veganprep

The United States is one of only two countries that still performs experiments on chimpanzees. Save The Chimps is working to stop that. They recently stepped in to save a few of these amazing animals who were being used at The Coulston Foundation’s research facility in New Mexico. Watch this beautiful video of the chimps’ route to freedom. Take the time to get involved; here’s how you can help the campaign for chimps’ rights. What animal rights issue is on your mind most right now? Related Stories: Watch This: Chimpanzee with Jane Goodall Chimps Are People Too Help Chimps Help Captive Chimps

Photo Credit: ecorazzi.com

Igår kväll kom nyheten om att 7-Eleven och Pressbyrån kör igång med vegokorv på permanent basis (pressmeddelandet läser du här). Vilket kan vara den största vegonyheten sedan tzay, och sedan Tofuline bytte färg på sina glasspaket från sunk-brun till snygg-svart. Korven finns i Göteborg, Malmö, Eskilstuna, Helsingborg, Linköping, Norrköping, Sundsvall, Umeå och Växjö. Och i Stockholm förstås. På 18 platser. Av dessa 18 ligger alla utom 2 (Danderyds Sjukhus och Huddinge Sjukhus) på Södermalm. Så uppenbarligen vet Pressbyrån/7-Eleven något som vi andra mest spekulerat kring - att Stockholms alla vegetarianer och veganer faktiskt bor just på Söder. Och resten ligger på sjukhus, antagligen med nån bristsjukdom.

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Here is an easy dinner idea for your busy week ahead. My Spinach Hummus Pitas paired with a large baked and maple-mashed sweet potato. Served with a side of smoky baked tofu squares and pepper truffle shiitake mushrooms. Picnic-inspired. This recipe would make a wonderful eat-outside feast for spring/summer. Get my recipes (and a vegan dessert idea too!)..Read more » This is a summary, images and full post available on HHL website!

This traditional meal is nutritious and filling but also very tasty. It is a good meal for fall, winter and spring.

Yield: 10 cabbage rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1 medium head green cabbage
• 1 cup TVP• 1/2 cup cooked rice
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon taco flavorings
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup vegetable bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• soy yogurt, for serving (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 177 C.
2. Coat a 13×9 inch pan with non stick cooking spray.
3. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
4. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
5. Set aside to cool.
6. Place the TVP in a bowl.
7. Bring water to boil and use to reconstitute the TVP.
8. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
9. Using a small, sharp knife, cut in a circle all around the stem of the cabbage and remove the core.
10. Place the cabbage in the boiling water.
11. After about 2 minutes an outside leaf will come loose – pull it off and out of the water using tongs.
12. After another minute the next leaf will come loose.
13. Remove and repeat until you have 8 to 10 leaves.
14. Pat the leaves dry with paper towels.
15. Cut out the thick part of the rib from the bottom of each leaf, but don’t cut more than a third of the way into the leaf.
16. In a mixing bowl, combine the reconstituted TVP, cooled onion, rice, raisins, taco seasonings and salt.
17. With the stem side of the cabbage leaf facing you, place a about 1/3 cup of the TVP mixture in the center of each cabbage leaf.
18. Fold the bottom edge over the mixture and then fold the sides over and roll into a tidy packet.
19. Place the cabbage rolls, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish.
20. In a bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, vegetable bouillon, and paprika.
21. Pour evenly over the cabbage rolls.
22. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.
23. Optionally serve the cabbage rolls with a big dollop of soy yogurt.

If you’re looking for help in the kitchen Thrive Foods Direct could be a good option. I recently tried this home delivery service created by Brendan Brazier and it’s pretty darn good! Brendan is a professional triathlete and he knows his stuff when it comes to health food. Thrive Foods Direct  meals can be delivered fresh to any home office or hotel in the country. My favorites were the lettuce cup romine salad and the  fried rice and veggie meal. Though it’s definitely not superhero the granola was delicious. Granola isn't a breakfast to me its' candy.  I couldn’t stop eating it! Overall the service is more for flirts and vegans but it would work for superheroes occasionally. If you're looking to lose weight or gain weight and be an athlete like him you can tell Brendan your nutritional goals and he can build meals based on that. Of course it's always great to try to make as many superhero dishes as possible since cooking your own meals uses less packaging and is better for your health but Thrive Foods Direct is a good option for easy veg meals! PS – special treat for kind lifers…if you want to try Thrive Foods Direct visit the website and enter the promo code BBI to receive 20 off of your order.  What's your favorite delivery service for food? More kind eats: Kind Eats: BBQ Season is Almost Here! Garden Gourmet: My Edible Garden Party in My Pantry The Best Veggie Burger in LA

Photo: ThriveDirectFoods

Azabel posted a photo:

Pepper, almonds and thyme taralli Recipe coming soon on KBK

You know that leaking faucet shower or running toilet that’s been bugging you? It’s doing more than making noise here’s the real cost.

Fix that drip! What are some ways that we can all conserve water? Related Stories: Lil Kind Life: 10 Ways to Help Your Kids Go Green Kind Classics: Easy Ways to Conserve Water Kind Classics: Calculate Your Carbon Footprint Kind Classics: Electronic Waste Recycling

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Happy weekend all. I thought today would be a good day for a favorites list. I also thought it might be time to share the earliest glimpse of what I've been working on for the past couple of months - QUITOKEETO. I'll do my best to pull a few more details together for you (and wrangle a recipe into shape) for later in the week. Until then -xo:

- Le Shack

- The Secret Life of Alan Z. Feuer

- Grains Well Spent.

- 204 Sunrise Lane.

- Rhubarb Beer Jam

- Happenstance. Running into Jesse in NY.

- Act Three. Mimis in the Middle.

- Whoops

- When Michelle Obama Came to Lunch

- Reading: this / Next up: this

- For the floors. And the ceilings.

- Jeffrey's Broken Bike

- Dream get-away.

- Subway tile & Sherwin Williams

- The Alphabet Book a few of you were curious about in this post.

- For the next road trip.

- Pakoras & Chutney

- Enjoying this monthly newsletter / sign-up at page bottom (via Kristina G)

- Elissa + Tamar

- Daniel Patterson's Poached Scrambled Eggs

- Perfect cocktail ice.

Lead photo: Detail of a stunning green tile wall I came across in Marrakesh.

Continue reading Favorites List (5.19.12)...

These were heavenly. We’re going to have them again this weekend. I know this doesn’t seem like apple time. In fact most of the apple trees are just beginning to bloom. But, there are a few sorts of apples that one can “over-winter”. They hold well if kept in a cool place. It is time to use them up now, and this is the perfect recipe.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 individual frozen vegan puff pastry sheets, thawed
• 1-2 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced in thick wedges
• 4 tablespoons almond paste (ingredients below)
• 4 tablespoons plain soy yogurt
• 2 tablespoons agave syrup
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• non-dairy topping as optional garnish

for the almond paste:

• 1/4 cup ground almonds
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy cream or soy yogurt
• 2 drops almond extract flavoring

Directions:

1. First make the almond paste by mixing the ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. Thaw the puff pastry sheets.
4. Mix the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
5. Mix the soy yogurt with the agave to slightly sweeten it.
6. Peel, core and slice the apples.
7. Place the puff pastry sheets on a cookie sheet, prepared with baking parchment or silpat.
8. Put a tablespoon of almond paste evenly in the center of each pastry sheet.
9. Put a tablespoon of soy yogurt on the almond paste.
10. Place 3-4 apple wedges evenly in the center of the pastry sheet.
11. Sprinkle a teaspoon of cinnamon sugar over the apple.
12. Bring the corners of the pastry sheets to the center, covering the apple but do not overlap them or press them tightly closed. By being lightly closed, the pastry will slightly open to look as flower petals opening.
13. Bake for 22-25 minutes.
14. Serve warm, optionally with non-dairy whipped topping.

Each year during Triple Crown thoroughbreds are made to participate in fiercely competitive races like the Kentucky Derby and the upcoming Belmont Stakes competition. Horse racing has been done for centuries lame but true but recently trainers have been exposed for severely drugging horses to help improve their performances. According to this shocking article in The New York Times steroids Viagra and cobra venom are just some of the performance-enhancing drugs used on the horses to make them stronger and faster though the dangerous drugs can ultimately cause the animals to perform beyond their ability resulting in painful injuries illness and tragic accidents. This type of abuse for sport is heartbreaking but there is something you can do. The federal Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act H.R. 1733/S. 886 addresses this terrifying practice by prohibiting the abusive drugging of racehorses testing the animals for drugs and imposing tough penalties on those who violate the Act. This issue is too important to ignore. Contact your representative today and let them know why you support the Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act.  How can we get people to stop supporting the races? Leave your thoughts in the comments below. 

More action alerts... URGENT: Show Your Support for Captain Paul Watson Action Alert: Ban Live Animal Export Action Alert: Help Put Captive Chimps on the Endangered Species List 

Photo: A Student's Scoop on Equine Nutrition

"Rikskonferens - härligt, härligt men farligt, farligt" 

Djurens Rätts rikskonferens 2012 pågår för fullt på Södermalm i Stockholm. Det är full rulle hela tiden, och vi sammanfattar det mesta på http://www.djurensratt.se/rikskonferens-2012 (liksom på Flickr, Facebook och Twitter). Däremot är rullen så full att jag helt glömt bort bloggen. Förlåt. Återkommer vid tillfälle.

I got this BBQ sandwich recipe from PETA and though I haven't tried it yet it looks and sounds like a great BBQ dish for summer.  Servings: 6 Ingredients
BBQ Tempeh:

• 1 lb. tempeh
• 1/2 cups of soy sauce
• 1/2 cups of apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cups of maple syrup
• 1/2 cups of olive oil
• 2 tsp. chipotle powder
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. sweet paprika
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 6 kaiser rolls sliced in half

Multicolor Slaw:

• 1 cups shredded green cabbage
• 1 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1/4 cups finely diced onions
• 2 tbsp. vegan mayonnaise try Vegenaise
• 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. celery saltsea salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 450ºF. Cut the tempeh in half lengthwise then cut the 2 slabs in half widthwise as if you were slicing a roll creating 4 squares that are nearly identical in size. Next cut the tempeh into smaller strips about 1 by 3 inches. Arrange in a single layer in a 2- to 3-inch-deep baking dish and set aside.
2. Whisk together all the remaining ingredients. Pour over the tempeh coating evenly. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
3. In a medium-size bowl combine the cabbage onions vegan mayonnaise and vinegar. Mix until well combined. Add the celery salt salt and pepper. Keep in mind that the tempeh will be both spicy and slightly salty! Cover and store in the fridge until ready to assemble the sandwiches.
4. Lightly toast the rolls. Pile as much of the tempeh as you'd like onto one half of each roll. Top with some of the slaw add the other half of the roll and enjoy.

What's your favorite summer sandwich?  Photo Credit: JustVeggingOut More kind recipes...  Moroccan Couscous with Saffron Kind Chocolate Cake My Warm Spicy Wine Artichokes with Roast Capsicum and Sun-Dried Sauce 

Homemade biscuits instantly infuse a little cozy, rustic, homestyle, warmth into a meal. My latest biscuit recipe: Vegan Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits - melty cheese and spicy jalapeno bits in every fluffy, steamy bite. Grace your dinner table with a platter of these oven-fresh biscuits, and smiles abound...Read more » This is a summary, images and full post available on HHL website!

In 2002 Captain Paul Waston the star of WhaleWars on Animal Planet intercepted a ship that was illegally catching and finning sharks off the coast of Guatemala to send to Asia. Captain Watson was charged with violating navigational regulations and though the charges were eventually dropped they were recently reinstated when an arrest warrant was issued last October. Captain Watson was arrested in Germany and he may be soon extradited back to Costa Rica. Paul needs supporters to appeal the German Ministry of Justice for help. The Public Prosecutor stated that the German Ministry of Justice and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs have the power to stop the extradition procedures on political grounds and if they give notice that they would not grant an extradition of Paul Watson to Costa Rica the case will be over and Captain Watson would be set free immediately. We have less than 48 hours for the German Minister of Justice to overturn the decision to hold Paul for up to 90 days in Germany while his extradition to Costa Rica is further determined. This statement from Captain Watson was recently posted on the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: “In our efforts to defend the lives of whales dolphins seals sharks and fish we have made some powerful enemies most notably the government of Japan.  It is no coincidence that the extradition request by Costa Rica was issued the same month October 2011 as the Japanese whaling ICR lawsuit against Sea Shepherd was initiated. The extradition request was in reference to a complaint from Costa Rican fishermen who I caught poaching in Guatemalan waters. The fishermen were not injured and their boat was not damaged. The incident was fully documented for the film Sharkwater.Interpol originally denied this extradition order and deemed it as politically motivated. Therefore the question must be asked why Germany is now taking into account accusations made by illegal poachers.”- Captain Paul Watson You can learn more about Captain Watson and this situation by watching the video below: This is an extremely urgent matter so show your support for Paul by reading the word and visiting the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society website.

Photo: NY Times

I wanted to introduce you all to my beautiful friend Roxanne. We met at a raw food convention many many years ago. She was able to convince her daughter’s school to serve more vegetables. Roxanne is a real inspiration in taking action over things that many of us may feel powerless over…like school lunches. “I have had experiences with getting more veggies served at my daughter’s school two different times…once with my daughter Raja & then with my other daughter Ally who is now a junior in college. With Ally I did a couple of things that I would highly recommend. I volunteered to teach a cooking class…telling the teacher that the kids will learn something fun & that I will also integrate some math & number skills age appropriate. Teachers always welcome a fun new experience that does not require any extra work ontheir part.   My mission was to teach kids about making healthy organic yummy vegan food. When I started this Ally was in pre-kindergarten in a French school…by the end of 1st grade it had become so popular that I had also raised money to put in a teaching kitchen at the school. I also regularly brought the classes to my gardens to teach about organic gardening & make salads & veggie pizzas in the outdoor ovens. I also did tastings with Safeway unorganic strawberries & tomatoes verses homegrown organic ones…they swore they could never eat a tasteless conventionally grown fruit/veg again! What I found is that the kids were loving what they experienced and going home & telling their parents. So I was then getting calls from parents asking for recipes for all these foods that the kids were making at school & raving about…they were always shocked to find out that they were vegetable centered & vegan. They found out that their kids liked vegetables they would have never thought of making for them. Kids love to see & be part of where their food comes from and they are up for eating anything they took part in growing and/or harvesting. I found that the kids can really influence the way the family eats…just by recounting their day to their parents. I think anyone who can organize trips to a local organic farm if the school does not have access to a garden can put together a great start to getting kids inspired to eat vegetarian. My next experience was from 2nd grade to middle school where Ally went to a Waldorf school. The small school did not have an organized school lunch program so I decided to jump in & make one available. Once again making it easy for everyone involved was key. It’s important to make good allies at the school. I started out with doing 2 lunches a week all vegan and some raw. I mostlyexplained that they will be organic healthy meals. I found out that some people do not understand how much kids will love vegan food if they are given the opportunity! One of the most popular things I offered was a large saladbar; I put on it everything that grew in my garden plus lots of yummy sprinkles of nuts raisins edible flowers rawmesan seasonal fruits and many choices of homemade dressings. The kids loved having the variety of choices. For the lunches I enlisted parent volunteers to help with set up & clean up. This way parents got to witness all the healthy food the kids were eating at school I can't tell you how many times I heard someone say that they thought their son/daughter would never eat that way until they saw it themselves at school.   Once again the calls were coming in asking for recipes…I ended up putting them in the school’s newsletter & offering cooking classes to the parents too. After the first year I felt like the whole school community had really changed the way their families were eating…it was very rewarding. With my daughter Raja it was a bit different. Her elementary school had a set school lunch program that was basically as they liked to think of it "kid's food.” That meant hamburger hotdogs mac & cheese & chicken fingers. Well this was a tougher project for me. I started with teaching cooking in the classes from smoothies to vegan lasagnas to raw desserts which had good results but I knew I would have to do something more when I saw the hamburgers & corn syrup sweetened desserts come out for lunch.   This was a larger school so things weren't as easy plus they were not Waldorf parents! So I found a group of parents that had similar concerns about what our kids were being served for lunch and talked to as many parents as I could asking if they would be open to a change.   It’s actually shocking what some parents think is “healthy.”  Again I found the more you can make it easy for administrators and know who your allies are at a school the easier it is to make changes. I ended up finding a caterer who would do vegetarian lunches for the school which was a start.  Then after many test lunches to kids parents teachers administrators and a lot of hard selling the organic vegetarian lunches were going to cost 1.00 a day more than the other lunches the lunch program was approved. It took sometime to transition but ultimately it was a huge success all around."  Isn't it great how you can help change the way families eat by changing what kids eat at school? And of course vise versa. The better you eat at home the better your little ones will eat as well. What do you think of Roxanne’s experience changing the way children think of food and what they eat? Do you have any experience with changing the way kids eat at school? Share your stories in the comments below. For some more about kids and eating healthy read: Mama & Baby Workouts Calling All Cooking Newbies! A Must Have for Mamas Delicious Sunday Dinners

Photo Source: minnpost.com

We spotted this tasty one-pan recipe earlier in the week on healthyseasonalrecipes.com and have been looking forward to adapting it to be vegan.

It was simple to adapt the recipe, just by using soy sausages. But, baking time were adjusted (roast for ca 20 minutes, final bake 35 – 40 minutes). Traditionally, German recipes often combine potatoes with apples. It makes  a lovely combination.

I want to remind you all to come meet me back here at 5 pm PST / 8 pm EST for my live chat. You have submitted some great questions already about all things warm weather-related: sunscreen swimwear weight loss—so keep your questions coming and I’ll answer as many as I can today during our live chat. To participate all you have to do is logon to The Kind Life when the chat starts. If you don't already have a profile on The Kind Life make sure to sign up for one so you'll receive an email notification when the live chat begins. I look forward to talking to ya'll! Share your questions below and I'll try to answer as many as I can during the live chat!
More kind discussions... ANNOUNCING: My Next Live Chat!My Live Chat About Pregnancy Love Chatting With You AllAsk a Superhero: What's Up With Wheatgrass? 

 

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