The Beehive Blog

The Beehive Blog has MOVED!

2010-11-17T17:16:00.006-07:00

The Beehive Blog has packed up the Hive and we are at our new digs on Wordpress!

Please come and see us and tell us what you think of the new design!

and make sure you update the links in your blogroll to

http://thebeehiveblog.net/

Caputo's Market - Foodie Extravaganza ... Seriously.

2010-11-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

Since I have moved to Utah, I have heard about Tony Caputo's Market & Deli - an Italian market in Salt Lake City but the time and space continuum did not allow for a visit until recently.

And what a visit it was.

I wanted to pack my bags and just live there. I could sleep in the Cheese Cave, right? Yes, I said CHEESE CAVE ...

"Cheese Cave: Caputo's state of the art cheese cave is one of only a handful in the country. Many complex systems are set in place to replicate the perfect environment for aging cheeses. It allows Caputo's to offer over 200 perfectly fresh farmstead cheeses. Cheese fanatics are welcome to drool as they peer through the huge glass wall into the cave."

If you look very closely, you can see the imprint of Queen Bee's nose on the glass. The guy at the counter was great as we picked a few ounces of a number of cheeses so we could try as much as possible - this is what we bought:

Fontina Val D'Aosta, Quicke's Cheddar, Humboldt Fog (a goat cheese with a line of ash), Scoparolo (a combo of pecorino & goat cheese), Juni (with Juniper Berries!), Beehive Promontory and Beehive Cheddar (of course, I had to get the Beehive cheeses!), and Grotte Caputo. A feast to be sure but what would a feast be without meat to complement my carnivorous palate ...

Off we went down the line to check out the salamis and meats ...

Capocollo, Genoa, Felino by Creminelli and Sopressata all equal HEAVEN.

And where does all the YUM come from? "In House Salame Maker: With over 14 types of proscuitti and dozens of salami, including those made by the house salame maker, Cristiano Creminelli, Caputo's can claim the best cured meat selection in Utah and, possibly, in America. Cristiano's family has been hand making salame for over 400 years and their salumificio (salame shop) was named best in the entire region of Piedmont in 2006. In 2007, he came to Caputo's to make all natural salame with all natural Utah pork."

We continued our shopping by perusing the selection of chocolate ... yes, chocolate ... shelves of it and from some of the most delectable chocolatiers in the world. We scooped some real caramel and then trooped over to the Deli because there was no way that we were going to make it all the way home without eating something!

I grew up in an all Italian neighborhood in the northeast so I am seriously picky about Italian food and sauce. So when I say that Caputo's had the best meatball sandwich that I have had since I left the South Philadelphia area ... I mean it. I would go back just for the meatball sandwich - it was that good. We also tried the best pasta salad which was fresh and delicious and was able to tide us over as we drove back to Provo.

We chopped some apples and pears, gathered crackers, grapes and bread and set out all of the pieces of Paradiso from Caputo's - Our Feast ...

Our hands down favorite cheeses were the Grotte Caputo, Quicke's Cheddar, Fontina val D'Aosta and Beehive Promontory. All of them were delicious! The Juni with the juniper berries is a very unique taste and was the least favorite - definitely an acquired taste.

Everyone had a different favorite with the meats but the Sopressata gained a slight lead.

The Beehive Blog pronounces Caputo's Market ~ The Bee's Knees!

We cannot wait for our next visit to Caputo's - they now have three locations so change it up and run, don't walk over to Caputo's and create your own Foodie Extravaganza meal! If you are out of area, call them and ask about shipping ... it is worth it. And don't forget to tell them that you read about them on the Beehive Blog!

Caputo's Market Main Site

Say Hi to Caputo's on Facebook

Tweet @CaputosMarket

Communal in Provo also serves Caputo's products so you can always sneak a fix in! Here is the Beehive Blog review on Communal!

Bingham Canyon Mine - Cool Salt Lake City Day Trip

2010-11-04T10:38:00.000-06:00

We spent part of our day in the center of the earth ... well kind of. OK ... we spent our day in the largest open pit excavation project on Earth. The same open pit excavation that can be seen from the Space Station which does not really register until you are standing at the Visitor Center at the Bingham Canyon Mine (aka the Kennecott Copper Mine) and looking into that open pit. The mine has been in production since 1906, and has resulted in the creation of a pit over 0.75 miles (1.2 km) deep, 2.5 miles (4 km) wide, and covering 1,900 acres (7.7 km²).

Although it struck me as a bit surreal and a bit creepy, the boys loved it. The Visitor Center offers a nice little mini museum and a brief movie discussing the history of the Bingham Canyon Mine and talks about the current day operations. Which are huge. Huge like the PIT.

We were there on Sunday and everything except the little gift shop was open. You pay at the gate and then make your way up the winding road about 3.5 miles to the Visitor Center that is perched on the edge of the open pit. Massive trucks make their way up and down the teeny (to my paranoid and vertigo powered perception) roads that hug the inside of the mountain and provide access up and down. Excavation is continuous.

It is certainly something to see but I will admit to a slight sense of relief as we made our way out of the pit and back to civilization!

Some cool facts about the mine:

Bingham Canyon has proven to be one of the world's most productive mines. As of 2004, ore from the mine has yielded more than 17 million tons (15.4 Mt) of copper, 23 million ounces (715 t) of gold, 190 million ounces (5,900 t) of silver, and 850 million pounds (386 kt) of molybdenum.
The value of metals produced in 2006 at Bingham Canyon was US$1.8 billion dollars.
Employing 1,800 employees and hundreds of contractors, 450,000 tons (408 kt) of material are removed from the mine daily. Electric shovels can carry up to 56 cubic yards (43 m³) or 98 tons (89 t) of ore in a single scoop.
Today, as the second largest copper producer in the United States, Kennecott Utah Copper provides about 13-18% percent of the U.S.'s copper needs.
The current mine plan will expire in 2019. Rio Tinto is currently studying a plan to extend the open pit 1,000 feet southward, which would extend the life of the mine into the mid-2030s.

h/t to Wikipedia - Bingham Canyon Mine

Friends - I Need Your Help Today

2010-10-28T15:22:00.002-06:00

Please meet Connor. Isn't he adorable? Connor is 8 months old and was born with Downs Syndrome. He also has some other medical issues and will be going in for surgery next week but he is a fighter! Connor weighs in at 8 months old at just over 10 pounds and has a smile that melts everyone's heart.

This weekend is a walk to help Connor and all the other precious angels like him through Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona Buddy Walk - Connor's Team needs to raise $500 ... how can we say no?

I am reaching out to all of my networks for Connor and his Aunt to see if we can't all work together to help them reach their goal.

Your help is greatly appreciated ... and it will make Connor smile and, WOW, the world lights up when Connor smiles.

Click Here to Contribute to the Connor Man Crew at Sharing Down Syndrome AZ

Please help us make Connor smile!

UPDATE ... 4virtu.com has committed to donating $1 to Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona for every member that joins 4virtu for free via this widget ... Come on, Readers - this makes it easy to help! Thank you!

Join 4virtu

Join 4virtu for free & 4virtu will donate $1 per member family to Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona!

$1 to Sharing Down Syndrome Arizona

My Hysterectomy - 10 Years Later

2010-10-27T09:11:00.000-06:00

It is a weird anniversary to be sure but October 26 was the ten year anniversary of my hysterectomy. The pain of not being able to have more children still crops up every now and then, a bit less that I am 41 but it still amazes me that the biological urge is such a sharp tug.

I am grateful every day for my son who is almost 14 and was truly a blessing as I had no idea that he would be the one and only. And I get to have my brother's three kiddos as if they were my own.

Ten years ago, I had a lower left abdominal pain that came out of the blue and stayed ... and got worse. Within 2 days, I was gray - literally - and on my way to the emergency room. As a health care worker, we always believe we can diagnose ourselves so I waited for it to resolve. So at 4am that morning, the pain became intolerable and to the hospital we went.

I went to the hospital where I worked so they zipped me into ultrasound. I watched the tech's face as she went from a cheery smile to glancing at me nervously and backing out of the room, telling me she was getting the doctor. Surgeon would have been the correct word. I promptly turned the screen, as soon as she was out of the room and my jaw dropped. The doctor walked in and confirmed - I had a tumor ... about the size of a small cantaloupe on my left ovary. The tumor had caused the ovary to tortion which was causing the pain. My only option was surgery ... immediately.

Once the procedure was explained - an oophrectomy (removal of an ovary) - I told the doctor to take out everything if they got in there and saw that it was not just the ovary. I had one child and no plans to get pregnant. So blithe. And no one discussed options - harvesting my eggs or anything. anything.

I came out of the surgery with half of my right ovary intact. Half of a diseased ovary according to the pathology report. Fighting through morphine, pain and being gutted from side to side - I flipped out. Why had they left it? The doctor explained I was too young and they wanted to give me a chance to get pregnant. Get pregnant with a diseased HALF ovary?? Sometimes men and male surgeouns are idiots.

I recovered from that surgery just in time for the tumor to regenerate within 3 months. I found a new surgeon and we scheduled a hysterectomy. Hindsight is 20/20 and I wish now that I had discussed harvesting my eggs if indeed there were any viable ... but there must have been because I did have one final period, ironically the 3 days preceding the surgery.

That is the clinical story. That is the easy part of the story. The emotional ups and downs. Fighting my own body that was thrown into surgical menopause because I did not want to take hormone replacement due to the high percentage of breast cancer in my family. Explaining to my 4 year old that he could never have a brother or sister. Feeling like I was not a woman anymore ... that I was broken. Refusing to date because since I was in my very early 30's, new couples talk about things like having children. Physical pain that turned into an emotional ache that always stays with me.

To complicate issues, I was diagnosed with lupus about 9 months after the surgery. Apparently, the trauma of the surgeries triggered off the sleeping lupus. I felt like I spent years in tailspin after tailspin.

Ten years later, I am here. I am fine. Life happens but my son is healthy and taller than me, my lupus is in remission and I have found a place that I love to live - Utah. I have great friends and a business that I love and I am growing. I never went on hormone replacement so, technically, I have to go through menopause AGAIN. That does not seem fair but I am here. and I will take it.

The optimist in me is grateful for the large tumor that crushed my ovary and caused the pain. It could have been ovarian cancer and spread through my abdomen and this could be a very different story. So I am grateful ... always.

And now I get my baby fix :) - living in the wonderfully fertile land of Utah means that there are lots of pregnant women and lots of babies and munchkins.

Which is a Joy and a 10 year Circle that means Healing to me.

Buffalo Stalking on Antelope Island

2010-10-25T09:26:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was supposed to be a cool trip to Arches Park and Moab but due to the weather reports of snow at high elevations and the lack of a 4 wheel drive, we decided to stay local. Antelope Island was the destination and I have a new hobby - Buffalo Stalking!

Although the day was cloudy and a bit rainy, there were enough peeks of sunshine and blue skies that we thought we would make the trek to Antelope Island. From Provo, it is about 85 miles. The clouds made for great backdrops of the scape of the island which is extremely primitive and natural.

The lady at the gate before we crossed the 7 mile, 2 lane road to the island advised us to head to the ranch to see the wildlife if they were out and about. Wildlife includes 550-700 bison that roam free, pronghorn and bighorn sheep, mule deer and antelope. We only saw buffalo but we saw a good number of the herd.

We spent about 4 hours driving and exploring the island. We stopped to admire the buffalo and, if they were close enough, we did get out on the trails to get some pictures ... slowly. carefully. and not getting toooooo close because they are HUGE. HUGE. and they can run fast. really really fast.

So when I say Buffalo Stalking, I mean because the buffalo let me. for which I am eternally grateful because they are awesome! There is something breathtaking and iconic about seeing them in the distance and up close.

We witnessed some sparring along the side of the road and no one really had the urge to hurry the buffalo off the road. A buffalo traffic jam ensued which was highly entertaining!

Everyone enjoyed the day - we took tons of pics - and we spent some time in the Visitor Center watching the movie and checking out the exhibits.

The Beehive Blog nominates Antelope Island as the BEE's KNEES! and my new completely favorite place in Utah.

For more pictures - I will be adding to my Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shaktiwomyn/

What is your favorite place in Utah?

Wordless Wednesday - The Life of Princess Noodle

2010-10-20T10:22:00.000-06:00

Starring Princess Noodle as Herself ...

Tweetup at The Golden Door Spa in Park City

2010-10-19T22:00:00.002-06:00

In the season of tricks or treats, this is definitely a TREAT!
Beehive Blog tweets with the Golden Door Spa in Park City and they have some lovely treats going on this Thursday, October 21at a very special (and uber relaxing) tweetup. No costumes needed, although I am sure they have fluffy robes for dress up!

Golden Door Spa Park City is having a Winter Housecleaning 50% Off Sale Tweetup (Twitter meetup, Twitter account not required to attend)! They're cleaning house to make room for new products for the winter season and offering 50% off select Golden Door, Tara Spa Therapy, Ling Skincare and SpaRitual products. Plus, Golden Door Spa therapists will offer complimentary neck/shoulder & hand/foot mini massages, and will be serving passed wine, cheese and crackers.

Where?
Golden Door Spa at the Waldorf Astoria Park City
2100 West Frostwood Drive
Park City, UT 84098
Phone: 435-647-5555
Website: http://www.parkcitywaldorfastoria.com/golden-door-spa/

When?
Thursday, October 21
6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Why?
Fabulous luxury spa products for a great deal (holiday gift ideas!); Meeting and mingling with your fellow Park City Tweeps; and Complimentary snacks and mini massages at the luxurious Golden Door Spa. Does it get better than this? Only if it is a whole spa day!

Products on Sale *while supplies last*
Golden Door products including Botanical body moisturizer and oil, Confidante Cleanser and Toner, Hydrating Gel, Imbue Antioxidant Moisturizer, Imbue Milky Cleanser, Oily Skin Treatment cleansers, and more.
Tara Spa Therapy products including, Balancing Bath & Diffuser Oil, Balancing Aromas, Bindi Body Oil, Rejuvenation Travel Kit, Finding Balance Gift Box, Herbal Face Serum, Jet Lag Recovery Travel Kit, Kapha Facial, Loving Aroma sets, Loving Bath & Diffuser Oil, Muscle Soother aroma, bath and gift boxes, Chai neck pillow, Pitta Facial, Rehydrator Lotion, Sleep Gift Box, Stress Relieving Gift Box, Sun Therapy Kit and Skin-Cell Regenerator Complex.

Ling Skincare products including Clearlight lotion, Facial Refining Tonic for Dry Skin, Freeze Serum, Moisturizing Facial Masque, Oxygen Plasma Potion and Pure Squalane.

SpaRitual products including bath salts with wildcrafted Indian frankincense, Affirming Scrub Masque, Instinctual Organic Bath Salts with ginger essential oil, multiple shades of nail polish and cuticle softner/remover.

ahhhhhh ... what a brilliant idea for a tweetup!
Time to pamper ourselves before the holidays carry us away!

Golden Door Spa Park City - @GoldenDoorSpaPC on twitter & on Facebook

Waldorf Astoria Park City - @WaldorfParkCity on twitter & on Facebook

October is ....

2010-10-11T13:36:00.000-06:00

I am running a bit late with my "October is" post but since we have had a lovely shift in weather for the cooler and I have been digging out some of my fall/winter clothes and observing the leaves, I am ready!
Autumn has always been my favorite time of year and after living in South Florida for so many years, I have a renewed love and appreciation for the seasonal cycle.

October is ...

Crisp ... crisp apples, crisp breezes & crisp, baked bread with a fluffy center ...

Last of the dragonflies in Utah ... thank you to my little dragonfly who posed so prettily for me with the autumn leaves ...

shorter days ... longer nights ...twinkly stars and seeing your breath at night ...

pumpkin! pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, and jack-o-lanterns ...

snow on the Timpanogos peaks ... what a surprise and a lovely one!

ghosts, ghouls and goblins ... trick or treats ... candy sacks overflowing ...

forests and mountains painted with brushes of red, orange and yellow ... piles of leaves to jump in ...

warm soup ... fuzzy socks ... hot chocolate with a side of ginger snaps ...

PINK for the cure ... time to spread awareness to the women you love & get the facts on breast cancer!

What is October to you?

Communal Restaurant in Provo - Foodie Paradise & Then Some

2010-10-06T22:51:00.000-06:00

While Provo (Utah, that is) has some decent eating establishments, many are chains and since moving here, I had yet to find a Foodie experience that I admire as can be found in the Salt Lake offerings. Well, that dry spell ended tonight under the deft hands of the staff of Communal, Sous Chef Luke and Co-Owners and Co-Chefs Joseph McRae & Colten Soelberg.

We traveled all of 8 blocks to reach the warm and inviting atmosphere of Communal - beautiful lighting and decor all centered around an open kitchen made for an upscale casual feel. Our server, Megan, was delightful from the first "hello" and we lacked for nothing. My dining companions were my Mom (a gourmet foodie for as long as I can remember) and my 13 year old son and 12 year old nephew; a challenging group.

We began our journey with a shared starter that included: meat from Caputo's, caramelized onions, tomato jam, house made pickles, crostini, melon and a tomato & goat cheese bread pudding. First impression ... YUM. and then YUM again. Each bite was an individual journey on its own and received thumbs up from the whole group. The favorite of the platter was definitively the tomato & goat cheese bread pudding.

The main entrees were next - hanger steak with bordelaise sauce, salmon with a tomato bacon vinaigrette, and the daily pasta preparation which was fettucine with an heirloom tomato sauce. Initially, both boys got the pasta but when it was not quite to taste for my kiddo, Megan scooped it up and insisted he order something else to try. And he did - the christiansen farms berkshire pork belly with a cherry sauce ... and he loved it - so much that we all barely snuck in a bite. We ordered the boulangerie potatoes as a starch and it came in a crock - red potatoes baked with onions and bacon and I was again reduced to noises and a WOW. WOW. WOW!

The hanger steak was cooked perfectly - I like it mooing and doing a dance and it did dance ... all the way to my mouth! The sauce was rich but did not overpower the meat at all. This dish also received 4 thumbs up.

Mom said the salmon was divine and FRESH ... and cooked just right. My bite confirmed the freshness and it was excellent. Even though I am not a salmon fan, the freshness and preparation were evident. Another four thumbs up.
My nephew enjoyed the pasta (judging from the empty bowl) - the serving was large with a hearty sauce. My son exchanged his pasta for the pork belly which had all of us mumbling unintelligible happy noises ... tender, moist, divine ... and with a side of the best mashed potatoes in the universe ... there were eight thumbs up.

Since the pork dish was an addition, the boys bellied up to the bar and chatted with Sous Chef Luke and Damian, the cook. Yet another example of the warm and friendly atmosphere at Communal ... it certainly made a wonderful impression on the boys who are ready to schedule another dinner!

Head Chef and Co-Owner Joseph stopped by the table and chatted for a few minutes and I could see where the gracious foundation of the staff came from - he made a point to talk to everyone in the dining room.

Our lovely meal was topped off with ... well, I would say dessert but it was more like ... Nirvana. We shared two desserts - the first was the amano's chocolate smore and the second was the cornmeal cake with strawberries. A pot of french press coffee and real cream and I was ready to pack my bags and move in to eat for the rest of my days!

Local, sustainable products ... a warm & caring staff ... a beautiful & inviting atmosphere ... creative and delicious food is what makes Communal. We will just call it our new favorite restaurant and be thrilled that it is in the neighborhood! Kudos ... truly well done and we can't wait to return!

We did not eat at the communal table - we did call ahead and make a reservation for a private table. The option is open to sit at the bar as well and chat with the Chefs! Starters range from $9 - $12, Entrees from $12 - $16, sides from $5 - $7 and desserts are $7.50. The menu does change, as well as include daily preparations, and the starter we had and the side were all portioned to be shared.

There is also a new blog - www.heirloomrestaurantgroup.com/blog - Pizzeria Seven Twelve in Orem is owned by the same group. My Mom and nephew are visiting for a few more weeks and before we were even done dinner, Mom said - "We have to come back before I leave! and add the other restaurant to our list."

To Communal - THANK YOU for a wonderful journey and we can't wait to see you again!

Day Trip to Park City

2010-10-06T11:26:00.000-06:00

Sometimes it feels like I am running at 500 miles per hour ... and still in the same place. Family visits are joyful but stressful and there have been some challenges :) - was that PC? The best part is getting out and about, doing day trips and indulging our rabid little foodie palates. And indulge we have!

on the way to Park City

We had a lovely day in Park City - although I admit to liking it better in the snow :) and Empire Pass is still the place I would love to live and run my little Bloggy Kingdom ... the Montage at Deer Valley is coming along nicely and still targeting December 2010 for opening ... 35K foot spa ... HELLO!

Lunch was cheesy goodness on the balcony of the Red Banjo - Park City's oldest restaurant and we were waited on by the current owner who is third generation. We munched on pizza with chicken and artichokes and meatball sandwiches, sipped our black cherry vanilla and bubblegum sodas and Apricot Hefeweizen beer (which was SO good, we got some for home!) all while admiring the view down main street. The food at Red Banjo was good and the prices were reasonable and very family friendly.

It was Viper Day in Park City ... as in cars ... a bit too much on fumes and testosterone for me but the boys loved it.

And what would a day in Park City be without a visit to our favorite Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory? Thankfully, Main Street is perfect for walking off a sugar high!

The day wrapped up with a drive home via Salt Lake, a visit into the Park City Nursery to visit their pumpkin patch and some lovely views along the way.

All in all - Park City is a great day trip from Provo ... our next day trip is the Alpine Loop and Sundance Resort!

Where is Beehive Blog this morning?

2010-09-30T07:23:00.000-06:00

Beehive Blog is tickled pink to be joining Gevalia Coffee on twitter this morning at 8am mst for #beanchat! I will be tweeting as @BeehiveBlog and @4virtu to co-host the oh-so-fun and oh-so-delicious #beanchat.

Can you say Chocolate Raspberry ~ Velvet Noir (coming sooooon!) ~ Rainforest Organic ~ Pecan Torte and Gevalia has more than just coffee - they have tea too! White Tea with Pear, Blackberry Spice, Ancient Cherry!

Best Part - Gevalia delivers to your home ... like your front door ... Join us for #beanchat!

YES YES YES! I want Gevalie Coffee and/or Tea delivered to my front door!

Wordless Wednesday is all about the bzzzzzz

2010-09-29T07:58:00.000-06:00

Smashing Sunday in Salt Lake City

2010-09-28T08:45:00.000-06:00

Sunday was a smashing combo of great sites and an amazing meal - my favorite kind of day! It turns out that Sunday in Salt Lake City is a lovely day to visit as most of the stores downtown are closed - less traffic and less people.

We started with the state capitol building which was open and virtually deserted! Absolutely amazing building and architecture and perched high atop the valley.

After the Capitol building we went to my new MOST favorite restaurant - Wild Grape Bistro where we had an amazing Sunday brunch! Wild Grape is a cool little place right on South Temple in Salt Lake. The service was outstanding, the food was amazing and I cannot wait to go back!

We started with a house special bloody mary, iced coffees, kiwi lemonade and a prickly pear mimosa ...

And then we moved onto the main delights: Crab Benedict, Shrimp & Chorizo and Grits, Open Faced Prime Rib Sandwich and Huevos Rancheros ... oh myyyyyy, I am hungry again ...

Our Server was a delight herself - Brooke - and Wild Grape Bistro is now at the head of my list for every Salt Lake visit!

We wrapped the day with a leisurely stroll through Temple Square and peeks into the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Assembly Hall. Sunshine, good food and family ... does it get better than that?

Next weekend is MOAB and the Arches - I cannot wait!

Don't forget - I have 5 more weeks to fill with my visitors - you can win a $25 Smashburger gift certificate by suggesting places in Utah! We are looking for more off the beaten path or restaurant or lodging suggestions - Who has been to MOAB???

Keep the Ideas Coming & Win a $25 Smashburger Gift Certificate! Click Here!

Utah Travel Plans - Keep the Ideas Coming & Win a Smashburger Gift Certificate!

2010-09-25T09:42:00.000-06:00

I am a relatively new transplant to Utah, having arrived here in Provo at the end of October 2009. With getting settled and a major career change occurring, I have not had much time for exploring Utah. I live vicariously through several of the Utah Bloggers and I make notes for the day that I can get out and about. Since we have family that has arrived from Florida for an extended stay of 6 weeks - yes, six weeks - the days of out and about are upon me.

I tweeted out some requests for suggestions and I am looking for some out of the way eateries and day trips. ALL suggestions are welcome and SO appreciated & you will be entered into a giveaway for a $25 Smashburger gift certificate (see details below)! My family has always been big travelers so we like off the beaten track and local restaurants.

We do have a few things planned:

Great Salt Lake & Antelope Island ( and we added the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve thank you to @nedr3547 who works for the Nature Conservancy)
Sunday Brunch at the Wild Grape Bistro (@WildGrapeBistro on twitter) - now this has been a well talked about restaurant by all of the Utah foodies so we are SO excited (Thank you to @jennistokes and @phemom for the confirmations & recommends!)
Dinner at Communal Restaurant in Provo - realllllll Foodie Food...in Provo! (hat tip to @jet_set!)
Weekend in Park City (looking for places to eat!)
Long weekend to St. George & Zion & Escalante
Weekend to Moab
Enchanted Evenings with Spiderella and Hogle Zoo (can you say arachnophobia? but the boys are so excited that they cannot see straight - sigh ... the things you do for love)
Utah Museum of Natural History - we HAVE to see Utahceratops
Temple Square in Salt Lake & This is the Place Heritage Park
"Celebrate the Bounty" in Salt Lake on October 21 - more foodie adventures!
I am going to stuff my face with My Dough Girl cookies and bring even more home to eat (@MyDoughGirl on twitter)
Bingham Canyon Mine (far be it from me to deter young boys' enthusiasm for huge holes in the ground that can be seen from space!)
Clark Planetarium
Provo Pioneer Museum

And some new additions to the list, again Thank You to Awesome Tweeps!

from @PheMom who has a husband that has a COOL job at iFLY Utah which elicited more enthusiasm from the boys!
from @TheWriteImage - stand up paddle surfing on the Salt Lake - and after looking at the site, they have full moon paddle surfing! Just wondering about the temperature of the water & if Salt Lake has its own Loch Ness Monster lol!
from @jet_set - Ride out to Sundance Resort for lunch!

SO that is where we are in the planning process and as a THANK YOU to all of the wonderful suggestions, I will be giving away a $25 Smashburger gift certificate to a winner chosen at random on October 1, 2010 from @tweets and from the comments here below - make sure your suggestions are not duplicating any of the above AND make sure they are entered by September 30, 2010 at midnight mountain time. To keep it simple, one entry per person.

Who doesn't love Smashburger? The Beehive Blog LOVES the Beehive Smashburger!

And while you are here, check out the Utah Bloggers Rock blogroll -----> if your blog is not on there, let me know and I will add it!

Oh Beehive Smashburger, Where Have You Been All My Life?

2010-09-24T10:27:00.000-06:00

As the Queen Bee of the Beehive Blog, it was my duty to get to Smashburger and try their Beehive Smashburger ... it was a duty that I relished and I cannot wait to repeat! We had our first of many to come visits to Smashburger at the Provo location ...

We tried several things on the super scrumptious menu: the Beehive Smashburger, the classic Smashburger with everything and a create your own Smashburger. We added the smashfries and the sweet potato smashfries and a grasshopper mint shake and rootbeer float.

The Beehive Burger was awesome - bacon, cheddar cheese, haystack onions and finished off with honey bbq sauce. I did get the bbq sauce on the side but it was tasty and perfect for dipping. The 1/3 pd burgers are big and juicy (without being greasy) and all of the flavors of the Beehive smashburger were distinct and worked well together. Add the oh-so-frigging-amazing smashfries and I have a new focus for my cravings!

Beehive Burger

Why are the smashfries so special? Because they are tossed with rosemary, olive oil and garlic and fried just perfectly. New addiction ahead. We were all a bit disappointed with the sweet potato smashfries - compared to the rest of the food, they just were not great. The haystack onions were on my burger and would be a great complement to any of the food.

smashfries - my new addiction

Comments from the group:

"even though the order was messed up, it was good in the end! my favorite was the create your own burger" (see below about the order) (13 yr old Son)
"nice view and good food - my favorite was the classic burger" (12 yr old Nephew)
"messed the order up but they did correct it and my favorite was the rosemary fries. I usually only eat half a burger and I ate the whole thing!" (My Mom)

The service was good, the restaurant was attractive and not too crowded and I loved how they served the burger and fries in the baskets. My personal fave was a dead tie between the Beehive Burger and the smashfries.

Room for Improvement:

My son used the create your own checklist to create his burger but it still arrived incorrectly
My Mom ordered the classic and her burger arrived incorrectly as well
We figured out that the assembly of the burgers was the issue and the tops and bottoms were mixed up - the service person was great and brought us new toppings

Will we go back? YES WE WILL ... in fact, as soon as possible because there is lots more to try on the menu!

Are you a Smashburger fan? Check out my $25 Smashburger giveaway here - Enter by October 1!

What is your favorite thing from Smashburger?

The Beehive Blog Spends the day with Photo by Emilie

2010-09-23T16:41:00.000-06:00

I was tickled pink to be invited by an awesome tweeter, @taunitweets, to a wonderful photography workshop by Emilie of Photo by Emilie. We met for a four hour workshop at Emilie's lovely studio in Draper, Utah - other awesome tweeters in attendance were @twomoreseconds and @savvyveronica.

Emilie is not only an extremely talented photographer that also has an incredible sympatico with recalcitrant kiddos but she is an excellent teacher. The workshop was on how to work from a completely manual setting on your camera and covered all of those weird and foreign settings on the camera like f-stop, aperture, iso, shutter speed, etc.. Each attendee received Emilie's workbook that is packed with hints and examples and a step by step on all of the topics covered in the workshop. We spent a ton of time on light and all of the settings that affect how light enters your camera and affects your subject.

Armed with our newly found illumination, Emilie produced the most adorable family for us to practice on. This was my favorite part! I am very hands on when learning so to hear Emilie discuss the topics, look at the settings and her examples and then be able to put it into immediate practice was invaluable.

After working with the delightful children while Emilie coached us on poses and angles and using the light, we came back in for some more theory, this time focusing on editing the photos. Another invaluable step. The entire workshop progressed in a logical and enjoyable manner with great company and lots of laughs with Emilie and her sparkling personality.

Although I have been doing amateur photography for several years, I had yet to progress to fully manual and Emilie took the trepidation out of the exercise completely! I also tend to focus on nature photography so this was an interesting look into the world of portraits and people photography.

The Beehive Blog would like to name Photo by Emilie - THE BEE'S KNEES!

I highly recommend the workshop for photographers of all levels. The Beehive Blog will be alerting readers when Emilie schedules her next workshop - what a GREAT holiday gift *hint hint* - but until then ... there are tons of ways that you can take advantage of Photo by Emilie's expertise -

The Beehive Blog recommends:

Checking out Emilie's monthly Photo Tips on her blog - See September Tip here!
Family portraits for Halloween or Christmas!
Photoshop Tutoring - this is one on one and the next thing that I will be scheduling!
Action sets for Photoshop
Texture Sets
Workbook by Emilie
Pre-schedule for the next Photography Workshop with Photo by Emilie

Here is how to get ahold of the fabulous Emilie ... tell her the Beehive Blog sent you!

Photo by Emilie

801-808-3669

emilie@photobyemilie.com

Main Site: www.photobyemilie.com

Photo by Emilie Blog

@photobyemilie on twitter

shhhhh it is a wordless Thursday but I took it on Wednesday!

2010-09-23T15:18:00.000-06:00

this week has been nuts. truly. In a good way and in a crazy truly nuts way. In the good way, I have my Mom and my nephew here from Florida for several weeks. It is awesome. In the truly crazy nuts way, a dumpster crashed through my window Monday night and the weekend was back to back and I had to prep for company and work ahead even though I am behind and sigh. SO. here is my wordless Wednesday. on Thursday. but I took it on Wednesday so it should count. right? right.

Wordless Wednesday Feeds My Cow Obsession

2010-09-15T10:32:00.000-06:00

I know this is supposed to be wordless Wednesday but ... I cannot do it! I will keep it short - I love cows, I moo at cows and I am sure by now that it has spread through the cow community that I am insane and show up at the fence mooing at them and taking pictures. It's ok ... I will find a Cow Stalk & Moo Anonymous club soon. til then ... Happy Wednesday and go moo at a cow!

Back to Blogging with SITS - My First Blog Post Evah

2010-09-13T11:20:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite blogging communities that I belong to is SITS - The Secret is in the Sauce. It is a fantastically supportive community with just tons of amazing bloggers. SITS is running a fun blog prompt exercise this week with some amazing prizes so check it out!

Thelma and Louise are devestatingly beautiful ... sigh ... front end loaders and TEAL ... and I think I would move my house just to have room for them! And the blog prompts are fun!

Here are the topics:

Monday, September 13: Re-upload the first post you ever wrote on your blog. If interested, re-write that post, showing us a before and after look at the piece.

Tuesday, September 14: Re-upload a post you wish more people had read and explain why it was important to you.

Wednesday, September 15: Re-upload a post with a title that you are particularly proud of and explain why.

Thursday, September 16: Write a new post about a woman who inspires you. (As an example, you can see Mama Kat’s recent Women Who Inspire post here.)

Friday, September 17: As your last assignment to jump start your return to blogging, write about what blogging means to you. Why do you blog? What purpose does it serve you and how have you benefited from sharing a piece of yourself online this way?
And here are Thelma and Louise ... sighhhhhhhh ...

You can thank the awesome sponsors of Thelma & Louise here: Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances. Truly - SPONSORS ROCK!

So get over to SITS - check out the rules and get your blog on!

Now to get MY blog on ... I went back and scavenged for the first post I ever made into the official blogosphere ... and it is almost five years ago! Beehive Blog was my new blog for Utah that I started in Fall of 2009 although it now contains posts from my London Yankee blog that started in 2007 which I began when I moved to London. Funny enough, my blogs are very place oriented and in that vein ... my first public blog post was about moving to Arizona in October of 2005 from Florida. I set the blog up to keep in touch with family and friends.

Dated October 26, 2005:

Big Hello from the Land of Cactus and Coyotes!

One week after arrival I am still assimilating the new environment! And watching with no small amount of nausea what happened in Florida... Hurricane Wilma left her category 3 mark... I have not heard from anyone except my parents and that was bad enough. What divine forces were at work that we got out of there 4 days before she rolled in?

Here in Arizona, I am working on firsts! And they are cool (I think) and very foreign (to this East Coast chickie)...

Saw my FIRST saguaro Cactus and they are HUGE!

Heard Coyotes Howling in time with the fire sirens - HA!

I watch the sun set behind the White Tank Mountains - every evening! and then the STARS! WOW...

Hiked in the White Tanks and actually bought a pair of hiking boots!

Enjoying the dipping temps (who would have thought?!?!) - it was 56F this morning!

SO...suffice to say...I am settling in...Job in Florida is so totally on hold as they have NO communication at all and the office was almost completely destroyed so I am job searching and just booked my third interview...

I think I might like it here! More Later.........HI TO EVERYONE!!!!!!! And please please please Pray for everyone in Florida!


Phoenix

Fast Forward to Present Day ... and some of my thoughts on this post ...

There are a bunch of things that are bittersweet about this post. Hurricane Katrina had just hit a few months prior which was the impetus for this move to Arizona where my brother and his family lived. I picked a date out of thin air in the beginning of September and it turned out that my son and I left Florida only four days before Hurricane Wilma devastated South Florida. My Mom and Dad were there for Wilma and it was horrific. The house we had rented lost most of its roof so divine intervention was at play for sure.

I loved seeing the pics again, especially now that my son (standing with me in the middle pic) is 13 and taller than me. Phoenix was good to us and my love of Utah is in part because it has some of the things I really loved about Arizona - the friendly people, the western sentiment, the DRY, and the mountains.

I wished there were some more details in the post and that the pictures were better but honestly, blogs are blogs and we capture that moment ... and it is very evocative for me.

OK SITS Chicks and other blogsters - What was your first blog post evah? Leave me a comment so I can check it out!

9/11 - We Will Never Forget

2010-09-11T00:29:00.001-06:00

Every generation has at least one momentous occasion when the world stopped, attention was snapped and what you were doing at that moment will stay with you forever. In the 60's, it was the assassinations of JFK and MLK. In 2001, it was 9/11. You would be hard pressed to find anyone that cannot recall what they were doing when that second plane hit the second tower and we realized that it was not a horrible accident but we were under attack and planes full of people were the weapons of destruction.

Swapping stories of where we were that day becomes compulsory sometimes - as if by talking about it, repeating it, we can release some of the horror of that morning. I was just dropping my son off at preschool when the first plane struck. My thought at the time was simply - Oh no, someone really messed up. When I got back in the car, a radio announcer who had a direct view of the World Trade Center was excitedly describing the scene.
Then he screamed and my blood curdled - he just kept screaming - "There is another plane, another plane, oh my God, another plane just hit the second tower!"
I knew at that moment that this was not an accident. I worked at the hospital across the street from my son's school so within minutes, I was in my office and everyone was trying to figure out what was going on. Well, you all know the rest of the story. It was the longest morning of my life - I cannot begin to comprehend what all of those who were directly impacted went through or have gone through since then. All I can do is say that my prayers and tears were for all of you.

How does a nation, a world heal from that kind of disaster?
We remember.

We remember what happened to our People and our Country that day. We remember the horror and then the grief. We remember those that died that day. We remember their families who have had to deal with the loss every day since 9/11/2001.

Last year, I found Project 2996! The goal of the 2996 project is to find that many bloggers that will post a tribute on 9/11 for one or more of the victims. They have been doing this since 1996. This is a way to remember and to remember that they were people and not simply statistics.
So, please visit the site and join the project - and Remember.
This page will remain always as well as there will be a post on 9/11.

Tribute for Nina Patrice Bell - World Trade Center

Nina Patrice Bell - daughter of an Air Force fighter pilot

World Trade Center
Nina Bell was every inch a fighter pilot's daughter — slender, athletic and looking even taller than her 5 feet, 8 inches. Born in the Netherlands, the first stop in a nomadic Air Force childhood, she grew up confident, smart, "the It girl," as a friend once put it. A bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder led her to become a manager of information systems and, most recently, into project management.
But to her friends and family, there was also the side that was not all business. Ms. Bell's notebook had a bumper sticker that read, "Mean People Suck." With her brother, Lowell Bell, 40, she kept up a private banter, sometimes based on the dim Canadian duo, the Mackenzie brothers, from the 1970's television show, "Second City TV." "Hey, hoser," she would call him.
This September, Ms. Bell, 39, had settled in Manhattan, in a new apartment on the Upper East Side and in a new job as a project manager with Marsh & McLennan. In an e-mail message to her friend Lorraine Davis on Monday, Sept. 10, at 2 p.m., Ms. Bell wrote, "I am so very happy."
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 22, 2001.
Tribute for Tawanna Griffin - World Trade Center

Tawanna Griffin - Family Meant Everything

World Trade Center
Tawanna and Bobby Griffin met in the kitchen of a Wendy's restaurant in East New York, Brooklyn, where they had after-school jobs in high school. Romance blossomed over the deep fryers, and their life together began soon after.
Theirs was a tight bond, said Mr. Griffin's sister Juanita Inniss, who saw it in the little things the Griffins did together, like the daily ritual of Mrs. Griffin's predawn trip to work. She had to be at Cantor Fitzgerald, where she worked as a cashier in the company cafeteria, by 6 a.m., so at 5 a.m., without fail, Mr. Griffin, a plainclothes security guard who worked evenings, got up and drove his wife the eight blocks to her subway stop.
When she got home, Mrs. Griffin, who was 30, doted on their 5-year-old son, Bobby Jr., and when the weekend came, home was the only place she really wanted to be.
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on October 12, 2001.
Tribute to Mildred Naiman - Flight #11

Mildred Naiman - Thumbed her nose at age

American Flight 11
At 81, Mildred Naiman kept the pedal to the metal. "She had a little bit of a lead foot," said her daughter-in-law Carol Naiman. "She had been stopped for speeding and was totally insulted the officer would give an old woman a ticket."
Despite the number of birthdays that had passed, she lived her life at full tilt. She called her apartment in an Andover, Mass., community for the elderly her bachelorette pad, and she kept her friends there busy, organizing shopping excursions, dinners out and weekend trips. She headed to California twice a year to visit her sons, usually taking American Airlines Flight 11, as she did on Sept. 11. "You'd sort of have to see her between her little excursions," Carol Naiman said.
All this despite two knee replacements, cataracts and a variety of other health problems. "If something was wrong with her," said her son Russ Naiman, "she'd go to the doctor and say, "Fix me up; I've got a lot of traveling to do.' "
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on January 6, 2002.
Mildred Naiman, 81, of Andover, Mass., felt bad about flying American Airlines Flight 11 to California on Tuesday to see two of her sons and their families. She didn't want to miss her son Richard's 58th birthday that same day.
But Richard told her: "Mom, it's OK. You can call me from California," recalled Hope Naiman, 28, Mildred Naiman's granddaughter.
Despite knee replacement surgeries that forced her to be pushed through Boston's Logan Airport in a wheelchair, the feisty grandmother refused to stop her regular trips to see her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
During a family gathering on Sunday, a relative had asked Naiman if she was nervous about flying. "No, I've gone everywhere already--to Germany, the Bahamas," her granddaughter recalled her saying. "I'm not afraid to fly."
Profile courtesy of THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE.
Tribute to Karen Kincaid - Flight #77

Karen A. Kincaid

American Flight 77
Karen A. Kincaid, a 40-year-old partner in a Washington, D.C., law firm, was traveling to a conference in Los Angeles.
Profile courtesy of THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE.
Karen Kincaid, 40, from Washington D.C. A native of Iowa, she was a lawyer with the Washington firm of Wiley Rein & Fielding, specializing in communications legislation. She was on her way to Los Angeles to attend a conference on the wireless communications industry. With her husband of five years, Peter Batacan, also a lawyer working for another firm, Kincaid was training to take part in the upcoming Marine Corps Marathon scheduled for October 28.
Go to Project 2996 and Put a Tribute up on your blog. Remember.

4 Books I Am Reading - What is on Your Reading List?

2010-09-08T13:58:00.000-06:00

I love books. I love the feel, the smell - the tangibility of books. Stick me in a used bookstore and I will come out broke and happy as a clam. Although, currently Amazon is my delivery of choice.

I have resisted the kindle although I like the idea of immediate gratification, but nothing replaces curling up with a good book, plus I read tooooo much online as it is.

Here is the stack next to my bed that I will be curling up with as soon as possible:

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - I am about halfway through on a second read since the book has had a resurgence with the new movie out. I love it ... it is real, raw and funny and a wonderful peek into Elizabeth's very cool travels.

Water Signs by Daria DiGiovanni - this book is by one of my Parasol Partners that I adore! Daria is ridiculously talented with a beautiful romantic heart and I am diving in! "Water Signs is an odyssey of heartbreak, personal growth and spiritual development that leads them full-circle to a Divinely guided conclusion." Yup - sounds perfect! Daria also has a great blog to check out with writer hints and peeks into the pages of Water Signs!

Harlot's Sauce by Patricia Volonakis Davis - I had the pleasure of being part of the blogging community with Patricia as Harlot's Sauce was being born. My copy is winging its way through UPS as we speak and I cannot wait. Patricia is one of my favorite people and I can assure ... Harlot's Sauce will tickle your fancy! "With vivid descriptions of life in beautiful, modern-day Greece, this memoir is both a tasty treat and an exhilarating sail on the Hellenic seas through xenophobia, dysfunctional family units, religious ravings, obsessive protocols, political disorder, European football, and fabulous food."

Stop Walking on Eggshells by Paul T. Mason & Randi Kreger - I am recovering from my marital state. Still. ARG. Recently, in a long outpouring of relationship sagas in the wee hours of the morning, a friend recommended this book after hearing about some of my experiences. All I can say is ... wow ... I wish I had this two years ago. And I would also like to say: SEE, I WAS NOT THE CRAZY ONE! but that would be childish. wouldn't it?

What is on your Reading List?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-08T00:24:00.000-06:00

You Can Call Me "Bug Girl"

2010-09-06T11:11:00.000-06:00

Since starting my journey in photography, I have to admit to a fascination with bugs. Not like any bugs and not bugs in my house or bugs touching my body but taking pictures of bugs.

It really started with the dragonflies. While living in Florida, I had close encounters of the dragon kind every day and I love them. OK - I am obsessed with them. Folks in my photo groups call me the Dragonfly Whisperer although I am fairly certain that the dragonflies would concur with Dragonfly Stalker.

My obsession does not just extend to stalking dragonflies or running after bugs in the wild, but I also began to read about them, especially dragonflies. I knew it was bad when I would wax enthusiastic at family dinners about species and experiences during my photographic journeys, adding in all the neat new facts that I had uncovered about bug behavior. Blank stares and even my Mom asking me if I needed to see a therapist were the results.

The idea of going out to stalk dragonflies and other various denizens of the buggy kingdoms has gotten me out of bed at dawn, led me into standing in swamps motionless for 20 minutes to get a shot and hanging upside down the side of a canal to inspect a cocoon. Weird, right?

In my defense, I have documented over 26 types of dragonflies, identified invasive species harmful to the Florida ecosystem, submitted to various scientific and scientific groups and gotten a few darn cool photos along the way. I even realized that my serious and debilitating arachnophobia could be controlled if I breathed and looked through the lens. I do not wax poetic about spider behavior ... you are safe.

But the real reason that I am so excited about bugs ... beside the darn cool photos is that they saved my life. Two years ago, I had just returned from London. My husband and I had separated. I had just been laid off. I hated Florida. The economy had made finding a job in my industry virtually impossible. I was depressed and then one evening during a walk, I sat down in a field of dragonflies. I was entranced and that was the first of months of daily walks. Instead of going to bed and staying there (which is what I wanted to do), I went outside, took photos, did research and formed awesome networks on Flickr.

I am through the bad patch now but my love of photography and capturing all the wonderful and weird things around us, no matter how small, has definitely stuck. So, yes, you can call me Bug Girl. or the Dragonfly Whisperer/Stalker, or as one friend dubbed me - the Reigning Queen of the Dragonfly Nerds on flickr. But the bugs and I know ... I owe them.

All Photos Are Mine so Please Respect Copyright ... or the bugs will get you ... seriously.

September is ...

2010-09-04T16:19:00.000-06:00

longer shadows ... cooler days ... open windows .... the first finger brushes of fall ...

back to school ... back to schedules ... back to routine ....

my birthday ... my sil's birthday ... tons of my favorite friendseses birthdays ... homemade chocolate cake

Ovarian Cancer Awareness month & there but for the Grace of God and a hysterectomy there could have gone I ...

the sorrow of our nation - 9/11 We Will Always Remember ...

the last month that we would go into the ocean when we were kids ...

Rehoboth Beach, DE - my home away from home as a child

the anniversary of when I became a MAC and left my pc behind ... with that ridiculous blue screen of death ...

the time of September harvests and canning and storing and preparing for winter ...

Another month of the Monthly Scavenger Hunt on Flickr! - check it out ...

International Talk Like a Pirate Day ... 9/19 me maties! ARGGGGGGGGGGGGG ... erm something like that ... just pass the rum ...

hurricane shutters ... hurricane warnings ... mad rushes for water and food 2 hours before a storm ... when I lived in Florida

the month before OCTOBER which happens to be one of my favorite months ever!

HAPPY SEPTEMBER! What is September to you?

Blogivations

2010-09-03T19:56:00.001-06:00

I just found out that a place that I have been blogging since like ohhhh 2006 is closing.

Hhutting it's virtual doors in a few days. What a weird feeling. VOX was a great little community and a place where my London Yankee blog thrived. So now posts are incoming to Beehive Blog - integration of the old and new into an evolved blend of now.

There may be some odd little posts tucked in here and there and that is probably because they are imports! It is interesting that this occurred as I decided to pull in some of my niche blogs and home them all here as well.

As other Voxers move out into the main blogosphere, I am listing them to the right and I encourage you to check out their blogs - they are truly fabulous!

Moving Days have begun! BYE VOX!!!!

I Thought Teenagers Liked the Mall - Or Is That Just Girls?

2010-09-02T10:33:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, we went to the MALL. I am not a huge fan of the MALL. I used to be ... you know, when the Limited was brand spanking new, it was THE place to meet cute boys and Mom and Dad paid all the bills. Now ... not so much. But Z-man need some new clothes to fit his new 13 yr old image and since he just got back from Florida and then school started and work piled and ... sighhh. Nothing like back to school shopping after school starts.

We got the haircut ... and it looks super cute (please Mom don't blog about my haircut - no seriously DO NOT BLOG ABOUT MY HAIRCUT) ... well, it does. That is not blogging - that is Mom's Opinion. I mean, I did not even get a first day of school picture this year because these certainly do not count:

One day I can say to my grandkids: Yes Darling, that was your Dad at 13 - that weird piece of white paper.

They grow up tooooo fast. But I like this age - or at least I did better when we were done shopping. Imagine - here is Mom at Eddie Bauer, Aeropostale, the Gap BEGGING him to let me buy him clothes and here is Z, red-faced telling me to "leave him alone".

Like I was a stalker or something - here little boy, have a buy one get one free Eddie Bauer polo shirt! Or jeans that are faded and torn and they want me to pay for that?! And I got really scary and threw in some Aeropostale cologne and cool surfer dude necklaces.

It's ok. He will thank me one day or at least his girlfriend will. Thankfully, Mom ignored him, threatened to buy what I wanted if he did not pick something so we came home bags stuffed and then I saw the 13 yr old boy go into action ...

We pull up to home ... Z sees cute little girl down the street ... Runs into house ... throws on new cool t-shirt ... sprays new cologne ... necklace - check ... runs out the door ...Mom sighs. You're Welcome little big man. She better be a nice girl.

PhotoQuest - 5 Favorite Photos

2010-08-30T01:41:00.000-06:00

I have been a passionate amateur photographer for several years and via my vox community and flickr, there are occasionally some super fun photoquests and photo duels that I like to participate in so I thought I would share my entry into the most recent!

The task was to submit your 5 favorite photos that you had taken ... not quite as easy as it sounds but here are my submissions - What do you think?

"Beachcombing" - This photo is of my niece looking for seashells on the beach in Boca Raton, Florida. It was actually a runner up for the Fodor's Florida photo contest for Palm Beach County. I like the simplicity and timeless feel - I remember doing the same thing when I was her age.

"LIBRA" - orchids are one of my passions - photographing them, not growing them because I have a black thumb and it would be unfair to commit orchicide. So I admire them and photograph them. When I lived in Florida, I was a few minutes from the American Orchid Society headquarters and I spent many hours in the gardens and hothouse. I am in awe of the perfection of all varieties of orchids. this is a slipper orchid - they are like ballet slippers for fairies!

Following close in my passion for my family and orchids are dragonflies. I am a dragonfly stalker and I have photo documented over 26 kinds. My photo community calls me the dragonfly whisperer - lol and me? well, I just love them. They are amazing to observe! This is a Halloween Pennant taking a sip on a grass stalk in South Florida.

"The Eyes Have It" - burrowing owls reside in South Florida and I had a chance to sit in complete delight outside of one of their burrows as they popped in and out.

"Utah Does Good Moon" - Moon rise over the Wasatch Peaks - my favorite!

Here is a mosaic of a few more favorites and please check out my flickr if you would like to see more - What are your favorite pictures that you have taken? Pop a link into comments and share!

The Versatile Blogger Award

2010-08-26T16:57:00.000-06:00

I just found out that my Favorite Utah Tweep, @Amanda_Eats_SLC and author of the awesome blog Amanda Eats gave me The Versatile Blogger Award! How cool is that? It made my day!

So here is the deal on The Versatile Blogger Award and the rules:

Thank the person who gave you the award.
Share seven things about yourself.
Give this award out to 15 other bloggers that you think are fabulous, interesting and deserving.
Contact each of the bloggers you chose.

Thank you, Amanda - You ROCK!
Seven Things About Myself ... hmmmm ....

I am obsessed with dragonflies, photographing them, reading about them, stalking them - I love them and I have even tried to kiss one.
I make a huge pitcher of iced coffee and keep it in the fridge and drink it all day.
I was born and raised in Delaware but I have not lived there since I was 22 ( and I am now way older than that!)
I am currently reading the book "Eat, Pray, Love" and I really like it!
I am addicted to fountain coke with lots of ice. (do you see the caffeine pattern here?)
My son is 13 yrs old and almost 2 inches taller than me. (caffeine stunts my growth apparently)
I am a MAC and pc's hate me.

LOL ... that should cover that bit! Now for the good stuff ... my awards! Drum Roll Please ...
Amanda from Amanda Eats (and not just because she picked me lol)
Mrs. Bliss at Housewife Bliss
Dara at Cookin' Canuck
Kris and Rex at Kris and Rex
Laura at Harmony Within
Guy Tal Photography
The Bloggess
Stacy from Random Musings from a Single Gal
The Intoxicologist
Father Kingsbury - At Home in Hyderabad
Dan & Jane at Jane You Ignorant Slut
Darin (@igobydoc) at the Doc Block
Vanessa at I Never Grew Up
ok ... fifteen is hard ... not that I don't read 15 blogs a day because I do sometimes but these are some old friends and some new friends but the thing that they have in common is that they always make me smile, or think, or snort my coffee while laughing like a hyena. Thank you for all being YOU!
Please check them out in your travels ... and thanks again Amanda!!!! My only born again vegan friend lol ...

Link Love

2010-08-26T16:00:00.000-06:00

I love to link to other blogs and reciprocation is (of course) always appreciated!

If you are not on my list yet and would like to be, leave a comment with your blog link and your twitter id so we can connect! If you would like to swap logos then let me know!

Thank you for visiting the Beehive Blog!

Mom's Summer Sauce for Pasta

2010-08-23T15:10:00.001-06:00

I was a bit of a weird kid - I did not really like ketchup, I hated most pizza sauce and I was not a fan of red sauce on spaghetti. This should translate to the fact that I did not like tomatoes but for whatever kid-combobulated reason, I would eat fresh tomatoes (with mayo and S&P).

My Mom came up with a great and light summer sauce for pasta that did not offend my red sauce sensibilities and has been a favorite recipe for me to bring into adulthood and make over and over with great success for guests and family. Enjoy!

1.5 pds tomatoes (canned or fresh)
4 cloves of chopped garlic
1 pd linguine (or whatever you like)
6 TB butter
2 TB fresh basil minced or 2 tsp dry basil

3/4 cup of parmesan cheese

Put tomato and garlic in pan and bring to a boil. Watch your liquid and you can add some EVOO if it is drying out. Simmer about 20 min or until you have 1 1/4 cup.
Cook pasta.
Melt butter with basil and toss with pasta.
Add tomato sauce and toss.
Add parmesan cheese and toss.
Add light S&P.

Deals of the Summer - Shopping Tales

2010-08-23T14:07:00.000-06:00

I love to shop and I love deals. And being on a serious budget does not mean that you can never shop again, it just means that you have to be more creative.

"Deal" includes many things for me: a great price, a great find and sometimes, even paying full price for a particular treasure.

Provo has not been a huge haven for deal shopping - I imagine Salt Lake has some great finds but I rarely get up that way (looking to change that soon)! I look for deals in thrift stores, any kind of re-sale shops and some of the big chains too: Marshal's, Target, Pier One ... my deal alert is always on. Online deals are awesome too - Amazon, Overstock and even craigslist are some of my favorites.

Here are some of my favorite summer deals/treasures that I found:

OK - this was the deal of the century, practically. I have a slight bag, purse obsession and a slight Louis Vuitton obsession. Marry the two and I am tickled LV! Imagine my delight/surprise/shock at finding this at DI ...

I was wandering past a huge stack of purses and the logo caught my eye. First response was - No WAY! Second response was to fondle it, stick my head in it and smell it and then clutch it as if someone was going to jump out and take it away from me. Paid $15 and I saw it online for $200-$400!

My second favorite deal of the summer was made for The Beehive Blog - Beehives, Beehive Blog - right? Then let me introduce you to the Beehive cookie jar!

Too cute - perfect for the table and this was found at Pier One for $24.95 original price but I got it at 20% off the day I was there.

Pier One always has great stuff and I love to search through their discount shelves so the other purchase that I made that same day was inspired by Giada on the Food Network. She was doing a show on having a cocktail party for friends and served this amazing roasted cauliflower couscous salad. She served the salad on this great tray with wonton spoons and guests could just take a wonton spoon that was already full of yummies.

I got the tray for $5 and the spoons were 75 cents each at Pier One. Great idea for serving any yummy mouthful at a cocktail party!

My final deal of the summer (although summer is not over yet!) was this great little find in a thrift shop on State Street here in Provo. There is only a tiny sign in the window and I missed it many times going by. One of my favorite homemade dishes is my Thai curry and I make the paste by hand - the tools required are a mortar and pestle and a hand blender is like the topping on the curry.

The box was open but everything was new inside and worked like a charm. So for $15 we are on our way to a yummy Thai Curry! Want the Thai Curry recipe? Click here to see it on Foodies Unite!

Deals make me happy and everyone deserves to be happy - right?

Ok, Beehivers and Bloggers - what was your best find of the summer? Share!

some completion

2010-08-22T19:25:00.000-06:00

A little over three years ago, I began a journey that took me out of country, cross country, traveling to multiple countries and just a general lack of a "home". My life was fractured with little bits of me in Arizona, Florida and London. I try not to be materialistic but this journey has included an incredible amount of material loss - like my library of 800+ books, family photos and other treasures.
Simplification has certainly been the order of the day ... of necessity going from an almost 6 figure annual income, a marriage, a beautiful home and an exciting career track to barely keeping my head above water, a separation waiting for the legality of divorce, a new little home and a decimated career due to the economy.
But that is what life is all about, right? Challenges, Joys, Sadness, Contentment, Grief - And our characters are measured by the grace and fortitude with which we weather the tsunamis of life. I get that. but sometimes I cannot help a bit of a whine ... or feelings of deprivation ... and then the immediate guilt that follows because so many are in far worse shape than me.
Living in Utah and restarting with nothing but a few tubs of personal items and clothing has been a great learning experience and has certainly led me to appreciate the simplicity of life that I have found here. We have a little home but the key word is "home". It has become a sanctuary and a place that my son and I feel safe and relaxed and ... finally ... content and settled. PHEW.

Z-man arrived back from Florida today - he has been gone since 7/3 to visit his Dad and my family in Florida. This was the first chance that we had to get him back since we arrived in Utah last October so it was a great visit for him but I was thrilled to have him back!

My little Patriot

He is 13 now - taller than me - has this weird deep voice and is just a cool kid. All of the moving has been tough on him but he rarely ever remarks on it. He just rolls with it and let's Mom find her way and trusts that I will get us there. What a kiddo. I am truly blessed.
So, he is home. A little taller and not so much the baby that I still think of in my mind.
We also added a new kitty this week - her name is Noodle and she is part Siamese. Princess Anabelle had her nose out of joint for a few days but at this writing, they are romping and playing and settling in as well.
Moral of the story? for me - Keep it Simple, Stupid. :) Contentment does not have to do with material items - they can always be purchased again. Contentment comes with safety, surety and sanctuary ... and is a blessing when it comes.
As well, Z-man brought one of my suitcases from Florida filled with all of my girlie things ... my jewelry, my hair stuff, my makeup - you know ... girlie girl things. The suitcase was left accidentally in Florida and was just too expensive to ship. And I will admit, digging through that suitcase felt really good and the circumstances of the past few years made it feel like Christmas.
Next hurdle - Back to School which occurs this week - Eighth Grade. Good Grief - I am earning every single one of these gray hairs that keep popping out.

Noodle - our newest addition

sometimes ...

2010-08-17T19:37:00.000-06:00

Some of my posts are transferring in ... sigh as VOX that I was so tickled to get back to is closing their platform ... bear with me friends as posts are incoming ...

Sometimes we need to come back to where we were, like putting on a favorite shirt or visiting a place that brings good memories. That is how I feel about VOX *grin*. I have spent an enormous amount of time in the big, bad blogosphere and I like it, but I felt the need to return to a space that was comfy for some more private thoughts and different sharing.

I always loved my VOX community and I was tickled pink to see so many of my favorite people are still active. It feels lovely to step back into this comfy shirt.

It has been almost a year since I last updated and, wow, things have been crazy but in some really good ways.

I moved to Utah. In fact, as I sit here and type, I only have to raise my glance over the top of my computer to see the Timpanogos peaks to the north and the face of the souther Wasatch front to the east. Big, gorgeous mountains. I moved last October. Some friends had relocated to Provo and since Florida felt more and more claustrophobic, I decided to accept their invitation and join them. So, Zach (the munchkin man who is now taller than me at 13) and I packed everything we could in about 10 tubs and off we went, sight unseen, to Provo, Utah.

Zach got to see snow for the first time and, much to his chagrin, shovel it. He is in regular school here, not virtual school anymore, and he is learning to play the guitar. We were adopted by a chubby, diva kitty named Annabelle and we have since adopted another kitty, Noodle. Our friends left and returned to Florida in April and Zach and I stayed on. We have found home.

our newest addition - Anabella

6 comments

Provo is a little university town. I say little because by my standards of places that I have lived like Fort Lauderdale and London and Phoenix, it is little, but it is the second largest "city" in Utah. Provo is primarily known for being the home of BYU. We are in beautiful valley, commonly called "Happy Valley", that resides between Utah Lake and the southern Wasatch mountains.

Provo Park

Provo feels a bit Norman Rockwell to me sometimes because the people are SO nice. We have eased into the slower pace though and we love it. The churches are active - almost 90% Mormon and are the hub of community activities and they are completely gracious about including non-members. So we have had lovely summer picnics and pop-ins from the neighborhood to visit and Zach attends scouts every week. Idyllic and I love it.

Utah Lake towards Provo Canyon

Provo in Summer

Finally, after a frenetic five years, I feel calm. I feel safe. and I feel like I am in a place to rebuild my life.

The economy has been challenging for me and I have been unable to find work in my industry. Thankfully, I adapted and I have some posts that I want to do about some of the entertaining and a bit nutty roles I have taken on in the past 18 months. I am currently working as the Director of Social Media and Digital Strategy for 4virtu.com and I love it. I get paid to tweet and blog and network - what can be better than that?

I also have my own company that has been formed as a New Media Consortium - Parasol Creations. I have several good friends that were in similar boats to me with the economy so we have pooled our talents and our experience to form Parasol Creations. It is early days but we are already working on some client proposals for marketing and social media campaigns.

In between, I have done social media for some small companies, my political blogging star has taken off a bit and I even have my own internet radio show, I have run a taxi company and I was the Communications Director for an US Congressional Campaign. I have been writing and tweeting and blogging and networking and finally, finally, it feels like it is paying off. It has been quite the 18 months!

My husband is still in England and, unfortunately, we are still married. International divorces are pricey and survival has been far more important than a piece of paper telling me that my marriage is over. We did not have children together and I have not seen him in 2 years, although he still haunts my periphery and sends me hate email every now and then as he stalks my twitter accounts. Seriously? Seriously.

sunflower trio

I am still taking pictures and my photography has been my salvation as has been my writing and my friends. I am still here. and I am blessed. We can't really ask for more than that!

SO, my VOX friends - what have you been up to? I am looking forward to re-connecting!

Chapters Quality Used Books in Orem

2010-08-10T13:49:00.000-06:00

I am a book nerd. I love everything about books and the first place I check out in a new area is the bookstores. Not the Borders and Barnes and Nobles (although I like them too) but the USED bookstores because that is where you find the treasures!

Upon moving to Provo, I was tickled to find Pioneer Books right on Center Street with their floor to ceiling stacks of books in every imaginable category. I spent several hours on several afternoons going through shelf after shelf at Pioneer Books. I was a bit dismayed to find that they had left their location on Center Street when I went to stop in a few weeks ago. My dismay turned to cheers when I discovered that they had changed to Chapters Quality Used Books and had moved to Orem and a new location on State Street.

So for all of you bibliophiles that believe treasures are found in huge stacks of used books - Check them out! Their selection of Utah, History and Religion is particularly awesome!

Chapters Quality Used Books
858 S. State Street Orem, Utah

Red Butte Gardens - A Must Visit Slice of Paradise!

2010-07-05T01:28:00.000-06:00

Imagine this ...
Acres of gorgeous gardens, a haven for dancing dragons, butterflies playing tag, and hummingbirds darting in for a quick sip; this was my sunshine saturated Saturday afternoon at Red Butte Gardens.

Red Butte Gardens is an oasis and a wallet friendly ($6!) way to spend a day!

Roses of every color, an herbal garden, a medicinal garden, pools and water fountains, as well as wild areas and trails for hiking are all contained within the Red Butte Gardens property. The staff were friendly and available, even on the trails.

It was a delight to all of my senses and I cannot wait to schedule another visit.
Red Butte Garden is definitely the Bee's Knees!

Check them out and let the Beehive Blog know what you thought of your visit and share your pictures!
Red Butte Garden Main Site
Red Butte on Facebook
Red Butte on Twitter

birdwing butterfly

2010-06-24T17:52:00.001-06:00

birdwing butterfly
Originally uploaded by Shakti Womyn

tree nymph butterfly

2010-06-24T17:52:00.000-06:00

tree nymph butterfly
Originally uploaded by Shakti Womyn

the taste of pink

2010-06-24T17:49:00.000-06:00

the taste of pink
Originally uploaded by Shakti Womyn

double slipper orchids

2010-06-24T17:47:00.000-06:00

double slipper orchids
Originally uploaded by Shakti Womyn

pinkest orchid

2010-06-24T17:46:00.000-06:00

orchid
Originally uploaded by Shakti Womyn

South from Utah Lake

2010-06-24T17:45:00.000-06:00

South from Utah Lake
Originally uploaded by Shakti Womyn

Dragonfly & Sunshine

2010-06-24T17:42:00.000-06:00

Dragonfly & Sunshine
Originally uploaded by Shakti Womyn

dragonfly belly and evening bokeh

2010-06-24T17:41:00.000-06:00

dragonfly belly and evening bokeh
Originally uploaded by Shakti Womyn

Oil Spill in Salt Lake City Affects Wildlife

2010-06-12T23:59:00.000-06:00

This is awful! I will be staying on top of this if any further assistance is needed!

From the Associated Press -

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A leaked pipeline sent oil spilling into a Salt Lake City creek, coating geese and ducks and closing a park, officials said Saturday as they started a cleanup effort expected to last weeks.

At least 400 to 500 barrels of oil spewed into Red Butte Creek before crews capped the leak site. Nearly 50 gallons of crude oil per minute initially had spilled into the creek, according to Scott Freitag, a Salt Lake City Fire Department spokesman.

"Our real concern is keeping people safe, and keeping the oil from reaching the Great Salt Lake," he told the Deseret News.

Chevron determined the pipeline broke at 10 p.m. Friday, and police and fire crews were notified of it shortly before 7 am. Saturday.

Officials were unsure of the cause of the leak, near the University of Utah campus, or the extent of the spill's environmental impact. Mayor Ralph Becker said drinking water for residents was not affected.

"Our fire teams have capped the site and will work to determine the damage and the best course of action," the mayor said in a statement.

The state Division of Water Quality was onsite assessing damage and will issue a violation notice against Chevron, Gov. Gary Herbert said in a release. The governor said he was monitoring the spill, which he called "devastating."

Chevron spokesman Mark Sullivan said some residual oil was still leaking and the cleanup likely will take "weeks."

"We're taking full responsibility for any financial damage, environmental damage, safety concerns, impacts on health and cleanup," Sullivan told the Salt Lake Tribune.
Crews were using absorbent booms and creating dams to contain the spill, but officials said some oil had flowed as far as four miles to the Jordan River, and into a pond in the city's Liberty Park, near where residents reported dead fish in their ponds.

A crew was trying to collect and take birds to Hogle Zoo cleaning stations and other facilities, said Brad Park, zoo spokesman.

About 150 birds have been identified for rehabilitation, said Jane Larson, Hogle's animal care supervisor. About 75 percent are Canada geese.

"A lot of them are just coated from about the water line, but there are a number of birds that started preening and have oil completely covering their bodies," said Tom Aldridge, migratory bird coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Services.

Several ducks also were affected.

The underground pipeline flows to Salt Lake City from Colorado and feeds the city's oil and gas refineries.

Employees at the Veteran Affairs Hospital first noticed oil in the stream just before 7 a.m. Officials then traced the spill to the pipe near Red Butte Garden. Freitag said the pipeline was shut off about 7:45 a.m.

Wine 101 Article from Snooth

2010-06-09T15:32:00.000-06:00

It is always good to review the basics in wine, I find so I am reprinting this article from Snooth! Cheers!

Wine 101: What is Wine?

Learn the science behind your favorite bottle

We all love wine, but do we really understand what wine is? Sure, in its purest form, it’s grape juice gone “bad," but there are additional elements in even the simplest of wines. With today's winemaking tools, you can be sure there's so much more to a bottle than fruit and time.
While enjoying a bottle of wine can be simple, understanding wine (good wine, at least) can be quite complex. Today, I want to get the ball rolling on a series of educational emails that will focus on all aspects of wine appreciation, beginning with the basics of winemaking, and then moving along to understanding specific wines and wine-producing regions.
At its core, wine is composed of water, alcohol, aromatic compounds, acids, and tannins. In this overview, we’ll take a look at what everything is and where it might come from. You might be surprised at some of the answers.

1.) Grapes

Well, duh. Of course wines start with grapes, some even end with grapes, since the yeast needed to convert the grapes' sugar to alcohol is frequently found lurking on the skin of each berry. White grapes make white wines -- of course, white grapes are usually green or yellow, and some are even pink or red. Extremely few grapes actually have red flesh, so the color of the grape refers to its skin color. You can make white wines from red grapes, as well as Rose and red wine, of course.

2.) Yeast

The yeast cells turn delicious, sweet grape juice into wine. They eat sugar and produce alcohol as a by-product. Many vineyards like to use indigenous yeasts -- those found on the grapeskins themselves -- as each vintage can bring a different combination of yeast strains, which may allow for more distinctive and complex wines. Most wineries, though, use cultivated, or commercial yeasts. There is a distinction, however: As some wineries find that a specific yeast that was indigenous to their vines produced a better than average result, the winery may begin to cultivate the yeast. Most wineries that use truly commercial yeasts use them because they are efficient and tolerant of high-alcohol environments (aka the Achilles' heel of many indigenous yeasts; it can lead to what are known as stuck, or incomplete fermentations.)

3.) Acid

Acid is the part of wine that makes you smack your lips and leaves your mouth watering. It’s a vital component of deliciousness in wine. Acid is naturally occurring in all fruit, and we know from making lemonade that there is a subjectively ideal balance that can be achieved between sweetness and acidity. Even in a dry wine there are flavors that we can perceive as sweet (alcohol also can give an impression of sweetness), so having the right amount of acid in a wine is crucial. Grapes are born with primarily hard Malic and Tartaric acids, though many whites and most reds go through a secondary, bacterial fermentation (as opposed to yeast-driven) that converts the acid of green apples (Malic acid) to the softer acid of fermented dairy products such as yogurt (lactic acid). As grapes ripen, sugars increase and acids tend to decrease, so some winemakers routinely add additional acid to their wines. The most common acids used in acidification are Tartaric acid, Malic acid and citric acid. Some wines are also de-acidified by adding specific salts that can precipitate out tartaric acids.

4.) Tannins

Tannins come from the seeds and skins of grapes -- and stems, too if they’re added into to the fermenting must -- as well as from wooden barrels that can be used to age wines. The tannin in wines acts as a preservative and, along with acidity, is referred to as the structure of a wine. Tannins make your mouth pucker, your gums feel fuzzy, and your mouth feel dry. You can probably see already that having the right balance between drying tannins and mouthwatering acids is pretty important. The tannins in fruit and the tannins from wood are a bit different, but it’s hard to tell them apart and they pretty much do the same thing, so I’ll save that exercise for another time. Tannins can also be added to wines in powder form.

5.) Additives

This is the dirty truth about modern winemaking. There is a laundry list of additives, some with long historical roots, others recent additions to the winemaker’s medicine cabinet, all of which can be used to “improve” wines. Of course you might ask yourself why wines need so much “improving,” since for thousands of years folks have been making some pretty good hootch with just grapes and a bucket, but that’s a discussion for another day. Here's a brief rundown of what else might be lurking in your next glass of wine.
Enzymes are added to fermenting wine to help prevent the growth of bad yeasts that can cause wine spoilage. There are even enzymes that improve the formation of sediment in young wines, allowing for better filtering, and thus leading to higher yields.
Polysaccharides are added to promote the retention of color, tannin, and flavoring compounds extracted from grape skins.
Gum Arabic is added to wine to lock in the aromatic compounds in a wine, but it also adds a richness to the mouthfeel, which has become its main propose.
Sulfur products are used as a anti-oxidative preservative in wine. These are products that have long histories in winemaking, and are actually one of the wine additives that we’re seeing less, not more, of as winemakers develop a better understanding of what a sufficient dose of SO2 is.

6.) Fining agents

Once upon a time wines were fined (think of it as filtering, but with the filtering drifting down through the wine as opposed to the wine being forced through a physical filter) with ox blood and egg whites. (Learn more about the ancient history of wine in our series on early winemaking practices.) While egg albumin is still a common fining agent, it has been joined by things like bentonite clay, gelatin, and even silica. There is no actual residue left from proper fining, so don’t look for chunks in your glass (sediment in wines is something entirely different, and we’ll talk about that next time.)

What makes a wine's structure?

Tannins

Tannins come from grape seeds and skins, as well as from the oak barrels used to age wine. They give wine an astringent bite, and protect the fruit from oxygen.

Acid

Acid comes in many forms, but they all help give wine its mouth-watering zing. Red and white wines are sometimes treated differently to achieve proper balance.

Original Post: http://www.snooth.com/articles/commentary/wine-101-what-is-wine/?utm_campaign=1031&utm_medium=email&utm_source=all&utm_content=2328

About the Author

Gregory Dal Piaz is a proponent and admirer of a broad range of wines and styles. During his decades of collecting and tasting he has discovered that a wine need not cost a fortune to drink well. Feel free to ask him questions at the Snooth Forums where he regularly engages with beginners and experts alike.

funeral zone

2010-06-05T21:47:00.000-06:00

suenos

2010-06-05T21:45:00.000-06:00

Racing the Clouds - New Mexico

2010-06-05T21:43:00.000-06:00

Sassy Scoops - Do you Follow the Sassies?

2010-06-04T13:09:00.000-06:00

Since arriving in Utah, I have found the Social Media community to be fun, warm and inclusive - one of the many reasons that I love my new home state!

Some of the really fun ladies are the Sassies - they have great giveaways, awesome local features and the Sassies individually have wonderful blogs. Connect with them at SassyScoops.com!

As part of one of their many giveaways, running through June 12, if you create a blog post about Sassy Scoops.com and add their widget to your blog, you are entered to win $100 in gift cards to support local businesses. Can you say WIN WIN? Enter the contest here!

Beehive Blog is all in for this and to support Sassy Scoops - some of our local best! GO Sassies!

Fab Friday Finds! Check out these Recipes & Blogs

2010-06-04T12:06:00.000-06:00

I had a bit of a lazy cooking week and whenever I need inspiration, I tiptoe through the Foodies Unite and find some new recipes to try in the upcoming week. I am also nosy and I love to see what everyone is up to!

Fab Friday Finds - Foodies Unite Recommends! Let them know Foodies Unite sent you!

Cookin' Canuck - Wild Mushroom & Cornbread Panzanella Salad Recipe - Drool worthy - Dara has a great blog with tons of yummy recipes!

Country Ribs without Barbecue Sauce

2010-06-04T11:48:00.000-06:00

I have an issue when it comes to ribs - I can't stand most barbecue sauces. I am always on the search for good rib recipes that are creative and yummy. So, when I saw the boneless country ribs on sale at the store, I could not resist and then got home and had a "what now?" moment.

I decided to boil the ribs in a big pot. I covered the ribs (a little over 1.5 pds) in water and added the following to the pot:

8 cloves of crushed garlic
1 TB crushed rosemary
1 TB oregano
handful of chopped cilantro (use 3/4 in the pot)

1 lime juiced
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
salt
ground black pepper

Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered over medium heat until the water has completely evaporated, about 25 minutes. Slow cook a bit longer for even more tender meat!

When all of the water is gone, brown the meat, turning occasionally. Use a spatula to scrape up browned bits and softened garlic from the bottom of the pot, and toss them with the pork. The garlic will dissolve onto the meat. Remove the meat, and drain on paper towels.

Season with black pepper and garnish with lime wedges and remaining cilantro.

I served the pork with black beans and rice - super yummy and a great replacement for the Barbecue. After boiling - you can always throw them on the grill for a few minutes instead of browning on the stove!

The Beehive Blog Features: Doc & Local Joints TV!

2010-05-26T10:17:00.000-06:00

Utah has great tweeps and there are few as active and engaging as the tweep @IGoByDoc, aka Darin Berntson. Doc is a social media maven and has been actively working with clients in the realms of internet marketing and social media over the past five years. "I fell in love doing the ins and outs of Social Media over the last couple of years, so I decided to focus more on that rather than typical internet marketing strategies. For me, my favorite thing is to talk to a business, and see how we can help them succeed online."
Doc's newest venture combines his love of social media, his local business strategies and another favorite - video. Local Joints TV launched at the beginning of May with Doc and his great smile in front of the camera talking to local Salt Lake City & Utah County business owners.
Episode One was Doc talking to Smashburger in Draper, Utah and all the Beehive Blog can say is - Watch out Food Network - Utah has a rising star!

For Doc and Local Joints TV, the philosophy is "behind every business is a great story and we are here to tell them". Doc figured that video was the best way to get these stories out. "Local Joints TV is an everyman's version of some bigger shows but with a local feel and favor. On our show, we are focusing on businesses that are in the food, fun and entertainment categories."

Each episode is about eight to ten minutes in length and have been created with a professional feel to the video quality and editing, plus we get bloopers!

Doc's drive to get out there and have fun and connect with local businesses was the force creating Local Joints TV. Moving forward, Doc will be offering a Sponsor Model which gives other types of businesses a feature video, a page on the site and possibly coupons as well. "It could be any business, not just food," Doc explains, "It could be a dentist, a chiropractor, an insurance agent and they will have a sponsor page and a show."

Doc gave us a sneak peek on what is upcoming for Local Joints TV: "Salsa Leedos Mexican Gril, Pounders Grill, Rib City and some other restaurants, as well as nightclubs. Our immediate goal is to release one show per week to start and then moving to two to four per week eventually."

When someone loves what they do, it shows and we can certainly see Doc's enthusiasm and talent! The Beehive Blog thinks that Doc is the Bee's Knees and we are eagerly awaiting the next episode!

Tune in to Local Joints TV and keep tuning in for great features and loads of fun and make sure you are keeping up with Doc on Twitter!

Local Joints TV Website

Local Joints TV on Twitter @localjointstv

Doc on Twitter @IGoByDoc

The Doc Block - Doc's other site

Provo Farmers Market is Open!

2010-05-26T09:34:00.000-06:00

I saw the sign ... in the snow on Monday ... yes, snow on May 24. I love Utah :) - I really do but snow right before June?!

So I saw the sign for the Provo Farmers Market and I am going this weekend!

Please support our local farmers and pick up some yummy fresh veggies!

Provo Farmer's Market

Provo's Farmers Market is held every Saturday, May - October with an open-air Christmas Market in December. Come for the freshness and stay for the fun! Free parking is available behind the Covey Center for the Arts.

May Pre-Season 11-2 Farmers sell cool weather crops (salad greens, carrots, etc.) as well as seedlings to transplant into your home garden. Plus honey, cheese, eggs, and much more! Also, hens are now legal in Provo. Come get your heritage breeds at Provo's Farmers Market!

June-October Main Season 9-2 With many varieties of fruits and vegetables to choose from, visitors are encouraged to talk to the farmers about recipes. Live music, food vendors, arts and crafts.

Christmas Market 11-2 Bundle up and enjoy a wide array of gourmet hot chocolate, hand knit gifts, winter squashes, and other food for the winter cellar.

Location

500 West 100 South
Provo, UT 84601
[ get directions ]

When and Where

(May-October)
Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.
Pioneer Park, 500 West 100 South, Provo.

Green Thai Curry - Homemade Paste

2010-05-21T17:38:00.000-06:00

This is one of my favorite recipes - the only issue is that I cannot give you amounts so let your taste buds be your guide ... I watched an awesome show on the UK Food Channel and the chef was just tossing things into the bowl. I cook that way alot :) ... plus this is a great excuse to use those nifty hand mixers!

Green Thai Curry Paste:

S&P
Coriander Seeds
Cumin Seeds

Grind these with Mortar & Pestle.
Add into bowl with:

small green chilis (seeds control your heat!) - approx 15
garlic - approx 4 cloves
roughly chopped shallots
grated ginger
lime zest
fresh lemongrass
coriander stalks
thai basil leaves (I use regular basil in small amt if I cannot find thai)

Quick blend to make the paste.

You will also need:

Coconut Milk (several cans on hand)
Aubergines - Eggplant - chunked
Palm Sugar
Lime leaves
fish sauce
Meat of Choice
Additional Vegetables if you desire

Add the paste to a cooking pot and add coconut milk (1-2 cans).
Coat your meat and add the aubergine chunks to pot.
Add more coconut milk.
Add palm sugar - light!
break lime leaves on top.
Simmer x30-40 minutes.
Just before serving add basil leaves and a dash of fish sauce.

cherry blossoms

2010-05-20T20:21:00.000-06:00

Utah Lake

2010-05-20T20:20:00.000-06:00

reflections

2010-05-20T20:19:00.000-06:00

droplets on cow nose

2010-05-20T20:18:00.000-06:00

prickly

2010-05-20T20:17:00.000-06:00

Provo Reflected

2010-05-20T20:16:00.000-06:00

pink scarf on the Wasatch

2010-05-20T20:15:00.000-06:00

now look surprised!

2010-05-20T20:10:00.000-06:00

bee butt

2010-05-20T20:08:00.000-06:00

Sunrise - Delray Beach, Florida

2010-05-20T20:06:00.000-06:00

anole

2010-05-20T20:04:00.000-06:00

yemaya walking

2010-05-20T20:02:00.000-06:00

burrowing owls

2010-05-20T20:01:00.001-06:00

tree hugger

2010-05-20T20:01:00.000-06:00

button flower

2010-05-20T19:59:00.000-06:00

after the rain

2010-05-20T19:58:00.000-06:00

Anabella & the Nemesis

2010-05-20T19:57:00.000-06:00

droplets on hibiscus

2010-05-20T19:54:00.000-06:00

sneaking up on a blue dasher

2010-05-20T19:52:00.000-06:00

dreamy

2010-05-20T19:51:00.000-06:00

dinner on his chin

2010-05-20T19:50:00.000-06:00

delicate

2010-05-20T19:49:00.000-06:00

piano key butterfly on mexican sunflower

2010-05-20T19:47:00.000-06:00

yellow veins

2010-05-20T19:46:00.000-06:00

Gumbo Limbo

Birdwing Butterfly

2010-05-20T19:45:00.000-06:00

Heart of the Lotus

2010-05-20T19:41:00.000-06:00

scarlet skimmer princess in gold

2010-05-20T19:40:00.000-06:00

upside down bokeh

2010-05-20T19:39:00.000-06:00

Japanese Gardens

2010-05-20T19:37:00.000-06:00

stand off with a dragon

2010-05-20T19:36:00.000-06:00

Ruddy Daggerwing Butterfly

2010-05-20T19:34:00.000-06:00

Gumbo Limbo

dragon & lotus

2010-05-20T19:26:00.000-06:00

fallen

2010-05-20T19:23:00.000-06:00

Camden - London

2010-05-20T19:21:00.000-06:00

Camden Market, London

Sparkling Violet Ear Hummingbird

2010-05-20T19:07:00.000-06:00

Born in Water

2010-05-20T18:22:00.000-06:00

“As a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water and rises out of water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world having overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world”

Buddha

Sweet Princess at Eventide

2010-05-20T18:18:00.000-06:00

Female Scarlet Skimmer at Dusk - Tattered but Regal!

Utah Does Good Moon

2010-05-20T18:13:00.000-06:00

Night Walking Down the Sky

2010-05-20T18:11:00.000-06:00

"The night walked down the sky with the moon in her hand..."

F. Knowles

self-propelled flowers

2010-05-20T15:50:00.000-06:00

flickr straw shot

2010-05-20T15:45:00.000-06:00

pod alone

2010-05-20T15:43:00.000-06:00

crowd of orchids

2010-05-20T15:33:00.000-06:00

faces

2010-05-20T13:57:00.000-06:00

feeling

2010-05-20T13:47:00.000-06:00

Will is the root, knowledge is the stem and leaves, and feeling is the flower. Sterling