Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Cool Off with Fruit & Veggie Smoothies


Looking for a fun, healthy and vegan way  to cool off in this new warm weather? Well, now you can enjoy getting your 8-10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day because Jamba Juice has Fruit & Veggie Smoothies!

These smooth and delicious beverages are sure to cool you off and keep you feeling great because you are getting 3 full servings of fruits and veggies in each smoothie. My favorite is Berry UpBEET. All that is in this smoothie is vegetable juices, fruit and ice.

Check their website for a location near you!

http://www.jambajuice.com/products/fruitveggie

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Snackimals Are Back!


Vanilla Snackimals are back!! After much consumer complaining about the reformulated version of Barbara's Bakery Vanilla Snackimals, which included cane juice (sugar), the company has changed back their recipe to only use molasses to sweeten their animal cookies. I JUST received a free package of newly reformulated Snackimals, fresh out of the bakery, with no sugar. My sister and I enjoyed them together, delicious!

Check your local natural food store to find the new healthier cookies. Be sure to read the back label of the package to make sure you are buying from the new batch. These cookies are vegan and kosher. Easy snacking just got better.

http://www.barbarasbakery.com/snacks-snackimals/

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Delicious Fruitcake, It Really Does Exist!


Usually when we think of fruit cake, we think of preservative filled white cake with red and green chemical food colored candied fruits. Who knows how old that cake really is?! It has probably been re-gifted too many times to count...ugh.

Well, I have terrific news for everyone- delicious and healthy fruitcake really does exist, and it is so easy to make! Don't be turned off by the name. I'm telling you, I ate some of this cake and it is really tasty.

I had the pleasure of getting to meet an amazing and very talented women during my travels abroad. I would say she is the Martha Stewart of the middle east. She has her own creative artsy crafty blog, CreativeJewishMom.com

During my visit with CreativeJewishMom, I got a first hand tour of her beautiful, inspiring, crafty ideas and I also got a sample of her homemade fruitcake. It was moist, delicious, and not too sweet. She used whole wheat and did not use sugar! I was very happy. She served it with an apricot spice tea, sooo delicious.

Here is her article and recipe for Whole Wheat Fruit Cake. Also check out her awesome website. Her ideas and inspiration are endless!


No-Sugar Whole Wheat Fruit Cake—Delicious!

No sugar, that is sugar-free, with no added sweeteners, whole wheat fruit cake....a healthy alternative to well, you know, that regular sugar and oil laden cake that tastes good but isn't very good for you! You are joining me on the quest for healthier eating right? You'll feel so much better, believe me!
One small disclaimer: I thought this cake was great and could have easily eaten it all, and a very nice guest said it was the best cake she's eaten in Israel, though she is a macrobiotic cook, so she likes things that are healthy and natural. My children on the other hand did not quite appreciate this version of cake, and I even saw a piece in the garbage. The person who gave me this recipe however is a serious cake baker of the unhealthy kind also, and her children do like it!
Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup each of raisins, dried apricots, dates, prunes, or some combination of some of these, or some of these, those the dates are the sweetest, so I wouldn't skip those! (I made mine without the prunes)
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 envelope of baking power (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon (I actually forgot this, so if you don't like cinnamon you can omit it!)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup oil (or for Israelis: 1/2 cup chad paami)
  • 1 cup of boiling water
Instructions:
Pour boiling water over chopped dried fruit (I forgot to chop mine and the pieces would have been better smaller) and let sit until fruit is really soft. Combine remaining ingredients, pour fruit together with the water that it sat in, into the batter and mix. Or drain fruit and add a new cup of water. Bake until it's ready, at the same temperature you usually bake your cakes. Ever seen a cook book that said something like that?
Note: As you can see from the quantity of flour, this makes a fairly small cake, but maybe try it before doubling the ingredients? I made it in a silicone bandit pan, and it only filled up half the depth of the pan, but the results were a cute ring shaped cake, perfect for putting on the table whole!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Style and Substance Come Naturally with Summer Raye Oakes


One of the things I love about New York is that there is so much eco-fashion there. As some of you might know, I am working towards starting my own eco-fashion clothing company, so what better way to start it than to go to the eco-fashion hub of America- NYC!

One really awesome resource in NY for eco-fashion, style and beauty is the well-known model and activist, Summer Rayne Oaks. She has done and continues to do so much for the benefit of people and the environment, this woman is truly inspirational. She has worked with Payless Shoesource, Tommy Hilfiger and Conde Nast to help them become more sustainable, is the author of a best-selling book, Style, Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty, runs her own sustainability innovation consulting business, and only models for ethically-made, sustainable fashion companies.

Check out her website and blog:
http://www.summerrayneoakes.com/
http://www.summerrayne.net/blog/

Check out this video about helping fashion shows go green with Summer Rayne:
Fashion Shows Go Green

Monday, March 14, 2011

Want Cheesey Deliciousness Without the After-Bloat?

 
When we think about comfort foods, we often times think of the melty and satisfying taste that comes from delicious and fattening dishes like macaroni and cheese, lasagna and cheese crisps. Athough eating dairy can temporarily satisfy our tastebuds, it often leaves us feeling feel bloated, sick or blah.

When I am wanting something delicious and cheezy, but not wanting to have to pay for the after effects of eating real cheese, I go for Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative products. They have a variety of soy cheeses that melt, look and taste like real cheese. These products are vegan, gluten free, kosher and non-GMO. My favorite is Cheddar Cheese Alternative.

Check out their products next time you shop at your local natural food store. This stuff is great for making quesadillas with salsa, melted over vegan nachos, in salad for added color and flavor, and in sauces.


Here is the website for more info:

Vegan Gourmet Cheese

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Dark and Delectable, Try This Out On Your Tastebuds


Calling all chocolate lovers!!!

We all enjoy delicious treats every so often, but getting to indulge in some good quality chocolate - while we avoid unnecessary poor quality fats, dairy and sugar - is really the best way to go if we want to love our bodies and stay healthy, young and beautiful.

Now we can have it all, AND support organic and sustainable farming, social responsibility and species and habitat conservation with Endangered Species Chocolate.

Some of my favorite bars are:
  • All-Natural Extreme Dark Chocolate
  • All-Natural Dark Chocolate with Raspberries
  • All-Natural Dark Chocolate with Mint

I especially love the Extreme Dark bar because it is so versatile. I have used it in cookie recipes and other baked goods, for chocolate covered strawberries, in making a vegan ice cream sundae, and the list goes on... These bars are sweetened with unbleached water-filtered beet sugar, are vegan, gluten-free and kosher. You can find these bars online or at your local Whole Foods Market.

Endangered Species Chocolate

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Toms Shoe Trend is Sweeping the Nation

The Toms shoe craze is sweeping the nation! I know this because they have made their way to mainstream Arizona. I can go out to any regular shopping establishment and find them on the feet of all kinds of people, but mostly on teens and 20-somethings that like fashion, comfort and doing global good. They are even selling these at my local natural food store! I like where this is going...

Toms shoes are known for their "One for One" mission. Buy a pair of shoes and Toms will give a pair to a child in need. They are all about the greater good, what an awesome concept, right?

These shoes come in many different colors and styles, such as flats, boots and wedges. They also have a vegan line. You can easily wear these with a cute skirt, jeans or to a fancy occasion- because they also have a glitter collection.

Check it out:

TOMS website

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Healthy Junk Food? Tings Are Where It's At.


Craving junk food but want something healthier? Tings are one delicious snack that satisfy cheese puff cravings but are all natural, vegan-friendly and kosher. They even passed the taste test of some very particular friends of mine who like real cheese. They are a great alternative to the regular chips and salsa and even kids like 'em! I have been able to find them at Whole Foods Market and sometimes at specialty or small natural food stores.

Pirate Brand Tings