Koolmeg
It’s not just a hippy thing anymore to dress “vegan.” Many designers are starting to shed away their leather and fur for alternatives that don’t harm animals. One of the most notable designers who has become outspoken about the subject is Stella McCartney. As a non vegan I don’t often go looking for things that are made with fur or leather I’m more interested in something that has style and a vegan friendly style is bonus. The thing I like about Stella McCartney’s clothes are they are very stylish FIRST and animal friendly second. Her clothes are high fashion but still “wearable” for the average person
Stella McCartney's style is Cool and Vegan
With Online shopping becoming more assessable to everyone the options are there to find a shoe or a bag that looks as nice as leather but is animal friendly. This opens a door for those who want to be fashionable and trendy. By wearing vegan clothing you can be ahead of the fall/winter trends without harming any animals.
What do you like shoes or purses?
What is your fave vegan fashion store/designer?
James Kimbell
I’ve made three desserts in my life. And by ‘my life’ I mean the last few months, before which I never made anything.
First was a simple banana bread from vegweb:
I lived off that loaf for two days. And by days I mean hours.
And it turned out well. Next time I might try to make the bread heartier and healthier by sneaking in more fruit and nuts and maybe flax.
Also: cupcakes. Like everyone else I was ensorcelled by Chloe Coscarelli on Cupcake Wars, so I made one of her lovely winning recipes. It seems, too, that the basic skeleton of this dish can be taken and modified to produce different flavors. I’ve tried a few cupcakes since, all tasty, but not all pretty. Cupcakes can take skill, which I don’t have yet.
Anyway, this weekend it was my mom’s birthday and I got with my little brother and sister (9 and 11 years old, respectively) to make her a dessert. Mom’s not vegan – neither are my siblings – but she’s a personal trainer and is generally committed to healthy foods, so she’s familiar with replacing eggs with applesauce in baking and that kinda stuff. We wanted to make something simple, though – both for the nutritional wholefoodness of it, and the ease of preparation. And we happened to have an idea for our own brand new dish.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve made frozen banana “soft serve” fluff before as an ice cream substitute. Once, when I made it with peanut butter, we remarked that it would be a good pie filling. Someone remembered this and said let’s try it. So we did.
Usually delicious things are more varied in color, but hey.
The crust could be store-bought or made to your own specifications, but we just followed a recipe that was on our bag of Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Basically flour and fat (Earth Balance in our case) with a tiny bit of salt and water. Refrigerate, roll, bake, freeze.
Now I realize I’ve put this in the recipe section, but come on. It’s too simple. The pie filling is frozen bananas and peanut butter. I didn’t measure, and even if I did there’s no guarantee that my ratio is perfect anyway. Here’s how it works, if you’ve never made something like this before:
Chop up several ripe bananas and freeze for at least two hours. Then put them in a blender (a fairly badass blender, if possible – these guys are tough) and after a thorough fluffing they should look like soft-serve ice cream. At this point you can add other fruits or flavorings. Cocoa, maybe, or vanilla. I added about a third of a jar of Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter. I think this is key if you want a sliceable pie – some fat to hold it together without freezing solid.
Spatula the mix into the pie crust and put back in the freezer to solidify. Then slice and serve.
Whoa, weird perspective makes the fork look huge.
It’s super tasty and healthy, too. I mean, it’s two things: bananas and peanut butter. You could even grind your own peanut butter if you wanted for maximum natural homemade factor, but the Smucker’s is fine – the only ingredients are peanuts and salt.
With a silly vegan filling and a whole-wheat crust, some were skeptical about this pie, but it turned out to be liked by everyone. Definitely worth refining the recipe, although I don’t want to make it too complex because I love the “two ingredients” aspect of the filling.
Thanks for reading. Follow me on twitter.
Brad Gosse
Vegan Ambigram
Let’s just file this under “Why Not?”
I have been messing with the website fiverr.com where you can get anything done for $5. I saw this girl offering ambigrams for $5. If you don’t know an ambigram is when a word is written to look the same upside down as it does right side up.
Feel free to use this as you see fit.
I thought for the hardcore vegans who want a cool tattoo this might be fun. If you do use it please comment below 
Koolmeg
I didn’t think about this until recently but I do have quite a history with meat. When I was in high school my very first job that bought me my first car was Deli Girl in the local grocery store…. this brought back some memories of some things that could easily make anyone vegan. Here are my top 5
Disguting Blood Sausage
1. Blood Sausage – Also known as black pudding this disgusting little coil of sausage made me gag every time I had to handle it. Made with actual blood (plus some other gross filler I couldn’t even imagine) it is very poplar with the British. I’m sure this is one product I could banish from existence and would never miss. I have never tried it and just the look and smell was enough to turn me off for life!
Pressed Cooked Ham
2. Cooked Ham -This product was very VERY popular especially with mothers and fathers who made lunches for their kids. I’m not vegan so yes I do eat ham but this particular product made me feel gross. It is ham that has been pressed into a square brick that cuts into perfectly square pieces for sandwiches. Processed so it doesn’t even look like what it was originally it is slimy and gross…. barf
The Stinkiest Cheese Known to Me
3. Edam Cheese – I know this isn’t a meat but it sure does deserve to be in the disgusting deli products category. This Dutch cheese is so RANK that it was mandatory to put on new gloves before and after handling it, cleaning the slicer immediately after, and if you got some on your clothes a bath was needed immediately. A stink enough to turn anyone off of cheese for life!
Slimy Squishy Liver Pate
4. Pate – A disgusting puree of meat that fancy people like to spread on crackers and act fancy. This is another of the delicacies that I could never ever even put to my lips as the thought of puree of liver is a stomach turner for me… as probably most of you…. BLECK
THE Worst Meat Product of All Time
5. Head Cheese – BY FAR THE WORST THING I’VE EVER TOUCHED IN MY LIFE! This meat jelly (two words that never ever should go together) It gets its lovely name because it is made from the head parts of either a cow or pig. BARF…. This disgusting “delicacy” comes in a few different forms and each is more disgusting than the last….. GAG
So these are products I would never buy and could never eat even if I was on Fear Factor. This is my top 5 but can you think of any other super disgusting meat products that (did or could) turn you vegan?
Follow me @koolmeg
Carolyn Scott
Posted in Travel on 05. Aug, 2010
So last summer I wrote about Conscious Camping, health and eco tips so that you can get the most out of your adventure without getting sick or leaving a ginormo carbon footprint. Be sure to check out that post for additional info after you’ve gone through this summer’s checklist ; )
I thought since I covered a fair amount of healthy and eco tips, this time around I’d mention some great products to use on your next outdoor adventure as well as ways to keep it cheap! So here we go!:
Goodies
To-GoWare – Camping or not, this product line is perfect for all forms of travel so you can eat on the run without using disposable junk. A must for healthy & eco voyagers!
Organic Anti-Bug Balm – Smells good, feels good, keeps the bugs away AND has no harsh chemicals like DEET!
Vegan, chemical free sunscreen – There are a few lines that carry vegan sunscreen but I’m partial to Kiss My Face products. Good Stuff!
Seattle Sports PVC-Free Solar Shower – Nothing feels better then an outdoor shower and what tops that is a chemical free one!
Everlite Solar Lamps – Save $$ and the planet by doing away with battery powered items as much as possible. Light your nights via the sun with lights and headlamps by Everlite.
Burt’s Bees All-in-One Wash – This is great for any travel! All-in-one means traveling light ; )
Natural First Aid Kit – Recycled materials case with everything you need (all natural products) in case of an emergency.
Eco Toilet – When nature calls, it’s convenient & green!
Survival Kit – No excuses, this thing holds a ton of lifesaving stuff so keep one with you at all times!
Keeping it on the cheap
Stock up on lightly used items – Nothing is greener then recycling and reusing. Hit up yard sales, thrift stores and craigslist for camping gear. You may be able to find almost brand new stuff for a fraction of the cost. Being green and saving green ; ) If camping with a family, look for a size up in tents (ex. a family of 4? look for one that sleeps 6) You’ll appreciate the space and when buying used, you’ll pay way less then a smaller sized one retail.
Sleeping Pads – Great to invest in for extra warmth and comfort. Keep your eyes peeled for used pads because it’s cheaper then an air mattress ; )
Tent it or Trailer it – Tents take up no space at all in the car so packing your temporary abode is way cheap. Trailers are great because, depending on the size, a mid sized car can tow it while having ready made shelter for a few campers. Pulling into a campground, tents and trailers are the cheapest spots to rent. With a family, it’s less of a headache to pull in and be all set for fun with a trailer. Plus, it keeps out a lot of the heat and sound so you can sleep more comfortably which means healthily!
Pack sandwiches and snacks at home – If you know how many days you’ll be gone, make enough sandwiches and sides to last the trip. Wrap them reusable lunch wraps or glass containers and keep in your cooler to save your time and money. As soon as you start buying convenience snacks, you’re contributing to more and fill waste and more often then not, consuming junk food that’s full of preservatives. PB&J, hummus & cucumber as well as veggie wraps hold up well in glass containers as do potato salad, macaroni salad, quinoa salads and more. Plan ahead and you’ll be sure to save money and time on your trip.
Take advantage of campsite amenities – especially when traveling with a family, day to day activities can add up. Do your homework and look for campsites that have lots of on site goodies like hiking, swimming, night time events, etc. For the cost of $20-$50 per night, you get 24 hours of fun and comfort for the whole family.
There’s still some time for camping trips before the kiddies head back to school and the cold weather rolls in so get out there and enjoy the great outdoors!
For more information, visit www.healthyvoyager.com
