Green Smoothies

How did I not know about green smoothies 'til now? I'm the smoothie queen - whippin' up all sorts of wicked concoctions - yet it never occurred to me to add greens.

Basically, take any smoothie recipe you like, add a couple handfuls of chopped greens, and blend well. I made a green smoothie yesterday with spinach (yum) and another with arugula (never again) and romaine. Even though I added a negligible amount of arugula, the peppery taste permeated the smoothie - too much for my liking. This morning's smoothie was stellar though:

• 1/2 C water
• 1/2 C coconut water
• 1/2 of a lime, juiced
• 1 medium banana
• frozen pineapple chunks (maybe 1/3 C)
• 1/4 of a papaya
• 1 T cilantro leaves, packed
• 1/2 T ground flax
• 1 t chopped ginger
• 2 handfuls of chopped greens (kale, mustard greens and collards)

Except for the arugula fiasco, you cannot taste the greens over the fruit. I did notice the cilantro in this morning's smoothie, but I wanted to. It was a lovely, subtle flavor that complimented the tropical fruits beautifully.

What's your footprint, baby?

During a discussion with my neighbors about our efforts to become more green, I was reminded of the Earth Day Footprint Quiz. Simply answer a few multiple choice questions and you shall learn how many planets it would take to support our population if everyone lived like you. Basically, it makes us all look like assholes.

As green as I am, my score is 12 acres mostly due to the size of my residence and the fact that I live alone (I guess Vinny doesn't count). A score of 12 acres means that if everyone lived as I do, we would need 2.8 planets. Depressing.

So what's your score? Don't feel bad if it's worse than mine - I suspect most will be.

Providence Bridge Pedal

The Providence Bridge Pedal is an annual event in Portland (this is the 11th year) that allows bicyclists to ride across all of Portland's bridges on the Willamette River. There are three registration options for bikers; you can cross 6, 8 or 10 bridges. I have decided to register for the 6-bridge route, which at 14 miles is about all I'm capable of completing at my current fitness level.

The event benefits the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and the Providence Women and Heart Disease Program.

More to come...

My favorite vegan books

I recently looked through a forum thread on The PPK site where visitors offered their top 10 vegan cookbooks. Well, here are my top 10 cookbooks AND my top 10 general veganism books -- in no particular order. Check out my Amazon.com Listmania for more info, reviews, purchasing options, etc...

Cookbooks - vegan cooking is neither boring nor depriving!

1. How it All Vegan
2. Garden of Vegan
3. La Dolce Vegan
4. Vegan with a Vengeance
5. Native Foods
6. Real Food Daily
7. The Candle Cafe Cookbook
8. The Everyday Vegan
9. The Complete Vegan Cookbook
10. The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen
    

Other books on veganism - these are the books that will change your life and keep you vegan forever!

1. The China Study
2. Diet for a New America
3. The Food Revolution
4. Mad Cowboy
5. Becoming Vegan
6. The Vegan Sourcebook
7. Vegan Freak
8. Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating
9. The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention
   
10. The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter
    

I *heart* Portland

Portland is a great city. Over the past few years I've come to realize that I wouldn't consider living anywhere else. (At least not in the U.S. Europe, on the other hand...)

Portland was recently name the best city in the U.S. for bicycling, sustainability, and veg*nism. If you don't live in Portland, you should come here on your next vacation and check it out. If you do live here, keep Portland #1 by riding your bike, living green, and eating plant foods while foresaking all others. Below are links to the three "best of" articles.

• Best Vegetarian-Friendly City (GoVeg.com)
• Most Sustainable City (SustainLane)
• Best Bicycling City (Bicycling Magazine)
  
  

Tips for becoming green

I saw a great television special a couple of years ago on the Fine Living channel titled "50 Ways to Save the Planet."

Some of these things I've done for decades, and many others have more recently become permanent fixtures in my life. For example, I sold my car and now walk or bike everywhere I can. I also use cold water to wash my clothes, have eliminated all harmful cleaners from my home, and buy in bulk whenever possible. Now I'm adding #50 to my list by sharing this list with you.

Take a look at the list to see how you're already making a difference and how many more small changes you can make to save the planet.

But I must point out one glaring omission that can provide greater environmental benefits than many other tips on the list. Stop eating meat! Most of my vegan cooking and lifestyle books discuss the environmental impact of meat production, but I think John Robbins and Howard Lyman make the most compelling arguments. I encourage you to peruse their sites and read their books to learn all you can -- and pass it on!

Flexcar

The Oregonian called me a couple of weeks ago to ask if I'd be willing to disclose the details of my Flexcar travels during a week in May. The idea of the story (actually, a side bar to an article about Flexcar) was to follow a car for a week. It just happened to be the car I reserve, which is parked two blocks from my house. After reading Follow that car, you'll see that Vinny's the one who uses the car - not me.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Flexcar, give their site a look to learn about the program. I absolutely love it. If my feet, bike or Tri-Met can't get me where I need to go when I need to go, Flexcar's got my back.