Gratitude Gourmet (tm) - Blog

Wanderlust Squaw Valley July 26-29 2012

Thu, 17 May 2012 21:31:15 -0800

Wanderlust's core mission is to create community around mindful living and brings yoga, music, and dance together in beautiful US environments.
A core mission is to Create Awareness because they believe that: "many of the great challenges facing us today, from environmental damage to food shortages to disease to political upheaval, can be improved or solved through mass action. But mass action requires awareness, so wherever possible, we will use the Wanderlust platform to highlight -- and with luck, resolve -- the most important issues of our time."
I was fortunate to attend last year's Wanderlust Squaw Valley in Lake Tahoe for one day last year. It was amazing to practice yoga at Squaw High Camp overlooking the gorgeous snow-capped mountains on a sunny California day, BREATHING fresh air, and meeting the most friendly people. In the evening, Winederlust offered local, organic, and biodynamic wine and beer samplings, along with a Music Festival. A Wanderlust video is below including some nice video interviews.
This year's Wanderlust California Squaw Valley event is July 26-29. I would advise registering early because the online class schedules get booked very quickly along with the Farm to Table Dinners.

Gratitude Gourmet Chocolate Samplers

Thu, 17 May 2012 15:40:30 -0800

We now have a variety of Gratitude Gourmet Chocolate Samplers.
Some have Chocolate-Coated Coffee Beans and others have Chocolate Truffles, and we also have a Vegan Chocolate Sampler in addition to our Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Pralines (12 pc).
Which ones do you like best?

Wall Street Journal ECOnomics Conference | Climate | Agriculture | Oceans | CO2 | Earth's Future (Part 1)

Wed, 09 May 2012 10:23:19 -0800

During the March 21, 2012 Extreme Innovation Wall Street Journal ECONOMICS Panel I attended which discussed progress toward reducing carbon emissions and scaling alternative energy and technology, the discussion turned to Agriculture, Carbon, Oceans, and a Carbon Tax.

The following people were on the panel:
Dean Kamen, President, DEKA Research and Development
Elon Musk, Chairman and CEO, Tesla Motors and CEO and CTO, SpaceX
J. Craig Venter, Chairman and President, J. Craig Venter Institute
Alan Murray, Deputy Managing Editor and Executive Editor, Online, The Wall Street Journal

I've included the full video which includes these IMPORTANT points below:

Dean Kamen: You're looking at a 21st century problem with a 19th century mindset. You're assuming it's all going to be what fixes cars in this country. If all the passenger cars in North America stopped tomorrow, they would have a 2% impact on greenhouse gases globally. The amount of methane gas coming off of cows in India and China, since methane by itself (CH4) is 21 times as bad for the environment as the C02, that's the byproduct of burning gasoline. Once you multiply it by 21 times, there's more greenhouse gas coming out of methane, coming out of those cows. Fortunately, until the 21st century almost nobody used as much energy, but the assertion that there's this tiny rounding error of the global population are going to start driving Prius' to solve the problem is like swatting at flies when we're going to get trampled by the elephants. The right question is there are 7 billion people out there now, most of whom have essentially never used electricity and don't have cars and they live on a buck or two a day. If all those people have the outrageous goal over the next 30 years of doubling - they want to live on 2 to 3 dollars a day, most of what that money will buy is power, energy and clean water. If those people do it the way we did, it doesn't matter what we do. All the stuff you're talking about would be like swatting at the flies while we're going to get trampled by the elephants. We have to come up with a way to make sure that the 7 billion people find a way better way to make, store, distribute, and use energy.
J. Craig Venter: There's no single answer. The problem is such a magnitude of scale we've never dealt with before we need hundreds of answers. 11 years from now we're going to have 8 billion people on the planet. We're adding a billion people every 12 years so we need some solutions fast because we've never had this scale of increases in the population. We have to change how we produce food. Getting rid of the cows would be just as good as getting rid of coal and oil and probably as important because all the amount of fertilizer and water to make a kilogram of beef is not sustainable as 8 billion people start to change their standard of living. Farming, agriculture, using animals as a source of food has to be done away with as soon as possible.
Elon Musk: Normally I think the market functions well and subsidies are not good, however, when you have a tragedy of the commons problem. Another example would be International Fishing Stocks where there's no ownership of a particular fishing zone because its in international waters then everybody goes nuts and fishes the stock to extinction. That's a classic Tragedy of the Commons Problem. Now we've got this issue where there's some CO2 capacity of the oceans and atmosphere beyond which severe damage will be done to the world and its not entirely clear what that threshold is but we're rolling the dice. In this case the Tragedy of the Commons is the Whole Planet. This is why it seems like an unwise thing to do to play Russian Roulette with the Whole Planet. And we've got only one planet right now. The ideal thing to do would be to tax CO2. That would actually be the best thing, but taxes are difficult to implement. Rather than do the right thing which is to put a tax on CO2, we're doing an indirect thing which is to subsidize electric cars to some degree and other renewables.
J. Craig Venter: I agree with what you just said...I think putting a price on carbon whether its for fuels or cows, it has to be across the board for everything we do. I think without that there's never going to be a serious set of inventions that have economic and global impact. If we're successful and produce fuels that start to replace oil, that drops the price of oil and that becomes a downward cycle where we can never compete.
Elon Musk: In order to affect a change that's really going to make a difference in the world, you have to actually start now and grow that change quite rapidly. In order for that change to manifest itself.. to get to a 50% renewable situation in 10 years, we have to push very hard right now. People are really not good at taking action.
J. Craig Venter: Fuel = Food = Water. If any of these changes that look like their coming, the prediction for California in 50 years is half the water because there's half the snowfall in the Sierras, what happens to California Agriculture with half the water when there's already a water problem? We have to solve every part of the equation. We have to change our source of food because if we have half the amount of water, we can't deal with agriculture, farming, the way we're raising cattle the way we're doing it... We have to change how we produce food and where those sources are. We have to do something across the board or we're going to really be facing some tough challenges as we keep adding 1 billion people every 12 years.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Food-Focused Gratitude Gourmet Article from Wall Street ECOnomics.

Gratitude Gourmet Chocolate Featured on Open Sky!

Tue, 08 May 2012 21:31:25 -0800

We're excited that Gratitude Gourmet Chocolate is being featured on the Healthy Living Open Sky Page for a Limited Time.
Direct Links are below to the Truffles, Salted Caramel & Salted Caramel / Almond Toffee. Thanks everyone and Open Sky for your great support!
https://opensky.com/bluedot/product/gratitude-gourmet-chocolate-truffle-assortment

Image & Photo Credits: Open Sky

https://opensky.com/bluedot/product/gratitude-gourmet-salted-caramel
https://opensky.com/bluedot/product/gratitude-gourmet-salted-caramel-and-almond-toffee

Win Tickets to June 3 See Jane Run Champagne & Chocolate Half Marathon & 5K

Tue, 08 May 2012 16:32:12 -0800

Photo: See Jane Run

See Jane Run is sponsoring their Women's Half Marathon and 5K Sunday, June 3 with Champagne and Chocolate!
That's my kind of exercise! :)
Location: Alameda CA Crown Memorial Beach
Distance: 13.1 miles/5K/1 Mile Kids Run
Participants Receive: Women’s technical t-shirt with a feminine design, Commemorative champagne glass filled with delicious chocolate wedges, Finisher’s medal, Goody bags with See Jane Run store coupons, samples and much more!
The Celebration Expo includes: Chocolate tastings, Champagne, Sport massages, Finishers Food including bagels, fruit and more. Check out the great video below for more fun details!
Gratitude Gourmet is giving away 2 Tickets to one of our Readers! Just comment on this Blog Post by May 25, 2012 ' Why You Want to Attend', and a Reader will randomly be chosen. Good Luck!

Rose Sangria Anyone?

Tue, 08 May 2012 13:54:50 -0800

Photo: Nielsen-Massey

Warm weather is upon us, especially in San Francisco!
One of my favorite Spring and Summer drinks is Sangria, and here's a great Rose Sangria recipe courtesy of Nielsen-Massey. Salud!

Rose Sangria
1 apple, peeled and quartered
10 whole cloves
1 lemon, thinly sliced rounds
1 lime, thinly sliced rounds
1 orange, thinly sliced rounds
1/3 cup Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar
1/2 cup brandy, chilled
1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry red wine, chilled
1 1/2 cups pulp free orange juice, chilled
1/4 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Rose Water
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Stud apple by pushing the clove stems into the prepared apple quarters. In a large glass pitcher, place the clove-studded apple quarters with the citrus fruit slices. Sprinkle Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar over the fruit, pour brandy over the sugared fruit and toss to coat. Place in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours to infuse the flavors. Before serving, remove the clove-studded apple and discard, crush the infused citrus fruits slightly with a wooden spoon. Stir in the wine, orange juice, Nielsen-Massey Rose Water and Nielsen-Massey Tahitian Pure Vanilla Extract. Garnish each glass with a sprig of fresh mint.

Serves 4-6
Note: Add additional Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Sugar, orange juice or soda water for taste variation.

May 17-20 SF Fine Art Fair - Opening Party Benefits Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Tue, 08 May 2012 12:04:17 -0800

Credit: SF Fine Art Fair

The 2012 San Francisco Fine Art Fair featuring contemporary art takes place at the Festival Pavilion Fort Mason Center May 17-20. The Opening Preview Party benefits one of San Francisco's largest and progressive museums, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.
The SF Fine Art Fair will showcase 70+ galleries from around the world and present seminars, public installations, and award ceremonies. An interactive show catalog is here for your reference. If you go, tell us about your favorite art!

Chef Coscarelli's Favorite Vegan Eats in San Francisco and New York

Mon, 07 May 2012 16:01:45 -0800

Photo Credit: Chef Coscarelli

I've been a great fan of Chef Coscarelli's work for awhile, and she has just written a great post on her Favorite Vegan Eats in San Francisco and New York.
I've been to a few of these locations and now have a reason to try others!
Which restaurants and dishes are your favorites?

May 2012 Tips & Events from the UCCE Santa Clara County Master Gardener Program

Thu, 03 May 2012 11:18:10 -0800

Thanks to the UCCE Santa Clara County Master Gardener Program, here are some Tips & Events, starting with this statement :)

Spring is Nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"--Robin Williams

Straw from the local feed store can be an inexpensive, effective mulch
As the ground heats up, keeping moisture in the soil is crucial for a healthy garden. See more benefits of straw in this article on different kinds of mulch. An added bonus: worms love straw!

Nuture your soil between plantings too
Even if you have nothing planted currently, treat your soil well. In order to keep the soil healthy, it still needs water. You can bury some kitchen vegetable scraps, or incorporate a thin layer of grass clippings (grass clippings that are applied too thickly can create a mat-like barrier) under a thick layer of mulch. Decomposing leaves are a great addition to an empty raised bed.

Be on the lookout for bee swarms
As the weather warms up, bees are more likely to swarm. If you see a swarm, enjoy the sound and beauty first, then call us at the hotline number below (Monday-Friday 9:30-12:30) or contact the Bee Guild. We want your swarms! Bees swarm for a few reasons, but they are all looking for a new place to call home. Bees that swarm are loaded with food and are not interested in stinging people.

Good ideas for companion planting
This article from Cornell University's Department of Horticulture will likely interest most of you: companion planting. An excerpt: "plants change the chemistry of the soil, and influence the types of microorganisms that grow there. They actively compete with other plants for space. Some will poison their neighbor's offspring to maintain a competitive advantage, while others change the environment in ways that benefit other species."

Pay particular attention to watering plants after you put them in the ground
While they will need less attention (and water) once the roots are established, keep a closer eye on the newly planted as the weather warms.

Wait until after Spring and early Summer to trim your trees
Birds are nesting right now. The babies often don't survive a fall and many die on the ground. Hundreds of birds are brought to the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley. Those birds will never learn to sing, find food, or avoid predators. Fortunately, trees respond better to dormant pruning anyway. If you're going to prune, check the tree for wildlife before you work and refer to pruning information (PDF) on the UC Center for Landscape and Urban Horticulture website.Plant large-podded peppers in the same hole
By planting peppers together, not only will you get more peppers per square foot, but the peppers will support each other, look lush and beautiful, and protect each other from sunburn. After planting, you also might want to remove flowers and fruit from the large-podded plants the first four to six weeks to encourage deeper roots and more foliage. Learn more pepper tips by consulting our handout on Growing Great Peppers (PDF).

Tomato Planting Time!
The ground is warming up and it should be about time to plant your tomatoes. For Master Gardener Tomato Tips, see our Growing Great Tomatoes (PDF) one-page reference! For common problems, consult the UC pest notes on tomatoes. If you want more bees in your garden, plant annuals such as Cosmos or simply allow your herbs to flower
With few exceptions, fruit will not form until pollen from male parts is transferred to the female parts of a flower. Without pollination, flowers may bloom abundantly, but will not bear fruit. Some plants are better at attracting bees and other pollinating insects and animals than others. Give your fruit trees the gift of an insect-friendly environment and give your family a better harvest! We have a culinary herb event (in San Jose and Gilroy) this month to get you started!
North County Events
Tips for a Bountiful Harvest of Warm Season Vegetables
Saturday, 5/5, 10:00am-11:00am, Free, Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, 851 Center Dr., Palo Alto
Ever wonder how to increase the size of your vegetable harvest? Learn how spacing and timing of planting, pinching blossoms, supporting plants, and mid-season fertilizing can help.

Summer Fruit Tree Care
Saturday, 5/5, 11:15am-12:15pm, Free, Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, 851 Center Dr., Palo Alto
Hear why and how summer pruning of fruit trees and thinning fruit can improve the quality and size of your harvest. Detecting and managing fruit tree pests will be discussed.

Photographing the Garden: Roses, Flowers & Veggies!
Saturday, 5/12, 9:00am-11:00am, Free, Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley Ave., Palo Alto
This horticultural photography workshop will cover the most important methods to shoot stunning pictures of roses, flowers, and vegetables. Limited seating. No reservations needed.

Growing Cut Flowers
Saturday, 5/19, 10:30am-12:30pm, $31, Common Ground in Palo Alto, 559 College Avenue, Palo Alto
Get introduced to the best of the best, easy-to-grow flowers with staying power. You'll also learn about plants whose foliage is used as the foundation for many arrangements. Register online or call call 650-493-6072.

Gardening in Containers: Ornamentals and Vegetables
Wednesday, 5/9, 7:00pm-8:30pm, Free, Cupertino Community Hall, 10350 Torre Ave., Cupertino
Learn how to grow ornamentals and edibles successfully in containers. This talk will discuss types of plants that grow well in containers, the best containers and potting material to use, fertilizing, and watering.

Insect Fair at the YSI Science and Nature Center
Saturday, 5/12, 10:00am-5:00pm, $6 (park entry), Science and Nature Center, Sanborn County Park, Saratoga
We're hosting an information table at this family-oriented hands-on affair - bring your questions! Drop by the Master Gardener tables and say hi! Rain or shine!

Habitat Gardening
Saturday, 5/12, 11:00am-1:00pm, Free, Berryessa Branch Library, 3355 Nobel Ave., San Jose
Learn how to create a habitat in your garden fit for beneficial insects, pollinating bees, and beautiful songbirds. You'll learn the basics of habitat gardening, and how to have your own garden certified as a Wildlife Habitat.

Plant Propogation for the Home Gardener
Tuesday, 5/15, 7:00pm-8:30pm, Free, Saratoga Library, 13650 Saratoga Ave., Saratoga
Get acquainted with various types of propagation techniques that can be used by the home gardener including stem, leaf, and root cuttings, layering, and plant division.

Beginning Gardening - From Scratch, No Experience Necessary!
Wednesday, 5/16, 6:30pm-8:00pm, Free, West Valley Branch Library, 1243 San Tomas Aquino Road, San Jose
This talk will cover basic principles of getting started in gardening, including clearing weeds, amending and fertilizing soil, and basic planting.

Garden Tools and DIY Projects: How to Save Some $$$
Saturday, 5/19, 1:00pm-3:00pm, Free, Sunnyvale Teaching and Demonstration Garden, 433 Charles St., Sunnyvale
Learn how to make useful and attractive garden projects with readily available items from your local hardware store and a few tools. We'll talk about some of our favorite tools, and review how to keep them in good condition.

Improving Your Garden Soil
Saturday, 5/19, 2:00pm-4:00pm, Free, Santa Teresa Branch Library, 290 International Circle, San Jose
Learn the importance of healthy soil for growing healthy plants. Topics include evaluating and testing your soil, composting, amending, and mulching.

"Growing Your Yard" - Attract Birds, Bees, Hummingbirds, and Beneficial Insects
Wednesday, 5/23, 6:30pm-8:00pm, Free, Vineland Branch Library, 1450 Blossom Hill Rd., San Jose
Learn about the diversity of plants that attract birds, bees, hummingbirds and more to your yard. We'll also define the term "beneficials" in relation to the plants and organisms attracted to them.

Managing Pests and Diseases in the Edible Garden
Saturday, 5/26, 10:00am-12:00pm, $15 ($10 members GRPG), Guadalupe River Park, 438 Coleman Ave, San Jose
This class will teach you how to deal with pests and diseases common in the vegetable garden in the most earth-friendly way by using the principles of Integrated Pest Management (also known as least-toxic pest control).

Controlling Animal Pests in the Garden
Saturday, 5/26, 12:00pm-2:00pm, Free, Santa Clara Central Park Library, 2635 Homestead Road, Santa Clara
Learn how to identify what animal pest was in your yard by the kind of damage that was done. Find out what attracts which animals, when and why animals are more active at certain times, and different ways to control them.

Water Wizard at Guadalupe River Park
Wednesday, 5/30, 9:30am-1:00pm, Free, Guadalupe River Park, 438 Coleman Ave, San Jose
Join us at this fun event where we'll be hosting an information table - bring your gardening questions or just drop by the Master Gardener tables and say hi!

South County Events"Growing Your Yard" - Attract Birds, Bees, Hummingbirds and Beneficial Insects
Saturday, 5/19, 10:00am-12:00pm, Free, Saint Louise Regional Hospital, 9400 No Name Uno, Gilroy
A special South County session to learn about the diversity of plants that attract birds, bees, hummingbirds and more to your yard. We'll also define the term "beneficials" in relation to the plants and organisms attracted to them.

WINNER: Gratitude Gourmet Broccoli Facebook Recipe Contest

Wed, 02 May 2012 10:48:37 -0800

We're happy to announce the winner of our Gratitude Gourmet Broccoli Facebook Recipe Contest! Congratulations to Robert Priddy with his Recipe: Broccoli & Cranberry Slaw, and he will receive a Wusthof Classic Pairing Knife 3.5" as his Prize!

We received lots of delicious and healthy recipe submissions which you can view and try here, and we asked the Gratitude Gourmet Community to vote by 'liking' their favorites on this page and the Recipe with the most 'likes' won! Thanks to everyone who submitted and 'liked' - there were alot of 'likes'!

We all know of course that all submissions are fabulous because they encourage the Gratitude Gourmet community to add Broccoli and other healthy items to their daily eating, and in turn make everyone healthy. We encourage you to check out all the Recipe Submissions, and continue to let us know your favorites. We also thank Wusthof for sponsoring this quality prize!

Here is the winning recipe by Robert Priddy: Broccoli & Cranberry Slaw!
Ingredients:
1 (12-ounce) bag Broccoli Slaw
1/3 cup Dried Cranberries
2 stalks Celery -- minced
¼ cup Red Onion – diced
1/3 cup Mandarin Oranges -- diced
¼ cup Pecans – chopped
¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3 tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp Black Pepper
½ tsp Celery Seed
Salt and Pepper – to taste

Preparation:
1. In a bowl, combine the apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt & pepper, and celery seeds.
2. Mix in remaining ingredients: broccoli slaw, celery, cranberries, oranges, pecans, and onion.
3. Let this sit for at least a hour and stir a few times.