
2008 was a rough year peppered with some great and hopeful events. Such events will help propel some wonderful new things for all of us so I wanted to wish you all a very happy and positive new year so that we all start off on the right foot!
The site that highlights the healthiest places to dine as well as alternatives on how to order to keep you in tip top shape when you are away from home. Whether you are vegetarian, have special dietary needs or are just looking for a healthy yet delicious change while you are traveling, we have something for you. For videos, recipes, tips and more, visit us at WWW.HEALTHYVOYAGER.COM!

The holiday season has officially arrived and all the comes with it is in full swing. From the shopping to the tv specials to the smorgasboard of sugary and savory treats, this time of year is a time to let the worries of '08 slip away and enjoy our friends and family. As 2009 quickly approaches, many breathe a sigh of relief in hopes that this year brings us new opportunities and washes away some of the difficulties many endured this last trip around the sun. As I head off to spend the holidays and next month with family, my last post of 2008 will be one of sentiment and a few gifts ; )And speaking of baking and holiday treats, here are some of my favorites:
Mexican Wedding Cakes
Also check out last year's holiday post for more recipes:
http://healthyvoyager.blogspot.com/2007/12/holiday-treats.html
I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season as well as a prosperous and hopeful new year. See you mid-January 2009!!!
xoxoxo
On this special Monday edition of the Healthy Voyager, I want to share with you some healthy tips and anecdotes to kick off the holiday season. It has been a tumultuous year for many however there is always something to give thanks for and our health is just one of those things. Here are a few things that can keep us counting our blessings as well as a few treats to celebrate them!
SAGE AND ONION CORNBREAD STUFFING
Sweet Potato Pie
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Steam the sweet potatoes until tender, then peel and mash.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Place the oil in the hot soymilk, and add to the sweet potatoes. Beat until soft and creamy.
Add the beaten egg replacer, fructose, sea salt, vanilla, and nutmeg to the sweet potato mixture, and mix well.
Pour the filling into the crust, and bake for 30 minutes.
Check out last year's Thanksgiving post for more vegan recipes. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
xoxoxo
Eating like a piggles in Vancouver has turned me inside out!! So much yumminess in one town means I could not cram it into one post. I'm tickled to report that even the Starbucks up here offer vegan desserts!! It's to much to take!!!
Vancouver, B.C. is a great city just minutes across the US/Canadian border. By air or by road, it's a must to visit this hip town with beautiful greenery, a great "scene" and some awesome eats. For vegans and other health nuts, it's a tasty mecca filled with delicious options. From Van to Victoria, you won't be left hungry!
This is a special Monday edition of the Healthy Voyager! Since tomorrow is such a big day for our nation, I thought I would send out some healthy advice earlier in the week ; ) No matter if you're a donkey or an elephant, exercising your right to vote is your gift to America so tomorrow, get out there and give, give, give!! Let's get America healthy again!!
That's Dan and I replicating the famous Time Magazine photo last Hallows Eve ; ) This year we're picking another famous duo and it's a bit more Halloween themed! If you're like us, you live for the chillier nights, trees changing color and all of the clues that ring in the beginning of the holiday season. I happen to adore the season opener, Halloween!!! Here are a few tips and ideas for all of you healthy halloweeners:
Initially we were in town to have dinner with the governator but we flaked on him to sight see on our own ; ) Well the sight seeing on our own part is true! Anyhoo, I would expect that the state capital city Governor Muscle calls home would cater to a healthy audience and I was soooo right!!
I love mountain towns but Tahoe is more like a mountain city! With booming casinos, a ginormous lake for a multitude of water activities, and scenic views to die for, one could spend many happy days here. I must say that all of that stuff is great and the mountainous feeding frenzy is just as satisfying!
Carson City, Nevada is cute, quaint and a great little slice of the Old West. Surprisingly enough, every place we went to was exactly that however, very contemporary in their lovely veggie options!
We zipped through the biggest little city in the world but made some time for a few meals. After being in the desert for a week, any hot meal would have sufficed but it was great the Reno delivered some delectable ones to boot!!
Ok, so normally ice cream isn't a healthy option but I can't visit the bay area without a quick trip to Maggie Mudd. It's a small ice cream shop with a big menu that makes ice cream lovers of any age, and any diet, do cartwheels in the street! They have soy, coconut and rice cream options as well as traditional moo ice cream ; ) I went nuts and broke my diet by having a loaded soy cream sundae with hot vegan fudge, a mountain of vegan whipped cream and sprinkles!! They make all kinds of frozen delicacies, even vegan ice cream cake!! Break your diet without to much guilt at Maggie Mudd!!
Spending time in this city, you can't help but want to try every place you see. Luckily, most places are way veggie friendly so the only thing you have to worry about is fitting into your britches when you head home!
I could go on for months with the plethora of veggie yumminess that San Francisco has to offer. With breathtaking views of world famous bridges, mountains and buildings, San Francisco is a great place to visit as well as to treat your tastebuds!
San Luis Obispo is a sweet town half way between LA and San Fran and is super close to the famed Hearst Castle. I dig the sleepiness of it as well as the great old mission architecture. It's a nice place to relax, take in the calm coast and possibly a tour of the castle in San Simeon as well as to get your grub on!
It's labor day weekend and how will you be saying goodbye to summer 2008? Well, there is this thing called Burning Man that we go to this time each year. It's this week long event out on a dry lake bed in Nevada which for that week is called Black Rock City. For those in the know, it is a phenomenon that is hard to describe and in fact, words can't do it justice. For a week, more then 50,000 people create their own city and live it up sans usual creature comforts like running water, electricity and money. You must be self sufficient, self reliant and properly prepared. Yeah, so how does the healthy voyager survive? I'll tell ya!
Driving down the coast, we didn't anticipate a stop in beautiful Big Sur. However, due to a blazing wildfire we were forced to turn around and go back through it so we stopped in for some essentials. The small town on the scenic 1 highway is tiny and cute and surprisingly offered up some grub for this traveler who was blown off course!
As I searched for vampires, as I always do when I visit Santa Cruz, I had to fuel up the tank. And there is plenty of good fuelin' no matter where you go in tow. It really is a veggie paradise amongst those pesky bloodsuckers ; )
Of all the small towns we visited, Half Moon Bay was the smallest by far. However, it was beautiful being by the sea and did not disappoint in the healthy food arena. Half Moon Bay is a farming town and most of the restaurants support their local organic farmers and that was music to my ears ; )
On our NorCal trip we spent some time in Petaluma. It had some cute architecture and had a quaint small town feel. And with the small town feel came the small town hospitality and with small town hospitality comes food!!
I recently had the pleasure of flying Virgin Atlantic and working with many wonderful people that work for them. I can't express enough what a great experience I had with the lot of them as well as on their flights and upper class lounge. The service was extraordinary and the accommodations and food were like no other airline I've ever had the good fortune to fly. Not to mention the great endeavors they are involved in worldwide!
I have only scratched the surface here in the city across the pond and I hope to come back soon so that I can cover some more ground. I could be here for quite some time and never eat at the same place twice, although I would love to ; ) From veggie burgers to veggie sushi, London has been quite the friend to this healthy voyager!
Besides the fireworks, the grilled veggie burgers and hanging out with friends by the pool, celebrating the 4th without red , white and blue themed snacks is a no no! When else do you get to eat and drink that most glorious combo of patriotic colors? I've complied a few tips to add a little "green" to your 4th as well as some recipes that will complement the boatloads of bbq and beer you may be consuming throughout this festive weekend:Bring broth (or water) to a boil in a medium saucepan; add couscous, olive oil (or infused oil), tomatoes and tarragon (or parsley or thyme). Stir, remove from the heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover, fluff with a fork and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Red, White, and Blueberry Freezee
1 c Vegan Whipping cream
1/2 c Frozen blueberries
1 ds Lemon juice
1 x Sugar to taste
Small Strawberries for garnish
Mix together the whipping cream, blueberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a blender.
Top with a few strawberries. If you would like to spike it, a little rum should do the trick!
I recently read in a veggie magazine that London was in the top 10 least veggie friendly cities in the world. I couldn't disagree more!!!! Everywhere I went there was an AWESOME veggie option and I was there for a good while with a bunch of non-veggies so I should know. London, in it of itself is the bomb diggity, but the variety of veggie deliciousness made it one of the coolest veggie cities ever in my book!! So much so that it will take 3 posts and even more after future visits ; )