, Gratitude Gourmet
's Intern, shared her Vegan Chocolate Cake and Raspberry Chocolate Frosting recipe. Thanks, Amy!VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 ½ cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
½ cup vegetable/canola oil
1 cup cold water
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp cider vinegar
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Oil an 8" square or round baking tin.
In one bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, sugar. In another bowl combine oil, water & vanilla. Pour liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until well-blended and smooth.
Add vinegar and stir briefly. The baking soda will begin to react with the vinegar right away, leaving pale swirls in the batter. Without wasting any time, pour batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE FROSTING/ GLAZE
You will need a pot and a plastic bowl which fits inside it.
In the pot, boil some water.
In the bowl combine ½ cup raspberry jam with about 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or pieces of chocolate (if you're really making it vegan, check that there is no milk in the chocolate). Adding a little bit of vegan butter equivalent makes the chocolate melt better and taste slightly different.
Put the bowl inside the pot (on top of the water) and stir until the ingredients melt.
Spread on top of the chocolate cake and enjoy!
, one of the best San Francisco garden and food events, is happening June 5-6 with garden gurus and wine seminars. It's a must see event!
A June 2010 Prevention
article noted a University of California, Davis study analyzing 100 commercial brews, light colored ales, such as India Pale Ale (IPA) containing the most silicon, a compound that increases bone mineral density in women with osteoporosis. The researchers believe it's due to the silicon-rich hops and malted barley, and when enjoyed in moderation, you could boost your bone mineral density by up to 16%! Cheers to that!
The 240-page report by the President's Cancer Panel is the first to focus on environmental causes of cancer. The panel, created by an act of Congress in 1971, is charged with monitoring the multi-billion-dollar National Cancer Program and reports directly to the President every year. The report recommends raising consumer awareness of the risks posed by chemicals in food, air, water and consumer products, bolstering research of the health effects and tightening regulation of chemicals that might cause cancer or other diseases.They also urged doctors to use caution in prescribing CT scans and other medical imaging tests that expose patients to large amounts of radiation. In 2007, 69 million CT scans were performed, compared with 18 million in 1993. Patients who have a chest CT scan receive a dose of radiation in the same range as survivors of the Hiroshima atomic bomb attacks who were less than half a mile from ground zero, the report says. See more information about the Report here.
Oatmeal with honey, cinnamon and soy milk
Oatmeal is my wonder food. It's delicious, nutritious, filling, cheap, and sustainable. On the low carbon calculator (), steel cut oats earn 144 CO2 emission points, which is by far the most one of the most environmentally friendly breakfast options. By comparison, cereal and milk earn a whopping 1224 points, yogurt with seasonal fruit and granola 340, a single hard boiled egg 333, an omelet with vegetables 783, and pancakes with syrup and butter 1277.
Oatmeal is also rich in soluble fiber that is more nutritious than the wheat fiber added to "high-fiber" breakfast cereals. It's even more nutritious and delicious when topped with cinnamon and honey. Cinnamon is the highest-fiber food besides lemons with peels. Using locally produced honey is both more sustainable and supposedly helps with allergies. The cinnamon and honey combination has a long history of being used as a home remedy that is claimed to help cure everything from heart disease to colds to upset stomachs. Add some soy milk to the oatmeal topped with cinnamon and honey for a creamier texture and taste as well as an important dose of protein, and the wonder breakfast is complete!