Dessert first + Fair Trade giveaway
Hi friends! Hope your weekend is off to a wonderful start.
This afternoon, I have a delicious dessert combo to share + an awesome giveaway from my friends at Fair Trade. Once again, they’re hosting a virtual Mother’s Day brunch, and asked us to create a recipe using fair trade ingredients. The first things that came to my mind? Chocolate, coffee, and bananas.
Don’t get me wrong: I LIVE for egg dishes at brunch. It’s one of my favorite foods ever, and this is the recipe I submitted last year. As much as I go crazy for egg dishes, especially topped with a ton of salsa, dessert is #2. If I could have eggs and chocolate all day (ok, and wine), that would be a dream come true.
But for today, let’s have dessert first.
I wanted to create something on the healthier side that tastes like a decadent treat. It feels indulgent, but this dessert is packed with healthy fat from almond butter, protein from fresh eggs, and a deep cocoa flavor. The banana ice cream tastes wonderful with the rich almond butter brownie,
and to finish it off, sprinkle with your favorite crumbled candy or chocolate chips.
Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a try! (* = ingredients you can find that are Fair Trade)
-1 batch of almond butter brownies, using almond butter*, cocoa powder* and espresso powder*
-3-4 frozen bananas*
-1/2 tablespoon cinnamon*
-1/4 cup of your favorite chocolate candy. I used Marich Salted Caramels*
1. In a food processor, process the bananas, cinnamon and chocolate candy until a smooth “ice cream” forms.
2. Top the brownies with the ice cream, and sprinkle with extra candy or chocolate chips.
3. Serve and enjoy!
If you’re interested in learning more about the Fair Trade mission, here’s what it’s all about:
-Fair Trade seeks to empower family farmers all over the world. Funds are used in a democratic basis (so each community determines how to allocate the funds) to improve farmers’ quality of life. Here are some of the benefits:
Farmers learn and implement sustainable farming practices
Workers are fairly compensated, and able to work in safe conditions
Women are guaranteed health care, rights, and freedom from harassment
Revenues are set aside to build schools and help maintain enrollment
Farmers are given market-based tools to lift themselves out of poverty and
workers and their families gain access to health care, medicine and proper nutrition.
As much as I admire their mission, I especially love that they support and empower women in the farming industry.
Once again, they paired me up with an inspirational farmer to learn more about her story.
This is Isabel Uriarte Latorre, 58, from Cajamarce.
Isabel is CECANOR‘s Finance and Commerce Manager, and checks the coffee plants of a local Agua Azul member. Isabel has been involved in social justice movements in her native Peru since the 1970s, having been part of a student movement and later numerous labor unions. She is one of the founders of CECANOR and developed the revolutionary Cafe Femenino, a select brand of coffee made only by women.
She states: “The purpose of Cafe Femenino is to make visible the contribution women make not only to the household economy, but the community and to the umbrella organization CECANOR.” Through Isabel’s leadership, CECANOR has developed wonderful assistance programs. Health, education and tech assistance projects all benefit the female farmers and their families through introducing new farming techniques, providing health screenings, sex-education campaigns in rural schools, and improving the productivity of credit programs.
When asked about the advantages of being certified by Fair Trade, Isabel explains: “The certification and subsequent prize money is vital for our success. It allows us to provide rural coffee growers a steady price that sets a solid base for economic budgeting both at the family and community levels. In addition, positive results turn into incentives for the growers to produce higher quality coffee, and many are also seeing the positive aspects of organic farming – economically and health wise.” Cafe Femenino currently has 645 producers.
You can read more about her incredible story here and the Fair Trade FairHer campaign, celebrating the women of fair trade.
And now, it’s giveaway time!
One lucky winner will receive the same goodie package they sent me with treats from all of these companies:
Frontier Natural chocolates co-op
Barefoot & Chocolate (this tastes like frosting in a jar…)
Alter Ego (my fave truffles)
Nourish Organic (this lotion is my newest obsession)
The lucky winner will be chosen Monday night at midnight EST and announced in Tuesday’s morning post.
Emter here:
Ready, set, go!
xoxo
Gina
I was not compensated to write this post, but I received a giant box of goodies that we’ve been enjoying quite a bit. 😉 I’m always thrilled to spread the word about the Fair Trade mission.
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My favorite brunch order is poached eggs over roasted veggies or sautéed spinach, all topped with hot sauce!
Can’t wait to try your recipe! Great giveaway!!
I love brunch! Chicken and waffles are my favorite splurge. I also adore a veggie packed omelette!
I always order lunch at brunch and usually it involves a chicken sandwich with either avocado or something spicy.
Love anything with eggs!
The almond butter brownies look awesome. Thank you for spreading the word about the Fair Trade mission. So important. xo Lauren
I love ordering an omelet for brunch!
My favorite brunch order is a huge veggie filled omelet with a side of roasted potatoes!!
Huevos rancheros with extra avocado
The recipe sounds delish-can’t wait to try!
Usually some sort of a variation of an egg salad!
My favorite brunch order is a frittata.
I love a good fancy avocado toast with runny egg!
Cheese & Veggie egg scramble with green salad on the side to balance 🙂
Thanks for the info on the story behind fair trade, as I now realize how ininformed I was on the subject. Thanks also for the delicious looking brownie ‘a la mode’ recipe! Hope you have a great Mother’s Day!!
I love eggs Benedict!
I love corned beef hash (homemade, of course) with runny poached eggs for brunch.
My favorite brunch is eggs Benedict or over easy eggs on sweet potatoes. I roast sweet potatoes every week and top them with eggs for breakfast and it hits the spot every Time!
Omelette with spinach and feta, and fruit on the side.
For brunch I like fried cornmeal mush, eggs over-easy, and sausage or bacon.
If someone else is making it, I’d take French toast for bunch, with fresh strawberries! If I’m cooking, it’s always eggs.
my favorite brunch order is a fried rice dish with a poached egg served on top from a local restaurant here in Nashville. It is even better served with a tomatillo bloody mary! Sounds like a weird combo but it is delish!
what restaurant? This reminds me of what a lot of Hawaiian restaurants serve for bfast 🙂
A breakfast burrito or omelet with lots of veggies. I’m more of a savory kind of brunch gal.
I always order eggs at brunch. I love eggs Benedict.
Eggs benedict!
I love ordering eggs benedict because I never have it at home, but it’s so delicious!
Oats w egg whites and bacon!
My favourite brunch order is crepes with fresh fruit.
Any mexican-style egg dish with a side of pancakes “to share” 😀
I am an omelette and breakfast potato girl all the way! 🙂
I love a hearty veggie and cheese omelet!
omelet 🙂
I love breakfast sandwiches at brunch – give me some hearty bread, avocado, & eggs, and I’m a happy girl!
Waffles
Waffles!
My favorite brunch order is a veggie omelet and a mimosa 🙂
Omelette with all the veggies and feta cheese!
That sounds delicious! And the fact that they are such high quality ingredients with a purpose makes it so much better!
My favorite brunch order is always a veggie omelette with potatoes, classic and so yummy!
My favorite brunch order is a huge Belgian waffle piled high with berries!
I recently just tried the TCHO coconut crisp chocolate (that is in the picture) and it is delicious. It is important for everyone around the world to earn a fair wage. The future of our food is in the hands of those who take care in producing it. We need to support these farmers whenever possible. Thanks for this post! 🙂
Avocado toast with pink salt and crushed red pepper flakes and a black bean burrito with tons of salsa more avocado (because why not?) and peppers and onions wrapped up in a tortilla! YUM!
I love breakfast/brunch at our local First Watch. I can count on some healthy options there!
Eggs benedict!
Love some type of egg dish for brunch! Awesome giveaway!
My favorite brunch item – when done right – is shakshuksa. I’m also a huge fan of egg and avocado sandwiches. Thanks for the giveaway and for supporting/promoting fair trade!
A place I used to live near in Boston (which has sadly closed), had THE most delicious nutella, raspberry and cream stuffed french toast…dessert for breakfast for the win 🙂
I think you can’t go wrong with eggs, potatoes, sausage, and some sort of toast or English muffin! I love egg casseroles, too.
My favorite brunch order is a giant fruit salad. Fresh out-of-the-oven bread is a close second.
i love an eggs benedict. In baltimore we replace the ham with crabcakes and it is the best 🙂