Vegan Etsy!

If anyone out there hasn't discovered this hand made market place they should hop on over right now for some very unique hand made goods and killer finds. http://www.etsy.com/?ref=si_home

As I have mentioned before in previous posts you can find all sorts of up and coming indie designers on a budget. It is a great place to find clothing and accessories made in eco friendly materials like bamboo, hemp, soy, organic cotton and upcycled reclaimed clothing..

Here are some of my pics for items that are good for the earth yet don't make you look like one of those "crunchy granola types" as I know some women do not want to look like what a "vegan" or eco friendly person stereotypically looks like..

The Love Root tshirt by Thelotusroot. Hand screened water based ink on an organic cotton and bamboo tshirt. $28.00

100%Hemp bag lined with 100% organic cotton with poppies made by Uzura $58.00

The Black & White Paisley Leggings are made with eco friendly modal knit. Made by FineThreadz $26.00

This dress is made from ridiculously soft Organic or Eco jersey fabrics (see colour chart below). Upcycled twill fabric make up the "suspenders" that cross in the back and have upcycled large Buttons in the front! Made by Alterecoclothing $70.00

Rock Star Zipper Ankle Boots w/ gold studs and spikes. Black vegan leather with a 5" wedge heel. Each pair is custom made to order by JennyFallsDown. $115

Easy Peasey Hummus

I found this recipe in Chatelaine magazine. It requires nothing fancier then a potato masher and a fork to prepare. It also doesn't require any fancy measurements ( or any of the sort for that matter), I go by texture. it is meant to be a rougher texture of hummus instead of a smooth spread.

Take  1 can of chick peas drained and rinsed, add olive oil and mash roughly with a potato masher until desired texture is achieved. It is meant to be thick and chunky. I mash it with my masher then to make it smoother I use a fork to break it up further, I then add minced garlic, a splash of lemon juice and a small splash of sesame oil for a nutty undertone flavor. I serve it on oven baked bread - the thicker the better or scooped onto celery.

This recipe is not only easy but it is cheap as well. For slightly more then the price you pay for a store bought pre- made brand you can purchase the majority of the ingredients ( minus the bread) and have enough lemon juice, olive oil, sesame oil and garlic to use in a plethora of other recipes and you skip all of the un-natural preservatives used in processed foods. The only ingredient that is a stretch to the wallet is pure olive oil but it is worth the money. I pay around $7.99 for aprox. 600ml. Olive oil is a good source of Omega oils and it also raises your good cholesterol and lowers the bad.