autumn – Windtree Bee

October 20, 2023December 11, 2023

Hereford Fall Fest + Season Wrap Up

This weekend, we’ll be at the Hereford Fall Fest. We’ve been vendors there for years and it’s always a great event. Weather should be typical fall weather here – cloudy and a bit windy. Bring your muck boots and a giant backpack for all the stuff you’re gonna buy! 😉

We’ll have:

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Applesauce – a favorite that was very popular last fall. This year’s batch was made with SweeTango and Cortland apples. I like to use at least two different varieties because I think it gives the applesauce a better flavor. (But, honestly, what isn’t good with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and cloves added to it?) Even if you’ve had your fill of PPS drinks, no one ever gets sick of PPS applesauce!!

Caramel Apple Coffee Jam – for coffee lovers! Delicious all year long, but especially in the fall and winter. I simmer the apples in espresso before turning them into jam. The caramel flavor comes from the brown sugar I add to sweeten it. This jam is perfect for a Pumpkin-Shaped Baked Brie Puff Pastry.

We’re also bringing:

Honey – the last of our 2023 harvest. We only have a couple dozen jars left. You know the deal, when they’re gone, they’re gone! Stock up on local, raw, minimally filtered, unprocessed, pure honey for your winter tea, oatmeal, toast, etc. It never goes bad. (Ever.) If it crystalizes, just gently heat it (do not boil) to bring it back to liquid form.

Summer jams – SALE! – I have a dozen or so “summer cocktail” jams that I’ll be selling at a discount. They’ll be shelf stable through the winter, so use them for thumbprint cookies come January when you need a sugar boost!

Windtree Bee Merch – SALE! – I’ll also be selling our #SupportLocalRoyalty bedazzled t-shirts at a discount. They are adorable and make great gifts!

Our Market Season is Wrapping Up

We really enjoyed selling at the Hereford Farm Market this year! We missed a lot of HFM weekends in September and early October due to various conflicts and commitments. After Fall Fest, however, we plan to return to HFM for Halloween weekend (Oct 28th).

What have we been up to?

Other fun pics of insects…

See you this weekend at Hereford Fall Fest!

October 21, 2022

Oak Spring Farm Chili Feast

Tomorrow, we’ll be at our regular market — Hereford Farm Market — from 9:00 a.m. to noon. And then on Sunday, we’re vending at Oak Spring Farm’s Chili Feast. For anyone who hasn’t yet heard of Oak Spring, it’s an organic CSA farm in north Baltimore County run by Lisa Duff. She and her farm are awesome! We’ve been CSA members for years. We also keep a few hives over there. You can find us there on Sunday from 2:00-6:00 p.m. NON-CSA MEMBERS ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND!

From Lisa’s Facebook events page:

Let's celebrate YOU, our amazing CSA Members who helped us make this season an absolute success, with a chili feast and potluck!

SUNDAY, October 23rd, 2022 from 2pm - 6pm

We will provide two BIG pots of chili - one meat based and the other suitable for vegans and vegetarians. Please bring a dish to share, whether it is more chili, a chili-friendly side like cornbread, chips, or crackers, or other toppings like sour cream, cheese, fritos, etc. You're also welcome to bring dessert, drinks, and of course BYOB. Anything is welcome, and we encourage you to use as local and sustainable as possible!

There will be LIVE MUSIC, family friendly GAMES, and a RAFFLE for CSA members to win $100 off of their 2023 Season CSA Share!

Bring your picnic blankets, chairs, family, friends, dogs, and good spirit. We can't wait to see you.

***Non-CSA members are absolutely welcome to come!!***

What are we bringing this weekend?

We still have a few jars of honey left, but they are going fast. I also still have little 4 oz jars of mulled cider jelly left, some spiced pear jam, and — new for this week!! — HONEY MAPLE CRANBERRY SAUCE, SMOKY CHIPOTLE BERRY JAM, and OUR LOOSE LEAF CHAI TEA BLEND.

The cranberry sauce recipe I use is THE BEST. It’s a whole cranberry sauce with a smooth texture. Sweetened with my two favorite natural sweeteners, honey & maple syrup, and seasoned with cinnamon and a pinch of lemon zest, it is sublime!! Makes a perfect hostess gift for the holidays!

The smoky chipotle berry jam is a traditional blackberry jam with a hint of chipotle chili powder. It turns my ever-popular berry jam into a specialty spread that is perfect for turkey sandwiches, grown-up grilled cheese, or as an addition to your weekend charcuterie tray. This jam would pair excellently with gouda, goat cheese, or Brie. I’m offering it in little 4 oz jars — a perfect size for sampling.

My loose leaf chai tea blend is back on the menu too! Just in time for cooler weather! Stock up!! (My favorite way to sweeten it is to use honey, of course, but maple syrup works wonderfully too.

Enjoy your weekend! Hope to see you soon!

November 12, 2021

It’s cranberry season!

Hereford Farm Market will only be open for two more Saturdays — tomorrow and the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Tomorrow, I’m bringing apple cranberry jam made with organic fresh cranberries. Perfect for gift giving! Mandi will have beanies, scarves, mittens, cowls, ornaments & wine toppers. Hope to see you there!

We’ll be at the Hereford Farm Market, 17004 York Road, in Parkton, Maryland, from 9:00 a.m. until noon tomorrow. Look for us at the “Hats & Honey” table beside The Contented Rooster.

September 17, 2021

Goodbye, beautiful bouquets; Hello, mulling spices, tea blends, and cider jelly

“The pollen-dusted bees
search for the honey-lees
that linger in the last flowers of September” ~George Arnold

Mid-September means the growing season is ending. We’re still pulling flowers and peppers out, but that’s about it. I have mixed feelings about my flowers this year. On the one hand, my zinnias weren’t as strong as they usually are. I didn’t sell any at the market, which has been a goal of mine for years now. I wasn’t even able to give as many away this year as I have in years past.

Dahlias versus zinnias: similar but different

On the other hand, I was completely smitten with my dahlias this year. I’d never tried to grow them until this summer and, even though they are more difficult than zinnias, and don’t seem to last nearly as long in the vase, I was thrilled to be able to include them in this summer’s bouquets.

I’m also just very thankful and so grateful that I was able to grow, cut, arrange, and enjoy the many flowers I was able to pull from the garden this year. This winter, I’ll be mulling over what worked and what didn’t, what to do again and what to give up on but, for now, I’m posting a few more of my favorites as a way to say goodbye to the beautiful bounty of summer 2021.

My younger daughter loves to buy clothes at consignment shops and second-hand stores. She loves the idea that each piece gets a new life. She sews and often upcycles them into something different. I think she also finds the range of clothing (from every decade and style) more interesting than anything that’s offered in the “fast fashion” mall stores. In any case, when I go with her, I shop for flower vases.

One of my favorite finds this summer was the silver-plated vintage vase pictured above. I found it in a shop on South Street in Philadelphia. It’s not worth much — a couple of dollars at most — but I think it’s beautiful.

What am I bringing to market tomorrow?

To celebrate the upcoming fall equinox, I made a bunch of autumn-inspired treats.

MULLING SPICES: wrapped in unbleached “steep sacks” and tied with butcher’s twine, each jar holds four bags, which will each spice one bottle of wine or eight cups of apple cider.

FALL TEA BLENDS: Chai and orange spice. Best when sweetened with honey! 😉

CIDER JELLY: Spread on raisin bread toast or stir a spoonful into a mug of hot water for instant hot spiced cider.

SMOKY APPLESAUCE: This is a savory, spicy applesauce. The woman who made the recipe pairs it with pork or chicken, but I had mine with pierogies and red cabbage. Delish! 🙂

SPICED PEAR JAM: a great jam with the usual morning breads or on a cracker with brie.

I often use local and/or organic ingredients.
Left to right: smoky applesauce ingredients, cider jelly ingredients,
cinnamon pears, and some of the finished products.
DON’T WAIT TO STOCK YOUR WINTER PANTRY! 😉

We’ll be at the Hereford Farm Market, 17004 York Road, in Parkton, Maryland, from 9:00 a.m. until noon tomorrow. Look for us at the “Hats & Honey” table beside The Contented Rooster.

October 30, 2019April 2, 2020