Vegan Sausage Pasta with Ricotta, Basil & Chives

Ingredients:
- Vegan Grain Meat Italian Sausage
- Spaghetti noodles
- Diced Red Onion
- Freshly chopped basil
- Freshly chopped chives
- Ricotta cheese
- Olive oil

Boil the noodles in boiling water atop the stove as usual. Add a splash of olive oil and a few crushed leaves of basil for taste (the oil also helps the noodles not stick to the bottom of the pan). Dice the sausage and onions, chop the basil and chives. When noodles are as tender as you like, transport into your bowl, and drizzle a healthy amount of olive oil and add the sausage. Mix well! Add three dollops of ricotta cheese atop and then cover with the onions and herbs. You're ready to eat!

These recipes are made up from the heart of my own home, you are free to change them however fits your buds! I rarely give measurements because I don't use them... try tossing a few of your favorite things together and see what happens. You can always substitute the vegan grain meat for actual sausage, but I'll share, the vegan sausage is delish!

"Benefits of a Bicycle" by C.I.C.L.E.

This bicycle graphic brought nothing but a huge smile to my face! Illustrated by C.I.C.L.E., this graphic can be printed on an organic t-shirt and given as the perfect gift to anyone! You may be wondering what C.I.C.L.E. stands for? Cyclists Inciting Change thru Live Exchange. They are a non-profit org promoting cycling as transportation of choice. Jives perfectly with my effort to ride Gloria to work everyday! I'll have to admit, the temperature has gone a bit hot (105˚ to be exact), but maybe this week! Time for the tune up everyone... save the world one pedal at a time.

Check out Gloria's post... for those that don't know Gloria, she's my buzz-mobile... you'll have to click! AND one last thing. Be sure to "L I K E" Humblebee on Facebook: the big news will be revealed this Friday, but there will be fun things leading up to the announcement! {I've made it even easier by including the box below!}

Chevron is {definitely} in...

iamasongbird.com • View Artist's Site

bellemaison23.com • View Etsy Store

thisnext.com

Etsy's How-Tuesday item by Lucia & Nicole

bellevivir.blogspot.com • View Artist's Site

canadianoriginals.net • View Designer's Site

dana-made-it.com (it's a DYI project!)

eventlucky.com • View Etsy Store

http://madebygirl.com

Veggie & Cinnamon Nachos

The perfect weekend meal, with an obvious surprise ingredient.

Ingredients:

- organic blue corn chips with flax seed, low-sodium

- organic tomato salsa

- organic green salsa

- diced onion

- crushed chilis

- cinnamon

- cheddar cheese (a little is okay, right?)

Place your corn chips on the plate and smother with both salsas and diced onion. Sprinkle the crushed chilis all around (depending on how hot you want!) and then top with a bit of cheddar cheese to hold it all together. Now for the fun part... sprinkle a healthy amount of cinnamon over-top and believe me, it's delicious! If you try it out, take a picture and post it on the Humblebee facebook wall!

Benefits of cinnamon: 

• Lower LDL cholesterol

• Has a regulatory effect on blood sugar; beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes

• Ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections

• Reduces proliferation of leukemiz and lymphona cancer cells

• Anti-clotting effect on the blood

• Smelling cinnamon boost cognitive function and memory

• Fights E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices

• Inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage when added to food: a natural preservative!

(Rumor has it, a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and a 1/2 teaspoon of honey every morning prior to breakfast has significant relief in arthritis pain, too.)

Bon appétit!

In Loving Memory of Rosie

A few weeks back, I was introduced to a charming and sweet pup, Rosie. Her photoshoot was too much fun; she held onto her tennis ball like a child with their pacifier, loving played with Mama Ursula, and rolled around for hours, scratching her back in the green grass. In high spirits, she was quite the model.

View Rosie's Photoshoot

Sadly, Rosie passed the night of June 20th and the Harveys are quite distraught. Please send them good thoughts and vibes as we all remember Rosie. If you would like to leave a comment of encouragement, a story, or words of wisdom, I will gladly send on.

Happy Day to All Father's!

Dad's and their little girls share a special bond, one that cannot be replicated. Hats off to the dads that love us with all their heart and do it with a goofy grin on their face.

A few thanks to note...

I was lucky enough to have two fathers in my life. One for the first 10 years and one for the rest of my days. Love both of you so dearly much! You've helped me become who I am today and I can't thank you enough.

Orzo with Goat Cheese & Chives

Ingredients:

- orzo

- freshly cut chives

- goat cheese

- olive oil

Cook the orzo by boiling until tender... dice the chives and toss on top of the cooked orzo. Sprinkle the goat cheese and drizzle the olive oil. Voila. This recipe is so easy and so tasty. Take it to you next summertime cookout and dinner on the patio!

Bon appétit.

Sebastian & Paka

For the next three weeks, I will be cat-sitting for a dear friend who is traveling countryside with his new fiancée. How romantic was my first thought, too! Though at first Paka was a bit shy and Sebastian was a way too interested, these two will be inseparable once the month-long pre-honeymoon trip has concluded.

When I come home, my hair ties have been tossled, my coasters have been thrown, meowing fills the air, and the vroom! they are off chasing one another. I always wondered what Sebastian would be like with another feline member in the house. Looks like he's sold!

As always, all artwork/photography posted on The Humblebee Hive blog are property and under copyright of Ashley Stuart. I am honored when my artwork is used for inspiration, so shoot me an email or comment below sharing the inspiration you've gathered from this blog. Please contact for more information on purchase and/or public use.

Vegan Sausage & Artichokes

Ingredients:
- 1 Field Roast Smoke Apple Sage Vegan Sausage link
- 1 can of low or no sodium artichoke hearts
- olive oil
- any seasoning you'd like!

Drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of a saucepan set over medium to medium-high heat. Cut the vegan link into discs. Open, drain and rinse artichokes. Add both to the saucepan when oil is slightly sizzling. Mix in any seasonings you see fit for your taste buds that evening, let simmer and stir occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and serve warm with a side salad.

Seasonings used in above picture: dried basil, pepper and a dash of vinegar.
Serves 1 (with leftovers as always!)

















The Field Roast brand comes in a four-link pack in an array of flavors. I added diced Italian-flavored links to my spaghetti last night and it was delicious! Even if you aren't a proclaimed vegetarian or vegan... these have the same texture and taste as sausage, definitely no indigestion or heart-burn. Still worth a try!

The Gardens at Middleton Place : Finale

[... this concludes the Middleton Place feature ...]

I hope you all have enjoyed! Did you happen to catch the bug inside the red/yellow flower 2 pictures up? Or the crane stalking prey in 3 up? Tomorrow, this week's recipe will be featured so be sure to check back. If you are fond of any of the photos you've seen, please inquire about use and purchase. And next time you visit the Lowcountry, Middleton Place should definitely be on the "must-see" list.

www.middletonplace.org

As always, all artwork/photography posted on The Humblebee Hive blog are property and under copyright of Ashley Stuart. I am honored when my artwork is used for inspiration, so shoot me an email or comment below sharing the inspiration you've gathered from this blog. Please contact for more information on purchase and/or public use.

The Gardens at Middleton Place : Part Four

[... thought this was the last one, but there is still one more album to go after this...]

I hope you are enjoying these photos from The Middleton Place plantation. Such a beautiful and serene place; wonderful for family visits or trips alone. I have to try, but I hear the restaurant and cabins are equally as wonderful!

As always, all artwork/photography posted on The Humblebee Hive blog are property and under copyright of Ashley Stuart. I am honored when my artwork is used for inspiration, so shoot me an email or comment below sharing the inspiration you've gathered from this blog. Please contact for more information on purchase and/or public use.

The Gardens at Middleton Place : Part Three

[... the Peacock feature, simply divine...]

Upon finding this beautiful bird, I couldn't believe how close it let me stand while I photographed. Completely trusting (or maybe used to the attention?). It's counterpart on the other side of the barn had spread the tail feathers in an attempt to gain territory in the Middleton Place farm against some speckled hens (featured in yesterday's post!). Comical, but I'm so glad I was able to experience a peacock in the flesh.

Part Four, the final series, will be uploaded tomorrow. Be sure to take a peek!

As always, all artwork/photography posted on The Humblebee Hive blog are property and under copyright of Ashley Stuart. I am honored when my artwork is used for inspiration, so shoot me an email or comment below sharing the inspiration you've gathered from this blog. Please contact for more information on purchase and/or public use.