Fair Trade Fortnight

Applause for the companies who work in the Fair Trade industry.

We cannot know all the stories of those that our buying decisions help but we do know that parents can better support their children and educate them, appliances bought to free small businesses from oppressive high rates of light machinery (such as sewing machines) and, women and girls freed from the prostitution 'industry'. There are as many stories as there are goods and it is satisfying to know that our purchases contribute to a fairer world and justice.

Those in my honour-list this week include All Good Organics, Freeset and Loving Earth.

All Good Organics import bananas and also create an amazing range of healthier soft drinks, all made with fair trade fruit and sugar. I know there's still sugar in the drink but when family members are not ready or willing to make the jump to sugar-free this is the ideal alternative. Check their range here.

Very soon you'll be able to buy boxes of All Good Organics soft drinks via my shop. Our family has been sampling their way through the range and I must say, they are very good indeed. A fine treat.

Freeset make eco-friendly bags of all kinds (including custom for businesses) and tee shirts. To view and purchase you can pop into Windsor Cafe (Mairangi Bay) where there is a wide range to choose from. Purchasing these products support women who would otherwise have to return to prostitution to support themselves and their families. If you're not in Auckland, check their website www.freesetglobal.com. They are members of Fair Trade Federation and World Fair Trade Organization.

If you stay for coffee at Windsor Cafe, you may like to know they use a fair trade coffee from PNG.

Loving Earth bring to market the raw products I mostly choose, such as cacao powder, nibs and butter, agave syrup and coconut sugar (which isn't raw) and a whole lot more. Their tag line is 'healthy, sustainable and fair' and they are certified organic. My shop stocks a lot of their products. If you'd like to read some of their producer's stories, visit their site, www.lovingearth.net

Never forget the power of your purchases! A drop in the bucket, it may be, but a lot of drips fill a bucket pretty quickly.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com

____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________

Mothers' Day and Fair Trade Fortnight

Double Chocolate Rolls

* Low refined sugar
* No palm oil
* Dairy free
* Egg free
* Gluten free
* Fair Trade Certified
* raw (except the chocolate)
* vegan

A delicious recipe to make for mum this coming Mother's Day. If you need reminding or you need to show this blog to someone who might need reminding, it is this Sunday, 11 May.

Most mums adore chocolate. This recipe brings together our desire for that Beautiful Treat, health and ethics all literally rolled into one perfect combination.

 

The ingredients are all found in your local Trade Aid shop. If you can't get them together in time for this Sunday, never mind, this recipe is wonderful any time of the year because chocolate is not seasonal. Who needs a reason to eat chocolate anyway?

Fair Trade Fortnight is 3 - 18 May. I'm not telling you anything new with the 'why' of choosing Fair Trade brands when you can. The power of our purse can be phenomenal, and don't think for a minute that little-ol-you can't make a difference. Yes, you can.

In our shop we carry a number of Trade Aid products and fair trade items. Our latest is All Good Organics soft drinks. More about these fab alternative fizzies next week.

For those of you whose mums are no longer with us, I hope you enjoy the memories. Happy Mothers' Day everyone!



Double Chocolate Balls
1 packet Trade Aid Almonds (100g)
1 packet Trade Aid Medjoul Dates (200g)
3 - 4 T Trade Aid cocoa powder (depending on how strong mum likes it)
Small pinch Himalayan salt or other good salt
1 t vanilla essence
6 squares Trade Aid dark chocolate, roughly chopped**
Coconut for rolling

Using a food processor, grind almonds until in small pieces. Add dates, cocoa, salt and vanilla - process until a well-mixed, soft dough is formed. Throw in chopped chocolate pieces and process until well mixed but chocolate is still in tiny pieces. Roll into balls and roll in coconut. Indulge.

Recipe copyright to GoMoreRaw Ltd and Christine Smith. You are welcome to share/publish my recipe but please include credit to www.gomoreraw.com. You can also purchase many of the ingredients from my website.

** These squares are from the 200g bar of chocolate. If you buy the 100g bar, use eight to ten squares.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com

____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________

Easy Easter Eggs

That chocolate can be raw and healthy still fascinates me. As I was growing up, healthy also meant boring, or at least tolerable but never nice, yummy or tasty. That chocolate could be guilt free, divinely delicious and healthy was an oxymoron.

So deeply embedded is this belief that I still get a little-girl thrill of making and eating chocolate and, not feel even a teensy bit naughty.

Of course, one can eat chocolate at any time of the year, and ‘one’ does. Today the beautiful liquid was lovingly spooned into egg and cross shapes. A Rocky Road style poured out carefully into a small tray to be cut into square-ish chunks when set.

My usual approach to a recipe is to make it as instructed and then play with it until it suits me.

This Easter weekend I offer you my version of perfect chocolate.

• Dairy, egg, gluten and refined sugar free
• No palm oil
• Tastes amazing
• Nutritionally good for you

No matter which way I look at it, I have ‘ticked all the boxes’ – the boxes that are most important to me, anyway.

Happy and blessed Easter!

Chocolate Easter Eggs (Raw)

100g cacao butter
½ c cacao powder
¼ c agave syrup or maple syrup or coconut sugar
small pinch good salt such as Himalayan or Celtic
1 t vanilla essence
¼ c your choice of ‘extras’ – see below instructions**

Melt cacao butter in Bain Marie or on very low element*. Grating the cacao butter before melting will help to keep temperature even and melting faster than keeping it in blocks.

If using coconut sugar stir through melted cacao butter to dissolve.

Cool if cacao butter heated too high (over 46C it loses its ‘rawness’ and enzymes reduce rapidly).

If using maple or agave syrup, stir into melted cacao butter. Add oil drops and mix well.

Then stir through the cacao powder and salt with any ‘extras’ you’d like.

Spoon into Easter molds of your choice.
 **chopped cacao nibs, diced sour cherries or chopped nuts.

Set in fridge. Keeps for weeks.

This is a deeply satisfying and rich chocolate; you’ll only need a piece at a time. This could help with sugar levels as generally, you’re not tempted to eat too much.

All ingredients in italics are available from www.gomoreraw.com

Variations:
Coconut – Use 70 g cacao butter and 30g coconut oil (raw if possible). Melt cacao butter first then add coconut oil to melt. Omit essential oil and stir through ¼ c desiccated coconut (raw if possible). Add 1 t pure vanilla essence.

Jaffa – replace vanilla essence with 10 drops orange oil (food grade).

Mint – replace vanilla essence with 10 drops peppermint oil (food grade).

Raw Rocky Road – in small tray (approx 9 x 7 cm; line with baking paper) spread over chopped nuts and dried fruit of choice – figs, apricots, sour cherries, raisins, dates. Pour over melted chocolate mix. Tip to spread chocolate evenly.

Fresh Fruit Chocolate:  Place small amount of melted chocolate in each mold space. Allow to set briefly. Place one piece of fruit in each chocolate mold and cover with chocolate. Or include some fresh fruit in Rocky Road to replace the soft texture that marshmellows give. Fresh Fruit Chocolate should be eaten within three days. Keep in fridge.

*if using the stove element to melt the cacao butter, keep the temperature on low and watch carefully so it doesn’t get too hot. Remove before it has completely melted and the remaining should melt with stored heat.

Copyright to Go More Raw Ltd and Christine Smith
www.gomoreraw.com

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com

____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________

Healthy Choices One Step at a Time

An improvement in health may be gained by incremental steps rather than monumental ones.

In my experience and in watching clients, it’s the small but determined Baby Steps that make changes both easier to implement and more likely to succeed.

Waiting until you’ve got everything in place or until your ‘ducks are all in a row’ will result in kicking the can down the road indefinitely. There will never be a perfect time to start.

Someone said to me recently, “I’m not quite ready to start.” Ready for what? Ready to give up meat? Alcohol? All cooked food? Chocolate? (Heaven forbid!)

Food is mostly a mind game, in my opinion. It’s your mind that chooses, not your tummy or your schedule. You are in charge of you.

So choose to start. What ONE thing can you do today to start a healthier you journey?

Here are some ideas:
• A glass of water first thing in the morning
• Coconut sugar in your coffee instead of white sugar
• Butter instead of margarine
• A salad (fresh/raw) with each cooked evening meal
• Wedges instead of chips
• A drink of water before you quench thirst with tea, coffee or juice
• Home-made gravy or sauce on your meat instead of buying packets or jars. These usually have sugar, a lot of salt and chemicals in them.

These are very simple and forgive me if I sound like Captain Obvious. For some though, this means they’ve started or can choose something else to change.

“A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.“

What is your ONE step for today?

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com
____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________

Maca Powder and Energy

This super food is my favourite. It has the pleasant taste of malt so makes a good partner to chocolate or in a smoothie with a strong fruit flavour.

There has been a recent drop in the price of maca so this is good news. It’s not often something goes down in price, is it?

It comes as a powder (smoothies, muesli, raw un-baking, chocolate, etc) and now also in a vege capsule. The capsules are for those who dislike the taste or don’t have smoothies. They are also perfect for travel.

Maca can help your energy to last well into the afternoon (if you had it for lunch) at the time when traditionally, energy is waning. Coupled with chia seeds these two super foods can really make a difference. Maca also serves to help remineralise your body.

I wish I’d known about maca years ago.

“It promotes the optimal functioning of the hypothalamus and pituitary master glands. Maca contains unique alkaloids that stimulate the master glands, which in turn improves the overall functioning of the endocrine system.”

Maca root

Interestingly, it is known as an aphrodisiac. I wonder if it is more about bringing hormones back into balance and so restoring a low libido. Mothers of young children (any age child, actually) may well find some help in ‘this department’. Whilst I’m not giving any details I can say that I have no intention of stopping the inclusion of maca powder in my (almost) daily smoothies. That’s all I’m saying.

For those of you who like the facts, here they are:

Traditionally, maca has been used for:

*  Treating menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and depression, as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy [HRT]
*  Stimulating and regulating the endocrine system
*   Regulating and normalizing menstrual cycles
*  Stimulating fertility in both men and women
*  Supporting the immune system
*  Increasing energy, stamina and endurance, reducing chronic fatigue
*  Enhancing libido, treating impotence
*  Revitalizing seniors, mentally and physically

Maca contains high amounts of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, all the essential amino acids and it contains nearly 60 phytochemicals.

Maca is a Peruvian root vegetable and looks like a turnip or radish.

Those folk with thyroid ‘issues’ need to consult a physician before including maca.  There are no other contra-indications known. One can’t overdose but it is a good idea to take a regular rest; perhaps weekdays on, weekends off.

Maca is available from our web Shop. It comes as a powder in 250g, 500g and 1 kg, also 120 capsules.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com
____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________

Depression and Burn Out

Depression has been on the public mind this week after a sad event. Much finger pointing has been going on, with everyone having the right answer or solution.

I do not dare to present a solution.

What I can tell you is how it has been for me sometimes. I am an expert on myself and am pretty good at knowing when I need to step back as I recognise burn-out symptoms. If I don't take heed of the signs, it is to my peril, and usually to those nearest and dearest to me.

So based on my experience of what might help, here goes...

* Where possible, take an immediate break from everything you can. If that means having someone mind the children for a morning or a day, or a whole weekend, do it.
* Ask for help. I know this is hard but it's important. The chances are very good you'll find empathy. There are few people who do not know the cold fingers of depression.
* Choose carefully to whom you share the deepest parts of your heart. You don't want one who tries to 'fix you'. You want one who will listen, give you a hug and tell you it's all going to be alright. Because it will. Maybe not today, but the sun will shine again and Spring always comes after Winter.
* Remember behind a lot of smiles are aching hearts - you are not the only one. That's one of the lies. Nothing is 'wrong' with you, you just need a break and maybe some help.
* Get to bed at a decent hour.
* Go for a walk or get some other exercise. Fresh air is good for the mind and noticing a garden, or waves, or a bee visiting a flower can have a balancing effect.
* Eat as much fresh food as you can. There is research to shows 'feel good triggers' when eating fresh and raw food. This is a hard one for me as I tend to default to traditional comfort food and forgo what my body and mind need to heal.
* Drink water before anything else. Alcohol does not drown your sorrows, it just smothers them for a while.
* Avoid people that are an effort. You know the ones I mean - see them when you feel stronger.
* Choose not to watch sad movies or ones that are emotionally expensive. Ditto books.
* Avoid music that could be depressive.
* Laughter is medicine. Watch reruns of a favourite sitcom. Mine is The Good Life or Black Books.
* Have a beautiful book to go to. My favourite Escape Hatch book is the Darling Buds of May. I practically know the words off by heart. It is my friend.
* Take a break off Facebook. There seem to be so many happy people on it. And an abundance of Life Coaches all saying encouraging things that can make one feel worse. Don't they ever have Black Days?
* Let the phone go to answer phone. No, you don't have to answer it.
* "No" is a perfectly good word. Say it more often.
* If you need to see a counsellor because the black days won't go away - see one. It could be one of the best things you ever do. A good counsellor will equip you to be stronger.

Well, I hope this week's musing doesn't depress anyone. I nearly didn't write about it but I don't like Image Maintenance when it creates a different woman from what I am in the minds of my readers. Yes, I laugh and love life but there have been times when I've had to take my own advice. Yes, I am normal.

Oh, and chocolate helps!



Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com

____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________

How to Make Muesli

Did you check the article I posted from The New Zealand Herald this week? I said I feel a blog coming on and here is my first response.

Many moons ago I used to toast our muesli, now I don't bother. Our Smith-Standard comprises of rolled oats, cinnamon, dried fruit and nuts. That's it.

This is not a total raw breakfast as it takes heat to roll oats. However, it's perfectly good as not-quite-raw muesli.



Work out the ratio of these ingredients to suit your taste but watch out for the amount of dried fruit you add. They might be good for you but they are also concentrated bundles of sugar (fructose).

A cereal bowl breakdown (serving portion) is around 1/2 c oats, 1/4 - 1/2 t cinnamon (I love it so tend to be generous), 1 d dried fruit and 1 T chopped nuts/seeds.

Use what you've got. This week's batch included raisins, sultanas and chopped macadamias (NZ). Other batches might have apricots, dates, cashew nuts, almonds or sunflower seeds. Chuck it all in a really big bowl or clean bucket, mix and store. I fill our cereal container and keep the rest in large plastic baggies. For the time it takes to make a mix, I may as well make it a big one. It saves time in the end.

For extra nutrition you could add chia seeds, ground flaxseeds or maca powder (work it out at around 1 t per serving). I don't bother; I save the super foods for smoothies and unbaking.

However, if I'm making sprouted, dehydrated buckwheat muesli then all manner of nuts, seeds, fruits, super foods are added. But that's for another blog.

Much easier to stick to this one most of the time.

I serve mine with seasonal fruit and home made yoghurt or kefir.

Good for you and good for your purse.

Christine
www.gomoreraw.com
email: christine@gomoreraw.com

____________________________________________________

The Anglo-Far East Company
The Original Private Gold and Silver Bullion Custodian
Your reference when you order: an-001
____________________________________________________