Sunday 19 May 2013

Just beeing...

Welcome to my new follower Jille - glad to have you aboard the Norfolk Express.

No, it is not a spelling mistake before you ask! The back of our bungalow faces south and gets very hot, hence the large electric blind we use in summer to keep the bedrooms cool. Every year, little solitary bees lay their eggs in any holes they happen to find. This year, DB made them a log home and as they don't seem to mind facing south, that is where we put it.

This morning I was weeding a soon to be planted tub and could hear the bees droning overhead. I looked up and there was not only one going into a hole, another (different size) was coming out of another one. Dead centre, an egg must have been laid recently and the hole has been filled in with wax. Aren't bees just great.

These bee log things cost a fortune, DB just used one of the logs designed for the fire, drilled pilot holes then did each hole using a 1cm bit. We weren't sure whether they needed to be more smooth inside so just left it to see what the bees made of it. Seems they are fine!
A different kind of being was needed the other night. We had our tea but were still a little hungry so I microwaved us some suet pudding which we ate with some golden syrup poured over. It was a little too much so another time, I shall use less of everything.

Anyway, for this one I used 4oz S.R. flour, 2oz of vegetarian light suet and enough cold milk to bring it together enough to drop off the spoon. It was placed into a buttered pudding bowl, covered with pierced cling film and microwaved for 4 minutes on almost full power. I'm not sure what that equates to as all microwaves vary but probably 900/1000. When you serve it (this is probably enough for 3) pour over whatever you fancy, syrup, honey, jam, custard etc. Start to finish 6 minutes, couldn't be easier.

This is also a very quick way to make 'dumplings' to eat with stew, far lighter. You would need to add salt and possibly some dried herbs and use WATER instead of milk.

15 comments:

  1. I love the bee log, what a great idea :) And how nice that the bees found it immediately. You will have more bees to pollinate your garden plants, and it's a good way to help the bees as they are in decrease around the world.

    Hope you are having a lovely weekend :)

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  2. They also used to fill in the screw holes under our garden table but that has now gone to the great garden in the sky (plus the wood burner). We did of course check the holes before burning. Yes, we are having a good weekend, same to you.

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  3. I'm glad that you are doing your bit for the bee population! I was saying to Tony this week that I hadnt seen many bees about lately,still they do say they are in decline so maybe we should all have bee logs about.

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    1. We have quite a few bees in the garden, currently feeding off the yellow Welsh poppies and comfrey. I was watching them the other day, skimming over the surface of the dustbin pond, taking a drink I guess. I won a packet of seeds designed especially for bees. I have sown some into two large pots and am hoping they will sprout and haven't been hammered out of existence in the rain!

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  4. We've been out in the garden today (although admittedly I've only sat in it while J did quite a bit of work!) and there are quite a lot of bees around up here- they were bumbling around the marsh marigold and the bleeding hearts down by the pond. We have lots of foxgloves coming up, which the bees love when they are out, and I have a packet of cottage garden seeds which I'm going to scatter here rather than at the allotment. Your bee house is fab!

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    1. Thank you and on this special day, I'm glad you could sit and enjoy the garden. We used to have bleeding hearts but they have disappeared over time. We also have one or two foxgloves coming up as well. I love to hear the 'angry' buzz of bees fighting their way up the tubes to get their reward.

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  5. Thank you for my welcome. I look forward to reading your posts. Jille

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  6. Great idea about the bee log- only saying to my husband today that the garden is rather lacking in insect life- I may drill a few holes in a log too.

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    1. He drilled the holes several inches in - again no template so just tried. Certainly a lot cheaper.

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  7. The bee log is brilliant.

    I have never cooked suet pudding or dumplings in the microwave, it sounds so easy, I will have to try that next time we fancy a quick stodgy pudd. We had apple and rhubarb crumble and ice cream today.

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    1. It is very easy as long as you don't do it for too long. Anywhere from 3 - 4 minutes should do as it will carry on cooking when you remove it.

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  8. Love that you are encouraging the bees, there were a few busy collecting pollen this morning in the sunshine when I went down the garden to pick herbs for the chicken pot-roast.

    I'm also loving the sound of that suet pudding -in-the-microwave; I can't think why I never thought of this myself, I always 'steam' the Christmas pud in the microwave. And dumplings too! Sheesh!

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    1. Got to keep the old bees happy haven't we. I think I have some 'leaf cutter' bees or whatever they are called. The kind that eat out a half circle then use it so seal their nests. Suet pud in the microwave (and sponge pud too) is very easy. It can't however be eaten another day as it goes hard.

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  9. I'm pleased that your bee log is working, I keep meaning to make one too. I did drill a log out to use as a suet feeder - the birds love it!
    Mmm, suet pud :o)
    Rose H
    x

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