VegWeb Newsletter: Wonderful Watermelon!
- In This Issue:
- Recipe Spotlight |
- What's Hot on VegWeb |
- Cooking with Webmistress Laura |
- Superstar VegWebber |
- Weekly Giveaway!
Wacky for Watermelon!
Recipe Spotlight on Watermelon!
I'm not sure anything is more closely associated with summer than watermelon. Nope, can't think of anything. It's sweet, crisp, and delicious. I once ate an entire watermelon in a sitting. True story. I had a rough next day but I'm pretty sure it was worth it. In fact I might go so far to say, if watermelon is not your favorite summer food, you might be crazy. First of all, it tastes like candy. I mean people love to call fruit "nature's candy" but except for overripe blackberries, this is the only one that's just as good as eating agave nectar straight out of the bottle. Except it is extremely light, refreshing, and won't give you that awful blood sugar headache. Also, watermelon is super good for your health. It is hydrating (so important to be hydrated! especially in hot summer months!) and packed full of all kinds of antioxidants. Watermelon is versatile, too! You can eat it in fruit salads, drink it in smoothies, and cut off hunks and freeze for a delicious watermelon popsicle. If you're feeling sassy, you can even fill it with vodka or tequila and serve it at a party! The possibilities are endless. I feel like I'm doing a watermelon PSA here but I can't help it; this crazy football fruit with colors out of an 80's movie (RIP John Hughes!) is just the most perfect and delicious.
Check out some of our favorite watermelon recipes on VegWeb:
What's Hot on VegWeb
Check out our new Monday Night Chats! Every Monday from 6–7pm PST, head to the chat room for discussions ranging from vegetarian travel to cooking tips. This week (August 31), we'll be talking eating out as a vegan! From how to dine with omnis to the best dishes to order, we'll talk about everything vegans need to survive (and thrive!) at a restaurant. Bring your questions, tips, techniques, and more to the VegWeb Chat Room.
Vegan Babies. Holler if you got 'em! Or, they're probably the ones doing the hollering. Hehe. Come talk how to be vegan and pregnant (it can be done! fairly easily!) and then what to do when the bundle of (vegan) joy arrives in Vegan babies.
Do your ethics conflict with your paycheck? You're not supposed to bite the hand that feeds you, right? But what do you do when it's trying to feed you hamburgers?! In this economy, it's hard to say no to any job but how much is too much when it comes to your morals? Talk it out in When your job conflicts with veganism?
Do you tweet? Well, I do! I'm crazy about Twitter. More specifically, I'm crazy about twittering deals, recipes, giveaways, and the latest and greatest news from the VegWeb HQ! Follow me on my WebMistress Laura Twitter.
Have you gotten your VegWeb goodies yet? We've got the greatest new logo and the greatest new Zazzle store filled with VegWeb t-shirts, aprons, and tote bags. You have to check out all the goodies immediately at The VegWeb Store.
Watermelon Sorbet, come to me!
Cooking with Webmistress Laura!
Those who know me, know that I've been mad with power lately. The power of making my own ice cream with my new ice cream maker! However, the benefits of having ten million ice cream flavors in the freezer are about equal to the perils of having ten million ice cream flavors in the freezer. What I mean is, everytime I open the freezer door, I gain about 5 pounds. Not that there is anything wrong with that but sometimes even I need a break from vegan ice cream. But I'm not about giving up frozen treats entirely. For nights when a double double chocolate chip ice cream sundae topped with coconut whipped cream and hot fudge (man, that sounds good!) is too much, might I suggest a de-light-ful watermelon sorbet? It's sweet, juicy, and the perfect end to a summer meal.
What You Need:
3 cups water1 cup sugar
5 cups cubed watermelon, seeds and rind discarded
2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
What You Do:
1. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Cool.
2. Process sugar syrup and watermelon, in batches, in a blender until smooth. Stir in lemon or lime juice. Cover and chill 2 hours.
3. Pour mixture into the freezer container of a 1-gallon ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Enjoy!
Superstar VegWebber!
Each week we'll highlight a member of the VegWeb community who goes above and beyond to make VegWeb a truly excellent place to spend time on the internet.
This week, "Saskia!"
VegWebber since? January 2007
What's one unique thing we should know about you? I have a beauty mark on my chin. When I was little, my Uncle Leo told me it was a chocolate chip I got from eating too many chocolate chip cookies. Since then, I've been obsessed with chocolate chip cookie recipes.
#1 cooking secret/tip? Bake at night. The warmth and aroma wafts through your home, so you wake up the next morning to the scent of fresh baked banana bread, pumpkin muffins, or chocolate chip cookies.
What is the best thing about being vegan? Pride in having learned to create lovely, nourishing food which causes as little harm as possible to this beautiful planet and its inhabitants.
Favorite recipes on VegWeb to make for non-vegans to show them how amazing vegan food can be? Very Simple Blueberry Muffin. I sprinkle them with lemon sugar (lemon zest and sugar) so they come out of the oven with puffy, lemony-sweet, crunchy domes.
Read Saskia 's entire interview and tell her how fabulous she is in the Superstar VegWebber thread!
Weekly Giveaway: Whoopie Pies
This week we're doing things a little differently because something bright and shiny over at VegNews.com caught my eye. Well, maybe not so much bright and shiny as chocolate-laden and vanilla-creme filled. I'm talking about Whoopie Pies (yes, VEGAN Whoopie Pies) from Pattycake Bakery. One lucky VegWebber could score a dozen of these beauties. Described on Pattycake's website as, "Soft, delectable dark chocolate cake surrounding fluffy, marshmallowy, whipped vanilla goodness. You'll want more." Um, yes. You will. And you'll want to share them with me, right?? Check out the VegNews Must-Have Giveaway now and let us know your all-time favorite frosting flavor for a chance to win.
Good luck!
Peace in your kitchen,
Webmistress Laura
VegWeb.com
San Francisco, CA
