Coffee in New Jersey? TERRIBLE! Hellllooooo Teavana

Typical of someone moving from San Francisco to South Orange, New Jersey, I am disgusted by the coffee here. Options are Starbucks or cafes serving shit water in a mug. San Franciscans are seriously spoiled and now I am forever ruined living here with no coffee options. We basically stick to making coffee at home, there is one company here in New York called Irving Farm and they make some delicious coffee but it ain't cheap.
Low and behold, a small wonder lurks inside the Short Hills mall (try not to gag.) Teavana. I was "teaducated" by my good friend Rebeca who is a tea genius. We ordered a hot tea there last week - it was just the jasmine green tea with a bit of sweetener (some fancy german sugar) and since then I have been back three times! My second visit I had green tea mixed with a citrus flavored tea and it was delicious.
I have never been a fan of MATE teas. Talk about gross. BUT, today I tried Morning Mate tea with a bit of sweetener and it was unique in its chocolatey nutty flavor that I bought some to bring home. Tea is not cheap, but it is so much better for you than coffee. The amount of teas to choose from is overwhelming but the woman who works there is super knowledgable and always comes up with some unusually tasty blends. Just tell them how much caffeine, hot or cold, sweet or not and they will give you whiffs of various teas until you fall in love with one or two. The other bonus of this new discovery is that I don't have to worry about the milk debacle. I don't need milk in my tea so its a non-issue.
Today I had to read a story to my daughters class and I just ingested a huge cup of tea with 100% caffeine. I was a little nervous I was gonna sweat and freak out because of the anxiety caffeine can bring about but I was totally fine and I even feel a little snoozy, not all high. Needless to say, I am a tealiever.

Cinnamon YUMMIES

Suddenly I have 2 items to report that are both hosting lil' miss cinnamon. I am on a waffle-a-thon for breakfast because they make such delicious, easy waffles with lots of great ingredients like Omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. (Think Dr. Oz on Oprah)
Both of these can be found at your local Whole Foods, although the yogurt is fairly new so you may need to request it.

1. TURTLE MOUNTAIN SO DELICIOUS Cinnamon Bun Yogurt - complete with B12, CRUCIAL for vegans!!! This smooth and creamy number really is decadent, so dreamy and SO good for you! It has 3 grams of fiber, 6 grams protein and 30% of your daily b12. Not bad!

2. MAPLE CINNAMON Waffles by Lifestream/ Nature's Path - Like cinnamon toast, these yummy treats provide 4 grams of protein and fiber. (2 waffles in a serving) Add some soy butter and YUM!

How much pesticide are you eating?

I am not so great about washing every fruit and vegetable I eat. I somehow assume that I can handle a few germs or ickies that are lurking. Foodnews.org makes it easy on us by charting the highest to lowest pesticide loads for each fruit and vegetable. Peaches are number 1 (the worst for pesticides) while onions are the best and close to pesticide free. This chart will determine which items might need special produce wash beyond the plain water rinse. OR, just be sure to buy organic (almost always a better option.)

The Full List: 43 Fruits & Veggies

RANK	FRUIT OR VEGGIE	SCORE
1 (worst)	Peaches	100 (highest pesticide load)
2	Apples	96
3	Sweet Bell Peppers	86
4	Celery	85
5	Nectarines	84
6	Strawberries	83
7	Cherries	75
8	Lettuce	69
9	Grapes - Imported	68
10	Pears	65
11	Spinach	60
12	Potatoes	58
13	Carrots	57
14	Green Beans	55
15	Hot Peppers	53
16	Cucumbers	52
17	Raspberries	47
18	Plums	46
19	Oranges	46
20	Grapes-Domestic	46
21	Cauliflower	39
22	Tangerine	38
23	Mushrooms	37
24	Cantaloupe	34
25	Lemon	31
26	Honeydew Melon	31
27	Grapefruit	31
28	Winter Squash	31
29	Tomatoes	30
30	Sweet Potatoes	30
31	Watermelon	25
32	Blueberries	24
33	Papaya	21
34	Eggplant	19
35	Broccoli	18
36	Cabbage	17
37	Bananas	16
38	Kiwi	14
39	Asparagus	11
40	Sweet Peas-Frozen	11
41	Mango	9
42	Pineapples	7
43	Sweet Corn-Frozen	2
44	Avocado	1
45 (best)	Onions	1 (lowest pesticide load)

Fish Ranch

Growing up in the East Bay (in relation to San Francisco) I was always so confused by this exit off the freeway in Berkeley called "Fish Ranch Road." Now I know that Berkeley in its activist ways was just warning us of the trouble to come. 60 minutes featured the grim future of Blue fin Tuna. The fattier the better, these big blues have become a commodity and is featured in your local GROSS-ery stores. Sushi is big business. Even the Mitsubishi's are in the sushi biz, buying up boatloads of blue fins as they come into shore.
Basically, fish are even falling victim to factory farming. The insatiable need for this fish at sushi restaurants has created a demand that can no longer be met. Now, "fish ranches" have been developed to keep the fish fattened up with sardines, then reeled in to be flash frozen in -75 degree Fahrenheit, sawed up into chunks and served up for $.50 at some crap sushi restaurants.
Just wait friends, soon enough meat and fish and animal products will come at a premium, not .5o cents for 2 slices of a fish's body on vinegar/sugar rice. I will keep hoping for that day to come....I suppose I should write it down in light of THE SECRET.

The joy of Chocolate Chips

I cannot tell you how addicted I have become to the chocolate chip. I pretty much can't settle on a dessert that doesn't incorporate my little brown friend. My husband and I have discovered a ridiculous recipe for "chewy granola bars" in Vegetarian Times Magazine. There are a few details I have added just in case you are allergic to nuts or cannot find some ingredients on the list. So FAR from healthy, these granola bars will grab and run away FAST with your willpower. You have been warned, but please ignore it.

CHEWY GRANOLA BARS


Vegetarian Times Issue: July 1, 2007 p.78 — Member Rating: 1111
These treats will be just as tender and chewy at the end of the vacation as they were at the start (if they last that long).
Ingredient List

Makes 25 squares

* 2 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
* 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
* 1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. salt, divided
* 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots (I like dried cherries better)
* 1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips (if you can't find mini just use regular)
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (eew, I don't add these, I am not fond of walnuts)
* 1 cup packed light brown sugar
* 1/2 cup maple syrup
* 1/2 cup almond butter (if you are allergic to nuts, use soynut butter)
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 2 large egg whites (USE EGG REPLACER, you will NEVER know the difference)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine oats, flour, baking soda and 1/4 tsp. salt in bowl. Stir in apricots, chocolate chips and walnuts.
3. Beat brown sugar, maple syrup, almond butter, oil and egg whites with electric beater until smooth. Stir in oat mixture.
4. Spread mixture in prepared baking dish, and pat down firmly. Sprinkle top with remaining salt. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until firm. Cool 20 minutes before slicing into bars. Unmold, and store in airtight container.

Nutritional Information

Per SQUARE: Calories: 202, Protein: 4g, Total fat: 8.5g, Carbs: 29g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 97mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 14g

Know the ICKY from A-Z for FREE!

GOOD NEWS for youz VEGANS! I am sure you have an Ipod already OR you were given one for Christmas or Hanukkah, so go ahead and download a list of animal derived ingredients for FREE. All you do is go HERE and copy it to your Ipod. Now you can be in the know AND rock out at the grocery store.

Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert

After hearing about this book and feeling like the last person on earth to read it, I tracked down a copy from one of my fellow Moms. Ready for my spiritual journey to begin all snuggled in my bed, I found myself understanding her words which resulted in my having great respect for her easy-going attitude towards views on "God" and other controversial topics. She wasn't trying to be politically correct or overly dramatic to make a point. I found her tone refreshing. UNTIL, I got to the page about her desire to eat VEAL in Italy.
I had a really hard time accepting Ms. Gilbert's story about a spiritual journey with much introspection after reading her desire to eat veal on the way. EVERYONE knows the cruelty involved in raising veal. Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, is another story.
Having respect for animals is an important part in creating harmony in your life. If you believe that God is me, you, everyone....doesn't that include the chicken you are eating and your pet dog? Studies on violent offenders frequently reveal abuse of animals earlier in life. Learning to love all of Earth's creatures is the first step to having love for yourself.
I couldn't go on after reading that sentence. Ms. Gilbert's credibility is lost in a simple four letter word starting with a V.
To read more on the sadness of raising veal read this.