The Joy of Vegan Baking - Holiday green gift guide for book lovers: part 3

Welcome to part 3 of Eco-Libris blog's green gift guide, the one that will help you find the best green books to give as gifts this holiday season.

Today I am very excited to bring you today the recommendation of Victoria E. For those of you who don't know her, Victoria E is a creatively versatile eco-powerhouse: she is a freelance writer, life-long model, on-camera personality, official U.S. spokesperson for Twice Shy Clothing and founder of the San Francisco Craft Mafia - a classic Renaissance woman and mistress-of-all-trades.

Starting as an outlet for updates about her freelance writing and modeling, her official website at http://www.victoria-e.com/ has quickly grown into a dependable source for a variety of information on green, crafty, and DIY living. You're welcome to check it out!

Victoria's recommendation for this holiday's gift is:

The Vegan Joy of Baking

Author: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Publisher: Fair Winds Press

Published in: 2007

What it is about + Why it's a great gift: The holidays always make me want to slow down and spend more time in the kitchen, making delicious goodies from my friends and loved ones. I've been progressing to become a vegetarian for a few months now, and Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's podcast, Vegetarian Food For Thought has been a wonderful outlet for learning about compassionate eating and actions.

Though I don't drink soy milk or even have any blocks of soy in my fridge, I've learned so much from her tips that even my meat-loving boyfriend has been enjoying our dinners even more as of late. Imagine my delight when I heard Colleen was coming out with her first cookbook, titled The Joy of Vegan Baking.

The thought of not baking with milk or eggs put me on edge right away, but after tasting some delicious vegan donuts and cupcakes recently, it was clear that no taste would be lost in the transition. There are oodles of preconceived notions about vegetarian and vegan foods, especially desserts, but after tasting some goodies that I made from these recipes, it is clear that those perceptions are wildly outdated.

Though I won't be able to spend any of the holidays with my family this year, I will be making treats from my best friend and boyfriend out this book. Will I tell them its vegan? Not until they eat 3 or 4 of them and rave about how tasty they are.

Any cook, experienced or novice, would enjoy The Joy of Baking - new food revolutions are on the horizon, and vegan baking is just one of them. "Featuring full-color photos and 150 familiar favorites -- from cakes, cookies, and crêpes to pies, puddings, and pastries -- this book will show you just how easy, convenient, and delectable baking without eggs and dairy can be."


This book is fresh from the oven - it came out on October 2007. Check out the book's website for sample recipes and of course to see where you can buy it. Thank you Victoria!

If you choose to give your friends or family this book as a gift on the holidays, you are more than welcome to balance it out with Eco-Libris, add its sticker to the book and make it the perfect green gift for the holidays.

And just a reminder on past recommendations on our series:

Part 1 - The Man who Planted Trees by Jean Giono

Part 2: Home Work : Handbuilt Shelter by Lloyd Kahn

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: a great green gift for the holidays!

Craft Inc. book launch party

Do you live in the San Francisco area? if you do, check out Craft Inc. launch party on Tuesday. If you don't, maybe you should :-)

I have heard about the party from our good friend Victoria E, and here are the details from the blog of the author Meg Maeto Ilasco:

The book launch party for Craft Inc. will be hosted by the wonderful ladies of Rare Device.

When: Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Where: 111 Minna Street, San Francisco

Time: 6pm-9pm

As it says above, we'll be raffling off a TON of prizes. Literally, 2,000 pounds of Chronicle Books craft titles and goods donated by local indie businesses and the profilees featured in the book. Really nice stuff like an In Fiore body balm, a Lotta Jansdotter bag, fat quarters of Denyse Schmidt's new line "Katie Jump Rope", a gift certificate for Rare Device and so much more!

And the best prize of all (if you own an indie craft/design biz) is one month of free advertising space on design*sponge.

So come to the party to buy a signed copy of the book and to meet me! Or if you already know me, then come to win a prize. Or if you don't care to win a prize, then come to see all the very nice-looking people that will be there. I've paid them handsomely to stand around looking pretty. Don't let my good money go to waste!

(If you're in LA: yes, I will be having a book party there, too, with Reform School in November. Details to come!)

So what's the book all about? "Craft Inc. is the hipster business primer for entrepreneurial crafters to turn what they do for fun into what they do for money. Pro crafter Meg Mateo Ilasco offers a step-by-step guide to everything from developing products and naming the company to writing a business plan, applying for licenses, and paying taxes. Chapters on sales, marketing, trade shows, and publicity round out the mix. Plus, in-depth interviews with such craft luminaries as Jonathan Adler, Lotta Jansdotter, Denyse Schmidt, and Jill Bliss provide inspiration and practical advice. Accessible, informative, and more than a little spunky, Craft, Inc. paves the way for today's creative minds to become tomorrow's trendsetters." (Amazon.com)

Interested to learn more? check out Victoria E's exclusive interview on her blog with the author, Meg Maeto Ilasco.

Enjoy the party and if you happen to win one of the books that will be given there, don't forget to balance it out with Eco-Libris :-)

Raz

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!