Old Man Winter: Late to the party.

Skiers, snowmobiliers, tobogganers rejoice! Winter has finally put down a snow pack worth the name, and for a few months at least the outdoors types will get to pursue their hobbies and entertainment. Yes it's now colder. Minus twenty five is a joke compared to what it could be. Anyone complaining just let themselves get soft with the incredibly mild November/December we enjoyed. We need that snow to replenish aquifers, and to hydrate the topsoil for spring planting. No snow = drought, and the bees need flowers and water both.

The Roger's Sugar strike continues in British Columbia for its fourth consecutive month and negotiations do not look promising at all. The strike is affecting price and access to sugar for both household consumers but also bakeries and other food processing. I have some mixed feeling on this. It has brought people into the honeyverse looking for a substitution. Honey being a much healthier alternative there are some that will end up using far less sugar even when it becomes more readily available. So good for me, but not so good for the workers fighting for their rights and continue to be out of work because they are standing up to a massive corporate entity.

If you are cutting back on your baking or looking to find a better sweetener, please consider honey. Honey is easy to substitute in all of your baking endeavors, and keeps baked goods fresher for a longer period of time. And who knows, when the big companies start seeing the fruits of the strike action, they may ultimately begin to see things more from the worker point of view (here's hoping!)

Be sure to turn the oven temperature down about 25 degrees from what is stated in your recipe. The natural sugars in honey caramelize quickly and burn faster than sugar.

The bees are doing just fine in the cold, ( In truth it is a better environment for their longevity. ) but the mortality test comes next month so hang on there gals! We are about halfway through! I've said before, any fool can keep his bees alive until New Years. Now comes the tell of whether the beekeeper did right by his bees or not.

Not much more to report. I'm playing in the kitchen testing a honey caramel recipe I stole, and looking into devising a method to make honey glazed coffee beans. If you never see me mention either again, then the failure will have been spectacular!

Take care everyone. Happy New Year, and keep warm!

John Russell