Food Allergies a Problem? There’s Help on the Way!

Those of us with food allergies or food intolerance know it can be hard to find delicious and satisfying allergy free foods. It can also be hard to find resources out there that help people with multiple food allergies/intolerances. And let’s all face it, many people out there with food allergies or an intolerance, have more than one. But that is all about to change.

Lauren David Style, an allergy free company dedicated to being your resource for living a happy, healthy, allergy free life has just launched a brand new and FREE allergy free resource that you have to check out. http://laurendavidstyle.com/survivalkit

It’s the Allergy Free Survival Kit and it includes:

• Mouth-watering allergy free samples you must try
• Money saving coupons
• Informative brochures
• Allergy free recipes
• Flyers
• Information from allergy free professionals
• And much more

There are over 30 different (and the list is constantly growing) companies dedicated to helping people with food allergies and intolerances. And guess what?!  Wholesome Sweeteners is one of them! We’ve provided our Organic Stevia which is low-glycemic and gluten-free, our Fair Trade Organic Raw Honey-the purest honey you can find, and our very popular Organic Light Blue Agave nectar in 7 g individual packets-a proven low-glycemic sweetener, to the kit and you can get it absolutely free.

Find out more about the kit and reserve your own by visiting Lauren David Style’s website – did we mention there are only 100 Allergy Free Survival Kits and after that the orders go on back order?

So if you want yours ASAP… make sure to sign up today (and the first 100 orders get some other special gifts)!

Are You Ready for Some Meatballs?

Football is great but the food at Super Bowl parties is even better. We realize that Valentine’s Day is the big holiday this month but we didn’t want to forget about our readers who are scouring recipe websites for the perfect football friendly food for this Sunday’s big game. Whether you are rooting for the Patriots, Giants or just tuning in for the awesome commercials, you will love this recipe. Wholesome Sweeteners employee Alexandra created this recipe just a couple of hours before a big party. She needed a sauce to pour over frozen meatballs in a crock pot for a quick and easy appetizer. Not only is this recipe quick and easy but it is delicious. I mean really delicious. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups tomato sauce 2/3 cup packed Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Dark Brown Sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Molasses

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

Directions:

Combine tomato sauce, sugar, vinegar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining ingredients in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Cook 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Or Combine ingredients in a bowl, mixing thoroughly, then pour over meatballs in a crock-pot and let cook on low for 3 hours.

On the Ground-1 Year Later and So Much Progress

As most of you know, in January of 2011 Wholesome Sweeteners CEO, Nigel Willerton, joined nine American and six Ethiopian runners to  create awareness of the need for educational funding for the children of Fair Trade farmers in Ethiopia.  The 16 runners ran 10 consecutive marathons (26.2 miles, sometimes more) over 10 straight days at extremely high altitudes.

By running the grueling 250 mile trek across Southern Ethiopia these amazing athletes hoped to raise $200,000 to be used for the construction of schools to serve as many as 1500 children, fund a nutrition program to help children get the food they so desperately need, provide wages and job training for a group of 10 street teenagers, and support the work of the Tesfa Foundation and the Oromia Cooperative Farmers Cooperative Union.

A mere nine months after the run was completed, the On the Ground team returned to Ethiopia to see the amazing progress made with the $206,000 that was raised.  Check out this truly touching video and see how the Run Across Ethiopia has changed the lives of the these villagers forever.

Supporting Fair Trade Farmers and their families is why Wholesome Sweeteners pioneered Fair Trade Certification for Sweeteners in 2005. Since then, Wholesome Sweeteners has paid more than $6 million in Fair Trade premiums to our farming and beekeeping cooperatives in the developing world. Fair Trade premiums paid by Wholesome Sweeteners have helped bring clean water, schools and health clinics to villages in Africa, Mexico, and Brazil.

Baking with Stevia-Part 2

After last week’s successful entry about making chocolate chip cookies with Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Stevia I decided that I would try another recipe, with Organic Stevia, and share it.  I am normally not a baker, but the holiday season has inspired me to be creative and since so many people are curious about baking with Organic Stevia, I figured–why not?

During this time of year everyone is so busy that I knew I needed to choose a relatively simple recipe. I settled on a Cinnamon Cream Cheese Pie, made with Organic Stevia of course. This recipe takes less than one hour from start to finish and includes only a few ingredients. The first step is to preheat your oven and bake the pre-made pie crust according to the directions on the package. Make sure before you bake the pie crust that you take a fork and poke holes in the crust. This allows air to escape and prevents bubbles in your pie crust. Once your pie crust is done set it aside and continue on with the rest of the recipe.

Okay, now time for the fun stuff. Start by making your whip cream. Pour your heavy cream into a bowl and whip with a hand mixer. Once it has reached a consistency you like add the vanilla and Organic Stevia packets and whip for another minute or so. Be sure to taste the whip cream, if it is not as sweet as you would like go ahead and add more Organic Stevia. Just remember that you will be adding Organic Stevia to the cream cheese/cinnamon mixture, so be sure no to over sweeten the whip cream. Start by adding one packet and then taste. Once you have finished making the whip cream set it aside. It’s probably best to place it in the fridge until you need it again.

In a small sauce pan, and I mean small, combine the milk, water and cinnamon. Continuously stir on low heat for about 2 minutes. It might actually be a good idea to use a small whisk instead of a spoon so you can ensure the ingredients are completely mixed.  I had a fe cinnamon lumps that a whisk would have taken care of with no problem. While your milk/cinnamon mixture is on the stove go ahead and pull out another bowl and add one package of unflavored gelatin. Add your warm milk/cinnamon to the gelatin and whisk. Try and get as much of the gelatin to dissolve as possible. Once you are satisfied, grab a small strainer and another bowl. I know, I know, how many bowls do you need to make this dessert? Believe me, I hate getting a bazillion kitchen utensils dirty, but I promise this is the last one. Place the strainer on top of the bowl and pour the milk/cinnamon/gelatin mixture into the bowl. Using the whisk or a spoon, to push the remaining mixture in the strainer through the strainer.

We are almost done! Place the softened cream cheese into the bowl with the mixture and beat on low until you get a smooth consistency. Now you can add the remaining Organic Stevia packets, mix again and then taste. Baking with Organic Stevia is a very subjective thing, so be sure to taste along the way to achieve the perfect amount of sweetness for your taste. Once you have achieved the optimum texture, grab your whip cream from the frig and fold in 1 cup. Take this mixture and pour it into your baked pie crust, make sure to even it out. Now spread the remaining whip cream onto the top of the pie and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place the pie in the fridge for at least 2 hours and enjoy.

The end product was so yummy with a really nice texture. The pie was not as sweet as I would have liked but I adjusted the recipe to make it a bit sweeter. It was much easier to make this Cinnamon Pie than I thought it would be so I will definitely we making this pie again. Check out the Wholesome Sweeteners website for this recipe. Enjoy. From our Wholesome Sweeteners Family to yours Happy Holidays!!

Baking With Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Stevia

The holiday season has officially arrived. And with the holidays comes delicious and sweet-smelling baked goods. Nothing says holidays like walking into a kitchen and inhaling the smell of yummy, sweet goodness. Because people seem to be getting their bake-on this month, we have received many customer calls about baking with our Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Stevia. People are looking for a low-calorie sweetener to use in use in their traditional holiday recipes. Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Stevia is a wonderful option for those seeking a natural, organic alternative to artificial sweeteners. It’s perfect for those managing calories and blood sugar levels. And, it’s calorie-free, gluten-free, vegetarian/vegan friendly and Non-GMO verified. Unlike other stevia products, Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Stevia is an enzymatically enhanced full spectrum Stevia leaf extract, holistically extracted from the plant through a natural process giving it a smooth, mellow sweetness. Wholesome intentionally uses the full spectrum extraction of sweetness from the whole stevia leaf in order to retain the micronutrient properties of the stevia that is usually extracted during conventional processing.

Okay, back to my adventures in Organic Stevia baking. Never having baked with Organic Stevia before, I decided to do some experimenting. I picked out a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe from a Stevia cookbook. I figured I couldn’t mess it up too badly. I gathered all of my ingredients and began to bake. First I preheated the oven to 350 degrees.  I started by sifting the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Next, I pulled out the big guns, the Kitchen Aid Stand Up Mixer, and began combining the eggs, stevia, and vanilla. Once you start combining the flour and butter together the batter is going appear at bit gummy, don’t be alarmed. Sugar normally plays a few roles in the baking process. It not only acts as a sweetener but in large amounts slows yeast fermentation. Sugar softens dough and batter. It also helps baked goods brown.  It’s the sugar in cookie dough that causes spreading to occur during baking. These are all things you will not see happen when baking with Organic Stevia. But like I said, don’t be alarmed.

Now it’s time to fold in the chocolate chips. I switched up the recipe just a bit, opting for fair trade, organic chocolate instead of the typical semi-sweet chips. I simply cut up the chocolate bar into bite size pieces and folded it into the flour/butter mixture. Before I started spooning the mixture onto pre-greased cookie sheets I added a few more ingredients-1/2 cup of pecans and 1 Tbsp of orange zest.  Not 100% sure how this recipe was going to turn out I decided to spruce up the recipe just a little, just in case. Once you have dropped heaping teaspoons of the cookie mixture onto the sheets you are ready to go. Set the timer and leave them in the oven for about 22 minutes. Like I mentioned before, you are not going to see these cookies spread so don’t leave them in the oven longer in hopes they will. You will only end up with burnt cookies.

Finally, the timer rings and the Organic Stevia cookies are ready. Just like any other cookie make sure to place them on a cooling rack for a few minutes before you dig in. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised when I bit into the cookie. The texture was light, much like a scone, but very flavorful, not overly sweet, and definitely no aftertaste that you often get when baking with the pink, blue or yellow artificial sweeteners.  Baking with Organic Stevia is great because it gives you room to experiment. If you wanted to add more moisture to your recipe you could add 1/4 of Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Agave or even a 1/4 of Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Honey. Both of these sweeteners would be a fantastic addition to this classic recipe. Just make sure you make a test batch to your liking first before you make a large batch for everyone to enjoy. Here is the recipe I used for these yummy cookies. Try it out and let us know how your cookies turn out. Happy Baking!

Fair Trade Your Holiday

It’s been almost a week since Thanksgiving and while most people are still nursing a holiday hangover others are starting to think about and prepare for their next holiday meal. If you are looking for a way to create a delicious holiday meal and make a difference for those less fortunate, you might consider using Fair Trade products while preparing your feast. Just to give you an example of how simple it can be to incorporate Fair Trade products into your meal here is my experience. During Thanksgiving I thought it would be great to use as many Fair Trade products as possible while preparing a humongous meal for 15.

Mixing the batter for the Fair Trade Cake.

Practically everything on the menu contained a Fair Trade product so I will just highlight the extra yummy dishes. The first thing on the list of things to make was the delicious Chocolate Mousse Cake with Cardamom Swirl. The recipe was created during Fair Trade Month by Top Chef Desserts alum Malika Ameen, using Wholesome Sweeteners products.  This recipe includes Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Light Brown Sugar along with Fair Trade coffee, chocolate and vanilla extract. The recipe was easy to follow and took no time at all to prepare. The finished cake looked great and tasted even better.

Delicious cake made using WS Fair Trade Light Brown Sugar.

Green Beans with Roasted Onions prepared with WS Fair Trade Sucanat.

The next thing on the menu prepared with Fair Trade products was Green Beans with Roasted Onions. This recipe is one of my favorites because I absolutely love green beans and onions. I was a little nervous that my 5 nieces and nephews would shy away from this onion heavy dish,  but surprisingly they all loved it. The Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Sucanat balanced the dish perfectly. It is definitely a dish that I will be making again for Christmas dinner–simple, sophisticated and delicious.

Amazing Orange Glazed Turkey using WS Fair Trade Dark Brown Sugar.

And last but not least, the pièce de résistance of the meal…the turkey! Using the Orange-Glazed Roast Turkey recipe we created the most delicious, moist and flavorful turkey ever. We actually substituted the Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Light Brown Sugar for Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Dark Brown Sugar.  The substitution provided a richer flavor with a molasses note.

Remember, using Fair Trade products is about more than crafting sumptuous dishes, it is about helping other people. By using Fair Trade products like sugar or honey you are helping farmers in developing countries compete with factory farms, buy land, send their kids to school and build thriving communities.

For more great holiday recipes be sure to visit Wholesome Sweeteners Recipe Library. 

Is Your Honey Even Honey?

Bees, busy making delicious organic honey.

In the last couple of weeks there have been a flood of news reports and articles about honey. Is it safe? Where does it come from? Can the bear you buy at the grocery store even be called honey?  Food Safety News released a report of their findings based on independent testing done on 60 brands of honey purchased in ten different states and the District of Columbia. The samples were then taken to a leading melissopalynologists, which is a fancy name for a scientist who looks at the pollen in honey.

What he found was pretty surprising. 76 % of the tested honey purchased at grocery stores had absolutely no pollen, 100 % of the tested honey purchased at drug stores like Walgreens, Rite-Aid and CVS had no pollen, and 77 % of the tested honey purchased at big box stores like Wal-Mart and Target also had no pollen. So, why is this important to you? To make a long story short, honey that has no pollen undergoes a process called ultra-filtration – water is added to the honey and filtered under high pressure, then the water is removed. According to the FDA, what is left has no pollen and can’t legally be called honey. It is also impossible to trace.

Again, why is this important to you? Well, if you can’t trace the honey you buy there is no way to tell if came from China. A few years back, China’s bee population became infected with a virus that killed millions of colonies. In order to stop the mass death the Chinese began treating the bees and hives with an antibiotic. The antibiotic is dangerous, even deadly, if ingested by humans so it has been banned in the United States and Europe. Unfortunately there have been instances where the contaminated honey has made its way into the U.S. food supply.

Organic beekeeper tending to his hives deep in the untouched jungle of southern Mexico.

So, how can you tell if you are getting safe honey? First, make sure to buy organic honey. The Food Safety News report states that you have a better chance of getting honey that isn’t ultra-filtered when you buy organic.

The good news is that there is a non-ultra-filtered, certified organic, Fair Trade™ Certified honey on the market. In fact, Wholesome Sweeteners Honey is the first Fair Trade and Organic Honey in the United States. Our mission is to give you the choice of safe, flavorful, organic and natural honey that is produced with respect for the environment, human welfare, food safety, and your health and nutritional needs.

 

We have literally searched the world over for the best tasting products. Our organic, Fair Trade Certified Amber and Raw Honey are produced on traditional family farms in southern Mexico and in the north eastern Amazon. The beekeepers tend to their hives deep in the dedicated organic agricultural zones in Central and South American rainforests, far from any exposure to GMO’s or pollutants. The honeybees forage only on the wild jungle’s natural flora. Our honey is 100% free from chemical residues as the plants surrounding the hives have not been sprayed with pesticides, herbicides or antibiotics. The honey is minimally filtered to retain the honey’s abundance of natural pollens and enzymes.

Wholesome Sweeteners Raw Honey is straight from the hive. It is minimally filtered and creamed to produce the rich spread consistency. It is very gently heated to allow it to pass through the filter. It is never heated above 110 degrees so it maintains its vital nutritive values.  (The honeys are only minimally filtered to remove natural organic matter that gets trapped in the honey during the in-field harvest)

Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade, Organic Amber and Raw Honey.

Raw honey naturally contains catalase enzymes which help the body fight free radicals, and flavanoids which help the body attack allergens, viruses, and carcinogens. It also contains other vitamins and minerals including small amounts of vitamin B12, vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium and zinc.

When you purchase Wholesome Sweeteners organic, Fair Trade Certified Amber and Raw Honey you are getting the best tasting honey and making the world a sweeter place. Fair Trade Certification ensures that a fair price is paid directly to the beekeepers tending the hives; it means they can protect the quality of the hives and jungle areas and build thriving communities. By protecting the hives and forage areas, Fair Trade encourages biodiversity and helps the forests thrive, too!

For more information about Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade, Organic Honey or for great holiday recipes using our honey please visit our website: www.fairtradehoney.com

Sources:

“Most honey sold in U.S. grocery stores not worthy of its name.”  CNN.com, November 9, 2011 http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/11/09/most-honey-sold-in-u-s-grocery-stores-not-worthy-of-its-name/

Schneider, Andrew. “Tests Show Most Store Honey isn’t Honey.” Food Safety News. November 7, 2011. http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/

Honey Filtration FAQ. The National Honey Board. November 8, 2011. http://www.honey.com/nhb/about-honey/frequently-asked-questions/

Pudding. Who doesn’t love pudding?

We love our friend Marie Oser of VegTv but we especially love her recipe for Rich N’ Creamy Chocolate Pudding. It is an easy, quick and delicious recipe that you can make in just a few minutes. It is a great alternative to store-bought pudding. You can enjoy this silky treat with no guilt-it is dairy free and has only 1 gram of fat. Everyone in your family is sure to love it!

Check out Marie in action making this awesome treat. You can also find this recipe on our website. Try it out this weekend and let us know how it turns out.

Study Shows More Families Buying Organic

According to a study published today by the Organic Trade Association (OTA), more families than ever, 78 percent to be exact, are choosing organic food. Even with a slow economy, lower wages and high unemployment consumers are showing just how important organic products are by putting them in their grocery cart each week.

So, even with such crummy economic conditions why are people making the choice to buy organic? Well, for health reasons of course. 48 percent of the 1,300 U.S. families included in the study say the number one reason they buy organic products is because they believe organic products are better for themselves and their children.¹  Many of the families expressed concern over the effects of pesticides, hormones and antibiotics on their children. For these families staying away from conventionally grown products is a conscious decision made with the well-being of their family in mind. Like many Americans, most of the families surveyed in the study, done in partnership with Kiwi Magazine,  say they also choose organic products to avoid processed foods.

The study points out that even though many people are aware of the Organic Industry and the benefits of organic products more outreach and education is necessary to spread the word about the proven advantages of organic products and farming.

The Organic sector is a vibrant, growing, job-producing industry powered by consumer choice and demand. At Wholesome Sweeteners,  we are so proud to be apart of an industry that draws attention to consumers right to feed themselves and their families healthy and sustainable food.

For more information about organics and this study please visit the Organic Trade Association website.

^{1Haumann, Barbara. “Seventy–eight percent of U.S. families say they purchase organic foods-Consumers vote with their dollars despite economic difficulty”.  Organic Trade Association. November 2, 2011. http://www.organicnewsroom.com/2011/11/seventyeight_percent_of_us_fam.html}

Support the Organic Industry–Act Now!

Join the Organic Trade Association in their fight to protect the Organic Industry. As we all know, massive debt reduction is on the horizon and countless programs will be feeling the effects of the budget ax.

The Organic sector is a vibrant, growing, job-producing industry! Congress has the National Organic Program, critical organic farming research, and certification      assistance up on the chopping block.

Contact your Congressman and let them know how important organics is to you and your family. Ask them to support organics in the next Farming Bill.

Visit the Organic Trade Association website for more information on how to make your voice heard. 

Hello Sweet World!

It’s our first blog posting. If you’re new to Wholesome Sweeteners’ world, welcome! If you’re an old friend, we’re glad to see you here! Either way, please, pull up a chair and sit with us a spell. We’ve got lots to talk about!      

But first, we’d like to introduce ourselves (forgive the indulgence) …      

Fair Trade & Organic Sugars make the world a sweeter place.

 

We supply sweeteners, but they’re not the conventional kind at all. Oh, they’re delicious and perfectly sweet, with amazing flavor profiles and textures, but they’re also USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified, which sets them apart from the majority of other sugars, syrups and honey you’ll find on the shelves. We’re committed to the planet and its people (including you). We don’t make a move without first thinking about our environmental and social responsibility. And we don’t just talk the talk, we really do walk the walk.      

Wholesome Sweeteners is a young company with generations of experience and expertise behind it. In addition to bringing the best organic natural, unrefined sweeteners to the North American market, Wholesome pioneered the Fair Trade certification process for sugars and honey. Today, Wholesome Sweeteners is the leader in Fair Trade Certified, organic and natural sugars, syrups, blue agaves and honey, all produced from nature’s best resources.       

In fact, Wholesome leads the way with our Fair Trade Certified products. It all began in 2002 …      

Nigel Willerton had just taken the helm as Wholesome Sweeteners CEO. With years of experience in the British sugar trade, Willerton understood the difference Fair Trade could make for the people and for the planet. “Wholesome Sweeteners has a proud record of sourcing from environmentally and socially responsible suppliers. We wanted to take our commitment a step further and deliver more value directly back to our growers,” Willerton says. He believed that Wholesome could make a significant difference in the everyday lives–and futures–of cane farmers and their communities. It was time to set new rules for the industry.      

Inspired by the emerging Fair Trade movement, which until then had been primarily the domain of coffee and cocoa, Willerton started working with TransFairUSA to establish Fair Trade standards for sugar cane cooperatives and mills. “After three years of negotiation and hard work,” he says, “we launched our Fair Trade Certified sugars and molasses. Just months after Willerton and the cane farming cooperative signed the first agreement, money began flowing back into the co-ops. A couple of years later, we added the First Fair Trade Certified honey to the mix. Consumer support of Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Certified products has meant that, in the years since their launch, we’ve sent more than $2,000,000 in social premiums to our Fair Trade co-op partners in Costa Rica, Malawi, Mexico and Paraguay,” Willerton says. “Each quarter, we’re able to send more than the quarter before. We’re more than pleased by it all.”      

As a general rule, Fair Trade Certified co-ops include very small producers managing their own farms on limited income and with their own hands; their families are their labor force. In many cases, while the spirit and drive to succeed are there, the farmers lack the practical experience to move their sugar into the global marketplace.      

Your support of Fair Trade Certified sweeteners brought something as basic as safe drinking water to kids in Malawi.

 

 Through Fair Trade programs, cane farmers earn a better income for their hard work–allowing them to hold on to their land, send their kids to school and develop the quality of their harvest while sharpening their business acumen and strengthening their communities. Fair Trade agreements set trade prices, remove unnecessary middlemen (who, in the past, have taken a significant percentage of farmers’ income) and provide access to pre-harvest lines of credit for cooperatives.      

Wholesome wires the premiums directly to the co-ops’ accounts each quarter. (There are no middlemen skimming money away from the co-ops.) The premiums stay within the co-ops … co-op members invest in clinics and schools, equipment and other resources, education programs, communication systems and water wells.      

Within the Fair Trade Certified co-ops, oppressive labor practices really are history (as in “long since passed”). As a condition of certification, co-ops guarantee fair labor conditions for farm workers, freedom of association for all and democratic decision-making processes. Self-determination and mutual respect are essential parts of the plan. The co-ops have regularly scheduled meetings and each co-op member, man or woman, has a say in the co-op’s investments and activities.          

Neutral third-party organizations keep watch over both the suppliers and their customers to assure and protect the hard-fought Fair Trade values and standards. TransFairUSA, Wholesome’s partner in developing the program, today serves as an independent monitor, protecting the social and democratic standards established for Fair Trade, and maintaining environmental standards that foster sustainability. The standards specifically prohibit synthetic chemicals, GMOs, and practices that further damage the environment, such as burning and harvesting methods that remove precious topsoil.      

In the few years since Wholesome rewrote the standards for environmentally and socially responsible sweeteners, a new group of cane growers and beekeepers have emerged. Now, more than ever, the industry aims to break the old cycles. There is still much work ahead, but a new cycle is emerging in sugar and honey production. If you’d like to learn more about our Fair Trade programs and their impacts, please visit http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/fair_trade.html.      

Thanks to you, Fair Trade really is making a difference.      

PS: Check in often, or better yet, link to our RSS Feeds or subscribe to our email service. We’ll just let you know when we’ve added a post.

It’s National Devil’s Food Cake Day!

May 19: National Devil's Food Cake Day.

 

Chocolate lovers rejoice!   

In our little chocolate-loving, hearts-of-hearts, we’re so glad there is a day set aside just for devil’s food cake. Our mouths water thinking about its moist sweetness–not too cloying, not to bitter,  just right. It’s made even better by those delightful endorphins chocolate releases into our systems. (Eating chocolate sometimes just feels so good.)   

While thinking about Devil’s Food Cake and an appropriate recipe for our celebration, we came upon this recipe at bonappetite.com. We tweaked it, baked it and, oh, my … it is “goodness” (or “devilishness”?)  indeed! So, without further delay …  

Wholesome’s Devil’s Food Cake
(featuring Fair Trade Organic Brown Sugar and Organic Vanilla Flavored Blue Agave)  

INGREDIENTS (we always recommend Fair Trade Certified and Organic or sustainably produced ingredients)   

Cake   

• 1/4 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ounce high-quality milk chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 2/3 cup cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup packed Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Brown Sugar
• 3 tablespoons Wholesome Sweeteners Vanilla Flavored Organic Blue Agave Syrup
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 large cage-free egg

Frosting   

• 8 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (if you’re feeling especially indulgent, use plugra butter–it has a higher fat content than regular butter)
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon Wholesome Sweeteners Vanilla Flavored Organic Blue Agave Syrup
• Organically grown edible flowers (roses are especially lovely!)

Equipment   

• Two 5″ dia x 2″ deep cake pans
• Whisks
• Electric mixer (while a stand mixer is convenient, it’s not necessary for this recipe)
• No-stick cooking spray
• Parchment paper

    

To make the cake:   

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray (or butter) the pans. Line the bottom of the pans with 5″ discs of parchment paper and spray those, too.   

Combine cocoa powder and milk chocolate in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup boiling water. Stir until the milk chocolate has completely melted. Whisk in buttermilk.   

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, blue agave syrup, oil, and egg in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and chocolate, and mix until smooth. (The batter will be thin.) Pour the batter evenly into the two pans and tap the pans gently on the counter top to help release any air bubbles.   

Bake the cakes in the middle of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick test yields a few crumbs on the stick (a clean, dry stick will mean a dry cake). Cool pans on a rack for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out and remove the parchment.  Turn the cakes over again and cool completely.   

To make the frosting:   

Place the milk chocolate in a double boiler (or make your own but simply placing a metal or Pyrex bowl over a boiling pot of water–be sure the bowl’s rim is wider than the pot’s rim, and that the bowl doesn’t slosh boiling water over the pot’s edges).  Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the pan (or bowl) from the boiling pot. Add the butter, and stir again until melted and mixed. Add the sour cream and blue agave syrup and continue stirring until well blended. Let the frosting cool to room temperature.   

Using a serrated knife, cut the rounded tops off the cakes, leveling their tops. Then cut each of the cakes horizontally into two layers.  Place a bottom layer on a cake plate, then spread about 1/4 cup of the frosting on it (try to leave about a half-inch unfrosted border on each layer), then add the top half of the same cake and frost, repeat with the second cake to build a four-layered cake. Spread about 1/3 cup frosting over the cake’s top and sides. Set in the refrigerator and chill until the frosting sets, at least 30 minutes, then spread the remaining frosting over the base frosting layer.   

 Serves 6-8.   

If you’re in the mood to play … spice it up by adding a little cinnamon or cayenne pepper to the flour mix, or use Wholesome’s Cinnamon Agave instead of Vanilla Agave.   

Many thanks to Bonappetit.com and Rochelle Palermo for providing such devilish inspiration.

Soothing Summer Ices

It’s getting hot out there–and the markets are filling with sweet, vine-ripened fruits.

Over the weekend, Karen, our Chicago-area blogger, took an evening walk around her neighborhood, ending up at Miko’s Italian Ice in Logan Square. Now in Chicago, Italian ices are as much a part of summer as baseball, thunderstorms and fireflies. Miko’s ices are delicious, but with just two shops in Chicago, the sweet, cooling ices are unavailable to most of the rest of us. Since Miko won’t share his recipes (and we’d honestly never ask), we found a few recipes on our own. We also found the first strawberries of the summer, and we wanted to play with our NEW Flavored Agaves (available at Amazon.com and making their way into grocery stores as we write). We mixed and mashed and puréed and came up with this not-too-sweet, not-too tart-variation. We think it’s perfect for a summer’s evening treat.

Wholesome’s Blue Agave enhances flavors, brightening the fruits’ essence while adding a smooth texture, and the Organic Vanilla Flavored Agave adds a perfect, elegant touch. Because you’re using less agave than sugar, you’ll shave a few calories off as well.

Strawberry Ice

1 pint strawberries* (fresh or frozen), trimmed
1-2 tablespoons Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Vanilla Flavored Agave** (use more or less, depending on your preference)
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups ice cubes (about 11)
mint (for garnish)

Put a 9-or-10 inch metal cake pan and metal fork in the freezer. In a blender, purée the strawberries, agave, and lemon juice until the mixture is smooth. Strain the liquid through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds and return it to the blender. Give it a quick taste. If it needs more sweetening, add just a touch more agave. Add the ice cubes, process until it is smooth, and pour it into the cold pan. Freeze the mixture for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is frozen around the edge but still soft in the center. Stir the ice, mashing the frozen parts with a fork, and repeat a couple of times. (The agave won’t crystallize, so the ice will have a smooth, creamy, soft-serve texture). Spoon it into bowls. Garnish with mint. Serve and enjoy.

*This recipe is incredibly adaptable. Try it with mangos, pineapple, raspberries, even oranges (be sure to peel the bitter membrane away from each section).

** Want to amp up the ice’s “strawberry-ness”? Use Wholesome’s Strawberry Flavored Agave instead of the vanilla.

Congratulations! Chef Samuelsson’s the TOP CHEF MASTER

Congratulations to Executive Chef Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit, Riingo, and Red Rooster, New York, winner of Bravo TV’s Top Chef Masters competition.

Chef Samuelsson’s winning dishes told his life story–born in Ethiopia, adopted by Swedish parents, growing up with his Swedish grandmother who inspired him to cook–and how he is now rediscovering his African heritage and bring it back to the USA via his new culinary style. Marcus won $100,000 for UNICEF’s Tap Project(R), which brings fresh water to children in Africa.

Chef Samuelsson is a fabulous advocate for our company, products and the social and environmental values we represent. He is especially committed to our Fair Trade Certified products. “By choosing Fair Trade Certified sugars,” he says, “you can have a direct, positive impact on the lives of cane farmers–and enjoy some of the highest quality natural sugars in the world.” Chef Samuelsson is featured on Wholesome Sweeteners’ Fair Trade Certified Raw Cane Sugar (Marcus’s Ginger Citrus Cookies) and Fair Trade Certified Natural Cane Sugar (Marcus’s Coconut Cookies).

Wholesome Sweeteners’ advocate and agave-user Chef Rick Bayless of Chicago won Top Chef Masters 2009 when his 27-ingredient Mole sauce, which took him 25 years to master, propelled him to the top slot. Both Samuelsson and Bayless have been honored to serve the Obama Administration as White House guest chefs during recent state dinners for Mexican and Indian heads of state.

Whence comes the honey …

Granted, “whence” is an old-world term, but it’s perfect … it refers to an origin, source, or location. All of its points are part of this particular posting.

We saw this a while ago: FDA Seizes More Than $32,000 Worth of Bulk Honey From Philadelphia Distribution Center? We’re horrified that contaminated honey got so far; we’re so happy it was discovered before it reached store shelves and our kitchens. But even for reasonable people, this news calls to mind all sorts of questions about food and its sources. It would be easy to panic, but it’s really not necessary.

How do we know what we’re buying?! How do we trust what we’re buying?

Assurances are on every label if you know where to look. It takes a just a bit more time and effort on our part, but it’s more than worth it.

Learn about the sources of the foods you eat by knowing the product and the company that brings it to you, or knowing your local farmer. While a handshake and friendly conversation is often the best way to get to know a farmer, the best way to learn about any packaged product you’re buying is to read labels. A food’s label will tell you many things …

• The ingredients
• The nutritional values
• And if it’s “USDA Organic,” it must also include the country of origin and the certifying agency.

For comparison’s sake, and in light of our present concern about contaminated honey, let’s look at a jar of Wholesome’s Fair Trade Certified Organic Raw Honey:

The USDA Organic logo means that our honey is produced to USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards (no synthetic chemicals used in the production of the honey, in or near the hives, and there are no additives to the honey itself).  The USDA rules also require companies to include the country where the products are sourced (our honey comes from Mexico and Brazil) as well as the name of the organic certifier (in our case, Quality Assurance International) on the label as well. For more information about our honey production, please see The HoneyMakers.

Wholesome tracks every single product from the fields to our distribution center, and from there, to your local market. Everything must pass muster or it’s simply thrown out of our system. Whether it’s “USDA Organic” or “Fair Trade Certified,” transparency and honesty are part of Wholesome’ s commitment to you. Remember, if there’s something on a label that stirs questions or concerns, please ask!

Wholesome Sweeteners and the Non-GMO Project

Think about the last time you were in a supermarket. Did you notice how shoppers studied the labels? Bet you were one of them, making an informed choice.

Product labels tell consumers a lot: where the food comes from, who made it, what’s in it and how it’s produced.

In essence, a label speaks volumes about a company’s business beliefs and practices. It’s a disclaimer, and even perhaps, a corporate character assessment all in plain view, right there on the grocery shelf.

As a company specializing in organic and all-natural products, Wholesome Sweeteners welcomes a close, careful read of labeling for its sugars, syrups, nectars and honeys. As vice president of marketing, Pauline McKee figures an informed consumer is the company’s best competitive advantage.

For example, the natural goodness of Wholesome Sweeteners’ products recently was verified as being Project Non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) compliant, she says. This verification makes it the first sweetener company to be classified this way. (http://www.nongmoproject.org/)

According to its website, the non-profit Project Non-GMO is made up of “manufacturers, retailers, processors, distributors, farmers, seed companies and consumers” – all of whom share the belief that consumers should know if their food is genetically altered or not.

The magnitude of this global issue is top of mind with Wholesome Sweeteners. “Moving forward, consumers will be showing an increasing concern over genetically modified food ingredients,” says McKee. “This new verification simply reinforces our long-standing position to always be GMO free.”

For the food industry, movement in this direction is needed now more than ever, she believes. “As more of our grains and crops become genetically modified and deliberately mixed with the non-GMO crops, it is very difficult for consumers to exercise their right to choose between GMO and non-GMO foods.”

The recent verification status adds to Wholesome Sweeteners’ market distinction of also being the only Fair Trade™ certified sweetener company in the United States, McKee points out.

The Fair Trade certification label, which appears on the company’s products, means farmers who produced the food – usually poorer farming communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia – are being given a fair shake in the marketplace.

“We have been working diligently for months to become non-GMO verified, too,” says McKee. “Besides our company website, the new Project Non-GMO logo will begin to appear on our literature and on product packaging.”

From the ISC Newsroom

It’s Fair Trade Month: Fair Trade YOUR Town!

Together our purchases matter, whether it’s the cup of Fair Trade Certified coffee you sip each morning, or the fruit you cut up on your breakfast cereal, or the sugar or honey you use to sweeten it all. Millions of us begin our day as Fair Trade supporters, and we know that our individual purchases can make a difference. But not all purchases are made by individuals, many of our most important purchases are made as a community. What impact would we have if we made Fair Trade more than a personal commitment? Think about it … what if your hometown committed to Fair Trade? So far 20 US towns have stepped forward and committed to Fair Trade. Many more are working toward that goal. With a little work and a shared commitment, we can expand Fair Trade’s impact for the growers and for our own hometowns. Is yours next?

 

Imagine the Fair Trade “possibilities” within your own circle … your church coffee hour, or the chocolate fundraiser offered by your school, in the office cafeteria or the local coffee cart’s service. The possibilities are in big institutions and small cafes–and all of it combined can have an even greater impact than our purchases as individuals. When you bring together your town’s churches, schools, community groups and retailers in support of Fair Trade, you are not just building community in your town, but helping Fair Trade farmers and workers around the world to improve their access to education, health care and economic development in theirs.

 

The Fair Trade Towns USA campaign is driven by a group of dynamic and energetic people working in their home communities in support of Fair Trade. They’re taking the message to social clubs, community groups, local media and bloggers. They’re organizing programs to educate consumers about the benefits of Fair Trade for producers, to ask more stores to carry Fair Trade products and to encourage more people and organizations to think about what they buy.

 

It only takes one person to get the ball rolling on a campaign to declare your town a Fair Trade Town. We are looking for just 100 people across the US to commit to hosting the first meeting of a new Fair Trade Towns campaign in honor of Fair Trade Month. The Fair Trade Towns USA site has resources and tool kits to get you started. Now the only question is are you in? (And since not all of us are community organizers, do you know someone who is?)

 

Sign up to start your own Fair Trade Town campaign today! Every one of us matters.

Grandma was right about the honey …

Have you seen those ads? They show up on TV every year about this time–the ads with the little animated kids with little red noses scurrying all over their faces, running away from the tissue? That’s me at the moment. It’s day three of a cold, and, well, you know how that feels …

The seasons are changing and many of us are suffering colds or from the flu–and there’s that nasty stomach bug going around too. While complaining about it all to a friend, she said, “Well, Wholesome sells honey. Don’t you have any on the shelf?” She looked at me as if I’d just grown a third ear. “Of course,” … and then I remembered … my grandma always said “a spoonful of honey” could cure a cold, as well as settle adolescent nerves (she made me drink honey-sweetened tea before my first prom) and make my skin smoother, softer and pimple-free.

Last night I began experimenting with Grandma’s advice. Back when, she recommended hourly doses of honey (I’m using Wholesome’s Organic Raw Honey, of course) mixed with just a drop of lemon juice.

Today, I’m feeling, oh, so much better. As it turns out, honey has been a favorite folk remedy for thousands of years.* We’d never want you to use this information as medical advice or in place of seeing your doctor, but we found claims of honey’s properties fascinating …

To heal an abrasion or burn, dress the wound daily and cover it—honey has natural antibacterial properties that help keep wounds clean and heal more quickly. The New Zealand Dermatological Society is conducting research into broader medical applications. (Read more at http://dermnetnz.org/treatments/honey.html). Inspired and maybe just a little desperate for relief, I tested it on my poor nose (it’s been rubbed red and raw from sneezing and blowing). To my delight, raw honey worked (certainly better than any of the petroleum-based “cooling” salves or rubs), and it smelled good too!

To treat a cold, Ayurvedic texts suggest mixing honey with cinnamon; to clear sinuses, mix fresh ginger juice with honey and take a teaspoon a couple of times a day; to soothe an upset tummy, mix equal parts honey and lemon juice and sip slowly. In fact many others believe that honey and cinnamon can cure everything from pimples to certain cancers.

The American Chemical Society reported in 2004 that perhaps a little honey everyday might increase the antioxidant capacity of our blood plasma (and it’s so much sweeter than garlic). The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published a report in 2008 that honey might even help our bones hold calcium.

Besides that, multi-floral honeys, like Wholesome’s, are loaded with B vitamins and vitamin C (think about all those antioxidant properties), and they include traces of iron, calcium and potassium. If it’s ORGANIC, then you know that you don’t need to worry about any pesticides or herbicides in the honey … the bees are protected from chemical “nasties.”

I’m feeling better already … now off to drizzle honey in tea. Time for a Friday afternoon pick-me-up!

To your sweet health!

(* And please, no matter what anyone else says, PROMISE to never ever feed honey to a child younger than 12 months.)

A Tale of Two Breads

The bread on the left is made as called for in the original recipe; the bread on the right is gluten-free and sweetened with Wholesome's Cinnamon Agave.

Well, to be honest, it’s one recipe and two variations. A few years ago, our friend Lori Wyman sent us a recipe for Pumpkin or Winter Squash Bread, sweetened with Organic Zero and Raw Blue Agave. It’s an easy recipe and yields a quick bread that instantly became a family favorite.

We thought we’d replace the original recipe’s agave and cinnamon with our new cinnamon-flavored agave syrup, and since we’re celebrating the holidays with a special eye toward gluten-free, also replace the original recipe’s wheat flour with Pamela’s Gluten-Free Baking & Pancake Mix.

It’s been a long, tempting day smelling the bread baking in the kitchen, but now we can confirm our verdict: both are fantastic. Really. The crumb is tender and moist, the texture is just the right kind of chewy, and the flavors are melt-in-your-mouth delicious. If you weren’t the cook, you would never know one was made with whole wheat flour and the other with a gluten-free baking mix. Our hats are off to Pamela!

Here’s the original recipe’s ingredient list : 

• 4 cups pureed pumpkin or winter squash (or 2 cans)
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Zero
• 1 cup Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Amber Honey or Organic Raw Blue Agave nectar
• 4 large cage-free eggs
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup raisins (soak them in a little water to plump them up and use the water later)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flax meal
• 2½ cups whole wheat flour

Here it is using Pamela’s Gluten-Free Baking & Pancake Mix:

• 4 cups pureed pumpkin or winter squash (or 2 cans)
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Zero
• 1 cup Wholesome Sweeteners Cinnamon Agave syrup
• 4 large cage-free eggs
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup raisins (soak them in a little water to plump them up and use the water later)
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup flax meal
• 2½ cups Pamela’s Gluten-Free Pancake & Baking Mix

The prep is simple:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Combine eggs, oil, sweeteners, and pumpkin. Add nuts and raisins. Then add baking powder, soda, and spices. Fold in the baking mix, the corn meal, and flax meal. Stir gently until all the dry ingredients are blended - don’t over beat or you will get a doughy consistency.

Bake in two oiled loaf pans for one hour, give or take. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the bread cool thoroughly. Enjoy as breakfast, an afternoon snack, or a perfect morsel at the end of the day.  (And it freezes very well.)

Note: Just need one loaf? It’s a simple recipe to divide in half and bakes just as well either way.

Does Natural Really Mean Natural When it Comes to Cereal?

Just this week the Cornucopia Institute released a report about potential false claims made by companies who say they are selling “Natural” cereals. The report, Cereal Crimes: How “Natural” Claims Deceive Consumers and Undermine the Organic Label – A Look Down the Cereal and Granola Aisle, says several major national cereal brands, produced by giant corporate agribusiness, but hiding behind the façade of familiar natural cereal names  are romancing their “natural” labels while force-feeding their customers pesticide-contaminated grains and Monsanto’s genetically modified organisms.

Check out this video for more information.