Eating Consciously

Yesterday at around 3:30 PM, my partner and I were driving home from visiting our favorite sanctuary, Chenoa Manor . On our way home, we were traveling a busy highway moving along at about 65 MPH. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a deer ran frantically into the road and struck my Smart car head-on. There was no time to avoid the deer. I barely had time to attempt to hit the brakes. All I can remember is seeing the deer running like a bat out of hell across the highway, then a hard impact, and finally seeing the deer fly many feet into the air before flying over a guardrail and landing about 20 feet below into a steep ditch. I pulled over and ran to see where the deer had landed. Fortunately, she was already dead. I then proceeded to assess the damage to my vehicle. I haven't received an estimate yet, but I assume it will cost several thousands of dollars to repair. It then hit me that my partner and I were lucky to be alive because an animal that large traveling through our winds...

One thing I've never been quite able to veganly perfect is French toast. Until now! Yes, I have come up with what I think is an absolute replica of the French toast I remember my Mom making as a child. Of course I substituted organic, whole wheat bread for Wonderbread, but the outcome was no less delectable. Can't wait to hear what you guys think! Be sure and post a comment after you try this recipe :) French Toast 1 C soymilk 1/4 block tofu 2 TBS sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp nutritional yeast a touch of freshly grated nutmeg 8 slices of bread In a blender or food processor, combine all the ingredients and blend until as smooth as possible. Pour the mixture into a shallow dish that's big enough for you to dip the bread into. Heat a nonstick pan over med-high heat. Dip each piece of bread briefly into the mixture being sure to coat the entire piece. Immediately after coating with the mixture, place bread into the preheated pan. Allow to c...

I received lots of interesting feedback after my last post , where I mentioned my efforts to educate the public concerning the "humane myth" of animal products that claim to have "higher standards." This opens the door for a much-needed debate and offers the perfect opportunity to make this blog a bit more multifaceted beyond just the food and recipes. I think it's important to offer a more thorough investigation into the theories that support veganism because ethical viewpoints are ultimately what drives one to stick with the lifestyle, in my opinion. There is a debate that has been going on for some time now in the animal rights movement and that is the controversy concerning "welfare" vs. abolition. I put the word "welfare" in quotations because I feel it really doesn't accurately describe what it is meant to imply in this application. I think animal husbandry is a more correct term, but to keep things simple I will use the terms...

Since I started this blog over two years ago, I've noticed one thing has dramatically changed. Reflecting back over the last 200 or so posts, I've come to realize how thoughtfully I've refined and shifted my moral and ethical viewpoints. I started this blog right about the time I was making the leap to becoming a full-blown vegan. At the time of my becoming vegan, I had no idea how much I was still unaware of and where my new lifestyle would lead me. I'm proud to say now, that I not only consider myself a vegan, but I consider myself to be an animal rights activist. I used to shy away from concern for animals, especially when I was a mere vegetarian, but I am now confident and proud to admit that my main concern is for animals. Looking back, I think I just failed to realize how fundamentally unjust the world is for animals and how deeply concerned I was for their justice at heart. Starting out, I had little information and didn't feel comfortable debating comp...

What a busy time of year! I just realized today how quickly the holidays are approaching. I really can't believe I haven't had the time to notice any of it. One thing I like to do this time of year is enjoy vegan baking. I recently starting looking through my favorite vegan baking book, My Sweet Vegan , to pick out what recipes I'll be whipping up this year. I'm going to be making her Mocha Devastation Cake, Self-Frosting Peanut Butter Cupcakes, Butterscotch Blondies, and of course Canine Cakes for Luna and Chico! Vegan baking, or any baking, can be a little scary without a road map. Luckily, Hannah Kaminsky does all the experimenting for us and churns out the most creative and delicious vegan sweets around. You can catch a glimpse of what Hannah's currently confecting by checking out her blog, BitterSweet . I recently asked my Twitter followers and Facebook friends what questions they had concerning vegan baking. I got a ton of great questions, but had ...

Busy, busy, busy with my hands in many projects right now, but I had time to whip up this new Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe last night. This uses mostly store-bought ingredients, so it's really quick to make. It's the perfect texture and has just the right level of sweetness to offset the tartness of the sour cream. I also got around to marinating a Tofurkey in beer and making a delicious beer gravy with it too! I will try my best to get the recipe for that soon so you can make the best Tofurkey ever this holiday ;) I have to run, but here's the recipe for that tasty Pumpkin Cheesecake: Pumpkin Cheesecake 1- 12 oz container vegan sour cream 1- 8 oz container vegan cream cheese 1- 15 oz can pureed pumpkin 1/2 C sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1 tsp ener-g egg replacer 1 store-bought 9" vegan graham cracker pie crust In a food processor, blend together all ingredients except the crust! Pour mixture ...

Time is ticking away! Thanksgiving is now a mere few days away. I usually go all out on Thanksgiving with entrees, side dishes, desserts, and drinks, but this year I plan on taking it easy. I'm fortunate enough to be attending a vegan Thanksgiving feast at a local vegan restaurant. So much for cooking! I'll be heading to visit my parents after dinner for wine and maybe some vegan dessert :) It will be nice to take a break from having to do all the work to prepare for Thanksgiving this year, as I have a ton of other projects keeping my occupied. This time of year can be tough for those of use who view animals as moral members of our society. Just the simple fact that people plan their entire day around a roasted carcass is disturbing to say the least. I did a little research and discovered that these "traditions" we follow on Thanksgiving really have little relevance to the original Thanksgiving. Did you know Thanksgiving wasn't even declared a holiday unt...