Recipe For The Vegan Fruitcake Breakfast Smoothie: Williams-Sonoma Smoothie Week

After recently discovering my post, Recipe For Vegan Banana Split Milkshake With No Added Sugar Or Anything Artificialfrom last summer, Williams-Sonoma asked me to share a new recipe for Williams-Sonoma Smoothie Week.

Williams-Sonoma Smoothie Week

I am glad to help out with this because, actually, I’ve been meaning to get around to sharing the recipe for my daily morning smoothie.

I call it the “Vegan Fruitcake Breakfast Smoothie.”

It’s full of fruit and nuts, like a fruitcake, but doesn’t contain the typical artifical food dyes and added sugar that fruitcake contains.

Not to mention, I think most people would prefer the taste of my Vegan Fruitcake Smoothie over fruitcake anyway.

I created the Vegan Fruitcake Breakfast Smoothie because I wanted to invent a delicious, easy breakfast starter that was full of good fat, but like all vegan food, contains 0% of your daily cholesterol allowance.

Here are the ingredients:

1 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 banana

1 tablespoon of chia seeds

1 tablespoon of vegan cocoa powder

1/2 cup of cashews

1/2 cup of berries (your choice of strawberries, blueberries, etc.)

4 cranberries

First, I pour the almond milk into the blender. Next, I place the banana. From there, I toss the rest of the ingredients in. Then I use the pulse button for about 10 seconds to ensure there are no clumps.

From there, I drink it!

Recipe For Vegan Fruitcake Smoothie: Williams-Sonoma Smoothie Week

I seriously make this smoothie everyday in my blender. I’ve been doing it ever since I invented the Vegan Banana Split Milkshake 6 months ago; that smoothie is what inspired this thicker version of it.

Recipe For Vegan Fruitcake Smoothie: Williams-Sonoma Smoothie Week

As we are just one week away from moving into our new house, I am considering getting a newer, bigger, badder food processor; not only for my smoothies, but because as a vegan/vegetarian family, we use blenders and food precessors a lot!

Thanks for learning about my recipe for the Vegan Fruitcake Breakfast Smoothie!

To check out more recipes for Sonoma Smoothie Week, you can visit the Pinterest Page or the Facebook page on Friday, January 23rd where they will be highlighting some of the recipes.

And please let me know if you decide to try the Vegan Fruitcake Breakfast Smoothie!

 

What If Susan G. Komen’s Sponsors Actually Helped Cause Cancer Instead Of Find A Cure?

I’ve been saying this for years, but there is good reason to question why it is that so quickly so many major brands paint themselves pink in the name of finding a cure for breast cancer.

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Sure, we all want to there to be an easy medical cure for breast cancer and we all personally know someone who has been affected by breast cancer.

It’s a deeply emotional subject. Therefore, it’s natural to want to show our support to find a cure for breast cancer.

However, what I want to point out about our society is that we’re much, much, much more concerned with finding a cure, having been throwing money at Susan G. Komen since 1984, than we are concerned with actually preventing breast cancer.

I subscribe to the philosophy of Albert Einstein: “Intellectuals solve problems, geniuses prevent them.”

The thing is, the cure for cancer was discovered decades ago. Just watch the documentary Forks Over Knives on Netflix. You’ll see testimonials from women who diagnosed with terminal cancer back in the 1980s and 1990s.

You will be able to learn the reality that “the cancer switch can be turned on and off” through a plant based diet:

They switched to a plant-based lifestyle (they stopped eating animal products and artificial flavors and colors). Turns out, they are still alive and as of the taping of the documentary were still cancer free!

The overwhelming evidence is there.

However, this truth is annoying. It requires a person to change their lifestyle in order to not get cancer.

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Our society instead places a higher value on fixing the preventable problem after it has already happened.

Just take a look at the infographic at the very bottom of this post, which illustrates which health issues we raise the most money to find a cure for, versus which health issues are actually killing us.

What you see is that the diseases that kill us the most are the most easily preventable; through proper diet and exercise; yet our passion is in “finding the cure” for the more disease that kills the lower number of us.

As for the Susan G. Komen “find a cure” movement, I’m apparently not the own one picking up on the fact that the marketable passion to find a cure is actually overshadowing the importance of actually finding a cure, and most importantly, it distracts from the fact cancer is largely preventable with a plant-based lifestyle.

Just check out this recent satirical Onion article: Susan G. Komen Foundation Launches Deep Space Probe To Bring Breast Cancer Awareness To Rest Of Galaxy

It points out the fact that lack of awareness, or raising money to find a cure for breast cancer, aren’t the problems. They are the symptoms of the problem.

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The actual problem is people are dying of a largely preventable cancer.

I think it’s important to consider the fact that countries that consume little to no dairy also happen to have the least occurrence of breast cancer.

So it seems the actual problem is the lack of awareness of how to eat in a way to prevent cancer from forming in the body in the first place.

There’s also this one featured on The Huggington Post, “Susan G. Komen Partners With Fracking Firm, Despite Possible Cancer Links“, which points out Susan G. Komen is turning a blind eye to the fact so many of brands that raise money for them (as a sales tactic, of course) actually have products that are known to cause cancer, not prevent it.

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But it’s not just with companies who wave the pink flag to increase profits, or with Susan G. Komen turning a blind eye to sponsored products actually being linked to cancer.

The annoying truth is that it’s also our society’s tendency to keep literally buying into the concept that “finding a cure” for cancer is more important or relevant than preventing it.

If you’re familiar with my blog and my life, you know that I’ve been a vegan for more than a year and a half, a vegetarian for 3 years, and kosher (no pork, shellfish, etc.) for 6 years.

I am happy to answer any questions you have about this “extreme” lifestyle. Just leave a comment below.

What If Susan Komen’s Sponsors Actually Cause Cancer Instead Of Find A Cure?

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego Themed 4th Birthday Party

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego-Themed 4th Birthday Party

4 years old.

Dear Jack,

It is true, you are now a 4 year-old! And I can absolutely without a doubt tell you that you had an awesome 4th birthday and birthday party.

Knowing the relevance of Legos, given the fact you will spend hours at a time building Optimus Prime and Dinobots, we booked your party months ago at a place called Bricks 4 Kidz.

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego-Themed 4th Birthday Party

That was the best decision for your party. Not only did you and your friends have a great time playing with Legos, but the parents felt at ease, yet still involved, with all the action.

Dear Jack: We Actually Let You Open Your Presents At Your Birthday Party

There were also optional peripheral activities going on for any of your friends who wanted to mix things up; like making a cool spiral design on a paper plate using a Lego-operated device.

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego-Themed 4th Birthday Party

This made the first birthday party you’ve had outside of our home; I quickly realized how stress-free it truly is when you don’t have to worry about anything.

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego-Themed 4th Birthday Party

Your birthday party was on autopilot; it flowed so well.

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego-Themed 4th Birthday Party

The only thing we were really responsible for was bringing the food, which, you know me… that’s a big deal.

I made sure that in addition to your party having a Lego theme, that it also had a “no artificial anything” theme as well.

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego-Themed 4th Birthday Party

These days, you really have to go out of your way to find “birthday food” that doesn’t have garbage ingredients in it, like artificial food dyes, animal bi-products, or mysterious chemicals.

Of course, for me, your vegan dad, I knew just where to look…

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego-Themed 4th Birthday Party

I reached out to Annie’s and GoGo Squeez and they helped donate the majority of the snacks for your party. They are just as passionate as I am about spreading the word about the importance of eating real food.

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego-Themed 4th Birthday Party

Obviously, your friends loved our Annie’s crackers & cookies and Go Go Squeez pouch buffet!

And that was in addition to your vegan birthday cake that I special ordered from Whole Foods. You said you wanted it to be chocolate with blue icing, so that’s exactly what you got.

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego-Themed 4th Birthday Party

It was so good…

No eggs, no dairy, no artificial dyes or flavors… no problem! We liked it so much that Mommy and I (jokingly?) talked about ordering another cake from Whole Foods to celebrate when we move into our new house in January.

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego-Themed 4th Birthday Party

So not only was there plenty of fun to be had at your 4th birthday party, but I was able to feel confident that I was serving you and your friends the best “birthday food” out there: Annie’s, Go Go Squeez, and Whole Foods vegan birthday cake.

Of course, there is that whole part about you opening the presents, but more on that in the next letter…

Love,

Daddy

Dear Jack: Your “No Artificial Anything” Lego-Themed 4th Birthday Party

Going To Get Tater Tots Makes My Son Feel Special/The Great Food Truck Festival Of Nashville

3 years, 10 months.

Going To Get Tater Tots Makes My Son Feel Special

Dear Jack,

Recently as part of an art activity at school, you were asked to draw a picture that answers the question, “What’s something that makes you feel special?”

I would have thought you would have said playing with Legos, or getting a Hot Wheels car at Kroger, or even simply playing at home with Mommy and me.

Going To Get Tater Tots Makes My Son Feel Special Burger Republic Nashville

Instead, you answered, “Going to get tater tots.” You drew a picture of yourself with 5 tater tots. To you, that apparently equals feeling special.

This weekend turned out to be a “stay in Nashville kind of weekend”. Coincidentally, “The Great Food Truck Festival” just happened to be taking place in the neighborhood next to ours, in the parking lot of the only place you have ever eaten tater tots: the critically acclaimed and award winning Burger Republic.

So Mommy and I decided to officially make you feel special…

http://burgerrepublic.com/

In anticipation of the tater tots arriving, I helped distract you by drawing tomatoes on the Burger Republic coloring sheet for you to “run over” with your new acquired Jeep Scrambler. (I would scribble over each tomato after you rolled the car over each one that I had drawn on your race track.)

Going To Get Tater Tots Makes My Son Feel Special Burger Republic Nashville

I could tell, just being there was a big deal to you. I could clearly see you felt special once those tater tots arrived!

Of course, I can’t fail to mention that we were visiting some of our wonderful friends there. (You’ve grown up with them and their dog.) You were fairly oblivious to their presence until after you had consumed the famous tater tots and we were outside on the playground next to Burger Republic.

https://familyfriendlydaddyblog.com/2014/07/20/jack-meets-max-the-cockapoo-nearly-3-years-later/

It made my day to get to see you and their daughter Parker get along so well. Not only did you play perfectly synchronized, but I even think the two of you look a lot a like.

https://familyfriendlydaddyblog.com/2014/07/20/jack-meets-max-the-cockapoo-nearly-3-years-later/

You were lucky. You didn’t have to take a nap because of the fact we met up with them about the time you should have been in the middle of your nap.

https://familyfriendlydaddyblog.com/2014/07/20/jack-meets-max-the-cockapoo-nearly-3-years-later/

Fortunately, you were able to burn off 100% of the extra boost of energy you ironically get from not taking a nap.

https://familyfriendlydaddyblog.com/2014/07/20/jack-meets-max-the-cockapoo-nearly-3-years-later/

I’m so glad to know that the the of you with be attending the same elementary school and be in the same grade once you graduate out of pre-school. I think Parker is going to make a great friend for you!

You were even able to successfully share your Jeep Wrangler with her. Man, that’s saying a lot…

We finished off the afternoon by walking in between all the glorious food trucks there for the festival.

The Great Food Truck Festival Nashville TN

Having already eaten the food that makes you feel very special, your main concern at that point was to find out which color truck was the coolest.

As I would imagine, you chose the pink one.

When you live in a fun city like Nashville, even the “stay at home weekends” end up being pretty interesting… and special.

Love,

Daddy

Going To Get Tater Tots Makes My Son Feel Special Burger Republic Nashville

FYI: Burger Republic was unaware I was writing a “family friendly review” on them at the time. I was simply a paying customer who happened to be taking a lot of pictures of my son. In other words, I did not “work for free tater tots.” I simply have always enjoyed going to Burger Republic and thought they deserve a shout-out. In case you’re wondering, they do serve vegan burgers too.

Experiment: Compare Annie’s Homegrown Ingredients A Year From Now in September 2015

Last night I posted Why I’m Happy About Annie’s Homegrown Being Bought Out By General Mills, to which a friend who actually was instrumental in my own transition from vegetariasm to veganism responded with this comment:

Monica Lang I’m not buying it. Keep a box today and compare the ingredients a year from now.
#noGMorAnniesinourhouseanymore

Actually, I think she’s got an excellent idea! She makes a great point. So I literally am going to do exactly what she suggested…

Experiment: Compare Annie's Homegrown Ingredients A Year From Now

I took close-up pictures of the Annie’s Homegrown products we happened to have in our pantry. (In case you’re wondering, my son is a vegetarian, not a vegan- which explans the mac-and-cheese.)

A year from now, I will take and post pictures of the same products, if available, and compare them for everyone to see.

Experiment: Compare Annie's Homegrown Ingredients A Year From Now

While I definitely could be wrong, and would quickly admit it if I am a year from now, I doubt think General Mills will mess with Annie’s Homegrown’s dedication to keeping their products organic, non-GMO, and free of artificial dyes and flavors.

Experiment: Compare Annie's Homegrown Ingredients A Year From Now

The reason I am confident to say this is because General Mills can’t afford to “Monsanto-size” their newly acquired product line. The whole point in them acquiring Annie’s was because they know how much money a market we organic/non-GMO consumers shell out each year.

Experiment: Compare Annie's Homegrown Ingredients A Year From Now

If they General Mills changes Annie’s ingredients, then people like me would simply start buying products of other food companies who do still have integrity.

I believe General Mills will make the right decision- not from the heart, like Annie’s always has, but because of the bottom line; it’s directly related to them making a profit.

So, let’s watch together how this works out. None of us can know for sure until September 2015.

See ya in a year!

Experiment: Compare Annie's Homegrown Ingredients A Year From Now

Actually… please come back before then. I just mean, I’ll do a follow-up post on this in September 2015.