Dining at Veggie Grill

July 31, 2013 by Jean Coburn

Have you tried Veggie Grill? I’ve been eating there a lot ever since I discovered two Seattle locations and I have to say “wow!” Veggie Grill is a healthy, 100% plant-based restaurant chain that boasts delicious, nutritious meals. They have 19 locations up and down the west coast and are expanding.

I’ve had their wraps, burgers and sandwiches but I think my favorite dish is the B-Wing Salad–it’s spicy and cool, with its mix of hot “chicken” strips (made with Gardein), cool vegan ranch, avocado, romaine, celery and corn salsa.

veggie grill

Another reason I like to stop by is the mac-n-cheese (vegan cheese and quinoa pasta). Comfort food at its finest! The cauli-mashed potatoes and gravy is another delight. Sometimes I just get the two sides (and a vegan cookie) instead of a meal.

mac'n'cheese

Veggie Grill is a bright, casual atmosphere with vegan twists on American classics. They serve beer and wine too. I’ve been with hubby a few times and it’s fun for a group of friends. I’ve seen people bring in kids too–they even have a kids’ menu. There’s something for everyone.

Have you been to Veggie Grill?

My vegan dog

July 26, 2013 by Jean Coburn

My dog eats vegan dog food. Have I lost my mind? Am I forcing my beliefs on my poor dog? Not at all! Let me explain.

Frankie is an 11-year-old rat terrier. Ever since I adopted him when he was five, I was interested in feeding him the healthiest food I could find. I started with a high-quality, human-grade, fish-based food, thinking I’d be avoiding factory-farmed meat. But fish is often factory farmed too. And the oceans are being depleted, so wild-caught is just as bad. Fish are sentient beings and I couldn’t justify it.

Later, I made Frankie homemade vegan meals, to which I added Vegedog, a powdered supplement especially made for dogs. Frankie loved it, but planning his meals was a lot of work. Besides, Frankie will eat anything. Cheap kibble, human food, garbage, cat poo. I felt like my culinary skills were being taken for granted.

Then I found V-Dog, a cruelty-free kibble. It’s free of wheat, corn, soy, fillers, GMOs–and of course animal products. Frankie loves it. He has lots of energy, and “clean up” is better too (by which I mean, good in, good out).

As for me forcing my beliefs on Frankie, here’s how I see it. In the wild (well, dogs are domesticated, but you know what I mean) dogs wouldn’t be eating prepackaged food. They wouldn’t be chemical-laden, not-fit-for-human-consumption castoff meat bi-products from factory farms. Reality is, most commercial dog food is crap. The parts of the animals that people don’t eat are sent to rendering plants for pet food. The diseased animals, the ones with tumors, even roadkill and euthanized cats and dogs, can end up in dog food.

In the wild, Frank would be a scavenger, an omnivore. He loves watermelon, but he won’t turn down meat. For him it’s not a moral issue. For me it is. I had a hard time aligning my vegan values with the fact that I bought him meat-based food. Heck, some pet food companies even test on animals. Luckily with V-dog, I don’t have to compromise.

There are other vegetarian dog foods on the market (like Evolution, Ami Dog, and Natural Balance vegetarian formula) and if you have a dog, I’d encourage you to try a few and find one that suits him or her best. I chose V-Dog because it’s a vegan-owned business and is recommended by a host of organizations, from veterinarians to animal sanctuaries.

Resources:

Shop vegan dog foods at Vegan Essentials
Shop vegan cat and dog foods at Vegan Cats
Read about vegan dogs in Obligate Carnivore
Read about the concerns of pentobarbital (from euthanized animals) in dog and cat foods at Pet Care Tips and Dog Food Advisor.

Daiya vegan cream cheese

July 23, 2013 by Jean Coburn

I was recently offered the chance to test some products by Daiya. I’d already tried Daiya dairy-free cheese slices and I’d heard about their new spreads, so I eagerly signed up for the job.

Daiya is vegan, so it’s naturally lactose- and casein-free. Unlike some vegan spreads, it’s also soy-free, so if you have a soy allergy, don’t worry! I kept things simple for my first tasting: mini bagels and two types of spreads. I wanted to experience the flavor of the product.

The chive and onion was amazing! It’s a smooth, creamy spread and satisfied my bagel-and-cream-cheese craving. The strawberry was a real treat! I bet I could make a great cheesecake with it. The Daiya site has lots of recipes, so you can try new dishes.

Daiya is named after the Sanskrit word Dayaa, which means “loving, kindness and compassion.” I love that Daiya Foods is founded on these values. Voting with my dollar is important and supporting ethical companies is something I’m always happy to do.

The thought of giving up cheese is often what holds people back when they contemplate veganism. Well you don’t have to give up anything! You can have the cheesy comfort foods that you’re used to making and you can eat cruelty-free. You’ll also reap the health benefits of a plant-based diet when you ditch dairy.

Look for other reviews. I’m going to try Daiya shreds either on a pizza on in a cheddar beer bread recipe. I’m also going to perfect a grilled cheese sandwich using their wedge.

Have you tried Daiya?

Farm Sanctuary message gear

July 21, 2013 by Jean Coburn

I recently met up with my friend Barb, of healthnik.org. We caught up over lunch at Araya’s, a vegan Thai restaurant in Seattle’s university district. Their all-you-can-eat buffet is not to be missed! After lunch, we walked a few doors down to Vegan Haven, Seattle’s only all-vegan grocery store. I got Barb to pose for me out front. It seemed like a good backdrop for a photo shoot featuring vegan wear.

Barb bought her belt at Vegan Haven. It’s made of recycled conveyor belt. She replaced the plain buckle with a unique bird buckle from the co-op in Mount Vernon.

Barb had just come back from New York State and told me about her experience visiting Farm Sanctuary.

T-shirt: Farm Sanctuary
Jeans: Calvin Klein via Goodwill
Belt: Held Belts
Belt buckle: FluffyCo
Bag: Farm Sanctuary

The tour was a very positive experience. She got to meet a lot of rescued animals and learn about each of their unique stories. While she was there, she picked up a few pieces of merch.

Barb is wearing a T-shirt from Farm Sanctuary with a vegan/environmental message: Reduce your carbon hoofprint: Go meat-free! Environmentalism and veganism go hand-in-hand. Factory farming is a bigger source of carbon emissions and pollution than all the transportation industries combined!

Barb also picked up a great shoulder bag. It looks perfect for carrying a couple of books or magazines. It would fit a camera nicely too, and probably is big enough for a tablet or iPad. Plus, the message is clear.

Barb was thoughtful and brought me a pin and magnet. The magnet is on my fridge. Look at that cute lamb!

I think everyone should visit a sanctuary. If you’re not vegan, you’ll see first-hand why ditching meat, milk, and eggs is a great idea. If you’re already vegan, you’ll be uplifted by seeing the ones who made it out–animals who were destined for the dinner table and were saved because of the hard work of the Farm Sanctuary people (and donations from its supporters).

Farm Sanctuary has locations in New York and California, but there are many other sanctuaries. Your area might even have one. If not, planning a trip near a sanctuary is a great reason to visit one.

Vegan Savannah

July 17, 2013 by Jean Coburn

I like to visit new places, and of course I’m always on the lookout for vegan options. I pack Luna bars when I travel so I’m never hungry or deprived, but what I really enjoy is finding a good vegan meal–sometimes where you’d least expect it.

On my recent girls’ trip to Savannah, Georgia I was pleasantly surprised at the vegan choices I had. Southern cuisine is world-renowned but not especially known for being vegan. I did a little planning by looking up places on Veg Dining and Happy Cow. I found a couple of vegetarian places and a host of veg-friendly restaurants.

I started every morning at the Sentient Bean, where I had a soy latté and vegan burrito. I took a slice of vegan banana bread to go and was full ’til dinner. This cute little coffeehouse is a gem at the end of Forsythe Park.

Walking through the park was a great way to start the day. On Saturday, the park hosted a farmers’ market, where I picked up walnuts, fresh berries, toasted kale chips and a bag of grits. (I’ve since veganized a classic grits casserole recipe.)

One evening, my friends and I splurged on dinner at Cha Bella, a decidedly non-vegan restaurant. It did offer local, organic cuisine and sustainable in-season veggies. I was graciously offered a vegan entrée (and I honestly can’t remember if it was on the menu or especially made for me–the service was so good, everything seemed made for us). At most restaurants, ask and ye shall receive. But do tip accordingly!

For another meal, we stopped by the casual Kayak Café, where I had the seared tiger tofu burrito and a delicious side salad. Kayak Café prides themselves on being able to make almost any dish vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free.

Moon River Brewing Company was another great, casual place for a bite–and they have a big, outdoor beer garden. There wasn’t anything explicitly vegan on the menu (well, fries or a house salad maybe), but my lovely server worked with me to create a vegan wrap. She even checked with the cook to see if the rice was vegan (it wasn’t–they cooked it in chicken stock or something). I loved that she looked out for me like that. I wrote a thank-you note on the receipt and left it with my tip (again, showing a little appreciation goes a long way).

At Jazz’d Tapas Bar, I chose a roasted garlic hummus plate and a fresh salad. I was really there for the drinks, so a snack was perfect. We ate and drank and listened to the live band and a crooner who sounded exactly like Frank Sinatra.

At Leopold’s Ice Cream I found a refreshing lemon sorbet. It was as close to tutti-fruity as I could get. Johnny Mercer wrote the song Tutti-Fruity after his favorite flavor at Leopold’s.

Savannah was a lot of fun and I had an easier time eating out with my friends than I thought I would.

Two tips when travelling (besides packing Luna bars):

Visit a grocery store for fruit and snacks. I dropped by a Kroger supermarket and bought soy yogurt, apples, bananas, baby carrots and hummus. They fit in the hotel room fridge, saved me from eating out three times a day, which in turn saved me some money.
Look for “ethnic” cuisine. Indian and Thai places, for example, are in virtually any city and are pretty much guaranteed to have vegan dishes.

Tabouli and bean salad

July 12, 2013 by Jean Coburn

I’ve been eating a lot of beans lately. There are so many types and they’re all so delicious! Yesterday I wanted to make a quick bean salad so I opened a box of garbanzos, a box of kidney beans, and a box of black beans. The boxes are the equivalent to a can of ready-to-eat beans but I like that they’re not in a tin and that the tetra-pak style of the packaging is easy to recycle.

I mixed up a box of tabouli, which already had spices, parsley and cilantro in it, and combined it with the beans. It took about five minutes to whip up and all I had to do after that was chill it for a bit.

It made a great lunch, and truth be told, I had it for dinner too. For dinner I added grilled cheese with whole grain bread and cheddar-style slices by Daiya. The grapes were an edible garnish. Hubby and I shared a delicious, healthy, easy-to-make meal. It was perfect for summer. I didn’t heat up the kitchen and the cool salad was refreshing and filling.

I’ve joined Healthy Vegan Fridays organized by Carrie On Vegan, Green Thickies, and The Veggie Nook, so be sure to check out what everyone else is making in the kitchen!

Gender-specific pronouns and animals

July 10, 2013 by Jean Coburn

One step in learning to treat animals as sentient beings, not mere objects, is to use gender-specific pronouns. A dog is not a thing. Nor is a cow, eagle or mouse.

I’ve read numerous news stories about animals and for the most part, animals are called “it.”

The pig and its piglets were rescued – No, it’s her piglets. We know that because only females can give birth.
The steer broke its neck – No, it’s his neck (and the cowboy broke it). Steers are male.

If don’t know the gender of an animal I’m talking about, I assign one. In a story about two animals, one becomes he and one becomes she to make the distinction between the animals clear. “The raccoon chased the squirrel, who ran up a tree. She stayed in the tree for a while but he started pacing so she came down. He licked her forehead and they walked away together.”

Unlikely example aside, I believe gender-specific pronouns matter (and using one matters more than getting it right). This might even be why I give animals human names. My dog is Frankie. My cats are Alice and Margot.

She likes eating my plants, but I don’t mind.

I tend to call dogs he and cats she because I speak a little German and in German cats are assigned a female pronoun (die Katze) while dogs are given a male pronoun (der Hund). This has less to do with sentience and more to do with grammar. In German a hat is masculine and banana is feminine (der Hut and die Banane).

Other languages like French and Spanish assign gender to animals and inanimate objects too so I’m really talking about English, where we know an animal is a he or a she but we say it.

Calling an animal he or she won’t stop cruelty. It won’t turn the world vegan either. But I think it’s a small step toward acknowledging that animals are thinking, feeling beings with a similar range of emotions to humans. They show fear, love, anger, frustration. They can be silly and funny or shy and reserved and we need to think of them as individuals not commodities.

Farm Sanctuary has a Someone, Not Something campaign that addresses this. They focus on farmed animals because we already tend to look at cats and dogs as family. Conversely, many people see cows, pigs and chickens as things to eat.

Next time you’re talking about animals, listen to yourself and see how you refer to them.

Running of the bulls

July 8, 2013 by Jean Coburn

It’s time again for another blood ~~sport~~ bath. Every summer from July 6th to 14th, the San Fermin Festival takes place in Pamplona, Spain. It’s a festival honoring Saint Fermin, a 3rd Century Roman who converted to Christianity.

Sadly, the festival revolves around the running of the bulls. Every morning bulls are forced onto slippery cobblestone streets filled with thousands of crazed revelers. As fireworks and explosives go off, the terrified animals run through a cordoned off section that creates a chute of sorts. The route leads to a bull ring, where they will be tortured and killed.

The festival is steeped in tradition related to transporting bulls to market. Today, it attracts stupid (mostly) men, many of them tourists, who think running among terrified animals makes them macho. It’s not brave or masculine. It’s shameful.

Many Spaniards oppose this cruelty. This year, animal rights activists from PETA UK and Spain’s Anima Naturalis joined forces to demonstrate against the barbaric practice. They stood in coffins (representing the 48 bulls that will be killed during the festival) to protest.

The San Fermin festival attracts thousands of tourists to watch the bull runs. Bull fighting is actually on the decline but tourism keeps it alive. When travelling, stay far away from bull fights and other forms of cruelty and vote with your dollar. Spain is a beautiful country so enjoy the scenery, hospitality, dance, art, architecture, nature and beaches instead.

Benjamin Zephaniah, writer and poet, says it best: “Tourists who participate in the run or visit Pamplona simply to watch it contribute to the carnage. Every shared tapa, every cerveza, every booked hotel room and balcony bolsters the killing. As long as the city makes money off the event, bulls will continue to suffer and die.”

The festival isn’t really about the saint behind the name. If a raucous drink-fest is what people are looking for, there are lots of ways to do that, from dance clubs in Ibiza to music festivals. At least at La Tomatina, animals aren’t involved, although throwing tomatoes around is a waste of good food.

In a fun 21st Century take on a cruel tradition, New Orleans has their own running of the bulls festival, where roller derby skaters from the Big Easy Rollergirls league play the part of bulls. You can run down the street and get knocked over by a derby player. Drink, sing, dance and no animals get killed! In fact, part of the proceeds from the event support Animal Rescue New Orleans.

There’s always a way to keep traditions alive with new, fun versions of outdated cruel practices. Last year 12,000 participants were chased by over 350 RollerBulls!

Arbonne vegan skin care

July 2, 2013 by Jean Coburn

Have you heard of Arbonne? It’s a line of Swiss-developed skin care, cosmetics, and nutritional supplements. They’ve been in the US since 1980 and they’ve been green before green was popular. All products are 100% plant-based (vegan certified) and never tested on animals.

I was contacted recently by an Arbonne rep and I jumped on the chance to try the products in the RE9 Advanced line, specifically formulated for anti-aging. I got to sample the cleanser, toner, serum, eye cream, night cream, and two types of day creams. I love them! They smell wonderfully citrus-y and are so gentle on my skin.

I know it sounds weird, but in just a couple of days I swear my skin looked firmer. It didn’t feel tight though, which can be a problem with some skin firming products. The moisturizers gave me a nice glow and provide SPF 20–perfect for daily protection.

I also tried some samples of the Arbonne cosmetics and I really liked them. The tinted moisturizer had just enough coverage to not look makeup-y, and the translucent powder was really silky.

Needless to say, I placed an order. I want to keep using these products and reap the full benefits. I ordered a couple of masks, and a Vitamin D+B12 spray that tastes like candy! That’s going to be a great thing to use in the gray Pacific Northwest.

Arbonne has other lines too. The FC5 and Calm lines are great for sensitive skin and for those with rosacea. I gave some samples of their baby care line to a friend of mine with an infant. They carry a men’s line too, as well as body- and hair care.

Sapha, my Arbonne consultant, helped set me up as a preferred client so I can get 20% off my purchases, points toward future orders, freebies, and other goodies. She can help you too if you’re interested in trying Arbonne. She can ship all over the US, Canada, and other places and she’s more than willing to help you find out what your skin needs. You can reach her at (281)748-7943 or saphaariasyoga@yahoo.com or you can log onto Arbonne and sign up with the code 13728752.

One more thing I liked but haven’t tried is their line of makeup brushes. As a vegan, it’s hard to find high-quality synthetic brushes. Arbonne has them!

If you use Arbonne, I’d be interested in hearing what products you’ve tried.

A win for chimps

June 27, 2013 by Jean Coburn

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently announced that it has accepted the Institute of Medicine’s recommendation of retiring over 300 of its chimpanzees. The US has been experimenting on chimpanzees for 90 years and is the last country in the industrialized world to do so. This news has been a long time coming.

The chimps’ similarity to humans makes them coveted for research, but it’s this very similarity that poses an ethical dilemma. Besides, chimps are different to many ways. They have different immunities and reactions to diseases and drugs. For example, if chimps are purposefully infected with HIV, they rarely even show symptoms of AIDS. We can’t help humans by using animal testing models.

Regardless of similarities and differences, no animals should be used as research subjects, so it’s a great piece of news that most of the chimps will be retired.

The news is mixed though. Fifty chimps will remain with NIH. They won’t be bred, but that’s not enough. These intelligent, self-aware beings deserve to live out their lives at a sanctuary like Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW. Each one is an individual with unique traits and should be given the right to live free from harm and experimentation. It’s the least we can do, even though we owe them far more than that.

Chimpanzee Sanctuary NW has written about the NIH decision. I’ll be on the lookout for petitions to free the remaining 50 and I’ll post links to one as soon as I find it.