When tax dollars fund animal abuse

February 1, 2015 by Jean of all Trades

In the USA alone, more than $16 billion dollars of taxpayers’ money is spent on needless animal experiments every year. It’s a number that boggles my mind. I can’t even fathom the scale of abuse that 100 million animals endure in the name of “science.”

It frustrates me that I can’t earmark my tax dollars and funnel them into education, healthcare, and parks instead of cruelty.

Just when I thought I’d heard it all, I read a New York Times article about a taxpayer-funded animal research facility in Nebraska. This horrific lab conducts research on farmed animals to benefit the meat industry. They receive $22 million dollars of taxpayer money a year to torture and abuse animals. The experiments are so gruesome even people in the animal agriculture industry are appalled!

I’m grateful to the whistleblowers who shed light on this atrocity (and the journalists who ran with the info and got the story published). The NYT article exposes experiments at the 50-year-old U.S. Meat Animal Research Center.

At the Center, animals are genetically modified to produce more offspring–and the result is often babies who are born with horrendous deformities. Vet care is inadequate, “caretakers” aren’t properly trained, animals are starved to death, and newborns are left to die in open fields.

This is all in the name of higher yields and bigger profits. Researchers are looking for ways to produce heartier animals and more meat. It’s a twisted tale that belongs in a sci-fi movie–but it’s reality.

Sadly, cows, pigs, and sheep are excluded from protection under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Only Congress can stop such egregious animal suffering by making changes to the Act.

The American Anti-Vivisection Society has put together a great page to help you reach out to your legislators.

Please tell your legislators that you are outraged that federal government funds are used for such cruelty and that it must be stopped. Politely tell them that ALL animals deserve protection under the Animal Welfare Act.

There are so many reasons why I want nothing to do with the meat industry. I don’t willingly give them any of my money. I hate that they get taxpayer funding. With enough public pressure, taxpayer–who also happen to be voters–can get this place shut down!

Please help me shut it down!

It’s Veganuary!

January 7, 2015 by Jean of all Trades

Go to the gym. Eat healthy. Quit smoking. A new year means a new outlook.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Going vegan is an excellent resolution and January is the perfect time to take the plunge.

Veganuary aims to reduce the suffering of animals by inspiring people to go vegan for the month of January. The folks at Veganuary will help you stick with your goals with vegan products, recipes, and info about eating out. And after a month, you’ll have created a new habit that you likely won’t want to break.

Veganuary is in its third year, and offers info on health and nutrition, the environmental impacts of going vegan and of course, the benefit to the animals.

On the website, you’ll also find profiles of vegans, including yours truly.

Driftwood Magazine

January 4, 2015 by Jean of all Trades

Have you heard about Driftwood Magazine? It’s a travel and culture digest for the graduated vegan. Driftwood is filling a niche in the vegan magazine market. Many magazines already exist to help new vegans, but there aren’t a lot of publications for people who want more than the basics.

Driftwood is online already and a quarterly print publication will start up this summer. I like that the print edition will be on high-quality paper so it’s a collector’s piece, not another throwaway item.

I recently had the opportunity to be profiled on Driftwood’s Vegan Faces page:

Photo by Holly Feral, Driftwood Magazine

Have a look at all the other fantastic vegans on the Vegan Faces page, all with their own unique and inspiring stories.

If you’re vegan, you can submit your photo and info for consideration. Check out the Vegan Faces section of the Contribute page. As if you needed more reasons to participate, each week, Driftwood Magazine is giving away rewards from vegan businesses to one photographer who submits to vegan faces.

What are you waiting for?

Update: Driftwood just launched a Kickstarter. Check it out and help get the magazine off the ground!

Vegan mac and cheese

December 26, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

I’ve been to a few potlucks recently and I was running out of ideas for simple, delicious dishes to bring. So I thought about veganizing a traditional baked mac ‘n’ cheese casserole. I started off following the directions on the package of pasta and strayed wildly–with great success!

Ingredients:

16 oz elbow pasta
2 cups vegan cheese*
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 slice of bread
2 tbsp. margarine
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
salt to taste

Directions:

First, I brought a large pot of water to a boil (4-6 quarts). Then I added an entire box of elbow noodles and cooked them to al dente (firm).

While the pasta was cooking, I turned half a slice of bread (I used Dave’s Killer Bread) into bread crumbs in my food processor and set it aside for the topping. Then I crumbled 2 cups of vegan cheeses in the food processor and set it aside too.

* I combined five types of cheese to create the two cups needed for this recipe: Field Roast Chao Cheese Slices in Coconut Herb; Field Roast Chao Cheese Slices in Tomato Cayenne; Daiya Jalapeno Havarti; Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds; and Sundried Tomato from Miyoko’s Kitchen. Use whatever brands and flavors of vegan cheese you prefer.

In a small pot, I melted 2 tbsp. of Earth Balance margarine and added 2 tbsp. of flour and 2 cups of vegetable broth (I used a bouillon cube to create the broth). I added chili powder, turmeric, and black pepper, set the element to low, and whisked the mixture until it thickened.

The blend of spices and spicy cheeses gave this dish a nice kick. If you don’t like a lot of spice, you can use plain cheeses and less pepper.

When the pasta was ready, I drained it into a colander and poured the broth mixture into the big pot where the pasta was. I added the cheeses and stirred until it was mostly melted. Then I added the pasta back into the post and mixed it up well.

Finally, I scooped the whole thing into a 9′ x 9′ glass casserole dish, sprinkled the bread crumbs over the top, and baked it uncovered on 450 F for 10 minutes.

I let it cool a bit, covered it up, and took it to Christmas dinner with friends. Everyone loved it–even the non-vegans. One omni even said she would have been fooled if I hadn’t told her it was vegan. A compliment for sure!

Unilever drops lawsuit against Hampton Creek

December 20, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

Can you believe it? A couple of months ago, industry giant Unilever sued Hampton Creek over the use of the word “mayo.” Unilever, maker of Hellman’s mayonnaise, didn’t like that Hampton Creek named their eggless product Just Mayo.

Hampton Creek is a San Francisco-based food technology company that was founded in 2011. They focus on plant-based products and they currently produce Just Mayo and Just Cookies (both vegan). By comparison, Unilever is one of the oldest multinational companies, with over 400 brands in more than 190 countries. They’re the world’s largest producer of food spreads, with over 30% market share.

In a classic David vs. Goliath scenario, Unilever sued Hampton Creek over market share and claimed Hampton Creek is falsely advertising its product as mayo, even though it doesn’t contain eggs.

Well Big Mayo lost this battle. They dropped the lawsuit amidst a flurry of bad PR. People were infuriated at the food giant’s bullying and sided with Hampton Creek. The lawsuit actually gave Hampton Creek millions of dollars in free publicity, and may people who’d never even heard of them vowed to buy Just Mayo on principle alone!

On a side, note, I encourage people not to buy any Unilever products for one other reason: They test on animals! Here’s some info on their testing (no graphic images), and an infographic with some of their most popular brands.

So, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to try Just Mayo. You can get it at Safeway, Costco, Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, and a host of other retailers.

9 gift ideas for vegans

December 14, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

It’s almost Christmas, and you haven’t bought a gift for that vegan on your list. What to get? I have few ideas that will work for any gift-giving occasion.

A vegan cookbook – Many vegans love to cook. And even those of us who cook for necessity will benefit from learning new ways to make meals. Oh She Glows, Veganomicon, The Joy of Vegan Baking, and Forks Over Knives: The Cookbook are a few examples.

Vegan books – From Novels to exposés, you’ll find great vegan reads. I loved reading Jenny Brown’s journey in The Lucky Ones. Why We Love dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows is an excellent read too. And The Chain and The Awareness are novels on my wish list.

A gift certificate to a vegan restaurant – Most cities have vegan or vegetarian restaurants. Vegans won’t turn down great vegan food. No vegan restaurants around? Indian and Thai places have vegan options, and a coffee card is another choice. A gift certificate is a good gift–and easy to mail!

Vegan jewelry – Christy Robinson makes wonderful earth and animal friendly jewelry. Herbivore Clothing also carries her designs, as well as other vegan-themed necklaces. If you search Etsy for “vegan jewelry” and get lots of great options at many price points.

Message gear – What better way to promote veganism that with a shirt, hat or button? Herbivore Clothing, Farm Sanctuary, Compassion Co, Triple Threads, PETA, and The Tree kisser are just a few of the places that have great designs–from whimsical to hardcore.

(l to r): Farm Sanctuary, Triple Threads, PETA

A sponsorship – What’s better than material possessions? Helping animals! Sponsoring an animal in someone’s name (or giving a donation on their behalf) is a heartfelt gift. Pasado’s Safe Haven, New Moon Farm Goat Rescue, Pigs Peace Sanctuary, and Precious Life Animal Sanctuary are all farmed animal rescues in my area. National sanctuaries and local cat and dog rescue groups will also welcome donations.

A vegan wallet – Couch Guitar Straps is an all-vegan line of products including men’s and women’s wallets. Handmade in LA from vintage, recycled, and deadstock materials (including old vinyl auto upholstery) these wallets are the coolest way to be green.

Couch wallet and Gunas purse

A high-end purse – I’m losing track of how many vegan handbag companies there are now, but I’ll never forget to add Gunas to my list. Gunas has one of the most stylish lines around.

A Vitamix – Okay, these babies aren’t cheap, but they’re the Cadillac of blenders. If your special vegan loves smoothies, soups, and homemade hummus, springing for a Vitamix will make them a happy camper.

Pony rides

December 3, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

As a kid, I remember riding a pony around and ’round in a circle at the fair. The ride didn’t last long, and when it was over, I moved on to the next attraction. The pony, however, had to keep working.

These days, I look at pony rides differently. Sure children aren’t heavy, but the ponies slave away in a boring circle. Maybe it’s a hot day, or a cold one. Maybe they didn’t want to get packed up in a trailer and sent to the fair. Too bad. Ponies don’t have a say.

Their hooves can be injured, and they can suffer from ill-fitting saddles, bridles, and bits (a bit is a metal bar that people put into a horse’s mouth, behind his or her front teeth and molars, to steer and stop the animal). And equines are exempt from protection under the Federal Animal Welfare Act, leaving welfare up to local authorities.

I recently saw a horse and pony standing out in the rain on a cold day, waiting for their shift to begin. I felt so different upon seeing them compared to when I was a kid. Of course kids love ponies–I still do. But I can’t justify a life of labor and stress for a short ride.

A carousel with replica animals and chariots is a great alternative. For those of you who like more of a rush, swings will do the trick.

Wherever you go, look for the animals. Think about what their day is like–and choose animal-free entertainment.

Vegan Thanksgiving options

November 24, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to give up Thanksgiving. In fact, a big portion of the dinner is probably vegan–or could easily be made vegan. As for the turkey? Swap out the carcass with a delicious vegan loaf!

When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of sharing precious time with family and friends. There’s no better way to show people how easy and delicious being vegan is. And if you can share your vegan food with others, they’ll know so much more about how to be vegan.

Here are some options for the holiday:

Host a dinner

Having dinner at your place guarantees you can make it an all-vegan meal and show others the joy of eating cruelty-free.

Mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, soup, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie are all dishes that are vegan or easily can be. Substitute butter and milk with dairy-free options and you’re set. You can find lots of vegan recipes online–even for things like gravy.

Field Roast, made from seitan (a wheat protein), and Tofurkey (made from soy beans), make delicious prepackaged loaves that easily take the place of a turkey on the table. Doing an online search for “vegan turkey loaf” will return great recipes for a DIY version.

Attend a dinner

There are two types of dinners I’ve attended. My favorite are ones hosted by vegans. I get to try all the food, and I get to spend time with like-minded people.

Attending a dinner with people who aren’t vegan is a great opportunity to bring a dish and show people you can still enjoy holidays and that vegan food is awesome! If being around a murdered turkey is too disturbing, plan to arrive for dessert–with your favorite vegan sweets!

Go to a vegan restaurant

Sometimes vegan restaurants will offer a Thanksgiving meal. You’ll likely have to make reservations in advance, but it will be worth it. It’s also a great chance to take friends who still eat meat and show them vegan options.

starter

No matter how you plan to celebrate the holiday, have fun, be safe, and enjoy the vegan food!

Vegan profile #5: Michael Glew

November 18, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

It’s time for another vegan profile! Vegans come from all walks of life and I’m using this blog to introduce you to vegans who might be very different than–or a lot like–you. Today, I’d like you to meet Michael, who has excellent tips for living vegan:

Pleased to meet you. I’m Michael and 40, but you know they say 40 is the new 22. My achey
breaky back might disagree. I have been kicking around this vegan thing for about two and a half
decades now. I could brag and say I have been vegan longer than I have not been vegan, but remember
this is not a beauty pageant or student election. Vegans don’t bother getting burdened with seniority or
street cred. Every minute, every day, every week, and every month you spend vegan you are changing
the world.

Don’t ever expect to live perfectly vegan. Mistakes will happen. You could misread a label, you might
assume a product vegan when it contains a vague dairy ingredient, maybe you eat a handful of
chicken in a biscuit crackers, or get sick and need a vaccination. Get a few cookbooks and the oops
incidents will decline.

Activism is not for all vegans. It does not negate all the good you have done by not eating animals if you decide to be more reserved. The best part is you can always change your mind later. The animals are not counting vegan points. The ultimate goal is to help animals and it takes all kinds of people with differing levels of interest and participation to make this work.

It would be a mistake to make vegan political. If you do you will lose. Politics in America is like global
thermal nuclear war. There are no winners. Don’t force it on the people around you. Believe me–curiosity will bring them to you. Be prepared to answer questions, keep cool, and offer to share your snacks.

It’s going to happen. Some fool will get his hose in knot and make some crack. Don’t be baited. Use this
phrase: “I used to (feel, think, want) the same thing. I grew up with a fishing rod in my hand, (or your
own anecdote) but then I found out about the way animals are treated in the (circus, factory farms,
rodeo, testing, etc.). It’s funny how when you talk to people like people you get stuff done.

Thank you Michael for such sound advice!

To contribute to this feature, check out the profile intro page and drop me a line.

Vegan winter boots

November 12, 2014 by Jean of all Trades

I’m spoiled. I live in Seattle where winter is essentially mild and wet. Any pair of rubber rain boots will do. But I grew up in Canada, where I needed warm, insulated, waterproof boots for the salt, snow, slush, and frigid temperatures. If you’re looking for vegan winter boots to keep you warm, look no further.

Women

If Winters are cold in Canada, then look to Cougar, a Canadian company. They have a few vegan styles–and they know winter!

The Canuck 3 is a tall, waterproof nylon boot that comes in black or white and is cold-rated to -30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit).

The Cougar Como 2 is a nylon boot lined with polar plush. It’s also cold-rated to -30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit) and comes in black, white, or gunmetal.

Then there’s the Minty 6, a shimmery polar-lined boot. It comes in black and, my preference, a space-age gunmetal. Cold-rated to -30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit).

There’s a great vegan shoe store in Vancouver called Nice Shoes. They ship throughout the US and Canada in case you’re not nearby. Nice shoes has an amazing assortment of all types of footwear. They sell the Baltimore by Kamik, a waterproof, nylon bootie that’s cold-rated to -40.

If you want a bit of color, check out the red Minx by Columbia. They’re lined in faux fur and are cold-rated to -32 Celsius (-25 Fahrenheit).

Men

I won’t forget the fellows. I found a few styles of Men’s vegan winter boots too. Nice shoes carries Bogs, like this pair of Ultra Mid. They’re great on slippery surfaces, and are cold-rated to -40.

There’s also the Utik, if you prefer a synthetic leather lace-up. Cold-rated to -30 Celsius (-22 Fahrenheit) with neat grommet details and red piping.

These Kamik Canuck boots are another option. They’re at Zappos.com, a great online shopping site where you can filter for style, size, and material. The Canucks are nylon, with lots of grip and a warm lining. The toggle at the cuff keeps out the snow.

The Ice Patrol by Vegetarian Shoes is an amazing boot. Not only are they sturdy and rugged, but they have metal grippers that fold out of the sole and act like mini crampons. Theses come in sizes 36 through 47 so they’ll fit a wide range of people, making them a great unisex boot. Plus, Vegetarian Shoes, as the name implies, is an all-vegan company so you know you’re getting an ethical boot and supporting a vegan company.

The Snowdon, also by Vegetarian Shoes, is another shoe great for anyone. Like Dr. Marten’s or Converse, these work for men and women. The snowdon has ski-boot laces and is a sturdy, three-season boot for hikes or urban treks.

Youth and Kids

Columbia also makes youth sizes in styles like the Minx. They’re cold-rated to -32 Celsius (-25 Fahrenheit) and are a woven synthetic textile with a faux-fur lining.

The Columbia Powderbug nylon boots are cold rated to and come in four cute patterns. The toggle helps keep the snow out.

Bogs are a great option for men, women, and especially kids (with their fun patterns and easy pull-on handles). Not all Bogs are vegan, but the kids’ boots seem to be. And who doesn’t love dinosaurs and flowers?