Easter

This year for Easter, my family decided to skip the traditional turkey/ham dinner, and have a fantastic vegan brunch! We made a bunch of waffle “sausage” and cheese Panini’s for the main course. I bought Tofurkey Sausages (Sundried Tomato are my favorite). My mom made her famous biscuits with almond milk, and we made a delicious fruit salad. My brother cooked up some free range scrambled eggs for the non-veggies of the house, and we drank it all down with an orange juice spritzer. It was delicious! My grandfather even approved of his first tofu sausage…Yay!

It was actually really nice to celebrate in the morning, with flowers and the sun shining. It felt so appropriate for Easter.

Also on Easter weekend, my friend and I went out to a Chinese restaurant and we both ordered the vegetable curry on rice. It was spicy and tasty. Definitely something I would order again.
And, when we went to Tyson’s house, his family bought me some meatless chicken for supper, and for dessert I had Pillsbury turnovers (I know…they’re vegan!) I’m so lucky that I have family who welcome the veg lifestyle and accommodate me. I always feel welcome :)

New Website

I love the Farm Sanctuary and their website. Recently they have created a side project/ website called Plate to Planet.
www.platetoplanet.org

It has some great information about becoming veg and the negative impacts of factory farming. Below is a short video from the website, voiced by actor Jason Schwartzman.

Green Machine

Attempt #1 to make a green smoothie!
I decided to make Kris Carr’s “Green Guru” smoothie from her book Crazy Sexy Diet. Ingredients:
Cucumber, Avocado, Romaine lettuce leaves, Dash of agave nectar, Dash cinnamon or cocoa and Coconut water or purified water

It actually smelled delicious, and I was really excited to try it. But....the taste was very bitter. I couldn’t even take 2 drinks from it. Owell, maybe some more sweetener would do the trick? I think drinking this as a juice would be a lot better. As a smoothie, it was just too thick!!

But hey, it looks pretty right? :)

Food Fix

I’m a pretty healthy vegan overall, but sometimes I just need my junk food fix! Here are some things that I’ve tried in the past month…
Last week, I bought some Tofurkey products at the health food store. I know any processed food (whether vegan or not), isn’t the best thing to eat EVERY day…but it’s great for a weekend, or a last minute meal.

There are multiple types of Tofurkey pizza, and they even have their own cheese substitute on top. We tried the Italian Sausage and Fire Roasted Vegetable Pizza. I compared it to a frozen mini pizza with extra toppings. I still prefer homemade pizza, but I will probably buy this again.

I also purchased Tempeh Curry in a package. We fried up some peppers, onions, carrots and garlic and then added in the tempeh. We put this mixture on top of brown rice, and voila—tempeh curry! Tempeh has such a great texture and it is very easily digested. The only thing about this packaged stuff it that the creamy mixture the tempeh was marinating in just got soaked up during the cooking process. So, our stir fry ended up being a bit dry and we needed to add some soy sauce to the mix! One night, Tyson made some yummy homemade potatoes skins. Talk about delicious! He first cooked the potatoes, then fried the slices, then topped them off with vegan cheese, green onions and simulated bacon bits—then baked them again! Vegetarian Chili is still one of my favorite meals. It’s full of different beans and tons of vegetables. But, topped off with Tofutti Sour Cream, Vegan Cheese and Green Onions…watch out! This tasted like a dip, so I ate it up with some whole grain tortillas.

New Places To Eat Veg!

I’m so happy that more and more awareness is out there about the vegetarian lifestyle. I’m even more excited that more restaurants are opening up that focus on a veggie based diet. Even the regular restaurants have more veg options on their menu, or are willing to cater to your needs.
Tonight, my friend Haley and I went to Nirvana, a new wellness center in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Not only do they have a yoga studio, they also have vegetarian food options and a wide selection of fruit and veggie drinks.
Nirvana is a warm and welcoming resto juice bar and yoga studio in the heart of Fredericton, New Brunswick. Our goal is to serve nutritious and delicious raw and cooked foods, as well as provide a serene and spacious studio to practice yoga.
Tonight, we had the veggie sushi and shared a veg falafel. For dessert there was chocolate avocado tart. Everything was delicious! I’m disappointed I forgot my camera though… Also, we’re both big fans of Kris Carr and her healthy drinks, so we were excited to hear that they also offered wheatgrass juice. This stuff is insanely healthy for you. It was somewhat of an acquired taste. Well, who am I kidding—it did taste like grass! But the benefits are undeniable. We are going to back this weekend to try out some yummy smoothies! I have a feeling I will be visiting this place a lot :)

In Pictou County, Baked Food Café has also opened. They are located on Provost Street in New Glasgow. They are committed to offering local, seasonal, healthy food while remaining environmentally friendly. They do offer some vegetarian options, and they are delicious! Last time I visited, I ordered the Ratatouille on millet. It was such a tasty warming dish. Mom ordered the pumpkin bread with homemade hummus. We also took some vegan granola bars for the road. They were soft, chewy and had a great vanilla flavor. Also, I hear that their bean burger is amazing.

It’s a great thing when these options are available for vegetarians and vegans, but it’s even better that people who aren’t vegetarian, are also enjoying these places! They are making a plant based diet a part of their lifestyle, and are enjoying the food!

Crazy Sexy Diet

I definitely recommend reading the “Crazy Sexy Diet” by Kris Carr. It’s a book about igniting your spark of life, eating vegetarian/vegan and feeling great.
Kris Carr is this amazing woman who was diagnosed with a rare cancer in 2003. But, that didn’t stop her from changing her life. She decided to take control, and changed her lifestyle and diet for the better. After becoming vegan, exercising more and meditating, she began to fight off her cancer cells. She has never felt better and she looks amazing!
If your interested about her journey through cancer, she made a documentary called “Crazy Sexy Cancer”. I signed out the DVD at my local library.I love her book because she is so motivating and funny. She has such an original take on everything. You will learn about her famous green juice and smoothies, meditation, eating right and living an everyday positive life.
You can join her online community at http://www.crazysexylife.com/.
You get access to special messages and videos from Kris Carr, as well as advice from other CSD fans around the world.

Definitely check it out!

Below is Kris Carr and Dr.Oz drinking her famous green juice!

Kindness

I check out Alicia Silverstone’s blog The Kind Diet almost every day. Recently she had a guest blog about kindness and its relationship to veganism. His name is Ari Solomon. Here is his blog. If you want to see her whole website click here: http://www.thekindlife.com/

Our Innate Kindness
By Ari Solomon

When Alicia asked me to blog for The Kind Life, I was thrilled because there's been something I've been meaning to explore for some time now, and I think this is just the place. It goes something like this:

Are human beings innately kind? Is kindness our default, or, if we don't consciously practice kindness (as we would any other skill) do we revert back to being some sort of monstrous Conan the Barbarian?

I realize that to fully investigate a question like this, it would probably take a dissertation versus a blog, but there's a specific, common human response that gives us strong clues.

A few weeks ago, I was watching a talk show that shed light on how animal-based foods are produced. But, before footage from inside the slaughterhouse was shown, the host of the show warned the audience that the images were going to be graphic and upsetting. In fact, she cautioned that if viewers had children present, it might be best to escort them out of the room. Of course, such warnings are not unique to this talk show; you always hear them before footage like this is aired.

But this got me thinking. If we're supposed to be eating things like meat, dairy, and eggs, why do we find slaughterhouse footage so disturbing? Certainly no one would ask us to emotionally prepare ourselves before showing a video of people harvesting broccoli, or picking apples. If eating animals and their "by-products" is so natural, what's with our revulsion to blood and gore?

Here's something else to ponder: About a year ago, during a routine trip to the vet's office, I was sitting in the waiting room while Animal Planet played on the TV. It was one of the shows documenting big cats in Africa. When a lion hunted and brought down a gazelle, I noticed the faces of the other people in the room around me. People were groaning and averting their eyes. One woman actually spoke out loud, "Ugh, isn't it awful?"

Now, I'm not an anthropologist, but I'd venture to say that these instinctual responses tell us all we need to know about how we should treat animals, and consequently, what we should be eating. If we can't bear to watch animals being slaughtered or hunted, and if we have to lie to our children about where our food comes from, perhaps we should meditate on that, instead of doing what most people do: numb themselves to the truth.

Sure, a butcher might tell you that he/she has no problem slicing and dicing animals, and a hunter may wax poetic about the thrill of killing. But, I'm pretty certain this is what comes only after some process of desensitization takes place. When you ask kids what they want to do when they grow up, very few respond, "Kill animals."

Harvey Diamond famously said, "You put a baby in a crib with an apple and a rabbit. If it eats the rabbit and plays with the apple, I'll buy you a new car." Indeed, I think that when it comes to animals, kindness is undeniably our default.

Tasty Snack

My friend Haley told me about this great recipe for banana ice cream.
It’s TOO easy!
Just unpeel a banana, cut it into pieces and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Then, take the frozen banana pieces and put them in a blender or a food processor. Blend until smooth.
VOILA! Creamy, delicious banana ice cream! We added some peanut butter in the blender as well. And, Tyson topped his off with some chocolate sauce. It’s unbelievable how good this is! It’s a great way to make the boring banana exciting again :)

Shopping Online

My new addiction is to browse on Etsy.com. It’s like going to your local artisan’s market online with a LOT more vendors to choose from. There are listings for just about anything, and most of the stuff is homemade and crafted by people who have their own unique shops. Shipping and handling isn’t a lot (differs from shop to shop), and there are just so many neat things to look at! I was having trouble finding vegan purses (among other things), when I stumbled on this site that has EVERYthing. It’s also great for special occasions or holidays when you want to find something unique. Check it out!

Spring has Sprung!

Even though it snowed last night, Spring has not left my spirits! I have lovely fresh flowers around the house to try and brighten up the place and I am hoping for sun. Don’t get me wrong, as a Canadian I love the winter, but I think we’ve had enough snow already :P

Yesterday I decided to make some new recipes from a book called The Vegan Cook's Bible by Pat Crocker.I made a hearty Potato and Chickpea Casserole in Cashew cream with a delightful side of Coconut Rice with Cauliflower. For the casserole, I also added an oatmeal nut topping after it baked for a bit. Overall, this casserole wasn’t too great. It was kind of dry, and the cashew cream didn’t bring anything flavorful to the dish. If you enjoy coconut dishes, you will love the coconut rice recipe beloq. I found it even better the second day and ate it as leftovers with some spring rolls.

Coconut Rice with Cauliflower

1 can (14oz/400ml) coconut milk

1 cup short grain brown rice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 piece of candied ginger, finely chopped (I didn’t use this because I obviously didn’t have any laying around!)

2 cups finely chopped cauliflower

½ cup whole wheat bread crumbs

Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a saucepan over high heat, bring coconut milk to a gentle boil. Stir in rice. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 40 minutes. Do not remove lid during cooking. Stir rice, which will be very wet and soupy. Increase heat and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until rice is tender and creamy.

Meanwhile in a deep skillet, heat oil over high heat. Stir in onion. Reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes or until slightly softened. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes. Stir in cauliflower and cook, stirring frequently, for ten minutes or until tender and fairly dry. Stir in bread crumbs.

Add cauliflower mixture to rice and season to taste with salt and pepper.

I didn’t have the short grain rice, so I just used the 10 minute brown rice and just reduced the timing for everything. It still worked out great!

Earth Hour

Just a reminder to turn off your lights and electronics on March 26th.
Earth Hour is this Saturday at 8:30!
Pledge your participation at http://wwf.ca/earthhour/

Be one of the billions of people who take part in this global event!
Watch the video below, it is so inspiring!
It's amazing what we can do when we work together :)

Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

This is one of the very first recipes I made when I became vegan. Since I didn’t have a blog back then, I forgot to post it. But, this stew is a gem! I LOVE sweet potatoes, and they are so good and alkalinizing for your body. This stew is very fragrant and calls for a lot of spices. It’s easy to make, but you might want check out your cupboard first to make sure you have all of the necessary spices first--before you decide to make this tasty dish. You can make the stew thicker, by adding more sweet potatoes. That’s what I like to do, then it’s thick enough to serve over brown rice. You can still eat it in a bowl—just add some rolls and some steamed greens! Yum Sweet Potato Lentil Stew from The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone Ingredients: 1/4 Cup Safflower Oil 1 Medium Onion Diced 2 Small Tomatoes Diced 1 tsp Minced Fresh Ginger 1 1/2 tsp Turmeric 1 tsp Cumin 1 tsp Ground Coriander 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon 1/8 tsp Cayenne Fine Sea Salt 2-3 Medium Sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 3/4″ cubes 7 Cups Vegetable Broth 1 Cup Brown Lentils Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, deep pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes or until the onion starts to soften. Stir in the tomatoes & ginger and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne and a pinch of salt. Cook and stir for 2 minutes, then taste for seasonings. Add the sweet potatoes, broth & lentils. Stir well and bring to a boil over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and lentils are soft.

Danny's Pizza

You can find Danny’s pizza in your local grocer’s freezer. It’s so easy! You get two crusts, with the sauce already on. You just have to add what you want. It’s probably cheaper to make your own dough, but this is great for a Friday night when you just don’t want to knead and prepare that dough—it’s the toughest part! I used Yves Vegan Pepperoni Slices, veggies, extra oregano and Vegan mozzarella cheese.
Just add all of your favorite fixings and enjoy!

Farm Sanctuary

I just love the Farm Sanctuary videos! Check them out :)

Yummy Tofu Stir Fry

Don’t you just love it when you come home and supper is already made?
Tyson is becoming such a great vegan cook! He made this tasty stir fry for me the other week. He has been experimenting with tofu, and every time he cooks it—it is delicious!

For this recipe he made a homemade sweet and sour sauce and cooked tons of veggies all together. He then cut up some tofu into thin slices, covered them with a mixture of plum and cherry sauce and fried them until brown. They turned out to be candied, crunchy, yummy tofu pieces. Put it all together, and you have yourself one tasty meal!

Thanks Tyson :)

Vegan Breakfast

There’s nothing like waking up to a great big breakfast on the weekend.
I’ll admit, I do miss my eggs and bacon! But, I have a healthier and more compassionate alternative.
Last weekend we made Yves Vegan bacon strips, Southwestern tofu scramble, hash browns, and whole wheat toast with Vegan Becel and Jams.
To simulate scrambled eggs, I used this recipe I found on the Kind Life Website.

Sheri’s Southwestern Tofu Scramble
Serves 2-4
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb. firm Tofu (rinsed, pressed/drained for 15-30 mins.)
• 2 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 t. chili powder
• 3/4 t. turmeric
• 1/2 t. dried oregano
• 1/4 t. ancho chile powder
• 1/4 - 1/2 t. smoked paprika to taste
• 1/8 t. cayenne pepper
• 1 T. chopped parsley
• 1 small zucchini, cut in half, then into half moons
• 1 small summer squash, cut in half, then into half moons
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1 c. frozen sweet corn
• fine sea salt & pepper to taste
STEPS
1. Crumble rinsed/drained tofu into a large bowl with your hands, mashing and breaking up the tofu with your fingers until no large chunks remain - the tofu will retain a bit of moisture.
2. Add in all dry spices, again combining with your hands until well mixed.
3. Pour 1 T. olive oil into a sauté pan, and cook tofu over medium-high heat for 5-8 mins., stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
4. While tofu is cooking, warm the other 1 T. olive oil in a separate sauté pan.
5. Add onions & cook over medium heat for 3-5 mins. until they start to become translucent.
6. Add in the rest of the veggies, and cook for another 4-5 mins. until they are crisp-tender.
7. When done, stir veggies into tofu mixture, and heat through 1-2 mins.
8. Garnish with chopped parsley, and add sea salt & pepper to taste.

The texture was great, and the tofu takes on the taste of all the spices. It’s definitely something different, but I really liked it! And, boy was it filling! We didn’t have the zucchini or squash that it calls for in the recipe so we added tomatoes and peppers.

Mike Tyson & Ellen

Mike Tyson was on Ellen today talking about how he has been sober for two years, and has changed his life for the better. He has also been vegan for 2 years, and is looking great!

**Post 100!!**

I can’t believe this is post 100! In a couple of more months, I can happily claim that I have been vegan for one year!
This is honestly one of the best choices I have ever made in my life thus far.
It’s just something that has ignited a spark in me, and all I wanted to do was to let people know about a more compassionate and healthier way of life. I know a lot of people don’t read this, but I am thankful to all of you that do. I am so pleased when I get messages or emails from people letting me know they read my blog. Even if it’s to ask a simple question, or to say “hey, I was at a restaurant and there was vegan option-I thought of you!” You all inspire me everyday and help me to stay true to my commitment.

I also want to say thank you to my friends and family for being SO supportive. And, I want to give praise to those of you who have become vegetarian/ vegan or have even made some slight changes towards a more plant-based diet.
I am still learning so much about this lifestyle, but it finally feels like just that…a lifestyle.

Becoming vegan means eating healthier, saving the planet, and saving the lives of innocent animals. It’s win-win!

I hope to bring more awareness about animal rights, veganism, and share some yummy recipes. There is a big world out there, and I hope to meet more people and get inspired each day to spread the word about this great lifestyle.

Happy eating :)

Vitamin B12

Vegetarian and vegan diets are so full of vitamins and nutrients. But, there is one vitamin that is a bit tougher to get.

B12 is the most important of all the B vitamins when you are vegan. It is necessary for building blood and cell division. B12 isn’t made by any plants or animals. It’s actually made by bacteria. We get our B12 from eating foods contaminated with bacteria that had produced B12. Food animals eat bacteria, which accumulates the B12 in their flesh. So, if you’re not eating meat you need to get your B12 from other sources.
It’s true that vegetables do not contain B12, but all plants are grown in the soil which is enriched with B12. Before the mass commercialization of agriculture (when we were all pulling our vegetables from the garden and water wasn’t purified) B12 was available through the soil and water. So B12 deficiencies in a vegan diet are not caused by the diet itself, but by the hypersanitization of our modern world.
So, where else can we get B12 from?
A lot of our food is fortified with B12. Take a look at your milk, fake meats and even your cereal. Many of them are B12 fortified. Another source of B12 is nutritional yeast flakes. You can use these tasty flakes to imitate cheese. I use it on bruschetta, garlic bread or pasta.
Luckily the human body doesn’t need a huge amount of B12, but it does need a little bit on a regular basis. The current RDA is 2.4 micrograms a day. (That would be equivalent to 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast). To make sure I get enough of this vitamin I take a B12 supplement every second or third day just to be safe.

Overall, a natural diet full of different vegetables, whole grains and proteins is going to be great for your body and soul! If I’m having a junk food day, I will pop a multivitamin or a vitamin supplement to make sure my body is getting what it needs. Before I became vegan, I never thought about B12, Vitamin D or any other vitamin. I just ate whatever I wanted. Now, I am more conscious of my decisions, because I need to be sure I am ingesting vitamin enriched foods. Since I am eating healthier, I don’t need to take a multivitamin every day. But, we can’t be perfect all the time with our eating habits-and you always need a break every once and a while…But, just remember:

The bottom line for proper nutrition is that natural food is your best bet for all around health. Seperating nutrients and vitamins into stand-alone sources of nutrition can lead to overdose or an inadvertent depletion of another necessary vitamin or mineral.
-Living Vegan for Dummies

Information from Becoming Vegan, The Kind Diet and Living Vegan for Dummies

East Coast Coffee Cake

Being vegan is tough when it comes to sweets and baked goods. You have to deny a lot of awesome looking stuff out there! Bake sales, pot-lucks, and going over to someone’s house includes a lot of confused people…"but why can’t you eat this?" So, after each time your sweet tooth is denied that succulent treat, you get twice as excited when you CAN eat something. This doesn’t happen a lot though…believe me.

Therefore, I cook a lot of vegan sweets…which is my downfall. I will cook a whole chocolate cake and just keep eating! Nom Nom Nom!
And, my defense is always that I NEVER get to have this stuff.

Nevertheless, I am vegan, I am not a vegan on a strict diet…so I enjoy every bite!

Here’s a tasty dessert from the book Vegan Brunch by Chandra Moskowitz. I don’t own this book, but I was reading it in the bookstore the other day and it looked amazing! This is definitely going to be the next vegan recipe book that I buy.
Coffee cake is so delicious and moist. There was some at the workplace a couple of days ago, and I said “I can make that!”
So, that’s exactly what I did. East Coast Coffee Cake
Ingredients
For the topping:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup canola oil, plus up to 2 Tbs. more if needed

For the cake:
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
For serving:
2 tablespoons powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions
Preheat over to 375F. Grease an 8-inch square pan (I used a springform pan). Mix the milk and vinegar together and set aside to curdle.
Make the topping:
Mix together flour, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Drizzle in canola oil by the tablespoonful. Use your fingers to mix until crumbs form. Alternate mixing and adding canola oil until oil is used and large crumbs have formed. Some of the mixture can still be sandy, but make sure you’ve got mostly large crumbs.
Make the cake:
In a large bowl, mix milk mixture, sugar, canola oil and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt, and mix until smooth.
Pour batter into pan.
I put a cup of fresh blueberries on top of the batter.
Evenly sprinkle the topping over the batter and pat down just a bit.

The recipe says bake for 35 to 40 minutes (mine didn't take as long). The cake is done when you can insert a knife into the center and it comes out clean. Let cool for an hour before slicing and serving. Then you can sift the powdered sugar over top after it’s cooled—if you feel like it.
To simulate the caramel topping that you see on some coffee cakes, I just boiled some butter, brown sugar, soy creamer and then added some arrowroot (or cornstarch) at the end. I covered the whole cake with this sweet stuff!
Enjoy :)

Eggplant Chana Masala and Cornbread Muffins

I’ve been making a lot of dishes from the Kind Diet lately. I think it’s because it was my first vegan recipe book, and I just always tend to go back for more!
This recipe was really easy to make, full of great taste and packed with protein. Chana Masala is almost like a chili, but it shouldn’t be quite so soupy. We tried it by itself in a bowl with some cornbread, and we also tried it on top of rice. I liked it better on rice, because I’m not used to Indian dishes and it helped with the spices.
Eggplant Chana Masala
• 3lg onions roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1tsp curry powder or to taste
• 1-2tsp cumin
• 1lg eggplant peeled and chopped into ½"pcs
• 2-15oz cans chickpeas drained
• 2-14oz cans peeled tomatoes drained
• 1can vegetarian chili (I used Amy's)
• 1lg handful chopped fresh cilantro-½c

Sautee onions and garlic with oil, curry and cumin in large pot until onions are soft and translucent (approx 5min). Add eggplant and sautee 5min until lightly browned and softened. Add chickpeas, tomatoes and chili. Simmer 20-30min. It will get watery, but then reduce to a thick stewy dish. Add spices to taste and stir in cilantro and serve.

I also baked up some cornbread from the Kind Diet. I chose to make them in muffin tins in hope that they would stay fresh for the next couple of days. Vegan Cornbread
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/4 cups soy/rice.almond milk
1/4 cup safflower oil
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Oil a 9x9” baking dish or 12-cup muffin tin. Combine the syrup, soy milk, and oil in a medium bowl and mix well. In another bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix just until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. They will be golden brown and crazy delicious.

The Canadian Seal Hunt

I think as a Canadian, the seal hunt is a sore issue. This massive killing of seal pups happens each year…right here in Canada. The brutal ways of killing these gentle mammals is enough to make someone sick. More than 97% of seals that are killed are actually pups. There is a rule that no hunter can kill a pup under 11 days old. After that, they are considered legal to kill.

There are tons of videos out there that actually document the seal hunt, but I have chosen not to include these videos on my blog because they are so horrific. If you need to see it for yourself, visit any animal welfare website and there will be media you can watch.
Some Canadians argue that this is part of our culture and it is something that needs to be done. But, I think that what many people don’t know is that even though 5000-6000 Canadians derive some income from hunting seals, they are commercial fishermen and they earn, on average, less than 5% of their income from the seal hunt and the remainder comes from fisheries.

The Humane Society International has a great fact sheet that will answer some general facts about this issue:
http://www.hsi.org/assets/pdfs/fast_facts_seal_hunt.pdf

Each year, sealers kill hundreds of thousands of seal pups in commercial slaughters. Shot or clubbed mainly for their fur, the animals die a cruel death. Some are left wounded and suffering, and others are skinned alive. Canada's annual commercial harp seal hunt is the largest slaughter of marine mammals on Earth. Sealing is an off-season activity for fishermen who typically earn only a fraction of their incomes from it. Seals are not overpopulated, nor are they jeopardizing the Canadian cod fishery. Seal product trade bans and HSI's Canadian seafood boycott are increasing pressure to end the hunt. HSI supports a government license buyout for fishermen and promotion of ecotourism.

HIS is against the commercial seal hunt, but take no issue with subsistence seal hunting undertaken by aboriginal people. They also talk about making Canadian seals into ecotourism instead of slaughter...much like what happened when we banned the whale hunt.
"At the rate that seals are being killed, there won’t be enough left to hunt in a few years. It is far more sustainable to explore ecotourism as an attraction for the area. Since Canada banned commercial whale hunting in the 1970's, the whale-watching industry has grown considerably and is now worth more than the seal hunt".

Tragically, the government of Nova Scotia allows the commercial slaughter of grey seals in the protected Scaterie Island Wilderness Area (Hay Island). This is happening in our backyard!
This one of the cruelest seal slaughters HSI has ever documented. Sealers herd seals into groups, then club moulted pups as young as a few weeks of age with wooden bats and cut them open with box cutters just inches away from newborn pups and their mothers.
This is a cry from all over the world to stop this unnecessary seal slaughter. Many places in the world have even stopped buying Canadian seafood in attempt to show Canada they do not approve with this gruesome slaughter.
Please click on the TAKE ACTION link below to help stop the annual Canadian seal hunt. It’s happening, and we need the support of Canadians to help stop this unnecessary suffering.
TAKE ACTION
PeTA and many celebrities (including Perez Hilton, Pamela Anderson, Brody Jenner, Kelly Osbourne and Steve-O), are also taking a stand against the seal hunt in their “Save the Seals” Campaign.

Orgnx Shampoo

This is my new favorite shampoo! Finally a great smelling, decently priced, vegan shampoo. This conditioner is great for my thick hair…it actually works! Try it out :)

Healthy Hair, Pure & Simple
At LaCoupe, we believe what you don't put into a product can be as important as what you put into it, so we formulated orgnx to be: sulfate-free, paraben-free and DEA-free. orgnx has been salon-tested and approved and is always cruelty-free.

Each orgnx product focuses on a different hair care challenge common to modern life. There's an orgnx regimen for every hair type.

Waffle, Sausage and Cheese Panini

This is another recipe from The Kind Diet. It’s a waffle sandwich (which I found out is the BEST kind of sandwich), with Tofurkey sausages, vegan cheese, veggies and an amazing sauce. This is definitely something to make for non-vegetarians, because they will love it!
We bought some plain gluten free waffles because they are also milk free.
Waffle, Sausage, and Cheese Panini

Ingredients
4-6 (1-1.5 ounce) Italian-style soy sausages
1/3 cup Fruit-sweetened apricot jam
1/4 cup Vegenaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
8 Frozen whole grain waffles, toasted
4 tablespoons Oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups Arugula (We just used Romaine Lettuce)
4 slices Vegan mozzarella
Preparation
Cook the sausage according to package directions until browned in a large skillet. Transfer the sausage to a cutting board, and cool enough to handle, slice each sausage in half lengthwise then in half crosswise. Stir together the jam, Vegenaise, thyme and pepper in a small bowl.
Wipe out the skillet you cooked the sausages in and place over medium heat or preheat a panini press or countertop grill. Spread each waffle with 1 tablespoon jam mixture. Sprinkle sun-dried tomatoes over 4 waffles and layer each sandwich with arugula, 1 cheese slice and one-quarter of the sausage slices. Top each sandwich with the remaining waffles. Brush the heated pan, panini press, or grill with oil. Add the sandwiches, and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted, making sure to turn the sandwich once if you are using the skillet method. Cut the sandwiches in half, serve.
Note: Use a second skillet weighted with a heavy can or two to press the sandwiches as they cook to re-create the panini press effect in your skillet.

Vegan Valentine's Day

We made a Vegan Valentine’s Day feast yesterday! I decorated the kitchen with hearts and bows…all very cliché. We made Almost Beef Wellington with Madeira sauce. For a side we had roasted sweet potatoes, and salad. The Beef Wellington was amazing! It was faux beef tips and a mushroom mixture in a puff pastry shell. It’s all topped off with a red wine sauce, and it was delicious. We couldn’t find the specific Madeira wine, but we just asked for a good red cooking wine. I think that anything in puff pastry would be tasty, but this is definitely one of my favorite vegan meals so far.
Click here for the recipe: Almost Beef Wellington with Madeira Sauce

I also made my first “cheese”cake. It was a plain cheesecake topped with maple glazed berries. The texture turned out great! I added some cinnamon to the crust, and I think I would add some sugar to the cheesecake mixture next time to sweeten it up. This recipe is from the Kind Diet.

Mixed Berry Cheesecake
¾ cup vegan butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 package of silken tofu (I used extra firm)
1 cup non-dairy cream cheese
1 tablespoon of safflower oil
¼ cup of maple syrup, plus an additional 1 to 2 teaspoons if using a fresh fruit topping
¼ cup soy milk (use soy, not almond or nut milk)
2 teaspoons arrowroot
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon or orange extract (optional)
Fresh mixed berries for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8” or 9” springform pan.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat, and stir in the graham cracker crumbs. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom ad slightly up the sides of the prepared pan and bake for 5 minutes. Let cool on a baking rack.

Combine the tofu, cream cheese, oil, ¼ cup syrup, milk, arrowroot, vanilla and citrus extract in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour the mixture into the crust and smooth top with spatula.

Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes t 1 hour. Let it cool to room temperature. If using fresh berries, toss them with 1 to 2 teaspoons of maple syrup to create a lightly glazed effect. Top with berries and chill until ready to serve.
This was such a great meal, so filling and decadent!

I hope you all had a great Valentine’s day :)