Sorry for the delay!

I apologize for the lengthy interval between posts. I have a couple of large projects that are filling my time at the moment, but I will be back to posting regularly soon!

How to Make Easy Vegan Bean & Potato Soup

What you need:

2 cups dry beans (soaked and drained), or 2 cans of beans
3-5 red potatoes (depending on size and how much you like potatoes)
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup pearled barley (optional)
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
2 T vegetable oil
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme


What you do:


Put the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in your soup pot (a regular dutch oven that comes with pretty much every cooking set will work - it will just be really full). Add your onions and garlic and saute on low heat while you cut up the rest of your vegetables, open your cans, etc.

Add your vegetable broth to the pot (but hold off on the water - I will explain in a second). Turn the heat to high and add your vegetables, beans, barley and spices, then stir.

Now that you have everything but the water in your pot, you can determine how much room you have left and add water accordingly. Four cups of water will fill a regular dutch oven to just below the top, which is fine as long as you aren't prone to boiling things over, but by adding your water last, you can see how high the level is in your pot and add water accordingly.

Once you have achieved a rolling boil, turn your heat down to a nice simmer that you feel comfortable leaving alone. Allow your vegan soup to simmer until the beans and veggies reach your desired level of tenderness - for me, this is about an hour, but it can be up to 1 1/2 hours if I'm using older beans.

That's pretty much it - see how easy that was? Now you just kick back and relax for an hour or so, checking on your soup every so often to stir and see how soft your beans and veggies are.


Mixing it up:


For a fat free vegan soup, simply nix the vegetable oil. You can toss the onions and garlic in the pot with the rest of the veggies and it will cook up just fine.

I use low sodium vegetable broth and we have never felt a need to add salt. So, this flavorful little number is good for folks on a low sodium diet. Just remember that if you use canned beans there may be salt added.

The pearled barley isn't necessary, we just really like a hearty soup, and this recipe was an offshoot of my barley bean soup recipe, so we just decided to leave some barley in there. Folks on a gluten free diet can cut the barley out and still have a tasty vegan bean and vegetable soup.

Vegan Soy Candles: Info and Product Review for Lorain’s Touch Soy Candles

Did you know that most of the conventional candles you find in stores are actually bad for your health and the environment? With lead wicks, polluting paraffin wax, fake, chemical-laden scents - and even tallow - conventional candles might look and smell lovely, but animals, the environment and your health are paying a high price for that warm, inviting glow.

Fortunately, there are eco-friendly vegan candle options that are clean burning and create a warm, welcoming atmosphere that will enhance the ambiance of any space without harmful chemicals and pollutants. All natural, vegan soy candles are a great option that burn longer and cleaner than conventional candles, and I just happen to know where you can order them right from the comfort of your own home.

I recently came across LorainsTouch.com where vegan and vegetarian candle lovers will find deliciously scented vegan soy candles that are handmade by a fellow energy healer and artisan crafter, Lorain Danus.

Living and working in the Huntington Beach, CA area, Lorain founded Lorain’s Touch and began to make handmade soy candles to provide energy, mood and spirit enhancing options that are vegan and eco-friendly.

Each of Lorain’s vegan soy candle creations is energized with specific intentions and positive energy, which is released into the surrounding atmosphere when lit. Available in two, four and eight ounce reusable tins, Lorain’s vegan soy candle scents/intentions include:

Focused - Oatmeal Milk & Honey
Happy - Vermont Maple Sugar
Cheerful - Bergamont & Coriander
Creativity - Blackberry Sage
Harmony - Green Tea
Compassion - Gardenia Blossoms
Strength - Lemongrass
Enlightenment - Water Blossom & Ivy
Abundance – Amber

Lorain also offers additional scents and intentions (as well as her sacred jewelry) that can be found at her website, www.lorainstouch.com.

Lorain’s candles are surprisingly affordable for vegan soy candles, which can sometimes be pretty pricey, and their clean, chemical-free scents are an absolute delight. I particularly love their long burn time and the super handy reusable tin that adds to their eco-friendliness. If you are in the market for some vegan soy candles for a romantic evening, a relaxing bath, or an energizing aromatherapeutic experience, I highly recommend stopping by Lorain’s Touch to check out her vegan soy candle offerings.

Seattle Seminar: Go Veg! Go Green! Save Our Planet!

Vegan Garden is an amazing vegan eatery in the International District/Chinatown in Seattle. Their all vegan menu is enough of a reason to visit, but now they are hosting a free seminar that folks in the Seattle area should definitely attend.

On February 22, from 1-4pm, Vegan Garden will host a seminar on how to be a healthy vegetarian/vegan presented by the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association of Washington.

You can register by phone at 425.353.0151 or online at the Supreme Master Ching Hai Seattle website.

There will be over 20 samples of international vegan foods and participants will receive a 40+ page recipe booklet and lots of nutritional information.

The seminar is free, you just need to register beforehand so they know how many people to expect.

Vegan Garden in located at 1226 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA. 98055.

Even if you can't make it to the seminar, if you live in the Seattle area, you don't want to miss out on the delicious vegan fare at Vegan Garden. My partner and I eat there whenever we get down that way and we have never been disappointed.

Vegan garden has amazing vegan Vietnamese Pho and the summer rolls and golden rolls are to die for. Also, definitely try the iced Vietnamese coffee made with coconut milk - de-lish!

Easy Tofu Scramble Recipe

Here is a super easy vegan scrambled tofu recipe - it's sort of my basic tofu scramble recipe that I then change up to create different vegan scrambles.



What you need:

1 block firm tofu (drained well)
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons Bragg’s, tamari or soy sauce
½ Tablespoon chopped onion
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon fresh minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
2 Tablespoons vegan bacon bits
Chopped green onion


What you do:

Combine vegetable oil, Bragg’s (or tamari, or soy sauce), turmeric, onion and garlic in a skillet and heat on medium, while cutting the tofu into small pieces. Lower the temp of the burner a bit and add the tofu to the mixture in the skillet. As the tofu cooks, mash it up and make sure that the tofu and seasoning mixture are mixed well.

If you want to include vegan bacon bits, they can be added as a topping after or folded into the mix towards the end of cooking. Cooking them in the scrambled tofu for a few minutes will soften them, which I like better.


Notes:

I use a potato masher to mash the tofu into a more scrambled egg-like texture.
Topping the scrambled tofu with green onion adds a crisp, fresh flavor.

This is a very simple recipe that is quick and de-lish. I generally serve this with GimmeLean sausage, or Fakin’ Bacon, and toast.

The Best Vegan Red Lipstick

I have to admit, I love my make up. And, prior to going vegan, a great red lipstick was always a mainstay in my make up bag. I love a bit of a vintage look, and red lipstick is a must-have in order to achieve it. But, for years now, I have been without my red lipstick - ever since I found out that carmine (from ground up little animals) is the ingredient of choice that most make-up companies use for red coloring.

Finding vegan make up is hard enough as it is, but finding vegan red lipstick is even harder. When I started my quest for vegan red lipstick, the first site I visited was Caring Consumer, which lists "cruelty-free" companies to help compassionate consumers make better buying decisions. However - and I think a lot of well-meaning vegans miss this - they list companies that don't test on animals and, according to Caring Consumer, that apparently makes them cruelty free, regardless of how loaded with animal-derived ingredients each company's products might be.

Now, don't get me wrong, caringconsumer.com is a great resource and great place to start - and they do mark which companies are completely vegan - but, you just have to keep in mind that you still need to do your own research.

For example, I was very excited to find Revlon and Jane Cosmetics on the list - Woot! Cheap cruelty-free cosmetics? - I'm there! But, when I went to the local drugstore and started reading labels, every single product that I picked up by either brand had at least one animal-derived ingredient. Naturally, this included carmine in their totally-not-vegan red lipsticks.

However, I am very happy to report that after an extended period of seeking out and testing vegan red lipstick options, I have found possibly the best vegan red lipstick in the world. Okay, maybe not in the world, since I haven't tried them all, but suffice it to say - I have found the vegan red lipstick for me and I am thrilled to have a fab red lipstick back in my make up bag.

Gabriel Cosmetics - which also makes Zuzu Luxe - uses St. John's Wort Extract to achieve rich red hues in completely vegan and cruelty free lipsticks. Their eco-friendly, paraben-free, lead-free, vegan cosmetics are a tad more expensive than cheap drugstore brands, but the fact that they are better for your health, the planet and our animal friends make them completely worth it.

The Gabriel Cosmetics Pomegranate Lipstick is by far my fave vegan red lipstick I have found so far. Zuzu Luxe also has some great reds that I will try once this one runs out, and Gabriel Cosmetics also has some other rich red vegan lipsticks that I can't wait to try.

So, if you are craving some hot red lipstick that is vegan and lead-free, I highly recommend checking out Gabriel Cosmetics and Zuzu Luxe.

Angels for the Animals at Life Dynamix

My friend Lynne has a great group called Angels for the Animals, which is part of an awesome community over at Life Dynamix.

There are lots of vegans that are part of the Life Dynamix community, and I'm pretty sure most of us are also in this group, so stop by and check it out. We would love to have you there!

Assuming I actually got the html correct, you should be able to click on this banner and go right to the group page.

How to Make Easy Vegan Pumpkin Pie

Vegan pumpkin pie is actually quite easy to make and takes very few ingredients. There are a few different ways to make a vegan pumpkin pie and, of course, you can easily make your own vegan pie crust or use separate spices rather than a pumpkin pie spice blend. However, since this is geared towards folks who are looking for a way to make a super easy vegan pumpkin pie, this recipe is about simple as it can get.

What you need:

1 pre-made vegan pie crust (graham cracker is a good, easy choice)
1 package of firm silken tofu
1 can pumpkin (organic if possible)
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
¼ cup sweetener of choice
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend

What you do:

Step 1: Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 425 degrees (Fahrenheit)

Step 2: Break up tofu and combine with the pumpkin. Blend with a hand mixer, food processor or whatever mixing tool you prefer.

Step 3: Add brown sugar, sweetener and pumpkin pie spice and mix well.

Step 4: Pour mixture into pre-made vegan pie crust and place in the oven or toaster oven.

Step 5: Bake your vegan pumpkin pie at 425 for about 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 and bake for about 45-50 minutes. Baking time will differ depending on your oven, elevation and all that, so keep an eye on your pie.

Step 6: If your pie isn’t quite as firm as you would like, place it in the refrigerator until time to serve. Otherwise, this vegan pumpkin pie can be served warm or cold and goes quite well with vegan ice cream. I particularly love serving it with vegan Soyatoo whipped topping.

Eat Less Meat: Help the Planet and Your Health!

While I sincerely hope that one day a vegan diet will be practiced by the majority, rather than a steadfast, caring minority, this blog post is for the folks who aren't quite ready to transition to a vegan - or at least vegetarian - diet.

There are many reasons to go vegan - animal rights, human rights, environmental concerns, spiritual beliefs, health and wellness and an ethical belief in non-violence are just a few.

This quick blog post is addressed to those folks who aren't yet veg*n, but are concerned about their environmental impact and interested in ways they can help save the planet by making easy changes in their lifestyle.

So, here goes:

The energy, water and transportation involved in raising, processing and transporting animals raised for food and the resulting meat products have an enormous impact on the environment. Because of this, vegans and vegetarians significantly lower their impact on the environment the day they stop eating meat.

But, even if you aren’t quite ready to transform your diet and go meat-free, you can still lessen your impact on the environment by limiting your meat consumption – even if you go meatless just one day each week.

Meat alternatives are a great way to ease your (or your family’s) transition and still thoroughly enjoy hearty, filling meals on the days you choose to help the environment – and your health – by going meatless. Morning Star Farms, Boca, Yves and many other companies offer excellent fake meat products that allow you and your family to enjoy your favorite dishes and comfort foods without missing the meat you usually use.

Although meat substitutes do still require energy, water, transport and packaging, the environmental impact of fake meats is significantly less than animal-derived meat products, making vegetarian and vegan meat products a good place to start for folks who would like to improve their health and lower their environmental impact by limiting their intake of meat.

Check out the links in the right column to find easy vegan recipes, vegan and vegetarian meat alternatives and resources that will help you go meat-free for at least just one day each week.

Super Easy Applesauce Recipe

My partner and I both love applesauce and it seems like I am always picking up a jar or two every time I grocery shop. Even though we buy the natural kind and the container is recyclable, I always get that little pang of guilt when I grab the jar off the shelf. You know the one - that little voice that says I should be making this myself and storing it in a reusable glass jar that won't leach chemicals and will last me the rest of my life, or at least until I break it.

Whenever possible, I like to make things myself anyways. That way I know it's vegan, I know there aren't any weird chemicals in it and I know that it isn't coming from some company that supports animal testing or uses animal products.

So, the other day I finally got motivated and decided to experiment on a huge bag of apples my partner's Dad gave me. Now, had I known making applesauce was so darn easy, I would have been doing this a long time ago.

The hardest part of making your own all natural applesauce is coring, cutting and peeling the apples. And, really, that isn't even that hard - it's just time consuming. Of course, if you have one of those handy apple corer/slicers or an apple peeler it's much easier, but I don't, so I did it the old fashioned way.

What you need:

A large pot with lid
A bunch of apples
Water
Cinnamon
Sweetener (I like to use brown sugar)
Container for storage
Something to use for stirring and mashing


What you do:

1. Wash, core, peel and cut your apples into small chunks

2. Place the apples in the pot with about an inch of water

3. Add about 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1/2 cup sweetener (if desired)

4. Cover and bring to a boil

5. Reduce heat to get a nice simmer, then simmer (with occasional stirring) until the apples are soft

6. Mash them up with your stirring spoon or a potato masher (I used a potato masher)

7. Serve warm or cold, or store for later use


Notes:

1. If your applesauce ends up too watery, you have two easy options - either strain the applesauce through a sieve or simmer on low, uncovered, until the unwanted water has evaporated out.

2. I have no idea what kind of apples I used since there were a bunch of different kinds of apples in the bag and some I didn't recognize. But, some were sweet and some were sour, which leads me to the conclusion that whichever kind of apple you have on hand should work - you just might need a tad more sweetener.

3. If you aren't sure how sweet you want it, start out with a small amount of sweetener - or no sweetener. You can always add more.