Paul McCartney Starts Meat Free Mondays in UK

Just one more reason to LOVE Paul McCartney! He, along with his family and some other super famous folks, is launching a campaign in the UK called Meat Free Mondays, similar in concept to the Meatless Monday Campaign here in the US. Check out Sir Paul's site, Meat Free Mondays, for more video footage and awesome recipes to keep yourself motivated to stay Veggie on Mondays!

Sweet Potato Lentil Stew Re-Do...Easy and Yummy!

I have already told you how much I LOVE Alicia Silverstone's new book, The Kind Diet. One of my favorite recipes (of the ones we've tried so far) is her Sweet Potato Lentil Stew, which is delicious! Now today, it is absolutely freezing here and all I could think about for lunch was that amazing stew, but it takes a long time to make, requires quite a lot of organic vegetable broth, which can be pricey when store bought, and also makes enough to feed a small army! (The first time we made this it fed us for four nights and a lunch or two, I kid you not.) So I devised a quick easy substitute that came out better tasting than my wildest fantasy, using only things I already had in my kitchen, and loosely basing it off Alicia's recipe.

Ok, here is what I used...

• One can Amy's Organic Lentil Soup
• 1/3 Sweet Potato diced small and thin
• 1 small Tomato
• Spices: Turmeric, Coriander, Cayenne Pepper, Ground Cumin, Ginger (not pictured) and Cinnamon

Start by simply putting the can of soup in a medium pan and add your diced sweet potato. Be sure to cut your sweet potato into small and thin chunks so it will cook fairly quickly. (You don't want your beans turning to mush!) Bring to a light boil, cover, and lower heat, allowing to simmer for about 10-15, basically just long enough for the sweet potato to cook.


Meanwhile, dice your tomato. After the soup has cooked for about 6-8 minutes I added my tomatoes and stirred 'em in.

Next let's spice up this baby! I again based my additions on Alicia's recipe, but I just eyeballed everything, going heaviest on the ginger, turmeric, coriander, and cumin, (but still only a dash or so of each as this is only making 2 servings) and then adding a sprinkle of the cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
Finally, to make this delicious stew even a little heartier and to add a grain to my meal, I stirred in some left over cooked brown rice I had in my fridge. I let the soup simmer for about 2-3 minutes longer, stirring often.
The only left to do is serve and enjoy! (It's even better if eaten while on the couch, snuggling under a blanket beside your good buddy, the dog)

This quick and easy re-do of Alicia's original awesome recipe took about 20 minutes start to finish and makes two servings. I ate mine with a few organic corn chips for a little crunch, but I can image it would make a scrumptious combo to add a hot corn bread muffin to this little diddy!

This meal is vegan, gluten-free, and cost me less than $4! Can't beat it! If you were going to feed more than 2 hungry mouths simply use two (or more if needed) cans of soup and use the whole sweet potato and maybe another tomato. Easy peasy! Also, Amy's also offers a low sodium version of canned Lentil Vegetable Soup, so I am interested in trying to substitute it in next time, to lower the salt a bit.

Let me know if you try my little recipe and how it comes out! Thanks for reading, and stay warm!!

Gwyneth's New Detox Plan on GOOP

In the new GOOP newsletter, out today, (if you don't know, GOOP is Gwyneth Paltrow's blog about everything from awesome organic food, to amazing foreign travel, and even this season's latest trends) Gwyneth interviews the owners of NYC's Organic Avenue to give us the inside scoop on their awesome philosophies, how they prepare their juices on site and what their different fasting and cleansing options consist of. Check out their super cute reusable mini juice bottles below, that they deliver with their juices and smoothies when you purchase one their cleansing packages! These little beauties alone would be enough to reel me in....
(Those that know me really, really well will get this little joke... you see as a young child, I had a mild obsession with small glass bottles.)

For those of us not living in the NYC area, Gwyneth and Organic Avenue owner Denise Mari have given us an easy at home version of one of their 5 day cleanses. (Those of you that have ever actually done a fast or a cleanse know that I use the word "easy" loosely...very loosely.) Click here to be taken to the Goop site to get a printable version of directions and recipes.

So what do you all think, anybody up for a little new years clean out? To be honest, I think I could use it, but now the question begs, is my mental fortitude up to the task of five days with NO solid food?? Or what I should really ask is whether or not my husband can take the pressure of living with a hungry wife for 5 days!!

Okay, thanks for reading, and be sure to post your thoughts in the comment section.
I'll keep you posted as to whether I man up or not ;)
Photos taken from GOOP.com.

Happy New Year

So I know I am a week late in wishing you all a happy new year, but to be honest, this first week of 2010 has not been without a few hitches, starting off with a beast of a head cold (that also thoughtfully included a side order of stomach bug) that landed me on the couch for the entire New Year's weekend. That was followed by a busy work week (which is actually a great thing, just not the easiest to contend with when you are not functioning at 100%), and post-holiday wrap up duties. So after careful thought and deliberation I have decided that my new year will begin on 1/10/10. Starting on Sunday I will start tackling my goals for 2010, some of which include:

• Starting my own edible garden (in our new backyard!)

• Composting our kitchen scraps

• • 
  Take the time to work myself out....
  

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What are some of your goals for the new year? I'd love to hear what you guys are hoping to accomplish in this new year, whether it started on the 1st or not ;) Thanks for reading!
All photos taken by Ashley Brooks, except last 2 photos, for which sources are listed.

Holiday Gift Idea

These are definitely on my list to Santa....



TOMS is one of my favorite companies, out there giving back. Not only is TOMS an awesome concept, and not only are the shoes themselves comfy and adorable, but there even several vegan models! Love it! And TOMS is involved in many ways, not only giving back through their own shoe drops, but also partnering up with other organizations, like Charlize Theron's Africa Outreach Project, and providing ways for others to get involved through their company. You can even enter to win a spot on one of their shoe drops, how amazing would that be??

Check out all the available styles and see a ton of awesome footage of the shoe drops at TOMS website. (Not to mention, TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie isn't exactly hard to look at either! Ladies, take note...)

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more green gift ideas for this holiday season!

Access to Organics Grand Opening

So this post is a bit late (to the tune of nearly a month!) but to those of you outside our inner circle of friends and fam, we've been in up to here buying our first house! (I know, "Yea", right??) So without further ado, allow me to introduce my new favorite little shop in town, Access to Organics!



A welcoming entrance....



Meet the stores awesome owners, Ravi and Rich. These two are a wealth of knowledge about growing and cooking amazing, organic, delicious food!



On November 7th, Access to Organics had their Grand Opening, showing off their amazing selection of goodies for everything from your garden to your home to your fridge! The spread of delicious homemade organic food was off the hook (that's young person speak for really good). Check out all the pics below and if you're a local be sure to check this gem of a place out ASAP!



A preview of their beautiful produce selection.... makes me hungry for some veggies!



Squash and pumpkin are seasonal in the fall, and these are beauties!



Not only does Access to Organics carry organic produce, but they keep their shop fully stocked with all the best organic house cleaners, and a wide variety of other goodies for the garden and even personal care products like soaps and shampoos! One stop shopping baby!


Garden goodies and books on everything you need for the holistic, organic lifestyle.


I'm hoping Santa leaves one of these babies under my tree... If you are not aware of them yet, this is a worm farm!! (How many husbands can say their wives want worms for Christmas? John is one lucky man...) It is one of the most user friendly ways to compost, cutting way down on our waste heading to the landfill, and resulting in the most nutrient rich dirt you've ever seen!


Come on Santa!


Our friend Niki brought in this tray of goods made all from food grown out at Skip's Garden. Looks scrumptious!


Ravi had me sample some dehydrated fruit (pictured above)... so I know it sounds/looks a bit scary, but trust me, two chomps in and I was begging to know where I could get a dehydrater!! Above is dehydrated banana and star fruit, and I kid you not, they were like healthy fruit roll-ups for adults! (well, kids too!)

In addition to all the food (we left stuffed!), Ravi and Rich handed out some awesome door prizes and had live music. It was a great day, and I can't wait for my next trip to the shop, maybe to stock up on some Christmas gifts myself.

If you want to check it out, Access to Organics is located at 347 Mason Ave, Unit 100, Daytona Beach, FL, 32117. You can also check out their website www.accesstoorganics.com, or shoot Rich an email at rich@accesstoorganics.com.

Be on the look out for updates with the store and my adventures shopping at (and using my goodies from!) Access to Organics!

Thanks for reading, now go eat some veggies :)

Eco-Travel!

So I have rambled on for weeks now about food and vegetarianism, so I thought it was about time for a new topic.... so that brings me to my impending vacation! Me and the girls are headed out on Sunday morning to Mexico! But travel can leave a pretty huge footprint on the planet if not done wisely, so we sought out this beautiful, eco-friendly resort pictured above, called Zamas, located in Tulum, Mexico, for the first leg of our trip. Their many eco attributes include using solar and wind power, and only using green cleaning products. Not only that, but they have an awesome restaurant on site that features vegetarian fare, with an emphasis on local flavors. I can't wait!! Check out some more pics from their site below...




Now there are other simple ways to "green" up your travel besides choosing an eco-friendly resort. Check out the list below for easy tips you can use on your next vay-cay!

• Pack Light: Lighter luggage means less fuel required to get it to your destination. (Not to mention it is WAY easier to carry on, you don't have to worry about losing your stuff, and way less stressful than luggin around a bunch of stuff you just don't need!)
• Carry Your Own Stainless Steel Water Bottle: So much has been said about water bottles, I am sure you get the gist of it, but basically don't rely on purchasing water that is bottled in in plastic! (Although I have to admit, we will have to see what the H2O situation in ol' Mexico, no one wants dysentery on their trip!)
• Choose Green Transportation: Once you arrive to your destination, try to use public transit when available. There are many eco-friendly airlines out there, so if your budget allows go for it! However, if you are like me, and need to use cheaptickets.com to even afford a vacation then try some carbon offsetting, which is where you purchase credits to off set your emissions from your plane ride and rental car. Check out MyClimate, NativeEnergy, or Climate Friendly for more information.
• Take A Volunteer Vacation: This one is a no-brainer and a total win-win situation! You get to see a new exciting place while giving back to a community or organization in need, and anyone who has ever volunteered can vouch for how much you get yourself out of giving to others. Plus, there is no better way to rally see a foreign land than immersing yourself in the actual culture of the everyday people.
• Try To Eat Veggie When Possible: I've said it before, I'll say it again(and Al Gore is finally saying it!) there is no one easier way for individuals to have a positive impact on the environment than reducing their meat and dairy consumption! There are many other cultures that have amazing meat-free dishes, so get out there and try something new!

Now since we ladies are gonna "rough" it for the first half of our trip at the eco-conscious Zamas Hotel, we decided to live it up a little and get pampered for the second half of our trip. Click here to see our second destination....


P.S. Please send some good energy our way, and as my friend Marga says, "Pray in every language that you know" that Hurricane Ida passes through quickly and we have sunny skies on our trip! Thanks for reading and I'll be back in a week!!

All photos from www.zamas.com.