Tasty Tuesday: Fair Trade Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!

January 28, 2014 - Posted by Dawn Stary to General Recipes Tasty Tuesday

Picture this, a warm piece of banana bread laden with chocolate chips and topped with melted butter while drinking hot tea. And even better it’s made with fair trade chocolate chips, fair trade sugar (though sadly I could not find fair trade bananas) and the tea is fair trade too! Plus my son’s napping so it’s quiet and I am taking a minute to relax. For me this adds up to a pleasant afternoon.

pick monkey banana bread

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread by Recipe Girl

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature (1 stick)
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 ounces chocolate chips (mini chips are best)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour one 8×5-inch loaf pan.

2. In large bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Add baking soda, sour cream, eggs, bananas and vanilla. Blend well. Stir in flour and chocolate chips, just until combined.

3. Pour batter into loaf pan and bake 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Yield: One loaf

ceramic-fish-serving-platter

Serve up this truly delicious fair trade chocolate chip banana bread on our one of a kind Ceramic Fish Platter!

Happy Eating! Dawn

Part II: 7 Unique Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

January 27, 2014 - Posted by Ashleigh Krawll to Gift Guides

As promised, here is part two of our series on Unique Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas! If you missed our first list of unique Valentine’s Day Gifts, you can find it here. Each gift featured below helps empower disadvantaged communities around the world, through employment and fair wages. To find out more about what each gift supports, click on the product links below.

What is your favorite Valentine’s Day memory? Please share your story in the comments…

1. Kantha Weekender Bag – India
2. Antiqued Elephant Wine Stopper – South Africa
3. Sseko Sandals w/ Red Straps – Uganda
4. Dreambean Essentials Gift Set – USA
5. Tree of Life Wall Tapestry – India
6. Wooden Earring Stand – India
7. Floral Whitewash Picture Frame – India

Fair Trade Purses {Product Spotlight}

January 24, 2014 - Posted by Casey Trogden to Fashion Product Spotlight

Needing a fresh new fair trade purse for Spring? Or just because? Hey, me too! And luckily for us, Seven Hopes United has some new beauties just waiting to haul around all of your essentials. Want to check out my faves today? After all, everyone knows Friday is the best cyber shopping day! (Oh, your husband doesn’t know? Mine, either. We won’t worry about that.)

Let’s start with the Basic Recycled Plastic Shoulder Bag:

This gorgeous fair trade purse is made from recycled plastic bags by an artisan cooperative in the northwestern region of India. It’s the perfect mix of traditional and modern art-forms. Because of severe drought, this region is not farmable. Your purchase of this handbag helps the artisans in this region earn an income and helps support the local economy.

Next up are these pretty Oversized Flower Shoulder Bags:

The perfect fair trade handbag for farmer’s markets, a day at the beach or carting around your kids’ diapers, toys and endless, well, kid stuff. An instant favorite for spring and summer, these flower-adorned, oversized shoulder bags are made of a lightweight recycled netting material originally used in fishing and construction. They are handmade by our fair trade partners in Cambodia, Smateria.

If you’re in need of a smaller purse, check out the Eco-Friendly 3-Way Bag:

Go hands free with this modern, eco-friendly and versatile bag. It can be worn 3 ways: clipped around the waist or hip, cross-body or on the shoulder. Purchases of this bag, also handmade in Cambodia, provide income, dignity and hope to artisans and their families.

And what discussion on fair trade purses would be complete with mention of a fun handheld bag? Sometimes all you need is your phone, red lipstick, and a credit card. Right, ladies? For those days, behold the Colorsplash Sari Clutch:

This one-of-a-kind clutch is made from a patchwork of up-cycled saris, sprinkled with embroidery and the occasional bead or sequin, and paired with sustainably sourced leather. The leather is hand-dyed with floral embossing to make a sophisticated accessory for your Spring wardrobe!

So there are just a few of my favorite fair trade handbags available right now on Seven Hopes United. Check out the rest here, and make sure to come back often for new styles!

XO,
Casey

Product Feature – Dawn’s Favorite Things!

January 23, 2014 - Posted by Dawn Stary to General

One of the exciting things about working for Seven Hopes United is the chance to constantly see new beautiful and unique fair trade items. Over the past year I have become quite familiar with many of these pieces and while I really like all of them I of course have my favorites; we humans always have our favorites don’t we!

Today I’d like to share with you some of my most favorite fair trade products from Seven Hopes United.

As it turns out I like all of the Eva Hand Painted items; I find the colors very appealing. My favorite of these items is the Eva Hand Painted Tiffin. Can’t you just imagine a picnic on a perfect summer day with these?

I first learned about felting a few years back when I started knitting. I’ve never done it myself but I really like the look of it. And this Handmade Felt Pear Birdhouse is just darling and makes for a great gift for your mom or a friend.

I’m a sucker for scarves. I think that they are the perfect accessory because they can dress up any outfit. This Shibori Cotton Scarf in blue would be a nice pop of color with a little black dress!

Okay purses are another one of my weaknesses. They too can make an outfit. And since I tend to wear a lot of black I like colorful accessories. The Colorful Leather Clutch from India looks beautiful against any outfit!

31Bits really makes lovely jewelry. I have come to really like the Ugandan paper jewelry over the years and again I am drawn to the many different colors that are used in these items. Here is the 31Bits Raffia Twist Bracelet, braided and a rainbow of colors!

I hope that you enjoy these too. There are so many more wonderful items to choose from but these are just a few of my favorites.

Have a great day – Dawn

Tasty Tuesday: Strawberry Shortcake

January 21, 2014 - Posted by Dawn Stary to General Recipes Tasty Tuesday

shortbread 5_picmonkey

Here’s a little taste of summer for you! Strawberry shortcake is a sweet and simple little treat that works for summer or any day that you can get strawberries from your grocery store or local farmers market. This recipe is so easy you can whip it up before friends come over or you can have it for a tea party themed birthday party or even as a quick dessert after dinner one evening.

shortbreat 1

Strawberry Vanilla Shortcakes

by: a Couple Cooks

Makes: 6 to 8

What You Need

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup fair trade turbinado raw cane sugar
Pinch kosher salt
1 large egg
¾ cup low-fat Greek yogurt (I happened to only have strawberry flavored and it worked out fine.)
1 teaspoon fair trade vanilla extract
2 cups strawberries
1½ tablespoons fair trade sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Sweetened whipped cream or coconut whipped cream
Fresh mint

What To Do

Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ cup turbinado raw cane sugar, and one pinch kosher salt.
In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients: 1 large egg, ¾ cup low-fat Greek yogurt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Spray with cooking spray or grease 6 cups of a muffin tin, then pour in the batter equally to the 6 cups (or 7 or 8, for slightly smaller cakes). Lightly spray the tops of the cakes, then bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the tops are lightly browned. Let stand in the muffin tin 1 minute, then remove to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
While the cakes bake, wash 2 cups strawberries, and slice them into a medium bowl. Stir in 1½ tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar, then let stand until serving, stirring occasionally.
Make the whipped cream, using whipping cream or coconut milk.
Chiffonade the mint (following this video).
When ready to serve, cut the cakes in half. Spoon over strawberries, top with whipped cream and fresh mint, and top with the remaining half.

For a fun way to involve your guests in your party, place whipped cream in one small sea stripe capiz bowl and strawberries in another and let friends pile on both with a little mint!