Vegan

Thanks so much to all of you who entered the Krups rice cooker giveaway. And extra special big huge thanks to all of you who said such kind things about my new book and/or tried the “lemon rice soup” recipe and loved it. Reading all of your favorite dishes from around the world was so much fun… and it made me very hungry! So, the winner turned out to be none other than Dianne Wenz (aka Veggie Girl), who, as luck would have it, was a tester for Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats from Around the World. Yay Dianne! Dianne, I’ll email you soon and get this rice cooker sent your way. And everyone else, thanks again for playin’ and stay tuned for more chances to win things… more to come soon!

When you knit something for yourself, you hope it's "wearable. . . in public." I'll go out on a limb here and state for the record, "I've worn every single thing I've ever knitted for myself. Somewhere." As for knitted gifts--I don't do that as much anymore. Unless it takes less than a week--okay, maybe two--I've vowed to discontinue the practice of gift-knitting. It's best this way. But this does not include the man sweater I have been knitting for three years for DH. (However, I have vowed to never knit a man sweater again.) I knit this shawl for myself because I loved the symmetry. Such a clever pattern: Sideways Ripples Shawl by Kyoko Nakayoshi, I Raveled mine here. The yarn choice came about because when I walked into my closet where yarn stash is stored, it was easy: I love teal. I super love brown. They are my vibe. They are now my shawl vibe.After I blocked this, I loved it even more. There's this moment of incredible satisfaction I get when I lay my finished knits out in front of me on my ironing board, noticing every single stitch, and every single "dropped stitch", too. I have a few in here. However, I am from the school of thought where a dropped stitch ten rows back is NO BIG DEAL and quite FIXABLE. I have found knitting with this mantra has kept me somewhat sane with my knitting pursuits. Anyway, I keep my new shawl folded in my closet next to my jeans--it's a quick grab item for chilly days. So for me, I've been what I'd call a bit busy. First there were the vegetable growing classes I taught. Then the knitting classes. (All of which were great fun, a little stressful, but fun nonetheless--plus spreading the love for your own passions never really feels like work, just a little jitter-causing given the public speaking anxiety part.) But it's only plants and yarn. I put my big girl pants on and survived. Now, I'm baking every week I can for the Farmer's Market nearby to raise money for my gardening club. I love it. I mean the baking part. I had a system. More like an assembly line. I also had "visions" of myself doing this for a living. Every hour or so. Pure fantasy. But still.I baked cookies and muffins, too. The other ladies make pies, scones, cookies and jams--our booth is where it's at. Seriously. The volunteers also bring fresh herbs and lettuces to market from the club's garden. It's still early in the farmer's market season, but we've done really well so far. The aroma in the house was insanely bakery-like. Why no candles called, "Bakery" or "Baked Bread"? Life this week has been pure relaxing for Dr. Thyme. He's been on vacation. I've tried to keep the drama to a minimum on his account. He's been in the garden with me a lot. Watching. Helping, too. He was outside on the porch this afternoon when thunder came rolling in. I grabbed my camera.Awww.Meantime, here are a few garden highlights.Hope you all have a lovely Memorial Day weekend!

According to this article: India has officially recognized dolphins as non-human persons, whose rights to life and liberty must be respected. Dolphin parks that were being built across the country will instead be shut down. In a statement, the government said research had clearly established cetaceans are highly intelligent and sensitive, and that dolphins “should [...] The post Sentience and Personhood appeared first on Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach. Related posts: Only Sentience Matters Sentience A Frequently Asked Question: What About Plants? The Great Ape Project: Not so Great Vivisection, Part Two: The Moral Justification of Vivisection

Hello from Portland!  I arrived Thursday night and the vegan fun has been non-stop! I look forward to sharing restaurant treats, snippets from the excellent sessions at Vida Vegan Con, and more. For now, I wanted to let you know that I have a piece in the latest issue of T.O.F.U. Magazine. I first tackled the issue of body image on this blog in January of 2011 when I wrote January Diet? Nope, I bought bigger clothes. Later that year I launched the blog Stop Chasing Skinny – because after writing that blog post I quickly discovered that I wasn’t the only one who was ready to halt the chase. Yesterday Issue 7 of Tofu Magazine was released with a focus on Veganism and Body Image. My piece, Reframing What Beauty Means, was included in the magazine and I am deeply honored. I hope you’ll grab a copy of the magazine; I would love to hear what you think.

Q: Do you limit your fruit servings per day??A: Personally, I do not. If I want fresh fruit, I eat fresh fruit. I could easily eat my weight in mango, strawberries and watermelon. I do find my fruit consumption changes throughout the year, however. For example, I eat (and crave) more fruits in the summer and spring than I do in the fall and winter. Although I don't make an effort to eat seasonally, I find I do naturally. Even though I love mango and watermelon more than life itself, I don't want them during the snowy cold winter. Dried fruits are another story. I use them as condiments. Sprinkle raisins on a salad, for example. I don't eat dried fruits as a snack. That said, I believe Dr. McDougall suggests limiting fruit (fresh fruit) to 2-3 servings per day if you're trying to lose weight and I think Dr. Fuhrman limits fruits as well. You'd need to consult their books/websites for clarification. (I'm in the middle of a move and my books are in storage so I was unable to consult them — sorry!)Q: I was wondering about caffeine. I have ADD and have always relied on caffeine to help with concentration and attention span (this over synthetic drug concoctions with their adverse side affects). I know caffeine is one of those touchy subjects. I know you're not a doctor etc. etc., but I was wondering about what you had to say for it. A: My personal opinion is that generally speaking, caffeine use is your business :) Do I think situations exist where some people should absolutely avoid caffeine? Definitely. A friend of mine has AFib and his cardiologist insists he stay away from caffeine I have OCD and my doctor feels I should avoid caffeine (and alcohol, for that matter). When I suffered from migraines (my pre-plant-based years), I was told to avoid caffeine by countless doctors, and I'm sure there are a dozen or more other medical situations where abstinence would be ideal or necessary.I tell my clients their caffeine and alcohol use is their business — to use it at their discretion. Of course, if someone is abusing alcohol or caffeine, then there is a problem, and they should seek help, quit using immediately and abstain for life. I had a client who was drinking 4 to 6 cans of energy drinks per day. I used to drink 8 to 10 cups of coffee per day. These are clear abuses. I think the better question is not "can I have coffee," but why do I want it? Why am I drinking it? I always tell my clients to honestly and openly explore why they're using caffeine or alcohol. Many times, my clients stop using it after their soul search. Or they stop doing it every day. Everyone is different. One thing to consider: If you're using caffeine to be "awake" and have energy, it's like paying a credit card with a credit card — all the more reason to "get out of debt" during the reboot and/or cleanse.Q: Recently, my doc advised me to eliminate a dairy and soy due to an intolerance. Do you have a good substitute for miso?A: Chickpea miso is soy-free :) Q: We're going to a family reunion this summer and I'm having a hard time finding food options in the area. We have a condo with a kitchen, so I can certainly prep my own brown bag food for reunion events if I can find a store to buy ingredients. But I was wondering if you have any advice/suggestions for traveling someplace not vegan friendly, and surviving? :) Even food ideas that would travel well would be great. A: I've written dozens of blog posts on this topic :) The "Travel" label should get you headed down the right path. Here are some posts on point:How To Eat Healthy and Plant-Based (Vegan) On the Road in Fast Food and Chain RestaurantsHow to Travel on a Plant-Based Diet (What to Pack, Snacks, and More!)Traveling Herbivore: How I eat Healthy, Low Fat and Vegan in AirportsVegan AnywhereStaying Plant-Based While TravelingKeep in mind, you're not there for the food ;) That mentality always helps me. I've traveled all over the world and never had problems finding food, even in remote villages :) So

VEGAN DAILY RECIPE:  Sweet & Salty Sweet Potato Chips

Austin, Texas: Most Vegan-Friendly City In The U.S.: Sir Paul McCartney will present city officials with PETA’s Most Vegan-Friendly City in the U.S. award.  McCartney wrote, “The influx of forward-thinking musicians and techies, the thriving university, and the food trucks all over the city run by young veg-friendly hipsters have made Austin the absolute cutting-edge place for green eating.”

An Organic Fuji Apple and Two Energy Bites for breakfast. Great food choice I made for myself.Lunch was at La Sandia. I had a Margarita De La Casa in honor of VaVa, who is always wanting a Margarita, but never having one. Observe the escalator in the mall in the background.Mom & I shared some great Chips & Salsa...and the Guacamole made fresh table-side was the best we'd ever had...I had the Market Fresh Vegetable Fajitas. All really excellent.Field Roast Celebration Roast with Imagine Mushroom Gravy and Baked Potatoes for dinner.No dessert after all that. Looking forward to the long weekend.

On Sunday June 2 from 7:30pm – 10pm, Bunna Cafe and A+S Works are hosting The Farmraiser at Dun-Well Doughnuts in Brooklyn as part of Bushwick Open Studios. Tickets are $20 in advance ($25 at the door) and will get you dinner and live entertainment, as well as access to a supposedly cheap cash bar. [...]