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

Monday Happies

This weekend was amazing, in large part because VOMD and I cleaned the whole house from top to bottom, but also because I got to tutor a new Canadian, meet VOMD's grandmother - who is such a lovely woman! I also met his great aunt, who apparently has lived here in Hamilton for 50 years, and is a total firecracker of a woman! We had no idea VOMD had family in the area, so it was pretty exciting.

Other than that, I really have not much to share today. But in the interest of my commitment to share happy thoughts now and then, here are a couple pictures of Lego sleeping like a weirdo:

Happy  Monday!

-J

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!

Being Vegan in Hamilton: Part 1

I moved to Hamilton last year from North Bay, Ontario and was immediately struck by how incredibly vegan friendly it is compared to what I am used to. I guess it's not all that surprising; Hamilton is significantly more multicultural than North Bay, which is notably monochromatic, and it is  kind of HUGE comparatively. In spite of this, I am finding that being vegan anywhere presents its own unique set of challenges. In North Bay, I struggled to find restaurants that had a large number of vegan options,  but for the most part (perhaps this is because it is a college/university town, or maybe just because it is small) I never had trouble finding  chefs who would happily whip up something vegan for me (without having to be told what vegan means). And even though grocery stores seldom stocked the plethora of vegan alternatives you find in larger cities, North Bay's few grocery stores happily began stocking veggie sandwich meats and dairy free cheeses when requested.

Hamilton is a whole different ball game, and while I really do love this city, I find myself getting increasingly frustrated with the ignorance of some of the people I meet, especially in the service industry. A couple of days ago, for example, I went to a new pizza place that just opened up in the strip mall by our house to ask if they could make vegan pizza. I wanted to know, obviously, if there dough was vegan, and what non meat, non-dairy options they had. The girl at  the front counter responded: "No, sorry, all our dough has gluten". ....I didn't even know how to respond. I explained that I wanted something without animal  products, and she just stared at me blankly.

How is this something that people don't know?! Granted, its not as though we have vegan education in public schools but still!

Nonetheless, there are lots of places in Hamilton to eat vegan, even if there are fewer places now than there were when we moved here (RIP Affinity!).

So, I came up with a little list of our favourite places to eat vegan and find vegan products in Hamilton in the hopes that it will help out other vegans who are new to the city, or those who are looking to start incorporating ethical choices into their lives (vegan or not). This is definitely not a comprehensive list, but its a start. I will do my best to post another with awesome vegan stuff in Hamilton  later  in the summer.

Food Places (Vegan/Vegetarian)
There aren't a ton of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Hamilton, surprisingly, but the ones that exist are pretty damn good.

1. The Green Smoothie Bar: this place on James St. North is all vegan and serves smoothies, yummy puddings, and fast order food. They also have some groceries and supplements. They recycle EVERYTHING and every time I go in there the staff are friendly and informative.
2. Bridges Vegetarian Cafe: Bridges is a vegetarian restaurant on the McMaster main campus. Make  sure you specify that you are vegan,  though, because they do serve dairy products. 
3. Lettuce Love Cafe: This is actually on John St. in Burlington. But for a 15 minute drive, its pretty damn worth it. They are completely vegan, and offer lots of different  options from smoothies to burgers to soups. They are a little pricey, but worth it for a once-in-a-while vegan treat. Their nachos are super good, but VOMD doesn't like cilantro so if you are of like mind, don't order them, or ask for them sans cilantro.
4. DEMOCRACY: Holy crap is this place amazing. They make the BEST soy lattes in the city and have an entirely  vegan menu with full meals, snacks, baked goods and awesomeness. 

Food Places (With Vegan options)

Vegetarian Combo Platter at Wass Ethiopian Restaurant

1. Mulberry: Its a standard coffee shop, but they can make you an awesome vegan sandwich and they serve yummy vegan cupcakes and cookies. Try the chocolate cookie with dates and oats. I forget what it is called but  it is  UNREAL when you heat it up.  
2. Wass Ethiopian: This place is so much fun. They have about five or six vegan entrée options, but you can get them on a platter all together for about $13. You eat everything with injera, a flat, pancake like thing made of fermented grains. Its excellent. VOMD and I go here about once a month.  The vegetarian combo platter is enough for both of us if we get extra injera. Also, you get to eat with your hands! Who doesn't love that?
3. Pita Pizza (Main St. E): This place is your standard shawarma and pizza place that you find all over Hamilton, but with the exception that they make a falafel pizza that is completely vegan! Its so good with extra veggies. 
4. Cafe Oranje: This is a cute little Dutch inspired coffee place on King St. down town. They often have gluten free vegan blondies and vegan date squares and these amazing chocolate peanut butter crunch bars, and they just started stocking vegan nanaimo bars! They can make you a latte with soy or almond milk and are generally pretty good. I just wish they made vegan boterkoek. I would die of happiness right there. 

   

   Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Bar from Oranje (the picture does not do it justice)

Happy Eating! 

-J

Arby's doesn't respect you

I am fuming right now over a new campaign by Arby's to sell bacon. They have posted a letter that you can read online here: http://arbys.com/vegetariansupport

The deal is, apparently their new bacon is so good that they are offering vegetarian support. I am so disgusted by the contents of the letter.

Being vegetarian or vegan is not a joke. It is something that we take very seriously. So I've written my own letter back to Arby's; here it is.

Dear Arby's,

You obviously do not respect us  or our decisions, nor do you respect the planet on which we live. You say "We love our meats, but realize they’re not for everyone", as though some how that actually addresses the important points that thousands of vegetarians have been trying to get at by boycotting your company and encouraging others to rethink Arby's. It is not that meat isn't for everyone... it is that it isn't for anyone. You know, except for the animals from which it comes.

What is sad is that the type of people your slanderous, disturbing "vegetarian support" campaign appeals to are the masses of uneducated, unhealthy Americans who still cling to outdated, backwards ways of living that are destroying our planet. These people will certainly find your help line hilarious. But for the majority of vegetarian and vegan people across America and beyond, your 'hilarious' help line bacon campaign is a deep insult on par with advertising a 'pray away the Gay' helpline.

You are disgusting. In an age when companies across the United States, Canada, and beyond are offering up not only vegetarian, but vegan options for their  customers,  you are turning an ethical way of life and a deeply held belief system into a joke.

It is about time that Arby's gets their ass into the 21st century. I know many of my non-vegetarian friends and family will agree with me in refusing to visit Arby's because of this disgusting display of disrespect.

Sincerely,

A vegan who really doesn't need your support

10 things you should know about being vegan

I have now been vegan for four and a half years and vegetarian for 8. It  has been a strange journey, learning how to listen to my body, how to properly read product labels, and how to negotiate with die-hard non-vegan family and friends. When I decided to go vegan in 2011 I truly intended on only changing the way that I ate.  I didn't want to be one of those vegans that bitched about their belief system, or who made people feel uncomfortable at social events, or who inconvenienced their family at Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners. I thought it would be  a simple matter of just substituting certain products for others.

But it really isn't that simple when it comes down to it. Yes, changing the way that you eat is entirely up to you and really doesn't take much effort, but there are certain challenges I was just not prepared for, and other things that it was just impossible to predict. For the most part, though, these things aren't discouraging. Rather, they are wonderful side-effects of changing your life and living for something greater than yourself!

1. There will always be some people who just don't support your choice. I was not  expecting this at all. I was never one to really involve myself  with other people's choices, and I always just assumed that what I chose to put in my body was my business. Why would anybody give a sh*t about whether I choose to eat soy cheese rather than cow cheese? It's not as though I am rubbing it in their faces or  forcing them to eat it. What I have come to realize, though, is that often people will rag on your for your ethical life choices because it makes them uncomfortable. When they see  you living your life with a purpose beyond your own selfish needs, it makes them feel bad  about their own choices. So, naturally they feel the need to degrade you and make you feel as bad as they feel. This is classic school-yard bully mentality. When it comes to friends and family, often a careful and thoughtful discussion, brought up one on one will do the trick and stop the bashing. My dad used to put meat on my plate at family dinners, but after much discussion, he now makes me vegan meals when I come to visit!
2. Not all Beer is vegan. This was a HUGE shock to both my and VOMD's systems. I had good vegan mentors early in my transition who helped me navigate the LCBO and Beer Store, but when I met VOMD he hadn't changed any of his drinking habits, two years into his vegan journey, because he had honestly just never considered the fact that beer would be made with animal products. He was still drinking Guinness! But I know plenty of vegans who had done the same thing. Luckily we came across an amazing website called Barnivore that tells you whether the beer, wine or liquor you are going to drink is vegan or  not. They even have an app!
3. The jokes literally NEVER stop. If you are female, it is very likely that you will get dirty "meat in your mouth" jokes from men. If you are male, it is very likely you will get jokes about femininity and being girly (as though being feminine is something to be embarrassed about.  WTF society!?) Even people who support your decision to be vegan are going to make jokes. This is in large part because they simply cannot wrap their heads around how meaningful this choice is  for you. If you are like me at all, then watching someone consume a steak breaks your heart into little pieces. People around you don't  understand that this is something that is deeply felt, and not just a casually  made diet choice. The only way to deal with jokers is to respond positively. I've found that if I get upset or angry because of a joke, the jokes will continue or become cruel. Meanwhile, if I joke back about obesity, consuming breast milk as an adult, or kidney stones, then it is more likely that the jokes will change or cease altogether. Sometimes it's just a matter of responding to cruelty with joy - when someone is rude to you or makes a shitty joke, say something nice to them. Tell them you like their haircut or their outfit. It throws people completely off their rude joke game. 
4. You probably will become a raging, militant vegan activist. I never thought that I would be vocal about my food choices. I initially thought of it as a personal choice, but after about a year of being vegan I started getting nuts about it. I started researching like a crazy person, sharing my opinion with strangers in grocery store lines, and having debates with old guys at dive bars. This is not  because I am a jerk - it just began to strike me that people around me should know what I know! I want to world to care and I will do whatever I can to share my story with whoever will listen. This might mean that some people will become offended, but often I find people are very receptive. People like learning about how they can make healthy choices. It also helps that as a vegan you look and feel better than you did before - people are way more likely to take food advice from beautiful people! Wink!
5. Protein isn't really that big of a deal. When I was vegetarian I justified my  intake of dairy and eggs by saying that I had to get my protein from somewhere! But when you become vegan you learn that it is literally impossible to eat wholesome vegan food and be protein deficient.  Even if all you eat is fruit you will get enough protein. If you are not calorie  deficient, you cannot be protein deficient. Protein isn't "meat" specific. I wish I had known this YEARS ago. 
6. Sugar is kind of a HUGE deal. Fist, not all sugar is vegan. Second, sugar is just NOT good for your body. Third, honey is not really all that ethical (but I have made the choice to eat honey that is as ethical as possible). Fourth, Agave and Maple syrup take a LOT of resources to make  and are really expensive. This means that in the end you will probably opt out of most sugars, even if they are vegan. Luckily I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but this has been a huge struggle for VOMD. He is constantly looking for new and inexpensive vegan sweets.
7. You will probably start caring about compost, and organically grown vegetables, and farmers markets and recycling. Being vegan ends up not just changing what you put  in your  body, it also starts to make you question what you've  been surrounding yourself with, what you've been throwing away, and where you are buying everything. You start to realize the impact your vegan diet  and lifestyle has on the planet and will begin making conscious choices about other aspects of  your life - like choosing not to buy the red peppers in a plastic wrapper, buying laundry detergent without chemicals  in it, and bringing your own reusable bags to the market. You might stop wearing deodorant, stop washing your hair, and stop wearing chemical laden make up and cosmetic products. You will also probably become intensely feminist, a supporter of local movements and start researching about how to live off the grid. In short, it is likely you will become a dirty hippy... and LOVE it. 
8. Not every vegan is going to like you. And you will definitely not like every vegan. When I first went vegan I had awesome mentors and friends who showed me the ropes, shared recipes with me, and inspired me to stay on the right path. They never judged me for my ignorance, nor did they ever make me feel bad when I messed up. But, it turns out that going vegan doesn't automatically make you a good person, and vegans can be cruel to other vegans and carnists alike. As someone who is wholly in it for the animals and has never thought of my choice to be vegan as something that makes me better than anyone else, I sometimes am shocked when I hear other vegans telling one another that they are doing it wrong, or for the wrong reasons. I've seen posts on facebook from one vegan to another saying that there is no way this person is vegan because they are too fat! Can you imagine!? This is something that everyone vegan or not has to start working on. There is no way that you can live a life happily if you are constantly cutting other people down. And you really do have a better and larger impact on other people by  being kind. 
9. Eating seven overripe bananas, or mashed potatoes on their own are perfectly viable meal choices. I used to think that a meal consisted of meat, starch, and veggies. When you go vegan you learn that you don't really need to break down your food this way - as long as you eat a varied diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables you are going to be healthy. So, now that I am a vegan I never look in my cupboard full of potatoes and onions and think there is nothing to eat. I just eat the damn potatoes on their own. 
10. It is literally the best choice you will ever  make for your mental health, for your body, and for the planet. When I first went  vegan it was honestly just because of the heartache I felt and continue to feel over the suffering and needless death of nonhuman animals. I never thought it would be this fun and make me feel this good. I feel healthy, I feel strong, and I feel happy. 

There are plenty of other things that change in your life when you make the decision to live a better life. Some are things I wish I had thought of sooner, but for the most  part I am just pleased with the journey. 

I would love to hear about what you did or did not expect about going vegan! Or what you want to know about going vegan before you make the decision to shift your lifestyle in  this direction!

Happy Wednesday!

-J

Reflections on over-consumption

This morning I was walking to my coffee shop on King St here in Hamilton (Cafe Oranje...awesome) and I  saw one of the most typical sites one sees in  large shopping districts - a young mother with a child chasing after her, begging for a toy. It reminds me of the Berenstein Bears book about "The Gimmies"! (Admittedly the overzealous Christian values  portrayed in a number of these books totally turned me off them as I got older, but this one in particular is a freaking gem and I will definitely read it to my kids!). The mother was trying not to pay attention to her child, just held her hand tightly and dragged her along while scrolling through something on her phone.

I am not judging this young mother. I do not know her and I cannot begin to know what was going on in her life that caused her to act this way. The problem is  much larger than this one woman alone. The problem is with our  consumer society.  VOMD  and I were at the mall in Barrie a couple weeks ago when we went to visit my childhood best friend (who is getting married very soon!) and I remarked to him that I was surprised by how many people bring their children to a shopping mall, knowing that they will probably regret it. There were families everywhere, and people pushing shopping carts full of toys and snack foods and soda and clothing. Almost every person we saw in the  mall was miserable. They were in a hurry. They  were weighed down by  parcels and bags. They  hate being there. And I hate being there too. But we feel like we need to be  there. We need to shop. We need new clothes and new electronics, and new body care products. We need so much stuff. But this stuff  never makes us feel better. And what's worse is that it  is destroying the planet (I mean, to a lesser extent than animal product consumption does). 

When I got home from my coffee  walk I went on the internet and starting reading up on consumption. To live is to consume, so it is not surprising that the majority of new jobs in North America are sales and marketing related. North Americans have more consumer debt than ever before in history, and so much of this money is spent on things that are non-essential. Apparently in the US people spend more than 25 billion dollars on video games every year! If you think that is bad, Americans spend around 65 billion dollars on soft drinks! BILLIONS OF DOLLARS on soft drinks when  tap water is essentially free.  Doesn't  that just totally freak you out? Think about all the un-recycled soft drink bottles.

After learning about this I started looking around my house at all the stuff. Some stuff is sentimental and means so much to me that I would never consider donating or re-purposing it. I have no regrets about the little knick knacks here and there that remind me of happy memories, or my loved ones. But on the other hand, there is so much stuff that I don't need, barely like, and just sits around collecting dust. And then there is my dresser, which is filled to the brim with  t-shirts I never wear, and pants that I bought for a job interview that I never went to. Why do we do this to ourselves? 

So, here is my new  goal: I am going to try to be less of a consumer. I am going to make my own laundry soap, I am going to re-purpose old clothes instead of tossing them or buying new ones. I am going to stop buying so many single use plastic items and buy groceries and pantry staples without plastic as much as possible to avoid creating more waste and I am going to do my very best to stop buying so many lattes (but this one is going to be difficult...maybe I should just commit to never forgetting my reusable coffee cup). VOMD and I already don't consume any soft drinks, and though we do drink our fair share of beer, we always return our bottles. But there are certain things we could do without - like vegan cheeses wrapped in single use plastic packaging and new socks (whatever happened to the ancient art of darning anyway?)

I also found this really cool website called Becoming Minimalist which is just full of awesome ways to live a simple life with less stuff.

I would love to hear how you limit your consumption! 

Happy Tuesday! 

-J

All Lego consumes is soft food, sun rays and snuggles.