22 reasons to go vegan this April 22nd!

Earth Day is upon us again.  Chances are you already recycle, bring your own bags to the grocery store, eat organic produce, maybe even drive a hybrid or utilize public transportation. So what could you do this Earth Day that would have a HUGE impact on our environment? GO VEGAN! Here are 22 Reasons why to go vegan this Earth Day.......

1.  Pigs are more intelligent than dogs and have the intelligence of a three year old.

2.  1 acre of land yields 165 lbs. of beef or 20,000 lbs. of potatoes.

3.  25% of Central America's forests have been destroyed for cattle grazing since 1960.

4.  The 1.3 trillion cattle in the world emit 60 tons of methane per year

5.  It takes 25 gallons of water to produce 1 lb. of wheat, but 2500 gallons to produce 1 lb. of meat.

6.  A fisherman's net kills 10 times as many other animals as the fish they are trying to catch.  Then those fish and animals die a slow death of suffocation.

7.  Male chicks are gassed or pulped (because they cannot produce eggs), while female chicks go on to be de-beaked without anaesthetic and crammed into cages so crowded they can't sit or open their wings.

8.  95% of poultry suffer injuries before being killed.

9.  The average vegan cholesterol level is 128; the lowest level for a heart attack is 150.

10. Hey GUYS, cholesterol can cause impotence!

11. MEAT is FLESH, yum.

12.  Vegans live an average of 6 years longer than non-vegans.

13. Many lower cost furs that are imported are that of domestic dog and cats, German Shepard and golden retriever fur is most popular.

14. Veggies and tofu are cheap!

15. Your Veganism can save 35 animals a year!

16.  You'll have more energy to do ALL the things you love!

17. Hey LADIES, Vegan diets have been found to ease the symptoms of PMS and menopause.

18.  Poop with ease, a vegan diet is high in fiber, and you will lower your instances of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulitis. 

19. It's easy to maintain a healthy weight!

20. We are the only animals that consume another animals milk, and consumes milk in adulthood. Also, studies have found that dairy does not necessarily help with osteoporosis.

21.  Its cool and sexy!

22. The animals and the environment will thank you! GO VEGAN this earth day!

To get a vegan starter kit just go here.

                                                                             In other news, there is a very important benefit going on this Sunday, April 26, that I am more that happy to be a part of. Charlotte Lewis was involved in a serious bicycling accident, leaving her in a coma for over a week.  Anthology Books will be hosting a Benefit for Charlotte at the Vintage Theater.  I have only had the pleasure of meeting Charlotte a few times, but someone who is as genuine as her, has a tendency to make an impression on you.  I will be selling Vegan cupcakes and chili, all proceeds will be donated to Charlotte. SO, please come and support a great person, the door charge is only $5 and there will be plenty of bands, Raffles, improvs, and of course Vegan food!      

        On the Anatomy of a Green Kitchen (AGK) front, I have seen a rough cut and I am so excited to share it with everyone! It will be premiering on May 3rd @ 7pm on ECTV (channel 61). Here is the rest of the schedule that it will be showing on ECTV:

• Monday 5/4 @ noon
  
• Tuesday 5/5 @ 10:30pm
  
• Wednesday 5/6 @ 6:30pm
  
• Thursday 5/7 @ 10am
  
• Friday 5/8 @ 9pm
  
• Saturday 5/9 @ 11am and 6pm
  
• Sunday 5/10 @ noon
  

For those of you not in NEPA, I will be posting it on myspace, you tube, and pretty much anywhere else I can, so I will definitely give everyone the links! 

Now, I will leave you with some shots of food I have been cooking up........Happy Earth Day!

                                    

Sushi, Show, and Spread. Oh my!

As a NEPA Vegan, it is not always the easiest to go out for a nice meal. Sure, I like salads with vinaigrette or pasta primevera with olive oil and garlic. But sometimes, you just want something different without having to special order everything, pissing of the kitchen and annoying your server. So one Sunday night, craving sushi and following the advice of some very pleased diners, we tried Atami Sushi in Clarks Summit. The decor is simple, hip lights over the sushi bar and only four or five tables against a banquette. We saddled up to the bar, because there was no place else to sit, this place was hopping! And for good reason.  People are constantly picking up to go orders, and saying this is the 'third time this week' they were there and how much they 'love it'. This is the first sushi restaurant I have been to in a long time that really catered to vegetarians and vegans. There are plenty of options from salads to appetizers and they even have a vegetarian sushi platter, reasonably priced at $25 for 48 pieces! I started out with my favorite, seaweed salad, and Mr. Donut chose the tomato and avocado salad. Both were fresh and visually appealing, the ginger dressing with the tomato and avocado is perfect. Next, we tried the pan fried vegetable dumplings, and frankly, anything in dumpling form is a winner for me. They are packed with onion, carrots and other goodness that was completed with their sweet dumpling dipping sauce. There was a tempura appetizer on the special board that day, and they were more than happy to accommodate us with just veggies and no shrimp. Then there was the vegetarian sushi platter. There is SO much sushi on this thing, I was amazed it came out so quickly.  It was made up with cucumber, avocado, Inari (tofu), Oshinko (pickled radish), vegetable, and tempura rolls, beautifully garnished. On top of the excellent food, the service is friendly and superb.  After we gorged ourselves and couldn't possible eat another morsel, they sent over free pineapple for dessert with the check.  Atami is B.Y.O.B., and their selection of beverages is basic. It would be nice if they had some sort of 'specialty' drink, but for two peeps feasting on a gargantuan meal

 it was under $50. Oh, Atami, you know the way to a vegans heart. 

 Atami Sushi 100 Old Lackawanna Trail, Clarks Summit, PA 18411 (5

70) 585-1250

Also, taping of the first official episode of Anatomy of a Green Kitchen is complete! Now it is in the editing process, and should be out very, very soon! The entire

 episode was about tofu and the different 

ways that you can incorporate it into recipes, so even Grama and Uncle Joe wouldn't know it was tofu, until you told them mid-bite! It will be airing on ECTV, channel 61, and I will let everyone know about the exact date and times that you can check out AGK! Or you can check out Anatomy of a Green Kitchen on myspace!

In between taping and dining out, I had some fun in the kitchen. I made grilled veggie panini's, but I am so bored with balsamic on grilled vegetables, so I came up with an easy sun dried tomato spread, that was out of this world. All I did was spread in on the bread, layer my veggies (Portabellas, spinach, roasted red peppers) and paninied it to greatness! This also good as a dip for cold veggies, or throw on some cold pasta and make a great salad!  All you need is: 

 1 C. sun dried tomatoes

1/2 C. fresh basil

1/2 C. black olives

1/4 C. pine nuts

olive oil

1. Put everything in your food processor.

2. Pulse as you add olive oil until fully pureed.  If you like a chunkier texture, just pulse a few times.

3. Spread and enjoy!

I hope everyone has a good holiday and please think of the 285 million hens that are raised for egg production each year. http://www.peta.org/factsheet/files/FactsheetDisplay.asp?ID=99