Did anyone try the 'Plastic Free July' Challenge?  How did you go?  It can be hard to get your head around to start with but as time goes on it does get easier.  The trick it to keep it going beyond July and use those new strategies in our every day life.  The less plastic we use the better off our world will be!

 

Remember instead of using these:

 

Try to use these instead:

 

Check out eco-friendly products on our website

A couple of Sundays ago we were very happy to be a part of Dough Bros Locavore Long Lunch.  The team at Dough Bros wanted to celebrate their favourite local suppliers and the impressive bounty of food produced here in the Waikato. Over a leisurely four-course lunch foodies were able to rub shoulders with some of the growers and artisan makers that are putting the Waikato on the map as a food destination. 

On arrival we could choose between these cocktails, divine:
 

Persimmon and lavender shrub with lemon, Sweetree Honey syrup, soda and Reid Reid gin	Tamarillo and ginger shrub with lemon, Sweetree Honey syrup, soda and Dancing Sands vodka

We enjoyed nibbles on arrival including Volare sour dough bread with Bellefield cultured butter, Whangape Grove olive oil and Peppers sweet and spicy dukkah.

The first course included Soggy Bottom's amazing smoked leg ham, Magills smoked port, garlic sausage and finocchio salami, pickled baby veggies from Southern Fresh, Peplers beetroot relish & whiskey mustard and Volare bread.  Mmm mmmm!

The second course was a salad of Magill's ham hock, mixed leaves and chioggia beetroot from Southern Fresh, whole grain mustard vinaigrette.

The third course was Magill's beef short rib carbonnade, celeriac puree with Sweetree Honey and franjelico glazed baby vegetables, Cilantro chèvre, sage grilled Southern Fresh baby leeks and fennel remoulade. 

The pud was amazing!  It was tiramisu bathed in Manuka Brothers wood-fired roasted coffee and enriched with mascarpone made locally by Cilantro, topped off with a yummy cheese board.

It was all so delicious!  And for someone who is always eating home meals cooked by me, it was a huge treat!

Huge thanks to the great team at Dough Bros for putting together a fantastic event!  We're looking forward to another one!

 

Here's a copy of the menu we enjoyed:

Purchase the Sweetree honey used in the menu

Do you often succumb to the winter bugs?  Does your immunity need a little boost?  Try bee pollen!  It is naturally rich in protein and contains virtually every known vitamin, 28 minerals, plus numerous active enzymes and fatty acids.  It is one of nature’s best superfoods, providing a sustainable source of energy for a healthy balanced life. 

Regular consumption of bee pollen aids your general health and well-being. Just some of the reported benefits of Sweetree bee pollen are sustained energy, enhanced immunity, reduced stress, relief of inflammation, more rested sleep and better skin condition.

Studies show that the white blood cell count is increased in those taking bee pollen. Gamma globulins are the “stuff” antibodies are made of, and antibodies are our only internal defense against viruses. White blood cells of various types consume harmful bacteria and other foreign matter that enters the blood or lymph stream. In short, pollen appears to boost our immune system protection.

 

Read more about Sweetree Bee Pollen
See what our customers think of Sweetree Bee Pollen

Purchase Sweetree Bee Pollen

This month's 'Sustainable Me' challenge is to participate in 'Plastic-free July' by cutting back on overall plastic use. We have more information on Plastic Free July on another blog post and 'Our Seas our Future (OSOF)' have lots of information on their website.

Did you know that every piece of plastic ever made is still around? It might look a bit different than it did in its original form – discoloured, warped, or in smaller pieces perhaps.  Plastic is found nearly everywhere in our lives, too. Our food comes wrapped in it, our clothing is spun from it and our hospitals use it to save lives. Plastic is found in our wallets, our toys, our cars and our electronics.

It can be overwhelming to think about all that plastic, and to see a path forward to a reduced-plastic life, much less a plastic-free one. Removing all plastic from your life is extremely difficult –prohibitively so for most of us. But every tiny step in the right direction helps, and this month you are encouraged to take one.

Focus on ‘reduce’ and ‘reuse’ rather than recycle – buying and using less plastic means less of it enters the waste stream. Simply find ways to use less and dispose of less. 

Here's What The Challenge Suggests:

Beginner: Start with something simple – pledge to go plastic free for a day or a week. Choose a new behaviour and practice it. It’s that simple.

Step it up: Remove all single-use plastics from your life for one full month.

Want more? Can you go one full month without adding any plastic to the waste stream – single use or otherwise? Challenge yourself to give it a try! Even if it doesn’t work, you will probably learn something along the way that you can incorporate into your regular plastic-reduction routine.

See the OSOF website to read more tips

Read more about:

• The Sustainable Me Challenge
• January Challenge - reducing one use plastic
• February Challenge - drive less
• March Challenge - reduce personal care product footprint
• April Challenge - preserve fresh produce
• May Challenge - reduce energy usage
• June Challenge - reduce non-recyclable paper tissue waste
• Plastic Free July

Check out the eco friendly items in our online store!

Congratulations to Melanie Goodrick for winning our 'Bee Sweet and Reuse' photo competition!! This competition's aim was to promote the reuse of our glass jars.  Melanie had a great functional and creative use for her reused jar and has won $140 worth of goodies!!