http://www.honey.com/nhb Thoughts about honey and recipes from the National Honey Board. en jessica@nhb.org Copyright 2012 2012-05-09T21:21:44+00:00 http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/the-national-honey-board-goes-camping/ http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/the-national-honey-board-goes-camping/#When:20:21:44Z We have been busy bees (sorry, just couldn’t stop myself) the past few weeks. On Thursday of last week, two members of our National Honey Board (NHB) staff flew to Angelus Oaks, CA, to sponsor a food blogger conference. This was the first year we’ve sponsored this event, so we weren’t quite sure what to expect. As soon as we arrived, we had to unload the rental car of the eight (yes, eight!!) boxes that we had shipped in for the conference. Not to mention our very large luggage bags (filled with sleeping bags, pillows; the whole nine yards), and take it all into our tiny cabin. Once we were settled in, it was time to get to work. We assembled 110 attendee bags with honey sticks, water bottles, spatulas and all sorts of recipes. These bags were filled to the brim and we were excited to give it all away. We knew that we’d be short on time, getting all these bags together for the attendees, but we were up to the challenge. Knowing we were on a time restraint, we worked quickly and even had time to spare once we were finished. When the conference kicked-off that evening, the NHB was the first to present. We got on stage and for a half an hour, educated the attendees on how honey is made, the versatility of it and why they should be using it in both cooking and baking. The food bloggers were very receptive to us and had a ton of great questions at the end. They all wanted to learn more about honey and we were more than happy to educate them. The next morning was especially fun, because the cooks made breakfast that included honey in all the menu items. We feasted on honey custard french toast, honey blueberry syrup, orange almond honey muffins and stewed fruit with honey and cloves. Needless to say, we were stuffed, but it didn’t end there. A few hours later, the NHB held a honey tasting, where we showcased some of the over 300 honey varietals found here in the United States. We set up our table and had the attendees come over and talk to us about their favorite honey varietals and we tried to introduce them to some new ones. We also wanted to educate them on how different the honeys can taste. Most people don’t realize that the Avocado honey will have a completely different flavor profile than Tupelo honey.  The tasting went extremely well and the attendees seemed to get a lot of good information about honey from it. As they say, “all good things must come to an end” and with that, it was time to head home. We had a wonderful time at Camp BlogAway and were able to meet some wonderful people. We hope that our paths cross again and hopefully we will be seeing the same faces at next year’s camp! Oh and note to self… UPS and FedEx are closed on Sundays, which makes shipping back banners and conference materials a bit on an inconvenience. We ended up having to carry it all on the plane with us and as you can imagine, the logistics of that were quite interesting.  2012-05-09T20:21:44+00:00 http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/honeys-versatility-at-the-test-kitchen-seminar/ http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/honeys-versatility-at-the-test-kitchen-seminar/#When:22:01:18Z Earlier this week, the National Honey Board had the opportunity to go to San Francisco and attend a test kitchen seminar, with Chef David Guas, owner of Bayou Bakery. Upon arrival, we were pleased to see editors, bloggers and radio hosts from all over the Bay Area in attendance. The attendees couldn’t wait to see all the wonderful honey recipes that Chef Gaus was going to create and they would get to try. The cocktail reception featured the Tropical Honey Coconut Water Cooler, the Almond Honey Butter and brie cheese with Buckwheat honey drizzled over top. The drinks and small bites were appetizing and just a prelude for what was to come. After the cocktail reception, Chef Guas lead the attendees through a honey tasting. The tasting featured six honey varietals, all having a very unique flavor profile.  They ranged from lighter colored honeys with mild flavor notes all the way to darker colored honeys with more robust flavor notes. This was a great opportunity for the guest to really experience the unique colors and flavors of each variety. The tasting was very well received and the attendees learned new information about some of the more than 300 unique varietals found in the United States. Next up, Chef Gaus took to the kitchen and fired up the range. First item on the menu was the Honey and Whole Grain Mustard-Glazed Pork Chops. This dish was amazing and the guests seemed to love the versatility of honey in this dish. Next, we enjoyed the Grape and Almond Salad with Honey Yogurt Dressing and it was refreshing and showcased honey in a lighter menu option.  It really highlighted honey in a different and unique way, giving attendees a glimpse of honey’s versatility. If that wasn’t enough food, Chef Gaus created Honey-Candied Bacon and Lettuce Sandwiches, a new twist on the classic BLT. He was quick to note you can never have too much bacon or too much honey! For the final recipe of the afternoon, we enjoyed Honey-Lemon Cheesecake Pops, of course with honey graham cracker crust. These honey pops were to die for and a delicious way to end the seminar. All-in-all, we had a wonderful time at the test kitchen and were able to enjoy and share many of the unique aspects of honey. It truly is liquid gold and has so many culinary (as well as other) uses. We hope to continue to spread the word and educate people on its versatility!  2012-04-27T22:01:18+00:00 http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/honey-drizzler-giveaway-winners/ http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/honey-drizzler-giveaway-winners/#When:14:51:50Z We would like to thank all who entered our honey drizzler and orange blossom giveaway last Tuesday. This giveaway had the most interest out of all our giveaways and we are very excited to see that. We could only have ten winners and our lucky ten are: 1. Allen M. – IL. 2. Deb S. – MN. 3. PV H. – PA. 4. Lori-Ann S. – WA. 5. Sara A. - NE. 6. Lane K. – AL. 7. Cheryl P.  – VA. 8. Ilona P.  – CT. 9. Adriana S.  – LA. 10. Kristen S. – CA. Congratulations to all the winners! Our winners have all been notified and the prizes are on their way to you. The National Honey Board will be having another giveaway next month, so check back for your chance to win! 2012-04-20T14:51:50+00:00 http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/national-honey-boards-giveaway/ http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/national-honey-boards-giveaway/#When:17:39:51Z The National Honey Board has created brand new honey drizzlers and we are thrilled with how they’ve turned out! Whether you use honey on a peanut butter, honey and banana sandwich or in your morning tea, these drizzlers are handy to have around. This giveaway includes a hot off the press honey drizzler with our Honey logo and our www.honey.com website, where you will find over 1,500 honey recipes, as well as a beautiful glass jar of Orange Blossom honey to go with it. We will also be including our Discover the Versatility of Honey brochure, so you will have even more honey recipes at your fingertips. This drizzler is handmade in Pennsylvania with renewable forested hardwood and 10% of the proceeds will be donated in an effort to teach and help with Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Be one of the first ten people to email us at and we will send you a gift package containing our newest honey drizzler, orange blossom honey and our Discover the Versatility of Honey brochure. The ten winners will be announced Friday on the blog, so make sure you check back here to see if you are a winner. 2012-04-17T17:39:51+00:00 http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/new-orleans-zephyrs/ http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/new-orleans-zephyrs/#When:19:57:28Z This week, staff from the National Honey Board (NHB) will be traveling to New Orleans, La., for a Zephyrs baseball game. We cannot wait for our first game of the Minor League Baseball® (MiLB®) season and are really looking forward to seeing all the hard work we’ve put into this program pay off. Not only do we get to promote honey as a natural energy booster to baseball fans, but we also get to do a live radio interview with the game play-by-play announcer, as well as throw out the first pitch! This will be the fifth year the NHB is sponsoring MiLB®. We have a total of seven teams this year, stretching from coast-to-coast. As the official natural energy booster of each of the teams, the NHB will expand its honey messaging through strong in-park promotion and broadcast media presence. If you are in the New Orleans area and can attend the game, make sure you stop by and see us. Discounts will be given on game day for a buy one ticket get one ticket free, or 15 percent on team souvenir merchandise, courtesy of the NHB. Both offers are tied to the proof of purchase (with original receipt) of a bottle of pure honey. Visit the NHB’s MiLB® website to find out more information about our other teams and how to take advantage of our discount offer! Go Zephyrs! 2012-04-11T19:57:28+00:00 http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/one-derful-world-of-honey/ http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/one-derful-world-of-honey/#When:21:37:21Z This past week, the National Honey Board (NHB) traveled to San Antonio, to exhibit at the 33rd annual conference on pediatric health care. The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (NAPNAP) goal is to promote optimal health for children through leadership, practice, advocacy, education and research. The NHB recognized that this would be a perfect opportunity to partner with NAPNAP in order to educate pediatric nurse practitioners about the age when honey can be introduced to young children.  The National Honey Board confirmed in 2011 through focus groups among moms and pediatric nurse practitioners and a nationally fielded online survey of moms with children ages 5 and under that there is a need for honey education.  Research revealed that moms are confused about when to feed honey to their children and often think of honey as a forgotten food. Based on these findings, we are educating consumers about when you can introduce honey to your children’s diet after they turn one year old. Turning one is certainly a milestone, a time when parents can introduce new foods into their little ones’ lives as they grow out of infancy. During infancy, a baby’s digestive system is not mature enough to tolerate certain foods. That’s why the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics and other health associations recommend that certain foods, including honey, not be fed to infants under one year of age. Because pure honey is natural, it could be a potential source of botulinum spores (a bacteria that may make babies sick), which may put infants under one year at risk for infant botulism. But after the children turn one, their digestive systems are “grown up” enough to digest honey. However, it is always best to consult your pediatrician or other health care provider for any advice. Our goal for the conference is to educate the pediatric nurse practitioners, so they could educate the families that come to them with honey questions. Honey is a natural, wholesome sweetener and a versatile ingredient for the entire family. As with any new food, introduce honey to young children gradually to help them broaden their tastes. Sweeteners are not an essential part of a child’s diet and should be used in moderation. We had a great time at the NAPNAP conference and received a great deal of positive response from the attendees. We look forward to continuing our ONE-derful World of Honey messaging as well as exhibiting at this conference next year! 2012-04-02T21:37:21+00:00 http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/apron-spatula-giveaway-winners/ http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/apron-spatula-giveaway-winners/#When:19:39:03Z We would like to thank all who entered our Apron & Spatula Giveaway last Thursday. We had a great deal of interest, but we could only have ten winners. Our lucky ten are: 1. Daniel N. – CO. 2. Heather M. – MO. 3. Emily M. – CO. 4. Alison W. – SC. 5. Melissa D. – CO. 6. Sondra H. – TX. 7. Marjorie P.  – NY. 8. Judy H.  – TN. 9. Julie H.  – UT. 10. Linda J. – MI. Congratulations to all the winners! Our winners have all been notified and the prizes are already on their way to you. The National Honey Board will be having another giveaway in the next few weeks, so check back for your chance to win! 2012-03-26T19:39:03+00:00 http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/national-honey-boards-apron-and-spatula-giveaway/ http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/national-honey-boards-apron-and-spatula-giveaway/#When:20:34:05Z We’ve been working hard here at the National Honey Board to create fun and useful giveaways for our readers, especially those who like to use honey in the kitchen. This giveaway includes a hot off the press black adjustable apron with our Honey logo, as well as a handy honey spatula, 10 orange blossom honey sticks and our newest recipe cards “Honey – Nature’s Secret Ingredient”, that includes 8 delicious honey recipes. Be one of the first ten people to email us at and we will send you a gift package containing our newest adjustable apron, spatula, recipe cards and orange blossom honey sticks. The ten winners will be announced Monday on the blog, so make sure you check back here to see if you are a winner. 2012-03-22T20:34:05+00:00 http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/welcome-spring/ http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/welcome-spring/#When:14:55:49Z It’s that time of year again, the time that some of us wait all year for. We are less than one week away from spring, in the thick of college basketball tournaments and don’t forget that little green holiday also known as St. Patrick’s Day. There is a lot to be thankful for and a great deal to celebrate. Whether you are cooking up a traditional Irish feast or just adding a little green food coloring to each and every dish you consume, just remember one thing. The meal is never complete without a little dessert. We have come up with an amazing (if we do say so ourselves) Irish Coffee Cheesecake that is sure to be a hit! So if you are celebrating the warmth in the weather, the highly anticipated March Madness or dressing yourself in head to toe green, we wish you a wonderful week and hope you are enjoying this time of year as much as we do. 2012-03-16T14:55:49+00:00 http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/water-bottle-giveaway-winners/ http://www.honey.com/nhb/features/blog-comments/water-bottle-giveaway-winners/#When:15:48:38Z We would like to thank all who entered our Water Bottle Giveaway last Thursday. We had a great deal of buzz, but we could only have ten winners. Our lucky ten are: 1.Carla R. – MN. 2. Anne R.L.  – OH.  3. Russell G. – Canada 4. Kristi S. – NE. 5. Anne P. – NJ. 6. Michele M. – MS. 7. Melinda G. – MO. 8. Naomi E. – LA. 9. Rachel G. – NE. 10. Lisa L. – FL. Congratulations to all the winners! Our winners have all been notified and the prizes are already on their way to you. The National Honey Board will be having another giveaway next Thursday, March 22nd, so please check back for your chance to win! 2012-03-12T15:48:38+00:00