pasadena pinotfest

while searching for the perfect christmas gift for my husband, i came across an email from localwineevents.com in my inbox. the subject? 2011 pasadena pinotfest! since i'm a self-declared wine-o, i bought tickets immediately.

the event is on february 12th (a saturday) from 1 to 5pm at the altadena town and country club. apparently there will be over 100 wineries offering tastings of their pinot noirs and even some of the other wines in their repertoire. there will be food, but it will most likely be cheese and meat - don't count on any vegan snacks. i would suggest eating something beforehand and making dinner reservations for right afterwards. needless to say, you'll probably be a little tipsy come 5 o' clock.

here are some of the wineries that will be in attendance.

here is a blog post from someone who went last year and loved it.

hope to see you there!

hair of the dog

this expression actually refers to an old method of treatment for a bite from a rabid dog. it was a popular belief that a few hairs from the dog that bit you applied to the wound would prevent evil consequences. we were obviously right on track with that theory!

today, this expression refers solely to the pounding headache known as a hangover. the cure for a horrible hangover is a glass of the same thing that got you to this lovely place the night before. although it sounds completely un-appealing at first, it almost always works. why, you ask? well, a hangover is thought to be the first sign of alcohol withdrawals. the only way to cure withdrawals is to drink more alcohol. when you're hungover, you have a large amount of ethanol in your system. ethanol is dehydrating and causes fluids in the brain to be less plentiful (you know that brain sloshing feeling?). another contributing factor is the presence of toxic products from the breakdown of ethanol by liver enzymes. sometimes these by-products can be between 10 and 30 more toxic than alcohol itself!

everyone has different ideas as to what the best cure for a hangover is. personally, i think it all comes down to water, vitamin B, water, sleep, and water. hair of the dog might work in the short-term, but adding more alcohol to an already toxic body does not sound like the smartest idea to me.

if you're hungover, make sure to get plenty of rest, drink LOTS of water, and exercise if you feel up to it. i always feel better after sweating a bit of those toxins out.

have a great weekend!

daiya vegan cheese

although there are some things that are just not as good vegan as they are not vegan (like cheeseburgers and chocolate fudge), most things have pretty tasty vegan alternatives. i love vegan ice cream, vegan chocolate, and even vegan meat alternatives like chikin and seitan. one thing that is extremely hard to get right, though, is vegan cheese. i've tried tons of different brands and none of them taste quite right.

daiya, however, is perfect. not only does it have a great cheesy taste, but it melts and stretches just like real cheese does.  some vegan cheeses have a hard time melting and almost seem plasticy when you try to put them on pizza or in quesadillas.  also a plus, daiya is free of any artificial ingredients, hormones, preservatives, or antibiotics.

so next time you're craving a grilled cheese sandwich, try daiya. i think vegans and non-vegans alike will be impressed by its amazing taste and texture!

daiya cheese

fun health facts

i love reading magazines that give me little tidbits of information that i can easily digest. women's health, self, and shape magazine are some of my favorites because they are focused on nutrition, fitness, and overall health. below i've compiled some of the best tips i've read recently. i'm going to try to make this a regular posting because i know how much i love these fun facts and i'm hoping you do, too.

*antioxidants: in a study, people who took a multivitamin with antioxidants for three weeks were able to pedal a bike at the same pace with less effort than those who took a placebo. antioxidants protect muscle proteins from free-radical damage that can lead to fatigue, says angela mastaloudis, Ph.D., an antioxidant specialist. you can get your daily dose from just two cups of fruit and two and a half cups of veggies. (source: women's health, nov 2010)

[fresh blueberries are loaded with antioxidants]

*26: percentage increase in risk of dementia later in life for women who exercised at least once a week at age 30 versus those who didn't exercise at all. (source: women's health, nov 2010)

 *we're being green: in a year, a class of 20 cycling bikes pumps out enough energy to light 72 homes for a month. (source: women's health, nov 2010)

*just 10: just 10 minutes of moderate exercise dials up your metabolism for an hour or longer, reports the journal Science Translational Medicine. 

*stanols: compounds in plants that decrease the body's ability to absorb LDL cholesterol (the bad kind).  the american heart association suggests getting two grams per day. since its hard to get that much from produce alone, try foods that are fortified with them (certain brands of oj, margarine, and yogurt.)

[certain yogurt brands contain stanols]

all facts are from the november 2010 issue of women's health.