Hi Everyone, HappyCow friends at QuarryGirl.com recently launched an unprecedented investigation into the common ingredients used at a string of vegan restaurants in the Greater Los Angeles area. The results are surprising, alarming, and worth taking a look. QuarryGirl secretly tested the ingredients from 17 so-called “vegan” restaurants to see if they contained traces of egg, casein (a milk derivative), and/or shellfish. Of 17 places they checked, only 10 passed…
by Randy Graham Edible centerpieces? Why not? When we make dinner for our friends and family we like to have a centerpiece on the table that is edible. A nice small bouquet of flowers is fun but an “edible” centerpiece is novel, unexpected and can generate interesting discussions while eating. One time we had a small bouquet of nasturtiums in the middle of the table. Our friend, Lol, asked if…
Earth trine. Two separate words when combined have a special meaning. Earth is self explanatory. But what is trine? The man behind the successful Earthtrine Farm, Robert “BD” Dautch, explained that trine refers to an aspect in astrology. As applied to one of the Ojai Valley’s most successful organic farms, it is the conjunction of the astrological signs for BD, his wife and his son. All three have “earth” signs.…
Ojai Center for Regenerative Agriculture by Randy Graham How do David White (Farmer Dave) and Katy Overstreet (Farmer Katy) have fun on Wednesday mornings? This is not a trick question. If you know anything about the Ojai Center for Regenerative Agriculture (CRA) you know it is educating children at Rio Gozo Organic Farm in Ojai. The CRA was formed as a California Nonprofit Corporation in 2002 by David White and…
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…
Why Garden Organically By: John Ross, Rivenrock Rocks, http://www.rivenrock.com There are many people who garden organically for many different reasons. Chief among these are the various philosophical reasons such as a desire to live in harmony with the Earth. Living within one’s means so to speak, and attaining a balance in the garden. I garden organically because of these reasons, and also because to me it seems easier ultimately. I…
By: VeggieBrothers.com Are you ready to make a difference in this world? Well, you had better hurry. The world is in a race against time. Environmentalists have agreed our planet may not have much time to go if global warming continues at its pace. In addition, if global warming doesn’t kill us, we may kill ourselves long before the ozone is completely gone. Fighting and tension, wars and disagreements between…
There is fantastic news for mock meat lovers who wish to forgo egg products: The Boca CO. has made the decision to eliminate eggs from their product line by 2010. The decision comes just after last month’s campaign sponsored by Compassion Over Killing teamed up with Mercy For Animals and the Animal Protection & Rescue League and a great many consumers. The quick response from a major cooperation, in this…
“Daiya Real VEGAN Cheese that just might change the world” Daiya Cheese (from their website) IT Looks just like cheese IT Shreds just like cheese IT Melts Just like cheese IT even Tastes just like cheese! But OMG, it digests like whole foods, not cheese! Pizza is a fun food. However, for those that still eat dairy, you must be familiar with how it feels after eating a lot of…
Just back from the annual 2009 Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California. Some background: The Expo is a HUGE supply show held to allow manufacturers to introduce their products to the distributors. Companies spend tons of money on this event in the hopes that stores will pick their products up and begin selling them. The product developers and company founders are often on hand to speak with attendees about…
I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but there’s a movement of citizens inspired by the presidential campaign who are now submitting ideas for how they think the Obama Administration should change America. It’s called “Ideas for Change in America.” The Ideas for Change in America competition was created in response to Barack Obama’s call for increased citizen involvement in government. The final round of voting began on January 5 and…
We just received this message and we’re greatly saddened to see one of our favorite vegan restaurants in the world speak of closing. Our prayers our with them for second chance. Blossoming Lotus Kaua’i to Close Doors at End of 2008 Aloha Friends & Family of the Lotus, Barring a miracle, The Blossoming Lotus will be closing its doors on December 31, 2008. We are saddened to share such news,…
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…