Go Into The World

“Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.”

-Minor Myers, Jr.

Good Happens.

Pay it Forward!

Meatless Monday in Honor of Chef Jeff: Cold Fruit Soup

Welcome to this week’s Meatless Monday post!

This week’s recipe comes to us from Chef Jeff! His next event, The Art of Cocktails, is coming up this Thursday, April 25th! At the event, you can learn how to make your own bitters and mixers  to spice up your cocktails.

Cold Fruit Soup is very nutritious and refreshing. It works throughout the whole year and you can vary the recipe as you’d like to use fruits that are currently in season!

Cold Fruit Soup

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs of fresh ripe fruit
(In Summer: peaches, plums,
nectarines, melons
In Winter: citrus, strawberries)
1 cup plain yoghurt
1 tbsp brown sugar
Dried fruit or nuts to garnish

Directions:

1. Wash and dry the fruit.

2. For stone fruits like peaches, carefully cut in half from top to bottom. Remove the pit.

3. Dice into chunks. For melons or citrus remove or cut away the skin, remove seeds and cut into chunks.

4. Using a food processor or blender, purée the fruit until smooth.

5. In a small bowl combine the yoghurt and brown sugar.

6. Divide the soup into bowls, garnish with a dollop of yoghurt mixture and dried fruit or nuts.

Good Happens.

Pay it Forward!

Live Peace with Protecting African Wildlife Conservation Trust

This week we are living peace with the lions in Africa! Living Peace highlights organizations that are paying it forward and spreading the love for all! Today Kevin Richardson and the support of PAW are paying it forward with their work with animals.

Kevin Richardson has made quite an impact on zoologists and observers alike with his unconventional animal behaviorist techniques; his documentary Dangerous Companions fascinated the public. He interacts with full grown lions like they are playful pups! Check it out!

This self-taught behaviorist uses love and understanding to communicate and build relationships with animals like lions, hyenas and other African predators. The majority of Richardson’s lion career has taken place in The Lion Park in Broederstroom, South Africa. The park is approximately 1600 acres and homes three lion prides and one clan of hyenas. With the production of his newest documentary, White Lion: Home is a Journey Richardson has created a new facility of 2,000 acres for his big cat companions. The Kingdom of the White Lion is now a private refuge for thirty-nine lions all native of southern Africa.

For more information on Kevin Richardson and his work, check out his website.

Richardson knows first hand the effects of deforestation and poaching on African animals. He supports an organization called Protecting African Wildlife Conservation Trust or PAW. PAW is a non-profit organization in Northeast South Africa that helps fund research on conservation and ecosystems; its goal is to promote conservation and wildlife internationally. If you’d like to donate to the cause visit their site! They also have information on their current projects and studies. 

 Good Happens

Pay it Forward!

Celebrate Earth Day!

Earth Day is coming up on April 22nd!

It is a day to celebrate the planet we live on as remember to take good care of it. Looking for a way to celebrate? Kick off Earth Day weekend with us, Center for Unconventional Security Affairs (CUSA), and the UCI eARTh Studio!

On Saturday, April 20th from 11am-12pm, eARTh Studio will present an interactive lecture for all ages! Learn about the important relationship between art and sustainability. Participants will receive 2 free tickets to the Human Security Award ceremony recognizing the work of artist Chris Jordan.

Plus in the afternoon from 12pm-3:30pm, stop by for a drop-in art workshop!

We are looking forward to a great Earth Day weekend! How are you planning to celebrate Earth Day?

Good Happens.

Pay it Forward!

Meatless Monday: Vegan Avocado Frozen Yogurt

Happy Monday!

It’s getting warm! We all need a delicious treat to cool off this spring, but that doesn’t mean it has to be unhealthy. Take your tradition spring favorite, frozen yogurt and give it a green twist; avocados are a great creamy substitute that is full of vitamin E and antioxidants according to Health Diaries.

Recipe and photo by Fit Community.

Vegan Avocado Frozen Yogurt 

Serves 2-3

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 ripe avocados
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons stevia (or to taste)
• 2- 4 oz containers soy yogurt
• 1/2 cup soy/almond milk
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 

1. Blend all ingredients except for the lemon zest in either a food processor or blender until smooth.

2. Transfer the mixture into a bowl or ice cream maker and stir in the lemon zest.

3. If using a bowl for step 2, freeze in an airtight container for at least 2 hours.

4. When ready to use, let it thaw slightly and stir.

And in four easy steps, you have a perfectly creamy spring vegan dessert!

Good Happens

Pay it Forward!

Live Peace with One Day Without Shoes

Every Saturday, we like to highlight an organization or movement that is making Good Happen! This week we are highlighting One Day Without Shoes, an awareness event sponsored by TOMS Shoes. Each year, ODWS asks people to go barefoot for one day to raise awareness of the impact something as small as a pair of shoes can make. This year’s is coming up on Tuesday, April 16th!

So why Peace + Shoes? Why are we going barefoot?

Peace takes many forms. Aside from the common definition of peace as the absence of war, it also can encompass a feeling of contentment within yourself or ensuring that people have access to the tools and resources they need to live life to the fullest. Shoes may be one specific issue area, but they affect many aspects of life including health, education, and future economic opportunities.

Check out highlights from last year’s event in the following video:

Join us at the Center for Living Peace on April 16th, 2013 from 10am-4pm as we celebrate One Day Without Shoes! Throughout the day, there will be various fun activities for all ages:

Style your Sole (canvas shoe painting) /// 11am-3pm

Bring a pair of canvas shoes to decorate during the Style Your Sole party! Order a pair of TOMS online, or find in store at places like Nordstrom. Any canvas shoes will work, whether TOMS, Vans, or Keds! Don’t have a pair of shoes to bring? We’ll give you a canvas flag to decorate!

Raffles on the hour /// 12pm until 3pm

Free Prizes with drawings throughout the day.

Barefoot Walk /// 3pm

Experience the world around you without shoes.

Plus music, refreshments, and interactive displays throughout the day!

We’re looking forward to a great day. Hope to see you there! Not in the area? Find events near you!

Good Happens.

Pay it Forward!

To This Day

Today we bring you a video of spoken-word poetry by Shane Koyczan. A self-described shy Canadian with corresponding dreams, he is also a man full of humor and insight on the experience of growing up. Watch for yourself!

Note that there is one instance of strong language in the video.

We could probably all stand to, as Shane puts it, “get a better mirror.”

What beauty do you see around you?

Good Happens.

Pay it Forward!

Partnerships Making Good Happen: TOMS and CTAOP

Last month we shared two cool partnerships making Good Happen. This month we bring you the collaboration between TOMS and Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP)!

CTAOP was founded by Charlize Theron in 2007 with the mission of helping keep African youth safe from HIV/AIDS. TOMS is supporting the mission of CTAOP with these limited-edition brightly-colored shoes!

Just in time for One Day Without Shoes, check out these special TOMS supporting the work of CTAOP!

Good Happens.

Pay it Forward!

Meatless Monday: Fresh Fig Bars

Happy Monday!

Let’s start this week off healthy with some delicious fig bars! According to Steady Health, figs are “an excellent source of potassium which is essential controlling blood pressure, influences osmotic balance between cells and interstitial fluid, and important for brain and nerve function.”

Recipe originally by LunchBoxBunch.

Fresh Fig Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups flour (I used 1 1/2 cups gluten free flour + 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
• 1 cup organic sugar (I used Florida Crystals)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp salt (pink salt for me)
• 1/2 cup warm water + 1 tsp flax seeds + 1 tsp chia seeds (stir briskly)
• 1 1/4 cups almond milk, vanilla or plain
• 1 large extra-ripe banana, mashed
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice mix (or just use cinnamon, nutmeg and/or ginger powder)
• 2-4 Tbsp softened virgin coconut oil (optional for richness + for greasing pan)

• Fig mixture:
• 2 baskets fresh figs
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1/4 cup grapefruit juice + pinch of citrus zest (or sub with orange)

• Topping:
• 1/3 cup raw walnuts, chopped
• 1 tsp oats
• 1 tsp organic sugar

• 1 baking sheet

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Grease a high-rimmed baking sheet with 1-2 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil. Thickly grease the pan – a few clumps on the sheet are desired – as they will melt into the bottom layer of the bars. If you want to make your bars a bit on the dessert-y, rich side, you can use another 2 tablespoons of oil to dot on top of the bars before baking. If you do not have coconut oil – you can sub with vegan buttery spread or simply grease the pan with veggie spray or oil. But really, the coconut oil is best because of the amazing hint of flavor it adds.

3. Combine the water + seeds and stir briskly. Allow to sit and thicken for a few minutes.

4. Combine the oats, flour, salt, spices, baking powder and sugar. Fold in the wet ingredients – including the seed water, aka flax/chia “egg.” Your batter should be thick, yet still pourable. Add an extra splash of almond milk if needed.

5. Thinly slice the figs – removing the woody stems. Toss the figs in the maple syrup and grapefruit juice.

6. Pour the batter into the baking sheet and top with the figs. Pour the excess juice/maple liquid right over top the figs.

7. Sprinkle the walnuts, oats and sugar toppings over top the batter. Wet batter + toppings before going in the oven.

8. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes – or until the edges brown and the center is cooked through. The bars will firm up a bit after cooling so take care to not over cook.

9. Cool a bit and then slice. Serve warm or chill in the fridge. The bars freeze very well too.

Good Happens

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Live Peace with MY World

Those familiar with international development have likely heard of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a United Nations initiative implemented in 2000. As part of the MDGs, UN member nations agreed to a set of 8 goals, ranging from achieving universal primary education to ensuring environmental sustainability. The purpose was to meet these goals by 2015.

Now, 2015 is almost upon us. To formulate the post-MDG goals, the UN and its partners have created MY World. The site allows people from all over the world to list their own priorities for global development.

At the MY World site, you can pick the issues that are of the most importance to you. Check it out, and use your voice to do good!

Good Happens.

Pay it Forward!