Honey Do

We eat a lot of honey at my house; enough so that I believe Jake (my husband) and I have become a little snobbish about it. 'Oh yes,' we say, as we roll clover-honey-smeared pancake around in our mouths, '...a little rustic, a little plain, but a good stand-by." Or, recently we were lucky enough to purchase a 5-lb container of pure Buckwheat honey, and had a very special tasting straight from the jug at the kitchen counter: "Mmmm...," we hummed, our tongues stuck to the roofs of our mouths, " so dark, almost coffee-like in the back of the tongue, somewhat burnt-sugar-like...", and more food-snobbery of the like.

You can get this 'nectar of the Gods' from many local farmers around town. Ask them about their beekeeping practices to bee sure they are not destroying the hive or taking too much honey; most domesticated breeds of honeybees make more than enough honey than they need for storage to get through our harsh winters due to generations of selective breeding, so taking a little is not usually a big deal. But beware! Beekeeping is no different than any other type of animal husbandry, and is an industry rife with operators who care little for the creatures involved, so do your homework to get a pure, safe, responsible product.

Honey also makes a great substitute for table sugar, which is basically terrible for us to eat. I use it, I eat it, but I try to minimize my exposure, and use honey, date sugar, maple syrup, or other delicious alternatives to sweeten up my life. Never choose Aspartame, Splenda, or those other bizarre Franken-sugars: they're made in labs and are linked to cancer among other serious health concerns. And besides, honey is readily available for you to buy from a local farmer, so you can help Michigan support itself through small, family-owned farms!