 marathon instead, though-- we just picked up series four.
Oooo...A Moroccan feast! I'm in! I love trying new foods; however, my girls aren't so interested. ::sigh:: Hopefully, it's just due to their ages.
I have yet to try a recipe for Honeyed Couscous Pudding from Eating Well magazine. I found in online at least a year ago, and have yet to make it. The print is tiny, though, so I may need to retype it to make it easier to read.
I've had Greek moussaka, but not Moroccan. I'm sure the spices are different. We tried growing eggplant this year. We got one. We grew the original small, white variety from whence the name "eggplant" comes from as the fruit is a little larger than a chicken's egg. At least it was bigger than the tomatoes we grew. We got a handful of, at most, 1/2" diameter tomatoes, and neither my husband or I remember getting any cherry or grape tomato plants. With the 7"+ of rain we got last week, maybe the tomato plants survived so that we'll get more in October.
Honeyed couscous pudding sounds fantastic. If you get a chance to post that one, ariandalen, please do!
I forgot to ask: how're the kitty-girls now, Lorraine? Less freaked out, I hope! Poor Mim! :(
Putting out fires this morning, my dears, full on assistanting, back soon.....
I second the recipe section on the new site. I can't wait to get cooking!
Not to be too much of a downer but I am going to a therapist today with my Ex so we can argue about custody issues. I am so nervous! Wish me luck. I don't need to "get my way" but I want to be able to explain myself well. Sometimes when I get anxious I become completely inarticulate.
Anyway, I hope everyone else is having a lovely day. It is SO nice here right now. M and I are going to go to the park now and not think about tonight for a while.
At least I get to go to Shakespeare class tomorrow. :)
Good luck, I am sure you will do well.
I was away for like 4 days and YIKES, I am remarkably behind.
I know you will LOVE Buffy. I am a long-time fan of the Buffiverse... a subcategory of the Whedonverse I suppose.
Poor Mim, cats do make the WORST noise when you pinch their tails in doors. I almost did that once to LaMie and caught myself before it was too bad... but the NOISE that came out of her. WOW.
I have tried the Greek version... hmmm. What about Eggplant Curry Jess? Now that could be good.
And Gaypet, good luck. I know just what you mean about anxiety draining away your normal speaking abilities. I do that too.
Here is the link to Honeyed Couscous Pudding. Evidently, it hasn't been a year since I printed the recipe, as it is dated February 20 of this year. ::sigh:: Still haven't made it yet.
Hang in there, gaypet. The therapist is there to help make sure you each get to say what you want to say in a non-hostile environment. Just breathe, and take your time. Good luck!
I've got a recipe for a yummy Eggplant Pate thing that i'll have to dig out. It's sloppily scribbled on a piece of paper somewhere in huge stack of recipes. it's eggplant, walnuts, garlic, other stuff, smeared on some French bread... quite tasty! When I find it I'll post it.
Mmmm, honeyed couscous pudding...
*drools*
*mops off keyboard*
I think I may need to buy dates!
Ordinarily I'm not crazy about eggplant, but it's really good in curry.
Unfortunately I've just realized that tonight has to be Corn Night, again-- we're getting four more tomorrow, and I've still got six waiting in the fridge. Gah, I can't take the bounty! Stop with the bounty! Please. Stop.
*whimper*
Speaking of which, what does everyone like to do with beets? Slip me some Beet Wisdom.
They are cooked or raw beets?
Eggplant paté sounds fabulous.
Running and screaming from a spider while encased in a Bee Suit. I'm such a GIRL! Tho it WAS big, I must say in my defense.
Mim has forgiven me and even consented to sleep with me, tho that might be because it is getting cold out..
I love making curry, all Indian food, that's the best! As far as beets go, only one way, roast 'em. Then you can have them hot or cold, both are great.
Here is one I learned from, believe it or not, Adam Stemple...
Raost your beets, (the skin then comes off really easy) then slice and serve on mixed greens with a light vinaigrette, and goat cheese. Very tasty.
Gayle, let us know how things go, please. Our hearts are with you, it's so hard.
As far as getting kids to eat new foods, easy. Don't make a big deal out of it, just say, hey try it, you don't like it? Don't have to eat it. If you try and make them, you lose. Make sure there are several other things you know they like, and make the new food fun, and not threatening.
There was a recipe for Roasted Beet and Feta salad in Parade magazine (Sunday newspaper insert) around 8-9 years ago that was really good. I went with goat cheese crumbles rather than feta to lower the amount of salt. No greens, but it was delicious, and I'd never eaten beets before. I think I know where the recipe is.
Even though I gripe about my girls eating their vegetables, especially the youngest, I have to brag on them. Neither of them is wild about French fries. And we are going with the, "it doesn't taste the same if you eat it with everything else," method, with which we've had some success.
I remember being forced to eat canned spinach when your, like canning lettuce. And peas and beets too, ugh!!!! And the only lettuce was iceberg. Fish was frozen. Still can't eat it.
Hmm, and I've got some feta knocking around... this one looks good. Honey in the beet salad, honey in the couscous: I may as well just eat a jar of honey at this rate.
ooh Lorraine, roasted beets - yum, and i have something very similar to Adam's recipe and it is SO good. and i will gladly take any corn bounty! I have had two small tomatoes this year from six plants. I could blame the weather but I am just not a gardener. at all. sigh. off to farmers market on thursday! Gaypet, hope your meeting went well, i get very tongue-tied too in situations like that - know the feeling, and it's not fun.
My picture seems to have changed again, I still say that is ODD. I thought we had cleaned up all the various other Me's, Dan?
My garden has SO much in it right now, We will have a week of it canning when all these toms ripen at the same time.
One book I love is: "Too many tomatoes, squash, beans, and other good things: A cookbook for when your garden explodes" by Landau and Myers.
Anything you can make into soup is good, as you can freeze it.
Canned beets are a bad idea. Noone will eat them. Yourself included.
Yes, lots of honey!!!!!!!!!!
Actually tho, Boss and the Birdchick nearly put themselves in Sugar Shock the first time we nabbed a comb....
Knife pics!
Buffy is the best thing ever! Really, it is. I could go on at length :o)
Phiala! I am still laughing, very funny!!!! Me and my Exploding Knife!
Mr Millar, we invite you to do so! Go on and on about Buffy. We like that sort of thing here.
(thought we might hear from you once Buffy got into the picture, hee-hee)
I am excited to see more. Loved Spike and his Freaky Girlfriend, was it Justina? I'm glad they didn't get off'd right away...Willow is the coolest ever.
Drusilla!!! - She is one of my FAVOURITE characters in BTVS. I love the insane and evil ones. Little known fact: Peter Beagle (of the Last Unicorn fame) is also a Buffy fan. He wears his Spike shirt to cons.
Spike is always wonderful... and so is Willow. I still think you have a bit of the willow-thing going on with that awesome hair of yours.
Oh my! I am so behind!
Gayle -- I hope all went well. Sending good vibes your way!
Beets. My friend makes this amazing chocolate cake with beets. Seriously. It is great. I'll get the recipe from her and link to it! Anyone read Jitterbug Perfume?
Eggplant. Yummmm. A neighbor gave me a baguette, some homemade pesto and homemade mozzarella. The pesto is heaven and I had a lovely tomato from another friend. Summer feast!
Oh -- also -- Lorraine I hope the fires are all under control!
How appropriate that I return from an unintended hiatus to post a bee-related musing in the most current post - and it's about bees! :D Actually, it's spookier than that, 'cause I also want to mention spiders.
Any way, I took the Alligator to the zoo today and walked him into the insect zoo building. Last time he liked the big tarantulas and butterflies. This time... he ran straight for the bee hive. It's a totally awesome display - a functioning hive, only thin, and the sides are plexiglass, so you can watch all the bees in action. At one point he couldn't see them as well as he wanted to, so Allistair went and got a step stool to stand on.
Then, just to remind myself of my irrational interest/loathing relationship with spiders, I thought I'd take a look around at all the big beasties. Yep. Still like the overgrown colourful fuzzy ones, still get really wigged out by the widows and wolfs (wolves?).
And FYI, while there are some nasty poisonous ones out there (brown recluse, I'm looking at you), most are just nasty if a) they are actually dangerous and you pester them mercilessly (or threaten their home) or b) you are allergic.
Um, eggplant? Cooked well? Sign me up for a recipe!
Did someone say chocolate cake? I'm sure I heard someone mention chocolate. And cake. AletaMay. ;) With beets, you say? Now that's some voodoo I gotta see.
So that roasted beet salad was pretty yummy! The honey-oregano vinaigrette that goes with it is fantastic. Conclusion: Honey + Oregano = WIN.
(The thing not to try is microwaving your ears of corn. My mother's been after me to do it for weeks because they apparently "turn out perfect"-- this from a woman who was raised on canned beets, by the way. Actually, no, Mom. No, they don't.)
Well, as with most things, the reality was less frightening than what was in my head. Thanks for all the good vibes. :)
I must jump on Spike, oh wait I mean the Spike bandwagon. He was one of my favs. In part because James Marsters is one of the few American actors that can do a convincing English accent. Well it convinced me but I am American. One of the hardest things to do well as a person not from Briton is words ending in "a" because there is a slight "r" sound if you are from (certain parts I suppose) England. My American ear can usually pick out a Brit doing American or vice/versa. I thought James Marsters did a fine job.
Well, and he's hot.
And I could go on and on about Willow but I will wait till you see some more of the series. Don't want to spoil anything. But, really, OMF! :)
Drusilla, that was she! Insane and evil is such a lovely combination.... I am hoping for a Buffy tonight when I get home. I loved the Mummy episode too, that was spooky....Where she turns into a lovely girl and falls for Zander, loved the bit at the end where Zander is saying "Take me, could you really do it" And she is so "Well, yes, sure could..."
Beet cake????? This is an idea that we had not thought of, I am thinking....Haven't read Jitterbug Perfume...Do tell. Yes fire's are out, or at least under control. All in a day's work....
Speaking of Day's Work, I promised to write a piece for Save the Assistants.com and now am getting little reminders. I've been putting it off. Am I a real writer now?
Mistress Mousie! You're back, how very nice to hear from you again, we've missed you. Allistar is going to cause you such wonderful trouble in the years to come, if this interest keeps up.
Ah yes, brown recluse, the Fiddler. I think they are pretty bad for everyone, allergic or not. Nasty critters. Can't imagine anyone deliberately teasing one!
I am actually kind of fond of Wolf SPiders, and watched a mother last year who lived in the gazebo. We got quite friendly after a while.
The way to do corn, is to have your pot boiling, go to the garden, pick it, RUN to the house, shucking all the while, scattering corn leaves in your wake, and lob it into the pot for 2 minutes.
Perfect.
Hi Gayle, glad it went well, didn't see you slip in while I was writing an essay there in the comments!
I have heard rumors about how Willow ends up and I am all for it. Spike was well done, accents are hard, you can tell, most of the time.
I need to be done with work now....
*hugs* Gayle. Yeah, I went through the process a couple of years ago. Even at it's best it's hard and scary.
Alrighty- beets. mmmmmm beets
I'm too much a technofeeb to link, so here's my favorite way of doing them
Roasted Beets
* 2 bunches fresh beets with tops
* 1 medium piece ginger (about 2 inches)
* 2-6 cloves garlic (to taste)
* salt
* olive oil
Cut the beets into chunks. Grate the ginger. Press the garlic. Toss all together with just enough olive oil to coat. Roast in top 1/3 of the oven at 425 degrees for 20-35 minutes, depending on the size of the chunks, stirring occasionally. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Hi Beez! I am so trying that! I love ginger and would put it in everything if I could..
Aletamay, I was secretly wondering if anyone else had read Jitterbug Perfume after all this talk of beets. I LOVE that book, even though I don't like beets. (Though the only ones ever offered to me came out of a can, so that might be the problem.)
Gaypet, I'm glad the custody thing went well. A friend of mine is going through something similar and it's just so stressful and scary to have stuff up in the air. And I totally agree about Spike..I've only seen bits and pieces but I remember thinking Spike was awesome.
What is this book, someone? I need to know....
Give the beets a try, Kali, but use real beets...
It is hard to break up, and harder still when there are kids involved. Our hearts are with you, Gayle.
Does Spike get more time? I adore his insane and evil girlfriend....
Jitterbug Perfume is a novel by Tom Robbins. I personally like Tom Robbins but he is not to everyone's taste.
Like with so many foods the canned versions of beets are very different from the fresh. I really like beets now but did not like them as a kid when they were mostly canned. I was also introduced to asparagus has a canned thing. I had no idea that the real thing is so so good! I will ask my friend for the recipe for the cake!
Gayle I am so glad it went better than you feared. Life is like that so much of the time, isn't it?
Morning/afternoon/evening everyone!
That beet/ginger recipe sounds great.
I wonder how it smell while cooking though: beets can smell rather awful when they cook (or is it only when they are steamed?). Maybe I can find some raw ones on the farmers' market (it was easy to find them in Holland but here in Italy they are not common - in fact Cesare hates them). I adore the little sweet ones.
Beets and chocolate cake? You so have to find that recipe again.
That would certainly beat the oddness off from my chocolate/ginger and salt cake or even from the bacon chocolate cheesecake...
Oh and I like Tom Robbins. I loved Villa Incognito, so might try the Jitterbug Perfume (my to read pile has been a little dented by holidays).
Caned asparagus???? Just wrong, she mutters....I will check out this book, and you should find that recipe, it ought to be tried. Once anyway.
Morning Spacelaw! I am not sure anything can beat Bacon Cheesecake, tho the Birdchick told me she had CHocolate covered bacon at the Fair the other day...
Roasting beets are not bad smelling, I roast them with fennel and Brussels sprouts sometimes....
Chocolate covered bacon sounds decadent. I should like it since I love bacon toffee: so good, so artery clogging.
The recipe was where I thought it was. :) It is very similar to the one you linked to Jess, but no honey-oregano vinaigrette. I love oregano; even have some still growing in my herb garden, though it has seen better days. The recipe I have calls for blue cheese, but since I don't like blue cheese I substituted goat cheese.
"Roasted Beet and Walnut Salad
8-10 medium-sized beets(2 lbs +/-)
rinsed, stem ends and roots trimmed to 1"
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup coarsely chapped walnuts
4 oz blue cheese, coarsely crumbled
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil. Place them on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 1 hour (about 1 1/2 hours if they are large). Remove the beets from the oven and set aside until they are just cool enough to handle. Then, wearing gloves, unwrap the beets and slip the skins off.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and continue whisking until thickened. Set aside.
3. Cut the beets into 1/2" dice and place them in a bowl. Add the dressing and toss well.
4. Just before serving, toss the beets with the walnuts and transfer to a shallow serving dish. Sprinkle with the blue cheese.
Serves 8. Per serving: 194 calories, 10g carbohydrates, 5g protein, 16g fat, 11mg cholesterol."
Yea, Gayle! You got through it without as much difficulty as you thought.
Jess, make a Mexican lasagna with some of that corn. You'll need to cut it off the cob. You take salsa, corn tortillas, black beans, onions, black olives, shredded cheddar (or jack, or combination), and ground beef or turkey. Cook the ground meat with taco or burrito seasoning, then layer the ingredients starting with salsa, then tortillas, etc., and ending with tortillas then cheese. Place in 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for around 30 minutes. I like using salsa verde (tomatillo salsa). You could leave the ground meat out, I don't because my girls wouldn't eat it that way.
Yes, Ms. Fabulous, there will be lots more Spike by the end of the series. Would you believe James Marsters was the oldest member of the cast? He just had a birthday a couple of weeks ago. He turned 46, IIRC. He's also been on "Smallville" as Brainiac, and on "Torchwood" as a former partner of Captain Jack's.
And I've just finished a loaf of Applesauce Nut Bread, with hazelnuts instead of walnuts.
Night.
'Night to you too. Fods, I am hungary.....
Hurrah for more Spike!
Gaypet, glad to hear the custody thing went more smoothly than you thought it would. Such a relief, I imagine.
I'm pretty sure the bee on the right is saying to the bee on the left: "BZZZ! HAHAHA! YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT I DID. ... OKAY, YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU? HAHAHA! I LOGGED LORRAINE INTO ONE OF HER OLD ACCOUNTS AGAIN!!! HAHAHAHAHA!! I KNOW, RIGHT? BZZZZ!"
Finally found the pate recipe.
Bake eggplant for 45 minutes at 450.
Grind 1 cup walnuts in food processor, set aside.
Put the pulp from the eggplant in the food processor with 2 teaspoons ginger, two cloves garlic, one tablespoon olive oil, then add the walnuts.
Add salt and hot pepper sauce of your choice to taste.
easy!
Now if you have an overabundance of lemons, I highly recommend making limoncello. My friend Julie and I did that a few months ago and the resulting product is dangerously good!
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