Olsen Haus Features DB & GGA!

First, check out the exclusive interview Chloe Jo and I did with Elizabeth Olsen on set of her photo shoot!


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Olsen Haus genius, Elizabeth Olsen is finally doing mens’ shoes! She asked me to model them for her new Fall/Holiday 09 lookbook! Showing the ladies shoes are Chloe Jo Berman of Girlie Girl Army, Marisa Miller of Kind Green Planet, Princess Supertar, Samantha Ragsdale of Farm Sanctuary and Ashley Lou Smith of Bloodless Bling! The very talented, vegan, awesome friend of DB, Ryan Pfluger took the photos. Check out the rest by scrolling below:

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Bone Shaken

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Food gets me in a tizzy! If you live in NYC and haven’t gotten bone-shaken yet, Boneshakers is a yummy little sandwich n’ pastry café in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It’s totally vegetarian, mostly vegan, and is as cute as a button on a messenger-biker’s fanny-pack. It’s a beacon of glimmering light on an otherwise desolate street just near the BQE. Their hand-drawn menu is clever, and the selection does not disappoint. I asked one of their hip employees which ‘knuckle’ sandwich I should get if it were my last day on earth. She recommended the big, bad Magnus which is a veggie patty, tempeh bacon, spicy aioli, lettuce tomato, and sprouts on toasted rosemary focaccia. For dessert I had to try each of the amazing chocolate chip cookie, moist cupcake, and the banana choc-chip muffin. The muffin was your typical muffin, but the cupcake and cookie were outstanding!

Tattoos and bicycles are not on the menu, but there are plenty of them to be seen! So, if you’re into that sort of nonsense, definitely check out this spot. It was fun, yum, and I’ll certainly be back.

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Chelsea Boots, Melty Vegan Cheese, & Crabs That Feel

1. What’s simple, classic, and not allowed to be worn with baggy pants? Check out this 100% synthetic Chelsea Boot from TOPMAN.  Hot, and only $100! Next, if your metal-head babysitter from 1985’s wardrobe got turned into an amazing, urban, hi-top – these gold ‘n black faux-snakeskin foot-prizes would be it. Dang! Only $70 at TOPMAN.

2. Dr Cow Cashew-Bazil Nut & Macadamia vegan cheeses now available online! They are not cheap, but they are insanely yummy.

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3. Speaking of cheese – I got to try the very-talked-about, soy-free, melty-as-hell Daiya cheese while mingling at a star-studded PCRM event last week. Yum! Not sure when it’ll hit stores, but it was stretchy and delicious when heated.

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4. Has anyone tried the  So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage? I saw it on the shelves in Whole Foods,  but I haven’t tried it yet and want to know: how does it taste? Can you steam it or foam it? Does it curdle in tea? Tell me!So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage

5. Once again, the Canadian Seal Hunt is leaving a trail of blood. Please watch the video and click HERE to help.

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6. A new study has found that crabs feel and remember pain. So that’s what a brain and nervous system do? It seems silly to even have to point this out, but unless scientists shock living things, the public thinks that brains and nervous systems are just for fun. As if you neeed one more reason to boycott Red Lobster? Duh, what’s trawling?

No thanks for the memories: The scientific study applied mild electric shocks to hermit crabs to determine if they could 'feel' pain.

Win a pair of NOHARM shoes!

Are you a size 9? The Discerning Brute has teamed up with NOHARM to give away a pair of snazzy vegan ankle boots in US size 9! You can easily win these handsome leather-free shoes worth $300! Wowee! So, why don’t we dig leather here at DB? Find out.

CLICK HERE to enter.

Effortless Cookie Cake

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This is another recipe inspired by my momma! Growing up, one of my favorite treats was her whipped-cream cookie cake. It’s like having a big, moist chocolate cookie dipped in sweet cream – and the best thing is that it’s so easy to make! All you need is organic, vegan chocolate wafers, and soy whip! I used Newman’s Alphabet Cookies and Soy Whip, both of which can be found at most health food stores and Whole Foods.

WHAT YOU”LL NEED:

  • Medium size bowl
  • Organic, vegan chocolate wafer cookies (any brand)
  • Vegan whipped cream

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Layer each cookie with whipped cream and begin stacking horizontially in the bottom of the bowl.
  2. Once you’ve covered the bottom, put a layer of whipped cream over the first layer.
  3. Repeat until the bowl is full, and top with a thick layer of whipped cream.
  4. Leave in the fridge for at least 5 hours, or overnight. The cookies will absorb the moisture and become cake-like.
  5. Serve with a spoon, and top with a dollop of soy whip and a wafer!