Living the Vegan Way

Veg School: What's the deal with honey?

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

(getty images)

“You don’t eat honey, either? Why?” You may say, exasperated by yet another part of veganism you don’t understand.

A simple explanation is that honey is an animal product. Cue a flash refresher course in Vegan 101:
The term vegan was coined by Donald Watson in 1944 and was defined as follows: Veganism is a way of living which excludes all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, the animal kingdom, and includes a reverence for life. It applies to the practice of living on the products of the plant kingdom to the exclusion of flesh, fish, fowl, eggs, honey, animal milk and its derivatives, and encourages the use of alternatives for all commodities derived wholly or in part from animals (Stepaniak).

Here is the somewhat longer- 5th-grade-science-report-type explanation about why vegans do not eat honey:

Bees make honey for themselves. They travel thousands of miles, visiting millions of flowers to collect nectar to store in their hives (this example, by the way, only makes about a pound of honey). They store the honey in their hives so they have food for the winter months.
And guess how they “make it"--- bees swallow nectar into their crop, regurgitate it, add enzymes (spit), chew, swallow and repeat many times. Then they spread it around the hive. Sounds yummy, right? Well, for them it is, because honey contains small amounts of fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals that their bodies need to survive the cold months, when little or no nectar is available to them. Besides family germs don't count.
Yes, sometimes the bees do produce more honey than they can eat, but they work very hard making and storing it for themselves (and it's bee vomit) and they do not ask to have some of the following things happen to them. These are some common occurrences of the honey industry:

Cutting the wings off of the queen bee is common practice in the honey industry. This prevents her from leaving the hive.

Queen bees are often artificially inseminated. Queen bees usually live up to 5 years, however most commercial beekeepers replace them every two years. Replacing them means killing them. Many backyard beekeepers also kill their queens.

Larger operations harvest (steal) all of the bees fall honey leaving them none to get through the winter months. These companies replace the honey with an inexpensive sugar substitute or corn syrup. Lots of nutrients there.

Some honey operations located in colder climates will burn all of their bee hives, killing all of the bees inside to reduce costs over the winter. Bees are also harmed or killed by haphazard handling.

Other bee products (from Why Honey is Not Vegan*)

Bee venom is obtained when the bee stings someone or something. The bee dies if she stings someone.
Bee pollen is pollen collected by bees in sacs on their legs. It also contains some nectar and bee saliva. It is popular because humans cannot collect such a wide variety of pollen.
Royal jelly is the nutritious food (for bees) fed only to the queen. It literally makes workers into queens.
Beeswax is secreted by bees to build their hives.
Propolis is plant resin collected by bees and mixed with enzymes. It is used around the hive as glue and as an antiseptic.
Bee brood are bees that are not fully developed. Not even vegetarian.

Once again there are substitutes for honey and other bee products. Agave nectar is a great sub for honey, it can be used in baking , cooking, and in hot and cold drinks as a sweetener. There is also brown rice syrup, molasses, fruit syrups and maple syrup. There are beeswax-free products on the market, like lip balm and candles, which often contain beeswax.
Here are some other resources if you would like to expand your knowledge about these hardworking and magnificent creatures:
Bees Honey

*The information from this post came mostly from this site.

Unconventional Thai Lettuce Wraps

2012-01-16T11:35:00.001-05:00

I was on the treadmill the other day thinking about PF Changs Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps. I do most of my thinking on the treadmill and half of my recipe composing while running and walking too. The other half is usually while I am sleeping. I don't know how many times I have woken up in the middle of the night to scribble down a recipe that I dreamed up.

Well, I wasn't sure exactly what was in the lettuce wraps at PF Changs besides tofu and a wonderful garlicky-salty flavor, and I didn't feel like Googling anything or using tofu, because the bowl of leftover lentils I had in the fridge was calling to me. So I decided to make a Thai lettuce wrap with lentils.

They came out good with the ingredients I had on hand (did I mention it snowed that morning and I didn't feel like going out either, hey I went on the treadmill...don't judge me.) I think they are very photogenic and filling with the fiber-rich lentils and veggies. And very garlicky and salty. Just what I was in the mood for.

So while they aren't really anything like the PF Changs version, they were satisfying and I will definitely make them again. I had them for lunch, but they would make a great appetizer too. Chopped up water chestnuts would probably be a nice addition.

Lentil Lettuce Wraps

2-3 Tbsp canola oil

1 cup red pepper, diced up small

1 small onion, diced up small

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cup cooked lentils

3 Tbsp tamari

2 tsp rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp agave

Saute the pepper and onion in a non-stick pan for about 5 minutes, medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook about 2-3 minutes more. Add lentils, tamari, vinegar and agave. Stir and cook until everything is heated through, just a couple minutes.

Wash up some lettuce leaves of your choosing--I used red leaf-- and wrap up and eat.

Smooth(ie) Sisters

2012-01-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Banana
Smoothie

Jessica and I didn't want to waste any time before doing a collaborative project, so we held hands and jumped in feet first to bring you our favorite quick, easy and painless breakfast smoothies!

We like smoothies because they are simple, great way to pack in some nutrients on the go. And you don't have to "know how to cook" to make one.

You can tell a lot about a person from the smoothie they drink. Ours say that we are beautiful and compassionate and healthy.

Jessica's

I feel like I'm starting the day right with this shake. I have to give credit where it's due- I found this recipe originally on Budget Bytes , a great resource for healthy eating on a budget.

Ok, here's my morning shake:

Pumpkin Banana Smoothie (for two)

2 bananas
2 cups vanilla soy milk
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 tbsp agave (I am swapping out honey in favor of agave to make this truly vegan)
2 tsp cinnamon

Mix all the ingredients together in a blender and voila! Awesome and different breakfast smoothie. Enjoy!

Nicole's

My smoothie is a bit of a fiber-overload, but it stays with you for a long time, so this is great when you know your next meal will be awhile off. Mine serves one and is very thick you can add some extra soy milk to thin it down a bit. I also use Vegan Rice Protein Powder (pictured) in all of my smoothies. It is a straight-forward protein with no crazy anti-oxidants that give you the shakes.

Oatmeal-Banana-Flax
Smoothie

Oatmeal-Banana-Flax Smoothie

1 1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 cup oats

1 banana

1 heaping Tbsp Vegan Rice Protein-Vanilla

1 Tbsp milled flax seed

1 tsp agave

You can just throw it in a blender and wiz it up. I use a stick blender in a 4 cup measuring cup. I think it is less clean up. I hate doing dishes.

Food News

2012-01-13T09:41:00.000-05:00

Hello Big Savings

traderjoes.com

Trader Joe's announced last Friday that they are (finally) opening a location in Albany. The Wolf Road location will make the traffic suck even more, but who cares! Where else can you get almond butter, agave and other organic and healthy goodness on the cheap?

I really don't know anyone that isn't excited about this and, frankly, I don't want to. Now we don't have to plan our vacations around visiting neighboring states just for the excuse to visit a Joe's. We can take exotic vacations around the world and experience new foods....wait...we can do that at Trader Joe's!

Bye-Bye Twinkie

I love it when I see the word Tofu in the newspaper, or anywhere else for that matter, because I know what's coming next. Someone is going to talk about something vegan, or health, or crunchy-granola at the least. It makes me rub my hands together in excitement. But have you ever seen the word Tofu in the same headline as the word Twinkie?

http://detroit.cbslocal.com

It was right there yesterday on the front of the Times Union business page : "Trading Twinkies for tofu" then "Health conscious nation forces Hostess to seek bankruptcy protection."

Can you give me an Amen?

The article goes on to say that "health-conscious Americans favor yogurt and energy bars" over the Ding Dong, Ho Ho and the mysteriously forever-shelf-stable Twinkie. Not crazy about the whole yogurt thing (hopefully soy and coconut yogurts are in that count), but the article does go on to say that wheat bread consumption is up and white bread is down. So if less people are eating the nutritionally void Twinkie, that is a step in the right direction! Plus while trying to find a photo, I went to the Hostess site and found Twinkie "recipes"...I had a hard time keeping my smoothie down.

Another Veggie Burger?

vegnews.com

Just when you thought the market is saturated with veggie burgers Quorn comes out with a new vegan burger that is also Soy-Free.

I am always disappointed in Quorn products because they are not vegan, and they seem to be the staple "veg" choice in many markets. But they stepped up this time making an allergy-friendly product with mushroom proteins. This is great! Unless you are allergic to mushrooms. No one likes people that are allergic to mushrooms.

Feather Hair Extensions: Cruelty for the sake of fashion

2012-01-10T19:30:00.000-05:00

Steven Tyler is wearing them in his hair, as well as other big stars like Ke$ha. These colorful and versatile hair extensions made from real feathers, in which the harvesting process kills the roosters of which they are raised for this sole purpose, are upsetting fly fisherman everywhere!

Wait, what?

“It takes years and years and years to develop these chickens to grow these feathers. And now, instead of ending up on a fly, it’s going into women’s hair,” said Matt Brower, a guide and assistant manager at Idaho Angler in Boise. This is just one complaint that has appeared in newspapers across the country from fly shop owners and operators who are upset about women coming in to buy the feathers for their hair.

Rooster and his "saddle feathers" peta.org

They are most upset, it seems because the feathers are not easy to come by . The roosters are genetically bred to produce the colorful and long feathers needed for the extensions. They are saddle feathers, from their back sides, and they are killed and the feathers are plucked when they are ready for “harvest”. And sold by the saddle, they used to go for $50 per saddle, now the price is up to an astounding $500!

According to an article on eccorazi.com It’s gotten so out of hand that at least one farm in Western Colorado is now killing up to 1,500 roosters per week just for their backside “saddle” feathers.

Is it really that important or trendy to have the killing of that many animals be the result? Can just being in style justify that?

Here is a portion of a piece in the Seattle Times where they explain that the animal usually do not survive the plucking process: ”At Whiting Farms Inc., in western Colorado, one of the world’s largest producers of fly tying feathers, the roosters live about a year while their saddle feathers — the ones on the bird’s backside and the most popular for hair extensions — grow as long as possible. Then the animal is euthanized.” At this time, I cannot not find their definition of “euthanized”, other than “painlessly”. (See Who Are You Wearing or here for info about feather plucking.

So being in the beauty industry for over 8 years, in different phases, nails, waxing, make-up, I have been seen many crazy, well, crazes. This one is one of the most abhorrent and I equate it to wearing fur. While I must admit that I was not aware of the use of these feathers for fly-fishing, (you learn about some new kind of sick, cruel, inhumane practices performed on animals on almost a daily basis) and I am definitely not condoning the use of these feathers for fly fishing any more than I would condone the use of goose feathers for a jacket or blanket. It is cruel and results in pain, suffering and death of the animal, and unnecessary.

I am wondering, do the women (and maybe men) running to the salon (and there are some in the Capital District that are selling and bonding these feathers into their clients hair) really know that these feathers are real and if so, not just casually plucked? (Like many people think is no different than an eyebrow wax–we can get into the discussion of superfluous hair removal and feather “plucking” into more detail if anyone wishes.) Do they know that the animals are bred specifically for this in a warehouse-type environment most likely, and killed so they can show off colorful and expensive feathers in their hair that will only last for a few months?

While I just retired, again, from the beauty business, I began to change my product lines to not only products that were not tested on animals (which was primarily what I was using), but also that were certified vegan, with no animal ingredients and I told each one of my customers about my reasons for product choices.

And thanks to PETA, here is a set of instructions for a DIY version of “Hair Feathers. They are much cheaper than the salon version, but most importantly 100% cruelty-free and still on-trend.

**This was originally a post from my Times Union Animal Rights blog. I still get emails from people that thank me for posting this information and I continue to get hits on the post I did about it on this blog. As of now you can find many synthetic hair extensions and some salons have them too. Let your salon know that you want cruelty-free extensions.

New year, new directions and some Shepard's Pie

2012-01-02T07:42:00.000-05:00

I have been trying not to agonize over what vibe and directionI want this blog to go in. But I am Italian,that is what we do—agonize. Overeverything. So I put a call out on myFacebook page to see what readers would like in a vegan blog.

I have been browsing vegan blogs lately and I noticed thatmany have not been updated in a long time. After I felt better about myself fornot blogging in awhile, I got to thinking—Is there still a need for a veganblog? I will not believe that blogging,vegan blogging especially is a thing of the past. There are new vegans popping up all of thetime and I think vegans and non-vegans alike need somewhere to go to learn andshare.

We all need to find new recipe ideas, find out about newproducts, and find out what else is going on in the vegan world. In fact, the vegan movement is growing.

So, through all of this, I decided not to pick a certaindirection, but to just go with the flow. It is against my nature, but it’s worth a shot. I would like to say that I am hoping thatthings will fall into place and be awesome, but that will probably lead toagonizing.

Oh, back to the Facebook page. Feel free to list something that you want tohear about. The responses that I havereceived so far are for easy recipes. Whoa, that is my middle name. (Actually, it is Marie, but you know what I am saying.)

To most people who know me, it is no secret that I love IsaChandra Moskowitz and Terry HopeRomero. I own all of the cookbooks they co-wrote along with all of Isa's. They take upmost of the space on my small cookbook shelf. I find that almost all of their recipes aresimple and easy to follow. Some do looklong, but they take the time to explain everything so there is little roomfor failure. Just read them overthoroughly first, then whip up some yummy goodness in the kitchen.

I will share with youa nice easy recipe that I usually start the New Year out with. Lentil Shepard’s Pie. I have been making this for years findinginspiration in a book called Vegetarian Supercook. I played with this quite a bit have a couple versions of it including a spicy one (it’s actuallypretty hot, but the hotter the better, I say!). I have made it so much that I really don't measure anything, so these are my best estimates.

1 Pound Potatoes

1 cup lentils

1 large onion

2 large carrots chopped

2 cloves garlic raw

1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes

6-8 sun dried tomatoes (soaked in water), chopped

1TBS tomato paste

4-5 cloves garlic roasted

2-3 TBS vegan margarine like Earth Balance

Boil potatoes until tender, drain reserving a half cup ofwater, and set aside. Heat olive oil ina pan, cook carrots and onion for 5-10 minutes on medium heat. Onions should betranslucent. Add garlic and cook anothertwo minutes. Remove from heat, addlentils, diced tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, tomato paste. Mix well. Place in a large pie plate or casserole dish—itshould be shallow though.

Mash potatoes with a potato masher adding a couple tablespoonsof the reserved cooking water and the vegan margarine. Add roasted garlic and mash untilcreamy.

Spoon the potatoes on top of the lentil mixture a couple ofinches apart then carefully spread to cover the whole top. Poke a hole in the center with a knife to letsteam escape. Place in a 400 degree oven(it is best to place a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch anyspill-over.) Bake for 40 minutes, oruntil the potatoes are browned and the inside is nice and bubbly.

--You can change up the potatoes, mixing in different herbsor vegan cheese.

--To make it hot and spicy, open a small can of chipotles inadobo sauce and add half to the lentil mixture when you are adding thetomatoes. Be sure to chop them up prettysmall and mix well. (you can add thewhole can if you like it really spicy!)

Hello.....Again!

2011-12-30T10:59:00.001-05:00

I haven’t blogged here in awhile. Well, if you look at the last post, awhilemeans August. Why so long? What haveI been doing? One thing I did, was become theAnimal Rights blogger on the Albany Times Union Blogs. During my one year stint, I movedthe vibe of the blog along to deal with some vegan issues because, well, thatis usually the next step after being enlightened by the atrocities committedagainst animals throughout the world. You can read my last post here if you want the specifics as to why Istopped.

Then Iturned back to this blog last summer, the blog that got me through a transitiontime in my life, not just the vegan transition, but some personalstuff—basically, I was in a big time funk. But I had one other thing that I had to do first before I could go backto the commitment of this blog. I had tofollow my dream of being a writer.

Backstory….. I walked out of college (blah, blah) yearsago with all intentions of becoming a writer. Instead, I took the safe route, because I was afraid to submit mypieces, what if they were rejected? Islid neatly and easily into a full time job at the same company I worked parttime for, and began a new career path, a series of promotions, and companyhopping to get to the top. It was stressfuland I was not a nice person to be around.

I couldwrite my life story here, but I won’t. Iwill tell you that I did get out of that career choice, started a family andthen went to beauty school (and no, I didn’t drop out)—but still, no writing. I became a nail technician, got some piercingsand after a few other bad choices, found a salon that I loved and stayed therea long time.

Then Istarted this blog in 2009, and bounced back and forth between the nail businessand writing , with a wild 1 ½ years in the food business doing some vegancatering, baking and pizza making—there is a post or two about that here.

Now Iam back to writing, taking writing classes and attending writers groups. I also write for an Upstate NY onlinemagazine called The Free George, where I get to write about animal and veganissues, and other fun stuff. I added apage to this site, that will have links to articles and other pieces as theybecome published, (you can see those on my Facebook and Twitter also).

Thebest thing about all of this is that I haven’t lost my appetite to share veganfood and the vegan lifestyle with the world. And the other best part: I can still write fiction, memoir and poetryand submit it everywhere, and still have a home to come back to for my endlesslyitchy fingers to spew out more words. Plus I really need an outlet for the compulsive drive I have tophotograph everything I cook, bake, buy and eat ……and sometimes see.

Sothere it is. I hope you join me throughthis journey of writing and living vegan. And I leave you with this, my new mantra of sorts. Youcan’t get there from here. I bet youcan apply it to your own life. We will, I’m sure, be constantly examining howwe can use that phrase to get out of our own way in most aspects of our lives. I am an expert, after all!

Will write soon!

Nicole

Go Vegan! (Your Italian Mom Will Forgive You.)

2011-08-26T09:12:00.000-04:00

As a result of the recent urging from someone shorter than me that roams my dwelling, (and is used to having demands for vegan goodies given in to) a dinner request was made and that person was workin' it this week for me to make vegan lasagna. I finally decided that a cool, dreary, rainy day (like yesterday) was the day to do it and I wanted to challenge myself to do it on the cheap, but still have it be gooey, creamy, Italian-y and well, freaking yummy!

I like to go basic on the lasagna, I don't like adding veggies or alternative "meat" stuff, I like just tofu ricotta (or cashew ricotta--I was fresh out of cashews, by the way--big sigh) and noodles and of course homemade marinara sauce.

I even tried the "oven ready" noodles to save time and see how it would work out. (Beware, some of them contain egg!) I purchased a store brand for $1.79 and I have two noodles left over...not sure what I will do with those yet, probably chuck them into my next kugel.

So I made my own, Italian-Mom-family-recipe marinara sauce, took like 10 minutes, really. If I was to put it on pasta, I would simmer it for about 30 minutes. Really, I don't go for the all day long bullshit of making sauce.

Altogether my sauce, the whole thing cost less than $3.00, some left over. The noodles, as I said were $1.79 and 2 boxes of tofu $4.08. A about half a cup Daiya cheese too, $1.00-ish? (I don't do a whole lot of measuring, I just throw stuff together!

So the oven-ready noodles worked out well and it was creamy and delicious. I also took a trip to the farmers market the day before, and I am sorry to say that I am kind of out of practice taking photos, but I will try to list out what I picked up for around $20. (1 bunch of kale, 1 bunch of lettuce, 3 large red peppers, a box of plums, a small box of small yellow tomatoes, 3 huge cucumbers, 3 small patty pan squash and some Gar-La-La ( I will write about that soon, too...in the mean time check out their site!) (and I still feel like I am forgetting something)

So we had salad with our lasagna, I ate it (alas) before I remembered to take a picture, but it is just salad. With balsamic dressing. No big.

So again, a inexpensive vegan meal, about 3 servings left of the lasagna and I will be trying my hand at kale chips sometime tomorrow, and maybe putting some in a smoothie (hmmm) tomorrow morning.

There are some great recipes for tofu ricotta out there. I suggest the mori-nu vacuum-packed tofu, it is cheaper and creamier and no pressing and stuff. Toss in spices, a bit of Daiya if you choose, salt and pepper, lemon juice (a squirt) and give it a taste! Then throw it on the noodles and cover in sauce and bake it! Easy. It takes about an hour for it to bake with the oven-ready noodles, it is a much shorter baking time if you use conventional noodles, but you don't have to burn your vegan-nail-polished-and-manicured little fingers.

So there you go, throw in veggies or whatever you like, save some for your Italian Mom to try, I bet she will like it. You can also stuff pasta shells and manicotti with the tofu ricotta...the possibilities are endless!

Have fun!

My Favorite Video about Veganism

2011-08-24T11:19:00.000-04:00

Vegan on a Shoe-String

2011-08-19T09:18:00.000-04:00

I received an email from Slow Food USA promoting their $5 Challenge. I took the email as a sign from the Vegan Gods and Goddesses! I have been wanting to do a post (really a series of posts, scattered between other posts) about how to make vegan meals for little money.

I get frustrated when people say that a vegan diet (or eating healthy) is so expensive. It really isn't. Yes, it is true that some packaged foods are cheaper, but with a few basic cooking skills, some vegan cookbooks, or a computer for that matter, you really can feed your family healthy vegan meals that are "value meal" priced.

So I begin today with a couple meals that I have had recently that were less than $5 a person. I will do my best to lay out the prices of ingredients and figure them out as precisely as I can.

Let's start with the Chickpea Casserole that I made last week. The recipe was a variation from Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I halved the recipe because I was only feeding 3 people. I didn't want too many leftovers. I don't like to get sick of the things I make by having them hanging around to eat for lunch for the next 3 days. Sometimes, however, I do like the left overs and eat them for breakfast!

Here is the breakdown of that meal which included Cornbread Biscuits (Vegan Brunch also by Isa). I halved that recipe too, it makes a ton!

Casserole:

1/2 head cauliflower $1.49

1 1/2 cans of chickpeas* $1.50

1/2 a medium onion .50

2 cloves garlic .02?

2 carrots .25

1/4 cup bread crumbs .50

1/2 cup water .00

1 TBS olive oil .25

1/3 cup Daiya Cheese** $1.00

Total for whole dish: approx: $5.51 Wow! We each had a serving and there was another serving was left over for lunch the next day!

Now the biscuits:

1 cup flour

1/2 cup corn meal

1/8 cup sugar

1 Tbs baking powder

1/6 cup canola oil

1/2 cup almond milk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

My estimate is around $3 for the biscuits which made about 8 biscuits. We put a pat of Smart Balance Light (the vegan version, be careful, some have fish oil added!) on those so add a few more cents! What a great, healthy meal for a small amount of money!

I am a great coupon shopper, for example, last week I purchased a gallon of Almond Breeze almond milk for $1.79, and 2 half gallons of Silk soy milk for $3.00 at a Warehouse store. I also buy my olive oil and canola oil at those stores and have been buying flour in 10 lb bags and keeping it in the refrigerator to last longer, especially in the summer months. We are going back to cloth napkins, I keep a small stash of paper ones around for company or emergencies...I was lazy with laundry that week!)

Vegan Coupons on Facebook and Twitter is a great way to find out what coupons are available on the web and in your Sunday newspaper.

Last night I made a variation of the Spinach Noodle Kugel from Veganomicon (another Isa book, love her!), I used cauliflower instead of the spinach, but it is great with the spinach and I bet it would be great with broccoli too! I also use bread crumbs and Italianize it a bit, so it is like a pasta bake. I use no "cheese" but it the tofu gives it a creamy cheese texture and flavor almost with the seasoning and bread crumbs! Anyway, I am estimating that was under $10 total. It was served to 4 people in a 9 X 13 dish and we still have about half left (Hello, Breakfast!)

So there you go, it can be done and both of these recipes are super easy. I love one-dish meals especially something that you can pop in the oven and forget about for a bit, until the timer goes off anyway!

*If you cook your own beans this amount can be like .25!

** I am lucky enough to buy my Daiya cheese from a local pizzeria (Little Anthony's they have awesome vegan pizza and other vegan foods, be sure to check them out!) in large bags so it is much cheaper than buying those small 8oz packages for over $5 a bag.

Feather Hair Extensions: The Cruel Truth

2011-08-16T11:22:00.000-04:00

I posted on my Times Union (TU) Blog a couple of months ago an article about the new hair fashion-craze: Feather Hair Extensions. My post opened many eyes and made it into the print addition of the Times Union's "Best of Our Blogs" section. I am still getting comments on that post as people must be still researching it. I am providing the link here: Feather Hair Extensions: More Cruelty For the Sake of Fashion for anyone who may have missed it to read and to share with friends.

The feathers used are indeed real AND the roosters bred for this temporary fashion-accessory are killed for their "saddle" feathers, the ones used for the extensions. This business of raising roosters for their beautiful and colorful tail feathers did not begin for the hair industry, I must sadly disclose, this industry has been around for many years for sale and use in the fly-fishing industry, the demand for them skyrocketed, seemingly overnight, along with the price and the heads of many more roosters, as the hair industry started to promote the expensive and fashionable (questionably) look.

At the end of my TU post about the cruel extensions I did provide a link to a PETA post with some DIY instructions about doing your own "fake" extensions. My belief in this is that if they look real--and from many of the reactions to my post in the comment section, many people thought they were already fake and did not realize that they were real--we may contribute to more people purchasing the "real" ones. (Much are my thoughts on fur) So I say, we didn't have them before, let's stay away from them now, real or fake.

My First Clothing Swap Party

2011-08-14T19:22:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, my friend Peggy invited a bunch of friends over her house for a clothing swap party. I was so excited because I have been hearing about these parties for years and have never been to one. I always wanted to have one, but when I researched it (like 2 years ago) I read a bunch of blogs that has sets of "rules" about them and I was turned off--like at the mention of "The Elephant in the Room" if everyone isn't the same size (this could be a very tiny person, so don't take the elephant reference, which isn't mine anyway, as any indication of what this could be describing) or have rules that people can only take the same number of items that they bring and you have to keep track. Ugh, I don't want to have to make something that could be so fun stressful, and have paperwork involved! I want to have some wine, eat some (vegan) food and save a bundle of money!

So I put out a call on Facebook asking if any of my friends were interested, nothing. Then I saw Peggy a few days later when she was at my house for an Arbonne (another post soon about that) party last month and she mentioned that she wanted to have "another" clothing swap. I was like "Yay, she is experienced and I get to go to one! I will no longer be a virgin to the mystery of the clothes swap!"

So the much anticipated day arrived yesterday. I went through my closet, a bit hastily I will admit, mostly because I didn't know how much to bring or what other things I could bring, like accessories (I just threw a bunch of handbags out 2 months ago that no one wanted) I did manage to bring a few hats though.

I showed up and there were tables with piles, sorted into tops, dresses, pants, skirts, and so on and we just piled our stuff on and when everyone was ready we all got our food and drinks and settled in on the cozy furniture.

Then an amazing thing happened, one person got up and grabbed a pile of tops, put them on a chair next to her and stood up and picked up one at a time and described it (like, QVC style--and this one girl at the party did almost the whole thing, she was awesome, professional even!--see photo at top of post) and then if you wanted it you said so and she kind of threw it at you-if you didn't get up and get it yourself because you had food, a cat, or a dog on your lap at the time.

And that was it! No rules, and guess what? We were all different sizes and we spent a majority of the party laughing when the sizes were called out during the descriptions and sometimes what was "labeled" L looked like it would fit a Barbie doll and something labeled S looked huge, so you never know. And we all got a bunch of stuff, so poo-poo on the "rule" people!

Anyway, I had an awesome time, Peggy (check out her vegan food blog) made some awesome vegan food and I brought home a lot of stuff: 5 jackets, 11 tops (3 for my daughter), 1 skirt, 1 dress, 2 necklaces, one wristlet/change purse and another whimsical butterfly purse that I am going to use as a shelf or wall decoration for my office. (See photos at bottom)

So I left with my belly full of yummy vegan food by Peggy- lemon bars, "peppermint patties", pizza appetizers, and chips and hummus- (I decided to forgo the wine and had water) and a reusable cloth bag of clothes and a couple on hangers that I brought with me. I actually felt weird walking out of the door and not "paying" out any cash or handing over a debit card! And I washed everything and put it away this morning and my closet is full. I don't have to buy (hardly) anything for the fall! Maybe a tank or 2 on the clearance rack at Old Navy and that is it, really.

I also have the satisfaction of saving money, saving the environment, helping a charity (anything left over, we pick through again at the end and then it goes to charity) and have a great time meeting some new friends.

My haul:

Prix Fixe Meal Discrimination

2011-08-12T19:05:00.000-04:00

That is the way I feel when I read in the newspaper or see a sign outside a restaurant touting a “Prix fixe” meal promotion. You know, a 3 or 4 course meal with 2-4 choices per course for one price. I mean, why don’t they just hang a sign up that says vegetarians, vegans and long-haired freaky people not welcome? At least it would make me look the other way instead of eagerly reading the menu with fingers crossed, hoping. Hoping.

The choices usually resemble typical wedding reception choices, but on steroids, with special ingredients and local this or that: meat, meat and fish. Like, if we just ignore (ie. forget to invite) that hippy-dippy 2nd cousin of ours that doesn’t use plastic or eat meat, it (the problem of having a choice for them) will go away.

The first course is usually some creamy and crustean filled soup, or appetizer like the freakish mixed-species-union of bacon and scallops. A salad may be thrown in there, but it is usually a creamy dressing/cheese laden one with meat on it like Waldorf or Caesar. Then come the entrees, they too, are usually meat, meat and fish. (I won’t go into the gory details of the way things are prepared.) Then the dessert course, everyone’s favorite, which is why people do the prix fixe crap anyway, so their dessert is, like, “free”! And the choice there is usually cake, cake and ice cream. Although it seems that some are jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon and having one flour-less or GF dessert on the menu. (Which I am all for, like for health reasons and such) But really, not even a freaking sorbet? Lemon ice? Fruit? Something?

I do have to admit that lately I have come across some prix fixe menus that have at least one “real” vegetarian choice for the entree like ravioli, and one recently had a tofu choice (and I am still not sure what the other ingredients were) , but one can not live on one course alone, and still pay full price.

But still, what do us vegans do? I guess we are left out of the prix fixe festivities, made to stand in line at the burrito place saying, “no, I said no dairy…..yes, that means no sour cream…” and “black beans because your pinto beans have meat in them” as we move down the line hoping this place doesn’t use a dairy product in their guacamole to make the batch go farther.

May 26, 2011 PETA in Albany! Loving it!

2011-08-12T18:59:00.000-04:00

I get excited when little-big things happen around here, especially when they are animal-related. So when I heard that PETA was going to stage a Demo in Albany for their ”Bare Skin, Don’t Wear Skin” campaign I was like, This is freaking awesome!

I was so excited, I even picked out a tank top that showed off my tattoo with the word “Vegan” (what else) the best. Ok, so I spent some time in my closet getting ready for this, it was about fashion, right?

Then I leave about an hour before protest time, mostly because I was shitting-my-pants excited and also because I knew I would probably never find a parking spot or find where the demo is because I sometimes have no idea where I am going. I mean, PETA, in Albany, on a random Wednesday in May? Pretty effing cool, right?

So long story short, I guess they changed the original location and I walked around the Capital (twice), at least I got a parking spot. Then I got in my car and decided to chance the anticipated parking blunder that didn’t happen the first time and find where the hell everyone was! So I drive back down State St and there they are in the sun on the corner of S. Pearl and State: Two semi-nude women holding a big sign and a shitload of people walking (slowing) around there. So I pull into a parking spot, and ran over, introduced myself and grabbed a sign and some flyers! (Ok, so I left out some details about the illegal parking job, but I think the statute of limitations is expired on that anyway.)

Then crowds of state and downtown workers on lunch breaks or walking breaks crossing the street in front of where we were all standing. Now we obviously, well the nearly-naked girls behind the sign, grabbed people’s attention, but the rest of us got to hold signs and hand out flyers and talk to people. Many people stopped mid-hustled-stride (including tons of men taking cellphone pics and calling friends to “get down here and see this”) to see what we were all about and a large number (more than I thought, really) took flyers and many people approached us for flyers and asked questions!

For a newbie at protesting ( I did about 5 circus protests last year and 3 this year) I was amazed at the reaction of the public. I do not recall any nasty words, there were some grimaces however, and most people who didn’t want a flyer or information graciously denied it with a shake of the head (with a smile) or a “no thank you”. Wow, you Albany people are polite!

This experience made me think about the difference of this protest and the ones for the circus at the Times Union Center earlier this month. It seems that people that were going into the TU Center to attend the circus were nasty and gave us dirty looks and shooed their children by us like we were dangerous, crazy eyed people wielding machetes instead of protest literature or something.

The difference with this “animal clothing ” protest is that, I think, people weren’t feeling like they were being attacked personally, they weren’t going into a venue to do exactly what we were against and trying to educate about. The people we encountered yesterday were more welcoming, I think because they were just given information and they weren’t being accused (in their minds) or being judged, or feeling like they are doing something wrong. There wasn’t that aura of uncomfortable-ness.

I hope all of the flyers we got out there made people think and they will think before they buy a particular piece of clothing. And thank you PETA for coming to Albany and please come back often!

Pizza, Candy, and Motherhood

2010-06-20T19:23:00.000-04:00

I like to think that I am a cool Mom.

I do cool Mom things, like I let my 9 year old daughter make her own choices, like dressing herself- no matter how embarrassed I might be by being seen in public with her. My mother wouldn't let me wear purple crocs, blue plaid shorts and a hot pink top. She would have been mortified!

I embrace her choices and I accept the fact that she is a vegetarian, not vegan, and I am glad and more importantly proud that she chooses not to dissect a squid next year in school and that she chose to attend a circus protest with me a couple of months ago.

Ok, I will fess up, I am not always a cool mom-I sometimes try to convince her to see things my way. Like the fact that she is vegan every day of the week except when she eats pizza for lunch at school on Fridays. I tried to bribe her with me making her lunch every Friday and making it special with vegan cookies in it. I was tempted to throw a monetary bribe in the mix, but I just couldn't do it. (My Mother would be mortified if I did that!)

But today when my daughter and I were sitting next to each other on the love seat in our living room eating a couple slices of vegan pizza and I looked over at her, and I knew within only a few moments that I am a cool Mom (thank goodness!).

When I looked at her with her slice of pizza in her hand and noticed that she had topped it with Swedish Fish, I merely said to her, "Don't move." I reached for my Blackberry and snapped a picture of her and her vegan pizza creation and also just of the pizza for good measure.

After I took the picture, through waves of laughter (hers and mine) I told her, "Ok, you can keep eating now". I didn't scold her for putting candy on her pizza, I didn't raise my voice and say one of those Mom things like, "What is wrong with you!"

I just took a picture, and let life and crazy food combinations continue. I mean, what is the big deal anyway. Yes, my mother would have told me to "take that candy off and eat it after you are finished with your pizza", but I didn't care and I am not sure why.

I kinda feel like my "Mom" card may be taken away, though. It is probably against the Mom rule book of Parenting and Driving your Kids Nuts to be okay with something like this. But come on, it's hilarious!

I am actually thinking I might give it a try myself! Maybe, just maybe my little strong-headed, free-spirited genius is on to something.

The Busy Badge

2010-06-14T13:56:00.000-04:00

"Oh, I am so stressed!"

"Oh, I am so exhausted!"

"Oh, I have so many things going on!"

"Oh, I am SO busy!"

We all LOVE to talk about ourselves and what we are doing (um, Twitter?), but we don't realize that we sometimes have this huge sticker on our chests that instead of saying "Hi, my name is..", it says "I'm very busy and too busy to talk to you!"

I think I am somewhat of an expert of the Busy Badge. It shows up in my wardrobe from time to time. And sometimes more often than I would like it to. The badge shows up when I sign on for too many commitments, am unorganized or I wait for the last minute on an deadline.

It is like the stress overcomes me and I morph into this fast-talking, too-important-for-you, mess that turns people off.

It is the same formula over and over: I take on too much, get stressed and sometimes shove it in everyone's face in an unsolicited sort of way. You know, like when someone says, "How are you?" and you start rambling on and on about all the things you have to do for the rest of the day, rest of the week, rest of your life, etc.

I hate being like this and I know we all are from time to time, so I tried to find a solution. Other than going to a jewelry store and having a diamond-studded Busy Badge made up (that would be giving in).

The solution: Sticky notes.

Yep, freaking sticky notes can solve all of your problems. And those little pads of joy are a lot cheaper than a designer Busy Badge.

Ok, so sticky notes aren't the whole solution. They can help, though. The real deal solution is don't say yes to everything and don't take on too much. We really do know when our plates are full. We can pretend we don't, but how many times have we said, "Oh, why did I say I would do this?" *with a few whines and grunts and foot stamping*

So I am writing this, off topic rambling that has nothing to do with being vegan, to remind myself to treat everyone nice, no matter how much I screwed up my immediate life by taking on too much shit! And maybe someone else can benefit in the process. I bet a lot of you will look down and see that Busy Badge you didn't know you had.

If you see that you have one, rip it off, throw it over your shoulder, run away as fast as you can, buy yourself some sticky notes and then stop saying "yes" to everything! You will feel better, I promise.

Empty Bowls

2010-05-24T16:03:00.000-04:00

I would first like to extend my gratitude to Nicole, both for her delicious vegan minestrone soup that she and Pat Battuello so generously donated to this event, as well as for asking me to write a blog about this, my first animal rights tabling experience.

Open to the public, Empty Bowls is a yearly event at Bethlehem Central High School, organized cooperatively between two student-run groups: Art Club and SPAS (Students for Peace and Survival). For weeks prior, the club members all design and paint unique clay bowls, selling them at the Empty Bowls event for $10 (the price of which includes all of the donated soup and Bountiful Bread you care to eat). All proceeds go to benefit the regional food bank.

Utilizing the opportunity to educate the public on important social topics, this year featured a display about the Fair Trade movement (Bethlehem may become the second official Fair Trade town in NY!) as well as a table set up by local activist group Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace. Students also designed display boards about domestic violence, nuclear disarmament and other human rights-related issues.

I’ve been a substitute teacher with the district for a number of years, and have only recently been working to harness the growing interest in vegetarianism/veganism and animal advocacy that I’ve been witnessing among the students. In my search to find a supervisor who would run an after school animal advocacy club, my trail led me to Preya Krishna-Kennedy, social studies teacher and SPAS supervisor. During our talk, she volunteered to broach the topic of animal rights at the next SPAS meeting. To shorten an uninterestingly long story, I approached the members of SPAS to see if they might be interested in doing something (though I wasn’t sure exactly what) to further the animal cause. They generously offered to let me set up a table at this upcoming Empty Bowls event.

I eagerly agreed, but never having tabled before, this sparked a few frantic weeks of my collecting copious amounts of literature on animal advocacy issues ranging from Circuses to Foie Gras and everything in between (for which I again have to thank Pat for having so generously rounded out my supply).

I then searched the Internet and printed pictures to create a board displaying, in extremely graphic detail, the horrors of vivisection, the meat/dairy/egg industries and just how gory fur, leather and wool products really are. I also made a very crude and hastily pasted together fact board about the human cost of meat, in terms of grain, soy, corn and water wastage in the rearing of livestock, since this more directly pertained to Empty Bowls’ theme.

In the middle of my two tables (catering to this generation’s love of multi-media) I set up a laptop on which I showed the movie Earthlings. For those who haven’t seen it, I can’t recommend it highly enough. (Though I will warn that it’s a painful hour and a half to sit through, especially for animal lovers.) This movie is so comprehensive, so grisly, and so unrelenting, it forms the most persuasive case against animal exploitation that I’ve seen yet. As I’d hoped it would, the movie maintained a decent crowd around the table, rapt and yet often cringing, averting their eyes or emitting grunts of disgust.

Though I wish there had been more foot traffic, especially considering there was a booming budget vote and used book sale taking place only feet from the cafeteria where this was all going down, my table did receive a substantial amount of positive attention. Throughout the night I found myself engaged in a number of thoughtful discussions, proving again that adults tend to give teens far too little credit.

As I walked them through the pictures and explained the brief and tormented live s of chickens and dairy cows, or the hugely unnecessary animal tests being conducted daily by our own government, there were times that I felt I was the perky tour guide on a sightseeing tour through Hell. They remained engrossed nonetheless, and many were clearly moved by the plight of the animals they saw. It was heartening to see them averting their eyes from the slaughtering of a cow or the filmed cannibalism of factory farmed pigs. It shows their ability and willingness to empathize with creatures who our culture marginalizes and who we’re taught, both consciously and sub-consciously, are lesser and thus, not worthy of our consideration. And, in my mind anyway, it’s one small stone chipped out of the pervasive wall of speciesism that most of us erect to shield ourselves from the terrors we (un)knowingly support.

Though I do wish there was a larger crowd in attendance, I still consider the night a success. I heard from a handful of students that they’d decided they now had to go vegetarian or were even jumping straight into veganism after seeing the true face of the industries they have been funding, both directly and indirectly.

And even if the others who watched, listened, read and discussed don’t make immediate lifestyle changes, at least the seeds have been planted. And it may be years, but I remain optimistic that at least a few of those seeds will one day sprout to produce fruit in the form of compassionate and just action for the benefit of all species.

Todd Lent lives in Glenmont, NY. He is vegan, an animal rights activist, and a practicing Buddhist. He is also an all around nice guy. You can read more of Todd and his adventures in veganism at Vegan Satori.

Saratoga: The Vegan Place to Be

2010-05-21T06:07:00.000-04:00

I love to visit the city of Saratoga Springs. I love to visit the park, to watch my daughter's delight while riding the carousel, to walk up and down Broadway and the adjoining side streets and duck into shops to find one-of-a-kind items that I just can't live without.

Saratoga is a dog-friendly city and it is quickly becoming a very vegan friendly city! When I visit Saratoga, I usually head to Four Seasons on Phila Street for their vegan buffet, then a little shopping in their health food store to stock up on my favorite grocery items. Then we head out to the shops and the park for a leisurely afternoon.

While walking down Broadway a couple of weeks ago, I came upon a store front and I saw the word "vegan" in the window. The words that followed it made my heart race: "ice cream". Holy shit! This place (which wasn't opening until a week later) has freaking vegan ice cream! I was shaking with excitement.

So I went back to this place (I didn't even catch the name that first day, too excited) a week or two later to check this out. Johnny's Gourmet Italian Ices is the name of this fabulous place that I am sure will draw vegans from miles around.

When I walked inside I was greeted by the owners and I immediately asked where the vegan ice cream was. They were happy to show me the 7 flavors (yeah, 7, can you believe it?) of their vegan ice cream that is made by a company in Long Island.

They offer little tasting spoons for customers to try different flavors, but I just zeroed in on the Salted Caramel Pecan and asked for a small cup of it.

It was creamy, full of pecans and wonderful!

I thought, I will be back and, well, I have been back 2 more times. I tried one other flavor, coconut banana soy, which was just as great, but I went back to the salted Carmel pecan on my last visit.

Now the city of Saratoga Springs has another positive reason for visiting, besides the art and music scenes: an abundance of vegan goodness!

Saratoga's big draw is still horse racing and other unfortunate uses for animals like horse drawn carriage rides. I am not at all in favor of that. But we are making some improvements, like the dog friendliness and the appearance of vegan foods.

Saratoga is coming around, however, horse racing won't go away in the near future (at least not because of animal rights concerns) but I am glad that the business in the city are recognizing the presence of vegans and the need to accommodate us with cruelty-free food and items!

The Greatest Protest on Earth!

2010-05-10T16:35:00.001-04:00

Ringling Brothers was in Albany this past weekend and the sidewalk was filled with animal rights activists protesting the abuse that the elephants and other non-human "performers" endure being a part of the so-called Greatest Show on Earth.

The protesters, myself included, showed their support for the animals by "attending" all 8 show times on the sidewalks and street corners surrounding the Times Union Center. There were some victories, big and small:

One family of ticket holders left the show before it started because the signs of the protesters confirmed the feelings that "something is just not right with this". The family came out and spoke with us, the Mom being in tears.

One woman went in with her children and said that she will never do this again. She went up to a couple of children attending the protest and promised them the same.

The police presence of Albany's finest were abundant and friendly.

And lastly from the comments from passers-by and by the way ticket holders and others bound for the show studied our signs in silence I think there will be less people returning to the show next year. Hopefully, for the animals sake, there is no show in Albany next year. Perhaps it will be replaced with a show containing no animal acts. One can only hope.

Please enjoy the pictures of the "Greatest Protest on Earth"- because for me it was one of the best and most wonderful experiences of my life. My first protest was on Thursday and I attended a total of 4 all weekend. I urge everyone to learn more about the "smoke and mirrors" of the circus and to not only not attend, but have your voice heard!

http://www.nocircusinalbany.com/

Photos were taken by: myself and Brian Levine.

The Secrets of the Circus

2010-04-29T08:50:00.000-04:00

"When I look at animals held captive by circuses, I think of slavery. Animals in circuses represent the domination and oppression we have fought against for so long. They wear the same chains and shackles." Dick Gregory, comedian, civil rights activist, humanitarian, vegan.

Taking your children to the circus seems like a right of passage or a nice family outing. Perhaps that family outing might be a learning experience about animals, wild animals that they might never get to see in person.

Yes, it is true that during the oohs and ahhs, it looks like typical innocent fun and the animals look "talented", but behind the scenes those same amusing and amazing animals are being physically and mentally tortured.

Chains, bull hooks, whips, and cages are the new surroundings for these imprisoned animals. Being ripped away from their mothers prematurely (by years in some cases) and not allowed to rely on their instincts and natural ways of living are other cruelties lying in the shadows of the behind-the-scenes secrets of the circus.

Learn more at peta2.com

Trainers have to "tame" circus animals with pain and fear, not learned commands or positive reinforcement practices. No matter what circus proponents say, there is no way to get elephants and tigers to "perform" tricks without a threat and subsequent following through of punishment and violence. Trainers carry bull hooks ( a sharp, metal tool used to poke and jab sensitive parts of the animal's body) and whips. Behind the scenes trainers have been known to use electric stunning prods and heavy sticks to subdue the animals they are working with.

Animals do not naturally ride bikes, stand on their heads, jump through rings of fire or balance on balls. These "tricks" are confusing and they can be physically uncomfortable for the animal. Tight collars and muzzles are also some tools that are used for the animals to perform.

Circuses with animal acts are cruel and wrong. Period. Please take your family to a circus that uses no animals acts. Juggler, magicians, acrobats, clowns and tight-rope walkers are very entertaining- and cruelty-free.

There will be a protest in Albany, NY Thursday May 6th. This is the opening night for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Times Union Center. The Adirondack Animal Rights group will be educating the public on the cruelties of circuses that use non-human animals. For times and meeting place go to their website: http://www.adirondackanimalrights.org/.

Please DO NOT attend any circus that uses animals. Please share the information about what really happens in the circus. Let us have fun and family time without cruelty.

"Animals and humans suffer and die alike. Violence causes the same pain, the same spilling of blood, the same stench of death, the same arrogant, cruel and brutal taking of life. We don't have to be a part of it." - Dick Gregory

Activism comes in all forms

2010-04-24T06:46:00.000-04:00

You don't have to carry signs and shout at a protest or take all of your clothes off to become active in the fight for animal rights. Activism comes in all forms, from the subtle--t-shirts, pins and bumper stickers-- to the dramatic-- like Lady Gaga's "Kermit the Frog" outfit:

"The Kermit the Frog outfit is by an incredible designer by the name of Jean[-Charles] de Castelbajac, and he does a lot of museum art fashion pieces. … I really loved this one in particular because I thought it was commentary on not wearing fur, 'cause I hate fur and I don't wear fur. We were all laughing in the house about how it looks like a pile of dead Kermits."

The most important thing to remember is that everyone can become an activist because of this broad spectrum of choices one has to participate in the fight against animal cruelty.

It is no secret that my passion is food activism. I get up every morning and start thinking of some kind of food that I can create that will get people to understand that we do not need to eat animals for sustenance, taste, or convenience.

This May 15, 2010 my vegan company, Food For Thought (which I co-own with my business partner Patrick Battuello) will be taking part in some community activism by holding a Vegan Bake Sale.

We will be baking up tons of yummy vegan baked goods, like cookies, cupcakes, muffins, and scones, and selling them with all of the profits going to the Hudson & Mohawk River Humane Society Spay and Neuter Program.

The event will be held in the parking lot of Little Anthony's at 1095 Central Ave, Albany, NY 12205. Which is owned by my partner, Patrick. We will also be sampling some of the great vegan foods that Little Anthony's has to offer, vegan pizza with Daiya cheese and (one of my creations) Vegan Mac n' Cheese.

We will have literature on hand during the hours 10 am to 2 pm of our bake sale and Patrick and I will be available to answer any questions anyone might have about animal rights or veganism.

Please plan on joining us for some great vegan food, a great cause and some community activism!

Vegan Bake Sale
Saturday, May 15, 2010
10 am -2 pm

1095 Central Ave, Albany, NY 12205

foodforthoughtalbany@gmail.com
518-459-6116

KFC is More Likely the Cause Than the Cure

2010-04-12T18:08:00.000-04:00

With the recent unveiling of KFC's Double Down Sandwich (and I use that term loosely), two fried chicken breasts with bacon, cheese and mayo in between- yep, no bread- weighing in at 540 calories, 32 grams of fat and 1,380 mg of sodium, I thought "you've got to be fucking kidding me!".

Now I learn that KFC has a Bucket for A Cure Campaign going on in which for every Pink Bucket of Fried Chicken sold KFC will donate 50 cents to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a famous breast cancer charity.

I would like to simply quote Dr. Neal Barnard before I go on:

"If you change to a vegan diet, and do it very vigorously, you have enormous power...
You can, I believe, prevent most cases of cancer if you combine dietary changes with avoiding tobacco. You could prevent probably 70% or 80% of cancers, just by those steps alone. And, obviously, there’s a whole host of other diseases that you would be able to live without."

Breast cancer rates are considerably lower in countries that follow a mostly plant-based diet, like China. And it is interesting that it has been found that Japanese women who follow a western-style meat-based diet are 8 times as likely to develop breast cancer than women who follow a more traditional plant-based diet.

"Both breast cancer and colon cancer
have been generally associated with
the level of consumption of animal fat."

ARTHUR UPTON
Director, National Cancer Institute, Oct. 1979

Animal products contain a high amount of fat and are devoid of fiber. Meat and dairy products contribute to many forms of cancer including breast, prostate, and colon. Colon cancer has been directly linked to meat consumption.

So why is KFC unveiling this "sandwich" that is composed completely of animal products and at the same time planning on a huge donation to a widely known breast cancer charity?

With the amount of fat, calories and sodium in the newest offering and the amounts of fat in the rest of their offerings, I think KFC should show some responsibility and try to offer healthier options to their menu that are-yikes!- plant-based.

I think that KFC has done enough damage to the public by serving the food that they do and also by the horrors of what goes on in the facilities and factory farms that they get their meat from. Now they are doing the public a bigger disservice by enticing them to buy a pink bucket filled with cancer-causing "food" so they can give a cancer charity a big check.

Does this make the Colonel feel better?

Make room for new, cruelty-free traditions.

2010-03-29T12:51:00.001-04:00

One of the reasons why most people consume animal products is because of tradition. With the spring holidays approaching (Passover and Easter), I think most people relate those holidays with the foods that will be on the table during the celebration. We are a social species and we tend to gather around the table to celebrate a number of events and holidays.

In examining the reasons why most people shield themselves from the horrors of factory farming and cruelty to animals, I have found that fear of changing a family tradition is one of the top reasons.

Using Easter as an example because of it being less that a week away:

Dying and eating eggs, eating ham or lamb is probably an Easter tradition for many people. For some, I am sure that the holiday just wouldn't seem real if the ham wasn't on the table or if there were no dyed eggs in a basket or scattered around the yard for the children to find.

Those things are just a small part of the holiday and not required, as far as I know, as part of the holiday in any religious way. The important part of the holiday of Easter or any other type of holiday or family gathering should be the fact that the family is together to celebrate and spend time together.

Why do some people get so angry when they think that vegans are trying to "take their traditions away from them"?

Shielding yourself from the truth of what happens on a factory farm- whether it be meat producing, dairy or egg farm- because a small part of your life might change is, in my opinion, not responsible or compassionate and in many ways, selfish. (I was once like this, when I "didn't want to know")

There are many other foods that can be consumed at the holiday table that are cruelty-free and starting a new, compassionate tradition can be eye opening and also rejuvenating.

Easter, as far as I know, is a celebration of renewal and rebirth. So why not take the time to analyze the traditions that we have had and create new ones that are healthier, compassionate and life-affirming?

Having a plant-based meal on Easter Sunday can be satisfying and can go in conjunction with the theme renewal of life. There are many candies on the market for those Easter baskets that are dairy- and animal product-free. Lindt's dark chocolate bunnies are animal product-free. Toys and other non-food items can be used in an Easter basket also.

As for the egg hunt, reusable plastic eggs can be used or be more creative and start another tradition of some sort-one that is compassionate and cruelty-free.

Let us remember at every holiday, while animal products are the focal point of our celebration, how much cruelty, torture and suffering went into that meal and let us not support it any longer for the sake of us not having to change tradition.

Can't we all just get along?

2010-03-15T19:30:00.000-04:00

Being vegan can sometimes be exhausting. I am not talking about preparing food or finding something awesome to eat.

That is the easy part.

The part that is sometimes hard for me is the pressure I put on myself to be ethical all of the time. I feel the need to be perfect so people will take me and my mission seriously. Then I realize that there are people with the same mission as me are the ones being judgemental sometimes.

There are some vegans out there that use their time and energy to tell other vegans that they are not vegan enough. This is very frustrating for me and I think they are missing the whole point of being vegan.

I am not in favor of in-your-face activism. I do not support illegal or direct action either (although I do have an understanding of it). I do not judge non-vegans, I try to be understanding of their situation and lack of education on the subject of animal rights and I choose to use vegan food as my activism.

The vegan community is small and the basis of our beliefs is compassion, so I think we need to have compassion and tolerance for all of those who have the same beliefs.

We all make mistakes and we all have our own lives and reasons for doing the things we do. If you do your best to avoid consuming animal products-food or clothing, etc-by being vegan, that should be enough. There should be no judgements.

Please, let us remember that we all have the same goal: to end animal suffering.

Who are you wearing?

2010-02-01T14:11:00.000-05:00

With so many awards shows on lately and with more to come in the upcoming weeks I thought about how television stars with microphones run up to other T.V. , movie and music stars on the red carpet asking, "Who are you wearing?"

This question means more than just who designed your gown or ensemble. The rich and famous may be and YOU may be wearing "Somebody" and not thinking twice about it.

Do you really know how many animal fibers or animal byproducts are in your clothing and accessories? We need to take our choices a step further and put compassion into fashion.

Leather

Cattle hides are not merely slaughterhouse byproducts. Downed cattle, animals that are too weak or sick even to stand, are usually considered unfit for human consumption, but are often left without food or water or care until they are killed for their hides.

Calves, lambs and other young animals are often purposely slaughtered for "higher quality" leather products, as are pigs, horses, alligators, kangaroos, seals, elephants and zebras.

Wool

Sheep are bred to produce excessive wool. During shearing the animals are often handled roughly and their fleece is removed as quickly as possible, resulting in frequent injury. After only a few weeks of life, lambs typically endure painful mutilations without anesthesia, like tail-docking and castration. Many farmers still practice "mulesing", cutting of 4-by-6 inch folds of wrinkled skin around the animals' backsides, which is also done without anesthesia. Mulesing is usually utilized to prevent parasite infestation, although there are more effective and humane ways to prevent such problems.

When the sheep are no longer producing prime wool, they are commonly transported to slaughter houses in overcrowded trucks. Some are loaded onto massive live transport ships and are sent to slaughter in other countries. Many sheep become "downers" and are left to suffer and die slowly from neglect. Compressed wool, known as felt, is also produced through these horrific practices.

Cashmere- Cashmere goats, are often shorn much earlier than their natural shedding time which results suffering from exposure to the cold which often results in illness. Typically, they are raised in overcrowded, filthy conditions they have their ears notched, they are dehorned, and castrated without anesthesia. They are often sold for meat after their first fiber harvest.

Angora- Angora rabbits are crammed into wire cages for their entire lives, where they endure extreme loneliness, boredom, bone deformities and other painful ailments caused by confinement. These sensitive and meek animals are forcibly restrained while their wool is clipped and shaved and are frequently injured. . Male rabbits are typically slaughtered at birth because they produce far less wool than females.

Down

Down is the very soft feathers from the breasts of geese and ducks. It is plucked from slaughtered birds or from forcibly restrained live ones. The victims of live defeathering can be plucked three to five times during their lifetimes. No matter how they are defeathered, these birds are confined in large warehouses for their entire lives, which is only a fraction of their natural life span. Down feathers are naturally intended to keep birds and their eggs warm. They are found in pillows, jackets and comforters, for which it takes the feathers of dozens and dozens of animals to fill.

Fur

Minks, foxes, rabbits, chinchilla, lynxes and even hamsters are used in the fur industry and they are typically raised in small wire cages, lack clean water, and proper nutrition and suffer from fear, stress, illness and insanity. These animals, like cows, pigs and chickens are victims of factory farms, fur farms.

In some fur producting countries such as China, dogs and cats are slaughtered for their fur. Many of these animals are beaten and many times are skinned alive. The confinement they endure by being held in small cages often leads to manic pacing, mental and physical illness.

Resorting to extreme forms of slaughter in order to keep the pelts intact, fur farmers will often gas, poison or electrocute the animals.

Silk

Silk comes from the caterpillars of the silk moth who protect themselves by spinning silk strands to form cocoons. Farmers commonly boil, bake or steam the cocoons, killing the live beings inside, in order to retain unbroken threads of silk. To produce 100 grams of yarn, 1,500 caterpillars are normally killed.

Ethically produced, fashionable and high-quality clothing and accessories are available in many stores and on-line retailers. Consumers can opt for products made from cotton, linen, rubber, ramie, and canvas.

There are a number of man-made materials that are fashionable and suitable for virtually anyone or any occasion. Other materials can be acrylic, nylon, polyester fleece, and microfiber. There are many other alternatives available.

Next time you look in your closet think about Who you are really wearing and what suffering went into that garment or accessory. Next time you shop, please choose man-made or plant-based fibers.

For more information:

http://www.vegforlife.org/

http://www.farmsanctuary.org/

The Fur Trade

Some Vegan Retailers:

http://www.alternativeoutfitters.com/

http://www.mooshoes.com/

http://www.veganchic.com/

Tune in and keep your fingers crossed

2010-01-27T06:32:00.000-05:00

When I found out that Oprah followed Kathy Freston's Quantum Wellness Cleanse diet, last year, which consists of a vegan diet and also, no sugar, gluten, caffeine or alcohol for 21 days and then went back to eating meat my first reaction was Oprah, you ignorant slut.

Then I read Oprah's blog entries and her short on-line article What I Know for Sure and realized that this 21 day cleanse diet was a challenge and probably not the best way to turn someone onto veganism. ( I have to admit, that I would have a hard time on this diet also- no coffee? no pizza crust? Ugh!)

Oprah does say at the end of the What I know for Sure entry: "At the end of the 21 days, I could not declare myself vegan or even vegetarian. But I am, for sure, more mindful of my choices. I'm eating a far more plant-based diet. Less processed food. Thinking about sugar and fat consumption not in terms of calories but in terms of what happens to my well-being. Kathy cautions that the way to full consciousness isn't to give up every poor choice at once. She says "Lean into it." Don't try to break a lifetime of bad habits overnight. I'm leaning."

A fellow Facebook vegan friend emailed me to let me know that Oprah will be having Alicia Silverstone as a guest on her show today and I am anxious to see what Oprah will do with more information about yet another vegan diet. What effect will the beautiful Alicia Silverstone (let's face it, if I could look like her by eating dirt 3 times a day, I would) have on the dieting-veteran. Alicia's new book The Kind Diet, which focuses on a vegan diet and the many benefits, is written as a diet book.

Michael Pollan will be the main guest on today's show and he will be telling about where our food comes from. I hope this puts alot of scare in people- it should.

I do not think Oprah is ignorant in anyway (or a slut) and we all know that she has major influence on...well, the whole country, so I am very excited that she is having this topic on-air today.

Let's tune in, keep our fingers crossed that it is eye awakening for many and we will be back tomorrow to discuss! And cheer Oprah to "Lean On!"- to the side of veganism!

See http://www.oprah.com/ for more information on today's show.

Problems and Solutions

2010-01-21T05:42:00.000-05:00

Ok, I kind of feel bad about my last post. I was in a mood and went, what I call "vegan" on everyone. I do apologize if I offended, I don't like to offend people, I like to feed people.

Culinary outreach is my usual method of spreading the word about veganism. I don't like being nasty, or judgemental, I like to cook and for people to eat.

Recently, I have been creating more vegan options at Little Anthony's Pizzeria. One thing I like about creating more vegan options for a pizzeria is that I can focus on vegan Italian food-something that most people think cannot be done. (My vegan lasagna is awesome!)

Yesterday, we had 2 people that were not vegan order vegan options. (Yes, they knew exactly what they were ordering). One man ordered a slice of vegan lasagna-he wasn't vegan, but decided to give it a try. Another man ordered the vegan Texas cheesesteak sub. He wasn't vegan either, but when we explained to him what it was he wanted to go for it.

These two incidents made my heart sing! I was so happy. Sometimes it gives me hope.

Then I see a commercial for Hebrew National hotdogs and they show a diagram of a cow divided into sections of "good cuts" and "bad cuts", with the slogan "no ifs ands...or butts." Then I realize that the "disconnect" really isn't always so vast. We are talking about body parts here, but a hot dog doesn't look like any of those sections on the diagram.

A boneless chicken breast just looks like a lump of matter and not a body part either. But putting a chicken in a Perdue commercial that is "acting" and there is the body, personality, cuteness, whatever and people are still eating it.

I guess the disconnect really ingrained is inside of us all. We all experience it. There was a disaster in Haiti, people are dying, trapped, sick and in need of help. There are people missing, children without parents, parents without children and we sit here in America maybe text a $10 donation to help and do our part, but we are still bitching about traffic, National Grid bills and work.

We need to be thankful to have what we have. Is it easier for us not to think about bad or sad things?

I guess that is what I was getting at yesterday in my rant. We all need to be grounded once in awhile, but I don't want it to happen because I need it. I want to do it because I remember to do it, to look at all of the wrongs out there and try to do my best to be part of the solution.

Today my part is to make vegan soup and cupcakes- to help animals live better lives, for humans to be healthier and to make the planet safer. And every person who is vegan or not vegan who eats one of my meals or baked goods makes a difference. It is one less animal product being demanded upon.

I still ask: Are you vegan? I still say: Why not? to a negative answer. But the answer to the second question is the most important. Whatever your answer I will compassionately try to help. That is what I can do to be part of the solution.

Are you vegan?

2010-01-20T08:41:00.001-05:00

Oh here she goes again whining about how people just don't "get" the vegan lifestyle.

Don't navigate away from me, I think I have figured out a solution:

I DON"T GET THE NON-VEGAN LIFESTYLE! This is the solution in my head, because I can only think of the following questions and come to this conclusion.

How can anyone read information about how animals are treated horrifically, watch videos of cruelty and still eat meat and eggs and dairy?

How can anyone refuse the idea that we simply do not need animal products to survive?

How can people keep eating animal products when studies and information show that it is the a large cause of disease and death in humans?

How can anyone shrug away from evidence that a vegan lifestyle can reverse disease?

How can anyone not see that animal consumption is killing not only us, but the planet?

Does it really taste that good? Would people rather be fat and sick than give up a flavor?

So, I simply ask the question: Are you vegan?

If your answer is "NO", then:

WHY NOT?

MLK, TS, AR and justice for all

2010-01-18T06:13:00.000-05:00

My daughter has been mesmerised by the life (and death) of Martin Luther King Jr. since she began learning about him in school in first grade. I distinctly remember the cold January day that she came home from school and recited everything she learned about him that day.

She was in first grade and not much of a conversationalist, so I was both shocked and excited to hear these words spilling from her with such excitement and sadness. She fully understood what this great man was trying to do and that his life was taken from him wrongfully because of it. That is a lot coming from a 6 year-old, especially one that can read 2 grade levels ahead, has the emotional level of a 3 to 4 year old and we would later come to find out has Tourette Syndrome (and associated disorders).

Equality means so much and I think at times we all strive to feel equal to one another. Did my daughter know, as I did, that she was not equal with her classmates? Did she feel that way? I am not sure. I do know that she doesn't realize that people are different colors, races, religions or levels of ability. She does know that she is different, commenting now that she is the only one in her class that has tics.

I was afraid to teach her to embrace differences and to see that is what makes her unique, but she gets it. The girl is smart beyond her years and as a vegetarian she can tell you that there is no difference between a pig, chicken, cat or dog. She will wear PETA stickers and tell her friends how "chicken nuggets" are really made. She will tell anyone who will listen that she is 96% vegan and why everyone needs to be on that same path.

She is silently fighting for equality for animals and herself, but she doesn't understand that there is not equality for animals or people still, she can't wrap her head around it. When she is picked on in school because of her tics, she says, "I can't help it, my body just does it." Then she shrugs and moves on. When she learned that next year, part of the science curriculum is to do a dissection, she said that she will not participate. She stated simply that "It is wrong."

She will stand proud and tell anyone that she doesn't eat meat and that she has TS and she doesn't care what their response is. To her it is just fact. She visits a special education class 2 times a week at her school to play with the children in that room. They have disabilities ranging from Down Syndrome to MR, and she doesn't notice. To her they are just "friendly kids" and she has fun spending time with them. Fact.

She thinks bullies, killing animals, signs that say "whites only" are all wrong. Period. Fact. Veganism, being nice, not judging is right. Fact.

Why can't we all embrace fact? If we did the world would be a better place. It is when fact gets blurred by opinion and rationalization that problems occur. Acceptance of ourselves, each other and all living things is crucial for equality, justice and peace.

I don't take credit for my daughters will and strength. It is all her and the way she views the world. I think she can take credit, though, for the way I view the world.

So today, a day when we remember a great man and what he did for our country, let us reflect on all that can be changed by embracing what is right and wrong, and what is fact. Let's create justice for all living things by seeing differences as positives and not negatives.

Make a conscious effort to be aware of your thoughts, judgements and choices. Do they really make sense? Are they fact?

For further reading on some of the subjects here:

(TS) Tourette Syndrome:
http://www.tsa-usa.org/

(AR) Animal Rights
http://blog.timesunion.com/animalrights/
http://www.peta.org/

(MLK)
http://www.martinlutherking.org/

School lunches: why aren't our children important?

2009-12-14T06:13:00.000-05:00

Fast-food chains are more picky when choosing the meat they serve to their customers than public school cafeterias are when choosing the meat they serve to our children.

An article in USA today reported on the findings of their investigation that the National School Lunch Program is providing schools with millions of pounds of meat that wouldn't meet the standards of many fast food restaurant chains.

Fast food chains are reportedly more rigorous in testing their meat for bacteria and dangerous pathogens. According to the article- "They [fast-food chains] test the ground beef they buy five to 10 times more often than the USDA tests beef made for schools during a typical production day."

The US Department of Agriculture says the meat it busy for the National School Lunch Program "meets or exceeds standards in commercial products", yet it is found that big fast food retailers sets the bacteria limit on their burgers up to 10 times more stringent than the USDA sets for school beef.

USA Today also found in their investigation that "For chicken, the USDA has supplied schools with thousands of tons of meat from old birds that might otherwise go to compost or pet food. Called "spent hens" because they're past their egg-laying prime, the chickens don't pass muster with Colonel Sanders— KFC won't buy them — and they don't pass the soup test, either. The Campbell Soup Company says it stopped using them a decade ago based on "quality considerations."

This meat from "spent" egg-laying hens, is tough and more stringy than the more tender and desirable meat of broiler chickens.

In the past 10 years, more than 77 million pounds of this meat was served at our children's schools in chicken patties and salads.

Does the "quality" of what our children are eating at school matter to anyone? Parents, in general, I believe do not know what their children are eating at school and do not know that it is meat that fast food restaurants and soup companies will not use. Parents do not know that this food is also used for pet food and compost.

Most school districts now have a "wellness program" program in place. At my child's school, for example, a note comes home in the beginning of the year that asks parents to send in healthy snacks for our children for snack time and birthday celebrations. Some suggestions include, raw veggies and low-calorie dip, yogurt, applesauce, fruit, pretzels, etc.

Why doesn't this "health consciousness" carry over to the lunch and breakfast menus? On the current elementary school lunch calender for my child's school, there are no vegan options other than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a bagel minus the cream cheese (both of which are offered everyday).

An example of some lunch options are: cheeseburger on a bun, chicken nuggets, spaghetti and meat sauce, chicken patty, cheese pizza. While there are a tiny bit of vegetables offered with these lunch choices, a couple carrot sticks, a 1/4 cup or so of salad greens, why not an option for a lunch-sized salad or vegetable soup? Remember where the chicken meat comes from in those nuggets and patties.

Breakfast isn't any better. The choices other than cereal or bagel (with fruit and milk) are french toast stick and sausage; egg, bacon and cheese sandwich; or cinnamon bun. There is no choice of soy milk for cereal, there is only one fruit choice and nothing is whole grain.

And yes, I have volunteered in the school cafeteria and I have spoken to school cafeteria workers from different school districts, I know that you cannot make the kids take a fruit or vegetable everyday at lunch. Parents need to take charge, at home, then at school. Home is where the education about eating and healthy food choices should begin.

We, as parents, need to hold our children's schools accountable to the guidelines of their district's wellness programs. We need to stand up and let our voices be heard and tell them which choices we would like to see our children provided with.

We can pack a lunch for our individual children, but that doesn't help the bigger picture. Not every family has the time to pack a lunch or provide a child with a breakfast at home. We need to find a solution that can benefit all children.

Let your district know that better choices need to be provided and that we will no longer stand for the low-quality food that they are feeding our children.

For more information go to The Healthy School Lunch Campaign, sponsored by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), is dedicated to improving the food served to children in schools by educating government and school officials, food service workers, parents, and others about the food choices best able to promote children’s current and long-term health.

The NY Coalition for Healthy School Food website for volunteer opportunities and great information on how to make a difference in the food our children are eating.

A Vegan Holiday Party

2009-12-11T06:55:00.000-05:00

Being vegan can be difficult during the holiday season with all of the parties and events that everyone is running off to. Since this time of the year is referred to as "the most wonderful", and everyone's spirits and tolerance for differences in others is high, it is the best time for a vegan to throw an all vegan holiday party to show non-vegan friends and family that you can be vegan and still celebrate the holidays with great food.

A vegan holiday party- appetizers to favors- can be impressive and enjoyable to guests that are vegan and non-vegan alike. Here are some tips to host the best-ever vegan holiday party:

Beverages: Vegan eggnog (Silk brand usually has one in stores holiday time), vegan hot chocolate, punch and different flavors of seltzer are perfect beverage choices.

Appetizers: Some recognizable favorites like a crudite with a vegan dip, pita chips and hummus or and vegan cheese and crackers can be served along side some new vegan appetizers. Other options can include: brushetta, spring rolls, or a favorite main dishes served bite-sized.

The Main Event: Whether buffet-style or sit-down dinner guests will benefit from many choices. Have two or even three main dishes. A recognizable dish like vegan lasagna or vegan baked ziti is a great choice. Meat-replacement items like Tofurky or soy chicken can be a great choice also. A vegetable stir-fry with tempeh or seitan nice to have for guests that are willing to try something new.

Side dishes: Have four to five side dishes to go along with the main dishes. These can be as simple as a salad, some steamed veggies or roasted potatoes.

Dessert: There are many vegan cookie and cake recipes that are very easy to prepare. A plate or two of assorted vegan cookies may be sufficient or maybe some vegan brownies. Don't forget the soy or rice frozen dessert!

Party Favors: Sending each guest home with something to remember their vegan holiday meal by is a nice touch. It might be some vegan cookies in a bag with some festive ribbon and the recipe attached. Other favor ideas can be note cards with pictures of farm animals on them, a rescued pets calender for the upcoming year or maybe small boxes of vegan chocolates.

The vegan host or hostess can try to prevent guests from bringing non-vegan foods by letting their guests know that they can bring a bottle of wine or other beverage when they ask what they can bring when they RSVP. The best tip of all to throwing a vegan holiday party is to keep it simple and a great time can be had by all.

You eat fish, right?

2009-12-08T19:45:00.001-05:00

Five years ago when I began my journey into vegetarianism (and subsequently veganism and animal rights) I cut out everything but fish. I did not, however, call myself vegetarian, until I stopped eating flesh of all kinds.

So for those couple of years between omnivore and vegan, in other words, when I was vegetarian, people would ask me the question: "You eat fish, right?" And I would answer, "Nothing with a face" or "No flesh" or "No animals, at all."

In fact, I STILL get asked that question when I tell people that I am vegan. I have had some people say, "But a fish is not an animal." "But fish is so good for you." or the ever popular "But fish are stupid."

Fish are animals, they are living, breathing sentient animals with an intelligence that is not purely instinct-driven as recent research has shown.

Writing in the journal Fish and Fisheries, biologists Calum Brown, Keven Laland and Jens Krause ( from the universities of Edinburgh, St Andrews and Leeds) said fish were now seen as highly intelligent creatures. "Gone (or at least obsolete) is the image of fish as drudging and dim-witted pea-brains, driven largely by 'instinct',' with what little behavioural flexibility they possess being severely hampered by an infamous 'three-second memory'. "

They also stated that, "Although it may seem extraordinary to those comfortably used to pre-judging animal intelligence on the basis of brain volume, in some cognitive domains, fishes can even be favourably compared to non-human primates."

Recent research has shown that fish can recognize other individual fish and determine the social "pecking order" of their peers. They can recognize other "shoal mates", they can learn to avoid fishing nets by observing other fish and they can even use tools.

From the Fishing Hurts website:

Culum Brown, a University of Edinburgh biologist who is studying the evolution of cognition in fish, says, "Fish are more intelligent than they appear. In many areas, such as memory, their cognitive powers match or exceed those of 'higher' vertebrates, including non-human primates." Their long-term memories help fish keep track of complex social relationships. Their spatial memory—"equal in all respects to any other vertebrate"—allows them to create cognitive maps that guide them through their watery homes, using cues such as polarized light, sounds, smells, and visual landmarks.

Ok, so they have memories, that are longer than 3 minutes, and they can recognize other fish, but can they suffer and feel pain?

Indeed, they can. Neurobiologists have recognized that fish have nerves and brains that sense and feel pain as all animals do. The neurotransmitters that fish have, like other vertebrates, release endorphins, the purpose of which is a pain killer.

They can also feel emotional stress and have a reflexive response to pain avoidance. Fish have a will to survive, which is evidenced by the struggles and attempts at escape they exhibit when hooked or netted.

Ok, they might feel pain, but we humans need the healthy fats that are in fish, like Omega-3's, right?

How about a plate full of arsenic, mercury, PCBs, DDT, dioxins, and lead that are in the flesh and fat of fish. Think about the chemical residue that the piece of salmon on your plate was swimming in. The chemical residue in the flesh of that fish can be up to 9 million times the water they were swimming in.

Are farmed fish any better? Not since they are fed the flesh of wild-caught fish. It takes 5 pounds of wild-caught fish to produce one pound of farmed-fish, these 5 pounds of wild-caught fish are species that are not for consumption for humans.

Farmed salmon can also have up to twice the amount of artery clogging fat that wild salmon would have. Toxins are absorbed by fat. They are also dyed pink to resemble the wild-caught salmon. The dyes used have been linked to retinal damage in humans.

Farmed salmon are raised in filthy and crowded conditions, much like the lives cows, pigs, chickens and turkeys endure on factory farms. Fish are fed massive amounts of antibiotics because the growth of bacteria in these dirty conditions would otherwise kill them.

Need more evidence that fish are not healthy for human consumption? Read on:

A major review of the 89 best studies between 2002 and 2006—published on the British Medical Journal Web site on March 24, 2006—finds that there is no evidence of health benefits from eating oily fish or taking fish oil supplements. Researchers from nine institutions analyzed the 89 most rigorous studies that looked at the effects of omega-3 fatty acids on various health issues. Researchers said that they found no strong evidence that fish consumption had an effect on overall deaths or the prevention of heart disease, cancer, or strokes. Mike Knapton, a director at the British Heart Foundation, even noted that “some studies have shown a slightly increased risk associated with eating very high amounts of oily fish, which is possibly related to mercury levels.” The magazine New Scientist summarized the review: “An analysis of studies found little evidence that fish oil supplements cut the risk of heart problems and even suggests that they could increase risk of heart attack in men with angina.”

My Vegan Thanksgiving

2009-11-27T17:24:00.001-05:00

During the weeks leading up to yesterday's Thanksgiving celebration I was continually asked the question: "What do you eat on Thanksgiving?" So I thought I would wait to answer that question here until I had some pictures to go along with the explanation.

The pictures above are from yesterday's Thanksgiving meal at my Mother's house. The first picture is my Thanksgiving dinner plate (minus the mashed potatoes, I ate them on the second helping). On this plate is a chickpea cutlet with brown gravy, "unstuffed" stuffing, cranberry sauce, a homemade dinner roll, butternut squash and apple bake, broccoli and sweet potato casserole with an apple-crisp-type topping. It was a delicious, filling and satisfying meal and all vegan!

The next picture is a vegan apple pie and the last picture is of chickpea cutlets, which are great with gravy, Parmesan-ed with vegan cheese and marinara, on a sub roll with marinara, and you can make a chick'n salad out of it with vegan mayo and veggies.

I guess my point is that it really isn't hard to eat compassionately on Thanksgiving or on any other given day of the year. The food that we ate yesterday were the exact same dishes that we have been eating for years and years, we just changed some ingredients to make them vegan. By simply substituting vegetable broth for chicken broth in the stuffing and mashed potatoes, we made those vegan. By using vegan margarine the mashed potatoes and the crisp topping on the sweet potatoes we made them vegan. They tasted the very same as what we have been eating year after year for as long as I can remember.

I enjoyed eating and sharing my cruelty-free meal yesterday. I hope I have inspired some to give it a try.

Coming, Live, to a city near you!

2009-11-19T06:31:00.000-05:00

This Saturday, November 21st, the Albany Vegetarian Network is hosting an event called Food for Life & Cookie Demo at The First Unitarian Society of Schenectady located at 1221 Wendell Ave, Schenectady, NY 12308 from 11 am - 3 pm.

This event will consist of a free lunch-free of animal products- live music, kids activities and a Holiday Vegan Cookie Baking demonstration and tasting by yours truly!

I am so excited to be able to take part in this event and share my love of cooking, baking and veganism with everyone. I will be demonstrating pumpkin cranberry cookies and rum-nog cookies, both vegan and great to make around the holidays. Guests will be able to sample each kind of cookie and I will hang around to answer any questions that anyone may have.

There will be great information, great food and entertainment. (I will also be preparing the Shepard's Pie that will be served with lunch.)

This event is geared toward people that are interested in learning more about a plant-based diet, people that are already on a plant-based diet and everyone in between.

For more information go to the Albany Vegetarian Network website to register (preferred, but not required). There is a suggested donation of $7 -$15 per person which will go to the AVN to help fund events such as the NY Vegetarian Expo.

Hope to see you there!

Stop, Think and Adopt

2009-11-09T06:14:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the Mohawk & Hudson River Humane Society in Menands. During my visit I got a chance to speak to Brad Shear, the Executive Director, and Brad also lead me on a tour of the large facility.

The tour was a very emotional experience. Whenever I visit a shelter, I always am saddened by the amount of animals that are awaiting adoption, mostly I am sad about the older animals. The 10 year-old cat that sits in a cage that is just about large enough for him to turn around in while people are oh-ing and ah-ing at the cute kittens in the cage next door.

I actually thought that my tour would be just of the areas that all visitors get to see- the cats, dogs, rabbits and other small animals that are currently up for adoption- but I got to see so much more.

I was taken through the facility, which is the largest and oldest in the Capital Region, that serves over 6500 animals a year. I got to see dogs and cats that were waiting to be spayed and neutered, animals that were sick with upper respiratory illnesses and being cared for by the veterinary staff.

I saw the area where they hold strays for 5 days until an owner can come and claim them. I saw a mother cat with at least a half dozen kittens nursing them-they have to be at least 8 weeks old to be spayed or neutered.

There were over 200 animals there that day in different parts of the facility, all homeless, needing love and affection. The total number of animals cared for by the MHRHS at one time in their facility and in foster homes is approximately 450.

What will happen to these animals? Seventy-four percent will be released- strays back to owners, adopted to new homes or released to rescue groups.

Twenty-six percent will be euthanized because of health or behavior issues. The behavior issues will typically be aggression issues that cannot be rehabilitated or perhaps a cat with a litter box problem that gets returned to the shelter or an illness that cannot be cured.

The shelter makes every attempt to make a good match between the animal and the potential adopter through screening processes and questionnaires. But they cannot adopt these animals out if people are still shopping for "pets" at pet stores.

Please support the shelters in your area by donating much needed items from their wish lists, volunteering, and most importantly giving some of these animals a much needed loving home.

Please also remember that in addition to Adoption and Animal Surrender the MHRHS also provides other services such as Cruelty Investigation. Where the MHRHS's investigators work with local law enforcement to protect animals that may be in harm's way.

Safe Haven is another great service where the shelter will house pets for women in our community that are victims of domestic violence who flee their abusive homes and are living in a women's shelter. The animals from these situations are housed in a secure and confidential location by the shelter in an effort to keep these animals not only with their owners, but also away from the same abuse that these women and children have been exposed to.

Please go to the Mohawk & Hudson Rive Humane Society website and learn how you can make a difference in the life of an animal in need. You might just see how you can make a huge difference in your own life (and the life of your family) as well.

Come forth and know me better, man!

2009-11-06T06:56:00.000-05:00

I love meeting new people. I also love it when the new people are vegan. I have been meeting so many vegans lately that I am utterly, blissfully happy! Ok, maybe that is over doing it, but I really love to hear what fellow vegans have to say.

I like to know what they miss most since becoming vegan, what kind of vegan cheese they think melts, tastes, looks the best. I like to check out what they are wearing, what they are eating, what they are feeding their children.

I want to know everything about them. I want to embrace every word and thought they want to share with me. I want to tell them everything I think and feel.

Mostly, I try not to scare them away with my enthusiasm and the problem I have with talking so fast that I overload people with information.

I have been getting so many nice emails lately from fellow vegans in this area that are commenting on Food For Thought, my blog, my food pictures on Facebook. They are providing feedback and reviews on the food they have ordered from us at Food For Thought, too.

Vegans are the most supportive and friendly people on the planet. They are truly compassionate in every way.

Here I thought the vegan community in this area was small. I am finding out that it is much larger than I thought. I am finding there are vegan restaurant managers, vegan tattoo parlors, vegan state workers. I am trying to do business with other vegan owned and operated businesses.

One of the reasons I started this blog was to find an outlet for my vegan thoughts. My non-vegan friends, I am sure, were tired of listening to my bleeding heart animal rights stories and vegan jargon. (They did, and still do, like to eat my vegan food though.)

So, any vegans out there feel free to drop me a line, or when you feel the hankering for a vegan pizza and some vegan cookies or when you are around Little Anthony's on Central Ave in Albany ask for me to if I am there baking and cooking and say hi!

Introduce yourself, tell me where you work and what you do, suggest some great food that you would like me to prepare for you. Or just give me a glowing vegan smile to let me know we are all making a difference!

Stupid Things Non-Vegans Say- Vol I

2009-11-02T20:11:00.000-05:00

Overheard at the Schenectady Greenmarket Food For Thought Vegan Baked Goods booth:

"Wow, there is no dairy in this stuff? I bet there are a lot of cows that are mad about that!"

Being Vegan

2009-10-25T22:13:00.000-04:00

Being vegan is about much more than just food. I think I have come to realize this more and more in the last couple of months.

I am a foodie at heart, so I am always thinking of my next meal and looking for a recipe or culinary challenge to conquer. So food has been my focus for so long now that it is just always in the forefront.

Being vegan is so much more than that. It is about compassion. It is about love and equality for all creatures. It is about recognizing what is right and what is wrong. It is about realizing that every living, breathing creature on this earth is made of hair, skin, tissue, and feelings.

I have heard of veganism being compared to a re-birth, or a religious experience. I am not a religious person in the context of organized religion, so I don't know about that. I don't favor creation over evolution or vice versa. I don't think it really matters in the grand scheme of things. We are here, now.

Veganism, to me, is like an awakening. You wake up one day and think about the injustices that are out there, the pain and suffering. It is not a disregard for human life, and a focus on only the lives of animals, which is what some critics may say. It is a regard for all life. Everything is all tied in together, humans, animals, earth.

I guess I didn't expect this movement inside of me, but something has changed. I think about how I would, in the past, kill a fly on my front porch when I could just as easily open the screen and let it out. I think of the field mouse trying to wiggle it's way into my home for warmth and food when it is cold and realize that it isn't disgusting it is merely the cycle of the world, nature and instinct.

I don't need to set a trap that will kill or injure that field mouse. I can set a humane trap and let him go in the woods where he can live his life out and survive. Is killing a convenience?

A fly or a mouse may seem insignificant to some, but I can't help thinking about what Life is.
No matter what happens everyday, I know that I can be thankful for being alive. I think that is a right that all living things should have.

Killing is killing, living is living.

I choose to live and let live.

In Love, again

2009-10-20T06:55:00.000-04:00

I visited the Catskill Animal Sanctuary last weekend and fell in love. His name is Babe and he is a 2400 lb muscular hunk of love and affection. He is a cow that was rescued from a slaughter house bid by the Sanctuary.

This experience at the CAS last weekend was so different from the other visits that I have had at other sanctuaries because they were having a special event, an arts festival and they decided for the first time to open the barns up for visitors to do a self guided tour.

Staff and volunteers were placed every where to help and answer questions about the animals and facilities. I learned so much more and had more contact than ever with the animals.

Here are a few things that I learned:

When you talk to a blind horse in a soft voice they will come right to you and nuzzle into your body for your warmth and touch. They will give you unbelievable trust and affection.

A free range (meaning that animal is allowed to roam the farm at will because they are rehabilitated and very, very friendly, these animals all came from horrific conditions) sheep named Rambo loves to be scratched deep in his wool behind the ears and will keep following you and rubbing his head on you for more. His female companion, by the way, will not come to you because she is a little nervous, but stay close and will keep her eye on you because you are touching her man!

A turkey can have a conversation with 9 year old (my daughter) and mimic the sounds she makes. And let you pet its soft feathers.

A goat will close her eyes and tilt her head in complete pleasure while you are petting her neck.

A huge, black cow will come to you when you call his name and try to cuddle with you. He will close his eyes while you pet his nose and tilt his head into your touch.

Babe and many of the other animals at CAS are up for adoption. They need a good home where they can live their lives out in a peaceful and loving environment just like our cats and dogs.

And yes, if I didn't live in suburbia Babe would be with me and you would find me, my blanket and my pillow, my 2 dogs and my cat all cuddled up in the barn together.

I do not see the difference between a dog and a pig, a cow or a cat. I don't see the difference in the love I feel for my best friend and my family and the love I feel for animals. Unconditional love is what these animals will give you.

Why not give it back to them?

Balloon Boy, the NYS Lottery Commercial and PT Barnum

2009-10-19T06:56:00.000-04:00

It seems that for the past few days everyone has a strong opinion of 6-year-old Flacon Heene's, aka Balloon Boy, parents. This story, that drew international attention, has been bringing up the word "exploitation" as in: "the media was exploited", "law enforcement was exploited", "the boy was exploited", and "we were exploited!" I think the last one is the one everyone is up in arms about.

Yes, poor us who sat in front of the TV, blogged, facebooked and talked about this to everyone we know and then we found out it was all a hoax. How could anyone do that to us? We feel so violated, right?
(The boy definitely was exploited and his parents deserve to have charges filed against them.)

While I did not follow the "Balloon Boy" story as it unfolded, I did catch a lot of the feedback from talk radio and news programs the past few days and while watching one news program a commercial for the New York State Lottery's newest lottery game Sweet Million came on.

The commercial depicted a fake amusement park with a lot of cutesy bunny rabbits, dressed up in cute outfits, riding on amusement park rides, holding balloons and lollipops and "having cute fun". Then a large sign plopped down on the screen saying "Sweet Million is sweet, sweeter than sweet."

Why isn't anyone upset about this exploitation of rabbits being forced into costumes for our entertainment? Even the sweet million website has a number of baby animals on it, so we can relate how sweet they are to the chance of winning a million dollars.

Why don't people see how that is exploitation also. I have written about animal testing, factory farming, animals being kept in cages and tied up at fairs. Animals are constantly exploited, right under our noses and most people see no problem with it. The commercial made them smile and brightened their day, perhaps. What do you think the rabbits' day was like when the commercial was being shot?

Though I do not know for sure, I can envision every cute bunny being dragged out of a cage crammed full of other bunnies and forced into clothing. Just because we only see the cute end result doesn't mean that nothing bad happened. You don't see the cruelty of a factory farm, but the end result is that animal on your plate that has been tortured and killed.

Yet in the balloon boy story, the public was upset because they were duped. They weren't told the truth.

My friend and business partner Pat Battuello has an animal rights blog on the Times Union website. He spreads truth by writing laborious posts about animal cruelty, showing documented research and videos proving that such cruelty exists and is wrong, but still there are people who write comments that try to justify even the most disgusting and grotesque forms of torture and killing of animals.

In one article I read Balloon Boy's father, Richard Heene, who seemingly brainstormed the whole scheme, being compared to PT Barnum because he "seized the world's attention and his position to make the most of it." PT Barnum said, "There's a sucker born every minute."

Not only is PT Barnum still making that statement true by the Barnum and Bailey Circus still operating and still abusing and exploiting animals, under our noses, but the bright colors and music distracts us from the real issue.

And we are still being lied to every day by the meat and dairy industries and also our government about how animal products are good for us and an essential part of our diet. They back this up with statistics, studies and medical proof. So we have to believe it, right?

The truth is hidden and the public is separated from the truth about what happens to animals every day.

"There's a sucker born every minute."

If you aren't vegan you continue to be that sucker.

Surviving Thanksgiving

2009-10-17T05:45:00.000-04:00

Just about 4 years ago I told my mother that I was becoming vegetarian. After a quiet moment she said "What will I do for Thanksgiving dinner?"

It was February.

I am sure this is an issue for many vegetarians and vegans. I once had someone ask me if I was going to eat "just one little piece of turkey" on Thanksgiving. Like I wouldn't be American if I didn't partake in just a bit of tradition.

So in dealing with my mother's concerns, by breaking down our usual Thanksgiving spread, I realized (and so did she) that the turkey is really the only thing on the table that cannot be vegan-ized.

Stuffing can be made with veggie broth, mashed potatoes can be made with vegan margarine and some reserved water from boiling the potatoes instead of milk and butter, (and still be creamy and delicious and healthier, I might add) and there are many gravies on the market that do not contain animal products.

So that is what my mother has done for the past 3 Thanksgivings-she has stocked up on vegetable broth, read lots of labels and called me up to tell me all of the ingredients in every dish.

This year, is different, however, she is still doing all of the above, but she has decided to have no meat on the table on Thanksgiving day.

She told me that her and my father will have their turkey the day before and the day of we will have all of the other wonderful dishes that I have had every Thanksgiving since my childhood-veganized. The best part is they taste the same, and I look forward to these dishes every year.

My mom is great, and at 70 years old this year, she does the whole dinner with at least 8 different dishes for the 5 of us, plus a couple of desserts! (There are lots of left-overs.)

So thanks, Mom, you are an example of how the holidays can be about tradition, family and compassion for all. You are the best!

Animal Testing

2009-10-07T19:25:00.001-04:00

Millions of animals are experimented on, tortured and killed every year in the United States to test the safety of products such as eyeshadow and soap and cleaners and disinfectants. In fact, in most cases the number of abused and murdered animals is not accurate because both the government and experimenters believe that these innocent animals, such as mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs and monkeys, do not even have to be counted.
Animal experimentation is a multi-billion dollar industry that exploits and imprisons animals through massive public funding involving corporations, our government and universities, as well as animal breeders, dealers and transporters.
Animals inside a laboratory are locked in cages with no contact with other animals or an outlet for their natural instincts like burrowing or nesting. They are sitting in cold metal cages not able to perform normal behaviors.
Then there are the experiments. These innocent animals, without their permission, are exposed to and injected with diseases, purposefully blinded, and injured. Some are subject to repeated surgeries. Some are injected with cancers so tumors will grow to the size of their own bodies. They are force-fed chemicals to test the toxicity of a substance. Often these are lethal dose tests to determine if a substance will kill a percentage of the animals tested. Sometimes the percentage can rise to 100%.
Many of these "procedures" are done without the use of painkillers. Some animals witness the killing of other animals and many of these imprisoned animals go mad from being isolated and tortured.
There are other ways to test products without testing on animals and the American public should be aware of these humane approaches and speak up against companies who take part in animal testing. Humane research methods include studies of human volunteers, patients, sophisticated in-vitro and computer-modeling techniques. In fact, many human diseases have be discovered through human study.
There are alternative ways available to test consumer products without the needless suffering and torture of innocent animals. There is no reason for these cruel practices. The argument is best summed up by the following quote:
"Ask the experimenters why they experiment on animals, and the answer is: 'Because the animals are like us.' Ask the experimenters why it is morally OK to experiment on animals, and the answer is: 'Because the animals are not like us.' Animal experimentation rests on a logical contradiction." -Professor Charles R. Magel

For more information: Stop Animal Testing, Caring Consumer, Peta

Food For Thought

2009-10-05T19:40:00.000-04:00

How would you like to live in the Albany area and be able to order a vegan birthday cake or have a special occasion catered by a vegan catering company? I am so excited to tell you that now it is possible and I am a part of it!

Little Anthony's owner Pat Battuello and I have partnered up to make sure that all of your vegan dreams come true. Well, the food-related dreams anyway.

Food For Thought is an all-vegan company that offers all of the vegan baked goods your heart desires and also a vegan catering menu.

Pat, a vegan and animal rights activist has owned Little Anthony's Pizza for 18 years. He has been offering vegan pizza (with vegan cheese) and vegan subs for the last 5 years. Both he and I are passionate about using great tasting vegan food to start conversations about compassionate living.

So where can you get our scrumptious vegan items? Any day of the week you can find an assortment of HUGE vegan cookies, brownies and/or cookie bars at Little Anthony's on 1095 Central Ave in Albany. You can order any other baked good (muffins, lemon bars, cupcakes, cakes, pies, etc.) with 24 hours notice. Catering orders need 72 hours notice and we have everything from hot dishes to sandwiches to breakfast platters.

You can place an order by calling 459-6116. Or for more information you can call the number listed or email Pat or myself at foodforthoughtalbany@gmail.com. For a full list of what we have to offer send us an email and we are always looking for suggestions of items to add to our menus.

Vegetarian Awareness Month

2009-10-01T06:31:00.000-04:00

Did you know that October is Vegetarian Awareness Month? During the month of October you can find events that support vegetarian awareness. I am not sure if there are any events in this area, so here are some things you can do today or this month to get the word out about vegetarian awareness:

Host a vegetarian meal. This can be as simple as just bringing a vegan dessert or dish to work to share with your co-workers. Have the family sit down together (at the table) for a vegetarian meal and talk about how many different vegetarian meals you like and can have each week.

Have a favorite restaurant that doesn't have many vegetarian or vegan choices? Send them an email and let them know that is what you want.

Start conversations with friends and family about why you have made the choices you have made and ask them to participate in some vegan eating this month.

If you aren't vegetarian, learn more. There are some great books available at your local library or book store about every aspect of a vegan diet.

Go on-line and try a new recipe: a vegan one!

Visit a Farm Sanctuary, there are more around than you might think. This is a great place to reconnect with farm animals, learn about them and see they are beautiful, lovable creatures.

I would like everyone one to think about their food choices this month and why they matter to your health, the environment and most importantly the lives of animals.

Matzo Ball Soup-vegan style!

2009-09-27T17:30:00.000-04:00

I know it isn't the actual time of the year that matzo ball soup is enjoyed, but it was rainy and chilly today and it turns out that matzo ball soup is a comfort food in which I can't do without.

I was 25 years old the first time I had matzo ball soup (and it wasn't the vegan kind). My mother-in-law invited us over for some matzo ball soup and we accepted, even though I was pregnant with terrible morning sickness (that lasted all day) and I had no idea what matzo ball soup was. My husband assured me that it was good and that I could just sip the broth if I was too queasy.

It turned out that I liked it, but my icky stomach didn't let me get the full effect. Fast forward a few months when my husband's grandmother, Grandma Nema, made matzo ball soup for us. Wowie wow! I fell in love with it, even though I saw the remnants of the chicken bones that the broth was made out of in the garbage after the meal. (I wasn't vegan or vegetarian then, but I still cringed at bones.)

Since becoming vegetarian and then vegan, I have had to pass on the matzo ball soup when we are with my husband's family. So my mission was to make a really good Vegan Matzo Ball Soup!

I tried it with tofu and while it tasted good, the texture wasn't the same and most of the balls wound up falling apart in the cooking water. I tried and tried again experimenting with different ingredients and nothing worked the way I wanted it to.

Now that my husband is vegan, I really needed to make a good matzo ball for him because I realized that he would never have his grandmother's matzo ball soup again! Can you feel the pressure I was under?

Finally, an experiment worked! It is really great and not complicated. Of course, I don't make my own veggie stock and, I use matzo ball mix, but a girl has to cheat sometimes!

Here it is:

Vegan Matzo Ball Soup

1 1/4 cups Matzo Ball Mix

6 tsp Ener-g Egg Replacer

4-6 TBS Warm water

5 TBS Canola Oil

1/2 a Medium sweet onion

1 large Carrot

one carton vegetable broth

Put the matzo ball mix into a medium size bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the egg replacer with 4 TBS of the warm water and then add the canola oil and stir a few times. Add this to the matzo ball mix and mix with a fork until evenly moistened. Add the other 2 TBS of warm water if the mix feels too dry. Put the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes.

Put a pot of water the stove and bring to a boil while the matzo mixture is chilling. When 15 minutes is over, roll the matzo mixture into balls the size of ping-pong balls. Make sure to squeeze tight, you may also need to wet your hands. After all of the balls are rolled and turn the burner down to low and wait 30 seconds or so for the water to calm down a bit before dropping the balls in. Place a lid on the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

While the balls are simmering, grate the carrot or two and onion. I use the fine side of my box grater. Place a medium pot on the stove and heat a tablespoon or two of oil. Then add the carrot and onion and cook for 2 minutes and add a carton of vegetable stock (preferably, low sodium) and a cup of water.

When the balls are done, place in individual bowls and cover 3/4 of the balls with broth. Enjoy!

What is your reason?

2009-09-23T10:56:00.000-04:00

There are many reasons to go vegetarian or vegan, what was yours? Was it environmental reasons? Because factory farming is the leading cause of pollution? Did you realize that if it weren't for factory farming there would be no hunger in the world?

Was it animal rights? The senseless suffering and torturing animals have to endure to make your dinner complete? The cruel practices of factory farms, the fur industry and the entertainment industry, too horrific to be apart of in any way?

Or was it health issues? Was your cholesterol or weight so out of control that you decided to trade animal products for a healthier you? Did you have a serious medical condition or are pre-disposed to a disease that plant-based eating can correct?

What did it for you and why?

Can't we all just get along?

2009-09-22T12:10:00.000-04:00

Vegfund holds a special place in my heart

2009-09-14T20:21:00.000-04:00

I interviewed JC Corcoran the other day for an Albany Vegan Examiner.com article about Vegfund. I have to say that I am so excited about Vegfund and their method of vegan outreach, because it is food-based outreach.

If you are not familiar with Vegfund, they fund the cost of food, serving supplies, educational literature and table/booth rental fees, for an individual or organization to bring free vegan food to local events like farmers markets, art fairs, concerts, or nearly any non-veg event you can think of.

This is such a terrific idea, and even though it has been done in the past by some outreach organizations, Vegfund has made this available on a much larger scale: 325 events have been funded since February 2009!

I guess the reason why this is so important to me is because my goal for the past 4 years is showing people that vegetarian and vegan food is delicious. It isn't bland salads and celery sticks. It is rich chocolate cakes and savory pasta dishes.

I found that Vegfund and I also have the common goal to use food to start conversations about how a plant-based diet is a great lifestyle change. When someone tastes something vegan and they say "This is great, I can eat this!" then they tend to be more open-minded about why they should eat this way.

We all know how hard it is to have someone, a spouse, doctor, whoever force a diet change on to you. But when the conversation is second to food, it is a much easier to be open-minded.

Vegfund shifts the focus from what you can't have to what you can have. And like Mr. Corcoran said "Food is the gateway to people's hearts."

Venturing into the meatless world

2009-09-13T19:54:00.000-04:00

I got an email the other day from a woman that would like to feed her family less meat. She asked for some meal ideas, and she asked that they be nothing too elaborate. She also said that she probably isn't going to be vegetarian or vegan, but wanted some ideas for quick, tasty, meat-less meals.

It got me thinking. Does the typical omnivore think that we vegans eat elaborate, hard to prepare meals? This is very interesting to me because usually people are just so dumbfounded trying to think of what in the world we eat.

You don't need a culinary degree to be vegan. You can have some basic skills and prepare some very healthy, vegan meals. There are so many great vegan and vegetarian cookbooks on the market and so many great websites that offer meat-dairy-egg-free recipes that it really isn't hard at all to jump in and give it a whirl.

Furthermore, it is very easy to take a few of the meals or foods that you are already eating and make them meat-less or vegan. Here are some examples of some veg versions of many people's favorite foods:

pasta: w/marinara, broccoli (and other veggies), oil and garlic

veggie chili

pasta fagoli

salads: green, pasta, macaroni, and potato

soups

baked potatoes: loaded with veggies or salsa

bean burritos or tacos

lasagna

It isn't hard to cook and eat like a vegan. I think it probably takes the same amount of meal planning that anyone takes. In fact, I sometimes think it is easier. Just open the fridge or the pantry and see what you have and throw it together. It is better than all the pesky thawing you have to do as a meat-eater!

Here is what I had tonight for dinner and it took 15 minutes to make: Lemon-garlic pasta with pine nuts and sauteed green and yellow squash. Tasty, quick, easy and satisfying.

For more info: goveg.org, vegweb.com

Who needs gelatin and eggs and...

2009-09-10T19:36:00.000-04:00

all that other crap when you can have
VEGAN LEMON BARS!!!

(Sorry for the caps and the excessive punctuation) But, dude, did you see that lemon bar? Holy crap and they taste awesome! Ok, these were a little time consuming, but totally worth it.

Accidentally Vegan

2009-09-08T18:06:00.000-04:00

Ok, so now you are vegan and you are excited and proud, but you secretly wish you can have some of the packaged foods that you loved so much since making this new commitment to your health, animals and the environment*.

There are some packaged foods that are vegan by accident. They are just some of those colorfully packaged foods that line the shelves of your local supermarket. And here you were thinking you would have to live without them.

Here are some of my favorites when I am craving something comforting in a bright colored, crinkly package.

Vienna Finger cookies

Teddy Grahams (cinnamon, chocolate)

Twizzlers

Dum Dums

Jolly Ranchers (hard candy and lollipops)

Jujyfruits

Keebler animal crackers

Ritz Whole Wheat Crackers

Smarties (US version only)

Snyder's Pretzel Sticks- Pumpernickel/Onion

Stacy's Pita Chips (naked and cinnamon-sugar)

Sunchips (original)

Fruit Sorbet

Triscuits

Life Cereal

Alphabits

Cocoa Puffs

There are many more. Most dry breakfast cereals are vegan. Many breads, English muffins and bagels are vegan also. There are many baking mixes that are vegan.

Some of my other every day favorites are : Bisquick Reduced Fat baking mix. This is great to have on hand for quick biscuits and pancakes. (Ener-g egg replacer works great with it!), Smart Balance Light spread, and many Old El Paso dinner kits.

Always remember that companies do change their ingredients, so you should always check the labels and if you really aren't sure contact the companies directly. There is a brand or two or "soy yogurt" out there with casein in it, so you never know.

Happy Eating!

For more accidentally vegan products go to Peta's I Can't Believe It's Vegan page.

* disclaimer- The products listed may not be good for the enviroment.

Animal testing

2009-09-08T07:11:00.001-04:00

In my quest for living a life of compassion I have discovered that I need not only avoid products that contain animal products, but I should also avoid products whose companies use animals for testing or research.

"VIVISECTION is animal experimentation—cutting, burning, shocking, drugging, starving, irradiating, blinding and killing animals. An estimated 25 - 40 million animals in the U.S. suffer and are killed each year in laboratories for biomedical experimentation, product and cosmetic testing, and in education."-from the New England Anti-vivisection website.

So what can we do to stop these terrible practices?

Here is a list of cruelty-free companies, while I know one can't memorize such a list, I suggest you study the list and decide before you shop. You can also take this list and educate yourself on products already in your home.

I urge everyone to take a look at the list and see if the items you have in your medicine cabinet, etc are on that list. If a favorite product of yours doesn't not appear on a cruelty-free company list then you have some choices.

One would be stop purchasing that product entirely. The other would be to contact the company and let them know how much you love their product, but you are considering not purchasing it anymore because you have found information that are are or maybe testing on animals.

Make sure your charitable contributions are not going to medical charities or universities that fund vivisection.

Do your research before you make a donation or check into organizations that you already donate to and see if they contribute to vivisection in any way. If they do then tell them why you will no longer be donating to them.

Go to the NY's Capital Region Vegetarian Expo to see Theodora Capaldo EdD president and executive director of the New England Anti-Vivisection Society, one of the nation's oldest animal protection organizations speak on the topic "Animal Research: Is it good for your health?"

We can all make a difference. I know you have heard it said that we vote 3 times a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner). We can exceed 3 times a day by voting every time we wash our hands, our hair or spritz on perfume.

Fun at the Fair?

2009-09-05T23:23:00.000-04:00

We went to a local fair yesterday evening. Mostly to get out of the house, enjoy rides and people watch. I try to avoid the barns where farm animals are on display because I can't stand to see cows chained up so close to a wall or fence that they can only stand or lay down in the same spot or chickens crammed into cages with blue or red ribbons on them.

I do not believe that any animal should be kept in a cage for any reason. Not lions, pandas, dogs, cats, mice or chickens. They should remain free to live their lives like we do. I do not like the fact that people also "raise" them for prize-winning events.

When we did wander close to the animal barns I noticed that people were gawking at the animals like they were exotic creatures that they have never seen before, like they were strange rare creatures, instead of something they see everyday, wrapped in plastic in the grocery store, or on their plates for dinner.

I had to wander closer and watch these people who were just amazed at these animals, and contemplate why there is such a big disconnect between cows, chickens, goats and the everyday pet dog or housecat.

Why is it that so many people get outraged when a dog or cat is hurt, killed or abused, but people are still ignoring the animals on their plate that are tortured worse than most domesticated animals could ever be?

I see the animals that live with me the same as the animals that live on any
grass-fed, organic farm, or factory farm. The same as a deer in the woods, or the squirrel outside my window jumping from tree to tree.

I found myself being ashamed to be at the fair. I guess I didn't realize what the fair is about: farming contests and competitions. I was guilty of the disconnect as well, seeing the fair as a family-fun time with rides and gooey snacks.

So I started asking myself questions: How are these animals treated? Do they like being hauled to the fair grounds for a week to stand there and be gawked at and talked to by strangers who know nothing about them and how they should be treated and respected?

I ran into another complex and ethical issue. I think I will forgo the county fair and next time I am looking for family fun and rides, I will stop by an amuzement park or street festival.

Albany Vegan Examiner

2009-09-03T19:05:00.001-04:00

Dear readers,

I am writing to you today to share an exciting opportunity that has come my way. I have joined the team at Examiner.com as their Albany Vegan Examiner. Examiner.com is a great website where visitors can read and get inside, local information about numerous topics.

The information that I will be reporting on at examiner.com will be different from that of my blog. I will be writing articles, how-to pieces, recipes, tips, local resources, product previews and reviews, commentary on trends, best-ofs and more. The best part is that all of these articles will be about vegan-related issues and vegan happenings in the Albany area. The style of writing on examiner.com is that of news articles.

My blog will not change and I will still be posting here as often as I do now. I will try my best to keep the content of both websites exciting and fresh. I welcome any comments or ideas so please contact me.

Thank you for reading. I sincerely believe that if it weren't for my readers here, at Living the Vegan Way, this opportunity would not have been possible.

Nicole

My first love

2009-09-01T07:46:00.000-04:00

I love breakfast. There, I said it and I am not ashamed of it. I look forward to it from the moment I wake up every day. While I am making my tea, I am day-dreaming about what I will have later that morning for breakfast.

I sometimes plan my breakfast the night before, by announcing to everyone : "that (insert name of leftover) will be my breakfast for tomorrow". They know that means "you better not even think of eating it!"

Breakfast is a special meal. It is a time for comfort food. It is a time to refuel, recharge and thank your body for that great night of sleep you just had. Duh, that is why they call it the most important meal of the day!

You can have anything for breakfast. Delectable scones or a moist muffin or cold pizza or spaghetti. You can have breakfast for dinner or brunch for lunch. How many restaurants advertise "Breakfast served all day" ? It is so awesome that you can have it all day!

Skipping breakfast is just wrong. It makes you miserable and ugly and makes you eat unhealthy crap later in the day without thinking. (It is your body's way at getting back at you for neglecting it.)

I try not to make breakfast boring, like having wheat flakes and soy milk every morning, but sometimes I am guilty of having the same thing day in and day out. For example, I love Moo Moo Museli and have that on mornings when I do not have a lot of time to devote to making a big breakfast. I do try to mix it up by using different "milks" like almond, vanilla rice or chocolate soy over it. I put fresh berries on it when I have them on hand and I even try to make it hot every so often. (I also have Museli for snacks and lunch sometimes, I really like it.)

On mornings when I have more time I have been known to go all out for breakfast. Here is a list of some of my favorite vegan breakfasts. Note that I have had these at all times of the day and in place of lunch and dinner and, well, whenever I need a smackerel of comfort food.

-Pumpkin French Toast topped with walnuts and real maple syrup with veggie sausage on the side.

-Banana-Date-Walnut Scones (pictured) with a schmear of vegan margarine

-Scrambled Tofu with zucchini, peppers, spinach, onions and garlic with oven "fried" potatoes.

-Whole Wheat Pancakes topped with sliced bananas and walnuts and maple syrup

-Oat bran muffins with strawberry preserves, fruit salad

-Peanut butter and banana sandwich on lightly toasted wheat bread

-Homemade Tempeh sausage crumbles combined with hash browned potatoes and peppers and onions.

-Tempeh bacon, on a toasted bagel with a slice of rice cheese

-Chocolate Chip Pancakes (stacked high)

Meet Steve

2009-08-28T21:51:00.000-04:00

My first encounter with CBS 6 reporter Steve Flamisch was when I sent him a comment after watching a story he was reporting on about a month ago. He sent a reply to my comment within about 5 minutes and it set a series of emails in motion between him and I.

In those emails I learned of Steve's concern for animals. He mentioned in one email that he carries a cage, a leash and collar, animal handling gloves and a list of 24 hour veterinarians in his car at all times in the chance that he comes across an animal in need.

I became intrigued by this man that is part of the WRGB Fact Finders team and wanted to learn more about him and why animals are important to him. So I caught up with Steve Flamisch earlier this week by phone and we spoke about his thoughts on animals and animal issues.

Steve said that animal rights is "the issue about which I am most passionate." He learned this passion from his mother who lives in central New Jersey, and used to be active in animal adoption. "All of our animals came from bad circumstances," he relates as explaining how his mother rescued their black lab from a garbage can along with another puppy, which his mother found a home for.

Other pets he had while growing up were four rescued cats, his grandmother's dogs and parakeets, a hamster, Max, and his pet mice, Felix and Oscar. "My favorite animals are rodents, " he says with a chuckle.

It looks like his love for animals has been around for a long time as he has always had the habit of throwing out any sticky traps wherever he went to school and worked. He also refused to do any animal dissections in school.

Now fast forward to the present and it seems many of the stories Steve writes or reports on are about animal issues. Steve says that animal stories tend to be the most viewed on the CBS 6 News website (http://www.cbs6albany.com/). That led me to ask Steve about how difficult it is to be a reporter and have such strong feelings about animal rights.

"No matter what, I always report both sides [of every story]," said Steve, also stating that some stories could possibly be a conflict of interest if they regard animals as a nuisance. For example, a story on a case of rodent infestation in a public building spurs an investigative angle, which would "put pressure on the city to act to exterminate." That would be where the conflict of interest would come in, extermination is against his beliefs.

"I think the biggest disconnect is that people do not realize that animals have feelings too." says Steve. He talked about many stories he has done, including one about a Foie Gras factory in New York State, when he was with a Syracuse station. Steve decided to show a graphic video demonstrating the happenings in the plant on the air because he " wants people to understand how terrible this is."

Steve was called upon once to do a story on a dispute between a landlord and tenant. When he arrived at the residence to speak to the tenant, a woman whose electricity was turned off by the landlord in frigid weather, he was appalled at the evidence the woman showed him of the neglect of her landlord: 11 dead kittens. Steve contacted the SPCA for fear that the other 5 kittens and 16 adult cats (many of which were pregnant) would come to the same horrifying end. The SPCA showed up an hour later and wound up taking all of the remaining kittens and all but 7 of the adult cats. Turns out this woman had run-ins with the SPCA before too.

"I think a lot of people that commit animal cruelty crimes get a slap-on-the-wrist, which is unfortunate, but that is all the criminal justice system allows," says Steve. For example, a recent story of his about a golf course employee ramming a Canada goose and subsequently killing it with a golf cart ended with the man being charged by the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) with one charge of an attempt to take water foul out of season, which resulted in a $50 fine, plus surcharge.

While Steve's apartment and his hectic schedule doesn't allow for any companion animals at this time, he is still always on the lookout to help animals in need. Through keeping his animal rescue equipment in his vehicle and continuing his investigative reporting as a member of the CBS 6 Fact Finders team and making donations to animal rescue groups.

He also stressed how we can do little things to help animals like remembering to turn any pails or buckets around the home up-side-down for fear a small animal may fall in and not be able to get out and starve to death.

He is currently working on a story now about how a certain brand of cat food may be killing cats, which can be found on WRGB's website.

It is Steve's New Year's Resolution to become vegetarian, and he is collecting information on that subject now.

I hope Steve stays in the Captial Region for many years. I believe he is an asset to our area and community in so many ways.

Yum.....Pizza!

2009-08-28T11:07:00.000-04:00

Pizza, mouth-watering, loaded-with-toppings, thin-crispy-crust, garlicky, oregano-y, pizza.

Then you wake up from your dream and realize you have to go to the health food store and try out yet another crappy vegan "mozzarella" and be disappointed, wind up ordering Chinese and your pizza itch never gets scratched.

Well, my crunchy-granola, tree-hugging, vegan friends be disappointed no more!

We went to Little Anthony's Pizzeria for dinner last night and ordered an 8-cut pizza with vegan mozzarella, vegan chicken and peppers. We decided to eat there and take in the pizzeria smells that I never thought I would enjoy again.

We started with a salad loaded with veggies and olives, that we all shared while waiting for our pizza to cook.

When owner, Pat Battuello, personally served us our pizza it was hot and melty. I couldn't wait for it to cool down so I started cutting it up with a knife and fork and dug right in blowing on each piece to cool it a bit before eating it.

I don't want to use a cliche here to describe this pizza, so I will just say that people watching probably thought that we haven't eaten in years. We scarfed the whole 8 slices down in no time with some grunts and "mm-its--mmm-good" while chewing.

I will say that the cheese was melted, but not runny and the pizza crust was crispy. It was spectacular, really.

I can't wait to try out some of Pat's other vegan options at Little Anthony's like the vegan meatball hot sub or the vegan bbq riblets for pizza topping in the near future. I really believe his vegan options are so good because Pat is vegan himself. He puts effort into making sure the vegan options are good by trying out different vegan cheeses and searching for more vegan items to put on the menu.

So my vegan friends, and curious non-vegan friends, run down to Little Anthony's Pizza tonight at 1095 Central Ave, Albany and try out a vegan pizza. Hey and while you are there, tell I sent ya! Chao!

Adoption

2009-08-27T07:15:00.001-04:00

Adopt-a-Pet.

One of the easiest ways to help animals is to adopt one from a shelter or rescue group. Did you know that there are over 4 million healthy, adoptable companion animals killed in shelters each year due to overcrowding?

Many people in search of a new pet are not aware of how many pets are available at shelters and they think that pets that are in shelters are there because there was a problem with the animal. In fact, most pets end up in shelters not because of any problem pet behavior, but because an owner died, moved, or simply didn't have the time or money to care for the animal. Sometimes an animal was lost and never found by their owners. These animals are healthy and very eager to please. Rescues pets are wonderful- I should know, I have 3!

Maybe you or someone you know is seeking a purebred animal or puppy and think these are not available in shelters. In fact, nearly a quarter of all animals in shelters are purebred. Often someone buys an expensive purebred animal and then attempts to breed that animal to recoup their money. Often these puppies or kittens are not placed in homes, and end up in the shelter.

So, you may ask, how do I find out about what animals are available in shelters or rescue organizations in my area. Try Adopt-a-Pet.com! Adopt-a-Pet.com is the world's largest non-profit pet adoption website. They are like an ad agency for shelters and shelter pets.

Their website makes it easy for anyone with an Internet connection to find profiles and pictures of adoptable animals by location, breed, gender, age, size, and color. Over 8,000 shelters posts pets on our website displaying over 125,000 pets available for adoption at any given time. We also help volunteers connect with shelters, and currently host over thousands of people listed in our volunteer database for shelters.

On the Adopt-a-Pet website, there is a unique feature called “Search Saver.” This feature will notify users by e-mail when a particular pet of their specifications is available for adoption. For example, I can tell “Search Saver” where I live, and what type of breed I am looking for. When that animal is available, I am notified the next time a pet matching my search is added on Adopt-a-Pet.com.

As of this summer they have now made it easy for visitors to find pets and then recommend them to friends and family via Facebook, Twitter and other social applications. They are calling the idea “Social Petworking.” Here is how it works; once you have searched and found a pet in need, on the pet details page, simply hover over the button labeled “SHARE,” there you can send the pet details page to any of your friends. For more information visit this page http://www.adoptapet.com/socialpetworking/signup.

I can tell everyone from personal experience that adopting a pet in need of a good home is very rewarding. Not only because you are doing the right thing, but because these are loving, healthy animals that will really enrich your life.

Of course not everyone is ready at this moment to adopt a pet, so what else can you do to help? Social Petworking is a great option or you can add your info to Adopt-a-Pet’s volunteer database so shelters who need volunteers can find them. You can search for shelters in your area and go to their websites for a list of much needed supplies that you can collect and donate. Cash donations are always accepted and needed. Or you can simply visit your local shelter and ask how you can help.

Living the Compassionate Way.

2009-08-25T08:33:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about different ways we all can help animals. The best way, of course, in my opinion, is to become vegan. But there are many ways for everyone to help animals of all kinds.

I will be exploring some animal rights issues in a series of posts over the next couple of weeks, along with some ways that all of us can do more to help animals big and small.

For those of us, vegan or not, looking for ways to make a difference or to volunteer time stay tuned...

Green your way back to school

2009-08-22T07:02:00.000-04:00

With school starting in a few weeks I know that parents are running around like crazy purchasing school supplies and shopping for new outfits. Here are a few ways to spend less and teach your children the 3 R's--Reduce, Reuse and Recycle--at the same time.

School supplies. Look over the list and circle things that you can reuse or recycle from last year before you hit the stores. Pencil cases and pencil boxes, for example, do not need to be purchased new from year to year. Do you have a box of colored pencils laying around the house that have been used once and just need to be sharpened? Sharpen them, there is no need to buy a new box. Did any folders or binders come home from last year in good shape? Also, try out markers you already have to see if they work well. This will save time on shopping and save money.

Lunch boxes. Try to buy generic lunch boxes, without characters on them, so these can be used year to year. I recommend the Lap Top Lunch system. (laptoplunches.com) These have reusable containers that fit snugly inside along with reusable utensils and even enough room for a cloth napkin. You can personalize these lunch bags by purchasing a small tube of 3 dimensional paint at a craft store and embellishing it with your child's name and maybe a design or two. If you don't have a Lap Top Lunch system, remember to pack your child's lunches in reusable containers, not plastic baggies to cut down on waste. You can also follow the "generic" rule with backpacks.

Clothing. I know this will make the older children cringe, what about checking through your child's closet to see what still fits before purchasing a whole new wardrobe for the upcoming school year. If many of his/her jeans, for example, still fit, and are in good shape, then focus on tops and maybe one or two new (and I use that term loosely, see below) bottoms.

Thrift shops, consignment shops and garage sales are a great place to find new, with the tags still on or gently worn clothing for kids. It not only keeps these items out of the landfill, but by purchasing items in thrift shops you can help a great cause. Consignment shops and garage sales do the same, this time helping your neighbor.

You can also have one of those ever popular clothing swap parties in your home. These are very popular with people from every walk of life and it is great for the planet. Invite some friends over, have light refreshments and have everyone bring tons of children's, women's clothing, whatever theme you choose. Try to keep a 'green' theme by having cloth napkins, real plates and glasses. This is also great time to try out some vegan dessert recipes too. Type 'clothing swap party' into your favorite search engine for loads of ideas.

If your children scoff at any of these ideas, then have them think of their own ways to help out the environment and save you some money in the process. Perhaps you can reward them with that 'must have' item they have in mind. By enlisting their help you are teaching them valuable lessons and maybe school shopping won't be as stressful from now on.

Have any other ideas about saving money and staying green this time of the year? Post your ideas below.

The best souvenir ever!

2009-08-19T14:50:00.000-04:00

Since the NY's Capital Region Vegetarian Expo is right around the corner on Saturday September 19th I thought I would spotlight what I brought home with me from the first expo two years ago.

Along with vegan cookies, a belly full of vegan food, some samples and a whole lot of literature I brought home this little guy! His name is Hopper. He is now a little over two years old. He is an american short hair cat and he has 3 legs.

He was in a cage with about 5 other kittens that were being adopted out from a Horse Sanctuary Farm. As you can imagine a horse barn or anything of that sort in the country has many cats running around.

Well, as my husband says, the "horse-lady" saw me coming from a mile away and when my daughter and I bent down to look at the cute kittens she began to tell me that the orange one has 3 1/2 legs. (We will get to why he only has 3 now, in a minute)

Awww, the poor thing, was my first thought and my husband knew it was over from that point. We walked around the expo and I kept telling my husband that no one will probably adopt that kitten because he is "damaged goods" and people want perfect pets, perfect everything.

We continued to walk around the expo and have lunch and then, well we had to go right by the "horse-lady's" table, so I might as well see if the kitten is still there, and maybe, well, hold it.

So I asked if the 3 1/2 legged kitten was adopted and they looked at me like I was crazy and said no. "Can I hold him, please?" One of the ladies went right over and scooped him out of the cage and gently laid him in my arms.

I asked how much the adoption fee was. They told me it was $25 and I promptly signed the papers and paid the woman.

We took him home on the spot and he has been a big joy in our lives ever since. He sleeps with me most of the night and my daughter part of the night. He greets me in bed every morning when it is time for me to wake up.

Now, I can't guarantee that there will be kittens up for adoption this year at the Expo, I didn't see any last year. But the expo does usually have the grayhound rescue group there and ASPCA is there too. There may be other rescue groups, you never know.

Ok, now I know everyone is wondering why Hopper's 1/2 leg is no longer there. When he was about 6 or 7 months old he developed a large, swollen sore on the bottom of that 1/2 leg. I took him to the vet and they said that it was trauma from him running around and bumping it into everything. So I followed their instructions to hot-pack it and put neosporin on it. Well, long story short, it wouldn't heal and I woke up one morning to blood on the floors on my house.

I was so upset, I brought him back to the vet and asked about amputation. They said that was probably the best option. So we went ahead and had the procedure done. It took two weeks of healing and living in a (large) dog crate with a cone on his head and me sleeping next to him on the floor and feeding him by hand and giving him water with a syringe for him to be his old self.

Now a year and a half after the surgery, Hopper is a very rambunctious, happy, healthy cat. He is a definate presence in our house, he greets all visitors at the door. He loves to play with us and with our two chocolate labs, Cletus and Chloe. I can't image life without him.

Come on, take the leap!

2009-08-18T07:13:00.000-04:00

If you are like me, it took way too long to go from vegetarian to vegan. There were probably many reasons at the time that I thought were good reasons for my hesitation. Like the ever whiny, "But I love cheese" to deciding to let meat-eaters tell me that being vegan is unhealthy.

Let's face it, no matter what your reasons for being vegetarian, you can (and should) use those same reasons to become vegan.

Dairy and eggs are no healthier for you than meat. They are filled with saturated fats and have no fiber. And the protein myth? Come on look around, everyone is getting too much protein, along with that comes the bad fats. Does obesity epidemic ring a bell?

Eating animal products can actually result in osteoporosis! The amino acids in these "foods" are high in sulfur which, must be neutralized by buffers in the human bones. The bones dissolve to release the buffering materials, eventually resulting in osteoporosis-says John McDougall, MD, in the October 2009 issue of VegNews Magazine. Milk does a body good, right?

Do you also delude yourself into thinking that eating dairy and eggs doesn't harm animals? Puh-lese! Cows, contrary to popular belief, do not just give milk their whole lives. They have to be pregnant, like humans, to "give" milk.

Cows are impregnated (artificially, mind you) and they give birth to their calf, that is taken away immediately. The males are used for veal and the females are held onto to become dairy cows. So by consuming dairy you are fully supporting the veal industry!

Then the "mothers" are hooked to machines, inside a barn for 10 months until the whole process begins again. They are not happily grazing in the fields like the commercials would like you to believe.

Egg-laying hens are not treated any better. They are jammed into cages, are de-beaked and never get to spread out their wings or relax in the sun. Hens usually live for 5 to up to 10 years, but after 56 weeks of laying eggs they are sent off to be killed. It isn't cost effective at that point to keep them because their egg-laying abilities have declined too much.

These hens will never be able to scratch around in grass or be a part of a flock. Did you know that chickens have the brain power to recognize up to 90 other chickens in the flock and remember who is at what rank in the pecking order. So much for the term "bird brain", huh!

All that I am saying is to really check out your reasons for not going all the way to veganism and educate yourself. Maybe if you think of how these animals are treated every time you eat a piece of cheese or order a scrambled egg it will poison your tastes against that food just like you did with meat.

I am not saying that vegans are better than vegetarians. We all have to start some where to change the world. I just know that I wish I had this information a lot sooner, for myself, my family, the environment and the animals.

Saturday Morning...Fresh Bagels!

2009-08-15T09:57:00.000-04:00

I finally got up the nerve to make my own bagels. I usually am afraid to make anything that required yeast and kneading, but I remembered that I do have a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment so I decided to give it a go.

I used the recipe that is in Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan Brunch. I started at 7 am this morning and we were eating fresh, homemade bagels by 9:10. It was very easy and they were very delicious! My husband said they taste like they came from the bakery and my daughter just said "Yummy!"

We also realized that the cost was a little over $1 a dozen. (The recipe yields one dozen) That sure beats $7 a dozen buying them somewhere and I know what went into them. I used King Arthur's white whole wheat flour (unbleached).

The recipe, like all of Isa's, was easy to follow. She always gives precise directions. It took little time and really no hard work, if you have a stand mixer. The only tricky part is getting them all to look alike. I think that probably comes with practice. But they look great to me!

If you don't have the book, I think Isa has the recipe posted on her site somewhere. (www.theppk.com)

I was in such a rush to try them that I just put some Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese on mine. Forgetting that I have a bunch of scallions from the farmer's market in which to make Scallion Vegan Cream Cheese or maybe Sun dried Tomato-Basil Vegan Cream Cheese.

I do have to say that most bagels are vegan, with the exception of the kind that have cheese in them or french toast bagels. You can ask your bagel baker for a list of ingredients. Sometimes the blueberry bagels have some dairy that coats the blueberries before putting them in the dough.

However, for a little over a buck, you can make your own with little time and with fresh ingredients. And you will always have vegan cream cheese at home!

PCRM 21-Day Vegan Kickstart Program: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine 21-Day Vegan Kickstart

2009-08-14T07:23:00.001-04:00

PCRM 21-Day Vegan Kickstart Program: Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine 21-Day Vegan Kickstart

Shared via AddThis

I know that there are some vegetarians out there and even some omnivores that would like to try veganism. Well here is the chance to get your toe wet and maybe change your life for the better!

The PCRM, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, is launching a 21-day Vegan Kickstart program to begin on September 8th.

During these three weeks you will have an all-access pass to:

-Daily e-tips that will put you on the path to weight loss, better health, and greater well-being

-A delicious, easy, and satisfying recipe sent every day that will help you break your cravings for unhealthy foods

-Weekly motivational nutrition webcasts featuring Dr. Barnard

-Social support of other Kickstart participants through a message board where nutrition professionals answer your health and diet questions

Go to:

http://support.pcrm.org/site/PageServer?pagename=21day_vegan_kickstart&autologin=true

to sign up to start receiving countdown emails and join the program. What have you got to loose? (Maybe a few pounds) Even if you are just curious, sign up to read more about the program and why a vegetarian and vegan diet is beneficial to your health.

I signed up so I can see the program and maybe I will even learn a thing or two. I will post during that program and hopefully some of you will share some of your experiences on the program.

PCRM's website is loaded with facts about eating healthy and it is my go to source for nutrition (especially for children),research, preventative medicine and recipes. Go to http://www.pcrm.org/Health/

I sincerely hope you all join in. I will also start a discussion on Living the Vegan Way's Facebook page about the program!

Here's to your health!

Going through "The Change"

2009-08-11T15:04:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about how a vegetarian or vegan transition is sometimes difficult. It is different for everyone I suppose, and maybe not difficult at all for some and maybe difficult in many ways for others.

The reason why this has been on my mind is because my husband is 6 weeks into his new vegetarian life. I have been quiet, mostly, just listening and answering questions he has about everything veg. I also know that he is the kind of person who is comfortable in his skin all the time. No matter what.

But he said something to me this morning while getting ready for a golf tournament that he was attending today. He asked me "What if there is nothing for me to eat at the lunch today? What if it is all hamburgers and hot dogs?"

I told him to pack a snack and to be prepared. (Well, first I said, "Welcome to my world.") He added, "I don't want to have to eat a hamburger because I am hungry and there is nothing else."

I understand what he means. There have been times that I have not eaten because there was nothing I could eat a one gathering or another. To me it isn't a big deal anymore, but early in my transition it was hard and it was hard not to just give in and eat, especially because I used to really, really care what people thought. Now I just eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich in the car beforehand.

When he first began to eschew meat, I was trying to read his mind and I was thinking that he was going through the same things I went through when I started out. The fear of not being accepted, being made fun of, accused of being "better than everyone else".

I would only tell people that I thought would accept me and my new decision. I would tell people that I wasn't hungry when someone offered me a food that I chose not to eat. If I was at a restaurant and there was a piece of chicken on the plate of my vegetarian meal, I would choose not to complain about it for fear of bringing attention to myself. (This happened twice, by the way.)

I never wanted to start a debate, or argument, with anyone about my choices and why they were right for me. I didn't want to have to spend time out with a friend defending myself and my choices.

Then there is my husband, A man who loved meat. A pound-of-bacon-in-one-sitting, 2-gallons-of-milk-a-week, too-cool-for-school, rugged, man's man. (He would tease me in front of our friends by bragging that he eats steak all of the time.)

Then bam! He reads a book or two and grudgingly comes along to Farm Sanctuary with me and 6 weeks later he is still not eating meat or drinking milk. What an about face, right? You would think he is being ridiculed because he would always talk about having meat whenever he wants. Or at least being accused of his wife making him do it.

No, not the case. He is just simply living his life. He made up his mind and there is no changing it. He doesn't care what anyone says.

Maybe if everyone was like him there would be more vegetarians or vegans in the world.

I am glad, though, that he was concerned about his lunch today. At least I can pretend that he is human!

But seriously, I guess we both taught each other something. I helped educate him about his food choices and why they matter to his health, the planet and animals. But before I even accomplished that, he taught me that what I think and my choices matter and to not hide or be ashamed of them.

He also encouraged me to start this blog and to be passionate about what matters to me most.

This post is dedicated to him. Chris... Thank you for always being there no matter if we agreed on the subject at the time or not.

Food Inc.

2009-08-09T12:38:00.000-04:00

We finally saw the film Food Inc. this weekend. Although I was pleased with the movie in many ways, I am trying to look at the movie from different perspectives. From a vegan perspective, a "conscientious omnivore" perspective and a person who just shoves whatever there is in their mouth without a second thought about it (oblivious omnivore) perspective.

All in all I thought it was a well put together film with plenty of good information. This was a very suitable movie for the general public. It is a good place to start for the oblivious omnivore. If you can get them to see the movie at all. Most people do not want to know what they are eating. It is human nature, I think, to be afraid of the unknown, or in this case, afraid of knowing.

The "conscientious omnivore" (and yes, I know, we don't all agree on this term, so bear with me) might get alittle more out of it. Especially if they are still eating packaged foods. It might get them to move beyond the grocery store and move more to the farmers market, if they weren't already there to begin with. It might help them make the conversion to a vegetarian diet. (hopefully)

As for the vegan viewer, parts of it may have been a bit frusterating. The filmmaker did touch on some animal rights issues, but this was not by all means a "go vegan" or "animal rights" movie. They were still showing how to "humanely" slaughter chickens and suggesting that local meat was the best choice. They didn't get into how unhealthy meat or dairy is. So it was lacking there.

The film did have a lot of ground to cover, there is so much to this issue, that a mere 90 minute film won't solve all of the food problems in our counrty.

The thing about the movie I liked the best was that it was about people: farmers, workers and consumers. They showed how very low-income families have to choose between a small amount of vegetables and a fast food meal for the little money they have to spend.

They talked about how the way we eat is making us sick and unhealthy-obese and riddled with diseases like type-2 diabetes and heart problems. They talked about people, children mostly, who have died because of tainted meat and e-coli contamination. About how farmers, the "little people" are being exploited by the giagantic, powerful company they are growing for whether it be meat or vegetables.

By having experts and authors like Michael Pollan (The Omnivore's Dilemma) and Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation)it gives the viewer opportunity to do more reading and research on the subject. I am hoping so any way.

The only large problem that I have with the movie is that it wasn't shown in the mainstream theatres, like the ones in the mall. (at least not in my area, anyway). I think films such as this should be more available for the general population to see. I can see where small towns probably would never have access to this type of movie.

I am hoping when it comes out on DVD that more people will view it and have access to it. Please share your opinions if you have seen the film.

Vegan-Friendly in Schenectady

2009-08-06T07:34:00.000-04:00

I Love, Love, Love, the Moon and Rive Cafe on S. Ferry Street in Schenectady. My friend Susan and I found it while desperately googling for a vegan-friendly place to eat. We were pleasantly surprised to find something so close-by that was exactly what we were looking for.

When we arrived we were starving, so when we sat down to look at the large menu, we were overwhelmed by, oh I don't know, happiness! So we asked friendly owner Richard Genest if we could start with some organic chips and salsa, some guacamole and water.

As we browsed the menu, we notice that many of our favorite comfort foods were there starting with vegan smoothies, which we promptly ordered next. I got a peanut butter-banana (anyone who knows me knows that this is my favorite sandwich) and Susan ordered a SOB smoothie (strawberry, orange and banana). We sipped and shared and they were Awesome!

Then we decided that we couldn't decide on a lunch so we turned to Richard for a suggestion. He suggested the ginger soy chicken with vegetables. Since I couldn't get the tempeh reuben out of my head we decided to get both and share only as friends should do in this situation. Richard made the reuben vegan for us and we ate that while waiting for the ginger soy chicken.

The reuben was delicious and when the ginger soy chicken arrived we understood why Richard suggested it and why it is one of the ten most popular on his menu. The ginger soy chicken was served on a bed of fresh sauteed summer squashes, asparagus, peppers and onions.

After devouring the rest of our lunch we wandered over to the desert case to check out the offerings. I chose a vegan chocolate pie and Susan chose a non-vegan carrot cake. I enjoyed my smooth, rich, chocolate pie with some chai tea and Susan enjoyed her cake with a cup of coffee.

We were satisfied physically and mentally after this meal and decided that this is our new favorite place to eat.

Moon and River Cafe is 90% vegetarian and vegan friendly. They have music every night and are open daily from 9 am to 11 pm. They have an eclectic menu with breakfasts, Mexican food, sandwiches, and dinners. There are many coffees and teas to choose from also. Oh, and don't forget the vegan smoothies! You can check out their website www.moonandrivercafe.com for a calendar of events and menu.

Remnants of my Pre-Vegan life

2009-08-04T09:09:00.000-04:00

I was never the type of person who would buy shoes, purses or belts only if they were leather. I actually never put much thought into the material that the things I bought were made out of. I would just buy it if the price was right and if I liked it.

Now that I am vegan and have decided to live the vegan life 100% (or try to anyway), I am going through my closet to see what is made out of man-made materials and what is made from animal products. I have to admit that I really didn't know which one of my purses or shoes were leather or vinyl. I never looked.

During this blind mission in the depths of my closet I found that out of all of my purses (about 15), only 2 are leather, and 2 do not have tags which tell me if they are leather or not. Those are actually the ones I bought on Canal St. in NYC, so who knows?

Out of all of my shoes (there are a lot of these) about 4 are leather. Both pairs of cowboy boots I own are man-made. All of my belts, hats and such are not animal-products with the exception of one sweater that is wool.

So what do I do with these remnants of my pre-vegan life? Do I wear/use these animal products? Do I donate them or throw them away? Do I pack them away somewhere? These are the dilemmas of trying to live an ethical life.

I checked some vegan message boards and the arguments all seemed valid to me. Some people said that tossing these things would just add to the waste problem that our planet has. After all you can't save these animals, and the damage is done, you bought and paid for them already. Some vegans said that you should absolutely not wear/use them because of your new commitment to this ethical life. What is a girl to do?

Perhaps giving them away to a friend may be the best choice. For now, I have separated these non-ethical items from the rest and I am not using them as I search deep inside for the "right" answer.

In the meantime (and for now on) I will look at the tags and know what material everything I purchase is made from. I already have a favorite website for purchasing vegan shoes, purses, belts, etc. www.veganchic.com. I purchased a pair of cowboy boots, a pair of flats and a rockin' pair red of strappy heels from them, all vegan!

I realized that there are many "designer" brands out there that do make vinyl/canvas/animal-free purses and bags and shoes. I guess we just need to read the tags and educated ourselves on the impact of all of our purchases.

After all it is all about living the vegan way.

A Taste of the Mediterranean in Albany

2009-08-01T20:32:00.001-04:00

Ok, so you live in the Albany, NY area and you are looking for a restaurant to have a nice dinner at. Oh, and you are vegan. What do you do?

Well, my family and I went to BFS Restaurant on Western Ave in Albany last night to see what this Mediterranean restaurant has to offer. I was pleasantly surprised when I browsed the menu to see 10+ vegetarian appetizers, 4 vegetarian salads, an assortment of vegetarian sandwiches and wraps and a page on the menu devoted to vegetarian entrees. Most of these items are already vegan or can be veganized upon request.

Although I had always known that BFS existed, I thought it was more of a sandwich shop. While going through the restaurant list of a local discount dining card that I have I came across BFS and found their website and realized that they were more than a sandwich shop. They have a complete eclectic lunch and dinner menu with choices ranging from Lebanese to Moroccan to NY style deli sandwiches, soups and salads.

While on the website I also learned that they offer cooking classes! They also do catering for many different occasions on- or off-site and they also offer event planning. So you could see why I had to go there right away!

We started with some Chick Pea Dip and some pita bread. I ordered the Vegetarian Du Jour, an entree which consists of Lentils Sauté, vegetable & spinach korma prepared with Mediterranean Spices, served with basmati rice pilaf and roasted red pepper Hummus. (it is usually garnished with imported feta, but I asked the waitress to leave it off.) My husband ordered a vegetarian special which was portabella mushrooms and vegetables in fillo dough topped with feta with mixed greens and chick peas dressed with roasted red pepper hummus. My daughter got the standby kid-friendly grilled cheese and pasta salad.

The hummus was probably the best I have ever tasted and the my dinner was fresh and delicious. My husband and daughter were very happy with their meals also. The price of the food equaled the quality and taste and our waitress was informative and attentive.

The ambiance of BFS was relaxing and there was some live acoustic guitar music to listen to while you dined. The owner Shaw Rabadi was on hand to greet each table and ask how our evening was going.

At the end of our meal my husband asked if we could use our discount card and the waitress explained that it is only valid Mon-Thurs (our visit was on a Friday evening). (I saw a sign in the restaurant on the way back from the restroom that had said the same at the same time my husband was talking to the waitress). The waitress apologized and went to get our check and came back with the check and a plate of complimentary desserts, an assortment of pastries and cookies, to make up for any misunderstanding regarding the discount. We were very impressed by this show of exceptional customer service.

We will definitely be back at BFS soon for their fresh, delicious food, warm homey atmosphere and great customer service. I also think I will be making an appearance at a cooking class session there this fall!

Cookbooks

2009-07-31T09:40:00.000-04:00

I have a modest collection of vegan and vegetarian cookbooks. From the usual one everyone has (even the non-veg's have it, you know for Meatless Mondays and such), 1000 Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Gelles to You Won't Believe It's Vegan! by Lacey Sher and Gail Doherty. While I refer to all of my cookbooks on an almost daily basis, there is one author whose cookbooks I couldn't live without.

I actually have 3 of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's cookbooks. Without Isa and her vegan knowledge and rockin' humor I don't think my veg transition would have went so smoothly.

I can't tell you which is my favorite, but here are the ones on my shelf:
Vegan with a Vengeance, Veganomicon (co-written with Terry Hope Romero) and Vegan Brunch. Alas, I do not own Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, but I have given it as a gift on one occasion or two. But I think a trip to the book store is on my list of things to do today.

These books have gotten me through the best and worst of times and I know that when I am going somewhere and need to bring a dish, especially one that will impress and in some cases make people say "I thought she was vegan" I flip through one of Isa's books and there is exactly what I need.

It is great when I tell people that "Yeah, it's vegan. I got the recipe from a book called Veganomicon." Most people ask me to send them a copy of the recipe.

The best part about these cookbooks is that you don't have to log on and cyber shop for the ingredients. Most of the ingredients are right in your grocery store or natural foods store. They are not 5 ingredient simple, but I think for the most part anyone can follow one of her recipes.

Every baked good recipe that I have tried has come out picture perfect! Like Lower-Fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake to Carrot-Pineapple Sunshine Muffins.

Isa and her sometimes co-author Terry go from the basics to the most complex. They have a veganized recipe for some of you old favorites that you might miss, like Vegan Matzah Ball Soup or Lasagne (with cashew ricotta).

While I have many of my own recipes I love to browse the vegan cookbook section of the book store and see what is new. It is always fun to try new things and when you are vegan there are so many foods out there to try and combine in thousands of different ways!

See you at the bookstore and in the kitchen!

Black Bean-Avocado Lettuce Wraps

2009-07-29T14:50:00.000-04:00

New recipes come to me in weird places or at strange times of the day, or night. I was exhausted after a very long day recently and while drifting off to sleep avocados and black beans danced around in my head, and then they jumped into lettuce sleeping bags to rest for the night!

So the next morning while sitting with a cup of green tea and a peanut butter and banana sandwich I put pencil to paper to work out the details. I threw it together a little while later and had it for lunch. This would also make a great appetizer. I promise to start posting more pictures soon, but for now here is the recipe:

Black Bean-Avocado Lettuce Wraps

1 Avocado, diced

1 cup Canned black beans, drained and rinsed

2 TBS Finely chopped red onion

1 medium Tomato seeded and chopped

1/4 cup Lemon juice (from one lemon)

2 TBS Fresh Lime Basil, chopped

6-8 Leaves of Red Leaf or Green Leaf Lettuce

Salt and Pepper

Combine the first 4 ingredients into a bowl. Add half of the lemon juice and gently stir to combine. Add the lime basil and salt and pepper to taste. Lay out the lettuce leaves and spoon filling into the center of each one. Simply roll and plate each roll with loose end down (you can use a toothpick to secure each one). When they are all rolled and ready to serve, drizzle with the last of the lemon juice and top with some fresh ground pepper.

(Even though these are wraps I do use a knife and fork to eat them because the filling is very heavy and they are hard to pick up and eat. If you really want some more carbs and make it an on-the-go-lunch just stuff the lettuce leaves into a pita and then add the filling!)

Vegan 101

2009-07-27T19:27:00.000-04:00

It seems that I have been answering so many questions lately about veganism. Probably because I am telling everyone about my blog. I am finding that so many non-vegans really do not know much about veganism, so this entry is mostly for my non-vegan readers, but I would LOVE it if my VEGAN readers put their two cents in with stories about why they chose veganism and to fill in anything I may have left out.

A Vegan (VEE-gun)is someone who chooses not to consume animal products, including: meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin. Most vegans also choose not to buy or wear animal products such as leather, wool, fur, down or cosmetics or other products that are animal tested or contain animal products. It is a philosophy, diet and lifestyle.

There are various reasons why someone would choose this extension of vegetarianism. Veganism provides benefits to animal's lives, the environment and to human health.

Veganism is compassion in action. It is an important part of a cruelty-free lifestyle. The dairy and egg industries also harm animals by slaughtering them when their production rates decline. The veal industry is supported by the dairy industry. (To read more about this go to farmsanctuary.org, vegforlife.com, peta.org)

Feed for farm animals requires land, water, fertilizer, and other resources that could otherwise be directly used for producing human food. Animal agriculture takes a devastating toll on the Earth.

The consumption of animal fats and proteins has been linked to heart disease, colon and lung cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension, obesity, and a number of other debilitating conditions. Cows' milk contains ideal amounts of fat and protein for young calves, but far too much for humans.

So what does a vegan eat?

This is the most common question about veganism. A vegan diet consists of all grains, beans, nuts, seeds, legumes, vegetables and fruits and the infinite number of foods made by combining them! It is a plant-based diet. Some vegans also convert their companion animals, especially dogs, to a vegan diet.

There are also vegan specialty foods like vegan burgers, hot dogs, cheeses, ice cream and chocolate. I think just about every baked good that exists can be made vegan.

So there you have it, a short, sweet explanation about veganism. I would love to hear some comments from vegans and non-vegans alike.

Organic Matter

2009-07-25T08:40:00.000-04:00

We hear so much about buying organic and avoiding pesticides. We know that organic produce looks better most of the time and is better for us. We also know that is it really expensive. And the grocery store is already a scary place to visit. So what is a gal (or guy) to do?

I did some hunting around to find some produce that really should be purchased as organic and some that we really shouldn't worry all that much about in the organic department.

Here is the MUST PURCHASE ORGANIC list:

1. Strawberries

2. Peaches

3. Nectarines

4. Pears

5. Apples

6. Celery

7. Bell Peppers

8. Potatoes

9. Spinach

10. Lettuce

Here are some that DO NOT need to be purchased organic in general terms because their exposure to pesticide is less than the list above.

1. Asparagus

2. Avocados

3. Bananas

4. Broccoli

5. Cauliflower

6. Sweet Corn (apparently this could be genetically engineered.)

7. Kiwi

8. Mango

9. Onions

10. Pineapples

I am sure these lists aren't complete, however, most lists that I came across contained these items.

But there is a compromising solution here. You don't have to break the bank buying EVERYTHING organic. You can buy half your grocery list or so organic and know that you are making a healthy, informed choice for you and your family.

Obviously, it is always good to eat lots of fresh produce so mound up those plates and if the organic version isn't available it is still ok to have it. Your local farmer's market will have a lot of items from both lists and they will most likely be organic so stock up and learn how to freeze some fruits and veggies to have in the winter months.

Growing your own is another option. Use organic soil and/or start your own composting system. Remember that the less time between picking and eating the better to get the benefits that nature intended.

What's for Dinner?

2009-07-20T06:35:00.000-04:00

One of the questions I am usually asked when someone learns that I am vegan is "What do you eat?" Some people go so far as to ask what I "actually" have for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Well, dinner is probably the hardest thing to figure out when transitioning or starting a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle. We all have programmed in us the meat, potato, vegetable layout of a dinner plate that is often part of the Standard American Diet (SAD). For some people it can be hard to think outside the box and what to serve for dinner can be even more complex than before.

Here is a sample of a typical week of dinners on my family table. Note that some DO resemble the SAD plate, but it is all vegan!

Vegan Lasagna with garlic bread and a green salad

Lentil Shepard's Pie

Tempeh Reuben's, baked potato "fries" and steamed broccoli

Brown rice and chick pea casserole with sauteed greens

BBQ tempeh, corn-on-the-cob, and pasta salad

White bean-sun dried tomato spread on endive with raw veggies

Vegan veggie pizza

Watkins Glen vegan dining.

2009-07-14T07:57:00.000-04:00

Food is always a concern when I am traveling, as I am always thinking of my next meal, so I was pleasantly surprised to find so many vegan-friendly establishments in Watkins Glen. Farm Sanctuary has a printable vegan dining guide on their website siting many places in Watkins Glen and surrounding areas such as Ithica, although none were totally veg.

The first thing I did when arriving in town was to seek out the local natural foods store called Good Groceries. This cozy little store was very well stocked with all types of vegan foods like vegan "ice cream" sandwiches, vegan meat replacements, vegan sour cream, vegan cheeses and snacks. There was also a counter with many vegan cookbooks for sale and literature about the area. There were also natural foods store staples like vitamins and teas and green cleaning products. I picked up some veggie burgers for the grill and some vegan cookies.

We had dinner one night at the Crooked Rooster Pub and Wildflower Cafe on the main drag. They had a veg section of the menu with six vegetarian options that could be veganized upon request. I ordered a Moonrose "rib" sandwich which came with fries and a side of coleslaw. The sandwich was a little dry, so I topped it with the vegan coleslaw. (I didn't ask if they had vegan mayo.) I asked the waitress to please tell the kitchen my idea of having the coleslaw on the sandwich, she thought it was a good idea too.

That same night we decided to have dessert at the Great Escape Ice Cream Parlor. They offer soymilk milk shakes and vegan soft serve ice cream. Their cake and sugar cones are also vegan. When I asked what flavors of vegan ice cream they have the man behind the counter said "chocolate" and "peanut butter". I was speechless, for a few seconds, but he added that he can twist the two flavors together. I then snapped out of it and said, "I'll have the t-twist on a cake cone, m-m-medium please." It was terrific and I was in heaven. The vegan soft serve had a nice smooth consistency and not icy at all.

Ok, I try not to play favorites, but there is always one. I actually visited this next place two times, once for lunch and once for breakfast. The Glen Mountain Market has many vegan options from seitan sandwiches and subs to vegan pastries.The Glen Mountain Market is part coffee shop and part deli. The front has a cozy coffee shop feel with about 6 tables and a counter stocked with all sorts of pastries and where you can also order from their extensive coffee menu that varies from the basics like espresso and lattes to special coffee blends. They also have chai teas, steamers and hot chocolate. All drinks can be served hot or cold. There are also an assortment of smoothies with fresh fruit and weekly smoothie specials like peanut butter and chocolate chip.

The back part of the cafe has a deli counter where they make all sorts of subs, sandwiches and salads. The coolers that surround the deli area have a large assortment of drinks that include soymilk in different flavors.

The day I went for lunch I ordered a seitan sub with bacon-mushroom flavored seitan and veggies. It was scrumptious. I nice change from the "salad subs" I usually get when going to a sandwich place.

I went there for breakfast the next day because I had to get in on the vegan pastries. I was given a choice of raspberry, cinnamon and cherry. I choose the raspberry. It was a very generous sized pastry that consisted of flaky pastry with raspberry preserves in the center and a crumb topping. I also ordered a chai tea and the girl behind the counter, who was very friendly, asked if I wanted my chai tea with soymilk (which of course I did.) I sat at a high table, alone, and enjoyed the locals, a group of older men, chatting away and admiring one of the men's artwork of Seneca Lake.

There are many other vegan-friendly places in this area that I didn't have time to visit. I will hold onto my vegan dining guide from Farm Sanctuary for my next visit to the fingerlakes region. At least I know that in this region of New York State, I do not have to do any guess work when it comes to eating. I will always know where my next meal is coming from.

Here is the link to the vegan dinig guide on Farm Sanctuary's website:
http://farmsanctuary.org/farm/assets/FS%20Dining%20Guide%20NY%20brochure%204-29-09.pdf

My trip to Farm Sanctuary

2009-07-12T18:38:00.000-04:00

Some people like to go to the beach on vacation, or a big city. I go to the country. Ever since I heard about a place called Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY I knew I HAD to visit!

The best way to explain Farm Sanctuary is the mission statement from their website: Farm Sanctuary works to end cruelty to farm animals and promotes compassionate living through rescue, education and advocacy. We envision a world where the violence that animal agriculture inflicts upon people, animals and the environment has ended, and where instead we exercise values of compassion.

(They actually have another location in California, but that is for another time, another vacation.)

I fell in love with the whole place as soon as we pulled into the farm. When you arrive you enter the "People Barn", a big red barn with a museum-like quality complete with an interactive computer spotlighting the animals currently on the farm and some background about them, displays of life-size models of the battery cages in which chickens are kept, gestation cages in which pigs are kept on factory farms and so on. There is also a video room, where any visitor can help themselves to a selection of DVDs and videos to view in a semi-private space and a childrens play area. The spacious gift shop has books, apparel, jewelry, mugs, magnets, and a selection of vegan snacks and beverages. (Farm Sanctuary asks that no animal containing or based food products be brought onto the property out of respect for the animals.)

Guided tours of the farm take place every hour on the hour from 11 am to 3 pm in June, July and August. The cost for the tours are $3 for adults, $1 for children under 12 and children 3 and under are free.

The tour starts out in the video room with a short video explaining what Farm Sanctuary is about. The video touches on some disturbing facts about factory farming, which prepares the visitor for the condition in which they will see some of the animals.

After the video our group was led out to a field which we walked across (watching out for cow pies) to enter the cow barn. This is not a stand-behind-the-rope tour. You get to walk among the animals and pet them if you choose.

I throughly enjoyed petting the cows and watching them walk around right next to me. Next we went to visit the sheep and goats. The sheep are alittle more skiddish, but the goats are very friendly and welcomed a scratch on the head or two.

Next we went to see chickens and turkeys. This is the part that the video prepares us for the most. The beaks on most of these birds were seared off with a hot blade to prevent injuries caused by excessive pecking as a result of the unnatural, overcrowed conditions of a factory farm. The turkeys were friendly and came for a petting and the chickens were mostly sunning themselves relaxing with their wings sprawled out-which by the way, they never get to do on a factory farm, where they will never see sunlight.

The geese and duck pen was last on the tour only because Farm Sanctuary has voluntarily decided to restrict visitors to enter the pig barns because of developments of the H1N1 virus. None of their animals at either facility have any symptoms of infection, and they do not wish to jeopardize the health of the animals in their care, who may be at risk of contracting this virus. We did get to sneak a peak from distance, though.

When the tour has concluded, vistors are welcome to walk around the farm, but cannot enter any animal areas or barns without Farm Sanctuary staff.

I left Farm Sanctuary with a stillness inside of me, I was sad and happy at the same time. The stories of these animals are very sad and the fact that these cruel practices are still going on is disturbing, but seeing the animals in a happy, clean, relaxing environment also made me happy that someone is making an effort to do the right thing.

I also left with a vegan bumpersticker, pin, postcards and t-shirt! And a brochure about the adopt-a-farm-animal program, and a vegan recipe brochure.

So, if you ever find yourself in the Fingerlakes region of New York State, make a trip to Farm Sanctuary and enjoy the sights and the animals. You can also stay at their bed and breakfast right behind the People Barn. There are 3 cabins where you can overlook the perfectly manicured farm and get some perks like a vegan breakfast, a chance to help out around the farm with some of the staff and a private tour.

www.farmsanctuary.org

Can you say McGross?

2009-07-08T20:30:00.000-04:00

I was driving to the library today minding my own business listing to some good music when a commercial came on that made my gag-reflex kick in. The new McDonald's 3rd pound Angus burger! Did anyone watch Morgan Spurlock (Supersize Me) puke after eating a double quarter pounder with cheese and super sized fries? (My eyes are still watering.)

What happened to McDonald's and the fast food industry's new commitment to healthier options? Is the economy crisis supporting unhealthy, cheap eating?

Apparently, in my research (aka, googling), McDonald's mission with this burger-that by the way, ranges from 740-850 calories depending on which style you choose- is to compete with other burger chains by making this burger more "up-scale". The cost is $3.99. It has a bakery-style bun and red onions, mushrooms, swiss cheese, etc. A value meal for this burger runs around $6.

I think if the economy gets you down and you "really" want to go out for fast food, you can do it much healthier. For instance, Panera has, for about the same price of the McD's value meal, a bowl of low-fat vegetarian black bean soup for about 140 calories and for a side, get the apple instead of the white baguette (ok, have the baguette, if you have to, it is way better than greasy, salty meat.)

Or how about Subway, for half the calories and a little under the value meal price you can get a foot long veggie delight (no cheese, please). You can even eat half for lunch and the other half for dinner!

A clip from the Today Show spolights a team of McDonald's employees in lab coats performing some of the up to 200 tests to develop their new "product". I don't know about you, but when I am picking a tomato from my garden I am not wearing a lab coat or saying to myself what a great "product" it is.

I guess if you really want to be healthy, economical and green, I recommend BYOL (bring-your-own-lunch). It is the best way to get a healthy meal for a great value, with little or no waste and, oh yes, no lab coats.

A Vegan Cafe?

2009-07-06T19:23:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite places to eat vegan is the Four Seasons Natural Foods Cafe on Phila Street in Saratoga Springs. They have an extensive buffet with soups, salads, hummus, and hot entrees. They also have vegan desserts- cakes, muffins, pies and cookies. You can order vegan shakes and smoothies too. The best thing about Four Seasons is that everything is vegan! (and delicious!) It is nice to be able to walk into a cafe and help myself to a buffet and order a smoothie without asking a ton of questions about the ingredients!

I call it mindless-conscience eating!

I was there last Friday and this is what I ate: wild rice with veggies, mushrooms, and walnuts; pasta salad with raw broccoli and pesto; black bean salad; tabouli; tempeh with veggies; and fresh fruit. I ordered a smoothie which has soymilk, tofu, strawberries, blueberries and bananas. For dessert I got a huge piece of vegan carrot cake to go. I didn't eat all of this myself. My daughter and I split it all, we took the cake to the park and ate it after a go 'round on the carousel!

After our bellies were (too) full we went back to Four Seasons and stocked up on all of our vegan favorites in their Natural Foods store. This included soy yogurt, vegan cheese, tempeh, and peanut butter (it was on sale) and almond milk.

Four Seasons Natural Foods is open 7 days a week. VIsit their website for cafe and store hours and check out their links section for a great list of websites to view! www.fourseasonsnaturalfoods.com

Sunday morning at the Schenectady Greenmarket

2009-07-05T14:28:00.000-04:00

My Sunday mornings usually go the same every week. I start with a pot of Jasmine Pearls green tea and the morning paper, then we all eat breakfast, grab our canvas bags and head down to the Schenectady Greenmarket. (we DO get dressed first!)

When I get there my first stop is usually to the Mu Mu Muesli tent to see Lisa and Mike and pick up a bag (or 3) of their raw, unprocessed, delicious muesli. You can usually spot their tent from a distance because of the crowd of people in front of it tasting the muesli and yogurt samples they have on their table. When you finally get through the crowd, Mike and Lisa are there to greet you with a smile and a love for their product (and life). I am addicted to this healthy, wholesome cereal with 8 natural ingredients including dried fruit and whole grains (so are many of my friends). You can visit their website www.mumumuesli.com and you can also purchase some muesli on-line, but I do suggest heading down to the Greenmarket to meet them in person!

Next I wandered over to the Vegan Creations tent and picked up a seitan strudel. They had other strudels for sale, including a vegetable one and also an assortment of different flavored hummus. You can find Vegan Creations at the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market on Saturdays 9 am- 1 pm (www.troymarket.org) and once a month at the Schenectady Greenmarket.

At theBarber's farm tent, I bought some garlic scapes and a huge head of swiss chard. I love approaching the Barber's tent because the staff/family always greets you with a smile and willingness to help, offering great cooking tips and recipes for all of their veggies.

We then took a seat and listened to Running the River, a four-piece acoustical band that plays a blend of irish, folk and country music. That is when I enjoyed my seitan strudel and my daughter and husband ate a apple strudel.

I ran into a friend and we checked out what we had in our bags and then we browsed around for a little while longer, looking at booths with everything from local fruits, jewelry, hats, to herbs and breads.

Speaking of breads, my last stop is usually at Our Daily Bread, where most of the breads are vegan (the ones with cheese in the name are not, obviously). I usually get a fresh loaf of whole wheat artisan. The have a great assortment of artisian, bagette and sandwich breads. The artisan ones especially are yummy a few days later made into vegan pumpkin french toast.

When we get home, we unpack all of our goodies and start meal planning.

The Schenectday Greenmarket is held outdoors every Sunday around city hall in Schenectady from 10 am -2 pm. Go to www.schenectadygreenmarket.org for a list of vendors and entertainment.

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

What a great day to begin a new blog. Today is really a day of new beginnings, I think sometimes we loose sight of that. Today is not a day for only picnics, parties and fireworks, but a day to reflect on our freedoms and give thanks to those who came before us to provide those freedoms for us.

I think that we should pay those freedoms forward to each other and to the animals around us. Today is not only a day to reflect on freedom, but also to reflect on compassion.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes about freedom and compassion. Please take some time to reflect on each one and have a great holiday!

"It is easy to take liberty for granted when you have never had it taken from you."
-M. Grundler

"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves" - Abraham Lincoln

"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it"
- William Faulkner

"I am in favor of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being." - Abraham Lincoln

"The greatness of a nation and it's moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated." -Ghandi

"Freedom is not enough." - Lyndon B. Johnson