Wednesday on The Dr. Oz Show

See what's coming up next on The Dr. Oz Show.

Check out the show and see what you think. The documentary looks great! I can't wait to see it :)

Vegan Shepherd's Pie

I love shepherd's pie! Nothing says home cooked comfort like tender cooked veggies and mashed potatoes. Yummy! I know there are many varying recipes for shepherd's pie, but here's one that I "veganized" from a magazine. I think you'll enjoy it and plus it gives you the option to be creative and add any veggies you love. I know the ingredients look like a lot but it's not I promise. Feel free to however edit things out that you don't like or don't have on hand. You can really be creative with this comfort food classic. Try it for a nice Sunday dinner!


Two Sisters' Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:
- 4 small Russet potatoes (feel free to use another potato if you prefer)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 large leek, white and green parts thinly sliced (if you're not a leek fan feel free to you a nice onion or a bunch of chives)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped bite size
- 2 turnips or daikon radishes, whichever you prefer
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/4 lb of fresh green beans, trimmed and chopped bite size
- 5 cloves of garlic (or more if you're like me and love garlic)
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth (I like Central Market Organics)
- 3 large Swiss chard leaves, torn into small pieces (feel free to change this up with spinach or kale if you prefer)
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 2 cups cooked cannellini beans (you can easily use canned beans too, just be sure to read the label, Central Market Organics has a great line of beans and the only ingredients are beans and sea salt)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup non-dairy milk
- 2 tbsp non-dairy sour cream (Tofutti makes a great one)
- chopped fresh chives

Directions:
1. Preheat oven for 400 degrees. Place potatoes in a pot with enough cold water to cover all of them. Bring water to a boil and then cover and reduce heat. Simmer potatoes for approximately 15 minutes or until they fork tender. Once the potatoes are done boiling drain and place aside. We will be back for them.

2. While potatoes are boiling add oil to a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add leeks and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add carrots, turnips, peas, green beans, and garlic and saute for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until veggies begin to soften and brown bits form on the bottom of the pot. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth and begin scrapping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan as the broth begins to evaporate.

3. Next add chard and thyme and saute until the chard wilts. Add beans, the remaining broth, salt, and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. This is an important part, taste the veggie mix. It's always important to taste your food while you cook. It may need more salt for you or maybe more pepper, or maybe you have a go to seasoning that you think it's missing, add and simmer for another minute or two.

4. While the veggies are cooking, start mashing the potatoes with a masher. Add non-dairy milk and continue to mash and whip until potatoes are almost smooth. Next add the non-dairy sour cream and chives. I like to add a little bit of salt and pepper to taste, but you don't have too.

5. Place veggie mixture in a 10-in pie dish. spread mashed potatoes over the top of the vegetables covering the entire pie dish. Place pie dish on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake until vegetable mix bubbles and the potatoes star to turn brown, approximately 20 minutes.

6. Once done, allow to cool about 10 minutes and then spoon full into shallow bowls. Feel free to top it with some non-dairy cheese like Follow Your Heart or Daiya.

*Want a fun twist? Try roasting the garlic first or try adding a little horseradish to the mashed potatoes for a little kick. Or for a more buttery taste to the mashed potatoes feel free to add a little non-dairy butter like Earth Balance. Go crazy! There's no wrong way to do it!

The Coolest French Bulldog

I had to share this adorable video! Hope you have a wonderful Friday and an awesome Earth Day!

Earth Day... It's Upon Us

Earth Day is almost here! In fact, it's tomorrow! How will you be celebrating? We only have one Earth and every little bit helps. You already do your part by being vegan! Way to go you! Just by being vegan you do not pay into the industry that abuses animals, poisons our environment, and cuts down thousands of trees every year. Good for you! But how will you celebrate Earth Day this year? For those of you drawing blanks, the Two Vegan Sisters are here to the rescue. We have compiled a list of great ideas that can help you do just one more little thing to help celebrate our Earth and improve our environment while having fun. Enjoy!

21 Fun Things To Do on Earth Day:

• Plant a tree
• Plant a garden (if you live an apartment, plant an herb garden)
• Bike or walk to work
• Start a compost
• Recycled Crafts – do a craft project with the kids using only things found in your house. Like turn that plastic bottle into a paper mache piggy bank! Be creative with it!
• Go to an Earth Day event, like Mix 94.7’s Party for the Planet at Carlos’ n’ Charlie’s
• For all you Shopoholics – go to your local thrift store instead of buying new
• Go for a hike or a nature walk with the whole family
• Take your dog on a walk or a run at Town Lake
• Check out a Farmers’ Market (we have a whole page dedicated to them, find the one nearest you)
• Recycle all the plastic bags in your house and replace them with new reusable ones from your favorite grocery store.
• Recycle all of the plastic bottles in your house and replace them with a Brita filter for inside the fridge or right on your faucet
• Have a picnic with the kids or a romantic picnic with your honey
• Make a nature craft with the kids like a bird feeder or a bird house
• Do some spring cleaning and get the kids involved. Encourage your kids to recycle old toys, games, and clothes. Teach your kids the benefits of recycling their toys and how paying it forward benefits everyone!
• Wear Green! Or better yet, make a t-shirt with the kiddos as a fun arts and craft project. You can make a statement or wear a funny slogan like “No trees were harmed in the making of this shirt” or “Tree Hugger”
• Make a fun scavenger hunt with the kids where it’s all about the environment, recycling, or all things green
• Go Camping
• Change all the light bulbs in your house to energy efficient light bulbs
• Change all of your bills to paperless
• Get outside and play! Go play ball, tag, or even hide and go seek!

Remember, although Earth day comes once a year, you can celebrate the Earth all year long. Try extending your Earth day to the whole weekend. Do one item from the list each day!

Where the Wilde Things Are

Although, this is a reference to one of my favorite books growing up, I'm not talking about those Wild Things. I'm talking about Olivia Wilde's website, Wilde Things. For those of you who don't know her, Olivia Wilde is the actress who plays "Thirteen" on House. And guess what?!? She's a vegan. Just one of the many beautiful women of the world that proves that you don't need meat to be stunning. This vegan activist actress also has a great website dedicated to her thoughts, feelings, and of course being vegan. It's great insight to a pretty cool lady. Check it out and let us know what you think!

A Kind Bucket List

I came across the coolest thing yesterday. On down time at work, I like to cruise the Internet for new things and all things vegan. I was stoked to find on VegNews.com a vegan bucket list. How cool, I thought. So I of course had to check it out. I was enthralled with all of the fun things to do on the list that ranged all over the United States. Things like visiting the Mini Vegan Mall in Portland, Oregon. Or taking a vegan tour of Los Angeles. Along with cool destinations, I also found on the list great places to order vegan items, like jewelry, clothing, and of course food. I also found Chicago Soydairy. This is a cool company out of, you guessed it, Chicago. They make "cheese," marshmallows, and even vegan mozzarella sticks! And the best part, you can order their stuff online. As I was drooling over all of their products I realized that I had heard the name before, and that's when I remembered... Hoboken Pies, right here is ATX. That's right, we have a pizza place right here in town that, by request, can make your specially designed pizza with Chicago Soydairy Cheese! Check out Hoboken Pies here.

Although I loved the list on VegNews, which by the way check it out here, I was sad not see anything for Austin, although there was a shout out for Texas. So how about it? What would your vegan bucket list include? Anything from our great city of Austin? Maybe Hoboken Pies could make the list. Or better yet maybe make a day of trying all the pizza places in town that serve vegan cheese and see which one you like best. Sounds Yummy to me :) But then, I'm one of those give me pizza or give me death kinda gals :)

So, what's on your Vegan Bucket List???

No-Bunny was Harmed

When I think of Easter, I think of candy. It doesn't help that whenever I go into any store right now there are aisles and aisles full of every sweet confection you can think of. But what's a vegan to do? Make my own of course! For Christmas this last year, I made vegan treats for my family and one recipe that I thought turned out especially well was my vegan peanut butter cups. They are super easy to make, they just take a little bit of time, but trust me they are totally worth it!


No Bunny Harmed Peanut Butter Cups

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (I like Sunspire)
1 cup natural peanut butter (creamy is best but if you're feeling adventurous try crunchy)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup vegan powdered sugar

Directions:
1. To make big peanut butter cups, cut the top half of the muffin cups to where they are about half the original height for 12 paper muffin cups or you can buy the candy cups that look like tiny muffin cups. Whichever you prefer.

2. Melt the chocolate chips by microwaving them for about 2 minutes at 50% power in a glass or microwaveable bowl.  Stir until creamy, you might need to microwave them a little more.  Make sure you do not overcook them. Using a spoon, spread a layer of the chocolate evenly within the muffin cups making sure you fill the crevices on the sides.  Place the coated muffin cups in the freezer until the chocolate hardens.

3. In another bowl, combine the peanut butter and salt, and then fold in the powdered sugar. Microwave the mixture for about 1 minute. Stir until well mixed and then allow to cool.

4. Once the peanut butter mixture is cooled but still soft, spoon the peanut butter into the chocolate cups leaving a little room for the top layer of chocolate. You have the option of putting the top layer of chocolate on now or after the peanut butter has hardened in the freezer. I highly suggest waiting for the peanut butter to harden, it works a little easier, but it's up to you.

5. Then you will top the the peanut butter with the rest of the chocolate mixture until the peanut butter is all covered.

6. Place the cups in the freezer and wait about an hour.


*Just a side note, these cups don't have to be pretty. Trust me they will be so yummy that your friends and family won't care. Feel free to spice it up by using decorative muffin cups or you can put handfuls of the smaller ones in fun little Easter bags. Just have fun with it!

Hoppy Easter!

Being a Vegan and Kathy Freston

Kathy Freston on the Ellen Degeneres Show

In my opinion, I think so many people are not vegans because they refuse to see the truth about what they are eating. Sadly, our society chooses convenience over our own health and the welfare of others. I strongly believe that if more people would ask questions about where their food comes from and the cruelty that animals endure in our farming industry, I think more and more of us would be vegans. I, like many people, had a hard time accepting these horrible stories as truths. It wasn't until I started doing my own asking and reading, that I realized the horrors that plague our farming industry and the horrible abuse that we humans inflict on defenseless animals.

When I am so often asked, "why are you a vegan?" so many answers run through my head at once. And although I would love to tell that person all of them, they are usually only mildly peaked with interest as to why I, as a big strong human, top of the food chain, would choose to eat plants rather than MEAT. I have found over the last several months of being a vegan an answer that is short and sweet and encompasses the true and honest way I feel about meat. I tell them that I am not interested in having any part in the abuse of another living thing, therefore I choose not to eat meat or any meat by-products.

Having said that, I came across a wonderful book at the book store today. For those of you that watch the Ellen Degeneres Show, you probably caught the episode with Kathy Freston. First let me say, awesome woman! She's just one of those people that I would love to sit down and have a cup of coffee with. For those of you that do not know her, she is a vegan activist that takes a spiritual approach to health and diet. Anyways, while in the book store today, I came across her book Veganist. I of course grabbed it and immediately found a cozy seat and curled up ready to soak it all in. I almost immediately got stuck on the chapter about the horror stories of how and where our food comes from. There were a couple of stories in the book, that to say the least were not for the faint hearted, but that were about undercover "agents" in different aspects of our food industry. There was a story about our chicken industry, one about our egg industry, and another about our dairy industry. This brings me to my first point, that if people would really put two and two together and see our farming industry for what it is, I think more people would be vegans. The atrocities described in these select stories were enough to make my stomach churn and my heart ache. And although I wanted to put the book down, I knew I had to finish the story. I knew that I had to read it for myself. Although that particular chapter made me physically and emotionally sick, above all else, it actually made me glad to know that I don't contribute to those animals' pain.

The rest of the book is not nearly as sad but equally thought provoking. It's filled with wonderful insight and powerful knowledge of how diet heals us, inside and out and how little changes can save the world. Check it out for yourself or buy it here.

You can also read more on Kathy at http://www.kathyfreston.com/

Eat well my friends

and harm none

Only in Austin...

Those of us that consider ourselves to be native Austinites will surely have noticed the influx in trailer eateries all over town. While at first it started out as a kitchy weird Austin kind of a thing, they have slowly but surely infiltrated the entire city. You can now find trailer eateries all over town. They range in type, cuisine, location, and price. What once was a trailer park where people lived has now become local watering holes to eat and hang out. These trailers bring a certain uniqueness to our town that of which can only be "Austin weird."

Being a fan of these cool food trailers, I was, of course, excited when my brother in-law turned me onto a new iPhone app called Austin Food Carts. You can find it at the Apple app store and download it for free or you can check out their website and follow them on twitter at http://www.austinfoodcarts.com/. This nifty little app is great for vegan and ominivores alike. Once you download it, you can use it to find certain cuisine types, including vegan of course :) or you can search your area or search by name. They have categories ranging from African food to Yogurt and everything in between. Once you find a place that sounds good, the app offers you maps, addresses, websites, and even menus. How cool is that? I have already found my next vegan destination, Biscuits and Groovy. Let me kow if you've tried it.

Check it out and see what you think, because only is Austin would trailer parks be cool :)

Conscious Cravings

Although its only a little after eight o'clock, I already find myself wondering what I can do for lunch today. Hmmm.... I'm one of those people that love food and am usually hungry. In fact, to be honest, you can usually find me eating :) so of course you would find me already pondering my lunch endeavors so soon after waking. If you're looking for a new yummy lunch on the go you should check out Conscious Cravings. It's a food trailer just off Guadalupe near campus. It's actually in a cluster of trailer eateries on MLK, but Conscious Cravings is the only vegetarian one. It's a wonderful combination of vegetarian and Indian cuisine (many items are vegan as well). They have wraps, smoothies, and ice cold drinks. My favorite wrap is the spicy chickpea wrap. I promise it will change your life! They have picnic tables to sit and enjoy your food or you can take it to go. Try 'em today!

You can also check out their menu online at http://www.consciouscravingsaustin.com/

Gettin' Fresh with Greenling

I love going to Whole Foods, but as of lately I haven't been able to get to the downtown location early enough and by the afternoon it's gridlock downtown and I usually arrive at the store grumpy. But what's a vegan to do? I have to get fresh produce. Well, I happened to stumble upon this great service that I am so excited to try that can totally be a fix for the grocery store blues. The service is called Greenling.

Greenling delivers farm fresh produce right to your door! You can choose their weekly box or you can customize your own from a long list of seasonal goodies. They use locally grown and organic produce so you know where your food comes from and better yet, on their website you can check out all of their farmers. Once you set up an account and place an order your produce is then delivered right to your front door in a cooler box. It can stay cool in the shade for hours. How cool is that? And my favorite part, when you order the local box they also provide recipes for all the produce you get, so you can plan meals accordingly and nothing you buy has to go to waste! I think they actually may have thought of everything!

Check them out when you get a chance. It's a great way to know exactly where your food comes from and since it's all locally grown you know you will be eating in season which is not just beneficial to you but beneficial to the enviroment as well.

Just a side note, they not only deliver produce, but they can also do gourmet baskets and they also do boxes of local goods that the farmers make, things like beer and wine or jam. You just have to check them out for yourself! Please feel free to post if you used Greenling before and tell me about the experience.

http://www.greenling.com/

Happy Eating!