Local Honey on Seneca Lake

I was upstate over the weekend -- this time on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake. The Finger Lakes are a great place to visit in the summer. There's a roadside stand around every corner, be it someone selling corn right out of the field or a small table loaded with squash, tomatoes and a small cash box (got to love the honor system)! But this visit, I found something I'd never seen -- a small roadside honey house. Local honey is in. And honey, let me tell you: this stand was literally golden. Surrounded by wildflowers, the little "lean to" looked like something out of the pages of a magazine (MSL - take note). Inside was a small table with a cash box, a few bottles of honey and a price list. For $5.50, I grabbed two 1/2 pound jars of honey: one pale and golden and one a dark, rich amber. Inside the small cash box was a little pad where people noted the dates of their visit and what they took ("third year visiting!" one entry read). Honey, especially local honey, is supposed to have a lot of benefits (helps with allergies?). I don't use honey very often, but nothing beats the combination of honey with banana and peanut butter. And during hot summer mornings, the combination mixed with a little milk and ice makes a great smoothie. Plus, it's a sweet way to enjoy summer (and the bounty of bees) while it lasts.

Peanut Butter Honey Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

1 Banana, peeled and cut into chunks*

1 T. Peanut butter (preferably natural)

1 t. Honey

.5-1 C. Skim milk (depending on desired thickness)

Ice cubes

Method Add first four ingredients to blender and puree until combined.

Add ice cubes a few at a time or extra milk until smoothie is desired thickness.

*This smoothie recipe works great with frozen banana chunks if you have them/have time to freeze them.