VegWeek 2012: Make Every Day Earth Day

Sunday, April 22nd was our 42nd anniversary of Earth Day, a day observed to celebrate this amazing planet on which we live by doing "green" acts of good to positively benefit our Earth.  Over 1 billion people all over the world actively celebrated this year's Earth Day, as shared by the Earth Day Network, with pledges ranging from planting gardens to "unplugging" for the day, from recycling to limiting water usage.

Within the past couple of years, the United Nations has been outspoken on the one greatest contributor to our global climate/environment issue: the consumption of animal products.  Some recent articles, here and here, detail the latest environmental statistics.  With the meat and dairy industries' blatant over-usage of earth's precious resources (water and fossil fuels specifically), with the devastation of rainforests to clear space for animal agriculture, with unnecessary pollution, runoff, waste and excess climate-changing gases produced from factory farms (and other smaller animal-based industries), our planet - and therefore, all life on it - is suffering tremendously.  While all of the pledges listed above are valuable in their own ways, there is one specific choice that can make the most difference: adopt a compassionate, healthful, Earth-friendly vegan diet.  And here's why!




A recent study conducted by the Vegetarian Resource Group showed that 2.5% of the US population - that's about 8 million people - consume vegan diets, double the amount from 2009.   And along with this "market for vegan food," there's been a distinct decrease in the amount of meat, dairy, and eggs consumed, as noted in Nil Zacharius' recent HuffPo article.

We still have a long way to go though, and that's why we're reaching out to you to help make a difference this year - which will end up making a difference for all years to come. 


This week is VegWeek!  Running from yesterday, Monday, April 23rd through Sunday, April 29th, this week is all about making those compassionate, healthful, Earth-friendly choices to benefit all life on our planet along with our Earth herself!  What can you do?  So many things!

1) Do you eat omnivorously?  Not sure what to do?  Start simple and try one day of plant-based meals.  Just one day.  It's amazing what even one day can do to benefit the TriVegta™ (health, animals, environment)... 

Yeah, I just invented the word TriVegta™.


Oreo at Animal Acres. (Photo © Cameron O'Steen)
2) Are you bold?  Do you want to make a difference?  Take a 7-day Veg Pledge (and maybe win some cool prizes from Compassion Over Killing)!

3) Vegetarian? Go Vegan one day! Or even better: the whole week!

4) Vegan? Encourage at least one friend, family member, coworker to try any of options #1-3!

5) Human being? Well, if you are (I think that means every one of you), then please share this blog post to help spread the word about the greatest choice to save our world!


Check out COK's resources, upcoming events, participating VegWeek restaurants, and sponsors, and do your best to make every day an Earth day.

Please comment below with your Earth Day/VegWeek 2012 pledge!  Help make the biggest difference you can!


Kisses,
Lindsay and Steve


Enjoy some more of these articles on veganism, the environmental toll from eating meat, etc.




Yes, I Can Live Vegan and Be an Actress!


On set with Hubbell Yoda.
On April 10th, I got to live out a few of my lifelong dreams. I acted on a television show, got paid as an actress for my time, and got to work with a filmmaker I love more than words can say. Even more icing on the vegan cake? The filmmaker is none other than Mike White, the tremendously talented guy who penned Year of the Dog, a movie that completely changed my life (and will change yours too if you watch it!). Year of the Dog follows a woman (played by Molly Shannon) who, after the tragic death of her beloved dog, goes through a life-altering transformation to becoming a vegan animal rights activist.

See, Mike is a Hollywood writer/director/actor/producer, and he also happens to be a passionate, joyful vegan. Ever since I jumped back into acting after a two year break of enjoying and sharing my vegan lifestyle with the world, I've been looking for any way I can to combine my love of performance and storytelling with my love of animal advocacy. After reaching out to Mike a few months back about how much Year of the Dog touched my heart, I began watching his amazing HBO series, Enlightened, another labor of love involving a woman on a mission to help the world. If you haven't already experienced the magic that is this series, get started now. It shouldn't be missed!

I reached out a second time to Mike about how, yet again, his work changed me for the better. A couple of months later, I received a call from my agent about an audition I would have for a TV show... called Enlightened. And the rest is stuff of kiss-worthy miracles. Because on April 10th, this vegan actress/singer/blogger/animal activist got to act in two scenes in the upcoming season of Mike's show, alongside his Enlightened co-creator, Laura Dern, one of most tremendously kind, grounded, and talented actresses around. I don't know if Mike knew how much I was looking for this kind of opportunity at exactly this time, but the gift he gave to me is one I will cherish forever. Because not only did Mike give me my first paid LA acting gig, but he also gave me the chance to collaborate with a fellow vegan artist on a show that celebrates the activist in all of us. Bottom line - I lived my bliss on April 10th. 

What I will say is this: Mike White is one of the good ones. Aside from being a consummate professional, he has the biggest heart of any filmmaker I've ever come across. He makes working on a television show look easy, and he finds a way to connect with every single person he comes across during a shoot. And it doesn't hurt that he is an unbelievably gifted actor, writer, and director. I hope this is not the last time I get to experience working with him, and even more, I hope you will check out his work beyond what I've talked about today. 

Oh - and I haven't even gotten to the best part! On the set among all of the hustle and bustle was a little dog named Hubbell Yoda. Hubbell Yoda was rescued by Simone Reyes, a vegan activist and the executive assistant to Russell Simmons (you may have also seen Simone on the reality show Running Russell Simmons). After suffering from painful glaucoma for six months, Hubbell had his eyes removed about a month ago. During the shoot, Hubbell was being watched by activist Mai Lei Robinson, who allowed me some time to get to know this little guy. While he couldn't see me when I hung out with him, he definitely made sure to sniff me out and seriously enjoyed getting cuddled. Watching this beautiful, brave doggie experience the world was so humbling - despite his ailment, Hubbell is living his life as blissfully as a dog possibly can. And he's being loved, cared for, and given the freedom of living peacefully, the best scenario any animal can ask for.


To Mike, Laura, Hubbell, Simone, Mai Lei and the Universe, I say: thank you. 

I can't wait for more!

What are ways YOU would like to combine your animal activism in your daily life? Share in the comments section below!

Happy Passover! Happy Easter! Happy Everything!

Hello lovelies! 

For all who celebrate, a very happy Passover and/or Easter to you! What a time of joy, family, yummy food, and best of all, spring is here! 

This is also a time where a SUPERHERO's amount of compassion is needed, especially because so many traditional foods and practices at this time are not particularly animal-friendly. 

For last-minute help (if you're anything like me, you'll enjoy this section!), you can check out Mercy for Animals' article about Vegan Easter alternatives and VegNews' run-down of cruelty-free Passover practices and recipes. And, just because it was my childhood favorite (was it yours?), you can see Vegansaurus's Vegan Easter Creme Egg Taste Off!

Here's to a compassionate, kiss-worthy holiday!

I love old school vegetarians.


"I feel blessed that I was introduced to this lifestyle more than twelve years ago by Dexter [King]. I prefer to eat mostly raw or 'living' foods. The benefits for me are increased energy, a slowing of the aging process, and I have none of the diseases like hypertension, heart disease and diabetes that many people my age seem to get."  
- Coretta Scott King

Who is YOUR favorite famous vegan?

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words... Unless You Eat It: Foodie Special at The Veggie Grill!

Shangri-La.  Atlantis.  Never Never Land.  El Dorado.  All places of complete and utter wonder, delight, treasure, reward, fantasy, and dreams.   Where you could live forever in endless abundance and prosperity.  Well, these places may not (or may) actually exist, but I know of a place of endless abundance, where you don't necessarily live forever but can eat forever... and it sure is a treasure (and it does exist!).  I'm talking Veggie Grill.

Created by Kevin Boylan and T.K. Pillan, The Veggie Grill mixes the best of both worlds, of "Healthy" and "SoAmazingIJustCan'tBelieveMyTasteBuds."  With seven locations in Southern California and one in Oregon, The VG takes our favorite foods of new and old - burgers, wings, mac 'n cheese, fries - and gives them a spin in a more healthful, compassionate direction.  

In VG's Nutritional Primer, they state, "Our purpose at The Veggie Grill is to serve you delicious and wholesome food. By wholesome, we mean good calories and good fats that are 100% plant-based."  And they do just that.

Lindsay and I were invited to a special tasting where we joined Heather Spilsbury of BlazePR, Christina Xenos of Southern California Media Group and WhereLA.com, and Kevin Boylan, the VG co-founder foodie mastermind mentioned above.  We met, we talked, but, mostly, we ate.

WARNING: SCRUMPTIOUS FOOD PICTURES AHEAD

So we're gonna try to keep this simple.  Especially since it's hard to salivate over long paragraphs.  But let me tell you, today's feature is easy to get excited and hungry about: Veggie Grill's NEW menu.  Yeah, you heard me correctly.  If you live in SoCal or Beaverton, Oregon, maybe you've already tried out some of their new options; maybe this is the first you're hearing about it.  And to everyone outside of these locations, I apologize for the gratuitous display of mouthwatering, delectable yum-yums below that will inevitably invoke a voraciousness of appetite and craving so powerful that you may have to visit us here in LA immediately for a all-day field trip of food... but I must share these delicious and savory goodies with the world... I must! 

So now, without any further ado, ready your eyes (to be widened with delight!), prepare your minds (to be blown by these edible masterpieces!), and harness your stomaches (cuz there's a lot of growlin' that's gonna be done!) for... VEGGIE GRILL'S NEW MENU ITEMS!!!!!!

Crispy Chickin' Plate - fried comfort under a bath of gravy
Blackened Chickin' Plate - the gourmet choice
(must garnish with lemon, Kevin's rule)
Urban Plate - don't be fooled, the blackened tempeh is hiding underneath
Buffalo Bomber - gettin' tangy with your 'wich
VG Rollers - grill it, salsa it, and roll with it
"Crab" Cake - a mighty har!har! for the "crab" and tartar
B-Wing Salad - greens 'n' wings, my tummy sings


Chocolate Pudding Parfait - hope you left room for dessert, Choco Pudding 2.0

(Moment of silence. And visual digestion.)


Wow.  Did you lick, or even eat, your computer screen?  Did you need that moment of silence to wipe up the drool puddle you've left?  Are you gonna get your butt to Veggie Grill?!  You better, this food needs to be eaten... by YOU!

Steve, Lindsay, Kevin, Heather, Christina = Yummed Out :-)
We enjoyed everything.  Seriously, sometimes you approve some and disapprove others... can't do that here.  Everything was so well-prepared, visually engaging, and absolutely delicious. 

If we had to pick our tops?  

Lindsay's favorites: the B-Wing Salad & the "Crab" Cake Sandwich
Steve's favorites: the Urban Plate & the "Crab" Cake Sandwich 

(We've both been waiting for a vegan crab cake for the longest time!)

What are your favorites (from looking or tasting)??

Kisses,
Steve & Lindsay

P.S. Don't have a Veggie Grill near you (yet)?  Email info@veggiegrill.com to find out more about the possibilities and opportunities to make it happen!

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