Wednesday, December 22, 2010

A Very Merry Vegan Xmas!

The Vegan Era Crew would like to get in early and wish all our wonderful friends a very merry Christmas!  This year, instead of writing our own list of vegan treats we've compiled a list of some of the best vegan gift guides, xmas recipe ideas and online store guides.

Enjoy!


The best vegan xmas party food:

Holiday party fare: 7 vegan finger food recipes 
Christmas Recipes from Vegan Easy 

Some Vegan Xmas Gift Guides: 

The Wellness Warrior’s Xmas Gift Guide 
Vegan gift guide for men from The Ethical Man via Chic Vegan
Chic Vegan’s cruelty free gift guide 
Lazy Smurf’s vegan gift guide
A Modern Girl's Life Xmas Wish List


Some xmas gift ideas from online stores: 

Natural Collection Vegan selection
Eco Fashionista has gift ideas from it’s online store from $50-$200 
Vegan Gift Hampers from Cruelty Free Shop


This list is by no means exhaustive, these are just a few of the sites we have come across.  Feel free to comment and add to it!  Of course the best gift that anyone can give this Christmas is the gift of life and a life without suffering by enjoying a vegan xmas!!  


Be Love, Be Peace, Be Vegan; Save Our Home.  

Monday, November 29, 2010

Healthy Vegan on a Budget

When people are giving excuses for why they choose not to eat a healthy, plant-based diet, often the issue of money comes up first. I’m the first to admit that I can easily blow $500 on food in a flash, but with a little thought and planning, it doesn’t have to be this way.

I could harp on about how the Government subsidizes the meat industry but let me simply point out some facts about how we do spend money…

The average Australian household spends more on fast food than fruit and vegetables and five times more on recreation than healthy foods. As a result of our poor eating habits, we then spend nearly twice as much on medical expenses as we do on fruit and vegetables. It’s not as though we can’t afford to eat or feed our children- Australia is the only country in the world where childhood obesity is increasing faster than that of adults.

However, none of this changes the fact that it’s cheaper to feed the family at Maccas than to cook an organic nutritious meal. So, the Vegan Era Crew have been looking at ways to make it easier and cheaper to live a healthy, vegan lifestyle.

BUDGET
First of all, sit down and decide how much money you have to spend and go through how you spend it now. What are you splurging on? What do you really need?

WHAT DO YOU WANT?
Decide on what you will and won’t compromise on. There’s no point deciding to stop buying all of your favourite things because you won’t stick to it!

For example:
I will only buy organic greens and fruit
I will not compromise on choosing organic and GMO free soy products

ORGANIC OR NOT?
Organic produce is notoriously more expensive. Depending on what you are comfortable with, you can choose organic for some things and not others. To help you decide, consider the following:

Most supermarkets now offer an affordable range of organic canned goods that are handy to keep in the pantry, such as tomatoes, chick peas, etc.

The Dirty Dozen
The following fruits and vegetables are known as 'the dirty dozen' because they are contaminated with the most amount of pesticides. Therefore, it's best to choose organic wherever possible.
1. Peaches
2. Apples
3. Sweet bell peppers
4. Celery
5. Nectarines
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes
11. Carrots
12. Pears

The following items are considered the 'cleanest' fruit and vegetables, so you could consider buying these non-organic.
1. Onions
2. Avocados
3. Sweet corn
4. Pineapples
5. Mangoes
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papayas
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomatoes
15. Sweet potatoes


WASH YOUR PRODUCE PROPERLY
Whether you purchase organic or not, it is important to wash all of your fruit and vegetables. You do not need to purchase a specialty wash, which will often add to the chemical load of your produce and cost you money. Simple household ingredients such as vinegar or salt will remove many of the pesticides and bacteria. 

Rinse your produce first in cold water and then prepare a mix of approximately 1 teaspoon of sea salt to 1 cup of water.  Soak the produce for a couple of minutes and then rinse thoroughly with water.  Dry off the fruit and vegetables before putting them away to ensure freshness or wash them as you go, just before using.  

BUY IN SEASON
Just because you love strawberries all year round doesn’t mean you should eat them all year round! When you buy fruits and veggies when they are in season you will find them in abundance, at a reasonable price, and it is much healthier for you. Eating in tune with nature will provide the most nourishment for your body.

FARMER’S MARKETS
There are many benefits to shopping at your local markets. As you are often buying directly from the farmer or producer then it is often cheaper than the store. It is also often better for the environment as the produce usually hasn’t traveled as far. As you can chat to the stall holders and compare prices you can usually get great deals and great advice.

WHOLESALERS
Check out local wholesalers near you that sell direct to the public. They sell bulk products at a reduced price and you can find all sorts of things. Products such as nuts, canned goods, olives, legumes, olive oil, pasta, flour and spices are all things that you can save money on. For example, you can usually pick up a 1 litre can of cold-pressed olive oil for around $20 and then keep it in your pantry and refill your olive oil bottle as necessary. Wholesalers often specialize in certain cuisine, such as Indian, Greek, etc which have lovely surprises that you can’t find in your supermarket, and often at a fraction of the cost.

BE CAREFUL IN HEALTH FOOD STORES
It is very easy to spend a fortune in health food stores.  Make sure you know what you want before you go in there.  For example, you may choose to splurge on raw sprouted rye bread each week, which can cost close to $10 but it is much healthier than a regular loaf of bread and is so dense that you will only need a small amount.  It also lasts a long time in the fridge, rather than going stale in a day or two.  

MAKE YOUR OWN
We have certainly become a society that demands quick, easy and convenient. If you do have the time though, there are many things that you can make yourself at home. Simple things that take only 5 minutes or so include your own hummus. All you need is a can of chickpeas, some tahini, garlic and lemon juice and a food processor. Other dips you can make easily and cheaply include guacamole, pesto, olive tapenade, salad dressings, tomato salsa, almond butter etc. It is much cheaper than constantly buying dips and spreads and much healthier for you too as they are fresh and contain no preservatives. If you have more time then making your own breads, crackers, almond milk, etc are also more economical and much healthier.

GROW YOUR OWN
Even if it is simply having a pot or 2 of herbs on your balcony, this will save you money. Herbs are hearty so they often only need watering a couple of times a week and some sunshine and there is nothing better than the taste and aroma of fresh herbs in your food. The addition of fresh herbs can often mean that you don’t need additional flavour from unhealthy alternatives such as excess salt.

FOOD CO-OPS AND HOME DELIVERY OPTIONS
Do some research in your local area for co-ops and local food delivery options.  It saves you time and often saves you money.  

MEAL PLANNING
If you sit down at the start of the week and make a rough plan of the meals you'd like to have for the week, you can ensure that you only buy what you need. 

FEEDING YOUR PETS
Specialty dog food and other pet food can get expensive.  However, if you purchase a bag of vegan doggie biscuits and some treats, you can then make up some rice and canned vegetables to serve with it.  This way your dog biscuits will go much further, and your animal friend gets a nutritious, yummy meal!

MAKE YOUR PANTRY GO THE DISTANCE
It is a great exercise to try to make your pantry go the distance before going out shopping again.  Whether you make a decision not to purchase anything else for the next week or simply make a conscious decision to stretch everything a little further at each meal, you will be amazed at how far you can go and how much you can save.  Get creative and use up some of those items hidden at the back of the cupboard.  

There are many other ways that you can save money and keep a healthy diet.  Choosing to avoid meat and dairy products is a great start!  If you have any further tips for us, please don't hesitate to comment!  

Be Love: Be Peace: Be Vegan; Save Our Home

Monday, November 1, 2010

Reclaim Your Health Book Review Blog


I don’t know about you, but it seems more and more people in my circles are suffering from so many illnesses. Every second person I talk to also have a loved one with some sort of cancer or diabetes....and you only have to take a tiny peek into our hospitals to realise the huge health problems in our societies. "Reclaim Your Health" is a great mentor guide to not only those who are suffering from cancers, it is a huge wake up call for all of us to SLOW DOWN and start looking after our bodies, and to BE CONSCIOUS of what we feeding those "cells’ that we so desperately need for everyday existence.

I recently had a sobbing seventy-two year old doctor call me for some health information. Her eighty year old husband who was also a doctor had been suffering from prostate cancer and had changed to a plant based diet. Not only were they amazed at the cell recovery rate of excluding the foods mentioned in "Reclaim Your Health," they were also saddened by the advice they had been giving their patients for the past 40 years. They are still practising physicians, and are trying their best to share their first hand experience of a plant based diet to cancer patients, other doctors and the general public.

The wisdom found in "Reclaim Your Health" should be the compulsory medical manual for all cancer patients as well as for general illness prevention! Relax, stop eating meat, dairy, eggs and processed foods as they are toxic fuels that breed disease in your bodies. Give yourself a great big KISS, that's "Keep It Simple Stupid" and eat fresh fruits, legumes and vegetables to keep your "car" running smoothly for the rest of your life. ‘KISS’ yourself by slowing down and enjoying everyday moments, and feel happy and grateful for all that you have.

To me it seems that having cancer can also be a blessing, as the wisdom shared in this book soaks into your heart and soul. I too am now inspired to look after my "amazing house’ known as my body even more, and to be forever grateful to feeling healthy from a plant based diet….oh yes..and to be ‘Loosey Goosey', let go and go with the flow!

Accolade

"Reclaim your Health should be the compulsory medical manual for all cancer patients"

Sunday, October 10, 2010

From Earth and Water


The Vegan Era Crew had the absolute pleasure of enjoying a scrumptious lunch at a new raw vegan cafe on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia last week. fRom eArth and Water is a gorgeous little place tucked away of James Street in Burleigh Heads. It is bright and airy with wooden, balinese inspired furnishings, and offers a simple, but oh-so-tasty menu.

This is what they have to say about their beautiful food:
"Our menu is a celebration of raw organic cuisine, 100% botanical with no animal products, gluten, dairy, refined sugars, or processed ingredients. Everything on our menu uses the purest seasonal ingredients locally sourced and organically grown. The result is vibrant rich deep flavour without guilt. The passion, commitment to detail, unique artistry food techniques and the use of exotic botanical ingredients is best experienced from the chefs table menu. this menu has been carefully constructed with your health in mind...Discover the inherent beauty and flavour of each ingredient in its natural raw state. Welcome, be well!"

The small cafe is run by one beautiful lady called Nic who has a passion for nourishing your body and soul.

We enjoyed the following:
Sweet Vanilla Nut Mylk (fresh coconut water, home made almond mylk and vanilla pod)

Pistachio Pesto Ravioli (Ravioli made from fresh young coconuts and basil and filled with pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato marinara and marinated vegetables)

Soft mini tacos (taco shells made from golden flax and zucchini and filled with spicy sun-dried tomato filling, guacamole, fresh tomato lime salsa and house made "sour cream")

Coconut wrap spring rolls (light wraps made from fresh coconut and filled with avocado, coriander, mint, cucumber, cashews and a stay dressing)

Baja Burrito Wrap (wrap made from golden flax and zucchini and filled with nut cheese, marinated vegetables, seasonal salad greens, avocado, cashews and sour cream)

Banana pancakes filled with a decadent cream and topped with chocolate and raspberry sauces.

I know what you are thinking - how in the world did 2 people eat all of that?? Well, we went slow and worked our way through the menu gently. We shared everything and took some meals home to enjoy for dinner. Although we were still full from lunch!

I think it's best I let the pics do the talking (please note that I tried my best to remember to take photos BEFORE devouring the meals but, alas, a couple of times I got half way through the meal before realizing that I had to take a picture!).

Sweet Vanilla Nut Mylk
This was served ice cold and was absolutely divine!

Soft Mini Tacos
The sour cream on these tacos was delicious! We were expecting the sun-dried tomato filling to be a little spicier but the flavours of this filling and the salsa and guac complemented each other beautifully. Much better than a 'real' taco!

Pistachio Pesto Ravioli
The marinara sauce in the ravioli was beautiful and we polished these off very quickly.

Coconut Wrap Spring Rolls
We had 1 spring roll each and that was definitely enough! These were so filling, choc full of grated carrot and other vegetables and the satay sauce was lovely and sweet.

Banana Pancakes filled with cashew cream
Dessert was AMAZING. The cream inside was beautiful and not too heavy, while the raspberry sauce gave it a really fresh taste.

We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and each and every dish. It is amazing how filling and tasty raw food is. Unfortunately, all the nuts in the creamy sauces gave Dave a few tummy problems, which I guess goes with eating a lot of raw foods. Nuts are just so versatile that they end up in everything!

It is one of those places we will certainly revisit, if only because we cannot be bothered making such beautiful creations ourselves! This is what dining out is all about! Thank you so much to Nic and her lovely staff for making our experience at From Earth and Water so enjoyable! Even Trudi was allowed to sit with us and enjoy!

Be Love; Be Peace; Be Vegan. Save Our Home

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

VEGANIZE your baking!

A friend of the Vegan Era Crew asked us recently about substituting animal products with vegan alternatives. The free Veg Starter Kit on our home page has a few ideas to get you started but we thought we'd go into more detail with our favourite meal time....DESSERT!

It's certainly becoming easier to find vegan desserts, especially if you have access to a good health food store. However, there is

nothing like baking up your own delights and giving vegan life to old favourites! "Veganizing" your desserts can often mean making these desserts much healthier too so that you can enjoy them guilt-free. Hooray!

In particular, cookies, brownies and muffins are quite easy to adjust, but cake recipes can be a little trickier. It is better to go with a vegan cake recipe unless you are already experienced with vegan baking techniques.

Some general guidelines:

To replace one egg:
a) Packaged Egg Replacer (1 1/2 t. egg replacer + 2 T. water for each egg)
b) 1 T. soy powder mixed with 2 T. water
c) 1 1/2 T.
ground flax seeds soaked in 3 T. boiling water for 15 minutes. Pour off excess water and use the gelled flax seeds.
d) Half a mashed banana
e) 3 T. apple sauce
f) 1 T. arrowroot powder

To replace milk or cream:
a) Store-bought non-dairy milk (such as a thick, rich soy/rice/oat or nut milk) or non-dairy cream
b) Home-made tofu milk (made by blending tofu with water). To prepare: Rinse and drain 8 oz. (one cup) of tofu. Using a blender, blend tofu with one cup water. Puree until smooth. Add one more cup of water and blend. This will yield 2 1/2 – 3 cups of tofu milk.
c) Silken tofu, pureed in the food processor, makes a great base for a “cream filling.”

To replace white refined sugar
(White sugar is not only very bad for your overall health, but it is often refined through animal bone char, especially in the US.)
a) Evaporated cane juice or other unrefined cane sugar such as Rapadura
b) Date sugar
c) Xylitol (birch sugar)

To replace honey
a) agave nectar
b) rice syrup
c) maple syrup*
d) barley malt extract
e) sorghum molasses

For some awesome vegan cookie recipes, check out The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur.



For any non-vegans who are just a little scared off eggs right now due to the massive recall in the US recently, here is a yummy egg free breakfast idea...



Vegan Breakfast Frittata
serves 8 (I got this recipe from VegetarianTimes.com)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 small carrots, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1 package extra firm tofu
3 Tbsp grated vegan mozzarella
3 Tbsp soy sauce
6 tomatoes, sliced
fresh or dried herbs and spring onions such as parsley and basil.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F or 190 degrees C. Coat a 10 inch casserole dish or 24 cup muffin tin wiht cooking spray if you would prefer to make mini frittatas.
2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and saute red onion for 3-4 minutes. Add carrots and zucchini and saute for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and continue cooking until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add herbs and then remove from heat.
3. Puree tofu, mozzarella and soy sauce for 2 minutes in a food processor until smooth and thick. Stir tofu mixture into vegetable mixture and spoon into casserole dish. Arrange tomato slices on top and bake for 40-45 minutes (until the top is firm to touch) or 25-30 minutes if making mini frittatas. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

For more information on eggs and the differences between free range eggs, caged eggs, etc check out Renata's earlier post here.

Be Love, Be Peace, Be Vegan; Save Our Home.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Build me up buttercup!

One of the Vegan Era Crew has started chemotherapy and so we've been very interested in how the vegan diet can support the body during this time. The usually high-raw vegan diet that we have become accustomed to, is not adequate for putting on the weight and protein that the body needs to handle periods of sickness and excess weightloss. Of course most doctors believe lots of dairy and meat are the key in this situation, so we have been researching ways to put on weight, vegan-style.

According to The Vegetarian Society, "In order to gain weight it is essential to increase the energy content of your diet. Also, in order for your body to make proper use of protein, you must ensure sufficient energy. The most concentrated form of energy in the diet is from fat. If you can tolerate fat then try and increase the fat content of your diet."

Have an Avo: Avocados are creamy and high in calories and nutrients. They are also soft and easy to eat during times when mouth ulcers and other nasty side-effects take hold.

Get Smooth: Smoothies are a great way to add extra protein in the form of a protein powder, and calories with the addition of soy or rice milk, soy yoghurt or ice-cream, nuts, seeds, bananas and even soft silken tofu.

Get Saucy: Have meals with a good sauce, made with pureed fried onions, perhaps with tomatoes or mushrooms. To increase the energy density of sauces use vegan margarine and add soya milk or silken tofu.

Beans: Cooked beans can be added to soups, stews, pies, salads, etc as well as being able to be pureed or used for dips such as hummus.

Soy Soy Soy: All of the over-processed soy products that we usually steer clear of are full of calories and protein. If you are looking to bulk up, delicious products such as Tofutti cream cheese will certainly help!

Go Nutty: Nut butters are a great way to get lots of the good fat and nutrients from nuts in an easily digestible way. Choose raw almond butter, sunflower butter, tahini, or hazelnut butter and add them to crackers, vegetable crudites, salads, deserts, baked goods or have them on toast.

Oily Goodness: Extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, etc are a healthy way to add good fats to the diet.

Rice, Pasta, Gnocchi, sprouted bread, vegan custard and yummy vegan cheese are some of the other things that spring to mind if you are looking to put on weight.

Unfortunately, there are not many vegan meal replacements, such as Sustagen, which offer all of the nutrients that the body needs in a liquid form for times when patients cannot eat. Vega Complete Meal Replacement is a powder that was formulated by a vegan triathlete and is available at www.pureprescriptions.com, but it contains some natural products that pharmacists and oncologists may not agree to.

If you are looking to put on weight as a cancer patient, then there will likely be other challenges that need to be addressed also, such as dry mouth, loss of appetite, sore throat and mouth ulcers, nausea, constipation or diarrhea and loss or change of taste. The most important thing is to get some form of nutrients in to the body each day, so whatever is tolerable and appealing is often the only consideration.

While some of the Crew are enjoying pigging out on all of these vegan delicacies, we are looking forward to the end of treatment when a return to a healthy RAW vegan diet will help to detox the body!!

Here is a lovely recipe for Lemon Poppy Scones to get your taste buds drooling...

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup water

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a baking sheet.Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Cut in margarine until the mixture is the consistency of large grains of sand. I like to use my hands to rub the margarine into the flour. Stir in poppy seeds, lemon zest and lemon juice. Combine the soy milk and water, and gradually stir into the dry ingredients until the batter is moistened, but still thick like biscuit dough. You may not need all of the liquid. Spoon 1/4 cup sized plops of batter onto the greased baking sheet so they are about 3 inches apart. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes the preheated oven, until golden.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

It's All About the Dog!

Hallo Readers,

Have been away in the lush green organic countryside of Northern NSW, enjoying some great vegan restaurants in Lismore and Byron Bay. If you are looking for animal friendly vegan eating, then "Sweet Peas" is a great place in Lismore to eat with a friendly relaxed vibe as well as "Cardamon Pod" in the centre of Byron Bay! We stayed at an eco resort which I read about here on Veganera www.byronecobeachretreat.com where our pooch was allowed to roam freely right behind a dog friendly beach. It's a great place for families with dogs to holiday...so much so that our "Odie" is now officially depressed, after spending a week living right on the beach.

Dogs have feelings...and he really is a very sad city dog this week...just lying around with a look on his face like, I have no beach, I have no sand, I have no sticks, I have no surf, no nothing, my life is over!! This is a dog who gets walked at a leash free 3 km creek bedded park at least once a day, played with in the backyard constantly and pampered to every stretch of the word, but he is just in dog heaven at the beach! When he arrives, he runs up to strangers barking madly in excitement, as if to say, "I AM AT THE BEACH!! CAN YOU SEE ME...I AM AT THE BEACH!!"

People become frightened of his excitement mistaking him for a viscous hound, understandably not realising he is trying to tell them only of his fortune! After he calms down from the mere arrival, he then finds the biggest stick he can possibly find, and digs it around in the sand, carries it to the water, pushes it back out to the sand...over and over! When my partner surfs, he is not sure who he likes the most, so he runs between myself and my book and the edge of the water...of course "Bottom Feeder" as Odie and I like to refer to my partner, both know he loves me the most, however we like to humour "BF" into the illusion that he may be "Top Dog."
Enough said of my little family idiosyncrasies, here is a new recipe for the week for you all to enjoy. It is a vegan pooch recipe this week, that my Odie loves.
1 cup cooked Brown rice
1 Grated carrot
1 flower Broccoli cut up very small
1 fat clove of garlic
1 can (400gms) bortelli beans, or chick peas, or lentils
1 zucchini grated
handful fresh basil
1/2 cup pinenuts
Smash pinenuts, garlic and basil in a mortor and pestal. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and warm in a frypan.
Lightly fry broccoli and carrot until soft, drain beans in collander then add beans and raw zucchini. Mix around and add rice at the end. Serve in your animal friends bowl with a blessing of love!! hehe
It's all about the dog!!
Over and Out
Renata

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Super frugal living


The Vegan Era Crew came across this sweet blog today called New Dress A Day.

Marisa will be going a whole year without doing any traditional clothes shopping. From the blog:

"So, that’s where my ode to no traditional shopping begins. This year, I will be foregoing trips to Bloomies and Nordstrom for brand new gear. Goodbye to H&M purchases and accessory grabbing at Forever 21. And seeing the “must have” French Connection dress in People’s Style Watch will just have to suffice as a cut out on my inspiration board.

Instead, the only shopping that I’ll be able to do is that of pieces that have been used and worn already. So long to mall trips and hello to sifting through piles of vintage pieces at flea markets and at neighborhood garage sales. Each day for the entire year, I’m going to introduce a new piece into my existing wardrobe that I’ve found from these places. On top of this, I’m giving myself a budget of $1 a day.

One person’s trash is becoming my treasure this year.

365 days. 365 items of clothing. 365 dollars. And the blogging begins…"

There are people all over the world taking pledges like this and even taking it one step further and going without buying a thing! We are always inspired by people taking steps to reduce their impact on our beautiful world.

A man taking it a big step further is vegan Irishman, Mark Boyle who lives without MONEY. He began his money-free challenge "simply as a means to a more connected, respectful, loving and gentle way of life." He is the founder of the Freecommony Community and has just released his first book called The Moneyless Man which is available from Amazon.com. The moneyless man believes that issues such as environmental destruction, resource wars, factory farms, sweatshop labour are all related.

"I believe the fact that we no longer see the direct repercussions our purchases have on the people, environment and animals they affect is the factor that unites these problems. The degrees of separation between the consumer and the consumed have increased so much that it now means we're completely unaware of the levels of destruction and suffering embodied in the 'stuff ' we buy. Very few people actually want to cause suffering others; most just don't have any idea that they directly are. The tool that has enables this separation is money, especially in its globalised format."

While the Vegan Era Crew are not making any dramatic pledges, these stories remind us to live more consciously and frugally in this world. Be Love; Be Peace; Be Vegan. Save Our Home.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Giving Love


The Vegan Era CREW loves to give, and share lots of Love and Happiness with the world. On our journeys out and about in the world - we come across many beautiful people. It is so Lovely to meet all our new friends.

For our Lovely friends we like to show our appreciation. The CREW spend the night in the kitchen creating little gifts of food. They are similar to that of Bliss Balls - but ours a totally Vegan, filled with Love, Peace and Happiness.

We had the pleasure of having so many of our new friends hanging with us, coming back for more and more. It was so great to see.
People were actually coming to find us wanting more and more. They even said they would buy them from us because they were totally amazing. What made it even more amazing was the fact that they were Vegan. They couldn't believe their ears.

It brings the Vegan Era CREW so pleasure to make people happy. It warms our little hearts.

Each week the Vegan Era CREW will be out and about not only spreading the word of leading a Compassionate, Earth Loving Vegan Message to the world - we will also be there with our little balls of Love.

So when you see us out in the world - come and find us and grab a Vegan Bliss Ball and hang out. See you all soon.

Here is a little recipe that should help you out.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Almond meal (what is left over from the milk)
1/3 cup RAW cocoa powder
Handful of big beautiful green grapes
1 Cup sultana's or medjool dates
2 Cups shredded coconut (for dusting)
Agave nectar (if you want more sweetness)

Directions:

This is a little different as we are adding some grapes, but they add so much more extra sweetness. Plus, it enables you to add or not add agave nectar depending on how sweet you like it.

Pretty easy method - just add all the ingredients to the food processor and blend away.
Though, we have found that when you add the almond meal then the cocoa powder first - it tends to not cause as much 'dust' when you let the food processor work its magic.

Do check the consistancy of the mixture. You want it to be a moist, but not wet or hard. If you find that it is too hard, add some more grapes - they work wonders in adding a natural sweetness liquid.
If too wet, don't be afraid to add some shredded coconut in. This helps to bind it all together.

Lay a foundation of shredded coconut on a table, or plate. With a dessert spoon, scoop enough to fill and roll a ball in your hands.

Once ball is complete, dust in coconut. You may wish to have a bowl of water and perhaps a dry cloth in case things get sticky later on

Friday, May 28, 2010

New Cards

The Vegan Era crew love getting creative and have been working hard to bring you some more loving cards! Check them out at www.veganera.com/shop

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Photoshoot #2

The Vegan Era Crew had the pleasure of working with the amazing and talented stylist and photographer, Dott, on our latest photo shoot yesterday. It was a fun afternoon and our boss, Trudi, also managed to sneak into a few of the shots!

Here is a little sneak preview of the shoot, featuring our new range of bamboo and organic cotton tees, hoodies and scarves...

Little Miss Trudi with Dave wearing the black organic cotton Vegan Era hoodie.

Dave wearing the organic cotton Vegan Era Hoodie and natural coloured 100% bamboo scarf.

Mandy wearing 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton tee featuring love balloon print and stylist's own fake leather jacket. Dave wearing organic cotton Vegan Era hoodie and 100% bamboo natural coloured scarf.

Dave wearing the 70% Bamboo and 30% Organic cotton tee featuring a PEACE print and fake leather jacket (stylist's own).

Mandy wearing 70% Bamboo and 30% Organic cotton tee featuring Born to Be Free print.

All of these items are available online now and are selling quick! Each item is made under certified fair-trade conditions with the most eco-friendly materials that we can find. Bamboo is considered one of the most sustainable crops on the planet and you can read all about it in our Green and Gorgeous article, The Beauty of Bamboo. All screen printing is done with low-impact, water-based dyes. So you can rest assured that each of our loving items is Earth-friendly, animal-friendly and people-friendly! Check out the shop at www.veganera.com/shop

Be Love; Be Peace; Be Vegan; Save Our Home

Friday, May 21, 2010

Vegan Era Crew Dinner!

This week we had our annual Vegan Era Crew dinner. Although, quite a few people were missing so we are thinking we'll have a rerun in a month or so! Never the less, it was a great night with too much yummy vegan food and lots of laughs.

On our way down to Brisbane, we stopped in at Sushi Wave at Peregian Beach for a Wakame Salad, Edamame and some sushi! We LOVE it there. Dave's wearing our new Peace symbol tee and one of the new scarves.
Then we went to Lush in Queen Street Mall to purchase a pot of None of Your Beeswax vegan lip balm for each of the crew. It's so moisturizing and beautiful!
We then headed to Loving Hut at Mt Gravatt a little early so I could write out the thank you notes for all of our wonderful crew...


Then the crew started to arrive! Here's Mandy Moo 2 our awesome nutrition writer, going through her goodie bag!
This is Lana on the right, she is the amazing graphic designer who put together our catalogue. You can view the digital version at our Wonderland site. She's feeling how amazingly soft our new 100% bamboo Vegan Era scarves are...

This is Rach, she writes our beautiful Body articles.
And here is a pic of some of the amazing raw vegan food that our favourite chef cooked up especially for the occassion!
It was such a great evening and we can't thank the crew enough for being a part of the Vegan Era journey. Thank you thank you thank you! We hope you enjoyed meeting them.

Be Love : Be Peace : Be Vegan

Friday, May 14, 2010

Market Fun!


The Vegan Era Crew love heading to the weekend markets to spread a little more love and peace. This Sunday, you can find us at the Peregian Markets on the Sunshine Coast.

We are slowly getting our stall just how we like it - making it as fun and pretty as possible to display all of our loving products. This week we are pumped to have our brand new range of super-soft bamboo and organic cotton tees, hoodies and scarves. If you are in the area, please come on down and let us know what you think of the new designs. The full range will be available online at the Vegan Era Shop in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned!

The three new tee designs capture our motto perfectly - one for LOVE, one for PEACE, one for VEGAN. We love them all and hope you do too!

The new hoodies are AWESOME. They are made of 100% organic cotton so they are sooo soft and warm. They are beautifully made, fit really well, have a great big hood and the pockets are in just the right spot to keep your hands nice and cosy. We only have a VERY limited number of these unfortunately, so you'll have to get in quick. They are black and have our pink and white logo on the back.

Another winter addition to the range is our black 70% bamboo and 30% organic cotton scarves and our natural coloured 100% bamboo scarves. We have been busily making these over the last couple of days and now we can't take them off! The fabric is just so luxurious and warm...you have to come and feel them to believe.

We also have some new beautiful, handmade gift cards for that special someone. The range features lots of love hearts (of course!) and our cute animal friends, all cut out of recycled paper. Not to mention all of our handmade jewellery...

The markets are on from 7am until 12.30pm at Peregian Beach - hope to see you there!

Blessings,

The Vegan Era Crew x

P.S. We will have some free yummy vegan treats for you to try too! And with every purchase we will give you a free copy of our cookbook, Compassionate Cooking for a Vegan Era. Woohoo!!

Monday, May 10, 2010

Soi Dogs

Soi Dog Foundation (SDF) is a loving, compassionate not-for-profit organization, which help the homeless, neglected and abused dogs and cats of Thailand. The beautiful volunteers and supporters aim to set an example for the Asian region on how to better the lives and living conditions of the many stray dogs and cats and humanely reduce their numbers in the long term.

The saintly group of volunteers have de-sexed or sterilized 20,649 dogs and 6,917 cats totaling 27,566 up to March, 2010.

Thousands more have been treated for injury and disease by providing emergency and ongoing veterinary treatment for abused and neglected dogs and cats.

They also provide free veterinary treatment for those who cannot afford it at the clinic in Mai Khao.

A shelter and rehoming centre for over 200 dogs that have been abandoned or abused and subjected to sometimes terrible cruelty is also run by the foundation.

The volunteers also feed hundreds of dogs and cats in temples and other locations.

The Vegan Era Crew are so touched by the work of this foundation and we are very humbled to be able to offer some support. Check out the amazing recovery of one dog that was blessed to be saved by Soi Dogs. His name is Tai Chi. The photos were taken only one month apart - when he was brought to the shelter and with his new owner looking healthy and happy.



Check out the new Free Our Friends section of the Vegan Era Shop to free your own doggy from misery. By choosing to free a dog, we will add 100% of your purchase to our donation to Soi Dogs. We also have a range of other animal friends that you can free!

Be Love : Be Peace : Be Vegan; Save Our Home.