The Case Of The Missing Shot Glasses, Thanksgiving and A Birthday

I couldn’t be happier right this minute as I’ve missed blogging for nearly two weeks now. Thank you to all my faithful followers and newcomers for sticking with me.  Between the Thanksgiving holiday, a house full of company, adoring hubby’s 60th birthday, and missing shot glasses I couldn’t find a moment to write.  I hope that you had as much to be thankful for on Thanksgiving day as I did.  It was crazy around The Orange Bee, crazy good.  Lots of family and friends traveled from near and far to spend the holiday with my family in Texas.  It is always an honor to me when folks choose to come and eat, drink and make merry in my home.

It’s the making merry part that created “The Case of the Missing Shot Glasses”.

Secretly Simple Croutons

My head is stuffy, so stuffy it’s exhausting to breathe.  No bueno!  I’m sure it will be gone soon…I’m medicating with antibiotics and stuff said to unstuff ones nose.  It all started when I awoke early Saturday with a scratchy throat and sniffles.  I managed to carry on for the day with Miss T and my man Dan as we traipsed around a college campus, trying to decide if it’s on or off “the list”.  

My Favorite Color

With fall upon us I’m thinking about soups.  Not heavy, hearty ones like we crave in the winter; but nutritious, simple bowls of soup.  Sometimes an uncomplicated bowl of soup just fits the bill, perhaps with a crusty loaf of bread or a tossed green salad.

One of my go-to cookbooks carries the title “Williams-Sonoma Soup”.  I could spend the better part of a day perusing

Lightened Up Biscuits

I love this antique biscuit cutter that belonged to my grandmother.

Yum!

Last weekend my man Dan was in Las Vegas, sin city, to photograph the goings on at a convention for one of his clients.  His take on L.V. is, “it’s like Disneyland on crack”.  I don’t think he saw the light of day until he’d been there for three days and was forced to venture out for a piece of equipment he needed to pick up.  It was also the weekend before Halloween

Naming Queens

Today I’m writing about my bees. If you’d like to read about my most recent bee removal and a dilemma up at the Helmsley Palace hives go to “Bees & Honey” right under the header, click on “Bee Thinking” – “Naming Queens”.

No worries, I’ll be back on board with a delicious recipe before long.  Meantime get your dose of science and nature, and join in the name game by reading “Naming Queens”.

Enjoy!

A Colorful Dish Disappoionts

This morning I noticed the first Dark-Eyed Junco foraging for food under one of my feeders.  Later in the day, I noticed not only a Yellow Rumped Warbler hopping about in the red oak, but also an Orange Crowned Warbler flitting around in the crape myrtle and Purple Finches at the feeders.  Wow – stellar day for bird watching.  Late in the afternoon on Saturday I glanced out the back windows only to spot 2 large white breasted birds sitting in a cedar tree on the back pasture fence line.

A Jewel Of A Pie

I hate to do this, but I’m going to have to give credit where credit is due.  I owe it all to Oprah.  In one of her more recent “O” magazines she dedicates a few pages to pies.  They all look delicious but the ones that caught my eye were these cute little hand pies.  I just love a little something that you can pick up and bite into, no utensils necessary.  I’m guilty of standing at the kitchen sink, gazing out at the lovely ponds, grazing horses,

One Pot Dinner

The Texas Rangers are in the “World Series”!  I’m not a huge baseball fan but when we get into the playoffs I’m there.  Now that we’re there, my adoring hubby and I want to cheer on our team – he’s  like me when it comes to baseball…when we’re in the playoffs he’s in.

In lieu of heading outdoors to grill our dinners, I’m enjoying making some one pot meals in the kitchen where I can keep up with the score.  

Fair Food

Big Tex

“Howdy folks, and welcome to the great state fair of Texas”, spoken by none other than Big Tex, the oversized icon with his commanding presence, booming voice and 10 gallon hat.  His voice resounds over the grounds of the “State Fair of Texas” for three full weeks in late September and early October every year, this year marking number 125. Yep, that’s right the great state of Texas has carried on this tradition for 125 years.

Those of us that live in Texas learn about the fair from a very young age.  A memory I’ll

Broccoli & The Boss

My father-in-law, whom I love dearly because he makes me laugh, can be a bit bossy at times.  Occasionally it is warranted that he show his bossiness other times not so much.  I usually go along because after all I’m the in-law and  he’s really not all that hard to get along with.  Anyway, somebody has to be Boss.

One way I know to please him is to make special meals unlike what he cooks for himself.