The Buzz

Sweet Beginnings, LLC

Buzz From The Hive:

What people are saying about beeline® products

Click here to submit your own sweet comment!

"I just wanted to take a moment to thank Sweet Beginnings for the wonderful beeline products I picked up at the Green Festival this weekend; I have already enjoyed the beeline brown sugar and body polisher and exfoliator and the beeline body cream - they are unbelievable, my hand are so soft and not full of icky chemicals!!"

April Capril, California

"beeline honey is the best honey on the market. I love the taste. It is very light and delicate, not viscous and syrupy. And with Chicago's changing seasons comes changing plants, so each batch has nice unique flavors and varied tones of gold. But perhaps the more irresistible part about these good old-fashioned jars of honey is that beeline workers are participants in a pioneering business enterprise that trains and employs individuals who have been all but banished from the workforce due to criminal backgrounds or inadequate skills. These folks just want a chance to get back on their feet and into the job market. So I savor every purchase for two reasons - it is delicious and it makes a difference. This is yummy honey with a social conscience. Sweet indeed."

Michelle Light, Chicago, Illinois

"The beeline body cream has been a wonderful experience. It is challenging finding a product that has an inviting fragrance and that will also replenish and revitalize dry skin without leaving a greasy film. My family is experiencing healthier skin and also supporting Sweet Beginnings."

Pamela Smith Thomas, Chicago, Illinois

"My family loves beeline body cream. My wife is sensitive to product smells so we tend to purchase unscented lotions. Additionally, my children have eczema so finding a lotion or cream with a pleasant smell that also properly moisturizes the skin has been a challenge. We found the perfect solution with Sweet Beginnings' beeline body cream. It has an excellent smell, according to my wife and children, and it moisturizes the skin for my children extremely well. I also use the beeline body cream and love it. Great product!"

Jose M. Wilson, Chicago, Illinois

"Simply stated, I love all the products, but I especially love the sugar scrub. Living in Phoenix, I constantly am fighting 'ash' (dry skin). Your sugar scrub with honey is a wonderful creation. I use it in the shower and don't have to put on lotion. My skin is not only exfoliated, but it is conditioned without feeling greasy. THANK YOU!"

Elnora, Phoenix, Arizona

Honey Talk

Honey and Health

Throughout history, honey has often been the subject of numerous claims regarding its medicinal properties. Raw or minimally processed honey is an extremely complex substance that contains hundreds of different compounds including enzymes, amino acids, beneficial antioxidants and at least twenty different sugars. Modern research suggests that some of these compounds are highly beneficial and there are many more that have not yet been investigated.

Honey's acidity and the presence of peroxides make honey inhospitable to microbes. This quality made it popular as a dressing for wounds with early physicians and honey is still used in a similar fashion as a home remedy for minor burns and injuries.

Among its many compounds, honey contains beneficial antioxidants that curtail the activity of free radicals in the body. Free radicals, a by-product of metabolism, have been implicated in many lifestyle related diseases.

Honey should not be feed to children less than one year old because it can contain spores of Clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes botulism. It is dangerous for youngsters because of its ability to germinate in immature digestive systems, causing breathing difficulties and paralysis.

Honey in Your Kitchen

See our featured recipe of the month.

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Cooking with honey will bring a wealth of different flavors to your food. Also, because honey is hydroscopic (it attracts and holds moisture) it helps baked goods keep from drying out. Here are some tips for getting the most from your honey.

Keep honey in a glass jar in a temperature-stable cupboard. Changes in temperature won't spoil honey but may affect its texture. As long as other foods don't get into the jar, honey is remarkably long-lived and will not go bad.
Honey crystallizes naturally over time; some kinds more than others. You can use honey as a spread, or simply re-liquiefy it by setting the jar in a bowl or sink or warm water.
When a recipe calls for oil and honey, measure the oil first...the honey will leave the measure easily, without any waste.
A 12-ounce jar of honey (by weight) equals a standard measuring cup (8 ounces by volume).
Honey is 25% sweeter than sugar, so when substituting, reduce the sweetening by 1/4 and reduce the liquid in the recipe 25% also, to account for the added moisture in the honey.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda to baked goods for each cup of honey used.
Reduce the oven temperature by 25° F, or watch closely when baking with honey - it causes food to brown more quickly.
Blend honey with butter and grated lemon or orange zest for a luxurious toast topping.
Mix a spoonful of honey with white wine or sherry for a sweet-tart accent in salads and sauces.
Honey should not be given to children under 12 months, to avoid the potential risk of infant botulism.

Bee Beautiful, Bee Sweet, Buy beeline^®!