A Visit to the Monastery

In January my husband came home from the supermarket with a surprise jar of lemon flavored Monastery Creamed Honey that he had spied on the shelf. A delicate hint of lemon in the honey gives it a twist of subtle perfection that makes morning toast and tea pure pleasure! I have raved about its delights to all who would listen.
My husband, a quiet observer to my great joy of spreading honey on my toast or using it to add a gentle touch of lemon to my tea, clearly understood my deep appreciation for this wonderful creation and suggested we take a trip to the Redwoods Monastery some time to pick up the honey directly from the nuns.
Once that jar was finished, and not wanting to wait for a trip, I went to New Seasons (a Portland, Oregon grocery chain that tries to buy local products and contributes a percentage of profits to community causes) to see if they had or might be willing to sell this wonderful product in our city. The store called me back to explain that they had looked into buying the honey but suggested I go online and buy it directly from the Monastery.
What to do? My husband and I decided to get in our Honda and head south to Whitethorn, California where the Redwoods Monastery is nestled among ancient Redwood trees and surrounded by a peace that only nature seems able to impart in today’s fast-paced World. The location of this quiet and remote spot is breathtaking and the serenity of the monastery and the surrounding environment touches every cell of one’s being! I also think it touches the honey in a special way too!
I purchased a case of the lemon honey, two jars of the orange and one of the ginger honeys. We have had the honey less than a week and already one jar of the orange is halfway gone!
If I could only organize my words so that others could fully understand how fabulously wonderful this honey tastes, the Cistercian Nuns would not be able to keep up with the volume of daily orders! The nuns’ honey can be creatively used in multiple ways from making homemade granola to adding a dollop of its sweetness in a soup or stir-fry or to injecting depth to cooking and baking. I encourage everyone to enjoy this honey for it beautiful simplicity and divine properties!
Jill M.

Spiced Chai Tea with Creamed Honey

This delicious drink is the creation of Sr Kay, a faithful monastery guest.

Chai Tea

It's important to get the right Spiced Chai tea bag. It can be either black or green, spiced but without additional flavoring. Recommended brands Peet's or Stash tea.

Brew tea bag with 8 oz of boiling water in a tall mug
Add 1/2 cup hot mild
Stir in 1-2 teaspoons Monastery Creamed Honey - Orange honey shines!

For a non caffeine afternoon or evening energizer use Trader Joe's Rubey Red Chai. This is made with rooibas, a South African herb tea.

Monastery Granola

Here is the much requested recipe for Monastery Granola. It is a staple breakfast food at Redwoods Abbey. Serve with milk or yogurt and add a dollop of creamed honey or a spoonful of preserves for a little sweetness.


In a large oven proof bowl:

1 cup wheat bran
1 cup brewers’ yeast
1 cup sesame seed
1 1/2 cups sunflower seeds
1 cup coconut
1 cup ground flax seed
4 cups of oats (a little more or less to taste)
1 cup oil over the top & mix thoroughly

Dry in a warm degrees oven until
You begin to smell it.

Let cool then mix in dried fruit:
raisins
apples
apricots etc.

This recipes makes about 1 gallon.

Miso Dressing

This dressing is a specialty of Sr Victoria and a favorite of guests and the sisters.

1 cup mellow miso (white miso)
1 cup water or less if thicker consistency is desired
1 cup oil
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup or less Original Creamed Honey or brown rice syrup
1 shallot chopped. You can substitute green onion

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend on medium for about 30 seconds until smooth.

Recipe from Holy Orders

Here are some recipe ideas from Jeanne of Holy Orders. Holy Orders offers a unique selection of monastery products from monasteries all over the world. Visit Holy Orders website at www.holyorders.biz.

• At our Holy Orders Christmas Open House we served barbecued sliced polish sausage with a dip using equal parts of your original Monastery Creamed Honey and Divinely Original Monastery Mustard from Queen of Angels Monastery in Oregon – deliciously divine!

• And of course I always love a dollop of monastery creamed honey on a scoop of vanilla ice-cream. It’s very similar to a butterscotch sauce in texture but healthier and quite heavenly.

• Another good one is cream cheese mixed with monastery honey spread on a bagel – absolute bliss!

Baked Grapefruit

Serve this at breakfast, brunch, or dessert. Quick and easy.

Cut grapefruit in half. Loosen sections from the rind. Cook in a preheated oven at 375° for about 10 minutes or until heated through. While still warm - top with creamed honey. I used original flavor today - but ginger honey or cinnamon creamed honey would be very tasty too.

Lentil Soup

The winter rains have finally started at Redwoods Monastery. We are very thankful. This lentil soup is a hearty dish for these winter evenings.

2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 onions - diced
1 large scallion sliced in small rings
4 medium leeks sliced in small rings
4 large cloves garlic minced
2 stalks of celery - diced
4 medium carrots - diced
2 Tablespoons salt
1 Tablespoon basil
2 teaspoons marjoram
2 teaspoons thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 bay leaves
24 cups of water
4 cups of lentils

Saute onions, scallions, leeks and garlic in a large 8 quart pot for 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and saute a few minutes longer. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until lentils are done. You may need to add a little more water and adjust the salt and other seasonings.