Monthly Archives: June 2012

ACTION ALERT! GoosewatchNYC to rally TOMORROW!

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Tomorrow, June 27th at 6pm, there will be a rally in front of Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s mansion in protest of NYC’s Canada goose slaughter.  Starting in 2010, after the “Miracle on the Hudson” accident, USDA officials started rounding up and subsequently gassing families of Canada geese.  They choose June and July because the geese and their babies are molting and cannot fly away.  This is a cruel practice and there are more humane alternatives! 

Photo via GooseWatchNYC.com

Photo via GooseWatchNYC.com

Join us tomorrow to protest this inhumane practice.  We will not stand by while the USDA uses taxpayer dollars to kill these innocent beings. 

RSVP on Facebook

Learn more about GooseWatchNYC

Like GooseWatchNYC on Facebook

There is power in numbers!  Speak up for those who have no voice!

Vegan Like Me No. 8

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Vegan Like Me aims to profile fellow vegans, from all walks of life from everywhere in the world!  We’ve all been beginners and I think its important for folks to hear people’s stories in order to motivate themselves to keep going. This feature is intended to do just that.  If you are vegan and would like to participate, get in touch with me and I’ll be sure to send our questionnaire along to you.

Name:  Allyson

Allyson, vegan for 3 months

Where do you live?  Piscataway, NJ

How long have you been vegan?  3 Months

What inspired you to take on a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) diet?   In May of 2008 I decided that I wanted to be vegan for health reasons, but starting from being omni to vegan was very quick and hard for me! I eventually just became entirely vegetarian. Soon, I began to learn not only about the health benefits of being vegetarian, but environmental and ethical factors. The ethical issues that come with eating meat became my biggest reason, as I learned and read and saw more. After visiting a farm sanctuary, and getting wise advice from a long-term vegan, this year I decided I could no longer justify eating any animal products and became vegan! I think part of me knew I always would, but I am glad I did. 

What do you love most about being vegan?  Being vegan means learning all the time – about animals, about new healthful things to eat, about the planet, and about yourself. I feel a very personal spirituality from my own learning, as I find out about things and grow. Also, you get to share your new findings with people you love!

What three items do you always have in your pantry?  This is a hard question! In my kitchen I always have avocado, chickpeas to make hummus, and potatoes!

What is your favorite vegan comfort food?  I have two – the vegan bean chili I make with my boyfriend every week, and roasted potatoes.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about taking on a plant-based (vegan) diet?  The first thing is to go at your own pace – do not pressure yourself to get it 100% right! The second is to be caring, even to people who disagree with you, because they’re still someone in your life and you can’t make them think the way you do right away. The final and most important (to me) is to keep learning, especially about animals – all kinds, even the ones you think are weird or gross or scary. You should find time to volunteer at a shelter or visit a sanctuary, and read, and read, and read some more!

Do you find anything difficult about being vegan?  The hardest part (as most people will say) is going out, because everyone but you eats meat or cheese, so you can’t really ask everyone to go somewhere vegan just for you. I find that as you compromise with people they will do the same for you when you really need it! The only other hard thing is the location of certain items. You’d be surprised where you will find vegan friendly items (Target especially) but some things can only be found at Whole Foods, and they’re not very close to where I live, sadly!

Any other comments or words of wisdom you would like to share?  My three favorite animals are fireflies, dogs (especially Pekes and Pugs!) and black bears, and my favorite Pokemon (because this is so important) is Flareon!

 

Allyson, thank you so much and congratulations on your new journey into veganism.  I hope that someone who is thinking about taking on a vegan lifestyle will see this and take some inspiration from you!  Stay tuned… we may be hearing more from Allyson!

 

Vegan-ize It: Omelette!

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This week’s Vegan-ize It recipe features the delicious breakfast food:  omelettes!  This recipe is a modified version of the original one that Melissa found on FatFree Vegan Kitchen.  Recipes on this website are fantastic and I highly recommend it.

Vegan Omelettes (serves two)

Ingredients

Omelette/”Egg” portion

  • 1 package Mori-Nu extra firm silken tofu
  • 2 tablespoons soymilk
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons tahini
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon tumeric
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • freshly chopped scallions and dill, to finish
Filling
  • cooked kale
  • sliced Daiya jack wedges
  • cooked vegan sausage

Directions

  1. Blend together all “egg” ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth.
  2. Use a non-stick skillet or well seasoned cast iron, spray or lightly coat with olive oil.  Heat on medium-high until hot.
  3. Pour half the “egg” batter into the pan, form into a circle about 8 inches in diameter.  The batter won’t run into shape like a pancake does, so use a spoon or spatula to make it a circle.  
  4. Reduce head to medium-low.
  5. Cover and cook for a few minutes.  You can check the edges with a spatula to see if it has set.  Once it looks like it is starting to cook through, the top won’t look “wet” and you are ready to add your toppings.
  6. Carefully loosen the bottom of the omelette with a spatula before flipping one half over, cook for another two or three minutes.  Top with fresh herbs, hot sauce, or whatever you like to use to finish your omelette!

And there you have it!  Hope you enjoy… I know we totally did!  Have you made a vegan-ized omelette?  Do you have any tips?  Please share them in the comment section.

ACTION ALERT! S. 1921 in New Jersey

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Attention New Jersey Friends!

The New Jersey State Senate is going to soon be taking up bill S. 1921 that would effectively ban gestation crates and make it a criminal offense to do so in the state of New Jersey.  From the Statement on the bill:

 This bill establishes the animal cruelty offense of cruel confinement of a gestating sow as a disorderly persons offense.  The bill defines cruel confinement of a gestating sow as crating, confining, or tethering a gestating sow kept on the farm in a manner that prevents the gestating sow from being able to turn around freely (as defined in the bill), lie down, stand up, or fully extend its limbs (as also defined in the bill).

     The bill specifies that an owner or operator of a farm may commit this offense, personally and directly, or indirectly through directions or instructions to a contractor, consultant or employee of the owner or operator or the farm, but that a contractor, consultant, or employee following such directions or instructions would not be guilty of the offense.  In addition to any other penalties applicable pursuant to Title 2C of the New Jersey Statutes, the bill provides that a violator would be fined for each offense not less than $250 nor more than $1,000, or be imprisoned for a term of not more than six months, or both, and that each gestating sow that is cruelly confined would be a separate offense.

Today I am urging you to get in touch with your State Senator by either calling or emailing them, asking them to support this measure.  While I ultimately wish for the complete abolition of factory farms and animal agriculture, this is a step in the right direction.  Click here to locate your state senator and lets all be a voice for the voiceless!

Please feel free to use the following text in your email:

Dear Mr./Ms. (Insert last name here),
 
I am writing you today to ask for your support of Bill S. 1921 which would ban the use of gestation crates for pigs, making it a criminal act to keep a pig in close confinement that would prohibit the animal from extending its limbs and turning around freely except for the time shortly before giving birth. 
 
Modern breeding sows are treated like piglet-making machines. Living a continuous cycle of impregnation and birth, each sow has more than 20 piglets per year. After being impregnated, the sows are confined in gestation crates — small metal pens just two feet wide that prevent sows from turning around or even lying down comfortably. At the end of their four-month pregnancies, they are transferred to similarly cramped farrowing crates to give birth. With barely enough room to stand up and lie down and no straw or other type of bedding to speak of, many suffer from sores on their shoulders and knees.
 
Numerous research studies conducted over the last 25 years have pointed to physical and psychological maladies experienced by sows in confinement. The unnatural flooring and lack of exercise causes obesity and crippling leg disorders, while the deprived environment produces neurotic coping behaviors such as repetitive bar biting and sham chewing (chewing nothing).
 
Please stand with me and be a voice for the voiceless and support this measure.  Thank you so much for your consideration.
 
All the best,
 
Your Name
Your Address

 

Please share far and wide, via Facebook/Twitter/Email with your family and friends.  Together we can all make a difference.  Thank you!!!

The Seed: A Vegan Experience

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I had the distinct pleasure of attending The Seed: A Vegan Experience this past weekend.  As you might remember, earlier this year I attended the Vegetarian Food Festival, which was fantastic.  However, the idea of an entirely VEGAN expo really tickled me.  I must say, a lot of my excitement came from the fantastic job that the organizers did in building anticipation via different social media outlets.  They really exemplified prime use of social media in order to promote their event.  In the days and weeks leading up to the event, they announced vendors, speakers, movie screenings and more and it really built up the anticipation.  Well done.

My first red carpet pic! (Does it count if it was taken by your partner?)

The main draw for me to this event was that Colleen Patrick-Goudreau would be speaking.  She is from the West Coast, and produces a podcast that I love called Vegetarian Food For Thought. She presents veganism in such a positive, inspiring way that it often is very re-affirming and helpful to have a listen, particularly when I’m feeling down and/or defeated.  She didn’t let me down, either.  Her talk left me feeling great!  Afterwards, I was able to get her to sign my  copy of Vegan’s Daily Companion as well as snap a photo together.

Another great speaker, one that always moves me (and I quite often refer to like being at vegan church), was my friend Jenny Brown, co-founder of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.  Both she and Kathy Stevens (of Catskill Animal Sanctuary) told personal stories of these animals as individuals.  They are all sentient beings, with personality quirks and preferences, and hearing some personal anecdotes was so wonderful.  Jenny’s talk, however, took it a step further and was exactly what this conference needed — someone who isn’t afraid to address the issue of what actually happens to these animals in this industry.  Sure, the talks about all the health benefits are great, and people skirt around the topic or gently word what actually happens to these animals, but Jenny was the only one to put it out there, right in front of you and told you what it is for what it is.  I believe this is necessary.  One of the biggest reasons why so many vegans become vegans IS because of the animals.  Yet for some reason, people want to shy away from the truth of it, they’re either afraid to offend, to alienate, to frighten.  Yes, it is graphic.  Yes, it is upsetting.  But it is the reality for the over 300 billion farmed animals in this world.  I always think of the now infamous Gretchen Wyler quote – “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.”  Thank you, Jenny, for being brave and sharing the truth.

There was a great panel on effective vegan blogging, moderated by friend of WFAS and Jersey City Vegan, JL Fields.  Her fantastic blog, JL Goes Vegan, is such a source of inspiration for me.  I related to her experience as a blogger the most, her story of the how and the why she got into it, and that it ended up leading to more opportunities for her.  She is a great blogging role model and I am grateful for her contributions to the vegan community.

That’s JL on the left in the blue KALE shirt!

 The food at this event was also of the highest quality.  While most were ones I was familiar with, I was introduced for the first time to Foodswings who have a restaurant in Brooklyn.  They were selling these delectable vegan chickun wings – complete with hot sauce AND bleu cheeze!  Talk about yum to the tenth power!  I coulda had several more of these things, but refrained due to the fact that they were deep fried.  Another new yum?  All the way from Miami came the Mac’n Food Truck.  They were parked outside along with The Cinnamon Snail (whom I LOVE!) and are up in NYC for the summer.  Since the Snail had lines pretty much out to Chicago, and partly because we’ve had the Snail many of times, we decided to give Mac’n a try.  Oh boy.  Ohhhh boy.  Well, let’s just show you what the food looked like…

Frannie’s Southern Fried Tofu Sammie

Garden Mac’n Cheeze

Holy vegan gods can you please send me to vegan food truck heaven?!  Between these two food trucks, I could eat well for the rest of my life.  The mac n cheeze was creamy and delicious.  The breaded tofu spicy sammie (served on a killer wrap, cause they ran out of buns) is probably in my top three vegan sandwiches that I’ve ever had.  I loved it so much, I had it the second day of the festival as well (and served on that wrap, even though they had buns!).  Other notable foodstuffs from this event?  Ella, The Regal Vegan herself (of Faux Gras fame!), shared her new spread called Basilicotta, a cashew-based ricotta-like creamy spread.  They were selling vegan banh-mi made with the Faux Gras and oh man was that good.  Anyone who knows anything about banh-mi knows that traditionally, it is made with pate.  There has not been a vegan version of that kind of banh-mi – until now!  A round of applause for Ella and her vegan pate and creamy spread.

The second day of the festival I was lucky enough to be able to table for the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.  If I ever had an opportunity to gush all day long about my beloved friends there, this was it!  All day long I talked about Star, my chicken buddies, the sweet piggies, everyone.  I was all talked out by the end of the day.  But it was a blast and I look forward to more opportunities to do this for them.

All in all, I think most were in consensus that this event was superb.  I raise my glass to the founders of the event, the organizers, the volunteers and anyone who made it possible.  My only suggestion?  More please!!!

Vegan-ize It: Nachos!

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Even though I’m such a Daiya cheese devotee, we had heard that Galaxy Nutritional Food’s came out with new Vegan shreds and I was willing to give them a try.  Boy, was I glad I did!!!  They seriously were the best melt I’ve seen yet.  Absolutely perfect for nachos.  We haven’t tried it with pizza yet, but will hopefully do so soon.

I feel kind of silly giving a recipe and directions for nachos (similarly to how I felt about my Grilled Cheese recipe!) but I am going to do so for the sake of continuity.  Here you go!

Vegan Nachos

Ingredients

  • Multi-grain tortilla chips
  • Galaxy Nutritional Foods Mexican style vegan shreds
  • Amy’s Organic vegetarian refried beans
  • Tofutti Sour Supreme vegan sour cream
  • Melissa’s Quickie Guacamole*
  • Fresh chopped cilantro, if desired
Directions
  1. Place tortilla chips on a plate.  Sprinkle the Mexican style vegan shreds on top.   Place in microwave and cook in 30 second intervals (depending on your microwave) and keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.
  2. Dollop a generous portion of Melissa’s Quickie Guacamole along with some salsa, vegan sour cream and refried beans.  
  3. Stuff it in your face!!!
*Melissa’s Quickie Guacamole
Ingredients
  • One ripe avocado
  • Salt, to taste
  • Lime, to taste
Directions
  1. Scoop out avocado into a bowl.  Salt and lime to taste.
  2. Smoosh with a fork and serve.

Now you dish — what are your favorite vegan nacho toppings?  I think some Soy-rizo would be awesome, and recently had some vegan nachos with some crazy awesome Mexican-seasoned seitan.

Vegan Like Me No. 7

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Vegan Like Me aims to profile fellow vegans, from all walks of life from everywhere in the world!  We’ve all been beginners and I think its important for folks to hear people’s stories in order to motivate themselves to keep going. This feature is intended to do just that.  If you are vegan and would like to participate, get in touch with me and I’ll be sure to send our questionnaire along to you.

Name:  Sabrina E.

Sabrina, vegan for 9 years

Where do you live?  Brooklyn, NY

How long have you been vegan?  9 years

What inspired you to take on a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) diet?   When I was 12 or so, I went on a family trip to a bed and breakfast/farm in Amish country. I brought along some books for the car ride, and somehow checked out a book from the library called something like 100 Ways Kids Can Save The Earth, published by PETA. Up until that point, I had never thought about how my everyday actions affect animals. I became vegetarian then, and became vegan several years later.

For me, it’s a sacrifice that’s easy to make. I don’t think all vegan foods taste as delicious as their non-vegan counterparts. Boston cream donuts are delicious, and yes, I miss them. However, I think of veganism as something I consciously do everyday that causes less suffering in the world. It’s not a great sacrifice, and sometimes I hardly think about it. I like that I’m healthy and getting the nutrients I need without contributing to the suffering of animals.

What do you love most about being vegan?  It may seem petty, but I love being able to eat whatever I want and I don’t have to worry about going on a diet. Almost everything I eat is healthy, and being vegan I’m able to eat as much as I want!

I also feel that the world of foods vegans can eat is much smaller than most people’s options, so it encourages us to think creatively. I’m always looking for new ingredients, new textures, and perusing supermarkets far and wide trying to decipher labels. It’s fun to keep looking for new things that you haven’t tried, and I’m not sure if I would be on so much of a scavenger hunt all the time if I wasn’t vegan.

What three items do you always have in your pantry?  Nutritional yeast, dark chocolate, Earth Balance (vegan butter)

What is your favorite vegan comfort food?  Peanut Butter Bomb cake from Vegan Treats.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about taking on a plant-based (vegan) diet?  Have fun with food, get inspired by blogs and cookbooks, try new things, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you accidentally eat something with a wrong ingredient. Stay rooted in the reasons to become vegan, and the temptations will go away. I now think of my veganism as something like a dietary restriction. For example, I can recognize when non-vegan foods look delicious but I’ve trained myself to avoid them as if I were allergic. When it becomes clear which foods you can and can’t eat, it becomes much easier to feel comfortable and get excited about being vegan.

Do you find anything difficult about being vegan?  I’ve had to switch to being vegetarian when living abroad in South Korea and Morocco. If you don’t speak the language and can’t read it, it’s pretty tough to stay vegan. Additionally, going over for dinner at someone’s house (whether in the US or abroad) can be challenging if they’re not used to veganism. I try to bring my own food whenever possible, or sometimes I try to appreciate the host’s graciousness and pick around or give certain foods the benefit of the doubt (ie- this could maybe be made with oil instead of butter?)… Regardless, it can be a challenge when you’re out of your comfort zone and don’t have access to a health food store.

See!  Sabrina knows the delight of Vegan Treats, too!  Thanks so much for playing, Sabrina.

More Animal Adorableness from WFAS

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I know you all LOVE to see photos from my trips to the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, right?!  Well here are some more, from last weekend.  Highlights of this trip include meeting the new lambs and their mamas and a tender moment I shared with Emmet the goat.

Mel & I spent the weekend helping out with some regular farm stuff as well as helped out with their “Veg-Curious?” event.  It was a great event (with a huge turnout!) where folks could learn about what it meant to take on a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle.  Speakers included Will Tuttle (author of the World Peace Diet), Sharon Gannon (founder of Jivamukti Yoga), Kris Carr (author of Crazy Sexy Diet) and of course Jenny Brown (co-founder of Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary).  There was also a cooking demo by Pamela Brown, chef at the Garden Cafe in Woodstock.  A vegan lunch was provided by area restaurants and resources were made available to all who attended.  I think workshops like this are a great way to get a dialogue going with folks who are flirting with the idea of taking on a vegan diet, but aren’t quite sure how to begin.  I hope events like this continue to occur all across the country!

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Pilgrimage to Vegan Treats

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East coast vegans, particularly Northeast coast vegans, even more specifically, metro NYC vegans know the glory that is the bakery Vegan Treats.  Veg News has rated it Best Bakery and Company of the Year, Time Out New York has sung its praises, and vegans far and wide salivate at the mere mention of it.

Founded by Danielle Konya, Vegan Treats (in Bethlehem, PA) has been the premium purveyor of vegan baked goods for over ten years.  They have perfected the art, in fact.  Konya, an ethical vegan, had a mission of making not only delicious vegan cakes, but vegan cakes that are better than any other cake – vegan or not.  She succeeded, and with flying colors, having won Best Overall at PBS’s Feast of Sweets, beating out over fifty non-vegan bakers!

Their most famous dessert, from my perspective is their incomparable Chocolate Peanut Butter Bomb Cake.  A fantastically moist chocolate cake, topped with peanut butter whipped deliciousness, entirely enrobed in chocolate and drizzled with peanut butter.  It.  Is.  Divine.  It even won the approval of my discerning carnivore brother-in-law!

We got to visit the hallowed bakery on our way to my parent’s house over Memorial Day weekend (they live in Central PA).  After oogling and giggling and sixty dollars later, we walked out with a selection of mini-cakes, cannolis and donuts.  Being that I have had the Peanut Butter Bomb cake many times before, I was most impressed and delighted with the Boston Cream Donut that I quickly devoured.  Yes, VEGAN Boston Cream!  See photos below for all the vegan baked goods glory!  (Pardon the appearance of the Bomb cake!  It kind of exploded on the car ride!)

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Have you had Vegan Treats?  What is your favorite thing you’ve had from there?