Thanksgiving Throwdown ; )

We are here once again! The holidays have made their way around again and for most folks, evoking mixed emotions. While most people enjoy the onset of the holidays because it means time with family, good food and a time filled with cheer, 2009 has taken its toll on folks so it may seem as not so merry a season this year. However, this Thanksgiving, it is more important then ever to be thankful of what we do have and look towards the new year & decade with hope and positivity. Sure there maybe less gift giving and some may have to skip the trip home but I've got some ways to help you salvage & enjoy this Thanksgiving and holidays season! For tips to green up your holiday as well as additional recipes, be sure to check out past Thanksgiving posts from 2007 & 2008.

• If you aren't able to make it home this holiday,  gather up a group of others who can't make it home and have a potluck dinner.  It's great fun to cook together to create a beautiful meal and enjoy the eclectic menu. Make it an event to look forward to with games, movies or even holiday crafts or even host a "Thanksgiving Throwdown" cooking competition a la Food Network style. Whether you are hosting or going to a dinner, make a full day of celebrating so that no one is feeling lonely. It is also great fun to host a Thanksgiving leftovers brunch so that the food does not go to waste and it is a way to continue the fun with your friends for a lovely holiday weekend.
• Be creative with your menu.  If you can't afford all of the usual holiday fixings, cook up a more affordable menu like pasta, salad and rolls. Or if you're looking for something different, try a themed dinner. No matter what is served, it's all about the company ; )
• If you don't have time to cook, make it a semi-homemade dinner and plan ahead.  It's always smart to cook a few things ahead of time and freeze/refrigerate them until the day of.  And for labor intensive parts of the meal, be sure to check your local markets to compare pricing on pre-cooked holiday meals.  In addition, if you are invited to a dinner where you know you're dietary needs will not be met, bring your own meal (which can be ordered as well) along with a dessert or a bottle of wine for your host. Then everybody wins ; )
• Give instead of receive. Volunteer at a local shelter or soup kitchen and help those who are less fortunate.  Clear your cupboards of non-perishable food you know you will never make and donate it to a food bank to help feed a needy family this year. Rally your friends to do the same and make a day out of it ; )
  
• A big tip that tout year round whether it's the holidays, you're traveling or just hangin' at home, it is sticking to your routine.  There are so many helpful resources that can help you with everything from menu planning, fitness planning, recipes, etc. Outside of healthyvoyager.com, a wonderful site that can help you now as well as year round is Vitaljuice.com. They are promoting their Happy Healthidays and if you are one of the first 100 people to sign up for their free daily newsletter from this Vitaljuice.com link, you will be entered to win $2010 on January 1st! Cash along with a healthy new year? You can't beat that!
• And always make healthy choices! Be sure to check out my Winter Wonderland Holiday mini Ecookbook, available here. And as an added treat, enjoy these recipes this day of thanks:

Pumpkin Stuffing 


1 medium sugar pumpkin
6 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (16 ounce) can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dark rum (optional)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Position rack in the center of the oven.
Cut out top of pumpkin, and set aside. Scoop out seeds with a metal spoon.

In a large bowl, stir together the apples, walnuts, cranberry sauce, pineapple, brown sugar, raisins, and rum. Season with ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the cleaned pumpkin, and replace top.

Set pumpkin directly on a baking stone or a thick baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until pumpkin begins to soften. Remove from heat, and stir, scraping the sides gently, so that some pieces of pumpkin fall into the apple mixture. Serve & enjoy ; )

Sweet Potato Fries

9 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup agave
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees (205 degrees C).

In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes, agave, ginger, oil, cardamom and pepper. Transfer to a large cast iron frying pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Turn the mixture over to expose the pieces from the bottom of the pan. Bake for another 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender and caramelized on the outside.

Apple Pound Cake

2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 egg replacers
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups chopped, peeled tart apples
1 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup raisins


Apple Cider Glaze:

1/2 cup apple cider or apple juice
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegan butter

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to egg mixture and mix well. Stir in apples, almonds and raisins. Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from pan to a wire tack to cool completely.
In a saucepan, combine glaze ingredients; cook over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Prick top of cake with a fork; drizzle with glaze.

Butterscotch Cocoa

3/4 oz Butterscotch Schnapps   
3/4 oz Coffee Liqueur   
5 oz Vegan Hot Cocoa  (prepared)

Mix ingredients in coffee mug, and top with vegan whipped cream.

Fizzy Apple

2 oz Apple Juice   
4 oz Soda Water   

Pour the apple juice into the old-fashioned glass filled previously with 3 to 5 ice cubes and add the soda. Stir before you serve.


I'm wishing you all a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving!  See you soon with the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide!

Healthy Voyager Radio - Thanksgiving Special '09

Listen to the Healthy Voyager Radio right here!! Featuring Guests, Molly & Dave Anderson of Madeleine Bistro as well as CEO of Flanigan Farms, Nutritionist Patsy Flanigan:

Healthy Voyager Radio

Next show, Healthy & Eco Holiday Gift Guide 2009 with Me & Rachel Sarnoff of Ecostiletto.com!

Before Departing Portland

Woe is me, if I could only stay a little bit longer or visit a little more frequently, I would be a happy girl. Portland charmed the pants off of me with it's fun folks, eco-friendliness and health, vegan goodness. I could go on for ages but I'll save some for my next visit.  In the mean time, here are a few more "musts" to check out in good ol' Portland!:

There are no words to describe how phenomenally awesome Portobello Vegan Trattoria, it is that indescribably good. With a seasonal, vegan menu, this coffee shop by day, fine dining by night phenom blew me out of the water.  Each course was even tastire then the next and I knew that every dish on it's ever changing menu was not only well thought out but prepared with meticulous love.  Since I was there in the fall, I indulged in all things autumn starting with their hearty Fall minestrone and moving on to their pumpkin crepe topped with cashew cream & basil. An I didn't stop there because I was torn between 2 desserts so I got them both (which was totally cool as I had Dan to share them with).  Uh, uh, uh, what????  The best tiramisu on the planet & the bomb diggitiest chocolate cream filled cannolis! Yes, I know, I stuffed myself which is not of the Healthy Voyager code but man, ohhhh man, sometimes you just have to live a little and Portobello is where its at!

One of the newer kids on the Portland scene is the appropriately named, Back to Eden Bakery. A veritable wonderland for shutting up your sweet tooth, Back to Eden dishes up freshly baked vegan delights along with soft serve soy & scoopable coconut  ice cream. In addition, they have a boutique that stocks all sorts of vegan goodies, candies & even local crafts from other artsy vegans.  Back to Eden is a super sweet spot so add it to your dining card!

One thing I absolutely love but don't get to much of, is fabulous breakfast or brunches.  There are some terrific places in LA but their all spread out all over town so I rarely get my butt out of the house in time to go get some on any given weekend. But on my trips, I am always in search of that elusive, perfect breakfast and I found it at Paradox. Serving food all day, this menu is just heaven. They've got everything from comfort food, fun food and healthy dishes so no matter your mood, Paradox has it.  But brunch was my meal of choice and Paradox delivered. It's been well over a decade since I've been able to order my breakfast by number so I was stoked when my number 1 made it to the table, tofu with home style potatoes along with a hunk of corn bread. I had to try their pancakes so I split a baby stack of the Solstice Corn Cakes with my guy.  Talk about a breakfast of champions!

I love places that has something for everyone and Old Wive's Tale is just that kind of place.  From omnivores to vegans, gluten free folks to low fat diners, this menu is drool inducing and wonderfully accommodating. Serving up yumminess all day as well as their famous Sunday brunches, this is the spot to bring everyone in your crew and no one leaves hungry. On top of the eclectic menu, OWT gives you a choice of fun dining areas: the main dining area, the children's playroom & the classical music dining room. It is hard to dine at the Old Wive's Tale and not want to try everything once and if you did try that, you wouldn't run out of options for an awfully long time! I made the healthy choice of visiting their soup & salad bar and just loved all of the great selections. Fresh & friendly isn't just an old wive's tale in Portland ; )

The last but certainly not least on the list is Vita Cafe. The epitome of Portland culture with its sustainable philosophy, veg-tastic food & fun for everyone vibe at and affordable price, Vita Cafe rocks! Specials for healthy kids meals are a great draw but the food itself is draw enough. Another all day eatery, you can eat your 3 square meals here and be surprised by each and every one. I went both naughty & nice with an order of shareable mac & cheese along with a super stuffed cold veggie wrap that was chock full of crunchy and good-for-me goodness.  Another hot spot in the Alberta Art District Vita Cafe is yet another home run ; )

So it's ta-ta for now to Portland but so much more ahead. See you next week for some more healthy eats in a new city!

Healthy Voyager Radio - Veggie Pioneers

Listen to the Healthy Voyager Radio right here!! Featuring Guests, The Mad Cowboy's Howard Lyman & Raw Vegan Radio's Steve Prussack:

Healthy Voyager Radio

Next show, Thanksgiving Special with Dave & Molly Anderson of Madeleine Bistro & Nutritionist, Patsy Flanigan!

PDX-ellent!

I just couldn't get enough of Portland and neither will you!  If you're a foodie, this town is the gem of the northwest. Sure San Fran, LA and even Seattle have their famous eateries on this vast west coast, but Portland rivals the best of the best  with some surprisingly delicious dishes!

You cannot, I repeat, cannot, visit PDX without hitting up Voodoo Doughnuts. With locations in downtown as well as South East Portland, these all night doughnut shops are more then the usual joint. I've never seen a more creative, funny & outstandingly tasty menu of doughnuts, not to mention, a HUGE selection of vegan choices. I haven't had an iced & topped doughnut in ages so I splurged and ordered a few.  On top of the ginormus variety of sugary sweets is their killer collection of artwork, knick knacks & overall enjoyable eye candy. And if awesome doughnuts for all kinds of eaters along with a fun environment & staff wasn't enough, the cool cats at VooDoo also perform weddings! Yep, that's right, from super simple to the big shebang, owners Cat Daddy & Tres are the kings of bliss both in dessert & of the wedded variety.  Check them out as soon as you roll into town and go every day until you leave because you can't have just 1 when the VooDoo casts its spell on you!

The best thing to do after mountains of sugary dough is to work it off.  Seeing as how Portland is one of the most bike friendly cities in the U.S., it is a great idea to set up a ride with Pedal Bike Tours. See the great metropolitan areas of the city on the most eco-friendly of vehicles while hearing city secrets & stopping for local treats with your savvy tour guide on 2 wheels.  I was lucky enough to have Todd, PBT's owner himself, to give me the grand tour of the cit he calls home and it was fantastic.  Through downtown, a few of the bridges that link the city with the burbs, checking out some history and more was a fine way to spend a Fall afternoon in Portland.  The tour comes with a bike, your helmet and a whole lotta fun, visit Pedal Bike Tours online for more information.

Most of the cheap eats & meal deals aren't consumed by us veggie folk as they rarely exist. But again, Stumptown hits it outta the park at the Hungry Tiger Too.  Every day of the week, this bar & grill boasts a "regular" as well as a vegan menu so everyone can enjoy a brew with some good grub and not feel left out.  Their mac & cheese is to die for, their butternut squash filled wontons with coconut cream are just insane but the big draw... $1 vegan corn dogs every Wednesday. Oh yeah, they are always on the menu but hump day is the day to hit them up for cheap eats, laughs and even cheap beer.  Make sure you head over to the Hungry Tiger Too and if you happen to be around on a Wednesday, live it up for a few bucks ; ) Visit them at 207 SE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97214, (503) 238-4321.

With 2 locations, one in the Pearl District and one in SE Portland, the Blossoming Lotus is the talk of the town. Everywhere I went, all I heard was "Have you been to the Blossoming Lotus yet?" so I finally made it in.  The cafe in downtown is located in a beautiful yoga studio and offers some gorgeous, healthy fare as well as a nice variety of raw food.  Their newest location serves all day and has a larger menu for a more sit downy, romantic feel. Either way, Blossoming Lotus has a fresh and pure menu that doesn't leave out taste.  Their signature cashew hummus, raw cacao truffles & lavender lemonade are just a smattering of how innovative the food is here at this healthy sanctuary.  So after a great yoga session or for a romantic dinner, Blossoming Lotus is the perfect choice!

I am a sucker for all kinds of ethnic cuisine and Arabian Breeze hit the nail on the head.  With a mix of Syrian, Lebanese & Middle Eastern flavors, their authentic menu sends your right out of the states and into a new and exotic world.  They offer everything for all sorts of patrons so I had no problems finding a hearty array of things to try.  I went for the vegan Arabian Breeze Mezza which was a delicious sampler plate of middle eastern goodies then followed that up with their vegan Arabian Breeze pizza, whoa! What a neat combination of flavors and I'm so glad I had some to take back to the room with me to enjoy later. 

If only all of these placed could same day fed-ex me, I would order up dishes & treats from them every day! Stay tuned because there is still more Portland next week - hungry yet?

Healthy Voyager Radio - Vegan & Eco Authors/Advocates

Listen to the Healthy Voyager Radio right here!! Featuring Guests, co-author of Skinny Bitch, Rory Freedman, and Founder/CEO of Ecofabulous.com, Zem Joaquin:

Healthy Voyager Radio

Next show, vegan pioneers, The Mad Cowboy, Howard Lyman & Raw Vegan Radio's, Steven Prussack!