Vero's Voice Magazine Issue 157 February 2024

157

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February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com

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inside: 6

Interview of Local Beekeeper Peter Roberts 12 Fascinating Bee Facts 14 Voices of Vero: What is the last thing that made you laugh? What is the last thing that made you cry?

18 Voices of Vero: What is the best advice you ever received?

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20 Movie Review: Ulee’s Gold 22 Recipes: Buzzworthy Honey Creations 24 TC Stylist: Let Love In: Brighten up your home with love-inspired designs 26 Mind Games 28 Encouraging Words

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Barbara Freund 772-538-2718 barb@verosvoice.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sandy Carlile sandy@verosvoice.com

ISSUE

157 FEB. 2024

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Dan Cox 978-807-4145 dan@verosvoice.com

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VOICES OF VERO Steve Glaser 954-261-0544

MAGAZINE DELIVERY George Pevarnik

Tidbits Of triviA The first box of Girl Scout cookies cost 23 cents.

The first ballpoint pens cost a whopping $12 each in 1945.

Liberace owned 39 pianos.

War doesn’t determine who is right; only who is left.

Over two billion pencils are made in the US in a year.

Restaurants in America throw away over 150 million stillgood crayons per year.

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104-year-old woman’s reply to reporter’s question, “What’s the best thing about being 104?” Her reply: “No peer pressure.”

Truckers refer to a vehicle that’s following too closely as a “bumper sticker.”

Texas has the most ghost towns in the US with 511, with California coming in second with 346.

FDR’s portrait was on the dime because of his association with the March of Dimes charity.

African lions catch about 20% of the prey they chase. Dragonflies catch 95%.

A human loses about a million skin cells per 24 hours.

Movie theaters sell the most popcorn during scary movies.

Even though the blue whale is the largest animal on earth, it can’t swallow anything bigger than a beach ball.

A bald eagle’s nest can weigh more than a ton.

The word “good-bye” is a contraction of “God be with ye.”

February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

PRODUCTION ENGINEER Noah Woodrow noah@verosvoice.com

PUBLISHER

Rhett Palmer 772-473-7777 rhett@verosvoice.com

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Q&A

R

HETT PALMER: Peter Roberts is in the studio and he owns Tall Pines Apiaries. Good morning, Peter.

PETER ROBERTS: Good morning.

So they say you can pull the honey out of the pyramids and it can be 2,000 years of age and it’s still good to eat, that as a food it never goes bad. Is that right?

Yes, that’s right. It will crystallize.

Can you uncrystallize it, though, using heat? Yes, you can warm it up, usually with warm water.

Local Beekeeper

Peter Roberts TALL PINES APIARIES

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February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

It’s a pretty amazing product. I think we frequently see you at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings, right?

I’m there year round, every Interview by Rhett Palmer Saturday.

I

want to ask you something. Someone once told me a teaspoon of honey represents the entire life of five bees. Is that true? Yes. It may be even less than that. It may be just a drop for one bee.

When the proverbial bear comes along and grabs the hive and eats the honey, does it kill everybody in the hive? What happens to that hive? Actually, the bear is more interested in the brood.

Really, just a drop? There’s nothing lazy about a bee, right? No. It’s quite the society in that hive. Everyone is very busy in the hive. No one is at rest.

What’s a brood? All the baby bees, the larvae. It wants the protein.

How long does the queen normally live? In this part of the world, possibly only 18 months.

And a typical worker bee? A worker bee, during a hard season, is six weeks.

Are they embryos or are they already bees? They eat both the larvae and the young adults.

“A worker bee only makes about a drop of honey in their six-week life span.”

They say that if you have an allergy to something in the air, pollen in the air, that if you eat the local regional honey, the indigenous honey, that it will help your body deal with that. Pollen is in honey, you can’t escape it. The bees introduce it and the beekeeper introduces it when he’s extracting. But yes, a lot of people have come to me and said that it’s worked wonders for them.

What are some of other benefits of honey? It’s just a good food. It’s got a lot of minerals, trace minerals and enzymes in it that the bees introduce. It’s more healthy than just plain white sugar.

Einstein said if we lose the bee, mankind will be dead and cease to be within four short years. Have you heard that? Yes, but I don’t think it would be that extreme. We’re going to have food. But the bees do play a very important role in pollinating all of our food crops.

So do you have your own groves or do the grove owners allow you to put your bee boxes in their groves? Because it helps their trees, right? It’s a mutual thing? Yes, it does help pollination. Citrus does not absolutely need a bee; they self-pollinate. But a bee helps. Over the long-term, we’ve just been in a happy coexistence with the grove owners and we’ve always just been able to go into the groves.

Does a hive make more honey than it really needs?

The honey bees are European; they’re not native to North America.

They evolved in a cooler climate where they make an excess to store throughout the winter.

Really? What about getting stung on the tongue? They take it. [chuckle] They seem to be impervious to it, huh? Yes.

So how in the world did you end up working with bees? Was your father before you involved in bees?

One of my brothers, my middle brother started as a hobby and my older brother started helping him, and then I started helping. And this is all quite a while ago. My brothers dropped out, but I always kept hobby hives, and in the last twenty years or so I’ve become a full-time beekeeper.

S

o you’re a professional beekeeper? Yes, I guess you could say that.

Honey is a nutritious food. The only thing is, they say that a baby should not eat honey until it’s what, one or two years of age. Why is that? There’s a certain amount of botulism spores in honey.

Botulism occurs everywhere, but it somehow gets a little bit more concentrated in honey and young children don’t have an immunity yet. We all have an immunity to everything on lower levels.

Well, there are some people that swear by the attributes of honey. I’ve even heard of them putting honey on open wounds. Oh, yes. When they’ve run out of options in the hospital, when antibiotics are not working, they use honey.

Really? It seals the wound and it doesn’t allow air in.

What other benefits have you heard about honey?

Some people will exfoliate with crystallized honey.

Continued next page

February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com

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Continued from page 7

“It's quite the society in that hive. Everyone is very busy. No one is at rest.”

H

ow does this whole thing work, this process? Think of the beehive as an organism in itself; it knows when the queen is starting to fail. The queen is not the know-all, say-all; she’s just part of the organism. So she starts to slow down and fail and the organism knows, and so they start to make new queen cells, and she lays in those queen cells, and they will get a cell that becomes a queen. Then she will be taken out.

What do you mean? The workers will remove her.

How will they remove her? Forcibly.

And she just dies out in the wilderness? Yes. Ninety percent of bees die out in the field, anyway.

Now, what’s a drone? His one service in life is to mate with the queen.

Now, what does that mean? Well, ladies winter, I leave most of the honey on them and I put it on their face … take it off as needed during the wintertime.

So when the honey gets rough and crystallized, they use it to take off the dead skin on their face or whatever?

Yes. And honey was our first sweetener before we realized that sugar cane was available. Honey was our first sweetener from the very early human experience.

So your brothers got into it, you followed suit and you start playing around with bees as a hobby, and your brothers fell by the wayside, but you continued and have made a career out of it. Do you like what you do? Oh, yes, it’s great. I’m out there in the woods, I’m by myself, no one is bothering me. [chuckle]

S

Now, up where I come from in the northern part of New York State, those bees all go into hibernation, right? They winterize them, they seal the hive. Well, they insulate the hive and they try to keep them as warm as possible. And sometimes they will feed them internally with a sugar cake of some sort.

Who will feed them? The beekeeper.

How would they survive in the natural on their own? Or would they freeze? Same thing. They would be inside of a cavity in a tree or some sort of cavity, and they would become very inactive.

But if you’re a worker bee and only o how many beehives do you live to be six weeks, then they have have to have in order to make to keep having bees, even in the a living as a man? Well, I’m at winter, or … No, up north you have what 200 hives and that’s my limit. they call winter bees that go through the Two hundred! That’s my level that I’m season. But here in Florida, we never go comfortable with, that I can take care of and broodless. don’t need any help.

And what’s a brood again? The baby How do you get them to go into your bees. The queen is laying the eggs, constantly boxes as opposed to hanging on a laying in Florida. That’s why we have a shorter tree limb? The hive that we supply is a queen lifespan. certain square footage that’s a good size for How typical is the lifespan here and them, it is what they want for a space, so they how typical is the lifespan up north? move right in.

It may be more toward three years up north, Now, do you leave some of the honey but down here she outlays herself. for them? Oh, yes, I have to. Over the So about a year? A year to 18 months.

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February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

Is it true that he dies after mating?

Yes. It actually pulls his appendage out?

Yeah.

Wow! So she mates with 10 to 20 drones and she will be able to lay hundreds of thousands of eggs.

So they collect the honey? They collect nectar and bring it back to the hive and exchange it with another worker who then, somehow in their body – I’m not 100% clear on it – but they will add enzymes and they will dehydrate it and make it into honey.

Oh, so it’s not honey initially; it’s nectar. I tell you what, God is kind of scary with nature. I mean, here you’re the queen. Next thing you know is they’re taking you outside and saying, “Get out of here.” Yeah. [chuckle] Then next thing you know, the drone mates with the queen, his appendage falls off and he dies. And in the fall they will run out the drones because they’re no longer needed.

Whoa, really? How? Forcibly take them out.

But he can survive outside the hive, can’t he? No, he’ll die. He can’t do anything.

He can’t even feed himself.

He can’t even feed himself? Nope.

Continued on page 10

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9

Continued from page 8

W

ell, how do they eat then? He exchanges food from the workers in the hive.

Palmetto on it, another one says Wildflower on it, another one says Brazilian Pepper, and this other one says Orange Blossom. So can you differentiate these for us? Tell us about them. Well, in Florida we are year round; I have four distinct blooms. The orange blossom blooms first in the spring, which is usually February, March. Right on the heels of that is the saw palmetto, which is a real classic Florida honey. And then my summer bloom is the wildflower.

And what about the workers, how do they eat? Well, they can eat the honey.

But he can’t even eat the honey on his own? He can’t feed himself. He has to beg from the workers.

Why? I don’t get it. He has to beg? Well, his only job in the hive is to mate with the queen.

That’s wild, isn’t it? Yes. So why do you like it so much? You enjoy your own company? I’m comfortable out there on my own.

You’ve got a wedding ring on so you’re married?

Yes, almost 30 years.

Congratulations. Any children? One son.

Tall Pines Apiaries honey. This bottle says Saw

Hold on a second. What I want to know is, the bees can differentiate what they go to? It’s a function of the time of year. All the bees will collect pollen from anybody; it’s just what’s available that time of year. These are the strong blooms that will bring in an excess of nectar. They work year round bringing in nectar, but these will bring in the excess.

What an amazing food. You always feel better when you put honey in your tea. First of all, it tastes good, but they say it’s better for you than regular sugar. Have you read up on that or heard anything about that? Honey is a complex sugar. It has four sugars: dextrose, sucrose, glucose, and fructose, and white sugar is just nothing but sucrose.

What do you think about all these GMOs now? Man has been messing with things since recorded time. Prehistoric man didn’t go out and pick a golden delicious apple; it was just a little crab apple until man started to modify it.

Oh, I didn’t realize those were modified. Most of our food has been modified and we have enhanced it just through genetics.

Is that what George Washington Carver was up to? I think so.

How many years now have you been doing this?

I started when I was 18, so that’s quite a while ago. Almost 45 years.

And you still love it? Oh, yes.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you, how many times have you been stung? Oh, thousands. I’ve been doing it for that long. Who knows how many times.

Do you still feel the sting? I still feel the pain, but there’s no swelling or anything.

Probably your body has built up antigens or whatever it needs to protect against that, and yet some people can get stung by one bee and they can die. There’s all levels of sensitivity.

“In Florida, plants bloom year round; I have four distinct blooms: orange blossom, saw palmetto, Brazilian Pepper and in summer, wildflower.”

10 February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

It’s amazing. Do you do mail order? I’m primarily just at the Farmer’s Market, that’s my main outlet, and Countryside Citrus carries it and Schacht Groves carries it.

Have you considered making it available online, or you just don’t want to do that? No, it’s just me, and I like it to keep it simple.

So if people want to get your honey, they just have to come to the Saturday Farmer’s Market, and that’s the only way you’re going to get this? That’s the easiest way to find me and to find my honey.

Thank you, Peter, for coming in.

February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com

11

What you probably didn’t know about these amazing little creatures

FASCINATING

BUZZ ON HONEY BEES Bees can fly between 15 and 20 miles per hour.

Male bees come from unfertilized eggs and comprise only about 15 percent of the population of a colony and are ejected at the end of a season because they’re a drain on resources. That’s because the only thing drones do is eat and mate. Unlike the female bees, they don’t have any other jobs and don’t even have a stinger.

The type of bees produced from honey bee eggs relies wholly on what the larvae are fed. Larvae that become queens are fed only royal jelly. Bees that are fed fermented pollen (bee bread) and honey become female workers.

If a hive loses its queen the results can be disastrous.

But if the queen has laid eggs within five days of her demise, the hive can create an “emergency queen” by feeding some larvae an exclusive diet of royal jelly and a new queen can be created.

Bees that maintain the hive work diligently to keep it clean.

The only bee that defecates inside the hive is the queen, and there are designated bees that clean up after her. Honey bees are so conscientious that they’ll do whatever it takes to die outside of the hive if at all possible so their corpses won’t contaminate food or pose a threat to nursing young.

Forager bees must find flowers, determine their value as a food source, navigate back home and share detailed information about their findings with other foragers. They communicate this information with hive mates through intricately choreographed movements called the waggle dance. They also use a variety of odor cues produced by secreted pheromones to communicate.

Outside of the primate family, honey bees have the most complex symbolic language on earth and pack a million neurons into a brain that measures a mere cubic millimeter—and they use every one of them.

As temperatures fall, the bees form a tight group within their hive to keep warm. Workers cluster around the queen, insulating her from the cold outside.

In summer, workers fan the air inside the hive with their wings, keeping the queen and brood from overheating. You can actually hear the hum of all those wings beating inside the hive from several feet away.

A hive is a constant 93° year ’round.

A worker bee can’t carry pollen from that many flowers at once, so she visits between 50 to 100 flowers before heading home.

She repeats these round-trip foraging forays throughout the day, which puts a lot of wear and tear on her body. A hardworking forager may live just three weeks and cover 500 miles.

A colony can contain up to 60,000 bees.

The youngest worker bees make the beeswax, from which workers construct the honeycomb. Eight paired glands on the underside of the abdomen produce wax droplets which harden into flakes when exposed to air. The workers work the wax flakes in their mouths to soften them into pliable construction material.

A worker bee may visit up to 2,000 flowers per day and travel 1-2 miles from the hive, but they will go as far as they need to in order to obtain the necessary resources for the colony.

Raw honey comes “fresh from the hive” and contains bee pollen and essential enzymes and is rich in antioxidants, amino acids, and digestive enzymes. Most commercial honey is blended, pasteurized, or cooked, eliminating its beneficial enzymes, nutrients, and pollens.

On her mating flight, the queen will gather sperm from 12 to 15 drone bees to ensure the genetic health and diversity of her colony.

12

Each bee has a specific job in the hive: • Nurse bees care for the young.

• The queen bee lays the eggs.

• Drone bees mate witth the queen.

• The queen’s attendant workers bathe and feed her.

• Guard bees stand watch at the entrance of the hive.

• Construction workers build the beeswax foundation in which the queen lays eggs and the workers store honey.

• Undertakers remove the dead.

• Foragers bring back enough pollen and nectar to feed the entire community.

February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

Every third bite of food eaten by humans is due to pollinators, and honey bees are the primary pollinators and support the overall health of the ecosystem.

Source: www.thoughtco.com

A single worker bee produces only .083 of a teaspoon of honey in its entire lifetime.

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February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com 13

VOICES OF VERO

by Steve Glaser

What is the last thing that made you

LAUGH? What is the last thing that made you

CRY?

My children make me laugh daily, but at the same time they often make me feel like I want to pull my hair out.

Dominique Mastropietro TIGHT & RIGHT RESCREENS

My four-year-old granddaughter said something that made me laugh. Watching a Publix Christmas commercial made me cry.

Cindy Williams, FINANCIAL ADVISOR, PRIMERICA

14

February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

Watching Grumpy Old Men 2 on television made me laugh.

Recently my tax bill made me cry.

Paul Gray THE GRAY AGENCY

Messing around with my fiveyear-old son, he told me, “At tomorrow’s basketball game I am goin’ to dunk the ball,” and I started laughing. Having to pay for the remodel of my North Carolina house made me cry.

Thomas Parham

Talking with my threeyear-old granddaughter over the phone she said something very silly.

Last time I visited her, as I was leaving, she said, “Please do not leave!” I started crying.

Dianne Miller VERO BEACH PICNICS

REALTOR DALE SORENSON REAL ESTATE

TECH/MEDIA ASSISTANT PATHWAY CHURCH

BODY BY BOONIE

Recently while playing golf with my son, his drive went out of bounds while mine went up the middle. During prayer time for the upcoming New Year I starting crying thinking about God’s light and the start of the New Year.

Mike Pickerill

I started laughing hysterically while listening to a pastor talk about how we all go through “poop” in life. During prayer time I recently started crying thinking about how we are all so abundantly blessed.

Jonathan Perfater,

Watching a commercial of a guy in a pizzeria arguing with the owner made me laugh. Another video on YouTube of a dad talking about his son’s sacrifices and achievements made me cry.

Lucien Bercea,

One of daughters said “so etching hilarious” and I could not stop laughing! Recently my mother in law passed away and I could not stop crying.

Leidys Lorenzo, HOME HEALTH SPECIALIST CENTERWELL HOME HEALTH

I laughed recently watching a Dave Chappelle comedy show. I cried when I received my recent insurance bill.

Lee Brown, RETAIL MARKET MANAGER SYNOVUS

I laugh every day as that is my personality! My son just told me he is going to do missionary work in South America for two years. This made me cry.

Tania Boudri RELATIONSHIP BANKER SENIOR

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February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com 15

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February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com

17

VOICES OF VERO

by Steve Glaser

What is the

BEST ADVICE

you ever received?

“Be a sponge” and never stop learning.

Tammy Todesco, BROKER ASSOCIATE MCCURDY & CO. REALTY

18 February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

My dad instilled in me to always be honest.

Kim Baumgardner,

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER HEATCOTE BOTANICAL GARDENS

Don’t give up!

Keith Dingess, BROKER ASSOCIATE ENGEL & VOLKERS

My broker and longtime mentor, Arnold Ansel, told me “Never give up!”

Wayne Filowitz WRPB-TV

Growth comes from putting yourself outside your comfort zone.

Jordan Lulich, Esq.

If you really want something from someone, you have to ask for it.

Chris “Hoppy” Hopkins,

Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.

Jodie Baldanza,

Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will.

Tracy Belle,

You cannot expect what you cannot inspect!

Thomas Deneen,

Walk into any room like you own it!

Annette M. Robbins,

A friend of mine in his eighties owns 800 units. He told me if you can afford to buy it now, buy it; even if does not make money now, it will make money later.

Derek W. Stalhut,

Stay humble and never ask anyone to do something that you would not do yourself.

Sheri D. Godwin,

As a seventeen-year-old working in a restaurant, one of our steady customers who was a stockbroker told me about the importance of investing. I invested some money with him and doubled my money.

Joe Garvin

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DBJ HOME INSPECTIONS

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February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com

19

REVIEWS ULEE'S GOLD RATED R - AVAILABLE ON AMAZON PRIME

by Del Bates and Barbara Freund

F

or many people, family is the core of our being. Sometimes it may nearly cost our lives to protect and hold it together, as is the case for Ulee Jackson (Peter Fonda) in the 1997 movie Ulee’s Gold. Peter Fonda won Best Actor in the Golden Globe Awards for his outstanding performance of this introverted beekeeper living by the tupelo marshes of the Florida panhandle.

While serving in Vietnam, Ulee was the only survivor in his platoon. He lost his wife six years prior, his son Jimmy is in prison for robbery, and he’s trying his best to care for his two granddaughters Casey and Penny. He’s a quiet understated man who keeps to himself, loves his bees and his work. “The bees and I have an understanding. I take care of them, they take care of me.”

As the movie opens, Ulee gets a phone call from Jimmy telling him the girls’ mother Helen is in trouble and staying in Orlando with his two robbery accomplices, Eddie and Ferris. He asks him to get her and bring her home. Ulee hadn’t spoken to Jimmy in two years and doesn’t want to have anything to do with the woman who abandoned his granddaughters, but for their sake finally agrees.

We see Ulee driving through the sleazy parts of Orange Blossom Trail looking for Helen. When he finally finds her, she’s drugged and lifeless. The two accomplices tell Ulee they learned from Helen that Jimmy hid $100,000 from the robbery and they want it or they’ll come after his granddaughters. And you believe them.

Once Ulee gets her home, he has difficulty handling the druggedout flailing Helen, and Penny runs across

Del Bates

20 February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

the street get their neighbor Connie (Patricia Richardson of Home Improvement fame) to help her mom. Connie is a divorced nurse and she helps Helen eventually detox. Ulee isn’t used to asking for help but realizes he needs it and a tentative relationship develops with Connie.

At this point the plot is somewhat predictable and you know what’s going to happen … just not how. The movie may be a little slow-paced for some but I enjoyed watching Ulee rise to the occasion to protect and defend his family from the two thugs with his ever-present strength of character and determined will.

I especially had a heart for the younger granddaughter Penny at the end. Sitting on the bed, she shares a picture with her mom.

“See, sometimes the bees get confused and run away. That’s them there on the tree. But they don’t really want to be gone. And they’re happy when someone helps them back into their home. But you got to keep calm and don’t panic when they sting, ‘cause they don’t mean nothin’ by it.” see her words as if she’s speaking this to comfort her mom for her choices, telling her, “I’m glad you’re back.” It’s an excellent word for each of us. If we ever become confused and lose our way, God will always send someone to help us find our way back home.

A couple interesting asides … Peter Fonda wore his father’s watch for good luck while shooting the movie … Henry Fonda had been an amateur beekeeper for a period during his acting career.

I

Del Bates is an award-winning author and speaker.

Her latest book, Walking in a Minefield -- A Sojourner’s Guide to Overcoming Life’s Obstacles, is available on Amazon. You can find more at delbates. com. She co-hosts the podcast, “Seeds of Hope,” with Penny Cooke, Wednesdays at 12:12pm on Vero’s Voice.

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February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com

21

ON THE

MENU

by Barbara Freund

HONEY CREATIONS! HONEY AND APPLE RICE KUGEL

Kugel is one of those words that doesn’t translate well to English: it’s not quite a casserole, not quite pudding. Rice kugel is a popular dish in Lithuania and Poland and is a variation of traditional kugel made with noodles. Almost anything can be used to become a kugel, though. Less traditional varieties use broccoli, onion, cauliflower, butternut squash, and rice. This recipe uses rice and honey and gets its apple flavor from apple butter.

Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter (room temperature) for brushing baking dish 3 large eggs 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract 1/2 teaspoon Morton kosher salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup honey, plus more for brushing 2 cups cooled cooked long grain white rice (Carolina Gold or basmati) 1/2 cup golden raisins or chopped dried apricots 1/2 cup apple butter Flaky sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Generously butter a shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dish with the room temperature butter.

2. Whisk together the melted butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon and honey in a large bowl until smooth.

3. Mix in the rice and raisins until well combined, breaking up any clumps of rice.

4. Place the mixture in your baking dish and spread to distribute evenly. Dollop with apple butter, about 6 dollops, and swirl in with a butter knife. Be careful you don’t overmix.

5. Bake 35-45 minutes, until puffed and browned on top but still slightly jiggly in the center. Let cool 5 minutes, then brush with more honey and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

22 February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

HONEY BUTTER I made this for the corn muffins I served with chili. Yum! Use it on anything you’d spread butter on. The powdered sugar helps create a smooth consistency so don’t be tempted to omit.

This recipe calls for two sticks of butter … I halved it. Or make the whole batch and freeze!

Makes 1 cup INGREDIENTS 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), softened to room temperature 1/3 cup (113g) honey 3 tablespoons (23g) powdered sugar 1/4–1/2 teaspoon sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a large bowl, beat the butter for 1 minute on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy.

2. Beat in the remaining ingredients, starting with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Beat on medium speed until completely smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

Taste: add up to 1/4 teaspoon more salt as desired.

3. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge. Keeps about a week.

To freeze honey butter: spoon onto a piece of plastic wrap and wrap it tightly in several additional layers of wrap. Freeze up to two months. Thaw overnight in fridge. (Glad makes a clear freezer wrap I love to use.)

VANILLA BEAN HONEY The vanilla adds a lovely subtle flavor to the honey. Delicious on toast, bagels or muffins, in oatmeal, or a cup of tea … anything you’d use honey for.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup honey (choose a mild flavored honey, like Orange Blossom) 1 vanilla bean pod

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Split a vanilla bean lengthwise down the center with a small sharp knife. Using your knife, scrape the tiny seeds into a clean jar, one with a tight-fitting lid like a jelly jar or Mason jar. Add the pod to the jar and pour in the honey.

2. Place jar in a cool dry place and let steep 5-7 days, flipping the jar over every couple of days. Once the honey reaches the desired flavor, you can remove the pod.

Use 2 vanilla bean pods for a more intense vanilla flavor.

RUSTIC HONEY CAKE Looking for a plain simple dessert that’s not too sweet?

This moist cake is sweetened with honey, uses yogurt, and comes together in 15 minutes.

Serves 12 INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick) 1 cup honey 2 large eggs, room temperature 1/2 cup plain yogurt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Top with: Assorted fresh fruit (or frozen) and additional honey Dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream Chopped pistachios, optional

DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and honey until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in yogurt and vanilla.

3. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt; add to the butter mixture.

4. Transfer batter to your prepared skillet.

5. Bake 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Serve with fruit, additional honey, whipped cream or ice cream, and, if desired, chopped pistachios.

February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com 23

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❻ Marianne Howell is a stylist based on the Treasure Coast. She is drawn to simplicity and believes that less is more. Find her online: www.treasurecoaststylist.com, instagram, facebook, & pinterest @ treasurecoaststylist

24 February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

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Text or Call: (772) 696-3600

Also available at indianriver.gov.

February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com 25

M I N D

GAMES

PERCEPTION Can you see which picture exactly matches silhouette?

Can youthe see which picture exactly matches the silhouette?

3 7

7 5

9 2

3 8 5

SAMURAI SUDOKU

8 2

1 2

1

4

7

4 6

The aim with Samurai Sudoku is to place the numbers 1- 9 exactly once in each region in each puzzle grid. This puzzle contains 2 overlapping grids, and the numbers 1 – 9 are to be placed once in each row, column, 3x3 box. Some regions and numbers are shared between grids.

6

7

9 4 6 7 2

R L T

T

E

U

7 4

8 9 4 6

D

E

Y

How many words of five or more letters can you find in the wheel?

Each word you find must use the central letter.

Can you find a word that uses all eight letters?

C

4 3

8 6 2

1

2

B

WORD LADDER

1

Change one letter of the top four-letter word to create a new word below.

Continue the process, ending with the word on the bottom rung.

VINE

7 YARD

WORD WHEEL

F

B

5

A

ENGLISH REASONING Only one of the four words below is listed with the correct spelling - can you work out which it is? And how should the other three words be spelled? a) commitee b) appearence c) conscious d) cemetary

Answers on page 30 26 February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

NEED HELP with a Federal Government Agency?

Congressman Bill Posey and His Staff are Here to Serve You!

WEEKLY

Networking LUNCHEON Every Wednesday, 11:45AM Italian-American Civic Association 1600 25th St. • Vero Beach

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Call Steve Glaser (954) 261-0544 for info

If you have a problem with a federal government agency or department, such as the Department of Veteran Affairs, Social Security, Medicare, IRS, or the Passport Agency, etc., please feel free to contact my office.

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To contact Rep. Posey by email, please visit: posey.house.gov Paid for by official funds authorized by the House of Representatives.

Dark Forces Told Him to

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amazon • vero beach book center barnes & noble • books-a-million Contact james gilbert @ 772-696-6150 February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com 27

ENCOURAGING

WORDS

by Beth Walsh Stewart

U

sing a word doesn’t mean we really understand the word. Often, that’s how it is with RESENTMENT. When we take it apart, the prefix RE means “to do again”. The root of the word, SENT, is from the Latin, and it means “to feel”. For years I thought resentment had more to do with anger than other lingering emotions, but that’s because I didn’t understand what happens to emotions that are postponed.

Each of us has the ability to deny a feeling when it comes up. Perhaps we don’t want the people around us to be privy to our innermost response to their words or behavior. Sometimes, we cover an uncomfortable emotion in an attempt maintain our power in a situation. “Don’t let them see you cry,” is an example of this. There are those of us who have faked our feelings for so long that there are few, if any, who really know our hearts.

This causes loneliness even in a crowd.

We pretend we are fine when we are hurt or disappointed. We laugh with the others when a sarcastic remark cuts us to the quick. We assert our indifference when inside we are shocked or taken aback. We stuff the unsightly emotions that erupt within us.

This counterfeit persona takes the hits and buries the pain. Unfortunately, buried pain doesn’t decompose; it morphs. We suppressed sadness, but years later it explodes as fury. We hid feelings of inferiority for years, and suddenly it bursts forth as rage. We denied feelings of weakness, only to later blow our tops on an unsuspecting recipient. Feelings we stuffed into the dark recesses of our souls transform into anger. We feel them again. And again.

A woman I know learned to pretend that nothing bothered her. Proud of her Zen makeup, she took life’s big hits in stride. Then one day she didn’t get her way in a small matter and she flew off the handle. Unable to get control, she screamed things she didn’t mean, and accused innocents of misconduct. The scene she created damaged those she loved most, just because they were near

when the emotional bomb inside her detonated. Years of stuffed feelings exploded, shattering people who had nothing to do with her initial brokenness.

Working with a counselor to put the pieces back together, she learned a powerful lesson. Feelings are meant to be dealt with when they are felt. Denying or hiding them only puts them off for a short time, and eventually they will demand attention. They will be felt, and re-felt, and ultimately become resentments.

God gave us feelings to help us navigate through life and fully experience the wonder of His creation. When an unpleasant emotion rises within, allow it to tell you something about your current situation. Feelings are not right or wrong, but they are intended to guide us toward right action. Speak your truth in the moment. If a sarcastic comment offends, say, “Ouch!” and allow the person speaking to know your heart. ainful feelings will be felt. Faking it only postpones the pain and can sometimes add injury to others who are uninvolved. Instead, feel the pain in the moment when it is able to be controlled and contribute to a better understanding and a more intimate relationship with the person with whom you are speaking.

Resentments lead to bitterness.

They corrode the heart and destroy honest connections. When possible, keep your emotions current, and resentments are less likely to develop.

P

Beth Walsh Stewart

Beth Walsh Stewart, MTh, is the visionary behind the WeCovering Project and the Creator of BethWe, the nonprofit that was the impetus for this work. Dedicated to rescuing the stragglers lost in the shadows of the road of life, Beth is best-known for her Good Seed Podcasts, 12-Step seminars, weekly blogs, g.o.d. speaks books, and uplifting workshops. Beth lives by this motto: I have been called to help my brother find his authentic self and his God, and I best accomplish this end by sharing my pursuit of the same.

28 February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

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For booking/training information contact Rev. Dr. John A. Vacchiano 772.532.6400 | PatriotChurch@gmail.com February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / VerosVoice.com 29

Mind Games Answers Puzzles on page 26

2 3 8 6 7 5 4 9 1 6 1 9 4 2 3 7 8 5 7 4 5 8 1 9 3 2 6 1 9 2 7 5 4 6 3 8 3 7 6 2 8 1 5 4 9 8 5 4 9 3 6 1 7 2 9 2 1 5 4 7 8 6 3 1 5 9 2 7 4 4 6 3 1 9 8 2 5 7 4 6 8 1 9 3 5 8 7 3 6 2 9 1 4 3 7 2 8 5 6 1 3 2 8 9 5 6 4 7 5 4 8 6 3 7 9 1 2 6 7 9 2 1 4 5 3 8 3 9 6 7 8 1 4 2 5 7 2 5 9 4 6 3 8 1 4 8 1 5 2 3 7 6 9 WORD LADDER:

VINE LINE

PERCEPTION: Answer: Tree D is the exact match

LANE LAND

ENGLISH REASONING:

LARD

a) should be committee b) should be appearance c) is correct! d) should be cemetery

YARD

WORD WHEEL:

Words that can be made from the wheel include: belfry, belt, beryl, bet, blue, bluer, blur, blurt, brute, burly, bury, but, butler, butt, butter, butterfly, buttery, buy, buyer, bye, byre, byte, rebut, rub, ruby, tub, tube, tuber TARGET: 15 GOOD: 21 EXCELLENT: 25

30 February 2024 / ISSUE 157 / Vero’s Voice

Wednesdays @ 12:12PM Facebook Live

On Vero’s Voice Magazine

Del Bates

delbates.com

Penny Cooke

pennycookeauthor.com

Encouragement for what you face today, tomorrow and always.

ENCOURAGING WORDS CONTINUED

TRUE LOVE this Valentine’s Day

REV’S VERSES

by Pastor Rich Ienuso

John 3:16 (NLT) For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

16

by Pastor Alex Pappas

Romans 5:8 (NLT)

February is a month where many people celebrate Valentine’s Day. It is themed all around love. When I think about love and the true meaning of it, Pastor Alex Pappas I can’t help but think about the truest, purest form of love which is the love that God has shown us. I’m always surprised how many people often see God as mean. There has never been a more perfect expression of true love than the love that God expressed to us through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross for all mankind.

Let me explain. True love is selfless. The Bible tells us this...

8

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

The interesting thing about this verse is that God did this for us even whilst we were still sinners in this world, and He knew many would reject Him, but that did not stop Him. When you realize the reality of this true love, it is so personally rewarding to accept it and love Him back.

May you experience the abundance of God’s love this month!

John 15:13 (NKJV) Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

13

God Loves You The most familiar verse in the Bible is John 3:16. You know it by heart.

There is another verse that states “… we perceive the love of God because He laid down His life for us…”

(1 John 3:16).

Such amazing love! Jesus, Who is God in the flesh, gave His life for us.

He loves us that much!

The remainder of the verse says “…and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Are we belongings, and even our lives for others? That’s true Biblical love.

This statement rings true whether you are a believer or whether you are not.

Selfless giving love is the purest form of love.

We know that God sent His Son. His only begotten Son to be killed so that we could have life, and life eternally, to ensure that we do not only exist on Earth for a while and then die, but that we have eternal life.

This season let us be willing to sacrifice for others. We are to love God, love our neighbors, and love ourselves (Mark 12:33).

Pastor Alex Pappas is Senior Pastor at Oceans Unite Christian Center located in the Indian River Mall. Live broadcasts and podcasts are available at oceansunite.com.

In God’s love, Pastor Rich

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31

VERO’S VOICE MAGAZINE

Delivery Locations BEACHSIDE Riverside Theatre Cliff Norris Real Estate Village Beach Market CVS-A1A Planes Dental Arts Vero Beach Hotel & Spa Cobalt Seaside Grille Corey’s Pharmacy Lemon Tree Ocean Grill Holiday Inn Treasure Lane Boutique Red Onion The Tides Ryder’s Gourmet Market AMAC | Alex MacWilliam Real Estate Charlotte Terry Real Estate Di Mare Restaurant Marine Bank Ryder’s Market Asian Fusion

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