Hats off to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) for encouraging people to consider a test-drive of a vegan diet! So often, there are folks who are interested in changing their behavior and their consumption patterns, but they lack the support system to effect this change. Well, give it a whirl, folks: PCRM makes this test-drive short and sweet! Only 21 days long and powered by an on-line…
As the temperature drops in some parts of the world…. it’s about that time to start a higher consumption of warm beverages. Sure there are so many pre-made and made-for-you options in retail outlets, but warm beverages made at home are even more heart-warming! Here’s a list of a few warm beverages you can easily whip up for your guests, friends, relatives, and loved ones: 1. Hot chocolate! This…
It’s that time of year again where the markets are overflowing with fall harvests! What better time of year to enjoy squashes than now?! Here’s my personal opinion and run down on some of the most popular squashes: 1. Summer squash: lovely, but it’s the end of the season, really, so, forget yellow squash and zucchini for now! 2. Delicata squash: oh yes, these can be eaten with the skin…
For many people, the most difficult transitional item to replace in a vegan diet is cheese. Thankfully, the market is chock full of many substitutes. However, perhaps one of the most noticeably absent, yet-to-be-artfully-replaced-as-a-vegan-version sweet food items is white chocolate! Oh where oh where can it be? The on-line vegan merchants certainly have versions, like Pangea’s own Vegan Sweets brand of white chocolate chips (http://www.veganstore.com/809.html), an imported version from Vegan…
It’s that time of the year again: pumpkin season! What better thing to do than to eat this nutritious vitamin A/beta carotene powerhouse whenever possible?! Not only is it loaded with antioxidants, it is low in calories, high in fiber and potassium, and a good source of many other important vitamins and minerals. Getting tired of pumpkin pie? Is that possible? Here are some suggestions on how to incorporate pumpkin…
Isn’t it wonderful to know how many calories are really in that dish served up at chain restaurant x in NYC? Yes, it’s great for people to think about how many calories they’re eating. However, I would love to see this go one step further. Obviously, for these “chain” restaurants in NYC to include calorie contents for their menu items, they must first list and insert ingredient amounts into some…
In the northern hemisphere, it is full swing into autumn. One of the traditional American autumnal pasttimes includes picking your own produce! What’s better than seeing where your food comes from and thanking the farmers who are helping keep our pantries filled with goodies? In many areas along the Atlantic Seaboard, apple and pumpkin picking are at their prime! Pick some apples and bring them to lunch, or turn some…
What is more exciting than summertime greenery shooting up everywhere?! The versatility of greens enables the consumer to go from cold refreshing salads to deep roasted flavors or tasty quick-cooking stir-frys. The only limiting factor is the availability at your local markets and grocery stores. One of the best ways to eat greens is when they are of course, at their freshest, so check out the summer farmer stands! It’s…
As the spring season swings towards longer days and shorter nights, so too arrives the incoming summer weather! Summer weather means burgeoning gardens and fields, ready to deliver tasty produce for the picking! Enter veggie-licious local farmers’ market or markets! What a wonderful way to connect with one’s community! Of course, all of the bountiful offerings will vary by climate and soil in one’s respective region of the country and…
All I really need to say is this: “Macadamia Bliss Pistachio Vegan Nougat!!!!” It’s so hard to find some of the traditional candies, sweets and confections that non-vegans regularly consume. I just tried this nougat for the first time, with no expectations of anything other than a vegan-like version. Although it’s been years since I’ve had non-vegan nougat, and I must admit I doubt I remember what it “should” taste…
While spring is afoot around one hemisphere…. it is on the flip side elsewhere. All the same, it is a joy to celebrate the seasons whatever they may be! As spring arrives, I am often reminded of fluffy sweet tasty treats, coconut, pastels, baby vegetables, primavera everything and inspiration for what to eat! After a season of root vegetables and a dearth of local produce, the spring weather brings hope…
Today is the FARM-founded Meatout Celebration, the national day to convince everyone you know to kick the meat habit! I hope everyone can celebrate the joys of not eating meat with friends, loved ones, family members, companion animals and the world on this joyous day! Especially since it’s the first day of spring too! The best way to celebrate in my mind would be with some vegan ice cream, because,…
Who came first, the wildlife or the suburban human community? It may seem like a simple enough question with the obvious answer: “the wildlife.” However, more and more, one cannot help but wonder who really came first, but more importantly, where to draw the boundary line defining “wildlife overpopulation” in suburban environments. What is “wildlife” in a suburban environment? What is overpopulation? Allow this author to first warn that this…