Deforestation, Palm Oil and Black Friday

Do you remember/know that in 2018 an advert by the UK supermarket chain, Iceland, was banned.  It outlined the plight of orangutans in the face of increased deforestation for palm oil plantations but was considered too political to be aired.  If you don't know the advert and want to read up more of the story or you just want to see it again click HERE. 

Are you outraged at this type of censorship?

Now let me ask you 2 more questions ...

• Are you planning to buy anything in a Black Friday sale event, either in a shop or online?

• Are you busy wondering what Christmas gifts to buy all your family and friends, searching online lists of what to buy a difficult teenager or elderly relative etc or grabbing the latest "must have" ideas after seeing some other slick TV advert?

Positive News Stories to Counter Eco-Anxiety

I see all too often on social media and when talking with friends how very worried so many people are about our future. People are concerned that nothing is being done to stop catastrophic Climate Change that could render much of the world in habitable for humans.  People see Governments and big corporations not acting or worse still actively promoting environmentally damaging activities, they see people being apathetic to the problems or at worst still in complete denial.  Too many may believe that there is a problem but think that either someone else will sort it out or why should they do anything to change when XYZ (insert whoever you want here) are not doing anything. Look on social media and you will see the likes of Greta Thunberg being pulled apart for standing up and demanding change and you'll see misinformation throughout the real and digital world. 

"We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it."

This quote by Barack Obama is why so many people have such high levels of eco-anxiety and I can count myself amongst those people. BUT ... it isn't all total gloom and doom and I'd like to highlight some of the ways that show there is reason to feel positive about the future.  This is not an exhaustive list and I am sure I will return to this topic again with new additions. 

Positive News Stories to Counter Eco-Anxiety

France has recently announced a law banning plastic on all fresh fruit and vegetables.  Supermarkets are also stocking increasing amounts of eco-friendly products - here in France every supermarket has sections where you can buy loose dry goods and our local one has a refill station for cleaning products.  You can buy Moocups and other reusable sanitary products, solid shampoo and conditioner bars and numerous other plastic-free alternatives to everyday products. It seems almost every shop from supermarkets to the tourist information centres stock refillable water bottles. More and more palm oil free and vegetarian/vegan products are being sold.

Beyond supermarkets there has been a meteoric rise in small eco-friendly businesses both on the high street with local and zero waste shops and online.

Climate Change is getting MUCH more coverage in mainstream media. This will partly be as a result of COP26 that is taking place in Glasgow as I type but it is also true to say that it was starting to go mainstream even before then.  A small part of the last episode of the BBC's Blue Planet programme brought the issue of plastic pollution in our seas into so many living rooms - young and old alike saw for the first time the direct consequences of our love affair with plastic and many vowed to reduce their dependence on it. And I'm not sure that even just 2 years ago we'd have had the likes of programmes such as Shop Well for the Planet (BBC) and Jo Lycett vs the Oil Giant (Channel 4). It's not only factual programmes and UK soaps and dramas are joining together to encourage discussion on Climate Change. In November 2021, seven of the UK's most popular TV dramas and soaps will each have a storyline focussing on an environmental topic and actors from each will appear in other programmes or discuss the environment as a way to highlight the issue and to act as a catalyst for dialogue. Such inter-programme collaboration has never happened before but this is unlikely to be a one off and 12 of UK's media brands have agreed to increase quantity and quality of climate change coverage in drama, comedy and daytime programming.

Young people are becoming more vocal and are not willing to be fobbed off by politicians and corporations.  It may have started with a lone Swedish girl striking outside her school but the youth environmental has grown and grown. There are young and extremely eloquent young climate activists across the globe pushing the message time and time again that for their future we have to act now.  Climate Change is covered on the school curriculum and young people are better informed on environmental issues than any previous generation.

It's not just young people. Everyone is becoming aware that there is a problem and that time is running out.  The number of eco-centric accounts and groups on social media has sky-rocketed and people use their accounts to spread the eco-message and call out greenwashing examples.  On social media and in real life it is becoming normal to talk about climate change. 

And the Royals are speaking out - the Queen was overhead dissing the Australian Prime Minister for saying he would not attend COP26 and Prince William is pushing for environmental change through his Earthshot Prize, a prestigious global environment prize designed to incentivise change and help repair the planet.

One argument put forward by climate deniers is they "believe" that the changes needed to avert climate change will result in the loss of jobs and that we will all return to the dark ages. But whilst it is true that some of the traditional jobs associated with climate damaging industries will disappear they will be replaced with millions of other jobs in the new clean energy sector, in new technologies and in urban food production, to name just three. Technology is moving fast to create an environmentally safe future. 

As the clock keeps ticking governments are beginning to realise that actually it is in their own interest to limit climate change. In the 1990's Costa Rica had the world’s highest global deforestation rates and less than a quarter of its original forest cover remained. However thanks to sustainable land use policies the country has stopped deforestation and reversed it, successfully replanting half of its lost forest whilst at the same time increasing economic growth. 

In too many cases the discussion for or against climate change is a left versus right political debate but sometimes something happens that brings both sides of this divide together.  The UK Government has been increasing the amount of raw sewage dumped into its waterways and coast and whilst opposition to this practice might previously have stopped at the doors of groups such as Surfers Against Sewage and conservation organisations this has not been the case this time. Thanks to some prominent tweets by the likes of 80's pop stat Feargal Sharkey everyone has got behind the call to stop this sewage dumping and at one point the story was headlining on both the Daily Mail (right wing newspaper) and the daily Mirror (left wing). 

These are just some of the good news environmental stories that I wanted to share.  We have a massively long way to go to ensure the global temperature does not rise too much but I do believe that together we can achieve this.  To keep yourself informed why not listen to some sustainability podcasts or subscribe to either a magazine such as Positive News or an email newsletter such as Happy Eco-News.  The better informed we are the better we can make the right decisions and fight the inevitable greenwash that will undoubtedly grow in the coming years.  

How do you feel about the future? Are you filled with eco-anxiety and can you see a path to a better future? Please do share any good news stories you have some across so we can all share them.

Eco Blog Posts with a French Theme

Hello - I'm back!!  I've not published a blog on here since January but that doesn't mean I haven't been spreading the green message, I've just been doing it in different ways, which I'll come back to shortly.  But so many things were taking place in my life this year that something had to take a back seat and this blog, A Green and Rosie Life, drew the short straw.

BUT ... it doesn't mean I have not been blogging and I am still been publishing blogs over on our gite (French holiday cottage) blog.  Quite a few of these have an environmental theme so why not make/pour yourself a drink and settle down for a read of them:

My most recent post is the one written about something that has made me so happy - France is banning plastic packaging from all fresh fruit and veg and I smile every time I think about it. Read more about how they should achieve this and any problems they may encounter along the way: 

France to Ban Plastic Packaging on Fresh Fruit and Veg 

 

 

 

And these are the other eco-posts I have written:

Organic and zero-waste shopping in Normandy

 

Trees and Forests of Normandy 

 

Cycling in Normandy

 

Wildlife Watching in Normandy

 

Eco-Friendly Normandy 

 

Eco-Friendly Holidays at Eco-Gites of Lénault 

 

Outside Fun at Eco-Gites of Lénault 

 

Bird Watching in Normandy

 

Where to buy second hand in France

As I said earlier, just because I  have not been blogging I have not been silent.  I have been busy joining in with discussions on various Facebook groups and I have used my Instagram page to promote green issues. The grid pictures are mostly about Normandy but often with an environmental theme and many of my stories focus on all things green. I am gradually adding the most important stories to my highlights.  Oh and I have a long list of draft blog posts and ideas and I just need to find the time to get them written and published.

You can also find me on Twitter and Pinterest. 

What have you been up to this year? I hope you have not been too badly affected by Covid and you are back to some semblance of normality (hopefully even more green than before). Have you got a blog you think I'd like to read? By all means add a link in the comments.

 

A new chance for a better future

Today we are being given a chance to change direction for a better future. I have no idea of the meaning of life (if there even is one) or why we walk this earth but I do know that to do so is a supreme privilege.  To be given the gift of life is to be given so much: to see the sun rise over a new day and set over an old one taking with it countless memories. To fall in love. To hold a newborn. To laugh. To enjoy having a future.

But humans are putting all this at risk through greed, selfishness, neglect, arrogance, hatred, prejudice ... 

 

Humans have always advanced, discovering new ways to improve their lives.  Prehistoric man learnt how to control fire, he burnt coal and he made things.  But today we now know that we cannot continue in the same way.  The weight of man-made materials is more than the entire weight of ALL life on the planet and the weight of just one product, plastic, is more than all the living animals on land and sea.  All this to support just one species.

We can no longer use the excuse of ignorance. We know that the way humanity is living is not sustainable and we must alter our path or destroy our future. The earth doesn't need us. Other species don't need us and they will continue long after we are consigned to history with our greatest accolades being that we were the shortest lived species on earth and that we were responsible directly for the extiction of too many other species to count. We will be denying future generations the gift of life.  But look into the trusting eyes of a newborn child and ask yourself if you have the right to take away their future. Then look into the eyes of every single living creature on earth and listen to the wind blowing through the trees or grass. Do we have the right to destroy all this because we are too selfish to change our lifestyles?

I am writing this on January 20th 2021 and I suspect many around the world will feel that we took the tiniest of steps in the right direction today. Others may have felt the same thing on November 7th 2020.  That was the day we knew that America had voted in a new president and today he will become President Joe Biden.  Donald Trump, who has done so much environmental damage over his 4 years in the White House will no longer have the power to support and promote increasingly damaging environmental policies. I am not saying that President Biden is the answer to all our problems and many of these are problems that each of us must sort ourselves, but our future feels just a little less precarious now he and Vice-President Kamala Harris lead America. And remember, as America chose to alter it's path, so each and every one is us must also choose to change. We can make a safer future for our children if we choose to. We really can. 

18 green words to live by

We are at a critical point. Time is running out to stop catastrophic climate change that will threaten our very existence. It is great to see so many people making and promoting positive environmental changes and we need to build on this and we all need to change the way we lead our lives. To do his most of us need a complete change in the way we approach our lives because everything we do had an effect on the planet. We need rewire our brains so that we automatically lead our lives in a way that is sustainable. In that way we don't need to wait for Governments and businesses to make the necessary changes - we can do it first and lead the way.

Whatever we are doing we need to remember keywords that will help make our life choices the ones that don't damage our planet. 

 

Less

We really need to be buying less stuff. We need to be using less energy and wasting less stuff including food.  The worst culprits are single use, disposable items but we need to buy less of everything because when we buy new stuff older items are thrown away.  In other words we live in a linear economy (raw materials are processed into a new, often single use products that are thrown away after use) when what we need to have is a circular economy - an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. 

Circular Economy Explained. Image from Deceleration.News

We can help shift from linear to circular if we think before we buy anything: We all know the 3 Rs but there are actually a lot more words we need to get into the habit of thinking about. Reduce, Re-use, Recycle are great but let's build on these three - we also need Repair, Upcycle, Downcycle, Repurpose, Re-home, Borrow, Lend, Share, Compost, Re-evaluate (what is actually important to us), Reject (what we don't need), Long-lasting (buy quality products), Make (our own) ... they might not make a very catchy acronym but once you start applying these ideas to your everyday life you are making important steps towards changing to that all important circular economy and a sustainable future. 

These words will also help:

Local

Buying from local producers means you are cutting down of transport, supporting strong local communities and helping the people who are closest too you. Less money is lost to the super rich CEOs of mega corporations with their often excessively wasteful lifestyles from obscenely large houses to private jets etc.

Seasonal

I am old enough to remember when you could only get strawberries for a few short weeks in summer and now, when-ever I see a recipe that combines ingredients from different seasons I got so cross.  Before you buy fresh produce ask yourself if it is in season because if not you can bet it travelled from afar.  Get into the habit of checking where your food comes from as supermarkets will often import foods even when they are in season locally.

Plastic-free

It is difficult to see where we stand on the war against plastic. In many ways we are losing with plastic filling every corner of our lives but it is also encouraging to see the growth in non-plastic products. The more the public buys these the more they will be produced, siple suppy ad demand. So think plastic before you buy anything, both the product itself and the packaging and choose those items with the least plastic. But remember, if you have plastic items keep using them and only replace them with plastic free ones when they are broken and really cannot be repaired.  

So now I have got you thinking green and becoming more environmentally friendly.  These are general terms to where we should all be aiming and unfortunately their vagueness is seized upon by businesses and used to to Greenwash the public. 

Greenwashing

Greenwashing is behaviour or activities that make people believe that a company is doing more to protect the environment than it really is. Environment damaging companies run campaigns to try and improve their images but they are meaningless in terms of what they actually say.  Many businesses label their products or services as "environmentally friendly" and "green" but again, once you dig just a little bit deeper you see they are, at best, meaningless and, at worst, more damaging than something not labelled in this way. It is all just green spin.  This blog post explains more about Greenwashing. But as you continue your journey to making good environmental choices it will become easier to recognise these non-environmental wolves in sheep's green clothing especially when you apply the keywords highlighted in this blog:

Less, Circular Economy, 

Repair, Upcycle, Downcycle, Repurpose, 

Re-home, Borrow, Lend, Share, 

Compost, 

Re-evaluate (what is actually important to us), 

Reject (what we don't need), Long-Lasting (buy quality products),

Make (our own), 

Local, Seasonal, 

Plastic-free,

Greenwashing.

 Do you think these keywords will help you live more sustainably?  Have you any others you would like to add? 

Green Rosie Life Blogging Break

I am taking a small blogging break and will be back writing again in due course.

That said, I am still posting my Daily Green Tips over on Facebook so please do visit the page every day to see them: https://www.facebook.com/greenrosielife/

And I am still blogging regularly over on my Eco-Gites of Lenault website where I am writing a blog a week in a series called 365 things to see and do in Normandy.  The first one I wrote was all about Eco-Friendly Normandy.

The gite is back open again after lockdown with Covid-19 protocols in place.  We are booked all summer but if you are looking for an autumn break in Normandy, France come and stay with us!  More details about the gite can be found here: https://www.eco-gites.eu/.

Oh and I am also busy with a Facebook group I help run called: Book Your Holiday Direct with the Owner: Book direct so you get the best service and pay NO booking fees!

Finally just time to say .... 

What you might think I'm doing over the summer ...

What I am actually doing over the summer ...

and some of this ...

And maybe rather too much of this:

Do drop me a comment with what you are up to over the summer or just to say hello!

35 Uses for Old Muslin Cloths

My boys are now older teenagers but I still have a number of the muslin cloths I used when they were babies because they are just so useful for so many things.  They are lint free, super soft, strong, absorbent and natural - don't get rid of them after your baby grows up and  re-purpose them into something new.

35 uses for old muslin cloths

Around the house:

1. Make into a duster
2. Use as a washable cleaning cloth
3. Shoe shining cloth/buffer
4. Make into pot pourri drawer freshening sachets.
5. Use as gift wrap (include a link to this blog so your friends will know what to use their cloth for afterwards!)
6. Hang insect repelling herbs in a muslin bag by windows and doors
7. Put cotton wool soaked in peppermint oil in a muslin bag and hang in your wardrobe to deter moths and others insects.

In the kitchen:

8. Make into a jelly bag to sieve fruit when jam/jelly making
9. Make DIY tea bags
10. Squeeze lemons through them
11. Drain yoghurt through them when making thicker Greek yoghurt
12. In cheese making use them to separate the curds and whey
13. Store/dry cheeses in them
14. Strain nut milks through them
15. When making chutneys tie spices in a muslin bag
16. Make into a bread storing bag
17. Use to squeeze moisture from vegetables
18. Make into a beeswax food cover
19. Use as a jar cover when sprouting seeds
20. Make into storage bags both for bought and home grown vegetables/fruit
21. Use to make a bouquet garni

In the bathroom: 

22. Make in to a bandanna to protect your hair when applying face masks etc
23. Make into a soap saver bag
24. Use to gently exfoliate skin and lips
25. Use as reusable cloths for make up removal

Out and about:

26. Make into a light and fold-able drawstring bag
27. Cut down into reusable travel wipes
28. Make into lightweight reusable produce bags
29. Make into a wrap-up case for reusable cutlery
30. Use as a small lightweight towel
31. Make them in to small travel blankets
32. Use as sun shades in the car

Miscellaneous

33. Makes clothes for your children's toys
34. Make clothes for your children such as super soft PJs
35. Use them as a backdrop in photography

Muslin cloths are amazingly useful when you have babies ... and just as useful afterwards. Do you have any more uses for old baby muslin cloths?

Green Blog Round Up - March and April 2020

Each month I put together a post with some of green themed blogs I have come across over the preceding month. I didn't do a March roundup as things all got a bit weird with lockdowns being put in place across the globe and I'll admit my blogging MoJo left home. But it's back now and you'll find below my round up of some of the blogs I have come across in March and April.

I also want to send you this message:

We are on the brink.

Covid-19 has allowed us to see the type of world that is possible if if we pull ourselves back. Now we have been given a glimpse into a different future, what is being coined a "New Normal", we cannot let this go. So please, read these blog posts that all share a common green theme and then spread their messages far and wide. Tell your friends, add them to your social media and above all act on the messages they contain.

Home and Beauty:

Alternatives to Deodorant from Helen McGonigal at Spot of Earth 

My Favorite Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products from Laura at Fairly Southern

Food related:

Baking when you are missing a key ingredient from me as A Green and Rosie Life
Cashew Nuts, Innocent or not? from Justine at Little Green Duckie
How to make home-made wax wraps from Jaymee at The Mum Diaries
Meal plan organisation - keeping track from Karen at Cats, Kids and Chaos

Waste reduction

Simple ways to reduce your household waste from Emma Reed at Emma Reed Writes
Making the case for Eco-friendly Reusables from Laura at Reduce, Reuse, Renew

25 Incredibly Actionable Zero Waste Hacks from Rachel at Fresh Planet Flavor
How to compost Biodegradable Plastic from Christine at Wellness Travelled.

Holidays/Travel

Eco-Friendly Normandy from me as Eco Gites of Lenault
How to use reviews to encourage hotels etc to go low waste from Kayla at Writing from Nowhere

Vegan Zero-Waste Travel Kit for Beginners from Anna at My Travel Scrapbook

Sustainable Travel snacks from Karina at Explore Blue Wild 

Economics and Sustainability 

Covid-19 and Capitalism  from me as A Green and Rosie Life

We Are All Corn People from Susan at Green Living

How to invest sustainably from Aa-saa at Consciously, Awovi

A Guide To Sustainable Materials & Fabrics from Jess at JessRigg.com

Pollution falls. The sub-plot of the Covid-19 Crisis, a LinkedIn article from David Mitchell

Leisure

16 Best Sustainable Documentaries on Netflix from Vivien at The Dharma Trails

Finally, I would like to include this article from the Financial Times. It's an interview with Mr Macron, the French President about the future after Covid-19: Emmanuel Macron says it is time to think the unthinkable.

Take note - it's behind a pay wall so if you are not an FT subscriber you can only open it once before you are locked out.

... oh and don't forget you can follow my #DailyGreenTips over on my A Green and Rosie Life Facebook page.

If you have a blog post you would like to be added in the May roundup please do get in touch.  If it is green, sustainable, ethical, organic, fair trade, environmental, seasonal or local please do get in touch and I'll include it next month.

Covid-19 and Capitalism. Why we need a new sustainable normal

Covid-19 in humans resulted when a virus jumped from a wild animal to humans, possibly via an intermediate host species.  Since 1957 there have been numerous new viruses including SARS, MERS, Ebola, HIV and several flu strains where-as in the previous 1800 years there were far fewer major new viral outbreaks.  This begs the question why we are seeing such an increase in new viruses?  These outbreaks have coincided with a time of greatly reduced natural habitats across the globe leading to wild animals coming into much closer contact with humans so increasing the chances of a virus jumping across species barrier.  Some viruses are able to then make the deadly jump of being able to pass from human to human rather than just from animal to human.  When this happens in overcrowded urban areas the virus can spread quickly amongst the human population.  Add to this how much we travel around the world and it is easy to see how a pandemic such as Covid-19 was a disaster waiting to happen.

You may question why Italy became the first European country to be so badly affected when other countries closer to China have fewer cases.  Northern Italy and China have build strong business links through Italy's fashion industry and brands such as Gucci and Prada which are located there.  In a bid to keep down costs and raise profit margins many fashion houses outsource manufacturing to China, notably the Wuhan region and opened up the first international flight routes between Europe and mainland China.  Over the Chinese New Year many families flew between the 2 countries, some of whom were unknowingly infected.

With Covid-19 affecting the respiratory system anything that weakens it will lead to a worse infection and greater likelihood of getting life threatening secondary infections and pneumonia.  High levels of air pollution as seen over large urban areas make the effects of the virus worse. These areas will have more people with asthma,  lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema. Anyone with any of these conditions will find it harder to fight off Covid-19. 

Air pollution disproportionately affects poorer people who live in overcrowded urban areas, many of whom work in factories supplying goods for people around the world, be that cheap goods or designer goods.  Economists often say we need economic growth to prevent recessions but the bottom line is that capitalism creates economic inequality: a few people get extremely rich from it and many more are left in poverty where their need for any work is exploited and their human rights are eroded.

Where is this air pollution coming from? It comes from particles and gases that are emitted from vehicle exhausts, factories as well as "natural" sources such as forest fires, pollen and volcanoes.  The pollution that hangs over cities is primarily human derived. As well as these visible forms of air pollution that can be seen as a haze over cities there is another form of air pollution, the increase in greenhouse gases.  Some of these gases come from natural sources (volcanoes, animal respiration etc) but the vast majority have built up since the mid 18th century due to man-made activity:  burning fossil fuels for electricity and vehicle fuel, through agriculture (arable and livestock) and deforestation, by the creation of refrigeration gases and plastics plus a plethora of other man-made sources.  The result of these increased levels of greenhouse gases is far reaching - rising sea levels, increasing extreme weather conditions, loss of biodiversity and changes in global climates which affect agriculture and the spread of diseases.

So what if the Covid-19 pandemic could act as the catalyst we need to restructure our lives and our economies. We don't need the mega-corporations that, through their businesses, are destroying the planet.

We have power through what we spend our money on. What if we move away from the likes of Amazon, Coca Cola, Nestlé,  etc. What if we start to fully support local businesses who pay their employees living wages and acceptable working hours. What if we didn't buy so many new cars, phones, TVs, wardrobes full of fast fashion items, imported out of season food, excessively packaged goods etc but were happy to make things last, mend them and share with friends and neighbours. What if we bought fewer things but that they cost a bit more and they lasted longer.  Businesses would survive but quality over quantity would be better for the environment and for the workers in factories producing these goods.  The CEOs and shareholders would not be quite so stupidly rich but the poor would not be so stupidly poor. And more importantly the earth could begin to heal.

In a post Covid-19 world we will remember that most of us survived under lockdown and for the most part our worlds did not fall apart because we couldn't fly around the world, buy useless tat on everyday trips to the shops or upgrade our phones etc. We discovered the power of our local communities and of small independent shops. We marvelled at the simpler things and saw pollution levels drop.  This lockdown Easter a friend bought her son just one high quality chocolate egg which he got in place of large numbers of lower quality ones he usually received from family and friends. They had a low key family day, playing games and making Easter  decorations. Her son voted Easter 2020  "the best Easter ever"!

Do we really need to fill our houses and lives with so much tat? With less comes a greater appreciation of what we already have. Not only was the one quality chocolate more appreciated by its recipient but it was also better for the environment and better for the chocolatier who made it.

Capitalists tell us we need growth.

Do we?

Yes, we need jobs but what sorts of jobs and the way we work needs to change ... as lockdowns continue the world is able to breathe again and we must not lose this opportunity to do the right thing for future generations. Surely businesses can see that at least some home working and online meetings are perfectly workable options.  Individuals can make sustainable choices and Governments can support those who actually keep countries running.  In lockdown we valued key workers in essential services and this must continue because it was in lockdown when we realised we didn't need the the bankers or CEOs with their fat cat salaries nor the super rich, many of whom flew away in their private jets to their private hide-aways.

As I write this much of the world is still lockdown so I urge you to stay home and stay safe.  I hope you can use this time to work out how you can become more sustainable. For the sake of the future of humanity and for something positive to come from those who died from Covid-19 we have to change. We cannot return to normality because that normality was fundamentally flawed. We need a new post Covid-19 future: a new sustainable normal.

Baking ideas for when you are missing key ingredients

If Facebook is anything to go by a lot of people are baking at the moment. As a mother of 2 teenage boys with hollow legs I know I am. But what happens when you realise you are missing a key ingredient and you can't just pop to the local shop to buy it?

The main ingredients for cakes, biscuits, pastries etc are flour, eggs, butter and sugar which will make you umpteen different sweet treats either on their own or with other extras.  However do not panic if you're missing on or more of these key ingredients as I've put together this list of cakes and other sweet treats you can still make.  Please note for ease of being able to write this blog I am going to use the word cake as a general term for any sweet treat be it cake, biscuit, loaf, pastry etc etc.

Baking without flour

First of all remember you can use different types of flour in recipes and you can make self raising flour by the addition of baking powder  Wholemeal flour can be used instead of plain although the result will be a slightly heavier cake.   Likewise spelt, rye, bread, oat, gram (chickpea), rice etc flours can all be added to a recipe to top up a lack of the flour stated in the recipe as well as rolled oats and ground almonds/other ground nuts. The result may be a but different but it will still taste good.

Cakes etc that use no flour:

• Meringues
• Chocolate Krispie Cakes
• Flapjacks
• Coconut pyramids
• Macaroons
• Oat biscuits/cookies

Baking without eggs

You can still cook a cake that requires eggs by adding cider or distilled vinegar and bicarbonate of soda to give the equivalent raising effect of eggs. One tablespoon of vinegar and  one teaspoon of bicarb. This will work best for recipes that only include one egg or you only use this to reduce the egg number by one. 

For totally egg-free recipes go for:

• Jam tarts
• Fruit tarts
• Scones (choose recipes that don't use eggs or simply bulk up the liquid with milk)
• All sorts of biscuits and cookies
• Shortbread
• Some fruit breads don't need eggs.

Baking without butter

You can just as easily use margarine/spread although you will of course notice a less buttery taste.  I have been known to add a percentage of oil or lard to recipes without anyone being any the wiser. Muffins use oil as their form of fat.  However if you are completely without any form of fat you can still bake.

Totally fat free cakes

• Weetabix cake
• Fatless sponge
• Swiss roll
• Meringues
• Peanut butter brownies

A lot of online peanut butter recipes have some butter in them but this is one I have found in a cookbook that has none:

Recipe for peanut butter brownies

225g peanut butter (ideally crunchy but smooth will work too)
200g dark chocolate broken into pieces
300g soft brown sugar
3 medium eggs, beaten (and you could always substitute vinegar/bicarb for one egg)
100g self raising flour

• Heat the even to 180°C/160°C (fan oven)/gas mark 4.
• Set aside 50g of the peanut butter and chocolate for the topping.
• Line a 20cm square baking tin
• Gently melt the remaining peanut butter, chocolate and sugar, stirring to prevent it burning.
• Once melted beat in the eggs and fold in the flour
• Place in the lined tin
• Melt the remaining peanut butter either gently on the stove on is a microwave on high for around 45seconds until runny
• Cot over the brownie mixture
• Bake for 30-35 mins until it has a rust but the middle still appears slightly under-done. Do NOT over cook it!
• Melt the remaining chocolate in a water bath and drizzle over.
• Leave to cool in the baking tin
• When cold cut into pieces.

Baking without sugar

As cakes are by their very definition sweet this can prove to be the most challenging ingredient to be missing. Let's first talk substitutes for sugar.

• Use other types of sugar than specified in the recipe - they are all sweet and you can still make a sponge cake with dark brown sugar, it just won't be quite as light and airy.
• Golden Syrup
• Treacle
• Banana
• Peanut butter
• Honey
• Dates
• Malt extract
• Sweetener (Personally I am uncomfortable with these but I feel they do warrant being mentioned here)

All these can be used to bulk out as sugar supplies run low and in many cases can be used as the only source of sweetener.  I really love the sound of this chocolate cake which has no added sugar.

However, if you want to go totally sweetness free you can bake both normal and potato scones without sugar and serve them with jam for sweetness.  Adding dried fruit will also give them more sweetness.   I may have a go making English muffins and malt loaf .  I have a sugar free recipe for both but you recipes contain some sugar you could always add honey or golden syrup or simply have a slightly less sweet version missing out the extra sweetness altogether. Your waistline will probably thank you!

Finally you could also hone your bread baking skills and make bread to be served with your favourite jam, golden syrup or other sweet spread.   And crumpets only use about a teaspoon of sugar.

So what will you bake today?  Please do let me know your favourite things to bake in a comment as I am happy to try and adapt it if I am missing any ingredients.

Happy baking everyone!