Happy New Year!

Wish you a Very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!
May your dreams come true!!
Peace :)

Sensible Goals!

Sensible Goals!

With the New Year round the bend, many of us make resolutions. This year my resolution is to get healthier, but not at some super-rapid pace, but at my own speed, even if it be the speed of the Tortoise.

I received the stuff below forwarded to me. I think there are some cool pointers in the forwarded email. Check it out!

Peace :)

Made To Stick: New Year's Resolutions for the Eco Slacker

Posted by Healthy Bitch Daily on Dec 30, 2010

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, you tend to bite off more than you can chew.

Rather than tell yourself you’re going to increase your gym time by two days a week—two more than you’re currently going—you make the lofty goal of five days. By mid-January, you’ve already thrown in the towel and decided 2011 was meant to be the year you finally watched the entire series of Lost on DVD. What an overachiever … Well, at least Netflix thinks so.

The same goes with the Earth. Last year, you promised to lick its sweet tears by brewing your own Fair Trade coffee instead of supporting Big Enterprise. But then Starbucks introduced VIA and you were dunzo.

Snap out of it, honey. You have the will of a klepto in a WalMart Superstore. Instead of making a resolution that you’re going to ride your bike to work every day, tell yourself you’re going to buy a bike and use it for nearby errands. Look at that …

The key to lessening your impact on the earth is to set your goals lower and make tougher ones throughout the year. In other words, set yourself up for success. Here are five simple things you can do to lower your carbon footprint in the New Year that won’t require as much effort.

Say it with me now … I think I can, I think I can.

Quit Buying Bottled Water. We’ve gone over this. It requires about 1.5 million barrels of oil to make plastic water bottles every year. When you wean yourself off, the planet wins and so do you.

For one, you can save up to $1,400 a year. For two, your health doesn’t suffer. The water in that sleek bottle is likely plain ‘ole tap water. Scratch that … municipal tap water is better regulated than bottled water. In a study conducted by the NRDC, researchers found that 22 percent of bottles tested contained chemical contaminants at levels above strict health limits. Some of them had the ability to cause cancer or other serious ailments, if consumed over a longer period of time. Not to mention, the plastic encapsulating that bottle of water usually contains Bisphenol A (BPA.)

It’s easy. If you are forgetful, keep a reusable water bottle on hand in your car, and if possible, one in your purse. If you are that thirsty and water bottleless, find a water fountain or stop into the nearest establishment and lay your desperation on the table.

Healthy Bitch Pick: We love the new mini KOR Delta Hydration Vessels (500 mL) and the water filtration systems by Sovereign Earth (soon to be relaunched as revolve)

Actually Remember Your Reusable Bag. Let me guess—You left it in your drawer. Ask yourself this: What the hell good does it do in there? Beats me. For the love of our oceans, buy a handful of reusable bags and store them in various useful places. Store one in the house for packing lunches and gym clothes, and keep a stack in the car for grocery shopping. I also keep one rolled up in my purse for occasional unplanned stops at the drugstore or vintage boutiques.

Stop it With the Paper Towels. Some of us are paper towel happy. Yes, I said “us.” Rather than using a paper towel to wipe the counter, another to wipe the floor, a third to disinfect the dining room table, and a fourth to clean off Dexter’s paws, consolidate. Use one to wipe the counter, floor, and the mutt’s paws, and then a clean one to disinfect the dining room table. Better yet, invest in half a dozen cloths and throw them in the wash when you’re running low. These will help eliminate your contribution to the more than 3,000 tons of paper towels that crowd our landfills every year.

Healthy Bitch Pick: Twist Euro Sponge Cloth. With a lifespan of approximately a  year, Twist biodegradable cloths replace paper towels and can last for up to 1,000 uses. Visit Twistclean.com

Say Adios to Phantom Power. Plain and simple, if you’re not using the plug, it shouldn’t be plugged in. When it sits there with nothing to do, it just sucks up energy. If it’s so time-consuming for you to unplug your iPhone charger when you head off to work (one whopping second), then invest in a power strip. Plug all the appliances in the room to one strip—computer, TV, DVD, cable, Wii, and whatever other silly little appliances you feel the need to own. When you leave, just flip the switch off and every gadget cord connected to that lifeline will take a nap. Plus, you can save up to 10 percent on your annual energy bill by doing so. Mission accomplished.

Spelt Walnut Bread

For the Holiday, I made two loaves of Spelt Walnut bread. It is based on a non-yeast recipe. So, it is easy and quick to make. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

8 cups spelt flour
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
1 cup of chopped walnuts
2 tsp baking soda
4 3/4 cups coconut/almond/soy/milk

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.I used olive oil to grease. I will try coconut oil next time.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the spelt flour, sesame seeds, walnuts, salt, molasses, baking soda and milk until well blended. 
4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven until golden.
6. Use a toothpick to test if the loaf is completely baked. Stick a toothpick into the loaf and pull it out immediately. If there is dough stuck on the toothpick, you may need to bake for a bit longer.

Right out of the oven!  

 

Try a thick slice with some Raw Almond butter!

Bon appetit' :)

PS. I used a little Coconut milk and a bit of Almond milk for making this batch - I ran out of Almond milk :)

PSA: Lunch at New Start Veggie Garden

Recently, I went to New Start Veggie Garden (NSVG) in Dallas for lunch. Their buffet is one of the best, Korean style, vegan-friendly, healthy buffets I have had ever. Look at my plate and you will see what I mean.

NSVG serves cooked food as well as fresh vegetables and salads. I had brief chat with the owner and she explained to me her motto. Her motto is awesome, believe me.

So, if you in the mood for some healthy food for lunch or dinner, head over to NSVG.

Bon appetit' :)

PSA: Coexistence with Monsanto - Article from OCA

USDA Recommends "Coexistence" with Monsanto: We Say Hell No! by Ronnie Cummins

• By Ronnie Cummins
  Organic Consumers Association, Dec 22, 2010
  Straight to the Source
  
  

"If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it." - Norman Braksick, president of Asgrow Seed Co., a subsidiary of Monsanto, quoted in the Kansas City Star, March 7, 1994

"Monsanto should not have to vouchsafe the safety of biotech food. Our interest is in selling as much of it as possible. Assuring its safety is the FDA's job." - Phil Angell, Monsanto's director of corporate communications, quoted in the New York Times, October 25, 1998

After 16 years of non-stop biotech bullying and force-feeding Genetically Engineered or Modified (GE or GM) crops to farm animals and "Frankenfoods" to unwitting consumers, Monsanto has a big problem, or rather several big problems. A growing number of published scientific studies indicate that GE foods pose serious human health threats.  The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) recently stated that "Several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food," including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system. The AAEM advises consumers to avoid GM foods. Before the FDA arbitrarily decided to allow Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) into food products in 1994, FDA scientists had repeatedly warned that GM foods can set off serious, hard-to-detect side effects, including allergies, toxins, new diseases, and nutritional problems. They urged long-term safety studies, but were ignored. http://www.responsibletechnology.org

Federal judges are finally starting to acknowledge what organic farmers and consumers have said all along: uncontrollable and unpredictable GMO crops such as alfalfa and sugar beets spread their mutant genes onto organic farms and into non-GMO varieties and plant relatives, and should be halted.  http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_22173.cfm

An appeals court recently ruled that consumers have the right to know whether the dairy products they are purchasing are derived from cows injected with Monsanto's (now Elanco's) controversial recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH), linked to serious animal health problems and increased cancer risk for humans.

Monsanto's Roundup, the agro-toxic companion herbicide for millions of acres of GM soybeans, corn, cotton, alfalfa, canola, and sugar beets, is losing market share. Its overuse has spawned a new generation of superweeds that can only be killed with super-toxic herbicides such as 2,4, D and paraquat. Moreover, patented "Roundup Ready" crops require massive amounts of climate destabilizing nitrate fertilizer. Compounding Monsanto's damage to the environment and climate, rampant Roundup use is literally killing the soil, destroying essential soil microorganisms, degrading the living soil's ability to capture and sequester CO2, and spreading deadly plant diseases. http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_21039.cfm

In just one year, Monsanto has moved from being Forbes' "Company of the Year" to the Worst Stock of the Year. The Biotech Bully of St. Louis has become one of the most hated corporations on Earth. http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm

Monsanto and their agro-toxic allies are now turning to Obama's pro-biotech USDA for assistance. They want the organic community to stop suing them and boycotting their products. They want food activists and the OCA to mute our criticisms and stop tarnishing the image of their brands, their seeds, and companies. They want us to resign ourselves to the fact that one-third of U.S. croplands, and one-tenth of global cultivated acreage, are already contaminated with GMOs. That's why Monsanto recently hired the notorious mercenary firm, Blackwater, to spy on us. That's why Monsanto has teamed up with the Gates Foundation to bribe government officials and scientists and spread GMOs throughout Africa and the developing world.  That's why the biotech bullies and the Farm Bureau have joined hands with the Obama Administration to preach their new doctrine of "coexistence."

"Coexistence" or Cooptation?

The Agriculture Department is dutifully drafting a comprehensive "coexistence policy" that supposedly will diffuse tensions between conventional (chemical but non-GMO), biotech, and organic farmers. Earlier this week industry and Administration officials met in Washington, D.C. to talk about coexistence. Even though the Organic Consumers Association tried to get into the meeting, we were told we weren't welcome. The powers that be claim that the OCA doesn't meet their criteria of being "stakeholders." The unifying theme in these closed-door meetings is apparently that Monsanto and the other biotech companies will set aside a "compensation" fund to reimburse organic farmers whose crops or fields get contaminated. That way we'll all be happy. Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta, Dow, and Dupont will continue planting their hazardous crops and force-feeding animals and consumers with GMOs. Organic farmers and companies willing to cooperate will get a little compensation or "hush money." But of course our response to Monsanto and the USDA's plan, as you might have guessed, is hell no!

There can be no such thing as "coexistence" with a reckless and monopolistic industry that harms human health, destroys biodiversity, damages the environment, tortures and poisons animals, destabilizes the climate, and economically devastates the world's 1.5 billion seed-saving small farmers.  Enough talk of coexistence. We need a new regime that empowers consumers, small farmers, and the organic community. We need a new set of rules, based on "truth-in-labeling" and the "precautionary principle" - consumer and farmer-friendly regulations that are basically already in place in the European Union - so that "we the people" can regain control over Monsanto, indentured politicians, and the presently out-of-control technology of genetic engineering.

Truth-in-Labeling: Monsanto and the Biotech Industry's Greatest Fear

In practical terms coexistence between GMOs and organics in the European Union, the largest agricultural market in the world, is a non-issue. Why? Because there are almost no GMO crops under cultivation, nor consumer food products on supermarket shelves, in the EU, period. And why is this? There are almost no GMOs in Europe, because under EU law, as demanded by consumers, all foods containing GMOs or GMO ingredients must be labeled. Consumers have the freedom to choose or not to consume GMOs, while farmers, food processors, and retailers have (at least legally) the right to lace foods with GMOs, as long as they are labeled. Of course consumers, for the most part, do not want to consume GM Frankenfoods. European farmers and food companies, even junk food purveyors like McDonald's and Wal-Mart, understand quite well the axiom expressed by the Monsanto executive at the beginning of this article: "If you put a label on genetically engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it."

The biotech industry and Food Inc. are acutely aware of the fact that North American consumers, like their European counterparts, are wary and suspicious of GMO foods. Even without a PhD, consumers understand you don't want to be part of an involuntary food safety experiment. You don't want your food safety or environmental sustainability decisions to be made by profit-at-any-cost chemical companies like Monsanto, Dow, or Dupont-the same people who brought you toxic pesticides, Agent Orange, PCBs, and now global warming. Industry leaders are acutely aware of the fact that every single industry or government poll over the last 16 years has shown that 85-95% of American consumers want mandatory labels on GMO foods. Why? So that we can avoid buying them. GMO foods have absolutely no benefits for consumers or the environment, only hazards. This is why Monsanto and their friends in the Bush, Clinton, and Obama administrations have prevented consumer GMO truth-in-labeling laws from getting a public discussion in Congress, much less allowing such legislation to be put up for a vote. Obama (and Hilary Clinton) campaign operatives in 2008 claimed that Obama supported mandatory labels for GMOs, but we haven't heard a word from the White House on this topic since Inauguration Day.

Although Congressman Dennis Kucinich (Democrat, Ohio) introduces a bill in every Congress calling for mandatory labeling and safety testing for GMOs, don't hold your breath for Congress to take a stand for truth-in-labeling and consumers' right to know what's in their food. Especially since the 2010 Supreme Court decision in the so-called "Citizens United" case gave big corporations and billionaires the right to spend unlimited amounts of money (and remain anonymous, as they do so) to buy elections, our chances of passing federal GMO labeling laws against the wishes of Monsanto and Food Inc. are all but non-existent.

Therefore we need to shift our focus and go local. We've got to concentrate our forces where our leverage and power lie, in the marketplace, at the retail level; pressuring retail food stores to voluntarily label their products; while on the legislative front we must organize a broad coalition to pass mandatory GMO (and CAFO) labeling laws, at the city, county, and state levels.

Millions Against Monsanto: Launching a Nationwide Truth-in-Labeling Campaign, Starting with Local City Council Ordinances or Ballot Initiatives

Early in 2011 the Organic Consumers Association, joined by our consumer, farmer, environmental, and labor allies, plans to launch a nationwide campaign to stop Monsanto and the Biotech Bullies from force-feeding unlabeled GMOs to animals and humans. Utilizing scientific data, legal precedent, and consumer power the OCA and our local coalitions will educate and mobilize at the grassroots level to pressure retailers to implement "truth-in-labeling" practices; while simultaneously organizing a critical mass to pass mandatory local and state truth-in-labeling ordinances or ballot initiatives similar to labeling laws already in effect for country of origin, irradiated food, allergens, and carcinogens. If local government bodies refuse to take action, wherever possible we will gather petition signatures and place these truth-in-labeling initiatives directly on the ballot in 2011 or 2012. Stay tuned for details, but please send an email to: information@organicconsumers.org if you're interesting in helping organize a truth-in-labeling campaign in your local community. Millions Against Monsanto. Power to the people! ___________________________________________________________________

Ronnie Cummins is the International Director of the Organic Consumers Association. 

Merry Christmas

Wish you a Very Merry Christmas / Season's Greetings!

Peace !)

Holiday soaps on SALE!

Please check out our Vegetarian Holiday Soaps on sale, here! Thanks for your business!!

Tres platos vegetarianos para usted!

Earlier today I stopped by the Indian Supermarket and picked up some fresh Fenugreek leaves.

It was kinda windy all day today and I decided I will cook 3 dishes today:
1) Fenugreek Lentil Stew, 2) South Indian Style Spicy Mashed Potato and 3) Green Bean Lentil Crumble.

I posted my recipe for Green Bean Lentil Crumble (Beans Paruppu Usili) in June 2010. Please refer to the post Three Dishes for dinner for the recipe.

Below, I have provided my recipes for items 1 and 2.

Fenugreek Lentil Stew (Venthaya Keerai Kootu in Tamil)

Ingredients:
Fresh Fenugreek leaves --- removed from the stem, washed
Curry leaves - 10 - finely chopped
Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp
Green Chilies - 5  --- diced
Channa Daal - 1/2 cup
Mung Daal - 1/2 cup (the kind that has been husked and polished)
Toor Daal - 1 cup
Sesame oil - 3 Tbsp
1 Large onion - diced
3 cloves of garlic - diced

Preparation:

1. Cook the lentils (Channa, Mung and Toor) until tender.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed pan, heat up the oil.
3. Splutter the mustard seeds in the oil. Turn down the heat.
4. Throw in the curry leaves, onions, garlic and chilies. Saute for about 3-5 minutes on medium heat. The onions need not be caramelized.
5. Add the Fenugreek leaves and the lentil mixture. Cook on low heat until the leaves are cooked.
6. Add salt to taste.

South Indian Spicy Mashed Potatoes (Urulai Kizhangu Podimaas in Tamil) 


Ingredients:
6 medium size red/white potatoes - thoroughly washed
Curry leaves - 10 - finely chopped
Mustard seeds - 1 Tsp
Green Chilies - 5  --- diced
Toor Daal - 1 Tsp
Sesame oil - 3 Tbsp
Diced ginger root - 2 Tbsp
Diced cilantro - 1 Tbsp

Preparation:

1. Boil the potatoes until they are tender - NOT mushy. No need to remove the skins.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed pan, heat up the oil.
3. Splutter the mustard seeds in the oil. Turn down the heat.
4. Throw in the curry leaves, ginger and chilies.
5. Add the potatoes. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes.
6. Cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes. Stir often.
   
7. Garnish with cilantro.
8. Add salt to taste.

Bon appetit' :)

PS. Many practitioners of alternative medicine and naturopathy recommend Fenugreek to diabetics.

Raw Plantain Salad!

Mid week, my lovely wife made this awesome Raw Plantain salad.

Caribe Live Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
2 Fully Ripe Plantains (black skin indicates ripeness)
1 Large Red Pepper
2 Small Avocados
2 Limes
2 Tsp Agave Nectar
1/2 Tsp Jerk Seasoning

Preparation:
Chop all the veggies and the fruits.
Squeeze the juice of 1 fresh lime over.
Combine the juice of 1 lime, agave nectar, jerk seasoning, pinch of sea salt
Combine all ingredients.

Serve at room temperature!

Bon appetit' :)

Chayote Squash Stew

While I was at the Indian store earlier this week, I picked up a bunch of Chayote squash. I have never cooked them in my entire life until now. My mom used to cook'em back in the day. The variety that we used to get had small thorns on it and had to be peeled before it could be cooked and eaten. However, the variety I got at the Indian grocery store did not have the thorns on them. That's cool with me :)

With the Chayote squash, I made a stew. 

Here is the recipe:


Chayote Squash Stew (Chow Chow Kootu in Tamil)

Ingredients:
3 cup cooked lentils (Toor dal)
6 Chayote Squash - peeled and diced
1 large onion - diced
3 Tbsp Sesame Oil
5 Tbsp shredded coconut (fresh/frozen/dry)
1 Tsp cumin
6 Red Chili Peppers
1 Tsp Mustard seeds

1 Tsp White Lentil (Urad Dal)
3 Tbsp shredded ginger - I prefer the ginger pieces be chunky, so the stew is spicy. Chayote is a mild veggie!
2 Tbsp shredded curry leaves (split into 2 portions, 1 portion will be used as a garnish and the other will be used in creating the spice mix)
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 cup filtered water
Pinch of salt
Sprinkle of Asafoetida

Preparation:
Cook the Lentils and keep ready.

In a blender or a food processor, grind the red chilis, curry leaves, cumin and the coconut into a paste.

Heat up the oil in a large pan.
When the oil is hot, turn down the heat.
Add the mustard seeds. Cover with lid.
Add the asafoetida, chopped onions, curry leaves, ginger.
Add the chopped Chayote squash.
Add 1 cup of water, turn down the heat. Let simmer.


After the Chayote pieces are cooked (tender if poked with a fork)...
Add the cooked lentils.
Add the spice paste.
Stir!
Simmer for a few minutes until the mix is not too runny (until much of the added water has evaporated).
Stir frequently!!

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro!

Add salt to taste!

Serve piping hot with fresh ground black pepper!

Bon appetit' :)

Vegetarian & Vegan Soaps!

This holiday season, please consider gifting your family and friends a Luxury Soap bar from our own Angelic Soap.


Here is a sampling of our some of our finest soaps!


Lullaby Shea

• Beautiful, calming shea butter ultra-creamy soap weighs approximately 5-6 ounces. This cold process, handcrafted soap is a sensory treat in every respect. 
• Named "Lullaby" due to the soothing scent of French lavender, lemon balm and chamomile essential oils - these scents are reputed for their calming qualities. 
• Great for post dinner showers and chilling out!
• Moisturizing soap of superior quality, Lullaby is as lovely to look at as it is to use. Swirls of palest blues, lavenders and creamy green contrast with the ivory colored base. 
• Most pleasing! 
• Vegan friendly!
  

Candy Cane Swirl

• Candy Cane Swirl is an adult version of the holiday sweet! This is a gorgeous, festive and highly effective cold process soap. Enriched with a layer of ground vanilla beans and topped with skin safe glitter of red and green, this soap will bring a smile to any face - and put a sparkle in that daily shower!
• Invigorating and creamy, Candy Cane is created with our signature, high quality vegetable oil recipe.
• Candy Cane will leave your skin lightly moisturized and scented with a blend of creamy vanilla, mints and sweet orange.
• This is a limited edition soap, hand cut into very large, approximately 7 ounce bars.
• Delicious!
• Vegan.

Boch Scrub Soap

• Giant, 6-7 ounce bar of hand soap made in the cold process method with beer and oats.
• "Boch Scrub Soap" is pleasantly scented with a clean and fresh blend of beer, honey, nutmeg, ginger and citrus.
• Created with old fashioned oats, this beer soap will clean your hands (or body) without stripping the skin of all its precious moisture.
• This soap is a delight to give and receive!
• Purchase this soap as a novelty gift for the beer lover in your life - buy it again because it is a beautiful, hard working soap that really delivers!
• Terrific soap for washing after working in the kitchen for hours. Gets all the odor off!!
• Perfect soap for the beer lover!
• Vegan.

Thank you.

Peace :)