Kind Lifer Diana submitted this yummy looking recipe from the Culinary Institute of America. It originally calls for fish sauce, but you can veganize it by using Mam Nem Chay - Vietnamese vegetarian fish sauce - instead. If you can’t find any at your local grocer, you can improvise with a mix of light soy sauce, a splash of pineapple juice, a bit of agave and a splash of chili sauce. I haven’t tried this, but I can’t wait to hear what you think!

Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 30 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients 

For Quinoa

• 2 cups of Cooked red quinoa, about 1.5 cups raw
• 2-3 slices of ginger
• 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon of sliced scallions
• 1 tablespoon of torn mint leaves
• 1/4 cups of winter squash, diced into small pieces

For nuoccham sauce

• 3 tablespoons of vegan fish sauce
• 1/4 cups of lime juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of vegan brown sugar or 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 1/2 Thai chili, paper thin sliced (use whole chili for some spice)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Toss squash with with a bit of olive oil and pinch of curry powder and roast until just done.
3. Meanwhile, bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil. Add a pinch of salt, ginger slices and quinoa, and cover. Simmer until done, about 15 min.
4. Make nuoc cham sauce by mixing fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, thai chili & water.
5. Toss quinoa, cooked squash, scallions, cilantro, and mint with nuoc cham sauce.
6. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

What's your favorite quinoa recipe? Share it in the comments below or upload it to your profile with a picture of the completed dish, and I'll feature it in the Kind Recipe Gallery.

Candle 79 Chefs

My friends Joy and Benay of Candle Café and Candle 79 work very closely with NYCHSF, a great organization that is working hard to bring healthy veg food to schools in New York. Their advisory board includes some amazing members, like China Study author T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD, among others.

NYCHSF is already in 17 schools in New York City and in all of the elementary schools in Ithaca, NY (hooray, Ithaca)! In NYC, they have a waiting list of 48 more schools that would like the plant-based entrees and nutrition education NYCHSF offers, but they need more resources to be able to expand.

If you'd like to help out, you can donate to NYCHSF here.

What healthy school food initiatives are happening in your community?

Holy moly! Where do I begin? Because acupuncture emphasizes wellness and a holistic philosophy that is missing in so much Western medicine, I’m always tempted to talk about how great it is.  But then I have an experience like the one I had when I was pregnant and it reminds me why I have very mixed feelings about it overall.

First, let me start by saying that, in general I don’t think acupuncture can do any harm and, for some people, I do believe it can be very helpful.  But the question I have been asking myself is, does it do anything for me that I don’t already get through my diet?

Over the past several years, I’ve tried out a bunch of different acupuncture doctors. There was a time when I was kinda loving it, although I was always frustrated with how expensive it can be (especially when they wanted me to come back multiple times a week and wanted me to buy herbs on top of that).  I mean, it feels good when I’m actually lying there with the needles, but do I really notice a big change when I walk out the door, the way I do when I make a change to my diet?  Not really.  For me, it’s sorta like a great, soothing, expensive nap.

Still, when two different people raved to me about this acupuncture doctor a while ago, I decided to give her a try.  I’d heard that acupuncture can be helpful with some of the nausea and other symptoms during pregnancy, so when I was pregnant, I thought it would be good to have someone I could call on whenever I thought it might help.  I’ve been to a bunch of different acupuncture doctors over the years, some more helpful and effective than others, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was in for with this one!

Right off the bat, she walks in the room talking a mile a minute with this crazy, spastic unbalanced energy – not calm or relaxing at all.  Then I tell her I’m veggie, which, looking back, maybe I should have kept to myself, considering what came next.  She then checks my pulse and starts going on about how I’m super-anemic and my liver is soooo weak.

Really?  I told her, “That’s weird, because I just had my blood tested for prenatal and it all checked out perfectly.  A blood analyst actually took pictures of my cells as an example of what beautiful healthy blood cells look like.  No other acupuncturist has ever said anything about anemia and -- oh, by the way -- I feel great. So what on earth are you talking about?”

It went downhill from there.  She goes into this whole thing about how I need to eat eggs and steak.  So, this hyper, spastic woman is telling me that meat and eggs are good, when everything about her is telling me that this not someone I want to be like.  But then I started thinking, “What if I wasn’t as educated about health?  What if I wasn’t so conscious of my own body?  What would I do with what she’s telling me?”

As if she was reading my mind, she continued: “I get tons of vegetarians in here all the time. I tell them to eat meat and they feel much better.”  Great.  So now all I’m thinking about is how this woman is undoing all the good that I and so many others are trying to do. This is turning into the most un-relaxing acupuncture ever!

It went on like that, more of the same, and then at the end of the session she wanted me to buy three different herbal pills.  She was adamant and would not stop pushing them on me.  I guess people just nod and do whatever she says, because when I started asking questions, like why they had chemicals like Red #100 or Yellow #67 in them, she became even more insistent and manic, repeating over and over that I needed these for my blood.  It was truly amazing to me. I felt like I should be offering HER acupuncture! On top of being spastic, she did not look one bit healthy.

So, this is what frustrates me… I want to say “Hey, go to acupuncture if it helps…”  But it can vary so much from doctor to doctor, so just be aware.  The meat-pushers are bad news.  I have met some perfectly lovely acupuncture doctors, but my personal experience was that the improvements for my well-being were pretty minor.  I am still convinced that trusting your food is the most noticeable and reliable source of health and feeling good – far more dramatic and lasting than what I’ve received from acupuncture. 

I wonder if there are other vegan or plant-based advocates reading who also practice Chinese medicine? Speak up if you’re out there! I’d love to hear your perspectives!

The health section is proudly sponsored by Kaeng Raeng natural detox. Make sure to check out their 3 or 6 day vegan detox programs here:

 

Photo Source: 4bpBlogSpot

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A friend forwarded this to me and I wanted to share it here in case any kind lifers are looking for a new best friend. If you are thinking of adopting, Koa might be just what you're looking for, so check out his story below:

Koa is an 8-year old Pure Breed Belgian Shepherd. He is a neutered male, up to date on his vaccines, and in perfect health.  He is brilliant, gentle, athletic (fast as hell), loyal, protective. This is the breed that the police and FBI use.
 
I adopted Koa at 2 months, a rescue. He was fearful, cowering, and is now prideful and courageous. He grew up with a brother Lab Retriever, and a cat, but they've been separated by divorce. Koa has separation anxiety, so until he is comfortable in his new home he needs to be around people. He is all about attachment, which is beautiful. But he's not the kind of dog to be left alone all day and night. He will try to escape to find his guardian. He's not aggressive AT ALL. But, I'd say he's perfect with children 5 and up, who don't pull ears, poke eyes, etc. He loves people and is good with dogs and cats.  He is completely trained.
 
This is a prize dog. Anyone would be lucky to have him. I am broken-hearted at having to give him up.
 
Koa sounds like a wonderful dog and a great companion – plus it doesn't hurt that he's trained and good with kids and other animals. If you or anyone you know has a home that's right for Koa, shoot an email to peterlandesman@mac.com expressing your interest.

And remember, if you're thinking of bringing a pet into your home, no breeders, no pet stores- adopt and save lives!!

Have a great story about rescuing a pet? Share your experiences in the comments below.

To help out, and find out more about animals in need, check out Much Love Animal Rescue.

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Just wanted to share this adorable video! Do your dogs like baths this much? Mine sure don't!

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Kind Lifer Mary recently shared how she shed weight by cutting out processed foods and amping up her fruit and veggie intake. Check it out:

“Hi there! I read about Jaki and her awesome success breaking her sugar addiction! I can definitely relate. A little less than two years ago, on Valentine's Day, I read Food Inc. and decided I could no longer eat the foods I had spent my life thinking were ‘okay.’ I gave up processed foods, started eating more raw fruits and veggies and adopted a vegetarian lifestyle. Combined with exercise, I lost 105 pounds in a year! I applaud Jaki and people like her for making big changes that can drastically change their lives! Thanks for posting such great stories!”

Mary, congrats! So happy for you!

If any of you kind lifers have a success story to share, private message me or upload your story to your profile and “like” it. I may feature you on the homepage of The Kind Life!

The health section is proudly sponsored by Kaeng Raeng natural detox. Make sure to check out their 3 or 6 day vegan detox programs here:

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My lovely and hilarious friend Missi Pyle continues her vegan adventure! As she shared in her two previous guest blogs, she’s recently adopted a vegan diet. Here is her third blog about her kind journey…she wrote it while she was staying at my house during my Gods Behaving Badly shoot in New York.
 
Enjoy!
 

Day 2 or 3 or 4. Possibly 5. Aka. Cheater cheater pumpkin eater... Costarring TV’s Megan Park!
 

Listen. Blogging is hard to keep up with. Especially when you have to drink red wine while watching back to back episodes of Dexter or are laying in bed playing Angry Birds and  have to wait a full hour for the falcon to come back and get you out of a tricky level on your iPhone.
 
Or if, only on day 3 or 4 of being a vegan, you wake up in the middle of the night and, while standing in front of Alicia's open refrigerator, in your underwear, you find yourself with a fork digging into the non-vegan chocolate pie your sister evilly brought home last night, and put on the middle shelf, which is eye level, with no cover and homemade non-vegan whipped creme dolloped lovingly on the top.
 
Oh the shame.
 
I caved. I didn't mean to. It all happened so fast. I almost thought it was a dream until I woke up the next day with crusty chocolate on the pillow where my mouth had gently pressed during the night. I felt guilty. The wallowy kind. I mean what kind of an example am I to you? My devoted fans?
 
But listen, I am an actor and the one thing I have learned as an actor is you can't wallow. I am constantly being rejected for the "greatest job of my life" and sit moping around all day in my underwear*. But, the thing I learned about the "greatest job in your life", is, there will always be another one that comes along with shiny opportunity to make you believe again and go put your clothes back on and go out and audition. With the hope that this time, you can stay out of your underwear for good... I mean in pants over your underwear...

It was in this hope, that I woke yesterday morning anddecided to make the greatest, funnest, most delicious recipe in Alicia's vegan book, The Kind Diet. One that would be so yummy, I would never cheat again. I found it on page 207: Cheesy Oozy Guacamole bean Dip.
 
As Frank would say, Yum. Or I'm a beagle or both.**
 
The recipe starts with you mashing up 3 ripe avocados while wearing a long flowy dress in Alicia Silverstone's kitchen.
 

Then you have Meredith, who was non-apologetic about her pie because she had gotten it from the people at the Leno Show***, squeeze the juice of one whole lime on the top.

Then you spread a layer of refried beans on the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch glass baking dish. You spread the avocado lime concoction over the top of the beans. Then you stir together two 8oz containers of non-dairy sour cream with a packet of cruelty free taco seasoning and spread over the avocado.
 
We only had one container of sour cream because I don't believe in writing down actual quantities while making a grocery list. Oh well, in the end it wasn't a problem.
 
Then we sprinkled a can of diced green mild chiles (drained) over the sour cream and layered on top of that 1/2 cup of sliced black olives.  Then we added 3 chopped tomatoes. (1 big ass yellow one from Alicia'sgarden and 2 normal sized red ones from a pack we got at trader joe's.)
 
Finally you sprinkle 2 cups of shredded vegan cheddar cheese on top. Then you preheat the oven to 350. Actually you should have done that sooner. Oh well.
 
While we waited for the oven to heat, my friend Megan Park came over to sample our hopefully extremely tasty vegan dish. Megan is a ridiculously talented actress who played my daughter in A Cinderella Story, Once Upon A Song, my opus, and who plays a virginal 16 year old on ABC family's “Secret Life of the American Teenager”. She also happens to be my writing partner. (We are writing the world’s greatest, funniest, raunchiest most heart felt female comedy of all time)****

She got here just in time to put the dish in the oven and open up some wine. She's not really 16. I hope. I wasn't sure what flavor of wine goes well with vegan bean dip so, just to be safe, I opened both a red and a white.
 
After 30 minutes, we took out our bean dip and sat down to eat with a bag of organic corn chips. We were just about to dig in when Megan, who is severely lactose intolerant asked if there was milk protein in the soy cheese. I said slightly condescendingly, "Uh no way Megan its SOY cheese." But she told me in a very non-condescending tone because she is really the adult in our relationship, apparently just because it says it’s soy cheese doesn't mean they don't get all sneaky and put in casein.
 
WHAT???? Who would do something like that?????
 
I guess you have to read the labels.


This soy cheese has Casein in it! IE NOT VEGAN!!

This vegan Daiya cheese does not! IE TOTALLY VEGAN!!
 
So we just pulled back the not so fake fake mozzerella for Megan and she ate the yummy goodness below.

 

It was a truly awesome dish. We were going to make an entrée, but we got too full on the chips we ate with the bean dip and the  ass load of chips we ate before while the bean dip was in the oven.
 
In conclusion I say this is a great recipe for anyone who is a cheater like me and wants to make something delicious to redeem  themselves.
 
I give it two "yums" up.
 
And will try to hold steadfast and not let you, my best friends down ever again.
 
*i am not ALWAYS in my underwear. just USUALLY.
** watch the video from blog 2. The beagle comment will make more sense
*** Meredith is assisting a very fancy actress named Octavia Spencer who was in The Help and was on “Late Night with Jay Leno” the other night. She made a pie made of poop in the Help so they gave her a pie not made of poop for being on the show. Meredith took one home because it was from Jay Leno. He doesn't like it when you turn him down. Or so I've heard....
****other than Bridesmaids. sigh.

***

Thank you Missi! Stay tuned for Missi’s next installment soon! What’s your favorite dish to make when you want to indulge, kind-style?

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There are so many tiny ways we can make a difference that it can be easy to go through daily life without ever noticing some.  Several years ago, I was appearing on a radio show and the host was getting all worked up because there was this story going around the Internet about Sheryl Crow encouraging people to only use one square of toilet paper.  I later learned that she made the comment in a joking, light-hearted way, but I defended her at the time, saying that I’m sure she was just encouraging people to think in new ways about how much paper they use.  Sure enough, if you see what she said in context, that’s exactly what it turned out to be.  She obviously wasn’t being literal, but it got me wondering… And, I have to admit, I’ve thought about it either consciously or subconsciously nearly every day since. 

Now, of course I buy the eco-friendly, recycled kind of toilet paper, but if I’m not paying attention, my instinct is almost always to grab a fistful more than I need.  It’s so easy to forget!  It’s like a reflex I haven’t fully broken.  I’ll always have the urge to grab about six squares if I’m not thinking.  Really?  Is that necessary for a little pee?

All it takes is a bit of mindfulness to refrain from grabbing a huge handful.  I’m trying to get better at this myself, so I invite us all to try and use less.  Instead of yanking off a whole wad, let’s try just three squares – like in that “Seinfeld” episode.  OK, four if you really must!

What do you think?  Is it do-able?  Do you think we can really change our bathroom habits (after all, it’s been a while since most of us have potty trained)?  I’m game to try if you are!

I just fell in love again with the nishime (ni-shee-may) recipe from my book- well, I never really fell out of love with it except when I was pregnant. It’s a traditional macrobiotic vegetable dish and though I couldn’t eat one bite of it during my entire pregnancy, just a few weeks ago I started finding it delicious again!  I’m just so happy with how it tastes – it makes me feel so balanced and nourished- sooo good for winter.

If you haven’t tried nishime, it’s on page 273 of The Kind Diet. It’s especially nourishing to the stomach, spleen and pancreas. It’s so, so good for you and very superhero - but also, it’s just yum!

Eat it often!

What’s your favorite superhero comfort food?

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