Cal Orey's Blog, page 172

My Dog is Back & Eating...Now I'm Sick as a Dog!

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

Food is important for two-leggers and four-leggers. On July 17, my youngest Brittany, Seth got sick early in the morning. Then, for the next week it was becoming too commonplace. After the fourth time, it was to the vet. My boy was losing weight. My food-loving fur child no longer was interested in food. At all.
Fast forward: Tests: blood work, x-ray, ultrasound, and much more... Every test came back negative. Normal. My happy, active, carefree dog with an even temperament was healthy but losing weight. What's more, his awesome spirit and energy was down in the dumps. Diagnosis? Unknown.  Potential food allergy to his dog kibble or perhaps he snagged something quick and gulped it down on his daily walks. 
During the three week ordeal, I was haunted by dreams and nightmares.  In one, a dog-loving friend came to my front door and gave me pink carnations and a white health drink. Another was of a coyote (trickster) that attacked Seth but didn't take my dog down. He survived. Then, I was hit was images of the scary man loses dog in the films "Marley & Me" and "I Am Legend" and "Old Yeller"--not fun...
But after 24 hours, the 2nd type of antibiotics for gastrointestinal woes and finding the right food for a sensitive tummy (this was a challenge!), and cooking chicken breasts and brown rice did the trick.
Seth is back 99.9%--pointing, scarfing his healthy, new food, drinking water (without coaxing), jumping on the dining room table, barking, and being a loving dog and into food. Of course, it's time to fatten up my bird dog -- gradually. And, I will be changing his diet to another premium brand, gradually, too.
Meanwhile, after concern, worry, stress, and a few meltdowns I did survive the ordeal of puppy in crisis. But, during the event I didn't eat either and went on the "Lose 5 lbs. Sick Doggie Diet" which works like a charm. And now, my throat hurts, ears ache, I have a fever, aches and pains, and am wiped out from trying to be strong in between tears. It's time for oranges, water, teas, honey, coffee, chocolate, chilling, and getting well. 
On the upside, my beloved canine will help me heal with his unconditional love, doggie kisses, bear hugs, tail wags.  He's back and part of the pack! And yeah, I believe God loves dogs a lot!

The Joy of Cooking with Coffee: Mocha Cake

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet
Discover why this potent elixir has gone from vice to virtue and how to incorporate coffee in Mediterranean-style healthful recipes like Cappuccino Biscotti, Thai Coffee Spiced Chicken Sates, Coffee Cheesecake and Maple Espresso Pudding (plus DIY espresso drinks).

It's all here--and so much more--in the new, revolutionary book The Healing Powers of Coffee (Kensington Books).  This book was even purchased by the Good Cook Book Club -- thanks to the tested recipes by pro chefs, major coffee companies, and well-known health spas nationwide. Check out this cake with a scrumptious twist of java!


Mystery Mocha Cake* * *     The only mysterious thing about this cake is how it can be so delicious and still contain virtually no fat. Looking at this deep, almost black chocolate cake, cushioned in a velvety fudge sauce, you’ll think, “No way. No way is this cake low-calorie.” But, at 124 calories a serving (not including the whipped cream/ice cream you’ll be dying to add), it won’t push your calorie count for the day into the stratosphere.CAKE ¾ cup (5 ¼ ounces) granulated    
sugar                 
1 cup (4 ¼ ounces) King Arthur Unbleached  All-purpose or White Whole Wheat Flour 2 teaspoons baking powder                           
¼ teaspoon salt           ¼ cup (3/4 ounce) low-fat cocoa                  
¾ cup (6 ounces)  skim milk 2 teaspoons salt SAUCE ½ cup (3 ¼ ounces) brown sugar, packed    
½ cup (3 ½ ounces) granulated sugar cup 
3/4 ounce low-fat cocoa                                                 
1 cup (8 ounces) double-strength coffee,   room temperature                                                           
CAKE     Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa. Add the milk and vanilla; beat till smooth. Pour the batter into a lightly greased 8 x 8-inch pan.SAUCE     In a small bowl, mix together the white and brown sugars and cocoa. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the pan. Pour the coffee over all. This may look kind of strange and messy, but never fear; everything will turn out fine.     Bake the cake for 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when pressed gently. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. This cake is best enjoyed warm, between half an hour and an hour after you’ve taken it out of the oven. Yield: 1 cake, sixteen 2 x 2-inch servings. Yield: 1 cake, sixteen 2 x 2 inch servings.(Source: Courtesy King Arthur Flour.)


EVENTS FOR THE HEALING POWERS SERIES8/5 Sunday
8:30-9:00 AM
SF Bay Area LIVE KSFO AM with Bob Tanem
The Healing Powers of Coffee

8/11 Saturday
3:00 - 6:00 PM
Barnes and Noble Booksellers - Stevens Creek3600 Stevens Creek Boulevard
San Jose 95117 [image error]408-984-3495
8/16
4:00 PM PST
Voice America with Terri-Sue
The Healing Powers of Vinegar


9/1 Saturday
Barnes and Noble Booksellers - Gilroy
Saturday September 1, 2012, 3:00 PM
6825 Camino Arroyo, Gilroy, CA 95020
 [image error](408) 846-5777

Here Comes Animal Attraction for Cat & Dog Lovers

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet
Animal Attraction: A Collection of Tales and Tails
CUDDLE UP TO THE WARMHEARTED HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND! Companion animal facts that’ll surprise you…
*  Whether it’s ESP, superior senses, feline intuition, or a change in routine, your pet may sense danger, and give you a warning to keep you out of harm’s way. * Cats and dogs have an incredible homing instinct—it may be linked to a human-pet love connection.
 * Unforgettable animal angels may exist… Real heroes and gifts from our animal companions can and does happen.
* Beyond 9 lives:  Why canines and felines come back from the brink may be connected to the  amazing bond.
 * Reading a pet’s mind is not far-fetched. There are ways to make a psychic connection in real life and the hereafter.
* Intriguing articles on dog-loving author John Steinbeck and Cat Fancier western novelist Zane Grey to the unforgettable Snoopy's creator Charles Schulz are shared.

* * *Written from the perspective of a veteran animal writer, flanked by her devoted pet menagerie, Cal Orey shares the best of her nationally published magazine articles (including top animal behaviorists and veterinarians). This fascinating and fun book dishes out the power of love and loyalty between companion animals and mankind. Also included, are insightful and fun quizzes to heartfelt and exciting anecdotes, along with how-to pet-related facts you didn’t know. This witty and warm must-read is a true gift for every animal lover—and deserves a paws up from four-leggers around the world.



"In Animal Attraction Cal Orey excels at a rare combination. She combines well researched expertise, respect for human-animal emotional connection, dynamic humor, and honoring the angelic nature of animals by showing their power to heal hearts and minds with unconditional love."
--Allen and Linda Anderson, co-founders of Angel Animals Network (www.angelanimals.net); authors of Dogs and the Women Who Love Them, Angel Dogs, Angel Cats, and Angel Horses



Animal Attraction: A Collection of Tales & Tails
Snowy Creek Books
ISBNs:

PAPERBACK ISBN-13: 978-1-59819-153-0
E-Book ISBN-13: 978-1-59819-154-7
Posted by Cal Orey, Author-Intuitive at 9:06 AM 1

New Coffee Book Events: YOWL!

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet


My mistress "Callie" works day at night on the computer. Every morning she comes back to bed and sips a cup of java juice. For more than a year, she worked like a dog to create number 5 of the Healing Powers series. I'm proud of her.
I kept her company during the research, interviewing, writing, and proofing. Like a good cat, I gave her companionship and unconditional love during the ups and downs of creating The Healing Powers of Coffee...
Nowadays, Ms. Callie is still busy at work booking book signings at Barnes and Noble bookstores, lining up guest appearances on live radio shows, and getting media print in newspapers and mags. I'm proud of her.
During her busy work as an author--she multi-tasks with other books. Her next new book "Animal Attraction: A Collection of Tales and Tails" (Snowy Creek Books) includes me and will debut in August. What's more, to keep me happy and healthy she bought me my favorite toy mice and premium cat food. And like a good cat, I've been tolerating the Brittany duo. They act like felines and know I'm in charge.
P.S. I don't really want to be home alone with the pet sitter when Callie goes off to Barnes and Noble. I will miss her. A lot. But I know she'll be home again because she is going to go back to work on "The Secrets of Soul Mates" (Snowy Creek Books) I sense I'm going to be in it. We're soul mates, sort of.


Events: Radio, Magazines, Newsletters

7/27
4:00 PM
BBC Radio
Connecting the Light withMichael Quinsey


8/1
Oracle 20-20 Magazine
The Healing Powers of Coffee in
Earth Changes Column

8/5 Sunday
8:30-9:00 AM
SF Bay Area LIVE KSFO AM with Bob Tanem
The Healing Powers of Coffee


08/11 Saturday
3:00 - 6:00 PM
Barnes and Noble Booksellers - Stevens Creek3600 Stevens Creek Boulevard
San Jose 95117408-984-3495
8/16
4:00 PM PST
Voice America with Terri-Sue
The Healing Powers of Vinegar


9/1 Saturday
Barnes and Noble Booksellers - Gilroy
Saturday September 1, 2012, 3:00 PM
6825 Camino Arroyo, Gilroy, CA 95020
(408) 846-5777

Here Comes The Coffee Book That'll Perk You Up!

Wake Up To The Amazing Perks Of Coffee! 
In just two weeks, you'll be able to read everything you want to know about  the world's favorite "new" surprising superfood--a cup of joe! It's the beverage we can't live without--yet few consume it without some guilt.




Java facts you didn’t know...



According to legend, an Ethiopian goat herder was the first to discover the energizing benefits of the coffee bean plant centuries ago.Drinking freshly ground coffee from whole beans can help lower the risk of heart disease, cancer (including breast, prostate and skin), cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease!Coffee is the number #1 source of antioxidants in the U.S. diet.Two antioxidants key to coffee's health buzz are chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid; and coffee boasts more antioxidants than cocoa and tea!Coffee can relieve a host of ailments, including asthma, dental woes, gallstones, headaches, short term memory loss, muscle pain, as well as help you slim down and shape up!
Percolating with information about the world’s favorite “new” health food, as well as interviews with medical doctors, researchers, and coffee roasters, this intriguing book (with a jolt of past and present coffee culture) reveals coffee types and blends, and flavored varieties (both regular and decaf), like chocolate, fruits, nuts, and spices. Discover why this potent elixir has gone from vice to virtue and how to incorporate coffee in Mediterranean-style, healthful recipes like Cappuccino Biscotti, Thai Coffee Spice Chicken Sates, Coffee Cheesecake and Maple Espresso Pudding (plus DIY espresso drinks). Also included are more than 50 home cures that fight seasonal affective disorder to fatigue, plus beauty and anti-aging treatments, and eco-friendly household uses—all made with coffee’s magical beans!


Foreword
In writing the Foreword to The Healing Powers of Coffee, I am confronted by the delicious ubiquity of this most friendly of drinks. For hundreds of years, coffee has started our day, ended our meals, and served as nucleation for budding conversations in cafés around the globe. And today, its recent retail explosion penetrates our cultural awareness to a degree that we have not seen previously in our lifetimes.
What a perfect time for this book! What a perfect time to take a fresh look at the eye-opening health properties of coffee. There are some myths to overcome, new data to consider, and an even stronger array of reasons to wrap two hands around this beverage and make it part of your daily routine.


COFFEE, THE TIMELESS
Coffee has become that anchor of sanity that brings in the morning for over 150 million Americans every day. And even though it has morphed over time from a “cup of joe” steaming from the curved ceramic mug of the local diner to a specialty drink made from specialty cafes, the essence of coffee’s ritual comfort remains. For our parents and their parents, this delicious drink has been a red thread of cultural continuity across time.
Even today, coffee remains woven so completely into the folds of our everyday experience that it carries the comfortable feeling of your favorite jeans that bring recurrent pleasure with each new wearing. At my own house, for example, we have “couch time” every morning, where our own ritual has me making the coffee at 6:00 A.M. My wife and I share that drink together on the couch for 20 minutes every single morning, before wading into the Class-5 rapids of another day. Like millions of other experiences—all similar but different—our daily coffee couch time conversation becomes a continuity of our enduring relationship with coffee.


COFFEE, OUR RITUAL BEVERAGE
While living in France for two years, doing research on the brain, I went through the wonderful routine of eating lunch every day. There are many misconceptions about the relaxed pace of eating in this part of the world. For example, although it’s true that their lunch period is actually more of a lunch epoch, lingering on until about 2:30 every day, they are not eating the entire time. It actually takes them about 40 minutes or so to finish their meal.
This is where ritual comes in. After every lunch, we would amble off to “finish” the meal with a little espresso. The point wasn’t to bring a lidded, big-gulp bucket of what is essentially a caffeine delivery device back to your desk, but to sit with your friends and talk over this lovely beverage. Within this daily ritual, coffee is a product but, more important, a process of communicating with people.


COFFEE, THE HEALTH DRINK
The Mediterranean people have one of the healthiest diets on earth, and they drink coffee every day. It’s funny, though, because when I suggest to people that we should follow suit and add a cup of coffee to our lives, I’m often met with shrieks of protest or dismay. People with those concerns, however, need to “wake up and smell the coffee,” because the most recent data confirms what you see in healthy cultures around the planet: Our favorite common morning eye-opener is extremely good for you.
I know, I know. Coffee was associated with cancer some 60 years ago, but according to newer massive studies, coffee consumption is associated with decreased risk of cancer (colon, breast, and prostate). So, if you’re concerned about the kinds of foods you need to eat in order to prevent the development of those cancers, you may just want to sit down, have a cup of coffee, and mull it over.
While you’re thinking over the internal organs you’re protecting with your java jolt, keep in mind that you’re also doing your brain a favor. Coffee consumption also improves cognitive function, so you think better. And at the risk of sounding like a late-night infomercial (But Wait There’s More!), it is also associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson’s as well as Alzheimer’s disease. So don’t forget to take your coffee in the morning or you may start forgetting to take your coffee in the morning.


COFFEE, TO LOVE
All those incredible health properties of coffee are available when you have it in control. If you have a couple or three cups per day, you get all that brain boosting and cancer prevention. But coffee is like any other food: If a little is healthy for you, a bucket is awful. In other words, the health or ill health of this drink is about not only the coffee itself but also whether you use it or abuse it.
How much is enough/too much? If you need a rule, try this: Love your coffee. Just remember that love is not the same thing as con- sumption—whether for your food or your drink or anything in your life. The only way to really love your coffee, and get the maximum health benefits from this wonderful drink, is to taste it. Enjoy it. Focus on the flavor, and trade in high-quantity for high-quality consumption. Crazy, right?
It turns out that if you love your coffee in this way, you end up developing a taste for it without needing the sugars or other additives. Even better, when you actually love your coffee and take time with it, you end up controlling consumption through your better behavior. That way, you get to enjoy all the wonderful benefits that Cal Orey’s The Healing Powers of Coffee reveals, every day.
—Will Clower, Ph.D., author of The Fat Fallacy: Applying the French Diet to the American Lifestyle and The French Don’t Diet Plan: 10 Simple Steps to Stay Thin for Life

San Jose, a Place of My First Coffee Experience

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet Release date July 31Coming Home...In the real world as a little girl (with a big imagination) I didn't live in Brazil, nor was I raised surrounded by coffee trees. Back in the fifties, I was born in a suburban neighborhood in San Jose, California--a place where coffee was bought in a can at the store and percolated in an electric coffeepot. My life as I knew it was simple amid houses with white picket fences, sidewalks, and planted shrubs and flowers. It came with two parents--my father was Scottish, my mother Irish Catholic--two siblings, a dog and ct, and the music of the ice-cream man and milk bottles delivered on our doorstep. In our house there was a European-style round table, wall oven, dishwasher, and salmon-colored countertops. I was familiar with the aluminum coffeepot--a constant in may parents' world. It created a strong, familiar coffee aroma wafting into my bedroom seven days a week, including Sundays, the day I went to church.
One fall day, during the priest's sermon, I, a seven-year-old kid, was desperately trying to stay awake. My mother whispered, "Sit up," and nudged my arm. The words "ice cream" were my mantra to help pass the grueling prayers in Latin. After Holy Communion we were releases and my mom treated me and my siblings to a local ice-cream parlor.
She ordered a large cup of hot, black coffee (not the kind served to our priest when he came to dinner). My first coffee experience was in the form of ice cream. Since it was a flavor for grown-ups, I felt like was entering the land of forbidden fruit. The cold, creamy coffee ice cream was bittersweet. The flavor intrigued me. My taste buds didn't love it; in my mind I liked it. This event began a Sunday ritual. I was hooked on coffee ice cream (maybe it was the caffeine), which ignited me journey into Coffee World...


08/11 Saturday3pmThe Healing Powers of Coffee - Cal Orey, AuthorMeet Cal Orey, author of the new book The Healing Powers of Coffee, the latest in her series on the healing powers of foods. Cal will greet customers and sign copies of her books.Organization: Barnes & NobleLocation:Barnes & Noble Booksellers - Stevens Creek3600 Stevens Creek Boulevard San Jose 95117 See map: Google Maps408-984-3495Website: Event Website

The Joy of a Heat Wave

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

Today, in the Sierra it's hot, hot, hot. I can do heat but I prefer not to do it. After living at Lake Tahoe for more than a decade I've grown used to cold, cold, cold. It's cool. I layer clothing.  I stoke a mean fire in the old over-sized rock fireplace. Bake my fave dishes. Crank up the heat and the waterbed heater. And I cuddle up with the fur kids...
But now, in the heat of the summer it's different. Instead of sipping hot tea I'm taking to ice cold bottled water. Baking is out of the question and preparing quick and easy no-cook fare is on my agenda. Swimming outdoors instead of indoors is par for the course (it was utopia today) and the word hot tub isn't in my vocabulary. And that's not all...
I realize I'm more active in the fall--not the summer. I feel like a sluggish fish out of water. Yeah, I have writing to do but the words "later" and "tomorrow" comes to mind. When I was young(er) tanning was "in" but now it's "out." So, what to do except turn on the ceiling fan and watch the temperature go up on the online weather map. Enough...It's like black ice. I count the days. So, in theory we have about 60 more days (give or take) of hot weather. 
The best part is, I can see fall, sort of. It truly is around the corner. Meanwhile, more swimming, earlier dog walks, more water, more fruits and vegetables, less comforters and windows open at night. Did I mention autumn is coming in about two months? I can do this. Fall. Fall. Fall. 

Is It the End December 21? 2012 Doomsday Scenarios

EARTH CHANGES
I Feel the Earth Move… By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

 2012 Phenomenon—Is it the End?

Welcome to the spooky, sensationalized end of the world “2012 Phenomenon.” Thanks to an array of spellbinding theories tossed about on the Internet, books, TV, and blockbuster films, catastrophic events are feared to hit in the year 2012. Simply put, two major events may affect our world: A galactic line up falls on the winter solstice when the Earth and the sun align with the center of the galaxy. The forecast is based on the Mayan Calendar; it stopped on December 21, 2012. Today, despite the consensus of scientists debunking this phenomenon, doomsday believers say the world will stop, too.  Will it look like "The Day After Tomorrow" and can we look forward to an ice age? Read on—unravel some believe it or not no-nonsense scenarios that may or may not happen.
December 21st Events May Be Coming to You

·        Alien Attack:  In the exciting film “Independence Day” aliens pay a visit to Earth. The extraterrestrials are hostile and their arrival causes devastation. Other UFO films like “War of the Worlds” and real-life open-minded human observers show us that we may not be alone. 2012 Scenario: Come December 21, an E.T. sequel could take place on our planet. But, the rumor is, this 2012 Phenomenon scenario may come with a Planet X aka Nibiru and collide with Earth.·        Great Earthquakes:  If you don’t like space creatures, you may not enjoy a group gathering of planets that can shake it up. The Jupiter Effect, a book penned by John Gribben, Ph.D., and Stephen Plagemann, predicted an alignment of the planets of the solar system would cause gravitational effect on the Earth’s crust and create great earthquakes, including a great movement of the San Andreas Fault, on March 10, 1982. It didn’t happen. 2012 Scenario: Still, some folks believe, like in The Jupiter Effect, there is going to a “galactic” teaming with the sun and black hole at the center of our galaxy and it may spell disaster on Earth. ·        Asteroid/Meteor: If the shaky West Coast doesn’t go down, the East Coast just might, according to the film “Armageddon,” when an asteroid zooms toward Earth. As the rock nears, meteorites damage New York with cause of concern for our planet. According to California Geologist Jim Berkland in my book The Man Who Predicts Earthquakes (Sentient Publications, 2006), he said we may be tested during the 2029 scheduled close approach of an asteroid. 2012 Scenario: But 2012 end days believers sense a large asteroid or meteor may arrive sooner than later on Earth. If it’s large enough, doomsday could be the end result.·        Polar Shift: In another sci-fi thriller, “2012” shows us a pole shift in motion where the North Pole and South Pole change places. 2012 Scenario: In reality, if there is a pole shift (shifts of geographical locations of the poles and the axis of rotation of the Earth), great earthquakes and massive flooding could be the end result.·        Solar Storms: Seattle-based, science author Mitch Battros believes there may be a connection between the Sun and Earth’s magnetic field shift and earthquakes. In my book  Earthquake book, he noted his studies have been targeted toward solar activity and its link to weather. So, what is Battros’s equation? Sunspots – Solar Flares – Magnetic Field Shift – Shifting Ocean and Jet Stream Currents – Extreme Weather and Human Disruption. 2012 Scenario: Solar flares are nothing new. In the movie “Knowing” the sun’s solar flares scorch the Earth and a lethal tidal wave of fire sweeps the Earth. Some theories and scientists show solar storms can and do happen. But the question remains, will the sky light up on December 21st this year and will it be the end of the world as we know it?
As time passes, I sense a change of the Earth’s magnetic field (which could cause mega glitches in technology to solar radiation). I believe we’ll be challenged, like in the past, by  natural disasters and man-made catastrophes. But note, as an intuitive, I forecast 2013 will arrive on time with or without turbulence and the human race will survive.
[SIDEBAR]  As Our World TurnsBack in 1999, people feared Y2K--linked to a potential global computer crisis that would set our world back in time--but we entered the 21st century. In 12 years, we have endured events that have felt like the sky was falling. Who can forget the attack of America on September 11, 2011; The 2004 Asian Tsunami; Hurricane Katrina; the BP oil spill; the 2009 flu pandemic; the 2011 Super Tornado Outbreak in Southern U.S.; and the 9.0 Japan Quake-Tsunamis and nuclear crisis? Despite great worldwide damage, loss, past and present challenges--our world still turns.
BIO:  Cal Orey is an accomplished author and journalist specializing in health, nutrition, science, and pets. She is the author of The Healing Powers series (Vinegar, Olive Oil, Chocolate, Honey, and Coffee) published by Kensington. The intuitive is a phone psychic for two international networks. She lives in northern California. Visit her website at www.calorey.com .

One Sweet Day: Face to Face with Honey Bees

Out in the Field with Honey Bees
By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet
Homemade Honey Croissants

I didn't get to visit Tasmania or even go to Bakersfield. I passed on visiting honey shops state by state, across America, as one individual suggested I do. Nor did I fly, from bee farm to bee farm, around the world to meet beekeepers and their honey bees. Still, I did go out into the field like a forager bee, and it was my day to meet Italian and Russian honey bees face-to-face…

By 10 a.m., both Seth and Simon, my Brittanys, are dropped off at my vet's kennel for the day while I and my sibling set out on our way to Reno for a day of honey delights. My brother Bruce and I are driving from South Lake Tahoe. There aren't any beekeepers around the lake, probably due to the snow. I don't think the high altitude bothers honey bees.

Hidden Valley Honey
Like two disoriented honey bees, my sibling Bruce and I get lost in rural Reno. It is windy. My sinuses are pesky, complete with a headache and sniffles. At last, we arrive at beekeeper Chris Foster's home away from the feel of the city, and I feel a calm of country.

I am greeted by Chris Foster, one nature-friendly man who is a former director of molecular biology at a small firm. Nowadays, the scientist gone beekeeper and his wife, Karen, are busy living working with their prized possessions: honey bees. In the house, I am also welcomed by a German wirehair, a sporting dog that puts me at ease. Everywhere I look there are reminders that I'm visiting a beekeeper. Bee books, fresh fruit, and jars of honey are all over. Chris tells me that his alfalfa from the Nevadan desert area produces a thick honey that doesn't spoil.

The beekeeper on a mission to expand his 60 colonies to more than 200 explains to me that he usually extracts honey twice a year. Fascinated by the bee-to-honey process, I cannot help but be distracted by the living room window. Outdoors I see a large backyard with bees warming freely around supers (the white boxes bees live in). A constant movement and buzzing outside in the one-acre backyard has grabbed my attention.

I see bees flying hither and thither. I thought they'd all be tucked away in a hive. Funny, though, the dog isn't bothered by the insects-and neither am I. Chris insists honey bees are gentle creatures. I believe him. I'm beginning to sense that this day is not going to be a chilling Killer Bees! Or Swarmed sci-fi film sequel. Instead, I'm feeling a sense of calm like Lily Owens, a character who finds solace in the world of beekeeping in the film The Secret Life of Bees.

The night before, I watched the movie Outbreak (Kevin Spacey's protective gear tears and he's infected with a deadly virus). So, I figure, Why wear a bee veil? A bee could crawl up my jeans and sting me if it wanted to do it. I think, I didn't wear flowery perfume or bright colors like a flower. They'll ignore me. My brother passes on going outside. (He doesn't like scary movies or honey bees.)

I follow Chris outside. I walk amid the bees. I have entered Beeworld. I secretly wish that I, too, could nurture workers and drones-and queens. That's when he asked me to come face-to-face with his 25 new queens … but hey, I think, I am doing fine. No stings yet. Why push the envelope? I do not peek inside the containers of buzzing honey bees.

Back inside the house, we chat about local beekeepers. I am given taper candles, lip balm, and a jar of fresh local honey-with promise for helping my sinuses and allergies. Chris tells me that a lot of the honey he sells at the farmers' market is to people who buy the alfalfa honey to stave off allergies. I want to believe the honey bees that didn't sting me will be my saviors.

Bruce and I pick up the Brittanys, and by six o clock we are back home in South Lake Tahoe. When I walk up to the doorstep I see a big cardboard box with the label “Magnolia Honey.” I feel like a bee entering her hive. Outside my kitchen window I admire the splash of yellow wildflowers. And like a preserving worker bee I find the perfect wildflower honey recipe to take me abroad.

Meet the Healing Powers of Coffee Author!

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet
On July 31, The Healing Powers of Coffee--my 5th book in the Healing Powers series--will be released and I am feeling perked up. Currently, I'm booking book signings, radio shows (both Live and Internet), and interviews for online and hard copy magazines. The fact is, people love coffee and I am the author of a new, edgy book for java junkies...
Barnes and Noble Bookstores Cal Orey, Author of The Healing Powers of CoffeeAuthor Signings

Meet Cal Orey, author of the new book The Healing Powers of Coffee, the latest in her series on the healing powers of foods. Cal will greet customers and sign copies of her books.
San Jose

 Barnes and Noble, Inc.
Saturday August 11, 2012, 3:00 PM
3600 Stevens Creek Blvd, San Jose, CA 95117
 408-984-3495
Gilroy 
Barnes and Noble, Inc.Saturday September 1, 2012, 3:00 PM6825 Camino Arroyo, Gilroy, CA 95020(408) 846-5777