“Lookin’ for a girl, I ran into a guy. His name is MCA, I said, ‘Howdy’ he said, ‘Hi’.” 

I was devastated to hear this morning that Adam Yauch aka “MCA” of the Beastie Boys has died of cancer.  I heard the news on KROQ while driving down the 101 to Orange County for a weekend of music that includes the 20th Annual KROQ Weenie Roast tomorrow.  Growing up in LA, I discovered the Beasties around the same time I discovered KROQ… after years of pretending to like boy bands and hair bands like the other girls in my junior high classes, here were three guys I wanted to hang with.  And not because they were “dreamy” or I wanted to be their girlfriend, but because they seemed fun and cool and didn’t take themselves so seriously.  I can remember listening to the Beasties and feeling like I was finally hearing “real” music… More than my introduction to hip hop, even punk, they were an introduction to intelligent, genuine music.

I feel very fortunate to have seen the Beastie Boys for the last time a few years ago at the Live 105 BFD concert in San Francisco.  This was their first show in years, and no one knew what to expect.  They were not only old school but actually “old” now… no longer the party boys of  ”Licensed to Ill” singing about drinking Brass Monkey.  But then they came on right before the headliner (The Strokes) and blew everyone away.  The performance was so high energy and joyous that it really put all the other bands on the bill to shame. One of those shows you never forgot.

I’m writing about this on Veggywood for two reasons.  One, I had more to say then would fit into a Facebook post (and this is my blog so I can write whatever I want).  And two, because, as many of you know, MCA adopted a vegan diet several years ago following a trip to India where he sampled alternative medicine in his fight against cancer.  I don’t know if he remained vegan or continued to advocate it at all, but I give him props for at least making the connection between compassion and health.  It sounds like veganism helped get him through a tough time, and although he lost the physical battle in the end, his spirit, his good heart, and his sweet rhymes are what we will always remember.  Thank you MCA for the musical…and mental… education.  Your infectious joy will be so missed.

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I’ve been really into juicing lately, ever since getting a Breville juicer over the holidays.  In February I did my first juice cleanse in a couple of years, via the lovely ladies at Juice Maids.  I’ll admit my results were mixed.  Overall the juice selection I was sent was much too sweet for me, and I wound up ending the cleanse a day early due to a migraine headache and some stomach cramps.  To be fair though, this could have been due to any number of reasons including the death of a friend that had occurred a few days prior.  There were several things I really liked about Juice Maids including their HUGE menu, the use of reusable mason jars to hold the juice, and the response of their customer service to any questions you had.  Read more about my experience HERE.

This weekend I tried Pressed Juicery because it had been recommended by a coworker, and I really enjoyed it.  For whatever reason, I had no stomach or headache issues at all — probably because I picked only vegetable juice and the juices in general are made with blander, more basic ingredients.  Another thing I liked was being able to pick up the juices at their little storefront in West Hollywood (they also deliver local & nationwide!).  The 10 I ordered (more than enough for me for 2 days) only came to $65.  However, the plastic bottles the juice came in didn’t leave me feeling very eco-friendly, although of course I recycled them afterwards.  I also bought myself a carrot-ginger soup from Erewon market (technically not raw) that I warmed up and ate for dinner… because the one thing I don’t like about juicing is constantly feeling cold.  Day One I felt a little “foggy” but by the end of Day Two I was feeling so great that I even decided to extend my cleanse another day 3 days!  My favorite juice selections were the Greens 3 (kale, spinach, romaine, parsley, cucumber, celery, apple, lemon, ginger) and Roots 3 (beet, apple, lemon, ginger)… delicious!  Check out their full menu here.  And p.s…. their almond milk is one of the best things I’ve ever had, no joke.

If you are looking to cleanse, I highly recommend Pressed Juicery !  However, if this is your first time cleansing you might want to consider a company that holds your hand a little more, like Juice Maids.

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Reno (#12-03103) is a 2 year old Domestic Short Hair.
In his own words:  Everyone that meets me thinks I’m a very special guy. I’m only 2 years old so I still love to play but what I love most in the world is the company of people. (and other cats are ok by me too!) I’ll be your shadow and follow you everywhere, giving lots of love along the way! Come by and see what a handsome sweetie I am!

P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village & Education Center
7700 East Spring Street
Long Beach, CA 90815
(562) 570-7722

Padme (#12-03216) is a 1 year old, Australian Shepherd mix.
In her own words:  Hug me!  I am a sweet girl who loves tummy rubs and long walks.  Although I enjoy my play time, my favorite activity is to spend time with people.  I just can’t get enough touching and petting!  Since I am such a smart dog, I would enjoy a basic obedience or agility class.  Visit me here at the shelter and see why I would make the perfect companion.

South Bay Pet Adoption Center
12910 Yukon Avenue
Hawthorne, CA 90250
(310) 676-1149

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Amethyst Heart Earrings from The Animal Rescue Site

Besides being a site where clicking every day provides FREE food for animals in shelters, the Animal Rescue Site also has a really great online store where you can find all kind of unique and very affordable gifts.  Their jewelry selection is amazing: good quality and really reasonable prices.  They have tons of great pieces that you won’t find anywhere else, at a fraction of the price you would think.  Plus each purchase contributes a number of bowls of food for shelter animals.

These earrings, fair-trade made in India, are only $12.95 HERE and contribute 28 bowls of food for animals.

“Sweet Desires” Gift Basket from Allison’s Gourmet

Allison’s has a number of gifts that would be amazing for Mother’s Day, this basket containing cookies, brownies, chocolates, toffee and coffee is the most decadent ($125).  Some other seasonal (and yummy) offerings include Mexican Chocolate Brownies and an Organic Tea Sampler.

“Spork-Fed” Cookbook on Amazon

Delight your mom with a copy of Heather Goldberg and Jenny Engel’s new cookbook “Spork-Fed,” available for purchase from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.  Featuring a forward by Emily and Zooey Deschanel, the book is a super fun intro to vegan cooking and baking with the adorable Spork Girls.  Read my interview with them about the book HERE.

Cruelty-Free Beauty Basket from Etsy

Curate your own sampling of beauty items from a number of all-vegan companies that can be found on the community marketplace.  There are plenty of beautiful soaps, lotions and cosmetics to be found at amazing prices.  Two to check out are Naked Eye Beauty (based in Los Angeles) and French Girl Organics.

Want even more vegan beauty product ideas? Follow me on Pinterest!

Shoes from Mink on Zappos

Is your momma a fashion maven? Treat her to a pair of sweet sandals from the all-vegan line by Rebecca Mink, with 13 pairs available on Zappos right now.  Mink Shoes are made in Italy of sustainable resources such as wood, rubber, cork and organic fabrics.  Check out the Mink story HERE and more of my vegan summer shoe picks HERE.  Want even more vegan shoe choices? Follow me on Pinterest!

These pretty “Monkey” flip flops are made of organic cotton and come in 3 colors. $125 HERE

Rescue Mom T-Shirt from The Animal Rescue Site
For the Moms out there with furry children!  With each t-shirt purchased, The Animal Rescue Site will fund 14 bowls of food for animals living in sanctuaries and shelters.
from $12 HERE

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In one corner we have the first contender: Amy’s Dairy Free Rice Macaroni & Cheeze

When this was introduced last year, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  A real, actual vegan version (no “contains milk protein”).  Still a little hard to find (usually at Whole Foods, Nature Mart, Locali and once in awhile you can find it at a Ralphs), it is worth the search.  Some have said its a little heavy, but wtf is mac n’ cheese if not a little heavy.  Anyway, this is one of my favorite treats (and yes with a boatload of salt, I know).  Decent portion size, average frozen food price… Read my lips: Yum!

But wait, here’s a shiny new… newcomer!  Candle 79 (the beloved vegan mecca in NYC) has entered the ring with their new line of frozen meals, including, you guessed it:  Macaroni and Vegan Cheese.  

It’s pretty different from Amy’s.  The sauce is creamier for one, and not as thick.  It’s about the same portion size as Amy’s, maybe a little bit more food, but definitely less cheese.  But it depends on how you like your mac n’ cheese.  If you like the cheese thick and almost baked on, then Amy’s is for you.  A more “gourmet” version?  Go with Candle’s meal.  I did have one complaint with their mac though — when I heated up the meal, the frozen cheese was piled in the middle, so once microwaved, it turned into a giant glob of sticky cheese that was really difficult to mix through the pasta.  I’m not sure if mine was just a fluke, but if not, that’s something I think they need to improve on.  Regardless, yeah for cheese!  We’ve come a long way from nutritional yeast, baby!

Also check out Candle Cafe’s other frozen meals:  Seitan Piccata with Lemon Caper Sauce, Ginger Miso Stir-Fry, Tofu Spinach Ravioli. Available now, exclusively at Whole Foods.

But my favorite of all is MY OWN RECIPE for Baked Daiya Mac n’ Cheese!  Check out the recipe HERE!

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Oh yes, yes I do. Enough posts on vegan ice cream… this is the real good stuff. Kale is my “comfort food.” When I’m starting to feel worn out and tired, I work this into a meal. If you didn’t now, Kale is packed with nutritional value.

Check out this chart from World’s Healthiest Foods:

As you can see the vegetable is super low in calories and high in all kinds of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins K, C and A. It is also extremely high in calcium (important for vegans):  according to this article 1 cup contains 180 mg. Kale is even supposed to have some anti-cancer properties.

Although you can also steam or boil Kale, my favorite way is to sautee it with garlic, olive oil, and lemon, and serve with tempeh or tofu, and rice, millet or quinoa.

I like kale a lot because it has a strong flavor, but if it doesn’t quite suit you, just throw it in as one ingredient of many and it will add just a pepper-y hint of taste.

And since getting a juicer, I’ve become obsessed with making green drinks: kale, green apples, cucumber, ginger, lemon, and cayenne pepper.

Using the Whole Foods iPhone Recipe App as well as the Online Version, I found a simple recipe to introduce you to Kale, check it out below.  The Los Angeles Times also has a great recently article here on how to prepare the perfect kale salad.

Coconut Milk-Braised Greens
Ingredients

Salt to taste
2 bunches kale, stemmed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Black pepper to taste

Method

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add greens and cook for 2 minutes; drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add reserved greens, coconut milk and lemon juice, stir well and simmer until tender, 5 to 7 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Doesn’t it look good?

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I’m a big fan of summer shoes!  If you keep up with my Vegan Shoe of the Day feature, you know how much I LOVE wedges and heels and everything about sandals (preferably with platforms).  Here are some of my favs for summer!

If you want more vegan shoe updates, follow me on Pinterest!  New shoes added almost every day!
And check out more of my Polyvore sets HERE.

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Started by Rebecca Mink in 2004, Mink Shoes are made in Italy of sustainable resources such as wood, rubber, cork and organic fabrics.

Check out the rest of the Mink offerings at Zappos HERE.

Elephant Heel by Mink Shoes, $430 at Zappos 

5 1/4 inch heel, 1 1/4 inch platform

Want more Vegan Shoe of the Day offerings? Follow me on Pinterest!

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Haley (#12-02357) is a 1 year old, female Chihuahua mix.
In her own words:  I have lots of energy and have been told I have a spring in my step! I love playing with people and other dogs, and I even get along with cats! I would love to run and frolic in the park!  I would make an excellent agility partner! Please come visit me!

P.D. Pitchford Companion Animal Village & Education Center
7700 East Spring Street
Long Beach, CA 90815
(562) 570-7722

Thumper (#12-01246) is a 7 year old male DLH kitty.
In his own words:  Cuddle with me!  I am a big boy who loves nothing more than to be around people.  Even though I am friendly and sweet with people, I would prefer to be the only cat in the household.  I just want all the attention to myself! Come see how much fun I am!

South Bay Pet Adoption Center
12910 Yukon Avenue
Hawthorne, CA 90250
(310) 676-1149

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Ecouterre has a good article on the new Spring/Summer line from Beyond Skin, a luxe vegan shoe line out of the UK.  Everyone knows I love a good cruelty-free wedge, and their warm weather collection doesn’t disappoint.

Here are some of my favs.  These are available for order or pre-order from their website, but I’m guessing they will also be available on Endless at some point (with more affordable shipping options).

p.s. Want more Vegan Shoe of the Day selections? Follow me on Pinterest!

Minnie – Blue square print, $256.42

Minnie – Gold & Red Raffa, $256.42

Amber – Pink Haiti, $270.93

Siam – Red haiti print, $277.38

Siam – Black floral print, $277.38

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Qupid Lakie 02 Coral Textured Cutout Platform Heels

$38 at Lulu’s, also in sea green!

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I’ve also finally added the Pinterest “button” so you can pin some of the items featured on this site, like Vegan Shoe of the Day.

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Women’s Sarah Stripe Wedge, $27.99 at Payless or in stores

Also in black multi and pink multi

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It’s dropping belong 65 in So Cal these days so that must mean…. it’s Winter!  Luckily I have a whole cabinet full of soup thanks to the kind folks at Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods.  All their soups are vegan, and they have a selection of low-sodium, organic and gluten-free ones as well.  The company also makes a selection of instant oatmeals and just introduced a new line of Asian Entrees.

Founder Dr. John McDougall, M.D. is a best selling author and board-certified internist, who has been writing and speaking about the effects of nutrition on health for over 30 years.  He has his own website with tips about enriching your health through a plant based diet, check it out HERE.

My favorite soup by far was the Organic Tortilla and Lower Sodium Lentil.  They take about 1 minute to heat up, so are perfect for nights when you don’t feel like cooking.  And since they are in cartons, you don’t run into the problem I had a few weeks ago at work when I brought a can of soup for lunch, couldn’t find the can opener, and almost had to reenact that scene with Adrian Brody and the pickle can in The Pianist.

I also used the lentil soup as the base for a stew, and added some extra cooked vegetables and Lightlife Smart Ground - so good!

Being a sustainable company is also really important to Dr. McDougall’s, you can read about their efforts to make a smaller impact with packaging and production HERE

Find Dr. McDougall’s soups at a retailer near you by searching HERE or by shopping online

“Like” Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods on Facebook and enter to win an iPad and month’s supply of Asian entrees!
Follow Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods on Twitter HERE

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Sloane Platform Boot, $88 at Nasty Gal

*Synthetic Materials
*Shoe Height: 9.25″
*Heel Height: 5″
*Platform Height: 1.5″

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One of my favorite animal organizations, Farm Sanctuary, has a great section on upcoming political initiatives that affect animals and pending legislation, as well as tips on how you can make your voice be heard.  One of the issues currently highlighted on the site (as well as the current issue of Sanctuary Magazine) is the Egg Products Inspection Act Amendments of 2012, also known as HR 3798.  It was introduced to Congress on January 18th and proposes the following:

1) require environmental enrichment for all birds, so that they can engage in important natural behaviors currently denied to them in barren cages (eliminate battery cages).

2) prohibit forced molting through starvation — an inhumane practice that is inflicted on tens of millions of hens each year and that involves withholding all food from birds for up to two weeks in order to shock their bodies into another laying cycle.

3) prohibit excessive ammonia levels in henhouses.

4) require standards for euthanasia practices.

5) prohibit the sale of all eggs and egg products nationwide that don’t meet these requirements.

This bill, if enacted, will be the first federal law relating to the treatment of chickens used for food, the first federal law relating to the treatment of animals while on farms, and the first federal law improving the treatment of farmed animals in more than 30 years.

Farm Sanctuary  makes it super easy to make a difference.  Send their pre-formatted letter to your legislators (takes 10 seconds or less if you have autofill) and use this link to look up their numbers and call them.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!

p.s. If you want more info on this issue, an interesting read is Farm Sanctuary’s article on The Welfare of Hens in Battery Cages.

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Not Rated Mix Up Tan Color Block Cutout Platform Wedges
$59 at Lulu’s

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They’re so sad to be suddenly on the lurch like this – and would be so relieved to find forever homes!

Sweetheart was rescued from an animal shelter literally 15 minutes before she would have been euthanized! She’s a wonderful cat who begs for attention, and has a comforting, easygoing spirit. She’s about seven years old.

Pinky  is the most sensitive cat. (So this loss is particularly hard on her!) She longs to be a lap cat, but really needs to get to know you first. She’ll seem shy in the beginning. She’s already had some heartbreaks in her life. She wound up in a shelter with a cat friend when a landlord banned cats. And then her friend was adopted from the shelter, leaving her nearly to die of grief! She was then rescued by her new mom, and now, here she is! Such a sensitive soul. She’s also about seven.

Marie was also rescued from a shelter. And she was terribly ill at the time! But she’s all better, and she’d make anyone a wonderful cat. Very easygoing, she gets along fabulously with other felines as well as with every person she meets. Very affectionate! She’s a little older at 10 years old, but she’d sure love to be picked.

Sasha is the boy of the bunch, and the only one who’s still quite young. (He’s only about a year and a half old.) He’s a Turkish Van with blue eye and one gold eye. Really gorgeous, and very smart and inquisitive. Rumor has it, he can accidentally make photocopies if you let him roam around your home office! A fresh start would mean everything to him.

All of these cats are vaccinated, spay/neutered, and tested negative for both FIV and feline leukemia.

If you can help any of them, please contact Sandi Cain at sdcain31@cox.net,  949-497-2680 or Faith Rajac at faithrajac@hotmail.com, 714-785-9201.

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This President’s Day Weekend I did a juice cleanse courtesy of the lovely ladies at Juice Maids.  Their cold-pressed juices are made with organic farmer’s market produce and come in reusable (and adorable!) glass mason jars, nestled snugly in a reusable basket or crate.  Along with a la carte options and weekly crates, Juice Maids offers three “custom cleanses”: Heavy Metal, Classic Rock and Baby Blues.  I opted for a hybrid Baby Blues: 3 16 oz green juices, 2 16 oz fruit juices, 1 16 oz smoothie, 1 16 oz raw blended soup, 1 8 oz nut milk… and skipped the smoothie & soup on day 3.  Also included were various daily supplements including probiotics and digestive enzymes.

Located on the Silverlake/Echo Park border, Juice Maids has recently started selling their favorite juices at Intelligentsia (as well as supplying them with almond milk for new almond milk lattes!).

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Here are my notes from the weekend:

Day 1
I started off the day with a jar of Green River (cucumber, celery, apple, lemon, ginger, greens), it was delicious — sweeter than the green juices I’ve been making for myself so that was a treat.  I ran around and did errands for the next hour or two, so when I got back I opted for  the Lady Madonna smoothie (berry, almond, ginger, date, banana) that I pretty much devoured.  At around 2:30pm I had a savory, hot Vegetable Broth (I think it had some miso in it).  This was more out of being a little chilly, then hungry.  I was definitely struck by how I was absolutely not hungry.  Around 4pm I had a Gypsy (coconut water, cucumber, greens) that was super yummy — I would not have thought of that combo.  A few hours later I had my Goodbye Blue Sky soup (butternut squash) for dinner followed by a decadent Dear Prudence nut milk (cashew, coconut water, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla bean, coconut nectar) for dessert.  Unbelievably I realized that I had three juices I hadn’t even touched yet!  Rainy Day Woman (pineapple & herbs), Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain (berry, orange & herbs) and Love Buzz (coconut water, cucumber) were still unopened.

Day 2
Since I had the same juices as Day 1, I juiced some of my own lemon/ginger  and added that in to make everything  a little less sweet.  Juice Maids sent a nice, encouraging note to see how I was doing.  This day was definitely harder, I got stomach cramps at some point and a bad taste in my mouth and a headache.  In general just felt kind of “fuzzy” and freezing… wound up getting under the covers in the middle of the afternoon and taking a nap with the cats.  Still only got through half of the juices, concentrated on the vegetable/green ones because they seemed to be easier on my stomach.  Unfortunately at night I had a massive headache, which I was dreading, and after it started to turn into a migraine, I had to break down and take an Advil which felt disgusting.  But, not gonna lie, I was grateful to be able to get some sleep.  Oh well.

Day 3
I ended the cleanse early so I could make sure my stomach was settled for work the next day.  Had another Green River and Goodbye Blue Sky soup (this one was an AMAZING ginger carrot).   Worked in some soaked prunes, watermelon, another green drink, salad and a small bowl of steamed brown rice and vegetables throughout the day.  Stomach much more settled today and no headache.

All in all, the juices were delicious and I never felt hungry.  The convenience of home delivery was awesome (cute delivery boys btw), and the presentation super cute.  My only gripe would be the variety… I guess because of Juice Maids‘ extensive menu I expected to get different juices each day.  Day 1 & 2 were exactly the same, but after I made a request, a few were switched up for Day 3.  Also, everything was way too sweet for my palate, so next time I know to request more tart/spicy juices.  However, if you are a beginning juicer this might be the perfect cleanse for you because everything is very tasty.  Even though the experience can be very intense, the Juice Maids are only an email/call away to help.

Juice Maids is putting on a yoga/cleanse retreat in Malibu at Udaya on April 26 – 29.  Check out the info below – looks amazing!

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