I love reading and I'm low on cash, so I like to visit my local library and check out books. I especially love non-fiction political style books because they make you think. On my last trip to the library, I picked up a copy of "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer. I just finished it last night, and it is a great book. I really like it because it goes in depth about exactly what happens on modern farms. Mr. Foer spent over three years researching the book and it shows. He personally visited a couple of different factory farms (including once in the middle of the night with an animal liberationist) and got a first hand look at what goes on. The book includes pieces written by factory farmers, a couple of small family farmers, and animal rights activists. He talks about his upbriging and the food culture of his Jewish American family. He also talks about how he waffled between meat eating and vegetarianism for years until he decided to find out where meat actually comes from after his son was born.
The chapters in titled "Influence/Speechlessness" and "Pieces of Paradise/Pieces of Shit" are particularly good. In "Influence/Speechlessness", he describes the horrific conditions on poultry farms. He talks about not only the suffering of the birds, but how modern poultry farming puts humans at risk. Humans are put at risk by poultry farming in two main ways: the birds are housed in cramped spaces, which means that diseases such as the flu can easily spread from chicken to chicken and from chicken to human (hello bird flu!). Because of this risk, the birds are given routine anti-biotics, which end up in entering the human body when the birds are eaten. This contributes to the development of anti-biotic resistant bacteria.
In "Pieces of Paradise/Pieces of Shit", the author describes the conditions on the hog farms owned by Smithfield, the largest pork supplier in the US. The book describes how Smithfield often disposes of the pigs shit by simply spraying it up into the air. The shit contains poisons like carbon monoxide and cyanide, which are released into the air (scary). This has caused the rates of respiratory illnesses such as asthma to skyrocket in towns near pig farms. He also mentions how workers near the waste pits have fainted from the smell, fell in the shit and drowned in it! He goes into detail about the inhumane gestation crates and includes quotes by workers who talk about beating the pigs to death. In a later chapter he includes the account of a worker (at another farm) who admitted to cutting off a pigs snout and then rubbing salt in it in order to cause more pain.
In short, if you want to educate your meat eating friends and family about what they are really supporting when they buy meat, then give them a copy of "Eating Animals". It will definitely open their eyes. Those are my thoughts on the book. Bye until next time!
Items from my Etsy shop
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Vegan Review: Muir Glen Organic and MorningStar BBQ Riblets
As everyone knows, fresh, home-cooked food is healthiest. However, if you're like most people you are often too busy to cook, so sometimes it's nice to have things like frozen dinners on hand. I have recently tried two new vegan quick-fix meals: Muir Glen Organic Southwest Black Bean Soup and MorningStar Hickory BBQ riblets.
Muir Glen Soup:
I really liked the flavor of this one. It has some of my favorite vegetables like beans, onions, and peppers. It was spicy but not too hot, at least in my opinion. Since it contains beans, the soup is a fairly good source of protein and only has 130 calories. The bad thing about it is that it's full of sodium (680mg). That being said, as long as you're not on a sodium restricted diet and don't eat foods like this regularly, it isn't all that bad. The best thing about the soup is that it requires no preparation, you simply heat up and eat. Muir Glen Organics makes two other vegan soups (lentil and tomato basil) and all of them are clearly marked vegan on the front of the label. I always like it when I don't have to read ingredients! I'm glad that I got two cans because I definitely plan to enjoy this soup again in the future. If you want to purchase the soup, you can find a store locator at www.muirglen.com
MorningStar Hickory BBQ Riblets:
When I first became a vegetarian, I really liked MorningStar products and ate them quite a bit. Unfortunately, only four of their meals are vegan (and only two of those meals are available at stores near me). The other day I was looking in the veggie meals section of the frozen foods and saw the Hickory BBQ Riblets. I hadn't seen these before, so I decided to take a look at the ingredients. I was very pleasantly surprised to see the words "100% vegan" at the bottom of the nutrition label. I loved BBQ when I ate meat, so I decided to give these a try. I am very glad that I did because they are DELICIOUS! Even my omnivore mother said that they smelled delicious and she wished she could try one (she has a soy allergy). If you're looking to introduce BBQ meat lovers to vegan food, I'd highly recommend these "riblets". I doubt that they'll even notice that they are meatless unless you tell them! I look forward to eating these riblets again.
FYI: The other MorningStar Vegan Meals are Vegan Veggie Burgers, Sweet 'n Sour Chick'n, and Vegan Chick'n Meal Starters. You can see if they are available in your area via the store locator at http://www.morningstarfarms.com
Anyway, those are the reviews of my latest vegan culinary adventures. Talk to you again soon!
Muir Glen Soup:
I really liked the flavor of this one. It has some of my favorite vegetables like beans, onions, and peppers. It was spicy but not too hot, at least in my opinion. Since it contains beans, the soup is a fairly good source of protein and only has 130 calories. The bad thing about it is that it's full of sodium (680mg). That being said, as long as you're not on a sodium restricted diet and don't eat foods like this regularly, it isn't all that bad. The best thing about the soup is that it requires no preparation, you simply heat up and eat. Muir Glen Organics makes two other vegan soups (lentil and tomato basil) and all of them are clearly marked vegan on the front of the label. I always like it when I don't have to read ingredients! I'm glad that I got two cans because I definitely plan to enjoy this soup again in the future. If you want to purchase the soup, you can find a store locator at www.muirglen.com
MorningStar Hickory BBQ Riblets:
When I first became a vegetarian, I really liked MorningStar products and ate them quite a bit. Unfortunately, only four of their meals are vegan (and only two of those meals are available at stores near me). The other day I was looking in the veggie meals section of the frozen foods and saw the Hickory BBQ Riblets. I hadn't seen these before, so I decided to take a look at the ingredients. I was very pleasantly surprised to see the words "100% vegan" at the bottom of the nutrition label. I loved BBQ when I ate meat, so I decided to give these a try. I am very glad that I did because they are DELICIOUS! Even my omnivore mother said that they smelled delicious and she wished she could try one (she has a soy allergy). If you're looking to introduce BBQ meat lovers to vegan food, I'd highly recommend these "riblets". I doubt that they'll even notice that they are meatless unless you tell them! I look forward to eating these riblets again.
FYI: The other MorningStar Vegan Meals are Vegan Veggie Burgers, Sweet 'n Sour Chick'n, and Vegan Chick'n Meal Starters. You can see if they are available in your area via the store locator at http://www.morningstarfarms.com
Anyway, those are the reviews of my latest vegan culinary adventures. Talk to you again soon!
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Vegan Makeup!
I'm not the kind of woman who wears makeup everyday. Unless I'm doing something really special, I usually go makeup-less. That being said, every once in awhile I get in the mood to wear it again. I hadn't purchased any makeup since I became a vegan, so I wanted to make sure the make-up that I bought was cruelty free. I also have the added issue of being allergic to the ingredients in many mainstream make up items, so I also had to make sure they were hypo-allergenic. Here are my reviews of a couple of the items that I purchased.
1) Mineral eyeshadow from Madison Street Beauty at http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadisonStreetBeauty
Reg. Price: $5
I LOVE eyeshadow, but since my eyes are very sensitive, there are only a few types of eyeshadow that I can wear without my eyes watering. I had heard that mineral eye shadows were supposed to be great for people with allergies because the ingredients are more natural, so I decided to give them a whirl. Thankfully, I found a wonderful Etsy shop that sells handmade mineral makeup called Madison Street Beauty. I LOVE this shop because of their very wide selection of vegan items, and the fact that all of their items are all-natural, talc free, hypoallergenic, and of course are never tested on animals. They were having a great 60% sale when I bought my eyeshadow, so I was able to get two of them for about the same price that you would pay for one in a regular store. The colors that I bought are "Heliotrope" (the dark purple) and "California Sun". So far, I have worn the California shade. I wore it for about 4.5 hours indoors and I really like it. It didn't bother my eyes at all and there was no visible creasing. The store is currently listed as "on vacation", so you can't purchase anything right now, but I'd advise you to sign up to be notified when they re-open. I know that I will definitely be a repeat customer!
California Sun
Heliotrope
1) Mineral eyeshadow from Madison Street Beauty at http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadisonStreetBeauty
Reg. Price: $5
I LOVE eyeshadow, but since my eyes are very sensitive, there are only a few types of eyeshadow that I can wear without my eyes watering. I had heard that mineral eye shadows were supposed to be great for people with allergies because the ingredients are more natural, so I decided to give them a whirl. Thankfully, I found a wonderful Etsy shop that sells handmade mineral makeup called Madison Street Beauty. I LOVE this shop because of their very wide selection of vegan items, and the fact that all of their items are all-natural, talc free, hypoallergenic, and of course are never tested on animals. They were having a great 60% sale when I bought my eyeshadow, so I was able to get two of them for about the same price that you would pay for one in a regular store. The colors that I bought are "Heliotrope" (the dark purple) and "California Sun". So far, I have worn the California shade. I wore it for about 4.5 hours indoors and I really like it. It didn't bother my eyes at all and there was no visible creasing. The store is currently listed as "on vacation", so you can't purchase anything right now, but I'd advise you to sign up to be notified when they re-open. I know that I will definitely be a repeat customer!
California Sun
Heliotrope
2) Physician's Formula
Another makeup brand that I like is Physicians Formula. There foundations are wonderful for sensitive skin, available at mainstream stores, not tested on animals, and they make some of their products in North America. Unfortunately, you have to be careful because some of their brushes are made with animal hair (yes, I know, yuck). However, I can recommend one of their foundations which I have used that is 100% vegan: Mineral Wear Talc-Free Liquid Foundation. It is easy to apply and doesn't bother my skin. I like the fact that it has a built in applicator. You can find a list of Physician's Formula's vegan products here: http://veggiebeauty.com
There are many other cruelty free cosmetics companies out there. A great resource to help you find them is PETA's Cruelty Free Companies list. It is a list of companies that have certified to be cruelty free. The list even tells you whether or not the company is vegan. On the flip side, they also have a list of companies to avoid. You can find those lists at PETA's cruelty free companies list .
Until next time, have fun with being beautiful inside and out!
Monday, April 16, 2012
Teriyaki Tofu Recipe
I'll be the first to admit I'm not a very experienced cook. I usually avoid cooking whenever I can. However, since I've become a vegan I have found it necessary to cook from time to time (eating frozen veggie dinners every night can get tiring and isn't always healthy), so today I decided to pick up some raw tofu and try out a scrambled tofu recipe. Unfortunately I forgot to bring the recipe with me to the store and forgot about some necessary ingredients. I didn't want to eat a frozen dinner tonight so I decided to look up another tofu recipe. Before I became a vegetarian, teriyaki chicken was one of my favorite meals. I was curious to see if there were any teriyaki tofu recipes out there. The first result that popped up was from the Care2 website. I took a look at it and it looked like it was very easy to make.All that needed to be changed to make it vegan was a simple substitution of agave for honey. I said to myself "why not give it a go?" I'm glad that I did. The recipe was very easy to follow and it turned out great. The only negative thing about it is that it is not a quick dinner. It requires anywhere between 45mins to 2 hours 20 minutes to prepare. The reason it takes so long is that the recipe says to let the uncooked tofu marinate for anywhere between 30mins-2hours. I marinated it for about 1 hr 50 min and then it took about 20 minutes to cook the tofu. If you have the time, letting it marinate for close to 2hrs is worth it because it was delicious in my opinion.
Here is the recipe (original is here: www.care2.com )
INGREDIENTS
1 pound extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup good-quality tamari or soy sauce (I used regular soy sauce)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated, including peel
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey (I used agave nectar )
grated rind from juiced lemon, to taste
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I used regular flour)
black pepper to taste
oil for frying
1. Combine tamari, ginger, lemon juice, honey, and lemon rind in a small bowl.
2. Place tofu slices in a single layer in a baking pan and pour marinade over them. Turn to coat. Allow tofu to marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to two hours.
3. Remove tofu and reserve marinade.
4. Combine flour and pepper on a plate. Dip tofu slices in flour mixture, turning to coat.
5. Brown tofu in oil, about 5 minutes per side, adding oil as needed. When all slices are browned, add reserved marinade and simmer 10 minutes.
Here is how it turned out for me:
Here is the recipe (original is here: www.care2.com )
INGREDIENTS
1 pound extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup good-quality tamari or soy sauce (I used regular soy sauce)
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated, including peel
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey (I used agave nectar )
grated rind from juiced lemon, to taste
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I used regular flour)
black pepper to taste
oil for frying
1. Combine tamari, ginger, lemon juice, honey, and lemon rind in a small bowl.
2. Place tofu slices in a single layer in a baking pan and pour marinade over them. Turn to coat. Allow tofu to marinate at least 30 minutes, or up to two hours.
3. Remove tofu and reserve marinade.
4. Combine flour and pepper on a plate. Dip tofu slices in flour mixture, turning to coat.
5. Brown tofu in oil, about 5 minutes per side, adding oil as needed. When all slices are browned, add reserved marinade and simmer 10 minutes.
Here is how it turned out for me:
Friday, April 13, 2012
Vegan Acne Fighters.
According to acne.org, over 1/2 of adult women suffer from acne. I am one of them. Thankfully, my acne is mild but it can still be a problem. Up until a few weeks ago, I was using the typical over the counter drug store acne fighting pads that I had stockpiled before I became a vegan. When I noticed that I was running out of the pads, I took a look at the ingredients and realized that they probably weren't vegan. So I went to Wal-Greens to see if I could find any vegan acne products that didn't cost an arm and a leg. While I was there, I saw a bottle of witch hazel astringent. I decided to go home and do some research before I bought it. I looked it up and saw that many people had found that witch hazel worked very well on their acne. I found a store brand for about $2 and decided to give it a try. Here is what I like about it:
1) It has only two ingredients: witch hazel and alcohol.
2) It has worked well for me. I usually have flare ups right before my period where I get several large white heads/pimples. This month my flare up was much less severe. I only had 2 very small white heads develop.
If you're looking for an inexpensive, natural vegan acne treatment, I highly suggest witch hazel. If you look for it in the store, keep in mind that it is used to treat cuts and scrapes. Therefore, look in the first aid section if it's not with the skincare products.
In addition to the witch hazel, I also clean my skin by alternating between a facial mask and a cleanser. For the mask I use Freeman Feeling Beautiful Avocado and Oatmeal Mask. It's a good pore cleanser and best of all, the company is vegan! You can get Freeman products at most major grocery stores.
For the cleanser, I use Aubrey Organics Natural Herbal Facial Cleanser for Oily Skin. It leaves my skin fresh and I like the fact that it is made by a company that is both vegan and made in the state of Florida. You can find this cleanser at local health food stores and online at www.aubrey-organics.com
That's all for now!
1) It has only two ingredients: witch hazel and alcohol.
2) It has worked well for me. I usually have flare ups right before my period where I get several large white heads/pimples. This month my flare up was much less severe. I only had 2 very small white heads develop.
If you're looking for an inexpensive, natural vegan acne treatment, I highly suggest witch hazel. If you look for it in the store, keep in mind that it is used to treat cuts and scrapes. Therefore, look in the first aid section if it's not with the skincare products.
In addition to the witch hazel, I also clean my skin by alternating between a facial mask and a cleanser. For the mask I use Freeman Feeling Beautiful Avocado and Oatmeal Mask. It's a good pore cleanser and best of all, the company is vegan! You can get Freeman products at most major grocery stores.
For the cleanser, I use Aubrey Organics Natural Herbal Facial Cleanser for Oily Skin. It leaves my skin fresh and I like the fact that it is made by a company that is both vegan and made in the state of Florida. You can find this cleanser at local health food stores and online at www.aubrey-organics.com
That's all for now!
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Product Review: ZenSoy Chocolate and Vanilla Pudding.
Growing up, I always loved it when I opened my lunchbox to find that my mom had packed me a pudding cup. I didn't care what flavor the pudding was, I loved them all! Pudding was one of the things that I missed when I went vegan. One day I was walking past the frozen section of my grocery store when I thought that I saw the word "soy" on one of the dessert packages. I took a second look and was very happy to see ZenSoy pudding sitting on the shelf with the word "vegan" on the package! They had three varieties: Chocolate, Vanilla, and Chocolate/Vanilla swirl. Since I love both chocolate and vanilla, I decided to get the swirl cups. This pudding is delicious! It has a rich "creamy" taste. I'd bet that if you gave this to a vegetarian or an omnivore without telling them that it was dairy free, they wouldn't be able to taste the difference. Some of the other things that I like about the ZenSoy company are that they do not use GMOs and donate 5% of all profits to organizations dedicated to protecting pandas. Also, all of their soybeans are US grown and organic. The only thing that I can think of that would make ZenSoy better is if they added tapioca and banana flavors to their line.
If for some reason you can't or don't want to eat soy, there's good news for you! ZenSoy has just released an almond-milk version of the chocolate pudding and a line of vegan gel snacks (neither of which I have tried yet).
I paid just under $3 for a 4 pack at my local Publix (a mainstream chain store in the South). It's a bit pricey, but if you want to treat yourself, I think it's worth it. If you can't find the products in your local supermarket, you can order them online at zensoy.com The site also has a store locator. Amazon.com lists the puddings as "coming soon" and will allow you to sign up to be notified when they are ready to ship.
Have a wonderful Easter and I'll talk to you again soon!
If for some reason you can't or don't want to eat soy, there's good news for you! ZenSoy has just released an almond-milk version of the chocolate pudding and a line of vegan gel snacks (neither of which I have tried yet).
I paid just under $3 for a 4 pack at my local Publix (a mainstream chain store in the South). It's a bit pricey, but if you want to treat yourself, I think it's worth it. If you can't find the products in your local supermarket, you can order them online at zensoy.com The site also has a store locator. Amazon.com lists the puddings as "coming soon" and will allow you to sign up to be notified when they are ready to ship.
Have a wonderful Easter and I'll talk to you again soon!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
A Few More of My Favorite Things!
It's time for another edition of my favorite things, which features wonderful vegan items from Etsy sellers! Keep in mind that I may not have actually purchased anything from the sellers listed here. All prices listed include shipping in the USA.
Vegan Mandolin Strap $30 from Islandprovisions1
If I played the mandolin, I'd definitely buy this strap! I LOVE the peace sign! They also sell guitar, and ukulele straps in the same design.
Peace Flower Necklace $21 from Purpleandlime
This far out necklace features peace signs, flowers, and faux suede. You can't beat that!
Vegans Do It Better Tank Top $23.50 from LittleAtoms
This one is pretty much self-explanatory. Be sure to check out this shops hippie-themed items as well!
This is my newest vegan themed creation! This is a button, but I can also make it into a refridgerator magnet upon request. If you would like a magnet, just put the word magnet in the notes to seller section at checkout. If that area if left blank I will send a button.
The button/magnet measures 5.7 cm (2.25 inches) and was made with recycled paper!
Vegan Mandolin Strap $30 from Islandprovisions1
If I played the mandolin, I'd definitely buy this strap! I LOVE the peace sign! They also sell guitar, and ukulele straps in the same design.
Peace Flower Necklace $21 from Purpleandlime
This far out necklace features peace signs, flowers, and faux suede. You can't beat that!
Vegans Do It Better Tank Top $23.50 from LittleAtoms
This one is pretty much self-explanatory. Be sure to check out this shops hippie-themed items as well!
Peace To All Creatures Zine $8 from Gingercardco
I have several of volumes of the "Peace to All Creatures" zines (but unfortunately not this one...yet!). They are always chock full of great tips about living a vegan and eco-friendly life. I highly recommend this zine!
And now a little self promotion:
Team Veggie Pinback Button/Badge/Magnet $3.95 from my shop: TheVeganHippieFreak
This is my newest vegan themed creation! This is a button, but I can also make it into a refridgerator magnet upon request. If you would like a magnet, just put the word magnet in the notes to seller section at checkout. If that area if left blank I will send a button.
The button/magnet measures 5.7 cm (2.25 inches) and was made with recycled paper!
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