Tasty Tuesday: Fair Trade Chocolate Muffins!

- Posted by to General Recipes Tasty Tuesday

Yesterday was Memorial Day, which is the unofficial kickoff of summer and in my mind summer is about cookouts and time spent at the park! And of course, what goes better with cookouts and picnic but dessert!!! So this summer when visiting friends and family why not share some delicious fair trade chocolate muffins!

chocolate fair trade muffins

I made this recipe for a party once and they were a big hit, but this time they are fair trade chocolate muffins, not just plain ole chocolate muffins. All the chocolate the recipe calls for is available in fair trade and the chocolate I used was fair trade. I also used fair trade brown sugar and fair trade cocoa powder.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Muffins Before

Chocolate Heaven Muffins (from Weekend Baking: Easy Recipes for Relaxed Family Baking)

5 tablespoons butter

2.5 oz bittersweet chocolate (about 50% cocoa solids)

2.5 oz milk chocolate

2 oz white chocolate

1/2 cup sour cream

3 tablespoons milk

1/4 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

a pinch of salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Makes 6

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the butter in a small pan and let cool slightly. Chop up the three types of chocolate into small chunks. In a large mixing bowl and using a balloon whisk, whisk together the sour cream, milk and sugar, eggs and melted butter. Sift in the flour, cocoa, and baking powder. Sprinkle in the salt and add all the chopped chocolate. Using a large metal spoon, fold everything together until combined, but don’t over mix. Spoon the batter into the muffin liners. Sprinkle each muffin with a little sugar. Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 20 minutes – by which time they will be risen, but still very slightly unset in the middle. They will cook at they cool.

 

Wedding Wednesday – Honeymoon in Africa

- Posted by to General Wedding Wednesday

In lieu of this weeks Real Couple’s feature, I’m going to be sharing a long overdue post about our honeymoon in Africa. Since summer is right around the corner, I’m sure many of you are planning your own adventures, and I wanted to share a little insight on how we travel, and how we incorporate fair trade and ethical consumerism into our getaways!

Our honeymoon adventure took us everywhere from London to Nairobi, a safari in the Maasai Mara, and south to the Cape. We used local tour guides/taxi drivers to see the cities of Nairobi, Kenya and Johannesburg, South Africa (it is often much safer than doing it on your own, and it’s a great way to connect with people and support the local economy).
Safari-Collage

We primarily stayed in guesthouses where we were able to get to know the locals and get a better idea of what daily life is like in the community. One of my favorites was the Blue on Blue Bed & Breakfast in St. James, the Western Cape. The woman managing the house while we stayed there was SO sweet, and from the local township of Khayelitsha. The house was decorated with many handmade crafts made by people from the township, and was so colorful!

My favorite were the beaded dolls made by Monkeybiz, a fair trade cooperative that has created employment for 450+ women beaders in the Capetown townships of Mandela Park, Khayelitsha and Phillipi. Monkeybiz also runs a wellness clinic, which provides skills training and HIV/AIDS support for low income HIV positive women.

Monkeybiz - Cape Town, South Africa

Monkeybiz – Cape Town, South Africa

We visited the Monkeybiz shop while we were in Cape Town, and picked up a beaded doll of our own, which now lives on the buffet table in our living room. Each piece is truly a work of art. It was a powerful feeling, standing in a room filled with Monkeybiz pieces, surrounded by the explosion of color and spirit.

blue-on-blue

While on our honeymoon we also visited the fair trade organization Sweetwires, Kazuri Beads workshop where some of our jewelry is made, as well as a few fair trade coffee cooperatives (what can I say…I love coffee!) When traveling, it’s always good to be aware of what organizations are there making a difference – email them, visit them, support the local economy by purchasing products that give back and support development projects.

You don’t have to be going overseas to incorporate fair trade and conscious consumerism into your travels, there are many local shops and artists doing good right here in our own communities – just do your research & happy travels :)

xo Ash

How Tuesday: Fair Trade Wool Felt Birdhouse

- Posted by to General How Tuesday

This week for How Tuesday check out our video about attracting birds to one of our popular Wool Felted Birdhouses.

How to: Attract Birds to your Fair Trade Birdhouse from Seven Hopes United on Vimeo.

We chose the Mushroom Worm Felt Birdhouse for it’s simple design and colors thinking that the finches in our backyard would really be attracted to it and set up shop.

Felt Birdhouse - Mushroom Worm

Felt Birdhouse – Mushroom Worm

We’ll be doing a follow-up video shortly so you can see how our little experiment worked out! We’d love to hear if you have one of our wool felted birdhouses that have helped welcomed a little bird family :)

Have a wonderful day – Dawn

Buy Local Buy Fair Trade

- Posted by to Fair Trade News General

you-can-buy-local-poster

Did you know that by buying locally more money stays in the local economy? Perhaps, that is an obvious statement, but really consider the impact of buying locally. According to a 2009 Time Magazine article,

The New Economics Foundation, an independent economic think tank based in London, compared what happens when people buy produce at a supermarket vs. a local farmer’s market or community supported agriculture (CSA) program and found that twice the money stayed in the community when folks bought locally.

every purchase matters

When you purchase items from a small business in your community that sells fair trade products, it seems like an even bigger win-win. For example, if you are living in San Diego County or are visiting the city and shop at the Seven Hopes United booth at any one of the local farmer’s markets we attend (Little Italy Mercato, La Jolla Open Aire Market, or the Rancho Santa Fe Farmer’s Market), you are helping to support & sustain the local economy, as well as helping artisans and producers in the developing world. Another bonus is that you are purchasing unique items that you wouldn’t find at the big box stores!

I hope we can all work on becoming more conscious consumers, buy fair trade and buy local.

Have a wonderful day – Dawn

 

Let’s Take a Trip!

- Posted by to General

Summer is almost upon us, which means you might be planning an annual mountain vacay or an exciting overseas adventure. Wherever your destination may be, let us help you out with the packing part! Seven Hopes has some beautiful new bags, totes and luggage tags that will make you the most stylish traveler in the terminal! First up:

The Cocoki Market Tote Bag:

Bag 6These versatile totes are the perfect carry-on—lightweight and colorful, they’ll hold all your plane essentials! These fun bags are hand-crafted from Dutch Wax cloth by women in Rwanda using nothing but their own creativity and foot-powered sewing machines.

The Holi Cosmetic Bag:
Bag 9
Just because you’re in relax mode doesn’t mean you don’t want to look your best! Bring along your makeup essentials in this breezy little bag and you’ll be prepared for any scenario, from dinner out to an impromptu boat ride. This colorful cosmetic bag was created by a talented group of artisans specializing in the fine stitching of bags. It’s a small fair trade collective of approximately 25 artisans from the urban areas of Rajasthan, India.

Handmade Kenyan Sisal Shopper:
Bag 12
Need a lightweight bag for your day at the beach? These durable handmade Kenyan sisal shoppers meet the need to reduce one’s footprint in the most beautiful way possible. Toss in your beach towel and sunscreen and you’re ready for the day!

Unique iPad Case—Colorful Flowers
Bag 10If work sneaks its way into your vacation, you’re not alone—just remember to keep that iPad time to to a minimum! If you can’t bear to leave it at home, tote it along in this unique iPad case created by the hard-working artisans in India.

Owl Luggage Tags:
Bag 11

The adorable luggage tags will really set your suitcase apart! They’re handmade of cruelty free leather, and available in 3 different designs: a single owl, two owls, or three owls. The holder has a front flap that, when unfolded, reveals a plastic-covered card where you can write your name, address and telephone number.

Now that you’ve got the perfect vacations bags for any situation, it’s time to head out and explore! Happy travels!

XO,

Casey