Save the Kales!

Sweet Relief + Forks Over Knives Giveaway!

savethekales — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:44:17 +0000

After three days of a stomach bug, I’m finally feeling human again. Thank goodness, just in time for the Color Me Rad color run this weekend in Bethlehem – will you be there?

To celebrate eating food and feeling healthy (heck, just normal), I’m giving away a blu-ray copy of Forks Over Knives! Cause health feels good.

Grateful to have a morning full of banana ice cream.

To win:

Leave a comment telling me what you’d like to see on an upcoming episodes of Save the Kales! TV show, and/or a written post here on the blog.

You can leave comments on – Facebook or Twitter

I’ll use a random number generator to choose a winner in June!

Being sick after such a wonderful few weeks was a drag, but I got to sleep for a hundred hours and catch up on goofy paranormal ghost reality shows. You know, the important things. Looking forward to getting back to work and filling you in on cooking for Joan Jett, being featured on Our Hen House, and writing an article for the next issue of a beautiful magazine.

Be well. xo

What Is Your Mission Statement?

savethekales — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:58:27 +0000

mis·sion state·ment

Noun. A summary of the aims and values of a company, organization or individual.

I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the mission statement of Save the Kales!, which leads to a hefty dose of self-reflection. Much of this ever-evolving work is so personal, so deeply rooted in where I am in my life and the evolutions taking place. I feel like I’ve been having revelations every day. I shoot out of bed at night to run an idea past Ryan, needing to hear the words come out of my mouth which makes thoughts feel real. I cross the coffee shop and interrupt a friend in the middle of his work, forcing him to take out his ear buds and close his laptop, because I need to talk about this right now what do you think about this oh my gosh I never thought of it this way before!

As the show prepares for it’s launch in Seattle, I’ve found myself trying to concisely explain what Save the Kales! is for blurbs and cable descriptions. And I’ve found I can’t develop the mission statement of all of this without asking what it is for myself.

Developing a personal Mission Statement (or manifesto! or motto) gives you a tool to guide your actions and decisions when you aren’t sure what you should be doing, not just in the grand scheme of life and careers, but (seemingly) smaller things, like how to spend a free afternoon or how to make a list of priorities of tasks you need to finish.

Is your mission to be of service? Do you feel a calling to help others? Do you want the mark you leave on the world to be about bettering the world?

Do you value alone time, or free time? Is it more important that you make it to yoga class or spend time watching a movie with a loved one than to stay at work until 11pm, finishing up just one more thing? Do you spend the week in a hazey blur waiting for the weekend to arrive so you can read a book, tend to your garden or take a glorious nap on the sofa with an SVU marathon lulling you to sleep?

Do you crave inspiration and stimulation? Do you look for new social groups to participate in, belong to online book clubs, enjoy going to conferences or get fired up about volunteering to help plan an event? Do you love the thoughtful insights that come from being around others with similar passions?

Do you want to be the one to inspire? Do you feel a deep-rooted drive to light a spark in others with your compassion, encouragement and genuine desire to motivate?

Is creativity an inherent part of you, and do you want to do work that allows you to express and explore it?

If you have the internet and eyes, you’ve likely seen the (truly brilliant) Manifesto by the Holstee company:

You can find great examples and resources from Gala Darling.

As I continue to work on my own, I’d love to know… what’s yours?

Save the Kales! Cooks for Joan Jett

savethekales — Thu, 02 May 2013 21:44:32 +0000

Put another tofu on the dinner table, baby.

This weekend I have the very distinct honor of cooking dinner for Joan Jett when she performs in Bethlehem, PA. In fact, the tour manager just ordered more meals. I’ll be having a small heart attack every five minutes until Saturday evening when dinner is served and I get to party on at the concert.

Maybe we can share eyeliner/big hair tips. No matter, this is surreal and I’m grateful.

Rock on. xo

Save the Kales TV: One Year Passed… and a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

savethekales — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:56:47 +0000

Last week we taped the cooking segments of our thirteenth episode, the first episode of the second year for the Save the Kales! TV show.

Wow.

With impeccable timing, Vance Lehmkuhl (writer of V for Veg column for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Philly.com) called to interview me for an article about Vegan TV shows. I love that the column is about multiple shows – plural, thankyouverymuch – because that many exist now (!!!), and it’s an absolute honor to be included among the much-anticipated Vegan Mashup, shows by Christina Pirello, and The Vegan Black Metal Chef (who, by the way, is the nicest guy ever, and before STK! aired it’s very first show he somehow found out about it and and found me online and wrote, “Just make it whatever YOU want it to be, and it will be a success”.)

You can read the article here: TV Dinners, the Vegan Way

And STK! has some exciting news, and since it’s officially in print I can finally share it:

It has been so hard to keep this a secret!

IT’S TRUE. Save the Kales! episodes will start to air in Seattle & parts of Canada, to a potential audience of over two million households. That number typed out looks like this: 2,000,000. *gulp*

I’ll give more info as everything unfolds, but if you live there or have any friends in Seattle, put in a good word for us, will you? I’m excited about it airing in Canada since I already sort of have the accent, eh?

. . .

Our show, the Little Show That Could, has come a long way in the first year. I’ve had some chuckles with the crew about that first episode (parts of it cringe-worthy), the way creating each DIY episode completely on our own has been such a wonderful lesson in getting more comfortable talking on camera, slowing down, tightening the editing, bringing in more cameras, utilizing help of assistants and interns… and I’ve made some very, very good friends.

There’s his name in the credits! Yay, Matt!

Matt is my right-hand-man, and without his help the show would not exist. He’s a co-producer, the main camera man, the director, and editor. It’s a shame you don’t get to see him in every episode because he puts a tremendous amount of time and work into every single one.

A few days ago, I received this email from Matt (shared with permission):

“This past Wednesday I was reflecting on the fact that the STK! show was a year old. I was thinking of how the quality keeps getting better, how it seems to be growing in popularity and all the positive things that have come out of it. Then I realized something that came out of the show I hadn’t considered…it’s been slowly changing me too.

Obviously, since my daughter came along eight months ago, my whole role in life has been re-evaluated, re-organized and restructured. All though it has all been wonderful it hasn’t always been easy. Somehow, Save the Kales! became this goal…something positive, something that I felt needed to get out to the world…something that would make people more empowered about themselves and happy about who they are (or in my case, happy about who I was becoming).

I’m a pretty sure I’m a different person than I was a year ago. I know a big part of that is my daughter, but I know it wouldn’t have been such a positive, empowering change if it wasn’t for Save the Kales! My transition into fatherhood has been eased a little bit and I’m not as afraid moving forward….and I’m also finding myself eating a lot healthier then I did a year ago

So, as I was saying, this past Wednesday I was reflecting on all of that and and then suddenly the universe threw me a surprise, as it does from time to time. The blog you wrote at the 10th anniversary of your father’s passing popped up on Facebook somewhere. I only knew what you had told my wife and I in the past, but I had never read the post. I was reminded of a lot of things…emotionally and spiritually…and was very touched. It also reminded me of why we started the show in the first place. You’re a very good, honest person that exudes positivity and somehow makes people comfortable with themselves at the same time. I know we saw that spark in you and thought, “other people need to experience this.”

I know life isn’t always easy and we still have a ways to go with the show, but you should be very proud of yourself…you can and ARE changing peoples lives for the better. There is far too little good in the world that gets exposed and I feel it is our mission to get more good out there to the public.

With that all being said…thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m glad there are people like you in the world and I’m very excited that we’re working with you to make it better.

Happy 1 year STK!TV”

Me, Sarah and Matt three Christmases ago because I can’t find a more recent photo of the three of us together (!). THEY MAKE DREAMS HAPPEN.

And it’s true. We make this show because we believe in it.

Listen, if I was a painter, I’d paint. If I was a musician, I’d make music. Or draw, or sculpt, or create whatever it is my abilities lent themselves to in order to do the work that expresses our mission: be kind to yourself, animals, and each other.

…As it is, we have equipment and an outlet to make a show on TV and we do our best to make it welcoming and informative while being friendly and inclusive. We make a show because that’s what we can do. We recently got a new sponsor who reached out to us because “the show isn’t pretentious, and [they] like that”. What a compliment!

At the end of the day, this isn’t about me, or Matt, or our crew. It really is about wanting to make some positive difference, in whatever way we can, however big or small that turns out to be. Doing something is better than doing nothing. And when I run into people at the supermarket who say “Excuse me, do you host that Kales show?” or get emails from people who are, at the very least, incorporating more vegan meals into their cooking, it’s proof that what we do matters. (“We”, as in, all of us. You too.)

On the set of our third episode, performing the ritual of clearing kitties out of the kitchen.

Thank you for watching or reading or supporting Save the Kales! in your own way, and supporting what we stand for. Matt said, “There is far too little good in the world that gets exposed, and I feel it is our mission to get more good out there to the public.” Yes, yes, a thousand times YES.

We’re so happy to continue to do just that. Cheers to Season Two and heading to the west coast! xo

Go the the Save the Kales! Youtube Page HERE

… and this outtake video of our second episode, because it makes me laugh every time I see it, and who couldn’t use a good, contagious laugh?

Moment of Reflection for Boston

savethekales — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:00:16 +0000

I had a shiny new post all lined up, but it feels a bit trivial to write about my own small self in the midst of all of the emotions from the Boston Marathon tragedy.

Do what you can to help, though it may feel insignificant (it’s not).

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that” – MLK Jr.

Be the light.

PUMPKIN PIE ENERGY BARS: Homemade Raw Snacks on the Go

savethekales — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:59:12 +0000

One of my most popular recipes got a little tweak and now a video.

You can watch the half-hour episode of the Save the Kales! RIGHT HERE, which also features a recipe for Raw Peanut Noodles and a visit to Brad’s Raw Foods Chip Factory!

Here’s the first segment where I quickly make Pumpkin Pie Energy Bars:

(Raw) Pumpkin Pie Energy Bars

1 and 1/4 cups medjool dates (no pits)
1 and 1/4 cups dried apricots
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews

Pulse the dried fruit in a food processor until it becomes gummy and mixed together. Add that to a mixing bowl. Put the rest of the ingredients in the food processor until the nuts are finely chopped and crumbly (not turned to almond butter). Add those to the same bowl.

Mix everything by hand to form a “dough”. Line an 8 x 8 baking sheet with parchment paper. Press the dough evenly into all areas of the pan with your hands. Freeze for at least 30 minutes (overnight is fine).

Take the pan out of the freezer and turn over, then peel off the parchment paper. You can cut the bars into whatever shape/size you want, but this will make about nine snack sized bars.

Bars should stay in a cool place (the fridge is best!) until you’re ready to eat them, or wrap them individually and they will carry well inside a purse or bag for a snack in the middle of the day.

Think of it as blended-up trail mix!

(psssttt – there’s still time to vote!)

savethekales — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:47:57 +0000

UnCooking with Brad of Brad’s Raw Foods

savethekales — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:58:59 +0000

You can see the entire half-hour episode of Save the Kales! on the Youtube playlist HERE — and check out some past episodes, as well!

In this clip, I’m with Brad in his kitchen at The Chip Factory as he teaches us to make his favorite, every day green kale smoothie, and then gives out the recipe for Vampire Killer flavor kale chips.

VEGAN CUTS SNACK BOX, March 2013: Goodies and Treats and some Body Sugar, sugar.

savethekales — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:53:53 +0000

If the only real-mail you receive are bills and those annoying packets of coupons for fast food chains, sign up for monthly Snack Boxes from Vegan Cuts and make mail fun again!

Vegan Cuts, an animal-friendly coupon site (excellent in it’s own right), has put together the very best in Surprises You Already Know About. That is, you’ll know you’ll have a box of goodies coming, but you won’t know what they are until you open it.

Oh, the suspense! The anticipation!

Great stuff. Making things difficult for indecisive people.

Every month has a different variety of snack samples and products. The March box has ten (TEN!) different items to eat up or slather on, or I suppose, if you’re feeling frisky – both?

In the March box (clockwise):

NYL Skincare; body sugar scrub
Equal Exchange; dark chocolate
Cocomo Joe; coconut oil caramel corn (!!!)
Vbar; almond cherry brown rice bar
Sjaak’s Organic Chocolates; foil-wrapped chocolate egg
Eli’s Earth Bars; peanut butter crunch and caramel Treasure Bar
Beyond Eggs; egg replacer made special for cookie baking
Earth Balance; aged white cheddar puffs
Flamous; falafel chips
Barre; ballerina spiruluna energy bar

The best part of this snack box (I mean, aside from a BOX OF SNACKS ARRIVING ON YOUR DOORSTEP) is that it costs less than $20.

Boxes are only $19.95!

Go go go… get a subscription! Then get one for a friend. It’s the gift that keeps on giving if you sign up for a multi-month subscription.

Head over to Vegan Cuts to get the latest updates on the BEST offers on always, all-vegan products, like gorgeous handbags and scented candles to jewelry and DVDs. I’d take one of everything.

Moving, Adopting a Dog and Other Overdue Updates

savethekales — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:23:03 +0000

I’ve been doing most of my writing off the internet these days. Some new freelance jobs and personal projects have me filling my bag with scribbled scrap paper and taking advantage of the voice recorder on my phone, an effort to make sense of all the thinking. Inspiration is coming from all directions and at the forefront are some self-discoveries (or perhaps “been-there-along-and-finally-paying-attentions”).

The more I learn about myself, the more I have made peace with being somehow an introvert and extrovert at once. My energy level and creativity are at their peaks when surrounded by happy, interesting, involved people. (Bethlehem Food Co-op meetings are wonderful for this. You should come, learn more HERE.) I start to feel a pang of urgency and even sadness when the meetings wrap up, please please please can we keep talking?

The night I got the keys, my best friend came over and we sat on the floor talking until the wee hours. A christening, a new home full of love and ideas.

But those days…the days off when duties are: go for a run in the woods (alone), to make a great big pot of soup from dried beans, just me in the kitchen moving slowly, when cooking becomes meditative again instead of a thing I have to blog about or a recipe that has to top another. (And that’s a lot of pressure as my cooking has become simpler over time. Most things are just incarnations of themselves, enhanced with fresh lemon juice and fresh herbs.) Surrounded by my books and my *furballs and the thickest knitted sweater to burrow inside of, I feel such peace.

A small percentage of my library, still inhabiting various corners of every room until I find the best way to organize them. This home didn’t have a soul until they arrived.

Today, this one last burst of snow before Spring completely takes over, and everything is quieter. I feel overwhelmed with projects to be completed by the week’s end, though it’s exactly the work I’d want to do if I could choose any work in the world. For that, I’m grateful.

AND!

We have a fuzzy new member of the family! *This is Chubby. He is a mini-Dashchund/Jack Russell Terrier mix, and just turned five. He was raised by an incredibly kind, loving family who came into circumstances and were no longer able to keep him and wanted to avoid sending him off to a shelter.

“Draw me like one of your French girls.”

Lazy mornings.

He sleeps on my lap, and burrows under the covers, and loves roasted sweet potatoes and I’m just head-over-heels. A goner. Some Saturday mornings, Ryan and I walk him to Main Street for coffee and bagels, something I’ve dreamed about as a Perfect Weekend Morning for several years. It’s wonderful. My heart has expanded and carved out a special Chubby-shaped space.

AND!

We’ve moved, quickly and without much of a plan. Perhaps you can blame my love and bit of background in interior design, but I firmly believe (and can even physically feel) that our environments greatly affect the way we live and who we are. They can support our sense of self and creative exploration, or stifle them. The latter was happening for me and on a whim, I went to look at a new place and immediately it felt like home. It has so much character, more space, and is somehow cheaper than the old place. And we can paint. (!)

An incredibly offensive blue in the office becomes a bright white with the just the softest hint of warm gray. It looks like the room took a huge sigh of relief.

It’s so funny how people change, our influences and environments shift as we do. I used to ache for a super modern industrial loft space with lots of metal and concrete and square, angular furniture and now I want the softness of natural light, worn wood, space to wander through with a knitted blanket wrapped around me and mugs and mugs and mugs of coffee.

The living room has windows that begin at the ceiling and touch the floor, making it perfect for lounging cats, and dogs with tiny legs to fulfill their duties as impromptu Neighborhood Watch.

Snow silhouettes.

I’ve been working on a long post about why I’ve been so quiet here (as Allyson calls it, “going to bloggy sleep”), and look forward to finally – heaven help me, finally – feeling satisfied with the final edit.

“Basically, I realized I was living in that awful stage of life between twenty-six and thirty-seven known as stupidity. It’s when you don’t know anything, not even as much as you did when you were younger, and you don’t even have a philosophy about all the things you don’t know…”

-Lorrie Moore

… Hibernation is good for a mind rest, but I’ve rubbed my eyes open and what I see is new and beautiful.