The Mighty Veggie

All the different types of honey!

Here is a great honey glossary - a list of the various honeys and their palettes. From uber sweet and rich to mild and delicate. I recently read this breakdown in Martha Stewart magazine and I thought it was wonderful information to share.

1. Honeycomb
Arresting appearance and pleasantly chewy, waxy texture.

2. Hawaiian White Honey
Off-white hue, buttery texture, mild flavor with a hint of vanilla.

3. Corbezzolo Honey
Rare Italian variety with a complex woodsy color, tast and aroma and a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Boo for Starbucks!They're not serving organic milk anymore.

Can you beleive Starbucks dropped organic mil from it's menu? The company *had* offered organic mil to it's customers since 2001 (According to Vegetarian Times magazine). However, "drinks made with organic milk have been a small percentage of total orders," said Michelle Grass, the company's senior vice president of global strategy.

As you guys know, people often purchase and request organic milm because of lack of rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone). Starbucks and others argue that regular milk also is rBGH-free but we know the truth. The Organic Consumers Association reminds us that Organic Milk is rBGH-free, but also requires that cows have access to a pasture and eat pesticide-free feed. So really.. Starbucks, just say what it is.. an excuse to cut costs. Is it so awful for us to expect you to serve only organic milk in the future?

Boooooooooo from me to Starbucks.

Presidents Choice Teriyaki Tofu & Sundried Tomato Vegetable Kebabs

Don't you love easy food?
Today I went to a friends first summer backyard BBQ! Ok, sadly the weather didn't fully cooperate but no one seemed to mind. Right before I left I threw together a quick BBQ meal to take with me.

I didn't take a picture - but they kida looked like the one in the top left. (Ok.. maybe not as tasty looking but.. they tasted yummy, were more nutritious and were better than some boring veggie burger.

Need some good karma?

I am participating in the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure, on Sunday, October 5th and I am asking for your support for a cause that is very important to me.

Help create a future without breast cancer by making a donation today! Donating online is quick, easy and secure. Your donation will be added to the critical funds raised by the Run, and will be directed towards research, education and awareness programs.

Thank you. I appreciate your support! I'm aiming at raising $1000.00. (Any amount is cool! 5$ 10$... 100$... whatever, I'll love you forever)

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!
(Over $20 will get you a tax donation receipt!)

What plastics are safe? Can they be reused? What do the numbers mean?

I've been doing a lot of environmental thinking lately. The media seems to be on a 'green' kick and I'm noticing word about plastics popping up everywhere.
Which plastics contribute to alzheimers? Are Sigg water bottles safe? Which plastics can be reused safely instead of recycled?

So, I found out (courtesy of the wonderful David Suzuki) which numbers mean what. Plastic by numbers! :) You can download the PDF version here.

Herb planting 101! Rosemary, Thyme, Sage and Basil, Oh my!

I live in Vancouver BC and it's that time of year again that you can safely plant herbs without them freezing to death overnight! If you're a vegetarian or have any culinary skill then you know that having homegrown fresh herbs is indispensable to cooking!

You can generally plant herbs as early as late April to early May. Last weekend I planted my parsley and this weekend I planted Basil, Cilantro and Arugula. Next weekend I'll drop in my Rosemary, Thyme and Sage. I don't have high hopes for the Arugula (the only non-herb I'm planting) as I've never done it before.

Don't trust BC Hot house tomatoes! (MX Hot House either!)

Up until now I've been more than happy putting BC Hot House Tomatoes into my cart at the supermarket. They smelled ripe, they looked pretty with their bright curly green stems and perfect red color. Like many other Vancouverites we try and buy local when we can. We pay attention to store signs and look labels with 'BC', 'locally', 'grown', 'organic', 'natural'. Heck, we're even soft at heart and want to support local growers.

Ready for the shocker?
According to CBC.ca this well-known produce company from Metro Vancouver is changing a controversial policy and will no longer put its brand label on tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables grown in Mexico.

Starting next winter, produce imported from Mexico by BC Hot House will be labelled MX Hot House.

Why? Simple.
For the last several years it's been too expensive to grow enough produce in British Columbia over the winter, so BC Hot House has been importing from Mexico.

Yep, BC hot house tomatoes are from Mexico. Feels like a slap in the face, doesn't it. The company seems to think their doing us a favor by renaming their labels. I think it's just because they were scared of the backlash media coverage.

Hot House - you're out of my cart. And you too MX Hot House!

TIP: How to clean your yucky microwave FAST!

Sometimes you heat something in your microwave and a few bits splash against the walls. Gross, I know.

Sometimes it's not you, it's your lazy husband who leaves it to crust up. Little flecks of dried food take refuge in your microwave. You open the door and find a stained, icky mircowave that just needs to be cleaned. And, like me, I'm sure you're tired of scraping away at the hardened pieces of food muttering under your breath about how unfair it is that you have to do this. Well.. rest easy I've found an easy way get rid of the hard to remove stains!

So, how do you get a stain-free microwave fast?

1. Place a mug half-full with water in your microwave and run it on high power for 60 seconds.
2. Spray it with a cleaner (Vim Power Cream with bleacH or whatever).
3. Get yourself a damp cloth and it should wipe off like a dream!

I know you love me now.

The rules of cooking pasta :: Cooking 101

I thought I might do a Pasta 101 cooking class. Pretty basic cooking knowledge, but you never know what you'll learn.

I'm only writing these because I had a MAC n' CHEESE craving the other day and was feeling wayyyy too lazy to actually make a proper dish (Yes, I don't cook everyday, haha). So, I made Annie's Homegrown Organic Shells with White Cheddar Mac & Cheese. It's just yummy. Did you know their the second largest producer of Mac n' Cheese in the US? Anyhow, making Annie's influenced me.