This recipe delicately combines sweet & savory flavors to make for an unforgettable salad dressing. Pour over simple greens or add it to something more complex like a salad featuring beets or blueberries. Perfect to serve at Easter, Passover or your next dinner party this spring!
Ingredients
1 cup + 1 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced shallots
1-2 tsp dried culinary lavender
Directions
1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium saute pan over low.
Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add honey and lavender; simmer until lavender is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
Puree mixture with vinegar and mustard in a blender or food processor until smooth. With machine running, slowly add 1 cup olive oil until combined.
Propolis is a resinous mixture produced by honey bees when they collect sap from trees and mix it with beeswax and enzymes. The result: nature’s own protective compound, used by bees to seal their hive and guard against bacteria, fungi, and weather. Because of its rich composition of polyphenols, flavonoids, and antimicrobial compounds, propolis is now valued as a “bee-made immunity booster” and “ wellness ally.” PMC+2PMC+2
Let’s get real about honey bees for a second: These little guys are basically the world’s MVPs. You think they buzz around making honey for your toast? Bees: The Real Foodies’ Wingmen, Here’s the serious bit: When bees start dropping off, it’s a big red flag for the environment. They’re like those canaries in the coal mine—if they’re not okay, odds are, we’re messing something up (pesticides, climate, you know the drill). Saving the bees isn’t just about saving honey; it’s about keeping our own butts.
by Trisha waytotrisha@gmail.com September 15, 2025
Bee Pollen vs. Royal Jelly vs. Propolis: There are numerous bee products available, so let’s take a moment to examine the differences between bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis. Bee products have been revered for thousands of years, trans-culturally, for nourishment, healing, and well-being. Today, they are being rediscovered as natural superfoods. Three of the most popular treasures of the hive are bee pollen, royal jelly, and propolis. They’re often combined, but each is also quite distinct in its origins, components and health benefits. Appreciating these differences can help you make the most of what nature’s hardest workers offer.
Royal jelly is the royal bee food and a super nutrient-rich substance and to keep its health benefits intact it needs to be stored properly. Knowing how to store it properly is essential to maintaining its potency. Whether you're using fresh royal jelly, freeze-dried royal jelly powder, or capsules, you need to be aware of their shelf life and best practices