 Image Credit Delysia Chocolatier Mother's Day is right around the corner!
Of course you want to give very special chocolate to your loved one ...or to yourself on this special day! :) Delysia Chocolatier’s Wellness collection chocolate truffles is a great pick and dairy free! and Delysia Chocolatier’s Tea collection chocolate truffles are a great dairy free pairing with your tea. Enjoy!  Image Credit: Nature's Path Gardens for Good We have featured Nature’s Path organic breakfast cereals including the Golden Turmeric Superfood Granola and love it! We'd like to feature some great news the Company has just announced; North America’s largest certified organic breakfast and snack food company announced the winners of their annual Gardens for Good program, recognizing the critical role of community gardens and their efforts to provide access to organic, fresh and nutritious fruits and vegetables.
With more than 350 submitted grant applications, Nature’s Path brought in extra resources to vet and select 21 winners - adding a 22nd grant at the last minute - to each receive $5,000 to support local gardening efforts. Special consideration was given to gardens serving BIPOC communities, disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. “With so many deserving applicants and amazing stories about local community garden impacts, it was so hard to choose only 21 gardens to receive our grants, which is why we added an extra at the last minute!” said Jyoti Stephens, VP Mission and Strategy at Nature’s Path. “The overwhelming response to this year’s Gardens For Good program shows us that – amidst a time when access to nutritious foods became a critical challenge due to the pandemic – local communities have rallied together to support each other. It is truly heartwarming.” Submissions to this year’s program included various community gardens with a shared vision of providing nutritious food to those who do not readily have access to fresh, organic produce. Not only do these gardens provide healthy foods, they offer community gathering places and educational programs on horticulture, nutrition and food preparation. “After a year of physical distancing, it feels wonderful to celebrate so many gardens that are bringing their local communities together in a healthy way. After such a challenging year, it’s time to get back to the roots of good health and happiness. That’s what these gardens do,” continued Stephens. The winners of the Gardens For Good grants include:
With this year’s contribution, Nature’s Path has donated over $515,000 and supported 52 community garden projects globally. Great work Nature’s Path!!  Credit: Workman Publishing Did you know that if you adopt a vegan diet you can save money, have glowing skin, ward off Alzheimer’s, Type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis and other metabolic diseases? While plenty of books tell you how to go vegan, 72 Reasons to Be Vegan is the book that tells you why. And it does so in a way that emphasizes not what you’d be giving up, but what you’d be gaining.
Here are some recommendations: "A symphony of chapters which are succinct, cogent and precise and define the nutritional literacy that is essential for long, healthy lives and a forgiving planet." - Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease "Stone and Freston have brilliantly researched the most compelling reasons to be vegan, and they've made it a thoroughly enjoyable read" - Ingrid Newkirk president and cofounder PETA "This excellent book explains why plant-based is supreme for athletes like me, but also why an animal-free diet is empowering in so many other critical ways." - Brendan Brazier, former pro-Ironman athlete.  Gratitude Gourmet has announced the Winners of the Gratitude Gourmet Climate and Peace Prize, and Planted Trees are the Prizes. We are very pleased to announce the Winners on Earth Day.
Gratitude Gourmet Climate and Peace Prize Winners: Eggcitables. Hannah Chisolm owns a business that has revolutionized my breakfast, and the breakfasts of many people who don't want to or cannot eat eggs. It's a delicious product; you can make breakfast sandwiches, wraps, and any number of other egg-based dishes. My favourite is a breakfast egg BLT using eggcitables and a plant-based bacon substitute. If awarded this prize, eggcitables would receive some long-overdue recognition, in my opinion. The Abbey, is a great vegan restaurant in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. They offer healthy, fresh, vegan meals and support local food providers. Their food is delicious and we often go there for the book club, (before Covid!) but still they are offering take-out now! Supporting local is huge for us and the planet! Issacsway. An beautiful restaurant with local food, artwork on the walls from local artists. It is not strictly vegan but locally sourced food! Also they raise money for kids and youth for art and music programs! Delicious food! The Palo Alto Farmer's Market provides an opportunity for all locals to get access to fresh and nutritious foods. The organization is volunteer run and donates most of its earnings to Avenidas retirement community. The do what they can to be environmentally friendly and provide a culture of sustainability to the community. Somebody People makes the most incredible plant-forward dishes I've ever tasted, has a killer vibe, and offsets their entire carbon footprint. The amazing cocktails they make (like their eggless sour) are just bonus. They are in Denver, CO. Yootrition is a plant-based nutrition company that creates sustainable and clean snack foods known as the "Magick Goods" product line for health-conscious consumers. Founded by Autumn Reaghard, Yootrition recognizes that adopting a plant-based diet contributes not only to the optimal health of your body, but also to the optimal health of the planet. The company is committed to using only local, organic plant-based ingredients to curate its products. Since its inception in 2019, Yootrition has been committed to continually reviewing and improving its sustainability practices as it scales its operations. Autumn Reaghard teachers chemistry at Rise Kohyang High School. She holds a Masters of Public Health degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Autumn and her company Yootrition completed the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator's Founders Business Accelerator program in 2020. Congratulations to all the Winners!! and Happy Earth Day!!  Image Credit: Hatherleigh Press "Earth, my dearest, I will. Oh believe me, you no longer need your springtimes to win me over." —Rainer Maria Rilke
With Earth Day just around the corner, Earth, My Dearest - Inspirations on nature, conservation, sustainability, and stewardship written by Jackie Corley, is an inspirational compilation of over 200 quotes around conservation and sustainability. Highlighting the wonders of our planet and ways on how best we can save it, Earth, My Dearest includes quotes ranging from poet Henry David Thoreau to activist Greta Thunberg. This quote collection will help show all of us how to cherish the environment and key ways to protect our fragile planet moving ahead to an uncertain future. Beautifully packaged, Earth, My Dearest makes the perfect gift.  Brussel Sprouts - MesaVerde Santa Barbara has been one of our favorite weekend spots to visit. See our last writeup here! We recently visited again and gratefully got the chance to have dinner outside at a gourmet vegan mediterranean restaurant MesaVerde and organic vegetarian breakfast at AH Juice. At MesaVerde we very much enjoyed the following: - FRIED BRUSSELS SPROUTS Fava bean puree, pickled red onion, pepitas, capers, dill, za'atar, sherry vinaigrette, tamari POLENTA FRIES Cacao black beans, chilies, carrot, jackfruit chorizo, chives.  Mushroom Unami Burger - MesaVerde MUSHROOM UMAMI BURGER w/ salad or za'atar fries Lettuce, heirloom tomato, beet ketchup, caramelized onion, sprouts, pickles shallots, mustard, cashew aioli TUNISIAN CURRY & KING OYSTER MUSHROOMS KEFTE A rich worming curry made with ginger, fresh turmeric, kabocha, garbanzo, tomato, carrot and kefir lime, roasted kefte spiced king oyster mushroom seasoned with lemon served over Israeli couscous with cilantro and extra virgin olive oil and paired it with a lovely glass of Perrin Cotes Du Rhone Nature. We will be back again!  Free Range Omelet - AH Juice At AH Juice we enjoyed the following:
- FREE RANGE OMELETTE With organic cheddar, mushrooms & spinach. Served with avocado, tomatoes and side of artisan sourdough toast. - PEANUT BUTTER CUP SMOOTHIE Blended with fair trade cacao, avocado, house cashew milk, peanut butter, banana, honey and cacao nibs. - TROPICAL SMOOTHIE Mango, banana, raw almonds, coconut, dates & coconut milk. We returned again for breakfast and will be back! :)  Image Credit: NadaMoo NadaMoo!, the original dairy-free, coconut milk ice cream rich in plant-based ingredients, is officially launching their take on the classic S’mores flavor – just in time for Summer! We are a fan of this coconut milk ice cream especially the Mint Chip! Yumm!
NadaMoo! makes the creamiest dairy free frozen desserts on the market by whipping together organic coconut milk with hand-picked agave and other scrumptious ingredients. Every ingredient in NadaMoo!’s pints are grown in pesticide and synthetic-free soil, processed without artificial preservatives, colors or flavors, and are certified non-GMO, gluten-free and B-Corp. As a bonus, NadaMoo! also remains committed to using low-impact, environmentally friendly farming practices and 100% sustainably sourced sugarcane & paper-based packaging. Enjoy!  Image Credit: Simon and Schuster Are you ready to start growing something green and lovely as we move into a fresh new season! Here's a new book to help both first-time and well-established gardeners get their plants off to a great start this year.
Gardening Hacks 300+ Time and Money Saving Hacks by Jon Vanzile is perfect for all gardening skill levels whether you’re starting your first garden, looking to expand your crop, or simply searching for ways to make it easier to care for your extensive plant collection. With more than 300 time and money-saving tips, you’ll find everything you need to know to make your garden grow – indoors or out! Gardening Hacks includes helpful tips like:
 Image Credit: Timber Press BICYCLING WITH BUTTERFLIES: My 10,201-Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration (Timber Press; April 13, 2021) recounts Dykman’s inspirational ride alongside the monarchs as she follows unmapped roads in Michoacan, México, through the United States, into Ontario, Canada, and back, again, to Mexico. Every year, the monarch butterflies complete a multigeneration, multinational migration. In 2017, for the first time, cyclist, biologist, outdoor educator and adventurer Sara Dykman (then 32) accompanied the millions of monarchs to celebrate their journey and be their voice. During her 10,201 mile, 3 country tour, Dykman presented to more than 10,000 students and community members across the monarch’s range. “The monarchs need us,” Dykman explained, “they can’t call politicians to demand healthy prairies or rally for native gardens. But we can. We might not be able to fly like butterflies, but we can bike alongside them, and be their voice.”
Sara’s entire trip was made on a beat-up bicycle weighed down with everything from camping to video equipment. She covered about 60 miles per day, with rest stops to give presentations at schools and nature centers. At night she camped or stayed with all sorts of people. “From Mexico to Canada people were so willing to invite me into their house and let me experience a generosity found along the entire migration.” “Bicycling with Butterflies is part science, part adventure, part love letter to nature,” Dykman explained. “I hope readers will come away with a deeper sense of connection to the land and be inspired to join the network of people already fighting for the survival of the migration.” Share with us your thoughts on the book!  Credit: Simon and Schuster The Everything Easy Vegan Cookbook provides 200 quick and easy recipes for a healthy, plant-based diet. This comprehensive and easy-to-follow cookbook is packed with dinner recipes for a hectic workweek, meal-prep friendly slow cooker meals, and impressive (but easy!) dinners. Start your day with the Blueberry Overnight Oats, then try the Sweet and Spicy Peanut Noodles for dinner, and satisfy your sweet tooth with the Maple Date Carrot Cake.
Whether you’re a brand-new vegan, a seasoned veteran, or a health-conscious cook looking for a meatless Monday meal, you can enjoy healthy and satisfying dishes without spending hours in the kitchen. This book is out now. Enjoy!  Image: Simon and Schuster The Big Book of Plant-Based Baby Food by Tamika L. Gardner makes preparing homemade baby food easier than ever! These 300 simple, plant-forward recipes give your children the nutrients they need with ingredients you love, all while being delicious to eat.
Author Tamika L. Gardner breaks down recipes by age, from smooth purées for beginners at 6-7 months, to flavorful semi-smooth purées, chunky purées, and eventually fun finger foods for transitional meals at 12 months. She even includes information for where you can swap out fresh vs. frozen foods, and how to save on your plant-based grocery bill. The recipes in the book are entirely focused on whole foods from plant-based sources. You'll find basic baby-approved purées that feature a range of fruits and veggies, from the simplest applesauce to a tasty prune-barley bowel helper; functional snacks like teething biscuits; and finger foods that sound so delicious you’ll want to try them yourself, like the Teriyaki Cauliflower or Peach and Coconut Sorbet. Yumm! The book was released March 2! Enjoy!  Image Credit: Angelini Angelini Wine Imports has just released its Angelini Collection Prosecco Rosé to the US market. Available nationally, the Angelini Prosecco Rosé is a blend of 85% Glera and 15% Pinot Noir and has a suggested retail price of $11.99. The Angelini Collection is a portfolio of Italian wines focused on quality and priced for everyday enjoyment. The Collection includes: Prosecco DOC $11.99, Prosecco Rosé $11.99, Pinot Grigio DOC $11.99, Pinot Noir IGT $11.99, Moscato d’Asti DOC $11.99, and Brachetto d’Acqui DOC $11.99 This lineup of sparkling, still and dessert wines offers a wine for all occasions and dishes.
This collection of wines was first released in the 1980s by Julius Angelini. “I believe in selling real wines. Wines that come from real vineyards and are not manipulated in the cellar. I put together this portfolio of wines to showcase great representations of some of Italy’s most important varietals,” states Julius. Julius collaborates with Cantina Montelliana in the Veneto to create the Prosecco, Prosecco Rosé, Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Noir; and he works with Gruppo Araldica Castelvero in Piedmont to make the Brachetto d’Acqui and Moscato d’Asti. Julius has decades-long relationships with his two winery partners and he works with them closely to oversee the entire process. Ethan Angelini, Julius’s son, is the artist behind the Collection’s colorful labels. At 11 years-old what started out as some doodling turned into an eye-catching label. Never underestimate anyone at any age :). Enjoy!  Gratitude Gourmet cares deeply about the planet and creating a business that gives back to nature. That’s why we’re thrilled to share that we will Award 100 Climate and Peace Prizes to Businesses and Individuals for promoting plant based eating and health which will benefit the Planet and Climate Change. We’re partnering with One Tree Planted to plant a Tree for every one of the 100 Gratitude Gourmet Climate and Peace Prize Winners, so 100 Trees!
Trees clean our air and water, create habitats for biodiversity, contribute to our health and wellbeing, and create jobs for social impact. We’re honored to have reforestation through One Tree Planted as an integral part of our business model. Need a suggestion to start eating plant-based? Consider participating in Meatless Monday and/or review our Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Posts for ideas. Submit Your Nomination Here by April 1. Award Winners will be announced on Earth Day.  Image: World Wetlands Day World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2 every year. Its a celebration of the vital role wetlands provide for people and our planet. Unlike any other ecosystem, wetlands can improve natural water quality, protect against floods, control shoreline erosion, and of course, provide opportunities for recreation.
Vital to their brand identity, Mary’s Gone Crackers (the leading gluten free, non-GMO, organic and plant-based cracker brand) has supported California wetlands for over 17 years as a part of their long-term corporate sustainability efforts. All of the brand's rice, a key ingredient in the Original, Super Seed and REAL Thin crackers, is sourced exclusively from the California Rice Commission, which has effectively transformed hundreds of thousands of acres of rice fields into seasonal wetland habitats for waterbirds to inhabit. Furthermore, these rice fields support millions of birds that migrate up and down the Pacific Flyway, a migratory corridor extending from the Arctic down to Patagonia. When managed properly, these fields can provide key habitat for a wide variety of species all year long. Thank you Mary's Gone Crackers for your great support of the California Wetlands! :)  Image: Sonoma Gourmet Veggie Shakshuka Sonoma Gourmet is the brand known for its high-quality, organic pasta and pizza sauces and all-natural oils allowing you to indulge in easily-accessible comfort food while still sticking to a Whole30 or Paleo diet. The brand offers a variety of products listed below along with some suggested recipes that will help you keep your health on track in 2021. Products include:
 Image Credit: VACCEB The Vietnamese American Community Center of the East Bay (VACCEB) Mobile Meal Program (MMP) provides free culturally relevant grocery meal bags to low-income folks and their families across Alameda County. This program was created in response to the “shelter in place” order due to COVID-19, which has substantially impacted disadvantaged communities. The communities they serve that are in need of food security all commonly share the following characteristics: homebound seniors, low-income, medically vulnerable, immigrants and refugees, and English limited. In addition, the program serves a diverse range of populations, this includes: Southeast Asians, Chinese, Latinos and Habesha (Ethiopians/Eritreans) communities. The MMP is designed to help alleviate hunger among our most vulnerable populations by providing culturally relevant grocery meal bags that meet the Older American Act and the daily dietary standards and requirements. By doing so, they have cemented partnerships with local ethnic markets to source food items for diverse constituencies in order to maintain cultural integrity while also supporting small businesses. With food insecurity so prevalent amongst struggling communities impacted by COVID-19, the demand for reliable food resources has also rapidly increased. To illustrate, the organization went from serving 1,000 meals/month pre-pandemic to now distributing 37,500 meals/month to 2,400+ unduplicated individuals across the East Bay. The MMP showcases the extraordinary needs for food resources during this challenging time and the barriers to food security that will remain even post-pandemic. Wonderful work VACCEB!
 Image Credit: Delysia Chocolatier Are you looking for a lovely chocolate gift for friends and family?
Delysia Chocolatier’s Winter Collection Chocolate Truffles is a 9pc box with 3 flavors of each truffle: 3 Mint chocolate truffles, 3 Eggnog chocolate truffles, and 3 Gingerbread chocolate truffles. The smell, texture and taste of the Gingerbread truffle has the familiar spices to a chocolaty ganache and then wrapped in a rich dark chocolate. A dash of rum adds a surprisingly pleasant kick to the eggnog, nutmeg and white chocolate ganache of the Eggnog truffle. Locally sourced mint is infused into pure dark chocolate of the Mint truffle. Enjoy!  Credit: My SuperFoods Are you looking for nutrient-dense snacks, using the cleanest ingredients and adding superfoods such as chia seed, coconut oil and superfruits (like acai and baobab) to every recipe? How about snacks which are certified organic, whole grain and baked in a peanut and treenut-free facilities?
Check out MySuperFoods delicious and healthy snacks for kids and adults!  Image Credit: Cafe Gratitude With the holidays around the corner, Cafe Gratitude’s newly-released Love is Served cookbook is filled with inspired plant-based recipes. Chef Seizan Dreux Ellis oversees the development and execution of the plant-based menu at all Café Gratitude restaurants in Southern California, with a mission in bringing his health-based, flavor driven cuisine to a wider audience.
Indulge in some of these dish highlights: ‘I Am Holy’ Baked Gluten-Free Donuts, ‘I Am Community’ Rosemary, Butternut Squash, and Radicchio, ‘I Am Elated’ Mole Abuelita Enchiladas, ‘I Am Bountiful’ Pasta with Smoky Tempeh Bolognese and Brazil Nut Parmesan, ‘I Am Lovely’ Gluten-Free Peach and Berry Cobbler, and much more! Enjoy Love is Served this holiday and live Café Gratitude’s ethos of joy and love deriving from food, health, and good company.  Witch’s Cosmo Credit: WitchCraft Cocktails Are you looking for unique cocktail recipes for Halloween? Check out WitchCraft Cocktails by Julia Halina Hadas. Two Fun Cocktail Recipes from the book are below: Witch’s Cauldron and Witch’s Cosmo. Happy Halloween! 🍸
Witch’s Cauldron What’s a witch without their mixing cauldron? Based on the infamous Scorpion Bowl, the deep red hue of this fall fruit punch will draw eyes to your magic work. Together, apple, pomegranate, and blood orange offer energies of divination, love, wealth, and fertility. It’s a perfect witch’s blessing to serve at a party! Garnish with a flamed orange wheel. Energies: Divination, Luck, Love, Blessings, Spirituality SERVES 1 1 1⁄2 tablespoons apple brandy 1 1⁄2 tablespoons dark rum 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 tablespoon Grenadine 1⁄2 tablespoon pomegranate liqueur 1 jigger (11⁄2 ounces) blood orange juice 1 tablespoon apple juice DIRECTIONS: Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add ice and shake until chilled. Close your eyes and breathe deeply as you shake, focusing your intention energy into empowering the ingredients. Strain into a martini glass. Imagine the magical essence of the seasonal pomegranate, blood orange, and apple fusing together as you bless the concoction for all who drink it! Witch’s Cosmo Famous for its pink hue, the Cosmopolitan is an exemplary cocktail of balance. With protective cranberry, cleansing rosemary and lime, and elevating orange, this simply delicious enchantment is all a witch needs to balance out after a long day! Substitute the lime garnish for more rosemary if preferred. Energies: Protection, Cleansing, Balance SERVES 1 1 jigger (11⁄2 ounces) vodka 11⁄2 tablespoons cranberry juice 1 tablespoon lime juice 1⁄2 tablespoon orange liqueur 1⁄2 tablespoon Rosemary-Saffron Syrup 1 small lime peel, for garnish DIRECTIONS: Place all ingredients except lime peel in a cocktail shaker and add ice. Shake firmly, shaking away the stress of the day and any worries. Once the shaker is chilled, double strain the cocktail into a martini glass. Express lime peel over the top of the cocktail, twist, and drop in. Excerpted from WitchCraft Cocktails by Julia Halina Hadas. Copyright © 2020 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Interior photographs by Harper Point Photography. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. |
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