Cooking with Fairtrade Ingredients and the Ndali Vanilla Gift Swap

I have used Fairtrade ingredients for many years.  Here in the United Kingdom they are fairly easy to source, and I buy fairtrade coffee, tea, sugar, cocoa, bananas and chocolate out of preference.  They can be slightly more expensive, but the Fairtrade icon guarantees the well being of producers.  The small third world farmers involved in Fairtrade,  can now often afford medical care and education for their children, as well as being able to  invest in future crops that will hopefully  give their farms (and their children) a sustainable future.

It's wonderful to see the range of Fairtrade ingredients  growing.  These are some the Fairtrade goods I purchased last time I went to the supermarket.

I have  used some Fairtrade caster sugar and some Ndali Vanilla, to replenish my Vanilla Sugar, ready for baking next weekend (see below).

A selection of Fairtrade ingredients from my local supermarket

Chocolate, and isn't it wonderful that Dairy Milk is now
Fairtrade?

Fantastic rice

Light and Dark Brown Sugar

As well as Caster Sugar (the coffee bags are fairtrade, and
are for me while I'm teaching)

Cocoa and Hot Chocolate

A lovely cup of tea

Cinnamon Sugar

And delicious spices

Coffee

And Bananas 

Ndali Vanilla

I also have French Fairtrade Vanilla, which I use in Brittany
This is Vanilla Sugar just waiting

Pods of Vanilla in the sugar

And all ready for baking next weekend!

Next week Vanessa, at Goddess on a Budget is hosting an inspiring event at Fortnum and Mason. Following her visit to Uganda to see Vanilla being harvested, she has been concerned to promote Fairtrade, and in particular Ndali Vanilla.  Vanessa has therefore organised  The Ndali Vanilla Gift Swap, and she has asked food bloggers to bring along some home cooked gifts to swap which feature Ndali Vanilla and other Fairtrade ingredients.

There are four categories to enter, and some super prizes, but for me the best thing will be catching up with other bloggers whom I have previously met, and hopefully meeting a few new people.  If you haven't enrolled and getting to London is not too tricky for you,  then follow the link to Vanessa's blog and read the rules, it would be great to meet you there.

If you are not sure what to bake why not look at my Pinterest boards, there is a link to them  on the side margin. I have several boards featuring baking, as well as a Vanilla board and a separate one about Fairtrade.

If you follow my boards do let me know, I'm very happy to follow back.

Thank you all for being so understanding about my lack of posts, teaching small children after a break of several years is exhausting, but great fun.  I hope to spend an evening catching up and commenting on all the blogs I follow very soon.