Did you know that the life goal of a honey bee is to simply survive? That a queen bee can live up to two years? (What a life for royalty!) That there are between fifty and one hundred thousand bees in a single hive? And that it takes two million flowers to get one pound of honey?
These are just a few of the many things I learned while spending time with my precious friend, Jennifer Kimbrell, owner and operator of Humble Bumble Bee Farm, along with her husband, Curtis.
How did Humble Bumble get their start? When the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, life as many of us knew it came to a screeching halt. It shut most of us up indoors and distanced us from others. During this time, Jennifer and Curtis found themselves looking for something to do outdoors. With the sweet exchange of help with a gardening plot, a dear friend gave them their first honey bee hive. (What a trade!)
Curtis was ecstatic, as he had always wanted to try his hand at bee keeping. He not only figured it out, but his love for bee keeping began to grow at a rapid rate. Now, this honey couple is honey bee keepers to over one hundred hives, and they proudly provide our community and others with 100% pure raw honey -- unfiltered with no additives!
Summer fun? Each summer, Jennifer and Curtis take their bees on a 'field trip' to North Carolina where the bees spend the months of June and July. In August, they go back and collect the honey to sell to locals there before loading the bees up and bringing them back home. In the winter, the same type of trip is made except this time it's made to Florida. During the spring, the honey bees hang out at home here in Georgia.
Other EXTRAOR-BEE-NARY facts...
- Bees support the environment giving genetic diversity to the plant world with cross pollination
- Create healthy plant world: stopping erosion, producing oxygen, eliminating CO2, and food production
- Waggle dance to tell other bees where to find pollen/nectar
- Communications: pheromones, sounds, dance
- Flower fidelity: bees go to one plant species at the time to get nectar
- Nectar makes honey! Pollen gives them protein, vitamins and minerals
- Bees use water to drink and for AC called "evaporative cooling" to cool hive down by taking water back to hive then flapping wings to cool air.
- Hives remain at the same temperature year around
- Traveling with bees is best done at night as this is the time they do not fly and most of the bees can be found in the hive.
In honor of all of the Humble Bumble bees, we wanted to create a delicious treat. If you love Reese's Cups, you will most definitely love this filling dripping with honey -- perhaps for a chocolate or old fashioned pound cake, whichever you may prefer.
Peanut Butter and Honey Filling
- 1 2-lb bag of powdered sugar
- 2 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp. pure vanilla
- 1 16-oz. container of crunchy peanut butter (you can use creamy)
- ¼ cup water
- 3 tbsp. milk
- ½ cup of Humble Bumble Honey
Mix all ingredients together in a stand mixer. (This works best to incorporate the mixture because it's thick. But it can be made with a hand mixer, or you can work on your biceps and do it by hand!) I add the honey last. More honey can be added to get the consistence you like. I typically use it as a filling on a chocolate cake but it’s also great on Banana Bread or by the spoonful straight out of the mixer. I hope this is your new favorite thing.
Always remember to enjoy the dessert, use the good dishes, and also don't forget to check out my Humble Bumble friends.
From my kitchen to yours,
Cathy