Worldly Wednesdays: Vegan Pizza Day is this Saturday!!

According to the official Vegan Pizza Day Facebook page, Vegan Pizza Day is Saturday, June 29!

“Please join us in a worldwide celebration of the awesomeness of the vegan pizza. Vegan Pizza Day can be celebrated by anyone anywhere.”

Vegan Pizza Day is the perfect way to raise awareness about eating a plant-based diet. The sponsors this year are: Field Roast, quarrygirl, Vegan Cuts, Chicago Vegan Foods, and gallolea.

How will YOU celebrate? Here are some ideas from the Vegan Pizza Day event page:

* Make vegan pizza!
* Buy vegan pizza!
* Consume vegan pizza!
* Share vegan pizza!

If you are wondering: "How do I do these things?" Please, keep reading for some amazing suggestions about how you TOO can celebrate Vegan Pizza Day.

Make Vegan Pizza!

 

Now, more than ever, eating vegan is easy and tasty. There are many vegan products, as well as tasty meat and diary substitutes, on the market. Some of these great-tasting products include substitutes for cheese, sausage, and deli meats, all of which can be used to make a great vegan pizza! Here are some of my product recommendations for making your own pizza:

Vegan Cheese Products:
-Trader Joe’s Vegan Mozzarella-style shreds
-Daiya Mozzarella-style shreds

Vegan Meat Products:
-Trader Joe’s Italian Sausage-less Sausage
-Field Roast Italian Sausage Links




Vegan Pizza Sauce:
-Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Basil Marinara

Photo Source

Vegan Ready-Made Pizza Dough:
-Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough (ingredients vary by region, so make sure your package has a “v” on it)

Or make your own pizza dough:
www.vegan-pizza.com
www.veggieful.com


Pizza Kits!
I am very happy to announce that Vegan Cuts is selling a very special Vegan Pizza Day Party Pack in honor of Vegan Pizza Day.

 Photo Source

Buy Vegan Pizza!

 Photo Source

If you don’t want to make your own pizza from scratch, some companies sell frozen vegan pizzas. Most of these brands and products can be found in local grocery stores, such as Ralph’s, Whole Foods, and Sprouts.

• Tofurky makes cheese, pepperoni and Italian sausage frozen pizzas.

• Amy’s has a Vegan Margherita Pizza (which features Daiya cheese) and a gluten-free, vegan Rice Crust Roasted Vegetable Pizza

• Daiya now makes frozen pizzas too! Their frozen pizzas include: cheese lover’s, margherita, fire-roasted vegetable, and mushroom & roasted garlic (these are fairly new, so they might be hard to find in stores).

Bake some of these up and throw a pizza party for your friends! Or pop in a movie and just eat all the pizza by yourself- that can be fun too!

Order Vegan Pizza!

 

The following is a list of just some Los Angeles restaurants that make amazing vegan pizzas (this list is in no way exhaustive)! There's no better day than this Saturday to give these vegan pies a try. As an added bonus, many of these restaurants are offering special Saturday-only deals on their vegan pizzas in honor of the day's festivities (see below). Also see Your Daily Thread and SuperVegan for their favorite Los Angeles vegan pizza spots, as well.

• Cruzer Pizza - this pizza place is entirely vegan!

• Pizza Fusion - order the “Very Vegan” pizza

• EVO Kitchen – order the “V For Vegan” or the “Veggin' Out” (plus they have a special for Vegan Pizza Day: 10% off all Vegan fare)

• Pizzanista – order the “Vegan Cheese” or “Vegan Veggie”

• Follow Your Heart – lots of vegan options!

• Garage Pizza (Silverlake and Downtown): they have an entirely vegan pizza, as well as vegan cheese and vegan sausage as options 

*If you have time and can make it out, check out the Echo Park Vegan Pizza Day Crawl!
This special event is described as a "casual" all-day event, featuring specials from Mohawk Bend, Two Boots, Masa of Echo Park, LA Pizza Co, and Sunset Beer Co (see below and the FB event page for details)*

 Participating Restaurants:

• Two Boots (Echo Park location) - order the “V for Vegan”(plus 15% off vegan slices for Vegan Pizza Day)

• Masa of Echo Park – offers lots of vegan deep dish and thin crust pizzas (plus 25% off all Vegan deep dish pizzas) 

• Mowhawk Bend – most pizzas are vegan (unless otherwise noted). The Salad Daze pizza is one of my favorite. (Plus new signature specialty pizzas on Saturday, along with some surprises TBD)

• LA Pizza Co - (They will be offering 2 vegan slices for $4)  

 

Eat and Share your Vegan Pizza!

Pretty self-explanatory. Whether you’re going out (it is a Saturday, after all) or making some pizza at home, be a good sharer and show your friends just how good going meat-less and dairy-free can be.

So, will you take part in the festivities on Saturday? If so, how are you going to celebrate? Do you have a favorite pizza place or recipe in mind? Let me know in the comments! Enjoy and have a good one!

-S&P

Fashion & Beauty Tuesdays: Outfit Idea (A June Gloom Day at the Beach)

This outfit is inspired by a recent beach trip. The weather that day was very overcast and cloudy- it epitomized the phrase "June gloom" perfectly. I think that the best outfit on a gray, summer day is one with a comfy, flared pant (with soft pops of yellow- like the sun peeking through the clouds), a pretty blouse (with little umbrellas on it, of course), sea foam green & canary-yellow necklace, with some fun beach themed earrings, and striped tie-up sandals. Add a bright and perky makeup look to match and it just might cheer you up on a cloudy day. Check out the outfit below for details!

Details: Powder Blue & Yellow Stripe Wide-Leg Pants by Saint Grace (made in USA); Mata Traders Pleated Petal Blouse; 31Bits Eden Necklace; A Day at the Beach - Post Earrings AllPennysWorth Etsy Shop; flat slide sandals by mohop shoes; Privet Verde Eyeshadow Collection (Orglamix); Blush, Mascara and Gloss 100% Pure

-S&P

Friday Food News (+ Recipe)!

Here are some recaps from this week (in food):

 

Real Food Daily in Santa Monica is celebrating their 20th birthday TODAY (Friday, June 21st)!

Come celebrate Real Food Daily’s 20th year in business at any three of their locations (Santa Monica, WeHo and Pasadena). Check out their Facebook page for the SECRET PASSWORD in order to get-in on the special birthday discount on their menu prices.

The special discounts, by location, include: prices from their original 1993 menu at their Santa Monica location and 20% off of the current menu items at their West Hollywood & Pasadena locations.

PLUS: the Santa Monica location will be holding an actual birthday party all day today with raffles, tastings, and a toast to Ann Gentry, the creator, founder and operating owner of Real Food Daily!

Photo source: Real Food Daily

Kippy’s Non-Dairy Ice Cream Shop *soft opening* Saturday in Venice, CA! 

 

I feel that the long reign of the froyo shop may finally be coming to an end. The craze may very well be on its way out. And while the old fad slowly subsides, it will give way to a new fad in town: the non-dairy ice cream shop. What better place to start than Venice, CA? And what better product to champion a new era than raw, organic coconut-based sorbet?

Kippy’s Non-Dairy Organic Ice Cream Shop will have a soft opening this Saturday, June 22nd from 12pm-8pm. The address is 326 Lincoln Blvd, Venice, CA 90291 (on the corner of Lincoln and Rose).

Kippy Miller is the co-founder and owner of Truly Raw Gourmet. You may have seen their sorbets sold in local groceries in LA, such as Whole foods and Pacific Coast Greens. Truly Raw Gourmet’s sorbets are TRULY unique because they are all dairy free, soy free and GMO free. They also feature fresh-picked organic fruits (some of which are locally-grown), fresh organic coconut water, and are sweetened with locally-sourced raw unheated honey. The products that they distribute to groceries are created in small batches, by hand, with eco-friendly glass packaging.

I imagine that Truly Raw Gourmet’s sorbets will be the stars of the soft opening this Saturday, along with some of their non-dairy ice creams. I also hear that they have a completely 100% vegan non-dairy ice cream in the works too (which will not use honey)! It’s great to see the company branching-out and testing the waters of an ice cream shop. I predict that this just might be the start of something good.

Photo source: Truly Raw Gourmet

More Sweet News: Vegan Soft Serve Coming Soon to Cinnaholic! 

 

On the subject of non-dairy ice creams, Cinnaholic announced on their FB page this week that they will now be serving-up vegan soft serve ice cream in their Berkeley, CA store. So, let me get this straight: not only can you order an ooey-gooey, warm cinnamon roll with the icing flavor of your choice and all the topping choices you could ever dream of, but NOW you can also get it with a side of melt-y, delicious vegan soft-serve. I couldn’t think of a better way of improving, Cinnaholic! Not that you even needed improvement- you are pretty much perfect.

Photo Source: Cinnaholic

Bonus Recipe: “I Can’t Believe it’s Not Homemade” Vegan Recipe of the Week!  

Alfredo Macaroni!

Ingredients:
-Ancient Harvest Quinoa Veggie Curls Pasta

-Victoria Vegan Alfredo Sauce (made with cashews, so beware if you have a nut-allergy)

-Organic frozen vegetables (I used Earthbound Farm California-Style Blend)

-2 tbsp. olive oil

-Handful of Daiya mozarella-style shreds (or non-dairy mozzarella-style cheese of your choice)

-Salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
Bring large pot of water to a boil. Turn down the heat and add in pasta and frozen veggies. Bring back to a boil and boil pasta and veggies together for about 9 min (stirring frequently). Drain the pasta and veggies in a strainer. Pour pasta and veggies back into pot and add olive oil. Stir well. In a small sauce pan, heat your alfredo until it is hot. Turn it off and add some of your cheese, plus salt and pepper to taste. Finally, mix the heated sauce in with your noodles and veggies. Pour the rest of the cheese on top and let it melt. Serve and enjoy!

Optional: add nutritional yeast or bread crumbs and add more Daiya cheese and bake in oven @ about 350 degrees, or until crispy and brown.

Comfort food! Mmmmm.

-S&P

Fashion & Beauty Thursdays: Summer Soiree Outfits

Have any summer get-togethers coming up? Make sure that you do-yourself-up right in fashionable, yet conscious attire. These three looks will not only turn heads, but they are sure to start interesting conversations, especially when you tell your friend that your necklace was handmade in India (for a fair wage, that is!) and your cross-body purse was made with vegan “leather”. Have some fun this summer, while sharing your love for conscious and eco-friendly fashion.

Outfit #1: Ivory, Coral & Plum

This outfit is so sweet, especially with subtle hints of plum! Celebrate this sweet and bitter summer fruit, along with these other perfect summer colors in a delicate and flowy asymmetrical dress by Point Fashion and a vegan crossbody bag from Angela & Roi. Tie it all together with ivory accessories, crochet strappy wedges, and blush-pink sunglasses.

Don’t forget your makeup! Pacifica’s beautiful eyeshadow palette features a soft plum, coral, ivory and gold eyeshadow. Finish off your look with an ivory and silk creamstick, a fresh strawberry blush from 100% Pure, and a nude lip from Pacifica.

Details: Coral Floral Asymmetrical Dress by Point Fashion - 100% polyester and Made in the USA (on sale at zulily); vegan handbag by Angela & Roi (get it here); Falkor Pyramid Pendant Necklace by Hearts (handmade in India); Nunos Tagua Earrings by muichic; Toms Natural Crochet Strappy Wedges and Beachmaster Lilac sunglasses; Pacifica Enlighten EyeBrightening Mineral Eye Shadow Palette and Pacifica Color Quench Jumbo Lip Tint- Coconut Nectar; 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Strawberry Blush and Dual-Ended Creamstick(cotton/silk)

Outfit #2: Peacock

The Purple & White Tribal Romper featured here is merely for inspiration (while it has a fun tribal print, it is not USA-made or specifically eco-friendly), so you can take it or leave it (it’s on sale here). But, I thought it had a cute pattern and I loved the combination of purple and teal. Also, I found this great Hearts bag that matched it perfectly. I also love the combination of the teal and purple tribal print with these cork pumps, wooden bangles and ivory tagua earrings. I am also a big fan of this smokey, evergreen look for the eyes, paired with a strawberry lip.

 

Details: La Class Purple & White Tribal Romper (get it at zulily); Dancing Ikat Hobo by Hearts; NAE – Cork Pumps (Compassion Couture); The Olive Wood Bangle and Tagua Square Earrings by Hearts; Gabriel Gluten Free Lipstick in Sheer Pink; Wicked Eyeshadow Collection by Orglamix; JaneIredale Basic Black Eye Pencil; 100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Mascara

Outfit #3: Kale & Cherry Smoothie

This outfit reminded me of a green smoothie with ever-green skinny pants and light scarf, a soft floral blouse and cherry accessories. The eye look has a soft sage eyeshadow and grey eye pencil. Finish off the look with a cherry lip. Yum!

Details: Alayna Blouse from Alloy (made in the U.S.A.); Eco-friendly Spruce Jegging by lur apparel (get them here); Mumbai Crinkle Scarf and Antigua Weave Cuff Bracelet from Global Girlfriend; Toms Gigi Warm Red Sunglasses; Doris Redish sandals by Colorful Grass; Smoke + Mirrors Eyeshadow Collection by Orglamix; Gabriel Blush in Contour; Jane Iredale Black/Grey Eye Pencil; 100% Pure Cherry Sorbet lipgloss

Are you a fan of these looks? Would you wear any of these outfits (or something similar) to your next get-together? Let me know what you think!

-S&P

Fashion & Beauty Tuesdays: Introducing the NEW Vegan Cuts Beauty Box!!!

Vegan Cuts has a new Beauty Box!!!

 

You may know this already and it is a fact: monthly subscription boxes are really popular lately...

Courtesy of Vegan Cuts

The Vegan Cuts Snack Box is no exception. Their snack box is a monthly subscription box offering the best in vegan snack products. I am very excited to announce that NOW the Vegan Cuts website has expanded to vegan beauty products.

I personally feel that it is extremely difficult to shop for vegan beauty products. It's possibly more difficult than shopping for vegan food. Vegan beauty is not as straightforward as vegan food. There are a lot of things that go into the production of beauty products: ingredients, sourcing, testing, packaging, etc. These days, it is a little easier because so many products have the “vegan” or “cruelty free” label. But not every brand or product is using these labels yet, so you still have to search ingredient lists and do your research. That can be a pain.

Therefore, I am so glad to have Vegan Cuts as a purveyor of quality vegan beauty. Their new Vegan Cuts Beauty Box will definitely take any of the guesswork out of discovering new vegan beauty products. And it’s good to know that everything in that monthly box is Vegan Cuts-approved. Each box will include awesome brands such as: Acure, GlamNatural, and Suntegrity, to name a few.

Plus, it’s a great price. For $19.95 per month, you get to try $35+ worth of awesome vegan beauty goodies (both sample and full sizes). The box is shipped to your door (with free shipping to the US) every month! You can cancel at any time.

Courtesy of Vegan Cuts

To celebrate the launch of their very first box, which ships in July, they are offering a special box that not only comes with $60+ worth of stuff, but it also comes with a bonus gift: a $15 gift certificate to VeganChic, an online shoe & fashion accessory store. If you’ve wanted to try a monthly subscription box, this just might be the one to try! Check it out here…

-S&P

Worldly Wednesdays: Leaf Organics is CLOSING!

According to their website, Leaf Organics Vegan Café will be closing its doors. 

This will be their LAST weekend open in their Los Angeles location. Owner and chef, Rod Rotondi says that a developer, hoping to buy the property, made him an offer that he simply “couldn’t refuse.”  At this point, it is uncertain whether or not Rotondi will consider moving the restaurant to a new location. For now, he says that he is going to focus on teaching his raw food classes and selling his Leaf Organics packaged cuisine. 

The restaurant has been serving-up organic, plant-based dishes, smoothies, juices, and desserts for almost 9 years.  But, as Rotondi says: “As far as what’s next for Leaf and myself, that is a developing story… I like to think that the end of anything is the beginning of something new. I will certainly be looking to my raw food teaching, private cheffing and packaged foods- maybe another book.”

Could a Leaf Organics food truck be in the works, perhaps?  I can only dream…

If you are unable to make it out to Leaf Organics this weekend, you can always try their packaged foods at these Southern California locations:

Mother’s Market  - Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Irvine, Santa Ana
Lassen’s Natural Food & Vitamins – Ventura, Los Feliz, Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbra
Santa Monica Co-Op
Follow Your Heart – San Fernando Valley
Clark’s Nutrition and Natural Food Market – Rancho Mirage, Loma Linda
Rainbow Bridge Natural Food – Ojai
Rainbow Acres – Culver City
For more information, or to purchase any of these products, please email info@leaforganics.com.


-S&P

*Special Post* Father's Day Gift Ideas!

Father's Day Gift Ideas!

Let's face it, whenever you ask Dad what he wants for Father's Day, he always says that he doesn't "need" anything. That's fine, Dad, no one really NEEDS anything, but we all want to show our appreciation. And if you knew your daughter, you would know that she likes to find any excuse to shop (hehe). So, as a compromise, we'll just get you a little something that's also good for the earth (and humanity) too!

So here's to Dad (the humble, low-maintenance person that he is) and to another excuse to shop and buy something that's charitable and eco-friendly!

Reminder: Father's Day is this Sunday (June 16).

I hope you enjoy this very special Father's Day list of sustainable and eco-friendly gift ideas. I tried to include suggestions for all types of dads (sporty, stylish, outdoorsy, to name a few). Check it out:

Stylish Dad


Get Dad some stylish vegan dress shoes that he can show-off at work.
Carl Black Men's Wingtip Vegan Dress Shoe




This vegan belt is made from upcycled materials.
Alchemy Goods - Ballard Belt


25% of your purchase of this tie will go towards cancer research.
The Life Tie Project - Albert Necktie





Travelin' Dad

This durable, yet stylish boot is sustainably produced in fair-labor conditions, using high-quality faux-leather. It's guaranteed to be 100% vegan. 
Brave GentleMan - Worker Brown


The Vintage Military Travel Duffle bag is made from upcycled materials, including: military wool blankets, upcycled leather, and brass.
Hearts - Vintage Military Travel Duffle



This travel bag will soon become your Dad's go-to travel companion. It's made from upcycled truck inner tubes and is highly water resistant.
Alchemy Goods - Elliott Toiletry Kit






Sporty Dad


Keep is another leader in high-quality, vegan and cruelty-free footwear. Their products are also made in ethical working conditions. 
Keep Shoes - THE ELIAS Letterman Flannel




This wallet is truly ONE OF A KIND because it has been handcrafted from a deconstructed baseball glove. It doesn't get any more unique than that.
Hearts - The Grand Slam Wallet


With every purchase, Barnabas donates 10% to Living Room International's work in Western Kenya. Living Room International provides care to people living with HIV/AIDS or other life-threatening diseases. And the hat's pretty stylish, too.
Barnabas Clothing - New Logo Flatbill



When you purchase KNO clothing, they give a whopping 50% of their profits to help end homelessness.
KNO Clothing - Logo T-shirt





Foodie Dad


Fair-trade and organic coffee. This is pretty much a no-fail gift because all dads like coffee, right?
Brooklyn Roasting Company - Fair Trade, Organic Coffee



"For every kit sold, Global Grub donates a meal to someone in need through the Alameda County Community Food Bank in California." -This cause is close to my heart because I love the Bay Area. Plus they are providing food to those who absolutely need it.
Global Grub - Red Chili Tamale Kit


With 'wholesome' in the name, how could you say no? Give dad something sweet and wholesome this Father's Day. Don't forget to actually make the cake for bonus points!
Wholesome Chow - Gluten Free Chocolate Lavender Cake Mix




This is another cause that is very dear to my heart: animal rescue. 100% of the net profits from Rescue Chocolate are donated to animal rescue organizations around the US. I also chose this spicy dark chocolate bar that will bring out Dad's "adventurous side."
Rescue Chocolate - Pick Me! Pepper Chocolate Bar




Clean-cut Dad




With your purchase, you are supporting American small businesses and American-made products. Plus their products are all-natural.
Imperial Barber Products USA - Shave Bundle






"BeadforLife works with shea nut gatherers in Northern Uganda to break the ongoing poverty cycle in the region. Your purchase helps over 700 families in Northern Uganda earn the income to feed their families, educate their children, and rebuild their lives. BeadforLife empowers women by creating global markets for their products."
BeadforLife - Shea Essential Collection


Give Dad the gift of this truly safe personal care-item. Soapwalla's Deodorant Cream is free from harmful chemicals. It's a natural deodorant that really works and won't leave Dad feeling sweaty and stinky.
Soapwalla Deodorant Cream





Outdoorsy Dad


This gift is a splurge, but is guaranteed to get lots of use. While Dad's exploring, this bag will charge all of his handheld electronics. Plus it has plenty of storage space.
OffGrid Solar Backpack



Like the backpack, this solar-powered device will charge Dad's smartphone while he's out exploring. But it's more reasonably-priced. 
Off Grid Solutions - WakaWaka Power personal solar charger and lamp for smartphones




Make sure Dad doesn't get any insect bites with this natural inset repellent. This spray is free of chemicals and preservatives and uses Neem oil, which has been found to be a very powerful insect repellent.
JustNeem - Adios Outdoor Spray



"Katavi's natural mineral formula combines certified organic ingredients like green tea and rose hip antioxidants with pure non-nano zinc oxide for the very best in natural sun protection." Katavi partners with non-profits to help bring proper sun protection products, research, and education to those in need. By buying their products, you are not only are protecting yourself, you are helping others, as well.
Katavi Sunscreen


As you may know, Toms the pioneers of the "one-for-one" philosophy and makers of the popular shoes, have now started to sell sunglasses. In the same way that purchasing Toms shoes gives back to those in need, the purchase of Toms eyewear helps to provide treatments to restore sight in those who need it most.
Toms - Culver Black



Help Dad be more eco-friendly this year. This stainless steel reusable water bottle is BPA and Lead Free.
Nimbus Bottle


I hope you enjoyed this list and I hope you have a happy Father's Day! What are you getting Dad for Father's Day?

-S&P