Natural Papa » co-op

Don’t be a Valentine’s Day Barbarian: Give a Chocolate and Coffee Pairing Gift

Derek Markham — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:37:32 +0000

Valentine’s Day is all about chocolate, according to my 4 year old.

I won’t disagree with that.

It might not be the whole point but it certainly has become a huge tradition to give chocolate to your loved ones on February 14th.

And I want to make sure you’re not being a Valentine’s Day barbarian this year.

Sure, you could stop at a grocery store the night before and just pick up something from their seasonal display, but don’t you think your Valentine deserves better than mass produced candy with dubious ingredients? And when you consider the lack of focus on corporate social responsibility in most big companies, you can definitely do better than to continue to support them with your hard-earned money.

This year, make it a point to choose Fair Trade chocolate for gifts, and you’ll be giving a present of great chocolate while supporting small worker cooperatives at the same time. If your family doesn’t know what Fair Trade entails, it’s also a great opportunity to educate them about it and to introduce them to higher quality products.

One of the leading Fair Trade suppliers is Equal Exchange, and they’ve got some amazing choices for both chocolate and coffee gifts, available online and through select food co-ops and health food stores. This year, I received a “Chocolate and Coffee Pairing Gift Bag” from them for review. And I have to admit, I was a bit of a barbarian – I had never heard of a chocolate and coffee pairing.

According to Equal Exchange:

“Chocolate and coffee offer a variety of flavors that are nurtured through the cultivation and processing of the finished products that you enjoy every day. Both products are incredibly complex in flavor independently, but can also provide us with delicious flavor combinations when paired together. Enjoy a few of our pairing selections by yourself – or invite a few of your friends over for a pairing event!”

This chocolate and coffee pairing kit is a great intro to that experience, and you’ll explore the various tastes and textures that come together when chocolate and its perfect coffee counterpart are combined.

Each chocolate and coffee pairing kit has:

One 12oz bag of Organic Love Buzz coffee
One 12oz bag of Organic Mind, Body & Soul coffee
Two Organic Panama Extra Dark Chocolate Bars
Two Organic Milk Chocolate Bars
Coffee pairing instruction card

Being a coffeehead, I was jazzed to have another excuse to try more kinds (and to eat chocolate with it!), and these products did not disappoint! There’s nothing in the world like fine coffee and good chocolate, and enjoying them together was a blast.

I ended up with a deep affection for the Love Buzz coffee and the Panama dark chocolate, and because I only buy Fair Trade varieties, I can heartily support and recommend Equal Exchange for Valentine’s Day (and beyond) gifts.

If you do choose to give these as gifts, I can tell you this: you’ll not only be loved even more (is that possible?), but you’ll give your loved one a sweet culinary adventure.

A word of caution: Make sure you have something productive to do after the pairing, as you’ll be all jacked up on caffeine, theobromine, and sugar. Just sayin’.

And it sure beats being a barbarian…

Image: jourdy288 at Flickr

Win an Equal Exchange Fair Trade Gift Basket

Derek Markham — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:34:10 +0000

When looking for gifts, I try to focus on items that are in line with my values, and Fair Trade is high on the list of desirable qualities for me. The folks over at Equal Exchange have graciously allowed me to give away a basket of mixed Fair Trade items, just in time for the holidays.

If you’re not familiar with Equal Exchange, they are “supporting a more equitable world through Fair Trade, small-farmer co-operatives, and great tasting products.” They have excellent coffee and chocolate, plus tea, cocoa, and some Fair Trade nuts and berries, plus some other fun gifts as well.

The Fair Trade Mixer Gift Basket includes a variety of Equal Exchange products in a fairly traded kaisa grass basket from Dhaka Handicrafts, a non-profit that works to improve the lives of children and rural families in Bangladesh. In the basket is: 10oz Organic French Roast Coffee, 12oz Organic Hot Cocoa Mix, an Organic Very Dark Chocolate bar, an Organic Dark Chocolate with Almonds bar, an Organic Milk Chocolate with a Hint of Hazelnut bar, 5oz of Organic Tamari Roasted Almonds, and 5oz of Roasted Salted Pecans. Yum!

Until December 15, the Gift Basket is on sale for $47 (regularly $55) – this would make a great gift for the holidays, and maybe introduce your loved ones to the concept of Fair Trade at the same time! If that isn’t the thing for you, you can find other fair trade gifts that support small-scale farmers, ranging from $27-$75. If you order online from Equal Exchange, you’ll get 10% off your order and free shipping on orders over $75. Use the coupon code “giftme10″ during checkout to take advantage of these savings (coupon expires 12/31/09).

And now the part you’re really waiting for: the giveaway!

In order to enter to win, you need to leave a comment on this post telling me if you regularly purchase Fair Trade products, and if so, where you purchase them, and why you choose to do so. If you don’t, that’s o.k., just leave a comment telling me why you don’t, and what would convince you to do so in the future. The last chance to enter to win is Monday, Dec. 7th, at midnight. I will be picking a commenter at random on Tuesday morning, and the winner should have the basket in time for the holidays.

[Update - I picked a random comment with http://www.random.org/ and Shanyne is the winner of the basket! Thank you all for commenting and for reading Natural Papa!]

[Disclaimer from Equal Exchange: All shipments are sent via United Parcel Service (UPS). Orders will be shipped within the contingent United States only. We do not ship to PO/APO/FPO's, American Samoa, Guam, Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, or Virgin Islands.]

Natural Foods for Less: Bulk Up at a Co-op

Derek Markham — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 13:00:04 +0000

Join a Co-op and Bulk Up for Cheap!

Grocery prices got you down?

Organic foods seem out of your budget?

Join a co-op and buy your natural foods in bulk. Order ahead and get what you’d need for a month. You’ll always have the staples at hand, and you’ll save some cash at the same time.

Most whole foods are available by the bag or box, with 10, 25, and 50 pound sizes being the usual sizes. Rice, lentils, beans, oats, wheat, pasta, nuts and seeds are all available for much less than you’d pay for the fancy box with the cool colors, and you’ve contributed less waste to the landfill. Produce, grocery products, and personal care items are all great candidates for bulk purchases.

Many co-ops will take special orders for bulk foods and other food items in quantity, usually for a discounted price. For a list of food co-ops across the US, see the Food Co-operative Directory at the Cooperative Grocer’s website.

From the International Cooperative Alliance:

A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise. Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

The advantages of being a member of a co-op:

Cooperatives are owned by their members
Co-ops exist to serve the needs of their members and their community
Co-ops abide by the cooperative principles, which are:
1. Voluntary and Open Membership
2. Democratic Member Control
3. Member Economic Participation
4. Autonomy and Independence
5. Education, Training and Information
6. Cooperation among Cooperatives
7. Concern for Community

The advantages of buying in bulk:

Much less packaging.
Lower price per pound or package.
Your pantry is stocked with the foods you always eat, making it less likely to eat junk food or eat out.
Buying whole foods in bulk means fresher food.
Ordering ahead helps in planning a food budget and sticking with it.

Many people that drink soy or rice milk order it by the case, and shampoo, soap, and cleaners are available as well. And if you eat only gluten-free foods, you can ensure your supply by buying in bulk, as well as avoiding any cross-contamination that may happen in a retail environment.

Stock up and save at your local food co-op.

Thrifty Green Thursday: Natural Foods for Less

Derek Markham — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:00:00 +0000

Join a Co-op and Bulk Up for Cheap!

Grocery prices got you down?

Organic foods seem out of your budget?

Join a co-op and buy natural foods in bulk. Order ahead and get what you’d need for a month, and you’ll always have the staples at hand, being thrifty at the same time.

Most whole foods are available by the bag or box, with 10, 25, and 50 pound sizes being the usual. Rice, lentils, beans, oats, wheat, pasta, nuts and seeds are all available for much less than you’d pay for the fancy box with the cool colors, and you’ve contributed less waste to the landfill. Produce, grocery products, and personal care items are all candidates for bulk purchases.

Many co-ops will take special orders for bulk foods and other food items in quantity, for a discount. For a list of food co-ops across the US, see the Food Co-operative Directory at the Cooperative Grocer’s website.

From the International Cooperative Alliance:

A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise. Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

The advantages of being a member of a co-op:

Cooperatives are owned by their members
Co-ops exist to serve the needs of their members and their community
Co-ops abide by the cooperative principles, which are:
1. Voluntary and Open Membership
2. Democratic Member Control
3. Member Economic Participation
4. Autonomy and Independence
5. Education, Training and Information
6. Cooperation among Cooperatives
7. Concern for Community

The advantages of buying in bulk:

Much less packaging.
Lower price per pound or package.
Your pantry is stocked with the foods you always eat, making it less likely to eat junk food or eat out.
Buying whole foods in bulk means fresher food.
Ordering ahead helps in planning a food budget and sticking with it.

We order fruit by the case, and rice, beans, sprouting seeds and herbs for tea in bulk. Our TP comes in a huge case, so we don’t ever run out. I like peanut butter, so I get that in a 15 lb tub, which lasts a long time. Many people that drink soy or rice milk order it by the case, and shampoo, soap, and cleaners are available as well. And if you eat only gluten-free foods, you can ensure your supply by buying in bulk.

Stock up and save at your local food co-op.

For more thrifty green ideas, go to: Thrifty Green Baby Guide

Natural Papa » co-op

Don’t be a Valentine’s Day Barbarian: Give a Chocolate and Coffee Pairing Gift

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Natural Foods for Less: Bulk Up at a Co-op

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