I have to say it’s a bittersweet ending for me, but it’s sure been a fantastic ride while it’s lasted. I’ll miss talking with all of our wonderful fans and hearing about your crazy kitchen adventures and journey to live long, travel light. Lightlife will always have a place in my heart…or my kitchen to be more accurate!

Enough with the sad goodbyes though – the exciting part is we’re looking for a new Community Manager to fill my shoes! (You can bring your own shoes if you insist )

If you or someone you know loves our food, and cares about how the food people eat impacts the earth in which we live, we would love to hear from you. Please find the full job description below. If you’re interested send us a note with why you’d make a good Community Manager – it can be a simple email, video or whatever else you can come up with. Creativity is a plus! All submissions must be sent to Lightlife@Ketchum.com by July 15th.

I’ll be in the Copper Mountain area in Colorado 7/5 – 7/8 so if you’re interested and nearby give me a shout so we can meet in person!

To all my readers out there, it’s been real. Thanks for being you and making my journey a great one.

Rachael

Your Lightlife Blogitarian

____________________________________________

Lightlife Community Manager – Job Description

Approximate hours: 40-60/month (~25 hours/week); 6 month contract position with option to renew after 6 months (hours are subject to change throughout the duration of the contract)

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: The public relations / social marketing professional should have at least 2-3 years of experience

QUALIFICATIONS: The public relations / social marketing professional should have a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in journalism/business/marketing, with a solid grasp of social media digital marketing. S/he should have excellent verbal and written communications skills. S/he must be detail-oriented, highly organized with the ability to manage multiple project deadlines.

ABOUT LIGHTLIFE:

Founded in 1979, Lightlife is based in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, and is one of the pioneers of vegetarian foods and vegan food options. Lightlife is the leading brand of refrigerated meat alternatives, with well-known products such as Smart Dogs®, Gimme Lean®, Smart Deli®, Smart Bacon®, Smart Ground®, Smart Sausages®, Smart Wings®, Smart Tenders®, and Organic Tempeh and is expanding into frozen with the introduction of veggie burgers and entrees. Lightlife is committed to not only tasting good, but also doing good. Since the beginning, five percent of Lightlife’s net profits have gone to supporting the earth and healthy lifestyles, a commitment that Lightlife continues today. Please visit Lightlife at www.Lightlife.com  on Facebook or Twitter, @Lightlife.

The Lightlife Community Manager will be the face of the brand, managing communications via the brand’s Facebook and Twitter pages. This digitally-savvy employee will be responsible for building the Lightlife brand both on and offline – someone with a passion for cooking and vegetarian foods would be ideal. While every day as a Community Manager is different, the role’s responsibilities may include:

• Content creation – write Facebook and Twitter editorial calendars; searching for relevant content to share with our communities; monitoring the pages and responding to the Community in a timely fashion.
• Social media marketing – create, manage and grow Lightlife’s presence through Facebook and Twitter (increasing Likes, Comments, Shares and increasing Talking about This metric; increasing Twitter followers to a lesser extent); Help drive social strategy.
• Offline events – attend Lightlife mobile tour sampling events (1-2/month), during summer and early fall; create strong ties to consumers on-site, build the Lightlife brand among communities and encourage on-site real-time engagement with Facebook and Twitter followers. Report live from the events to the Lightlife online communities.
• Public relations –manage incoming media requests (in tandem with Ketchum team) and build relationships with vegetarian, vegan and flexitarian-friendly media including traditional and social outlets. Candidate may participate in media interviews and speak at conferences on behalf of the brand.
• Analytics – proficient at Google analytics and other measurement tools to provide reports on metrics, and continuously find ways to improve on those metrics through testing and new tools.
• Monitoring – monitor the social communication around Lightlife products, provide strategic counsel and address with Consumer Affairs as needed.

I couldn’t be more exited for grilling season this year because Lightlife has kicked it up a notch with our NEW veggie burgers and grillable Smart Dogs. We have so many grilling options to choose from there won’t be a dull moment this summer!

Last weekend my family and I had a picnic at my favorite hiking spot. I brought our new veggie burgers and Smart Dogs to grill and they were a hit even with the meat-eaters. My favorite is our Farmer’s Market Veggie, but the Backyard Grill’n, Mellow Portobello, and Kick’n Black Bean are all fantastic as well.

Will you be grilling this weekend for Memorial Day? What’s on your menu?

Share your grilling pictures with us on Facebook – we’d love to see our NEW burgers in action!

Rachael

Your Lightlife Blogitarian

Earlier this month I traveled to Detroit to visit our new partner, Urban Farming™, in action. Outside of the Fox2 news station Urban Farming™ representatives and volunteers planted a community garden that will end up providing fresh vegetables to community members and their local food pantry.

Seeing a group of individuals work together to provide fresh food for a community was an incredible sight to see and it truly brought what Urban Farming™ does to light for me. This was no ordinary garden either – they had a sustainable solar powered irrigation system set up so that rain water could be collected and pumped out through the irrigation hoses!

                                    Of course I had to bring something along that could contribute to the party, so I brought our new grillable Smart Dogs for everyone to enjoy.Next up in exciting things for Lightlife was the Baltimore VegFest! If you’ve been following along on our Facebook and Twitter pages, you may have seen pictures of me down in Baltimore. We raffled off Plant Our Future starter kits, handed out samples of our grillable Smart Dogs, and talked with attendees about our brand new frozen entrees and veggie burgers.

Everyone was excited about our new frozen line, and very enthusiastic about starting their own home garden. I hope to see pictures from our new friends and their gardens soon!

Stay tuned later this month – I’ve got an exciting announcement to share about some of the fun things we have planned at Lightlife this summer.

Rachael

Your Lightlife Blogitarian

Whether you’re taking Mom on an outing this year or buying her an eco-friendly gift, starting the day off with a homemade vegetarian breakfast is the perfect beginning to a lovely day together. This year I’m making our Savory Breakfast Frittata and carrot muffins for Mom to bring home with her at the end of the day. Hope she likes them!

Savory Breakfast Frittata

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pkg Smart Tenders Savory Chick’n
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup asparagus, cut into 1 ½ in strips
• ½ cup red pepper, cut into 1 ½ in strips
•  ½ yellow onion, sliced
• 3 eggs (for a vegan alternative try The Vegg – I just tested it and it’s fantastic)
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons fat free half and half (I used soy milk)
• ¼ cup cream cheese, softened, in small pieces
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

Instructions:

In oven proof, 10-inch, non-stick skillet place olive oil. Add Smart Tenders. Cook over medium heat until lightly browned, (2 to 3 minutes); turn over, continue cooking until lightly browned (1 to 2 minutes). Remove from pan, shred, and set aside.

In same pan, add asparagus, peppers, and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften slightly (3 to 4 minutes).

Meanwhile, in medium mixing bowl place eggs, egg whites, half and half and cream cheese. And salt and pepper. Using a wire whisk, stir the eggs until mixture is slightly fluffy (mixture is lumpy). Pour over vegetables in pan and add shredded Smart Tenders.

Continue cooking, over medium heat, 2 minutes; lift edges slightly to allow eggs to flow under. Continue cooking 2 minutes. Repeat lifting edges to allow eggs to flow under. Cook additional 2 minutes or until bottom is light brown.

To finish cooking top of eggs, place pan under low heat broiler. Broil 30 seconds to 1 minute or until frittata is puffy and light brown.

Remove from oven and serve immediately.

What are you doing to celebrate Mom? Are you making her a vegetarian dinner instead? Share your Mother’s Day recipes with us on Facebook and I’ll recreate it to share here on the Blogitarian!

Rachael

Your Lightlife Blogitarian

Better with Bechamel Macaroni and Beef

6-8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups vegan ground beef (I used Smart Ground)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried thyme, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
• 3 egg replacers, divided
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 quarts cold soymilk
• Salt, white pepper, and black pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 pkg penne or elbow pasta, cooked according to package instructions
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and sauté the onion over medium-heat until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another 2 minutes. Add the ground beef and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the parsley, 1 tablespoon of the thyme, and cinnamon and stir to combine. Stir in the tomato sauce and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Once it has cooled stir in 1 of the egg replacers and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth; continue whisking for 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, making sure there are no lumps, and season with salt, white pepper, and black pepper. Continue whisking until the milk is almost boiling. Whisk in the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and the nutmeg and whisk until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Quickly whisk in the remaining 2 egg replacers and remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Mix half the sauce into half of the pasta and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Layer the entire meat mixture over the pasta. Top with a little nutritional yeast. Add the rest of the pasta and pour on the remaining sauce, spreading it evenly to cover and coat the pasta. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let cool, then cut and serve.

To enter for a chance to win*: Tell me your favorite travel destination and the best vegetarian dish you can get while staying there.

Good luck!

**Giveaway has closed** Congrats to Jillian Campbell for winning – please check your email for a message from me

Rachael

Your Lightlife Blogitarian

*Winner will be chosen using a random number generator

This year I’m making vegetarian enchiladas and avocado tomato mango salsa with blue corn chips. A colorful dish that will be plenty of food for my Cinco de Mayo get together!

Avocado Tomato Mango Salsa

Tempeh Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg Three Grain Tempeh, cut into strips
• 2 (15 oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1 chipotle in adobo, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup onions, diced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 12 corn tortillas
• 2 cups vegan pepper jack cheese

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°F. In a saucepan over medium heat, simmer tomato sauce, chipotle, oregano and cinnamon for 5 minutes. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 5 minutes or until onions are soft and just starting to brown. Add tempeh and 1 cup tomato sauce; stir together. Heat tortillas in a microwave or on a griddle for a few seconds on each side to soften. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the tempeh mixture into each tortilla and roll up. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 11-inch baking dish. Arrange rolled tortillas in baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheese; cover with foil and bake 30-35 minutes or until sauce bubbles and cheese melts.

What are you planning on making for Cinco de Mayo this year? Have you tried our Tempeh Enchiladas yet? Post your fiesta meals to our Facebook page, we would love to see your creations!

Rachael

Your Lightlife Blogitarian

I’ve been reading about farmers markets across the country, patiently waiting my turn since Massachusetts’ growing season is so far behind everyone else. The anticipation has inspired me to make a vegetarian recipe that screams spring because it incorporates one of the first vegetables to break ground here; fiddleheads! Fiddleheads are the young coiled fronds of an ostrich fern, and taste kind of similar to asparagus in my opinion.

Spring Pasta with Smart Bacon

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pkg rotini pasta, cooked
• 6 slices Smart Bacon, diced
• 1.5 lbs fiddleheads, well rinsed
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 2 cups morel mushrooms, chopped
• ¼ cup olive oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup vegan parmesan (optional)

Directions:

Prepare clean fiddleheads by boiling for 10 minutes in a medium pot. Once tender, drain and set aside. In large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add spring onions and stir every minute or so. After 3 minutes, add mushrooms, fiddleheads, Smart Bacon and garlic. After five minutes, add remaining olive oil and salt. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve immediately

I wish fiddleheads were around for longer, but then again I guess what makes them so special is that you can only find them at a certain time of the year.

What is the first spring vegetable where you live? Do you get inspired in the kitchen when different vegetables come into season?

Rachael

Your Lightlife Blogitarian

Ever since I was a little girl I’ve planted a tree on Earth Day. I used to bring home tiny saplings from school and my Mom would let me plant them in the backyard. This is one that I planted when I was in kindergarten. I’m dating myself by showing how big it’s grown…ah! This year I planted my Urban Farming Plant Our Future tomato kit. The seeds have already sprouted and are getting closer to being ready to go outside. I’m hoping to repot them on Earth Day but it may be a little too early still. I can’t wait to have tomatoes growing right on my porch. It will eliminate any need to contribute to the transportation involved in purchasing them at the store!In addition to planting my tomato plants this year on Earth Day, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I could do on a regular basis to reduce my environmental footprint. Being a vegetarian is already something that I do every day, but it’s funny how easily I forget the impact that it has on our environment! Out of every environmental effort I practice, I believe eating a vegetarian diet has the greatest impact.

Thanks to the research of the Environmental Working Group and others groups such as Meatless Mondays, the news that eating meat-free is good for the environment is starting to spread. According to the EWG’s study, eating 1 less burger per week is equivalent to taking your car off the road for 320 miles, or line-drying your clothes half of the time. Isn’t that incredible!? It just goes to show that eating meat-free even one day a week is making a difference. Why not swap out meat for a Lightlife product more often then?In honor of Earth Day 2012, I’ve decided to pledge to spread the word about how easy it is to make an environmental impact by eating meat-free. We all have the opportunity to make a choice about what we eat – why not make a choice to have the meat-free option whenever possible?

Will you help me in spreading the word?

Share this post with your friends and family, and encourage them to reduce the amount of meat they eat. There’s no commitment necessary – in fact I even suggest starting small if eating vegetarian sounds intimidating to you. We have lots of recipes to help ease the transition, and I’m always here to answer questions. Together we can help Americans realize just how easy it is to reduce their environmental footprint!

Rachael

Your Lightlife Blogitarian

Lightlife is sponsoring the Baltimore VegFest this year, so if you’re in the area come on out on April 28th to say hello! I’ll be there, along with Kathy from Urban Farming™, sampling our new grillable Smart Dogs. Now that says summer grill outs to me!

We will also be talking about our new partnership with Urban Farming™, and how our donation this year is helping to feed an estimated 50,000 people! Stop by to learn more about how you can join our Plant Our Future campaign, and register your garden with the Urban Farming Global Food Chain®.

As usual I’ll be posting to Lightlife’s Facebook and Twitter pages so you can tune in and follow along.

If you aren’t in Baltimore, where would you like to see Lightlife go next? We’re having so much fun meeting our fans and we hope to continue visiting events where we know you’ll be. Let me know so we can consider coming to a town near you!

Rachael

Your Lightlife Blogitarian

Veggies and Lightlife!? Sounds like a winning combination to me!

This week marks the start of National Garden week, and I thought you’d all enjoy a few gardening tips from a Master Gardner at Urban Farming™ as a way to celebrate! Marijane from Urban Farming™ was kind enough to volunteer to help us all learn how we can all grow our own vegetables at home, which will go great on our new burgers, even if you live in a city or don’t have space in your yard.

Blogitarian: Tell me about what you do for Urban Farming?

Marijane: I started volunteering with UF over two years ago. At first I was helping manage different wall gardens that are in L.A., and then over time I started to manage the instillation of a few simple garden designs in low income areas. I also teach people to garden at the Weingart Foundation, which is a non-profit center that works with residents to recover and transition from various situations.

Blogitarian: How long have you been gardening?

Marijane: All my life, or at least for as long as I can remember!

Blogitarian: What led you to gardening?

Marijane: My mom grew up on a farm and as a result I grew up always having fresh fruit and vegetables. When I was young I would help her in the garden – I wouldn’t always want to when I was a teenager – but I‘m so glad I grew up with her teachings because it has grown to be such an important part of my life. No matter where I’ve lived, I’ve had a garden and as time passed it became a real passion for me.

Blogitarian: What is your favorite thing to grow?

Marijane: That is a tough question – I really like to propagate. For example, I love growing violets from just one of their leaves. I put a single leaf in a small jar of water and cover it with wax paper. I suspend the leaf in water, keep it in a filtered light, and eventually the roots grow off of the stem of the leaf. Little tiny leaves start to grow at the base just above where the roots are growing. It’s fascinating to watch the leaves grow in the water! When there is a good cluster of leaves you can plant it in the ground.

Blogitarian: What is the most important thing you’ve learned – in regards to gardening – through your years of experience?

Marijane: How important the soil is! My mentor, Daren, says all living organisms come from soil; soil is the basis of life. The soil is life for the plant, so I don’t use any chemicals at all. When we fertilize we are feeding the plants, when what we need to do is feed the soil. If I see problems in the garden then the soil needs to be fed, so I either add compost or something that will add nitrogen back into the soil.

Blogitarian: What would you suggest a first time gardener start with in their garden?

Marijane: Strawberries and most herbs are really easy to grow. Greens are also easy, such as spinach, chard, and kale.

Blogitarian: Any general tips for the novice?

Marijane: Sometimes beginners plant more than they can take care of – so start with something you can manage. A garden takes a lot of work, so it’s wise to start small and over time increase the size as your confidence builds and you become more knowledgeable.

Blogitarian: What would you suggest someone grow if they live in a city and only have a windowsill to grow things on?

Marijane: A strawberry plant or herbs – both perfect for a windowsill!

Blogitarian: What about the wall gardens you mentioned previously? Can you explain what they are, and how the average person could construct one?

Marijane: A wall garden is exactly that; a vertical garden on your wall! You can create your own with Woolly Pockets. They are made out of recycled plastic that has been felted, come in different sizes, and are fairly easy to install. What I like about these in particular is that they are deep pockets so you can grow just about anything, including root vegetables.

Blogitarian: My ‘green thumb’ is a little lacking to say the least, and I always seem to either over or under water my plants. Any suggestions?

Marijane: Giving watering guidelines is a challenge because there is no set schedule – it varies from plant to plant. What I recommend is in your garden – whether its vegetables or ornamental – identify a plant or two that starts to wilt and that is your trigger plant. When your trigger plant starts to wilt the next time around, that’s when you need to water again. It’s tricky to tell if you’re watering too much or too little because the symptoms of both are the same!

Blogitarian: Do you have a favorite gardening resource?

Marijane: I have a couple! I like the Sunset Western Garden books, and the UC Davis website. Any university that has an agriculture department is a great resource.

Blogitarian: Do you ever cook vegetarian foods?

Marijane: Oh of course!

Blogitarian: Do you ever cook with Lightlife? What is your favorite Lightlife product to pair with veggies from your garden?

Marijane: Yes I do! At the moment I have to say my favorite is the Smart Dogs! I started using your tempeh to make with veggies because I saw a few of your recipes. My best meals are when I’m really in the mood to cook and I throw things together – your recipes are inspiring me to be more creative with your tempeh. I just harvested my fava beans so I’m going to make them with your Wild Rice tempeh!

Thanks to Marijane for all her great insight on gardening and how to incorporate fresh veggies and produce into even the smallest of yards. Has this whetted your appetite to get our in the garden and get your hands dirty? Don’t forget to mail in for your Plant Our Future starter kit. Do you have your own garden? I can’t wait for my tomatoes to start to grow so I can make a Smart Deli sandwich!

Rachael

Your Lightlife Blogitarian