Heartbreak Hotel part 2 (or, Goodbye Blakeley)

So, as you may know, VOMD and I found a beautiful, if underfed, cat last week and brought him to the vet. We were  originally told that he has no microchip but when we went back to get him his shots and so forth, we found that he was microchipped after all.We were crossing our fingers  that the "owner" wouldn't call  the vet back,  but unfortunately she did. Yesterday afternoon (4  days after  the vet called to say they had found her cat) she called back and came to retrieve him.

It has been a long time since I have been so sad. She told us when she arrived that she lets him run around outside without a collar and that she has not registered him with the city. A tag only costs $13 in Hamilton, and getting a tag allows strangers to call you when they find your cat, and ensures 1 free ride home for your animal friend  from the city.

I am a little bit glad, in a way, that  we got to care for him for a while, because I  am hopeful that his caregiver has learned a lesson and will take better  care  of him in the future.  But at the same  time, I desperately wish that we could  have kept him  in our lives. He is such a sweet, playful, affectionate boy who deserves a forever home that takes care of him properly,  doesn't let him get too skinny,and reports him missing if he is  ever to run.

A little advice to other cat "owners"  out there: if you love your animal friend, especially if you live in or near an urban or high traffic area, make  him or  her and indoor cat. A neutered, domesticated animal does not have the necessary skills to survive healthily outside and is very likely to either be hit by a car, get in a fight with a stray or ferrel cat, or simply starve. It is not cruel to keep a cat indoors, as long as you give them ample opportunities to exercise, feed them healthy food, and give them the attention and entertainment they need. it is far more cruel to let them wander and risk them being  injured or killed.  Blakeley was lucky because two caring animal lovers  found him,  took him to a vet, and gave him good quality food and plenty of love. But most cats left outside will not be so lucky.

Bye for now.

-J

The not-so-healthy-herbivore (or, I'm Realizing I'm Not Invincible)

I've been vegan for about 4 years now, and before that vegetarian for about the same amount of time. I try to take decent care of myself - I don't eat many sweets and I'm not a huge snacker. I try to stay relatively active. I've had my iron and B12 levels checked before and they have normally been within the normal and healthy range.

Turns out, though, that I'm not magically immune to common health issues! Who knew?!

I got some blood work done recently - just a standard check up - and the doctor noted two problems: 1) my iron is low; 2) I have slightly high BAD cholesterol.  Luckily, even though I seldom take my B12 supplement, my levels are still, to quote my doctor "absolutely excellent!" (there was a less than subtle hint of surprise in his voice). I guess I retain it well;  hurray for that minor victory!

When you go vegan you are told by lots of other vegans that its going to make you feel amazing... and the  truth is, it totally does! My reason for going vegan was and still is the lives of animals, but it was a nice boost to know I was taking care of myself as well.

But, being vegan can also make you a bit complacent about your own health. If you're anything like me, you  feel amazing about being vegan, and tend to think that all the problems you faced as a non-vegan are in the rear-view.

It is a bit of a rude awakening to realize  that even though I consume zero animal products, I have a family  history of bad cholesterol, and a tendency towards low iron retention.

These are minor issues, and are easily fixed by an alteration in my diet and a daily iron supplement, but it makes me feel a little more mortal.

All this said, I'm excited to see how my new diet changes and supplements impact the way I feel. I've even read that low iron can lead to skin issues like acne, so here's hoping that's my problem and supplementation will help clear that issue up!.

For any of you who are feeling discouraged by family or vegan related health issues, I encourage you to find a doctor who supports your lifestyle choices and is willing to work with you to find a solution that does clash with your values. My doctor understands that eating animal products of any kind is not an option and I am so lucky to have him on my side. I have heard horror stories about doctors scaring their patients into giving up their ethical lifestyle.  If your doctor is like that, I think its time to find a new one.

Happy Tuesday!

-J

Happy Monday from Heartbreak Hotel! (Adopting a "stray" cat is complicated)

So, it turns out that the rules of adopting a stray cat are kind of messed up.

As you may already know, VOMD and I found a sweet cat dodging cars  in the way to Dundas earlier this week. We fell in love immediately with this poor underfed cutie and took him to the vet immediately. The vet scanned him and told us he was not microchipped so all we had to do was post on Helping Lost Pets and if we got no responses in 72 hours, he was ours! So, we did that, and received no responses. We brought him back to  the  vet Saturday for his shots, to get microchipped, and to get tested for all the standard feline communicable diseases.

And then drama. I guess the first vet didn't scan thoroughly enough, and he  actually  is microchipped! The  way this works now is that they call the "owner" and tell them they found her cat, and she has 7 days to  claim him.

What is totally messed up about  this system is that  Blakeley was never reported missing, even though  he has a microchip. It is obvious that he was living outside for at least a month  and his previous  caregiver didn't give a shit enough to even report him missing. But if she calls now, after she's informed that he's been found, she gets to take him back! She didn't care enough to search for him...and yet she gets to take him back because  she is the "rightful owner".

Our fingers are crossed that she doesn't call. I don't wish for bad people to exist....and keep being  shitty. But I do hope that we can continue to give him a happy home for the rest of his life.

I love this little sucker!

I love all these little suckers!

Happy Hopeful Monday!

-J

New Best Friend

Good Morning!

So,  yesterday VOMD came home  from work very early and decided to take me out for lunch. We stopped to do some nature sight-seeing along the way and  met a new best friend. Meet Blakeley! He came right out of the  bushes toward us, without fear. He was freaking out a bit because of cars passing by us, but went right up to VOMD and started rubbing up against on his legs! He loved the car ride to the vet and stood up against the window just like a dog most of the way.

He is very underfed, and while we have listed him on the Helping Lost Pets website we are really not-so-secretly hoping that nobody claims him, because he is so sweet I already have two new cavities!

We are so in love. We have yet to introduce   him to our other cats, for obvious reasons, so right now he's sharing  a room with Tobi (who sadly is cooped up in her enclosure until we can ensure that Blakeley is not a threat to her).

All in all, today is a great day.

Happy Wednesday!

-J

How to not be a discouraged vegan

As I've mentioned before (and as you  may know) being vegan can be lonely business. You may be lucky and find a partner to share it with (like my VOMD) but even if you do,  sometimes it can be discouraging to see so little change happening in the world around you.

When you are feeling particularly crappy  about the state of the world, there are a few things that you can do to pick yourself back up again and stop being so damn depressing. Having gone through my fair share of discouragement and depression, I can say that these things sort of work (I say sort of, because its not  magic. If you're not committed to feeling better, then chances are your're not going to feel better).

1. Join a supportive online community. You might have to shop around for one that works for you and  try to avoid the ones that have an obvious amount of infighting and negativity between group members. I belonged for a while to a Vegans of the World group on Facebook, but it just started to bum  me out. Now I am part of a Hamilton Community Vegans group and even though I don't know the people in person, being connected to them online makes me feel encouraged on days when I don't  really feel like leaving the house. 
2. Join a cause! There are so may important issues that you can get involved with either online or in person. You can volunteer some f your times to social media campaigns for groups like Sea Shepherd or Fur Bearer Defenders - or any other group that gives a crap about animals. Or you can try to find a local group to volunteer with - maybe a group dedicated to greening your community. In North Bay  there was a group called Greening Nipissing that hosted film screenings and other types events related to the environment. Here is Hamilton there is a community garden project called Hamilton Victory Gardens that is dedicated to food security - they build gardens in empty city lots!  You can also check out  your local low kill shelter or a farm sanctuary near by to connect with like-minded  people.
3. Read some books. There are lots of books about people changing the world  for animals. Whether you're looking for a brain exercising intellectual  read or a light-hearted inspirational story, check out Amazon or your local book store for one of these: Farm Santuary by Gene Bauer; Ecofeminism: Feminist Intersections with Other Animals and the Earth by Carol Adams  and Lori Gruen; Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer; The Lucky Ones, by Jenny Brown; My gentle barn, by Ellie Laks; Zoopolis: A political Theory of Animal Rights, by Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka. These are just some of my favourites, but there are plenty more to choose from. 
4. Cook something delicious. Maybe this is just me, but cooking food always makes me feel better, especially when I am following a recipe from a vegan cook book, or converting an old well-loved recipe to a vegan one. Having a collection of vegan cook books to choose from on your shelf can also make it feel more normal and exciting to be vegan, rather than frustrating and lonesome. You can look through those cookbooks and be reminded that enough people bought these books  to make them profitable and worth publishing! How cool is it that veganism is becoming so mainstream?! Sure, it might be a fad, but so were skinny  jeans, and now literally everyone has at least a few pairs! If you're not a skilled chef,  try out a simple vegan cookbook without tons of exotic ingredients. Isa Chandra Moskowitz  has lots of amazing cookbooks  that are great for beginners. My favourite is Veganomicon, by Isa and Terry Hope  Romero . It is absolutely chock full of amazing recipes. You can also check out Cookin' Crunk by Bianca Phillips and  Thug Kitchen. If you don't want to buy a book, then just check out a vegan food blog like Oh She Glows or It Doesn' Taste Like Chicken.
5. Adopt an animal. Honestly,you should have done this already, but if you haven't, dedicating your life to another creature's well-being is a sure-fire way to feel amazing about life. Without my animal  companions, I would be a far less happy person.  Yes, caring for animals includes a fair amount of heart ache - I lost three of my companions in the last year - but the time you spend caring for them, and giving them the best life possible will be among the best things you ever do in your life. 

What are some of the  things you do to feel less discouraged on your vegan  journey?

Happy Tuesday!

-J

Monday Happies! Midsummer's Dream Festival and Crafty Fun!

So, this past Saturday VOMD, myself, and a couple of amazing friends (and their adorable kids) went to the Midsummer's Dream Festival in Gage Park. It was so much fun, and totally worth the hour it took to scrub pink dye out of our armpits. My only complaint is that the festival was not super vegan friendly (that is, there was way too much meat being grilled for my liking and sadly, there are no more vegan food trucks in Hamilton... Man, I miss Karma Chameleon).

But it was so much fun. I had not seen my friend for a few months since classes ended and she became occupied with work and studying for her  comprehensive exams, and I became entirely focused on my thesis. She also brought us vegan doughnuts from Beechwood Doughnuts in St. Catharines!

There was supposed to be bubble soccer and an obstacle course, but that didn't pan out for one reason or another, but really, the good company, and the ridiculously joyful smile on the face of my friend's daughter when she got to throw colours all over everyone made up for anything we may have missed out on. VOMD and I got thoroughly coated in colour cornstarch and it took ages to get all that colour off (I still had a huge pink splotch on my stomach yesterday!)

With that all said and done, I had some time to start thinking about being crafty again. I recently made the garter set for my best friend's wedding, and I had some leftover camouflage material so I thought I should probably put it  to use. When my youngest niece was born I made her stuffed animals - a little fox and an owl door hanger. Working from the same basic idea, I cut up an old t-shirt and used the left over material from my friend's garter set to make this little guy! He's kind of a fox,  but I think he looks a bit like a raccoon.

Sometimes I'm crafty. He's kind of ugly, and its certainly far from professional,  but I think there is a kind of charm in creating something by hand that you can tell was made by hand. VOMD says I should sell these, but I think he's too ugly, and I can't bring myself to follow any type of pattern, so any future little creatures would probably turn out just as silly. I also like the idea of just doing something for fun now and then.

I don't get crafty very often any more. Since beginning grad school, my creativity  has been at an all-time low, so it feels nice to use my hands for something other than scrolling through journal articles. 

Those are my happy thoughts for today. 

Happy Monday!

-J

Friday Foodies: Whole Grain Sandwich Buns!

Good Morning!

VOMD eats a LOT of sandwiches. He takes two for lunch every day, and even though bread isn't really that expensive, it adds up. We use probably  two loaves a week. So, I've started making it myself sometimes.

I usually don't make wholegrain bread, because I can never seem to make it fluffy, but I decided to give some buns a try.

How yummy do these look!?

I started with this recipe from Holy Cow Vegan, but being the type of person who doesn't take direction well I obviously made some tweaks.

Ingredients:
 6 cups whole wheat flour
 1/2 cup  unbleached white flour
 4 tbsp vital wheat gluten (optional...but it will be worth it)
 3 tsp active dry yeast
 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
 2 tsp salt
 2 3/4 cups warm water
 2 tbsp maple syrup
 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl mix maple syrup, warm water (not too hot, but definitely not cold) and yeast gently and set aside. It will start to get foamy, and that's when you know its ready to go. 
2. In a separate bowl combine whole wheat flour, wheat gluten, salt, and baking powder. Be sure that all the ingredients are mixed well. 
3. Begin to slowly combine dry ingredient mix with the yeast mixture about a cup at a time. Mix slowly and make sure it is thoroughly  combined before adding more. Once it gets too thick  to mix with a wooden spoon, use your hands. It will form a sticky but somewhat smooth dough. Now add the oil and mix until it is combined in the dough 
4. Sprinkle a clean board with white flour and begin to kneed the dough on the board. Kneed for about 5-8 minutes. The dough should be very soft, and a little sticky still when you are done kneading, but little bubbles may begin to  form beneath the surface. Form a smooth ball.
5. Oil a bowl (I used the one I had the dry ingredients in) and turn the dough over in the oil to coat the whole ball. Cover with a verylightly dampened towel and set aside to rise. It may take about 1.5 to 2 hours to double in size. If it is cold, or you have aggressive air conditioning, put it in your oven (don't turn it on) to rise.
6. Once it's doubled, punch it down lightly, then form it into 12 smooth balls (or six balls and one loaf, if you want)
7. Place on a baking sheet with parchment paper over top. You can add a little flour to the bottom of the balls, or corn meal if you'd like, to make extra sure they don't stick.
8. Let rise again until about doubled in size (this time not in the oven, because you have to preheat it). I can fit six balls per pan, with an inch or so between them. 
9. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 
10. Once the dough balls have risen, place them in the oven, on the centre rack, and bake for about 5 minutes before turning the oven down to 350 degrees. If they are getting brown too quick, a trick is to spray them lightly with a mist of water. Then continue to bake for about 20 more minutes. They will be a nice golden brown when they are finished. If you are making a loaf, then leave it in for about 5-7 minutes longer. 
11. Take them out of the oven and, if you want them to stay super soft and look nice and shiny like the ones in the picture, coat them really  lightly with vegan butter (like Earth Balance) or even a mild olive oil. You can sprinkle sesame seeds on top like I did, or just let them be.
12. Put  them on a rack to finish cooling, but don't pull them apart yet, and then when cooled down a bit put them in your face. I ate one still a little warm with Earth Balance and fresh tomato and daaammmn was it good. 

These things are so soft and delicious. I'm glad I added the wheat gluten like Vaishali from Holy Cow Vegan suggested because it makes them the perfect mixture of fluffy and chewy. These buns won't stay fresh as long as the stuff you get from the store, so if you don't eat a ton of bread, put  some in the freezer and just take them out as you need them. If you want them to taste fresh after freezing them, you can do what my mom does: put them in a paper bag (like the ones you get from the liquor store, or when you  buy mushrooms), and spray the bag lightly with water, and toss them in the oven for a couple minutes at 325. Don't leave them too long, though, because there is a risk of burning! Watch them closely.

Yum!

Happy Friday!

-J