A New Kind of Vegan

Remember when the idea of buying animal free apparel meant having to look like you raided a kindergardener's closet or at very least that you were on the fringes of being mentally unstable? The terrible quality, awful color palettes and knock-off-esque designs didn't make it easy to proudly live the vegan lifestyle. When someone use to say they were a vegan, the stereotypical hippie with major b.o. and Birkenstocks would come to mind. Finally, with the help of celebrity support like AP fan Alicia Silverstone and the internets (bloggers unite!), the world has noticed a void in this growing market. Today you can find anything from apparel to home furnishings to even board games made from all vegan materials.

Being socially conscious shouldn't mean having to put your personal style on hold. When you put on an outfit or carry a handbag, it should make you feel good because you know you look good and the plus side with vegan products is that you haven't had to compromise anything. We are proud to say that select Amber Pollard handbags are available in vegan materials (with more coming this fall) because we think everyone deserves to look haute while keeping their lunch cool - even if that lunch happens to be a slice of Herbed Tofu Lasagna... yum~

Feeling Leeky

Word of the day kids: Leek! No, not the kind coming from my ceiling after last week's down pour, but the vegetable. I like to think of Leek as Onion's mellow little brother. They look a lot alike, but Onion has a more outgoing personality and gets invited to more parties. I like Leek though and that's why we're going to focus on him today. I could personify leeks and onions all day, but I'm going to stop now because I want to talk more about eating them.

Did you know that leeks are low in Sodium, and very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol? They are also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Iron and Magnesium, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate and Manganese (nutritiondata.com). Plus, the regular consumption of leeks has been known to prevent heart disease and certain types of cancers. I'd say that's at least 10 points for team leek.

One of my favorite leek recipes is good old fashion Leek and Potato Soup, especially on a crisp winter day like today. Now that you're a leek fan like I am, try this tasty recipe courtesy of Pinch My Salt.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 leeks, thinly sliced
• 1 medium or large onion, chopped
• 6 - 8 russet potatoes, thinly sliced
• 3-1/2 cups chicken broth (or enough to barely cover potatoes)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt to taste
• fresh ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat then add onions and leeks. Cook, stirring, until onions are limp and just slightly brown.
2. Add sliced potatoes to saucepan then pour in enough chicken broth to just barely cover the potatoes. Continue cooking over medium heat until potatoes are tender. Using a potato masher, mash and stir potatoes until desired consistency is reached. As you mash the potatoes and the soup thickens, turn down heat and stir frequently with a large spoon to prevent scorching on the bottom.
3. Add one cup of heavy cream (or more if you desire) and salt and black pepper to taste. Cook 15 minutes more over low heat. stirring frequently, then remove from heat and serve.

* Notes: Make sure to clean leeks thoroughly and slice only the white and light green part of the leeks. You don't need to peel the potatoes as the peels add to the rustic texture of the soup. But make sure to scrub them thoroughly and remove any obvious blemishes before slicing. Although we always make it with chicken broth, this can easily become a vegetarian soup by simply adding vegetable broth.

January is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts. Sadly it's also a time of goodbyes and see you laters. For me, it means one of my favorite neighborhood restaurant's famous butternut squash soup will soon be going into hibernation until next fall.

To make the transition a little easier this year, I plan on freezing my own squash and making my own squashy deliciousness! I couldn't convince the local mom-and-pop eatery to let me have a peek at their recipe, so I resorted to the internets and found a unique and healthy compromise. Try this Butternut Squash And Pear Soup courtesy of Cheap, Healthy, Good.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 4 pears, peeled and chopped into roughly 1 inch pieces
• 1 quart (4 cups) low sodium chicken (or veggie) stock, or enough to cover
• dash of pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg or cinnamon
• salt, freshly ground black pepper and granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large stockpot or dutch oven, heat butter over medium-high until melted. Drop heat to medium, add onions and cook until soft and a little translucent. Add squash and pears and sweat for another 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Add stock and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until squash is tender.
3. You can use an immersion blender if you have one. If not, process half the batch in a normal blender until smooth (careful here, it may spill over). Remove and process the other half. Add both halves back into the pot.
4. Season with spice, salt, pepper and sugar to taste. For a unique twist, try substituting a sprig of rosemary instead of the spices.

Serves: 9 (approx. 191 calories, 6.4 g fat per serving).

Okay, I think The Sky Seriously Falling This Time

“Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass… it’s about learning how to dance in the rain!” –Vivian Greene

Wasn't I just talking about how it never rains in Souther California? I think I jinxed it because all of a sudden we're looking dead in the eyes of the biggest rain storm we've had in five years! More to the point, however, even if we are expected to get more rain in the next few days then we usually see in an entire year, we have little to complain about. Even if there will probably be mudslides and traffic jams and I'll probably ruin another pair of shoes sloshing through muddy puddles... we are still very fortunate. Compared to the horrible events taking place in Haiti right now, a little rain (or a lot of rain) seems like no big deal. So to all of my fellow rainy dayers, don't let something like the weather get you down. And if you're feeling tempted to get a little blue, channel that into something more productive like a prayer or donation for the poor people of Haiti who truly are suffering right now.

The Sky is Falling!

What is this strange wet substance falling from the sky? Could it actually be raining here in SoCal? Tomorrow is suppose to be a sunny 75º, so let's not have this strange phenomenon go to waste. Break out your snuggies, rent a chic flick, and curl up with this warm bowl of low-fat Turkey Chili courtesy of ichef.com.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 oz. ground turkey breast
• 3 to 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 medium onion
• 56 oz. (2 cans) diced, canned tomatoes
• 2 medium zucchinis, diced
• 2 medium yellow squash, diced
• 15 oz. black beans (1 can rinsed and drained)
• 30 oz. beef (or chicken) broth, canned
• 4 medium celery stalks, diced
• 2 large green peppers, diced
• 1-1/4 oz. chili powder (1 package chili seasoning)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Spray a large pot with non-stick cooking spray and set over medium high heat. Add the turkey, garlic and onion and saute until brown (about 5 min).
2. Add rest of ingredients to pot and stir to combine.
3. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Continue to simmer until veggies are tender (about 30 min).

Note** You can throw in a 1/2 cup of uncooked rice while it is simmering for a healthier

dish.