Do the green thing does Valentine's Day!

 After Christmas, Valentine's Day is one of the biggest waste producing days of the year. Over a billion cards get posted and untold amounts of unwanted, unloved and un-inspired tat gets presented in pink and red wrapping.

Free yourself from the consumer-driven Valentine's Day and instead celebrate it with a bit of upcycled thinking and some crafty ideas. We've picked five of our green gift ideas to help you spread the love.

1. Happy memories
Gather up all the photos, cinema tickets, love notes and that beer mat from your first date and glue your way to a collage of love.

2. The way to the heart is through the stomach.
Bake their favourite cake, cook up their most loved dinner and if you want to add the extra bells and whistles then almost anything can be heart shaped. Cookies, cakes, pancakes, waffles, sandwiches, fried eggs, omelettes, pizzas, the list goes as far as your imagination and kitchen prowess.

(Image: abeachcottage)

3. Flowers forever
Forget single wrapped red roses and bunches of flowers that will die before the weekend hits, give the gift that keeps on giving - a packet of seeds for your beloved to grow their own bunch, be it flowers or carrots.

4. Weekend away
If no Valentine's Day is complete without a huge romantic gesture then forget writing a message in the sky and whisking them away to a secluded island. Book the Eurostar to Paris and walk hand in hand through the city of love. Or try Amsterdam for a less obvious trip.

5. Get your craft on
If you're the kind of lover that likes to show your love in glue and glitter then the possibilities are endless. And you don't need a craft box full of expensive materials either. Collect sticks for a hanging wooden heart, turn newspaper into heart bunting or fold your way to these adorable origami hearts with a message of love hidden inside.

And remember, showering together saves water and if the night goes well then don't forget these.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Savour the Flavour

Alison E, Alison H, Janice W and I.

Last Friday evening, us ladies set off down to Stonehaven to attend the last date of the "Savour the Flavour" cooking show. It was put on by The Co-operative and in conjunction with Just Trading Scotland. What a great informative evening we had!

The cooking itself was done by Fi Bird and a cheery assistant who volunteered from the audience. Our menu was designed by Fi and a restaurant in Glasgow called Calabash.

We got to taste ALL the gorgeous food prepared in front of us. I would say the food wasn't pure "African" but more precisely a wonderful fusion of European and African ingredients and flavours demonstrating wonderful ways to use Fairtrade ingredients!

Coconut Kilombero Rice and Elmwood Chicken
Serves 6
What to find:
300g Malawi Kitchen Kilombero rice (2.5 cups)
410g Elmwood Chicken Breasts (pack)
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 large red onion, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon garlic paste
3-4 pieces Lazy Ginger, rinsed and finely chopped
1 small chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons coriander, chopped (plus extra to decorate)
3 peppers, mixed colours, finely chopped
½ 400ml can coconut milk (Asian Kitchen if available)
Freshly ground pepper
What to do:
1. Rinse the rice and follow the cooking directions on the packet.
2. Put the chicken breasts in a pan and just cover them with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the chicken juices run clear when tested with a knife. Allow to cool and cut into small slices or cubes.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large frying pan and cook the chopped onion with the garlic, ginger and chilli until the onion is soft.
4. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil and simmer to reduce until thick. Add the chopped coriander and cook briefly. Remove the sauce from the heat and put it in a bowl.
5. Add the rest of the oil to the washed frying pan and stir fry the peppers for 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut milk. Stir well and then add the prepared tomato sauce, cooked rice and chicken.
6. Return to the hob briefly to heat thoroughly, stirring continuously. Add the extra coriander and serve immediately.

This event was in support of Scotland's bid for Fair trade Nation status!

To find out about the other wonderful recipes used that night and what else we got up to, check back for my next blog post very soon.

Fairer FOOD!

20th Dec - Wow! Well Christmas is drawing near, and food is on mind!  As well as buying Fair Trade decorations, cards, gifts we can also get Fair Trade food and ingredients to cook or bake yummy food for Christmas.  Even one or two Fair Trade ingredients is a great start! 

We just had Mulled White Wine with some Fair Trade ingredients. TOASTY AND SPICY!! Shortbread with FairTrade sugar and Fair Trade cinnamon or spices! Or try an alternative to Christmas pudding - Frozen Christmas Pudding ! Even if you can't see specific fair Trade recipes that you like, you can just substitute even one ingredient with a Fair Trade one!

Whatever we do, LET'S MAKE IT A FAIRER CHRISTMAS!

Cheers,
Pam

Our Saturday!

Although the rain did not stay away as I had hoped for, we still had a great afternoon out last Saturday. Walking through the International Market in Aberdeen, we were greeted with wonderful smells and gorgeous sights. I felt like a cartoon where I was floating along following the global aromas! I wasn't quite sure what happened in that short space of time but one minute I was happily confident that a £20 note would see me to the end of the stalls. 

Not a chance, by the time I got to the end of the market I had an empty purse, some French tartiflette, Spanish Paella, French cherries, Mediterranean stuffed peppers and olives oh and an empty tray that was home to some sumptious Dutch pancakes and Nutella! But sure, if hubby doesn't see the empty wrapper, it's like I never had them in the first place, right?










Although all the food stalls got me salivating, one stall in particular llit my heart up - it was Zuri Design - FAIR TRADE Jewellery, handbags and accessories from Kenya. I was so excited to see so many gorgeous things in one place and all handmade and from Africa ( A continent I love). Within a few seconds I realised I sell Zuri Design products, at the minute we have a gorgeous necklace and bracelet which can be sort together or separately! The necklace is £10.50 and the bracelet is only £6.50!