"It's not fair" are three words I hear almost daily from my seven and three year old boys. Whether it's because someone had ruined a favorite toy or someone decided to play by their own rules, my kids have learned early on that life is not always fair.

When it comes to the food system, life for the small-scale food producer in developing countries is truly not fair. Small-scale food producers often will see a large percentage of the food they grow get lost in the process of harvesting, transportation and storage. And for those that are successful in getting their food to markets, they will often be exploited. So what can we do?

"By supporting small-scale food producers you're supporting the 1.5 billion people that live on small farms in the world, and helping protect our ability to produce food in the future through sustainable farming practices. Buying Fair Trade products and brands is a great way of doing this so look out for them when you shop."

1. Try Fair Trade
Look for logos like this to help you identify small-scale food producers embracing sustainable farming practices. You'll also feel good knowing that these producers receive fair prices for their produce, ensuring they have money to buy food for their own families. Check out chocolates, coffee, tea, organic food and sustainably-sourced fish for fair trade certification.

Cassoulet with farmers market veggies

2. Buy Local
Shop at your local farmers market grown by small-scale producers close to home. Then go home and make this killer Cassoulet with Lots of Vegetables by Mark Bittman (who is pretty much the original proponent of the GROW method). Made this hearty dish tonight and the boys licked their bowls clean. I might have too.

Here's hoping we can instill empathy in our kids so "it's not fair" is something that together, as the global community, will experience less and less.

This post (and my sharing on social media) was inspired by my participation in a compensated program initiated by Women Online/The Mission List to raise awareness about Oxfam America's GROW Method. All commentary and opinions are, of course, my own.

I confess - I am a messy cook! The boys' play kitchen is in better condition than what our kitchen looks like after I tackle dinner. I read once the secret to a happy kitchen is to clean and put away as you cook. I don't know about you, but I can barely hold it together with several pots bubbling away on the stove while reading a recipe and pushing the littlest one away from open flame all at the same time.

That is why I gravitate toward one-pot meals for everyday dinners. Not only is there less to clean-up, but the stress-level comes down a notch when I only have to worry about one cooking vessel and not having to be in the kitchen the whole time. Chili, soup, and tagines are wonderful one-pot meals in my book. Then I came across a paella recipe in Mark Bittman's Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating. Make this and you will want to trade all your sauce pans, stock pots, roasting pans for a paella pan.



Paella
Adapted from Mark Bittman's Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed
Pinch saffron threads
1 lbs ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into thick wedges
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbs tomato paste
2 tsp paprika
3 oz chorizo, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 cups white rice
6 large peeled shrimp
2 boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Warm the broth and the saffron in a small sauce pan. Put tomatoes in a medium bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle them with 1 tbs olive oil. Toss to coat.

2. Put the remaining oil in a 12-inch oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add onion, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook stirring occasionally until it softens (3-5 minutes). Stir in tomato paste, paprika and chorizo and cook for a minute more.

spicy chorizo gave the dish some heat but not too much

3. Add the rice and cook, stirring occasionally until shiny (1-2 minutes). Add the warm broth and stir until just combined, then stir in the shrimp, chicken and corn.

Tomato wedges made this dish extra meaty

4. Put the tomato wedges on top of the rice and drizzle with juices that accumulated in the bottom of the bowl. Put the pan in the oven and bake, undisturbed, for 15-20 minutes. Check to see if the rice is nearly dry and just tender. When rice is ready, turn off oven and let it sit 5-15 minutes.

5. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle with parsley. Optional: put the pan over high heat for a few minutes to develop a bit of a bottom crust before serving.

The Good: Quick and easy. Did I mention this is made in one pot?

The Bad: Not an authentic paella, but we still loved it.

Grade: A. A rice dish packed with delicious veggies and protein. The boys asked for seconds!