Back To School Shopping: Paul Iacono Goes Eco with Joshua Katcher

I went back-to-school shopping with actor Paul Iacono of the reinvention of Fame! Teen.com TV asked me to take Paul on an eco-friendly shopping spree, where we went thrifting at Buffalo Exchange, checked out some organic cotton at Kaight, explored some cruelty-free accessories at MooShoes, and finished off the day with some vegan ice cream banana splits at Lula’s Sweet Apothecary!

Crayola Terrorism, Vick Fights Eagles, and SolarRolls

"Guilty" illustration by Ian Kim

• Michael Vick will now fight with Eagles instead of dogs.  After doing jail-time and anti-dogfighting campaigns with the HSUS and PETA, Vick has returned to the NFL and joins the Philadelphia Eagles. Will the Eagles be able to dodge the press about this, and furthermore, was it a wise decision when they already have an amazing QB Donovan McNabb, and considering Vick won’t be allowed to play for another seven months? What do you think?

• Speaking of Fighting Eagles, get this organic Loomstate tee at 25% off! For Kaight’s third anniversary, enjoy 25% off all purchases through Aug. 31. Online customers use coupon code “three” to redeem at www.kaightshop.com.

• Raise your hand if you think Crayola supports “terrorism”. Today, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), Civil Liberties Defense Center (CLDC) and civil rights attorneys will make oral arguments before the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California that the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA) is unconstitutional. The AETA is being used for the first time since its passage by Congress in 2006 to do exactly what civil rights advocates  feared it would do – criminalize activities protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution – activities like writing slogans in chalk on the sidewalk.

How can you help? Join CCR in protecting our basic constitutional rights by writing a letter to the editor of your local paper about the AETA.

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• SolarRolls are not eco-friendly sushi. Meet the first flexible solar panel. Waterproof and durable, this gadget gives you portable electricity anywhere there’s sun. You can charge your car battery, run a video camera, or use it to power cell phones. The possibilities are endless.  Starting at $295

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• An elephant known as Jewel, who IDA has been working to rescue for over two years, was attempted to be confiscated from her abuser by the USDA. Her abusive handler, Will Davenport – who has a history of abusing animals and violating the endangered species act in the illegal purchase of elephants Tina and Jewel from the Cole Brothers Circus. Read the whole article.

Fresh Friday Finds

Fact! There are 700,000 homeless people in the U.S., and 18 million vacant houses and apartments…
Source

1. Turk + Taylor, Spring 09 is looking good! T+T is one of our favorite designers, who we’ve been following for a few seasons now. The collection is almost 100% organic cotton. Check them out! Also check out their new organic tees.

2. These shoes are golden! Cool, Vegan, fair-trade, and eco-friendly, does it get any better than that ? Jinga was started 3 years ago by two gals who give back at least 5% of sales to a social project in a Rio de Janeiro favela (shantytown) which provides activities and education to children to keep them away from gangs! (Thanks to reader Michael B. for this info!)

3. Undercover Animal Lover. This guy is an ethical vegan who risks his safety killing animals all day and shooting undercover footage so we can get a glimpse into the heavily-shrouded meat and dairy industries. Can you imagine? Read this rare interview with TIME magazine, and check his HBO documentary Death on a Factory Farm airing March 16.

4. This Sunday, March 15th, eat good vegan food and help farm animals!

Farm Sanctuary’s Dinner Night Broadway East
171 East Broadway, New York, NY 10002
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Reservations for your party are available between 7:30 and 10 p.m.
Reserve your table online at www.opentable.com or by calling Laurie at 212-228-3100.
Be sure to mention Farm Sanctuary when making your reservation.

5. One of our favorite organic companies, Loomstate, is having a party at one of our favorite eco-boutiques, Kaight, on Friday March 20th. Get a free Loomstate organic tee with any purchase of Loomstate S/S ’09!

6.  Person to know: Historian and Activist GEORGE DRAFFAN

” ‘Development’ is a euphemism, much like the word ‘efficiency.’ Efficiency within the current system is really about how fast you can turn forests and mountains into wastepaper and soda pop cans. Is that good? If the purpose of life is to consume and destroy, then international trade and industrial civilization are definitely proven ways to speed that up .”

7. Chloé Jo and the GGA weigh in on the myth that leather can be ‘eco-friendly‘ , on the best Vegan Cheeses, and on the controversy surrounding veganizing your companion animal. Watch out for those crazy cat people! They get their claws out!

8. You might need a french terrycloth motorcycle jacket. I’m just saying….

9. From the folks who brought you EcoRazzi, Veg Daily is Born!

10. Veteran vegan rockers Propagandhi talk to VegNews about their forthcoming album, Supporting Caste.

Yummy Gelato, Kaight’s Men & Vegan Psychic Powers!

Chocolate-Covered Strawberry, a la Blackwell's Organic

Blackwell’s Organic Gelato and Sorbetto is pretty damn good. My favorites are definitely the strawberry and the chocolate (and combining them! Wow). For those of us who like full, rich flavor (none of that watered-down, way-too-sugary crap), Blackwell’s is perfect. The strawberry tastes like amazingly fresh, satisfying strawberries! The chocolate is dark, smooth, dense, and sophisticated. Check out their full range at blackwellsorganic.com.

Check out the new menswear at our friend KAIGHT SHOP for some organic denim by the ethically handsome “Good Society” and some of the hard-to-find eco-friendly Tom’s (the ones without the toxic dead cow insoles, duh…).

Does going vegan give you psychic powers? For those of you who consider yourselves spiritual or into “energy”, and you still eat meat and dairy, you’ll definitely want to read this interesting article. The article was so interesrting, that according to Ecorazzi, Brandon Routh’s (Superman) character in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World will be a rocker with “vegan psychic powers”. I know some ladies(and gents) who wonder if he’s single…?

Knightly Knit, Cookie Pies & Music You Must

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The folks at Sound Fix, a music boutique in Williamsburg, Brooklyn – know more about good music than all of the professors at Juilliard, combined. It could be that they are located in the same spot that almost every good band has their practice spaces, or it could be that they just rule. Sound Fix has just released their top 50 albums of the year, and if you want to be in audio-bliss for the next year, you’ll get some of these albums. From Bon Iver, Crystal Castles, and MGMT – to Girl Talk and Herculues and the Love Affair – you may not have heard of them, but once you do, you’ll wonder where they were all your life.

Two caps, one pup. Photo © Matt Lara

I enjoyed two caps the other day, a soy cappuccino from Gimme! Coffee – probably the best espresso ever,  and a naturally dyed cotton knit cap made by the elusive Filipino designer, Eairth from Kaight. Enzo my lil’ rescued pup (thanks to sugarmutts.org) is sporting his “Have a Heart” anti-fur pin. Believe me, it’s much more effective on him. Especially when we’re walking and I offer him up to the fur-clad :  “would you like to anally electrocute him and add a few extra inches to your coat?“

RECIPE: Cookie Pies!

Easy Cookie Pies! © Discerning Brute 2008

These cookies are perfect for the holidays. Add anything you want to the center! Chocolate, marzipan, jam, pumpkin pie mix, peanut butter, or even leave the sugar out and go for a savory mini pastry with mashed potato, tampenade, or a chunk of marinated seitan in the center!

What you’ll need (makes 2 dozen):
• 2/3 cup non-hydrogenated,vegan margerine or shortening (Earthbalance or Spectrum is great!)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 2 tblsp  sunflower seed butter
• 1/3 cup organic brown sugar
• 2/3 cup unrefined, organic sugar
• 1 tblsp vanilla extract (you can also use almond or coconut)
• 1/4 cup egg replacer (Energie is great!)
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 cups all purpose organic, unbleached flour

Directions:
1. In a mixer, or with a fork, combine chilled margarine/shortening, coconut oil, sugar, vanilla, egg replacer, and sunflower seed butter.
2. Once it is creamy, add the baking powder and vinegar. It should start fizzing a bit.
3. Slowly mix in the flower until it is like play-dough, dry enough so it doesn’t stick to your fingers too much, but moist enough to roll out. Usually it’s 2.5 cups. For chewier cookies, add more flour. For crispier, add less.
4. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick on a floured pastry sheet or wax paper.
5. Using a circular cookie cutter, and a smaller circle (you can even use a bottle cap for the hole) make a solid base, and doughnut shaped top.
6. Place your base on an ungreased cookie sheet, add your filling, then place the top on!
7. bake on 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Boy Bonnett • Green Jeans • Musubi

I’ve been searching for a thick, knit cap for the winter, and all the styles I love are made with wool from sheep that are usually treated quite horribly. If you think harvesting wool is ‘just a haircut‘, you haven’t done your research. Mulesing and live export are just two of the most horrible aspects of the wool trade. Click HERE to learn more, and look below for a handsome boy-bonnet made from organic cotton, available at KAIGHT.

Boy Bonnett "Ibolai" from Eairth

Levis has an Eco line, featuring organic cotton & recycled denim. I just got a pair of the skinny fit and they are my new favorite jeans! They are also really affordable at just $70. Click on the small images below for details.

RECIPE: Musubi

Musubi is a very popular snack in Hawaii, made in the tradition of Japanese onigiri. Traditionally, this eye-appealing morsel is made with spam, which is pretty gross. Here, we’ve replaced the spam with marinated squash and tofu.

Tofu Squash Musubi

What You’ll Need:

• Musubi Press (get it at any kitchen supply store or HERE on amazon)
• 1 package firm tofu (cut into 1″ x 1/4″ strips)
• 1 butternut squash (skinned and cut into 1″ x1/4″ strips)
• 2 cups of sushi rice
• 3 tbsp Maple Syrup
• 3 tbsp Shoyu
• 3 tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1/4 cup Orange Juice

Directions:
1. Prepare sushi rice according to directions on bag.
2. Combine shoyu, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and  orange juice into a marinade.
3. Lightly oil a casserole dish, put in squash and tofu, pour on marinade and bake at 350 for about 30 min until tender (but not mushy).
4. Cut Nori sheets into 1 inch strips. Each piece of Musubi will be wrapped by 1 strip.
5. Press rice in the Musubi Press, cut in half, add toppings, wrap with a nori strip, and seal the strip seam at the bottom with a drop of water.

For variations, try avocado, pickled radish, mushrooms, or other marinated veggies. Thanks to Aylssa and Jodi for this yummy treat!

GALActic

The Farm Sanctuary Gala was amazing! Being with so many compassionate, wonderful people in one room was inspiring. I met my president, Dennis Kucinich, got felt up by Skinny Bitch: Rory Freedman, and ate amazing pastries from Vegan Treats!

Top Down: Joshua Katcher, Dennis Kucinich, Rory Freedman,
vegan treats cakes, Kevin Nealon, Melissa Fornabaio, Lisa Edelstein
Russell Simmons, Chloe Jo Berman (Girlie Girl Army), Jeremy Davis

I had the pleasure of producing a video for the Gala:

Thanks to Kaight Shop for my hot organic blazer and organic green shirt by Turk & Taylor! I also wore an organic tie by John Patrick Organic, thrift pants, and NOVOCAS Dennis Brown shoes. If you haven’t been to Kaight in the LES, definitely check it out. There is a nice sized organic menswear section!

Kaight Does Dudes!

Our friend Kaight, who’s eco-boutique in the Lower East Side is dedicated to advancing the image of green fashion, has started carrying some awesome men’s organic Tshirts by Katherine E Hamnett. Check’em!

Kaight stocks only the hottest designers from the U.S., Europe and Canada that make clothes that push the boundaries of fashion in an environmentally conscious and ethical way.