Eating Consciously

Well, it has only been 6 days since my last post and with all that's going on the world of Eating Consciously, I would say I'm doing a pretty good job at keeping up ;) I just confirmed the date for the next Vegan Drinks Philly event which will occur on 4.20.09! It's great to see how many like-minded people there are just in the Philadelphia area, let alone throughout the world that I am able to connect with via my blog, Twitter , and Facebook . It's really astounding and inspiring. My Spring semester will also be coming to a close over the next couple of weeks, so with two big projects due soon, that should keep me relatively occupied. One of the projects is a food modification project where I have to take a recipe, change it to make it healthier in some way, and do a full taste, texture, and appearance profile on it. It's more involved than it sounds, trust me ;) I have decided I use use my Dark Chocolate Brownie recipe and exchange the fat for pureed blac...

As most of you know, I volunteer/intern with Vegetarian Resource Group to write articles and essays for their Vegetarian Journal. I was recently asked to write some of the answers to the teen FAQ's, which was exciting for me because many of them were not nutrition related, so it was a nice chance to expand into other areas of veganism for me. The following is my response to the question, why don't vegans wear leather, silk, or wool? Keep in mind that this is for 10-14 year olds, so the writing style is less detailed and more generalized, but I think it still offers a pretty solid answer for most people. Q: Why don't vegans wear leather, silk, or wool? A: People choose to become vegan for a variety of reasons including health issues, environmental concerns, and animal ethics. Many vegans practice their lifestyle for all of those reasons and would likely argue that veganism is much more than just a dietary habit. Most vegans believe in living a life that does not use ani...

So, what was this vegan doing at Scrapplefest this past Saturday at Reading Terminal Market ? Trying vegan scrapple of course! Known as Vrapple , this new product is getting rave reviews even by die-hard scrapple lovers. Vrapple even took home the second place spot in the Scrapplefest recipe contest! Vrapple is the brainchild of Sarah Cain , who also happens to be the manager of the Fair Food Farm Stand in Reading Terminal Market. Although she is not even vegetarian herself, she knew there had to be a better way to make scrapple more appealing. C'mon, it's normally made from a blend of unspeakable pig parts for crying out loud! She has not only accomplished her goal, but accomplished it well. Vrapple first started being offered at Milkboy Coffee in Ardmore, PA. You can now find Vrapple at Essene , online , and at the Fair Food Farm Stand of course. It is availiable in several different sizes, in addition to food service packs. Wouldn't it be great if every resta...

I'm back! And I have been quite a busy bee lately! I know, same story as usual, but I know I couldn't hold out on you guys any longer ;) So, today I have a VERY special recipe for you! If you recall from my past tweets on Twitter , I am a HUGE fan of the vegan oatmeal date scones at Whole Foods. Well, I have come up with my own, identical version and have been enjoying them for breakfast daily. They're so easy to make and come out perfectly every time. I didn't really tie in the oatmeal, but if you wanted to go all out, I'm sure you could substitute the flour in this recipe for oat flour. Oh, and they have dates, which I normally hate ;) Check em' out: Orange Walnut Date Scones 3.5 C whole wheat pastry flour 4 tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 2/3 C Earth Balance 1 C walnuts 1 C dates (pitted) 1 C non-dairy milk 2 oranges (zest only) 1/2 C maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bow...

I recently wrote this article over at the examiner.com , which is my first paid writing gig! Woohoo! I figured I would share it with all of you because I strongly recommend Field Roast products. And no, I'm not getting paid by Field Roast. LOL! Here's the article: Grain meat? Have no fear, it is merely a meat made from wheat protein and vegetables. But how can it be meat? Well, the word meat actually comes from an Old English word, mete, which referred to food in general. So, now we can understand why Field Roast touts themselves as being "the original maker of vegan grain meats". In fact, they're so delicious and meaty you could easily trick even the most dedicated carnivores. Until recently, these grain sausages have been rather difficult to come by here in Philadelphia. Not anymore! Whole Foods at 10th and South St recently started carrying all three varieties of field roast sauages. They come in mexican chipotle, italian, and smoked apple sage. Th...

How yummy does that look? Remember that Eggplant Parmesan recipe I posted last week? Well, it turns out that the leftovers make great sandwiches. Simply take a slice and put it between two slices of whole wheat bread! Voila! This is probably the most delicious thing I have ever put between two slices of bread. Don't fret! I will have new recipes up soon... as you know, I'm swamped with work right now, so this is all I have had time for. You are all living my life! Leftovers and limited time ;) I did get a new podcast out ;) Stay tuned because I FINALLY got my MacBook back and I will have new videos out soon as well!! Subscribe to Eating Consciously by Email I'm on Facebook too!

Eggplant parmesan is frequently the "vegetarian" option at most weddings and catering events, but it is usually covered with bovine mammary secretions (cheese) making it definitely not vegan. My version not only veganizes this popular dish, but also makes it a bit less traditional with the addition of tofu. This is a great way to prepare tofu for those who claim they do not like it. I will admit this recipe is a bit more involved than my usual concoctions, but it's still relatively simple. The recipe is topped with nutritional yeast, but it can also be topped with a vegan mozzarella if you desire. "I used brown rice instead of pasta in this one, but I don't recommend it because the rice dried out during the cooking." Eggplant Parmesan One large eggplant, or two small ones One block of extra firm tofu 1/2 C olive oil 1 C whole wheat pastry flour 1 C soy milk, or other non-dairy milk 1 can tomato sauce 1/2 C nutritional yeast 1/2 lb whole wheat pasta (usu...

I would like to apologize to all my faithful readers for not posting in 10 days! As you know, this is not like me, but I have been busier than ever lately. I'm still trying to hold it down with school, and work, and interning, and Vegan Drinks Philly , but I do intend on getting some more awesome recipes up really soon! I have been cooking and photographing them, I just haven't had time to type them up yet. I also have a newly recorded video and a podcast planned that you should look for within the next week or so. I'm also STILL without my MacBook. Luckily, I can work from my iMac, but it's just not the same :( Enough with the pity party, let's get this rolling here... You may recall from last month that I started a new segment on my blog called Eating Consciously Q&A. I think I'm going to refer to it as FAQ now because blogger doesn't allow "&" to be used in tags. Anyway... moving forward, you can click on the FAQ's located...