September is National Honey Month.

But bees do much more than make honey.

Bees are essential to grow hundreds of basic crops helping with food production and sustainability.

Yes, these little pollinators travel from plant to plant collecting nectar to make honey.

In the process, the plant’s pollen adheres to their bodies, and in a vital interaction, they inadvertently transfer the pollen from flower to flower, which pollinates the plants, many of which cannot self-pollinate.

This process:

 
 
HELP THE BEES THROUGH PROJECT APIS M.

This year, the National Honey Board is partnering with Project Apis m., the largest honey bee non-profit in the U.S.

(Apis mellifica, abbreviated Apis m., is the binomial name of the genus and species of honey bees.)

Project Apis m. is is committed to enhancing the health and vitality of honey bee colonies through research.

You can support the Honey Saves Hives campaign by purchasing a product made with honey from Kashi, Justin’s and Frönen, or by supporting Project Apis m. directly.
 
 
SUPPORT THESE BRANDS

For the month of September, the National Honey Board is partnering with Kashi, Justin’s and Frönen to raise money for honey bee research.

Each of these brands uses honey in their products, and each will be making a donation in September to an organization focused on honey bee health.

When you buy a product with honey, you’re supporting beekeepers and their efforts to keep honey bees healthy.

So check out these brands:

 
 
ADOPT A BEEHIVE

Adopt a beehive from The Honey Bee Conservancy.
 
 
HONEY BEE FACTS

 
 
> The History Of Bees & Honey

> The Different Types Of Honey

[1] Without honey bees, food on earth would be much more limited (photo © National Honey Board).

[2] Help the bees by snacking on Frönen Nondairy Frozen Desserts.

[3] Enjoy peanut, almond and hazelnut butter from Justin’s Nut Butters & Peanut Butter Cups.

[4] Breakfast with Kashi Whole Grain Cereals.

[1] Combine kale or spinach with squash (there are two types here), grilled onions and a large dice of root vegetables (photo © Good Eggs).

[2] Fall salad with apple, squash, manchego cheese and toasted hazelnuts, at Kindred Restaurant in Davidson, North Carolina (photo © M. Blake Pope | Kindred).

[3] Pear and endive salad (photo © Barrel And Dashes).

[4] Delicata squash is just the right size to slice into rings or half rings for salad (photo © Good Eggs).

Fall begins tomorrow. In addition to switching over your wardrobe, switch your groceries to eat seasonally.

We’re starting with fall salads.

Mix and match ingredients from infographic below, which was created by Good Eggs.

Consider ingredients like:

 
Also consider a more seasonal vinaigrette: balsamic, Dijon, maple or red wine for example.
 
 
RECIPE: MAPLE VINAIGRETTE

This recipe adds maple syrup to a Dijon vinaigrette.

Ingredients For 2 Servings

 
 
Preparation

1. Whisk the ingredients together, or add to a jar, cap, and shake.
 
FALL SALAD RECIPES

 
Or MIX & MATCH from the chart below.

To many of us, it’s a decision between ordering lasagna, eggplant parm, or chicken parm. What if there were eggplant parm lasagna? And what if you added in some chicken parm?

DeLallo has made the decision easy with this Eggplant Parm Lasagna recipe.

If you want to make it a triple-play with chicken parm, add shredded chicken between the layers.

The recipe is below.

July is National Eggplant Month, and August 17th is National (and World) Eggplant Day.

October is National Pasta Month and October 17th is National Pasta Day.

Food for thought!
 
 
> The history of eggplant.

> The history of lasagna.
> The history of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
 
 
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO
& PARMESAN CHEESE

“Parmesan” cheeses are made in a variety of countries. But authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese can be produced only in the Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Mantua, and Bologna.

 
Many people buy generic parmesan because it’s much less expensive than authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano.

There is a huge difference in taste: Parmigiano-Reggiano is more intense and flavorful, and parmesan is milder.

Here’s more about Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
 
 
EGGPLANT PARMIGIANO LASAGNA

Ingredients
 
For The Eggplant

 
Preparation

DeLallo recommends “sweating” the eggplant to remove as much moisture as possible.

1. SWEAT the eggplant. Simply place the eggplant slices in a colander and sprinkle with kosher salt. Allow the eggplant to set for 30 minutes; then remove it from the colander and pat dry.

2. COMBINE the breadcrumbs, parsley, 1/4 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Place the breadcrumb mixture, flour, and eggs in three separate dishes.

3. BREAD the eggplant. First, dredge the slices in flour, making sure to shake off any excess. Next, dip them into the beaten eggs, making sure to let any excess drip off. Finally, dredge them in the breadcrumb mixture to coat them well. Allow the breaded eggplant to rest before frying.

4. HEAT the olive oil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Once the oil is ready—which can be determined by tossing in a breadcrumb to see if it sizzles—fry the eggplant until golden. Be sure to turn the slices for even cooking, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the eggplant from the oil and place it onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels.

5. PREHEAT the oven to 375˚F. Combine the grated mozzarella, provolone, and Parmigiano in a mixing bowl.

6. ASSEMBLE the layered dish. Spread about 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish. Nest layer with the breaded eggplant, allowing pieces to slightly overlap. Top with 1 cup of marinara. If using chicken, add the shredded chicken on top of the marinara. Either way, next cover evenly with the cheese mixture. Repeat this layering process two more times.

7. COVER assembled dish with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until bubbling. Uncover, then bake to fully melt cheese for another 5 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes and serve.
 
 
5 TIPS FOR PERFECT LASAGNA FROM DELALLO

1. Use no-boil noodles. Sure, they aren’t quite “old school,” but no-boil noodles make for the ultimate dish of lasagna. While no-boil noodles definitely require a little more sauce (they absorb more liquid when cooking), your cooked noodles will retain a better al dente texture. Besides, it’s a great way to save time.

2. Strain the ricotta. Who likes a runny lasagna? The number one cause of drippy lasagna (besides cutting into it too quickly) is wet ricotta. Strain your ricotta with cheesecloth or in a fine mesh strainer, before you layer up your baked pasta. Ricotta can be strained for up to 24 hours before use.

[2] Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (photo © Murray’s Cheese).

[3] Bring the wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano and the grater to the table, and let everyone grate away (photo © Yin Yang | iStock Photo).

[4] Italian eggplant (photo © Amber Engle | Unsplash).

[5] Mozzarella cheese. Here’s more about mozzarella (photo © Murray’s Cheese).

[6] Provolone cheese (photo © Murray’s Cheese).

4. Get it brown and bubbly. Don’t forget to remove the foil covering the lasagna for the last 15-20 minutes of cook time. That will give you a browned top with bubbling cheese.

5. Let it rest. As eager as you may be to cut into that lasagna, you have to wait. Let the lasagna rest, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes to avoid a sloppy mess. Alternatively, you also can make the lasagna a day ahead and reheat it.

________________

*Cook the breasts lightly, since they will be further cooked in the oven.
 
 

[1] Start the day with the tastiest multivitamin you can imagine (all photos © Mybite).

[2] Who wouldn’t want to start the day with a hint of chocolate?

[3] Take your vitamin before or after exercise.

[4] You won’t have to cajole kids to take their vitamins.

Goodbye, multivitamin pills with an aftertaste. Hello, chocolatey squares that look and taste like Snickers.

They’re the first multivitamin with a chocolatey coating, caramel, nuts, and a fluffy center.

The new way to take your vitamins comes from Mybite Vitamins.

Co-founders Kate Jones and Marty Rifkin invented the gummy bear vitamin more than 20 years ago.

Their latest venture, Mybite, offers eight types of healthy supplements delivered through a patented chocolatey delivery system.

Their goal was to create a vitamin that everyone would look forward to taking. They have succeeded.

You won’t even know you’re taking a vitamin.

Well, you will, but your palate won’t.

The varieties include:

 
 
HEALTHY CHOCOLATE BITES THROUGHOUT THE DAY

 
Each bite has 25 calories and 3 grams of sugar—about the same (or fewer) calories and sugar than traditional gummy vitamins.

But Mybite is much tastier.

 
 
GET YOUR MYBITES

Find Mybite nationwide at CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens and Walmart; online at Walmart, Amazon and elsewhere.

[1] An Oktoberfest pretzel pack gift set from Eastern Standard Provisions (photo © Eastern Standard Provisions).

[2] A perfect balance of German malt & hops, our Oktoberfest lager is a beautiful burnt orange and in color (photos #2 and #3 © Wallenpaupack Brewing Co.).

[3] Straight from the tap at Wallenpaupack Brewing Co.’s Brewpub.

Märzen beers have reddish hues (photo courtesy Craft Beer).

[4] At Oktoberfest, chickens are spit-grilled. Here’s the recipe for Oktoberfest Chicken from German Foods (photo © German Foods).

More than 7 million revelers would have been expected yesterday at the 2020 Oktoberfest celebration in Munich. But, like much else, it was Covid-cancelled.

Thus, for beer lovers the world over who are concerned about social distancing and don’t want to try a local pub, the beer, pretzels and Oktoberfest music can be enjoyed safely at home.

If you want to enjoy the traditional Bavarian cheese spread, Obatzda, with your pretzels: Here’s the recipe.

We made some yesterday.

It was part of our lunch (traditional Oktoberfest spit-grilled chicken we bought from our supermarket), with Oktoberfest Märzen from Wallenpaupack Brewing Co. in Pennsylvania. And lots of soft pretzels.

The history of Oktoberfest is below.

Oktoberfest 2020 would have run from September 19th through October 4th. There’s plenty of time to get your beer and pretzels and celebrate.

For next year, hopefully:

 
 
YUMMY SOFT PRETZELS FROM
EASTERN STANDARD PROVISIONS.

Eastern Standard Provisions brought the taste of Oktoberfest right into our home with its special Oktoberfest Gift Box (photo #1).

How about sending your favorite beer-lover a box of hand-twisted soft pretzels?

These pillowy-soft pretzels, individually wrapped, arrive in a gift box along with some of the company’s signature flavored salts and artisanal dipping sauces.

Just heat-and-eat, or freeze to enjoy later. There’s a special Oktoberfest gift set for $29.99.

Plus, there are additional gift boxes.

Even if they’re not beer drinkers, every pretzel lover will enjoy a box of these delicious soft pretzels.

There are large twisted soft pretzels, topknot soft pretzels, pretzel buns and slider, soft pretzel bites, and soft pretzel sticks.

Take a look: You’ll be in pretzel heaven.

Also take a look at the salts and sugars, and the flavored mustards and dipping sauces, you can pair with the pretzels. They’re special.

And with the holidays not far away, there are gift sets that promise love at first bite (we can confirm that!).
 
 
WHAT IS OKTOBERFEST BEER?

Here’s something you may not know about Oktoberfest beer. The history of Oktoberfest itself begins belowsource].

So why do we drink a beer called March in October?

The first so-named “Oktoberfest” Märzen-style beer was brewed for the Munich Oktoberfest in 1872.

As you’ll see from the dates below, it seems to have taken a long while for marketing minds to realize that Oktoberfest was an opportunity to promote an “exclusive” beer for the 16 days of festivities.

Many brands took the opportunity to sell “Oktoberfest” beer, although it’s typically just an Oktoberfest label on the breweries’ Märzens.

As for Märzen beer: this style of lager became so popular that with the advent of modern brewing technology, it became a staple, brewed year-round.

> The Different Types Of Beer
 
 
IF IT’S OKTOBERFEST, WHY DOES IT
START IN SEPTEMBER?

The first thing to know about Oktoberfest is that it starts in September. Why?

Given its popularity, the festival was lengthened to 16 days (the original was 5 days) and moved to start in September to take advantage of September’s warmer weather, while still providing some time in October.

The last day of the festival is now fixed at the first Sunday in October, so it could still be Oktoberfest.

Here’s the official Oktoberfest website, which provided much of the history below.
 

THE HISTORY OF OKTOBERFEST

In 1553, Bavarian Duke Albrecht V decreed it illegal to brew beer in Bavaria between April 23rd and September 24th. These months are typically too warm for brewing, and doing so risks bacterial growth that spoils beer.

Thus, brewers ramped up production in March to have enough supply for the next five months. These March beers, called Märzens, were brewed stronger and lagered so they would keep throughout the summer.

The term “Oktoberfest” did not have a connection to Märzen-style beer for another 300-plus years, 62 years after the first Oktoberfest.

The first Oktoberfest celebration began with the Royal Wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, on October 12, 1810.

Of course, everybody had a great time. So in the following years the celebrations were repeated—with interruptions for the Napoleonic Wars and other chaotic events. Small beer stalls opened.

In the mid 1810s, a few beer stands arrived to sell refreshments to attendees. In 1881, the first spit-roasted chicken outlet opened.

The first time breweries sponsored tents and large-scale drinking halls debuted in 1896.
 
 
TODAY’S OKTOBERFEST

With the advent of electrified cities, booths and carousels with electrical lighting appeared. Performers came. Due to the ever-increasing demand for beer, breweries set up huge beer tents with musicians, replacing the traditional small beer stalls.

In addition to beer festivities, Oktoberfest has become world’s largest Volksfest: a beer festival and travelling amusement park. Each year, new and more exciting rides appeared.

In 2005, a “quiet Oktoberfest” was introduced to make the more attractive to families.

 
Oktoberfest continued to develop into the festival we now know it—including the roasted chicken, of course.

________________

*In 1834, the first working vapor-compression refrigeration system was built. The first commercial ice-making machine was invented in 1854. Here’s more about early refrigeration.