Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 183

a mock greek salad

[image error]

I wanted to share a superhero recipe for those of you who have asked for more pressed salad options. This is a very light pressed salad and is really more like a Greek salad or tofu dish... But it is soooo good!  

Mock Greek Salad

Ingredients

4 ounces firm tofu
2 T umeboshi vinegar
4 cups chopped into 1/2 to 1-inch-thick pieces Napa cabbage
1/2 medium cucumber sliced into 1/4-inch-thick half moons
8 kalamata olives sliced lengthwise into quarters

Steps

Crumble tofu and mix with 1 tablespoon of the vinegar.
Set aside.
Add the other tablespoon of ume vinegar to the Napa cabbage cucumbers and red onion in a large bowl or pickle press.
Massage them all together with your hands until the vegetables begin to "sweat".
Press the mixture in a pickle press or create pressure by placing a plate on the vegetables and a heavy weight on the plate.
Press for 20 minutes or for a lighter dish don't press at all.
Pour off excess liquid rinse if too salty for your taste.
Add olives and crumbled tofu.  

Serve and enjoy!

the non-gmo project

[image error]

The non-GMO project is a great non-profit organization founded by leaders of the organic and natural products industry that evaluates and labels foods to indicate which products are free of genetically modified organisms GMOs. They are one of the leading voices fighting corruption among food producers and government officials. If it weren't for activists like them we'd have no idea which foods and beauty products contain GMOs and which do not!
 
The reason GMOs are a cause for concern is that they haven't been scientifically proven to be safe – which is why they are outlawed in Europe. So far the US government has relied upon studies conducted by companies who produce GMO foods to prove that GMOs are safe. Seems like quite a conflict of interest!
 
Luckily for us the non-GMO project has a super reader-friendly website about what GMOs are where you can find them and how you can avoid them. On their website you can find lists of brands that are GMO free organized by category or brand name. You can also download the Non-GMO Project PDF or iPhone app so you can have these lists handy when you go to the grocery store!

Do you avoid GMO foods? Do they creep you out as much as they do me?

check out these cool sculptures from recycled clothing!

[image error]

Brooklyn-based artist Derick Melander recently teamed up with clothing recycling company Wearable Collections to create geometric installations that represent the amount of textiles that New Yorkers waste.

[image error]

The above piece placed outside of the Brooklyn Borough Hall was created from 3615 pounds of clothing – the amount of textiles that New Yorkers waste in just five minutes!
 
The garments used in the installation were loaned to Melander from Wearable Collections – they give donation bins to buildings in New York where they also provide weekly pick-ups. They then distribute the used clothes to people in need around the globe.

What do you do with your old clothes?

help transform a neglected parkway in los angeles

[image error]

Native plant landscaper Margaret Oakley is calling on all gardeners in the LA area to volunteer this Saturday January 22 in Mission Hills to help turn a neglected parkway into a beautiful natural one.
 
Volunteers would be managing local community members who come out to help plant native plants along the parkway in an effort to create a more beautiful native ecosystem along this desolate strip of land.
 
If you are free this Saturday and you live in or around LA check out the details below:

Who: You and any other skilled gardeners you know
What: Be a Team Leader for the East San Fernando Valley Nature Parkway's Day of Planting
Where: Mission Hills/Arleta area specifically on Devonshire Blvd. between Woodman and Arleta Ave.
When: Saturday January 22 7:45am-3pm
Why: To guide a volunteer group in planting CA natives along a half mile long parkway to transform a desolate area into a beautiful natural space to help out a frequently ignored part of the LA community...

Email margaretdinnertablegardening.com or call 310 717-7380 if you're interested. Food and drinks will be provided!

a look at the new healthy hunger-free kids act

[image error]

Kind Lifer Karen wrote to me earlier in the year to express her excitement about Congress passing the child nutrition bill so I thought I'd give you all an update! On December 13 2010 President Obama signed Congress's Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act a child nutrition bill that will make healthy meals more affordable for schools and therefore more available to kids.

Let's take a look at what this bill means for our nation's school children! The Huffington Post breaks down eleven tenets of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act and I'll summarize them here special thanks to PCRM's Kristin Adair for her feedback!:

Schools who best meet the nutrition standards outlined in this bill will receive increased federal reimbursement for school meals. Translation: healthier lunches for kids equals more money for schools.
The USDA will be required to update their nutrition standards for meals and snacks in schools so they are consistent with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines and recommendations from the Institute of Medicine that encourage more fruits veggies and whole grains in school meals - which is great news! Nutritionists and experts will consult with the USDA to make sure these standards are as healthy as possible.
Federal funds will be allocated for school gardens and farm-to-school programs in which schools partner with local farms to provide nutritious local food for meals. This is huge!!
The USDA can now regulate what kinds of processed foods are sold in schools. Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of the junk food industry's pervasive presence in many schools today.
Schools in areas with high poverty will receive money from the government for providing free meals to students. This is so important for students who do not have access to healthy foods at home.
Funding will be provided to state and local organizations that promote fitness and nutrition education. By laying the foundation for a lifelong healthy lifestyle these organizations will work with experts and education professionals to fight childhood obesity.
Water must be available free of charge during school meals. Can you believe this wasn't the case before??? I hope the water that will now be provided isn't in plastic bottles - and I hope it's filtered water. Wouldn't it be nice if they just had a jug of filtered water on each lunch table?
Funding will be allocated to research projects aimed at ending hunger and examining the causes and consequences of it.
The USDA and Health and Human Services will create programs to promote healthy eating and the reduction of childhood obesity using the principles of behavioral economics research.
Good nutrition starts with breastfeeding! State agencies that demonstrate increased rates of breastfeeding for newborn children will be rewarded and funds will be made available for the purchase of breast pumps.
Foster children will automatically be eligible for free meals without having to demonstrate their income.

You can read the full text of the bill here and you can read the White House fact sheet about the bill here. I kind of can't believe this got passed - I sooo hope it is put into action! What a wonderful effort on President Obama's part and all who fought for and created this bill.

What else can we do to improve children's nutrition inside and outside of our nation's schools?

the business of being born

[image error]

Ricki Lake's documentary The Business of Being Born is such an important film. I saw it when it came out in theaters years ago. It blew me away! Ricki and her team did such an amazing job conveying such an important message.
 
Watching it I felt so empowered and excited about what was ahead for me. It was so inspiring to see the power and beauty of what our bodies are capable of. This film is an absolute must for every single woman and every single man who cares about a woman. Please please watch it!
 
The Business Of Being Born is available on Netflix instant viewing. You can also get more information at Ricki's website. If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant Citizens for Midwifery provides information about where you can find a licensed midwife in your area.
 
Please please see this film and please tell me what you think afterward! If every single woman saw this film I feel positive there would be much less suffering and complications in child birth.

Have any of you seen this film? What did it do to you?

patty overcomes her migraines

[image error]

Before

Kind Lifer Patty recently sent me her success story about switching to a kinder diet for animal-rights reasons then experiencing a bunch of unexpected health benefits too! Check it out:
 
"The Kind Diet has changed my life in so many positive ways. I went 100 vegan on 3/22/10 right after reading your book and I've never felt happier or healthier. Just as you shared my skin has gotten so smooth and soft the whites of my eyes so bright my mood has elevated and evened out - so many benefits.

Health-wise I am now completely free of migraines that I have struggled with and suffered from for a few years and heavily medicated for. My doctor is now weaning me off of my medication since I'm doing so great! I'm so happy. Also I have lost 32 pounds and counting! I feel more confident and I now do Pilates regularly as well - something that I never would have felt the confidence to do before!

My motivation for going vegan was all about the animals I love them....my passion but I've since learned from my own body your book and so many resources about the many health benefits of a vegan diet as well as how great it is for the environment I'm even more thrilled! Win-win-win!"

[image error]

After

I'm so happy for you Patty!

If anyone else has a success story to share private message me or post your story to the forum and "like" it – I may share your story on The Kind Life homepage!

connect with kind lifers near you!

[image error]

Recently I've received some requests for a section in the forum where Kind Lifers can connect with other veg-friendly folks in their geographical areas. So I've created a section called Kind Connections where you can post a discussion for your town or neighborhood add a little bit of info about yourself and meet others near you!

You can also post notices about any veg animal or eco-related events that may be happening near you. It's a great place to share restaurant recommendations or grocery shopping tips and maybe make some new friends too!

I have always wanted Kind Lifers to be able to connect with others in their neighborhoods. What if there is a cool veggie living next door and you just didn't know it? Or a flirt who is trying and wants support? You can have potlucks or share food or whatever!
 
Check out the section here add your city and post away! I'd love to hear any stories about kind get-togethers that come out of this. Keep me posted and let me know if you have any other great ideas for additions to the forum!

yams v. sweet potatoes

[image error]

What is the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? I always thought the white ones were sweet potatoes and the orange ones were yams. Everywhere I looked I found a different explanation. Thanks to North Carolina Sweet Potatoes I think I've gotten to the bottom of it!

The short story is that most of what we think of as "yams" here in the USA are actually sweet potatoes. That includes both the white-fleshed and deep orange-colored varieties. The relatively smooth-skinned sweet potato is indigenous to South America and is commonly grown in the American South. Yams are not as sweet as sweet potatoes and they have a thick brittle outer skin. Yams are indigenous to Africa and when they are imported into the US they generally come from the Caribbean.

[image error]

The word "yam" comes from the African word "nyami" which refers to the starchy edible root of the plant that yams come from. When orange-colored sweet potatoes were introduced in the US they were given the name "yam" to distinguish them from the lighter varieties – even though both types are actually sweet potatoes. Hence the confusion!

Most importantly when you make my Cuban Sweet Potatoes recipe use the lighter colored sweet potatoes and not the orange ones - though the orange ones are pretty for holidays. I  think the white ones give a better flavor to this recipe though!

Now that we've cleared all that up here is a delicious sweet potato recipe from my book!
 
Cuban-Style Roasted Sweet Potatoes
 
Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes peeled and quartered about 3 lbs
4 T extra-virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large garlic clove minced
1 T fresh lime juice
1 ½ T chopped fresh parsley

Steps

Heat the oven to 400
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the sweet potatoes in a medium bowl
Toss with 2 T of the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper
Spread the potatoes on the prepared baking sheet
Roast until they can be easily pierced with a knife but still offer some resistance about 30 minutes
Let cool for 15 minutes or so
Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl
Toss with garlic lime juice parsley and remaining 2 T of oil
Adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper
Serve warm or at room temperature

What's your favorite sweet potato recipe?

im pregnant!

Hi everyone – you may have already heard but I wanted to tell all of you Kind Lifers myself. Christopher and I are expecting a baby later this year and I couldn't be happier!

I'm excited about documenting this time in my life and sharing all of my experiences with  you. I will definitely be posting tons more blogs about pregnancy and can't wait to hear your feedback.

Thank you for being such a kind and supportive community. I feel truly grateful for each and every one of you and am excited to share this special time in my life with this wonderful community!