Alden's Mill House
Alden, Michigan
Our family has been using Alden Mill spices for years. We love their family's custom blends, sourcing protocols and the grit and determination to make a spice mill successful in Northern Michigan! Check out their website for more amazing products and give our two recipes a try on our Recipe page. Both use the spices in your Autumn box!
The Alden Mill House was started in 1984, by selling Chef Geno’s all-purpose seasoning Miracle Blend and other Pepper Mill Spices. The founder of Pepper Mill Spice Company, Eugene Moglovkin (aka Chef Geno), was a famous American Chef with European training. He had help beginning and running the business by his wife Joy Moglovkin. Although Geno was the creator, Joy was the business backbone that made the business happen! The business is continued to be run by family: their daughter Colleen.
Over the years Chef Geno developed and perfected his own custom seasoning blends that have been used in some of America’s finest clubs and restaurants. Chef Geno won numerous awards and ribbons in culinary art shows from Michigan to Florida. The Pepper Mill and Alden Mill House products are made up of the finest ingredients that are carefully selected from around the world.
We buy only the highest quality of spices and kosher flake salt. Our kosher flake salt has no trace of iodine to alter the desired flavor. We pride ourselves by producing quality products. We grind and mix all of our spices, label our own bottles, and then fill each bottle individually.
Belle Lavande
Stockbridge
The Mack family didn't just want to open a lavender farm; they wanted to create a destination that encouraged a slower pace, where families can explore the natural habitats, gardens, grasslands, wetlands, and animals spread across their property; a farm that enriches the land while creating the highest quality of organic lavender on the market; a space that gives back to the land and its community.
We think they succeeded with Belle Lavande in Stockbridge, MI. From lavender lemonade to gentle baby products and luxurious soaps and so much more, their products are the highest quality.
Carosello Pasta
Dexter
We love how Carosello pastas from Dexter, MI cook up! We think you will too. We also love their backstory. From Italy to Michigan, their story is one of authenticity, hard work and a commitment to quality.
"Many years spent in Italy gave me a deep appreciation for the slow, deliberate methods and sense of place inherent to Italian cooking. Returning to the U.S., I assumed that if I wanted authentic, traditional dried pasta, it would have to be imported from across the Atlantic. But, the Italian way is all about embracing domestic agriculture, passing on traditions, and always making (more than) enough to share. So, I set out to create a small batch, bronze extruded pasta made with U.S. grown organic semolina from our kitchen here in the Great Lakes state. We think the taste & texture rival the best pasta in Italy, and we’re thrilled to share it with you!"
-Mike Carosello
Chelsea Milling Company
Chelsea
Our family loves "JIFFY" mix products. They're consistent, delicious and so versatile. Check out their website for loads of great recipes. jiffymix.com
But we also love their origin story. "JIFFY" Mix was born out of necessity and ingenuity. Chelsea Milling Company has been a family-owned business since it was established as a traditional flour mill in 1901, by our founder Harmon S. Holmes. During the next three decades Chelsea Milling Company produced flour for the local communities.
At the start of the Great Depression Harmon's daughter-in-law, Mabel White Holmes considered how she and her family's local milling business might help those whose livelihood had been affected.
When a friend of her twin sons Howard and Dudley visited their home, Mabel noticed the biscuits in the boy's lunch were flat and unappetizing. She set out to find a way to create a pre-made mix which would assist the boy's single father in the kitchen.
In 1930, with the support of her husband Howard Samuel Holmes, Mabel's home-grown project became the first prepared baking mix sold to the public. The convenient, simple to use mix only required the addition of milk to produce perfect biscuits every time. By keeping their "JIFFY" brand baking mixes affordable, the Holmes' new venture was able to help many families who were recovering from the effects of the Great Depression.
Today, "JIFFY" is the market share leader in retail prepared muffin mixes, yet our goal remains the same; to feed America, especially during difficult economic times.
Ninety years after our debut in 1930, our mission remains the same. At "JIFFY" our mission is to provide our consumers with the best possible value. We define Value as being the highest quality ingredients and the best price.
Germack Roasting Company
Detroit
Some of our favorite nuts come from Detroit! Our family has been enjoying germack products for decades. We sure hope yu enjoy this limited-run bag of Tigers peanuts! Take us out to the ballpark with Germack!
Germack, a DETROIT CLASSIC, is a small FAMILY OWNED business founded in 1924 as the first company in America to import and roast pistachio nuts. Now in our 4th generation of family ownership, Germack roasts in-house a full line of nuts, seeds and coffees in Detroit’s Eastern Market District. We invented the popular red-colored pistachio nut – our nutty heritage runs deep!
Germack’s first quality, fancy grade nuts are NUTRITIOUS enough for every day snacking and cooking, DELICIOUS enough for entertaining, and FANCY enough for holiday gift giving.
Our customers tell us our nuts taste better than the rest! The Germack taste difference comes from our quality ingredients and our time-honored roasting process.
As a small family owned business, we put MORE CARE and BETTER INGREDIENTS into every batch and seek out small suppliers around the world with similar values. We select only the highest quality nuts. Our FIRST QUALITY, FANCY grade nuts are gift quality – a uniform color, bigger size, and more whole pieces. We roast our nuts in small batch roasters, with heart-healthy canola oil for optimal roast level and taste. We control the time between roasting and delivery to ensure maximum freshness.
Gee Dee Bees Raw Honey
Hastings
We love Gee Dee Bee's honey. It definitely has that fresh-from-the-hive flavor profile. Family-owned and operated, Greg and his niece, Brenna, care for their hives with the TLC you would expect from a family-owned farm. Greg's backstory is pretty awesome!
Greg's History:
My introduction to beekeeping started in Honduras. I was there as a part of a doctors without borders program. During my stay, I met a beekeeper, Thomas Hebert. He asked me if I would be interested in coming out to the beehives with him. Curious, I said, “yes”.
Before we had gotten out there, he had me completely suit up with extra safety measures.
As we approached, they came to greet us, stinger first! I could feel them cling onto the bee suit trying to pierce through it wherever they could. A few were successful but my suit protected me.
We continued our way to the hives. Thomas broke the top open on one, proceeding to take the frames out despite the residents angry protests. He taught me about how to check if a frame is ready to be pulled or if it needed more time. He also taught me how to extract the honey and its wonderful health benefits. I fell in love with honeybees and the hard work of beekeeping.
Thomas Hebert has since passed. However, his passion for beekeeping lives on. Gee Dee Bees carries on that passion. Teaching beekeeping to the next generation. My team and I work to keep honey bees around so that many more generations can enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Great Lakes Potato Chips
Traverse City
We have some great potato chips here in the Mitten State! Our family absolutely loves the Cherry BBQ chips from Great Lakes Potato Chip Company. We hope you do too! Yet another family-owned company making quality products right here in Michigan!
"We love potato chips – who doesn’t? So when we decided to make potato chips from Michigan potatoes right here in Traverse City, we knew they needed to be something special.
How do we do it? Small batches, fresh, almost all Michigan potatoes and spices and a good, old-fashioned Midwestern work ethic. The result? One sensational kettle chip that stands up to the most demanding snack craving you can dish out.
It’s all about flavor. Our skin-on style puts a little extra “zip” in the chip, providing you a full-flavor snack adventure – something those naked chips just can’t deliver. And although it’s nice that potato skins are known to contain nutrients and fiber, we leave’m on just because we love the way they taste."
- The Girrbach family
S•TEA•P - Specialty Tea Products
Ypsilanti
S•TEA•P is a home based business in Ypsilanti, MI. Women owned and operated, we are proud to be family run.
At S•TEA•P, we make brewing and drinking loose leaf tea more approachable and less mysterious through encouraging experimentation, providing education, and creating community.
Tea drinking is a personal and individual experience. One of our founding principles is that each cup of tea is as unique as the individual who drinks it. Tea can (and should) be modified to individual tastes. It can be be made stronger or weaker, hot or cold, sweetened or drank with milk.
Our tea's draw upon familiar names and flavors that evoke fond memories and promote relaxation and reflection. By simply brewing a cup of our tea, people will be mentally transported to their favorite places in time, recollect their favorite Michigan Memories, and dream of new ones yet to be made.
