Forest Honey

 So, I finally tried it.....Forest Honey that is. I've been talking about it for a long while, waiting for just the right season, and it finally came.

I should've known better.

Basically, I saw a recipe in a kid's cookbook two years ago, that you can make a type of honey from pine needles. So I was dying to try it. The basic recipe is as follows:

Gather new pine needles
Soak in water overnight
Drain and discard the needles
Add sugar to the water and boil till thick

Why should've I known better? Because I've made candy before. Because I've boiled sugar before. Of COURSE it gets thick like honey. ha. The longer you cook any sugar syrup, the harder it gets (like peanut brittle, caramel corn, popcorn balls, etc)

So, really, this was pine flavored sugar water. Because for 5 cups water I had to add 3 cups sugar. Besides, I was impatient so I used Balsam needles instead of waiting for white pine needles. Oh boy did it smell! (Balsam is the strong-smelling Christmas tree type)

Need-less to say, I am pleased I finally tried this experiment...but wish I had thought it through (you'd think 2 years was enough!) because it tasted horriblly bitter, and I threw the whole thing out, and only afterward did I remember the candying principle and why it would get sticky. :)

So here you go....you can look at this post and see how "Forest Honey" turns out, but you don't have to try it at home (which I don't recommend any way)!

...yes, they caught fish

Sunday, June 5th

Wows on our Walk

Different

I just needed to write this out, just to make it stick in my own head better (there's only so much I can tell myself in my head, then I either need to say it out loud or write it down :)

Is different bad? No. Different is just that.....different.

And goodness me, if I wasn't experiencing different things, I wouldn't be learning so much. Just like the little girl in the above picture. Her new fascination is "outdoors." She loves watching the branches sway, listening to the wind in the leaves, seeing colors of the sky and touching nature for herself. She is a very serious learner, and I could profit much from doing the same.

It just seems, there are days when I need a reminder. Different is just different. Take a breath. Relax. And don't take yourself so seriously Emily! Sometimes it's been really helpful to actually let out a laugh, and realize, there's more to life than my little box :)

So there you have it, thanks for listening. Now it's time to go out and enjoy the sunshine and my garden (I''ll try and share pictures soon).