While many of you are safely inside your home keeping warm and staying far away from the snow. What better way to spend your down time then making some delicious banana coconut chocolate almond bread. The recipe comes from Fair Trade USA who retrieved it from Barefoot & Chocolate.

Ingredients:

• 3 overly ripe Fair Trade Certified bananas
• 5 oz. Barefoot & Chocolate – Fair Trade Certified Almond Coconut Chocolate Spread
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Fair Trade Certified sugar
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup frozen shredded coconut (thawed)
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• 6 TBSP butter – melted
• 1 TSP baking soda
• 1 TSP Fair Trade Certified vanilla
• ¼ TSP sea salt

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Mash up the bananas with a fork in a large mixing bowl.  Add the egg, sugar, vanilla, salt, butter, shredded coconut, and almonds. Blend until well mixed.  In a separate bowl mix the flour and baking soda.  Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture in a few batches and mix until well blended.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the sides and bottom of a standard 4X8 bread pan. I like to leave the paper a little long so there is paper draping over the edges of the pan. This allows you to simply lift the loaf out of the pan once its cooled. Fit the parchment paper into the bread pan, creasing the paper to align with the seams of the pan. Butter the paper and the sides of the pan, lightly dust with flour. Pour in all the batter.  Dollop Almond-Coconut Chocolate Spread along the top of the loaf. Use a skewer to swirl the spread into the banana bread mixture until the spread is mostly covered by the batter.

Place the bread into the center of the oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour at 350F. Test the bread to ensure doneness by inserting a clean knife into the center. Keep in mind it will continue to cook bit after you take it out of the oven.

Enjoy!

Contributed by Leshaun Warner, Fair Trade Intern

In Punxsutawney, PA Groundhog Phil saw his shadow earlier today on February 2, 2014. According to legend, there are six more week of winter ahead this year. Unfortunately, this forecast is not surprising, but I believe anyone living one the east coast would agree that we would prefer spring to come sooner rather than later. Although, more snow is on its way tomorrow I have a simply recipe courtesy of Fair Trade USA that should make your mornings a lot better.

Makes 4 servings
Cooking + Preparation time: 12-15 minutes

4 cups of water
2 cups of rolled oats
¼ teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of Fair Trade Certified Casacao Cacao Powder 
½ cup of blueberries
½ teaspoon of Fair Trade Certified ground cinnamon
Almond, soy, rice, or regular milk (optional)

1. Combine water, oatmeal, and salt in a saucepan.

2. Bring to a boil; then lower heat and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until water has been reduced, or oatmeal has been cooked to the consistency of your liking (about 7-8 minutes).

3.Take oatmeal off the heat and stir in Casacao Cacao Powder (a little goes a long way!).

(Add the optional Soy, rice, almond milk)

4.Serve oatmeal in a bowl and add the blueberries and sprinkle ground cinnamon (equal parts per serving).

Add or substitute with other great fruits, such as bananas and strawberries for variety.

Enjoy!!

Contributed by Leshaun Warner, Fair Trade Intern