Amy Xue, Gratitude Gourmet's Intern, shared her Vegan Chocolate Cake and Raspberry Chocolate Frosting recipe. Thanks, Amy! VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE 1 ½ cups flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 cup sugar ½ cup vegetable/canola oil 1 cup cold water 2 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp cider vinegar Heat oven to 375 degrees. Oil an 8" square or round baking tin. In one bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, sugar. In another bowl combine oil, water & vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well-blended and smooth. Add vinegar and stir briefly. The baking soda will begin to react with the vinegar right away, leaving pale swirls in the batter. Without wasting any time, pour batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes. RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE FROSTING/ GLAZE You will need a pot and a plastic bowl which fits inside it. In the pot, boil some water. In the bowl combine ½ cup raspberry jam with about 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or pieces of chocolate (if you're really making it vegan, check that there is no milk in the chocolate). Adding a little bit of vegan butter equivalent makes the chocolate melt better and taste slightly different. Put the bowl inside the pot (on top of the water) and stir until the ingredients melt. Spread on top of the chocolate cake and enjoy! Sunset Celebration Weekend, one of the best San Francisco garden and food events, is happening June 5-6 with garden gurus and wine seminars. It's a must see event! A June 2010 Prevention article noted a University of California, Davis study analyzing 100 commercial brews, light colored ales, such as India Pale Ale (IPA) containing the most silicon, a compound that increases bone mineral density in women with osteoporosis. The researchers believe it's due to the silicon-rich hops and malted barley, and when enjoyed in moderation, you could boost your bone mineral density by up to 16%! Cheers to that! Photo Credit: Self Magazine The June 2010 Self Magazine lists Superfoods for Flat Abs. They include: - Avocado - a Diabetes Care Journal study finds that dieters who consumed monounsaturated fats lost more stomach bulge than those eating the same amount of calories but less of the fats. Blood sugar peaks can signal your body to store fat around your midsection, but monounsaturated fats stop the spikes, thwarting fat accumulation - Green Tea - a Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise study shows drinking 3 cups of green tea daily may raise your metabolism and burn 30 calories daily - Blueberries - antioxidants help improve blood flow which delivers more oxygen to your muscles - Bulgar - Dieters who dined on whole grains lost more tummy fat than those who ate refined grains I've been a fan of Nature's Path Organic products for several years. Nature's Path started as an Organic Berry Farm in 1949. One of the children, Arran, started the first vegetarian restaurant on Canada's west coast, opened the region's first natural supermarket, then founded Nature's Path. Nature's Path has just announced new cereals including Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise (Gluten Free) with quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth and Flax Plus Red Berry Crunch with Raspberries and Strawberries. If you're on the run, or don't have time for a real meal, check out their energy bars: Mmmaple Pecan, Peanut Buddy, Peanut Choco, Berry Strawberry, and Chocolate Crispy Rice. Are you hungry yet? Gratitude Gourmet and Nature's Path are giving away Nature's Path Products. For a chance to win 1 of 5 prizes, share your favorite cereal and/or energy bar with us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GratitudeGourmet What is your favorite earth-friendly food? Post it on the Facebook page for a chance to win Cedarlane Food http://www.facebook.com/GratitudeGourmet "The true burden of environmentally induced cancers has been grossly underestimated," says the President's Cancer Panel in a strongly reported report that urges action to reduce people's widespread exposure to carcinogens. The panel advised President Obama "to use the power of your office to remove the carcinogens and other toxins from our food, water, and air that needlessly increase health care costs, cripple our nation's productivity, and devastate American lives." The 240-page report by the President's Cancer Panel is the first to focus on environmental causes of cancer. The panel, created by an act of Congress in 1971, is charged with monitoring the multi-billion-dollar National Cancer Program and reports directly to the President every year. The report recommends raising consumer awareness of the risks posed by chemicals in food, air, water and consumer products, bolstering research of the health effects and tightening regulation of chemicals that might cause cancer or other diseases.They also urged doctors to use caution in prescribing CT scans and other medical imaging tests that expose patients to large amounts of radiation. In 2007, 69 million CT scans were performed, compared with 18 million in 1993. Patients who have a chest CT scan receive a dose of radiation in the same range as survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bomb attacks who were less than half a mile from ground zero, the report says. See more information about the Report here. Guest Blog Post by Amy Xue, Gratitude Gourmet Business Development Intern Oatmeal with honey, cinnamon and soy milk Oatmeal is my wonder food. It's delicious, nutritious, filling, cheap, and sustainable. On the low carbon calculator (http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/Carbon-Calculator.html), steel cut oats earn 144 CO2 emission points, which is by far the most one of the most environmentally friendly breakfast options. By comparison, cereal and milk earn a whopping 1224 points, yogurt with seasonal fruit and granola 340, a single hard boiled egg 333, an omelet with vegetables 783, and pancakes with syrup and butter 1277. Oatmeal is also rich in soluble fiber that is more nutritious than the wheat fiber added to "high-fiber" breakfast cereals. It's even more nutritious and delicious when topped with cinnamon and honey. Cinnamon is the highest-fiber food besides lemons with peels. Using locally produced honey is both more sustainable and supposedly helps with allergies. The cinnamon and honey combination has a long history of being used as a home remedy that is claimed to help cure everything from heart disease to colds to upset stomachs. Add some soy milk to the oatmeal topped with cinnamon and honey for a creamier texture and taste as well as an important dose of protein, and the wonder breakfast is complete! I'm pleased to introduce you to Amy Xue, Gratitude Gourmet's new Business Development Intern. Amy is a senior at Stanford University pursuing a B.A. in International Relations and M.A. in Sociology. She discovered Gratitude Gourmet when looking for a start-up to do an internship with for her Entrepreneurship class. Gratitude Gourmet immediately sparked her interest because she loves good food, and loves it even more when it's also healthy and sustainable! Though her best friend in high school was vegetarian (simply because she didn't like the taste of meat), Amy did not start learning about the environmental impact of food until taking Introduction to Earth Systems and being exposed to the many talks and film screenings at Stanford on food and sustainability. She has since been trying to cut her consumption of meat, particularly beef, and taking other steps to "green" her life. This has been relatively easy at the Stanford dining halls, which do a fairly good job of providing organic, locally grown, vegetarian and vegan offerings. Amy is currently taking a Nutrition class and learning even more about the importance and rewards of being intentional with eating. Besides sustainability, Amy is interested in many interrelated global issues, including education, health, poverty and inequality. She also loves travel, learning about different cultures and regions of the world, and trying new foods! Here is Amy's LinkedIn profile. Welcome Amy! Interested in Sponsoring Gratitude Gourmet, Contact Us. If you're interested in reading a thought-provoking book on food choices, The World Peace Diet - Eating for Spiritual Health, and Social Harmony is a must read. Will Tuttle has a master's degree in the humanities from San Francisco State University and a Ph.D in the philosophy of education from the University of California, Berkeley. Some of the Chapter Titles include: Food's Power, Our Culture's Roots, The Nature of Intelligence, Inheriting our Food Choices, Evolve or Dissolve, and Journey of Transformation. Quotes from several well-known people frequent the book, i.e. - Mahatma Ghandi: "The most violent weapon on earth is the table fork." - Alice Walker: "Animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than blacks are made for whites or women for men." - George Bernard Shaw: "The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them. That is the essence of inhumanity." I recommend this book. I've enjoyed 18 Rabbits' Granola bars in the past, and I've just tried their Veritas Granola (Dairy Free Hazelnut, Walnut, and Cacao Nibs with organic oats, pumpkin seeds, and ground flax). It is made in San Francisco and is delicious with cold, almond-vanilla milk. Their Gracious Granola (Wheat Free Pecan, Almond and Maple Granola) is also a great contender! Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County has a variety of free gardening classes located here. Some upcoming classes include:
Saturday May 8, 2010 - Grow a Healthy Eco-Friendly Garden Start: 9:00 am End: 11:00 am Cost: Free Master Gardener David Peterson will discuss the safe, eco-friendly way to control pests and diseases, which will be at their peak in the summer months. The workshop will be an overview of control methods and also explain the proliferation of pests and other plant problems. This talk is valuable for the novice gardener and also acts as a refresher for experienced gardeners. Gardeners ready to use petro-chemical sprays might not really have a disease problem at all - instead you may have what is known as an abiotic disorder caused by environmental stressors on the plant. Other topics include: alternatives to toxic chemical sprays; organic and natural gardening methods; and keeping the garden healthy for people as well as plants. Handouts will be provided. Location: Gamble Garden, 1431 Waverley St., Palo Alto 94301 Tuesday May 18, 2010 - 12 Months of Color in the Native Garden Start: 6:30 pm End: 8:00 pm Cost: Free Join Master Gardener Cayce Hill as she teaches you how to save water and attract wildlife to your garden without sacrificing beauty! Learn which California native plants will provide year-round color and interest in your garden. Plant list will be distributed to all participants. Location: Berryessa Branch Library, 3355 Noble Ave., San Jose, 95132 Wednesday May 19, 2010 - Backyard Bee Keeping Start: 7:00 pm End: 8:00 pm Cost: Free We have a real problem in our urban areas. We don't have enough bees to pollinate our fruit trees, flowers, and vegetables. Ever wonder what it takes to become a back yard bee keeper? Join us as UC Master Gardener Anita Rosen tells us what it takes. Location: West Valley Branch Library, 1243 San Tomas Aquino Rd., San Jose, 95117 Tuesday May 25, 2010 - Veggies 2.0: Part Two - Now what do I put in my summer vegetable garden? Start: 7:30 pm End: 8:30 pm Cost: Free Now that you have the summer vegetable beds prepared - what are the master gardener recommended vegetables for this area? Come and discuss what you have enjoyed as well. This talk is the second part of Veggies 2.0 - the first part, on April 27, discusses preparing the vegetable beds as well as creating raised beds and mounded beds. Location: Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, 94022 Saturday June 5, 2010 - Summer Pruning of Fruit Trees for Controlled Growth Start: 10:00 am End: 11:00 am Cost: Free Come to a workshop in the garden to discuss how to control fruit tree growth with summer pruning. Winter pruning when the trees are dormant stimulates growth; summer pruning helps keep the trees smaller (8' if desired) to help with harvest. Hands-on demo will be part of the workshop and handouts provided. See also http://homeorchard.ucdavis.edu for information on selecting, planting, caring for, watering, pruning and harvesting fruit trees. The workshop will be followed by an Open Garden - come wander the edibles garden and our large waterwise garden. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions. Location: Palo Alto Demonstration Garden, 851 Center Drive, Palo Alto 94301 Saturday June 26, 2010 - Container Gardening Basics Start: 11:00 am End: 1:00 pm Cost: Free Join Master Gardener Lise Varner as she teaches all about gardening in containers. You can garden anywhere; balconies, patios, driveways and more. With containers we can bring great tastes, textures and smells closer to us, and keep gardening manageable by choosing plants and container sizes that meet our needs. In this class you'll learn the basics of container gardening: soil, water, fertilizer, container materials (clay, plastic, etc.), container sizes, and common pests. Then you'll learn about a wide variety of plants that do particularly well in containers, with special emphasis on fragrant plants, plants that are fun to touch, and edible plants such as herbs, fruits and vegetables, including ones that you can plant right now! Location: Berryessa Branch Library, 3355 Noble Ave, San Jose 95132 |