Sewing

So i want to start sewing a lot more clothes for myself and mates. BUt i want to make all of them from organic fabrics or recycled ones. What are your suggestions on how to find these? Do you know a site that sells organic fabrics for not super over the top prices?

a MUST read.

This book was passed onto me by a fellow vegetarian. Her exact words were "you MUST read this". The book that she passed onto me, the one that i MUST read is The Ethics of what we Eat written by Peter Singer and Jim Mason. It is about how Peter Singer and his team go into three american families and follow them around on their shopping trips, only to then show them where and how thier "food" is produced. The three families are 1) A family following the standard American Diet aka SAD 2) The conscious omnivornes, a family that tries to make ethical choices but sometimes can't find the time or are too lazy to do it 100% of the time and 3) A vegan family that also buys organic whenever they can. Peter and his team then go and try to track down where this food came from, is the "humanely produced" bacon really humane and how is that milk produced that the SAD family just bought?

So far i've gotten through this book a bit more than halfway and its still very interesting to read. Its not your boring state heaps of facts now turn vegetarian kinda book. More of a we're going to state the facts, do a bit more investigationing and then you can decide for yourself what you're going to take out of reading this.

A great present for anyone who is interested in the subject or who want to be more informed about animal welfare and factory farming.

"I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur."

Does that sound cringe-worthy to you? Well I guess that I too would strip down if it helped to stop the fur industry. Here's the article posted on the PETA website.

As one of the stars of the Twilight Saga, Christian Serratos is used to working with vampires and the nonliving—but she would never wear anything dead. Christian strips down in the name of animals and is telling her fans, "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur."

Each year millions of animals are killed for their fur. Rabbits, foxes, minks, dogs, cats, chinchillas, and other animals are bludgeoned, strangled, drowned, poisoned, stomped to death, or electrocuted, or they have their necks broken, all in the name of fashion. Many are even skinned alive.

In the wild, animals can suffer for days in steel-jaw traps before they are killed. Animals raised on fur farms spend their whole miserable existence in tiny, wire cages where they are exposed to all weather extremes.

Christian explained, "I've always been opposed to slaughtering, eating, wearing carcass."
So here's the vid:

; PETAAsiaPacific.com.

Quote

"you know all the money we spend on the military each year - trillions of dollars? Instead, if we use this money to feed an clothe the poor of this world, which it would do many time sover, then we can explore space, inner and outer, together, as one race" - Bill Hicks

So true. Inspirational

Make your dollar count.

Whether you put up leaflets in the meat section, walk around with a poster stuck to your shopping trolley, give your local shops feedback on what you think of their support of factory farming or stick posters for others to see in the little baskets, there is always a way for you to get your message out there.

Just this afternoon did me and a friend go out to our local IGA and stick up two posters which I had made up the day before. It required little time, a bit of creativity and was an immediate success. As we bought a couple of little things here and there the many people that came by stared down the trolley and the poster on it.

I'm sure that you can come up with many more ways to take a stance on factory farming, or any issue for that matter, all it takes is a little courage. So hwy not go out there and design a couple of posters yourself. Here is our contribution:

Happy Holidays All!

The Christmas season is coming. While it is always a fabulous holiday, it often results in overeating, recieving a few bad presents, a lower bank balance and huge amounts of rubbish in the forms of wrapping, packaging and suchlike. We here at Green is the New Black can help with one or two of these issues.

One of the best possible Christmas presnts is something that is Heartfelt and Homemade. Even better; if it is made of environmental, animal-cruelty-free or recycled materials. It may be hard to do, but there are ways.

For example, you could make people their own, personalised shirt or shoes. To do this, just buy a pack of cheap white shirts in a style that your recipient would like, and do anything to it from stamping (use non-toxic dyes and you could use rubber stamp, leaves, lace, or even a potato if it takes your fancy) to tie-dye or screen printing. For the shoes, just grab a little acrylic or poster paint and go nuts! These ideas are cheap, re-usable and you could even make yourself one while you're at it!

If you aren't the crafty kind but still want to do somethign special there are plenty of options. For example, if you have a little cash up your sleeve, you could donate money to worthwhile charities like WWF or other animal or human rights and environmental funds. Many of these charities have sections on their websites that make it very easy to make 'gift' donations for other people. A great pressie for the person who has everything.

There are also any variety of other things that you can buy for someone that is green, clean and animal free! Look on the internet and you will find the most amazing stores and you can be assured that somewhere out there is the perfect present for absolutely anyone. Check out www.etsy.com for great homemade gifts!

Merry Christmas all, and enjoy the season of giving!

Recipe of the month December

A quick and yummy way to get your 2 and 5.

Easy peasy:
Mix your favourite fruits together in a blender
add soy or rice milk
blend and enjoy

for a variation use veggies like celery, carrot, avocado, tomato and capsicum instead of fruit.
yum yum yum

Is the egg industry now trying to convince me that this is a happy egg? Well i guess it is because its organic free range. I wonder if the cage eggs also have a little smiley on them to make the consumer feel good?

7 Feel Good Gifts to give this Xmas

When its far better to give that receive:

1. Contribute to Australia's largest christmas gift appeal at www.wishingtree.kmart.com.au

2.Give a "gift of sight" card from the Fred Hollows Foundation www.hollows.org.au

3. See www.karmacurrency.com.au for hundreds of worthy charities that would love your help

4. Adopt a polar bear, tiger or turtle through the world wildlife fund at www.wwf.org.au

5. Fill up your family's and friend's stockings with fair trade gifts from www.ibuttrade.com.au

6. Treat a loved one with a scented candle, symbolic adoption or body-care gift set "for him" by purchasing a gift on the www.unleashed.qnetau.com/shop/?product=21 site

7. Make someones christmas breakky, lunch or dinner just that little bit more special by bringing in non-perishable food items into the nearest Salvation Army Centre near you

Regifted.

Seeing as Christmas is creapping up on us all, I thought that i might share this video with you all.

Stickering

Stickering on the streets of Perth to get the message out there. Hopefully these last for a bit...
In total we've done around ten and then we ran out of stickers but hopefully we'll get some more soon!

Our very first competiton!

Yes! This is it...GITNB very first competition! yup, we're excited too. We decided to add this as a little fun thing to our blog. To enter this competition all you need to do is to send your answer to these two questions to material_lover@yahoo.com

1. What is your favourite thing about this blog?
2. What is something that you would like us to add to the blog, or change?

We have two prizes to give away to the two best entries. These prizes are full of goodies and info that we have collected especially for this occasion.

We will announce the winners of this competition on the first of November so be quick and get your entries in before then!

We will then email you to get your adress so that we can mail you your prize pack asap. Also this competition is Australia wide only. So please don't enter if your from anywhere else becuase we won't be able to mail the prize to you. Sorry!

Hope to hear from you soon!

A bit of a follow up on the video we posted the other day regarding testing on animals. So if you're not sure whether the product you have bought has been tested on animals then see this list to check!
http://www.choosecrueltyfree.org.au/list.html

Why NOT to buy products tested on animals…
Because you are supporting this:

Discoveries...

Since becoming vegetarian I have made a few awesome discoveries food wise. Thanks to other people telling me about these and also checking the veg*n rack at the local supermarket I have found some true goodies!

Tahini- a bit bitter and funny aftertaste but eat this with fresh carrot sticks and you'll be hooked in no time.

Haloumi-I haven't met a single person who doesn't liek this. Its greek cheese that is quite salty and we use it in salads pretty much everytime.

Tempeh-I first ate this art a vegan restaurant. It was so good i bought my own and checked out a few recipe sites for it. Don't get out off by its looks. Yes its not very appetizing to look at...but yummy once cooked! Here's a good recipe site: www.tempeh.info

Felaffel mix- Easy peasy just add water mix. Simple and really yummy. My favourite brand is Eskal and I'm pretty sure you can buy this at most supermarkets. USe this as mince to make vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese or meatballs.

Tartex-This is a vegetarian (if not vegan) spread ideal for toast or crackers. Available at most health food stores.

Vegie Sausages-The best to bring to any barbeque. My favourite brand is Sanitarium...so yummy!

Oat Milk-I first found out about Oat Milk through reading a recipe for vegan cupcakes from the unleashed site. Infact the recipe was one of our first posts on this blog! So I bought some, made cupcakes, hot chocolate and coffee with it and decided that it was a really alternative to milk. My friends were a bit sceptic about trying it but soon enough they loved it!

Hope this helps out a fair bit. Also please share if you have found any yummy food things that you absolutely love.

Yum Yum Yum!

We just want to congratulate one of our awesome followers, Cass, for starting her own awesome blog. Although she only has two posts so far they are well worth a read. Dealing with all issues animals and their treatment this is definetly a blog to keep an eye out for. Check it out here: http://flyingactive.blogspot.com/

Good work Cass...keep it up!!

Recipe of the month! -September

Thanks to our fab follower Simone for this recipe. I haven't tried it out myself yet, but she says she loves it!

Yummy Lentils and coconut

Ingredients;
2-3 cups of dried red lentils
spinach (one frozen pack or a few bunches of fresh)
tin of coconut milk
2-3 cups of vege stock
tin of chopped tomatoes
few spoons of curry powder / chilli powder any other spices you like
one large onion chopped
one garlic clove chopped


Method;
sautee onion and garlic in oil until softened. Add spices. Stir in lentils. Add all the other ingredients and bring to boil. Simmer 20mins or more. I like to simmer for longer so it's really mushy!

All finished...happy eating!

A WA Street Team Banner!

Win the glory for WA!

Unleashed has started the greatest competition of all time. The Big Leaflet Off! It's pretty mcu about taking out the other states in a big competiton about who can do the most for the animals. You grab some leaflets and go to some busy place in your area with some mates and hand them out to all people who pass by your stall. To check out all details and some helpful info check out the unleahsed link below:
https://unleashed.qnetau.com/take_action/state-challenge.php

What a powerful Video!

Hopefully this will be aired on TV at the end of this year and beginning of next. Hopefully it will get the message out there without showing bloody pictures of animals that have been tested on. I think this is a very deep vid that will hopefully change the minds of many people!

Freebie up for grabs!

We just found this great freebie on the Animals Australia website. Its an action pack filled with petitions, stickers, posters, leaflets and more! SO if you're interested in making some noise and speaking up for the animals then this is a great way to start out. Also while you're ordering this freebie check out the other things that you can do for the animals. Join their volunteer network, go shopping for more great things such as clothes and read about all sorts of things.
Check it out on :

http://www.animalsaustralia.org/take_action/

So what are you waiting for?? Go grab yourself a pack now!

Campaiging to change lives!

Hi!
We have decieded that everyone can have an impact on the world around us. Therefore we have now started the “I can help too!” Campaign. This allows everyone who reads or follows this blog to help out when the opportunity arises. We will therefore occasionally posting things that you can sign or take part in to show your support. SO this is the first post for our campaign:

In around 9 days time an ACT Greens-introduced Bill to ban the battery cage will be debated in the ACT Legislative Assembly. The four Greens MPs need help to pressure other MLAs to support this move to free hens from their tiny battery cages.

The Eggs (Cage System) Legislation Amendment Bill 2009 would outlaw the cruel practice of keeping hens for egg production in a cage system (with an 18 months phase out time). Unfortunately the ACT cannot ban the sale of interstate battery eggs in the ACT, but the Bill would require that battery eggs be displayed separately to cage-free eggs, and information would have to be provided to advise consumers of the welfare problems for (interstate) caged birds.

There is just one battery cage facility in the ACT “ Parkwood Eggs, owned by egg industry giant Pace Eggs “ but if passed this new law would free some 150,000 hens from cages. There are two short videos online showing the caging of hens at Parkwood, and their treatment during removal from their cages and transport to slaughter last year.

Importantly too, a battery cage ban in our national capital would send a very strong message that Australians oppose this cruelty.

Please write to the ACT MLAs and ask them to support the Greens' battery hen Bill. Here are their emails:
stanhope@act.gov.au,dunne@parliament.act.gov.au,barr@act.gov.au,burch@parliament.act.gov.au,coe@parliament.act.gov.au,corbell@act.gov.au,doszpot@parliament.act.gov.au,gallagher@act.gov.au,hanson@parliament.act.gov.au,hargreaves@act.gov.au,porter@parliament.act.gov.au,seselja@parliament.act.gov.au,smyth@parliament.act.gov.au

Here are some suggested points for your letter. Please put any you choose to use in your own words:
• Battery caging of hens is cruel; a battery hen endures life in a tiny cage without exercise or the opportunity for normal behaviours such as scratching and pecking at the earth, perching, dust bathing and laying her eggs in a secluded nest. In a battery cage a hen cannot even stretch her wings.
• The ACT Government has a unique opportunity to free 150,000 battery hens and to set an enlightened example to others as the first Australian jurisdiction to ban this terrible system of keeping egg laying hens.
• The ACT Government is applauded for its own cage-free egg policy for catering in all ACT Government-owned facilities (adopted earlier this year).
• Battery cages have already been banned by many countries (e.g. Switzerland, Sweden, Germany and Austria), and the European Union is phasing out battery cages by 2012.
• Australia has no deadline for the end of battery caging of hens. Without initiatives such as this one in the ACT, hens will stay in these cages for decades to come.


If you have any feedback regarding this action alert then please leave a comment!

Hello Followers

We on the *Green is the New Black* team just want to say a big hello and thankyou to our new followers. We really appreciate you guys following our blog! We hope you all enjoy our enviro and vego tips!

We'll keep you all posted

xx

Scrumbly, Creamy AND Vegan!

I bet you thought it was impossible to get vegan ice cream. I bet you thought it was even more impossible to make it at home! And what would you say if i told you that you only need one ingredient? Yes, that's right, and it is completely and totally healthy. And what is this magic ingredient you ask? Why, bananas.
Yes, apparently when you freeze bananas, then blend them, they turn deliciously creamy and smooth. All you have to do is bung a few over-ripe bananas in the freezer, leave overnight and then chuck them in the blender.
Prefer a little twist? Just add a little honey and some peanut paste.

Yummo

Good way to clean out the fruit bowl and make a healthy snack at the same time! Go to http://www.thekitchn.com/ for more fabulous recipes.

The Hunter

These are my new Macbeth shoes. The best thing about them is that they are 100% vegan! That means NO leather, NO wool, NO suede, NO fur, NO snakeskin. Also unlike most other shoes, the glue it is made with doesn't contain any animal byproducts.
Not all Macbeth things are vegan but they do have a special little part on their website that sells vegan clothing. Check it out:

http://macbeth.com/vegan

Vegan AND a great message!

I'm absolutely in love with this online store called Etsy which allows you to buy and sell all things handmade and crafty. Not only is it absolutely fabulous to look at, but being handmade these things leave a lower environmental impact, and you can be sure that the things you're buying are 100% sweat-shop free!

I found this fabulous soap when i was having a peek at all the new things posted on the site. Get this. It's a global warming soap. As you use it first the countries disappear, then the water disappears and all you're left with is a yellow centre! Each layer has a different scent, but, here's a great thing; it's completely vegan!

But, the absolute best thing is that 33% of the profits go to wecansolveit.org, a website dedicated to stopping climate change. Have a closer look at all the great stuff on Etsy at www.etsy.com and get involved in saving our planet by heading to wecansolveit.org

(buy this soap from http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24333149)

Why Veg?

Ok a couple of things here:
a) National Vegetarian Week is coming up (1-8 September)
b) Dunno why anybody would go vego?? Check out this site .... www.whyveg.org
c)Also if you're up for a real tasty snack then check out one of the delicious wraps from Pure + Natural. As yo can see I bought one and it was so good that I just had to share the secret with you all!

40 hour famine!

The world's biggest food crisis is on now. and you probably didn't even know it! The Global Food Crisis is into its second year and so far it's plunged another 100 million people into extreme hunger and poverty.

Did you know ?
* People in over 30 countries are suffering from the effects of the Global Food Crisis.
* There are now over 900 million chronically hungry people around the world, and approximately 1.4 billion live in extreme poverty.
* Malnourished children are more likely to die from illnesses like diarrhoea and malaria.
* Every day, an estimated 25,000 children die from hunger and preventable diseases.

Well I've had enough of hunger and starvation. This year I'm biting back at the Global Food Crisis and doing the 40 Hour Famine. I'm giving up food for 40 hours to raise money to help hungry kids affected by the Global Food Crisis.

Would you like to help hungry kids too ? Just $40 helps 5 kids for 1 month! My target is to raise as much money as I can!

Please donate online now (https://famine.worldvision.com.au/famine.cgi?a=SPONSOR_&pn=29096765-2). My 40 Hour Famine Number is: 29096765-2

Thank you for supporting me and helping hungry kids!

Number Two: Recycled Remakes

Here is a great idea that I got through the Craft blog (at http://craftzine.com/ a great blog for crafsters). No doubt you have some old birthday candles or old candle stumps lying around, probably too small to use, but too big to chuck in the bin. Well, how bout making your own? Cara from Failed Feminist, another fabulous Blogger blog, has great instrucions on how to make your very own green candles! Even better, try to use a natural wax instead of the regular wax, because the normal stuff is in fact refined petroleum (not so good for the environment). A great idea is to use recycled jars, either from around the home or from your local op shop or second hand store.

Happy crafting!

Darren Cordeux exposes factory farming

See more videos from Animals Australia Unleashed

Find out what Darren Cordeux has to say about the way we treat animals in Australia. The vegan lead singer of Kisschasy wants you to know the truth... and join him to make a kinder world for animals! Thankyou to Unleashed for this fab video :)

Another score for the animals!

After receiving thousands of e-mails from compassionate supporters Australian designer Alannah Hill has agreed to stop using rabbit fur in her collections. It takes a very strong person to admit his or her mistakes, learn from them, and move on. Alannah has shown the world her compassion and love for animals, and she is setting a great example for other designers to follow. Thank you, Alannah!

Through undercover video, PETA has discovered fur farms where animals are bludgeoned and beaten until they can be skinned alive. Workers on these farms often stomp on the necks of terrified animals after they are kept in cramped, unsanitary cages for their entire lives. Alannah has joined forward-thinking designers like Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, and Tommy Hilfiger in ending her support of abuse like this.

This is a major score for us! If you want to take part in activities such as this then join the PETA action group here:
http://www.petaasiapacific.com/activist-signup.asp

Good on you Alannah Hill!

the GREEN carpet.

Think your alone in trying to save the planet?? Think again! Lots of people just like you and me are doing their bit to help save the earth. Here are a list of people who you might recognise that are siding with us on issue "the planet".

Natalie Portman - vegetarian since she was 8 and designer of vegan footwear.
Albert Einstein - who knew that this fella was a vego? GENIUS
Darren Cordeux - Musician making the right move by becoming vego
Leonardo Da Vinci - Another genius who's veg.
P!nk - she likes to make her oppinions very clear of what she thinks of people that wear fur! Check out this interview...http://www.unleashed.org.au/who_cares/pink.php
Carl Lewis - Olympic sports machine who's vegan!
Esther Hahn - US pro-surfer who feels super energized after turning vegan.
Leo Di Caprio - Not only has he made a movie about saving the planet but he also has his own foundation to help the earth...way to go!
David Spade - This actor recently donated $10 000 to an animal shelter where his mum volunteers.
Brad Pitt - is standing strongly behind his campaign "Make it right" which is bulding 150 environmentally friendly houses in New Orleans.
JOn Bon Jovi - This dude also has his own foundation "Habitat for Humanity"

Your favourite earth helper/saver not on this list? Send us a comment saying who he/she is and we'll give them a mention too!

Recipe of the Month....

Something yummy and for Spinach lovers. I personally love the combination of spinach and cheese.

Eggless Tofu and Spinach Quiche :)

INGREDIENTS
• 1 (8 ounce) container tofu
• 1/3 cup 1% milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.In a blender, combine tofu and milk; process until smooth, adding more milk if necessary. Blend in salt and pepper.
3.In a medium bowl, combine spinach, garlic, onion, Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese and tofu mixture. Mix well, and pour into prepared pie crust.
4.Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until set and golden brown on top. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

Be A Guerilla Gardener

Many of you might have seen the old channel ten show 'Guerilla Gardeners'. While watching it, i could easily picture a few incredibly ugly spots that were in dire need of a bit of greenery. I admit i haven't used this idea yet, but it would be just the ticket to spruce up any area on the sly. They're called seed bombs, and a fabulous website called Instructables teaches you how to make them, and even tells you how many you can fit in each pocket [nine seed bombs or more in boys' jeans]. All you need to make these little bombs is some clay, a few seeds, a little water and some good quality compost.

Go to http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Seed-Bomb/ for in depth instructions on how to turn a drab patch in to a thiong of vibrant beauty.

Happy Gardening

For all those choc lovers out there

One of the greatest inventions ever. Organic, fairtrade and yummy chocolate.
Green and Blacks chocolate is one of those feel good foods. Not only is it organic but fairtrade too!
By being fairtrade this company promises to pay its workers an acceptable wage...not 15 cents a day! Unfortunatly not many get a nice amount of money. In Africa many children work for 10 hours a day for a few cents. We can change this by sending the message to the company owners that we don't want to buy slave chocolate. Green and Blacks is perhaps a bit more expensive than your average Cadbury chocolate bar, but at least you know that you're supporting the worthy cause of fairtrade.


















To check if other products that you buy ar fairtrade, just look for the fairtrade symbol on the packaging.

Stuck for an idea for your next party?

Well then, I've got an idea for you. After a while everyone gets bored of doing the exact same things for birthday parties, and you can only go bowling so many times, so why not do something different? Have a bad taste party. This is incredibly simple, cheap, environmentally friendly and depending on how you go about it, you can also contribute money to charity.

Send out invites to all your mates telling them to dress up as horrifically as they can. The great thing is, you can get a whole outfit together for under fifteen dollars! This includes clashing jewellery, completely tastless clothes and an optional tutu if you're wanting to add another edge to your costume. All you need to do is go to your local Salvos, Vinnies, or your nearby op-shop. This way, not only are you getting great bargains, every dollar you spend goes to people that really need the cash! And, even better, once you've worn the stuff to the party you can give it right back!

Once you've got your outfit together, all you need to do is come up with a prize for the 'worst dressed'. This is easy, just find the ugliest possible item you can find [an old garden gnome or some other porcelain figure is perfect] and add a few little extras and you have your trophy!

The best thing? It's really environmentally friendly because you're re-using scarce resources, and it's great fun all round!

Enjoy, and make sure you have a camera with you, I can guarantee that there'll be heaps of photo opportunities!

The killer products!

Green hair...we don't mean ths literally.
And other green things...

You may be surprised to hear that toxins are lurking in your bathroom? And I’m not talking about whatever’s hiding on your faucet handles or under your toilet seat. I’m talking about the thousands of chemicals that are found in the very products you use to get clean and beautiful each day. To make your everyday beauty regime less toxic and more environmentally friendly check out the following tips. Try a few (or all!) of them to reduce your impact on the world!

1. Use organic products. The MOP hair range is a great one to check out!
2. Be friendly to the animals and only buy products that are not tested on them. To check if a product is cruelty free look for the “leaping bunny” symbol. The Body Shop have a great range of products that are ALL not tested on animals.
3. Take five seconds to read the label and put down any product that contains phthalates, mercury, toluene, lead, formaldehyde, petroleum distillates, parabens (hormone-disrupting preservatives such as methylparaben, butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben, and propylparaben), or BHA. These chemicals are considered the most detrimental to human and environmental health.
4. Buy less! Do you really need twenty cleansers, and ten different moisturizers?
Save the environment and save aswell just by cutting back a touch.
5. Install a rainwater tank and use that to shower instead of using the normal water. You’ll be amazed at how much softer your hair feels.

Keep your ears open and eyes peeled for a future post regarding green hair....yes we're planning a suprise!

New T-shirt, bought from un1son. Only $29. Score. Not only has it got a cool slogan, but its also made from 100% organic material. Such a feel-good shirt!

Veronicas fight the fur

See more videos from Animals Australia Unleashed

Woo go The Veronicas!
Fight the fur!

The Vegetarian Bible

I’ve had this great idea to spread everybodys favourite vegetarian or vegan recipes around so that everyone can give them a shot and try out if they like them. So thanks to Jamison from the unleashed site for this one. Its from the favourite cookbook called “The Vegetarian Bible” http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Bible-Garden-Nicola-Graimes/dp/1407524283/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245065789&sr=1-1 and the meal is called: potato gnocchi with walnut pesto. Yuummm!

Serves 4:
Ingredients:* 450 G/1 LB Floury Potatoes*
44 G/2 OZ... Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated*
1 egg, beaten*
200 G/7OZ Plain flour, plus extra for dusting*
Salt and pepperWalnut Pesto* 40 G/1.5 Oz Fresh flat-leaf parsley*
2 tbsp capers, rinsed*
2 garic cloves*
175 Ml/^FL OZ extra virgin Olive Oil*
70 G/2.5 OZ walnut halves*
40 G/1.5 oz pecorino or parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Instructions:
1. Boil the potatoes in their skins in a large saucepan of water for 30-35 minutes until tender. Drain well and leave to cool slightly.
2. Meanwhile, to make the walnut pesto, chop the parsley, capers and garlic, then put in a mortar with the oil, walnuts , salt and pepper to taste. Pound to a coarse paste in the mortar with a pestle. Add the pecorino cheese and stir well.
3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and pass the flesh through a sieve into a large bowl or press through a potato ricer. While still hot, season well with salt and pepper and add the parmesan cheese. Beat in the egg and sift in the flour. Lightly mix together, then turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead lightly until the mixture becomes a smooth dough. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour.
4. Using your hands, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface into a long log. Cut into 2.5/1-inch pieces and gently press with a fork to give the traditional ridged effect. Transfer to a floured baking sheet and cover with a clean tea towel while you make the remaining gnocchi.
5. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the gnocchi, in small batches, and cooked for 1-2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warmed serving dish to keep warm while you cook the remaining gnocchi.
6. Serve the gnocchi in warmed serving bowls with a good spoonful of the Walnut Pesto on top.
ENJOY!

Climate Rally....

For anyone in Australia, if your interested in CHANGING the future then come to the Emergency climate rally. Along with thousands of others we hope to change the future and give the government a poke in the right direction. Check this website for more details:
http://www.climaterally.org/perth

Turn Your Fanta Fetish into Something Creative

Here it is, the first of the Recycled Remakes posts. They are a pair of awesome earings made out of fizzy drink cans. All you need is a stencil, a stanley knife or scissors and a pair of flat-nosed pliers. Or, if you happen to have access to a metal shape-puncher, then that will be even better. Later on, use either a drill (make sure you use a small drillbit) or a metal-holepunch to make the hole for the chain, link, earing top or whatever to go through.

First, cut off the top and bottom of the can and cut it once from top to bottom, you should now be able to flatten it out into one sheet of metal. Just draw the desired shape onto the can then cut it out with the metal-punch, scissors or stanley knife. If there are any jaggedy edges sticking out, then use the flat nosed pliers to bend them out of harm's way.

For those who find it hard to do all this, or just can't be bothered doing it twice, make a single pendant for a necklace or a charm bracelet.

For those that love the idea and can't be bothered at all, or find that terrible things happen whenever they use sharp objects, check out http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7142880. This is the Etsy store of Trashion Fashion, and they use recycled cans, and even plastic bags to create fab accessories.

Etsy has a huge range of fab crafty stuff, and heaps of recycled, hand-made things, and is a great website to take a look at. You can even buy the stuff, but just keep in mind that everything's in American dollars, you don't want to overspend!

Our New Follower

I just want to say hi to Cass Moore, our new follower. Really our first, since the other one is one of the main bloggers of 'Green is the New Black'. It's great to know that there's someone out there reading!

Anyone else out there looking at this blog, we can always do with more followers and I promise that you'll get a mention on the site!

Keep green

Recession and Recycling

The great thing about the recession that we're experiencing now is that more people will be getting into recycling all their old junk. Sadly, not for the reason that people like me have been doing it for years which is to save the environment, but it is still a step in the right direction.

From now on there'll be regular posts, which I'll be calling 'Recycling Remakes', with a few tips and tricks on how to save money, be crafty, and save the environment. Also, by doing this yourself you not only save a huge amount of fossil fuels that would take to make, transport and package the item, but you have a fab on-going project to keep you entertained. Plus, it's always fabulous when someone says to you 'Omigod, I LOVE your (whatever thing you made), where did you get it?', to which you can reply, 'This thing? I made it myself.'

It always makes me feel pretty good anyway.

So, keep tuned, keep green, and keep doing what you can!

...Post of the week

While reading the unleashed forum I came across this extremely witty and funny response about “The trials of being vegan”. So good I had to post it :)

I came across the 'Steven the vegan' video again the other day- it's quite amusing might I add.It got me thinking, what are a few of your trials of being vegan.I've got a few written down here, see if you can expand the list.
1. The ever popular question ,"Well what DO you eat?"
2. The lunch you bring to school/work becomes the topic of conversation...EVERY DAY!
3. Always having to answer "Why don't you eat meat?" In spite of all the reasons I could cite, the truth is that I just don't want to, and I shouldn't have to justify it every day of my life.
4.The fact I spend twice as much time defending my diet than I do eating it.
5.You are expected to be an authority on all types of health concerns and special diet restrictions.
6.Others feel driven to point it out every time they eat animal products in front of you.
7.People introduce you as a vegan sometimes before your name is even mentioned.
8.You feel like you should have a memorized index of recipes, environmental statistics and health facts to draw on in every conversation.
9.People just don't understand that caring for animals doesn't mean you think they're more important than humans, just that they are AS important.
10.When people say, "People who eat only plant foods die!" Gee! At that rate I should have been dead months ago instead of alive and healthy as I am today!
11. The inhabitants of this world will never be equipped to accept people with unpopular lifestyles.
12. When you tell people jelly is an animal product and they say, “Oh no it’s not.’
13.People expect you to be humorless, strident, and out to convert them.

Hurrah for Macbeth! Not the english poet who doesn't make much sense to me with his thy's and doth's but for MAcbeth the shoe company that has made these awesome new VEGAN shoes. No leather a.k.a no dead cow around your foot! The BEST thing?? Unleashed are giving away four pairs. Yes unbelievable but true. CHeck out the link for competition details and rules (the plug as Rove would say, yes i have a slight obsession with Rove)


http://www.unleashed.org.au/features/macbeth-shoes-giveaway.php

Poem

For english we had to write a poetry anthology... i decided to do one on animal cruelty and this is what it turned out to be. Not a master piece btw :)

I’ll wear my own skin

A blur of green on either side of me,
The pounding blood pushing through my veins
I dart, dash and dodge the flying bullets
I hear the splintering sound of a tree
That is getting shot at by the hunters
They are greedy for my exquisite fur
If I get caught they will skin me alive
The undergrowth gets caught in my antlers
As I make my fanatical dash for life
Why oh why can’t this cruelty end?
It is so pointless, can’t they see that?
Many animals die under the knife
For the rising fashion industry
This must stop, taking our lives is devilry

Cupcakes are all the rave...

Yes there is such a thing as VEGAN cupcakes. Wow and sooo yummy. The ingredients may not be in your pantry but are worth investing in just for this recipe. Go on get your baking skills on!

These delicious chocolate cupakes are jam packed with all the extra goodness of an Oreo icing. Just remember to share!
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plain flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt Icing:
1 cup nut butter (or non-dairy margarine)
3 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 Oreos
Directions
Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 180C.
Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl and let curdle for a few minutes.
Add the sugar, oil and vanilla extract and whisk it till it's foamy. It will look gross, but don't let looks deceive you.
In a separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry mixture to the wet in two batches and whisk. You don't want any large lumps, a few small are ok. It should look like melted chocolate.
Pour mixture into cup cake liners until 3/4 full (they will rise).
Cook for 20mins but check at 15mins with a tooth pick as ovens may vary. Icing:
Beat 1 cup of nut butter until fluffy.
Then sift 3 1/2 cups of icing sugar and beat for a further 3 minutes.
Add a teaspoon of vanilla and finely mashed Oreos.
Beat until combined (you can add a few table spoons of tofutti cream cheese if you like and beat that in, YUMMO!).
Ice cupcakes when cool.
Your cupcakes are ready to devour!

Unleash the banners...

So this great website called unleashed.org.au has designed these fresh shiny new banners that promote animal rights...they're free for anyone to grab and post on a blog, myspace, facebook etc. So take some action against animal testing, killing for fur and pledge to be veg! Check out their website for great stuff to win and to do so that you can be a SUPER activist ----> www.unleashed.org.au

Cool Running

Ok so as the first post on this very fab new blog that me and my mate have started we decided that it should be something very cool while it also (of course!) helps the environment.

So we decided to write something about CoolRunning. This is a non-profit organisation that exists in several continents around the world. What they do? They collect your old sneakers for you and re-use them! How great is that?? That means that people who really need new runners but aren't able to afford them are given ones that people have donated. You get a nice warm and fuzzy feeling because you have totally been able to help someone. OK so maybe not all they're problems are fixed but at least they have new shoes.

For more info on this organisation go to their website ----> http://www.coolrunning.com.au/runningguide/wiki/index.php/Recycled_Runners

Go on look through your wardrobe for those runners you haven't worn in ages and donate them!

Check out the site for donation locations.

Perhaps even do this as a group....you could get all you mates together and make a huge group donation of perhaps ten pairs of sneakers.

Ahhh so many possibilities!