vegan

I come from a big family - my parents are both one of eight and I have a zillion cousins (60+) Picture the Irish Catholic/Italian version of the my big fat greek wedding family and you're close to an image of our typical holiday. But, this Thanksgiving marks a first. As we recently moved and aren't a bus trip away from my family anymore my husband and I decided to tackle Thanksgiving on our own. Essentially this means me. He has a lot of good qualities and talents but cooking isn't among them ;) I'm feeling totally liberated and excited at the prospect of being 100% in control of my Thanksgiving feast for the first time in my life. My husband isn't a vegetarian by any means but he'll literally eat anything I put in front of him (alas one of those good qualities I referred to above.) Essentially I have full reign to go crazy with the vegetarian and meatless sides that I consider the best part of the holiday. As a non meat-eater I like the idea of a centerpiece dish - like a tofurky for example - but to be honest I don't go ga ga over faux meats. I find them very hit or miss. And, why does the bird or "bird" get all the attention. anyway? Load me up with side dishes and I'm a happy girl! That said click through for a run down of some of the vegetarian Thanksgiving side recipes that will be making an appearance at our Thanksgiving this year.

Between scary Sandy, dropping temps and more time in sweaters, boots and yoga pants I don't know about you but I'm craving warm and zesty eats. Warm foods with a little kick are so ideal for this time of year I've been playing around in the kitchen with some slightly spicy dishes. This vegan buffalo dip is a keeper. I used to be a big sissy when it came to spicy foods but over the past few years I've started to add a bit in at a time to develop a tolerance. Little things like making the switch from wimpy mild salsa to medium helped. Sure enough I can now tolerate a bit of hot sauce and spicy bloody mary's (winning!) You can control the heat to suit your taste buds. The vegan buffalo dip is easy to make, plus it doesn't scream "quirky vegan" - making it very carnivore friendly. I plan to whip this up quite a few times this football and holiday season.

When you think of the Midwest you may not immediately think "hip vegan cafes." I certainly didn't. The truth is some of my Midwest dining experiences have been challenging as someone who doesn't eat any meat or poultry. When I found out I would be spending a significant amount of time in Cleveland, Ohio I wondered what a veggie loving lady was to do... Cleveland offers an impressive restaurant scene with big-time restaurateurs like Michael Symon of The Chew and Rocco Whalen each providing several four star restaurants. But, during my time in this city I've noticed that they loooove their pig - and put it on everything from greens to fish.

Wondering what to do with that abundance of CSA or farmers market vegetables? This ratatouille recipe kills two birds with one stone - ensuring you don't waste any errant vegetables and meeting your daily veggie quota. I used the local vegetables I had on hand but this recipe would also work well with mushrooms, eggplant or anything else that appeals to you. Ratatouille is a traditional French dish, but I have Italian in my blood so I used plenty of seasonings you might find in an Italian dish. I was really pleased with the results. Click through for the recipe!

Recently, I found myself in a heated discussion about food preferences (and choices) with a kickball teammate on a Friday evening after a few glasses of whiskey. 45 minutes later, we were able to agree about why vegetarianism, going local & eating choices impact the environment. It was definitely an interesting (and good-natured) convo. However, this infographic would have came in handy (and probably cut the length of convo)... Enjoy! (See the infographic after the jump!)

I feel for Lolo Jones' big secret. The dating world is tough, and things that make you different can be uncomfortable to share with someone you're just getting to know. My little secret?

Welcome to our new monthly series, City Spotlight, where we feature green goodness in cities across the nation and globe. Here you'll find ideas for great vegan and veg restaurants, cool eco-sites and shops, and other worthy attractions for when you venture beyond Philly - and the Jersey Shore ;) My recent and upcoming travels have prompted me to share some of my favorite haunts, and we hope you'll share yours as well whether in the comments or via email. Today let's talk about NYC - the city where you can get anything you want anytime of day. And, that includes off the charts vegan dining options. I enjoy a lot of vegan restaurants when I'm in Manhattan including Blossom, Peacefood Cafe, Pure Food & Wine (all raw!) and v-note. However, my first choice go-to picks are sister restaurants Candle 79 & Candle Cafe. They focus on local, seasonal vegan fare and use organic ingredients whenever possible. Click through to find out what makes these spots special!

One of the beautiful things about a CSA is getting a crapload of veggies which you have no idea what to do with. I may have overdosed after having goat cheese, almond & cranberry salad 7 days straight for lunch. My next dilemma? I had various vegetables and wanted something asian-influenced to go along with my 5% Asian self. Luckily I found a package of spring roll wrappers from the grocery story recently and decided to be creative with them. Note: you can swap out the veggies I suggest with your own fillings. But mine were pretty damn delicious... Here's my vegan recipe: Julie's Half-Assed Veggie Spring Rolls

The Skinny Bitch franchise is no joke. Over the past few years Kim Barnouin, Rory Freedman (who co-authored the original Skinny Bitch) and their team have built a recognizable brand with a no-nonsense; tell it like it is approach to the vegan lifestyle. This time around Kim is back with a book of vegan swaps for almost any craving - be it sweet or salty, bottled or packaged.