Earth Friendly

Spring will officially be here on March 20. Although there isn’t any guarantee that the weather will be warmer, it’s still a date to look forward to. So what are your plans for this summer? Maybe you’ve always wanted to take a hiking or camping trip in the mountains. If enjoying the outdoors is going to be a part of your spring/summer itinerary, you should know how to maintain your vegetarian diet while your living off of the land. It might be easier than you thought, and you can always pack some extra snacks to have on hand. To learn more about vegetarian foods in the wild, check out Hunting Vegetarian Style Part 1 and Part 2 .

During the winter season, spicy food can be the perfect thing to keep you warm. Hector Kabande has an interesting collection of spicy recipes on his blog such as hot meatball soup, super-hot chipotle butter, red hot chili and chiles capones.

Hector Kabande lives in the U.S. and Mexico, and he’s a hotel executive. Hector Kabande offers the best Mexican recipes, because he’s an expert cook who focuses on incorporating hot peppers into his dishes. If spicy food is not what you normally order or cook at home, try the butter recipe. You can serve the butter on bread or crackers and cheese, which can help keep the spiciness tolerable.

After a while, local restaurants and family recipes can become boring. When you can spice up your diet, it can bring your love of food back and you might even find yourself eating healthier. Wangethi Mwangi is a journalist who works as the Editorial Director of the Nation Media Group in Kenya. From his experience in Kenya, Wangethi Mwangi has started a collection of cultural recipes.

Wangethi Mwangi has a recipe for irio, githeri, chapatti and Kenyan fish stew. Many of these recipes require vegetables such as beans and corn, so if you don’t normally like these vegetables, it’s worth trying them in a different recipe. These Kenyan dishes also have a balance of protein and carbohydrates.

Chocolate is one of my guilty pleasures, and what better time to indulge than during the holidays? When you are gathering with friends and family, sweet chocolaty treats make a great addition to the selection of holiday goodies.

Chocolate fountains can help make your guests more active and sociable. Plus, you can cut up a spread of organic or locally grown fruit such as strawberries, kiwi, pineapple and grapes. For your vegan friends, you can provide a selection of dark chocolates along with assorted nuts.

Even if you have a challenging person to buy for, consider holiday tins of chocolate or nuts. Check out Fannie May if you are looking for baskets, tins, towers or gift boxes of sweet chocolaty pleasures.

Having a few pieces of chocolate can actually help lift your mood, so enjoy it before you make your resolution to give up sweets.

I think I have surprised myself, because I have turned into a crazy coupon cutter. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so if you have loans, credit card bills, car payments, rent, mortgage, etc., you might want to consider cutting corners in the food department. Unfortunately, many of the coupons online have to be printed out, but I recently discovered that Giant Eagle (and probably other grocery stores) have online coupons that can be applied to your membership card. When I checked out the coupons for Giant Eagle, there were only six, but I have a feeling that more will become available this way once people start taking advantage of it.

To a vegetarian or vegan, a traditional Thanksgiving dinner can be one of the most uncomfortable experiences. It’s particularly uncomfortable if you are meeting your significant other’s family for the first time. People might question your reasons for not eating meat and some might be offended. In my experience, I have had people become upset while others have seemed genuinely interested in my decision. Regardless of how people react to your lifestyle, it’s best to remain calm and avoid preaching. This is supposed to be a relaxing time for people to get together, so I usually don’t draw attention to my eating habits unless someone else brings it up. This doesn’t mean I’m not proud of being a vegetarian, but there’s a time and a place to argue and Thanksgiving dinner is just not the time. However, more often than not, I find that people want to know more about my choice, and it’s always a good feeling when you can enlighten others.

This Thanksgiving consider reducing your consumption of meat by creating a decadent Thanksgiving dinner that is vegan. There are many alternatives when it comes to getting a vegan turkey. So check out your options and keep an open mind. I still have yet to try Tofurkey, but I would really like to give it a try this holiday. I think my favorite side dishes are broccoli and cheese and mashed potatoes with gravy. While I still eat cheese (only because I’m addicted), I still have tried the fake cheeses. Many have come a long way and can be melted. For the gravy, just make sure to buy the gravy mixes that don’t contain beef or chicken stock. They are actually easy to come by.

November and December are two of the biggest selling months for wine, and sitting near your fireplace during these cold months with a glass of organic wine is all you need for a relaxing holiday season. If you want to refrain from hibernating, check out a local winery or vineyard to see how wine is made. It’s an interesting experience where you can taste a variety of wines. There are many organic ones throughout the country, so if you are able to check out one it’s worth it. You can re-stock your own collection of organic wine and get a few bottles as presents for friends and family.

First of all, winter is approaching so you might start finding yourself indoors more than usual. Second, with the unstable economy, spending more time indoors might be a way for you to save money. These two reasons are why you should consider hosting small gatherings so you can maintain somewhat of a social life. Appetizers like pumpernickel bread and spinach dip are easy and cheap to make. They are also fairly healthy and limit your need to drive and spend money on restaurant food. Even tea and cookies or another dessert can be served if you are going to play a game or watch a movie. 

One way to save money is to decrease your consumption of meat. If your trying to find ways to scrimp and save, adopt a vegetarian diet and see how you much you save. Canned beans are great to have in the cupboards, because they have a long shelf life and they are easy to incorporate into different meals. Add garbanzo beans to a salad for protein or add Northern beans to your greens. Beans and rice has been known as the poor man’s meal, and lentil beans are extremely healthy for you. So eliminate meat from your diet and see how much you save.