Arpillera from Lucuma.com

Really, guys.. you dont’ have to go nuts for the holidays. Sure, you can….black friday did start on Thanksgiving day. There are BILLIONS of dollars being spent. People go in debt. People stress. There’s too much to do. Too many events to go to. BUT, you dont’ have too. I’m just sayin’. Christmas is about so many other things; these for example –

a) Christmas all started with the birth of baby Jesus. And the wise men brought HIM gifts.
b) We celebrate this joyous occasion by exchanging gifts.
c) We celebrate by gathering together with our friends and families, creating traditions and sharing our lives.

So let’s not forget! It is a celebration! Let’s not create traditions and culture promoting materialism. How can we rethink Christmas?

Here’s an idea: A friend was recently telling me their Christmas present philosphy for their kids. Each got only three gifts (because 3 were good enough for Jesus). The first gift was something their child wanted. The second gift was something their child needed. The third gift was something that the parent wanted their child to have.

WOAH.

Do you see the impact? Just think for a minute with me about fair trade, about what it teaches. What if each gift you gave had meaning because it wasn’t tossed in a heap with all the others. What if every dollar you spent taught your friends and family something good and helped somebody in the process? That would be a pretty great Christmas I think. Don’t you?

BUT if you’re bent on going nuts (fair trade style of course), you can at least munch on these fair trade ones from SERRV.
Until next time…. ~ Liz

Oh, and if you want a story to go along with Jesus’ birthday, I’d recommend this one: The King’s Christmas List

Arpillera Christmas Stockings from Peru

Cheers and until next time!
Liz

Do you know what October is? (besides Breast Cancer awareness month) Fair trade month! It also happens to host World Food Day. Get involved if you can! World Food day is about gender equality in agriculture, working conditions for farmers, support for organics and the fight against Genetically engineered foods; all of these things are important to the fair trade movement. But more on that later. In the meantime, you can start searching how to get involved either here or here.

And check out the latest cool Fair Trade Food item I’ve discovered. Coconut Oil!

I love coconut oil. It’s great as a moisturizer (apply when you are still a little damp) and in cooking. Dr. Bronner’s now has an organic Fair Trade Certified Coconut Oil. How awesome is that!? And so you have motivation to check it out too, here is my favorite muffin recipe: Enjoy and learn more about Dr. Bronner’s Coconut oil here!

picture from blog.superhealthykids.com

Carrot Muffins, adapted from the carrot pulp cookery If you can’t use the pulp right away, freeze it in a plastic bag and defrost before baking. Makes 12

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 Teaspoon sea salt
2 Teaspoons cinnamon
1 Teaspoon nutmeg
2 Teaspoons baking soda + a hair more
3/4 cup Sucanat or brown sugar
1 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup water
2 Teaspoons vanilla
3 flax eggs (or 4 eggs)
2 cups carrot pulp or grated carrots
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease approximately 12 muffin tins thoroughly. Mix dry ingredients first. In separate bowl, mix sugar with olive oil, water and vanilla. Add flax eggs and blend thoroughly. Lightly incorporate the carrot pulp and nuts. Finally add dry ingredients. Put into muffin pan and cook for about 20 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes and serve.

Hi fair trade friends. I’ve been traveling a lot the past few weeks so forgive my lack of posting. As you may recall, we’re on the trail of food and fair trade. Today, I want to talk bananas.

They are the most commonly bought grocery item in the United States. And, they are becoming more noticed as organic, fair trade or eco-certified.

But, rather than tell you about the little I know about the banana industry, I’m going to send you to an article on another blog. The article is written by Phyllis Robinson and she sums it up nicely, being well acquainted with the industry.

http://smallfarmersbigchange.coop/2011/06/07/the-true-cost-of-bananas/?cm_mid=843452&cm_crmid=6FEE3BA2-049F-DF11-918F-002264F5185A&cm_medium=email

Request organic fair trade bananas at your local grocery store. And when you pick some up, you can try these recipes.

Recipe by Jamie G. Dougherty

Almost Vegan Banana-Pecan Pancakes with Honey Syrup
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, taken from Transfair’s Get Involved Blog

Makes 14 pancakes

•1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
•Sea salt
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•Dash of Fair Trade Certified Nutmeg
•1 1/2 cups organic whole milk or almond/other non-dairy milk
•1 1/4 tablespoons white vinegar
•2 flax eggs (made with 2 TBS ground flax seed + 6 TBS warm water): equivelant to 2 eggs
•3 tablespoons earth balance butter, melted (or extra virgin coconut oil) plus a little extra for the griddle
•1 tablespoon Wholesome Sweeteners organic honey or agave nectar•1 teaspoon Fair Trade Certified vanilla extract
•2 Fair Trade organic bananas, thinly sliced
•1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped

Honey Syrup
•1/4 cup Wholesome Sweeteners organic honey•1/4 cup water
•Dash of Fair Trade Certified vanilla extract

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. In a mug or glass add the milk and stir in the vinegar. Let stand for 10 minutes. It will curdle a bit. In a second bowl beat the eggs and add the butter, honey, vanilla and milk/vinegar mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until just combined. Fold in the sliced bananas and chopped pecans.

For each pancake, drop 1/4 cup of batter onto the buttered griddle or skillet set over medium-high heat. Cook, without disturbing until bubbles appear over the surface after a few minutes. Flip them over and cook until browned on the second side, about 1 minute. Refrain from patting them or turning them a second time. Both actions will make the pancakes lose their lightness.

To make the syrup, combine the honey, water, and vanilla in a small sauce pan. Warm through over low-medium heat, about 5 minutes, making sure not to boil the syrup. Remove from the heat and drizzle a few tablespoons over the pancakes. Enjoy!

Source: Transfairusa.org
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Banana Jam

4 ripe fair trade bananas
1 3/4 cups Billington’s Fair Trade Demerara Sugar
Juice of a large lemon
1/4 cup fresh (or frozen) cranberries, chopped cooking apple or green gooseberries

Peel, halve lengthways, and slice the bananas.

Put the cranberries or other fruit in a saucepan with 2-3 tablespoons of water, and cook until they are soft.

Add the lemon juice and the sugar. Cook gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to boil, add the bananas and boil for 10-15 minutes until the jam sets when dropped on a cold plate. Pour into hot, clean jars, seal and label. Makes two 12oz jars. Serve on toast or scones, perfect spooned over ice cream or hidden away in a crepe.

Source : Billington’s Recipe Collection , wholesomesweeteners.com

And on Alter-Eco’s website, they have a community Fair Trade Cookbook, which i thought was a great idea!  You can sign up here.  

You can also find Alter Eco at Whole Foods and a variety of specialty stores.  They wanted to tempt you with this rainbow quinoa salad…. and they even gave us the recipe.

Rainbow Quinoa Salad

• 3 TBS olive oil (from Canaan Fair Trade!)
• 2-3 cloves smashed and chopped garlic
• 2 TBS diced shallot
• 1 C Alter Eco Rainbow Quinoa
• 1.5 C veggie stock
• 1 C asparagus, 1/2″ dice
• 1 C radish, 1/4″ dice
• 1 C cucumber, 1/4″ dice
• 3 scallions, diced
• 1 C chopped roasted almonds or toasted pine nuts
• 1 large carrot, 1/4″ dice
• 1 bunch arugula, sliced into ribbons
• 1/2 sun-dried tomatoes, 1/4″ dice (in oil is fine)
• 1 C total of basil, mint or parsley
• 1/8 to 1/4 Each of lemon juice and olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute over medium low heat in 2 TBS of olive oil, the garlic and shallot. Let flavors meld slowly for 10-15 minutes. Add quinoa and toast the quinoa in the melded oil mixture for 10 minutes or so. Then turn up the heat to high and add stock. Bring liquid to a boil and lower heat immediately to low/ medium low, trying to retain a simmer. Cover and cook for 25 minutes lifting the lid every now an dthen to make sure there is enough liquid and that simmer is maintained. If not, adjust.

2. While the quinoa is cooking, saute the asparagus over medium heat in remaining oil for 5 minutes.

3. While the quinoa is cooking, prepare all other ingredients, tossing all, except lemon and olive oil into a large mixing bowl.

4. When quinoa is cooked, remove from heat and allow to cool a bit, tossing to allow air to permeate. Once it has cooled enough, toss together the quinoa with all the other ingredients until evenly distributed. Then, add lemon juice and olive oil with a few good sprinkles of sea salt and fresh black pepper. Voila. Taste spring.