Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Happy Earth Day to One and All!

Save the Earth...Eat a Vegan Cupcake!

BabyCakes NYC
New York City, NY, Los Angeles, CA
and Lake Buena Vista, FL
http://www.babycakesnyc.com/

Clara’s Cakes
Los Angeles, CA
http://claracakes.com/index.html

Dulce Vegan Bakery & Cafe
Atlanta, GA
http://www.dulcevegan.com/

Mud Pie Vegan Bakery & Coffeehouse
Kansas City, MO
http://www.mudpiebakery.com/

My Vegan Sweet Tooth
Virginia Beach, VA
http://www.myvegansweettooth.com/

Pattycake Bakery
Columbus, OH
http://www.pattycakeveganbakery.com/

Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats
Washington DC
http://www.stickyfingersbakery.com/

The Cupcake Mint
NYC and NJ
http://www.facebook.com/thecupcakemint

Vegan Treats
Bethlehem, PA
http://www.vegantreats.com/

X’s to O’s Vegan Bakery
Troy, NY
http://www.xoxoveganbakery.com/

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Garden Wishlist

Toad Lily...what a comical name for such an elegant bloom! The official name is Tricyrtis, which is slightly more exotic, but by either name, I am most smitten by them. Graceful arching stems and long slender blade-like leaves frame delicate orchid-like flowers. Their velvety gemmy patterns remind me of psychedelic leopards...so strikingly beautifully cool! They are far more forgiving than orchids, growing easily in shady spots and in all kinds of climates. Today's Wishlist includes this Tricyrtis formosana called "Dark Beauty"...how can I resist this little Toady Treasure?

Long Acre Plants
South Marsh
Charlton Musgrove
Wincanton
BA9 8EX, UK
+44 1963 32802
http://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/index.html

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

The PUMA Has Pounced

Segway and GM have announced a supercool electric two-wheeler called the PUMA--Personal Urban Mobility and Accessiblity. Still in the prototype stage, it's based on Segway's gravity-defying balancing technology, and it features two people seated transportation up to 35mph for around 25 to 35 miles. Perfect for dashing & darting about on eco-friendly errands... zip, zip, zowie!

Segway-Project PUMA
http://www.segway.com/puma/

Sunday, April 5, 2009

Choco-nate

Odd as it be, I rarely get a yen for chocolate...when I do, I have a list of favorites that really spin my spurs. As this is the hippity-hoppity chocolate season, I want to recommend two excellent companies that donate a chunk of their chocolate change to truly worthy causes:
Theo Jane Goodall Bars
If you haven't tried Theo chocolate yet, you much hop, skip, and/or run to the nearest Theo retailer or to Theo's website and discover them! Their chocolate is heavenly-smooth and leaves a pleasant aftertaste, unlike most conveyor-belt commercial bars.
Their Organic and Fair Trade-certified cocoa is beneficial in every way, and their Partner Bars have extra benefits...
Theo's Jane Goodall Bars help fund the Jane Goodall Institute’s global efforts to save chimpanzees and to develop community-centered conservation efforts and youth education programs.
WBR Sea Salt Chocolate Bars help provide specially designed, locally-built bikes to students, health care workers, and entrepreneurs in rural Africa through World Bicycle Relief.
Theo Cherry and Chili Chocolate Bars help the PCC Farmland Trust to preserve farmland and assist farmers throughout the Pacific Coast area.
They also make a super-delectable selection of vegan chocolates such as Walnut Flaxseed Crunch, Blueberry Almond, Sunflower Banana Butter and Pure Cocoa Bliss. (I think I feel a craving coming on...I know I have a Theo bar around here somewhere!)
Theo Chocolate
3400 Phinney Ave. North
Seattle, WA 98103
206.632.5100
https://www.theochocolate.com/chocolate-bars/partner-bars


 Endangered Species Chocolate
I must admit I also keep a small stash of Organic Endangered Species Chocolate Bug Bites...little squares of pure yummy goodness! ESC uses ethically traded, shade-grown chocolate and they donate 10% of net profits to help support species, habitat and humanity. They make lots of vegan and Kosher-certified options too.
As if that's not enough, they are truly out of this world...
"So, if you haven’t heard yet, Endangered Species Chocolate is going to outer space. That’s right, an astronaut on the upcoming shuttle Discovery Flight STS-119 to the International Space Station specifically requested our Supreme Dark Chocolate chimpanzee bar. Eight dark chocolate bars will make the trip along with the final set of power-generating solar arrays and the station’s newest crew member."
The Coexist Chocolate Covered Confections include superdelicious Dark Chocolate Covered Cashews, Dark Chocolate Covered Cherries and Dark Chocolate Covered Hazelnut Toffee.
African Wildlife Foundation Gift Collections feature treats like Dark Chocolate with Hazelnut Toffee, Dark Mint Chocolate Bars, Organic Dark Chocolate Cherry Bars and Organic Dark Chocolate Orange Bars, along with a 1-year AWF e-membership, an AWF plush and a donation to AWF!
Endangered Species Chocolate
5846 W. 73rd. St.
Indianapolis, IN 46278
800.293.0160
http://www.chocolatebar.com/

...yep, I definitely need to raid the stash...now where did I hide it?

Friday, April 3, 2009

HerbiHug


Sometimes you just need to declare your unconditional love. :)

Herbivore
1211 SE Stark Street
Portland, OR 97214
503-281-TOFU
http://www.herbivoreclothing.com/

Throw & Grow

SeedBallz are sweet little spheres of seeds, fertilizer and clay that you can toss onto any sunny patch of soil that needs a spark of life. They require only a drink of water until they sprout, then nature takes over and they grow like mad, coloring up your garden with happy-go-lucky blooms. SeedBallz are produced by a creative community of adults with disabilities, and are ideal for newbie gardeners, young gardeners, gardeners who aren't quite as flexible, agile or bendable as they used to be, or anyone who just wants to see flowers flourish but doesn't have time to dig in the dirt. My secret sources tell me that these are a favorite of guerilla gardeners who toss them about under cover of night to bloom up bare public patches such as roadsides, abandoned lots, etc...like renegade floral faeries!

Garden Basket
2447 Riverview Street
Eugene, OR 97403
800-398-0539
http://gardenbasket.com/index.html

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Color My World

Villa Julia by Javier Mariscal
I just love ~ love ~ love this...where are my magical markers?!
Found at Inhabitots
http://www.inhabitots.com/magis-unveils-cardboard-playhouse/

Have Your Book and Eat It Too

It's Edible Book Festival Week!
Edible book created by Kelli Smith. Winner of "Best in Show"
Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library
Edible Book Festival, April 4, 2008

A delicious annual event held round the world, the festival invites one and all to "re-write" their favorite book in sugar and spice and all that's gastronomically nice. Exhibitions showcase the entries in local libraries and bookstores, inviting you to enjoy the best in books in a whole new way! Dates and locations include:

Friday, April 3
Edible Book Festival
Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, Topeka KS
http://www.tscpl.org/

Saturday, April 4
Edible Book Tea
Creative Arts Workshop, New Haven CT
http://www.creativeartsworkshop.org/html/events/ediblebooks.html

Edible Books!
Kennedy Branch, Muncie Public Library, Muncie IN
http://www.munciepubliclibrary.org/

Books 2 Eat Festival
White Lake Township Library, White Lake MI
http://www.whitelakelibrary.org/

Northwood's Third Annual IEBF
Chesley Memorial Library, Northwood NH
http://www.chesleylib.com/

Edible Books Festival
Loganberry Books & Strong Bindery, Cleveland OH
http://www.loganberrybooks.com/edible-books.html

Edible Book Festival
Grand Prairie Library Foundation, Grand Prairie TX
http://www.gptx.org/library/

Cook the Books!
Seattle Center for Book Arts, Seattle WA
http://www.frybooks.com/

and one noteworthy straggler on Saturday, April 18
Books2Eat at Grove Library
Grove Family Library, Chambersburg PA
http://books2eatatgrovelibrary.blogspot.com/

More info at the International Edible Book Festival website
http://www.books2eat.com/

...anyone for The Poundcake of the Baskervilles?

PB&Jammin'

Happy National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day!!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Garden Wishlist

If I could only have one flowering plant in my garden, it would be the graceful gorgeous Japanese Iris. Set against a backdrop of lush green moss and ferns, the deep sapphire blues are my favorite. Today's Wishlist choice is the reblooming "Exuberant Chantey", cultivated by Currier McEwen and available through a few Iris nurseries including Earthart Gardens.

Eartheart Gardens
1709 Harpswell Neck Road
Harpswell, ME 04079
207-833-6905
info at eartheartgardens.com
http://www.eartheartgardens.com/index.htm

Saturday, February 28, 2009

Blueberry Pie in the Sky

Hey! Hi! Thanks for dropping in.
I'll be scribing about things that bring smiles to me, my friends (and foes, who knows?), my family, and so on it goes.
Blueberry pie and Bizarro...Japanese Iris and Tricyrtis...Treehouses, Trinkets and Treasures...
Hope you enjoy. Wander on your merry way and always go in peace. Cheers!