Livin’ Veg

Mercy For Animals Dairy Investigation On ABC January 28, 2010

Mercy for Animals just released footage of their latest investigation. What’s the topic? Dairy farms. ABC gave them great coverage showing the inhumane treatment of dairy cows. I normally avoid the video…it’s too hard to watch but this, because it was on primetime gets the point across without spiraling a person into a state of depression and anxiety.

They talk about milk’s fabulous marketing campaigns with happy healthy cows and people. The reality is perpetually pregnant cows, tail docking without pain relief, open wounds, violence from the workers towards the animals and little or no space to move for the duration of their lives. Click here for the full story and video or visit Mercy for Animals for more information. Note, the footage on the MFA site is going to be way more graphic than the footage on ABC.

Repost the article to your facebooks, twitters and whatever else you have. The truth about dairy should be shown to the masses. We can help spread the word!

Daiya Cheese On Everything! January 27, 2010

Last week my Whole Foods finally started carrying Daiya cheese. For those of you interested, it’s in the prepared food section near the pizza dough, pizza cheese and sauce. It’s labeled “vegan cheese” and says Daiya.

The first thing I made with it - because I missed them so so much - were nachos. Yep, the ones in the picture to your right with black beans. I have also made pineapple/onion pizza and tomorrow night is taco night. I am living in cheese bliss. I really can’t remember the last time I had a nacho. And as much as I adore salad pizza, I’m super happy with my new daiya cheese pizza.

When you get your fancy new daiya cheese make sure you note that you don’t cook it like regular cheese. You put it on when the dish is nearly cooked just long enough so that the cheese can melt. Cook it too long and it will burn. Read more cooking instructions here. For pizza, I cook my dough with thin slices of tomato/onion first, then when the dough is just turning brown at the edges, I take it out, add my daiya and my pineapple and put it back in for a few minutes. I keep an eye on it and as soon as the daiya is melted, I take it out and enjoy.

Has anyone else tried cooking with it yet? What have you made?

Still Made Fun Of At 28 January 26, 2010

I went veg when I was eleven. I had the support of my parents and a best friend who went veg two years prior. That was all the support I needed at that age to keep me on track even when I had the rest of the 7th graders and some extended family making fun of my decision.

It turns out that at 28 years old, life isn’t all that different now. It’s seventeen years later and being veg is much more common. We have our own food sections at the supermarket. We have our own fashion labels. We have health and science on our side. We have the environment and animal welfare on our side. And yet, being made fun of is still a pretty regular occurrence. Inevitably some omnivore at the table will ask for bloody rare meat while laughing in my direction or make some comment about an animal dying while smiling. It hasn’t gotten old for them, even if it became boring to me over a decade ago. Happily, I’m made fun of less now than I was in grade school. But the only reason for that is because most of my friends are veg. Among my omnivorous friends, the topic comes up again and again. And I’m not the one starting it.

My husband is new to the veg world. He hasn’t taken the total plunge. He eats meat maybe ten times a year and only if it’s free range. No factory farmed products for him. He is baffled by people’s lack of understanding and their need to make fun of people who make eating decisions based on their ethics. Why should anyone be the object of ridicule when they are living by their beliefs? His opinion - He thinks people are intimidated by those who live by their values. So few people do it. He’s not even veg and he gets made fun of!

I agree with him. I can’t think of another reason to push so hard against a decision that effects no one but me. Anyone else have a thought? Are you still made fun of years later? Why do you think that is?

Number Of Farm Animals Killed Drops! January 21, 2010

In Vegan Outreach’s weekly newsletter, I received some fantastic news.

Here it is:

“The total number of land animals killed for food in the U.S. in 2008 was down 0.6% from 2007, at 10,279 billion, despite a 1% increase in U.S. population, according to data extrapolated from the USDA.”

The population went up but the amount of animals slaughtered went down. That’s pretty remarkable. With more veg options available in pretty much every super market, and health reports released daily on the benefits of eating less meat, people are taking notice and changing their habits. I don’t know about you but so many people in my life have reduced the amount of meat they eat for health reasons. Some have gone completely veg for ethical reasons.

I remember seventeen years ago when I was eleven, being a vegetarian was a little more fringe. We had no sexy vegan shoes (just payless) and no whole section in the super market devoted to our needs. Soy milk is now a staple in many people’s homes. So are veggie burgers.

What’s my point? We’re doing good work. The message is getting through. Lives are being saved. Keep up the great work and take a moment to pat yourself on the back. You’ve earned it. We all have.

Pigs Buried Alive In Snow For “Research” Stopped By Activists January 20, 2010

When animal testing comes up in conversation, many people bring up the usual, “But animal testing saves lives and helps develop cures to diseases.” This may be true in part, but the vast majority of animal testing has nothing to do with human diseases. Most are done for students to learn, for products to be tested or other inquiries having to do with seeing how much a body can take emotionally and physically.

Case and point. A study conducted by scientists in Vienna has just been put to a stop due to an outcry from animal activists. What were they doing? They were burying pigs alive in snow to see “what factors make it possible for humans to survive an avalanche in an air pocket until rescued without suffering permanent brain damage.” And yes, the pigs would be buried until they died. The scientists claim that the pigs feel no pain because they are heavily sedated.

As I said above, they were trying to discover the factors that make it possible for a human to live under snow after an avalanche. However, since no one can control how a person becomes trapped, this test is indeed just a cruel and ridiculous indulgence of curiosity. Not exactly the kind of reason lives should be used.

Read the article here…

Live In A Tiny House January 19, 2010

I like things. I’m a thrift store addict. I love clothes, jewelry, furniture etc. I try to counter these resource wasting urges by buying used items but I recognize that it’s not the most eco friendly thing in the world to have so much stuff. The more stuff you have, the bigger the home you need to put it all in. My husband and I live in a 1000 square foot 2 bedroom apartment. We have an eat in kitchen and a large bedroom/living room. Sure our bathroom is the size of a walnut but we get by. However, we talk about wanting a house. We’re sick of stepping on carpet when we leave our home. We miss grass. We miss privacy. But apartment living is usually more eco friendly. The homes tend to be smaller and you’re sharing resources with others.

A possible solution? A tiny house! I just came across this article that shows the tiniest homes you’ve ever seen. Homes less than 100 square feet with living spaces and lofts upstairs for sleeping. A tiny studio apartment built into a house. Where would I put all my stuff? Well, that’s the beauty. I’d have to clean up my life and donate pretty much everything I own. In return, I wouldn’t have a mortgage. A tiny house is pretty dang cheap! You can build it yourself. And homes smaller than a certain size make it so you don’t have to pay taxes.

I don’t think I’ll be moving into a tiny house anytime soon, but downsizing my life is something I think about. What do I actually need? How big a space to live in is necessary? If I had ten million dollars, I still wouldn’t live in a big house. It’s a waste of resources. But I can do better and when my husband and I do buy a house, smaller just might be the way to go.

US/Mexican Border Wall Inhibiting Wildlife January 14, 2010

The borders that separate countries mean nothing to a herd of bison. That is, until we decide to build a wall along that border because of an immigration issue. In 2005 the Department of Homeland Security waived 36 environmental laws so they could build their 2,000 mile wall along the Rio Grande without any consideration to endangered species or wildlife that inhabits that area.

Krista Schlyer has spent the last year documenting and photographing the building of the wall to observe the impact it has on animals. On the website for the International League of Conservation Photographers, an organization Schlyer works with, they describe the issues like this:

A wall bisecting borderlands habitat will not only disrupt the crucial uninhibited movement of imperiled species, it will curtail the movement of many species that are essential to the dynamics of ecosystems. Animals like javelina, who distribute seeds for many plant species, will be blocked from their role in the environment. Plant movement will be inhibited at a time, when due to global warming, plants will have to transition north or perish. If a steel barrier and destructive immigration and law enforcement activities block their pathways, any hope of recovery will be lost.

Animals that used to move between their water hole in Mexico and their grass to feed on in the states have found that their worlds have totally changed.

Read this article and visit the ILCP’s website for more information.

Vegan Yum Yum Cookbook Review January 12, 2010

I’ve talked about Vegan Yum Yum’s cookbook before, but now that I’ve had it for a while I’ve had time to make quite a few of the recipes inside. So far, I have not been disappointed. Everything from the corn fritters to the pineapple baked tofu with seared pineapple rings and nutty greens to the more simple sweet and sour tofu with broccoli have been outstanding. In fact, (and the vegan world might go crazy if I say this out loud) but…I think this cookbook is better than the Veganomicon. And the Veganomicon had been my go to cookbook for ages! Of course that’s still a great book. I’m just saying there is a new delectable vegan queen in town and her cookbook will make your eyes roll back in your head. I gave it to my mom for Christmas, and she can’t stop cooking from it either.

Something I also love about Lauren’s recipes is her ingredients. Many of her recipes require just a few staples. She likes to use tahini, miso, nuts and other ingredients that keep well. She doesn’t send you searching for expensive hard to find ingredients. And most of the time a food used in one recipe will be used in multiple others. That’s both practical and economical.

If you still aren’t convinced, go check out her blog and make one of her recipes from there. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Big Big Sale At Moo Shoes January 11, 2010

Good news. Moo Shoes is having one heck of a sale on everything from Beyond Skin to Olsen Haus to Novacas and many many more. I don’t think I saw a single pair of shoes on their sale page over one hundred dollars. Including this exquisite pair of heels for ninety nine dollars.

It’s the post holiday season which means the sales are in full force. If you need to procure an item, now is the time to shop. Moo Shoes has boots, heels, and sandals in their clearance section. Check it out by clicking here. And to get off just a little more, use the code “moobargain” for another 5% off your purchase. Happy shopping!

Hospitals In England To Promote Vegetarian Menus January 7, 2010

When I first saw this article, I thought it was going to be about health. But hospitals in England are taking meat off the menu in order to reduce their carbon footprints. They are fighting global warming through vegetarian foods. Meat, as I understand it, will not totally be gone, but it will be greatly reduced.

NHS chief Pencheon said:

“We should not expect to see meat on every menu,” said Pencheon. “We’d like higher levels of fresh food, and probably higher levels of fresh fruit and veg, and more investment in a local economy.”

They also want to stop using plastic water bottles, reuse equipment more often and other steps to become more environmentally friendly.

I love that their healthcare (gov’t run healthcare by the way) sees the link between animal agriculture and climate change. It won’t just be great for the earth. It will also be fantastic for the health of the patients. I can’t even imagine hospitals here doing something like that. We are so far behind in so many ways. I thank the NHS for leading by example and making changes that will benefit us all. Read the full article here…