Christmas Treats-Fare Trade style Round 2: PB&C Quesadilla!!

I think I've found a very satisfying(and healthier) replacement for my precious Reese's Eggs that I can no longer buy. Peanut butter and chocolate quesadilla!!! So yummy and it only takes a tiny bit of chopped fare trade chocolate!! Cheap and delish!! This would be a great option for something a little different at Christmas brunch or just the dessert table at a family gathering . So, here's the recipe...if you want to call it that.

PB&C Quesadilla

1 small flour tortilla

1 Tbsp. Peanut butter

2 tsp chopped fare trade chocolate(I used 70% dark)

a sprinkle of sugar(I just pinches some in my fingers and sprinkled it on top of the filling.)

Spread of the peanut butter, sprinkle of the fare trade chocolate and sugar. Fold it in half and place in hot, buttered(or sprayed) pan cook till golden brown, then flip and do the same to the other side.

Seriously delish. And there is really no need to measure each item, I just put those amounts to give you an idea of what I used.

Creative bonus:
 If you cut these into triangles and drizzle with a little bit of green icing, you've got Christmas trees! BAM!

If you haven't been reading recently and are wondering why I can no long buy Reese's Eggs, read this and this. I hope maybe you'll join me in this cause.

Merry Christmas!!

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Christmas treats-Chocolate free! Round 1

This is a recipe I've never actually made, but a lady at church made them. I loved them so much I posted a Facebook status in search of who made them. They were that good!! Thankfully, Keri Taylor replied saying that she had made said deliciousness. This is the recipe she shared with me. Be prepared, they might just bring tears of joy to your eyes....or maybe I'm being a little dramatic, but rest assured, they're GOOD!

Pecan Bars:

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla

3/4- 1 cup pecans, chopped

Mix sugars and eggs. Blend in butter. Add salt, flour, vanilla, and nuts. Blend well. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes in a lightly greased 9X13 pan. Cut bars while still warm. Store in a tightly sealed container.

Stay tuned for more non-chocolate recipes for Christmas treats!!

Merry Christmas,

Joy

Do you want slavery in your Christmas?

I've written a blog recently about My Break-Up with Chocolate. Well, here I go again!! I just can't get it out of my head and tiss the season to buy chocolate, so here is a friendly reminder. You see, at least 75% of chocolate manufactured in the world is connected with child slavery. Cocoa farmers on the West Coast of Africa have resorted to forced child labor because there has been a rise in demand for cheap cocoa. Thats where we come in. Who out here wouldn't be outraged if we went to pick up a Snickers bar and the price was $3.00, or the price of a bag of chocolate chips was $6.00. We as consumers have demanded cheap affordable chocolate. Something that isn't even a necessity. Chocolate is a luxury people, but for some reason, we think we are entitled to get it for cheap. Well, maybe we aren't paying the price, but someone is.The big names like Hershey and Nestle get their "cheap" cocoa at the price of children.  Children who end up living off small amounts of corn and bananas(the cheapest foods in that area), sleeping on hard floors with no access to clean water, no opportunity to go to school, being beaten if they aren't working fast enough. Oh, not to mention their work involves them climbing tall trees with machetes tied to them, and risking chopping off fingers or hands all so that we can have an inexpensive candy bar. Someone is paying the price for our inexpensive treats, but I for one have somehow lost my appetite...If you want to read more facts, read this. Here is a quote from this article though: This is a quote from a child who had been rescued from a cocoa farm  "when asked what he would tell the people who eat chocolate made from slave labor, he replied that the people enjoyed something that he suffered to make, adding: “When people eat chocolate they are eating my flesh.”

So, now that we know, how can we act? I want to give you a few practical ideas for taking a step away from supporting such an industry.

• Buy fare trade chocolate. I know its expensive, but do you really want to eat the other stuff now that you know the facts?
• As you plan your Christmas baking over the next few weeks, how can you reduce your use of chocolate? make more with caramel, nuts, coconut, peanut butter, etc. There are plenty of yummy treats to be made without the use of chocolate!!
• Before you buy candy for those stockings, make the decision to skip the chocolate and do handmade salted caramels that a friend of mine makes and will ship, fruity candy, dried fruits, apples, oranges, nuts, etc.
• If you still just have to make those chocolate chip cookies, instead of usuing a 12oz bag of hershey's chips, add some extra nuts or oats and just use a 3 oz bar of fare trade dark chocolate. Chop it small so you can get some in each bite! You'll pay about the same and you'll still have that hint of chocolate!
• I'm not saying don't eat chocolate period. But where you find you just can't find a replacement, pay for the fare trade stuff, its worth a few more dollars to keep from supporting child slavery isn't it?
• I'll post a blog soon with recipe ideas for holiday baking using smaller amounts of chocolate or none at all!!

Whats your favorite holiday treat that doesn't involve chocolate? Share it with us!!

I know this is heavy stuff, so I'll leave you with a picture of my little cutie to lighten the mood ;)

ps. If you like his hat, support a friend's adoption and order here. She can have it to you by Christmas!!