It’s A Queens Thing.

Queens, New York holds a special place in my heart, in fact I know for fact that I am who I am because I lived, worked, loved and breathed in Queens. Jersey made me but Queens molded me.

I LOVE QUEENS.

So when I read that PS 244 in Queens was the first public school in the US to go full veg, it made my lips smile and my heart sing.

What started as a 3 day a week experiment has now turned into a full-time situation. All meals served at PS 244 are vegetarian and the kids are down. In fact they took it from a 3 day menu to a 5 day menu because they noticed that the children where actually gravitating towards the vegetarian meals.

PS 244 is an elementary school that deals with Pre-K thru 3rd Grade. How rad is it that these little ones are being exposed to vegetarian eating at least once a day? At school to boot. I think this is very bad ass and I applaud everyone involved. Including these kids who have shown to have stellar taste in food.

The best part of this story is that once the vegetarian diet was implemented at school, amazing results followed. Not only did attendance approve, teachers saw a jump in energy and excitement in the kids, as well as better focus and attention spans. And just when you think it couldn’t get any better, their test results improved, all across the board.

In addition to their vegetarian lunches, the students of PS 244 also take weekly nutrition classes that teach them about healthy eating. In 1 semester the obesity rates of the children in the school dropped 2% and these days the children go home and teach their parents about healthy eating.

I cannot get behind anything more than I can get behind this. Beautiful all around.

Saving the planet, saving the children, saving the animals and saving some coin.

Principal Robert Groff is the mo-fo man.

And as L.L. Cool J said…It’s A Queens Thing.’

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/vegging-better-school-article-1.1486681

Stay Chizzle,

M.

 

New York City Vegetarian Food Festival. March 2-3, 2013.

It is all going down this weekend in NYC, the 3rd Annual Vegetarian Food Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5pm…

Get All The 4-1-1 Below…

http://nycvegfoodfest.com/ Vegetarian Food Festival Homepage.

The Turbaned Tornado Retires At Age 101.

Fauja Singh aka The Turbaned Tornado is one of my favorite people ever. The famous 101 year old marathon runner has decided that after almost 13 years of running marathons, he is retiring from the sport. He will not be retiring from running, he just wishes to take his daily runs down to a more sane distance of 8-9 miles per day.

After completing his last marathon over the weekend in Hong Kong, Mr. Singh was quoted saying that he ‘felt so fresh, so good and so full of power (today).’ And have no fear, The Turban Tornado is not retiring on a down note, he actually ran a faster time in his last marathon this year then he did in the same marathon last year. He managed to shave 30 seconds off his mile time, coming in at just under 15 minutes per mile this year.

Since he will no longer be in the news for his amazing marathon accomplishments, Mr. Singh hopes the public will not forget about him. I am sure this will not happen, his legend will live on. If you care to read about his life and how he came to be a marathon runner at age 89, click on the link to his Facebook page below and buy his book. I am sure it will be worth it.

All I can really say is, Mr. Singh, you will NEVER be forgotten. You are the truth!!! You are what so many people aspire to be, healthy, active and happy And you manage to do it all over the age of 100!!!

So here’s to many more years of running, loving and vegetarian living, Mr. Singh, you deserve it 🙂

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/02/25/worlds-oldest-marathoner-retires-at-101/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fauja-Singh-Turbaned-Tornado/124185080997906 Like His Facebook Page And Buy His Book!!!

Java Jacket.

The Java Jacket is the O.G. Eco-friendly coffee sleeve. This family run business takes their impact on the Earth seriously, and go figure, this idea came into fruition by accident.

In 1991 the founder of the biz dropped his hot paper cup of coffee on this lap, simply because the cup was too hot and there ya go, Java Jacket was born. Colleen and Jay then set up shop in their home, using it as Java Jacket Headquarters. They proceeded to sell their product from the trunk of their car to local coffee shops. (I told you they were O.G.) And the rest is Eco-Friendly living meets hot cup of coffee to go history.

Now over 20 years later Java Jackets are all over the place, literally. There have been over 4 billion sold to date and they are going strong. Java Jackets can be made with many different designs on them, your company logo or even just plain if that’s your style. Add to that they are recyclable, compostable and made with 100% recycled materials. Obviously 😉

On top of making Earth friendly products, they also give back to their community and support many causes such as The Nature Conservatory, The Cheetah Conservation Foundation and The Portland Global Initiative.

So there you see, a Java Jacket is way more than just a coffee sleeve…

http://javajacket.com/ Java Jacket Homepage.

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh: North American Tour 2013.

The wonderful Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh will be coming back to tour North American again this year. Offering single days of mindfulness or full on 5 day retreats, there are many ways for you to go about hearing Thich Nhat Hanh speak in North America this year.

His tour will be starting in Canada and will make stops in Pine Bush New York, Watsonville California, Boston and Missouri just to name a few. The tour starts on August 11th in Ontario and ends on October 27 in California, be sure you register early as many of the locations are already filling up.

If you are not familiar with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, I encourage you to click on his website below to learn more. He is a wonderful person, who spreads knowledge, love and insight on life, love and the Earth. He is one of the most popular and beloved Zen Masters in the world.

http://www.tnhtour.org/ All About Thich Nhat Hanh’s North American Tour.

No Lally Gaggin.

Andy Lally is a top-notch race car driver who has manged to win the Daytona 24, 4 times and the Rolex Series, 3 times. His 4 Daytona wins are chased down with 3 second place finishes as well and he is currently the only driver who has accomplished this feat. He was also chosen as NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie Of The Year in 2011. Andy also happens to be vegan since 2009, much to the dismay of many racing fans.

Mr. Lally always had pets when he was growing up and is very informed about his food and where it comes from. He evokes a sense of compassion that is energizing and his choice to go vegan, after being vegetarian for many years, all came down to ethics. He feels that it is truly unethical to eat animals and that if more people saw how animals were killed and packaged, fewer people would be eating meat.

Not one to wear his veganism on his sleeve, Andy keeps his opinions to himself unless he is probed. Once he is probed, he is not afraid to educate the masses. Andy is the type of vegan we need more of, humble, thankful and willing to take a little dirt for what he loves.

GO ANDY!!!!

http://www.andylally.com/ Andy’s Website.

Tasty Treats Review : Vegan Treats.

There is not much I can say about Vegan Treats that has not already been said. If you live here on the East Coast of the USA then you may have had the pleasure of surrounding your taste buds with their treats aka ‘some of the best vegan goodies ever made’. They should just re-name the bakery ‘Vegan Crack’ that way others will get the point. Any attempt to eat just one baked good from Vegan Treats, will be futile 😉

Founded by Danielle Konya, she set out to make her vegan treats as good, if not better than their dairy and egg laden counterparts. She has more than accomplished her goal. Crowed the winner of PBS’ ‘Feast Of Sweets’ where she competed against 50 other bakers, who all used animal products, yet she came out on top. Showing the world that not only are Vegan Treats better for the planet, they simply taste better as well.

PETA has awarded Vegan Treats it’s ‘Proggy Award’ for Best Bakery and Ms. Konya has also managed to land herself a Guest Chef spot at Google as well. Her treats can be found all over the East Coast in some of the best vegan restaurants around. From Red Bamboo to Loving Hut, everyone seems to be carrying Vegan Treats as their dessert option these days.

Personally, I have tried like 10 different things from Vegan Treats and I cannot pick a favorite. The Peanut Butter Mousse Brownie it to die for, as are all of their cheesecake options. I can safely say, they make the best cheesecake ever, vegan or not, I have never had anything like it. Everything is full of flavor, decadent and made with love.

As for stopping by Vegan Treats, here is the 4-1-1 and a link to their website below…

Vegan Treats. 1444 Linden St. Bethlehem, PA. 18018. 610-861-7660. Email: Info@VeganTreats.Com Hours: Monday: Closed. Tuesday-Thursday: 10am-9pm. Friday and Saturday: 10am-10pm. Sunday: 10-5.

http://www.vegantreats.com/ Vegan Treats Homepage.

 

Meatless In New Jersey : Unity Charter School.

‘The Unity Charter School Lunch Program…thinking outside the lunchbox.’

Impressive sums up the lunch program and the work that goes behind it at the Unity Charter School in Morris Plains, New Jersey. I mean this lunch program is so THOROUGH it just puts any and everything else to shame. From zero waste to sustainability, this strictly vegetarian lunch program not only fills the kids bellies up with healthy food but it also educates them as to where their food comes from. From top to bottom, the effects of what we eat all get covered in this utterly impressive lunch program.

The school encourages their students to eat lower on the food chain. They are taught the effects of factory farming, the negative effects it has on the land and on the environment. They are taught about pollution and waste and learn that if they eat lower on the food chain, they can avoid hurting the planet in those ways. Sustainability, nutrition and life long positive eating habits are all taught and learned at the Union Charter School.

This years meals are provided by the Simply Gourmet, they serve up kid friendly, nutritionally sounds meals. All waste will be scraped into compost bins where it will then be used  as organic fertilizer in the school’s organic garden which doubles up as a teaching garden for kids to learn. From beginning to end, this plan is just so on point.

I have no kids so I am very much out of the loop when it comes to what goes on at schools these days. I do know that our children are establishing awful eating habits way younger and also becoming obese at alarming rates. By educating them in the fashion, in school, in real life situations and by showing them why they are eating what they are eating, can and will change the world. Without a doubt. I think this program is ingenious and I only hope more schools follow in the Union Charter School’s footsteps.

Read More Below…

http://www.unitycharterschool.org/vegetarian-lunch-program All About The Unity Charter School Vegetarian Lunch Program.

http://www.simplygourmetlunches.com/ Simply Gourmet.

Pasta Martelli.

I am so not ashamed of my love for pasta. And no I am not talking whole wheat, spelt or even sprouted. I am talking bronze plates, cold water and Italy. That’s how I roll and that is why I am in love with Martelli’s Pasta or Pasta Martelli.

Owned and operated by the Martelli Family, only family members work in their pasta factory. Making their amazing pasta is a long process, it is slowly kneaded in cold water, using only the best Durham wheats. They then dry the pasta at low temperatures for about 50 hours. The result is a perfectly ‘rough’ pasta that allows maximum sauce stickage and a great toothy but not too al dente bite.

As for scoring some Martelli’s, I randomly found their pasta at TJ Maxx or maybe Marshalls. My food finds are always so random, I apologize. After much searching on the inter webs, I did find a place on line where you can order from. I have a link attached below. Their packaging is bright yellow so keep your eyes peeled next time you are out and about in a place that sells pasta. Or if you find yourself in Italy, you can contact the family for a tour of the factory and a couple bags of their penne. Whatever is easiest 😉

Seriously some of the best pasta, ever. Ever.

http://www.famigliamartelli.it/english/chisiamo.htm Martelli’s Website.

http://www.salumeriaitaliana.com/catalog/pasta/pasta-by-brands/martelli 

The Green Revolution.

Get fit and start a revolution? Sounds like a good idea to me 🙂

Meet The Green Revolution, a way to bring your love for fitness and the planet together. This awesome company has come up with a product that helps convert the energy you expend at the gym into clean, renewable energy we can all use. Best thing is, this new energy we create does not increase our greenhouse gas levels.

If your gym hooked up its spin bikes with The Green Revolution technology and ran 8 classes a day on those bikes, they could in turn power the average home for 1 year. Not bad, huh? And since every bike shows you what’s going on, while you are peddling away you can actually track your energy expenditure. A very cool way to watch your carbon footprint and pants size, decrease. The Green Revolution also happens to work on every brand of spin bike so there is no need for gym’s to go out and buy all new equipment, this is important because gym equipment does not come cheap.

So far The Green Revolution is only available in the US and Canada. Over the next year they hope to be branched out into more markets, I think it is safe to say, this will probably be happening. Below is the link to their website, it has tons of info for the public, for investors and for those institutions looking to add The Green Revolution to their situation.

http://www.egreenrevolution.com/