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Do We Need Plastic Bags To Line Our Bins?

We're rapt that the the NZ government has decided to ban plastic bags.  Of course some people might not be so happy, relying on plastic bags for many uses.  One use that is very popular is for lining our rubbish bins.  Can we do without them for this purpose?  Is there an alternative to using a plastic bag to line our rubbish bins? I've been cutting back on our plastic use for a few years now and this year I'm making a real concentrated effort to eliminate any plastic that ca...

Homemade Muesli with Organic Apples and Hazelnuts

We do our best to eat as many organic whole foods as possible and true granola shouldn’t be a stretch.  I have come up with a granola recipe that, for the most part, reflects what is grown locally around us.  The resulting product is delicious and fresh while being convenient, nourishing, and a great way to start the day!...

Roast Kumara Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

This is a delicious kumara salad and a must to try out!...

Baklava

Baklava is a dessert originating in the Middle East made of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and soaked in honey....

Waste Pyramid - Reduce Wastage

This second blog in my 'waste pyramid' blogs is about reducing waste.  If we can't avoid waste then we need to try and reduce it as much as possible. I've already covered food waste in my previous blog so please check that out.   Other Things We Can Do To Reduce Waste: Borrow instead of buyingBuy second hand instead of newLearn to repair or get someone else to repair things rather than throwing out, it's amazing what a new lease of life items get by doing thisWrap p...

Honey, Lime & Ginger Glaze

This recipe is great for chicken or fish.  Marinate chicken & fish then brush during cooking for a sticky sweet & sour finish. Add some freshly chopped red or green chili for a spicy kick!...

Waste Pyramid - Refuse Wastage!

The way things are going I'm worried earth is going to end up like the movie WALL-E, where humans were driven off earth because it was unsustainable to live there anymore.  People were consuming at a fast pace without thought, while the earth was piled up with mountains of rubbish until nothing would grow anymore.  The mountains of rubbish in the movie looked the the recycling piles that are growing in New Zealand right now - have a look at this, we can't ignore it so easily when ...

Waste Busters Workshop Week 2

We've just had week two of the 'Waste Busters' weekly workshop at Go Eco in Hamilton.  It's an opportunity to share ideas on creating less waste, having fun making waste-free products and chatting about creating change in our world.   Did you know that putting your food waste into the rubbish bin increased our green house gases!!! The food will  decompose without oxygen and release methane gas, which over time raises the earth temperature.  Find out more here - ...

Waste Busters Workshop Week 1

I've just joined a 'Waste Busters' weekly workshop with Go Eco in Hamilton.  It's an opportunity to share ideas on creating less waste, having fun making waste-free products and chatting about creating change in our world.  It will cover: food, the garden, cleaning (personal and home), celebrations, work, recreation and travelling.  Can't wait to learn some new tricks! It is great that most people are recycling their plastics and other recyclables.  But did you know...

Honey & Orange Glazed Carrots

Who doesn't love honey glazed carrots!...

Honey for Allergies

We have many customers that find buying the Sweetree honey variety produced closest to their home beneficial for reducing hay fever symptoms. If you are one of these customers you may find that your normal honey variety is unavailable (due to a very poor honey harvest this season). I would recommend that you try one of our other honeys we have in stock, even if it is a long way from your home. Our honeys are not finely filtered, therefore still retaining a high pollen count, which will help...

A Poor Honey Harvest

The track collapsed in many areas...

Roast Kumara Salad with Mint & Honey Dressing

A yummy kumara and mint salad that serves 8 people....

Roast Kumara Salad with Toasted Cumin, Lime and Fresh Mint

This salad knocks it out of the park for me. I came up with it for a recipe competition, promoting the use of local, fresh, seasonal vegetables. The kumara, when it is roasted just right, resembles a toasted marshmallow in the best of ways: Soft in the inside, and a crisp, toasted outer that sends your tastebuds screaming for more. This salad is vegan, and healthy, while being comforting and delicious at the same time....

Sweetree are Selling Reusable Straws!

New Zealanders throw away 541 million straws each year and they are the most common items collected during beach clean-ups. A straw, that we use only once, can take 200 years to break down into tiny toxic particles that affect our precious oceans and sealife. You may have seen the YouTube clip of the poor turtle with a straw stuck up it’s nostril, it’s not nice! The great news is that if you like using straws you don’t have to give them up! Just swap from plastic to stainless ste...

Introducing a new Eco Dental Care Range!

Here at Sweetree Honey we are passionate about cutting back on plastic use, looking after our environment and minimising waste. We are in the process of adding a whole lot of new plastic free and environmental friendly products to our offering.  We are really excited to introduce you to our first range - eco dental care!The new dental care range is brought to us by Nelson dentists who are passionate about reducing wastage in the dental industry.  It was essential that they sourced good...

New Season Honey Extraction

The extraction of our first honey harvest for the season has started!  Have you ever wondered how honey gets from the hive into a liquid form?The boxes of honey come in from the hives and the wax cappings are cut off the outside of each frame to allow the honey to flow out.  Manuka honey frames are need to be pricked because the honey is a lot thicker and jelly like, therefore harder to flow out of the cells without a little help.  The frames go into a spinner and all the honey is...

Sweetree Honey Brushetta

Fresh Sourdough Bread, cut into thick slicesFresh Garlic clove cut in halfFresh Pear, cut into slicesMeyer Gouda Fenugreek CheeseSliced Pinenuts, toastedSweetree Four Brothers Honey...

Honey Harvest has started!

It's that time of year again - honey harvesting!  If you didn't already know honey collection is seasonal.  Bees start to collect honey in spring time and then through to the end of summer.  We harvest Ohui honey first (around mid Jan) then not long after that Marokopa Spring (late Jan, early Feb). The other honeys are harvested later in March.   We've just spent this weekend harvesting Marokopa Spring honey.  The season hasn't great but we've harvested a bit more M...

Sweet Borage, Blueberry & Ginger Ice Cream

Borage is a diuretic and rich in essential fatty acids, making it helpful for those with arthritis.  Ginger is an anti-inflammatory and blueberries are rich in antioxidants.  Not only is ice-cream good for you it taste delicious too!...

Sweetree Manuka Honey & Truffle Glazed Carrots

Who doesn't love glazed carrots! But honey and truffle, great combination!...

Remedies for Bee Stings

As you may have read in my last blog worker bees only sting if they feel threatened.   But there are times when you just can't avoid being stung, if this happens what should you do?  Please note:  Bee stings can give different reactions, from temporary pain and discomfort to a severe allergic reaction.  This blog does not cover severe allergic reactions.  If you have a severe allergic reaction please seek urgent medical attention.  If a reac...

Sweetree Honey & Flora Grape Bavarois

This a decadent dessert, great to try on a special night....

Why Do Bees Sting?

Have you ever been stung by a bee?  I think I have only been stung once when I was about 10 years old.  I still remember it clearly as if it was yesterday.  I was walking in the grass in my lovely red roman sandals at school and as I lifted by foot to walk a bee flew under my toes and as I stepped it stung me.  It gave me a huge fright and man did it sting!  I didn't get a reaction and I don't even remember how I got the sting out but from then on I was scared of bees an...

Fresh Fig, Blue Cheese & Sweetree Honey

The combination of figs, blue cheese and honey is surprising yummy....