Eco-Vegan Gal Turns Two!

I always forget exactly what day in October I started this site, and oddly enough when I decided to look it up today I discovered it was exactly 2 years ago! I can't believe it - my how time flies. It's amazing to see the progression from my post style to the appearance of this site.

EatPastry "Doughs" It Again, This Time Gluten-Free Style!

Back in February I reviewed some delicious pre-made cookie dough by EatPastry (has it really been that long?), and they've been one of my favorite vegan dessert companies ever since. However, I wasn't able to enjoy them once I gave up gluten...until they came out with a gluten-free dough!

FREE Tickets to Halloween Masquerade Ball fundraiser in Los Angeles!

Congrats to Piotr for winning!

I am excited to be able to giveaway 2 tickets to “Into the Wild”, a fundraiser to benefit the World Animal Awareness Societies ongoing capital campaign. These tickets are worth over $100! Event this Friday evening the 22nd.

Join me, my friends, and many other animal rights activists in Woodland Hills at the home of philanthropic entrepreneur Ady Gil (perhaps best known for his one-of-a-kind ocean defense vessel as seen on Whale Wars). The party will entail:

• special musical guests
• vegan food & delicious libations for every palate
• silent auction
• costume contests (everyone is encouraged to dress up as their favorite animal)
• free gifts 
• serious frights
• titillating treats
• dancing 'til the wee hours

Ady is known for throwing some serious parties, so this is not to be missed! Check out this cool promo video for the event:

A Shift in Perspective: Perhaps Oil Isn’t So UnHealthy After All...

A few months ago I was determined to cut oil out of my diet entirely, and while many people I trusted were supportive and in agreement with my reasons for doing so, there were many others who...well, thought I was crazy. Mainly because I had just cut gluten, soy, and refined sugars out of my diet - oil on top of all that seemed a little extreme. Sure, it is extreme in terms of the standard American diet - if I don’t eat meat, dairy, eggs, honey, gluten, soy, oil, or refined foods then what the heck do I eat? Truth be told, I eat a ton - from grains to beans to nuts to seeds to fruits to vegetables (check out What Whitney Ate Today for specifics). 

Green Living: Eco 8000 by BARBAR - A Better Hair Dryer for Your Body and The Planet

Most women (and some men) spend a lot of time styling their hair - spending lots of money and time on hair cuts and products. Unfortunately, these beauty routines aren't very eco-friendly or healthy, as the products as often full of harmful chemicals. This probably isn't new information to you, so perhaps you use organic products. However, you may not know this: most hair dryers give off as much radiation as a microwave - YIKES!

"Vegetarianism is meaningless"

While scanning through recent blog posts in Google Reader (if you don't use it, I highly recommend it), my eyes landed on this phrase: "vegetarianism is meaningless". Of course my first reaction was, "now wait a minute...", so I read on to explore the argument. Turns out, I totally agree with it.

Mooi: video review and interview with owner of newish raw, organic restaurant

This post is waaaaay overdue. I've been trying to finish it for months, but better late than never right? Thanks to my amazing post-production intern Rachel, I'm finally able to present it to you. : )

I first visited Mooi (rhymes with boy) in May when I attended their pre-opening party, and frankly I was disappointed because my high expectations weren't met (they were set by QuarryGirl). However, I didn't know if that was simply a result of a poorly planned event, so I contacted the owner and he apologized for my negative experience and invited me back in for the real deal. I am so glad I took him up on the offer, because my first impression was completely off. Turns out, Mooi has incredible raw food.

Vegan Pumpkin Madness!!!! Recipe Round-Up

Image from Happy Healthy Life

In the past week I've come across more vegan pumpkin recipes than I can keep track of... actually, that's a lie, because I've been recording each of them in order to share them with you. : ) This post was inspired by a piece I did for Your Daily Thread  - since I could only choose 4 recipes for that article I decided to list the rest here because they shouldn't be overlooked. I haven't made any of them yet, but I will be sure to share my thoughts when I do. Please do the same in the comments below, and if you have any great vegan pumpkin recipes please share!

• Pumpkin Gazpacho
• Butternut Squash and Black Bean Chili in Pumpkin Bowls
• Pumpkin Spice Cashew Cheese Dip
• Homemade Pumpkin Butter
• Pumpkin Butter Pancakes For One
• Pumpkin Gingerbread with Spiced Buttercream 
• Pumpkin Spice Cake
• Pumpkin Pie Brownie "Cupcakes"
• Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting
• Double Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies
• Gingerbread Pumpkin Vegan Overnight Oat Parfait  (gluten-free)
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
• Apple-Anise Soup and Pumpkinseed Cheese (raw)
• Raw Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes 
• Raw Pumpkin Pie
• 5 Raw Pumpkin Recipes
• Almost-Raw Pumpkin Butter Tarts