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I first had this at a party about 10 years ago. That recipe was my inspiration for this healthier version.

We like to make this for football games. My husband Christopher is a huge Cleveland Browns fan. They never really win but he always roots for them. He dresses our pit bull in a Browns shirt during the games! Super cute.

Reminder: this recipe doesn't belong in the superhero family but it's loads better than what you usually find in party dips. When I shared this on The View the ladies loved it. Bottom line - this dip is clean dirty fun....

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce can refried beans
• 3 large avocados
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 8-ounce containers nondairy sour cream
• 1 packet taco seasoning I use Bearitos but if you are avoiding all white sugar make your own mix with chili powder ground cumin onion powder hot paprika or cayenne and salt
• 1/2 cup diced mild green chiles drained
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives or more if you like 
• 5 tomatoes chopped
• 2 cups shredded vegan Cheddar cheese

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spread a layer of refried beans in the bottom of an 8 inch by 8 inch quart glass baking dish.
3. Pit and peel the avocados and place in a bowl.
4. Mash the avocados together with the lime juice and spread on top of the refried beans.
5. Stir together the sour cream and taco seasoning and spread over the avocado.
6. Sprinkle the chiles over the sour cream and top with a layer of black olives.
7. Add the tomatoes and sprinkle with the cheese.
8. Heat the dip for 15-30 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is a bit melted.
9. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Do you guys have any kind snack ideas for the game this weekend?

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Here’s what we made:

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For the burger we used Boca brand patties. In general I prefer handmade veg burgers to the prepackaged frozen kind but these are convenient when you need them quickly or want to bring them to a BBQ. If you're looking for something to bring to a party the Cheesy Oozy Guacamole Bean Dip from The Kind Diet also makes excellent game fare.

What are your favorite brands of veg burgers? Do you have a favorite frozen kind? Share in the comments below and don’t forget to tell me what you plan to eat for Super Bowl Sunday!

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When I need makeup for work for a fun night out or for a business meeting I want the stuff that will make me look my best! There are soooo many makeup options out there in the world… it’s almost enough to drive a woman crazy.

The good news is that by having specific requirements for what kind of makeup or any of your beauty products you will use really narrows down the playing field and can make finding the perfect makeup less overwhelming.

I feel that I have really done my research living this way for so many years and having so many make-up artist friends help me sort through the endless companies out there to find the ones that perform the best. I’ve been lucky enough to have Robert Steinken a fabulous hair and make-up artist and Kara Yoshimoto another great make-up artist help me out on my search.

Just beware cause some natural companies have some seriously not cute and sometimes downright scary looking metallic colored products. Some companies that I mention in my lists as my favorites might make other products that aren’t that great.  Just because I love a certain brand’s concealer doesn’t mean that their eye shadows won’t be really scary and metallic…  So just be careful! The best thing to do is go test out products at green stores or Whole Foods to find the best ones for you.

Now remember with great diet most of the time I don’t wear any makeup and still feel pretty and fresh… And you should feel that way too!  But I know it’s fun to get all done up sometimes so here we go with my list.  These are my favorites in makeup… What are yours?  I’d love to hear about what you guys use and love.

Foundation

I usually just use Zuzu Luxe Concealer instead of foundation and just do spot treatments instead of covering my whole face.  When I’m working I usually need the heavier stuff for the camera.  But I haven’t found a foundation that I swear by so I need your recommendations!  I like Kiss My Face Tinted Moisturizer a lot but when I read the ingredients it seems kind of unnatural to me so I wonder why not just use the icky regular stuff? I think it’s better than the regular stuff but not sure how much. These foundations seem like good options and please let me know what you use!

• Suki Tinted Active Moisture
• Bare Minerals SPF 15 Foundation

Mascara

I love all of these but remember we are looking for better choices.  I don’t think that any of these are perfect... But I do know that they are way better than Maybelline and all of those other regular brands out there on the market.  But just a warning… some of these mascaras contain beeswax and some have parabens.  It sucks but it’s true.  So you have a couple of options: You can opt to wear no mascara at all or you can use one of these ones below and be thrilled that these companies are at least doing a better job than all of the other icky companies out there!  That said all of these work great!! And I love that they are to my knowledge the most natural ones out there.

-La Bella Donna Mineral Mascara

Ingredients: Silk Ceramide 2 and mineral pigments.
Yes this is made with silk it’s true.  But I’m grateful that it appears to be a less nasty option than most mascaras on the market.

-Gabriel Cosmetics Mascara 

Ingredients: Deionized Water Carnuba Wax Stearic Acid Panthenol Tocopherol Acetate Iron Oxides Ultramarines Cellulose Gum Grapeseed Extract.

-Zuzu Luxe Mascara

Ingredients: Aqua infusion of aloe barbadensis leaf juice cellulose gum sorbitol stearic acid cetearyl alcohol lecithin panthenol sea fennel extract tocopheryl acetate eyebright extract xanthan gum iron oxides hectorite titanium dioxide potassium sorbate
A note about cetearyl alcohol:  watch out because sometimes it can be made from animal ingredients.  In this mascara its made from vegetable sources but if you can try and check with the company to make sure it comes from a plant.

-Ecco Bella FlowerColor Natural Mascara

Ingredients: Purified water carnauba wax palmitic acid from palm oil clay methylparaben propylparaben iron oxides.
They use parabens which is a bummer.

-Josie Maran Mascara 
Ingredients: White Beeswax Carnauba Wax Polyisobutene Isododecane Propylene Carbonate Quaternium-18 Hecorite Olea Europaea Olive Oil Isoeicosane Glycine Soja Soybean Oil Argania Spinosa Argan Oil Simmondsia Chinenesis Jojoba Oil Linseed Oil Phenoxyethanol Hexylene Glycol Caprylyl Glycol. May Contain: Iron Oxides Black Iron Oxides Mica
This one contains beeswax and other not-so-natural stuff.

-Aveda Mascara Plus Rose 
Ingredients: Carnauba wax Natural beeswax Rose Carnauba Copernicia cerifera

These are the ingredients that are most commonly found in non-vegan makeup products so look out for these and try and avoid them if you can:

• Carmine or cochineal - coloring made from ground insect
• Lanolin – sheep fat
• Beeswax/pollen/bee products
• Lard  -  pig fat
• Tallow -  beef fat
• Parabens
• Lactose/ lactalbumin
• Milk/Whey products
• Propolis - a mixture that bees use to seal their beehives
• Elastin from cows
• Hyaluronic acid  - animal connective tissue

Concealer

-Ecco Bella FlowerColor Coverup: I use this under my eyes
Ingredients: Castor Oil Isopropyl Palmitate from palm oil Candellia Wax Beeswax Organic Calendula Oil Organic Chamomile Oil Organic Jojoba oil !00 IU Vitamin E Titanium Dioxide Flower wax iron oxides
This one has beeswax in it which is a bummer but true.  However this product is way better than the regular concealers out there and it works great.

-Zuzu Luxe Concealer: I use this one as spot treatment on my face instead of foundation.
Ingredients: Deionized water Squalane Cetyl Alcohol Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Kaolin Glyceryl Stearate Stearic Acid Cetyl Esters Lecithin Polysorbate 20 Xanthan Gum Simenthicone Grapeseed Extract


Powder

I love both of these

-La Bella Donna Loose Mineral Foundation
Ingredients: Micronized Titanium Dioxide SPF 20 non chemical sunblock Bismuth Oxychloride has anti inflammatory properties Zinc Oxide has anti inflammatory properties Iron Oxides the source of color

-Bare Minerals Mineral Veil Finishing Powder
Ingredients: Corn Starch Zinc Stearate Magnesium Stearate Iron Oxides

Blush

I love these they are all very pretty.

-La Bella Donna Compressed Mineral Blush: I’m loving this one right now!!!
Ingredients: Micronized Titanium Dioxide SPF 20 non chemical sunblock Bismuth Oxychloride has anti inflammatory properties Zinc Oxide has anti inflammatory properties Iron Oxides the source of color



 -Bare Minerals Blush 
Ingredients: Mica Bismuth Oxychloride Titanium Dioxide Iron Oxides Carmine

-Gabriel Cosmetics Blush
Ingredients: Mica Cetyl Palmitate Silica Kaolin Zinc Stearate Jojoba Seed OilCaprylic/Capril Triglyceride Lecithin Sea Fennel Extract Tocopherol Iron Oxides Titanium Dioxide

-Dr. Hauschka Rouge Powders: I have used this blush for years but now I am in love with my  La Bella Donna blush and I think that this is the least natural of the bunch
Ingredients: Talc Kaolin a white clay Diatomaceous Earth/Solum Diatomeae Magnesium Stearate  Anthyllis Vulneraria Extract Rosa Gallica Rose Flower Extract Simmondsia Chinensis Jojoba Seed Oil Hamamelis Virginiana Witch Hazel Extract Silk/Serica Powder Mica Salvia Officinalis Sage Leaf Extract Camellia Sinensis Black Tea Leaf Extract Fragrance/Parfum Essential Oil Citronellol Geraniol Linalool a chemical found in flowers and plants Citral Eugenol Silica Tocopherol Vitamin E Ascorbyl Dipalmitate Carmine/CI 75470Tin Oxide Iron Oxides Titanium Dioxide/CI 77891 Ultramarines/CI 77007

Lip Liner

If anyone has an amazing lip liner please let me know!  I need one for work.  Seeking vegan natural great looking lipliner. These ones on my list are great though but if you have suggestions I’d love to hear.

-Ecco Bella Lip Liner Pencils
Ingredients: Hydrogenated palm kernel glycerides hydrogenated palm glycerides hydrogenated coconut oil microcrystalline wax carmine japan wax carnauba wax hydrogenated castor oil titanium dioxide sorbitan palmitate stearalkonium hectorite iron oxide


-Hemp Organics Lip Liner in Spice
Ingredients: Organic coconut oil organic sunflower oil organic hemp seed oil organic jojoba oil carnauba wax japan wax natural vitamin E vegetable stearic acid iron oxide titanium dioxide

Lip Gloss

-La Bella Donna Lip Sheer 
Ingredients: Micronized titanium Dioxide non-chemical sun block SPF 20 Iron Oxides the source of color Bismuth Oxychloride anti-inflammatory properties Zinc Oxide anti-inflammatory properties soothing to the skin

-Jane Iredale PureGloss for Lips
Ingredients: Bis-Diglyceryl Polyaclydipate-2 Grape Seed Extract Jojoba Esters Green Tea Leaf Extract Ginger Root Oil Pomegranite Extract Coconut Oil Palm Oil Soybean Oil Flavor Tocopherol Ascorbyl Palmitate Bisabolol

-Perfect Organics Vegan Lip and Cheek Shimmer in Sydney
Ingredients: Organic Argan Oil Organic Shea Butter Organic Macadamia Nut Oil Organic Aloe Vera


-Boscia Jujube Salve Stick
Ingredients: Jujube Fruit Macadamia Nut Oil Willoherb Licorice Jojoba Oil Botanical Squalane Jojoba leaf


-Gabriel Cosmetics Lip Gloss
Ingredients: Castor Oil Isopropyl Palmitate Bisabolol Candelillia Wax Glycine Shea Butter Jojoba Oil Wheat Gern Glycerides Aloe Vera Extract Chamomile Extract Jojoba Esters Grapeseed Extract Bixane Herb Iron Oxides Mica Titanium Dioxide St. John’s Wort Extract   

Lip Balm

I used to love Desert Essence Lip Rescue in Shea Butter but I found out that it has beeswax in it! So my new favorite is Lisa Ann Skin Care Lip Therapy: Vegan.  If your order some just make sure to ask for the vegan one because she has some lip balms that contain beeswax.

I also like Kiss My Face Strawberry Lip Balm but that one has beeswax in it too which is a bummer…but Lisa Ann’s is amazing so that wins for me.  No more Kiss My Face or Desert Essence Lip Balm for me.

Eyeshadow

-Zuzu Luxe Eye Shadow: Beware cause some of their colors are scary… but some are great
Ingredients: Mica Zinc Stearate Jojoba Oil Zinc Oxide Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Titanium Dioxide Iron Oxides Ultra Marines Grapeseed Extract

-Dr. Hauschka Eye Shadow 
Ingredients: Talc a mineral Magnesium Stearate magnesium salt Simmondsia Chinensis Jojoba Seed Oil Rosa Damascena Rose ExtractSilk/Serica Powder Diatomaceous Earth/Solum Diatomeae Silica Anthyllis Vulneraria Extract Hamamelis Virginiana Witch Hazel Extract Camellia Sinensis Black Tea Leaf Extract Fragrance/Parfum Essential Oil Citronellol Geraniol Linalool a chemical found in flowers and plants Citral Eugenol Tocopherol Vitamin E Ascorbyl Dipalmitate Mica Ferric Ferrocyanide the inorganic of salt Carmine/CI 75470 red coloring Iron Oxides Titanium Dioxide naturally occurring oxide of titanium Ultramarines pigments composed of sodium

-Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Platonic: This is great for all-over-the-eye shimmer and a cool vegan dude created this company 
Ingredients: Mica Titanium Dioxide Iron Oxides Ferric Ferrocyanide D&C Red 7D&C Yellow 5FD&C Blue 1
I’m not excited about the red yellow and blue ingredients… that’s scary.

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I found this great video on Girlie Girl Army and wanted to share! It provides a really nice summary of how cosmetics companies are continuing to put cancer-linked chemicals in everything from shampoo to lipstick. This video is really cool if you have never learned about why products are not safe – if you are a natural cosmetic “flirt” if you will!

If you are still buying mainstream cosmetics you should know that there are great alternatives to be found. You can find my recommendations for natural makeup here and you can also find some of my favorite beauty products in my OpenSky store. One of the best ways you can fight for laws that would regulate cosmetics is to boycott the bad stuff and use your dollar to vote for what is natural and good. I think you can make a huge difference that way!

Anywho if you’re not using healthy eco-friendly cosmetics already definitely watch this!

What are some of your favorite cosmetics brands?

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I love it!! This book opened doors to another world for me.  I especially liked the diversity of characters he met. They gave me a glimpse of another life. - Jill

One year ago I spent three weeks in India staying in Mumbai/Bombay before heading north to Panchgani.  The very beginning of the book with the author’s vivid descriptions takes me there again. His descriptions of the smells of Bombay have returned me to a place full of hope and spiritual living… - Yogini

I am not quite finished this book yet but I wanted to get in on the discussion before it closed. At first this book was a bit difficult to get into for me not sure why because now I can't get enough. I am practally falling asleep before I can put it down I want to find out more but my eyes won't let me. So far an awesome read and I can't wait to finish and find out what happens. Since I love this book so much I am going to go out and get all the book club books and read them all. Thank you Alicia for sharing your books with us kind lifers. - Amanda

Thanks to everyone who shared their comments about Shantaram! What books would you like to read next? Share your ideas in the comments below. 

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So after my last trip to an acupuncture doctor turned into the nightmare I described in my last post I checked in with my friend mentor and all-around rock star Christina Pirello to share my frustration and get the lowdown on just what does and doesn’t work about acupuncture.  

As usual she brought some serious knowledge to the subject. Here’s what she said…

“Acupuncture is not massage. It’s not recreational and it’s not designed to relax you or serve in the same capacity as massage. It’s a brilliant form of natural non-invasive medicine that can relieve acute symptoms of illness injury or disease. Chinese medicine’s approach to illness differs greatly from our western view hinging on the concept of energy balance and the life force called chi or ki. In much the same way as western doctors look at blood vessels the medicine of acupuncture looks at energy pathways that run through the body called meridians.

The thinking behind acupuncture is that disease is caused by a blockage or a stagnation somewhere along a meridian. The concept of acupuncture holds that inserting fine needles into certain points along meridians will stimulate the flow of energy unblocking the stagnation that is at the root of the problem. 

Acupuncture is used generally for serious chronic or acute symptoms that are causing physical discomfort and in my view acupuncture is not to be used lightly. It is strong and while not invasive quite powerful.   What’s great about acupuncture is that it can change a condition quickly if it’s the right treatment for the right condition. The thing is that the body likes habits even when those habits are not good for us.  So many times an acupuncturist has to do several treatments to get the body’s energy to stay shifted so to speak and prevent it from heading on back into the same imbalance that got you in trouble in the first place.

Acupuncture is great for people who eat animal food because they are more prone to energy blockage and stagnation than people who eat a plant-based diet. Our energy tends to move more freely within the body although we can see weakened and depleted energy from sugar…and then acupuncture can be helpful in strengthening that weak energy.

Often acupuncture is used for pregnant women whose nausea is taking over their lives. It can really help with that in a few treatments. It is helpful with any kind of acute or chronic body pain in muscles or joints. It can relieve stress and tension but usually is used in the time of disease. Moving energy can relieve pain kick start organs to do their jobs and promote vitality. It can’t stop muscle aches from working out cure anemia or cure cancer and in fact can be too strong for some cancers.  It’s strong medicine.

Some people for various reasons need supplements vitamins and things like acupuncture to move their energy and support health. But in most cases food will do the heavy lifting for creating health. With the exception of B-12 and D I am of the mind that we get what we need by eating well. 

Many pregnant women are slightly anemic.  That’s no biggie – after all there are 2 lives working here.  Just eat more greens and other iron rich foods. As a vegan you will always be what doctors call anemic because their standards are based on a meat eating population. And your blood work is perfect so that speaks for itself.

In the end acupuncture is to be used as medicine to treat acute or chronic symptoms. If people just want to feel relaxed and more vibrant then shiatsu is the way to go. It’s a deep enough massage-like technique that will move energy along meridians but will not be as strong and aggressive as acupuncture. 

In the end it’s all about how we fuel our bodies. The food we choose creates the health we enjoy…or don’t.”

Thank you Christina! How do all you kind lifers feel about acupuncture?

Photo Credit: Innerlight-Wellness

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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Thanks to everyone who entered. And I want to give a very special thank you to Kaeng Raeng for sponsoring The Kind Life. 

Don’t forget Kind Life readers can score 15 off a Kaeng Raeng cleanse with coupon code KINDLIFE15. But hurry the offer only goes through February 1!  

Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

The fast food mega-chain recently asked customers to tweet their favorite McDonald's stories using the hashtag McDStories and the campaign backfired in a big way.  there were no happy memories in sight- instead people tweeted their worst horror stories! Here are some examples:

After about an hour McDonald's pulled the plug on the Twitter campaign because their feed was flooded with negative hype.

This is kind of amazing – so many people eat there and seem to accept this establishment as normal so to have this happen is a huge win!

What do you think this means? How can so many people eat there daily if there is so much negative feedback – do you think times are a-changin?

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- Alicia

Hey Kind Life Readers!  Your response has been so overwhelming this month for Kaeng Raeng that I’m giving away another free 3-Day Beginner program this month.  Tried Kaeng Raeng before?  Enter to win one free!  Just share what you loved most about your detox experience.  Haven’t tried it yet?  You can’t miss this healthy and delicious way to jumpstart your healthier year. 

In case you haven’t heard Kaeng Raeng is an all natural meal replacement detox program designed to rid your body of harmful toxins jumpstart weight loss improve digestion bolster immunity and give you that natural vegan glow.  It’s super simple:  just drink one meal replacement pouch 3 times per day for 3 -6 days in addition to raw fruits and vegetables. KR contains no artificial colors flavors sweeteners or preservatives and no harsh chemicals. 

Want to know more about this vegan product and company?  Hear from founder and CEO Lindsay Reinsmith on the creating of Kaeng Raeng:

When we were finishing the formula for Kaeng Raeng we wanted to maintain the principles of a raw vegan diet but in a form that was convenient and easy for everyone.  We had some serious criteria for Kaeng Raeng and we think you’ll love the finished product.

We needed it to be FILLING.  So many detox programs are fasts that can leave you starving and cranky.  That’s why we include 13g of fiber 15g of non-gmo protein and 100 daily vitamin needs per serving – so you can have the fullness and energy you need to live your normal daily life. 

We needed it to be SUSTAINABLE.  It was a no-brainer that Kaeng Raeng would be vegan and have a low carbon footprint.  We use local ingredients buy our fruit directly from farmers in Northern California and we vet each of our suppliers for eco-friendly practices. 

We needed it to be ACCESSIBLE.  That means it’s suitable for most people’s dietary restrictions AND affordable.  Kaeng Raeng contains no gluten no nuts and no dairy or lactose.  It’s also in your price range; other luxury cleanses can cost 100/day. Kaeng Raeng starts at just under 15/day!

We needed it to be GENTLE.  With no stimulants or laxatives you can go about your normal daily life without interruption.

Don’t miss it!
 
Kind Life readers can score 15 off Kaeng Raeng with coupon code KINDLIFE15 expires 11:59 PST on Feb 1.

And remember if you want to win one just comment on what you loved best about Kaeng Raeng!

Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

More Vegan Adventures in Wonderland with Missi and Meredith. Aka The Vegan 15 Aka Seitan is not from Satan!

You'd think cutting out a lot of animal product from your diet would make you svelt and bodilicous. Well. Not if you are me. You see. It's not like there aren't a lot of options to choose from. It's just that A. I don't even know what most of them are- Umebochi? What the hell is that? Miso paste? Do you brush your teeth with it? Kobacha? Whatcha? And legumes. Ok I get it. Fancy word for BEANS. But you literally have to soak them over night. And B. I am such a ridiculous procrastinator I don't usually think about what I am going to eat until it is already half way down my esophagus. 

I tend to just go for the same not so scary vegan food that is on the counter all the time. potato chips. pita chips and hummos. corn chips and hummos. corn chips and salsa. corn chips and guacamole and hot fake cheese. Bread and pasta and more hot fake cheese and more corn chips.

And when you are out at a restaurant like the not so vegan one at jfk and you are starving and where literally the ONLY vegan thing on the menu is waffle fries. And its almost midnight and you've already had 2 glasses of wine you eat the waffle fries. 

Hence the Vegan 15... and matching muffin top.

It was in the quest for something delicious not scary and not muffin top-able that I came across this recipe.

Naughty Vegan Polenta & Seitan Casserole.

Seitan you are asking?? What the hell is Seitan? Well other than being naughty obviously it's basically wheat gluten. Or wheat meat. And its consistency is pretty dang close to that of say ground beef in a recipe.  Fake Ground beef? That doesn't sound too scary. But is it good? 

Well. Wait and see grasshopper. 

First you coat the bottom of a casserole dish with most of 1 qt of Marinara sauce. preferably home made. wow. really? no. we did not do that. we let someone over at whole foods make it. Then put it in a jar. shh..

Then you cook 1 package of polenta about 2 cups

 

and add a layer of it about 1/- 1/2 inch thick. just use half for first layer.  we kind of crumbled ours on there. which was hard on our fingers because it was hot and we are mildly retarded.

Then you spread half a package of seitan store bought. whew and spread evenly over the polenta. 

then another layer of polenta and the rest of the seitan.  You put the rest of the marinara on top. Then spread a nice layer of Daiya Mozzerella fake cheese on the top top. Garnish with oregano sea salt pepper evoo.

 

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

Open a nice bottle of red to keep you company while you wait.

 
Before you take this seitan dish out of the oven. Punish it for being so naughty by broiling the top for a few minutes to brown the "cheese".

Then wait for it to cool. Which is hard for us because Frank taught us waiting is for pussies.  

Then you put some in a bowl

 
and give it to your baby sister Meredith. 

 
Well. I am not sure that warm and creamy are going to take away my muffin top. But this dish IS delicious. and so NOT SCARY. its like polenta lasagna. But BETTER. seriously. by far the best thing we have made from Alicia's book. actually its not in the book. just on the website. maybe she should put it in the next book. Alicia?

Ok. 

Until we meet again remember no one goes to hell for getting naughty with seitan.

umeboshi are pickled ume fruits common in Japan.  apparently they are really sour and salty. still not doing it for me. but most vegans think they are super rad.

truly sorry for that pun

and that one. i should be punished

again. Sorry.

Missi has since updated me that she lost the extra weight by switching to lentil chips from Trader Joe's way fewer calories than corn chips. Now she says she can pretty much eat whatever veg food she wants without gaining weight. Yahoo! Stay tuned for Missi's next vegan adventure. 

What's your favorite "cheesy" vegan dish?

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I’ve always assumed that I get all the Vitamin D I need on a daily basis just from being out in the sun. Of course too much exposure can be harmful but living in sunny California gives me the chance on most days to soak up the sun while I’m out taking a walk gardening or getting to and from my car.  Sometimes I’ll just stop what I’m doing open my arms take a deep breath and really feel the sun on my face for a few relaxing minutes.

It wasn’t until some of you Kind Lifers inquired about Vitamin D recently that I decided to dig deeper into this subject and see if what I’d always thought was actually the truth. Do those short bursts of sunlight exposure really supply enough Vitamin D to those of us who live and work indoors in large polluted urban areas? And if not what’s the deal with supplements?  Are they helpful? And if they are what’s the proper dosage?  For these and other answers I decided to seek out perspectives from Dr. Neal Barnard and Christina Pirello both of whom walked me through the whole topic with their usual brilliance and clarity. Here’s what I learned: 

For starters let’s explain what Vitamin D is. In simple terms it’s a fat-soluble vitamin that our body manufactures when it’s exposed to the sun. It has a number of purposes but Vitamin D’s main job is to maintain the right balance of calcium and phosphorus in our blood help us to absorb enough calcium in our bones and in general to work with other vitamins at keeping our bones healthy and strong.

We don’t have to roast in the sun all day long to get a healthy daily dose of Vitamin D but we do have to get a good 10-15 minutes of direct sunlight to even approach our minimum requirements. But before you go thinking that a few trips back and forth to your car will do the trick keep in mind that this minimum exposure time will generally be higher for those of us who live in cities and areas where pollution cloud cover and other obstructions can block the vast majority of the sun’s UV rays.

If you’re getting out and exercising in the sun each day you’re taking a big step towards meeting your daily Vitamin D requirement in addition to all the other health benefits that regular exercise offers. But the sad truth is that a lot of us live in situations and areas where our exposure to sun is limited. Our access to sunshine can be affected and compromised by everything from latitude to climate to pollution to even our work schedules. In some cases physical characteristics like old age darker skin tones or very young breast-feeding infants have more difficulty getting enough Vitamin D as well. Because of any combination of these and other factors some of us Kind Lifers might not get as much Vitamin D as we should. If you think this might be the case with you it’s easy to have your doctor give you a simple blood test that can screen you for any vitamin and mineral deficiencies including Vitamin D.

The point is each of us has different individual needs. For me a plant-based diet and healthy lifestyle fulfills most of the nutritional requirements that others might use vitamin supplements to meet.  Most people should get about 1000 – 2000 IU of Vitamin D per day but if you belong to one of the more potentially Vitamin D-deficient groups mentioned above you may benefit from taking supplements.

As always it’s best to figure out your personal supplemental dosage in consultation with your doctor based on your specific deficiency levels. Or you can skip the blood test and take a small dosage of Vitamin D if you think you might need it since excess Vitamin D is not likely to do much harm other than making your liver work a little harder than necessary. If you do take supplements my sources tell me that the plant-based supplement D-2 is far more preferable and just as effective as D-3 which is not vegan.

How do you guys get your vitamin D? Do you have any favorite vitamin D-rich kind foods? 

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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.

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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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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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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Macrobiotic chef Marisa Marinelli recently shared how switching her diet cured her years-long struggle with Crohn’s Disease and Ulcertive Colitis. Check out her inspiring story:

Halfway through class I begin to struggle. I walk away from the ballet barre and sit down in the corner no longer able to ignore the unease and discomfort in my stomach. My Advanced Ballet III professor approaches me after class concerned about my behavior. "This might sound weird" I say to him "but I feel like I can't feel my stomach like it's numb." With a look of skepticism and obvious condescendence he replies with minimal sensitivity. "Well I just think you have a weak center."

That memory has always stuck with me; my professor even with his hint of arrogance was correct about my weak center. I was a 19-year-old college student training to become a professional dancer when I was diagnosed with an Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I wasn't aware of it at the time but the numbness I had been feeling was the beginnings of severe inflammation of the colon.

I have actually been told I'm lucky. It only took two colonoscopies for my doctor to say "Good news! You don't have Crohn's Disease it's only Ulcerative Colitis." If that's "luck" I wonder what winning the lottery is like. Having never heard of either disease at that time I couldn't understand how my life would never be the same.

It's been a seven-year journey ofstruggles and success but today I finally understand that my health was not a matter of "luck"- it was a matter of choice. I was fortunate enough to have learned about macrobiotics; to have the option to choose an alternative healing path I chose to heal.

After my diagnosis I suffered immensely for several years. Flare-ups would come and go monthly and I'd find myself in the hospital for weeks at a time. Severe diarrhea and vomiting caused me to loose so much weight and muscle mass. I had difficulty walking let alone dancing. I never knew what to eat and I was always in pain. My doctors would treat me with powerful harsh anti-inflammatory drugs to ease my bouts of illness.

I wouldn't offer a dose of prednisone to even my worst enemy. The side effects are torturous. I sacrificed whatever healthy organs I had left to prednisone. One year after my diagnosis I learned in addition to the ulcerative colitis I was one the 5 of all IBD patients in the world to develop a secondary reaction to the disease called Pyoderma Gangrenosum. In this rare instance inflammation is no longer contained in the colon; it is systemic.

Ulcers can begin to develop on my limbs. If ulceration grows into the bones the doctors would have no choice but to amputate that limb. Being that my case was so rare my doctor had never treated or met a patient with these conditions. Confused he believed that I was the worst case of ulcerative colitis he had ever seen.

Extreme high dosages of prednisone seemed to be necessary to put me into a temporary remission. Because I had a strong dancer's body I survived the first huge flare with all my limbs and no surgery. However a few months after I was off the drug I would relapse into the same cycle and find myself back in the hospital.

I feared that this drug-dependent life was the only choice I had. 

Surgery was never an option for me. Call me superficial but I wasn't willing to part with any of my body parts. Drugs were not the answer; they would only weaken my immune system and that's not something I'm willing to sacrifice. And who wants to take 20 pills a day for the rest of their life? Doctors could not offer me any other hope so I began to look for alternative options. Macrobiotics was my answer.

I became friends with a young girl who also suffered with ulcerative colitis.  She gave me a book to read called Controlling Crohn's Disease The Natural Way. The book is written by Virginia Harper a woman who healed her Crohn's disease through a macrobiotic-based diet and lifestyle. I read the book cover to cover in 2days. "This makes sense" I thought. "I have nothing left to loose so I might as well give it a try." I never imagined my body being "off balance." Can sea vegetables and brown rice really make a difference to my body? I found Virginia's Web site and contacted her for a consultation as soon as possible. Macrobiotics provided a new hope for me and a new life.

Nobody says change is easy.

Being from a first-generation Italian family food is a huge part of our culture. We love it and can't get enough of it. Pasta cheese and tomato sauce were my main food groups. If you didn't lick your plate clean Nonna or "grandmother" in Italian would chase you around the kitchen with that last bite on her spoon. I never thought about how food affected my body because I was always very thin and fit. When I told my family I was changing my diet drastically they had no idea how big of a change I intended.

With family and friends I suddenly became the "weird girl" who didn't eat meat or dairy. I'll never forget the time I went to the beach and a friend jokingly asked if " I was going to eat the seaweed for lunch?"  For someone who didn't want to change her diet in the first place it was very difficult to find motivation to keep on this path. Not only were the comments and sometimes jokes hurtful; I didn't know how to cook! The first time I had to make brown rice I asked my mom "How does it cook?" I couldn't pronounce any of the foreign foods or find them at my local supermarket. An ume-what plum? But the biggest boost of confidence and motivation was that IT WORKED!

Within the first month of committing to whole grain beans and vegetables my symptoms were gone. After a few more months on a macrobiotic approach I saw a huge difference in myself; more energy calmer moods better sleep and I was happy! I was able to return to dance and enjoy it more than ever.

My story doesn't end there.

Making the change to a macrobiotic diet and lifestyle was and still is one of the hardest things I've done in my life. Even after seven years there are continuous ups and downs. Thankfully however it gets easier. The great news is I have the rest of my life ahead of me to live fully. There was a time of my life when I thought life wasn't worth living if you couldn't enjoy some macaroni and cheese; I was wrong. Honestly today I can say I don't miss it.

The rewards of eating good food push me through the hardest of times. Don't forget your support group. People come into and leave your life for a reason. I have learned to take every experience for what it is and then let go. Stay close to those that are truly supportive. Family is forever but it's okay to disagree when it comes to what's best for you.

It's during the most challenging parts of life that a person needs to be the strongest and make the wisest and often most difficult of choices. I chose to be thankful for my disease. I wanted to heal myself: mind body and soul. I made the decision to do whatever it took to find a way to heal myself because I was NOT going to spend any more of my life being ill. I was and still am a young adult with lots of ambition and dreams. My body was weak; my will power was not.

I've witnessed many people faced with a serious health issues turn away from hope. "This isn't an option for me" or "It's too hard." We all have a choice in our life to create our own destiny and it's up to us to decide what we want that to be.

I've made the choice to heal and hope to inspire others to do the same. I've chosen food and life over doctors drugs and surgeries. I've learned at a young age that if you don't have your health you really don't have anything at all.

To those who are lucky enough to come across my story please know for life and health you always have a choice.

Thank you for sharing your inspiring story Marisa! To learn more about Marisa’s journey check out her website or watch her today Thursday January 19 on the season premiere of the Veria Network's The Incurables.

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

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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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If a mother is vegan will there be enough nutrients in her breast milk?

Susan: Yes. But first it’s important to note what her child will not be getting. Mothers who are not yet vegan have more chemical pollutants in their breast milk compared with vegan mothers. Having said that it is always important to ensure complete nutrition. Women need more Vitamin B-12 during pregnancy and lactation. For vegan moms it is important to continue B-12 supplementation throughout all stages of the lifecycle. 

Vegan mothers should make sure they have a reliable source of Vitamin D sun exposure fortified foods or talk to a healthcare provider about supplementation and iodine iodized salt does the trick in the mother’s diet while breastfeeding as well. 

Will a pregnant woman or woman who is breastfeeding get enough calcium if she is vegan?

Susan: Yes calcium needs are easily met when consuming plant foods. Leafy green vegetables have the most absorbable form of calcium kale collards broccoli Brussels sprouts. Beans are a good choice. Supplemented beverages such as soy milk and rice milk can be part of a healthful diet as well.

Does a vegan baby get enough good fat?

Christina: They can if the mother is eating enough fat while nursing and once the baby moves to solid food. Foods like avocado tofu oils oats pureed cooked nuts and seeds in food as long as there are no allergies are good sources of fat for babies. 

Susan: Yes. A vegan baby gets everything the mother consumes. If the mother is eating a good ratio of essential fatty acids and avoiding the less desirable fats the baby will reap the benefits. If the mother is consuming a typical high-fat American diet then the baby will be at a disadvantage.      

Are there advantages to raising kids on vegan diets?

Susan: You are doing your kids a huge favor by starting them off on the right dietary path. Building meals from vegetables whole grains legumes and fruits will help them to stay slim and as research shows more and more help them stay healthy for life.

When children have healthful vegan eating habits right from the start they will learn to maintain vitamin- and fiber-rich cholesterol-free eating style throughout their lives.

Will a vegan child get enough Vitamin B-12?

Susan: Yes easily. So long as the mother takes a reliable source of B-12 then a breast-feeding child will get enough B-12. Anybody who consumes a vegan diet will need to take a reliable B-12 source. This is easily done either via fortified foods or supplements such as any typical multiple vitamin. 

Christina: For Vitamin B-12 both the sublingual tablets and the shots are effective. The difference is with the sublingual you need to take the supplement daily and with the shots you have an immediate reaction - fabulous energy! Most people will not need another shot for several weeks or months. I like both the shots and the sublingual but for most people the sublingual is enough anywhere from 500-1500 mcg daily.

Alicia: You can learn more about Vitamin B-12 here.
 
Is there a difference between raising girls vegan versus raising boys vegan?

Susan: There are no major differences between raising vegan boys and girls. Nutrient needs for the whole family are easily met by providing a varied plant-based diet. Vegan children in general tend to consume more protective foods such as fiber iron folate and antioxidants such as vitamins A and C compared with non-vegetarians. They also eat fewer sweets and more fruits and vegetables!

What kind of vegan-friendly lotion helps with stretch marks? 

Christina: There is a product called organic beauty breast cream that says it can prevent and can even help repair existing stretch marks...I have not used it but it comes highly recommended. On the other hand I have had experience with pure hemp seed oil and it does an amazing job or preventing and helping to repair stretch marks...and the cool thing is that it’s so high in omega 3 that is soaks right into the skin and doesn’t leave you oily...

Alicia: If you are pregnant or are planning to get pregnant I highly recommend reading Dr. Holly Roberts' book Your Vegetarian Pregnancy. She has thirty years of experience as an obstetrician and a vegetarian. In her book she covers the details of nutrition for vegetarian vegan and macrobiotic diets for pregnant women. She also discusses the experience of pregnancy month by month - it's a must-read!

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Are prenatal vitamins vegan?

Christina: Not all of them but there are brands that are. I have seen women have good results with Deva vegan prenatal multivitamins. Both Mega and Rainbow Light brands of prenatal vitamins are also of the highest quality and have worked hard to not contribute to the upset stomachs that so many pregnant women deal with. These vitamins have all the nutrients needed and are designed to get to the cells more efficiently.

Would a woman who is vegan during pregnancy need to take more supplements than a non-vegan pregnant woman?

Susan: The needs are the same between vegan and non-vegan pregnant women with the exception of iron. The prenatal vitamin takes care of most of the iron needs during pregnancy. Because vegans do not get their iron from meat it is advisable to focus on plant sources of iron such as whole grains beans spinach chard dried fruits and beets. You can increase the absorbability of dietary iron by pairing iron foods with high Vitamin C foods.

Christina: Dark leafy greens like kale collards and bok choy are a great sources of iron in our diets. Broccoli whole wheat black turtle beans escarole watercress dandelion greens and lentils are all great sources of iron as well. Try to limit spinach and Swiss chard as they contain high levels of oxalic acid which inhibits absorption of calcium and iron.

Iodine like that found in Kombu or iodized sea salt is important during pregnancy and breast feeding because iodine deficiency is the cause of the most preventable form of brain damage in newborns. It’s been my experience that most macrobiotic women who do not eat fish are deficient in iodine - but getting enough is as simple as using iodized sea salt or taking a kelp supplement.

Are there solid facts that state that a vegan pregnancy is healthier than a non-vegan pregnancy?

Christina: According to www.happycow.net and www.naturalbirthandbabycare.com a vegan pregnancy can be just as healthy and nutritionally adequate as any other. Experts like Dr. Neal Barnard will take it a step further and tell you that a properly nourished vegan woman will be healthier during pregnancy and not struggle as much with digestive issues bloating swelling of the feet insomnia and all the other things that plague women during this special time.
 
Susan: In a 1987 study of 1700 pregnancies at a vegan community in Tennessee pregnancies were dramatically healthier. And only one in 100 babies had to be delivered by cesarean section compared with much higher rates in the general population.
 
Alicia: All of the vegan pregnancies I have witnessed have been way smoother than those of my non-vegan friends. My friends Heather Laura Lalayna Desire and “Macro-Mom” Sarah Forrester Wendt did not have to worry about all the medications and interventions that our society has come to consider normal. From my point of view the more vegan you are the more healthy you are – and that makes your pregnancy go more easily and helps your baby to be super duper healthy!

Will eating vegan increase the risk of the baby developing certain allergies later in life?

Susan: A vegan diet offers increased intake of immune boosting foods to help protect against chronic health problems.

Christina: As long as the mother is getting adequate amounts of zinc in her diet or as a supplement there is no concern. Zinc is essential to health. It doesn't prevent allergies directly but having a balanced concentration of zinc in the body results in a strong immune function that often is the key in allergy prevention and treatment. Zinc can be found in foods like whole wheat and nuts.

In part 3 we'll cover child nutrition and breastfeeding. Stay tuned!

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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:

Christina Pirello and Susan Levin have answered some of your very important questions about vegan pregnancy. These are the most common questions I received from you Kind Lifers when I first asked January of 2010. There's a lot of great information below so take a look at it and keep those questions coming! I'll be posting more answers to your questions in parts 2 & 3!

What kind of formula should a vegan baby drink?

Christina: Well first I have to say that the best food for babies is breast milk. In the rare instance that a mother cannot nurse then a formula can be used. There is a lot of controversy around soy and the isoflavones that include phytoestrogen. Somehow it has been put out there that phytoestrogens are the same as estrogen - but they’re not at all the same. Unlike estrogen phytoestrogens are plant-based. They just behave in the same manner as estrogen receptor cells which regulate levels of estrogen in a woman's body. That said the soy formula I have found to be the most natural - without simple sugars additives GMOs antiobiotics or other questionable ingredients - is Baby’s Only Organic sweetened with brown rice syrup.
 
Susan: Soy-based formulas are the best option for a non-breast feeding baby. Human breast milk is unique and not mimicked by anything else in nature so grocery-store brands of soy rice cow’s milk by themselves are not substitutes for formula.
 
Also macrobiotic counselor Warren Kramer recommends checking out this book about organic baby food.

Is soy bad for a pregnancy and while breastfeeding?

Christina: No. Even if a baby is shown to be sensitive to soy nothing seems to come through in the mother's milk so there is no worry. While the baby gets all the nutrients the mother consumers experts say that if a baby has food sensitivities that does not mean the mother can not enjoy the foods the baby is sensitive to. The baby gets the nutrients but usually does not show signs of distress from the sensitivity. And usually an infant's sensitivity to soy is not something they are born with; often the mother has one too. We say that the mom should eat normally and see if there is a negative reaction in her infant like excessive fussiness indigestion crying...it will not usually be severe. In fact studies have shown that mothers eating traditionally-produced organic soy like tofu tempeh shoyu and miso are more relaxed and as a result so are the babies. 
 
Susan: Soy products are safe and may even have health advantages. In fact research has shown that the earlier people consume soy in life the greater the health advantages. So sharing your love of soy with your children may be a priceless gift. Soy is not essential but it does reduce cancer risk later in life. Additionally protein needs go up during pregnancy and lactation and soy is a great high-protein source. Emphasize whole soy foods such as miso tempeh tofu soy milk and of course the whole soy bean edamame.

Christina: People are freaked out by soy because they have been told to be freaked out. The truth is that traditional soy can help women with so many things from PMS to hot flashes associated with menopause; to reducing breast cancer risk; to reducing muscle tension in the legs. On the other hand any soy products with soy isolates or isolanted soy protein should be avoided because the way they’re processed makes them unhealthy.
 
Are soy formulas safe?  If so which one should a mother feed her baby?

Christina: Most soy formulas are loaded with sugar and are not made from organic soybeans so you could be getting GMOs pesticides herbicides antibiotics and other additives. Again the only one I have found to be free of all that jazz is Baby’s Only Organic.
 
Susan: Yes soy formulas are safe. According to published research there does not seem to be any difference in outcome between babies who drank soy and cow’s milk formulas. Dr. Spock himself felt soy formula did have advantages over cow’s milk formula because of cow milk’s link to various diseases such as type 1 diabetes lactose intolerance and dairy allergies.
 
In the 8th Edition of Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care it states “cow’s milk itself … is not safe for infants. The protein and sugar mix is wrong and infants fed straight cow’s milk are likely to become seriously ill.”

How can a vegan pregnant woman increase her protein without going overboard on soy?

Susan: Don’t sweat the protein issue. If you consume adequate calories your protein needs will be met. When you eat more calories during pregnancy you naturally consume more protein as well. It takes care of itself! Remember protein is found in whole grains beans peas nuts seeds and vegetables. Yes even broccoli gets 1/3 of its calories from protein!

Christina: There is no need to go crazy with protein because you’re pregnant. There is protein in everything we eat except fruit. Women should get their protein from beans soy foods traditional again no isolated soy seitan and grains like quinoa and amaranth which contain the same levels of protein and structure as an egg and a daily serving of nuts. A vegan woman need not go nuts with soy to get what she needs. I usually recommend people eat tofu once a week and enjoy fermented soy more often: twice a week for tempeh daily for miso. Fermented soy is easy on digestion so people have fewer difficulties with it.

That covers your soy questions! In parts two and three we'll look at your questions about breastfeeding stretch marks Vitamin B-12 and much more!

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• Fitting rescued lamb Carmen with a prosthetic leg
• Music in the Meadow event
• 5-H campaign for “Humane Choices”
• Food for Thought educational program encouraging veg diet and Veggie Club sharing yum vegan recipes

If you live in Northern California be sure to pay Animal Place a visit. You can also make a donation foster an animal or adopt here.
 
What’s your favorite animal sanctuary?

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Here is a nice-looking superhero recipe for any time of year! I got this from Bita Hunt a macro chef/nutritionist in New York. I haven’t tested it yet but it sounds super simple and yum!
 
Roasted Green Beans with Shallots
 
Ingredients

• 2 lbs. Green beans
• 1 Shallot finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• Sea salt to taste

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 450F
2. Toss beans and shallots with oil
3. Arrange on foil lined baking sheet
4. Sprinkle with salt
5. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until beans are blistered and tender. Serve immediately.

What’s your favorite way to eat green beans?

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A Highly Controversial Substance

While industry paid scientists make claims about the benefits of fluoride independent research points to its potentially unhealthful effects. These effects are documented in scientific studies and they include increased cancer and tumor growth Waldbott/Yiamouyiannis increased arthritis disruption of the immune system and DNA repair Waldbott genetic damage Tsutsui et al and aging Yiamouyiannis.

Healthy Until Proven Unhealthy

Like all contaminants in our environment the burden of proof on whether or not fluoride is truly safe in our drinking water or dentistry products and materials should be placed on industry. This “Precautionary Approach” means that until it can be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that fluoride is safe for everyone from the developing fetus to the elderly it should not be present in water or dental products and materials. The burden of proof in other words should be shifted from the public to industry and those who benefit financially from the pervasiveness of fluoride.

Unfortunately industry currently uses “risk analysis” based on the average adult male to determine if a substance is safe or not. This does not account for sensitive populations long term low-dose chronic exposure or the combination of fluoride with other substances. As a result fluoride like many other potentially harmful substances is considered safe until independent studies prove it to be harmful.

How To Avoid Fluoride

Until the burden of proof is switched to industry rather than the public it is important to avoid fluoride exposure in tap water and dental products. For tap water the most effective and safest method of removal is reverse osmosis. As for the idea that fluoride prevents tooth decay Dr. Mercola’s associate Dr. Ted Spence suggests that good nutrition is a better strategy for maintaining the health of your pearly whites.     

The takeaway here is it has not been proven that fluoride is NOT harmful and given all the data suggesting that it could be as well as experiences by doctors working with patients it’s best to err on the side of caution.

References Waldbott George MD Fluoride: The Great Dilemma 1978 Coronado Press Lawrence KS   Yaimouyiannis John Fluoride: The Aging Factor 1993 Health Action Press Delaware   Sodium Fluoride-induced Morphological and Neoplastic Transformation Chromosome Aberrations Sister Chromatid Exchanges and Unscheduled DNA Synthesis in Cultured Syrian Hamster Embryo Cells Takeki Tsutsui Nobuko Suzuki and Manabu Ohmori Can Res 44:938-941 1984 March.

I’ll be posting the rest of Mary’s water filtration advice soon so stay tuned for more information on that topic! If you’re looking for a good fluoride-free toothpaste check out my previous blog about superhero toothpastes.

What do you Kind Lifers think about fluoride? Do you try to avoid it in your water and dental products?

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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:

• Sign this petition
• Embed the MFA video or share it on Facebook
• Make a donation to Mercy For Animals
• Stay committed to a kind diet

How else can we help others understand the truth about factory farming and fast food?

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And to make certain that you receive fair savings options for your unique credit needs CreditSesame.com is only paid when you close a loan.

So get those holiday credit card statements under control right now by signing up at CreditSesame.com. It’s the best way to manage your credit loans and debt and all for free!

Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

Water conservation is a huge topic concerning both personal health and the environment. Healthy home guru Mary Cordaro has kindly offered to break down some of the big issues for us. Here is her first guest blog about water – I hope you enjoy it!

The Water Problem
By Mary Cordaro

If your water is provided by a local water utility it goes through quite a rigorous course of treatment before it makes its long journey to your home. That’s because water utilities have a huge task. They are highly regulated to provide us with sanitary water that meets strict EPA guidelines for safety. This is becoming increasingly challenging for many reasons but to sum up it up: our water sources prior to treatment are highly compromised by many growing environmental conditions and contaminants which are polluting and toxic.  The list of toxic contaminants is quite long but the broad categories include:

• Microorganisms meaning bacteria virus and parasites
• Disinfection chemicals including chlorine and ammonia
• Disinfection chemical byproducts including trihalomethanes
• Inorganic and organic chemicals which includes everything from petrochemical solvents to fluoride and heavy metals.

If you’d like to take look at this long list of toxic substances that our water utilities must address including health effects you will be astounded.

So why is it still important to filter our water if the EPA regulates all those toxic substances? Here are just a few reasons: After treatment your water travels for miles through city pipes many of which are very old and some of which still contain lead. It’s possible they may also harbor certain pathogens that are resistant to disinfection chemicals. And although it’s not as common lead may even be present in some older home plumbing. Home pipes may also develop a build-up of hard water “scale” where sediment can also attach and build up.  So the quality of the water may be different when it arrives at your kitchen faucet than when it started out at the treatment plant.

But in my opinion there is a more important larger and overriding concern. If you look at the allowable limits on the EPA link above you’ll notice that many of those substances may be present in low allowable amounts in our water.  In other words scientists have determined that many toxic substances including industrial chemicals that have not yet been tested for health are safe to drink in very low amounts.  Even worse the EPA is only beginning to address other substances like pharmaceutical drugs in our water supplies that currently water treatment plants are not equipped to remove. And scientists continue to uncover new contaminants never before considered.  Sometimes the only known treatment is another regulated chemical or additive which may itself produce byproducts.

Environmental hazards have compromised water for so long now that scientists have yet to uncover all the unhealthful substances in our city water and what to do about them.
 
Our water utilities can only do so much to make our water safe.  I am grateful that we live in a country with sanitary water supplies and low levels of contaminants. But if you feel as I do that even low levels of contaminants known or unknown are undesirable then you may not be comfortable drinking  “allowable amounts” of chlorine ammonia fluoride pathogens heavy metals petrochemical solvents like xylene and any number of other toxic substances or yet unregulated amounts of pharmaceutical street drugs or other unhealthful chemicals that end up in our water.
 
Unfortunately there are very few sources of natural water left that are contaminant free so even if we have access to wells and springs many of those natural sources are no longer as safe and natural as they were 100-200 years ago. And the enormous number of plastic bottles is now polluting oceans and killing sea life at a horrific rate.
 
So what’s the solution?  In my next guest blog I’ll review why purification is the only way to remove as many contaminants as possible from drinking water and how to get purified water on a variety of budgets.
 
Thanks Mary! If you Kind Lifers have questions for Mary please write them in the comments below and Mary will try to address them in a future blog.

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:

Here is his schedule:

Do you plan to go superhero in 2012?

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A bunch of you discovered TheKindLife.com by reading The Kind Diet but I’m sure many of you have also stumbled upon The Kind Life because of Facebook Twitter TV a magazine article or a friend’s recommendation. And those of you who discovered TheKindLife.com through those means may not have read my book yet.
 
That said I think The Kind Diet provides an important foundation for everything we talk about here on TheKindLife.com. I want to make sure that all of you have access to it so you can lay that foundation of knowledge and really sink your teeth into a kinder diet…and kinder way of life!
 
So to kick off the new year I’m going to start giving away a signed copy of The Kind Diet to one kind lifer each month! I really want each and every one of you to have your own copy and if you already have your own to pass a copy on to your loved ones! Each month I’ll ask you a question and choose a winner from among the answers.
 
So...this month I’d like to know: how did you discover TheKindLife.com?
 
Write your answer in the comments below and I’ll announce a winner at the end of the month!

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Fat Sick & Nearly Dead - Official Trailer from Team Reboot on Vimeo.

Doug you may remember him from my blog about Organic Avenue told me about this great-sounding documentary called Fat Sick and Nearly Dead.
 
The uplifting story follows a man named Joe Cross on a cross country road trip where he vows to do a juice fast for 60 days consuming only fruits and vegetables in liquid form. On his transformative journey he meets and inspires Phil Staples - a 420 pound truck driver from Iowa - to do the same.
 
You can stream or download the film here and you can join Joe’s online community Reboot Your Life here.

Have you seen it? What did you think? Have you seen any other inspiring films lately?

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:

Bear needed a few warm clothes for winter so I went to Bluebird a kids resale store on Larchmont in LA. It’s a super cute place and everything I got was used. They also buy your stuff just like Buffalo Exchange or Crossroads Trading Company but for kids.
 
Besides a hat this was the first batch of clothes I’ve bought for Bear. The rest have been hand-me-downs from friends.
 
Where do you get your kids clothes?

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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:

The city of West Hollywood is leading the way in animal rights legislation yet again! They’ve just enacted a ban on the sale of fur clothing – the first of its kind in the nation. What this means is clothing retailers will be barred from selling garments made from animal pelts or skin containing hair wool or fur. The ordinance makes an exception for leather vintage pieces and furniture – so it's not perfect but it's definitely a huge step in the right direction! It will go into effect June 30 2012.
 
How exciting is this? Are there any great animal rights laws pending where you live? Tell us how we can help you get similar laws passed where you live in the comments below.

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Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

• 1 kukicha tea bag if you’re using loose-leaf tea follow the package instructions
• 1/4-1/2 umeboshi plum pit removed and chopped very fine
• 3-5 drops shoyu

Steps

1. Steep the tea in 1 cup of boiling water
2. While the tea steeps place the umeboshi plum into a teacup with the shoyu
3. Pour the hot tea over the umeboshi plum in the teacup and stir well
4. Drink hot
5. The umeboshi pit is also good to suck on if you want

Also remember when you have a hangover you might think you want a bunch of heavy junk the next day - but the cleaner you eat the better you will feel quickly. Green juice brown rice or steamed greens like kale are great hangover foods. But in my ancient party days I noticed a huge difference between a veggie burger and fries and cakes versus the clean food.

What are your favorite hangover cures?

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Photo by Quarry Girl

A little while ago I blogged about how delicious M Café’s vegan benedict is. I had asked them to make it then begged them to put it on their menu – and they did! When I posted about this dish earlier people asked if M Café would share the recipe and they were nice enough to offer it so you Kind Lifers can make it at home. It’s a little involved but sooo worth it! Thanks M Café!

I ate this almost every single week while pregnant. Before that I just had it once in a while. But pregnancy turned it into a weekly affair!

M Café’s  Vegan Benedict

For 4 people

Ingredients

• 8 slices whole-grain sourdough bread we use a French-style baguette
• 16 slices Tempeh Bacon recipe follows
• 1/2 bunch green kale blanched
• 1 recipe Scrambled Tofu recipe follows
• 12 thin slices of ripe tomato
• 1.5 cups Soy Hollandaise recipe follows
• Soy margarine melted for brushing
• Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• Fresh chives minced for garnish

Steps

1. Toast bread slices and brush tops liberally with melted soy margarine
2. Place two slices side-by-side on each of four warm breakfast plates
3. Lay four slices of tempeh bread over the toasted bread
4. Divide the kale evenly into four portions and place each portion on top of the tempeh and bread making a “bed” for the scrambled tofu
5. Spoon the scrambled tofu evenly on top of each Benedict
6. Lay three overlapping slices of tomato on top of the scrambled tofu 
7. Season the tomato slices with sea salt and black pepper if desired
8. Spoon the soy hollaindaise sauce liberally over each Benedict
9. Garnish each plate with minced chives and serve immediately!

Tempeh Bacon

Ingredients

• 2 packs soy tempeh cut lengthwise into ¼ inch slices
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup apple juice
• 3 tablespoons dark maple syrup
• ½ tsp natural liquid smoke optional
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• oil for pan-frying

Steps

1. Place tempeh slices in shallow dish
2. Combine all remaining ingredients except oil and pour over tempeh. Let  marinate for at least 30 minutes before proceeding can be done overnight
3. Remove tempeh slices from marinade and pat dry with paper towels
4. Heat oil in skillet and pan-fry tempeh until brown and crisp on both sides
5. Keep warm until ready to use

Scrambled Tofu

Ingredients

• ¼ cup soy margarine
• 1 cup onion minced
• ½ cup carrot shredded
• 1 lb super-firm tofu such as Wildwood brand crumbled
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp sea salt or to taste
• ½ tsp black pepper or to taste
• ¼ cup water
• 2 T green onions sliced thin

Steps

1. Heat soy margarine in skillet over medium heat until melted
2. Add onion and sauté for 1 minute
3. Add carrot and sauté for another minute
4. Add crumbled tofu turmeric salt and pepper and sauté for another minute
5. Raise heat to high add water bring to boil and cook until liquid is absorbed
6. Add sliced green onion and stir to incorporate and adjust seasoning if desired
7. Keep warm until ready to use

Soy Hollaindaise

Makes approximately 3.5 Cups

Ingredients

• 1 12 oz package silken tofu drained
• 8 oz soy margarine
• 1 cup Vegenaise
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 1 T agar powder not flakes
• ½ tsp hot sauce optional

Steps

1. Melt soy margarine
2. Puree tofu Vegenaise lemon juice turmeric sea salt white pepper and agar powder in blender
3. With blender running drizzle in the melted soy margarine until mixture is emulsified Keep warm until ready to use. Sauce will keep in refrigerator for a week - reheat very gently over a double-boiler

If you live in LA you can also get this tasty treat at M Café. What’s your favorite vegan breakfast?

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The year 2011 was a big one for The Kind Life and for kind causes around the world. Here are some highlights that happened on the site this past year:

1. The Kind Book Club began
2. Guest bloggers Lea Michele Ed Begley Jr. Dr. Joel Fuhrman and many more contributed blogs to The Kind Life
   
3. We had our first ever live chat…and there will be more to come!
4. My Open Sky store opened offering huge discounts on my fave kind products
5. The Kind Life celebrated its two-year anniversary!

…and some highlights from the news in 2011:

1. Oprah hosted her first vegan episode and vegan week
2. Vegan documentary Forks Over Knives was released in theaters
3. Farm Sanctuary hosted its first National Conference to End Factory Farming
4. A 600-year old dog meat festival was canceled in eastern China
5. CNN aired a special about heart health and Bill Clinton’s vegan diet

And personally this was a huge year for me … because I became a mommy! I can’t wait to see what 2012 holds. What are you looking forward to most in the new year?

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This year I’m compiling the best of The Kind Life for 2011 and I need your help! I’d like to hear from you what your top three favorite blogs were this year in the following categories:
 
·      Food
·      Health
·      House
·      Style
·      Environment
·      Recipes
 
To choose your three favorite blogs for each category click on each category above and browse the blogs within each one. Then choose the three you like best for each category. If there are any blogs within other categories that you loved I’m all ears! I can’t wait to get your feedback and post our “Best of The Kind Life” for 2011.
 
Tell me what your top three favorite blogs in each category were in the comments below!

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Spread the Kind

• 2 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 cups organic cane sugar
• 1/4 cup prepared egg-replacer
• 4 tbsp vegan shortening do not melt
• 6 tbsp tofu-cream cheese
• 1 package of active dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm soy creamer
• 1/4 cup cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped organic walnuts
• 1/2 cup chopped organic pistachios
• 1 bag of vegan chocolate chips
• 4 tbsp earth balance vegan spread
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• pinch of salt                                                 

Instructions

1. Dissolve the envelope of dry active yeast in 1/4 cup of warmed soy creamer vanilla or plain and let it sit until it becomes frothy at top.
2. Meanwhile using a mixer or a fork cream together the coconut oil 1 cup of the sugar the egg-replacer mixture chilled shortening 4 tbsp of the tofu cream cheese salt and the vanilla.
3. Add the frothy yeast & creamer and combine.
4. Slowly begin to add the combined flours whole wheat and all purpose until the dough balls up in the mixer or it has the texture of tough play-dough against the fork should be about 2 cups. Set the remaining flour aside for dusting.
5. Once your dough is in a ball cover with a damp cloth and set in a warm place to rise for 40 minutes then move into the fridge to cool for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.
6. Once the dough has risen and then cooled separate it into 4 equal parts.
7. On a generously flour sugar and cinnamon-dusted surface I used wax paper sheets on my dining table roll out 1 of the 4 dough parts into a circle the size of a small pizza. It should be about 1/4 inch thick.
8. Over medium heat in a small saucepan melt the Earth Balance then add 1 cup of sugar and 4 tbsp of cinnamon and 2 tbsp of tofu cream cheese. Stir until smooth
9. Evenly spread 1/4 of this cinnamon mixture onto the rolled-out dough.
10. Sprinkle 1/4 of the pistachio & chopped walnuts and a handful of vegan dark chocolate chips and lightly press into the dough.
11. Cut pizza-style into 16 equal pieces with a butcher knife.
12. Roll into small crescent-roll shapes.
13. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 – 20 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle some of the chopped nuts and extra cinnamon & sugar on top if desired.
14. Repeat steps 7 & 9-13 with the remaining 3 parts of dough.

What’s your favorite holiday breakfast food?

Photo Credit: The Discerning Brute

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Kind Lifer Paloma recently shared how she’s adopted a kind diet in her home city of Buenos Aires. Check it out:
 
“Last year I discovered your site and started to know a little bit of the vegan lifestyle but this is something not very common here in my country. There are some people who are vegetarian and a few vegans but that's it. In October 2010 my parents traveled to New York and I specifically asked them to bring me a copy of your book. I wanted to know what this kind life was all about. The day they gave it to me I read it cover to cover in one evening. It was so compelling! I flirted with veganism for a whole year. It was very difficult given the fact that some products are very hard to find my crazy routine and especially the fact that I am a sugar junkie!!! However a month ago I was diagnosed with insulin resistance pretty much pre-diabetes. So I felt like this was the moment to fully commit to myself to my body and health and especially to the planet! So I started a 100 superhero diet three days ago. I've never felt so good! I have mind clarity and am able to concentrate like I couldn't in months. My skin is starting to look better than ever. I really really hope to be able to lose some weight given that I'm following the superhero plan so will be trying to do some exercise four or five days a week. I've been feeling the symptoms of letting sugar go but I know it will go away in a couple days and that it is for the best. So thank you so much for inspiring me in this new trip! I hope to be writing to you soon to tell you everything's even better!”
 
Yay I love this so much…so so happy to hear this! A dear woman I know named Susana Lombardi founded an amazing place called We Care. She is vegan and also from Argentina. She jokes that she used to eat so much meat that in her country where they eat tons of meat she was known as a “the meat eater” because she ate even more than everyone else. And then she changed completely! Anywho I love that little story and I love that you are doing this Paloma! Keep us updated on your progress and be sure to check out the kind forum for encouragement and support!
 
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!

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Jennifer's New Life

• 1 cup soymilk
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 8 ounces fettuccini broken in half
• 3 12.3-ounce packages silken tofu not lite
• 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 1 tablespoon egg replacer
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

For topping

• 1 16-ounce can unsweetened pie cherries
• 1 cup sliced dried apricots
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl add lemon juice to soymilk and set aside. Cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and set aside rinsing from time to time until ready to assemble.
2. In food processor place tofu and blend until smooth. Add cream cheese and sugar and process.
3. Add remaining pudding ingredients and blend until smooth.
4. Pour tofu mixture into 9 x 13-inch glass baking pan add cooked noodles and mix thoroughly.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
6. In a medium saucepan over medium heat place cherries and apricots.
7. Add sugar and almond extract and bring to a low boil stirring occasionally.
8. In a small bowl blend cornstarch with water and add to cherry mixture.
9. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
10. Uncover pudding and spread topping evenly over it.
11. Return to oven and bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.
12. Serve warm or cold. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

What traditional dishes have you successfully veganized?

Photo Credit: VegNews

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8 Days of Recipes: Vegan Challah
Hanukkah is Almost Here

1. Irish Moss:  This superfood gives a creamy texture to smoothies and puddings and is an excellent source of sulphur compounds protein iodine calcium iron magnesium selenium zinc pectin vitamins B and C. It eases digestive discomfort something I think we can all appreciate this time of year.
2. Milk It Kit: Sure sounds a bit funny but this kit makes it easy to make your own nut and seed milks right at home. 
3. Power Packs: Meghan’s put together a few power packs to make starting 2012 on the right foot easy. Try her Smoothie Kit Raw Living Deluxe Kit or the Stress Buster – all of which are chock-full of great stuff.

So start 2012 off right.

Until January 1 use the coupon code Resolution on any of Meghan’s finds on Ethical Ocean to save 10!

Let Meghan help you reach your goals and conquer your resolutions while still staying kind.

Cheers to a superfantabulous year!

Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

These jelly donut cupcakes from VegNews look like they’d make a great holiday breakfast snack dessert or all three! Let me know how they turn out if you try them.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soymilk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/3 cup raspberry strawberry or grape jam
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake tin with paper liners. In a mixing cup combine the soymilk vinegar and cornstarch and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl sift together flour baking powder baking soda nutmeg and salt. Create a well in the center of the flour for the wet ingredients.
3. Mix the soymilk mixture with a fork to dissolve the cornstarch and pour into the flour mixture. Add the oil sugar and vanilla and mix well.
4. Fill the liners with batter about full. Place a heaping spoonful of jam into the center of each cupcake being careful not to overfill. The jam will sink into the bottom of the cupcake during baking.
5. Bake cupcakes for 21 to 23 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack and then set uncovered overnight in a cool and dry place. This will make the tops slightly crispy like a donut crust. Using a sifter sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

What’s your favorite holiday cupcake?

Photo Credit: Flickr

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8 Days of Recipes: Vegan Challah
Hanukkah is Almost Here

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Hemp

Raw Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate Cream Pie


Rustic Apple Pie with Apricots and Figs

Pumpkin Streusel

What kind of dessert are you serving this year?

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8 Days of Recipes: Vegan Challah
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Ingredients

• 3 russet potatoes peeled and chopped or 12 small potatoes scrubbed and quartered
• 1 large onion peeled and chopped
• 2 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup plain soymilk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• Dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil potatoes and onions in the water or stock until potatoes are soft about 10 minutes.
3. Remove potatoes and onions from the water with a slotted spoon reserving the cooking water. Add the soymilk olive oil salt and pepper and mash with a fork or potato masher until sticky. If you need more liquid add the potato cooking water one teaspoon at a time. The end result should be a lumpy mixture.
4. Lay tortillas flat and spread mustard onto each one. Drop about two tablespoons of the potato mixture in the middle of the tortilla and spread in a line from left to right. Fold like a burrito using potatoes to seal it shut.
5. Place knishes with the folded side down on a baking sheet. Spread a little more mustard on the top of each knish.
6. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the tortilla is firm but not crisp.
7. Let cool before eating.

Make sure to let me know how you liked these in the comments below! What kind of finger food do you love to serve during the holidays?

Photo Credit: Food.com

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Hanukkah is Almost Here

You may have heard of this guy from the show “No Reservations” or maybe you’ve already come across his videos in your internet travels… I saw this one on Buzz Feed and thought I’d share. I have to warn you though it might give you a headache! I had a weird look plastered on my face the whole time I was watching it but it’s certainly interesting. Anywho I’m happy we have vegans in the metal world. Yahoo! This particular guy is very creative and enthusiastic so enjoy if you dare!
 
What funny videos are you loving lately?

8 Days of Recipes: Homemade Applesauce
8 Days of Recipes: Vegan Challah
Kind Classics: Holiday Hors D'oeuvres
Bill Clinton: Kinder and Healthier Than Ever!

This veg version from Girlie Girl Army courtesy of VegNews Magazine sounds delicious. I haven't tried it yet but I want to! Check it out:
 
Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and grated
• 1 small yellow onion peeled and grated
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Canola oil for frying

Instructions

1. In a colander set over a large bowl place potatoes.
2. Using your hands squeeze out the excess liquid from the potatoes.
3. Pour off the liquid and place potatoes in the bowl.
4. Add onion to potatoes along with parsley flour baking powder salt and pepper and mix well.
5. Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
6. In a large skillet over medium heat heat a thin layer of oil.
7. Take a heaping tablespoon of batter and flatten it before gently placing it in the hot oil. Make three or four more potato pancakes this way and add to skillet without crowding pan. Fry until golden brown on both sides turning once about 8 minutes total.
8. Repeat with remaining potato mixture adding more oil as necessary. Remove the cooked potato pancakes to paper towels to drain then transfer to an ovenproof platter and keep warm in the oven until all pancakes are cooked.

Editor's Note: Serve with applesauce and vegan sour creme. And make more than you need... these go fast!

Our second version is from Post Punk Kitchen. I can’t wait to hear what you think of these!


Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds starchy white potatoes peeled russets idaho et al
• 1 small yellow onion peeled
• 1/4 cup potato or corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups matzoh meal
• Lots of vegetable oil

Instructions

1. If using a food processor use the grating blade to shred the potatoes and theonion. If shredding by hand use a grater to shred all the potatoes. Dice the onion as finely as possible.
2. Have ready brown paper shopping bags or paper towels for draining the oil from the latkes. You may also want to have the oven on at 200 F to keep the latkes warm until you’re ready to serve. If serving immediately then just have a baking pan covered with tin foil ready to keep the finished ones warm after they’ve been drained.
3. In a large mixing bowl using a wooden spoon or your hands it's faster to use your hands mix the potatoes and onions with the potato starch until the potatoes have released some moisture and the sornstarch is dissolved about 2 minutes.
4. Add the salt and pepper to combine. Add the matzoh meal and mix well. Set aside for about 10 minutes. The mixture should get liquid-y but sticky.
5. In the meantime preheat a large preferable cast iron but definitely non-stickskillet over medium heat a little bit on the high side. Add about 1/4 inchlayer of vegetable oil to the pan. The oil is hot enough when you throw a bit of batter in and bubbles rapidly form around it. If it immediately smokes then the heat is too high and you should lower it a bit. If the bubbles are really lazy then give it a few more minutes or turn the heat up a bit.
6. With wet hands so that the mixture doesn’t stick roll into small golf ball sized balls. Flatten into thin round patties. Fry about four to six at a time. Fry on one side for about 4 minutes until golden brown. Flip over and fry for another three minutes.
7. Transfer to the paper towels and proceed with the remaining latkes. Once latkes havedrained on both sides place in a baking pan to keep warm.

How do you like to eat latkes? Share in the comments below!

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Homemade Applesauce
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House on a Hill
 
Type: White Kid's Crew tee

Ever wondered what a beautiful day in the Amazon jungle looks like? Dioner Pablo Cerdo Andi of Tena Ecuador has given us a glimpse. His words ‘I love living in the Amazon because the air is alive’ inspire us all to become part of protecting this precious and valuable eco system.

Joison
 
Type: White Women's Crew tee

Illustrated by Joison Canelos of Ecuador we named this whimsical design after him. The Joison illustration is a bold bright and elegant statement from the eyes of a young child living in the Amazon.
 
To enter for a chance to win these tee shirts for yourself and your or a friend’s little one tell me why the rainforest is important to you in the comments below.
 
We’ll randomly select a winner tomorrow so get to commenting…good luck!

UPDATE: We have chosen our winner. Congrats Laura!

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• 3 lbs apples
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 lemon thin slices
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Peel and core apples you can leave the skin on a few of them because if you like the taste and texture.
2. Cut apples into approximately 1 inch cubes.
3. Add all ingredients to pot and turn heat on high. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the apples have softened significantly.
4. Stir frequently making sure that the apples are not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add more water if necessary. Remove lemon slices.
5. Mash with a potato masher or use a food mill for a smoother consistency. Serve warm or at room temperature.

What kind of side dishes are you serving this season?
 
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Noel

25 per month or 300 annually

Jane

35 per month or 420 annually



Dandypants

10 per month or 120 annually



Agnes

25 per month or 300 annually

There are many other animals in need as well – go to Farm Sanctuary’s website to sponsor or make a donation. Gift recipients will be mailed an adoption certificate color photo and details about scheduling a VIP tour to meet their new adopted friend. You can also shop for gift items in Farm Sanctuary’s store here.

What sort of kind gifts are you giving this season?

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Rain Tees is a very cool company that sells eco-friendly tee shirts handmade in the USA. Each shirt features artwork from children living in countries facing environmental destruction poverty and lack of access to education.
 
For each tee shirt sold Rain Tees collaborates with Trees for the Future to plant a tree in a critically endangered area of the world. I recently did an interview with Rain Tees so I wanted to share!
 
You can read the interview here.
 
What’s your favorite kind organization?

Kind Orgs: Invisible Children
Forks Over Knives
A Documentary I Highly Recommend...
Charities in Detroit

•       1 small yam about 5 to 6 ounces
•       3 cups water
•       1 teaspoon salt
•       4 to 5 tablespoons brown rice syrup divided
•       2 tablespoons baking yeast
•       6 to 7 cups unbleached white flour
•       Canola or olive oil
•       Non-dairy margarine or vegetable spray
•       1/4 cup water
•       Poppy seeds or sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Peel yam and dice. Boil in water and simmer until soft about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and place into blender with 2 cups of cooking water and blend for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add remaining cooking water if needed or sufficient cold water to make a total of 2-1/2 cups of liquid. Alternatively bake yam in microwave for 5 minutes then peel and puree with water to yield 2-1/2 cups of liquid.
2. In a large mixing bowl place puree salt and 3 to 4 tablespoon brown rice syrup. Mix ingredients and allow to cool until slightly warm. Add the yeast stir and let soften for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in flour one cup at a time until the mixing spoon moves the mass of dough in one lump. Spread 1/2 cup of flour over your work surface and empty mixing bowl onto the floured surface. Sprinkle a little flour on the dough and knead it in.
4. Continue kneading dough sprinkling only enough flour on the board to prevent sticking. After about 10 minutes the dough should be smooth bouncy and elastic. It should spring back when you press it down.
5. Let dough rest for a minute or two while you scrape out and oil the mixing bowl with 1 to 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil. Knead dough again for 2 to 3 minutes. Place dough in oiled bowl and turn dough so the top is oiled. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and keep warm until dough doubles in bulk 1 to 2 hours.
6. To braid the challah flour your work surface again and divide half the dough into 3 equal pieces. Using both hands squeeze each piece into a rope 1 inch thick and 12 inches long. Roll out each rope so you have 3 ropes about 15 inches long. Place the three ropes side by side on your work surface and pinch the three ropes together at one end. Starting from this pinched end braid the three ropes together. When the braiding is complete seal the braid by pinching the ends together. Place the braided challah in the center of one of the greased cookie sheets.
7. To coil the challah press down the remaining dough and squeeze into a rope about 15 inches long. Then roll it into a rope about 24 inches long. Take one end as the starting point and coil the rest of the rope around it so that it resembles a snail. Tuck the end of the rope under the coil and place the challah in the center of the remaining greased cookie sheet.
8. Set cookie sheets in a warm spot cover the braided and coiled loaves with a light cloth or paper towel and allow to rise for 30 to 40 minutes.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 1 tablespoon of brown rice syrup with 1/4 cup water to make a glaze. Using a soft pastry brush or the edge of a folded paper towel paint the surface of the challah loaves with the glaze. Sprinkle the glazed surfaces with sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets at once and set loaves on a rack to cool. When ready to serve break apart the bread by hand and enjoy!

If you try this recipe let me know how it goes! Next up is homemade applesauce so be sure to check back tomorrow! How are you celebrating Hanukkah?

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Photo Credit: Patrick M. Gookin II

Submit your original vegan recipes for a chance to win great prizes including:

• 1400 Whole Foods Market gift card
• A year’s supply of Earth Balance® products
• Earth Balance® gift pack featuring a bamboo cutting board & kitchen supplies
• ‘The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition’ by Julieanna Hever 

So bring out your best cookie recipes take some appetizing photos of them and bake to win! For more info about how to enter click here.

For some fine cookie inspiration we wanted to share this recipe for Crispy Green Tea Cookies. They go well with a glass of soymilk or a cup of tea. You can even try dipping them in some melted dark chocolate. Yum-my!

Ingredients

1/3 cup Earth Balance® Natural Buttery Spread
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 heaping tablespoon green tea leaves finely ground or 2 tea bags
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for cutting board
1/2 cup spelt flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Click here for the full recipe…

Now let's see some of your own cookie creations! Submit your vegan recipes to the Holiday Bake-Off today!

Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

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PS – through December 31 Glamourmom will match any product purchase with a nursing bra donation to Feed the Children…so if you have a kind nursing mama or mom-to-be on your shopping list definitely check out Glamourmom.

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•     1 8oz package savory-flavored baked tofu
•     ½ cup corn flour
•     ½ cup brown rice flour
•     Safflower oil
•     2/3 cup orange juice
•     1/3 cup maple syrup

Steps

1. Cut the baked tofu into slices about ¼” thick.
2. Mix the flours together in a shallow bowl.
3. Pour enough oil into a large skillet to cover the bottom of the pan with a thin layer and heat over medium heat.
4. Dip each of the tofu strips into the flour mixture coating well on all sides
5. Place the tofu strips in the skillet and cook until lightly browned on both sides about 3 minutes per side.
6. Transfer the fried tofu strips to a plate lined with paper towels or a piece of paper grocery bag to drain.
7. Stir together the orange juice and syrup in a small bowl. Serve the tofu strips with the dipping sauce alongside.

Serve all these hors d’oeuvres together and you have a meal! What are your favorite appetizers?

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Want to win some vegan shoes and chocolates?

To enter sign up for Pure Citizen's daily email here and leave a comment on this post telling us your favorite vegan company by December 18 at 11:59PM PST. 
The winner will receive one pair of handmade vegan ribcage flats from Manimal plus five runner-ups will win a sampler of vegan chocolate truffles and Munch from Nicobella.

Be sure to check out all of the vegan holiday gifts that Pure Citizen has to offer. And today through December 18th you can also get free shipping on any purchase by using code KINDLIFE at checkout. That should make your holiday shopping a whole lot easier.

• This sweepstakes is open to all registered users of TheKindLife.com. Learn how to sign up by clicking here.
• You may only enter once. Multiple entries will not be considered.
• The sweepstakes will begin on December 14 2011 at 6:00AM PST and end on December 18 2011 at 11:59PM PST.
• After the entry period has closed a winner will be chosen at random and notified via private message and email. If winner does not claim prize within 24 hours a new winner will be chosen.
• Odds are dependent on the number of entries. Any questions? Please contact the site admin.
• Void where prohibited by law.

UPDATE: We've chosen our winners! Congrats Jennifer Audrey Orin Bianca Maiah and Phyllis!

Today’s post is proudly sponsored by
 

The issue of experimentation on chimps is one that breaks my heart. They are so close to us. And even if they weren't they are amazing beings.

One way in which they are not similar to humans however is disease expression. Evidence has shown that when medications are tested on chimps the results are not repeated in human subjects. For example a drug that controlled HIV in chimps failed to do so in humans. So why are laboratories still performing cruel tests on these sensitive emotional beings? Some scientists once thought that chimps made ideal test subjects because their genome is similar to the human genome but evidence is mounting that chimps just don’t react to medications the same way humans do.
 
Ethical considerations aside it just doesn’t make sense for the medical community to continue spending huge amounts of money torturing chimps.
 
How You Can Help
 
Support The Great Ape Protection and Cost Savings Act H.R. 1513/S. 810 by writing to your representatives. Here is a summary of what the bill entails:

• Phase out the use of chimpanzees in invasive research in both federally funded and private laboratories
• Release the more than 500 federally owned chimpanzees to sanctuaries
• Prohibit future breeding of chimpanzees for purposes of conducting invasive research

Let’s all promise to write a letter this month. Strength in numbers! Consider this kind act your holiday gift to all the great apes in captivity.

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Photo credit: To Live and Eat in L.A.

Submit your original vegan recipes for a chance to win great prizes including:

• 1400 Whole Foods Market gift card
• A year’s supply of Earth Balance® products
• Earth Balance® gift pack featuring a bamboo cutting board & kitchen supplies
• ‘The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition’ by Julieanna Hever 

So bring out your absolute best cupcake recipes snap some gorgeous photos of them and bake to win! The vegan cupcake recipe contest ends Dec. 18th. For more info about how to enter click here.

We thought we'd help out with your recipe brainstorming by sharing this very simple recipe for making vegan "buttercream" icing. It's so smooth creamy & delicious we're willing to bet that no one will even realize it's vegan!

Ingredients: makes about 3 cups
1/2 cup Earth Balance® Buttery Spread softened
1/2 cup 1 stick Earth Balance® Vegan Buttery Sticks softened
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 to 4 cups vegan confectioners’ sugar you can make your own by blending organic granulated sugar in a blender or food processor
1/4 to 1/3 cup Earth Balance® Soymilk vanilla
Click here for the full recipe…

Now let's see some of your own cupcake creations! Submit your vegan recipes to the Holiday Bake-Off today!

Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

During the holidays it can be hard to get away from cream and butter-laden desserts. But this superhero Candied Ginger Pears dessert from my book p. 279 is delicious and sophisticated and is a great option to serve to your guests!

Ingredients

• 1 cups of ground almonds
• 2 tbsp. of brown rice syrup
• 3 large or 4 small pears halved and core scooped out
• 1 1/2 cups of pear or apple juice
• 1 tsp. of ginger juice grate 1” fresh ginger and use your fingers to squeeze out the juice
• 1 Pinch of fine sea salt
• 1 tbsp. of kuzu mixed with 1 T cold pear juice
• 1 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp. of lemon zest
• 4 tsp. of maple syrup optional

Steps

1. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat
2. Add the almonds and toast for 3-5 minutes stirring constantly until fragrant and golden brown
3. Transfer to a small bowl to cool
4. When cool buzz the almonds in a food processor or blender until very finely ground
5. Heat the rice syrup in a small saucepan
6. Add the ground almonds and stir over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens
7. Set aside
8. Arrange the pears in a deep skillet cut sides up
9. Add the pear or apple juice to the pan along with the ginger juice and salt
10. Cover the pan bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 7-10 minutes or until the pear halves are soft
11. Using a slotted spoon transfer the pears to a serving platter reserving the cooking liquid
12. Fill the hollow of each pear with some of the ground almond mixture
13. Stir the diluted kuzu into the reserved cooking liquid and heat for 3-5 minutes stirring constantly until the sauce thickens
14. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest
15. Pour the sauce over the pears and serve
16. For extra sweetness and some color drizzle each pear with 1 teaspoon maple syrup

What are some of your favorite kind holiday desserts?

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Hibiskiss Tinted Lip Balm from Crazy Rumors

Remember when you were a kid and you'd get fun little pots of flavored lipgloss in your Christmas stocking? Well think of this as the adult and all-natural version of that childhood treat.

These flavored Hibikiss lip balms smell like candy! They come in a rainbow of pretty pretty hues—from botanical extracts not artificial colors. Made from natural ingredients like soy wax jojoba oil olive oil and sheabutter they're cruelty-free and great for keeping your lips moisturized all winter.

Next Friday on Open Sky

Non-toxic Nail Polish by PRITI NYC

I'm not a huge nail polish wearer - I like to keep my nails looking clean and natural. When I do wear polish I only use non-toxic brands and try to stick with natural colors.

PRITI NYC is super nontoxic and eco-friendly. Their pretty polishes are all completely non-toxic and made without toluene dibutyl phthalate DHB and formaldehyde - all known carcinogenic ingredients. They're also fast drying chip resistant and are extremely durable and glossy. Plus they're completely safe for use on children and moms-to-be the founder Kim D’Amato came up with the idea for a nontoxic nail polish line when she was pregnant and wanted a great manicure!.

I picked out a few colors I hope you'll like. I think this set will make a groovy gift for girlfriends--or for yourself!
 
For more awesome gift ideas and great deals on kind products be sure to follow me on Open Sky – it’s free! What kind of gifts are you giving this year? And what else would like to see featured in my Open Sky store? Let me know in the comments below!

PS – Open Sky is offering free gift wrapping from 12/12-12/14 – be sure to choose their eco-friendly gift wrapping option!

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• Wrap gifts in old newspaper or thrift store fabrics and ribbons
• Use brown paper bags although hopefully you don't have a tone of these because you are using your resusable canvas bags or get creative with magazines and even junk mail hopefully you have stopped your junk mail. If you haven't go here to learn how.

For any gifts we give we save ribbon boxes and paper all year round from gifts we have received. And we just use all of that to make our gift wrap.

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You can find used copies here or you can always check your local library. Be sure to post any thoughts or questions you have along the way in the comments below.

As always I’ll be posting a compilation of your thoughts and feelings about Shantaram. Enjoy the read as you travel to your holiday destinations or enjoy a cozy staycation this season.

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Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

Here's the transcript of today's live chat in case you missed it!

 

I had so much fun chatting with you all!
 
Love
Alicia

DIY picture frame from EatDrinkChic.com.


Branch photo holder from CarolynsHomework.


Twig basket from FluorishDesignandStyle.

For Your Favorite Foodie


Try making this Herb Planter from the blog NotJustAHousewife.com made with reclaimed wood and mason jars. How great would this be in your and your friends’ kitchens?


A popular way to say Happy Holidays to distant loved ones is to send homemade cookies. The Chocolate Dipped Shortbread Cookies on page 187 of The Kind Diet would be a pretty holiday cookie to mail to your loved ones. Last year I baked assorted desserts from my book and gifted them in boxes decorated with pieces of ribbon or wrapping paper I’ve been given in the past. I also included the recipes printed on recycled paper of course so my friends could recreate their kind treats. To see how I did this last year check out the blog I wrote about dessert gifts here.

If you’re shipping your baked goods Martha Stewart has fool-proof cookie-packing instructions here. Get creative by using boxes tins or packing materials you may already have. Old newspapers work really well for insulating delicate shipments – try to avoid buying packing peanuts or bubble wrap.


If you don’t feel like baking you can still send cookie mix. Post Punk Kitchen has a  pecan chocolate chip mix that you can put in a mason jar decorate and send along with a hand written recipe card.

Kid-Friendly Craft
 
This all-natural vegan homemade play dough from Organic Authority is a perfect gift to make with your kids to give to their friends or other kids in the family.

For the Ladies

This salt scrub from ChicandGreenDaily.com would be a great gift for your girlfriends or any groovy lady in your life! You can customize by adding any essential oil you like. Put it in a mason jar and add a handwritten tag tied with ribbon or twine.

If Crafting Isn’t In the Cards…

If this year is crazy madness for you you can find great eco-friendly gifts on etsy.com. Below are a few cute options:

Hand-painted ceramic travel mug

100 vegan lilac rose soap


100 vegan baby beanie with earflaps

For ideas about wrapping your gifts using stuff you already have check out the blog I posted on this topic last year. Of course all of these ideas can be customized and tweaked to fit your loved ones.

What kind of gifts do you plan to give this year?

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Holiday Hors D'oeuvres

• 1400 Whole Foods Market gift card
• A year’s supply of Earth Balance® products
• Earth Balance® gift pack featuring a bamboo cutting board & kitchen supplies
• ‘The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition’ by Julieanna Hever! 
  
  

Do you have a yummy vegan cake recipe? Submit it to the contest here! Cake recipes must be submitted by 11:59 EST on December 11th so start baking! The following week we will be accepting cupcake recipes and then the final week of the competition will be all about cookies. You can submit as many vegan recipes as you like and we are giving out a special prize for 'Most Recipes Submitted'!
 
To get you inspired check out this celebratory birthday cake recipe created by two of the fabulous judges in this year's Holiday Bake-Off recipe contest Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg of Spork Foods.

VEGAN BIRTHDAY CAKE

Ingredients

1 cup spelt flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon non-aluminum baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons egg replacer dry
1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups unsweetened Earth Balance® Soymilk plus 11⁄2 teaspoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar set aside to curdle
1/3 cup neutral tasting oil
1 cup evaporated cane sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons naturally dyed sprinkles

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl combine flours baking powder baking soda egg replacer and sea salt. Whisk until uniform.

In a separate bowl whisk curdled soymilk oil sugar and vanilla extract and slowly incorporate into dry ingredients. Mix batter until uniform but do not over mix.

Pour batter into two greased 9-inch- round baking dishes. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into middle of cake.

Find out how to make the frosting and assemble the cake by heading on over to Made Just Right™! And don’t forget to submit your own vegan recipe while you’re there!

Photo Credit: Patrick M. Gookin II

Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

Hey everyone! I just wanted to remind you about my live chat tomorrow at 4PM PST / 7PM EST here on The Kind Life. I’ll be answering your questions about how to celebrate a kind holiday season and sharing how I’ll be celebrating as well. Mark your calendars and have your questions ready! Just log on to The Kind Life when the chat begins and you’ll see instructions for participating.
 
I can’t wait to chat with all of you tomorrow. What are you looking forward to discussing? Tell me in the comments below!

•     1 pkg. Hijiki
•     1 Tbsp light sesame oil
•     1 small onion diced
•     Pinch sea salt
•     1 medium carrot julienned
•     1 ear corn kernels removed from cob
•     1/2 cup apple juice
•     1 Tbsp tamari or to taste
•     1 tsp fresh ginger juice
•     2 green onions thin diagonal slices
•     2 carrots diced
•     8 oz tofu
•     2 Tbsp olive oil plus extra for drizzling
•     1 Tbsp white miso
•     1 tsp umeboshi plum vinegar
•     1 whole wheat pie crust

Steps

1. Rinse Hijiki thoroughly and soak in spring or filtered water for about 20 minutes
2. Heat sesame oil in a pan and sauté onions for 1 minute adding a pinch of sea salt
3. Add carrot and corn kernels and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes
4. Drain Hijiki and chop it into small pieces
5. Add Hijiki to pan along with half a cup of its soaking liquid and half a cup of apple juice
6. Bring to a boil cover pan and allow to simmer on a low heat for about 15 minutes
7. If not all liquid has been absorbed remove lid from pan turn up the heat and boil it off
8. Add tamari ginger and green onions and mix well

While veggies are cooking you can prepare the topping.

1. Steam carrot until soft and puree in a blender or food processor drizzling a little water in gradually to get a thick creamy consistency
2. Taste test and add a little more miso or plum vinegar if you require a stronger taste
3. Divide piecrust into 6 or 8 pieces
4. Roll each piece into a circle about 1/8" thick between two sheets of waxed paper or clear plastic wrap

You have two options at this stage. For both you will need to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
 
Option one: For this you need two mini tart trays - each tray will probably have four pie compartments. Line the bases of the tart trays with rolled out pastry and trim and crimp the edges. Spoon about 2 Tbsp of the veggie mixture into the pie base and spread some of the tofu mixture on top. For a prettier look you can use a piping bag and pipe mixture decoratively on top. drizzle a little olive oil on top of each pie and bake for about 25 minutes.
 
Option two: Put about 2 Tbsp of the veggie mixture onto the center of the rolled out pastry. Dampen the edges of the pastry and fold over to form a half moon. Trim and crimp the edges with a fork to seal. Place on an oiled baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes. Can be served hot or cold with a dollop of the tofu cream. If serving hot you can warm the cream. If you prefer you can add more water to thin it out a bit so you can pour it as a sauce over the pie.
 
Have you tried hijiki? If not does this recipe seem like a good way to get introduced?

More Kind Recipes:

Pumpkin Bread
Dreamy Pear Trifle
Hot Apple Cider
Chef Chloe's Vegan Mac 'N Cheese

Related Stories:

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There’s no better way to warm up this winter than with delicious organic vegan soups from Amy’s. Amy’s is a vegetarian company with over 95 vegan products 23 being vegan soups. Enjoy a piping hot bowl of hearty Rustic Italian Vegetable or if you’re in the mood for something more exotic try Thai Coconut made with organic coconut milk shitake mushrooms and sweet potatoes. We have a soup for every mood and every palate!

In addition to our soups we carry more vegan food items than you can shake a carrot at. Everything from breakfast snacks entrees and desserts. Indian to Italian to Asian food choices. You’ll never be wanting for delicious and nutritious vegan selections. Have a craving for something in particular? Head on over to our product search page to find it!

Would you like to win an Amy’s gift pack?

Like us on Facebook and leave a comment on this post telling us about your favorite Amy’s product to qualify for a gift pack containing vegan soups a mug and coupons! Hurry and enter before December 6th at 11:59PM PST. 

Also don’t forget to sign up for the Amy’s Kitchen Newsletter. It’ll keep you up to date with the latest goings-on at Amy's health and environment news and not-to-miss discounts.

Happy holidays and happy kind shopping!

• This sweepstakes is open to all registered users of TheKindLife.com residing within the US. Learn how to sign up by clicking here.
• You may only enter once. Multiple entries will not be considered.
• The sweepstakes will begin on November 30 2011 at 6:00AM PST and end on December 6 2011 at 11:59PM PST.
• After the entry period has closed a winner will be chosen at random and notified via private message and email. If winner does not claim prize within 24 hours a new winner will be chosen.
• Odds are dependent on the number of entries. Any questions? Please contact the site admin.
• Void where prohibited by law.
  
  
  
  UPDATE: We've chosen our winners. Congrats Kate and G Jonson!

Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

The holidays might be a tricky time for someone new to a kind lifestyle so I thought it would be great to share tips for keeping the season kind in a live forum.
 
To that end I’ve decided to host our first ever live chat here on The Kind Life! I’ll be chatting with you and answering your questions during a 30-minute live chat on Tuesday December 6 starting at 4PM PST / 7PM EST. To participate all you have to do is login to The Kind Life at the time the chat begins and you’ll see instructions for jumping in and submitting questions.
 
I’ll answer as many of your questions as I can during our live chat then I’ll post a blog recapping the highlights. I’ll be posting a reminder about the live chat as we get closer to the date but I wanted to give you a heads up so you can start coming up with questions. I can’t wait to hear from you!
 
I’d love to hear what you’d like me to talk about during our live chat! Share the topics you want to discuss in the comments below!

More Success Stories:

Success Story: Kasey Improves Her Hearing Impairment
Success Story: Cycle's Family Turns Health Around
Patty Overcomes Her Migraines
Jennifer's New Life

• A 400 gift certificate for Whole Foods Market.
• A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.
• An Earth Balance® gift pack featuring a bamboo cutting board and kitchen supplies.
• A copy of the book ‘The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition’  by Julieanna Hever

One of the 8 winners will be selected as the GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

GRAND PRIZE - Made Just Right™ will select one lucky winner to win:

• An additional 1000 gift certificate for Whole Foods Market.

And this year there are even MORE opportunities to win in NEW categories!
How about trying your hand at Best Photo Most Recipes Submitted and Most Creative Recipe?

Made Just Right™ will also select 3 recipes from all submissions to win in those fun categories.

Winners will receive:

• A 1 year supply of Earth Balance® products.
• An Earth Balance® gift pack featuring a bamboo cutting board and kitchen supplies.

We will announce the 8 weekly winners the 3 special prize winners and the 1 grand prize winner the week of January 9th 2012! For complete contest rules visit HOLIDAY BAKE-OFF CONTEST RULES. For specific questions about how to upload your recipe visit the MADE JUST RIGHT™ FAQ. 

Hope to see you there with recipes to share!

- The Made Just Right™ Team

SUBMIT YOUR RECIPE HERE

Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

My friend sent me this picture of a cow and what looks to be his caretaker napping together under a tree. How sweet is this?

What's the closest you've gotten to a cow?

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"Save a life this Thanksgiving and join me in starting a new tradition by adopting a turkey instead of eating one through Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project." – Ellen DeGeneres Farm Sanctuary’s 2011 Adopt-A-Turkey Project spokesperson

"Turkeys are among the most abused animals on earth. The horrors these smart sensitive birds routinely endure behind closed doors on our nation's factory farms all so that their tortured bodies can be the centerpiece of a holiday celebration about gratitude are appalling and incongruent with most Americans' values of compassion." - John Salley 4-time NBA Champion and wellness guru

“After spending time with the rescued turkeys at Farm Sanctuary’s shelter and seeing how similar they are to my furry companion animals at home I knew I needed to do everything in my power to protect these friendly and curious birds from the daily pain and suffering they endure on factory farms.” – Ginnifer Goodwin Farm Sanctuary’s 2009 Adopt-A-Turkey Project spokesperson

“If people knew how personable and fun to hang out with turkeys are and if they knew the horrors that turkeys on factory farms go through for their entire lives I think fewer people would want to take part in supporting factory farming. Honoring turkeys who have been abused by the system as they embark on their new life on the sanctuary is a great thing to do.” – Daniela Sea

Read our special holiday interview with Daniela here! 

“Here is a list of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes. It's so simple to create a delicious holiday meal without animal cruelty. I promise no one will miss the turkey! Enjoy!”- Alicia Silverstone

"Thanksgiving is a time to reflect and express our gratitude for all that we have to be thankful for. In the true spirit of this holiday take a moment to think about the importance of all life. By choosing a vegetarian diet every one of us can take part in ending the cruelty animals endure on factory farms. Like cats and dogs turkeys are intelligent social and sensitive beings who want to live. Give thanks this holiday and save a life." - Persia White

"There are many ways of giving thanks. Eating turkeys doesn't have to be one of them. Healthy and delicious vegetarian options now make compassionate holidays easier than ever. This Thanksgiving join with my family in starting a new tradition that celebrates life and promotes peace for all beings." - Corey Feldman

"Our family holidays always include our animals. On Thanksgiving we love to walk around our farm and visit with our rescued pigs goats horses emus and many other rescued animals. We give them all special vegetables that day and the whole family enjoys a vegetarian Thanksgiving dinner. We know that the animals are giving thanks that day and we are also giving thanks for the joy they bring to our lives.” – Noah Wyle

Tracy Owen and Noah Wyle’s favorite Thanksgiving treats: Baked yams mashed potatoes stuffed squash and pumpkin pie.

Click here for the Wyle family’s favorite Thanksgiving recipes.

"Every living thing feels pain and should be protected from cruelty. Farm animals are no different." - Kim Basinger

Kim’s favorite Thanksgiving treats: Squash casserole sweet potato soufflé asparagus meatless tomato basil loaf and pumpkin pie.

"I became a vegetarian because when I ate that way I felt better physically and I couldn't stand the idea that I was in some small way supporting the extreme cruelty of factory farming." - Casey Affleck

Casey’s favorite Thanksgiving treats: Tempeh cranberry sauce Brussels sprouts gravy and rice.

"I like to stuff myself at Thanksgiving not turkeys. Save a life this holiday season … adopt a turkey instead of eating one." – Kevin Nealon

Kevin’s favorite Thanksgiving treats: Tofurky and pumpkin pie!

"We all oppose animal cruelty. But sometimes we forget that animals on farms suffer and feel pain like all other animals. They too deserve to be protected from harm and cruelty." – Charlotte Ross

"Turkeys are misunderstood. Once I adopted turkeys I understood this large bird to be a great companion. Contrary to popular belief they are sweet kind and funny. My adopted girls filled my heart every day with joy." – Linda Blair  

What is your take on Thanksgiving?

Related Stories:

Kind Classics: My Thanksgiving Menu
Adopt a Turkey
My Thanksgiving Videos

Let’s face it – when we live a kind life even our most supportive friends and family members sometimes struggle to find us holiday gifts that align with our values. Living cruelty-free doesn’t just stop at the food we eat but for a lot of us it’s reflected in what we wear what we put in our homes and what we give our kids to play with. Even for the most diligent among us cruelty-free shopping can be tricky let alone for those navigating vegan shopping for the first time.

Ethical Ocean is making it easier than ever to give and receive gifts that reflect your values and to help you inspire others to shop ethically. Just visit Ethical Ocean and build a Better World Wishlist – the grown-up equivalent of the lists you wrote as a kid! Find products you’d love to find under the tree read the ethical claims behind them to make sure it reflects you and then add it to your holiday wishlist. Sharing your list is fast and easy! There’s no better time of year to inspire others to shop ethically. By creating a kind wishlist for yourself you’re also creating a kind gift guide for your friends and family. They’ll browse for you and maybe end up browsing for themselves too. 

When the first environmentally friendly gift off your list is bought we’ll send you a gift from us - 20 off your next purchase on EO that you can put towards your own holiday shopping or keep for yourself... we won’t tell!.

Here are some of our favorite kind gifts for the holidays to get you started:

The Perfect Handbag pictured above: Choose the perfect vegan handbag by MATT & NAT. No leather aficionado would guess these bags are 100 vegan. What’s more they’re made from recycled materials - the average MATT & NAT bag is lined with a faux suede made from 21 recycled water bottles!



The Farm Sanctuary 2012 Calendar: Featuring soulful portraits of 12 Farm Sanctuary animal ambassadors and heroic tales of their rescues. Proceeds from the calendar support Farm Sanctuary's work.

The Candle 79 Cookbook: Frequently ranked the top vegan restaurant in the U.S. New York’s Candle 79 has pulled together the best vegan recipes for the season. Expanding the horizons of vegan fare with appetizers soups salads mains brunches desserts cocktails and wine pairings Candle 79 Cookbook invites every home cook to make truly green cuisine.

Make Ethical Ocean your destination for holiday and vegan shopping. Plus now with free shipping on all orders over 75 there’s no better place to find the perfect ethical gift.

Start your holiday wishlist now!

Today’s post is proudly sponsored by

 

The Alicia Coat

Vaute Couture is giving away one “Alicia” coat pictured above plus a Friends sweatshirt earmuffs and a knit headband pictured below to one lucky kind lifer. This year’s collection is super stylish and fun so be sure to check out Vaute Couture’s look book too.

The Friends Series Favorite Sweatshirt

The Vaute Couture Signature Earmuff

The VC Soy HandKnit Feather Headband

To enter for a chance to win Vaute Couture’s winter wardrobe tell me why you need a new winter coat in the comments below.

Good luck!

PS - Today through December 5th you can also get 30 off any purchase of a Vaute Couture coat by using code KINDLIFE at checkout.

UPDATE: We've chosen our winner! Congrats Megan!

Brett Dennen is a folk singer from Oakdale Calif. He’s still a little under the radar even though he’s already toured the US Europe and Australia. Many of you probably already know all about him and his great music.

He’s got a gorgeous voice and his lyrics are so good. I highly recommend giving him a listen especially if you like folk music. He is wonderful! Heck if you just like music in general not only folk music you should check him out. His music is really good.

You can listen to a few of his songs for free on his myspace page.
 
What’s on your turntable these days?

Related:

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Sneakers By Blink 182's Tom DeLonge
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Ingredients

• 4 cups raw cranberries
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• Juice from 1 orange

Instructions

1. Rinse and clean berries well.
2. Transfer to a large saucepan and add the syrup orange juice and 1/4 cup of water.
3. Bring to a boil reduce the heat cover and boil gently until the berries pop about 10 minutes.
4. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy! What’s your favorite way to eat cranberry sauce?

Related Stories:

Warm Up With Winter Squash Soup!
Hot Apple Cider
Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Dreamy Pear Trifle

• 2 tbs olive oil
• ¼ onion
• 1 rib celery cubed small
• ½ apple
• 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 3 cups vegan corn bread pre-cooked
• 1/2 cup wild rice pre-cooked
• 2 tbs pecans
• 2 tbs dried cranberries
• 1/2 tsp poultry spice
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbs parsley
• ½-1 cup vegetable broth

Steps

1. Add the first 7 ingredients to a sauce pan and cook 10-15 minutes or until apples and celery begin to soften.
2. Meanwhile crumble precooked vegan cornbread into a large bowl.
3. Add wild rice pecans dried cranberries poultry spice sea salt and parsley.
4. Mix in sauteed mixture stirring well.
5. Adjust seasonings as desired.
6. Add vegetable broth.
7. For a moisture dressing more vegetable broth can be added.
8. Place in a well oil pyrex dish or casserole.
9. Bake covered at 350 for 1 hour uncovering in last 20 minutes of cooking.

Yum! What kind of stuffing are you going to eat this Thanksgiving? Be sure to share your tasty recipes in the Recipe Gallery!

Related Stories:

Kind Classics: My Thanksgiving Menu
Thanksgiving Pizza
A Yummy Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

• For the tofu I’ve found the Organic Firm Silken Tofu by Mori-Nu works the best.
• For the pie crust get one from your grocer’s frozen section. Try for one that’s sugar-free. You don’t need a sweet crust because the pie is the bomb all on its own.
• I’m a spice freak so I always use all the optional spices.
• I think the pie is best after it has been chilled which is good because you can make it for a dinner the night or morning before but it’s still awesome warm. 

All right that’s enough on the pie. Go make it! Serve it to everyone you know. And if you’re really feeling crazy pair it with some non-dairy vanilla ice cream or if you are weird like me pair it with the carrot cake ice cream from Rice Dream…yummmmm!

Tofu Pumpkin Pie

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 can 16 ounces pureed pumpkin
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice optional
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
• 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch to firm up the pie filling
• 1 package 10-12 ounces silken/soft tofu
• 1 9-in unbaked vegan pie shell

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. 
2. Blend the pumpkin and sugar.
3. Add salt spices cornstarch and tofu mix thoroughly. 
4. Pour mixture into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 F and bake for another 60 minutes. 
5. Chill and serve.

NOTE: Don't use the low fat tofu then the pie tastes like it was made with tofu.

Related Stories:

Kind Classics: My Thanksgiving Menu
Thanksgiving Takeout Menus
A Yummy Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe!
Thanksgiving Pizza

Related Stories:

Kind Classics: Beware of Plastic Water Bottles!
Pedal Power
Simple Ways to Reduce Waste
Easy Ways to Conserve Water

Wild Rice Cornbread Stuffing – we made this yummy recipe from Rachel Spurr!

Mashed Rutabegas & Potatoes from M Café

Tofurky Gravy - it's easy and good!

String Beans – I made these with my husband’s step mom Carol!

Sweet Potoatoes With Suzanne’s Ricemellow Creme – Made these with Carol

Plain Biscuits from M Café – these are delicious!

Winter Salad from M Café – really good! Has a light crumble "cheese" on it with pears.

Cranberry Sauce – from my book p. 162

My Pecan Pie


Pumpkin Cheesecake – from my friend Mark whom I wrote about here. I served it with a little vanilla “ice cream”

Mulled Wine – from my book p. 210

Hot Apple Cider – so good with cloves and cinnamon sticks!

Organic Beer and a little Champagne for dessert

Cucumber-Mint Water – a nice way to fancy up plain ‘ol water for a special meal!
 
That’s it! What are you planning to eat this Thanksgiving?

Related Stories:

My Thanksgiving Dinner
My Thanksgiving Videos!
Amazing Pumpkin Pie