MOLINE - She's a Sophomore at Iowa State University, a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, and the 2017 American Honey Queen.
On Monday, July 17th, Maia Jaycox stopped by Good Morning Quad Cities to explain the importance of honey and honeybees as well as her interest in beekeeping, biology, and agriculture.
She also taught News 8's Angie Sharp how to make a couple of recipes with honey:
Raspberry-Lime Fruit Soda
2 C. raspberries
¼ C. fresh lime juice (juice from 2 limes)
2 Tbsp. HONEY
Sparkling water, as desired.
Directions:
Blend first three ingredients until smooth. Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain puree to remove any seeds or pulp. Puree can be refrigerated in airtight container up to one week. To serve, combine with sparkling water and ice, as desired. Makes 1-2 cups of concentrate, enough to make 4-6 servings.
Hot Honey Snack Crackers
¼ C. HONEY
½ C. butter
1 package ranch salad dressing mix (or 3 Tbsp.)
¼ tsp. ground cayenne red pepper
8 C. oyster crackers
Directions:
Heat oven to 300°F. Line a large jelly roll pan with foil. Place butter and HONEY in a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Stir in ranch dressing mix and cayenne pepper until thoroughly combined. Place crackers in a large bowl and gently stir in hot HONEY mixture until the crackers are evenly coated. Pour onto the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 15 minutes, gently stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on baking pan. Crackers will be sticky until cooled. Store in an airtight container.
For more information on the 2017 American Honey Queen, click here.
For more information on the American Beekeeping Federation, click here.