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Watch GLBC’s Genji Leclair make Habanero Honey Margarita and Healthy Honey Ball on Good Day Northern Michigan

 

In celebration of National Honey Month this September, Great Lakes Bee Co. Owner Genji Leclair recently shared her Habanero Honey Margarita and Healthy Honey Ball recipes on Good Day Northern Michigan on 9&10 News.

“Margaritas are basically just citrus and tequila, so you can get creative in how you make it,” Leclair told Good Day Northern Michigan hosts Sid Simone and David Lyden as she began mixing grapefruit, lime, lemon and orange juices with tequila. “What makes ours special is the habanero honey – it’s a great alternative to sugar.”

Great Lakes Bee Co. – producer of Hasselman’s Honey – was founded by Larry Hasselman in Newaygo in 1974. Leclair, who grew up on honey, took over for Hasselman when he retired eight years ago.

“I’m a honey person. When I moved to Newaygo, I popped into the local grocery store and bought the local honey. When I tasted the honey, I had to call Larry to find out why this honey was so good,” Leclair said during the live Good Day Northern Michigan segment. “From there I learned all about the honey.

“We do it exactly the same way as Larry’s done since 1974,” Leclair added. “We’ve changed nothing. It’s all delicately handled. We don’t overheat the honey at all – it’s raw right out of the hives and it’s very special because the microclimate in Newaygo is very unique with an unusual blend of flowers. We only collect and sell the honey from summer – and so you have this crazy good taste that’s different – very different. It’s just amazing honey out of Newaygo.”

For the Healthy Honey Ball
• Leclair recommends having a base, such as oats (grinded) and a nut butter – peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter.
• Then pick what you would want to mix in: cacao, turmeric, cinnamon, chocolate chips, cranberry, raisins, apricots, etc.
• Mix together – then add the secret ingredient: Honey
• Stir and roll it into a ball with your hands, then roll a topping like, coconut shavings or pecans or other nuts, over your ball and voila!

Charcuterie, Cheese or Fruit Board
• Add honey to enhance your charcuterie, cheese or fruit board flavors and pairings
• Blue cheese pairs well with honeycomb
• Goat cheese pairs well with lavender honey
• Leclair recommends playing around with different flavors of honey: pepper honey, habanero honey, etc.

“There are different flavors in the region depending on the floral sources,” said Leclair. “You can go to northern Michigan and you’ll get a lot of star thistle, which is a little bit lighter honey, and as you head down south, you get different types of flowers so you’ll get darker and different blends. It’s fun to taste honey from all regions. I really enjoy honey – people send me honey from all over the world and it’s just crazy how different they taste from region to region.

“Even just here in Michigan, across the state from north to south, you’ll get different honey and its different in the spring than it is in the summer and the fall. You’ll get a great experience tasting honey all over the world, but especially here in Michigan, we just have a lot of flavors.”

Great Lakes Bee Co.’s Hasselman’s Honey can be found at Whole Foods Grand Rapids, Spice Merchants inside Downtown Market in Grand Rapids, Rockford Cheese Shop; and in area Spartan Stores soon. It’ll also be available at West Michigan Meijer stores starting in mid-October. All honey products, including beeswax, candles, balms, salves, can also be found line at www.GreatLakesBeeCo.com

Watch Genji Leclair’s full interview on Good Day Northern Michigan, here.

 

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GLBC’s honey products now available at Whole Foods Market in Grand Rapids

You know that delicious Hasselman’s Honey and honey infusions we make? You can now purchase them at the new Whole Foods Market in metro Grand Rapids!

Whole Foods Market opened its first West Michigan store on Aug. 16 and features a variety of local products, including Hasselman’s Honey from The Great Lakes Bee Company. Our unprocessed, raw and unfiltered honey is collected from hives around Newaygo County, a region that specializes in honey production due to its unique environment that GLBC bees forage on, producing 150,000 pounds of Michigan honey each year.

As a local Whole Foods Market vendor, you can find GLBC’s Hasselman’s Honey, including comb honey and 3 oz. flavored honey infusions available for purchase inside the new store, 2897 Radcliff Ave SE, in Kentwood. Our honey products are currently located in the produce section, aisle four, and register seven in the check-out lanes.

If you’re as thrilled as we are about having GLBC’s Hasselman’s hometown honey in Whole Foods Market, the world’s leading natural and organic grocer, buzz on over to the store in Grand Rapids and check it out!

In the Media: 

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Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

Chocolate does more than make our bellies happy. It also makes our brains happy! That’s right, dark chocolate has the ability to increase serotonin in the brain due to its chemical make-up of tryptophan (amino acid that helps make serotonin), phenylethylalanine (natural anti-depressant), and theobromine (mood relaxer and stress reliever). The increase is serotonin leads to a good mood and reduction of stress. Thanks to dark chocolate’s mood enhancing properties, chocolate can even reportedly reduce symptoms of depression. In one study of over 13,000 adults, individuals who reported eating dark chocolate within 2 days had 70% less likelihood of reporting symptoms of depression compared to those who didn’t eat any chocolate.

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Health Benefits of Rose

Rose petals have a long history of being used in homeopathic medicine. Today, roses still offer incredible health benefits, and we even create infused honey flavors from it. Roses can be turned into rose tea, rose hip oil, rosewater, essentials oils, and more.

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Health Benefits of Cinnamon

Honey and cinnamon have a long history of being used in medicine. Honey is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and an antiseptic. Cinnamon has similar properties. It is also an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and an anti-bacterial substance. Combining honey and cinnamon could no doubt have major health benefits. That is why we created our Cinnamon Infused Honey. Not only does it taste great, but it’s packed with all the nutrients of honey and cinnamon combined!

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Browned Butter & Honey Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we’ve got the pumpkin pie recipe that is sure to impress everybody at the dinner table. This recipe uses our very own honey to give a little extra kick of flavor. The honey brings out the pumpkin flavor in ways you never thought possible. 

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New Edition to the Hive: Melissa, GM

Meet GLBC’s newest edition to the hive, Melissa! We’re so excited to have Melissa on board as our General Manager. Melissa joined us last month after an in-depth hiring search across West Michigan. Melissa describes herself as a “Jane of all trades and master of few,” which you’ll learn after reading about her history, home life, hobbies, and volunteering. As GLBC continues to expand, we’re so grateful to be able to have Melissa join us and continue showing everyone what all the buzz is about at GLBC.

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Honey Masala Chai

Fall is (almost) here! Time to bundle up, cozy up, and drink up some delicious, sweet- you guessed it, honey masala chai, commonly referred to in the U.S. as “chai tea”! After making this recipe, you’ll not only have a steaming cup of yummy tea in your hand but you’ll also have a home filled with the comforting aroma of these delectable spices. 

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Honey Provides Superior Energy & Nutritional Benefits for Athletes

Honey is a healthy substitute for sugar and great for diet conscious folk. However, honey is so much more than just a sugar substitute. It is actually an ideal source of energy, far healthier than sugar and other energy sources, making it a highly efficient way for athletes and other active people to fuel their bodies. 

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