Rhino Coffee; a Fair Trade adventure.

A few friends and I were debating crowd-funding websites last week – the discussion mainly revolved around everyone trying to convince one friend that crowd-funding websites like Pozible are a good idea because it’s a great way for inspiring projects to get start-up funding. This project by Universal Village is a great example of how crowd-funding works for good – they’re trying to raise $18000 to purchase fairtrade coffee beans to set up a new coffee label in Australia; Rhino Coffee.

I definitely know how much more difficult fairtrade production and manufacturing is to manage and establish than ‘conventional’ or unethical – you can pretty much throw a tiny pebble into a Google search and find someone, somewhere with a sweatshop or child workers just for you. But fairtrade, now that’s tricky.

So, I think it’s just wonderful that we can contribute directly to a wonderful fairtrade startup project like Rhino Coffee (and that even in exchange for a donation, we get some coffee in exchange, when it’s ready!)

P.S., while you’re procrastinating on Pozible, check out Happy as Larry’s project too!

Every year it’s the same – as soon as the weather gets cold I want to make a LOT of soup. I don’t know why, I suppose I used to equate cold weather with hot cocoa, but soup is healthier so now I’m onto that instead!

I love love love this recipe. It’s quite simple, and it’s very much inspired by awesome Veganomicon – they have a similar tomato soup which contains sundried tomatoes. Amazing! I even made this soup for my grandparents a few years back, and they had no idea it contained lentils. That’s right. Oh My Green is here to help you trick people into eating legumes! You’re welcome. But seriously, lentils are really filling, they’re a great source of protein, they are (in my opinion) the easiest dried bean to cook, and they’re yummy. Are you in?

(Yes, you can create soup even in a kitchen with a teeny tiny bench-top!)

Healthy Tomato Soup
Serves 6 – 8

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 leek, chopped
pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup red lentils (soaked overnight if possible)
2 large potatoes, sliced thinly (or a potato/sweet potato combo!)
1/4 cup brown rice or buckwheat (or a mixture)
2 litres stock / water *
100g sundried tomatoes (not the ones in oil, just plain ones)
1 x 810g tin crushed tomatoes (I like ardmona brand)
salt, to taste
fresh basil (optional)

Fry onion, garlic and pepper (feel free to add herbs!) in the oil for about 5 mins, or until the onions are starting to brown slightly.
Add the stock / water, lentils, potatoes and rice. Bring to the boil, and then simmer for about 20 mins, or until the lentils and rice are mushy.
Add the sundried tomatoes and more stock / water if necessary and simmer on a low heat for 20 mins or until the lentils are soft and the tomatoes have plumped up.
Blend the soup well (a stick mixer works great), add the tinned tomatoes and blend again until smooth.
Add salt & pepper to taste, feel free to chuck in some fresh basil.

* I used water, but sploshed in some soy sauce for a bit of extra flavour

Soup best served with onion bagels. Of course.

L. Oak Onepiece; R. Poppies Onepiece by Barley and Birch

Amazing, right? I found these gorgeous organic baby clothes while doing some research (code for online shopping for gifts for my adorable brand-new niece!) Barley and Birch are a pretty awesome company. Their baby & kids clothes are made of 100% organic cotton. They’re printed with water based inks. 15% of their profits are used for carbon offsetting, and another 15% are donated to organisations that Barley and Birch love.

Cactus Lapneck Tee by Barley and Birch

Plus! The designs! They’re so bright & fun & different! Personally I’m a wee bit sick of pastel blue and pink – it’s time to make baby clothes, and organic, fun! Hats off, Barley and Birch. I like you.

Check out Barley and Birch’s stockists here.