The Kind Life
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success stories
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Nov 2, 2009
It's been so crazy (good crazy) since the book came out.  I've been getting amazing feedback from you guys on the Kind Diet recipes.... the changes that are happening to you.  It's SO awesome and so touching to read about your experiences.  It means so much to me.  Please continue to share with me throughout your journey.  I love that this "diet" is making you feel so good.  You are inspiring me, but you are also all inspiring each other, which is the coolest part!  This community makes me so happy.

I want to start featuring your success stories on my blog.  If you have a great story that you'd like to share, please post it to your profile!  It can be a blog, a video, or photos.  After you post them, flag them as "cool".  That will send me a little note to check them out and then I will begin sharing some of them on my homepage.  Looking forward to reading them :) 

Love, Alicia


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I normally do not post to forums, but I just have to share my success story because I am so excited! I decided to be a vegetarian about a month ago. Since then I have felt much better but still continued to have problems with asthma, allergies, and a host of other issues. I have suffered from sports induced asthma for 8 years and have not been able to run without using my inhaler or steroids. Since starting a vegan diet 2 weeks ago I have been able to run outside in the cold without having to use my inhaler!! Not only has my asthma improved but I have so much more energy now. I just want to thank you Alicia for putting this book out. If I had not been exposed to your book I would still be suffering with asthma and feeling like crap.
Hi Alicia,

I became a vegan this summer, after 15 years of being a vegetarian. But I don't think I was really commited (I "cheated" frequently) until I read your book. So I wanted to thank you for dedicating your time and energy to communicating such an important message. You have inspired me to live a long, healthy, vegan life.

p.s. My sister used to be in a band wit your husband's brother. She and I are excited to try out all of your recipes together. I tried out one of your recipes last night and it was amazing!
Jennifer- What a great story. So, so happy for you :-)
You are all si inspiring. Ashley as far as grains so I have IBS and since starting to eat all whole grains my problems are much better. I do think we all need grains in our diets. They are so full of vitamins and unlike the white stuff, white bread, rice etc.. they are full of fiber we need to keep things moving through our systems as well. Being in school to be a dietician I have learned the importance of whole grains millet, quinoa, brown rice, sprouted whole grain ezekiel bread and wraps. I've tried the no carb diets only to feel like crap but when u cut out all the refined stuff and eat only whole grains the weight will fall off and you'll feel much better. I actually have a hard time eating enough to keep weight on eating like this. Now I just need to give up the eggs and occasional cheese and I think it'll be even better. i do live alicia's rec on the Eden soy/rice milk. Its great!!!
Amy so glad to hear your IBS is improved, that is a miserable thing to suffer with.  What about your other eating issues?  Are you eating enough to keep yourself healthy?
I think this forum is great for all of us!  no more feeling alone or alien in our own little food worlds!  ;o)
I hope I can delete this...i'm making sure my posting option is working.
How do you tag your post as "Cool". I love all the stories I've been reading!!

Love to hear ALL the inspiring stories ;0

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moroccan couscous with saffron
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Oct 30, 2009
I found this recipe in a magazine and changed it up to make a healthier version.  It's SO good.  When I make this, I have it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for leftovers.  Definitely make a big batch of it.  It's great for big family meals, and stays good in the fridge for a few days.  And ladies, it's a great dish to have right before your period. 

I just made it for my dad and he loved it!  I surprised him and my mom by cooking them a huge meal.  I made the Couscous, the Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew, Baby Bok Choy Drizzled with Ume Vinaigrette, and the Peach Crumble for dessert.  It was a massive feast!  They were super impressed. 

SERVES 6

INGREDIENTS
2 cups peeled butternut squash, cut into 1/4” to 1/2” cubes
2 cups yellow onion, large dice
1 1/2 cups carrots, cut into 1/4” to 1/2” cubes
1 1/2 cups zucchini, cut into 3/4” cubes
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 1/2 cups whole wheat couscous
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped

STEPS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the squash, onion, carrots and zucchini on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula about midway through.
While the vegetables roast, bring the vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan.
Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper, cumin, saffron and salt to taste.
Cover the pan and steep for 15 minutes.
Scrape the roasted vegetables and their juices into a large bowl, and add the couscous. 
Bring the vegetable broth back to a boil, and pour over the couscous mixture all at once.
Cover tightly with a plate and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Add the scallions, toss the couscous and vegetables with a fork, and serve.


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my san fran trip
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Oct 28, 2009

 

Hello all - had a great time in San Francisco!  Thank you so much to Sharon Schmidt, Catherine Eure, Alessia, and Zachary Wolk for your recommendations.

I stayed at the Good Hotel, which is so cool because they are green.  The beds are made from 100% reclaimed wood and the light fixtures are made from recycled glass bottles.  There are even vending machines in the lobby that sell wallets made out of Fedex envelopes.  So cool!  I would recommend this hotel to anyone staying in San Francisco.  It was reasonably priced, clean and everyone there made my stay worry free.  It's so great how easy it is to find green hotels these days!

Good Hotel is only a 15-minute walk to Cafe Gratitude, which I love.  I walked there one morning.  The people that work there are so nice and friendly and happy.  So cool to be around people that love what they are doing.  Love the vibe there and the music.  I had the Macro Bowl (delicious) and the Key Lime Pie (insane…and I don't generally like Key Lime Pie).   Walked back with a happy stomach.  This was definitely the highlight of the trip.
 
I had a book signing in Danville that was very nice!  A sweet young lady made the Oatmeal, Walnut and Dried Plum cookies and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups from The Kind Diet to pass out while I signed books.  I love that people were able to try a couple recipes so they could get a taste for how good all the recipes are.

Later that night, I ate at Millenium Restaurant, which I've been to many times over the years.  It's always so comfortable and friendly.  Their beer is so good.  Everything is organic and locally grown.   I had a great meal with my friend Brian (pictured below).  By the way ladies of San Francisco, Brian is single and cute and a member of our community so if you want to meet him go to his profile and demand that he put a picture up or just start chatting with him!  My favorite dish that I didn't have this time is the Chocolate Almond Midnight dessert.  My husband and I had a version of that instead of cake at our wedding.  Yum!

I wanted to try the restaurant Weird Fish, but didn't make it there.  Has anyone heard of it?  Let me know if it's tasty.

I even got a chance to make a quick stop at my old junior high school.  I hadn't been there in so long so that was fun!  I saw Ms. Lyons, Mr. Oshita and Mr. Chung.  So nice to see them!  Before the Palo Alto book signing, Brian and I went to the Loving Hut and I had a yummy Rice Bowl and a delicious Vegetable Soup with Kabocha Squash and coconut.  They have locations all over the place so check them out.  

I was also on View From The Bay and everyone was super nice!  They had my Caesar salad, Chorizo tacos and Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups.  It was all yummy!  And the host was a big fan of Cafe Gratitude too.

My last stop before leaving for the airport was dinner with friends at Slanted Door.  The food was really good!  They have tons of delicious, healthy options there.  We tried the Cabbage Salad, Mung Bean Paste Dumplings (my friends didn't like those much), Daikon Rice cakes, Bok Choy and Glass Noodles.  All really good food but later that night I was sooo thirsty which means they used way too much salt.  You know that feeling when your mouth is raw from thirst?  It drives me crazy!  Salt is so important but it needs to be used carefully.  Some places are crazy on the salt so be careful!  Of course, I never notice this until I'm done eating a few hours later and suddenly need bottles and bottles of water.  This happened after my meal at Pure Food and Wine in New York too.  Some of you who are not superheroes yet probably won't notice this, so you can just ignore me!

All of my signings have been going so well.  I love interacting with people about the book.  It's so much fun and I love all the questions and talking about this lifestyle.  It means the world to me!

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some clips from my press tour
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Oct 27, 2009


I wanted to share this clip from when I was on The View, we had so much delicious food!  If you missed this or any of these other clips and you want to check them out, here they are!

RACHAEL RAY SHOW

CW 11 MORNING NEWS

LX NEW YORK INTERVIEW

LX NEW YORK COOKING DEMO

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cheesy, oozy guacamole bean dip
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Oct 23, 2009



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 Brown's 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 was on The View recently, 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
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Spread a layer of refried beans in the bottom of an 8 inch by 8 inch quart glass baking dish. 

Pit and peel the avocados, and place in a bowl. 

Mash the avocados together with the lime juice, and spread on top of the refried beans.
Stir together the sour cream and taco seasoning, and spread over the avocado.

Sprinkle the chiles over the sour cream, and top with a layer of black olives.

Add the tomatoes, and sprinkle with the cheese.

Heat the dip for 15-30 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is a bit melted.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

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eating my way through NYC!
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Oct 22, 2009

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My favorite thing about NYC is all the great food!!


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book launch week in NYC
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Oct 21, 2009

Hi there... had the best time in NYC.  I was so happy and excited, it was ridiculous.  SO much went on.  Here are some highlights:

On the plane ride from LAX, Bob Barker was a passenger, he was so cute and dressed so nicely! He's such a huge supporter of animals… encourages spaying and neutering.  Met a really nice guy on the plane who has a daughter with arthritis.  They cured her through her diet.  So inspirational... would love to interview her for the site.

I loved my hotel.  It was so sexy and beautiful but still cozy.  I felt right at home.  They use filtered tap water that they put into big bottles for guests, so no wasting all those little plastic bottles!  SO great.

I love being able to walk everywhere.  It's one of my favorite things about being in the city.

On my first day there, I had a great NY Post Magazine photo shoot. The clothes were amazing.  Rodale (my book publisher) sent me cupcakes from Babycakes.  People at the shoot loved them. Photos to come!

I was on the Fox 11 morning show.  My friend Joy (owner of Candle Cafe and Candle 79) joined me on there to do a cooking segment... although it was more of a food tasting… sooo yummy.  Matthew Settle (who I'm told is on Gossip Girl) was there enjoying the food too.  

Had my NY book launch party at Candle 79. Giada De Laurentiis came and looked so gorgeous.  Robin Quivers was there too!  She looked amazing... she has changed so much since starting a plant-based diet.  I love her story and want to share it with you one day.  Lake Bell was there too!

Went to HanGawi with a friend for dinner.  I loooove HanGawi.  Got to see all the employees that I’m friendly with.  They are so generous and sweet.  This place is a MUST in NYC.  We had the mountain roots and greens, dandelion salad with avocado and wasabi dressing, vermicelli noodles, vegetable dumpling soup, grilled ginger todock root and a little sake.  YUM. 

Made a stop at Souen (twice).  Good place for nourishing superhero meals.  They have the yummiest carrot sauce poured all over kaboucha squash and kale.

Ate at Gobo.  So impressed with their Swiss Chard & Sun Dried Tomato Rice pasta Lasagna.  Also tried the Veggie & White Bean soup... and a salad with this super yum "chicken" type stuff on it.

Did my first ever cooking demo at the Food & Wine Expo.  Not as easy as they make it look!  Somehow I managed to cut my finger with a serrated knife... no blood though, thankfully, but it did leave a funny cut.  I think I was just nervous in the beginning because after those first few minutes it was so fun.  Everyone was so supportive, helpful, and organized.  A big thank you to Rodale and to Pam (my editor) and Yelena.

Had my very first book signing.  Thank you to all who came out.  It was so nice to see your faces.

Spent my last night in the city winding down and enjoying all the last NYC food I could before heading back to LA.  Went to Pure Food & Wine... had the master cleanse sake martini and the arugula salad with nut cheese and hazelnuts AND the Caesar salad.  You should try them all.  Went on to have the Dr. Cow cheese plate (to die for!!!)... tried the ice cream cone covered in chocolate and the mint ice cream sundae.  So crazy and delicious.

Pure Food & Wine has the best vibe.  Sat in a beautiful outdoor area and wrote in my journal, got organized and reflected on my trip.  A guy named Doug asked me to join him and his friends.  I did for a bit.  He told me about his store, Organic Avenue that has organic juice.  Also met a sweet woman and her husband from Atlanta.  They were so thrilled to be at the restaurant.

New York was great as always! I just loved this trip!


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here are some pictures from the big launch party for my book!
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Oct 16, 2009

 

Here are a few pics from my LA book launch at the Stella McCartney store in West Hollywood.  It was so amazing.  Food was insane! Drinks were great.  A Fine Frenzy played a mini set.  Alison Sudol (lead singer)...LOVE her. She is so beautiful. Video footage of that night to come....

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chocolate peanut butter cups
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Oct 16, 2009

This is the first recipe you have to try!  If you think that vegan recipes can't be amazing, this will prove you wrong.  They are insane!  Before I went veggie, I was a major Reese's Peanut Butter Cup addict.  I was so sad when I thought I would have to give them up forever.  Regular Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are obviously not great for you, but these veg ones aren't nearly as bad.  If you are looking to lose weight, or you are a superhero, don't have these every day....but having them every once in awhile will make you soooo happy.  Not concerned about weight?!  Enjoy these a few days a week.  If you are a flirt or a full-on vegan, go nuts!  Let them replace your naughty desserts.   Bottom line is, make them....try them.  I dare you not to love them!

MAKES 12

INGREDIENTS
1⁄2 cup Earth Balance butter
3⁄4 cup crunchy peanut butter
(preferably unsweetened and unsalted)
3⁄4 cup graham cracker crumbs or 10 graham cracker squares
1⁄4 cup maple sugar or other granulated sweetener
1 cup grain-sweetened, nondairy chocolate or carob chips
1⁄4 cup soy, rice, or nut milk
1⁄4 cup chopped pecans, almonds, or peanuts

STEPS
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. (If You Care makes unbleached liners made from recycled paper.)
Set aside.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in the peanut butter, graham cracker crumbs, and maple sugar and mix well. Remove the mixture from the heat.
Evenly divide the mixture, approximately 2 tablespoons per cup, among the muffin cups.
Combine the chocolate and milk in another pan.
Stir over medium heat until the chocolate has melted.
Spoon the chocolate evenly over the peanut butter mixture.
Top with chopped nuts.
Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours before serving. 

They are great soft, but even better a little firmer!


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the kind diet - behind the scenes photo shoot
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Oct 15, 2009

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Hi there!  I wanted to share with you a sneak peek of a photo shoot we did for my new book, The Kind Diet.  We went up to Ojai and prepared some of the dishes in the book.  Victoria Pearson, our fantastic photographer, took beautiful pictures of the food!  Everything looked, and tasted, so delicious!  I hope you like the video, and hope you make the recipes and enjoy the deliciousness for yourselves!!!!


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