Monday, February 12, 2007

Green Weddings, Sheese Review, & Hempmilk


My wedding was one of the most exhilarating days ever. Darryl and I got married at the Regency Building in San Francisco in a Gothic room of dark reds and large fancy chandeliers. Our guests dressed in period costumes as we wed on the weekend before Halloween. The pictures were dreamy and the experience is something of a blur but unforgettable. These days, "green" weddings are becoming the rage. Gathering at an organic farm for the ceremony, carrying a bouquet of local flowers, sipping sparkling wine from the nearby winery, and dining on vegan meals featuring seasonal produce from the farm at which you are tying the knot. Sounds so responsible its sick. I LOVE IT! Going the extra green mile (literally), some couples plan to offset carbon usage via guests being transported to the event by purchasing carbon credits from companies like TerraPass. Companies as such finance wind power plants and projects that collect cow manure and use it to make methane that is burned for electricity. This replaces coal and stops emissions from unburned methane which itself is a global warming gas. TerraPass figures out how much of the carbon credits to buy depending on the method and how far you are traveling. For example, airlines say that each gallon of gas (either jet or car) moves a passenger about 20 miles, so a 1000 mile trip uses about 50 gallons. This would cost you $9.95 at TerraPass, to offset the carbon released by your travels. Read the article in the NY Times for info on specialty services to make your party guests green with envy. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/fashion/11green.html?_r=1&ref=style&oref=slogin

Sheese, the most talked about product in the vegan community lately, is as good as people say it is. I CANNOT tell you how delicious the "blue cheese" flavor is. I am going to try, but honestly, its THAT good. I opened up the package I ordered from FOOD FIGHT in Oregon, knowing my Sheese awaited me inside. At first I hesitated because the package says to "keep refrigerated" but obviously it had to travel to me from Portland. So, I set it in the fridge and tried not to be paranoid a few hours later when I dove in with a fork to try it out. Shocking. The texture is hard, not rubbery. The flavor is tangy and creamy without the moldy yuck of real blue cheese. This is PERFECT for a sandwich. Its salty and tasty, not flavorless, rubbery and gag worthy. I have not attempted to melt it yet, apparently its a challenge but it tastes so good I don't care. I have yet to try the cheddar and chive, I promise to give you my reaction as soon as I do. At $9 a package, this damn cheese better be good, right? Well, I can say that I would rather eat this than some imported cheese from France that is loaded with rennet and god knows what else. I even think Sheese would hold up in accompanying a good glass of vino!
Yes, this cheese product is imported from a company called Black Duck Imports. I am not sure how far this product must travel to get to my fridge, but I sent an email asking. I will keep you posted on how many carbon credits we have to buy to make up for this!

Living Harvest just announced the launch of the first shelf stable hempmilk product. I am thrilled to see an alternative to nut and soy milks. My husband is allergic to most nuts, and isn't wild about soy milk. How many complaints do we have to hear about the soy issue....ugh, I am going for the hemp! I ordered the chocolate flavor - DOWNRIGHT delicious! I was really impressed. Thick, rich chocolately goodness made from whole hemp nuts. Hemp nuts have a balanced source of omega 3 and omega 6 essential fatty acids, all 10 essential amino acids, vitamins A, B2, B12, D, E, folic acid, naturally occurring minerals magnesium, iron, potassium, and phosphorus PLUS 46% of recommended daily calcium. I am excited to try the original and vanilla flavors now.

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