(cheerful upbeat music) - Hi, there.

Welcome to "Ruby's Recipes" where we bring kids into the kitchen and whisk up a passion for preparing healthy foods together.

My name is Kelsey Meyer and I am the head chef of Ruby's Recipes.

Today's show was made specifically for those with a sweet tooth like myself.

And the star of the show is honey.

We are going to both cook with it and learn more about the process of how bees make it.

Joining me in the kitchen today, I have Isabella and Tessa.

We are going to start making fry bread, a dish of the indigenous peoples of North America.

Then we will take a trip to the 577 Foundation and talk with one of their beekeepers about how honey is made.

And for our last recipe, we'll return to the kitchen and make mini baklava bites.

So Isabella, have you ever made fry bread before?

- Yes, I have made fry bread once before.

- Great, so we have an experienced cook with me today in the kitchen.

So we are going to start off by basically just combining our ingredients.

So this is a recipe with just a few ingredients.

So the first thing we want to do is get two cups of flour, two teaspoons of baking powder, and half a teaspoon of salt in a bowl.

And then we'll mix it together.

So Isabella, you were telling me that you are getting ready to graduate high school.

- [Isabelle] Yes, I am.

- [Kelsey] One year left.

So what are your plans after that?

- After high school, I plan on attending BGSU College.

- Awesome.

- And going forward, I would like to get my degree in psychology.

- Wonderful, wonderful.

We love to hear that we're gonna have a future Falcon in the room with us.

So now we're going to add our wet ingredients to our mixture here.

So for our wet ingredients, we want to have three-fourths a cup of cold water, and one tablespoon of vegetable oil.

So why don't you kind of start mixing it together with your hands and then we'll see if we can form it into a big ball of dough.

As she's doing that, what I'm gonna do is I'm just going to lay a little bit of flour out on our surface here, because we are gonna start rolling our dough out after that.

And if you notice that your dough isn't mixing all together with the flour, what you wanna do is just start adding a little bit of water to the mixture until it's all combined.

I think it's starting to look pretty good.

Maybe we can pull it out of the bowl and see how it looks here.

So as we said earlier, this recipe does include frying oil in a pan, which can be kind of dangerous in the kitchen.

You don't wanna knock this over or have any splashback.

So anytime I'm cooking in the kitchen, I always turn the pan handle away from me so that I don't knock it accidentally.

And then for this one, you want to fill it so it has about half an inch to an inch of oil in the pan.

So we're gonna turn this on.

We don't want it super high 'cause we don't want anything to burn.

So we're gonna have it on just a little bit above medium heat to get it nice and warm for us so that we can fry our bread.

So before we fry them, we'll roll each of these out and then we'll be ready to put them in the hot oil.

So when you were thinking about colleges, why did you choose BG?

- [Isabelle] Since it was close to home.

I definitely wanna be around my family.

- Oh, that's so, see, I'm also a BGSU grad, and I can never say enough good things about the university, so you'll have plenty of fun.

Okay, now that we have a few rolled out, the last thing we wanna do for these is just kind of poke a little hole in the center with our fingers, and then we will get our pans.

We want to get a pan and put it right next to where we're going to be frying them so that we have something to put them in right after they're done being fried.

So I will set this right here and I think this looks like it might be hot enough.

So this is one you want to kind of lean on the adult in the kitchen so that the adult is the one who is doing the frying.

But can you hand me one of the tongs and then one of the doughs and we will see how these turn out.

So you wanna be very careful when you lay your dough into your frying pan so that none of the oil gives any splashback or hits you in the face or anything like that.

And you can see it's already starting to fry.

When you're cooking this, a really good indication that it's ready to be flipped over is to see some of the brown spots around the edge.

And then you'll kind of also start seeing some of the dough start to bubble up a little bit.

Depending on how hot you have your oil, it can take about 20 to 30 seconds before you have to flip it over to the other side.

And you can see it's starting to rise a little bit in here.

We'll give it maybe 10 more seconds to make sure it gets nice and golden brown.

And then we'll flip it over to the other side.

And this is when you wanna be careful so that nothing, none of the hot oil splashes back on you.

Depending on how big your pan is too, you can cook a couple at a time.

So maybe I can add one more in.

And then I think this one we can take out.

And you wanna just have a pan here ready that you can set it there so that they can cool off.

All right, maybe I'll cook one more.

So what kind of toppings would you put on top of your fry bread?

- Definitely some chicken pesto.

- Ooh, now that sounds really good.

I think we have a future Ruby's Recipe chef in the making right here.

(both laughing) So these are looking really good.

I've turned off my stove top.

Another safety tip is to move your pan to the back of the stove so that nobody hits it while the oil is starting to cool down.

But we are gonna wait until these cool down a little bit and then we are going to add some of our toppings.

So while we let our fry bread kind of cool off and rest, we cleaned up our kitchen, and now it's time to add our toppings.

So as we said, the star of today's show is honey.

So we do have some local honey here with us from Beeloved Honey, local to the Bowling Green area.

So we are going to use this to top our fry bread.

Would you like to help me with that?

- Oh, most definitely.

- Perfect.

So we will open that up and then have a spoon and you can kind of spoon that on top and drizzle it across the fry bread.

Fry bread is really great and it's kind of a universal staple across a lot of different cultures.

So we are making the Native American or indigenous people's fry bread, but you can actually add really any sort of toppings to this.

So we are doing the sweet version today to feature the honey, but you can also do some savory versions.

I actually even made this and then had it for my breakfast and I put some cream cheese on top and had some fruit to put on top as well and it was really, really good.

So those look delicious.

So why don't we bring out some that we've had before and talk about some of the other toppings that we can have.

So like I said, you can have a savory version.

So we have sort of like a Navajo sort of version of a taco, right?

So we have the fry bread and then some refried beans and some lettuce, cheese and tomatoes.

So we have two other sweet options.

Like I said, we had the honey and then the other one that we had was sort of like something you could see at the fair, you know, an elephant ear.

So thank you so much for your help today, Isabella, in making this fry bread.

It is a very versatile recipe.

Now we are going to head over to the 577 Foundation in Perrysburg, Ohio to talk with one of the beekeepers about how honey is made.

(cheerful ambient music) - I hope you have been enjoying Ruby's recipes.

Getting kids into the kitchen as early as possible is the best way to set them up for success when it comes to making healthy eating choices.

My name is Kelly Pheneger, and I'm the director of education and outreach at WBGU PBS.

We're here today to show you how fun and educational cooking as a family can be.

We're also here to invite you to join Ruby's Frog Squad, which is our special kids club that includes a birthday club membership.

To sign your child up as a Frog Squad member and a member of our birthday club, visit wbgu.org/frogsquad Just by signing up, we'll send a special birthday card during your child's birthday month and we'll wish them a happy birthday on air.

You'll also receive a quarterly frog blog newsletter with information about upcoming kids events and the latest news about our kids programming and activities.

In addition to signing up for our birthday club, you can also contribute to WBGU PBS in support of our programming.

And as a thank you for your contribution, we'll send you some adorable frog squad gifts for the children in your life.

When you donate $60 per year to WBGU, we'll send you a plushie frog key chain.

Additionally, with a yearly contribution of $60 or more, you'll also receive Preview.

That's our monthly viewer's guide, and you'll get access to the PBS streaming service, Passport as well as a birthday club membership for your children or grandchildren.

With a contribution of $90 per year, we'll send you the frog key chain and a frog plush, both wearing adorable mini WBGU T-shirts.

And finally, by making a $120 yearly contribution, you'll receive the frog key chain, an adorable frog plush, and a handy Frog Squad lunch bag.

Make your contribution now by calling 1-800-410-2727 or by going online to wbgu.org/frogsquad Now let's get back to "Ruby's Recipes."

(cheerful upbeat music) (percussive music) - So my main role here is to take care of the bees on the property and that means to just support them as best as I can in their natural processes.

So that could look like me going into the hive and making sure that there's enough space for them to store their pollen, their honey, and the eggs that they produce.

Pollination is a transfer of pollen from one plant to another.

So bees assist in that process by visiting a flower and then they'll get all the pollen on their fuzzy bodies and fly to the next flower, and that pollen on them will be transferred to that next flower.

So they are actually transferring that pollen from plant to plant.

So once they collect the pollen, they'll take it back to their hive and they'll put it into a cell where they'll mix it with their saliva, which has a lot of beneficial microbes in there.

So it almost becomes like a sourdough bread.

And once that mixture is mixed and patted down, they'll feed that to their larva and that's their main source of nutrition for their babies as they grow up.

There's a lot that humans can utilize from a hive, but the most common would be honey.

And we all know and love honey, but you can also use their wax for products like Chapstick or candles, or even in lotion, you can find it sometimes.

And a cool and unique product you can use is the pollen.

And that's helpful for seasonal or local allergies.

Well, a honeybee is a little smaller than a wasp or a hornet you would see, and honeybees tend to be more muted in comparison to wasps and hornets who have a brighter, more vibrant color.

So the muted ones are your honeybees.

(ambient music) Bees live in a hive.

They can live in many different hives and some are named the Langstroth Hive, the Warre Hive.

They can live in an observatory hive, and in the wild you can find them in a tree cavity.

The observatory hive behind me is an example of what a bee would live in.

And this is a great hive for people who want to get up close and who might be scared of bees at first.

It allows them to see what they're doing with the plexiglass in front of them.

And it's really cool 'cause you get to see everything that happens in a real hive box.

(ambient music) Honeybees account for one out of every three bites you take on your dinner plate.

So that's how much they contribute to pollinating.

You can use honey in a lot of different recipes.

You can put it in a salad dressing to have a sweeter component.

You can use it as a sugar substitute.

So instead of using sugar in a bakery recipe, you can use honey instead.

You can put it in your tea to sweeten your tea.

All around, it's used as a sweetener for cooking.

Honey contains a lot of anti-microbial properties and that's all due to the microbes in their stomach.

So bees, when they gather the nectar, it goes into their belly.

So it mixes with all those microbes in there and then it's deposited into those cells.

So when we consume that honey, we get all of that beneficial microbes as well to help us stay healthy and give us antibacterial properties.

(ambient music) Vegetables also have flowers on them when producing.

So it's essential to have a variety of different flowers and vegetables and plants that produce flowers for bees because just like us, we need a variety of vegetables and food in our diet.

And just like us, bees need that as well.

So the more variety you have in your garden, the better it is for a bee.

(ambient music) The bee population and other pollinators are facing a number of issues in today's world.

Some main ones would be pesticide poisoning.

Another one is increase in pests due to the warming climate patterns.

And another one would be habitat loss.

(ambient music) You can find plants that are good for bees at your local flower shop or a plant store.

You can also find some at your local farmer's market sometimes and anywhere that sells seeds for those flowers, you can plant them yourself.

(ambient music) A beekeeper means supporting bees in any way.

So that can be big ways or small ways.

To be a beekeeper in a small way, you can plant those local flowers or anything that will attract them and give them a nectar source.

To be a more hands-on beekeeper, you can go to your local beekeeping club and they should have a class that you can sign up to take to become a beekeeper.

My favorite part about being a beekeeper is being able to care for them and just support them with as many issues as they're facing today.

Providing a home that's safe for them is the easiest thing I can do and it means so much to me.

(ambient music) It could be me going in there and just making sure that the queen looks healthy and right and that she's laying eggs to make sure that the colony is expanding throughout the season.

Or it could look like going in there and just looking for pests and making sure that they're not overwhelming the bees.

And if they are, just making those minor tweaks to get them healthy.

The most misunderstood thing about bees is that they're a creature to be afraid of.

They are stinging insects, so that may be why they have such a reputation of being scared of.

However they aren't wanting to sting, that is their last resort of protection.

And usually when you see them flying out in the open over flowers, they're on a mission and they have a job to do, so they are focused on that.

So we really shouldn't be scared of them because they are here to help us and to pollinate.

And I challenge you, next time a bee lands on you, to don't be scared, but appreciate that they've mistaken you as a flower.

(cheerful ambient music) - Welcome back.

We just love having a chance to invite our kids club members behind the scenes and onto the set of "Ruby's Recipes."

This show along with others such as BGSU Brain Game, The Journal, our local documentaries and Scenic Stops and Stories are all brought to you by the generous support of our WBGU members.

Here are some of the benefits you could enjoy just for becoming a supporter of WBGU PBS.

For no cost at all, you can sign your child or grandchild up to become a WBGU Birthday Club member.

During their birthday month, we will send them a card and wish them a happy birthday on air.

You can sign them up at wbg.org/frogsquad.

We also have some adorable Ruby's Frog Squad thank you gifts that we can send you when you make a contribution in support of WBGU'S educational and entertaining programming.

When you donate $60 per year to WBGU, we'll send you a plushie frog key chain that your child is sure to love.

Additionally, when you make a yearly contribution of $60 or more, you will also receive Preview, our monthly viewers guide, and you'll get access to the PBS streaming service Passport, as well as that birthday club membership for your child or grandchild.

With a contribution of $90 per year, we'll send you the frog key chain and a frog plush, both wearing adorable mini WBGU T-shirts.

And finally, by making a $120 yearly contribution, you'll receive the frog key chain, an adorable frog plush, and a handy Frog Squad lunch bag.

Make your contribution now by calling 1-800-410-2727, or by going online to wbg.org/frogsquad.

Now let's get back to "Ruby's Recipes."

(cheerful upbeat music) - What a beautiful place to learn about bees and other pollinators.

I'm gonna have to make sure to add the 577 foundation to my list.

And speaking of lists, these baklava bites are a perfect excuse to go out and buy some local honey.

I have Tessa with me here today.

Tessa, we are excited to continue our conversation about bees and local honey.

So can you tell me a little bit about the honey we have here today and where it came from?

- Yeah, for sure.

This is Beeloved honey.

It's our honey we keep outside of BG, and this is from last year's honey, it's a little bit darker and this one's a little bit lighter.

And the difference between the two, although they come from the same bees, is that the bees collect pollen and nectar from flowers, and depending on the time of year or the weather of the year, the pollen is different, which makes the honey color different.

And also bees throughout their lives, a single bee only collects one 12th of a teaspoon to make honey, which is crazy because this is 12 ounces, which means one bee had to make one 12th of a teaspoon, which is crazy, the amount of honey that the bees need to make that honey.

- So that's probably why when someone's working really hard, they refer to them as a worker bee.

- Yeah.

- 'Cause bees have to work really hard to make all this honey.

- Super hard.

- Yes.

So today we are going to use the honey that you guys have cultivated for us and we are going to make these mini baklava cups.

So these mini baklava cups are a simplified version of traditional baklava, but only a fraction of the preparation.

So how about we get started?

- [Tessa] Yeah, let's do it.

- So we'll start by preheating the oven, which we've already done to 350 degrees.

And then in a small sauce pan, what we want to do is combine our sauce and our syrup.

So this is half a cup of sugar, a tablespoon of lemon juice, a third a cup of water, and a fourth a cup of honey.

So let's start combining them and make our syrup here.

Great.

So I'm gonna bring this over to the stove here.

And what we want to do to make our syrup is we want to make sure we can combine all of our ingredients together and bring it to a boil.

So how long have you guys been cultivating bees?

- For about five years now.

- So we also have, here is a fabulous plate of honeycombs.

Do you wanna talk about that a little bit?

- Sure, so this came from one of our hives about five years ago, which is kind of a long time, you might think, for food to still be edible, but honey actually never goes bad.

So you can eat honey from any time period and it's still good.

- So while this starts coming to a boil, what we'll do is we will get out our mini baklava cups and we will tell you about what you can put inside for the filling.

So these mini baklava cups are cups that you can actually find in the freezer section right next to the frozen pie crust.

And it's a lot easier than trying to make your own phyllo dough at home.

Okay, so let's take out our baklava cups and start lining them on our sheet.

When I made these at home, I lined my baklava cups actually really close to each other on my baking sheet because then it was easier to pour the syrup across on top.

So for our baklava filling, what we're gonna have is chopped nuts, and we have chosen pistachios and walnuts, is that correct?

- Yeah.

- Yes.

And then we're going to include a little bit of cinnamon.

So I'll have you pour these two in the bowl for me, please.

- [Tessa] Perfect.

- And of course if you have any sort of nut allergy, you can omit certain nuts and choose a different filling of your choice.

And now we are going to add our cinnamon.

So we need one teaspoon of cinnamon.

Do you mind adding that in there for me?

- [Tessa] Sure.

- Great, and then I'll have you take that spoon and kind of mix that together.

While you're mixing that, I will start melting our butter.

So we need three tablespoons of melted butter, and then we're gonna add the melted butter to our nut mixture here.

So this is already kind of soft, but I'm gonna fully melt it in the microwave.

Okay, now that we have our melted butter, we're going to add this to our nut mixture and then we're going to stir it all together.

Have you combine that for me.

- [Tessa] What do you think, does that look good?

- That looks really good.

Now that we have mixed our filling, we want to spoon it into our baklava cups.

So I will pull those back over for us.

And then, let me see, I'll put this over here.

And then together we're going to take about, I'd say about a teaspoon each to fill in the center.

So I think we can kind of tag team and fill these up together.

All right.

And you just wanna fill it up to the top of the cup.

So Tessa, you go to BG High School?

- Mm-hmm.

- And what's your favorite subject in school?

- My favorite subject?

I like math.

- You know what?

All the kids this year that I've been cooking with have been telling me they like math.

I've never had this happen before.

What is your favorite thing about math?

- I don't know, it's just kind of easy sometimes.

I like it when I know it.

But when I don't know it, it's not fun.

What was your favorite subject in school?

- Well, not math.

I will tell you that.

Yes, I was an English girl and an art girl.

Those were my favorite subjects.

- [Tessa] Oh, you can say art?

I like art.

- Yes.

Okay, I will move these out of the way for us.

And now what we're going to do is we are going to take the syrup and we are going to spoon it over top of all of our baklava cups.

So the syrup should come to a boil.

And then you want it to be at a low simmer for about four minutes.

Our syrup got a little bit excited.

It was a buzzing with excitement and it kind of boiled over a little bit, which happens in the kitchen and that's totally fine.

So we are going to have our baklava cups in the oven and then we'll come back and we will put the syrup on top.

So after 10 minutes we will take our cups out of the oven and by that time our syrup should be cooled.

So what we want to do is immediately take the syrup and spoon over at least a tablespoon on top of our cups.

So what are some of the flowers that people may have around that bees really like for pollination?

- They love lavender, I know.

- Oh, great, I love lavender.

- I love lavender too.

- Yeah, so you can plant some of these plants at your house, in your garden, and have your own pollinator garden at home.

This helps our bee population, especially if you don't want to go all the way and become a beekeeper.

But we love our beekeepers and we love our local honey.

So now that we have our syrup on top of our baklava, what we wanna make sure is that it soaks overnight and you can put them in your refrigerator and they last for up to a week.

So we have had a really great episode today, and that's really all the time that we have for "Ruby's Recipes."

I do wanna have a big shout out to Isabella and Tessa.

Thank you so much for helping me out in the kitchen today.

And for those at home, we hope that we have whisked up a passion for preparing healthy foods together.

We also want to remind you to sign up your kids for our Frog Squad.

Just by signing up at wbg.org, you will get a free birthday card, your child's name on our monthly birthday spot, and our free quarterly "Ruby's Frog Squad" eNewsletter.

It's filled with family fun activities and news about upcoming programs and events.

Now I'm going to head out and buy some more local honey, and we will see you next time on "Ruby's Recipes."

(cheerful ambient music)