Livin’ Veg

The Celebration Roast November 28, 2008

Thanksgiving was a great success. We ate amazing food - everything from okra to sweet potatoes to stuffing. I even had a beet and avocado salad as a preview. And man. Everything was great. The Celebration Roast from Field Roast was fantastic. With my mom’s home made cranberry sauce, life yesterday was perfect. Everything on the table was vegan (except a turkey breast my dad, brother and a guest shared). Which of course was sad, but frankly, this was the most vegan Thanksgiving I’ve ever been to. And I think to have everything on the table besides one dish be vegan is a pretty great thing.

So, if you want a great vegan seitan roast, I say go with Field Roast’s Celebration Roast. You’ll love it. I promise. I hope everyone had a great day yesterday and that you weren’t hounded too much by jackass uncle joe. I know I had a lot of things to be thankful for this year. Obama and Prop 2 are just the beginning…

Happy Thanksgiving November 27, 2008

Today is pretty bittersweet, but I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving. Just know that because of your compassion, fewer animals died today. Together, we can make a difference. And we are. Just by thinking of others outside the human species.

Enjoy your food and family. I wish you a day free of family drama, and full of love and laughter (well, that was pretty cheesy, but it’s a holiday, so it’s staying).

The Day Before November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving is tomorrow. It’s not the best day of the year for vegetarians/vegans. Some family members might comment on your dietary choice in a not so supportive way. There may not be much for you to eat if you are going to some one else’s house. And seeing a large corpse on the table is never a good time.

So, now that we’re at the day before the holiday, I strongly urge everyone to cook something that they can eat and share. Afterall, Thanksgiving is about time spent with family - not about Turkey. Sadly Turkey has become a tradition that goes along with Thanksgiving. At my aunt’s house, ham (or as I like to say Pig) is also on the menu every year. I won’t be going to be aunt’s this year, but still. I know what you’re all dealing with and facing.

So my two cents of advice: Cook something. Don’t get in any arguments. If asked about your ethical choices, be curteous, be knowledgable and be a good advocate for animals. Knowing the facts is a big part of it. And not stooping to the level of your crazy uncle Joe is another part. It’s hard, but worth it in the end.

Good News and Bad News November 25, 2008

Let’s start with the good. A pod of pilot whales who beached themselves have joined up with a larger group deeper in the ocean and are doing well. A total of 64 whales beached themselves. The really terrible news is that 52 of them died over night despite rescue attempts. They overheated. But the rest of the whales made it and are looking good. Often times there is a fear that whales will get disoriented again and go to shore. But the survivors of this ordeal are out in the deeper ocean showing that rescue attempts can be successful. Thank you to rescuers and volunteers who made the difference.

Now for some news about Bush. He’s in the midst of pardoning people before leaving the white house. I don’t think I even have to comment on these two. I’ll just say that the man hates the environment and hates animals. Here are two people he pardoned:

Leslie Owen Collier of Charleston, Mo. She was convicted for unauthorized use of a pesticide and violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Milton Kirk Cordes of Rapid City, S.D. Cordes was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, which prohibits importation into the country of wildlife taken in violation of conservation laws.

Melissa Shoes November 24, 2008

Want a pair of vegan, eco friendly, fair trade, ultra stylish shoes that cost less than $100? I’m here to help. Melissa Shoes fit in all those categories and then some.

The best part is, the shoes are recyclable when you wear them out. So they don’t get put in a land fill. They get made into other products. And by the way, Melissa Shoes also turn overstocked styles into into newer designs.

Here are two very versatile styles. But go to The Greenloop for more.

For now, is more specific info for those who need to know it all. Enjoy!

* Sleek flexible body
* Pointed flat
* Made from Mel-flex plastic, a patented, non-toxic, hypo-allergenic, recyclable, and extremely flexible plastic
* Socially Responsible:  high wages, extended benefits
* Cruelty free:  no animal products
* Eco-friendly:  99.9% of factory water and waste is recycled, overstock styles are recycled into new styles
* Produced in Sao Paulo Brazil

Farm Sanctuary Helps With the Holidays November 21, 2008

This year I’m pretty lucky. I’m spending Thanksgiving with my parents, brother, and a vegan friend. My mom, friend, and I will eat a vegan meal. My dad and brother will share a free range small bird from Whole Foods. Of course I’d prefer that it was all vegan, but I feel a little bit better that the bird will be free range and that most of the food will be vegan. That’s very different from all the other Thanksgivings I’ve been to, where I fill up on salads and chips and salsa. Or I had a veggie burger at the center of it all. This year will be different. I’ll be able to eat all but one dish. I’m even thinking about making this yummy looking soup from the Post Punk Kitchen. Check out the recipe here.

For those not as fortunate, Farm Sanctuary is here to help. They have a Holiday Survival Guide. It recommends things like bringing a vegan dish to share and other proactive things you can do to make this holiday season compassionate and fun. They also recommend donating to Farm Sanctuary. They are great, or you can look at yesterday’s post and get a few other ideas for small non profits you can donate to.

Give To Your Favorite Non Profit November 20, 2008

The financial crisis has been bad for pretty much everyone in the country. And when things are bad for people’s wallets, things get doubly bad for the non profit sector.

This season, think of donating to a non profit instead of giving a gift. Or ask your friends and family that instead of a gift you’d like donations to ____________fill in the blank.

Aren’t sure which non profit to give to? Here is a list of smaller non profits that do outstanding work:

Compassion Over Killing
Mercy for Animals
Farm Sanctuary
Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary
Vegan Outreach
Humane Education Advocates Reaching Teachers

Of course there are many great organizations out there. These are just a few of my favorites. Check them out, and if you’d like, in the comments, recommend others.

The Perfect Pre Thanksgiving News Story November 19, 2008

The New York Times has an article about PETA and the torment turkeys endure at factory farms. The article states that animal rights groups exposing cruelty with under cover footage has become a yearly event. As it should be. And this year is no different. PETA has released a new video showing horrific abuse.

Personally I like Farm Sanctuary and Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary’s take. They have a vegan celebration amongst the farm animals.

Take a look at the article in the Times. It’s not easy to read. In fact the details made me feel physically ill. And I didn’t even watch the video. The best part of the article - it’s in the dining section.

Obama Talks About The Ag Industry November 18, 2008

Well, he doesn’t specifically mention animals, but he does say some stuff that I totally agree with.

President Elect Obama said:

I was just reading an article in the New York Times by Michael Pollen about food and the fact that our entire agricultural system is built on cheap oil. As a consequence, our agriculture sector actually is contributing more greenhouse gases than our transportation sector. And in the mean time, it’s creating monocultures that are vulnerable to national security threats, are now vulnerable to sky-high food prices or crashes in food prices, huge swings in commodity prices, and are partly responsible for the explosion in our healthcare costs because they’re contributing to type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, obesity, all the things that are driving our huge explosion in healthcare costs.

We have a leader who recognizes our food system contributes more to global warming than transportation. We have a leader who reads Michael Pollen (which I think is fantastic even though he isn’t veg) And we have a leader talking about the obesity epidemic. Check Check Check. I can feel a new wind a comin.

Click here to read the full interview.

Vegan Holiday Gifts #1 November 17, 2008

Until the holidays are over, I’m reserving Mondays as a vegan gift idea day. Two will be shown - one will be pricey and the other will be very affordable. Here are the first two ideas.

A beautiful Jute purse - $111
Hand dyed with 100% vegetable dyes. Perfect for day or evening activities, and a fantastic gift for any vegan or non vegan lady in your life. You certainly don’t have to just give vegan gifts to vegans. Spread the compassionate love.

Chocolate Bath Truffles - $15
The second is from a fabulous vegan company called Gourmet Body Treats. Now, anything from their site would be a perfect gift, but I’ve chosen their Chocolate Bath Truffles. “This fizzing bath bomb releases healing cocoa butter into the bath and is made with rich pure finely ground fair trade organic cocoa powder.”

Two great gifts that can start you on your way to getting that holiday shopping done.