Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 185

my thanksgiving dinner

Here is a video that I shot on Thanskgiving day! In it you'll see me picking some sage from my yard – I'm not positive that sage doesn't need water after a year but the idea is that once established and happy sage hardly needs any water. So it's a major water saver!
 
The "Amazing Grace" scene makes me laugh because I've never sung the song before so I didn't know the words! Our singing was quite pathetic but it was fun!

And you can check out the blog I wrote about that night here that has some more photos of the evening.

my thanksgiving videos!

I know it's a bit late but over Thanksgiving I shot some videos. this first one was when I was making pies and cranberry sauce for our Thanksgiving dinner.
 
Here's the recipe for the pecan pie:
 
Pecan Pie
 
Ingredients

3 1/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup barley malt
1 teaspoon cinnamoon
2 tablespoons arrowroot
4 tablespoons roasted sesame tahini
1 pre-made pie crust or pie crust of your choice

Steps

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
In a food processor mix until smooth all ingredients except the pecans.
Then add the pecans and process until the nuts are chopped and mixed with the other ingredients. 
Pour this concoction into the pie shell.
You can add extra pecans on top before baking for decoration.
Bake for 45 mins to one hour until the top browns slightly.  

You may be relieved to know that my extra cinnamon didn't matter one bit! The pie turned out to be really yummy.
 
Stay tuned for the next video from my Thanksgiving celebration!

how clean is clean enough for the recycle bin?

[image error]

Have any of you wondered about this too?  Whenever I recycle used food containers like from my rice milk or maple syrup I always stop for a minute and have the same thought: Yes these things are recyclable but what about the food residue that I can't get off? I mean have you ever tried getting every last bit of maple syrup cleaned out of a container? It can be an all-morning activity if you let it!  Obviously I want to recycle everything I can but I've always feared that leaving any leftover residue on containers would make them un-recyclable. Plus cleaning your empties just seems like the polite thing to do right?

What's worse I heard a rumor somewhere that if you put any containers with residue in a recycling bin it can compromise the entire bin to the point where nothing from that bin can be recycled. Even just the thought that this might be true has made me scrub every recyclable container until it was purged from any trace of food that might have ever touched it.  But this can become a lot of work so I finally decided to do a little research and get to the bottom of this question once and for all.
 
The good news is that I wasn't able to find any information out there to support the "contaminated bin" myth. That said every area has its own procedures and regulations for what it recycles and how so it's always best to learn the dos and don'ts of your specific recycling program.  One easy way to do this is visit Earth911.com and enter your zip code to get a full list of recycling programs and centers in your area – with links to their websites and contact info.  Then you can research your programs individually and find out what they can and can't work with. I print a list of all the stuff that's recyclable in our area and post it near my bins at home so that everyone in my household is aware. Earth911.com also has a lot of other great general info and tips for recyclers. 
 
This aside I did learn a few general guidelines about recycling that helped put things in perspective. First there are a lot of steps your recyclable waste goes through between when your bin at home gets picked up and the end result. It is sorted transported resorted and processed often multiple times. Usually most if not all of these steps involve various cleaning processes. Most "single stream" recycling programs where donors put all types of recyclables in a single bin have accounted for the fact that not every can or bottle they receive is going to be as squeaky clean as I make mine and have implemented appropriate steps into their process.
 
So great we're all off the hook right? Not exactly. The fact is at many points along the recycling chain the materials will sit around for days weeks or even months at a time which means that your residual tomato sauce on the inside of that jar is getting grosser stinkier and more bacterial by the day.  Now multiply that by hundreds of tons.  This not only makes things more disgusting for the recycling facility workers it's pretty tough low-paying work even on a good day it can attract all kinds of rats and other critters. So while it's not absolutely necessary to scrub away every last piece of residue a nice considerate effort to make your items somewhat presentable before you toss them in the bin is appreciated.
 
But… yes there's one more but… Keep in mind that the more thoroughly you wash these recyclables the more water you're using and potentially wasting so don't go overboard and try to scrub them til their sterile.  Recycling centers are not hospitals so just give your recyclables a quick courtesy rinse and get rid of as much food as you can before you toss it in the bin.  As always it's about balancing cleanliness and conservation with a little bit of kindness.

What kind of recycling program do you have in your area?

Win a 3-Day Detox Cleanse From Kaeng Raeng All Natural Vegan Detox Cleanse Sponsored Post

Are you looking to jumpstart a healthier new year? Maybe shed some of those pesky holiday pounds? Perhaps you are considering a detox cleanse consisting of lemons maple syrup and cayenne pepper? Call us old fashioned but that sounds more like hungry than healthy – and we've got a better option!

The popular vegan cleanse Kaeng Raeng kick starts a healthy new year in a safer way. Named "The Next Cleanse" by VitalJuice.com Kaeng Raeng is a nutritional meal replacement detox program that delivers you results without sacrificing taste convenience quality or your sanity.

Kaeng Raeng helps to peel off pounds relieve bloating improve digestion bolster immunity enhance energy and give you that natural vegan glow. Just drink one meal replacement pouch 3 times per day for 3 or 6 days. You can also eat as many raw fruits and vegetables as you want! Get great results without fasting or stimulants.

Kaeng Raeng is completely animal free gluten free caffeine free eco friendly and proudly made in Palo Alto CA with only local ingredients. Kaeng Raeng contains no artificial colors flavors sweeteners or preservatives. A portion of every sale goes to the Humane Society America's largest animal protection organization.

Kaeng Raeng is simple. Just pick your timeline: 3 days or 6 days. Then choose your level: Beginner for first time users the most popular Veteran – for those who have done at least one detox and Master – for experienced detoxers who have done several cleanses. You'll receive 3 packets per day one for each meal time. Just add a pouch to 24-32 oz of liquid or blend it with frozen fruit or ice.  Supplement the shakes with raw fruits and veggies.

You'll receive all three delicious flavors: blueberry blackberry banana; strawberry raspberry pineapple; and mango peach pineapple. Each pouch contains more than a full serving of fruit and fiber 15g of lean non-GMO protein 2 billion live probiotic cultures essential amino acids and daily vitamins. It's gentle mild and filling!

We're offering Kind Life readers 20 off a KR detox program with coupon code KINDLIFE20 exp 1/10 at www.kaengraeng.com . Other luxury cleanses can cost up to 100/day. Kaeng Raeng starts at just 14/day and is available online at www.kaengraeng.com and in select Whole Foods Market stores in the USA check with your local store for availability. Want to try it first? Individual trial packets make 32 fl oz and are available at www.kaengraeng.com.

Best of all we're giving away one 3-day detox cleanse program to one lucky Kind Lifer! To enter to win all you have to do is comment on this post!

fable of the porcupine

[image error]

My friend Mimi sent this to me - how adorable is this little guy?

Fable of the Porcupine

[image error]

It was the coldest winter ever -  many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines realizing the situation decided to group together. This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions even though they gave off heat to each other. After awhile they decided to distance  themselves one from the other and they began to die alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely they decided to go back to being together. This way they learned to live with the little wounds that were caused by the close relationship with their companion but the most important part of it was the heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive.

[image error]

Do you have any adorable animal stories or pictures to share? Post them to your profile and "like" them and I may share them on the blog!

clearing up the questions regarding DHA...

[image error]

Hi there! I just wanted to address some of the questions I saw in the comments on this morning's DHA post. Some of you were not sure if the body  can absorb DHA from walnuts flaxseed and seaweed – so I wanted to share this information that PCRM's Dr. Susan Levin sent to me which should clear up your questions:
 
"There was a great study that just came out showing that people who consume no animal products vegans! convert an incredible amount of omega-3 fats to EPA and DHA. This was especially the case among women.
 
Here's the summary and citation:
 
Women on Vegan Diets Have More Long-Chain Omega-3s Compared with Fish-Eaters
 
Women following vegan diets have significantly more omega-3 "good fats" in their blood compared with fish-eaters meat-eaters and ovo-lacto vegetarians according to a new report from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition EPIC Study. Levels in vegan men were not quite as high as in vegan women. Despite zero intake of long-chain omega-3s eicosapentaenoic acid EPA and docosahexaenoic acid DHA and substantially lower intake of their plant-derived precursor alpha-linolenic acid ALA vegan participants converted robust amounts of shorter-chain fatty acids into these long-chain fatty acids. The study included 14422 men and women aged 39 to 78.
 
Welch AA Shakya-Shrestha S Lentjes MAH Wareham NJ Khaw KT. Dietary intake and status of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in a population of fish-eating and non-fish-eating meat-eaters vegetarians and vegans and the precursor-product ratio of a-linolenic acid to long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: results from the EPIC-Norfolk cohort. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010;92:1040-1051."
 
As I said in the earlier post if you dont feel you get enough you can always take a supplement. But I feel that if you are superhero or a very close to superhero vegan who eats the foods I mentioned you should be fine. Let me know if you have other questions!

seed bomb machines!

Recently I've noticed these gumball machines that dispense seed bombs placed around town and had to do some investigating to see what the deal is. I'm so excited about what I found out!

[image error]

These seed bombs were created by Daniel Phillips and Kim Karlsrud who met while students at Otis College of Art and Design. The idea behind the machines is that everyday people can make a difference in their community and beautify their neighborhoods. Some people have even gone so far as to form guerilla gardening movements. I just found this great article in the LA Times that explains more about the movement. The seed bombs are made from clay compost and seeds. Check out these photos to see how to make your own seed bombs!  

[image error]

As designers Daniel and Kim wanted to design something new and revolutionary but not bring unnecessary stuff into the world. So what they did is take existing technology repurposed gumball machines and mix it with their idea to populate grey space vacant lots parking medians etc...

[image error]

The result of their idea was the seed bomb and it's been so successful that new dispensers are being placed all across the country. You can find a complete list of machine locations here - also make sure to look at Daniel and Kim's website and watch the video above of them explaining their idea!

Do you have any great ideas for greening urban landscapes?

some fyi about dha

[image error]

Some of you may have some questions about DHA and whether a vegan diet supplies your body with enough of them. Let me break it down for you:
 
DHA is short for decosahexaenoic acid. It may be hard to pronounce but it's one of the most essential of the Omega-3 fatty acids that help fuel our brain and retinal function among other things. Bet you didn't know that your brain is made up of 60 percent fat. Well 25 of that fat is DHA. That's not the kind of fat you want to slim down on!

DHA can't be found in many foods and most people will tell you the easiest place to get it is by eating fish or fish oil. They'll also tell you that you can't find it in vegetarian diet. But how do you think all those fish get DHA in the first place? The answer is from algae. So our solution is to just skip over the middleman.
 
The good news for those of us who don't want to eat our fishy friends is that you can find DHA in flaxseed flaxseed oil canola oil walnuts soybeans and of course seaweed to name just a few other sources. Personally I eat plenty of walnuts and seaweed at least once a week since a lot of my favorite recipes contain one or both. So I'm pretty sure I get plenty of DHA. But any Kind Lifers who think they might not be getting enough can always explore taking supplements. The majority of Omega-3 supplements are made with fish oil but there are some that derive their DHA from algae. Just check the label to be sure.
 
So as always whenever someone tells you that a vegan diet lacks some important nutritional element all it takes is a little bit of looking deeper to learn that there are simple ways to deal with those concerns and be even healthier for it!

5 great iphone apps for vegans

[image error]

A friend sent this to me and I thought it would be helpful for all of you Kind Lifers who have iPhones. Take a look and let me know what your favorite vegan iPhone app is!

Eat drink and avoid animal products with your iPhone without any guess work.

Being vegan has plenty of health and environmental benefits from a healthier diet to a lower carbon footprint. But being vegan can be difficult particularly when you're just starting out. The good news: Vegan iPhone users can get a little help with a variety of apps geared toward people who don't eat animal products.

Everyday Vegan

Looking for a vegan recipe while you're grocery shopping? Just turn to Everyday Vegan an app featuring recipes from Jeani-Rose Atchison's book of the same name. You can browse individual recipes or mealtime themes or search by keyword.

Vegan Recipe Finder

Another great app for recipes is Vegan Recipe Finder from VegWeb.com. The app contains more than 13000 recipes submitted by users which means you can submit your favorite recipes for the app as well. The app features a grocery list for each recipe which makes shopping especially last-minute shopping a whole lot easier and you can share recipes via e-mail Facebook and Twitter.

Animal-Free

Have you ever looked at an ingredients list in a store and wondered if some item was in fact an animal product? Well the Animal-Free app takes the guess work out of vegan grocery shopping. The app lists common and hidden animal ingredients as well as vegan ingredients.

Vegan Is Easy

Being vegan can make a beer with pals a little tricky. But the Vegan Is Easy app contains a searchable database of beer wine and spirits. The app rates how vegan-friendly brewers wine-makers and distillers are and it also lists product lines identifying which particular items are vegan and which aren't.

iLocate - Vegan Restaurants

This app is awesome for vegans who like to try new restaurants but don't want to have to spend a lot of time researching vegan options. You can search by zip code or city and a map will show you all the vegan eateries nearby. It's also great if you travel a lot and want to be able to have a list of vegan restaurants in any city at your fingertips.

There are plenty more apps for vegans and vegetarians to choose from so choose the ones that best fit your lifestyle to help you almost effortlessly live vegan.

Source: planetgreen.discovery.com

vegan sneakers

[image error]

Blink 182's multi-talented Tom DeLonge has co-created an eco shoe line called Macbeth for both men and women. There are lots of colors and styles to choose from and all the shoes are made from organic canvas or denim heat-molded natural rubber and homemade vegan glue many glues contain casein or other animal-derived products.
 
I love that he's inviting other artists to help design the shoes too! Here's what DeLonge had to say about the brand in an interview with Sneaker Freaker magazine:
 
"Macbeth has several characteristics that set it apart from other sneaker brands. For starters we strive to make really good products. We are the original music footwear brand actually created by musicians. Our line is inspired directly from our exclusive group of artists unlike other brands that simply latch on to whatever fad is hip at the moment. The Macbeth Studio Project program is something we pride ourselves on. Rather than buying merchandise rights to a band's name and logo; we work directly with an artist to capture their personality and artistic personality in each and every product. Macbeth also does a lot of charitable work with Invisible Children a movement seeking to end the conflict in Uganda and stop the abduction of children for use as child soldiers. We maintain a low profile classic silhouette that is comfortable for the artist while playing on stage but also fits within their style."
 
Which Macbeth style do like the best?