Loving Hut Tampa!

Hey there everyone, it's been quite awhile since my last post, hasn't it. Please forgive me, I just started my first full time job, which I love, so I haven't had a lot of time for blogging. I decided to do so today because yesterday I had the opportunity to visit a Loving Hut restaurant for the first time! For those of you who don't know, Loving Hut is the largest chain of 100% vegan restaurants in the world. That's right, 100% vegan! It is ran by followers of a woman named Ching Hai (more on her later) and serves Asian-inspired dishes. As luck would have it, this restaurant is in the same neighborhood as my new job. The neighborhood in general is fairly vegan-friendly due to the fact that it's near the University of South Florida (USF), which stands a good chance of being named the most vegan-friendly college by PETA. Needless to say, I love that aspect of the neighborhood! Now, onto my restaurant review.

Today I went for a morning/afternoon meeting at my new job. Loving Hut closes at 3 (it re-opens for dinner at 5), and I got out of my meeting around 2:30. I figured that I would simply go in, order something to go (no drive-thru), and eat in my car. When I got there, three other people also went in. The owners were very accommodating, and insisted that we all stay and sit at the tables, despite the fact that it would mean we'd be there after 3. There were a total of about 8 customers, myself included. I only saw two staff members, but the service was very good for such a small staff. They brought out cold water fairly quickly and took our orders in order of arrival. I wasn't extremely hungry, so I choose the Spring Rolls and a Coconut Delight smoothie. I must admit, it was very nice to be able to go to a restaurant where I could order anything from the menu without having to ask about the ingredients! It was also nice not to have to explain to the wait staff what "vegan" means like I've had to do at other places. Here, I could simply sit back and enjoy!

The meals were brought out within a half hour of ordering, which is fairly good for a table service restaurant with a small staff. I got four pretty good sized rolls with dipping sauce. The rolls were good plain, but the dipping sauce was DELICIOUS! I happily devoured all of them.

The coconut smoothie was also a nice treat. It had a very good flavor and is the perfect treat on a warm day (it's still in the high 80s here).

As I said, the service was also good. The owners, whom I believe are husband and wife, were also the servers. He cleaned the tables and took the orders, while she brought out the food. They were very good about asking if I needed anything, and even came over to refill my water without me having to ask.

The environment of the restaurant is very clean. The man explained as he was cleaning the tables that they used only natural cleaners such as vinegar and water so we didn't have to worry about chemicals touching our food. I really liked that!

If you have heard of Loving Hut, you've probably heard people say that they think that the owners of the restaurant are part of a cult. From what I saw, this is probably true, however, it is not a dangerous cult. They follow the teachings of a woman named "Ching Hai" or "Supreme Master", who teaches mediation and is considered enlightened. She preaches a message of love and peace. In every Loving Hut, they have TVs playing "Supreme Master TV", which is a channel showing her video messages and other vegan-related things. The good thing about it is the TVs are kept at a low volume (with captions on screen), so if you don't want to watch it, you can easily ignore it. From what I saw, the topics were mostly about animal cruelty on farms and global warming. In other words, the same thing you find on most mainstream vegan websites. The owners are NOT pushy about their religious beliefs. I did not hear or see them discuss religion with anyone in the restaurant. They simply have the TV on and have pamphlets written by Ching Hai on a table that you are welcome to take if you want. In other words, you don't have to worry about hearing a sermon while you are eating.

Another thing I like is the fact that the most expensive item is only $9! Pretty good prices for a table-service place.

In summary, if you are a hungry vegan in the USF area, definitely check out Loving Hut. I know that I loved it and can't wait for the chance to go back again!

Here is the website, including a full menu:
http://lovinghut.us/tampa_01/index.html

Until next time,

The Vegan Hippie Freak!

Two Pleasant Surprises at The Mall

Today while shopping at one of my local malls, I was walking by a store called The Body Shop when several things in their window caught my eye and I was pleasantly surprised to see the following:

Yes, a mainstream store that is proudly proclaiming the fact that they are against animal testing and 100% vegetarian! I stopped in the store, where I found three lip gloss tubes for $10 (and they were made in the UK, not China!). At the register, they had a paper where you could put your name and e-mail address to receive information about efforts to end animal testing around the world. Naturally, I put my name down and they gave me a coupon as a thank you for doing so. When I got home, I looked at their website and found that the proceeds from some of their products are donated to charities dedicated to stopping child sex trafficking, domestic violence, and HIV awareness. Pretty awesome, isn't it?



A little while after I bought my lip glosses, I came across another store called LUSH. I saw on their sign that they sold handmade soaps and bath products. I love handmade soap, so I decided to take a look and see if any vegan soaps were available. As soon as I walked into the store, I saw several product signs with stickers that said "vegan" on them. In fact, about 98% of the products in the store were vegan (according to the store clerk, the few non-vegan items contained lanolin and honey). I was in heaven! I bought a bath bomb called "Phoenix Rising" ( purple color, apple cinnamon scent). I haven't tried it yet, but it smells wonderful. Another awesome thing about LUSH is that they take a VERY strong stand against animal testing and make every effort to ensure that their suppliers treat employees fairly. Here are two quotes from their website:

". For LUSH where we buy our ingredients from is the first opportunity we have for influence. One of our first priorities is to ensure the material and the company doesn't test on animals, a policy we've run for over a decade. We always try to deal direct with a producer if we can to get as close to growing or making it as possible. We are also fortunate in what we don't buy, for instance unnecessary packaging. By selling naked products you can afford products with the best quality ingredients and we save the garbage men a job. Really, it's about mutual respect. Respect for you and your wishes to buy great products with ethical and sustainable natural ingredients. It's respect for our suppliers, who have a right to earn a decent wage and it's respect for the environment that can provide the ingredients. It's not always an easy path and we have had plenty of hurdles but it is ultimately greatly rewarding and led us on some great adventures, too!" (https://www.lushusa.com/Ethical-Buying/about-buying-intro,en_US,pg.html)

and

"LUSH is firmly committed to a policy that not only inhibits testing our products and ingredients on animals, or engaging with third-party suppliers to do so on our behalf, but that also prohibits buying any ingredient from any supplier that tests any materials on any animals for any purpose. This policy is unique in the cosmetics world and is pioneering a new way to stop animal tests for cosmetics. LUSH runs a Supplier Specific Boycott Policy. By doing this, we give an economic incentive to suppliers and have convinced two companies to switch to cruelty free practices as a result. If a company will alter their practices, we will buy their goods." (https://www.lushusa.com/Against-animal-testing/about-animal-introduction,en_US,pg.html)

LUSH is headquartered in Canada, and their products are made in North America as well.

So if your looking for a alternative to the traitors known as Urban Decay (who recently had their "leaping bunny" certification REVOKED due to the fact that they are now selling in China, which requires them to test their products on animals. Check out this care2.com article for more info.) , you'll definitely want to give the Body Shop and LUSH a try. It's always feels good to know that you're supporting companies that are friendly to both people and animals.

Here are the companies websites:

The Body Shop:
http://www.thebodyshop-usa.com/

LUSH
http://www.lushusa.com/

Product Review: HerbanLuxe Vegan Mascara

Hi, I'm back with another vegan product review! Recently, I have been looking for 100% vegan eye makeup that is also safe for sensitive eyes. As you know from previous reviews, I found a great vegan mineral eye shadow on Etsy (from a seller called MadisonStreetBeauty ). Since then, I'd been looking for a vegan mascara. I looked at the offerings from the mainstream brands that don't test on animals, but all of them contained non-vegan ingredients. So I decided to check Etsy and was happy to fins a seller called HerbanLuxe who makes vegan mascara in both black and brown. She had a sample size of brown mascara for a total of $8.50 including shipping, so I decided to give it a try and bought it. The mascara arrived this afternoon and I tried it on immediately.

I LOVE this mascara. I wore it for about 5 hours (mostly indoors, except for walking the dog) and even spent 20 minutes jogging (again indoors) while wearing it. There were no smudges or clumps and it did not irritate my eyes. It should be noted that this mascara is NOT waterproof, so I wouldn't recommend wearing it if you know it will rain or there's a high chance you'll cry. But if your looking for a high quality, affordable vegan mascara, I recommend that you give one of the ones below a try. I for one will definitely be buying the full size version when my mini one runs out!

The mascara comes in both black and brown, with mini and full size versions of both available. The full size costs $12.50 including shipping.

Brown Mini Mascara $8.50 including shipping. Get it here: Brown Mini Mascara




Brown Full Size Mascara $12.50 including shipping. Get it here: Brown full size mascara



Black Full Size Mascara $12.50 including shipping. Get it here: Black Full Size Mascara



That's all for now. Bye!

Book Review: Eating Animals

 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!

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!

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

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!

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:

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!

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!

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!

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!

Book review: Animal Liberation.

 Wow, I can't believe it's been a month since I've updated the blog! In that time, I've been busy going to job interviews, volunteering, reading, and running my Etsy shop. I just wanted to write a short review of one of the books I just finished called "Animal Liberation" by Peter Singer. When reading this review, keep in mind that there have been several editions published over the years. This review pertains to the 1990 edition (it's a library book). Anyway, I found this book very informative. Mr. Singer is a philosopher and he presents a very good moral argument for animal rights. He begins the book by explaining how he became a vegetarian and presents his argument that humans and other animals should be given equal consideration. Next, he details many of the cruel experiments conducted by private labs and the government. What's really chilling is that much of the information in this chapter comes from direct quotes of the researchers themselves. He reveals several facts that the public at large isn't aware of: the fact that the vast majority of animal experiments are not considered important enough to warrant publication in the scientific journals, and the fact that many of the "experiments" done do not yield any new information. He gives an example of one experiment paid for by the US Public Health Service in which 33 dogs were put in a chamber heated to 113 degrees Fahrenheit and forced to exercise on a treadmill. 25 of the 33 dogs died. The survivors were put into a 122 degree chamber (without the treadmill) in which all but two of them died in 24 hours. The conclusion that they reached was that the outcome was consistent with all the previous literature on heat exposure and heat stroke in humans (which there was a lot of)! You can find the full description of the experiment on page 63.

In the next chapter, he explains (in graphic detail) exactly what happens on factory farms. This chapter is not for the squeamish, because he doesn't pull any punches! He describes the horrible conditions that cows, pigs, chickens, ect are forced to endure. He talks a great deal about battery cages, gestation crates, and the veal industry. The next time someone says "why don't you eat eggs/drink milk? No animals are harmed to get those", hand them the book and tell them to read chapter 3 and see how mistaken they are.

The fourth chapter is dedicated to the benefits of a vegetarian diet and how to make the transition. The only objection I have to this chapter is that he stops short of recommending veganism. While Mr. Singer does advise the reader to avoid dairy and battery eggs, he states that he sees nothing wrong with "free range" eggs. To his credit, Mr. Singer made a statement after this edition was published in which he said that he is slowly becoming more vegan as the years go by. Let's hope he becomes a full vegan soon!

The final two chapters deal with speciesism, or the belief that only humans have rights and that we can do whatever we want to animals. In these chapters, he explores how speciest thought has been ingrained in humans over the centuries and dismantles many speciest arguments.

Overall, I really liked the book. I feel that it has the potential to educate both devout steak lovers and veteran vegans.While some may argue about whether or not speciesism is as much of a concern as racism or sexism, one cannot argue that the farming and experimental methods described are beyond cruel. I highly recommend reading this book at least once. You can pick up the latest edition on Amazon.com

Have a happy hippie day!

About Honey

One of greatest debates in the vegan world is whether or not honey is vegan. Some people see no problem with honey and will continue to eat it while avoiding meat, dairy, eggs and other animal products. Others, like the Vegan Society and the American Vegan Society, see it differently. Their official stance is that since bees are animals, honey is not vegan. After much research, I have came to the conclusion that The Vegan Society is correct and I have completely given up honey. Some of you may be asking "why would you do that?" The reasons are simple: bee's collect honey for the hive to use as food. They do not give it to us of their own free will, we have to take it by force. Therefore, when you take honey from the hive, you are stealing the bee's food. Secondly, there are reports of beekeepers sometimes killing bees deliberately, so there is a chance that cruelty may be involved. So in light of that information, it becomes clear that it is best to avoid honey.

If you are used to using honey, you can take comfort in the fact that there are vegan substitutes available. One of the best is agave nectar. Agave nectar comes from the agave plant, which grows in the Southern US and Mexico. It is used as an ingredient in Tequila, and can be used to replace honey in anything that calls for it. I bought my first jar of agave nectar yesterday and I really like it. It tastes different than honey, but it is very sweet and delicious. You can pick up several different types of agave nectar at most natural food stores. In some areas, it may also be available at mainstream stores like Wal-Mart and Target (which is where I bought mine).

For more info on why honey isn't vegan, please see the following article:
Why Don't Vegans Eat Honey?

Thanks for reading and God Bless!

A Word of Caution About Kellogg's Products and Good News About Yankee Candles!

I'm not much of a cereal eater, but I do enjoy a bowl once in a while. Growing up, I really liked Kellogg's Raisin Bran cereal. So last week I decided to e-mail Kellogg's and see if it was vegan. Here is the reply I received:

Sarah,

 

Thank you for your recent email regarding the vitamins in Kellogg's Raisin Bran® cereal, we are happy to provide the following information.

 

The vitamin premixes used in Kellogg products include Vitamin D. Our ingredient specification for Vitamin D says that we can use either Vitamin D2 or D3 in our products. Vitamin D3 is derived from lanolin, a waxy substance secreted from the skin of wool bearing animals. Vitamin D2 is not animal-derived. In either case, the vitamin premix is Kosher certified.

 

Unfortunately with this product we cannot say specifically which Vitamin D is used in the product. I apologize!

 

To determine if a product will fit into your specific dietary preferences, please visit www.kelloggs.com. Please let us know if we can assist you further by calling 1-800-962-1413.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Nikki Weitnauer

Consumer Specialist

Consumer Affairs

Needless to say, I was disappointed to hear this. If you know of any other raisin bran type cereal that is vegan, please leave a comment and let me know.

On the flip side, I also received good news about Yankee Candles. As anyone who knows me could tell you, I LOVE scented candles. I usually make my own, but I do occasionally buy one and the ones I buy are usually Yankee.  They always look beautiful and come in scents that I cannot make at home. I even went to their flagship store in Williamsburg Va. about two years ago, which was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, some brands of candles are not vegan. I sent an e-mail to Yankee to inquire about their wax, and this is the e-mail that I received in reply:

 

Dear Sarah,

 

Thank you for being a valued Yankee Candle guest and taking time to write us with your product questions.

 

Our candles are not animal tested.  And do not contain any animal or insect ingredients.  They are made with a food grade paraffin wax.  I hope this information is helpful. 

 

If we can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

Sincerely,

Anna B.

Customer Loyalty Team
Yankee Candle Co.
1-877-803-6890

I was extremely HAPPY to get this e-mail. So while I have to give up one old favorite, I get to keep the other. Overall, I am pleased with that.

Thai Crystal Deodorant Stone Review

A few days ago, I developed an allergy to the patchouli scented deodorant that I posted about a few days go. That meant that I had to throw it out and start my search for a vegan deodorant all over again. I remembered seeing an interesting product at my local health food store called Thai Deodorant Stone, so I decided to research it a bit. I found the stone on Amazon.com and saw that it had lots of favorable reviews, so I decided to go down the the store and purchase one. I have worn it for two days now, and so far I really like it. It's MUCH more effective than the patchouli scented deodorant, that's for sure! I worked out in my yard in 80 degree heat for about 30-45 minutes and it held up very well. The stone is made of 100% mineral salt and the company that makes it (Deodorant Stones LLC) proudly states in large letters on their front page that they are against all forms of animal testing. The stone is aluminum free although it does contain potassium alum, which is similar to but not the same as the aluminum chloride in conventional deodorant/anti-perspirants. The deodorant comes in several different forms: a small and large stone, small and large stick (exactly the same as the stone, but in a holder), roll-on, spray, and powder. The stones are a bit pricey, ranging from $4 for the small stone to $10 for the largest. However, it should be noted that the Deodorant Stone website says that the travel sized stone lasts over three months and the largest stone lasts over a year. If those claims are true, you will definitely get your money's worth! Overall, I think that the Thai Deodorant stone is a good product and I recommend it.

Where to buy:
Most health food stores
www.deodorantstones.com
http://www.amazon.com/Thai-Deodorant-Stone-Stick-4-25/dp/B000AN1JEI

Vegan Lip Balm

I often suffer from dry, cracked lips. Unfortunately, all of the lip balms I found in the stores contain lanolin, beeswax, or both. I went online to see if there were any vegan lip balms available. I found some, but they are about $5 for ONE tube. Also, there's the fact that I live in Florida where it's often 80 degrees in Jan. If it had to stay all day in the mailbox, it would be reduced to a puddle! Thankfully, I found a recipe for lip balm online. I was also able to order empty lip balm tubes on Etsy. They arrived today, so I decided to make my first batch tonight. After some tweaking (the recipe makes 15 tubes, while I made less than 10) and some mess, I finally have 8 tubes of cruelty free lip balm. I made 6 of them plain, and used candy flavoring to make two cherry flavored tubes. It feels great to know for a fact that my lip balm is free of animal testing/ingredients, weird chemicals, and slave labor. The balm feels great and makes my lips very soft. The recipe I used is below. You have a choice of different oils. The ones I used in my balms are in bold.
You'll need:

1 oz hard wax (soy wax works well)

1 oz solid-at-room-temperature oil (coconut oil, avocado oil, mango butter, or shea butter)

.75 - .8 oz another additional hard-at-room-temperature oil (cocoa butter, floral waxes, or palm oil/vegetable shortening)

2 oz liquid oil (jojoba oil or olive oil)

Essential oils (optional, your choice) - maximum 8 drops for each lip balm

Microwave-safe cup or bowl with pour spout

Digital scale sensitive to at least .1 oz (a postage scale will usually work for this)

Stirring spoon

Dropper (I didn't have a dropper, so I bought a $2 flavor injector syringe which worked very well)

Lip balm tubes/jars/tins (up to 15)

1. Place your microwave-safe cup on the scale and turn it on. Measure your oils and waxes into the cup.
2. Place it in the microwave and heat in 30-second increments until almost completely melted; remove and stir to finish melting.
3. Add 8 drops of essential oils for each lip balm (use any combination of essential oils listed below, just make it a maximum of 8 drops per balm).
4. Stir the oil in very thoroughly to prevent separation, then use the dropper to dispense the balm into the containers.

Allow the balm to completely cool and harden before applying a cap. This recipe makes about 5 ounces of lip balm, enough for about 15 lip balms in a typical 1/3 ounce container.

Recipe source: How to Make Vegan Lip Balm | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4450466_make-vegan-lip-balm.html#ixzz1l0pmmFCg

 

I bought lip balm containers like this in black. You can get 10 of them for $5 including shipping at CountrySoapShack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, that's all for now. If you decide to try this recipe, please tells us what you think. Toodles!

My Favorite Things From The EtsyVeg group

I recently joined a great Etsy group called EtsyVeg, which is for vegan/vegetarian crafters on Etsy. I have decided to share some of my favorite items made by EtsyVeg members. Keep in mind that just because I list something here it doesn't mean I've actually purchased anything from the seller.

1. Vegan Gluten Free Pumpkin Doughnuts.

Yes, you can buy vegan goodies online! These doughnuts are available for $15 from VeganLotus



2. Harry Potter Blanket

I'm a HUGE Harry Potter Fan, so naturally I LOVE this blanket!  Unfortunately, I don't have $200! If you do, you can get this at Magglepie

3. Batman Recycled Wallet.

A vegan wallet made from recycled comic books. Very cool! $10 from Polyester10

Product Review: Kiss My Face Active Enzyme Deodorant

A few weeks ago, I was browsing one of my local independently owned natural food stores and I came across this deodorant. I've been looking for a natural, cruelty free alternative to the deodorants that I had been using, so I decided to give it a try. I have been using it for two days now and I am ready to tell you the pros and cons.

PROS

1. It clearly states on the back label that it is 100% vegan friendly (it's always great when you don't have to spend several minutes trying to decipher ingredients)!
2. No aluminum
3. No parabens
4. No propylene glycol
5. No artificial colors
6. It has the wonderful, distinctive scent of Patchouli Essential Oil
7. It's made in the USA.
8. It's 100% biodegradable.
9. Kiss My Face was founded and is owned by vegetarians.
10. There is a peace sign on the label (I am a hippie after all)!

CONS

1. It is NOT an anti-perspirant.
2. It's not as strong as my old deodorant.
3. It's  a bit expensive ($6 for ONE stick)

As far as performance goes, I give this deodorant 3 out of 5 stars. I've noticed that I can smell a bit of B.O. if I've been moderately active. If you naturally sweat a lot or plan to spend a lot of time outdoors in a hot climate this deodorant may not work for you. If you spend most of your time indoors, you might want to give it a try. Do I see myself buying again? Maybe, but only if I can't find another vegan deodorant that works better. Kiss My Face also makes a deodorant line called "Active Life" that comes in patchouli. I plan on trying that when this stick runs out. If that doesn't work any better, I will try another brand like J.A.S.O.N. That's my opinion.

Where to buy it:
1. Your local family owned health food store.
2. Amazon.com

Beautiful Healthy 71 year old vegan

When your friends and family question whether or not being a vegan is healthy, show them this video! She looks AMAZING!

Non-violent social activism

 Today is Martin Luther King Jr. day in the US. Dr. King was a great man who is one of my personal heroes. For those of you who don't know who he was, Dr. King was an African American Baptist preacher who became one of the most famous men in America in the 1950s and 1960s. He was famous for standing up for the rights of minorities and the poor using non-violent activism. He help organize the Montgomery bus boycott, which lead to the desegregation of the bus system in Montgomery Alabama in the late 1950s. He helped to lead many peaceful protest marches and demonstrations against racism and segregation in the 1960s, including the March on Washington where he gave the famous "I Have a Dream" speech. He was the victim of violence on multiple occasions, including having his home firebombed by white supremacists. Even though people used violence against him, he never sought revenge. He taught others to turn the other cheek and practiced what he preached. Sadly, this peaceful man was murdered for his beliefs in April 1968. He was taken from us too soon, but his spirit and his message will always live on.

In honor of Dr. King, I present some tips on ways that you can be a non-violent advocate for people and animals in you everyday life.

1.Speak up. You can do this in several ways. Read PETA's action alerts, sign petitions, and call or write your state or federal representatives and urge them to oppose bills that hurt animals and support those that help them. Another great way to speak up is via Facebook and Twitter. Post links to animal rights websites and articles, notify your friends about animals that are available for adoption, or share yummy vegan recipes.


2. Go mobile! You can spread the message of veganism wherever you go by wearing animal rights message shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers. As I have said before, seeing you wearing these things often makes people curious, and that can lead to great teaching moments. Another good thing to do is keep a few vegan info leaflets (on recycled paper if possible) with you so you can give them to people who are interested in learning more.

3. Tabling. See if you can get permission to set up an information table at your local school, business, library, store, etc. You can have poster boards with pictures and info, a video playing, leaflets, coupons for veggie burgers, and more. If possible, provide samples of vegan food so people can see for themselves that we eat more than salad.

For more tips, see this great article from Vegan Outreach. The article goes in depth about how to starting tabling and leaf letting.

Remember Dr. King's message and keep standing up for the animals.

New Buttons!

I recently bought a professional 2 1/4 inch pinback button machine and have started making and selling the buttons on Etsy. I have made several vegan themed buttons that I'd like to share with you. All of my buttons are $2 with $1.72 First Class shipping worldwide.

#1. Vegan Quote Button. Click here to see more or purchase.

#2 Meat is Murder. Click here to purchase.

#3 Vegan Quote Cow Button. Click here to purchase

 # 4 Vegan Hippie Freak. Click here to purchase

This one says it all!