On Saturday I made my annual batch of Marmalade. I can now call it annual as I also made some last year. In fact, being new to the craft of Marmalading last year, I took photos of much of the process. I had in mind to write a silly book about it complete with illustrations by my daughter. I did not. There was too much to do.
Until… this week.
You need to know that Sunday was our nephew Eden’s dedication day, and therefore time for another tradition to continue. As each of our nephews and niece turned one and were christened/dedicated, I have written a short book for the occasion. None are really worthy of publication, and Marmalade Bee comes with a warning. The material is really not suitable for one-year-olds who are not versed in cooking, eating marmalade or honey, or spotting hymenoptera-related cheesy jokes.
Still, it is probably just about good enough to include here.
Most bees love making honey.
They put all their honey
in the honey bank.
Life is all
honey…
honey…
honey.
It’s what gives bees their buzz.
Marmalade Bee is
a bit different from most other bees.
Marmalade Bee just loves oranges.
Big, orange, juicy oranges.
Orange juice – Yum.
Orange pie – Yum.
Even barbecued orange with orange on top.
One day Marmalade Bee had an idea.
She didn’t drone on about it.
Marmalade Bee just decided she
could not make any more honey.
Instead, she collected
some oranges,
a couple of lemons,
a lot of sugar and
some empty honey jars.
She took all the peel off the oranges.
She cut some of the peel into tiny pieces.
She put the rest into a cloth
and cooked it in water for a long time.
Nobody knew what she was doing!
Can you guess?
At the right time, Marmalade Bee
took out the cloth
and measured the juice.
She added just the right amount of sugar.
She was a very busy bee.
The sugar soon disappeared.
The mixture smelt yummy.
Marmalade Bee made it very hot.
Ouch!
Be careful Marmalade Bee!
All the other bees started dancing.
They wanted to know what it was;
they had never smelt anything like it.
Marmalade Bee smiled.
She took her clean honey jars.
When it was soft like wax,
Marmalade Bee stopped cooking.
She stirred it and put it carefully into jars.
She tried not to spill any.
All the other bees were buzzing.
What was going to happen next?
All the jars were sealed.
Marmalade Bee was very pleased.
She had found the perfect orange recipe.
She never had to make honey again
and her mixture was the bee’s knees.
It was really very yummy on toast too.
‘What will you call it?’
All the other bees asked.
‘Hum…’
Said Marmalade Bee.
‘…I don’t know.’
‘Orange you glad
We are here to help’
The bees said,
And they called it
‘Marmalade’
jam and giraffes 
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