Don’t Panic!

As we watch the Dow Jones “plummet” and show the volatility of the market right now – the news-casters and reporters could make one feel like the end of the world is near.

What is really going on here?

Why in the world do we get so swept up in “the market” which has no name and no face?

Although I do not have any investments in these mechanisms, I know that many do.  All of this, is supposedly tied to the Greek protests and the potential “collapse” of the financial system in Europe.

Our extreme wealth in this country has come because of the globalization of our world.  This is not necessarily bad or necessarily good.  One thing is for certain – we cannot change what has happened.

However, we could certainly look at “hedging” ourselves a little better in the future – instead of investing so much in the no-names and no-faces of the national/global stock-market we could invest LOCALLY with people who have names and faces, that we can call, talk to, and have confidence in (at least more confidence than in computers thousands of miles away).

This probably sounds idealistic.  But I am sick and tired of having the media make me so afraid of everything!  It is not THAT complex!  If we at least attempt to have local banking systems, local food systems, etc. I bet we will find that instead of watching those darn green and red numbers all day we could feel much more confidant in our investments RIGHT HERE that require no numbers because we have names and faces.

We can do both – global and local – and we should, because being afraid and upset all the time is counter-productive to liberty, happiness, and the American way.

- Tisha Casida

Good Food – Mini’s Cupcakes in Salt Lake City, UT

Photo Coutesty Paul Alhadef Photography www.alhadefphoto.com

On a recent trip to Salt Lake City, our Good American Post (GAP) staff was able to indulge in the finest cupcake store we had ever encountered.  Mini’s Cupcakes, a locally-owned and eclectically-decorated cupcake store tantalized our sweet-tooth with various concoctions like:

- Breakfast at Tiffany’s -Madagascar Vanilla Bean Cupcake with Tiffany Blue Creme Cheese Frosting topped with edible gems

- The Diva – Dark Belgium Chocolate Cupcake with Pink Creme Cheese Frosting

- Lemon Pie – Lemon Cupcake filled with tart Lemon Curd with Toasted Swiss Meringue Frosting

- Southern Comfort - A traditional southern Red Velvet Cake (not so much red) with Creme Cheese Frosting topped with pecans

Leslie Fiet, the owner and chef-baker, was kind enough to let us take our time ordering and enjoying the cupcakes and various cupcake paraphernalia that is located throughout the shop.

Upon examining her menu, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of ingredients (nearly everything) sourced locally, and as a marketer, very happy to see her marketing these aspects of her business, that are key to enticing consumers like myself and our GAP-Staff.

“Mini’s is committed to buy local whenever possible for the products we use in our baking and sandwich making.  As a small business, we appreciate the support of our community and we in turn want to support other locally owned and operated businesses.”

In addition to this, she is committed to high-quality natural ingredients.

“In today’s world of fast and processed food we sometimes forget to ask what is in our food and where it comes from.  We are proud to tell you that our cupcakes are made from scratch using the best ingredients possible.  We are still looking for a few local providers for some items, so if you know of some place that we may be able to support please let us know.”

Cheers to this local business, we can’t wait to get back to Utah!

By Tisha Casida