Nebraska’s iconic plant, the Yucca is blooming in the Nebraska prairie where the handsome, fearsome yucca lives long and with distinction.  Roots 20 feet down in the earth and sword-like leaves with a waxy finish protect the yucca during long periods of drought.  

For the people who travel-to and walk-in natural places and spaces in Rural Nebraska, they may witness nature unfolding.  I want to share a nature event that my sister and I experienced in late March 2023.  See the poem below and photo by Don Brockmeier, a nature photographer from Eustis, Nebraska.  Look up Don Brockmeier on Instagram for more images of nature unfolding.

I read recently that there is a definite trend away from buying “things” as gifts and instead buying the recipient experiences. So instead of unwrapping another bathrobe or scarf or box of chocolates, the lucky receiver gets tickets for a play or a boat ride or a concert. That way, long after the scarf and bathrobe have gone to the Good Will and the chocolates have settled onto the hips, the memory of the experience you gave them will warm the heart into old age and beyond.

So, here’s an idea we had for Mother’s Day. It’s May, and Mother’s Day Sunday or one of the days close to it is likely to be a nice one. Why not prepare a Buzz Savories Picnic for mom? 

Choose a memorable or meaningful location, then start with a little appetizer like our simple Ham and Cheese Feuilleté with a glass of wine. Now it’s time to bring out our Savory Ham Salad sandwiches, and a side dish of Potato Salad My Way (above) or perhaps our interesting take on Memphis Mustard Coleslaw. To finish it off, perhaps some Homemade Honey Buns made with Buzz Savories Artisanal Honey. Each dish offers a taste experience to take mom out of the mundane and into a new world of flavor.

And here’s how to make it an over-the-top experience. After the meal, bring out your real gift of a Buzz Savories Gift Set. They’re on sale now for Mother’s Day and you can choose one of ours or mix and match our products to make one of your own.

Make mom a Buzz Savories Picnic and give her an experience she may never forget.

Right now, the sandhill crane migration along the North Platte River near where we live is coming to an end. Every year, from mid-February through early April, about half a million sandhill cranes stage here, gaining energy for their trek to nesting grounds stretching from the Great Lakes to the artic regions of Canada and Alaska.

As you can imagine from this picture by our friend Don Brockmeier, it’s a stunning spectacle.

When you buy Buzz Savories Honey Mustard or Spicy Beer Mustard, and certainly when you buy our Artisanal Honey, you’re tasting a bit of Nebraska. And like a sky filled with sandhill cranes — or our hardworking bees — it’s a taste of nature at its finest. Try some.

Any of us who have lived long enough to learn to enjoy mustard — it’s something of an acquired taste, after all — have also learned there are many instances in life where changing one thing changes everything.

We have nothing against French’s (although it’s interesting to note that this kind of mustard is referred to as “American mustard” throughout most of the world) except that it is ordinary and has a kind of corporate flavor to it.

One of my first great culinary leaps using whole-grain mustards like Buzz Savories Honey Mustard and Spicy Beer Mustard was in my family’s traditional potato salad. It’s a simple recipe I learned at an early age and calls for a dressing of mayonnaise and, of course, yellow mustard. Putting this recipe together one day decades later, I found we were out of French’s and reached instead for the honey mustard in the back of the pantry.

Changing that single ingredient created an entirely different flavor profile, a little hot, a little sweet, and with whole seeds to create an interesting new texture.

If you use French’s or indeed any plain, mild yellow mustard in sauces, vinaigrettes and other dressings, dips or marinades, try swapping out that one ingredient for Buzz Savories Mustards and taste new depths of flavor in modest dishes. Life’s an adventure and this is an easy change. Try it. And let us know what you think.

Once seriously threatened by DDT and other pesticides, bald eagles have made a comeback in Nebraska. They were taken off the threatened species list in 2008 and the number of bald eagles occurring in Nebraska during the non-breeding season has increased during the last several decades according to Nebraska Game and Parks.

Bald eagles can be seen year-round across the state of Nebraska. However, during the critical wintering period, eagles often concentrate in areas where waters remain free of ice and food, such as migrating fowl, is available. Near the dam spillway of reservoirs and power plants is a popular viewing area.

Photographer extraordinaire and Friend of Buzz Savories Don Brockmeier was out recently catching some stunning shots of these fascinating birds. Our thanks to him for sharing these.

Here’s something optimistic to think about while you’re tapping your foot and waiting for spring: Buzz Savories honey really is both good and good for you.

According to the Mayo Clinic, honey’s mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, iron, zinc and antioxidants honey has been clinically proven to have benefits as a cough suppressant for upper respiratory infections and topically to treat burns and promote wound healing. Other health areas where honey is being seriously researched include cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease and neurological disease, where honey might offer antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety benefits. Medical grade honey is already well accepted to promote wound healing, particularly in burns.

We’re not saying Buzz Savories Artisanal Honey is all you need to stay healthy. But it’s a start.

Let’s face it. February is a dark month in the dead of winter, so perhaps it’s no wonder that it’s become associated with a lively festival celebrating romantic love and sensuality. This month, we want to show you some sweet, sensuous ideas to help you appreciate a romantic cuddle by the fire…without resorting to chocolate.

There is some dispute about how this mid-winter holiday came to be. Some say Pope Galacius 1 ordained a day in February to replace the ancient Roman festival Lupercalia, a bawdy celebration of fertility. As the years went on, the holiday grew sweeter. Chocolate treats and other candies, along with flowers and cards became lovers’ gifts. Chaucer and Shakespeare romanticized Valentine’s Day in their work, and it gained popularity throughout Britain and the rest of Europe.

Now we think chocolate is fine in its place, but on Valentine’s Day it’s become cliché. For a fresh take on the holiday, try Café con Miel. With only four ingredients — espresso or strong coffee, a single-source artisanal honey such as Buzz Savories, milk, and a spice of your choice – cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, or nutmeg — café con miel has been widely enjoyed as an afternoon pick-me-up or an evening dessert for generations of Spaniards.

With a crackling fire and a few bees wax candles, Café con Miel might go well with Honey Cake as a sweet treat. It’s easy to make, and the taste, crumb and texture bring out the sweet honey flavor.

For a spectacular finish to a romantic evening, how about rice pudding with fresh fruit and a swirl of Buzz Savories Artisanal Honey?  I especially like it because the fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or pears (choose the fruits or berries you like best) add color and a pleasantly sour flavor that balances the sweetness in the rice and honey swirl.

We hope you enjoy a sweet month. To help it along, let us suggest a Honey Gift Set with two jars of our artisanal honey, three beeswax candles, our “Recibees” cookbook and more.

Sweet eating.