In this video, our little Brother Joshua Katcher, AKA: The Discerning Brute goes undercover as a host of a fake show “Concrete Catwalk” to chat up people in Soho.  Not only is he a genius, he clearly makes his point with just barely saying a word. Josh says; “ I gave some furry fashion victims an easy way to make themselves look like idiots. And boy, did they do a marvelous job!”  As sad as this is, it’s also endlessly amusing.  We hope Josh makes Borat-like appearances everywhere!  Cheers DB!

Just some of the clever excuses for wearing the skins of tortured, anally electrocuted animals were:

“…beavers are not extinct, which is one of the reasons that the designers make those furs.” - dude wearing a beaver coat & huge fur hat.

“I’d like to think that they were just run over in the street” - woman wearing a new full-length mink.

“I just assume it grows its hair back and it’s all OK at the end of the situation…” - woman with fur hat.

“We’re from Michigan, so we need our furs” -  mom & daughter fur duo

“I’m an animal lover, so this is quite at odds with being an animal lover.” - woman wearing head-to-toe fur

Here’s why we think people who wear fur have ugly hearts;

As per PETA; “Animals can languish in traps for days. Up to 1 out of every 4 trapped animals escapes by chewing off his or her own feet, only to die later from blood loss, fever, gangrene, or predation. Ranch-raised foxes are kept in cages only 2.5 feet square (minks in cages 1-foot-by-3-feet), with up to four animals per cage. Every year, thousands of dogs, cats, raptors, and other so-called “trash” animals are crippled or killed by traps. To kill the animals without damaging their fur, trappers usually strangle, beat, or stomp them to death. Animals on fur farms may be gassed, electrocuted, poisoned with strychnine, or have their necks snapped. These methods are not 100 percent effective and some animals “wake up” while being skinned.”

What on earth is beautiful about this? Some things really are more important than trends, and that is compassion and respect for living creatures.  The GirlieGirl Army is proof positive that you can dress gorgeously and be entirely cruelty free.  We hope our readers who do still wear fur extend their compassion to animals- and vow to never buy or wear fur again.  For those of you who own old fur or fur accessories and want to know where to put it to good use, consider donating it to Coats for Cubs who use the furs to warm and comfort orphaned and injured wildlife. More than 200 rehabilitators from across the United States and Canada now participate in the program.

How else can you take a stand against fur?  By attending demonstrations, voicing your opions, sharing this link with everyone you know, and by proudly wearing a NO FUR button on your coat this winter. Featured in designer Charlotte Ronson’s fur-free fall 2008 collection,  HSUS’s “Have a Heart ..(No) Fur” buttons are now available in packs of 5, 10, and 15 to share with all your compassionate animal friends.

Most the people we know have weddings that cost anywhere from 30G’s to a cool million bucks (yep, we really know people who have spent that much and more on the big day).  We try not to judge, but it’s hard, when there is so much strife and poverty in the world to imagine spending money that way.  We’ve thus far been the proponent of good old fashioned elopements til our girl Laura Little emailed us telling us she was offering full wedding packages (in NYC) that start at $10,000 and end at $15,000.   Offering a new way of thinking about the big day, and applying it to the regular DIY bride makes an eco-friendly, humble, fun wedding seem possible!  That got us thinking about all the possibilities!

Here are some of Laura’s Favorite Tips:

• Keep it short and sweet. Have your ceremony and reception in the same place, this eliminates travel drama, guests getting lost, and two venue fees!
• Limit your guest list. Be stringent with your invitations and prioritize your guest list. Use the 2 month rule: If you haven’t seen or heard from the person in 2 months, they are not a priority.
• Don’t go mad with flowers. If you have to have flowers, put them in key places, and choose seasonal options to keep cost reasonable. Simplicity is key.
• When it comes to catering, beverages and wedding favors, get creative. Do tea sandwiches, or beer and wine only, maybe write a thank you poem and print it as a giveaway. Remember your guests have come for you - not a luxury meal or goody bag.
• Forget Designer Labels. Use a personal stylist to help you find the perfect dress, she’ll know where the deals are, and how to find a replica dress for less. You’ll be saying “Vera who?” in no time.
• Stand your ground and know what you want. It’s easy to make bad choices when we feel pressured or put on the spot.  Before you sign on the dotted line - take your time and think it over. You’ll avoid error and the cost of fixing things later on.

Here are some our *favorite* tips for an ECO Wedding!

Your events should be reflective of how you live our everyday lives, but some people use THE big day to really do something different and take a stand for what they believe in. If you are a green teen, incorporate as many organic, local, and natural options into your big day as you can. Just because you are in love  doesn’t mean the planet should suffer! Weddings can be literal wastelands of food and resources. So as you plan your celebration - use this guide to help you party while lookin’ the globe in the eye. Actions as simple as offering cloth hand towels instead of paper towels in the restrooms at your event can save a tree or 12, and look way more elegant.

INVITES

For invitations, use recycled paper invitations.  Our dear friend Marisa used beautiful colored hemp pulpy-looking paper and soy ink on her invites, and they were gorgeous! Many stationery stores carry recycled paper products, but try to avoid plastic or heavily coated papers which are almost impossible to recycle. These recycled invitations and stationery are made by hand: www.twistedlimbpaper.com. Another option is to go totally paper free, and save a fortune and a forest, by sending your guests an evite. Check out www.regards.com or www.evite.com. You can funk up your evite with photos and glam text, OR hire a graphic designer to design something gorgeous and email it out as a JPEG! Evite sites also have excellent features to track rsvp’s and send Thank You notes, post-event to save even more needless paper.

OPTIONS OUTSIDE OF RENTING OUT FANCY PANTS HOTELS

Instead of renting out a hall, party on a beach, lake, backyard, rooftop, or even an idyllic farm.  Minimize travel with local events. Really, the ideal place to throw a green party is outside (duh!!). There is nothing like an ocean background or starry night to trump any centerpiece!

FLOWERS - SMELL THE ROSES, MOSES.

Bouquets can be handpicked from a neighbor’s garden, or functional centerpieces can be handcrafted by you and your posse. You could even make it a weekly craft fest -girlie bond and create memorable works of art! Candles are cheap, easy, eco (if you buy soy candles), and can brighten any setting, and help keep the bugs away (if you are planning an outdoor event - use citronella candles). You can even rock recycled glass holders for votives. Try stringing LED white lights from Innovative Energy Solutions, which use 80 to 90 percent less energy, if you must use unnatural light.

The most sustainable thing you can do when throwing an event is to use potted plants - guests can take them home at the end of the evening, and they look adorable! That way, you combine the decorations with the favors… like, a luau party could have organic pineapples on the table and the guests get to take them home - yum!

Get ready for the icky truth about flowers: flowers are mostly genetically engineered hybrids and there are no enforced pesticide/herbicide caps. 75% of all US flowers are flown in from SE Asia = a lot of jet fuel. Jet fuel = is the biggest contributor to greenhouses gases in the world. Yikes! www.organicbouquet.com does beautiful ORGANIC (pesticide free) flowers State-side if you must go for cut stems. But really, what’s the point in all those dying flowers that cost you a fortune for one night only? Why not at least let a planted flower go home with a guest to brighten up their days for weeks on end! Another option is a dried flower centerpiece - they can be taken home too and will smell up the joint something gorgeous!

Another idea: get theme decorations for FREE from www.Freecycle.org, instead of buying new. Most party items will sit in closets or garages forever. It’s really easy to find everything you need from people who’ve had their fill of the item!

NOT EVEN A COFFEE CAKE DID I GO HOME WITH!!?!?!

It’s nice to offer a little memento of your event that people will actually use. A keychain of you and your dog isn’t something people want… sorry. However, a beautiful champagne flute that they can drink from at the event, and then take home would cut down on washing, and offer a reusable and realistic gift. I once went to a wedding reception where they used little antique-y picture frames as name cards - once the event is over you can bring home a pretty little frame! Good Luck Gardens in a Bag, Windowsill Herb sets of starter pots, or precious Tree in a Box kits, are all super adorable and as green and cheap as they come!

GIFTS

If gifts are part of the spiel - definitely register. It’s eco-evil to get gifts you will never use. Don’t be embarrassed to put a toilet bowl brush on your register if that’s what you need, it’s certainly better than those disposable jobbies! Make sure to give back, after all, how many divas are as lucky as you to be so privileged and loved! Register on www.JustGive.org, you can select from over 500 wonderful organizations who can benefit from your love. Really, who needs another Steuben vase?

DRESS

Go recycled fabrics, or a borrowed a dress from Mom. Vintage is so the way to go, if at all possible. There are also tons of chic places to rent couture gowns for the night. You are never going to re-wear that $5,000 gown, so why buy it? Wasting = not very green! If you do go for new - try and make sure your designer uses organic fabrics.  Go to a local tailor and have her copy that Monique Lhuillier you’ve been dreaming about for a fraction of the price.  Better yet order a “green” gown from custom designer Olivia Luca, who is not only affordable, but has tons of silk-free options for the vegan fashionista.

TABLE

It’s always greenest to use washable linens, napkins, cutlery and dinnerware. When you must use paper, buy recycled, like Seventh Generation’s paper plates, which are made from 100-percent recycled paper, with a minimum of 83-percent post-consumer materials and whitened without chlorine bleach.  Make recycling easy for guests, not just the obvious things like bottles and cans, but name cards, bottle caps, etc. Things guests would just take home and eventually toss.

FOODAGE AND NOSHES

First of all - be sure to find out where your local shelter is located and be sure to arrange that ALL leftovers get brought directly from the event to the shelter. Half eaten plates can be donated to an animal shelter if you call and arrange it in advance. There is NO need to waste hefty bags full of perfectly decent food as long there are people and animals starving. Try and serve locally grown organic food to support your local farmers. If you can’t find everything organic, don’t beat yourself up! Little steps make a huge difference! There are eco-friendly and organic catering companies around the country.  As for cakes, use this fantastic list to craft your organic dream.

Portia and Ellen had a vegan, organic wedding.

NEW YORK CHICKS: Want to learn more about throwing a wedding for 10K with Laura? CONTACT 212 244 4464 OR laura@lauralittleproductions.com.

There are millions of dogs in this country who suffer terribly because they are kept chained outside 24-7. That is, they are constantly chained to a doghouse, fence, garage, or post, left to endure rain, snow, wind, heat, and cold. They suffer from severe agitation and loneliness because they can’t go for a walk, play in a park, or feel the tenderness of human affection. Needless to say, these dogs are usually not fed well or given proper veterinary care. As you might imagine, most die young. During the winter, many dogs are found frozen to the ground and in the summer, dead of heatstroke.  Make you want to do something?

Dogs Deserve Better is a kick-ass nonprofit organization  that is trying to end dog chaining through education and legislation. In fact, they were very instrumental in getting a law passed in California that prohibits dogs from being chained for more than three hours in any 24-hour period! For a complete list of laws passed, visit: http://www.unchainyourdog.org/Laws.htm.

For Valentine’s Day, DDB sees another opportunity to educate people who are chaining their dogs by sending them Valentines! Each of us can be part of their effort by making Valentines and/or providing addresses of chained dogs so that Valentines can be sent anonymously on our behalf. To get the full, fun, creative scoop, click here.

Note: if you can’t participate in any of the ways listed, please consider making a donation, even if it’s small. DDB really deserves our support.

Katie in Los Angeles, CA really needs a home! We hope someone adopts this sweet girlie!

And while we are talkin’ dogs, we here at GirlieGirl Army hope you consider adoption.  We list weekly dogs (and cats) on “This Week” page  who need homes in ALL states, and so hope you have room in your heart and home to foster and/ or adopt. 800 dogs get put down in the United States PER hour, please don’t consider buying an animal - every time a breeder or petstore animal is bought - thousands of others die. An adopted dog wouldn’t love you any less than one bought. The devastating thing is - you can definitely adopt pure breeds from shelters - a simple search on petfinder.com will show you how easily. You could find whatever breed you wish for (though I’m personally a big fan of mutts which have no health problems and live long lives!) to adopt easily. Those who breed millions of dogs and cats each year for profit are contributing to the companion animal overpopulation crisis. Every newborn puppy or kitten means one home fewer for a dog or cat desperately waiting in a shelter or roaming the streets. There are so many reasons supporting breeders by buying from a pet store is wrong, and so many reasons adoption is RIGHT! If you’d like to get involved by forwarding out and networking our weekly urgent animals in need emails, please email us and say “Yo, I heart the pups and wanna save some lives by using my social networks!”   Feel like you can never do enough?  Check out our “Easy Peasy Ways to Save the World.”

THANKS TO MARY MAX OF KIND GREEN PLANET FOR TURNING US ON TO THIS WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION.

We are in LOVE with this company and had to share ASAP, especially with Valentine’s Day hot on our kitten heels !

Honestly, if you ever send someone flowers again when you can send them a Brownie or Fudge of the Month Club, you are straight up bonkers.  Welcome to your favorite no guilt purchase since Allison’s Gourmet offers decadent treats with a conscience.  Everything is organic and vegan!   Plus the packages are artistically presented in eco-friendly gift wrapping and packaging, so you’ll be proud to send these to whoever you are (or are not!) trying to impress.   Imagine joining a Monthly Clubs that automatically deliver fresh baked cookies, brownies, and fudge each month.   Just in time for Aunt Flo!   We’ve sent Allison goodies to many GirlieGirlArmy VIPS who just rant and rave about their amazingness.

Par example; “Allison’s makes AMAZING vegan brownies!” Alicia Silverstone

Get ready to die for;

• Organic Vegan Truffles & Caramels: Three Truffle Flavors: Almond, Hazelnut, and Mocha; Three Caramel Flavors: Pecan, Chocolate, and Peanut.
• Vegan and Organic Chocolate Cups: The Cups are offered in Organic Vegan Peanut Butter (these are PB Cups for grown-ups!) and Organic Vegan Peppermint Creme. Think York Peppermint Patties for Foodies!
• Vegan Fudge: Original and Walnut Vegan Fudge and rotating Flavors of the Month.  This stuff is ridiculously amazing!
  
• Gourmet Cookies: Classic Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Pecan, Mint Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Snickerdoodle, and rotating Flavors of the Month.
• Gourmet Brownies: Flavors include: Original Heavenly Fudge, Pecan Heavenly Fudge, Half Original/Half Pecan Brownies, and rotating Flavors of the Month.
• Chocolate Barks: Organic Vegan Chocolate Almond Bark and Organic Vegan Peppermint Stick Bark.
• Individually-wrapped Caramels: Individually wrapped Caramels are available in Vanilla, Chocolate and Chipotle for the adventurous palate.
• Crunchy Almond Toffees: Crunchy Almond Toffee flavors include Original and Chocolate-covered.
• Peanut Brittles: Original and Spiced (with cinnamon and a touch of cayenne).
• Organic Coffee, Tea and Hot Cocoa: Deep, rich coffee, light teas, and creamy, and luscious cocoas for the discriminating palate.
• Gourmet Gift Baskets and Gourmet Organic Gift Tins: A variety of choices!
• Sampler Packs are available for the bisexual types who want to try some of everything.

These life-changingly-good sweet treats are jam-packed with the finest organic ingredients for the health of the planet and its inhabitants, fair trade for the economic health of farmers, and shade grown for the protection of wildlife habitats.  All of the gourmet goodies from Allison’s Gourmet are free of animal ingredients, cholesterol, and highly refined sweeteners.  So, although their organic treats are obviously to-die-for delicious for everyone they are of special appeal to people with food sensitivities those looking to stay slim or the vegans in your posse.   Allison’s Gourmet is not just socially responsible it is award winning too.   Put that in your hookah and smoke it.

Allison is not only a Mommy to gorgeous Olivia; she has been shipping her exquisite baked goods to homes and businesses all over the continent, including some of Hollywood’s most prestigious addresses since 1997!    This woman is ethical, kind, a business babe, and can bake.  Jealous?  Don’t be.  Just buy her sweets stat, then lettuce know what you thought!

JUST in time for Valentine’s Day: An EXCLUSIVE discount for GirlieGirlArmy readers! Click here for a fantastic deal on Allison’s dreamy treats!

NOBODY likes eating more than us. So when Jason Wyrick, the executive Chef and publisher of The Vegan Culinary Experience, the world’s only vegan culinary magazine, offered to share some of his Italian fave’s with the GirlieGirl Army posse, you bet your favorite lip gloss we said HELL YAAAA! Healthy? Check! Vegan? Double Check? Delish? Triple Check!

Insalata d’Arance (Orange Salad)

Type: Salad, Italian (Sicilian) Serves: 4
Time to Prepare: 10 minutes

Ingredients
3 oranges, peeled and sectioned
2 tsp. of olive oil
1/8 tsp. of salt
¼ tsp. of freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. of chopped flatleaf parsley
2 tbsp. of chopped basil
Option: 12 or so oil-cured black olives
Option: 1/8 of a red onion, sliced

Instructions
Peel the oranges, getting as much of the pith off of the inside of the oranges as you can. Separate the oranges into their sections. Slice the orange sections into bite-size pieces. Mix the oranges with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Chop the parsley and basil. Mix the basil into the salad. Options: Mix in either of the optional ingredients when you mix the basil and parsley into the salad. Low-fat Version Omit the olive oil from the recipe.

Presentation
The combination of basil, parsley, pepper, and oranges in this salad is beautiful by itself, so I find that it’s best to let the salad stand on its own.

Time Management
This is best when eaten fresh as the oranges will lose their crisp texture after about thirty minutes.

Complementary Food and Drinks
Serve this with a side of black olives.

Where to Shop
All of the ingredients should be relatively easy to find as they are commonly available. Approximate cost per serving is $1.00.

How It Works
The oranges and basil are the real stars of this salad, mixing fresh, sweet citrus with the fragrant green of the basil. The olive oil acts as a small coating for the oranges and a smooth dressing for the salad while the pepper gives the salad a little spiciness to complement the sweetness of the oranges.

Caponata and Zucchini Sandwiches

Type: Sandwich Serves: 6
Time to Prepare: 40 minutes

Ingredients
The Caponata
1 small eggplant, diced
½ stalk of celery, diced
¼ of an onion, diced
2 tbsp. of diced red bell pepper
6 sundried tomatoes, diced
¼ cup of green olives, diced
1 tbsp. of diced basil leaves
1 tbsp. of diced parsley leaves
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. of olive oil
1 tbsp. of capers
1 tbsp. of lemon juice
1 tbsp. of currants
The Zucchini Sandwich
6 zucchini
1 tsp. of olive oil
1/8 tsp. of salt
3 large sandwich rolls
¼ cup of red wine vinegar
6 pieces of lettuce

Instructions
Making the Caponata Dice the eggplant, celery, onion, red pepper, tomatoes, olives, basil, and parsley. Mince the garlic. On a medium heat, sauté the eggplant, celery, onion, and red pepper in the oil until they are all soft (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic and continue sautéing this for another 3 minutes. Remove this from the heat. Immediately stir in the sundried tomatoes, green olives, basil, parsley, capers, lemon juice, and currants and set it aside. Making the Zucchini Cut the ends off of the zucchini. Slice the zucchini into thick slices (about ¼”) along the length of the zucchini. Slice these in half along the width. Sauté the zucchini in 1 tsp. of olive oil with 1/8 tsp. of salt over a medium heat until they are soft (about 5 minutes).
Assembling the Sandwiches Cut the sandwich rolls in half along the width and then slice them in half horizontally. Hollow out the top of the sandwich rolls. Sprinkle the bottom of each sandwich roll with red wine vinegar. Place a piece of lettuce on the bottom slice of each roll. Top the lettuce with zucchini slices. Fill the hollowed out portions of the tops of the sandwich rolls with caponata. Close the sandwich carefully and serve. Low-fat Version Omit the olive oil from the recipe and simmer the ingredients in a thin layer of liquid until the veggies are soft.

Raw Version
Caponata is very easy to make raw. Take the veggies that you would have sautéed and instead mix about ½ tsp. of salt with them. Place them in a bowl and then place a weight over them. Allow them to sit for at least an hour, until the eggplant is soft. Rinse the veggies and mix them with the other ingredients. You can make lettuce wraps out of the zucchini and caponata or slice the zucchini in half along the length and hollow out the halves, stuffing them with the caponata.

Presentation
If I’m putting these out on a platter for people to come by and pick up, then I just find a nice tray and stack the sandwiches on that. My favorite way to serve them, however, is open-faced, because the caponata has a wonderful color to it.

Time Management
Caponata can be made a couple days ahead of time and it also makes a good dip or spread, so try making a big batch and then using it over the next few days. If you’ve got caponata ready, the sandwiches only take about ten to fifteen minutes to put together.

Complementary Food and Drinks
Serve this with a side of fava bean dip to create a good mix of carbohydrates and protein.

Where to Shop
All of the ingredients for this recipe are commonly available, though I either get my capers at Trader Joe’s or from an olive bar that happens to have fresh capers. Make sure the skin of the eggplant is tight, not wrinkled. If you can’t find currants, usually available at Whole Foods, feel free to substitute raisins for them. Approximate cost per serving is $1.50.

How It Works

The caponata is a mix of savory, sweet, and salty, enhanced by the acidity of the lemon juice. The capers and olives provide the shot of salt, with the sweetness coming from the onion, pepper, and currants. The eggplant forms the base flavor on which all the other flavors ride and also absorbs the surrounding flavors quite well. Some of the ingredients in the caponata are not sautéed because applying the direct heat to them would ruin their flavors. The residual heat in the caponata and the pan, however, will cook them for a brief enough time that their flavors release into the rest of the caponata, but those flavors remain relatively fresh. The top of the sandwich is hollowed out to accommodate the caponata. Without hollowing it out, the caponata tends to slide out the side of the sandwich. Red wine vinegar is used to soften the bottom half of the bread.

Check out this month’s Italian issue and subscribe for free at www.veganculinaryexperience.com!