​​Lone Star Bee Company has been lucky to be a part of the University of Houston Farmers Market for the past two semesters.  We just wrapped up the spring 2018 semester and it breaks my heart a little that we won’t be there again until classes resume in the fall. 
 
My favorite part of this market is, hands down, spending time getting to know the students, staff and faculty.  I’ve made many new friends who share in the excitement of our infused honeys.  But, one customer-friend really made this semester especially exciting.  Eric Bittner, who’s a professor in the Department of Chemistry & Physics, took our infused honey to new levels.  And boy, was his time well spent!
 
As a hobbyist mazer, Professor Bittner made a spicy mead using our Fiery Sweet Mesquite honey and it was delicious!  I have to say that initially, I was a bit hesitant that the heat from the habaneros would overpower the wine after a showdown between good and evil, but honestly the mead had a perfect balance of spicy-sweet.  The sweetness of the mead hit the front palate and the spice of the habanero trailed from the back of the palate and down the throat.  And, the aroma was icing on the cake; subtle pear and a slight piperine to tickle the nose.  Fun!
 
I’m not suggesting Professor Bittner quit his day job and open a meadery, but…
 
This mead was exceptional!  Thank you, Professor Bittner!

This past week, we were honored to showcase our honeys at a food pairing event at Hotel Emma in San Antonio.  While meeting many of the hotel staff and guests was the ultimate highlight of our adventure, the Hotel Emma herself certainly made for spectacular setting.  Constructed in 1894, the building was originally Pearl's Brewhouse, but more recently was renovated and turned into this stunning boutique hotel in downtown San Antonio.  The brewery's industrial artifacts and gadgets have been incorporated into the hotel's design, and hotel guests feel as if they are a part of living history.

We made great use of Hotel Emma's Exposition Kitchen and celebrated food and drink with roughly 30 hotel guests.  Our honeys were paired with many fine cheeses and charcuterie, roasted vegetables and desserts.   One of the hotel's many talented bartenders created special cocktails to highlight our Lucky Lime & Sea Salt honey and our Fiery Sweet Mesquite honey.  And, an equally talented hotel chef prepared a wonderful spicy honey brittle also using our Fiery Sweet Mesquite honey.   Watch for these fun recipes to be posted very soon on our website's "Recipe" page!

Most of us already know that honey is created from nectar.  But, not everyone is aware of the actual process that bees use to make honey.  In a nutshell, bees collect nectar from flowers then turn the nectar into honey by adding enzymes and by applying dehydration.  The bees’ enzymes convert complex sugars (nectar) into more the simple sugars, namely glucose and fructose (honey).  Dehydration occurs inside the hive when bees steadily and quickly flap their wings, causing air to move around the surface of the honey and comb.  

Once honey is extracted from its comb, crystallization can occur.  This process is caused when glucose begins to separate from water, taking the form of crystals.  Honey crystallization is a natural process that can occur within just a few months of bottling and is a sure indication that you have raw healthy honey.  If your honey never crystallizes, that is most likely a sign you have pasteurized honey, which contains none of the healthy benefits of raw honey. 

​Crystallization can be somewhat controlled with proper storage.  Be sure to store your honey at room temperature (between 65-75) degrees and ensure the cap is closed completely.  Keep your honey in a dark place, like a pantry, and away from direct sunlight.

If you have honey that has crystallized, the remedy is quick and easy if you have the right tool.  We suggest that you wrap your honey in a heating pad for an hour or two, then the honey will revert to a liquid state and stay that way for several more weeks, perhaps even months.  When wrapped in the heating pad, you might place a book or another object upon it to help give some weight and deliver the warmth to the honey more quickly.
 
If you don't have a heating pad, try using hot water from the tap.  You can place your honey bottle in a small bowl inside your sink and let the hot water run directly onto the bottle.  This process takes awhile, but it will eventually do the trick.
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You can look as cool as Jonathan Walker (Walker Honey Farms) in a Lone Star Bee Company hat just like this!  Check out the apparel on our "Shop" page to see all of our fun wearables.

I'll admit it, I'm not a big fan of cooking.  But, I LOVE to eat tasty foods.  So to bridge the gap, I've created these easy recipes using our infused honeys!

Pork Chops

Coat skillet with EVOO. Pepper the chops and brown both sides over medium heat.  Cover with lid and reduce heat to low.  Cook thoroughly, 30-40 minutes depending upon thickness.  Remove lid and raise heat to high to thicken and intensify flavor of juices.   Remove from skillet and drizzle with Fiery Sweet Mesquite honey.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Heat oven to 400⁰, lightly coat Brussels Sprouts with EVOO.  Sprinkle with cracked pepper and roast in oven for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from oven and drizzle with Fiery Sweet Mesquite honey.  

Grilled Shrimp Tacos

Peel and devein 12 medium shrimp, pat dry.  Coat with EVOO, salt and pepper.  Heat grill to medium-high.  Grill shrimp until pink and curled, turning only once. Warm tortillas and add shrimp. Serve with cilantro, corn, sliced avocado, diced tomatoes, green onions.  Drizzle with Lucky Lime & Sea Salt honey.  Enjoy!

​Folks often tell how much they love our bee cowboy logo and we love it, too.  We give credit to the fabulous branding and design group, Caliber Creative out of Dallas, Texas.  At the start, we knew we wanted our company image to shine with a catchy, unique logo and a sophisticated design that would showcase our personal style.  We think they knocked it out of the park with their creativity.  Apparently, others think so too, as Caliber has won industry awards for their designs for Lone Star Bee Company.

​At this year’s ADDY awards, Caliber took home ten Dallas American Advertising Awards, one of which was a bronze award for their work with our Lone Star Bee Company packaging design.  In 2017, Caliber received five Dallas American Advertising Awards, including a silver award for the creation of our bee cowboy logo.
 
Lone Star Bee Company congratulates Caliber for receiving their well-deserved awards!

March is shaping up to be an exciting month here in the Lone Star State!   The Texas wildflowers are beginning to bloom and folks are eager to get outside and enjoy the fresh spring air.  This is our favorite time of year in southeast Texas and there's no better way to relish the fantastic weather than to head out to the many festivals that have been planned.  Pack up your friends and family and come see us at these fun festivals this month.   

Come join us at the 2nd Annual The Woodlands Shamrock Shindig on March 17 where you can pick up your very own Lucky Lime & Sea Salt clover honey to make margarita cocktails at home. While at the festival you can sip green beer, Irish beers and margaritas!  The festival  includes music of the Kites Band, Metanoia, Jesse & the Midnight Peddlers, Lil' Zac the DJ, as well as Bagpipers.  There'll be food from Mi Patio Grill, Wings on Wheels, Greek Squad, Kettle Express, Menchies Ice Cream, KICPOPS and more.  Shop vendors of all kinds and take the little ones to the Kid's Zone with inflatables and other activities. 
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Join in the fun at the SoTxFEST!  This is a 3-day family fun festival dedicated to supporting the local charity community.  SoTxFEST has 4 stages featuring many genre from Country to Red Dirt, gospel to jazz, from funk to classical, from Cowboy to Zydeco.  The festival schedules Texas musical groups and no matter what style of music you enjoy, you’ll find it at Spirit of Texas Festival.  Take your choice from many food options, which includes one of the biggest and baddest BBQ cook-offs in the Brazos Valley as well as a big, bold Texas-sized food truck competition.   Taste the best our state has to offer with 50 trucks serving award-winning offerings all day everyday.   Find us among the vendors and take home our Fiery Sweet Mesquite honey for your meats and veggie meals at home.
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You can’t miss this event!  Experience music and fun at the inaugural Tribute to Woodlands Music Festival.  Enjoy food trucks and the kid's zone, as well as 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s cover bands to include: VHT-Van Halen Tribute Band, Subdivided-Rush Tribute Band, Black Dog-Led Zepplin Tribute Band, Rusted Cage-Soundgarden Tribute Band, Foo Fakers-Foo Fighters Tribute Band, Nightbird-Fleetwood Mac Tribute Band, Grey Vinyl-Creedence Clearwater Revival Tribute Band and the Fab 5- Beatles Tribute Band.   We'll be sampling out our honeys so that you can decide which is your favorite to take home to drizzle on your favorite foods!
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Before Texas became a state, it was a country.  The Republic of Texas was a country born out of a fight for independence, on the backs of men and women at places like Gonzales, the Alamo and San Jacinto.

​In 1845, the Lone Star State was born.   Texans are very proud of their history.   And, we at Lone Star Bee Company are very proud of our name!

​​One of the many things that we Texans love about our state is the deep sense of pride that is shared by our residents.  Texas’s pride is the result of a fascinating and dramatic history that is like no other U.S. state.  One of our state’s well-remembered historical chapters occurred when Texas stood on its own as a nation; as the Republic of Texas.
 
Texas was once an independent, sovereign country known as the Republic of Texas.  The republic declared independence from the Republic of Mexico on March 2, 1836 and existed until February 19, 1846.  The boundaries of the country reached far north into states known today as Kansas, Colorado and Wyoming and westward into New Mexico and the size of the Republic of Texas totaled roughly 389,200 square miles.

​The first flag to represent the Republic of Texas was the Burnet Flag, which displayed a single gold star on a dark blue background.  In 1839, the Lone Star Flag was official adopted and still represents the state of Texas today.  

​A total of five presidents lead the Republic of Texas; David Burnet (interim president from March 16, 1836 – October 22, 1836), Sam Houston (first official president from October 22, 1836 – December 10, 1838), Mirabeau Lamar (December 10, 1838 – December 13, 1841), Sam Houston (December 13, 1841 – December 9, 1844) and Anson Jones (December 9, 1844 – February 19, 1846).
 
After 10 formidable years as a country, the U.S. Congress passed a bill allowing the annexation of the Republic of Texas on February 28, 1845.  On March 1, President John Tyler signed the bill and the date for annexation was scheduled for December 29, 1845.  While December 29 was the legal date of entry of Texas into the Union as the 28th state, the Republic of Texas did not formally transfer authority to the new State of Texas until February 19, 1846.  February 19 is the day that Texans recognize the end of the Republic of Texas.

Lone Star Bee Company was proud to support this year’s Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo by participating in one of the world’s largest gourmet food events.  This past weekend at the Rodeo Uncorked! Roundup & Best Bites competition, we enjoyed visiting with hundreds of folks who were eager to taste our Fiery Sweet Mesquite honey and our Lucky Lime & Sea Salt honey drizzled on cheese and charcuterie appetizers. 
 
We were privileged to sit alongside many of Houston’s top restaurants and culinary professionals.  Local food and wine enthusiasts enjoyed dishes from 106 Houston restaurants, chefs, caterers and food trucks paired with winning wines from the 2018 Rodeo Uncorked! International Wine Competition.  It was such a great time – we can’t wait to do it again next year! 

We are so thrilled that Lone Star Bee Company has joined up with the VERY best grocer in Texas!  As of today, our Fiery Sweet Mesquite and our Lucky Lime & Sea Salt infused honeys are now on shelves at five Houston H-E-B Grocery locations!  Swing by to pick up your very own!

• Montrose: 1701 West Alabama at Dunlavy Street
• Vintage Park: 10919 Louetta at State Highway 249
• The Woodlands: 9595 Six Pines at Lake Woodlands Drive
• San Felipe: 5895 San Felipe at Fountainview Drive
• Richmond (Aliana): 10161 West Grand Pkwy South at Bellfort Street

H‑E‑B's story began over 100 years ago in a small, family‑owned store in the Texas Hill Country.  Now, H‑E‑B serves families all over Texas and Mexico in 155 communities, with more than 340 stores and over 100,000 employees.
H-E-B is committed to excellence; exceptional service, low prices, and friendly shopping.   No store does more!!