GloryBee Blog

4 Perfect Times to Enjoy Flavored Honey Straws

It's no secret that Americans love honey. In fact, in 2013, North Dakota led the way in honey production with 33 million pounds of honey produced. Despite how much honey is consumed by Americans, many people are unaware of the different ways to enjoy the tasty treat. One of the most popular methods honey is consumed is through flavored honey straws. Flavored honey straws, also called HoneyStix, are convenient, single-serving size straws filled with honey that can be enjoyed alone or as an addition to countless foods. Here are some of the best times and methods to consume flavored honey straws.

1. At work:
If you work with computers, honey straws can make a great snack any time of the day. Instead of having to deal with cleaning up after a messy snack, honey straws can be eaten with one hand and won't leave you with a sticky keyboard or fingers. Also, if you're a tea drinker, one raw honey straw is the perfect size to add to a hot cup of tea for an extra boost. The straw can be used as a stirrer as well.

2. After the gym:
Refueling with a flavored honey straw after an intense workout is a great way to give your body the energy it needs to regain. Flavored honey straws are the perfect source of carbohydrates for refueling glycogen stores before or after a strenuous workout. Consider keeping a few in your gym bag or your car to enjoy on the ride home.
3. During times of sickness:
If you have a sore throat or are just generally feeling low, try having one or two honey straws. Raw organic honey is perfect for soothing a sore throat, especially for kids, since they may not like hot tea with honey. But whether they're added to a hot cup of tea or eaten as-is, the medicinal properties of flavored honey straws will sooth any sore throat in an instant.

4. During a diet:
Many people ruin their diets by depriving themselves of unhealthy foods for so long that they eventually break down and binge eat, which can be detrimental to your health. Stay on track while satisfying your sweet tooth with flavored honey straws. They're low in calories and come in many different flavors, so there is something for everyone.

Ultimately, honey straws are an amazingly innovative way to consume a single serving of honey with no mess. For more information on where to buy HoneyStix, contact GloryBee.

How to compost and three reasons to start today

Composting is the earth’s way to recycle nutrients from food scraps to create food for plants. In the cycle of life, nutrients keep us going. Starting a backyard compost pile or a worm bin is easy to do, no matter where you live. If you’re like us and need a little extra motivation to start one, here are three reasons to begin composting today:

Your trash will smell better. Putting food scraps in a small, airtight and sealable container on your counter means they will not go into your trash to create that stinky trash-juice smell we notice as the weather warms up.
Composting reduces food waste. By composting food scraps you are rescuing food nutrients from being wasted. Putting food in our landfills is both bad for the environment and wasteful in a world where food insecurity and starvation occur on a daily basis.
Your garden will be beautiful (and save you $$). Putting compost in your backyard garden will help plants grow healthy and strong and full of delicious nutrients.

How to compost in a small space: the worm bin

Not everyone has a big backyard or building to start a compost pile (those who do, keep reading). If you would prefer to start composting indoors or keep your compost bin in a small space like a balcony or small porch, a worm bin may be for you. A worm bin takes very little care, is compact and will produce compost in a few weeks.

Procure a plastic storage bin, drill holes in the bottom of the bin, and set the bin in a deep tray.
Line the bin with nylon mesh, and cover in damp shredded newspaper.
Add worms. You can buy worms for a compost bin at most garden stores, or online.
Feed the worm’s food scraps.
Remember- never feed your compost meat, dairy, fat or oil.

For more detail, check out this site.

How to compost in the backyard:

The cold compost pile

A cold compost pile takes very little maintenance, but could take up to a year to produce compost for the garden. Cold composting is easily done in three steps:

Select a spot in the yard that is out of the way. Begin to pile yard waste here.
Add food scraps (never meat, oils, fats, or dairy), layering with brown and green yard trimmings like grass.
Harvest compost every year from the bottom of the pile.

The hot compost pile
Hot composting requires a little bit of maintenance every day, but means you can have finished compost for your garden in a matter of weeks. Hot compost piles reach 110 – 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and will kill off and weeds or diseases found in the pile.

Steps:

Set up a compost bin in your garden. For resources on how to make a compost bin check out this site.
Feed your composter with a ratio of 2 inch thick layers of brown and green items. Branches, shredded cardboard, and grass clippings make excellent compost.
Water your compost every few days.
Over turn your compost once a week, or when the compost reaches 130 F.

Adding compost to your garden will improve the water retention and health of plants. Composting at home will also reduce food waste, and improve our environment. It can be done fairly simply, and on a small scale, or it can be done on a large scale with more effort. Many cities have started developing curbside composting programs.

Franz Save The Bee Ricotta Fruit Toast

Toast Thursday? Sure, why not! GloryBee and Franz have partnered to bring you "Save the Bee" Honey Wheat bread. It's perfect for all your bread needs, including this toast which could be considered a dessert it's so sweet and supreme. We recommend using our Pacific Northwest Blackberry Honey as a topper. Don't skimp and treat yourself!

Ingredients

Franz Save The Bee Honey Wheat Bread
GloryBee Honey
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1 lb strawberries, cleaned and roughly chopped
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Arrange slices of Franz Save the Bee Honey Wheat bread on baking sheet. Toast bread until just golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Slather on 1 tbls ricotta per toast. Add both walnuts and strawberries, about 2 tbls each. Drizzle with GloryBee honey and serve immediately.

Honey Lip Gloss

You've heard the saying- "put your money where your mouth is." At GloryBee we like to say, "Put your honey where your mouth is!" This easy do-it- yourself recipe will add volume and texture to your lips the all natural way. If you're looking to moisturize your lips with a shine that wows, this unique fruity lip gloss may quickly become your go-to look.

Ingredients

7-8 teaspoons castor oil (sweet almond or jojoba oil can also be used)
2 teaspoons beeswax
1 teaspoon honey
10 drops lemon, orange, lime, or other essential oil
Mica ( Or for colorant you can also use ¼ tube or less of your favorite natural, synthetic-free colored lipstick)
5 gram cream/ointment jars

Directions

In a small saucepan over low heat or double boiler, warm oil, beeswax, and honey until the wax is just melted. Use 8 teaspoons of oil for a softer consistency; use 7 teaspoons for a firmer balm.
Remove from heat. Add the essential oil or flavoring and the colored lipstick (or Mica if desired), and stir until the lip-stick is melted.
Set the pan in a shallow ice-water bath. Using a whisk or spoon, stir rapidly for 30-60 seconds until the honey is completely incorporated and the formula is like thick frosting. It will be a pale yellow color unless you’ve added colorant.
Spoon the mixture into storage containers, and cap. Let the mixture set for 2 hours before use. No refrigeration is required, but for maximum freshness and taste, please use within 1 year.

GloryBee’s 3rd annual SAVE the BEE 5K brings central Oregonians together to protect our pollinators

In the last 40 years, honey bees have been struggling and populations are declining. Changing climate patterns, herbicides and pesticides, and genetic modification of crops are thought to be potential contributing factors but more research is needed. Honey bees pollinate essential crops and produce millions of dollars of honey every year – one out of every three bites of food Americans consume comes from a plant visited by bees or other pollinators. With nearly 50 percent population losses being reported thus far in 2017, action is needed now more than ever.

That’s why GloryBee launched the “Save the Bee” initiative in 2012, which is a social impact program that focuses on directly supporting research and raising awareness to combat honey bee health issues. A key component of this important initiative is bringing people together to work in unison to help save the declining honey bee population. GloryBee’s SAVE the BEE 5K unites our local central Oregon community and raises funds for critical honey bee research.

Registration for the third annual SAVE the BEE Fun Run and is still open for applicants.

WHEN:

Saturday, April 29, 2016
9:30am – Kids Run
10:00am – 5k

WHERE:

Richardson Park, Fern Ridge Reservoir ‘

MORE INFORMATION:

For more information, visit:
SAVE the BEE 5K

Thanks to our sponsors:

Bee Skep Candles

Spring is finally here! Flowers are blooming and bees are buzzing. It's also the season for spending time outside. As we begin to plan outdoor dinners and parties, it's time to start thinking about fun decorations to accent our spring celebrations. These Bee Skep Candles are the perfect party favor for all your friends who love bees! Plus, they are incredibly easy to make. Enjoy!

SUPPLIES

15 Ply Flat Braid Wick
(about 24" of wick)
2 Natural Beeswax Sheets
12 Honey Bee Decoration Pins

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut each beeswax sheet into four - 2"x 16.75" strips.

2. Beginning 1/2" from one corner, cut each strip diagonally.

3. Cut candle wicking into 1.5" lengths.

4. Beginning at the wide end, wrap each beeswax strip around the wicking.

5. Attach push-pin honey bee.

Earth-Friendly Work Breaks- GloryBee partners with CAFETO to offer employees Sustainable Coffee

At GloryBee, serving our community and protecting our environment are central to our business philosophy. This mission extends deeper than the products and services we offer to our health-conscious customers. We believe every aspect of our company should clearly show our commitment to supporting a healthy planet. That is why we are proud to announce CAFETO Coffee Company is now the provider of the coffee we serve our employees in our break rooms.

Roasted Fresh in Springfield, OR, Cafeto strives to find the best coffee beans to share with our local community. We believe the best coffee beans are the ones that are best for our personal health and the health of our planet. We are honored to say Cafeto Coffee Company meets our high-standards regarding sustainable eco-friendly coffee.

Shade Grown- Coffeeplants grown under a canopy of trees promotes a healthy environment. It requires no chemical fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Carbon dioxide is filtered by the shade trees, which helps with reducing global warming. The shade trees also help with soil moisture retention, which minimizes erosion. Additional benefits are they provide healthy habitats for birds and offer greater biodiversity.
Organic- Certified USDA Organic means no genetically modified coffee beans, no pesticides or herbicides, and no artificial additives. Organic is not only better for our personal well-being, it is better for the bees who help pollinate all our fruits and vegetables.
Fair-Trade- More important than the coffee are the people who grow and farm the coffee. Cafeto coffee beans are supplied by a small farmers’ co-operative called CESMACH, located in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Their Fair-Trade certification guarantees that all the coffee farmers are paid a fair wage and treated with dignity and respect.

Thank you Cafeto for providing us delicious organic Fair-Trade coffee that is good for our planet.

Berry Bread Pudding

Not much is more comforting than bread pudding. It's super simple while also being full flavored, it’s the perfect way to indulge on date night, after a long week, or just celebrating the day.

One of our timeless classic recipes, you can make it your own by switching up the bread to a brioche or French bread. Substitute strawberries or raspberries and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. We hope you enjoy the sweet

Ingredients

2 ½ Cups whole milk
4 Eggs
½ Cup Aunt Patty’s® Maple Sugar
2 tsp vanilla
6 Cups soft bread cubes (from about 8 slices bread)
1 Cup frozen berries.
¾ Cup Aunt Patty’s Dark Agave Syrup
¼ Cup heavy cream
½ tsp fine sea salt
4 Tbsp butter (cubed)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350℉. Lightly oil a 9” baking dish.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Add bread and berries (we used cranberries and blueberries) and stir. Allow to sit 15 minutes so bread can absorb the liquid. Pour into baking dish and bake until set and browned on top, about 45-50 minutes.

To a medium saucepan add agave syrup, cream, and salt. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in butter one cube at a time. Allow to cool slightly. Serve bread pudding with caramel sauce drizzled on top.

GloryBee Samples New Products at Expo West

This past weekend, the GloryBee team spent some time in Anaheim, California with 80,000 other people at the 37th annual Natural Products Expo West. Natural Products Expo West & Engredea, is the world's largest natural, organic and healthy products event. GloryBee attends and exhibits each year to debut our new and upcoming products to retail buyers. This give us an opportunity to also try potential products out on consumers. Our Pumpkin Spice Honey, SAVE the BEE Honey and Artisan Fermented Honey were a hit with the crowds! All of those products will be in stores and online later Spring and Summer.

Our team also had the opportunity to meet with many of our suppliers. GloryBee sources many ingredients from around the world. Our purchasing teams met with suppliers from across the globe with the goal of building and strengthening relationships so we can bring you the best of natural and organic products.

We’ll be back to Expo West in 2018 with exciting new products and even a new booth!

Caramelized Onion and Apple Grilled Cheese

Don't we all love a grilled cheese sandwich once in a while? There are many versions to choose from, but the Caramelized Onion and Apple Grilled Cheese is the bees-knees. "Make it your own" by adding slices of organic bacon or switch up the cheese to a brie, or even using our Habanero Honey for a sweet spicy kick. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter, softened, divided

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon Glory BeeⓇ Raw Honey, plus more for serving

4 ounces sharp white cheddar, grated

½ honeycrisp apple, cored and thinly sliced

4 thick slices brioche or challah

Directions

1. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add salt and honey. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until well-browned and soft, about 20 minutes more. If onions stick or start to burn, add a tablespoon of water and stir. Transfer onions to a bowl and wipe out skillet.

1. Divide cheese and apple slices between 2 slices of the bread. Top with onions as desired and remaining slices of bread.

1. Place skillet back over medium heat and add ½ tablespoon butter. Cook 1 sandwich, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining ½ tablespoon butter and sandwich. To serve, cut sandwiches in half and drizzle with more honey, if desired.

4 Ways to be Green for St. Patty’s Day

On St. Patrick’s Day everyone’s a little Irish, and there’s no better time to take action and make the world a little more green. Don’t leave the health of our local ecosystems up to the luck of the Irish. Try these green tips and create a sustainable future.

Bee friendly for the bees: Choose Organic cabbage

Organic is better for bees. If you’re partaking in the traditional beef and cabbage meal this St. Patrick’s day, choose organic cabbage and organic meat. Not only will the bees be happier and healthier, organic certified means the cow was humanely raised and the cabbage was never doused in pesticides and herbicides.

Green drinks are local drinks: Go local, buy local

If you like to go out from time to time, choose a locally owned restaurant and spend money supporting your neighbors (rather than a huge corporate chain!). Shopping local keeps 24% more money with our town, creates local jobs, and helps build a more vibrant community.

There is no such thing as “green plastic”: Say no to single-use plastic

Plastic is made from petroleum, never fully degrades, and is often used to make a cheap product that is immediately discarded.

Give some red or plant some green

Literally save a life by giving blood. Find your local blood drives here:
American Red Cross

Want to create a better future, plant a tree with the National Forest Foundation:
National Forest Foundation

Whether you do one of these green things or all four, the important thing is that you take action. It’s amazing how one small action can make a big difference in our communities. Together we accomplish something greater than ourselves.

Thanks to our 2016 Save The Bee Partners

At GloryBee, we work hard to support the ecosystem that brings us honey. Since our very early days, we’ve been focused on bee health as core to our business and our community. That’s why GloryBee honeys are 100 percent pure – respecting the hard-working bees who labor to produce our product and care for our planet.

In the last 40 years, honey bees have been dying off. No one knows why. Scientists are looking at conditions such as changing climate patterns, herbicides and pesticides, varroa mites, and genetically modified crops as being potential contributing factors affecting the bees. With nearly 50% losses reported in 2017, research is needed now more than ever. Because we know it’s important for our business, our customers and our planet, GloryBee founded the SAVE the BEE program in 2012 to support honey bee research and education through the Oregon State University Honey Bee Lab.

Through SAVE the BEE, GLoryBee donates a portion of sales from every honey product to directly support the OSU Honey Bee Lab’s efforts. In 2016, we were able to donate $69,000 thanks to all of our amazing customers and business partners (see the full list below) for their support. We are honored and grateful for our work together.

We are so appreciative of all the honey lovers out there who share our passion for bees and are helping us change the world!

Market of Choice
Attune Foods
Country Aire
New Seasons Market
Chuck’s Produce
Norman’s Farmer’s Market
Shop N Kart
Bailey’s Health food Center
Coos Head Food Co-op
Gooseberries
Melvin’s Fir Street Market
Food 4 Less Medford
Promise Natural Foods

Sherm’s
Goose Community Grocery
Central co-op
Red Wagon Creamery
8 Arms Bakery
Marlene’s Market and Deli
Daves Killer Bread
The Good Cooky
Republic of Jam
Wildtime Foods
Sisters Baking company
Coconut Bliss
Umpqua Bank

Sno Temp
Hub International
ADP
Organically Grown Co.
Wild And Earthy Beeswax
Lane County Economic Development
Valley Harvest Nut Co.
Oakshire Brewing Co.
Lochmead Dairy
Bi Mart Corporation
Innsight Hotel Management
The Food Co-Op
Bayview Grocery