Vegan Robot media for everyone

Four words: THE SMELL OF BREAD. It's never hit me like it did last night, wafting out of a French restaurant in downtown Santa Monica. Ah, temptation--but surprisingly--not hunger.

Yesterday I ate TWO bananas for breakfast, the second with a healthy spoonful of raw cashew butter on each bite. Then, as a second breakfast mid-morning I ate the leftover cucumber gazpacho from the night before, still fresh and energizing and delicious.

I enjoyed the raw tacos Jordan had picked up the night before for lunch. Mid-day I actually ate a third banana (with more cashew butter) and a few pieces of raw "bread"--which was more like a rehydrated flax seed mattress. 

For dinner, we had a Mediterranean feast (pictured above): cahsew hummus, falafel with tahini, cucumber and mint, sliced yellow peppers, and a salad with sprouted beans, lettuce, and tomatoes with a simple dressing of lemon, pepper, and olive oil. Our good friend got roped into the raw challenge and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Today,  woke up energized and hit the gym, and then the farmers market. Ate a banana after my workout, and a few handfuls of raw almonds and green sugar peas while walking around the market. For lunch, ate leftover hummus and a salad topped with yummy onion sprouts, and a side of "bread." I feel totally satisfied and it's already 4:22. Dinner out with friends tonight should be interesting. Stay tuned for a full report. 

P.S. I confess, I did enjoy two glasses of wine last night--is that allowed? And--okay--today, an afternoon expresso. 

We've had the vita mix, the dehydrator, the mandolin, and the sprouting jar for years already. I even bought some quartz crystals once upon a time to brew up negatively charged water.  But, no matter the fancy kitchen equipment, I admit it: when it comes to going raw, even for a week, I'm scared. Terrified even. (What am I so afraid of anyway?)

And to make matters worse, I have to wait home for Fed Ex all day tomorrow. Good thing Juliano's Raw, one of the best raw food restaurants in LA, is right down the street.

Jordan's on his way home with all the ingredients for our first raw dinner--a Pineapple and Cucumber Gazpacho from the Raw Food Real World cookbook; plus, he's picking up two pre-made, raw meals to go from our local co-op because it's late and we are hungry and the soup may not be enough.  Without further ado, here it goes. No expectations. On your mark, get set, GO RAW!

Depending how utterly lethargic you're feeling, you can either fork over 20 bills for this pre-fab Takeout Menu Organizer or build your own.

The kit includes some cool bonuses like rating stickies, an order pad that is so authentic it smells like french fries, and an essay on the Definitive History of Takeout (something to reading while waiting for your delivery).

But, if you've got a binder, a few dividers, and some clear sheet protectors laying around the house or are in the mood for a scavenger hunt at your local Staples, you can whip up one of these puppies in no time (probably for less than $20, if not for free).

Cool tip: get your hands on a  dry erase pen, you can mark the plastic sleeve on top of the menu to mark orders and whipe it clean when you're done! I organized mine into six categories: Vegan/Very Vegan-freindly, Italian, Thai, Indian, Chinese, Mexican. Let me tell you, when you're in the mood to park it for the night, not having to rummage through a overstuffed junk drawer is a godsend.

Everyone knows garlic is good stuff. Good for cardiovascular health, anti-aging, and the immune system. Good in hummus, on pizza, in pesto. Good for just about everything but your breath--until now. 

Garlicorea's sweet Fermented and Aged Black Garlic tastes like a love-child of black licorice and garlic. And, if you need something to wash it down with, the company also brews black garlic Alpha Extract. L'Chaim to life!

TAKE THE VR CHALLENGE TO GO VEG ONE DAY A WEEK.

Whether you're ready or willing to totally give up eating meat, you can certainly handle giving it up just one day a week. If not for you, do it for your mother, Mother Earth, that is.  

According to scientists from the Department of the Geophysical Sciences at the University of Chicago, the difference between eating a plant-based diet and eating a diet that’s a little above average in animal calories equals the difference between driving a Camry and an SUV!

So, an environmentalist who eats meat is like an environmentalist who drives a Hummer. But, what if I told you that you could keep your Hummer and still save the planet so long as you promised to drive it only six days a week?

You can do it! Challenges, especially healthy ones, are contagious. Pass this one on to a friend of family member by sending them an e-mail with a link to this page! And, we want to hear from you about how it's going! Send us you comments, questions, or suggestions at contact@veganrobot.com.

You know you're famous in your own lifetime when you can wikipedia your own name. Dan Piraro is one artist who deserves it to the bone; truly, his work belongs on a stamp. The first time I saw this cartoon I laughed so hard that I inhaled the whole wheat spaghetti in my mouth up through my nose.

No joke. You gotta check out www.Bizarro.com. It rocks! Click around and you'll find tons of goodies to purchase, from several of his 14 books to printed American Apparel gear for guys and girls to holiday greeting cards that'll send your friends and family a comic but heartfelt greeting. Check out Dan's blog where he writes about his fantastic wife Ashley who recently paraded up and down Wall Street mid-winter for a PETA cause. And, he's a regular columnist for VegNews magazine, the best magazine in the universe. 

                      Matt & Nat's The Clash ($170)                          Forever 21's Stripe Flap Satchel ($32.80)

No one--not even a tree hugger--actually thinks canvas totes are sexy. Until now, even the most chic vegan "leather" bags were reminiscent of bad designer knock offs. I confess: the last time I bought a pleather purse, I ended up donating it to Good Will. (Okay, it didn't help that it was the exact shade of blue as 2,000 Flushes toilet bowl cleaner.) Finally--big sigh of relief--the days when vegans had to settle for second rate designs and materials are over.

The VR award for this season's "it" bag goes to...Matt and Nat's The Clash ($170), by Montreal based vegetarian designer Inder Bedi. This bag is so hip that it even features an interior pda pocket!  Vegans beware: you no longer have an excuse to wear your Camelback out clubbing. But, if your mouth is still hanging open from the $170 price tag, Forever 21 offers a fab look alike, the Stripe Flap Satchel, for just $32.80 (also synthetic leather)! 

No, not the kind you  smoke, but in case you've got some serious munchies The Vegan Joint is hands down the best all-day vegan breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot on the West Side.

This quaint eatery serves a mis-match made in heaven, an orgy of thai, mexican, and American cuisines that'll tantalite your tastebuds to no end.

 Their tofu scrambled eggs, cheese, and rice burrito is the perfect cure for a hangover or reward after a Sunday morning hike up Runyan Canyon.

I'll take their grilled soy chicken with garlic and cilantro sauce, brown rice, and steamed veggies over cooking any night of the week. 10438 National Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90034 310-559-1357

Even if you don't own a piece of the planet, you can still get your hands dirty while planting an urban herb garden on a free windowsill, fire escape, balcony, or back alley--any area that's well-lit enough to read a book most of the day (indoors or out).

Aluminum cans, glass jars, milk and juice cartons, old muffin tins, old drawers, buckets, fishbowls...even sneakers make for eco-friendly, arty containers. Tip: Use a hammer and nail to make drainage holes in the bottoms if you can (obviously not in glass).

Or, hatch some basil, mint, and thyme in these super-cute Crack & Grow Egglings made of vegan-friendly white ceramic.

Herbs that grow best indoors include chives, dill, sweet basil, fennel, catnip, parsley, thyme, mint, sage, anise, marjoram, and caraway. Outdoors, select herbs according to how many hours of sunlight the area gets. When harvesting, clip new growth from the top. Or, dry them out for tea or for storing by clipping a few stems and hanging them upside down until crispy.

I just planted a family of mint, rosemary, basil, marjoram, parsley, cilantro, and chives in aluminum drink buckets from our wedding. Our taste buds, and our cat Ned, are in heaven.