Cancer vs Concessions

I went to an event today where Relay for Life was a recipient of some of the funds raised.  They had signage all throughout the event but as I was walking around I noticed that there seemed to be a huge disconnect going on.

While the small Relay for Life signs were promoting healthier eating, we were surrounded by fried brownies and sausage sandwiches and meat and fried, well, EVERYTHING!

Not quite a consistent message, huh?

And this is something that bothers me a lot... inconsistency.  A big issue that I have are animal rescue groups who do fundraisers and events where they are serving other animals. It's a connection I never thought about before I was vegan(not that I ate hot dogs and hamburgers, the main items served).

But now it bothers me a lot.  Especially when it's done by groups, groups that I work with, that not only rescue dogs and cats but also rescue cows, goats, chickens and pigs.

I have decided, that as much as want to and do support many of these rescue groups, I will absolutely NOT support them at these events.  I also make a point to tell them WHY I'm not supporting them at their events.

All animals are worthy of rescue and protection.  And those that are working to end animal cruelty and neglect need to adhere to that. They may choose to not be vegan on a personal level but at events they should absolutely be so.

Part of the purpose of these groups is education.  And there are no excuses for not serving vegan food.  There are many commercially available delicious options, including non-animal-based hot dogs and hamburgers.  Not only will you be exposing people to healthy tasty food, you will not be alienating your strongest supporters... those who have incorporated animal welfare into their entire lives.

This post is going to be a part of my response to these groups from now on.  This is a call to action!  Live according to what your mission is all about! 

Compassion for ALL ANIMALS!

Friends Don't Let Friends: Miss Oktoberfest Soft Pretzels

Eating giant soft pretzels at Oktoberfest is part of the fun annual tradition.  When we opened our new pub, we didn't want to miss out on this delicious treat.

The great thing is that, like most breads, these pretzels* are basically vegan-friendly already!

I whipped up a double batch and made them a bit smaller for easy mustard dunking.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 package active dry yeast

22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups

2 ounces EarthBalance (half a stick), melted

Vegetable oil, for pan

10 cups water

2/3 cup baking soda

Pretzel or kosher salt

Directions:

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and melted EarthBalance and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. (I have even let it sit twice as long with no adverse effect).

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil or use a Sil-pat. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 or 16 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel lightly with vegetable oil sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

These keep well overnight.  If they seem a bit soft the next day, just pop them in a low oven to recrisp.  You can brush with oil and sprinkle with salt again as well.

These pretzels go great with beer or as a snack.

We love them with Lusty Monk mustards...

PROST!

*recipe adapted from Alton Brown via Food Network online

Food - rules to live by

The Ultimate Vegan Baking Cheat Sheet

Source: Peta

Downloadable/Printable version here

The Vegan Food Pyramid

via http://www.veganfoodpyramid.com/

Hoarding. Abuse. Neglect. The Worst of These.

I spend a lot of time thinking about the reasons why of how people hurt, use and abuse animals.  Abuse comes in so many forms and it is my hope that, if I learn the motivations or the rationale, that I can be better prepared to stop and prevent it from happening to other animals. 

These drivers are so alien to me that it is a painful mental struggle to find the mindset.  But I don't want to be dismissive of it because, at the end of the day, that is where I believe we have the greatest opportunities for change.

In some way I can "understand" abuse.  Whether you have an uncontrollable temper or you are threatening or implementing abuse of an animal to scare and control a spouse or child, I can see where this is coming from.  I don't condone it but I can fathom it.  Hoarding too, I understand.  Many of these people feel they are actually doing right by the animals.  They feel they are giving them a better life than they might have at a shelter or on the streets. Yes, they don't have a clear picture and but their motivations are generally good.

But there is one huge category I cannot wrap my head around and that is neglect.

I was reading a story today from the ASPCA about a poor pup left to suffer for weeks in an abandoned home.  The dog was forced to eat refuse - ketchup packets, razors, wood chips - as it tried to fill it's empty stomach.

The article states:

It was a devastating discovery. Last January, ASPCA Special Agents arrived at an abandoned Bronx home to find the emaciated body of a dog lying lifeless among piles of garbage and feces. A thorough investigation by our Agents led to the arrest of Cherika Alvarez. The 30-year-old was charged with abandoning her one-year-old Pit Bull, Alizé, mid November 2009.

A necropsy proved that the emaciated dog ate nothing but razor blades, bits of plastic, wood chips, garbage and ketchup packets for weeks before he died.

“This was a clear-cut case of severe and inexcusable animal neglect,” says Stacy Wolf, ASPCA Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel for the Humane Law Enforcement. “The necropsy established in horrifying detail what this dog ingested in a futile attempt to stay alive.”


Last week, with strong evidence at hand, Judge Robert Sackett found Alvarez guilty of animal cruelty. She now faces up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine at her September 28 sentencing.

These cases render me completely baffled.  From dogs and cats left in abandoned homes or outside to starve to the animals with fur so matted it's ripping their skin to the ones covered with ticks so thickly they are being bled to death, I don't get it.

Neglect to me is willful.  There are no excuses.  You can't afford to feed or care for your animal or you have to move and can't bring it with you?  Take it to a shelter, call the animal control and let them know it's been left.  Do it anonymously if you have to.  Can't afford to take your pet to the groomer, get a pair of scissors and trim them yourself - scissors are what a dollar or two?  Heck, borrow a pair if you have to.

There is NO EXCUSE for neglect!!!  Do these people not care?  Then why did they get this animal in the first place?  Are they psychopaths that enjoy torturing animals (there is a HUGE correlation here, by the way)?  Can we use this as a basis for mental evaluations?

I just don't get it.  Not sure I ever will.  How can I understand so I can help prevent this abuse?

For now, Take Action!

If you suspect an animal may be the victim of neglect or abuse, please report it. Visit the ASPCA Report Cruelty FAQ to learn how to report cruelty in your neighborhood.

Kickstart some Compassion

I'm a big fan of Kickstarter, Happy Herbivore and compassion, so I love it when all three of those things come together (especially when it involves cute jewelry).

Our favorite Herbivore is doing a Kickstarter turning her adorable Herbie elephant logo into a sterling silver necklace.   Well, you better believe I was on-board!

Check out her project video here to learn all about it.

Her Kickstarter is fully backed but you can be sure to get your necklace by pledging still.  The program is open until September 1st.  And not only do you get the necklace but all the proceeds are going to benefit the Elephant Sanctuary.

Don't wait, reserve your Herbie today!!!

Veggie Dogs Redux

Back in January we started feeding our pups a grain, bean and veggie filled dinner and they are really thriving on it.  Well, they also get carrots for treats and there are these great sweet potato treats we get them too.  While we give them other veggies from time to time, we just found out how much they love a new treat - collard green stems! 

Both Badger and Oona crunch them right up.  Badger likes both leaf bits and stems while Oona is more about the crunchy stems.  These are now fun treats to give them anytime.  We don't have to worry about fat, salt or who-knows-what-else in commercial "treats".

Our dogs eat more veggies than most people do, especially compared to some kids we know!

Making Me Sick - Bear Bile is Torture

This is one of the saddest and most stories I've ever read or had to post.  But it's traumatized me so much that I'm sitting at my desk at work crying my eyes out over the pain, fear and desperation that these poor animals endure in the torture that is a bear bile farm.

Asiatic "moon" bears are kept in tiny cages, mainly in China and Vietnam, and they stick a metal tube into their stomachs or gall bladders and take their bile daily.

The process is so horribly painful that the bears are fitted with an iron vest, as they often try to kill themselves by hitting their stomach as they are unable to bear the pain.

The cages are so small they are crushed to near death.

But a media source in China just released the following heartbreaking story:

The Chinese media has reported on an extraordinary account of a mother bear saving her cub from a life of torture by strangling it and then killing itself.



The bears were kept in a farm located in a remote area in the North-West of China. The bears on the farm had their gall bladders milked daily for 'bear bile,' which is used as a remedy in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).


It was reported that the bears are kept in tiny cages known as 'crush cages', as the bears have no room to manoeuvre and are literally crushed.


The bile is harvested by making a permanent hole or fistula in the bears' abdomen and gall bladder.  As the hole is never closed, the animals are suspect to various infections and diseases including tumours, cancers and death from peritonitis.


A person who was on the farm in place of a friend witnessed the procedures and told Reminbao.com that they were inhumane.

The witness also claimed that a mother bear broke out its cage when it heard its cub howl in fear before a worker punctured its stomach to milk the bile.

The workers ran away in fear when they saw the mother bear rushing to its cub's side.


Unable to free the cub from its restraints, the mother hugged the cub and eventually strangled it.


It then dropped the cub and ran head-first into a wall, killing itself.


Many TCM practitioners have denounced the use of bear bile in their treatment as there are cheaper herbs and synthetics that can be used in its place.


Bear bile is traditionally used to remove 'heat' from the body as well as treat high fever, liver ailments and sore eyes.

I can't understand the horror and heartbreak of this story and have to denounce the use of animals, all animals, as often as I can.  The images from these "farms" is beyond horrible.

More than 12,000 bears are currently suffering in these cruel conditions in Asia’s bear farms.  The World Society for the Protection of Animals is leading the fight against these farms.   If you can donate or speak out, it will help to shut these down sooner.

I have a dream

Friends Don't Let Friends: Miss Blueberry Pie

I am not a huge pie baker.  I'll do an apple pie or a pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving but that tends to be it.  Fussing about with dough isn't my favorite thing and in the past, I have to admit, I would be lazy and buy prepared pie crusts to use.

I know, I know, it's pathetic.  But I just hated to cut in the butter/shortening and then roll the dough out, etc.  But really, I don't have much of an excuse.  The food processor with the dough blade does most of the hard work for you.

So, in honor of our 3 year Veggie-versary (which was this past week) and the fact that my husband came home with 12 pints of blueberries from the Farmer's market, I decided on a whim to make blueberry pies. 

Instead of making 1 big pie, I decided to use my individual pizza pans and make two half-sized pies.  Half the size, double the fun!  I went to my favorite vegan baking cookbook, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's The Joy of Vegan Baking, and found a perfect pie recipe.

One thing to note, this did take me a while with the freezing/refrigerating of the dough and the baking time, but if you get the cookbook, you can actually make dough ahead of time and freeze it, or go for pre-made pie dough.  Once you have that done, the pie filling is easy peasy, so no excuses!

For the crust:

Making pie crust is easier than it seems, but you just have to pay attention to the temperature of your ingredients - keep everything as cold as possible. CPG suggests putting everything - flour mix, cut-up shortening, water and rolling pin - in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to mixing. You also can't mix it too long or it becomes doughy rather than flaky.


This makes enough for a lower and upper pie crust on one 9" pie. When I made my pies I still had plenty of dough leftover for another pie crust bottom or I may make pie pops another day.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup vegetable shortening (alternate: 1/2 c. vegetable shortening and 1/2 c. nondairy butter such as EarthBalance sticks), cut up into little chunks

1/3 - 1/2 c. plus 1 tbsp. ice cold water

Directions:

Measure out all the ingredients and put them in the freezer for 30 minutes before you start cooking.

Use a food processor or hand mixer to combine the flour, sugar, and salt - about 10 seconds.

Add the butter/shortening and pulse until the fat turns to pea-sized pieces.

Drizzle in the ice water and pulse until there are no dry spots left. I scraped down the sides a few times to make sure it was well combined but not a giant clump of dough.

You should be able to press the dough into two balls by hand. If not, add a tiny bit more water.

Press the dough into two flattened balls and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to a few days. You can also freeze it for 6 months.

When the dough is chilled, roll it out on a well-floured surface. Make sure not to warm the dough with your hands.

Transfer the dough to your pie pan by delicately folding it in half and half again (so it looks like a quarter of the circle), and then unfold into the pie pan. I put the crust in the pans back into the fridge another 30 minutes to prevent shrinkage when baking. And I didn't roll out the top crust at this point. It only takes a second to roll it out and cut the shapes so I did that once I filled the pies.

I pre-baked the bottom, so preheat the oven to 450°F.
Poke holes in your pie crust with a fork or use parchment paper and pie weights and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool.

I made this only with fresh berries, but you could certainly make it with frozen berries.


Ingredients:

3/4 c. granulated sugar

3 tbsp. cornstarch

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. lemon zest

4-5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, pick out stems and shriveled berries. I used 4 cups for mine.

Almond or soy milk for brushing on your top crust (if you choose to have a top) and granulated sugar for sprinkling on top.

Directions:

If you are using frozen blueberries, let them sit out for about 15 minutes and then strain the juice.

Keep the oven at 450°F.

For the top crust, you can either use another whole crust, make a lattice design, cut shapes with a cookie cutter, or leave it off. If using, roll the crust and leave it in the fridge until you are ready.

In a big bowl, combine/whisk the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

When the mixture is combined, fold in the blueberries.

That's it! Then put the mixture into your pre-baked pie crust. Cover with the other crust (with steam slits) or crust shapes, if you are using. Lightly brush with the almond or soy milk and sprinkle with a bit of sugar.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes (shorter if you are doing smaller pies). Then, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and put a cookie sheet under the pie pan to catch drippings, and cook for another 25-35 minutes until the berries and juice are bubbly. If your edges get too brown, wrap them with strips of foil.

When you take out the pies, let it/them cool for at least 1 hour and preferably 3 hours before cutting and eating. The pies can stay out at room temperature for several days.

Enjoy plain or with (vegan) ice cream!

Making the Message

If you've checked out my other site, Shoe Daydreams, you know that I am a big fan of Etsy and the many artists who work there.  I recently found Julep115 and loved her whimsical animal designs paired with meaningful messages.

Christy, a vegan, sells her "Earth and Animal Friendly" from Texas.  I love so many of her pieces... and what they're each saying...

As a lover of hens I was immediately drawn to her "Vegan" chicken piece and asked if I could have one made for me for my up-coming 3 Year Vegan-versary. 

It turned out splendidly and I'm so happy to wear it.  It's light and comfortable and it makes me glad to wear my vegan message near my heart.  It especially looks great paired up with my Wendy Brandes "Chicken on Nest" necklace.

You can find Julep115 on Etsy or at her site: Http://christyrobinsondesigns.com

Sites for Easy Fun and Tasty Recipes

Vegans love to talk about food and are, on the whole, "foodie" people.  We're concerned with taste, texture, quality, sourcing and freshness.  So, when you're around a group of vegans, foods going to be a topic of conversation eventually.  From our favorite breakfast, to the best tofu cream cheese to where to get a great meal. And while we like to come up with our own veggie creations, it's always fun to get inspiration and ideas from other vegans cooking on the web. 

Vegan Stoner is a great resource for cheap easy but tasty meals.  Plush I love their fun illustrations.

Happy Herbivore is one of my new favorites.  Lindsay has a great cook book as well.  All her recipes are low to non-fat, filled with easy to source ingredients and fast.  I really love her chocolate zucchini muffins and chick-pea tuna salad.

The husband really loves to try out ideas from Vegan Dad.  The recipes here are very kid friendly and are perfect for transitioning vegans because it's filled with lots of familiar favorites and comfort food.  If you're working to change over your whole household, there are great ideas here from "hot wings" (above) to sausages or "fish" fillets.

With so many resources and ideas, you won't be stumped for an answer to the "what do you eat" question.  What's great is while all of these are tasty, you get real life feedback and experiences, and no excuses!

How We Got Sicker

This amazing info-graphic easily depicts how our current health woes have developed over the last few decades:



via Vitality

Recipe to try - Vegan Ranch Dressing

I haven't made this yet, but it sounds and looks great and I want to.  So I'm saving the recipe here.  If you make it before I do, let me know how it goes!

Vegan Ranch Dressin'

Source: No Face Plate

1 tub medium-firm tofu

Juice of 1 lemon

4 tablespoons chive oil

3 tablespoons dill pickle juice

4 cloves garlic, minced fine

1 tsp mustard, spicy

1.5 tablespoons each - minced parsley, chives and dill, fresh

20-30 twists of your pepper grinder (yup, I like mine punchy)


In a blender, blend the first 4 ingredients until super-smooth (you can add a little more oil if you need to, and remember to scrape down the sides as you go). Scrape the white sauce into a bowl and add remaining ingredients.

Taste for salt and add a little more if you need, but usually the pickle juice + mustard is enough for moi. Resist the temptation to add nutritional yeast - this is just tangy enough as it is.

Sweet!

Crushing me

There are days when it all gets so overwhelming that I'm not sure I can feel such despair and still go on. Knowing that abuses like these happen to innocents multiplied literally billions of times every hour of every day is appalling.

I know how seductive it can be to avoid looking at these videos. To avoid "knowing". How much we want to keep the thought that we fund this away and disconnected from us. Frankly, there is a part of me that would rather not live sometimes than feel the helplessness and deep sadness that I feel when I see images like this.  I can't fathom the type of person who can do this and what they have had to experience to be so numbed and disconnected from the suffering and pain they are creating in another living thing.

Besides living in as compassionate way possible, supporting the organizations that expose these crimes and by sharing this information, I feel that I have to do more than just sit here, remotely, crying from what I see. I want to shout it from the roof tops. I want to take these practices - industry standards that encourage violence and pain - and bring them into the light and show them to everyone. 

Why?

Because I have trust and faith that my friends, family and fellow humans really do want to do what is right. That they would never, if they just knew, keep perpetuating this system just for some ice cream or a burger or any other food item. That they want to also be healthier. That they want to see the world be better off too.  And that they are empowered to do so every single day just by choosing a different food to eat.  Just by being vegan.

So, I don't stop looking. I try to wipe my tears and look again.  I keep breathing. I keep shouting and sharing. Some days I can guide and smile, speaking with joy. Some days I am so filled with rage that I shake and speak out harshly. Some days I sit in my car and bawl until I'm spent. I know I may not always be popular but I have to try. 

If I don't speak out I may not be to speak at all.



A new Mercy For Animals undercover investigation provides a horrifying look into E6 Cattle Co. in Hart, Texas.


E6 Cattle rears calves for use on dairy farms, confining approximately 10,000 calves and subjecting them to lives of prolonged neglect and misery. For over two weeks in March of 2011, an MFA undercover investigator documented the operation's deplorable conditions and brutal mistreatment of animals.

Due to an outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease, South Korea began "culling" pigs in late December. To date, it is reported that as many as 3 million pigs have been buried alive. The cost of the cull is estimated around 230m pounds, whereas a mass vaccination program would've cost only 63m pounds, been far more humane, compassionate, and conscious of our fellow beings.

More squishy

Harmony

Would that we all could find such peace and joy in each other.

Stop the Seal Hunt

I've been fighting against the Canadian seal hunt since I was 6 years old (you can ask my parents). I hope to see it end in my life.

Don't buy Canadian seafood in store or in restaurants.. ASK and TELL why you won't buy (or just don't buy/eat seafood!)

Don't buy Canadian maple syrup either.  Vermont has wonderful syrup.  Buy that!

Tell the Canadian government that you won't buy their products or travel to their cities until the hunt ends.

Oh yeah, and don't buy FUR!

See image larger

Check out more ways to help here.