Sweet as Honey

September is National Honey Month, and I for one am celebrating. I've got good reason to celebrate, actually. I mean, besides the reasons everyone else has. This month, for the first time ever, my mom harvested honey from her hive. (Yay, Mom! Go Lady Bees, go!) And lucky, lucky me, I got a big jar of pure very local honey and a plastic container of waxy, honey-dripping comb.

Oh, yeah. That's what I'm talking about.

If you're one of those people who adores honey, you're already in the choir and you don't need preaching to. You can put on your party hat (or bobbing bee-feeler headband) and go back to celebrating. But if you're on the fence about honey, consider the following:

• Honey may be more effective at soothing nighttime coughs in children than many popular OTC cough suppressants.
• Honey is a time-tested sore-throat soother.
• Medical research is being done to investigate honey's role in the treatment and healing of burns.
• Honey has antimicrobial properties and has been used for centuries to treat wounds.
• Honey is made by honey bees using magic. (Or something like that.)

And, of course, honey is also delicious, but I'll concede that's a matter of personal taste. You'll have to do some fieldwork on your own to see how you feel about that. Here are a few suggestions to guide your research:

• Honey-Buttered Popcorn

• Crepes with Honey-Almond Ricotta and Dark Sweet Cherries 

• Honey Oatmeal Bread

 Happy celebrating!