By NATALIE MILLER

H-P Reporter

Celebrating life will be the main focus of the July 15 Ashland Street Party. For a second year Wine for Cures is sponsoring an Ashland Street Party to commemorate Ron Waters, who was better known as Steve Mr. Beach Leonard.

The popular Beach music radio DJ passed away unexpectedly last year, and his countless friends rallied together to ensure he was not forgotten.

For about 10 years Ashland Street Parties have brought residents together to raise money for local non-profits. In previous years, bands like King Edward & the BDs and Robbin Thompson and Steve Bassett.

Ron Moody and the Centaurs has performed at several Ashland Street Parties in the past, including the first Steve Leonard tribute party. The band is known throughout the region for playing relaxing, fun beach music.

Its great music thats really stood the test of time, Moody said. Its the kind of music thats not offensive to everyone and is just a good time.

Moody met Leonard at a music function in Richmond about 35 years before his sudden passing. Moody said they instantly bonded over their shared interest in music and music trivia.

He always remembered your name if you met him before and he was just a really happy, go-lucky guy, Moody said.

He had a great laugh and he called everybody his close, personal friend, Moody said.

on Moody and the Centaurs is currently made up of Michael Moore on bass, guitarist Jim Wark, J.W. Belden on keyboard, drummer Mark Imes, Chuck Rush on trombone and Gary Hartle on saxophone.

We just thought itd be a good idea to get together one night every summer to remember Steve, Moody said.

Gil Miles founded Wine for Cures in 2011 after being diagnosed multiple times with terminal Leukemia. The non-profit educates the public on cancer-related issues, but unlike most cancer awareness organizations Wine for Cures also encourages laughter and fun.

Participating in annual events like the Leukemia Cup Regatta and Dogwood Wine Festival, Wine for Cures offers life-saving information at non-intimidating venues. The non-profits motto Be Intentional reminds people that there is life after diagnosis.

Miles knew Leonard for about 25 years, and has fond memories of the friendly DJ.

He could keep you talking for hours, Miles said. He was just always a good time.

Last spring, Leonard agreed to emcee the 2016 Wine for Cures Ashland Street Party. When Leonard unexpectedly passed away before the event, the street party became a tribute to his life.

His spirit lives on, Miles said.

Along with the wine and beer typically available at Ashland Street Parties and Wine for Cures events, Richmonds Grapevine Greek and Italian Restaurant will be providing food at the upcoming Ashland Street Party.

Great music, great foodits going to be a great event, Miles said.

Lifelong radio personality Bill Bevins worked alongside Leonard since the start of their careers. In their early 20s, Leonard and Bevins worked for a radio station in Hopewell and remained in contact ever since.

Steve had kind of this photographic memory, where if he met you one time and talked to you for a few minutes, hed remember you in 10 years, Bevins said. He was just the sweetest, kindest person you ever met.

Bevins, who now co-hosts Star 100.9s Mornings with Bill and Shelly, will be the street partys emcee.

He represented good timeswe called him the Prince of Party Time, Bevins said.

The Ashland Street Party will have all of Leonards favorites: friends, fun and Beach music. Those who knew Mr. Beach will continue his legacy as he would have wanted.

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What pairs well with a party? - Hanover Herald Progress

An expert in Geriatric Medicine, Dr Toyin Ajala has said that constipation and dehydration may cause delirium, a sudden severe state of confusion due to rapid changes in brain function in elderly persons, particularly after surgery operation.

Dr Ajala, a guest lecturer in the series of lectures to mark the 60th anniversary of University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, stated that delirium also contributes to longer stay of many patients in the hospital after surgery.

Ajala, a consultant at the Frimlay Health NH Trust United Kingdom, said that three to five of every 10 elderly after surgery may develop this sudden change in their behaviour and personality.

The expert, who noted that some cases of delirium are reversible, declared that in some instances, when the condition is not prevented and treated properly, patients might die or end up with long term problems like dementia.

According to her, relatives can easily suspect when delirium is occurring when there is a sudden change in their relations behaviour and personality.

She said: Sometimes, the person may become aggressive, might start to see things or wonder around, and become agitated. Also they can become slow and just not respond, not eating and drinking. This happens suddenly over a few hours or days.

Dr Ajala, however, said that in elderly persons, paying attention to their nutrition, pain, constipation and preventing infections, in some cases had helped some individuals to prevent the condition.

In addition, she said drugs may be prescribed to correct the problem in some cases as well as non pharmacological treatments like listening to relaxing music, warm milk or herbal tea, pap and chocolate hot drink.

Earlier, Chief Medical Director, UCH, Ibadan, Professor Temitope Alonge said delirium is a common condition that many health workers do not recognise early when it occurs.

Professor Alonge linked some cases of people been strapped to their beds to calm them down while on hospital admission to delirium even though the problem is treatable.

He stated that the hospital was revising its policy on forceful restriction of patients to their beds, adding that such end up doing more than harm than good.

Continued here:

Constipation, dehydration can cause delirium Expert - NIGERIAN TRIBUNE (press release) (blog)

By Jon Bodell - Jul 5, 2017 |

Kevin Clark plays guitar on the sidewalk downtown by Phenix Hall last week. You can see Clark just about every day playing somewhere downtown, usually in front of Eagle Square. JON BODELL / Insider staff

If youve ever walked around downtown anytime other than the dead of winter, youve most likely heard Kevin Clark playing guitar and singing somewhere close by.

Clark is Concords resident busker (one of them, anyway). Most of the time he can be found near the clock tower at the entrance to Eagle Square, but plays all over the Main Street sidewalk, and hes out there just about every day.

Hes been playing guitar for 50 years, and hes been working the streets of Concord for the past six. He used to play some harmonica and sax, and he knows a few songs on piano, but the guitar is Clarks primary tool and hes a skilled craftsman with it.

We went looking for him around Eagle Square last week but, surprisingly, he wasnt there, even on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon. On the walk back to the car, we found him by Phenix Hall, finger-picking away on his Fender acoustic, cooler full of dollar bills and coins by his side.

We approached him between songs and he was nice enough to stop and tell us a little bit about what he does.

I play covers, he said. Ive got a few originals, instrumentals, but not too much.

Clark is a big fan of folk tunes, and he counts Bruce Springsteen, Cat Stevens, John Denver and Gordon Lightfoot as his most favorite artists. He regularly plays several songs by each of them, plus a lot more.

For the most part, he teaches himself every song. I can learn songs just by listening, he said.

When he was a kid, he had siblings who played, so he picked a little up from them. Since then, though, hes been teaching himself.

I go on YouTube here and there (to learn songs), but I dont spend too much time learning new stuff, he said. My go-to, when people ask me to play a song, is Father and Son by Cat Stevens.

Unlike many live performers, Clark plays no matter how many people are listening, or for how long. Given the nature of playing on the sidewalk, it isnt exactly the type of environment that lends itself well to big crowds that stay for hours.

That doesnt bother him, though.

I definitely enjoy it, he said. If I didnt like it, I wouldnt do it day in and day out.

He doesnt play bar gigs or anything like that at the moment, though hes been thinking about performing at open mic nights at Tandys, he said. That means if you want to hear him, youll have to find him on Main Street.

He usually starts around 10:30 a.m. and stays until whenever, he said. Sometimes blistering rain or sweltering heat can cut a set short. Sometimes hes not there because hes grabbing a meal at the Friendly Kitchen.

Clark said playing for passers-by is his only job right now, so if you do hear him, dont be afraid to toss a buck or two into his case its a small price to pay for relaxing, soothing music setting the mood for your downtown stroll. Plus, it never hurts to support the arts, or the people creating that art.

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Musicians of Concord: Kevin Clark provides the sounds of the streets - The Concord Insider

The Greater Portland vegan community went wild this spring when a vegan hot dog cart called Sup Dawg? announced it planned to hit Portlands streets. Months have passed, and Im sorry to report it wont happen this year. Katie Knowles, owner of the planned vegan hot dog cart, said her partner pulled out of the venture and shes had to postpone the launch until 2018.

But even if we cant score a vegan hot dog out and about in Portland this summer, there are plenty of other plant-based street eats to try. This years fleet of mobile edibles includes three new vegan-friendly options.

Mashed, which operates out of a 1972 Shasta camper, offers a simple menu: vegan mashed potatoes with a choice of vegan, vegetarian or meat-based toppings.

Proprietor Renee Rhoads launched the Mashed trailer expecting to slowly test the waters with a couple hours each weekend on the Eastern Prom. Right away, she began running out of food.

It just kind of blew up, Rhoads said. Its been a little overwhelming since I started. I wasnt expecting it to take off, and I now have events booked into December.

Rhoads attributes her rapid success to the fact that while most of us love mashed potatoes, many people dont make mashed potatoes because they think its a pain. Or a special occasion food.

Her potatoes (always from Maine) are prepared with soymilk, vegan butter and a plant-based sour cream Rhoads calls her trade secret. (In blind taste tests she conducted with friends and family before the launch, Rhoads said the vegan mashed potatoes always beat out the dairy-based potatoes.)

The Mashed menu rotates through comfort foods piled on top of the potatoes such as BBQ lentils and carrots, Beyond Meat in Buffalo sauce, Thanksgiving-style tempeh, chickpea curry, housemade Italian vegan sausage, and vegan Swedish meatballs.

Before launching Mashed in April, Rhoads taught school for 22 years. She wrapped up her final term teaching fourth grade at Yarmouth Elementary School and serving as the schools garden coordinator before beginning her first food service venture.

In contrast, the owners of the newest vegan-friendly food truck on Portlands streets have a history in the food business that stretches back to their childhood. Falafel Mafia opened for business late last month driven by brothers Dylan and Cameron Gardner.

I was raised making falafel, said Dylan Gardner, who worked most recently at Five Fifty-Five and Grace. The pair have taken over the family business from their dad, David Gardner, who opened a falafel booth in the 1990s at the Common Ground Country Fair. It quickly became a popular fixture there and at other fairs and festivals. Their parents had previously owned a restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island, where falafel was a top seller.

We realized at the end of Common Ground last year that it was time, Dylan Gardner said. So many people had asked us when we were going to open up a food truck.

The falafel menu on the Falafel Mafia truck is all vegan Gardner feels it is a crime to put dairy on falafel while a complementary gyros menu is meat-based.

The Thainy Boda food truck sells a changing menu of Thai-influenced vegan dishes. Photo courtesy of Thainy Boda

Falafel pairs best with fresh produce and savory Middle Eastern flavors, Gardner said. Its not really authentic to have dairy with falafel. In Israel and Egypt, theyre not putting cheese or sauces or tzatziki on falafel. Thats a Greek thing.

Which means the trucks falafel comes stuffed in a pita with house-pickled vegetables, different types of hummus or baba ganoush. Each day, they offer two to three falafel pitas, one falafel taco and a falafel steam bun. The bun is similar to Asian steam buns but is filled with falafel, pickled corn and vegan avocado tzatziki.

Recently, some food truck owners in the citys wider fleet have started leasing brick and mortar spaces to open restaurants, but this seasons third vegan-friendly truck did the reverse. The Thainy (pronounced tiny) Boda truck is the latest project from Dan Sriprasert, who owns Boda and The Green Elephant, Portlands leading vegetarian dining spot. Both restaurants serve vegan dishes and so does the truck.

Thainy Boda sells a changing menu of Thai-influenced vegan dishes that have included morning glory stir fry, fried Brussels sprouts, grilled rice balls, and grilled shiitake skewers. Many of the items come straight from Bodas menu.

We understand there is a huge vegan demographic in the Portland area and are happy to cater to that demographic, as well as non-vegans, said Seyha Chea, who runs the truck with Myles Roberson. The vegan options sell very well.

The best way to find these food vendors is to follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. All three plan to be at concerts and events at Thompsons Point this season, and all are regulars at the citys many breweries and on The Eastern Prom.

Wherever hes parked, Falafel Mafia owner Gardner said hes eager to pair the familys falafel with a changing array of local greens and vegetables.

August and September are the best months for produce in Maine, Gardner said. Its going to get really exciting.

Avery Yale Kamila is a food writer who lives in Portland. She can be reached at:

[emailprotected]

Twitter: AveryYaleKamila

Originally posted here:

Three Portland trucks cover more ground with vegan food - Press Herald

The time has pretty much never been better to get into the plant-based food business. The plant-based meat market is set to reach$5.2 billion by 2020and could make upone-third of the market by 2050.U.S. household penetration of dairy-free beverages has doubled in five years tomore than 30 percent, with almond milk now accounting for almost 70 percent of sales and new nut-based milks such as cashew gaining momentum.The almond milk market alone has grown by250 percentand become a$894.6 million industryin the past five years. Dairy-free milk salesrepresent a$2 billion categoryand growth is expected to continue outpacing dairy milk sales at least through 2018.

This massive spike in demand for meat and dairy-free products is largely being driven by consumers who are waking up the impact that our current food system is having on the planet, animals, and perhaps most importantly, their own health. Over the past few decades, weve seen countless studies come out about the hormone and antibioticcontent in dairy products and recoiled in horror watching undercover investigations in factory farms and when you add the rising understanding that industrial animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the ENTIRE transportation sector the fact that 30 percent of Americans are leaving meat off their plates more frequently really doesnt come as much of a surprise.

Withconsumer demand shifting towards more healthy, plant-based products many companies are seizing this opportunity and creating innovative plant-based proteins and dairy-free milks, cheeses, and ice cream that are effectively changing the face of the food sector as we know it.

Understandably, there are a lot of brand new companies jumping on the plant-based wagon, but T.K. Pillan, co-founder of Veggie Grill, the largest all vegan restaurant chain in the United States, saw this trend long before others did. Thanks to its overwhelming popularity on the West Coast,Veggie Grill secured $22 million in investment to expand across the country and will (hopefully) be making its way to the East Coast soon.

In a recent episode of #EatForThePlanet with Nil Zacharias, T.K.shares the inspiring back-story of how he co-founded Veggie Grill despite having never worked in the food space and provides key tips on what it takes to be a plant-centric food entrepreneur. In addition to helping start this paramount plant-centric fast, casual chain, T.K. is now also an investor and co-founded Powerplant Ventures, a venture fund that supports visionary entrepreneurs who are leveraging the power of plants to deliver better nutrition in more sustainable and ethical ways.

If you are an entrepreneur or aspiring to break into the sustainable, plant-based food industry, or just love an inspiring success story, this episode is a must-listen.

If you like this episode, be sure to subscribe to the #EatForThePlanet with Nil Zacharias podcast for new episodes with food industry leaders,healthand sustainability experts, as well as entrepreneurs and creative minds who are redefining thefuture of food.

Image source: Veggie Grill

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Veggie Grill's Co-Founder Shares Secrets to Building a Vegan Food Empire - One Green Planet

The delayed grocery store plus food hall in FiDi City Acres Market will finally open for the lunch hordes next week. Its the second location for City Acres, which started in South Williamsburg as Key Foods Urban Market, but on this one has an accompanying food hall.

The grocerant at 70 Pine Street with vendors like Vanessas Dumplings and vegan sushi Beyond Sushi was originally supposed to debut in March and then again a few weeks ago. Now, the market says that the public can start checking out all the vendors next Tuesday, July 11. Vegan vendor Cinnamon Snail, which started as a food truck, will start cooking as early as this coming Friday.

Other vendors include local pizza chain Artichoke, which has been an expansion bender, cold-pressed juice shop JuiceBrothers, and a slew of salad and sandwich options created by the markets Morimoto alum chef Stephen Yen.

With both Cinnamon Snail and Beyond Sushi, meat-free dining will be make up a healthy portion of the offerings. At Cinnamon Snail, expect items like a gochujang-glazed seitan and kimchi sandwich, a bourbon barbecue-flavored seitan burger, and a breakfast sandwich with tofu and bacon made of coconut. Beyond Sushis menu has rolls that look like typical sushi rolls but instead are filled with ingredients like curried cauliflower, mushrooms, and mango.

In non-vegan options, the family behind local mini-chain Vanessas will offer up their hallmark pork and chive dumplings, as well as a slew of sesame pancakes stuffed with fillings like pork or Peking duck. At lunch, six dumplings, soup, and a small side is available for $9.88.

And at other non-vegan vendor Artichoke, the stand will dish out the mini-chains well-known artichoke and cream sauce, as well as a pizza with crab sauce. The City Acres-branded vendors include a custom salad bar with hot items, meal kits for home, and a stand with sandwiches like caprese, meatball, and reuben.

Both the market and grocery store portion of City Acres Markets in FiDi will be open from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. Monday through Sunday, with the food hall a floor beneath the grocery.

70 Pine Street, New York, New York 10270

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City Acres Food Hall Brings Dumplings and Vegan Food to FiDi Next ... - Eater NY

We have some very exciting (and delicious) news to share! Hagen-Dazs has released FOUR vegan ice cream flavors! According to the ice cream giant, the flavors are being sold exclusively at Target, and it seems it will only be available in the United States. The flavors includePeanut Butter Chocolate Fudge, Coconut Caramel, Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle, and Mocha Chocolate Cookie. Are you drooling or is that us?

The flavors make no mention of the word vegan but thanks to the trusted folks over atVegansaurus, its been confirmed each flavor is indeed vegan and most certainly yummy. Whats more, according to VegNews, a reported fifth flavor Pistachio Chocolate is rumored to be in production.

At Hagen-Dazs, we believe theres no room for compromise. So while most non-dairy options simply start by substituting soy, almond or cashew milk, every flavor in our new collection begins with a core ingredient, like real pieces of Belgian chocolate, actual peanut butter, or real coconut cream. The result? Indulgent non-dairy flavors with a creamier texture and an authentic taste that shines through,Hagen-Dazs stated on their website about the new drool-worthy flavors.

With Ben and Jerrys and Breyers already in on the non-dairy ice cream game, its really no surprise thatHagen-Dazs wants to join the cool kids too.More and more people are replacing dairy withdairy-free alternativeslikealmond milk, non-dairy yogurt, and, as is indicated by a glance in the frozen dessert aisle of your local grocery store, vegan ice cream. Meanwhile, dairy milk consumption has seen a steady decline since the 1970s and today, we consume37 percentless milk than we did nearly 50 years ago. Given the rise in demand for dairy-free alternatives and the massive boom in thenon-dairy milk industry, making vegan ice cream is a business-savvy decision.

If anyone needs us, well be heading over to the nearest Target, indulgingourselves with this new Hagen-Dazs non-dairy ice cream!

To learn more about rising plant-based food trends, check out One Green Planets Future of Food page.

Image source:Hagen-Dazs

Read more from the original source:

Hagen-Dazs Released 4 Delicious Vegan Ice Cream Flavors! - One Green Planet

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Two years ago, life changed for Delinda Jensen and her son, Kyle.

The pair walked into a movie theater to view the documentary Unity, and walked out vowing to never consume animal products again.

The road to veganism presented its challenges, but most of all, they found it difficult to find many restaurants that were friendly to their lifestyle in Northeast Pennsylvania.

As vegans, if we go out to eat theres nothing for us around here, Kyle Jensen said. We have to eat peanuts and water bottles on the road. Theres nothing for us.

In May, Kyle Jensen decided to create an on-the-go vegan food truck that could travel around the state and the country to cater to those like himself and his mother, and thus, Mother Nature Food Trailer was born. The Jensens summer events calendar has been filling quickly with events like VegFest in Lancaster and Blues, Brews and BBQ fest in Allentown. At this point, the food truck is booked through the first weekend in November.

Its not just about the business, Kyle Jensen said. We want to get the knowledge of veganism out there. ... There are so many (vegan) products out there now, its not really a sacrifice to give up animal products. Veganism is not a diet, its a compassionate way of life.

Kyle Jensen graduated from Northampton Community College in 2009 with a degree in culinary arts, while his mother used to own a bakery.

I am a good cook but I got into a rut. I got bored. I could bang this stuff out, but its all old news, Delinda Jensen said. So when I went vegan, it was a whole new world of new products, using different spices and I found new recipes.

When it comes to replacing proteins or mimicking meat in meals, Kyle Jensen claimed they need to make the food 1000 percent better than the original, or else non-vegans wont buy into it. Instead of recreating a basic cheeseburger, they created a Hawaiian burger topped with vegan bacon, pineapple, sweet mango chutney, lettuce, tomato and onion.

Thats an exciting burger, Kyle Jensen said.

Equipped with a revolving menu, Mother Nature Food Trailer offers items like Turkey Salami paninis, a Peking Salad with Spring Rolls, Buffalo Caesar Wrap and Barbecue Pork. Additionally, the food trailer offers many gluten-free products. The Jensens use soy products like soy curls or seitan to achieve meat-like foods.

Our menu changes every event, Kyle Jensen noted. For the farmers markets, wed like to make foods that incorporate the fresh produce from other vendors.

Just as the food is cruelty-free, so is each cleaning product used. All containers and silverware are biodegradable, and the Jensens hope to move toward using edible silverware in the future.

When it comes to a meat-eater, they want reliability with what they eat, Kyle Jensen said. When I have carnivores come back and say, That was phenomenal, that fuels my fire. If I could maybe prevent them from eating meat for that meal, its a win.

We dole out big servings because then theyre full. They dont need that cheeseburger and we might have saved an animal.

For those hoping to find the trailer locally, Mother Nature Food Trailer plans to vend at the Monday addition to the Wilkes-Barre Farmers Market, which focuses on healthy foods. This part of the market runs Mondays from July 10 through Oct. 2.

Its been a fun ride so far, Delinda Jensen said.

And its just beginning, Kyle Jensen agreed.

Contact the writer: cjacobson@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2061; @CVcljacobson on Twitter

Mother Nature Food Trailer

Based out of: Wilkes-Barre

Phone: 570-793-9821

Established: May

Owners: Kyle and

Delinda Jensen

Cuisine: Vegan

Online: Visit the food trucks Facebook page.

Continue reading here:

Chef's Table: Mother Nature Food Trailer brings vegan options to ... - Scranton Times-Tribune

Ever have one of those Saturdays when you wake up with a whole list of to-dos in your head? Find new reading material. Pick up grocery basics. Buy laundry detergent. Get snacks for movie night. Find a small going-away gift for a coworker. Pick up a gift for the toddler nephew. And, oh, yeah, I'd also like to pet a kitten.

You can do all that and more at Book Buyers and its hidden inside store The Greener Apple.

Book Buyers is the family-run, used bookstore that Richard Rathers, his daughter Lee Rathers, and his partner Virginia O'Riley established in 1999. It quickly became a Plaza-Midwood landmark.

Book Buyers has all the things you expect of a used bookstore plenty of paperbacks, romance, mysteries and thrillers as well as a carefully curated selection of older books, out-of-print books and specialized books on almost any subject you can imagine. All very well organized, not just jumbled together. It's a book lover's paradise.

What you may not know and certainly wouldn't expect is that, within this bookstore is another store: the vegan- and eco-friendly Greener Apple, owned and operated by Lee Rathers, who, with her long curls and cat's-eye glasses, looks like the pretty school librarian all the middle school boys had a crush on.

I sat down with Rathers inside Book Buyers to chat with her about how her store-within-a-store came about.

She told me she had planned to start a store with her friend Marley Claridge, the founder of Charlotte Vegfest. Plans fell through, however, and Claridge wound up opening Eco-licious (now closed), and Rather opened the Greener Apple inside Book Buyers in 2011.

"It was just a few shelves [at first], but now it's become a little general store," Rather says. "We keep growing, and we'll probably start encroaching on the books a little as more and more of the world switches to Kindle and e-readers."

Rather says the inspiration for the eco part of her store came from Book Buyers. "We are in the business of used books, which is very eco-conscious. We give books a new life. And almost everything in our shop is used. The furniture is pre-owned. Even the vacuum cleaner is pre-owned."

As are, maybe, some of the cats Book Buyers regularly fosters. This June morning, a snowy white Egyptian-looking cat with blue eyes is strolling casually about the store, while her three kittens one tabby, one tortie, and one midnight wrestle each other, chew on my faux-leather boot, and try to crawl into my mock-suede handbag.

As for the vegan part of the Greener Apple, Rather has been vegetarian since high school.

"I wish I'd become vegan sooner," she says. "I just always thought it would be so hard. There are so many barriers: I don't know what to eat. I can't give up cheese. But all you need to do if you want to be vegan or just cut down on meat is make some friends. I made one vegan friend, and I saw what she was cooking and eating, and it was awesome. And I began to think, yeah, I could do that. It turned out to be so much easier than I thought it would be. If I had known how easy it was to go vegan, I would have done it eons ago."

Rather loves to travel, so the inspiration for the Greener Apple came from similar stores in London, New York, Atlanta and especially one in Ohio called Park & Vine.

Sometimes people suggest that she should have started her store in Asheville (supposedly the N.C. vegan mecca) but she disagrees.

"To me, Asheville is a bit homogenized and very serene. But Charlotte is like this edgy melting pot," she says. "There's a lot of different cultures blending, a lot of cool stuff going on, a really energetic vibe. Charlotte is the place things will be happening."

The Greener Apple is not the only small vegan market in Charlotte that stocks an assortment of vegan basics such as Mori-Nu tofu, Just Mayo, nutritional yeast and alternative milks. There's also the Market inside Bean Vegan Cuisine, which focuses on corralling a huge selection of mainstream vegan products Gardein, Daiya, etc. into one space. But unlike that store-within-a-restaurant, the Greener Apple focuses on smaller companies and newer products.

"I want the really cool products that you read about in VegNews magazines, or receive in a Vegan Cuts box," Rather says. "The products people are buzzing about on the internet but are so hard to find." She's referring to items like Bee-Free Honey (a honey substitute made from organic apple juice, cane sugar and lemon juice), Superfood Parm (flavored parmesan "cheese" made from hemp) and Phoney Baloney Coconut Bacon.

Rather says that despite the Greener Apple being a finalist in the VegNews Veggie Awards multiple times, her company still doesn't register on the vegan marketing radar. "I don't have salespeople repping new products to me. So I have to stay on my game and do my research and make a lot of phone calls. But most of these companies are extremely wonderful to work with."

It's not only vegans who like the Greener Apple. Lee notes that many of her return customers are concerned about allergies. By definition, vegan means no eggs and no dairy two of the most common allergens. And Lee points out that many of the products are gluten-free as well.

Customers with egg allergies come in to buy one of her several brands of egg replacers. Parents of children with dairy allergies shop for Choco No-Nos (a dairy-free, M&Ms knockoff) or dairy-free peanut butter cups. And those with chemical sensitivities appreciate the selection of natural, organic cleaners, laundry detergents and personal, feminine, and baby care.

Rather, a former makeup artist for the Body Shop who loves doing makeovers, has recently begun adding more natural cosmetics, including Eco Bella. As we walk down the aisles, she pulls a box of Raw Finishing Powder from Gourmet Body Treats from the shelf and begins reading the ingredients: "Arrowroot, green tea, rose, plaintains, sugar beets, hibiscus, coconut. Every ingredient is something you can recognize and pronounce. Sometimes I joke, if I ever get locked into my bathroom and can't get out, I could survive a few days simply by eating product."

Continuing through aisles, there are more environmentally friendly products, including an assortment of glass and stainless steel water bottles (including Klean Kanteen insulated Growlers, which will keep drinks cold for 40 hours and iced for 120 hours). There's also reusable glass and stainless steel straws, beer and kombucha kits, and candles with beautiful fragrances made from natural oils instead of chemicals (there's the co-worker gift).

A top seller is the organic bamboo "spork" a spoon on one side and a fork on the other. Small enough to fit into a jeans pocket, it's the perfect accessory for summer beer and food festivals you eliminate plastic waste and never need to worry about the food vendor forgetting to include utensils.

As for that gift for the nephew: If he's not into books, then perhaps other eco-friendly toys such as foreign language blocks (handcrafted from sustainable wood) will do.

Rather says her store allows her to stay connected to the vegan community. "I used to go to veg meetups," she says. "I don't know, maybe I'm getting older, but they get quite loud and it seems I spend my time shouting, 'What?! What did you say?' instead of having a conversation." Her shop gives her a chance to converse with local vegans in the quieter atmosphere of the bookstore.

It also gives her a chance to gently spread her message to regular bookstore customers, who often stop to pick up a cookie, a lip balm, or some breath mints. "So many people don't really understand what vegan means," she says. "They tell me they've never eaten vegan food. What? You've never eaten an apple?"

Similarly, many people think eco-conscious means expensive. "People don't realize that many products actually wind up saving you money," she says. For example, the Greener Apple sells super-absorbent cloths that can replace dozens of rolls of paper towels.

After Rather gives me the store tour, we talk a bit about what we ate before we went veg/vegan. I volunteer that I ate a lot of grilled chicken breasts, plus simply cooked veggies. Supposedly healthy but a bit boring. Now I'm eating Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, sushi while using spices I never dreamed of.

She agrees wholeheartedly. "The world of flavors awaits you [as a vegan]," she says. "Flavors are out there. Go find them." Perhaps your first stop will be the Greener Apple.

Read more from the original source:

Have Your Vegan Cake and Read It, Too, at The Greener Apple - CL Charlotte

Written by Katherine Sullivan | July 5, 2017

Just when we thought Pamela Anderson couldnt get any better, she opens a vegan restaurant in France.

The eatery, named La Table du March by Pamela, opened its doors yesterday in Ramatuelle, in the South of France, in the form of a pop-upand PETA France was on hand to help the Baywatch icon kick things off. Anderson partnered with French chef Christophe Leroy to offer diners delicious plant-based dishes in the enchanting setting of Moulins de Ramatuelle.

According to her foundations website, Andersons new restaurant will feature a champagne bar in addition to a completely vegan menu. The menu will include a vegan burger, tomato tartare with goji berries and stuffed veggies, and an asparagus risotto, according to Huffington Post.

The restaurant, which will be open daily from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., will remain open for the next 50 nights. Folks who wish to visit La Table du March by Pamela can make reservations online.

The actorwho just celebrated her 50th birthday and the 20th anniversary of her first PETA campaignworks tirelessly to help bring about the peace and justice that all living beings deserve. Her French pop-up will prove to countless patrons just how deliciousand sexyvegan fare can be.

While we all wish that we could dine at La Table du March by Pamela, a trip to the South of France may not be realistic for everyone. But if you still want to visit a veg-friendly restaurant, youre in luck. Dining guides such as Happy Cow,Veg Dining, andVegGuide offer comprehensive listings of vegan and vegetarian restaurants worldwide. Check them out online, andif youre in the U.S.click the button below for PETAs state-by-state restaurant guide:

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Bon Apptit: Pamela Anderson Opens a Pop-Up Vegan Restaurant in France - PETA (press release) (blog)