Cheerio Squares and Saving the Bees

My daughter, Emily, has been making this delicious little treat lately. We just love her No-bake Peanut Butter Cheerio Squares! (see the recipe at the bottom of this post)

 It all started with buying a box of Honey Nut Cheerios. Frankly, the big draw was that the packaging offered a free hat or free shirt, and they are offering free wildflower seeds to help save the bees. I am not an affiliate or anything like that. I am just a bit of a sucker for giveaways.

We have received our free seeds already and are waiting for our free hat. I do want to caution that even native plants should be used appropriately in the correct habitat. A plant that does well and is a normal part of our environment here in Winnipeg could turn into an invading plant species in another location. We intend to plant our wildflower seeds in a planter or plant pot and keep them more contained in our yard and do not plan to spread them out in the wild like by our cottage by the lake.

We really do care about the pollinators of our world. Bees, butterflies and other insects are needed to keep our agriculture businesses healthy and food on the table. 

I have done a very successful Recreation Program about honey and bees for work at the nursing home, and I think it is time to do it again. Talking about bees and insects is great for discussion and reminiscence. I will have to be careful not to do any projects that actually attract any bees to our patio area and too close to our residents. Still, we certainly can learn about bees and honey and what we can do to help. During May, I am doing programming focusing on butterflies. They are also a pollinator but can't sting anyone!

According to the Honey Bee Conservancy, there are 10 things we can do to help promote healthy bees for the future.

1. Plant a garden for bees. This doesn't mean you have to buy a lot of extra plants but rather consider purchasing plants that support bees and other pollinators. I know one secret. Those are often the most attractive and fragrant flowers, which will make your garden or window box look beautiful.
2. Go chemical-free. Look into an organic or natural way to take care of your plants.
3. Become a Citizen Scientist. Help collect data and information that can be shared to get a fuller picture of our world.
4. Provide trees. They provide nectar with the flowers and habitat for them too.
5. Provide a bee and butterfly bath. That is basically a shallow dish of water with rocks in it for the insects to have a drink.
6. Build homes for native bees. That could be providing undisturbed spaces or little bee homes filled with small tubes to be homes for certain types of bees.
7. Give bees homes. You can learn about having your own hive or supporting other community organizations in beekeeping or preserving natural spaces for insect life.
8.  Inspire the next generation. We can help teach children how to be good stewards of our world in the future. 
9. Host fundraisers to support organizations that bring awareness
10. Support local beekeepers and organization. Try buying local honey and wax products. I love getting local honey at my favourite farmers market, and it is always a welcome gift for friends.

                                           

 https://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/how-to-save-the-bees/

Here are a couple little extra resources that I intend to use at work when we make our No-bake Peanut Butter Cheerio Squares!

Want to sing a song?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1ubG2f1-to Jimmie Rodgers Honeycomb (1957)

The History of Cheerios

 https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/74142/8-things-you-might-not-know-about-cheerios

And Finally, the Recipe!

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cheerio Squares

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Peanut Butter
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 3 cups Cheerios
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips (Optional) 

Method:

1. line an 8 x 8 baking pan with parchment and parchment paper or foil 
2. place the peanut butter and honey in a large pot on the stove or in a larger microwave save bowl.
3. heat while frequently stirring until they are melted and thoroughly combined 
4. remove from heat and then stir in the cheerios and, if desired, the chocolate chips.
5. pour into your parchment or foil-lined pan.
6. chill in the fridge for an hour or longer 
7. cut into squares using a sharp knife. 
   

Notes:

If you want a different look and a chocolatey taste, an alternative is to melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and spread them on top of the chilled mixture like you would frosting. Let it set before cutting.

#savethebees

#beethesolution