Dealing with haters and embracing my "kumbaya vegan"

So, yesterday I wrote a post about 5 things vegans do that annoy me. I could not have possibly predicted the immense hatred that came as responses to that post and while I don't regret posting it, I will say that I am glad my comments section is moderated, because almost all the comments I got were swearing at me, calling me a liar and an idiot, and worse. Needless to say, only those comments that aren't full of cussing and hate will be tolerated on this blog...which sadly means that very few comments get through.

That said, I don't mind it when people disagree with me. I knew that the honey issue was going to get people all crazy, because, lets face it, vegans are passionate folks and I can't blame them for seeing some hypocrisy in my stance on local "ethical" honey.

I shared  that post, just  for fun, on the "Vegan World" Facebook page. I thought it would give some a laugh, and give others something to think about. Sadly, I am embarrassed to say that I took it down an hour later because of the onslaught of anger that it instigated, one of the least hurtful of which read:

"What a whinefest. How about "necrovore?" Literally, "eaters of death." I prefer that. What's not to be negative about, while billions are living in abject suffering and being slaughtered in the most unimaginable ways? Kumbaya vegans...making friends and being popular. What about the animals, you say?

Well...irk away on the fact that she eats honey, and believes that there is such a thing as "cruelty-free" silk and wool. For anyone out there that doesn't know any better, that is not a vegan. She's a liar, and the reason why people are so very confused about what the word means. She's not even a DIETARY vegan lol". 

I also got a couple: "You're the reason nobody takes vegans seriously"s and more than a  couple "You're not even vegan"s.

(I share these, only because they  get the point across that I'm a moron without swearing at me or calling me names.)

I'm okay with this. So, maybe according to this woman I am a liar, and perhaps I am not really a vegan. But I love the planet. I love the animals on it, and that includes humans. I refuse to be the type of person who puts shit out into the world and expects it to turn to gold. The animals don't need a bunch of angry, mean, and hateful people on their side. They need kind people who are  willing to listen and teach and even learn from others.

The perfect example of this that I can think of are the people who run Piebird Vegan Farmstay. I met Yan and Sherry a few years ago, when I was a new vegan working for the Nipissing University Peace Research Initiative and I had the joy of filming an interview with them. They take in farm animals - chickens, a turkey, and lots of happy goats (and recently built some homes for some bees to live in peace!) - and invite their guests to interact with and help care for the animals. They spoke about peace, about being in nature, about how we can learn so much from the animals about love, friendship and joy. Yes, they are activists and they fight for animals. Yes, they completely disagree with animal suffering in any form.  But they offer a place where people can come and learn about veganism in a safe and peaceful environment, free from hate and judgement.

I would love it if we could take a page from their book and continue to love other humans as  much as we love animals.

If this makes me a "kumbaya vegan", and if being a "kumbaya vegan" makes me some  how less worthy of respect than other "perfect vegans", then I think I'm okay with that.

Actually, I'm thinking of retiring the word vegan from my vocabulary and just calling myself a good damn person. (I'm just kidding. I'm vegan, haters!)


Happy Wednesday!


-J

Monday Happies!

Today is the Civic Holiday, so instead of waking up alone in a sweltering hot room like I do most Mondays, I got to wake up with VOMD and eat breakfast (Toasted Tomato Sandwiches!) while watching Community. Oh gosh, I forgot how funny the D&D episode was!

This weekend, like most of our weekends, has been full of good food and awesome adventures. We went for a walk on Friday evening and ended up in a graveyard... that's not weird, is it?

It was very romantic, in a totally strange way. So many stones marking the resting places of people born hundreds of years ago. I can't imagine how many stories are buried  with them...

On Saturday VOMD and I went to Democracy and had Nachos and Pizza - amazing! Please go there right now and eat them... right now.

Yesterday we went to Ikea and had fun laying on fluffy beds and getting lost in the insane maze that is that ridiculous store.

And today...today we are going to nap a lot and relax and go for a nice long walk.

Happy Monday!

-J

Joy!

So, I am sitting here on my couch, taking a break from writing my thesis and sipping on a cold brew coffee, and I am thinking about all the things in this world that bring me joy.

The recent death of Cecil the Lion, and all of the drama and outrage it has caused in the world has started a stream of arguments the likes of which I have never seen on Facebook. So much hate and anger at the world from vegans  who are pissed (like me) that the rest of the population can't see Cecil in the eyes of the cows they consume on a daily basis, and defensiveness and indignation from non-vegans who feel judged and hated by those who are (like me) pissed that they can't/don't/refuse to see the big picture.

Earlier today I was glancing through one of my friend's Facebook post about Cecil, where she essentially makes the same point as I did  in my blog yesterday. She was immediately bombarded with arguments against her point of  view, and numerous defences for why it is okay to eat animals like pigs and chickens but not to kill lions. This made me so sad and angry... it made me feel a bit helpless ... as though the situation is hopeless.

...but then I began to wonder why this  makes me so sad and angry and why my immediate reaction to things like this is always to look at the dark side instead of the bright.

There is so much in this world that is amazing. First, shouldn't I just be overjoyed that this friend shares my point of view?! How wonderful is it that in a group of people less than 200 there is at least person (though, honestly, many more) that totally and completely gets it? Second, when I posted my own little snippit on Facebook about Cecil, I was met with support from my friends and family. I received numerous messages encouraging me to keep going,  to stay positive, and thanking me for setting a positive example. When I shared my post about switching to a whole foods plant based diet I received a message from a friend to which I had not spoken in years, asking me for advice on cutting animal products out of her diet. In fact, every time I share something on my Facebook about my  lifestyle I am met with support.  Isn't that wonderful!? Isn't it so nice that there are so many people who, even if they do not live the way that I do, support my life  choices, and think that the way I live my life is commendable?  This brings me joy!

Last night VOMD and I went for a walk to get coffee at one of the local shops down town. I was wearing my 'Vegan is Peace' shirt and as soon as I walked in the girl behind the counter began asking me questions about going vegan. She told me that she is scared that it will be difficult, that she is nervous that she will not have the will-power, or the support to go all the way. I gave her my phone number and email address and answered all her  questions as best I could. She told me that she wanted to be vegan from the bottom of her heart, and that seeing me walk in right at the end of her shift was like a sign from the universe. See?! Wonderful things happen all the time! This brings me joy!

And today, when I went to my favourite little coffee spot Cafe Oranje on King St. I had yet another  conversation about how delicious vegan food is while I was buying one of the vegan pies they sell (made at Cake and Loaf, I believe, but correct me if you think I'm wrong) called "The Wellington".  Joy is everywhere! And everywhere people are starting to realize that the way that we live now, taking animals and the planet around us for granted is just not doing it  for us any more.

People are changing. We have this amazing capacity for adaptation that no other creature on earth does, and when I speak to people like the coffee shop girl who is starting to go vegan, or the baker who makes vegan pies, or the curious person on the street who asks me about my 'Vegan is Peace' shirt, or the long lost friend who is trying to eat less animal products, or my older sister who is starting to be more careful about what she puts in her body and now drinks Vega shakes instead of whey, I realize that if I am willing to remain positive, and set an example of joy instead of anger, then the world really can look like a much brighter place.

And if trying to see the bright side ever fails, I can always rely on my animal companions to bring the light back into my life!

Lego and I like to have staring contests.

 Happy Friday!

-J

Monday Happies: My best friends wedding!

So, last week was a bit  nuts. My internet went down on Monday  morning because a huge truck drove by  and tore down the cable. It wasn't up and running  again until Friday, but by then I was in Barrie helping my best friend prepare for her wedding day!

The wedding was on Saturday and it was probably the most beautiful wedding I've ever seen.  They rented out a barn at Lazy Dayz B & B in Coldwater, Ontario, and with all the tulle and twinkle lights in the world, the place was transformed into a magical country wonderland.

The front of the building had a big porch where they set up a buffet. We strung up the basement of the barn with twinkle lights as well, and  by 11pm that place was rumbling with the stomping of so many cowboy boots!


The wedding party was absolutely gorgeous, and so much fun!



The makeup artist, and the hairdresser (the bride's Aunt is a hairdresser and she was an absolute super star!) did an amazing job.

Posing for pictures makes you a little grumpy after a while!

We all wore cowboy boots in honour of the bride is is an absolute country queen. It's strange that my best friend and I are so completely different. But when it comes down to it, all the history we have together, the secrets we've shared, and all the amazing times we've had together has made us the type of friends that will be close until we are a hundred.

 Before she asked me to be her  maid of honour we had not spoken in a few years, and I am so happy and honoured that she asked me to be part of this day, and that it reconnected us. I will never let us slip that far apart again.

The night before the wedding, we stayed up in the dark, giggling about silly memories, talking nonsense, and thinking about happy, beautiful things to calm her nerves. It was like we were 10 years old again, laying in her single bed, talking about boys and planning the silly adventures we would go on the next day.

That's it for me. I will post something veg related later this week!

Happy Monday!

xo

-Jo

Good Food Friday: Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup (and happy thoughts!)

It's Friday again, already! This summer is flying by. I feel like if I blink I will miss July altogether.

I didn't do a "Monday Happies" this week, so I thought I would share some of the things that make me smile today, for good measure before giving you the BEST recipe EVER for Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup.

I love my momma! 

First, last weekend VOMD and I went up North to visit family. We went to Temiskaming QC to see his parents and ended up loading up the car with free stuff they wanted to get rid of. As much as I am attempting to downsize and be less of a consumer, I can't say no to free things, especially if they are just going to end up in a landfill. We scored three comforters, three sets of sheets, a new (to us) desk and throw pillows! LOVE IT! But now, alas, we need a place to store all this stuff, and we don't have a linen closet so its basically going to sit in a  pile in our bedroom until we move  into a bigger place. Then we headed to Magnetawan to see my Mom for her birthday. We had a BBQ and a pool party, and I got to see two of my big sisters and some of my nieces and nephews. Being around them makes me desperate to move back up north again. I don't like being so far away from my family.

The most handsome man in the world, VOMD. Oh, and Coors is VEGAN, fyi.

 It was nice to actually just relax, lay in the sun, and hear the voices and laughter of my family around me. I often feel very disconnected from  them, being here in Hamilton, so this weekend was so badly needed.

My beautiful big sister and I! I miss her so much. We used to have girls' nights every Friday, so going months without seeing her is awful! 

I am so lucky to have such an amazing family. My mom bought veggie burgers for me and VOMD, and even made vegan pasta salad, and an awesome bean salad with carrots and broccoli, and one  of my sister's brought vegan taco salad (with veggie ground round!).



Now on to the vegan mushroom soup recipe I promised! Mushrooms are VOMD's favourite vegetable (I guess they aren't technically vegetables though...but saying they are his favourite Fungi just doesn't really hit home), and when he still ate animal products his  favourite soup was Cream fo Mushroom. I thought I would give it a try as a surprise because I found a bunch of mushrooms on sale because they were a tiny bit brown...but that just makes them more flavourful! It actually turned  out amazing!

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
2 cups chopped white mushrooms
1 can whole mushrooms, unsalted preferably
1 large  onion, peeled and cut in quarters
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled

2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cube of vegetarian vegetable soup base (or a little spoon full if you only have powdered)
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Shredded vegan cheese (optional, I used Vegan Gourmet mozzarella)
Fresh parsley to garnish (optional)
Deep fried onions to garnish (you can make them yourself or buy them...this is optional)

Start by boiling your cauliflower until it is literally falling apart. If you drop it on the counter from a couple feet, it should be mushed on impact. Strain and set aside. Then throw onions, white mushrooms and garlic into a food processor and pulse until well chopped but not so well blended that it isn't chunky any more. You want some texture in your soup. Turn on you cast iron pan, add a tiny splash or oil, and fry up this mixture until the onions are golden and the mushrooms juicy and darkened - you can add a little salt and pepper for flavour here. You can put a lid over it once its slightly browned to get the juices flowing, and add the canned mushrooms to the mix. While this is sizzling away, put your cauliflower in the food processor and blend until totally creamy. Add almond milk, soup base cube,  and sift in flour, and keep blending until totally combined. Once this is done, combine cauliflower mixture with onion and mushroom mixture in a pot and put on medium low heat and stir until thickened. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. You can also add garlic powder or onion powder if you feel like it could use a boost, but don't overdo it because natural fresh flavours are always best! IF it isn't as thick as you'd like, add a tiny bit more flour to a cup, whisk it with a tiny bit of water until completely combined, an stir it into soup. If you prefer not to use flour, you can make this soup flour free by using more cauliflower and less almond milk.

Serve garnished with onions, cheese and parsley and eat way too much!

A weekend full of free fun and waterfalls!

Hey!

So, I completely forgot to share the amazingness of this past weekend. We aren't exactly weathly, but this doesnt mean we don't go on awesome adventures. This summer we are taking it upon ourselves to find as many free fun things to do in  the city and surrounding areas. On the 13th we went to Veggie Fest Hamilton (last year we - VOMD and I - went to Veggie Fest as our first trip together, so it was nostalgic and romantic), and this weekend we decided to spend all out time outside. VOMD and I went to Tews Falls on Saturday and hiked down a precarious mountain to get to the bottom. There were ropes, so it wasn't really too scary, but  I will say that my choice of footwear was ill conceived. Don't climb a cliff in flip flops. You will hurt yourself.

Here's the view from the top! It's so beautiful. VOMD says it reminds him of a tiny Angel Falls. Hamilton is known as the Waterfall City. There are more than 100 waterfalls in Hamilton and the surrounding areas. Our goal is to see as many as we can this summer.

Tews falls are 41 metres tall and are the tallest falls in the area. A bunch of teenagers were wading in the waterat the top and I couldn't help but picture  how horrifying it would be if one of them slipped.

This is the view from the lookout. We heard a girl talking about how the last time she had visited there were people at the bottom, so obviously we had to go exploring. 

To get to the bottom we hiked down this steep cliff, but luckily were not the first to do it, as there are ropes to help you get there. Climbing back up is the hard part. By the time I got to the top I was out of breath, and my leg muscles were definitely sore the next day.

VOMD took these pictures for scale. The falls are actually pretty damn tall. You feel like you're in Rivendale when you're standing in the gorge. It's so beautiful. (Yes, I'm a huge nerd.)

 My insanely handsome VOMD and I, resting before hiking back up the cliff. (VOMD just cut his beard off, and I'm very sad about it. it was so epic. He assures  me it will only take a month or two to get back  to its previous awesomeness.)

Saturday night we went to The Sound of Music Festival in Burlington. The festival ran for a week, and the weekend prior bands like  OLP  and Weezer played ticketed shows so that this past weekend could be free! So, we saw David Wilcox play for free! Damn this dude can still rip. He played "Bad Apple" and "Riverboat Fantasy" and almost everyone in the crown was singing along. We were pretty close to the stage, but all of these pictures (the above  included) were taken with our phones, so the quality sucks.

Sunday we went hiking at Tiffany Falls, but that was a bit of an ordeal  and I ended up sliding down a bit of a cliff and badly bruising my ankle. No permanent damage was done, but I don't have any photos to share from the event, unless you  want to see a picture of my gross, swollen ankle.

In spite of this, all in all, our free adventure-ful weekend was a complete success! We  topped it off with Sweets from the Earth Cheese Cake (mmmm, Canadian Made vegan cheese cake!) and Coconut  Bliss Ice Cream.

Happy Tuesday!

-J

Monday Happies

I hate complaining about my life. I often feel like my problems are completely trivial compared to the problems of so many other people in the world, so worrying about my crap, and stressing over my little problems feels, well, kind of stupid. But then when I listen to my mother - raise your hands if you have the best mom in the world (you  can't...because I do) - or my friend talk about their problems, I don't think that they are trivial, even if they are the same things that I feel silly worrying about. Isn't that strange?

Anyway, I try to pay attention, as much as possible,  to the great things in my life, like my awesome boyfriend VOMD, my family, and my animal friends. 

So, here are just some happies that made me happy recently.

True love<3

Princess George likes to pose for pictures.  

Long walks on overcast days. The weather has been all over the place lately, but I never
miss a chance to go outside. ...for all you who say Hamilton is too industrial...riiiiggghhht. 

 VOMD went to The Cannon on Ottawa and Connon here in Hamilton a couple of weeks ago. They have vegan waffle battler and make these unreal sandwiches with waffles instead of bread. OH MY GOD are they good.  We both ordered the 'Merican sandwich vegan style (ie. no cheese with vegan waffles).

VOMD is insanely handsome.

Pretty, I know. 

So, even though I'm stressed about a whole bunch of little things, I also have a whole lot of little things to be incredibly happy about.

Happy Monday! 

-J

Pre-Christmas goodness and Gluten Free Choc-coffee cookies

Unlike many of my classmates, I am not heading home for Christmas right away, and again unlike many of  my classmates, my Christmas holidays started early because every single one of my assignments is already completed, and were completed by Monday the 8th.  So, this means I have an entire month (two weeks of which are left) to get started on my reading for next semester, bake Christmas cookies and make tofurkey/seitan, maybe do some housework, finish my Christmas shopping, and start working on my thesis (yeah right).

Also, I have been sleeping. Constantly.

And I should feel worse about it but honestly, I'm so exhausted I feel as though I am making up for three month's of lost sleep.

In spite of all this napping I have managed is to make cookies, have a Christmas party, finish my Christmas shopping and wrapping. This morning VOMD and I had our very own at home Christmas celebration. He has to work Monday and Tuesday and then we are headed to see family and friends from the 24th to the 4th, so we wanted to make sure we get our own Christmas morning experience, especially because it was our first one together!

He, the adorable silly pants, ordered stuff online that did not arrive yet, but still we exchanged awesome gifts (some super snazzy clothes,a couple books, and a Sega Genesis from me to him; and comfy pants, a beautiful scarf and a super amazingly awesome Japanese tea set from him to me; and of course lots of awesome stocking stuffers). We both bought each other a bunch of Lush stuff. If you don't know Lush, check them out. They are super vegan (only some of their products are not vegan, and its because of honey, which we both still eat and use...which is a story for another time), and now we both smell ridiculously delicious.

For Christmas I decided to try some gluten free  vegan baking because Eric has developed a bit of a wheat sensitivity. I came up with a gluten free vegan cookie recipe, the base for which I sort of borrowed from the Post Punk Kitchen blog, here.

Gluten Free Vegan Choc-Coffee Chocolate Chip and Walnut Cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sunflower oil (we only have it on hand for oil pulling and usually cook with coconut or olive oil...but you can use any other veg oil as well)
2 1/4 cups packed brown sugar (use Redpath or another guaranteed vegan brand)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tbsp flax seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other vegan milk)

1 cup gluten free flour
1 cup buckwheat flour
2/3 cup good quality cocoa powder
1/2 cup instant coffee (I used decaf hazelnut flavoured coffee, but you can use whatever you'd like)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup crushed unsalted walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper

Blend flax seeds until powdered. Add almond milk and blend some more (about 3 seconds). Set mixture aside while you do the next step. It will seem kind of gooey. This is your egg replacer and helps bind the cookies together.

In a medium sized bowl sift together all dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, coffee, baking soda, baking powder, salt).

In large bowl cream together sugar, vanilla, and oil. Because you are using brown sugar it will seem a bit thick  and not as creamy as it would be were you to use regular white sugar. Then add flax and almond milk mixture and mix thoroughly.

Start adding dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. You might have to use your hands. Its fun. Do it. It will be dense and not very sticky.

Then fold in walnuts and chocolate chips. It will seem pretty crumbly.

Using your hands form about one inch balls (you can make them as big or as small as you want, really, just be careful to slightly adjust your baking time) and then smoosh flat(ish).

Place on cookie sheets with a fair amount of space between them. I could fit about 10 on each sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. They will be puffy and very squishy when they are ready, so do NOT over cook.

Take out and let sit for a few minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. No joke, I use a cheep dollar store cabinet storage rack as a cooling rack--simple, cheep, and multi-purposed. Once they are a bit cooled you will see that  they harden up a bit but are still chewy and delicious and full of coffee-chocolate goodness.

These, along with left over seitan, mashed potatoes and carrots from our dinner party last night, were our breakfast. Yum!

Overall, best day ever.

Happy Sunday!