Vegan Cookies AnnaVeda Kitchen Update

Vegan Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Vegan Coconut Jam Squares

Vegan Soft Baked Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

These are exclusive all-new AnnaVeda Kitchen cookie recipes, our oven has been very busy... Again, who needs to add cholesterol and animal products to a cookie? Not us!

In other news, the New AnnaVeda DVD is in the works (Totally New Material) - so stand by for updates at www.AnnaVedaKitchen.com and www.VeryGoodVegan.com. Big News! Very Good Vegan Volume One is now available on Barnes and Noble, Best Buy & Amazon.com.

Also, we have now officially put up a Facebook page under AnnaVeda Kitchen; I am not quite sure how one is to apply Facebook, when a blog is so much more fun...however it seems that folks enjoy networking that way so we are in. I must admit that managing yet another location on the web could potentially take time away from my baking adventures, so I vow to be brief when I post there. Besides, I would much rather be messing around with my KitchenAid than a computer any day. That, and we seem to finally be getting a bit of something called "Summer" and it has been fantastic to actually spend time outdoors, go figure!

Off to photograph the Vegan Chocolate Zuchinni Cake - thanks again for that recipe, Amy!

Tiny Vegan Cupcakes

Tiny Vegan Cupcakes

So I have been participating in Dr. T. Colin Campbell's Plant Based Nutrition course via Cornell University and I must say it has been so exciting. Just think - consuming a Whole Natural Plant Based Diet can give you more energy, help you to maintain a healthy weight, avoid impotence, lower you blood cholesterol, the list goes ON AND ON! Check out his book The China Study - ask your local bookseller to get you a copy and your life will change for the better forever!

Meanwhile I have stayed true to my Vegan baking roots and whipped up these lovelies this past weekend, the recipe is from my first DVD Very Good Vegan Volume One, www.AnnaVeda.com for details.

Vegan Pizza Roll & Ayurvedic Skin Care

Vegan Pizza Roll
I cranked out these fun Pizza Rolls last night - using a really great Wheat Pizza Dough plus a modified version of my Vegan lasagna roll filling (as seen on Very Good Vegan Volume One http://www.verygoodvegan.com/ Vegan DVD). Very Good Vegan Volume Two Coming Soon...... Stay Tuned! The Very Good Vegan DVD is now available on Amazon.com, as well as in shops listed on our site - additional shops will be added soon.

This dough is fantastic - I added a bit of chopped basil and oregano to the mix before kneading. for a special added nutritonal kick - chopped broccoli mixed into our Vegan "Ricotta" filling. Increase your intake of plant based foods and live longer, folks....

Check out our Very Good Vegan DVD clip on You Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDT2iYUGHsA and email questions if you like to info@annaveda.com


Ayurvedic Skin Care Tip
This time of year as things are thawing out and we are still using lots of artificial heat indoors, treat yourself to the following facial.

Wash your face with a mild cleanser or just a bit of warm water.
Apply one mashed banana and let set for 10-15 minutes. Wash off with a wet warm wash cloth and pat your face dry. You may try 1/4 cup mashed cherries - or mashed Avocado - try one of each once a month and see how your skin feels. Have fun mashing fruit and squishing it onto your face - it is a recession friendly facial - plus you get to act like a kid and make a mess with fruit.
(I am using mashed cherries this month plus a lot of sauna time - so my skin has been feeling fantastic - give it a try!)

Whole Foods In Store Presentation - Providence RI & Food Matters Book

Whole Foods Providence, RI - Waterman Location

Thanks to everyone at the Whole Foods Market in Providence, RI (Waterman Location). We recently announced that our DVD Very Good Vegan www.VeryGoodVegan.com will be available for sale at that store, and gave out lots of tiny Vegan chocolate cupcakes to celebrate. It is an itty-bitty Whole Foods - - I wish we had one here in Pawcatuck, CT.

This week The Colbert Report had a guest on who is the author of Food Matters

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/220493/march-03-2009/mark-bittman

to see the clip on Colbert's site. I will be reviewing the book here on the blog so stay tuned. I am also finishing up The China Study

http://www.thechinastudy.com/about.html

which I will be discussing here as well. All I can say is that we all need to increase our whole foods plant based food intake, like ASAP! Prontissimo!

Crazy Vegan Cupcakes & Vegan Spinach Gratin

Vegan Spinach Gratin

Crazy Vegan Cupcakes

All I can say is that I love making Vegan versions of traditional baked goods, but even more fun - recreating naughty little treats like these "Crazy Vegan Cupcakes".



They are a golden yellow cupcakes filled with a Vegan Creme Filling - topped with a dairy free dark chocolate ganache (made with soy milk), with a swirl of yet more vanilla creme on top. Winter in New England and comfort foods.....



I have been taste testing a line of Vegan cheese alternatives from "Follow Your Heart" - so far I like using their cheddar option in my Vegan Mole Enchiladas, and atop this Vegan Spinach Gratin - just be sure to cover your dishes with foil or else the "Follow Your Heart" stuff dries out. Very tasty all in all. Also I am loving a cheese alternative by a company called Dr. Cow - out of Brooklyn, NY. I must get my hands on more of their Cashew Spreadable Nut Cheese!



In other news thank you Pangea (http://www.veganstore.com/) aka Vegan Store - for choosing to carry our DVD Very Good Vegan Volume One. (http://www.verygoodvegan.com/) Check out this site for all sorts of awesome vegan goodies, also they pack and ship all of their orders very carefully. Great site, nice folks!



Yesterday I gave a brief presentation at Mystic Yoga Shala in Mystic, CT - we are working on uploading some video from that which you may enjoy.



Additional Ayurvedic Skin care info will be posted this week, so stay tuned and as always email us at info@annaveda.com with any questions. Also additional recipes will be posted on the site this week - but you may email us if you have any particular recipe you like.

Fresh Florida Citrus

Fresh Florida Citrus

This was a roadside citrus stand in Florida I visited on Friday. The fruit was so ripe, and there was a nice man by the name of Ron who helped me with my "Tangelo" purchase. I also picked up a sack of Ruby Reds. Needless to say - I am juicing away here in New England - fondly recalling the warm FL breezes; all the while anticipating Spring as my daffodil and crocus bulbs force their way through the soil.

Persistent as ever - unfazed by the piles of leaves and icy soil, I feel that I have much in common with these resolute globes. Very Good Vegan will be on sale at the Cranston RI Whole Foods Market starting this Saturday February 21. I will be there cooking up samples from 12 - 2pm. See www.VeryGoodVegan.com for details.

5 Day Vegan Cookie Challenge: Day 4 - Vegan Chocolate Crinkles

Vegan Chocolate Crinkles

I've made it to Day 4 of my self-imposed 5 Day - 5 Vegan Cookies Challenge! Hurray! Tonight's cookies are brought to you by 8 ounces of melted dark chocolate, 1/2 cup cocoa powder and a smattering of other top secret ingredients that I will share, eventually. These sweeties are cooling off in the kitchen as I blog, so this will be brief as I wish to enjoy a few by the fire.

Last night's cookie - the Peanut Butter Bars w. Cherry Preserves - were in a word - incredible! So full of peanut butter flavor they were actually intense. I sent a few home with friends today so that I would not ingest the entire tray!

There is certainly a lot going on regarding our DVD Very Good Vegan (www.VeryGoodVegan.com) - so this cookie challenge has been a lovely distraction here at AnnaVeda Kitchen. What can I say - by and by I wait...Stop by tomorrow night for the final cookie in the challenge!