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.

vegin' out

[wild mushroom penne]

[cucumber mint salad]

as much as i'd like to say that i make dishes like those pictured above every night at home, i'd be completely lying. in fact, as much as i love cooking and baking, i often find myself eating much of the same things during the week: salads, beans, tofu, and rice - things that can easily be thrown together to make a meal. i've earmarked hundreds of vegan recipes and even bought ingredients that i know i'll use maybe twice in my life, but i can never find the time (or the energy) to cook during the week.

enter vegin' out. vegin' out is a weekly meal delivery service that was created by tim boissy - a nutritional chef that has been involved in the health food industry for 24 years. as he watched the industry grow, he realized that there were a lot of vegans and health conscious people out there that didn't have the time to prepare healthy, delicious meals, so he decided to start vegin' out.

[almond shortbread cookies]

i reached out to vegin' out and asked them if they'd be willing to let me try some of their food. they gladly sent me a week's worth of food (SO nice of them) and it was absolutely incredible! i had whole wheat pasta with roasted garlic, tomatoes, and basil, soft vegan chocolate chip cookies, tofu chilaquiles, and a delicious orzo salad. the food was fresh, tasty, and 100% vegan.

vegin' out is perfect for the health conscious busy bee who doesn't have time to prepare things like curried yams and wild mushroom penne on a regular basis. if you're feeling crunched for time and you want to maintain a healthy, vegan lifestyle, i would highly recommend giving vegin' out a try.

vegin' out

call (800) 420-4927 to order for la delivery

retraction: tofurky is bomb

tofurky roast

so, although my last post compared torfurky to a "processed hunk of lunch meat," i must say, it is an absolutely delicious hunk of lunch meat! my mother-in-law prepared a tofurky roast in the oven for thanksgiving this year (of course i was the only one that ate it) and i was totally blown away by how much i loved it. not only did it taste very much like turkey, but the gravy and stuffing were incredible, too! and unlike real turkeys, tofurky only takes 45 minutes in the oven!

pokemon balloon at the macy's parade

although i was determined not to get so full this year that i couldn't move, i failed miserably. between the veggies and hummus, the chips and guacamole, and the soy cheese and crackers, i exceeded the comfortable limit before we even sat down for the thanksgiving meal.

now it's time to hit the gym and work off the 10,000 calories that i just consumed. i'm excited to try some new workouts in the coming weeks now that i have more free time (since the marathon is over). keep your eyes peeled for updates on new fitness studios, classes, and local deals. pop physique is next on my list!

hold the tofurky

[yum?]

i love thanksgiving. there's something to be said about a holiday where it is not only ok, but it is encouraged, to eat and drink to the point of being uncomfortable. not only that, but there are no formalities to thanksgiving. unlike holidays like christmas and rosh hashanah, you don't have to dress up for church or fast all day long -you just, well, eat!

but being vegan on thanksgiving does not mean you have to go out and buy a tofurky in order to join in the feasting fun. in fact, i would highly advise against that. (by the way, it's amazing that they can make a vegan alternative to turkey look so much like the most processed hunk of lunch meat i've ever seen). there are plenty of meat alternatives for your thanksgiving meal that are much more appetizing than this hunk of tofu. here are some recipes i've found:

holiday lentil loaf
the un-meat loaf
walnut apple stuffing
cranberry chutney
maple and tarragon sweet potatoes
more at veg kitchen and vegweb

also, the new york times wrote an article at the beginning of this month about vegan thanksgiving recipes. here is the article with the recipes. a friend of mine made the harvest-stuffed portobello mushrooms and the maple roasted brussel sprouts with toasted hazelnuts for a thanksgiving potluck the other day and they were both amazing!

[maple roasted brussel sprouts]

[stuffed portobello mushrooms]

lastly, if you're cooking your vegan thanksgiving by yourself, take some time to read this article: vegan thanksgiving 101. it gives you the basics on cooking a vegan thanksgiving meal.

happy thanksgiving, everyone!