bee ready for allergy season

I am happy to report, as if you didn't know, that spring is on it's way!  The official first day of spring is March 20th and after the long cold winter we've had I think a party is in order!  On a different note, allergy season is also coming!  Spring... YAY... allergies... BOO.  I have already begun gearing up my system so I can be ready when the pollen starts a floatin'!  For a week now I have eaten a teaspoon of local wildflower honey a day and have even been adding straight local bee pollen to my smoothies.  I was so happy last year when I resorted to using local honey instead of Claritin D and other allergy medicines and actually haven't bought or touched any of them since!  And it makes me feel so much better than taking the over the counter stuff that left me sleepy or cranky or still stopped up  and sneezing.  I am lucky to have a bee lady right next door but local honey around here is not hard to find.  The best, in my opinion, is from Ed Johnson in Goodlettsville.  You can find it in lots of health food stores in our area from Nashville to White House.  I found both honey and bee pollen in the health food store by the post office just last week.  If you live more to the north of here, there is some out of Crossplains that I have seen too.  They say that if your honey comes from a source within a thirty mile range from your house then you are good because the bees have pollinated from the same types of plants and trees in your area.  Also until summer comes, it is best to use wildflower honey instead of clover honey then move into the clover once it starts blooming later on.  Wildflower honey is a mix of it all.

I use local honey in my hot tea, my granola, cinnamon toast, by the teaspoon-full and many other recipes.  I plan on "bee-ing" ready for allergy season this year!  

By the way, if you have honey in a glass jar that isn't so runny anymore or has turned a bit to sugar, remove the lid and stick it in the microwave for thirty seconds at a time until it is stir-able again.  Be careful ... the jar will get hot.  I haven't tried it in the plastic jars... they may melt in the micro.

Have you ever tried honey for seasonal allergies?  

Here's my post from last year when I started using honey to combat allergy symptoms.

Here's my homemade granola recipe and another for Jiffy granola bars.

And here's a post to some good teas to use honey in.

Oh and also tips on how to make your bedroom an allergy-free zone.

Honey bee picture c/o www.thegraphicsfairy.com

weekend shots

A short walk to the creek and honey spot where I found more sparkly rocks on Saturday afternoon.  On Sunday I was glad I had already walked because it rained all day.  I don't mind a rain walk, it just deters me from taking my camera.  Rainy walks are silent because the leaves are wet and not crunchy and you can hear more and usually see more wildlife.  

Yard sailed Saturday with my sister and found this new favorite item.  He asked five for it and I counter offered at three dollars and he took it.  It's heavy with a marble base.  I bought these candles at the grocery.  I hope they don't get wax all down in the holders.  We'll have to see.  Bath time just got a whole lot brighter!

tipsy for spring tops

Oh geez y'all!  I love it and I hate it when my nose gets attached to my laptop screen half drooling over spring tops.  I got really hooked on the Forever21 site the other day and truly can't believe I only picked five tops to share with you.  When I find a flowy top all I can envision is me standing outside on a hot summer day feeling cooled because the breeze has my shirt flowing in the wind instead of the summer heat making my top stick to my skin.  Aah.  And for some reason I also see brown, dead grass... but that could be some other issue.  Here are five shirts I chose to share with you.  

The site is Forever21

I've also found in the past that if you don't get to antsy and order everything you want right away, you can probably catch it on sale within a few weeks.  Their stock rotates pretty quick.  I got a $32.00 sweater for $9.95 because I waited until after Christmas to order it.  Luckily they still had it.  If they didn't then I didn't need it to begin with!

I'd love to hear or see what tops are your favorites!  An easy way to share is over on facebook with my friends in the peppysis group!  What?!?! You're not in??  Friend me on FB and I will happily add you to our secret clan!

Remember when I found my favorite flowy tanks for summer last year?

broccoli snack

While at the day care one day during nap time I got an odd craving.  My nap time cravings usually consist of cookies or hidden chocolate... sound  like home?  I imagine homes with kids hide special sweets!  Only this craving involved healthy stuff and I just happened to have the three ingredients I needed... broccoli, cream cheese and Melba toast. 

I first learned how to make steamed broccoli in the microwave when I was a teenager and my Mom had gone on a diet in which she ate a chicken breast, steamed broccoli, cauliflower and squash with a side of Melba toast and maybe a piece of cheese on the toast it seems.  The chicken and veggies were all cooked in the microwave but not together.  We had these Tupperware microwavable bowls that had lids that didn't seal.  The chicken had lemon pepper seasoning and it's bowl was partially covered with plastic wrap to let steam escape and the vegetables had lemon pepper and dill.  I think we all got hooked on this combination.  I know for sure Tracy and I did.  Not for the weight loss but because it all smelled so good and was easy for us to cook and clean up.  At least I hope we cleaned it up after ourselves.  Sorry Mom if we didn't!

I have used this simple way of steaming broccoli ever since and used it the day of my craving last week.  I had said that I was going to try and share a green recipe each week during March and you can't get much greener than steamed broccoli!  You could make these for yourself or to share.  Enjoy!