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Happy Valentine's Day
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Feb 11, 2010


Valentine’s day ....

Valentine's day history is not set in stone, but Pope Gelasius declared February 14th a day of celebration in honor of Saint Valentine in the year 496.  Over time, it evolved into a holiday of love.  Now, V-day is a nearly $17 billion industry (crazy, right?).  And while it is fun to spend dollars on your significant other, friends, etc. on the 14th, it doesn't have to cost a penny!  And those non-material gifts (like a cute and sweet letter, bike ride together, picnic, photos, videos, etc...) are the most green and often most memorable.

I remember the first Valentine's Day that my husband and I spent together!  We weren't veg yet.  For dessert, I knew he liked pears, so I made him a pear dessert.  Check out the new and improved pear dessert in the superhero section of The Kind Diet!  It is perfect to make on Valentine's Day!

But back to the gift front...there's no denying that flowers will be given like crazy.  And I know I've talked about this before, but I'll say it again, you must go organic...sooooo much better for the world.  Regular flowers are laden with tons of chemicals (insecticides, fungicides, growth regulators) to achieve perfect flower status.  Most of these things have been banned in the US, but most flowers are imported from other countries where the chemicals are not regulated.  The chemicals in these flowers can be over 1000 times greater than in food products...and no, you won't be eating them, and that's a good thing, but they will be in your life and you will be smelling them.  Not to mention how bad these toxins are for the workers that grow them!  I think you get the point....try for local, organic flowers from your farmer's market, or google away for what is near you and check out localharvest.org/organic-flowers.jsp. In New York, I love Gardenia Organic Flower Shop!

And a few great sites I love are:

Organicbouquet.com
Organicflowers.com
Californiaorganicflowers.com
Diamondorganics.com

And of course, you could always grow your own... try seedsofchange.com.


I also found a couple cute gifts on girliegirlarmy.com. Look how cute this pillow is (pictured above)!  It’s from Alexandra Ferguson Pillows. And this nightie (pictured below)! This organic one is from Perfectly Impertfect Venus Lace Nighty @ embodies.com.

And check out my gift blog for these healthy for the world chocolates, candles, and cards. You can also make desserts from The Kind Diet as gifts, and wrap them up all nicely, like I blogged about a couple weeks ago. One of my work partners just had a valentine card-making little gathering with friends... her and her friends are super crafty and they just used all their art supplies they already had like beads and watercolors, and ribbon, and magazines and made their own valentines.

If you're going to be sending treats and chocolates, Allison's Gourmet makes the nicest gifts.  I love her peanut butter cups, brownies, and peanut brittle.  SO yummy!  www.allisonsgourmet.com

Here is a link to greenlagirl.com, and Green LA Girl's super sweet V-day card recommendations: http://greenlagirl.com/eco-friendly-valentines-day-cards/.

Great ways to be eco and Valentine's Day friendly include: showering with your partner... fun AND saves water, bedroom activities with the lights out... saves energy.  More on green love at eartherotics.com or treehugger.com (search "how to green your sex life").

Let me know what you are planning for your Valentine’s Day!

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  • Pia
  • Feb 13, 2010
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Just had the most amazing treat last nt! I LOVE marshmallows & I found the most wonderful toasted coconut vegan marshmallows at my local Whole Foods! They are handmade by a company called Sweet & Sara based in New York (www.sweetandsara.com). If you have a sweet tooth like I do, you will thank me!  :-) While they were a bit pricey, they are incredible (and even better than "regular" marshmallows!) I cannot wait to try the other selections I saw at Whole Foods...yum! Happy Valentine's Day to me!
I made the Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies in heart shapes for Valentine's Day.  My husband and I loved them, my husband said they were better than the non vegan sugar cookies that I used to make and I love that they don't have butter or eggs!  Soooo good! Thanks!
I made the chocolate peanut butters cups for Valentine's Day and they are sooo good! The one problem I had is that the peanut butter was very liquid when I poured the chocolate on top and the chocolate sunk into it rather than covering the peanut butter. Do you usually let the peanut butter set-up a little bit before pouring on the chocolate? I also made really beautiful VEGAN heart shaped linzer cookies that were delicious if you want to check them out, the recipe and photos are on my blog. Love your book and your blog! Great job on Oprah, you were informative and also really funny :) Sincerely, Kelly http://realveghousewifeofnj.blogspot.com
oh my gosh!  love that pillow~~~
I made peanut butter treats on Sunday, too. They are delicious! I am looking forward to trying some superhero foods and learning a different way to cook even though I have been vegan for several years!
One of my mahjongg partners told me about http://www.SeasonedLover.com which sells organic lotions and phtalate free intimate products. I never even knew that there was such a thing. When I found out what phthalates were I was aghast. I had no idea that there were so many chemicals in adult products. It was a big learning experience for me and my husband. People just don't think about chemicals in the things they use. They usually only think of food.
I also made vegan brownies that I cut into heart shapes once they had baked. They were fabulous! I dusted them with some confectionary sugar and they were a big hit! Great idea!
seedsavers.org is my favorite place for buying seeds... Check it out!

viktoria!
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tuna salad (kinda) by eco-vegan gal!
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Feb 5, 2010
I just had to share this!  Eco-Vegan Gal made my Tuna Salad (Kinda) recipe, and loved it!  She made the cutest video of her actually making the meal, and then her reaction after she ate it.  



This is such a yummy recipe, and it’s Superhero!  I like to put mine on toast, but you can put it on anything you like. Don’t be mislead, it contains no tuna... I call it “Tuna Salad (Kinda)” just cause!



In case you didn’t catch the recipe in the video, here it is:



SERVES 4



INGREDIENTS
1 8-ounce package of tempeh

1 red onion, minced

1/4 cup umeboshi vinegar

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/2 carrot, chopped

1/2 cup fresh or frozen and thawed corn kernels

1/3 cup fresh or frozen and thawed peas

1/2 small cucumber, chopped (peel only if the cucumber is not organic)

1/4 cup chopped kosher dill pickles

1 tablespoon Veganaise

1/2 tablespoon Dijon or stone-ground mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

1 tablespoon drained capers

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley



STEPS
Bring water to a boil in a pot fitted with a steamer basket.

Cut the tempeh in half, and place in the steamer basket.

Steam for 20 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.  

Add the onion, and boil for 10 to 15 seconds (if you dig raw onion, you can skip this step)

Use a strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the onion to a mixing bowl.

Keep the water boiling in the pot on the stove.

Add the vinegar to the onions, stir well, and set aside to marinate for 30 minutes.

While the onion marinates, blanch the celery, carrots, corn, and peas in the reserved boiling water for 10 seconds each, scooping them into a mixing bowl as each vegetable is done.  

Set aside to cool.

Drain the marinate onions through a sieve, and rinse quickly under running water.

Squeeze the excess liquid from the onions, and add to the bowl with the vegetables.

Cut the cooled tempeh into small cubes, and add to the bowl along with the cucumber, pickles, Veganaise, mustard, lemon juice, and dill.
Stir well to combine.

Serve topped with capers and parsley.


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more weight loss success stories!
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Feb 1, 2010

Hi everyone - hope you all had a great weekend!  I found a few weight loss success stories on the site from users who have been following The Kind Diet, and I just had to share!  These stories are so inspiring, and just make me so happy!

Kind Life member Jenny Morgan wrote about the success that she has had since starting The Kind Diet as her New Year's resolution! She wrote:

"Hi Everyone! Yesterday was my 7th day of going full Vegan. I had been Vegetarian for a little over a year and my new years resolution was to commit to 30 days of Veganism. I've been following the eating guidelines from Alicia's book and feel fantastic! I was very addicted to cheese before and I dont miss it one bit! 

The first 2 days I was craving cheese, but since then, I've been fantastic! My energy level is up, my skin is clearer, and I just feel happier. Today is day 8 and I woke up and stepped on the scale. In the first 7 days of going Vegan I have lost 3.2 pounds! I'm still getting 1200-1600 cals a day, eating healthy fats (Evoo, avocado), whole grains (quinoa, ezekiel sprouted grain products) and I'm eating about 7-8 servings of veggies a day! I'm loving this and very happy I made the decision to go Vegan. I will keep you updated on my progress."

So happy for you, Jenny!  Please let us know how your 30 days went!

Another Kind Lifer, e.greenleaf, wrote about her success as a Superhero:

"I just lost another 2lbs following the Superhero Diet.  This is the lowest weight I've been in 2 years!  And last summer, I was a total nut going to the gym 6x a week and doing cardio for at least an hour. I haven't done an ounce of painful exercise, aside from long walks with my dog, and I'm eating!  And I'm also not hungry!  More results to follow...."

Yahoo!! So excited for you e.greenleaf!  Please keep us up to date with how things are going.

Kind Lifer Jill has also had some amazing results as a Superhero:

"I'm amazed by the weight loss I've experienced since going to macrobiotic.  I started 5 days ago and have lost 6 of the 8 pounds I've been trying to take off for the past 3 months, unsuccessfully.  I've been vegetarian for many years up until now, but always ate dairy.  I've now been eating lots of whole grains, veggies and nuts and drinking tea and water (gave up diet soda and coffee).  I'm hoping the weight loss continues because I have at least 10 more pounds I want to lose.  Would love to hear about other people's experiences with this and advice."

Yay Jill!!  So happy that this way of life is working for you!

Thank you all for sharing your stories!  You are all so inspiring, and I am just so happy for all of you!

If any of you have stories like this, please post them to your profile pages or in the forum and flag them as "Cool".  I love sharing them on the website.

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artichoke, mushroom, and leek crostini with pesto
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 29, 2010

 

Laura Linney and I cooked up some of my favorite recipes from The Kind Diet the other day for The Oprah Show.  Of course I had to make this crostini dish! 

It’s ridiculously good... Great to serve at your next party, or just to make for a nice dinner at home!  The best part is that you can use the leftover pesto and artichoke spread for sandwiches and other meals long after the crostini have been eaten!  I urge you to make these... And then let me know how much you love them!



You can watch the video of Laura and I making these crostini HERE.

And if you missed it, you can check out the whole Oprah episode HERE. 

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin

2 teaspoons shoyu

Salt

3-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 cups thinly sliced leek
2 cups sliced button mushrooms



ARTICHOKE SPREAD
1 can whole, water-packed artichoke hearts, drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2-1 teaspoon umeboshi vinegar



PESTO
1 cup fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup raw pine nuts

1/4 cup lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons umeboshi vinegar

1/4 cup olive 
oil
4-6 slices whole grain baguette

Finely chopped flat leaf parsley

STEPS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the oil, vinegar, mirin, shoyu and 2 pinches of salt in a skillet over medium heat.

Add the garlic, leek, and mushrooms.

Cover the pan and when you hear sizzling, gently shake the skillet, holding the lid in place.

Reduce the heat to low and braise until the leek is quite tender and deeply browned (5-10 minutes).

Remove the lid and allow any remaining liquid to cook off.

Remove from heat and stir gently to combine.
Blend the artichoke hearts, olive oil, and umeboshi vinegar in a food processor until smooth.

Remove from the food processor and set aside.
Blend the basil, pine nuts, lemon juice, umeboshi vinegar, and oil in the food processor until smooth.

Adjust seasonings to taste.

Brush the bread lightly with oil on both sides.

Arrange the bread on a baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt.

Bake until the bread is lightly browned and crispy at the edges.
Spread the artichoke mixture on the bread, mound the leek mixture generously on top, and finish with a dollop of pesto and a sprinkle of parsley.  

Serve and enjoy!

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desserts from the kind diet as gifts!
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 25, 2010

I'm always on the lookout for new ideas for creative gift-giving. A while ago I decided I would start baking treats from my book to give to people as gifts!  They make very yummy gifts, and it adds that personal touch that I just love!  



Recently I made Lemon-Poppy Seed Poundcake Muffins, Chocolate-Dipped Shortbread Cookies, Oatmeal, Walnut and Dried Plum Cookies and Coffee Fudge Brownies.  Yum!  



I used baskets and wrapping paper from things that I've saved from past gifts, so it's all eco friendly/reused stuff.  Then I printed out the recipes (on recycled paper!) and included those along with the baked goods.  They made the cutest and tastiest gifts!  



What are some gifts you like to give people that include that personal touch?

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radicchio pizza with truffle oil
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jan 8, 2010
I first learned how to make this pizza from my friend Liz. She used a super groovy organic, sourdough spelt crust from Berkshire Mountain Bakery in Woodstock, NY.  Really, any whole grain crust will do.  Christopher and I went to visit her at her amazing home in Woodstock.  She picked us up from the train station with treats that she made for us; nori rolls with endive and walnuts (recipe to come!).  She took us on a hike... then we all drove to the Woodstock Animal Sanctuary.  It was a great day and night.

This pizza is perfect for dinner parties, or just a cozy night at home.  If you haven’t made this yet, I highly recommend it for flirts and vegans.  It is so good!   I haven’t had it in a little while, and would love some right about now!  My oven doesn’t work in New York, but I’m working on it, so hopefully I can cook this up soon.  Hope you like it!!

SERVES 2-4

INGREDIENTS
1 large head radicchio
Olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
White truffle oil, to taste
1 fresh pizza crust (preferably a healthy, whole grain one)

STEPS
Cut the radicchio in half, then slice each half crosswise into thin ribbons (as thin as possible).
Dress with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a few dashes of white truffle oil to taste.
Preheat the oven to 415 degrees Farenheight.
Toast the pizza crust in the oven for 7 minutes, or until it is heated through and slightly golden, but not crunchy.
Scatter the dressed radicchio over the pizza crust and return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes, until the radicchio is warm and just starting to wilt.
Serve immediately.


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maple-roasted lotus root, sunchokes, and leeks
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Dec 25, 2009
If you haven’t tried this dish yet, you must!  It is insanely good.  It is also perfect for the holidays!  If you can’t find lotus root in your local store, ask the store to start carrying it!  You can also buy dried lotus root...or just make the dish without it.  I made this the other night without the lotus root and it was still delicious.  This dish tastes so good, and is SO good for you!!! 



SERVES 4 to 6
 


INGREDIENTS
4” piece of lotus root (about 1/2 of a medium root), sliced into thin rounds
3 sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes), thinly sliced

2 small or 1/2 of a large, thick leek (white park only), sliced into thick half-moons
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon shoyu or 3 pinches fine sea salt

1 tablespoon maple syrup
 


STEPS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place all vegetables and garlic in a bowl.

Add the oil, and toss to coat.

Spread the veggies onto a baking sheet.

Roast the vegetables for 12 minutes, then sprinkle with the shoyu and syrup.

Stir to coat.

Return the vegetables to the oven, and roast an additional 10 minutes.

At this point, check to see if the vegetables are tender and becoming golden.

If not, return to the over for 5 to 10 minutes longer.

Serve warm.


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robert cheeke
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Nov 30, 2009

 

Check out vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke with all those books!  He was so sweet and came to see me when I was at Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon, and bought a bunch of copies of The Kind Diet for his family and friends.  So great!  

Robert is a super-star vegan, but he is also a motivational speaker, model, body builder and was featured in my book!  He travels a lot to promote the vegan bodybuilding lifestyle, and you might even be able to see him in your town.  Check out his tour schedule for more information.

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thanksgiving part 1
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Nov 17, 2009

 

Ok, I know the clock is ticking on this one, but I'm gonna try to give you great Thanksgiving info before the big day.  There is way more to come on this subject, but for now, I want to share some great pick-up options for those of you living in LA (and at the bottom, there's a little tidbit about NY) and some great veggie alternatives to a "regular" Thanksgiving.  It is completely possible to have the most delicious veggie Thanksgiving in the world. 

For pick-up in LA check out:

Real Food Daily - both locations, Santa Monica and West Hollywood, do a great Thanksgiving meal that you pick-up and take wherever you need to be.

Seed - in Venice has a Thanksgiving Bento Box…. haven’t tried that one, but I'm sure it's delicious. 

Here are my favorite veg-style alternatives to the Thanksgiving norm for you to use and make in your own kitchen (recipes are from The Kind Diet unless otherwise noted):

Gravy

I'm not a huge fan of the Tofurky turkey, but I do love their gravy!  It's great and so are the Tofurky sausages and Tofurky jerky…but that's beside the point.  I just wanted to show you that quick Thanksgiving pick-ups are possible in LA.  And maybe these menus will inspire you and give you some great ideas on what to make this year if you have time.

"Meats"/Proteins/Anti-Turkeys
Pecan-Crusted Seitan (pictured)
Seitan Picatta with White Wine and Capers
Ginger-Baked Tofu
Thanksgiving Tofu
Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew - fun side dish
Hijiki-Tofu Croquettes - fun side dish
Fruity French Lentils - fun side dish
Field Roast Sausages… and they have a Celebration Loaf (not from The Kind Diet)
Gardein brand turkey slices or any of their scallopini-style "meats" (not from The Kind Diet)

Vegetable Dishes
Sicilian Collards with Pine Nuts and Raisins (pictured)
Baby Bok Choy Drizzled with Ume Vinaigrette (pictured)
Cuban-Style Roasted Sweet Potatoes - I like to use the white sweet potatoes, the yams, but you might want to use the orange/garnet yams for the holidays.
Scarlet Roasted Vegetables
Maple-Roasted Lotus Root, Sunchokes and  Leeks
Artichoke Dip - fun dip

Bready Things
Whole Wheat Biscuits
Pumpkin Bread
Arame Turnovers - yummy appetizer

Desserts
Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips
Oatmeal, Walnut, and Dried Plum Cookies
Peach Crumble - but use apples or pears instead to make it more seasonal
Candied Ginger Pears
Plum Soup - use winter fruit variation

Beverages
Warm Spicy Wine
Hot Chocolate

And for things like butter, milk, marshmallows, and whipped cream, use alternatives.  Use Earth Balance butter, non-dairy milk, non-dairy whipped creams, non-dairy cheese, like the one from Field Roast (put it into a fresh arugula salad with beets.... yum!).  And for marshmallows to use on your sweet potatoes, you can get Suzanne's brand Ricemellow fluff from M Cafe (some specialty stores carry them as well).  Or you can order it from http://www.suzannes-specialties.com.

Just remember that anything you want for Thanksgiving is possible and can be delicious.  Name something you can't find and we will tell you what to do to replace it.  I'm certain though that with these meat options, anything your imagination craves for Thanksgiving can be done!!! 

On a side note:

For those in NY, I have to tell you that I had one of the best Thanksgiving dinners of my life at Candle 79.  It was truly insane.  My husband was on tour with his old band S.T.U.N. and I met him in NY when he was playing there on tour.  We went to Candle.  It was all amazing, but the pumpkin cheesecake was the best thing ever.  I'm sure you can do Thanksgiving pick-ups from them.

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book launch in LA part 2
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Nov 16, 2009



Here is a short video showcasing my book launch event last month at the Stella McCartney store in West Hollywood.  I want to thank the following people and vendors for making this such an amazing experience:

Stella McCartney - thank you for being so generous and for helping make the event unforgettable.  You are amazing.

A Fine Frenzy - you guys are amazing!

All the delicious food and beverage vendors!! (Check out the menus we had at the event....insane!) Thank you Real Food Daily, M Cafe, Food Ink Catering, Cafe Flourish, Seedling Catering, Heirloom LA, Snowqualmie, Merchant du Vin, and Veev.

Nick Steinberg - for being an awesome DJ that night!  Nick has been in my life for a very long time.  He was in my husband's old band, S.T.U.N. and is in his new band, The Bathroom Murders.

David Faller - for shooting and editing the footage and being the only camera in there.  I'm so grateful.

Thank you Megan and Erin for being my behind-the-scenes Elfs.

Lexus Hybrid Living and Ecotools - thank you for being our sponsors and for making the event such a success.

Chris Murphy -  for playing violin as people entered..... very romantic!

It was such an amazing evening.... and it happened awhile ago now, but I wanted to share this video with you so you could see the vibe that night... and the food!  The menus are a good indication of what is around in LA if you are visiting or live here.  I hope you enjoy this...

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