Earth Day-Celebration Recipes
April 21, 2011
A day to remember our interconnectedness. A day to make a few commitments to live in harmony with nature.
Inspiration from the sages:
Sylvie shares with us an amazing article, Our Planet, Ourselves The Vision of the Sage, by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait who writes “Humans are the only beings that can choose either to comply with natural law or to violate it. All other life-forms are dominated by instinct and thus remain in direct contact with nature. Humans are gifted with intelligence, and this intelligence is characterized by free will, which dominates instinct. We are an integral part of the web of life—yet our free will gives us a choice of acknowledging our connection with nature, or attempting to stand apart. When we use this gift to consciously acknowledge this connection we make ourselves instruments of harmony; when we ignore this gift we become unwitting agents of destruction.”
For 2011 Earth Day Canada encourages us to ‘Give It Up For Earth Day’, reminding us that the best way to help the planet is to go vegan…try it just for today or maybe just for this weekend. And what a weekend to clebrate life and all that Mother Earth has to offer - Earth Day, Easter and my Birthday (for anyone who knows me, I love to celebrate my birthday).
What I’ll be cooking up this weekend:
Here are a few delicious vegan meal ideas, as I plan our menu for the weekend at the cottage with family and friends. The following 4 recipes can be emjoyed as one amazing vegan meal or add even one as part of your weekend celebration: (scroll down for all the recipes)
- The Aspargus and Cilantro Soup, and Tofu Quiche with Leeks and Asparagus recipes are both from the Real Food Daily Cookbook by Anne Gentry who founded the namesake restaurant
- the Santa Cruz Salad with Wild Ginger Dressing is from Fresh at Home by Ruth Tal Brown who founded the Fresh restaurant chain in Toronto
- and the dessert is of course chocolate cake, this one is called Big Momma Freedom Cake and it’s from one of my favourite cookbooks, Vegan Fusion World Cuisine, inspired by the menu at Blossoming Lotus restaurant in Hawaii
Asparagus and Cilantro Soup
The soup is thin and mild, and the cilantro is in no way overpowering.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- pinch chopped oregano
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 large bunch of asparagus
- salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan and fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic, herbs, cumin and cook 1 minute.
- Add the potatoes and vegetable stock, cover and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are softened.
- Prepare the asparagus by removing tough ends, cutting off the heads (save these), then slice into one inch pieces.
- Add the asparagus to the soup mix and cook for 5-10 minutes until the asparagus is tender.
- While asparagus is cooking, boil a tiny amount of water and parboil the asparagus heads for 1 minute to use as a garnish).
- When the asparagus is softened, puree with a handheld immersion blender. Add the finely chopped cilantro, and season to taste. Serve.
Tofu Quiche with Leeks and Asparagus
Serves 6
For the crust:
- 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 3 to 5 tablespoons water
For the filling:
- 12 ounces asparagus, trimmed
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 4 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 4 teaspoons chopped thyme
- 1 3/4 pounds water-packed firm tofu, drained
- 3 tablespoons umeboshi paste (available at Asian and health food stores, it makes all the difference in the recipe)
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Preparation:
To make the crust:
- Position the rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Blend the all-purpose flour, pastry flour, baking powder, and salt in a food processor.
- Pulse in the oil until the mixture resembles coarse meal, then mix in enough water to form moist clumps.
- Gather the dough into a ball, and then flatten it into a disk. Press the dough into a 9-inch-diameter tart pan with a removable bottom.
To make the Filling:
- Cut off the top 3 1/2-inches of the asparagus tips and set aside. Cut the lower portion of the asparagus stalks into thin slices.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks, 1 tablespoon of the garlic, the sliced asparagus stalks, oregano, and thyme. Saute for 8 minutes, or until the leeks are tender.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus tips and cook just until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain well and place on paper towels to drain further.
- Blend the tofu, umeboshi paste, salt, and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon garlic in a food processor until smooth and creamy Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the leek mixture.
To assemble the quiche:
- Spread the tofu mixture over the prepared crust, mounding slightly in the center. Arrange the asparagus tips like the spokes of a wheel atop the filling, with the tips pointing toward the edge.
- Bake the quiche for 45 minutes, or until the filling is set and golden. Let stand 10 minutes, cut into wedges and serve.
Santa Cruz Salad, Serve with Wild Ginger Dressing
Serves 2
- 8 cups baby spinach
- 2 slices red onion
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts (washed, rinsed & dried)
- 2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
- 2 oranges, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup sliced, toasted almonds
- Toss the baby spinach, red onion, bean sprouts, kiwis and oranges with dressing. Divide salad between 2 bowls.
Garnish with toasted almonds and serve
Wild Ginger Dressing
- ½ mild onion, chopped
- ½ cup sunflower oil
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp filtered water
- 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
- ¼ stalk celery
- 1 tbsp tamari (wheat-free soy sauce)
- 1-1/2 tsp sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Stored in a sealed container in the fridge, it will last at least 2 weeks
Big Momma Freedom Chocolate Cake
Cake:
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups spelt flour
- 2 cups Sucanat (raw sugar)
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon powder
Wet Ingredients:
- 5 tbsp Safflower or Sunflower Oil
- 2 ¼ cups filtered water
- 2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Frosting:
- 2 cups vegan chocolate chips
- 12.3 oz Silken firm tofu or avocado
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Loving Preparation
Cake: Preheat oven to 350°. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl. Add wet to dry and mix well. Pour into a parchment paper lined 9”x13” baking pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 35-40 minutes.
Frosting: Place chocolate chips in a double boiler on medium heat until chips are melted, stirring frequently. Combine with remaining ingredients and blend or food process until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until it thickens
Cool cake before frosting. Garnish with toasted coconut flakes, strawberries, toasted pecans and/or chocolate chips
Wake-up Story for Your Children’s Health
July 23, 2010
Healthy Child Healthy World created a must-see video for parents. Let’s shake things up together and create change.
Keeping Cool & Healthy Too
June 15, 2010
My kids love to have frozen treats in the summer. Popsicles and freezies are a huge hit. What I don’t like about them, even the ones made out of pure fruit juice, is the sugar content.
Our friend Andrea at A Peek Inside the Fishbowl tweeted about a recipe for veggie popsicles. When I saw the link, it got me very excited. A frozen green smoothie? My kids and I will be trying it out this summer!
What is your favourite frozen healthy treat?
Cupcakes & a Great Book for Earth Day
April 22, 2010
Happy Earth Day! Wishing everyone a glorious, gratitude-filled day.
Here is my suggestion for celebrating Mother Earth:
- Get outside; walk, run, bike, hike, reflect. Then come home with a big smile on your face.
- Whip up an easy vegan meal, check out our many recipes for suggstions, hint – the Curried Quinoa Salad with Mango is everyone’s favourite
- Make sure to add dessert – my latest favorite is a raw food treat from Bo Rinaldi of Blosoming Lotus Restaurant - Vanilla Cupcakes with Key Lime Icing! The recipe is below. And here is a link to another yummy recipe for chocolate cupcakes
- And finally curl up with a good book and a cup of tea. On a whim I purchased Where the Blind Horse Sings by Kathy Stevens and was so thrilled to find the review below by John Robbins on the Earth Save International Website
Vanilla Cupcakes with Lime Frosting – Makes 12 cupcakes (or 24 small ones)
From the Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Raw
- 1 cup almonds
- 1 cup macadamia nuts
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- 6 pitted dates, soaked at least 30 minutes
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- ½ cup almond butter
- Pinch cinnamon
- Pinch cardamom
- 1½ tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 6 Tbsp agave nectar*
- ½ ripe avocado mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Place almonds, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond butter, agave nectar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and cardamom in a food processor fitted with an S blade. Process for 15-30 seconds or until sticky mixture of small chunks forms. (Note – if you don’t have a large food processor, do this in 2 batches.)
- With a spoon or small ice cream scoop, measure out 12 cupcakes onto a parchment paper-lined plate. Flatten tops with spoon to hold frosting.
- Place avocado, dates and lime juice in a blender or the food processor, and process until smooth and creamy.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow icing to solidify as much as possible before spreading on top of cupcakes.
- Frost cupcakes and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving
Where the Blind Horse Sings – Love and Healing at an Animal Sanctuary
By Kathy Stevens
Review by John Robbins
Every now and then, a book comes along that grabs you and doesn’t let go. Written by the founder and director of Catskill Animal Sanctuary, a haven for abused and discarded farmed animals, Where the Blind Horse Sings is such a book.
Author Kathy Stevens is an exceptional writer. Her story of the birth of Catskill Animal Sanctuary and of the two and four-legged characters who live there is lyrical and alive, alternately funny and moving. Much of the narrative focuses on a blind horse, a former cockfighting rooster, and a ram who arrived so explosive and violent that Stevens briefly contemplated euthanasia as the only way to keep other animals (including the humans) safe. But patience and love persevered, eventually paying off in spades. Suffice it to say that Buddy, Paulie, and Rambo each evolved into larger than life teachers, and through Stevens’ skilled storytelling, their lessons linger long after the book is finished.
Beyond the writing, though, it is Stevens’ intimacy with the animals about whom she writes that distinguishes Where the Blind Horse Sings from other books about farmed animals and horses. Unlike most authors of such books, she is not a researcher interviewing others about their experiences with animals. Stevens lives and works with the animals: she knows of whom she speaks. When she writes, “Rambo arrived full of testosterone and rage,” it is because she was the one to welcome him. When later she describes the night the transformed sheep summoned her to come to the assistance of a blind turkey inadvertently left outside on a cold November night, I wept at the collective victory shared by the human and the sheep she describes as “her greatest teacher.”
While commentary about the devastating impact of agribusiness is interspersed throughout the book, it is certainly not the book’s focus. Joy is its focus: a clear-headed, unambiguous sharing of the joy its author derives from sharing her life with animals the vast majority of the world sees as mere commodities. The animals arrive angry or terrified, but in their safe haven, become so much more than Stevens, a former educator, imagined possible of a horse or a cow, a pig or a chicken. Who they become has changed her life; it might just change yours. It is certainly a book to share with those in your life who’ve not yet made the connection between diet and kindness.
(Information on the work of Catskill Animal Sanctuary available at www.casanctuary.org)
Meat-Free Monday
February 8, 2010
Welcome to Meat-Free Monday, below is a message from Paul McCartney who founded MFM in the UK. The website is loaded with great info and lots of recipes.
The US based Meatless Monday campaign also has a website full of helpful hints and recipes to get you on your way. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, there is a great quinao chili recipe posted today, with cocoa. In fact they have a whole day of recipes listed – makes it easy to go meatless!
From Sir Paul:
Ok, here’s the story on Meat Free Monday. In 2006, the United Nations issued a report which stated that the livestock industry as a whole was responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the whole of the transport sector put together.
I found this interesting particularly because people at the UN are not a vegetarian society and therefore, could not be accused of bias. They pointed out the following facts:
The Livestock industry produces gases that are extremely dangerous for the future of our environment.
The two main gases, methane and nitrous oxide, are considered to be more harmful than CO2 (methane is 21 times more powerful than CO2 and nitrous oxide is 310 times more powerful than CO2) so the data suggests that this is causing a highly dangerous situation for ourselves and, more importantly, for future generations.
Methane also remains in the atmosphere for 9 to 15 years; nitrous oxide remains in the atmosphere for 114 years, on average, and is 296 times more potent than CO2 – the gases released today will continue to be active in degrading the climate decades from now.
Livestock production is land intensive: a recent report by Greenpeace on land use in the largest meat producing state in Brazil found that livestock (cattle) production was responsible for vastly more deforestation than soya.
A third of all cereal crops, and well over 90% of soya, goes into animal feed, not food for humans. Eating less meat will free up a lot of agricultural land which can revert to growing trees and other vegetation, which, in turn, will absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Livestock production is water intensive: it accounts for around 8% of global human water use. The estimated 634 gallons of fresh water required to produce one 5.2 ounce (150g) beef burger would be enough for a four-hour shower. For comparison, the same quantity of tofu requires 143 gallons of water to produce.
Livestock production is the largest source of water pollutants, principally animal wastes, antibiotics, hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and pesticides used for feed crops, and sediments from eroded pastures.
The meat industry is set to double its production by 2050 so even if they manage to lower emissions by 50%, as they have promised to, we will still be in the same position.
With this in mind, my family and I launched Meat Free Monday in the UK, an idea which has been gaining support from people like Tom Parker-Bowles who, after a lifetime of denigrating vegetarians, recently wrote in his Daily Mail column, “I wince at the memory of my boorish antics” and who pronounced himself “intrigued” by MFM: “There’s no doubting the plain common sense of the message…Meat Free Monday is something to really savour”. Another supporter is Al Gore who stated that initiatives like Meat Free Monday “represent a responsible and welcome component of a comprehensive strategy for reducing global warming pollution and simultaneously improving human health.”
Even a number of schools have already done this in the UK with great success. The town of Ghent in Belgium has a meat free day and, amazingly, Sao Paulo has one even though Brazil is a large exporter of meat. In Sweden, the government is now labeling food to give the consumer the opportunity to understand the dangers of indiscriminate food consumption and there are many more examples appearing online.
The point is that so many people these days are looking for ways to “do their bit” for the environment. We recycle – something we never would have dreamt of doing in the past. Many people now drive hybrid cars but most people understand that we cannot leave this important issue to the politicians of the world. Recently, at the Copenhagen Conference for Climate Change, this issue was not even on the agenda and so I believe it is once again left to us, the people, to do it ourselves.
It’s amazingly easy to take one day in your week, Monday or any other day, and not eat meat. When you think about it, there are so many great alternatives, for instance, in Italian cooking, so many of the dishes are vegetarian already and Thai and Chinese cuisine are the same. All it means is that you have to think a bit about what you’ll eat that day but, in actual fact, far from being a chore, it’s a fun challenge.
Having been a vegetarian for over 30 years, I find it very simple and in fact, tasty and most enjoyable.
So there it is! Next Monday – don’t eat meat and do your bit to save this beautiful planet of ours. For more information, ideas and lots of meat free recipes, go to the official Meat Free Monday website.
Rock on ya’ll!
Paul
SIGG
September 8, 2009
As most people have heard, Sigg is offering to exchange bottles with the ‘old liner’ which was made with traces of BPA (the Canadian Government warns BPA is a risk for infants, young children and pregnant women, it is also a risk to the environment where it builds up in our waters and harms fish and other organisms – thanks, I’ll pass on BPA).
Movement to Health will exchange all the bottles with the old liner that we have in stock at the studio for the new BPA-Free bottles, and with the same shipment we will also send back any bottle that you purchased from the studio. Conact me donna@elationcentre.com so we can arrange to have your bottle shipped with ours. I need your bottles before Sept 21. Note you may not get your bottle back with the same design!
Note that your bottle may be shipped with 50 others, if you prefer to have yours handled on it’s own, see below for the exchange procedure and to make sure you have the old liner in your bottle.
Note that Sigg maintains the trace of BPA do not leach into your water, but personally I don’t want to take the chance, so the exchange is voluntary and we have to pay to ship the bottles back to Toronto. Sigg will pay to ship them back to us.
For more information, here is an Ottawa Citizen Article by Joanne Chianello
How to return your old Sigg bottle
Since August 2008, Sigg bottles have been manufactured with the new BPA-free lining. But even if you purchased yours after that date, it may still have the old liner. Look inside your bottle: the liner with trace amounts of BPA will be a shiny copper colour, while the new “EcoCare” one is a matte yellow.
- Check with the store where you purchased your bottles — many retailers are exchanging the old Siggs for new ones (and absorbing the shipping fees as a service for their customers). – See my comment above for Movement to Health Returns…
- If you’re sending your old Siggs in yourself, go online to www.mysigg.com/liner. On the left-hand side, click on menu item “Exchange Program.”
- Near the bottom of the page are downloadable forms specifically for Canadian customers. You’ll need two: one is a shipping label, so that your bottles will get to the right part of the Sigg Canada warehouse. The second one is a return form for Canadian customers. Make sure you fill this out in full so that the company knows where to send your new bottles.
- This is not a recall, but a voluntary replacement program. The company is not offering refunds. And you’ll have to pay the postage for sending the old Siggs back to the company.
- The exchange program ends Oct. 31, 2009.
Yoga and Vegetarianism
April 30, 2009
This week in our Powerful Woman Yoga Boot Camp class have been reading from Yoga and Vegetarianism by Sharon Gannon. Below is an excerpt from the introduction with a great interpretation of the Yamas - Yoga guidelines regarding how to treat others, including animals.
Sharon comments that if we really want to have a lighter impact on the planet, a compassionate vegetarian diet is a good place to start. We can practice compassion 3 times a day when we sit down to eat.
Ethical vegetarians eat only plant-based food in order to show compassion towards animals and other humans and to benefit the planet. Ethical vegetarians eat no eggs, dairy products or fish because these are not plant-based and eating them causes great harm to other beings and the planet
“If we are interested in Yoga we might ask ourselves, “What is Yoga interested in?” Yoga has one goal: enlightenment, a state in which the separateness of self and other dissolves in the realization of the oneness of being. What hold us back from that realization is a false perception of reality. Instead of perceiving oneness, we see separateness, disconnection and otherness. Because the term Yoga refers not only to the goal of enlightenment but also to the practical method for reaching that goal, all of the practices must address the basic issue of “other”. Otherness is the main obstacle to enlightenment. Killing or harming others is not the best way to overcome that obstacle. How we perceive and relate to the others in our lives determines whether or not enlightenment arises.
In the Yoga Sutras, Pantanjali lays out and eight-limbed plan for liberation called Raja Yoga. The first limb is called Yama which means restraint and includes five ethical restrictions.
1. ahimsa – nonharming
2. satya – truthfulness
3. asteya – nonstealing
4. brahmacharya – continence
5. aparigraha – greedlessness
The yamas describe how an unenlightened person who desires Yoga should restrict his or her behavior towards others. Pantanjali says that as long as you still perceive “others” and not one interconnected reality, then (1) don’t harm others, (2) don’t deceive them, (3) don’t steal from them, (4) don’t manipulate them sexually, and (5) don’t be greedy, selfishly depriving them of sustenance and happiness. ”
The transition to an ethical vegetarian diet can be challenging, start by making small changes and referring to the Yamas when making your food choice. Small changes can lead to large scale healing of our health and our planet.
Tempeh is a great way to transition from eating meat, it’s great on the BBQ, simply marinade and grill (no saturated fat and loaded with flavour)!
Grilled Marinated Tempeh Steak with Avocado, Radicchio, Orange Dressing, and Tahini
Epicurious Sept 2008, by Executive Chef Chris Miller, Como Shambhala Estate, Begawan Giri, Bali
Editor’s note: This recipe is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Chris Miller, executive chef at Como Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri in Bali.
This zesty dish proves that grilling isn’t just for carnivores. Tempeh, a fermented soybean cake with a nutty flavor and firm, almost meatlike texture, can be found in many grocery stores, health food stores, and Asian markets.
Yield: Makes about 4 servings
For tahini sauce:
1/2 cup tahini (Middle Eastern sesame paste), well-stirred
1 clove garlic, germ removed and clove crushed with back of knife
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 small lemon)
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
For tempeh:
4 (4-ounce) pieces soy tempeh
For orange dressing:
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 2 medium oranges)
3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
To grill and serve:
Olive oil (for brushing)
2 heads radicchio, cut into eighths through core, with some core still attached to each piece
1/4 cup (loosely packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
2 firm-ripe avocados, peeled and cut into wedges
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 medium lemon)
Make tahini sauce:In blender on high, blend tahini and garlic until smooth, about 30 seconds. With motor running, add 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and blend until incorporated, about 30 seconds. (Tahini sauce can be prepared ahead and refrigerated, in airtight container, up to 2 days. If sauce is too thick after storage, whisk in several drops of water to thin.)
Marinate tempeh: Reserve 1/2 cup tahini sauce for serving. Brush remainder in thick layer over both sides of tempeh pieces. Transfer to airtight container and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours.
Make dressing: In a 2-quart pot over moderately high heat, bring orange juice to a boil. Lower heat to moderate and simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to large bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. Whisk in vinegar, then gradually whisk in olive oil, orange oil, salt, and pepper. (Dressing can be prepared ahead and refrigerated, in airtight container, up to 2 days. Whisk to reemulsify before using.)
Grill tempeh and radicchio: If using charcoal grill, open vents on bottom, then light charcoal and preheat grill to moderately high. If using gas grill, preheat burners on high with hood closed 10 minutes, then turn down to moderately high. Brush grill rack with oil. Grill tempeh, turning once, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Grill radicchio, turning once, until beginning to wilt, about 2 minutes per side.
Assemble and serve: Cut each piece of tempeh into 4 slices. In large bowl, toss together radicchio, parsley, and orange dressing. Divide salad among 4 plates and top with tempeh and avocado slices. Drizzle with lemon juice and reserved tahini sauce. Serve immediately.
Happy Earth Day
April 22, 2009
Celebrate with us – Movie Night and Pot Luck, Friday April 24 - DETAILS HERE
“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security, It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by it’s purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind.”
— Albert Einstein
Because “Livestock production is responsible for 18% of climate change – more than all of the world’s transportation.” – Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN;
here are two Raw Vegan recipes Sylvie shared with her class this morning, also check out our Earth Day cupcakes - we enjoyed these at 7am after boot camp class!
Quick and Easy Spinach Soup, by Natasha Kyssa. Author of the Simply Raw Living Foods Detox Manual, recipe page 136
1/2 cup water
2 cups spinach
1 tbsp raw tahini
2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes (soaked in water 30 minutes)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp onion, minced
1 avocado, peeled and seeded
2 tbsp fresh basil
Blend and enjoy, makes 2 servings
Chocolate Almond Smoothie (anti-oxidant rich), by Brendan Brazier, author of Thrive
1 banana
2 fresh or soaked dried date
2 cups cold water (or 1 1/2 cups water plus 1 cup ice)
1/4 cups almonds or 2 tbsp raw almond butter
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1 tbsp hemp protein
1 tbsp carob powder (or cacao to make 100% raw)
Blend and enjoy, makes 2 servings
Save Energy!
January 8, 2009
Clinton Foundation’s Climate Initiative (CCI) in August 2006. It’s mission is to fight against climate change with a business-oriented approach in practical, measurable and significant ways. The Foundation encourages everyone to get involved.
1. Get on your bike!
For every mile you ride your bike instead of driving a car, you avoid the production of about one pound of carbon dioxide.
2. Check your water heater
Keep your water heater thermostat no higher than 120°F. Save 550 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $30 per year. Talk to your building or condo manager to upgrade the efficiency of the boiler in your building to magnify the savings.
3. Muscle mow your Lawn
Mowing for an hour with a gasoline- powered lawn mower can produce as much air pollution as a 350-mile drive in a car. Consider this alternative which emits nothing other than clippings and burns calories too: push a lightweight reel mower.
4. Change your thermostat
Conserve fuel by turning down the heat at night and while you are away from your home – or install a programmable thermostat. Setting the air conditioning thermostat in your building to 76 degrees in the summer will dramatically reduce your electricity bill and you’ll do your bit to save energy and the environment.
5. Reduce garbage
Buy products with less packaging and recycle paper, plastic and glass. You can save around 1,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year by reducing, reusing and recycling.
6. Use recycled paper
According to the EPA, from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, household waste increases by more than 25 percent due to holiday gift-giving. When wrapping gifts, remember to recycle and reuse. Also whenever possible use 100% post-consumer recycled paper when printing and save approximately 5 lbs. of carbon dioxide per ream of paper.
7. Fill Your Dishwasher
Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Save approximately 100 lbs. of carbon dioxide and $40 per year. Why not set it to eco-mode to save even more energy and water?
Top Foods to Choose Organic
January 8, 2009
These are the most commonly and highly contaminated foods with pesticides and chemicals, even after washing and peeling. The research used to compile this list is from extensive independent tests run by the FDA and the USDA from over 100,000 samples of food. The chemical pesticides detected in these studies are known to cause cancer, birth defects, nervous system and brain damage, and development problems in children.
1. Meat: beef, pork, and poultry
2. Dairy: milk, cheese and butter
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Tomatoes
6. Potatoes
7. Spinach (and other greens including lettuce)
8. Coffee
9. Peaches and Nectarines
10. Grapes (especially imported grapes)
11. Celery
12. Bell Peppers (Red & Green)
