Steenbergs Baking Ingredients

When we had our food debate back in October, we asked, how much do we care about where our food comes from? It was clear from your responses that the answer was, a lot. Whether you care about your food being fairtrade, organic, eco-friendly or gluten free, you want to take the time to make sure that what you buy measures up to your standards.

What about when you bake, though? Do all your good intentions go out the window? I know that I'm guilty of that; somehow, if it's going into a cake, it's okay if the chocolate isn't fairtrade or the baking paper isn't unbleached and recycled.

Enter, Steenbergs, they stock a whole host of baking essentials that are perfect for someone who wants to shop with a conscience. That Spiced Chai Sugar at the top of the page would be fantastic in place of caster sugar dusted over shortbread or used in carrot cake. If you need gluten free baking powder, then this one is made to the Grandfather of freefrom foods, Alfred Bird's recipe (Mrs Bird was allergic to eggs, so he invented custard powder so she wouldn't have to miss out on pudding).

If you care about the environment, you've probably been looking for an eco-friendly baking parchment. This non-stick baking paper is made from recycled cardboard and is completely unbleached. You can also find biodegradable freezer bags and recycled tin foil, so your cakes might as well come with little halos on them!

If all of that conscientious cake creation has you gasping for a brew, you're in luck! Steenbergs have a variety of fantastic teas like this Sri Lankan Earl Grey for you to enjoy with all those biscuits you've just baked. You can buy Steenbergs products from the website, or search for your nearest stockist.

ALAS I cannot sleep

Aged 31, I really should be sleeping in something other than penguin, owl or santa pyjamas. For too long my nightwear has been formed on Christmas gifts from my mum, but generally I'm too sloth-like to look into getting anything that bit more grown-up. But the internet is made for lazy people like me, and finally I've found a sleepwear brand that I'm actually lusting over. They're called ALAS and hopefully they'll put an end to my words of woe.

I'd happily open the door to the postie wearing their sailor top: it's perfect for my love of all things nautical. Now, ALAS is an Australian brand but - fear not - a selection of their finest products are being  sold by Smug (whose goodness we told you about back here), so they're now easy to obtain in the UK too. The top sells for £50, while the pretty pomegranate bloomers you can see poking out the bottom of it cost £38.

The Pomegranate jumpsuit is perfect for lounging without fear of exposing your bits, as this model is so helpfully demonstrating. It will cost you £56 - which is substantial chunk of money - but there's some very good reasoning behind their higher prices: all the clothes are made in India from organic cotton and the whole production is Fairtrade accredited.

And finally, how about a nightcap in this sweet Babydoll nighty? It sells for £63. Pull another skirt on over it and I reckon you could just about get away with it as a top - that's if you ever wanted to leave the house. I think, if these were mine, I might never want to leave my bed.