Tag Archives: fair trade

Throw a Dinner Party, Seven Hopes Style!

May 31, 2013 - Posted by Casey Trogden to General

Who’s ready for summer nights filled with food, fun and friends? I am! The days are getting longer and the evenings are getting warmer, which are perfect conditions for the first outdoor dinner party of the season. I love having friends over for a casual meal, and setting the perfect “tablescape” is half the fun. A fair-trade-inspired table is a happy, bright, table! Here are some of my favorite Seven Hopes picks for your next soiree:
1. Franjpani Floral Trays: These gorgeous, lightweight trays are available in three vibrant colors and are hand painted by fair trade artisans in Kashmir. Great for a fruit or veggie display (or if you’re more like me, you might skip the healthy stuff and load it up with cheesy appetizers. It is a party, after all.)

2. Teal Capiz Bowl: Hand crafted in Bali, this beautiful bowl can serve as the centerpiece of the table. I love serving a simple caesar salad for outdoor meals (it pairs great with steaks on the grill!) and this bowl is perfect for salad.

3. Wild Olivewood Salad Claws: And of course, where would a salad bowl be without salad tongs? Or in this case, claws! These unique servers are made in Kenya out of wild olive wood with bone inlay.

4. Palm Citrus Placemats: These cheery placemats are woven from Lontar palm fronds in a traditional village workshop in Bali and have a casual feel that’s perfect for outdoor festivities.

5. Brooklyn Slate Cheese Board: A beautifully rustic surface for serving cheeses & hors d’oeuvres. The slate used is hand picked from a family quarry in upstate New York and will add a little flair to your table.

6. Blown Glass Pitcher: This confetti pitcher is made from recycled glass, Javier and Efren and would be a beautiful addition to the drinks station!

7. Gingko Orange Napkins: Made in Indonesia, these bright napkins will complete the tablescape with a splash of color and style.

Are you having any outdoor dinner parties this season? What’s your favorite food to serve? Don’t forget the sangria!

XO,

Casey

Tasty Tuesday: Fair Trade Chocolate Muffins!

May 28, 2013 - Posted by Dawn Stary 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!

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 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.

Buy Local Buy Fair Trade

May 20, 2013 - Posted by Dawn Stary to Fair Trade News General

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.

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

Fair Trade Hot Fudge

May 14, 2013 - Posted by Dawn Stary to General Recipes Tasty Tuesday

It’s ice cream season!!! And what is better with ice cream than a little (or a lot of) fair trade hot fudge. The idea of making hot fudge (fair trade hot fudge or otherwise) seemed daunting to me until I found a super easy recipe in Gwyneth Paltrow’s cookbook “My Father’s Daughter” . I made some changes so as to use fair trade chocolate and it was still very tasty!

My Favorite Homemade Hot Fudge (aka Fair Trade Hot Fudge)

3 ounces semisweet dark chocolate (62 percent), finely chopped (I used fair trade chocolate chips at 42 percent)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons brown rice syrup (or light corn syrup) (I used light corn syrup)

Combine all of the ingredients in a double boiler (or in a metal or glass bowl set above a pot of simmering water) and stir until completely melted about 3 minutes. Serve warm.

Fair Trade Wedding Presents Guide

May 7, 2013 - Posted by Dawn Stary to General

I love weddings! I know that weddings can be a bit stressful at times for those planning the event but in general weddings are a wonderfully joyous occasion, which brings people together. As it turns out wedding season is upon us and perhaps you’ve been invited to a wedding or two (or three) in the coming weeks and months. If you’ve been invited to a wedding this year, may I suggest a unique gift that will most certainly please the bride and groom. Why will they be pleased with their gift? Because Seven Hopes United offers beautiful fair trade presents that will enliven anyone’s home. Below you can find our fair trade wedding guide.

Pictured:
1. Rustic Personalized Wooden Serving Tray
2. Talavera Ceramic Square Bowl – Happy Tradition
3. Sari Patchwork Runner – Violet

Other Top Picks:
Indivisible Love – Wood Statuette
Blown Glass Pitcher – Confetti

Enjoy and have a very happy wedding season! – Dawn

Fair Trade Gifts