Barefoot Vegan

Extremist

2010-02-18T14:18:00.003-06:00

I was asked a few weeks ago if I was one of those "extreme vegans". It caught me slightly off guard but it is a good question, asked by someone who knows one of those vegans. It's those extremist that get the attention and make the rest of us seem bat shit crazy (*cough* PETA *cough*).

When it comes to my veganism, I do what I can. I avoid all animal products in food (I am an excellent label reader). I avoid animal products in clothing and really anything I buy. I try to raise awareness, in a non preachy way, just because there's so much people don't know about the food they eat. I support business that help our cause and boycott ones who don't.

But no matter what I do I cannot be 100% vegan, no one can. Filtered water (including city municipal water supply) isn't vegan, there's gelatin in the tires on my truck, regular white sugar is filtered through charred animal bone (although this practice is phasing out with the use of chemicals). It goes on and on. I still drink and cook with water, drive my truck, eat my Oreos.

My thinking is if I go after the BIG stuff then the little things will fall away with its downfall. Domino effect. Slaughter houses kill millions of animals every year for the meat off their bones. There is a lot of extra left over that they have to do something with. That something is processing it then sticking it into everything. Waste not, want not.

If the slaughter houses ceased to exist then it wouldn't matter. Or even if just less animals were killed, there would be less left overs. So I don't throw fits about how gelatin or animal fat shows up in things you wouldn't expect, I am an activist about murder of innocent animals and their inhumane treatment beforehand.

And if that makes me an extremist, that's okay with me. :)

Meatless Mondays in Baltimore school

2009-10-21T13:17:00.005-05:00

To save money and promote healthy eating, Baltimore schools have started Meatless Monday. Students don't care, parents think it's a good idea, the school obviously likes it... who's upset? American Meat Institute. Surprise surprise. They claim that it's indoctrination. What about being indoctrinated to eat meat? Damn double standards.

The American Meat Institute says that children should not be forced to use to eat meat every day but that parents and children should have a choice. Um... parents don't have any say in what is served at school and usually in elementary and middle schools you have a hot option, maybe a salad bar and some junk snack type foods. Yup loads of choices. Even high schools don't have that many options in some places. Also in all honesty most kids aren't going to pick the healthy, vegetarian option if it were available when they have all the awesome tasting junk foods right next to it. What about the veg*n children who don't have any choice at all?

And of course the American Meat Institute wants to throw out the outrageous "statistic" of 75% of children don't eat enough protein. How the hell is that POSSIBLE?! Maybe they mean animal protein but there's really no difference nutritional wise (besides the health problems that excess animal protein brings).

With the menu they showed they would be no issue with protein. They have the choice between grilled cheese (37g, mostly because of the cheese) or vegetarian chili (12g if it's just beans). They also have corn (5g), green beans (2g) ,refried beans (13g without lard), fruit.* A 100lb 12 year old needs 45.5g of protein a day. If this 12 year old picks the grilled cheese, corn and refried beans that's 55g right there, for one meal. The kids are fine.

I don't want to believe that the meat industry is actually throwing a fit about this but I'm not surprised. While the school is saving money, the meat industry is losing it. Imagine how much one school pays for meat to feed its students for one day. Depending on the size of the school that is a pretty good profit to the companies selling the meat. Yeah I'm sure they are upset about it but to come and use scare tactics because a school district is feeding kids meat one less day out of the week is pretty pathetic. Be glad that they are buying your dead animals the other 4 days of the week and get over it.

*I pulled those numbers from NutritionalData.com and the actual amount of protein the kids are getting will vary a bit depending on how it was cooked and how much the kids actually eat. But it's the basic idea.

Vegan family among the omnivores

2009-10-20T13:44:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite things about this new moms group I joined recently is they have monthly pot lucks for those of us whose husbands work late or out of town at the time. This month it falls on a day that the husband works (his "weekends" shift ever month) so I am excited. I RSVPed already and said what I was bringing - rosemary mashed potatoes and dirty rice with "italian sausage".

I was sneaky enough to pick to "side dishes" that will be a full meal for us. Other people are bringing meat loaf, mac and cheese, chicken and a most likely dairy filled dessert. The bread/rolls may be vegan since she said she would pick up fresh bread from our local grocery which does have a few vegan options.

At this point it hasn't come out that the kids and I are vegan. With only some email exchanges and a park day it hasn't been an issue. On Thursday though someone is bound to notice. I'd just rather not make a fuss or make anyone feel like that need to go out of their way to cater to my family's choices. I'll bring food that works for us so no worries. I'll hopefully get others thinking that vegan food isn't all tofu and twigs after all.

This seems to be a very accepting group (I only got one weird look about my pink hair, that I noticed anyway) so I don't see it being a big issue. I think I'm just destined to be the weird one of the bunch. And I'm okay with that.

How do you handle food based group events?

Lions, Tigers and E. Coli Oh My!

2009-10-19T15:56:00.006-05:00

Funny how I come across a few different articles posted recently that all tie together. Let me show you.

First (although most recent) is Fecal Matters at Care2. There's some big numbers (as in billions) thrown around but it basically boils down to: Animals poop a lot. And with the meat industry the size it is, we're talking about an extreme amount of it and it is contaminating the land and water, as well as the meat from the animals themselves.

Which brings us to E. Coli in hamburger, due to flaws in beef inspection, including a tragic story of a 22 year old now paralyzed all because she ate a hamburger. It is a long article but definitely worth a read through if you eat meat but I'll give you the gist here.

See, cows, being locked in small cramped pens as they are, will defecate on themselves. They are not hosed down before the slaughtering process (for a look at that this is a good video) and the intestines get nicked during slaughtering so the bacteria spills out so that crap (pun intended) ends up on the raw beef headed to packaging and a store near you. It doesn't matter so much on whole cuts, the fecal matter/bacteria is on the outside and will be killed during cooking. The problem comes when you take this "seasoned" raw meat from many different cows, possibly from many different slaughter houses and grind it all together to make hamburger. Then with lax testing practices or blatant ignoring of test results you get E. Coli contaminated hamburgers being sold in stores, served in restaurants and schools.

There was a Larry King Live hosted a discussion about E. Coli and the safety of meat shortly after that article came out, which included Colin Campbell who wrote The China Study. You can watch the show here, it is just under 30 minutes or read the CNN summary of the show.

This was too good not to share. Anthony Bourdain, the host of the show "No Reservations" said, "We have eyes in the front of our head. We have fingernails. We have ... teeth and long legs. We were designed from the get-go ... so that we could chase down smaller, stupider creatures, kill them and eat them."

Um what? I'll let you ponder the idiocy of that comment on your own. (The guy is an asshat anyway. I thought so before and now even more so after watching him talk on Larry King Live.)

But E. Coli doesn't just effect meat. I'm sure if you've been conscious over the last few years you've heard of recall after recall of various kinds of veggies, like tomatoes and spinach, because of E. Coli risks. How does E. Coli, which lives in the digestive systems of animals, get onto vegetables? Go back up to the top of this and take another look at that first link. That is how. (It's also mentioned on the Larry King discussion.)

How do we fix this? Shut down the meat industry.

One could hope right?

Pizza dough

2009-10-13T22:57:00.003-05:00

I realized I hadn't put this up yet so I yanked it from the original blog on momaroo and just pasted. Welcome to the novel of making pizza. Haha!

Pizza is a staple in our house. We have it usually once a week, that is if I can remember to start the dough early enough in the day. I have been promising my loyal fans that I will post this recipe for a while. So without further ado, here it is.

Disclaimer: You need to start the dough at least 2 1/2 hours before you want to bake it. So don't take it on if you are pressed for time.

This recipe makes two 14 inch pizzas or one deep dish. I have two 16in pizza pans that I use. You can use a regular cookie sheet or the best would be a pizza stone. Either way, you need two or you can cook one, take it out, remove it from the pan and put the other one on. But to make it simple, get two.

Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 package active dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons if you have the jar)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus about 2 teaspoons for the rising bowl
3 cups all purpose flour
(Variant: I like heartier crust. I like it with 1 1/2 cups of all purpose and 1 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour. Or you can make it with 3 cups of whole wheat flour.)
1 teaspoon salt
Cornmeal

Now a silly step. There's really no need to proof yeast these days but hey that's what the recipe calls for. Get 1 cup of warm water (100°-110°) in a bowl or large measuring cup, add sugar, stir up so it dissolves. Add yeast, stir a bit to get all the yeast wet and set aside for 10 minutes. If the yeast foams up and pretty much doubles in size then your yeast is good. If not, try again. (I have yet had a bad batch of yeast.)

Wash your hands if you haven't already and remove rings. Mix the flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Once your yeast is done, add it and 2 tablespoons of oil. Mix as well as you can then get your hands in there. It doesn't take much until it's time for kneading. Sprinkle out some flour on your very clean counter top or a large cutting board, dump out your bowl and get to work.

Don't work too hard. It will take about 10 minutes so you don't want to get tired quickly. There's no right way to knead, just push, pull, stretch, squish, fold that dough. Be rough, punch it if you feel like it. The longer you work with it, the stretchier it will be, ya know like pizza dough.

After 10 minutes or so, your dough should be soft and stretchy, tacky but not sticky. Form it into a tight ball. Get a large bowl, at least twice the size of your dough ball. Pour in a bit of oil, about 2 teaspoons, I just eyeball it. Put your dough ball in it and swish it around a bit, flip over, swish again. The point is to completely coat the ball and the bowl with a thin layer of oil. Cover the bowl with a damp towel. Walk away.

After an hour, your dough should have puffed up impressively. Give it a good punch and watch it deflate (my kids love doing that part). Time for more kneading. Sprinkle out some flour, grab that dough. It only takes a few minutes to get it feeling less like a sponge and more like dough again. Put it back in the bowl, cover, walk away.

This next part is up to you. You can freeze the dough then just defrost it to finish up later. If you are impatient you can wait as little as 10 minutes but your dough wont be very stretchy and you may end up with sad small pizzas. At least an hour is the best. Whenever you are ready, turn on your oven to 500°. Get whatever you are cooking the pizzas on and sprinkle a little cornmeal on them.

Time for stretching. After an hour or so, the dough will be puffed up again. Knead it a little and you're ready to go. Take your dough ball and cut it in two. Put one part back in the bowl. Take the piece left out and pull around on it. I found it easier to use a rolling pin to get it started. Then pick it up and hold it, letting gravity stretch it more, moving my hand a couple of inches each time to make the pizza stretch evenly. Play around with it to find the way that works best for you. The first few times you make pizza, I can guarantee that it will not be perfectly round. That's okay! Call it rustic. Shape doesn't effect how great it tastes. (Note: After a year of making pizza on a fairly regular basis I have never had a perfectly round pizza.)

Place your crust on the pizza pan or whatever. Repeat for 2nd piece. Now for the toppings. You know what you like but also at the same time don't get stuck in the tradition pizza toppings. Have fun and experiment. Make two different styles of pizza to satisfy everyone. I often use BBQ sauce in place of pizza sauce when I make my Hawaiian style pizza with pineapple. Play around with it.

By now your oven should be nice and hot. When your pizza is to your liking, throw it in the oven. Don't go far, it doesn' take long, about 6 to 8 minutes and you have to keep an eye on it to avoid charing your pizza. About half way through, I switch the pizzas to the other rack so they cook more even. Be careful when you open the oven or you will get a face full of hot air. When the crust is light brown it's done! Take them out carefully and let them sit for a minute before you slice them up and serve.

So there ya have it, homemade pizza.

Vegetarian Spider

2009-10-13T00:14:00.002-05:00

I stumbled across something extremely interesting today....

In Latin America, there lives a unique spider called Bagheera kiplingi. It's a jumping spider and it shares the group's large, acute eyes and prodigious leaping ability. But it also has a trait that singles it out among all 40,000 species of spider - it's mostly vegetarian.

Bagheera Kiplingi

And yes Bagheera like in the Jungle Book.... written by Rudyard Kipling. Ha!

Steve-O Goes Vegan!

2009-10-02T11:34:00.003-05:00

I just received a shock - Steve-O, ya know one of the Jackass guys, is actually pretty well spoken. Oh wait... he's also vegan! And not just any vegan but a raw organic vegan. Who saw that one coming? Definitely not me.

From his website dated September 10th - Provocative Nudity!!!

Hello Everyone,

My friends at PETA asked me to post their new commercial featuring Pam Anderson and myself. The fact that it has been banned (for graphic nudity) has led to massive amounts of publicity surrounding it. I don't think it was by mistake that PETA included enough nudity to get it banned. Actually, I believe more people know about it than would've had it aired on television- and I don't think it was ever intended to air on television in the first place. I applaud PETA for using PR dollars extremely effectively during these rough economic times.

When I first became involved with PETA, it was on an "issue-by-issue" basis- they interviewed me in my old apartment about animal abuse in the circus as I sat on a leather sofa. At that time I was a meat-eater, and told them I believe that if anyone is going to wear the flesh or fur of an animal, they should at least have the decency to eat the meat of that animal. That comment led to my involvement in PETA's "I'd Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur" campaign. The following year I chose to stop eating meat (and stop wearing or purchasing anything made out of leather), however, citing reports that Jesus Christ fed lots of people with fish, I continued to eat fish. Most recently, for just over a month now, I've kept to a strictly vegan diet and I've not felt "hard-done-by" at all. I have been really enjoying making a project out of seeking out an extremely healthy diet of raw, organic, vegan foods- and I plan on continuing to do so.

A vegan diet isn't for everyone, and not everyone is going to agree with every position that PETA takes in the world. It's not my choice to try to tell people how to live their lives (not anymore, anyway!), but I will say that PETA is guilty of nothing but showing love for all living creatures, and I'm running out of issues to disagree with them on. Here's the commercial that cost almost nothing to get the attention of millions of people all over the world, it's my honor to be a part of it:

'Cruelty Doesn't Fly'—Learn More at PETA.org.

I love you all,

Steve-O

Wow huh? Now I can hope that his fans will have more awareness of veganism and maybe even try it.

What do you think about this?

Vegan food... Rabbit food?

2009-09-29T21:34:00.001-05:00

Vegan Pantry

2009-09-27T19:05:00.009-05:00

I told ya I would. You got a peek at my vegan fridge and now here's my pantry! I took these pictures right after a grocery trip so yeah, we have duplicates in some things just because one box is mostly gone. We aren't food hoarders. Haha!

(Note: Not great quality pictures because they were taken with my phone in a windowless room. Plus they are pretty wide shots so no real detail. You can click on the picture to see the super big version if you really want a good look at something.)

Top: Mike's protein power, limon lime gatorade, extra bottles of Mt Dew (since we buy them 8 at a time), vegan vitamin powder (I've been mixing it with our smoothies), extra almond milk.

Bottom: All my wonderful spices and other cooking stuff like canola oil, pure maple syrup, vegetable broth.

These are what we call our snack shelves.

Top: Nutter Butter cookies (vegan!), extra Clif bars, vegetable crackers, granola bars, more Clif bars, more granola bars, these weird fried peas that they kids asked me to buy, bulk jelly beans, peanuts, whole raw almonds, popcorn for our air popper.Then off to the side is some of our canned stuff like vegan chili, refried beans, enchilada sauce, etc.

Bottom: More vegetable crackers, store brand teddy grahams, poptarts, granola bars (are you seeing a trend? Granola bars are easy snacks for Mike to take to work so we have a variety of them around.), mostly gone bag of chex mix, more almonds. And I love my bulk stuff: dark chocolate covered blueberries (vegan whee!), milk chocolate covered cherries (not vegan boooo! They are Mike's.), glazed pecans (those lasted maybe 24 hours, SO good). Raw shelled pistachios, banana chips and these little cocoa cubes called "energy nuggets". They have sunflower and pumpkin seeds in them among other things. Not vegan but they are good, mostly healthy sweet treats for the kids.

And various kinds of chips - Doritos that I bought for when a friend came over and no one is eating them. Haha! A couple big bags of corn chips. In there are my Rice Works salsa chips. Vegan and ooooooh so yum.

Big (blurry) shot!

Top: All my baking stuff - flour, sugar, corn meal, chocolate chips, all that jazz. Off to the right is our multiple boxes of tea.

Middle: Cereals - Kix (vegan!), apple cinnamon cherrios (vegan!), Honey nut chex (Not!). Oatmeal (with some syrup hiding back there). Tortillas, both small taco size and big wrap size. Brown rice (both regular and minute) and dried beans. Noodles.

Bottom: Another angle on our canned stuff. Add in peanut butter and extra jars of marinara and pizza sauce. Then our bread. Gotta love our bread. Cranberry pistachio bread (yes it sounds weird but it's SO GOOD!), hamburger buns and whole wheat loaf from our grocery store's bakery. All vegan.

(Side note: Sometimes it can be frustrating to find vegan bread products. If you are having issues, check out your store's bakery. Because things are made in store and not needing to be shipped and have a long shelf life, they have very simple ingredient lists and it's more likely that they will be vegan. )

Then we have a loaf of Nature's Own 100% whole wheat (vegan!) and 2 loafs of Nature's Own Honey Wheat (not!). Yeah, we are so not afraid of carbs here. :P I believe there's also a single potato in that bread mess.

Off to the right of bread is some miscellaneous baking things, like ground flax seed, shredded coconut, etc that didn't make it back up on the baking shelf during organization. Haha! To the right of that is our laundry stuff... since our pantry shares a room with our washer and dryer.

In case you did the math and figured out that I didn't show the very bottom shelf on that side, there's no food there. It's just my mini food processor, crockpot, old water filter pitcher, dog treats, and some odds and ends that don't fit in our "junk drawer".

So, I've given you a sneak peek into my fridge and now my pantry. Will you give me a sneak peek at your food in storage? Take pictures, blog it and comment with the link! Pretty please. :)

Who are you callin' Vegangelical?

2009-09-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

Go read.

Vegan Fridge

2009-09-06T13:04:00.012-05:00

Hello there! Today after a quick produce run, I thought I would open my (fridge) door and let you see what I keep cold 'round here. :) Come on, I know you are DYING to see what I have in my fridge. Take a peek....

Top: Apple juice, Mountain Dew, a couple bottles of margarita mix (lime and strawberry), a pitcher of lemon lime gatorade and there's a single Capri Sun back there in the corner. (We have water and ice in the fridge door so no more water pitcher!)

Bottom: Soy yogurt, Smart Balance vegan butter, a big bowl of cooked black beans and a container of left over brown rice.

Deli drawer: Two packages of firm tofu(one frozen and thawed, other fresh), regular cheddar cheese (the very last of the last cow milk cheese that we'll buy) and some soy mozzarella, vegan sausage links, seitan stir fry strips, soy taco "meat" (that stuff is AMAZING!). You can't see it but there's also a roll of mock ground sausage off to the right. (I've been laying off the mock meats lately but Mike and the kids eat them.)

Top: Left over curly fries and chili, left over of the mock taco meat that I've been using for Mike's lunches, the red container is cut celery, on top of that is chopped onion, two left over waffles (my dinner tonight) and strawberries.

Bottom: Almond milk, veggie sushi rolls... and 3 kinds of alcoholic beverages. I swear we aren't alcoholics! We had plans for a friend to come over that ended up falling through but not until after we stocked for the visit.

I pulled out all of the things that I cram into my two crisper drawers so you can really see. A majority of it is organic. Lets break it down from left to right, top to bottom.

Mushrooms (in the paper bag, best way to store them), corn, green onion, mint leaves, alfalfa sprouts, baby spinach leaves.

Plumcots, small head of boston lettuce, tomatoes, avacados, peeled garlic.

Romaine lettuce, green bell peppers, baby carrots, raspberries.

On to the door!

Top: Vegan stick butter

Bottom: Tofutti mock cream cheese, the last bit of strawberry cream cheese for Mike, dijon mustard (I mix with agave to make vegan "honey" mustard), sweet and sour sauce, salsa, lemon juice.

First: More sweet and sour (unopened), mango lime salsa, marinara sauce, BBQ sauce, Mike's honey mustard.

Second: Miracle whip (need to check expiration on that...), ketchup, sweet pickles, berry ice cream sauce, strawberry jelly.

Third: Soy sauce, mustard, worcestershire sauce (that's not vegan and hasn't been used in... a long time), raspberry vinaigrette, banana peppers, olives, Soy ginger sauce.

Okay this isn't part of the fridge but here's my over flowing fruit bowl.

Organic gala apples, organic pears, organic kiwi, bananas and under there is a mango.

I didn't take pictures of the freezer because it's actually kind of empty and not as pretty looking. :) But I thought I would give you a run down on what it is in there too.

The top shelf is packed with bags of frozen veggies reserved for lazy days. I have chopped spinach, a couple varieties of stir fry, onion and red and green pepper mix, peas, corn and I think there may be a mixed veggie bag with carrots, peas, broccoli, etc.

The second shelf is curly fries, a bag of ice (bought when I forgot to turn on the ice maker for taco and margarita night with friends), and fruit popcicles.

Third shelf is a bag of frozen fruit.

The only thing in the bottom drawer thing is a single vegan burger. Ha!

Randomly thrown in the door: A package of frozen tofu, an old partly broken orange flavored popcicle, a box of black bean chipotle burgers and a pint of vegan ice cream.

So there ya go. If I get the motivation I'll organize the pantry and go camera happy in there soon. :)

Would you post pictures of your fridge if I asked please? :) Do it, blog it and comment here with the link! Pleeeeeease!

Texan Vegan

2009-09-01T23:33:00.006-05:00

Sometimes it's an extreme pain in the ass to be vegan in Texas.

Last week I was coordinating with a friend so I will be able to eat at his October wedding. After we got the invite I asked him about the vegetarian meal. Not vegan. Thank goodness that he's an awesome friend and asked the caterer about making up a plate for me of the vegan things that will be available.

This month there is going to be a "family day" with the husband's National Guard unit, with food provided. Being Texas it will be BBQ, potato salad, coleslaw, chips, etc. So okay I pack a lunch for me and the kids, not that big of a deal.

Now the husband tells me that his shift at work wants to have an off duty get together... at a BBQ place. Niiiiiiice! I would like to go but sitting there awkwardly not eating while people are stuffing their faces with charred muscle tissue? No thanks.

Le sigh.

Update

The wedding reception food went wonderfully. It was SO much better than plain fruit salad like I was expecting. The best part was flat bread and hummus. Yum!

The Family Day at the NG was ... awkward. I shook hands with a couple people who's names I forgot as soon as they were out of ear shot. We sat at one end of a long table and kept to ourselves. I brought our little picnic of veggie burgers that Mike was able to heat up in an ancient mircowave in the armory kitchen. The kids got their faces painted and there was those bouncey houses. Not a bad day to spend the day but really I would have preferred to just stay home.

And Saltlick BBQ for the shift party... yeeeeeeah. I ate before we left, packed veggie burgers for the kids (gawd those are handy sometimes) and some snacks. I ended up sitting at the VERY far end of one of the two tables, with the kids between me and Mike, where I could not really hear the conversation. I hate when that happens. Overall though it was nice to get out of the house even if I had to spent a couple of hours not talking to anyone besides the boys and smelling that burnt flesh smell (open pit BBQ in the middle of the restaurant).

Unhappy Meals = Unhappy Parents

2009-08-11T17:19:00.006-05:00

PETA does get a bad rap, they are pretty darn looney sometimes. (Remember the breastmilk ice cream idea?) But you have to admit that they do get attention for animal rights. Can you name any other animal rights group? (Before anyone says WWF just FIY, they are not an animals rights group rather an environmental conversation group.)

Currently those activist over at People for Ethical Treatment of Animals are stirring up more trouble, targeting the worldly fast food big box company, McDonalds. But did they go too far? Their Unhappy Meal hand out has some parents angry. Watch the news clip here.

From the PETA's McCruelty website about the Unhappy Meals:

McDonald's markets its food to children by packaging it in brightly colored boxes with enclosed toys, but most kids would probably lose their lunch if they knew about the animal suffering that goes into the company's Happy Meals." That's why PETA created Unhappy Meals to make sure that families know that the lives of the chickens who were killed for those McNuggets were anything but happy.

PETA's spoof of a McDonald's chicken sandwich box features the image of a knife-wielding "Ronald McDonald," along with pictures of birds who have been scalded alive and information about controlled-atmosphere killing (CAK), the less cruel method of slaughter that PETA is asking McDonald's to adopt.

(See? They aren't even asking McDonald's to stop the killing, just do it in a more humane way. Not something I expected anyway.)

The mother does have a good point. It could have been done with a little more tact. Handing out this kind of information to young children, along with pictures of a knife wielding Ronald and bloody rubber chickens, is a bit extreme and could cause a lot of stress especially with the more sensitive children. But I still think that it's a great idea as a whole. It definitely got attention which is the point. It is all about raising awareness and children don't have the same food disconnect as adults do.

But sadly the mother's argument lost its touch when she said that she doesn't think that children should not know where their meal is coming from. ... Um what? Why not? It just didn't make sense, but there wasn't enough time to cover it.

The best part? The 11 year old boy now refuses to eat chicken. Mission accomplished.

What do you think about this?

That's why we don't eat animals

2009-08-10T18:17:00.007-05:00

A few months ago I stumbled upon a soon to be released children's book. The title caught my attention and I knew that I would buy it. The title is self explanatory - "That's Why We Don't Eat Animals"

Written by Rudy Roth, an art teacher who had a class of curious students and decided to write a book specifically for children about veganism and animals.

I was really excited for it to come out. Our family had been put through a loop when I took the plunge into veg*nism and my kids had questions. They were trying to make sense of the changes and I answered them honestly but in age appropriate ways. This book would help build on that.

So I ordered it and waited patiently. The day it arrived my kids were thrilled. They loved getting new books. We sat down that night and I read it to them. "That's Why We Don't Eat Animals" is honest but simplified. I worried a little about it being too much for my young boys but after flipping through it myself I knew that it was going to be a good fit, giving them the answers but not forcing them to deal with anything they just aren't ready to handle.

I absolutely love the illustrations. It is very stylized and honestly very cute. They aren't graphic but do show some suffering. I even teared up at the chickens crying in their cage and the two cows reaching for each other across the aisle between their pens. But for every sad picture there is a happy one. There is a good balance.

This book isn't meant to scare children, heck most Disney movies are scarier. It's just showing how animals in the food industry are treated,what they would normally act if allowed to be free and the damage that is happening to the Earth, in a way that children will understand. It is giving a small dose of animal rights information tailored to how a young child thinks. I love it and my boys love it.

This is a great book, one that I am happy is in our collection. I hope to keep reading it to my boys so they will never forget why we choose not to cause the suffering of animals. If you are a veg*n family with young children I definitely recommend it.

Visit the website for more information and to order your own.

The blog Crazy Sexy Life posted a guest blog by Ruby today about her book and you can read it here.

Say yes to your veggies

2009-08-04T13:27:00.002-05:00

Carrots aren't just good for the eyes, they are good for the skin also. Yes To Carrots is a wonderful brand of high quality personal care products, using organic produce and Dead Sea minerals, each with a cute little name.

Every day I use the Yes To Carrots "C is for Clean" exfoliating cleanser then finish off with the "C you in the morning" day cream. I love how they smell and how my skin feels afterwards. I have That is exactly why I'm so highly recommending it to you my lovely readers.

Yes To products are easy to find at places like Target and Walgreens and at very affordable prices. The bonus is that they are cruelty free with no animal testing or animal ingredients beyond honey and beeswax from organic cruelty free beekeepers. (So select products are not vegan but all are vegetarian.)

Check out their website for a complete list of products and anything else you may want to know. Then rush on over to the nearest retailer and get some of your own!

(who was not paid to brag about this awesome company)

The Right Reason

2009-07-17T20:44:00.006-05:00

Everyone has a reason for eating or not eating something. Taste usually has a lot to do with it. But there are also other reasons: She made it for me, he bought it, it's in my culture, it's easy to make, it's healthy. Vegetarians and vegans add on "it doesn't make an animal suffer".

I am vegan because of my overwhelming compassion for animals. I spent years disconnected from that because of convenience. It would be a hassle to make separate meals, always having to read labels, always being aware, not being out to go out like normal. And honestly I was right. It is damn hard sometimes being vegan. But my reason makes it worth it. It reminds me why I am putting in the effort and makes it easier to not just throw up my hands, say "I quit" and hop over to Jack in the Box.

Not every veg*n is an animal rights activist though. I know* many who just don't like meat. Others do it for their health. I even know a couple who started out because it was the trendy thing to do. A lot of veg*ns have converted for convenience because their significant other at the time was/is veg*n. (Funny how it's the opposite of what I did.) One of my good friends even went vegetarian for a college bet and decided he didn't mind it.

Is there a right reason for being vegan? No, I don't think so. But it's not the reason that is important, it's the action. Regardless of the whys, you are not taking part in animal suffering. And that is the right thing.

*By know, I mean online. I only know a handful of veg*ns outside of the computer.

Dairy Substitutes

2009-07-10T19:42:00.005-05:00

Giving up dairy is a big step for many people going vegan. I can't even count the number of times I have heard "I could never be vegan, I love cheese" (Heck I said it myself!). There's also those with dairy allergies that need to find a good substitute for the dairy in their lives. Pretty much anything that is in the dairy category has a non dairy substitute. You just have to look.

Milk

There are three kinds of non-dairy milk - soy, rice and almond (there's other nut milks but almond is the most popular). Soy is the most readily available (think about all those weird Silk commercials with the cows) and comes in three flavors: original, vanilla and chocolate.

I prefer almond milk. It also comes in the three flavors. The original flavor of Blue Diamond Almond Breeze brand tastes very similar to 2% cow's milk and that is a big plus with my omnivore husband who hates the taste of soy milk.

You can use any of these substitutes in baking and won't be able to tell the difference in most recipes. Keep in mind that using vanilla flavored milk will make the end result a little sweeter which is a good thing for cookies and cake but not so much for mashed potatoes.

Butter

Without the labels, it would be very difficult to tell the difference between vegan and non vegan butter. From baking cookies to spreading it on toast, vegan butter stands up to whatever you want to do with it. Earth Balance is a great vegan brand and Smart Balance makes a vegan butter (it says "Vegan" right on the tub for easy identification ) that can most likely be found in any grocery store.

Cheese

I'm not a big fan of vegan cheeses but I also haven't shopped around a lot. I've tried a couple and ended up throwing it out because it was awful. I've been without cheese for long enough now that vegan or not it's unappealing anyway. (And yes not even 6 months ago I was telling my husband that I wasn't sure if I could be vegan because I love cheese so much...)

I have heard good things about The Vegan Gourmet and Follow Your Heart brands and Vegan Dad says Galaxy Foods' rice cheese slices are pretty good.

Ice Cream

Oh my fellow desert lovers, rejoice. The best ice cream I have ever tasted has been completely vegan. I love love love love LOVE Turtle Mountain Purely Decadent's Pomegranate Chip and I wish it came in something bigger than a pint but then again, my thighs wouldn't appreciate that much.

There is soy, rice or coconut ice cream and come in a pretty wide array of flavors. Also a lot of fruit popcicles are vegan and probably a lot healthier than ice cream anyway. ;)

FYI

One thing to look out for in the ingredients is casein. Casein = cow's milk. I know it seems silly to put cow's milk in a dairy substitute but it happens, especially in cheese because it helps it melt more like cow milk cheese. Don't be fooled by "Non-dairy" claims on the front, check labels and recheck every few months because recipes may change.

You may have to take a trip to your local health food store to find some substitutes but don't get discouraged. If your usual grocery store doesn't have any options, talk with a manager and ask that they stock some. Doesn't hurt to ask.

Cutting dairy out of your life can be a bit overwhelming so take it slow. Cut out one thing at a time and find a good substitute or simply go without. There is a huge "Weaning Off Dairy" support thread on Veggie Boards if you want a little extra assistance.

Milk life for all it's worth, without harming animals in the process. :)

I am Alive!

2009-07-05T20:21:00.002-05:00

It's Barefoot Vegan... from a new location!

We just uprooted... 8th move in 6 years... and relocated. In case you haven't followed my other blog. We bought a house!

So that has been very time and mind consuming. But no fear, I have a couple blog ideas (including a children's book review) that I will get to... when I get to it. I just wanted to pop in and say that I'm still here and kicking. :) Happy Eating!

Moo part 1

2009-06-17T20:53:00.010-05:00

Can you imagine a (human) adult still breastfeeding, as in literally sucking milk from a breast? A bit gross? Yeah.

Now imagine a (human) adult sucking milk from a cow's udder. Disturbing? Yeah.

But many adults drink cows milk. By itself, on cereal, in processed foods, cheese, butter, it's even in baby formula. Milk and its by products (milk fats, casein, whey, lactose) are everywhere. Humans are the only animal to drink milk past the age of weaning, and what makes it especially odd is that the milk that many drink is from another species.

Think of what the milk of any mammal is intended for. It is to insure that their offspring grow rapidly in the first years of life. Human milk, by design, is to help a human baby to grow from roughly 8 lbs to 25lbs in 2 years. Cows' milk by design is to get a 90lb calf to a 2000lbs cow in 2 years. Amazing huh? And yet cow milk has been picked by the Got Milk? campaign to help you lost weight. Huh? Milk = fat. Cheese = fat, butter = fat. These products cannot be made low fat or fat free, don't be so gullible.

I've heard some arguments about how it doesn't hurt the cow to drink her milk. Which while they may mean that the cow isn't killed specifically for her milk, they do forcibly rape her to get her pregnant, snatch her newborn calf away (to either become veal (males) or to be the next generation of dairy cows (females)) and steal her baby's milk to feed to humans by keeping her hooked up to machines all day which cause her udders to bleed and become infected (the pus and blood do end up in the milk, how gross is that?!), pump her full of antibiotic to keep her from getting too sick from the infections and hormones to make her produce a far greater amount that she would naturally then when her productivity drops in a few years from the constant stress of pregnancy and lactating she is slaughtered. A cow that would naturally live 20 years has a life span of 4 years.

(And this isn't even talking about the horrid conditions many dairy cows and many other animals live in factory farms.)

Without human intervention, cows do not have to be milked. That is what their calves are for. Like a breastfeeding woman, the baby takes the milk until they wean then the mother's body stops producing milk. No demand, no supply. It is when we suddenly kidnap her offspring that she will need to be milked to ease the discomfort of 'cold turkey weaning'. Human bodies react in the same way, which is why gradual weaning is advised if you aren't going to allow your child to wean naturally on their own.

Leave the cow milk to baby cows. If you are that thirsty for some milk, find a lactating human.

Some reading for you:

How Does Drinking Milk Hurt Cows?

10 ways you can help fight factory farms

The Dairy Cow

Milk Sucks

(Part 2: The health risks of dairy coming soon!)

Vegan French Toast

2009-06-14T17:14:00.003-05:00

(An adaption from the Pecan-crusted French Toast in the lovely cookbook Skinny Bitch In The Kitchen.)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups soy or rice milk

3 tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon cinnamon

6 tablespoons unbleached flour

10-12 slices vegan whole wheat bread

In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, corn starch and cinnamon then whisk in flour.

Coat a large skillet with canola oil, set over medium heat. One slice at a time, dip bread in mixture coating both sides. Arrange in skillet (I can do three slices at a time in mine) and cook 2-3 minutes on each side.

Serve with PURE maple syrup, not maple flavored high frutose corn syrup (aka the stuff labeled as pancake or waffle syrup).

Eat and enjoy.

Skinny Bitch

2009-06-02T07:39:00.009-05:00

Who wouldn't want to read a book titled "Skinny Bitch"? The subtitle of "A no-nonsense, tough-love guide for the savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous!" certainly doesn't hurt. Written by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, it is exactly what it says, a no-nonsense guide to eating.

With chapter titles like "Sugar is the Devil", "The Dead, Rotting, Decomposing Flesh Diet" and "Don't Be A Pussy", I knew that I was about to read something that would most likely be a proverbial slap in the face. Rory and Kim are no bullshit chicks. They aren't afraid to say "fucking morons" a handful of times throughout the book and there's even a "Coffee is for pussies."

But beyond the colorful language, they write not only about what you should or shouldn't eat but also go in depth to why. Why meat and diary are dangerous to weight loss goals, the truth about carbohydrates, how our bodies digest our food. There's even a chapter about food regulations and how shady government practices means you need to be looking out for yourself because they aren't.

They hand over the info so you can make educated and informed choices for yourself rather than just doing it because they told you to. Although there wasn't too much I learned from it because of my self education of nutrition over the last year, I did pick up a few things and my darling husband Mike, a very much meat and potatoes, wash it down with a 2 liter of soda type of guy decided to change his own eating habits after I read him a few bits.

This book was so refreshing to read. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get healthy and/or lose weight. I even considered buying a few to hand out as gifts. I loved this book that much. I suggest you to run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore or library and pick up a copy of Skinny Bitch. You can thank me later.

And even better, the Skinny Bitch name has expanded beyond the original book. There is "Skinny Bitch in the Kitchen" cookbook, "Skinny Bitch: Bun in the Oven" for pregnancy, "Skinny Bitchin'" food/goal journal, Skinny Bitch Fitness DVDs in Body, Boot Camp and Booty Bounce. There's even "Skinny Bastard", a guide for guys. So there is a Skinny Bitch to fit everyone.

Are you a Skinny Bitch?

Veg*n / Omnivore Relationship

2009-05-18T08:35:00.006-05:00

(Disclaimer: The word "veg*n" means "vegetarian and/or vegan". The * is the wild card to shorten that phrase into a single word for easier communication online. Nothing is censored.)

I am vegan. My husband... is not. Last year when I decided to go vegetarian it was a major disruption to our household. It took us a month or so to work out the kinks and find our balance. I cook vegan meals, he has the choice of cooking his own meat to add to it or eat it as is. I wasn't exactly thrilled with the set up but once we got into our groove it worked for both of us.

Can a veg*n /omnivore relationship work?

Respect works both ways. They should respect your eating habits and you should respect theirs. Regardless if you agree with it, it is their body and their choice. This doesn't mean that if you are vegan you have to cook them meat for dinner if you don't want to. It just means don't give them death stares while they eat their steak and keep your snarky comments to yourself. Same goes for the other way, don't be an ass and make a big show of eating meat. Just eat.
If someone is cooking, make it a veg*n meal. There are plenty of easy things to make that meat can easily be added to when serving it up. If you're the omnivore, ask your significant other what exactly they don't eat if you don't already know. There is a lot of misinformation about veg*ns do and don't eat and everyone is a little different so it's better to get the scoop from them before hitting the kitchen and be wary of cross contamination. Better yet, cook together. My husband and I always have fun standing side by side in our kitchen.
Don't preach. This does go both ways. I've seen a lot of both pro-omnivore and pro-veg*n debates turn nasty. Giving unbiased and factual information is not the same as preaching but it can turn into it if you aren't careful. My husband has learned a lot about slaughtering practices, health concerns and nutrition in the last year. He doesn't mind me reading tidbits from my books or talking with him about something I learned. If he did, I would stop.
Tweak your eating out habits. Taking a veg*n to the BBQ Shack is not cool. Neither is taking a meat loving omnivore to the all vegan restaurant (unless they want to go). There are many places that serve veg*n meals or can easily be made veg*n while still having omnivore options. Most veg*ns will know of a veg*n friendly but not all veg*n restaurant. If you want to try somewhere new, do some research online. Many restaurants now post their menu and nutritional information on their websites. If it doesn't say, call restaurants ahead of time to ask how things are prepared and have an idea of how exactly it needs to be ordered to make it. Find a place that works for both of you so you can enjoy your food and each other without being angry. (We went to TGIFridays without doing our research once... I had to order a salad. I don't particularly like salad and it did put a not so thrilled mood on our meal.) Chipotle is one of our favorites.
Know your limits. This is really for the veg*n. Do you think you can handle kissing them after they eat meat? What about sex? Can you handle possibly cooking or cleaning up after meat? Voice your feelings and find a compromise. I don't often kiss my husband right after he eats meat, I wait until he's had a glass of water or brushed his teeth. He understands and it's not an issue. Know your limits and make sure you communicate them.
Don't push. Respect is here again. Omnivore: don't push them to eat meat. Veg*n: don't push them not to. That would be the easiest way to build resentment and effectively crashing the relationship. You can ask them not to eat meat in front of you but that is not the same as giving up meat entirely.

It does take extra work and a lot of understanding from both sides but if you are committed to making it work it can or at least not be the main make or break of the relationship. If you honestly can't handle dating someone from the other side be it omnivore or veg*n, it's better to just don't and save you both the headache and heartbreak.

It's not uncommon for the veg*n to rub off a little on the other. I have come across quite a few people who have gone vegetarian because their other half was. Some even stayed veg*n after the relationship fell apart because after the initial switch they found other reasons. ( I don't know anyone that went the other way though.)

Even my own "loves medium rare steak" husband is slowly coming around. Recently, he decided on his own to go "almost vegetarian" for health reasons. We are now a completely meatfree household although he will still eat meat when we go out. I am happy about this, particularly because it is his choice based on the information I have given in, in a nonjudgemental way.

That doesn't mean you should date an omnivore hoping that they will change. They may or may not. Don't disappoint yourself by having that expectation and it not being fulfilled. Just think of it as an extra bonus should they decide to come over to the green side. Haha!

Have you ever dated someone from the "other side"? Any more tips for making a veg*n/ omnivore relationship mesh?

Earthlings

2009-05-02T08:23:00.010-05:00

Surprisingly, this is the first time I have watched the entire movie. I have heard about it but knowing my empathy towards all living things I was unsure if I could handle it. Today I took the plunge, prepared myself but I don't think I could have done anything that could have prepared me for this.

This is an eye opening video on the atrocities that the human race has committed towards animals. Narrated by actor and strict vegan Joaquin Phoenix, it takes us through the dark side of pets, food, clothing, entertainment and research. I am exhausted from the emotions involved watching these horrors. But I made it through the entire thing. What I have seen will stay with me for the rest of my life. While I am horrified, I am thankful to have watched this.

With an in-depth study into pet stores, puppy mills and animals shelters, as well as factory farms, the leather and fur trades, sports and entertainment industries, and finally the medical and scientific profession, Earthlings uses hidden cameras and never before seen footage to chronicle the day-to-day practices of some of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.

It is not for the faint of heart, I strongly suggest you wait until you are certain that children will not catch a glimpse especially of the slaughter house part, but I feel that every person who read this blog should watch it. All of it. It is an hour and a 1/2 long. It is a short time to devote to knowledge. What you see will change your lie.

You can watch the whole video here. (It is captioned as well.) You can also buy the DVD from the Earthlings website.

Don't look the other way. This is what is happening right now and you can take a stand. Don't let ignorance allow you to continue to partake, thus encouraging, the barbarity. Gather knowledge, inform others and take a stand. Together we can make a difference.

"It takes nothing away from a human to be kind to an animal."

Nature, Animals, Mankind. We are the Earthlings.

Pig Slaughter

2009-05-01T16:39:00.003-05:00

350,000 pigs are to be murdered. In a country where there are no reported cases of "Swine Flu". The government is saying it's more of a health measure rather than just about the flu. It's heartbreaking to watch them try to catch a young pig, obviously terrified. A pig that we know will be killed in an unnecessary mass slaughter.

Vegetarian in a Non Veg World

2009-05-01T11:00:00.003-05:00

A few days ago Max Fisher, poured his vegetarian heart out about his struggles in the switch and how he deals with a world not quite set up for veg*ns.

My grandmother hides meat in my food. Beef is buried in my mashed potatoes, bits of chicken lurk in my rice like tiny insurgents--edible enemy combatants, undercover and waiting to strike. I love my grandmother dearly, but I've learned never to accept soups from her--the murkier, the riskier--and to keep a sharp eye should we sit next to each other at restaurants. For an 83-year-old, she's got surprisingly nimble little hands.

Read the whole thing at The Atlantic!

Cow loose in suprmarket

2009-04-27T07:40:00.005-05:00

All I can think of is that the cow must have been terrified. I hope it wasn't injured and they were able to catch it safely.

Go Vegan for Earth Day!

2009-04-21T11:31:00.003-05:00

In case you forgot, April 22nd 2009 (which is tomorrow) is Earth Day!

Your mission, should you wish to accept it, is to eat vegetarian. Don't eat meat for one day. That is it. With one day we can accomplish a whole lot.

If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would save:

● 100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months;

● 1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year;

● 70 million gallons of gas--enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare;

● 3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware;

● 33 tons of antibiotics.

If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would prevent:

● Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 million tons of CO2, as much as produced by all of France;

● 3 million tons of soil erosion and $70 million in resulting economic damages;

● 4.5 million tons of animal excrement;

● Almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant.

Get this: According to Environmental Defense, if every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted vegetarian foods instead, the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off of U.S. roads.

Holy crap right?

Bonus points if you eat VEGAN.

For our one Earth could you do this for one day?

Flesh and Blood by Citizen Fish

2009-04-19T08:52:00.003-05:00

If animals are animals
And animals have brains
We are no more than cannibals
Who refuse to feel the pain

The meat you eat is wrapped up neat
You didn't see it bleed...
And what you kill does not fulfil
Your dietary needs

Take a look from this direction
And save yourself the indigestion
Our guts are geared to vegetation
And it's healthier as well

Open your eyes and face the facts
Meat cost a lot, it gives you heart attacks
A now lot of people think (wrongly) vegetation lacks
In vitamin B12... vitamin B12...
If you really think that's gonna make you ill
Then buy a bottle of vitamin pills!

You could be more healthy
Maybe it doesn't really bother you
But can your conscience bear the strain
Of all the pain that makes your food?

You could feed a lot of needy people
With the grain they feed to cows
But can you comprehend these end results
Or can you not allow
Yourself to break the old tradition?
False conception of nutrition

Well they all eat meat on the television
Except those little starving children
Would you ever eat the meat
From another human being?
Flesh and blood
Is animal
Is you and me
Animal is suffering

Non veg*ns' reactions

2009-04-14T21:50:00.006-05:00

I've heard stories from other veg heads that people refuse to eat anything they cook because it's veg*n. I read a story recently about a family member who in the middle of pigging out and obviously enjoying herself learned that the food was in fact vegan. She threw a fit and wouldn't touch it again.

I'm not sure why there is such a stigmata about vegan foods. Somehow labeling it as such just scares people off. People automatically jump to the conclusion that it must be disgusting or that only "damn hippies" eat that sort of stuff. Of course I love pointing out all the vegan things people eat without knowing it's vegan.

My mom was visiting us this weekend, the first time since I went vegetarian. I was slightly concerned about how she will handle my cooking but I just did what I usually do and didn't mention anything about being vegan. She loved it and even asked for my spinach enchilada recipe although she did say "I probably don't want to know what is in it." Haha!

When I baked cookies, she came up and asked "Are they real?" ... As opposed to pretend cookies? She just wanted to know if there was anything weird in them. Nope, just plain and safe although vegan chocolate chip cookies. It was a good laugh. I think she remembers the time when I found a cookie recipe that has silken tofu in it. She accused me (jokingly) if trying to poison her when I told her what it had in it... after she ate a couple. Maybe I was. ;)

Veg*ns of the world need to unite and we shall show the omnivores that we have some pretty damn good food they are missing out on. ;)

Vegan Before Dinnertime

2009-04-03T13:28:00.007-05:00

Mark Bittman, a NY Times writer has an unique way of improving his health, a diet dubbed "vegan before dinnertime". The name says it all, Mark eats only fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes from the time he wakes up until 6pm dinner time.

"I don't even eat white bread during the day. And then starting at dinner, I do. I have one meal a day when I do pretty much what I want, which is normally quite indulgent. "

After developing high cholesterol, borderline high blood sugar, bad knees and sleep apnea and seeing he was 35 overweight, a doctor suggested a vegan diet to Mark. Mark wasn't keen on the idea of being full time vegan so he came up with the compromise. Within months, he lost weight, his blood sugar and cholesterol levels were normal and sleep apnea vanished.

Mark states that he wants people to realize that simple diet evaluation can lead to meaningful changes.

I want to make things as simple as possible. This is consistent with everything I’ve ever done. I’m the guy who says, “Don’t sweat it.” I’m trying to once again say, “Let’s figure out how to do this cleanly and easily.” I would just encourage everyone to examine the portion in their own diet between processed foods and animal food and junk food on the one hand and plants on the other. To the extent the first group is much heavier than the second group, I say make some adaptations to change that.

Little changes do make big differences. Nothing in food should be an all or nothing endeavor. Going partway is better then not going at all. Better for you, better for the Earth.

Organic is not enough

2009-04-02T09:13:00.005-05:00

There has been a lot of talk about organic foods lately. When the topic comes up there's always people that say that they don't believe the hype, don't like the price, whatever. I think that "organic" has become just another buzz word to throw around, "the magic cure-all, synonymous with eating well, healthfully, sanely, even ethically", making people who pay the prices for it feel slightly superior to the ones who don't.

As pointed out by a recent NY Times article "organic" don't necessarily mean that it's better for you. You can eat all the organic junk food you want, you will still be unhealthy. Organic or not, we need to be eating better FOOD.

To eat well, says Michael Pollan, the author of “In Defense of Food,” means avoiding “edible food-like substances” and sticking to real ingredients, increasingly from the plant kingdom. (Americans each consume an average of nearly two pounds a day of animal products.) There’s plenty of evidence that both a person’s health — as well as the environment’s — will improve with a simple shift in eating habits away from animal products and highly processed foods to plant products and what might be called “real food.”

Yes I think organic is important for our health and our Earth but it is not my top priority. I just want healthy, nutritious foods for my family. I make a lot of foods from scratch because I've taken the time and researched all the ingredients on the labels of our most brought foods and was pretty horrified at what I found.

I do buy organic when I can, especially of the things we eat most often, like flour, apples, carrots, soy milk but I also don't freak out if we don't. I know in the long run I am doing better for my family by giving them meals made with love and whole foods, with or without the USDA Organic label.

So if it comes down a choice between the organic cheese crackers and the conventionally farmed apple, pick the apple and don't feel bad for it.

Don't apologize to me

2009-04-01T15:44:00.003-05:00

In the last year of being vegetarian and recently vegan, I have people apologizing to me left and right. I'm sorry but I could never give up meat, cheese, insert whatever non vegan food/thing.

Something about being vegan makes omnivores feel the need to apologize to me for their eating habits. Maybe they feel judged. Maybe they think that I am upset in some way. Maybe they know I'm right. I don't really know and I'm sure it varies from person to person. I do know that I'm not the one they need to apologize to.

(Of course these pictures are not of factory farm animals like the ones that will end up on people's plates. I wouldn't be able to stomach the search for those kind of pictures. )

This is not being judgmental. It's just the truth. Them eating meat and other animal products does not effect me in anyway. I don't want to hear apologies for it.

Tuesday Question

2009-03-31T05:45:00.003-05:00

Do you think that raising a child vegetarian/vegan is pushing your views on them?

If yes, do you think that raising them omnivores is pushing your views on them?

If no, what is the difference?

(Makes ya think doesn't it?)

That Hippie Food - Vegan Granola

2009-03-29T11:28:00.007-05:00

I love granola. Love love love it. But buying it pre-made is so expensive! And of course, it's very difficult to find some that isn't made with honey. So I had to take matters into my own hands.

I found this recipe on Hillbilly Housewife and veganized it then added some personal touches. I often double up the batch because between me and the kids, it really doesn't last long.

3 cups dry oatmeal

1/4 cup ground flax seed (optional)

1 stick ( 1/2 cup) of vegan butter (Earth Balance is a good brand.)

1/2 cup of agave nectar or other honey substitute (Quick tip: Coat the inside of your measuring cup with non stick spray/oil before you measure the agave, it will make it slide right out.)

1/4 teaspoon salt

Nuts, seeds, dried fruits, shredded coconut, whatever tickles your fancy

Preheat oven to 375˚. Melt the butter in a big saucepan over medium heat. Mix in agave nectar and salt. Heat briefly and add oatmeal and flaxseed. Stir it up, coating the oats well. Pour it out into a cake pan, 9x13 works good for a single batch, and spread it out evenly. Bake for 10-12 minutes. The granola will look toasty brown and smell awesome. Set aside and let cool. Then just break it up and put into a sealed canister, ziplock, whatever.

Now the really fun part. Add whatever little extras you want! I like mine with sliced almonds, dried cranberries and shredded coconut. Shake it up real good to mix it all together.

Granola is great as a cereal (with soy or rice milk), in (soy) yogurt, in trail mix, or just to eat right out of the can. :)

Tofu and Twigs - What do vegans eat anyway?

2009-03-24T16:07:00.008-05:00

Anyone who has encountered a vegan generally asks the same question "What do vegans eat anyway?" I even had vegetarians say "But you can't eat anything!"

I like to joke about tofu and twigs. There seems to be a huge misconception that just because we choose not to eat animal products that we can't eat anything. Yes we don't eat meat and anything that comes from it (gelatin, animal fats, meat based broths etc.) dairy (milk, cheese, yogurt, whey, etc), eggs and honey. But there is so much more out there that doesn't fall into those categories.

You would really be surprised how easy it is to make a meal vegan or how you, yes you eat vegan foods every day without even thinking about it. It goes far beyond just plain fruits and vegetables. There are many mainstream foods out there right now that are sneakily vegan. My favorite is Pillsbury crescents.

So what the hell do vegans eat anyway? Take a look!

I do a lot of cooking from scratch because it's cheaper as well as insurance that I am not getting anything I don't want in my foods. I make homemade pizzas usually once a week. I just leave the cheese off mine. I make stir fry, pastas, enchiladas, pancakes. I am a classic hippy with my homemade vegan granola. I even baked an awesomely delicious vegan chocolate cake for my son's 5th birthday.

Being vegan does make eating in general harder. I religiously read labels of anything I am not familiar with. I feel a bit left out during cook outs and banquets (it's common with my husband's job) where even the dinner rolls may not be safe. I have to do some research on restaurants before we go out to eat and even then I may have to ask the server a question or three about how the food is prepared. It can be a hassle but mostly a little extra work isn't that big of a deal for me.

I think it's funny that many people think that vegans are depriving themselves because of what they choose not to eat when really vegans tend to eat a wider variety of delicious foods than most omnivores do. Putting restrictions on your diet forces you to get more creative and in turn your horizons broaden. I don't see myself as deprived, I am liberated.

Veg*n Family

2009-03-21T23:10:00.010-05:00

Daddy is omnivore with an idea to be "almost vegetarian" for health reasons. Two children are mostly vegetarian. One child is mostly vegan. Mama is vegan. Meals here can get a little interesting but one thing's for sure, there's some darn good food smells here!

The same week that I made my life style change, becoming a vegetarian, my husband and I had lengthy discussions on what we would feed our kids. The baby, 8 months old, didn't have a choice but my older sons, then 2 and 4 was given the choice of having meat with their meals, on a meal to meal basis. They didn't like meat much in the first place so it did not surprise me that 50% of the time they decided to go without. As time went on they wanted it less and less. They now go weeks without any meat whatsoever.

The American Dietetic Association (ADA) affirms that, "appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." The ADA goes on to say that "Well-planned vegan and vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life-cycle including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence."

The Center for Disease Control reports that 1 in 200 children are vegetarian. The rate could be 4-6 times higher for older teens who have more control over what they eat. The CDC report is the first such government report on vegetarian children. Vegetarian kids have a better chance of escaping the the obesity, heart disease, and Type II diabetes that plague increasing numbers of meat-eating children. These healthier eating habits can also help them live chronic disease-free as adults, as well.

As a parent, I want to give my children the best in life, including foods and health. As I immersed myself into vegetarianism, I was having some moral issues on feeding my kids something I would not eat myself. This went far beyond "Well I don't like ____ but they do so I'll give it to them". It was that I was ethically against this food and the barbarity behind it. Not to mention all the health risks involved. How could I consciously give it to them?

My husband has the knowledge to make his own choices but my children do not. Even now after a year of talking about it, they do not put together that what Daddy eats for dinner is the muscle tissue of a once living, breathing chicken or cow. They ask questions and I do believe they understand in the abstract but at the same time they are just very young children. I cannot bring myself to allow them to make uninformed choices right now. When they are older and logically express their choice to eat meat then we will go that route. But for now, I am making the choices.

So far we haven't had any issues. I provide healthy vegan meals every night that they have the choice of taking as is or adding cheese and/or meat. 98% of our snack foods are vegan, mostly because we eat a lot of fruits, vegetables and home made foods and stay away from anything overly processed. I am confident that my entire family is getting the vitamins and nutrients that they need to be healthy and happy.

I hope that as my children get older they will choose to stay vegetarian or vegan. The best I can do is inform them, in age appropriate ways, on my own reasons and hope that they understand and agree. If they decide not to, well I'll just have to learn to handle that if it comes.

At what age should a child be able to choose on their own a diet like vegetarianism? Should a parent have their child follow their own diet until they are old enough to voice another opinion?

Types of Veg*n

2009-03-18T08:52:00.007-05:00

Omnivores or those just starting out in this life style get confused about the different types of vegetarians/vegans. We are categorized and labeled by our food choices. Sometimes we are grouped under the title "veg*n" which is a shorter way to type "vegetarian and/or vegan". That seems to throw people off too.

To help clear things up, I'll give you the run down from "light" to "hard core"

Flexitarian ~ These are not really vegetarians but I thought they deserved a mention. These are people that choose to eat vegetarian most of the time but still have no issues eating meat when options are limited. I find that most of this group do it for health or monetary reasons rather then ethical.

Pescetarians ~ There's debate on whether this group is really vegetarian but that's not for me to decide. A pescetarian eats fish and other sea food, but no other meat product. Again, usually motivated by health reasons rather then ethical. These also usually fit into the next group...

Lacto-Ovo vegetarians ~ Vegetarians that consume diary (milk, cheese, yogurt, etc) and eggs but no other animal products, which include sneakier things like gelatin and mono and diglycerides. This is the most common vegetarian group and what most people consider when they encounter a vegetarian. On the same note there are just lacto vegetarians or ovo vegetarians. Usually ovo vegetarians are lactose intolerant.

There is a huge debate on whether one can eat eggs and still be considered a true vegetarian. It really depends on how you think of it. I, myself, do not eat eggs because I consider them a meat product. (And do y'all remember the traumatic experience that lead to be being vegetarian in the first place?)

Small science lesson: Like a human woman, a hen will ovulate. Unlike the human woman, that egg will not be absorbed by her body. The egg must go somewhere. To fertilize the egg, the rooster will deposit sperm into the hen's vent (birth canal/anus). The eggs get the hard shell as they are being laid so during that process the sperm will be picked up inside the egg before the shell forms. (There are occasionally a shell-less eggs. Google it, it's pretty interesting.)

So while the egg is technically a meat product, an unfertilized egg (like the ones in your grocery store) would not be capable of life even if they were left alone. It is a mass of useless tissue. It's that reason that many vegetarians will still eat eggs. (A funny look at it.)

Vegan ~ Vegans will not consume any animal product, whether is it a part of the animal itself or something it produced. No meat, diary, eggs, honey or anything that contains it. If it came from an animal it is a no go. Most vegans that take it further and refuse to own, use or wear animal products, like leather, fur, feathers and well as any personal care product with animal products in them or from companies that test on animals. Many also boycott zoos and circuses.

Raw vegans ~ These people are hard core. The diet consists of unprocessed vegan foods that have not been heated above 115º F (46º C). They believe that foods cooked above this temperature have lost a significant amount of their nutritional value and are harmful to the body.

I hope this helped to answer some lingering questions on the different levels of veg*nism. :)

I am vegan

2009-03-17T20:35:00.006-05:00

As a young child, I loved animals. Like any other young animal lover I wanted to be a veterinarian. It was logically the best choice for me to work with animals. My young mind didn't understand the other possibilities just yet.

In the following years, I smarted up. I could not handle the idea, let alone the sight, of a hurt, sick or dying animal. I would just shatter to pieces. I still do. So I naturally moved on to the next career goal: zookeeper. I loved animals, wanted to be around animals. I owned many animals as well, even some unusual ones like rats and scorpions.

I had a set of rules for my food from about as soon as I could voice them. I could not see the meat while it still even semi-resembled what it looked like alive. Completely forget about things I did see alive. I would not eat anything off a bone. If there was a vien... I wouldn't touch it. The animal lover in me was repulsed by the idea of eating animals but I felt there was no other choice. I blocked my feelings about it out, disconnected my food with the animal it came from.

Through highschool, I had flirted with the idea of being a vegetarian, nothing close to a commitment but I was almost there, teetering on the edge of it. I never knew any vegetarians until we moved to Austin last summer just before I turned 22, and I had renewed hope. I just worried about how hard it would be with my die hard omnivore husband.

Then I experienced something life changing even if a bit silly. It was an unremarkable July day, I was hanging out in the kitchen making pancakes for dinner. I picked up an egg and glanced at it. My brain sent violent messages, screaming that there was a crack in the egg.... with feathers coming out. System shut down.

As a child I was afraid of finding a chick in an egg. It wasn't until many years later did I understand about unfertilized eggs. Even then, I can't deny that I felt a small twitch of fear that I would crack open an egg and find a surprise. This is what my brain saw then tried unsuccessfully to block to save my sanity. My head was in the kitchen sink, I was willing my stomach to settle and my husband came to figure out what the fuss was about.

My husband, muttering about over reaction, inspected and discovered there was no crack, just a small downy feather plastered to the outside of my farmer's market egg. He even cracked it into a bowl to deem it safe to continue.

Still with a queasy stomach and the image and idea of a dead baby chicken steered behind my eyeballs, I finished making dinner. I exclaimed from my spot in front of the stove "That's it! I'm vegetarian!"

My husband paused for a second before asking "Are you serious?" He was still thinking about my irrational outburst about the egg, he didn't understand the gravity of the situation for me. I almost felt he was being insensitive, dismissive of my feelings but in reality, I had just never told him. "Damn straight I am." There, I told him.

After dinner (I ate something else), we talked. I laid down my limits from what I will eat (basic lacto-vegetarian diet) and what I would be willing to cook for him. We also discussed about what to do about our kids, then 4, 2 and 8 months. The talk really lasted all week, ironing out the details while my husband was mostly upset on how hard life was going to be and worried I would push my life choice on our children.

The vegetarian life style surprised us both. With the exception of being out of the house, meals were simple. Mike, who gradually came around to fully support my decision, would cook his own meat to add to whatever I was cooking and everyone was happy. After the first month, it became natural to me and besides religious label reading, life settled into a normal routine.

I was toying with the idea of going all the way to vegan. I thought it was just natural to continue the lifestyle to it's fullest. As I submerged myself into vegetarianism by reading the books, finding the websites and watching the video clips, I grew more and more horrified. I wanted to have as limited association with the suffering and death. I started cutting out foods until all that was left was cheese and honey. I was so close. Then I jumped right off the cliff.

After 8 months of being a vegetarian, I turned vegan and that's where I have been for 2 weeks now. Everyone has to start somewhere. We've had a few blips here and there but nothing unmanageable. The transition was much smoother then expected really. Right now we are in the process of eliminating all products we use regularly (tooth paste, shaving cream, lotion, etc) that use animal products and/or test on animals.

Over the last 9 months, I have gone through many changes. I am healthier now then I ever remember being. I feel amazing, my skin and hair look great. I have the energy to keep up with my kids. My husband and I are more informed. We are all eating much healthier and we are even saving quite a bit of money with our lessening dependence on the junk stuff. This is our big step as a family to save the Earth as well. :)

My children are vegetarians, with my 16 month old being pretty much vegan with me, and my husband even dropped a shocker on me yesterday: He's considering going "almost vegetarian" for health reasons. I am thrilled that I am corrupting him, in a round about way, to come to the "green side". Haha!

I have removed myself and my family from the horrors of animal cruelty dressed up as "the food industry" and I hope to influence others to make that decision as well. This is the start of my blog, Barefoot Vegan, to get my message out to the world that being vegan is not the tofu and twigs that many people think it is. So stick around, take off your shoes and boogie in the kitchen with me. :)