I started going to BabyCakes just three weeks after they opened and from that moment I knew they’d be a success. Now, 3 years later owner Erin McKenna is on Martha Stewart sharing some vegan cupcake love!

The animal-product, soy and gluten free brownies are not only better for you than the traditional kind, but they taste AMAZING!

Years ago I remember Erin telling me how she took a leap of faith by opening the bakery and hoped that it would be a success. Having Martha Stewart make your cupcakes on television? Yep – I would say that’s pretty successful!

To find out how you can make BabyCakes cupcakes at your house, check out the video below and get the recipe.

This past Monday, one hundred and seventy-five members of New York’s top female culinary organizations gathered for the bi-annual NYC Women in Food event. Besides honoring Martha Stewart for her achievements in food, the group also focused on making their industry more sustainable. “Turning green is finally more than talk; it’s a movement,” said Liz Young, founder of the event. “Many people want to incorporate sustainable practices in their daily lives, yet don’t know how. Tonight is about putting our thoughts into action. We are going to taste, talk, and learn to follow green practices.”

Throughout the night, information on how to source environmentally sensitive event materials, discern the most sustainable vendors and equipment, design with eco-friendly twists and live “green” on an everyday basis was discussed. Martha Stewart even chimed in with her own philosophy on cooking green. “I’ve always found that if you ask you can find, and if you find, you can learn,” she said. “Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to meet, cook with and learn from so many extraordinary women who share my devotion to food that looks as good as it tastes. Growing my own fresh vegetables, plucking eggs from under my laying hens and developing so many delicious recipes with the incredible cooks in the kitchens at our company is a way of life for me.”

For more information, check out the NYC Women In Food site here!

Photo: left to right: Cathy Lo, President of the NY Women’s Culinary Alliance, event emcee Elizabeth Karmel, Deborah Mintcheff, president of Les Dames NY, Martha Stewart, Liz Young, NYC Women in Food event founder, Mary Cleaver, representing Women Chefs & Restaurateurs

On her daughter Alexis and her cooking skills:

“My daughter is a better cook than I am. And she’s the first to admit it! She’s limited somewhat in what she cooks because she is a vegetarian. But she’s a fantastic baker.” (Check out her blog here.)

On her new year-round gardening abilities:

“I have a new in-the-ground greenhouse devoted to growing vegetables all year-round. Because it is in-ground, it uses the least amount of energy to heat it. It creates its own heat. I have leeks, beans, turnips, lettuces, herbs, artichokes, beets and Chinese cabbages now growing. And soon I will plant tomatoes, cucumbers and peas. All organic, all local and homegrown. I can’t wait!”

On a recent episode of The Martha Stewart Show, the talk show host invited the folks from Empire National to showcase their 15-foot long hotdog, which was inspired by the world’s largest hotdog – a whopping 197 feet long of mystery meat.

It’s estimated that Americans consume approximately 20 billion hot dogs each year, which figures out to be about 634 a second. Besides the fact that hotdogs are insanely bad for you, they’re also exceptionally cruel and totally NOT eco-friendly.

While Martha has worked with PETA in the past to expose the realties of the fur trade, obviously Martha has no problem supporting the meat industry. Said Martha: “For those of you who don’t think length matters, I disagree – especially when it comes to wieners. There’s just never enough bites in a hot dog.” Um…gross!

If you’d rather not dine on pig but still wanna go to the barbecue, visit Yves and check out all their groovier, greener meat-free products!

Close and husband David Shaw started online site Fetchdog.com last year  to bring dog lovers together and sell quality products in a one-stop shop. States the site, “[W]e wanted our dogs to enjoy naturally healthy food, treats, and health care products free of chemicals and byproducts.” A percentage of the proceeds from Fetchdog.com’s Charitable Shops section, sponsored by various celebs such as Stewart, goes toward animal-related charities of the stars’ choosing.

Stewart’s puppy-worthy items include a faux shearling blanket, an eco-friendly dog bed filled with recycled polyfill, veggie rawhide, preservative-free treats and more.

As part of the Fetch.dog.com community, a blog run by Close features interviews of dog-friendly celebrities and field experts. Stewart, who lives with a menagerie of animals, was no exception to the blog inquiry, 

“I love all animals… I live on a farm with horses, miniature donkeys, 200 chickens, cats, owls etc… But I LOVE my dogs because they are so loyal and such marvelous company,” said Stewart in her interview on Close’s blog, Lively Licks: Profiles of Dogs and their People. “They are extremely sociable and are great companions. They are very curious and so much fun to be with. In fact, I would rather be with them than almost anyone.”

Over on her blog, Martha Stewart paid her respects to a dearly departed family member — her 13-year-old Kublai Khan “Paw Paw Chow Chow Chow”. The whole thing is in pictures with captions and is incredible sad — but most people on the web are focusing on the picture above and labeling it as “creepy”.

Of course, I disagree — it’s a photo of the dogs saying goodbye to their friend — get over it. And it’s nice to see that Stewart didn’t purchase some elaborate hardwood coffin or other wasteful accessory to return Chow Chow to the earth. Makes you wonder why we dump so many chemicals, concrete, copper, cash, and other resources into our own funerals.

Personally, I plan on going the same way as Chow Chow. What’s the point of sitting in a watertight coffin surrounded further by concrete for all eternity? This is a much better way to get back to “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust” than anything the funeral industry proposes.

Interested in natural burial? You can find out more details — and check out the natural cemetery I’m planning on one day chilling out in — here.

Actor Richard Gere is placing the final touches on a new restaurant/inn in Bedford, NY called the Bedford Post Inn. The 56-year-old purchased the property — which features several 18th century buildings — last year with a business partner. Spread over 14 acres, Gere’s new venture will feature a cafe/bakery, formal restaurant, multipurpose rooms for private parties, community events and yoga classes, stables for horse riding, and 8 suites for overnight guests.

Plans also include a geothermal HVAC system, recycled beams and materials, an on-site garden and a focus on locally produced food sourced from the area’s small farms. Gere can expect some celebrity clientèle from time to time as well — as Bedford is where Martha Stewart, Ralph Lauren and Glenn Close all own homes.

Of course, Gere’s new project is not without its detractors. Most recently, neighbors complained about the ‘eyesore’ parking lot for the restaurant — prompting Gere to erect a an 18 foot long, five foot high cedar fence. Now, people claim the fence is spoiling their view — and the town zoning committee has declared that it must be torn down because it violates height limits. Unfazed, the partners are planning to comply, with Gere’s business partner Russell Hernandez saying, “If they say you have to have a four-foot fence, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Look for the Inn to open this summer. The bakery/cafe is open now.

source via starpulse

As Oprahpalooza kicked off in Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire over the weekend, it is clear that when it comes to celebrity endorsements, Obama is the man. A flood of support continues to pour in from a range of celebrities including George Clooney, Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Stephen Colbert, Rev. Jesse Jackson, and oh, Dreamworks (because that is what you get with the three most powerful men in Hollywood – Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen).

Other candidates have their ringers as well. Senator Hillary Clinton has recent endorsements and support from Barbara Streisand, Donald Trump, Martha Stewart and Tom Hanks. And of course, her husband former President Clinton. I mean who doesn’t want to see Bill back in the White House, especially with all of his recent socially global and climate driven initiatives. Regardless, the campaign is truly heating up and while at the end of the day it is about electing a leader based on the issues and leadership capabilities, there is no denying the magic of the “O” factor and Obama earns big strategic points on that one!

Check out the latest celebrity endorsements on The Huffington Post Fundrace 2008.