organic

Green for Life

mandy — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 20:00:00 +0000

Green for Life is both fascinating and troubling at once. In a nutshell, Victoria Boutenko persuades the reader that people should consume one quart of blended greens per day. She further demonstrates that humans should be eating the same diet as chimpanzees, because "modern people and chimpanzees share an estimated 99.4% of our DNA sequence." Many folks may pick up this book expecting a cookbook; however, Green for Life mostly consists of health information and testimonials. Although a few recipes are included, they are a minority of the book's content, and placed in the very back; these recipes are designed more for health than flavor, foodies be damned.

In each chapter of Green for Life, Boutenko discusses a different health topic: fiber, stomach acid, protein, alkalinity. Every subject concludes that consuming green smoothies is the best solution for overall human health. I felt reluctant to believe much of what I was reading, as there are not enough sources listed, a major flaw of this publication.

There was also the issue of not knowing precisely what really constitutes as "greens" throughout most of the book. Chapter fifteen finally gives a list, though it's only a list of what the author and her family have personally consumed, and therefore not comprehensive. I would have liked this information to have been included at the very beginning.

The testimonials from people who consume green smoothies are positive. So positive, in fact, that I was in disbelief. Could moles really fall off from drinking smoothies? Diseases be cured? Cataracts shrink? I hope this is all true, but it all seems too good to be.

Green for Life does little to consider those with lower incomes and limited access to healthy resources. "This miraculous drink is available to every person in every country," Boutenko offensively states. Not everyone on Earth has access to quality blending machinery or healthy food. And this lifestyle change is a drain on time and money; few people can afford a Vitamix blender (or other equally high-powered blender) and daily supplies of organic produce. It is explained that a weaker blender and conventionally-grown produce would not yield the best results. Bummer.

Though a good beginner's guide that is ripe for discussion, Green for Life requires further sources, study, and more consideration for those who have fewer means.

Written by: Jacquie Piasta, January 16th 2011

Ripe from Around Here

barbara — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By jae steele

Arsenal Pulp Press

I'm an avid vegan cookbook collector, and Ripe From Around Here is more than a vegan cookbook. jae steele, a holistic nutritionist from Toronto, offers a neat little package of sustainability, mindfulness, and the politics of food in addition to vegan gourmet recipes in the end. She really does pack it in—the first five chapters alone touch on local eating, container gardening, mindfulness, canning, natural housecleaning, worm composting (vermicomposting), and a four season overview of how to be healthy through the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. I really enjoyed reading the paragraphs on how to eat an apple mindfully, and what to holistically focus on during each of the four seasons to promote overall well-being.

But what about the recipes? Yay! The rest of the chapters are a vegan journey, taking us through how to make your own oat milks, nut milks, and rice milks (how much more local can you get?) to West African Groundnut Stew. My mother-in-law and I tried the Tomato Chard Bake the first few days I had the book, and were definitely pleased. A little warning though... the bake took an hour to prepare. This is not fast food, folks. If you have three hungry children waiting for dinner, you have to be strategic about making these kinds of entrees.

You can definitely tell that steele is a nutrition counselor too, because many of her recipes call for spelt and oat flours, coconut oils, and other ingredients you might not immediately have lying around or can pick up at your local corner store. Some of the ingredients will be more expensive. Convenience and price are two big factors for myself and most struggling people I know. I've come to a personal revelation though that perhaps as people in the U.S., maybe we should be spending more money on the food we eat. Michael Pollan, of Omnivore's Dilemma fame, mentioned once that our portions of income on food has declined but our spending on health care has increased. Food is health care.

Ripe From Around Here comes right on time, adding to the zeitgeist of getting back to the basics, eating more locally (and with real food!), and supporting a growing sustainability movement. It can be challenging sometimes to find the time and money, but after finding ways to work it, sitting down to your own homemade Grandmother Palmer's Baked Beans (baked for over four hours!) will be worth it. Mine are just starting to simmer and they smell delicious.

Written by: Maleka Fruean, November 7th 2010

Ripe From Around Here

andrea — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0000

By jae steele

Arsenal Pulp Press

When jae steele’s Ripe From Around Here arrived, it joined a pile of vegan library books on my kitchen table. I needed inspiration and fresh ideas, and hoped one of the books would help. steele’s book was the star. These are the recipes that will become everyday favorites, and the ones that omnivores will devour, blissfully unaware that no animal products are present.

The first part of Ripe From Around Here lays out steele’s philosophical interests and approach to food. As a holistic nutritionist, steele hopes readers will slow down and eat healthful foods. She presents helpful health information without sounding preachy or heavy-handed. I especially appreciated her emphasis on mindful eating—the importance of taking time to notice our food with all of our senses. The section on seasonal influences, inspired by traditional Chinese medicine, has interesting and practical ideas. steele lays out the numerous food choices available to North American consumers—organic, local—and offers advice on the various benefits.

The recipes are flexible enough to work for cooks who find it challenging to prepare any dinner at all, as well as those who aspire to do things as much from scratch as possible. These dishes are not just for the virtuous; plenty of dessert is included too. Some of the recipes put a tasty twist on dishes I already make, such as root and barley soup and Mexican stuffed bell peppers. Others, created more for special occasions, I look forward to hungrily. Blueberry lavender ice cream, made with coconut milk, tops this list, followed closely by rosemary mushroom gravy. The tomato chard bake and herbed garden biscuits are sure to become staples in my house.

steele strikes me as a very practical idealist. She does not expect diet purity from readers, but offers up options so that we can make informed choices. For example, many of the recipes call for spelt flour and sunflower oil; steele cites why these are her preferred options, but also knows readers will substitute to suit individual preferences.

As her title hints, steele encourages the use of local ingredients. She also recognizes (as a resident of Toronto) that many delectable ingredients would have to be omitted, and sorely missed, if one sticks to a strictly local diet plan. The key, I think, is to appreciate a lemon as a gift from a warmer climate, and to not take it for granted. Thoughtful, reflective eating can help our health and our local economies.

I actively seek out vegan recipes for their flavors as well as healthfulness. I love the creative use of produce and the variety of grains found in innovative vegan kitchens. Ripe From Around Here provides plenty of tasty options to explore, and steele’s blog offers additional recipes and kitchen ideas. Overall, steele presents food as an opportunity for joy and pleasure.

Written by: Lisa Rand, November 3rd 2010

Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know

admin — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 16:00:00 +0000

By Robert Paarlberg

Oxford University Press

As an ethically and environmentally aware feminist vegetarian, I view food and politics as ineluctably joined. Robert Paarlberg’s Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know challenged some of my basic ideas about hunger, famine, and the scope of issues contained by the term food politics, yet the book ignores some of the ways in which food is always simultaneously personal and political.

Food Politics covers a wide range of topics connected to the way we eat as well as to our food’s impact on the world around us at local and global levels. Paarlberg examines population growth, food costs, politics of chronic hunger and famine, farming technologies, food aid, obesity, environmentalism, agribusiness, fast food culture, organic and local food, GMOs, and the overarching structures that govern the world food system. At times Paarlberg oversimplifies complex problems, especially in his chapters “The Politics of Obesity” and “Agriculture, the Environment, and Farm Animals.” Moreover, although he supports his points with statistics and logical arguments, he frequently flattens alternative positions, sometimes inconsistently. For example, he suggests that vegetarianism has little global impact on the food supply in one context yet acknowledges the consumption of less red meat as a better way to reduce the environmental impact of food than eating local produce.

Paarlberg recognizes the significance of women’s labor in third-world farming systems. He addresses the political disenfranchisement of women in these economies when he depicts the problem of chronic undernutrition in “poor and hungry communities” where women are prevented from political action because they are, first, overextended by their duties as farmers and as caregivers for the children and elderly and, second, their socially marginalized status. Feminists doubtless know this and would like to see Paarlberg push his points further, as I wanted him to, but his attention to the gendered politics of undernutrition is significant.

Paarlberg considers the work of Rachel Carson and Frances Moore Lappé in dialogue with Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser, but he dismisses Frances Moore Lappé’s as a “young countercultural food activist.” Although Lappé was young when she published Diet for a Small Planet, she has created The Small Planet Institute and established a rich, innovative series of books, videos, teaching aids, and other resources about the politics and environmental impact of food. Although he supports some of Lappé’s points, he does so in a way that shifts their focus—he implies that her actions are good, but not for the reasons upon which she bases them, which is a partial, uneven, and reductive way to treat an argument.

The greatest flaw of Food Politics is Paarlberg’s oversimplification of other groups’ and individual’s claims. He provides useful and even groundbreaking information but only by suspending these fundamental components of food politics in a way that does not allow for the inextricability of belief or ideology from the way we eat.

Written by: Emily Bowles, August 7th 2010

Fight Global Women's Organic T-Shirt

admin — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:00:00 +0000

By Autonomie Project

If you’re going to be a t-shirt and jeans kind of girl, you’ve got to go out of your way to make sure your tees have something interesting to say. If you’re going to be a t-shirt and jeans girl who lives in New York City, that message should make a statement about art or politics. The Fight Global Women’s Organic T-shirt from Autonomie Project does both.

Specifically made for a female body, this soft-cotton tee lightly clings to my curves while still providing room to breathe. I'm an XL wearin' gal, so this seemingly small detail is important. I love my body and all, but I'm not trying to show my goodies to the globe, ya know?

The cap sleeves and scooped neck design breathe a smidge of femininity into this traditionally genderless top. The deep charcoal color flirts with a kind of rock 'n roll sex appeal that is enhanced by the stencils-and-spraypaint DIY-esque design. The additional length of the shirt suits my above average height; instead of creeping above my belt like other tees, the bottom seam of this one remained at my hips.

True to its own message, the Fight Global Tee is made with eco-friendly dyes through a Fair Trade and sweatshop-free business practice. The message is also an apt fit for this particular time in my life. After living in India for two years, I’ve decided to shift my grassroots organizing work toward one with a focus on international needs. Perhaps wearing this tee when I interview will give me a bit of an edge; at the very least, I’d make an impression.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, March 8th 2010

Organic Fair Trade Chocolate Mint Mill Box

admin — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 09:00:00 +0000

By Sjaaks Organic Chocolates

I don’t consider myself a chocolate connoisseur just because I love chocolate. Although as an unabashed chocolate lover, I was only too happy to review Sjaaks’ Organic Fair Trade Chocolate Mint Mill Box. I admit to being a little late to the party when it comes to all things organic, but I thought, how can one go wrong with chocolate?

My goodies arrived in a half-green, half-transparent box with a gold bow tied around it, which attractively displayed the chocolates. A USDA organic seal proclaiming Sjaaks' chocolates are 100% certified organic (which means no pesticides, herbicides, or other toxic chemicals are used in the growing process) and the additional fair trade label reassures customers that this product not only tastes good, but makes you feel good to purchase it. Unlike some of my favorite chocolates, the Mint Mills didn't taste as creamy or chocolaty as I am used to, and the strong mint flavor seemed to overpower the chocolate itself. So I gave the rest of the chocolates to my mother, who pronounced them “very good.”

Sjaaks Organic Chocolates has a nice back story. After meeting and falling in love in Southern Spain, founders Jacques and Pam Holten returned to the U.S. and started a traditional chocolate business in Pam’s hometown of Eureka, California. Eventually their vegetarian-inspired consciousness persuaded them to produce organic chocolates that reflect their passion for healthy eating and living. Thus, love + vacation = a chocolaty happily ever after.

Written by: Gita Tewari, February 17th 2010

Winter Wonderfuls: Dark Chocolate Crunchy Peanut Butter Snowmen

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:00:00 +0000

By Sjaaks Organic Chocolates

I finished the last Dark Chocolate Crunchy Peanut Butter Snowman on the wintriest day in Atlanta. Anyone who is familiar with the city and its weather knows that snow covered roofs, cars, trees, and streets meant a snow day for hundreds of thousands of adults and kids alike. So it was one of those rare and perfect days to stay in and enjoy a chocolate-y treat!

Originally, I was a bit perplexed to find a box of nine little, white, individually wrapped, peanut butter snowmen waiting to be consumed. Crunchy peanut butter chocolate didn’t strike me as festive, and the snowmen looked like they were in costume for Halloween, but the box's homemade graphic appeal and the ease with which the snowmen could be shared won me over.

More importantly, and always exciting when it comes to edible indulgences, is that Sjaak’s chocolates are certified organic and fair trade. They also have a great selection of vegan products that would make anyone’s mouth water. It’s worth visiting Sjaak’s website, not only for its visual delight but also for its history and socially responsible mission.

As for the chocolate itself, I had mixed feelings. While the crunchy peanut butter filling delivered on the crunchiness, it wasn’t as flavorful as I’d hoped. It was also kind of slim because of the thick chocolate coating. Then again, the chocolate was the real winner, with a somewhat fudge-y, smooth taste and feel.

While the Winter Wonderfuls wouldn’t be at the top of my holiday wish list, they were a great introduction to Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates. Anyone who has a taste for organic, vegan-friendly chocolate should exploring the rest of their products. (They even have dark chocolate lavender truffles!)

Written by: Irene Wazgowska, February 1st 2010

YummyEarth Organic Super Sour Pops

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:00:00 +0000

By YummyEarth

I don’t have a sweet tooth; I have sweet teeth. No: I don’t have sweet teeth, I have sweet bones. So the challenge is to get through life with a minimum of caloric catastrophe and dental damage. Thankfully, there are a wide variety of health-conscious treats available from YummyEarth.

Founded by two fathers who wanted to spare their children chemical dyes, fake seasoning, and corn syrup, all YummyEarth candies are USDA and EU certified organic. Admittedly, I’ve heard for years that corn syrup is bad for you, but never investigated the particulars. Apparently high fructose corn syrup not only pumps people full of empty calories, it also interferes with two bodily substances, Leptin and Gherlin.

Leptin and Gherlin may sound like two evil Tolkien characters, but apparently Leptin signals to the brain that you are full, and Gherlin increases appetite. What high fructose corn syrup does is decrease the production to Leptin, and increase the production of Gherlin. So you think you have more room in your stomach and feel hungrier that you actually are. Great.

I had the pleasure of tasting the high fructose corn syrup-free Super Sour Pops, and it was a satisfying experience, indeed. The flavors are Strawberry Smash, Sour Apple Tart, Googly Grape and Very Very Cherry – the apple is my favorite. Each lollipop is only twenty-two calories, so it’s not surprising that I’d slurp through three in rapid succession. Even at sixty-six calories, it’s a reasonable treat.

YummyEarth also offers Fruit Pops, Strawberry Pops, Vitamin C Pops, and Fiesta Pops. The candy drops include Citrus C Grove, Pomegranate Pucker, Very Very Cherry, Cheeky Lemon, Wet Face Watermelon, Wild Peppermint, Cinnamon Stick, Ginger Zest, Roadside Root Beer, and Hopscotch Butterscotch. But it’s the Hot Chili Pops that I’m going to have to track down.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, January 18th 2010

YummyEarth Organic Gummy Bears

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:03:00 +0000

By YummyEarth

Looking for the perfect lunchbox treat? Look no further than YummyEarth Organic Gummy Bears. These cute little critters are USDA Certified Organic, made with real fruit juice, and provide 100% of daily vitamin C.

The first thing you might notice about YummyEarth’s bears is their color. They are vibrant and appealing, but they colors are markedly more natural (no bright green or screaming orange). This is because of (hooray!) the lack of artificial dyes in the product. While we’re on the topic of what’s not in these bears, I’ll mention that they are free of corn syrup, tree nuts, gluten, peanuts, soy, dairy, GMOs, and MSG.

Inside the bag is a crowd of adorable, squeezable, classically-shaped little bears in an unusual lineup of flavors: Pomegranate Pucker, Strawberry Smash, and Sour Apple Tart. What a refreshing deviation from cherry, grape, and lime! The taste is sweet, tangy, and pure. No thick, syrupy texture here; just chewy, fruity goodness. Of the three flavors, my personal favorite is Strawberry Smash. It’s difficult to find a strawberry-flavored candy that doesn’t taste artificial. Any berry lover will appreciate the deep, authentic flavor of these bears. The pomegranate and sour apple flavors are delicious as well.

Nutritionally speaking, the good news is that this treat is free of fat, cholesterol, and sodium. While it might be tempting to eat the whole bag in one sitting, be aware that the five-ounce bag holds five servings of bears. But don’t worry; you won’t have any trouble finding someone to share this treat with you! Visit YummyEarth’s website for more treats, including one-serving gummy bear snack packs, gummy worms, and lollipops in distinct flavors (Hot Chili Pop, anyone?). Conveniently, orders can be placed directly through the website, so your treats will come straight to your home!

Written by: Amanda Moss, December 31st 2009

Skinny Scarves

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:02:00 +0000

By Masala Tee Collection

The first time I came to Kolkata, I was swindled by a little girl who couldn't have been more than six years old. While trying to find a pair of shoes in New Market, this cutie pie grabbed my hand as I was walking, turned her grinning face toward me, and cheerfully said, "Hello! What is your name?" Caught off guard, and a little stupid from lingering jet lag, I said, "My name is Mandy." Her eyes grew wide and she dropped my hand. Holding her hennaed palm to my face she squealed with delight, "Mehndi!"

I laughed and agreed, "That's exactly right: mehndi." I then proceeded to allow this tiny tout to drag me into her father's (so she said) scarf shop where I promptly bought two "pashmina" scarves for what I now know to be triple the actual price, a common skin affliction my partner refers to as a "cracker tax." I knew I was being taken for a ride, but I couldn't bring myself to care. The miniature mehndi charlatan was doing what she had to do to get by, and she was so darn good at it that I felt obliged to play my role as the "dumb American tourist."

Ultimately, it turned out to be a good thing I did because after leaving Kolkata, my partner and I took a fourteen-hour long overnight train to Benares... in the second class sleeper car... in late-December... with nothing more to fight the cold wind that readily seeped in through the cracks than a hoodie and those two scarves. Easily the most miserable fourteen hours I have ever spent, I gained a deep affinity for scarves and swindlers that very long and uncomfortable night.

These days I act on that affinity by scooping up scarves left and right, and my most recent acquisition is from the Dehli-based, woman-owned Masala Tee Collection, whose designer organic cotton t-shirts adorned with Swarovski crystals have already been mentioned in the Indian editions of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Marie Claire magazines. Inspired by the feminine beauty of their homeland, the Tee Wallahs (Sheikha Mattar-Jacob and Noelline Besson) founded the company less than a year ago while chatting over (what else) a cup of tea. They design the Masala Tees with screen-printed faces of five women (Divya, Sapna, Pia, Sitara, and Maya), and this fall they have added Skinny Scarves made of organic bamboo fiber into the mix.

Offered in either gray or sage, the Skinny Scarves are 50 x 180cm of gauzy goodness as soft as clouds of kittens. The eco-friendly accessory can be worn in a variety of ways—such as a proper scarf or a head wrap—making it a most versatile simple yet stylish addition to your urban outfit. For every sale made, the Tee Wallahs donate a portion to humanitarian organizations serving women and children in India under the social justice mantra "Masala Tee is for Humani-Tee."

The fashion industry is exploding right now in India, and designers are using the boom to bring both political awareness and casual chic clothing to the country's growing middle class. Though they don't have a web-based store set up just yet, the Masala Tee Collection is sold in boutique stores throughout India—including Ogaan, The Neemrana Shop, The Box, Bombay Electric—and can be purchased through a secure Paypal link by shooting the Tee Wallahs an email. For the dudes out there who think Masala Tee is hot, they're working hard to unveil a men's collection soon.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, November 2nd 2009

Replenishing Hand Cream (Rose Flower)

admin — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:01:00 +0000

By Circaroma

My paternal grandmother was the offspring of a French immigrant family that emigrated to the United States. She came of age during a time of great extravagance (Roaring Twenties) followed by a sharp decline (Great Depression) and then raised five children—three boys and two girls—by herself in St. Louis, Missouri while my grandfather reported for duty during World War II. In my grandparents' house there were two bathrooms, one pink and the other blue, a color-coded system marked by a form of gender segregation that had a utilitarian function in the large and evenly split household. By the time my sister and I came along, the only two girls in a slew of grandsons (though there would later be two more to join the ranks), we considered this division a privilege.

When I opened the fifty-gram circular container of Circaroma Replenishing Hand Cream, the smell reminded me of my grandmother's powder room. Immaculately kept with fuzzy toilet seat covers, matching towels the color of cotton candy, and decorative wallpaper with tiny bunches of flowers and stripes of gold, this room was a feminine haven. A mirrored tray holding numerous bottles of eau du toilette, Avon makeup, and sample-sized glass containers of various creams and lotions. The combined contents of the tray created a floral olfactory experience similar to this Rose Flower Hand Cream.

Gliding on smoothly, the Replenishing Hand Cream leaves a moist feeling without the lingering slickness of other similar products. Despite the potency of its smell during application, the Rose Flower scent quickly becomes subdued, a quality I find appealing as it doesn't hinder repeated use for fear of excessive potency.

Based in London, Circaroma's award-winning products use natural and organic components as a result of the company's commitment to providing skin care products of a superior quality. The Rose Flower Replenishing Hand Cream is no exception, and includes such ingredients as coconut, sunflower, jojoba, and almond oils; cocoa butter; rose water; geranium; and vitamin E.

I relish the ability of Circaroma's Replenishing Hand Cream to conjure the memory of my grandmother, a woman who struggled through challenging times and still managed to come out smelling rosy.

Written by: Mandy Van Deven, October 25th 2009

Organic Dark Chocolates

admin — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:02:00 +0000

By Shaman Chocolates

If you have a vice, you might as well indulge it responsibly. Shaman Chocolates' profits propagate Huichol communities and culture. Descendents of the Aztec, the Huichol population is approximately 18,000. They reside in the sierra of Jalisco and Nayarit, and their traditions persist despite the encroachment that ensued with the arrival of the conquistadors. Huichol ceremonies use peyote, and the people are known for vivid depictions of themes from nature utilizing beads and yarn. Shaman Chocolates—founded in 2002—offers non-Huichols an opportunity to enjoy the people's sacred food, cocoa being frequently used as an offering to the Earth.

Shaman Chocolates is not the first initiative for the Huichol organized by Brant Secunda. This adopted shaman facilitated the return of the Huichol to the Sierra Madres in the early 1990s, allowing the maintenance of their culture and crafts. His 'Dance of the Deer' foundation acquired the trucks and boats for the move, and provided the bricks and mortars for a school.

The bricks of chocolate come wrapped in attractive packaging, featuring photographs of Huichol individuals in colorful traditional attire. My favorite was the dark chocolate with raspberries, but the more innovative combinations—for example, the milk chocolate with Hawaiian pink sea salt and macadamia nuts—are also enticing. I've yet to experience the green tea and ginger varieties. Seeing that Shaman Chocolates allow me to consume with a conscience, it's clearly time to stock up on these Huichol sweets.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, October 10th 2009

Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:07:00 +0000

By Bryant Terry

Da Capo Press

Whether you're rebuilding yourself or just doing daily maintenance, healthy food is a necessity for bringing the body back and keeping it going. Now that I can't go to Whole Foods, it's time to get creative with the selection from produce stands and farmer's markets. Today I saw a man with a straw cowboy hat selling tomatoes, melons, and sunflowers out of a battered pick-up truck. Chilled soup, sorbet, and an arrangement for the table? As attracted as I am to the 'slow' and local foods movements, I am frequently concerned with their possible elitism. Therefore, I was delighted to hear Bryant Terry on the Tavis Smiley show detailing the history of African American cuisine incorporating vegetarianism: Seventh Day Adventists, Dick Gregory, Etta Lewis, and Elijah Muhammed. The only cuisine that doesn't tempt me is standard “'Merican”—canned green bean casserole, mashed potatoes from a box, egg salad, orange plastic-wrapped cheese, jello with tiny marshmallows in it, plates of unseasoned monochromatic beige, fry everything, the only vegetable is the cubed carrot-lima-bean-corn kernel mélange—so I always appreciate an introduction to other nutritious, delicious methods of preparation.

West Coast chef Bryant Terry presents traditional southern cooking without chicken or pork products, and without the soy dependence or preachy tone of many vegan cookbooks. An unrepentant omnivore, I already have a few vegan and vegetarian cookbooks, and Vegan Soul Kitchen definitely earns a place on the shelf. Recipes like the creamy celeriac sauce could conceivably accompany tuna as well as tempeh, and if you happen to slip a little turkey andouille in the Gumbo Z, well, I won't tell on you. Better yet: my life comes with a soundtrack—a highlight of one job was being told that I'd channeled Sally Bowles perfectly—so it makes perfect sense that each recipe comes with a song. If I met anyone who could cook like this, it might be time to reference Salt-N-Pepa's “What a Man.”

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, October 8th 2009

Pregnancy Body Oil / Nursing Tea / Skin Food / Sea Buckthorn Body Lotion

admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:51:00 +0000

By Weleda

Mean, lean, and green is not a trend come-lately. Weleda has been producing natural, organic beauty products since 1921. Dr. Rudolf Steiner, a founder of anthroposophy, joined forces with Dr. Ita Wegman to take this transcendentalist world view to a personal practical level. They offer salves and solutions for human afflictions ranging from stretch marks to dental plaque, all derived from some of the two hundred species of plants cultivated in their medical plants garden. All items are certified organic by BDIH standards, and their U.S. affiliate assisted in the formation of the NPA (Natural Products Association) rules.

The Pregnancy Body Oil soothes stretching skin by combining arnica flower and wheat germ oil with an almond oil base. It application is obviously enriching without being at all 'greasy.' In addition to attending to maternal hides, Weleda offers tea for a mother's insides: their Nursing Tea supports healthy lactation. The calming tea is a mix of organic fenugreek, anise, fennel seeds, and other herbs. I asked my test-mommy if it was working, and she just snarled and demanded a foot massage and some sushi with unagi, NOT uni, plus green tea ice cream for dessert. Perhaps she did not let the calming tea seep long enough.

The non-reproducing are by no means neglected: body lotions for dry skin are made with Wild Rose, Aloe Vera, Mallow, and Sea Buckthorn. The Sea Buckthorn Lotion combines buckthorn and sesame seed oil in a vitamin A and E-rich formula that delivers antioxidants in a solution scented with essential oils from mandarins, oranges, and grapefruits. It applies lightly and lasts all day.

My personal favorite is the Weleda Skin Food. This nourishing moisturizer hydrates the skin by including organic pansy and rosemary extract with the fatty acid and vitamin E abundant sunflower seed oil. I'm currently combating dry facial skin, and the Skin Food out performed the department store it-shall-remain-unnamed-in-its-ostentatiously-scientific-packaging eye goo. Next time, I'm reaching for the bright green tube.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, September 29th 2009

Pink Grapefruit Body Lotion / Linen Spray / Botanical Facial Moisturizer, Facial Wash / Shea Body Butter Bamboo / Green Tea Facial Scrub

admin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:31:00 +0000

By Dancing Dingo

I am, obviously, pro-choice. And if you are similarly inclined to an abundance of options in personal products as well as personal life, I recommend a visit to Dancing Dingo. They offer unctions and salves for all members of your family, including the four-legged. Dancing Dingo lotions, moisturizers, oils, scrubs, and sprays are paraben, formaldehyde, mineral oil, sulphates, SLS, and phthalate free. Their 'Dog De-funkifier' and other products are approved by Leaping Bunny and PETA. The shea body butter rendered my reptile-scaly dry shin skin mink oil smooth. I opted for the refreshing pink grapefruit, but other scents offered include Coconut Lime Verbena, Carrot Seed, Grapefruit Mint, Rosehip Seed Total CO2 Extract, and Vanilla Planifolia. (Not all products are offered in all scents.)

The Botanical Facial Wash contains aloe vera gel, green tea extract, comfrey, fruit extracts (billberry, bitter orange, and lemon), aspen bark extract, and lavender, and chamomile essential oils. Dancing Dingo's bamboo and green tea facial scrub exfoliates much more smoothly than the apricot-kernel containing products I've used previously. The Botanical Facial Moisturizer uses extracts of gingko biloba, green tea, and gotu kola to protect and firm the skin. Now I can take my freshly defoliated and moisturized self to unwind on grapefruit-refreshed sheets. I don't have a dingo, dancing or otherwise, but if I did, I would not hesitate to spritz my spitz with one of their dog products.

Written by: Erika Mikkalo, September 25th 2009