Eat Cupcakes for Small Business!

I love Cupcake Royale. I don't even know how to start.  Well, let's start with what most of us will love about them: their cupcakes are excellent, and their frosting techniques are superb.  Some will argue, that they are not the best game in town.  I can't speak to the truth of that argument. I don't care. I won't even think of visiting one of the three other cupcake boutiques I can think of just in my neighborhood.  Because Royale is unique and special in ways that out play what I could only envision as a marginally better cupcake, as Royale's are so near my idea of perfection.
I frequent this shop 1-2 times a week, and I will continue to do so in order to establish myself as a die hard fan.  They have a commitment to local, sustainable ingredients. Their chocolate, of course not grown in Washington, but sourced from the social justice-focused Seattle company Theo Chocolates, makes for rich and eco-guiltless treats.  They source their fruit, grain, eggs, butter and cream locally direct from farmers. That really only leaves the sugar, which is organic.  It's about as good as it gets without giving up dessert altogether, and no one really wants that.  Last winter I walked in and was offered a chocolate cupcake with strawberry frosting, but immediately assured that they were using house-preserved local berries rather than imported berries. Umm, yes please!
They are also a great company.  With 4 locations, it is growing but slowly, and they still manage to donate over 25,000 cupcakes a year to charitable fundraisers.  Currently their shops are offering "The Gay" cupcake, which benefits the It Gets Better Project. With a heart like that, how could you say no to cupcakes?
I think the cherry on top for Royale is their attitude.  Their merchandise is fun, sassy and amusing. The sort of kitchy rock theme they tend to have somehow works for baking, which has become rather badass thanks to certain Food Network celebrities. Sort of funny to like Food Network with badass, but it can happen. So, I encourage you all to get over your calorie guilt and embrace your local treats. The extra pleasure comes from knowing only you and your neighbors get to eat it.

Corporations and the Supreme Court: Dukes v. WalMart

The Supreme Court decided today that WalMart would not be held liable for a mass of women claiming discriminatory practices by the corporation.  Statisticians have been able to show that women make less money than men and earn fewer promotions than men, even when compared to competitors.  So, 1.6 million women were suing the company for a cease of said behavior and back pay.  The Supreme Court basically decided that they were asking too much, that Walmart would run out of money or time or something if it had to process all claims made against it. The question buzzing around the media now is, "Can a corporation be too big to discriminate?"
The case itself is complicated.  I am sure that WalMart does not have an official Keep Women Down policy, so it's unclear how liable WalMart Corporate really is.  One could reasonably assume that many of WalMart's locations are in places where women are not valued in the work place, and therefore managers may not be so apt to promote women.  A good case can also be made that women tend to not push as hard for promotions and raises as men. So maybe WalMart isn't causing the problem.  I'm not really angry with the supreme court for ruing the way it did.
What isn't sitting well with me is that everyone is recognizing there is a problem, and rather than coming up with creative ways to promote the value of female managers, WalMart is simply throwing lawyers at the complaint and using its vast power to make it go away. The discussion we should be having is not "Is it WalMart's Fault?", but rather, "How can WalMart fix this problem?", and no one, not even the plaintiffs, is asking that  question.
It also reflects a disturbing trend in Supreme Court rulings that is decidedly pro big business, such as the Citizens United case, which allows unlimited political funding from special interest groups.  Basically the constitution is being interpreted in a way right now that allows money to be a form of free speech, making the tiny percentage of people or organizations with a lot of money the only voices with microphones.  This pro WalMart ruling suggests an even further, darker freedom: mulitnational corporations are too big to oversee widespread unethical practices, so they might as well not bother.
All this behavior is fueled by the American consumer's love of cheap and convenience.  Low cost business models mean employees are under trained and under valued, and easily replaced.  Paul Roberts cites in his book The End of Food that Walmart is likely responsible for significant reduction in food costs, but also the decline of middle class wages. 
In conclusion, I'd like to thank the supreme court for giving me yet another reason not to shop at WalMart. I'd rather be able to trace liability when evidence of discrimination is clear.

Shopping the farmer's market

Summer is here (rain or not) and that means markets! Where I live there are actually 3 markets a week, so I am definitely fortunate.
There is a lot of debate about whether or not eating local is viable, but it is hard to find an argument not to go to a farmer's market if there is one near you.  You can really learn what's in season, meet local producers and entrepreneurs, and fond some really great street food.  If something is in abundance, it's also a really good deal. I found asparagus last week picked that very morning for $2.50 a pound.  For the same price you can buy imported, flavorless tomatoes from Mexico, I found heirloom green house grown tomatoes that were fresh, flavorful and delicious.  Fresh bread, chocolate sauce, wild morel mushrooms, cured salmon, pasta, greens, lettuces and tacos! You get the picture.  You will not find finer food unless you catch, kill, forage or grow it yourself.  And when you buy fresh, you need to do so very little to your food that you can cut cooking time down significantly. Here's a recipe for my fresh bounty from last week.  The only ingredients I didn't buy at the market are salt and olive oil.

Fresh Pasta with Tomatoes and Herbs
2 Dinner Sized servings

1/2 lb fresh artisan pasta (4$)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (.50)
1 bulb garlic or spring onions, minced (3$)
1 large heirloom tomato (3$)
2 tablespoons basil, parsley, mint or tarragon, minced (.50)
Salt, to taste

Boil pasta according to directions. Reserve 1/2 cup salty pasta water.
In the mean time, heat the olive oil on medium low heat, and add the garlic and tomatoes. Cook gently for about 7 minutes, then add cooked pasta.  Let simmer another two minutes to let the pasta absorb. Add water gradually until the dish is a good consistency.  Turn off heat, sprinkle with herbage and serve.
Yum!

Companies supporting communities- Teatulia Tea

Another company I am completely in love with is Teatulia, a Colorado based tea purveyor bringing sourcing to whole new level of sustainability. Check out their video below.

The farm they source from is owned by the women of the village next to it, and the crew at Teatulia not only buys their tea but coaches them in sustainable farming practices, and they recently spent 3 weeks there to build a library.  They also engage in microfinance, as well as provide livestock and other life-improving services to the people in that region of Bangledesh.
Did I mention that their tea is fantastic? So fragrant, so fresh, it's like all that human goodness went into the product.  Also, besides organic farming, they only thing they add to their tea are herbs from the same area. Pure, unadulterated lemongrass, tulsi, and ginger, creating natural goodness without the suspicious words like "flavoring" or "spices". 
And their packaging is 100% biodegradable. No plastic (they do make a bioplastic derived eucalyptus leaves for their sample packages), no unnecessary individual wrappings for the tea bags, and you can throw container, tea and all in the yard waste bin.
For about ten dollars, you can get a container of 16 tea bags. This might sound pricey at first, but if you are the type normally uses two tea bags per mug, like me, then it is well worth it, because I can make a great mug of tea with just one bag.  You can also buy it in loose leaf and make it in your french press.  Overall a great product supporting community and sustainability in smart ways.

Why Small Business is Good for our Economy

What if I told you that someone in the 1980s was making more money doing your job?
We hear all the time that the middle class is shrinking. What does that mean? Watch this two minute video from Robert Reich for a summary (disclaimer, that video is sponsored by Moveon.org, liberal hippie etc etc), but let me lay some MBA knowledge on you.
Our economy is the largest in the world, meaning American commerce generates more money than any other country. We could match every state with an entire country that produces the same amount of dollars.  Our economy produces 14.12 trillion dollars.  Economists will argue until they are blue in the face, but the bottom line is that we became over inflated, and when companies began to figure out how to do the same amount of business with less labor, and layoffs began.
Companies aren't really not making money. CEO's could technically stop making tens of millions of dollars and hire people. But, why would you if you don't have to?  Maybe some of us would be willing, but I doubt any company would hire people just because they feel guilty that unemployment is high.
But, if we as consumers can support small business, they have room to grow. Small business is not focused on efficiency or cutting costs, they are focused on market share, differentiation and sales.
It is easy to be disgusted by wall street bankers and CEO's but we have to remember that they wouldn't have that money if we didn't give it to them.  Let's take control of our economy and support the underdogs!