LAVA

2010-11-11T11:20:00.007-05:00

I can't believe it's been a year since my last post!! Well, at least I have a good excuse. A year ago I found out that I would be bringing another vegan into the world. Now that little person is almost 5 months old... time certainly does fly. The news of her arrival was shocking & emotional, so I took a break from blogging, from updating www.veganslovelava.ca and from pretty much all social contact, just so that I could wrap my head around the idea of becoming a parent.

I hope you'll forgive me. To make up for it, we're going to be having a HUGE shoe sale.
I have a number of pending shoe orders, but I unfortunately cannot make any more orders until I get rid of some of the shoes I already have. One of the more frustrating things about being a very small business is that there is limited space for storage, and also, it's difficult sometimes to make suppliers minimum orders. Therefore, I will share with you now that I'm not sure there will be another shoe order. I had hoped & hoped there would be, but due to Vegetarian Shoes minimum shoe order requirements, I end up having to order much more than I need every time, and unfortunately, these pretty shoes end up getting more shelf time than they deserve. However, this is lucky for you! Because now all of the shoes at www.veganslovelava.ca will be discounted! There are of course limited sizes in stock. I would really still love to hear if you're interested in a pair of shoes that is not on the website, because I've still got a list, and if I can fill the minimum order requirement put forth by Vegetarian Shoes, then I would be thrilled to place an order. So if you're not in a rush, just let me know what style, size & colour you like!

13 Great Vegetarians From History

2009-10-12T10:13:00.005-04:00

Treehugger has a slideshow up on their website representing 13 Great Vegetarians From History. Here's the one on Leonardo Da Vinci:

Not much is known about the personal life of Leonardo Da Vinci. His love of animals, however, is well documented. From letters and writings, historians know that Da Vinci was a vegetarian who would buy caged birds then set them free. He explained this practice, saying "if man wants freedom why keep birds and animals in cages? Truly man is the king of beasts, for his brutality exceeds them. We live by the death of others. We are burial places! I have since an early age abjured the use of meat."

Check out more great vegetarians here: http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/10/13-great-vegetarians-from-history.php

Thanksgiving is For the Birds

2009-10-09T12:31:00.005-04:00

Today's post is brought to us by Compassionate Cooks & by The Vegan Table. You can find the following article, written by Colleen Patrick Goudreau, in her gorgeous 2nd cookbook, The Vegan Table (also available at LAVA!). Both of Colleen's books; The Joy of Vegan Baking & The Vegan Table are two of my favourite cookbooks - I really don't think a vegan kitchen is complete without these two beautiful books! They are filled with tips, food lore, ideas, stories & beautiful pictures. Please also check out Colleen's podcast "Vegetarian Food For Thought" available on itunes, and her check out all her books, cds & dvds available at www.veganslovelava.ca. Colleen is a huge inspiration to me & I wanted to share her thoughts on Thanksgiving with you this weekend. I wish you all a joyful, compassionate, peaceful Thanksgiving filled with family, friends & delicious food from the Earth!

"The roots of Thanksgiving, a North American holiday, are in autumn harvest festivals, similar to those that take place around the world. In the United States, this holiday meal has become so centered around the consumption of turkey that people have completely lost sight of its original meaning - if they ever knew it at all.

The first Thanksgiving took place in 1621, though it was not called Thanksgiving until many years later. In face, much of what we associate with this holiday was contrived during the past few centuries.

Everything we know about the first Thanksgiving comes from two sources: a letter by Edward Winslow dated December 1621, and a book by William Bradford written twenty years after the actual events took place. His book was stolen during the Revolutionary War and didn't reappear until 1854.

In his letter, Edward Winslow wrote, "Our harvest being gotten in, our Governor sent four men on fowling, that so we might, after a more special manner, rejoice together, after we had gathered the fruit of our labors." He writes that the men hunted birds, not because the were starving but so that they might rejoice in the abundance of the fruits and vegetables with which they were blessed.

In his book, William Bradford mentions that the colonists killed wild turkeys during the autumn season; he doesn't say specifically that wild turkeys were killed for the first Thanksgiving. Although his book gives clues as to what was on this first menu, it disappeared until the mid-nineteeth century, so it didn't have any influence on how Thanksgiving was celebrated.

The animals killed for that first Thanksgiving were most likely ducks, geese, and various kinds of fish. If cranberries were served, they would have been used for their tartness or color - not in the sugary form we eat them today. Potatoes were not available, and because it is improbable that the colonists had flour for pie crust or an oven in which to bake it, pumpkin pie was most likely absent. They didn't use forks.

Does this mean we shouldn't serve mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, sweet cranberry sauce, biscuits, or any of the things that were not on the table of the first Thanksgiving? Does that mean we shouldn't use forks? Of course not. I point this out to emphasize the fact that we selectively choose our traditions. Our emotional attachment to tradition is very powerful, so we justify our consumption of turkey at Thanksgiving by attempting to sanctify it in historical accuracy. The fact is that we eat turkeys becaust that's what we were taught and because of a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale.

Hale (1788-1879), the editor of a popular magazine, began, in 1827, a forty-year quest to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. She wrote romantic accounts of the first Thanksgiving, taking liberties to appeal to her readership and including recipes for roasted turkeys, stuffing, and pumpkin pies - none of the dishes that would have appeared on the table of the first Thanksgiving.

Although the holiday "traditions" Hale created share few similarities with the original feast, I think most of us would admit that we're not as interested in creating an exact replica of the first Thanksgiving as we are in having customs and traditions we can point to that connect us to something older than ourselves. We shape our traditions our of our ideals and pick and choose which ones we want to celebrate.

Even as the myths started by Hale began to permeate the culture's consciousness, "turkey" was still not widely accepted as the quintessential Thanksgiving dish until the mid-twentieth century. Wild turkeys - dark-feathered and thus dark-skinned - became unappetizing to consumers. To make turkey meat more appealing, the "Beltsville white" was bred in 1947 at the behest of the National Turkey Federation. Turkey consumption increased and has been increasing ever since.

Although Hale did a great disservice to turkeys - curious, playful, social birds - she did have noble ideas about the significance of this holiday. She envisioned that it would be about charity and generosity, writing, "Let us consecrate the day to benevolence of action, by sending good gifts to the poor and doing those deeds of charity that will, for one day, make every American hom the place of plenty and of rejoincing."

As we prepare our feast of seasonal fare, may we recognize that we can celebrate tradition while honoring our own values of kindness and compassion, and may we rejoice in the plenty we have without causing harm to another."

TVA Food Fair

2009-09-20T17:39:00.006-04:00

The 25th Annual Toronto Food Fair hosted by the TVA was an amazing event. Of course, I look forward to this event all year 'round, like most other vegheadz I know in Southern O, but this year was super special for me because it was LAVA's first year at the fair!! We grossly underestimated the amount of people that would be into our booth, here are a couple of photo's I took when I couldn't even fit in my own booth anymore (and that happened a lot, all weekend long.. so awesome)

Check out these cute photos from the TVA Food Fair Pool on Flicker:

We were displaying vegan condoms, tiffins, to-go ware, SSOV gear & a selection of books. We also had a couple of pairs of shoes on display, shout out to Left Feet who closed their doors in Kensington on the Food Fair weekend. The shoes we displayed created more conversation about Left Feet than anything, and I am totally ok with that... we missed Left Feet at the Fair this year.

Jason, from Vegan Porn fame, AngelA & Colleen from the TVA podcast have a great mid-show chat. You can listen to it here:

http://veg.ca/content/view/827/1/

Hi again!

2009-08-22T08:41:00.017-04:00

Hey blog readers,

I feel like my head is spinning with all the amazing products I'm ordering.. I just want to share all these beautiful things with you! That's really my goal. Fill the store with wonderful, beautiful, heart-warming, fun-loving, things that make life as a vegan (or vegetarian, or kind & compassionate person) fun & easy. Right now I'm stocking up with tons of cool stuff for the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair that is happening in 3 WEEKS! Eeek!

Probably my favourite thing to talk about lately is To-Go Ware. Awesome company, everything is made sustainably, fairly, with recycled products & they are so cute!! Check out this fun set of rePEaT utensils. The utensils are made from bamboo & the holder is made from recycled PET plastic bottles.

Who doesn't want to carry their lunch in a beautiful little stainless steel carrier? You can even accessorize with a beautiful bag meant just for your tiffen box, with a little pocket for your bamboo cutlery!

The next new awesome products available at www.veganslovelava.ca are vegan condoms! They come in 3 different sizes & a bunch of funky flavours including strawberry, vanilla, wildberry, blueberry & licorice. You don't have to be that "i'm vegan, well except for condoms, because vegan condoms are impossible to find" anymore. These condoms are PETA approved cruelty-free, contain no animal ingredients & are not tested on animals. LOVE them!

In other exciting news, LAVA has become THE PLACE to get SSOV gear in Canada. We are the official Canadian carrier, and my mission is to make sure that the most amount of people join the Secret Society of Vegans, without letting anyone know there is a Secret Society. Because there isn't. If you get that, then you need to let others know by proudly showing off your SSOV gear. Like a t-shirt, hat, or maybe an apron!

If you're wanting to read up on what veganism is all about, or maybe watch a dvd to better understand your vegan friend, kid, parent, LAVA can help you out! We have a growing collection of great books & dvds all about living a compassionate lifestyle. Here are a couple of my favourites:

Of course, if you're looking for something in particular, but can't find it, please let us know! Or if you're going to be at the Toronto Vegetarian Food Fair in September, and you really want to make sure that we bring that special product that you have your eye on, please let us know! We have so much great stuff, we can't possibly have it all at the food fair, so just let us know & we'll make sure we bring it.

love, kelly

Dennis Kucinich for President!

2009-07-07T20:25:00.003-04:00

I am absolutely totally in love with vegans who consider it their mission to spread love, joy & compassion around the world.

Vegan music continued...

2009-07-07T11:54:00.003-04:00

ok, i know i'm definitely going to lose some cool points here... but i also have to mention that i like shania twain, kd lang & bryan adams. they're all Canadian & they're all vegan! is that why i like them? i don't know... but hey, at least i'm being honest! i don't actually own albums by any of them (back track.. back track!!) but they all deserve a high five for their music & their veganism.

The Vegan Police (they live inside my head)

2009-07-06T23:26:00.002-04:00

On Sunday I had a super relaxed cool chat about a ton of random topics with Dylan from The Vegan Police. It's amazing how much stuff you can talk about in a 1/2 hour. We talked about our mutual love for Animal Voices, TOFU, amazing vegan bands, animal sanctuaries... well you should just listen here:

http://theveganpolice.libsyn.com/

Grill Champions

2009-07-04T22:15:00.002-04:00

this is pretty freakin' fantastic. it reminds me of Aqua... yeah remember them? Barbie Girl was awesome...

I think this is hands down, my favourite music video with dancing veggies.

Some songs I love by some fine vegan artists

2009-07-01T19:47:00.012-04:00

I recently got asked if I would chat with my good buddy Dylan on his super swish podcast "Vegan Police". Can't wait! It's going to be so fun! AND I will be on the same podcast that just interviewed the lovely Sarah Kramer! Very exciting, i feel a little like a celebrity. I haven't written an incredible cookbook, so I'm not sure what we're going to talk about, but I AM sure that it will be entertaining & fun. I'm also sure I'll sound like a nerd.... but whatever.

Dylan asked me if I'd give him some of my fave vegan musicians/bands/songs, so here's a little list, and I'll let him select the ones that get played.

Bob Wiseman - Sweet Gertrude, Born to love you
Propagandhi - Human(e) Meat
Amanda Rogers - Hibernating
Sketchy Indians - All you need, Mallory McGee
Vegan Mosquitos - Bloodbath on the beach
Jah Sun - No Bonez No Blood
Bif Naked - Fuck you 2
The Blow - Parenthesis (are these guys vegan? i'm not sure... but the song definitely has a vegan "feel", and they're from Portland...isn't everyone in Portland vegan?!)
Beloved Binge - Dead Cow Walking
GaiaisI with Lee Baillie - Enjoy your Meal
Andrew Thomas Hunter - Allergic to Love
Chrissie Hynde - Boots of Chinese Plastic
Cordoba Mendoza - everything of course!

I also love Erykah Badu, Moby, Paul McCartney, Joan Jett, I'm sure that I'm forgetting a ton of great vegan songs... but that's all I can think of for the moment & now I'm off to bed. Just let me know if I forgot your favorite vegan artist or song.

By the way, I'm not forgetting Morrisey - I've just never liked his music much. sorry!

Vegan Bake Sale in Downtown Guelph

2009-06-29T23:19:00.010-04:00

Last Saturday our Veg*n Social Group in Guelph raised almost $700 for Ruby Ranch Pig Sanctuary! It was a pretty fantastic day. We had a ton of great looking baked goods for sale, tons of interested passers-by, some of which signed up to be a part of veg events in the future. Some people grabbed literature on veganism. I think it was a huge success. By far the highlight of the day though was a visit from Stormy, one of the piglets from Ruby Ranch. He's just as sweet as a puppy, nobody could resist him. I think he definitely turned A LOT of heads just by being downtown, but my hope is that a few visitors to our bake sale got to connect with him a little bit, rub his belly, see his joyful expression, and maybe make the connection that it is wrong to eat animals.

I was pretty much expecting some rude comments by people that don't understand, can't make the connection or are just unwilling to open their eyes, and we did get a few. By far the most incomprehensible though was the girl that saw Stormy, proclaimed "Ohhh! I love pigs!!" and literally 3 minutes later was seen buying two hot dogs at the vendor right across from us... sigh... some people will just never get it.

To-Go Ware - New Styles, New Colours

2009-06-11T22:03:00.006-04:00

We use too much plastic. I do it too. We can do better. The grocery store that I go to finally started charging people 5 cents for each plastic bag... I wish we didn't need that sort of incentive, but if it works, then that's what we need to do. Do you guys ever eat out? Do you sometimes go to the food court? Do you order Chinese & find yourself collecting those disposable chopsticks?

All the little things add up. To-Go Ware is the solution to putting an end to plastic cutlery & take out containers. Take yours with you wherever you go! Buy one for your purse, your car, your lunch box...

The utensils are made from sustainably grown bamboo. Bamboo is not a tree, it's a grass, and it grows like grass. It's renewable, sustainable, extremely versatile, strong & feels so wonderful in your mouth that you'll want to replace all your cutlery at home with To-Go Ware utensils.

Conserve Utensil holders are made from discarded plastic bags in India. Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByRBJuCHZSc

Weave cotton Utensil holders are crafted by WEAVE, a Burmese refugee women's project on the Thai-Burma border. All materials are sourced from Thailand & are fair-trade. Watch the video here: http://www.to-goware.com/learn/press.htm

RePEat Utensil holders are made from recycled PET plastic - giving plastic bottles a 2nd life & keeping them out of the landfills.

Tiffin 2 tier or 3 tier containers are perfect for transporting your lunch, going camping, taking on a picnic, or bring it with you next time you get take out & ask them to put your order into your Tiffin! These are made from Stainless Steel - 200 grade. They do not leach any chemicals (like plastic), they don't hold smells or stain & they are strong & durable.

Let's not wait until we have to pay 5 cents for plastic cutlery when we get food on the go... we can make a simple step now to ban plastic cutlery from our lives, just like we've done with plastic bags.

Check out all the styles & beautiful colours at www.vegheadz.ca!

x Kelly

PS - To-Go Ware has told me that they have to raise their prices in July, which means that we'll have to raise our prices too, so the prices you see are only good for a limited time! Grab them for the lower prices while you can!

Envelope Art

2009-06-07T14:00:00.006-04:00

I know it looks like a 4 year old drew these, but they still make me happy. I guess part of me has never gotten over that feeling of joy when something fantastic arrives in the mail... and if there's something fantastic on the envelope, well then that feeling is practically doubled. I hope the recipients of these two packages are as happy to receive these as I am to make them. I'm trying to fine tune my "artistic" skills to some day move beyond flowers & clouds, but I'm not there yet.

Treasure Hunting with Oma

2009-06-07T09:49:00.010-04:00

Saturday I spent hanging out with Oma. Oma likes shopping, smoking & doing crossword puzzles... so I opted to spend Saturday shopping! We went to the Inglewood Antique Market, then on to the Old School House on Hwy 10 & finally to the huge antique market in Glen Williams. I'm definitely going to have to do this circuit more often, because all 3 places had such amazing stuff! Inglewood had some great furniture that we are definitely putting on our wish list. I picked up some things at the Glen Williams market that I just could not bare to part with...

I just love this pig! He has a huge smile on his face & a bird is hitching a ride on his head. He's just adorable & he is meant to hold a tealight. So this piggy & I can light a candle together for all the poor pigs that spend their short sad lives being raised for food.

These guys make me happy every time I look at them. I almost left them behind but I just couldn't. They look like they're laughing. I am so in love with them!

I think I had to get these because the green goes so well in my kitchen. The apple salt shaker doesn't do much for me, but I love the pear pepper mill, and I couldn't leave the apple all alone. They belong together. Plus they were a dollar each, so for that price...how could anyone NOT buy these cuties!

This might be my favourite item. We almost didn't get it because it ran us over the amount of money we had in our wallets (they don't take debit or credit card at the Glen Williams market). I'm so glad we talked the guy down though, because this platter is just PERFECT! It is beautiful enough to hang on the wall, & then I'll use it to serve veggies & talk about how much more satisfying veggies are compared to dead animal carcass when I have guests over! Ok, maybe not, but it's an interesting conversation piece none the less!

Elijah you're so cute

2009-05-29T19:21:00.001-04:00

JustShirts.ca

2009-05-29T08:58:00.003-04:00

We're at the point where we're *almost* ready to order our very own LAVA shirts. It's very exciting!! We'll be starting off small, but I can definitely envision a time when we will have numerous styles, colours, designs....

Do you have any ideas you'd like to share with us? Your favourite colour? A design that you came up with that you think we'd like. I actually think it would be really neat to have a variety of designs, contributed by all different artists.

Another thing we're putting a lot of thought into is where our shirts will come from. There are so many choices (bamboo, organic cotton, fair trade...) and they all have their different pros & cons. What do you think? Here's the company that we are considering. Although the t-shirts are not organic, I do get a warm fuzzy feeling from what they represent. Check them out at justshirts.ca & let me know what you think!

Making Fair Trade "Work"

The Promise she kept

2009-05-24T19:31:00.001-04:00

Breast cancer wasn't going to stop singer finishing her 6th album
May 01, 2009 04:30 AM

Victoria Ahearn
THE CANADIAN PRESS

About a year and a half after starting treatment for breast cancer, Vancouver rocker Bif Naked says she's feeling physically strong and psychologically free.

"It's almost like from there to here, everything's easy. Everything's easy now," the Juno winner, whose real name is Beth Torbert, said in a recent interview to promote her sixth album, The Promise, recorded during chemotherapy. The disc drops May 5.

Up until her diagnosis, which she publicly announced in January 2008, the tattooed singer-songwriter – adopted in India and raised in Winnipeg – kept a stringent eating and workout regimen: only raw, vegan food and mounds of exercise that produced a chiselled body that would make even pop-workout queen Madonna jealous.

"I was incredibly rigid almost to the point of being almost self-righteously stubborn about it, about my eating and my health and my training regimen," Torbert, 37, said.

Chemotherapy and radiation sessions, of course, forced her to ease up. Faced with a voracious appetite and constant nausea, Torbert couldn't be as selective about meals. "The first time I went into something called neutropenia, which is where your white blood cell count plummets in between chemos – partly because the chemo is working – I became hungry like I've never been in my life."

Torbert still works out seven days a week and has maintained her vegan diet, but she said she's "learned to be a little more chilled out" about those things as she continues to go through preventative procedures, including an ovariectomy.

read the rest here: http://www.thestar.com/article/627132

The Shed - Belfountain

2009-05-23T21:16:00.001-04:00

um.. excuse me... i thought i ordered the LARGE soy latte?

Meet Your Meat

2009-05-23T11:29:00.001-04:00

Please watch this video. Don't turn it off half way through, please watch the whole thing, and THINK about it. Thank you.

Rate Of Slaughter of Chickens, Pigs & Cows in the US in 2008

2009-05-13T20:49:00.001-04:00

Virtual Battery Cage

2009-05-13T20:48:00.001-04:00

The Face On Your Plate

2009-04-19T18:50:00.006-04:00

April 18, 2009 | Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, 68, is a former psychoanalyst, known for his popular books about the emotional lives not of humans, but of animals. As scientists continue to debate which species have feelings, Masson has written bestsellers celebrating their emotions, such as "Dogs Never Lie About Love" and "When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals," which he co-authored with frequent Salon contributor Susan McCarthy.

In his new book (which is his 24th), "The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food," Masson brings his heartfelt take on the feathered and four-legged to the dinner table. Five years ago, the prolific author, who was already a vegetarian, went vegan, giving up not just animal meat but also animal products, such as dairy, eggs and even honey. To be precise, Masson describes himself as "veganish," since he occasionally slips up when he's not at home and accidentally eats, say, a cookie prepared with milk; this vegan's not the sort of purist who would make a scene in public by spitting out an offending morsel.

Read the rest here: http://www.salon.com/mwt/food/eat_drink/2009/04/18/masson_interview/index.html

Buy the book here: LAVA's Amazon Store

Dance Videos

2009-03-15T10:45:00.003-04:00

I want to share with you guys some of my all-time favourite dance videos.

2009-03-08T19:54:00.002-04:00

Is film vegan?

2009-02-10T20:00:00.001-05:00

"Here's a reply i wrote to some one a while back - no film is vegan . . .

This has been a concern of mine for some years now. As you may have guessed, I started on this course of photography long before I discovered veganism. But at the same time this has not made me just give up so easily with the dilemma of still shooting and using film that uses gelatin from animal byproducts."

Read the rest of this article at photogeek.net/vegan

Screaming Chicken Productions

2009-02-08T08:12:00.000-05:00

these guys are so cute!!

Kindness Not Cruelty

2009-01-26T19:14:00.005-05:00

Kindness Not Cruelty is an organization dedicated to outreach and education about all topics pertaining to animal rights, vegetarianism & living an healthy life full of compassion. Their site is so informative and inspiring, I urge you to take a look at their website. There are tons of links to various topics such as health, fashion, food, companion animals, wildlife and an events page.

Right now they are compiling a slideshow featuring car advertisements. Are you an animal-friendly business owner with your business name on your car? Send your photo off to Kindness Not Cruelty to have your car displayed in the slideshow.

Those selfish vegans...

2009-01-20T16:23:00.004-05:00

... always thinking about themselves, and all the animals, and the planet, and their own health and well-being. So selfish!

Did anyone read the Toronto Sun today? Not a newspaper where I would expect to see the word "vegan" come up. A colleague plopped the "Dear Abby" or "Dear Ann" or whatever it is in front of my face... you know that section where everyone complains about what's going on in their lives and asks for the all-knowing Abby to solve their problems. How people can expect any of their problems to be answered in a space that takes up one little corner of the back of the newspaper, by a total stranger no less, is beyond me. But I digress.

The scenario, explained in 2 or 3 sentences was this: Daughter & Daughter's Boyfriend are getting married. They are both vegans. They want a vegan wedding (well duh! of course they do!!). Dad is so unhappy about this, he is almost refusing to go to the wedding, saying that the daughter and her fiance are "selfish" and Mom is stuck in the middle and doesn't know what to do.

Ann/Abby/Whatever her name is suggested that the day was about his daughter and not about him (YA!) and that if he was worried about it, he should eat before he goes to the wedding. WHAT?!?

Am I insane, or can some people not go ONE MEAL without having meat??!

This would have been my reply:

"How DARE you call your daughter selfish?! Your daughter is celebrating what she may consider the most important day of her life, or at the very least it will be a day that she will cherish for her entire life. She and her fiance have decided to celebrate their joy of getting married by having a wedding and offering a meal to their family and friends. The meal, in alignment with their core values, will not contain any animal products. I would venture to say that your daughter has omitted animal products from her life because she is a compassionate person and wants to live a compassionate lifestyle without harming other animals. Rather than go one meal without meat, you would rather miss your daughter's celebration of love with your new son-in-law?? You are pathetic! You call your daughter selfish, and yet you have no regard for the thousands of animals that will undoubtedly be put to slaughter so that you can have your precious meat at every meal. You sir, obviously care more about your own stomach than you do about your daughters beliefs, and you have the nerve to call her selfish? Shame on you! Shame on you for not thinking about anyone other than yourself. Shame on you for putting your taste buds ahead of all the torture and massacre of innocent animals, who die so that you can have your meat. You are a pathetic excuse for a human being."

I'm guessing that the columnist wanted to say something similar, but she was told to keep her answer under 30 words.

I would reference the column, but after scouring the Sun's web page for a bit, I couldn't find it. It's just as well, it's not exactly a newspaper that I want to support with adding a link on my blog.

Enjoy your Meal - GaiaisI with Lee Baillie

2009-01-19T20:51:00.002-05:00

awesome.

Google Ads

2009-01-14T15:14:00.003-05:00

I am hereby removing google ads from my blog. I don't know why I put them on anyway, I've never made a single penny from it. An add just popped up for fur stating that fur is "eco-friendly" & "natural". Why does anyone fall for this? Animals are bred in captivity, tortured, abused, and slaughtered. Then we have to skin them (or sometimes, the animals are skinned first. yep, skinned ALIVE), put a bunch of chemicals in the skin so that it doesn't decompose. We also put chemicals in to change the colour of the fur, or the skin. I'm not going to go into the process, because I want to spend my energy in other places, but it is an absolute oxy-moron (emphasis on the moron) to call fur "eco-friendly". Plus, there is absolutely nothing natural about skinning another animal, and walking around with it's dead carcass draped across your shoulders.

Vegan Beauty Products

2009-01-14T12:46:00.002-05:00

Recently a friend asked me about vegan make-up so since I don't wear make-up a lot...ok, never, I had to do a little research! I found the following products at a Shopper's Drug Mart, which means that they are probably widely available in several different stores. If you know of some other ones, please let me know and I'll add them to the list.

MAKE-UP

SMASHBOX (USA) - 100% vegan (except for some brushes with animal hair, but they swear the animals are not harmed)
www.smashbox.com

SKIN CREAM

ORGANIC SURGE (UK) - 100% vegan
www.organicsurge.com

J R WATKINS APOTHECARY (USA) - do not claim to be vegan, they just claim to be above 95% "natural" whatever that means! I think "natural" is one of those blanket terms that every one feels good about, but it doesn't actually tell you anything about the product. They do state that they do not test on animals.
www.jrwatkins.com

YES TO CARROTS (USA) - not vegan but the only non-vegan ingredients are honey & beeswax in some products. claim to be 100% cruelty-free (with a PETA stamp of approval). Lots of organic ingredients.
www.yes-to-carrots.com

HAIR

LACOUPE SALON (USA) - can't find much online, but the Orgnx line is definitely against animal testing. I think they use animal ingredients though. They do claim to plant a tree for every product sold (only in the orgnx line).
www.lacoupe.com / www.orgnx.ca

LIVE CLEAN - 100% vegan
www.live-clean.com

Big Sky Ranch Animal Sanctuary

2009-01-13T13:43:00.008-05:00

There is an amazing love filled story in the Globe and Mail today. You don't see that too often, so you should all head to www.globeandmail.com and give this inspiring story a read. After that, head to www.bigskyranch.ca and show them some love.

What the world needs now are Compassionate Cooks...

2009-01-08T14:25:00.008-05:00

I discovered a new podcast that I am in love with. Ok, I lied. I hardly discovered it. Actually it was recommended to me by my favourite podcast team Animal Voices. Animal Voices did an interview with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau - you can listen to it here. This woman is a phenomenal, inspirational beacon of positivity. She beams light into every dark corner of the animal movement. For every person that complains that cutting animals out of their diet is too hard, she has an idea on how to make it easy. For every unthinkable horror that is happening in a slaughterhouse, she has a positive message of hope. On top of all that, she is just a wealth of information. Her podcast Vegetarian Food For Thought is bursting at the seams with important and incredibly interesting information, not only for vegetarians, but for the entire human race. I just listened to "Diseases of Civilization (aka Lifestyle Diseases)" which was so full of facts and numbers, I am actually pretty surprised that it didn't bore me. Usually, people start rhyming off all kinds of numbers and my mind starts to shut down and travel to more fun thoughts... but Colleen has an energy in her that kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire podcast (and 3 more right after that one). I highly recommend this podcast to anyone who is even slightly interested in health, and we should all be more than "slightly" interested in our health. We are literally killing ourselves with the food we eat and yet very few of us are willing to change our habits so that we can lead healthier stronger happier lives. If messages like Colleen's were on the front page of the newspaper every day, or played on major airways for an hour each day, can you imagine what a difference that would make?! Instead of reading about murder, rape and terrorism every day, we could be reading about hope, inspiration and joy. What a beautiful thing that would be.

Check out the following links:
Compassionate Cooks - www.compassionatecooks.com
Vegetarian Food for Thought Podcast - www.compassionatecooks.com/podcast
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's Blogs - www.compassionatecooks.com/blog &
joyfulvegan.wordpress.com

A Duck Named Bonnie

2009-01-05T19:55:00.005-05:00

want more? check out http://www.flickr.com/photos/bonniesducks/

2009 Rant

2009-01-05T18:51:00.011-05:00

I have a lot of random stuff to post, so I thought I'd do it all in one go... making a gloriously ranty blog as my first blog of '09.

Firstly, I want you guys to check out Dan Piraro's blog.

He's a comic genius and for some reason he gets a lot of hate mail. I don't know what's wrong with people. Seriously, if you don't like the guy's blog, why the hell do you read it?! and then you proceed to waste your energy sending the guy nasty comments..?! I'm sure Dan just has a hilarious time laughing at all the hate.

I made a sandwich for dinner tonight and started thinking about my ultimate favourite sandwich spreads. #1 Avocado, #2 Hummus, #3 Veganaise. I'm a bit of a veganaise addict these days. Usually I never buy it, but I made a fantastic spinach dip over the holidays and so I have Veganaise left over in the fridge. I loosely based the recipe on something I found online somewhere, but it was so delicious and excruciatingly bad for you. I made it 3 times in a row, that's how addictive it is. By the 3rd time though, I thought I was going to puke at the sight of it. I probably won't make it again for a really long time. But if you want something incredibly delicious and fattening, here you go:

- green onions, chopped
- one container of vegan sour cream
- one cup of veganaise
- one package of vegan soup mix (i used lipton spring vegetable, but i had to strain out the noodles - I couldn't find another vegetable soup mix that was vegan)
- one package of frozen spinach dip

thaw and drain the spinach, then mix everything together. this goes well in a pumpernickel bowl (take pumpernickel bread and scoop out all the bread. rip it up into pieces to dip into the spinach dip). Super easy, super fast and feeds masses. Or if you're like me, you eat is all by yourself and regret it later.

I have to post this photo sent to me by Bonnie. She's such a cutie.

check out Bonnie's beautiful photo's here.

(Don't you love Bonnie's T-shirt? Get your own!!)

We have cable again. I liked the break from the box. Ahh well.

I have an incredibly long commute now. We moved into an energy efficient home and I doubled my commute. I might look into offsetting my carbon footprint for that... a deer ran in front of me the other day. I felt so sad seeing that deer... I felt so guilty that we have just taken all of the land where she used to roam and turned it into a scary loud road that I drive on every day. Me and a billion other cars and trucks.

On that note though, I've promised myself that I am going to ring in the new year with positivity! Lots of positive thoughts. Focus on the good, not the bad. There are so many good things happening, I don't have time to think about the bad. 2009 is going to be a year full of incredibly exciting happenings...! I can't wait!

Glukoza

2008-11-25T20:58:00.002-05:00

This band makes it worth listening to my boyfriend play Grand Theft Auto... among the shooting and screaming, he'll get into a car and this band will come on, and they make the anxiety from the shooting and screaming disappear and I find myself smiling and bopping to the music. They are awesome.

... and the lead singer figure skates!

Quiero Vivir

2008-11-21T21:26:00.001-05:00

Bob Torres essay for Opposing Views

2008-11-19T19:34:00.003-05:00

I wanted to share Bob's essay with you guys... Bob is such an interesting writer and I always find his views really fascinating. Bob inspires me to think critically... I like that. Unfortunately, my writing is not half as interesting... at least not at the moment. I just got into a (very minor) accident and dented my front rim. Slid on some black ice. Ahhh Canada. I might have to get a new wheel tomorrow, we'll have to see if my tire is flat in the morning.

Anyway, don't want to focus on that. I want to focus on Bob's interesting piece of writing. You can find more Bob at veganfreak.net or blog.veganfreak.com.

Here we go:

I was approached by the folks over at OpposingViews.com to weigh in on the debate over whether or not animals should have the same rights as people. What follows below is the quick essay I submitted to them. You can find the full debate here if their site starts working correctly..there have been transient failures all weekend.
In one episode of the 1980s absurd British sitcom “The Young Ones,” Neil, the hippie of the group, famously quipped “vegetable rights and peace!” comically upping his hippie cred into the stratosphere. Hippies, of course, are presumed to be for rights for all kinds of things: trees, rocks, water, air, and, of course, animals. Not being a hippie myself, I can’t really speak to the arguments for granting non-sentient things like trees rights (though there is a rather compelling environmental case to be made for protecting them from what economists call the “externalities” of capitalist industrial production) but it is worth thinking about why animals should be accorded at least some of the rights that we bipedal primates called “humans” enjoy.
To begin with, despite the question as posed, I don’t think animals should have the same rights as humans in all cases. Granting the dogs I live with a right to free speech or the right to vote is pointless (insert your own joke here about the election and re-election of George W. Bush). Instead, I’m advocating for something that is much more simple. In the respects that animals are like us—most notably, in their ability to feel pain, have subjective experiences, and value their own continued existence—animals should have rights similar to the rights we have. In the broadest terms, this would mean that we’d have to stop eating and wearing them, experimenting on them, and bringing them into existence for our own ends.
Anyone who lives with a cat or a dog knows that animals not only have personalities, but that they also have memories, fears, wants, and desires. The dogs and cat that I live with seek out comfort, avoid pain, and desire companionship, and it is clear to me that they suffer as acutely as I do (if not more acutely) when they are hurt, or sick, or scared. Moreover, having spent time around animals ultimately destined for slaughter, I also know that pigs and cows and chickens are also capable of these same pleasures and pains, and what appears to be a subjective awareness of their surroundings, yet for reasons that no one can really justify, we snuggle up with one set of animals called “pets,” while we eat another set of animals called “livestock.”
When it comes down to it, the case for animal rights is really a case for adopting a thorough moral and ethical stance in favor of treating like cases alike. My own outlook has been shaped by the ethical theory of Gary L. Francione, who argues that though animals and humans are clearly different, they are alike in the sense that they both suffer, and are both sentient. For this reason, Francione argues, animals should receive equal moral consideration. Most importantly, this would mean extending to animals inherent value, or really bringing them into the moral community by recognizing that certain aspects of their personhood cannot be “sold away” or sacrificed for the benefit of another. Put most simply, because animals are like us in some relevant regards, they should be treated like we would be treated in those instances.
The tired objections that animals do not deserve rights because they lack rationality, or language, or human levels of intelligence, or whatever arbitrary characteristics anthropocentric philosophers decide are important are so self-serving as to be almost comical. The obvious problem with using qualities like these to exclude animals from moral consideration is that we can almost always find humans who also lack those qualities. A great many humans lack what we’d consider to be “normal” rational faculties, yet no one seriously suggests that the mentally disabled be enslaved, or that they should be used for food or medical experiments. Similarly, you may be smarter or more eloquent or stronger than I am, yet none of those attributes gives you the right to make me your property. Why? Because in the relevant regard that both you and I share in not being the chattel of another, no arbitrary criteria—not intelligence, rationality, language, eye color, skin color, gender, etc.—can be used to violate this basic right that guarantees our inherent value. Those of us who are for animal rights (and not simply for animal welfare) wish to make “species” another irrelevant criterion for deciding who does and does not get the basic rights accorded to members of our moral community.
Surely, the road ahead towards giving animals more thorough membership in our moral community is a long one. Veganism—not consuming animal products of any kind—is certainly the first step of many in this direction, and a step that everyone can take today. In spite of what Neil the hippie might think, vegetables don’t need rights, as they feel no pain, and have no sentience. Animals, however, are another story altogether.

By the way, you can get Bob & Jenna's book here.

Vegan Questionnaire

2008-11-17T16:29:00.004-05:00

Hey readers,

I have a short, simple, but important (to me anyways) questionnaire. If you could take a couple of minutes and answer the following questions, I would greatly appreciate it! This will help me a lot in making LAVA the store you want it to be and hopefully opening up a physical location in the near future. We all want more stores that sell vegan products right?! right. So please either post your answers or email me your answers if you prefer not to post. Thanks so much!!

Where do you buy the following products?
- animal-friendly shoes
- animal-friendly belts
- animal-friendly accessories (purses, wallets, etc)
- cookbooks
- books about vegan nutrition/animal rights
- vegetarian paraphernalia (ie t-shirts, buttons, stickers etc)

Why do you buy these products where you buy them?
- cost
- brand (if so, which brands?)
- loyalty to a specific store (if so, which store?)
- convenience (location, ease of shopping, other?)
- other (pls explain)

How satisfied are you with the products and services received at the stores you've mentioned?
If you are not satisfied, why not?

Do you shop online for any of the above? If so, are the online stores you shop at local, in the US or elsewhere?

Generally, do you think it's easy to find quality vegan clothing & accessories (shoes, belts, bags without the use of animal products) or do you find it a challenge?
If you find it a challenge, why is that?

Do you think that there is a need for a store that carries a large variety of animal-friendly products including food, clothing, accessories, footwear and vegan books?

Any other comments regarding the supply of vegan products in Ontario?

Proposition 2

2008-11-14T11:58:00.003-05:00

This news is a couple weeks old, but still extremely important...

(Nov. 4, 2008) – Voters in California approved an historic ballot measure to halt the inhumane confinement of animals on factory farms by an overwhelming margin. As of 11 PM PST, Prop 2 was leading 62% to 38%.

“California voters have taken a stand for decency and compassion and said that the systemic mistreatment of animals on factory farms cannot continue," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States, the primary back of the YES! on Prop 2 campaign. "All animals deserve humane treatment, including animals raised for food.”

Proposition 2 ends the practice of confining certain animals raised for food in crates and cages so small the animals can barely move. Prop 2 requires that factory farms provide enough space for animals to stand up, turn around and extend their limbs. It applies to breeding pigs, egg laying hens and veal calves. Prop 2 goes into effect in January of 2015, giving factory farms six years to shift to different housing systems.

The YES! on Prop 2 campaign received donations from 25,000 individual contributors across the country. Thousands of volunteers worked to collect signatures, distribute campaign literature, and rallied to get out the vote for Prop 2.

Prop 2 attracted support from a broad coalition of organizations and leaders, including the California Veterinary Medical Association, United Farm Workers, State Humane Association of California, the Center for Food Safety, and the Consumer Federation of America, to name a few.
The opponents of Proposition 2 – agribusiness companies from throughout the nation – spent $9 million to try to defeat the ballot initiative.

I am of course thrilled that Californians made the right move here to make the lives of factory farmed animals a bit better. It's still not a life as far as I'm concerned, but any action to end or reduce suffering is a move in the right direction. I still want to point out that although these animals will have some more room to breath and move, they are still going to be oppressed, most likely tortured, and definitely slaughtered. Anyone who thinks that factory farmed animals will now have a great life thanks to Prop 2 is sadly mistaken. These animals are still in jail, it's just that they'll have bigger jail cells. The best thing anyone can do for these animals is to go vegetarian, or better yet, to end their suffering and the oppression of animals altogether, GO VEGAN.

I always have mixed feelings when it comes to news like this. I want to feel victorious... to feel like the score is now "animals 1, mean money making factory farm giants 0". Then I start thinking... woah... these farms have SIX YEARS to get rid of their battery cages, gestation crates and veal crates. SIX YEARS!! That is a hell of a long time! Do you think that anybody is going to put in the effort and money required to change their farms until the absolute last second?... doubtful. These are not little local farmers we're talking about. These are farms that put MILLIONS of dollars into opposing Proposition 2. (There is a little joy for the fact that they just spent all those millions for nothing!). Maybe I'm being negative, maybe I should just feel good that the law was passed... but I think 2 or 3 years would have been plenty of time to change over.

The 2nd thing that bugs me is this... Will the population now think that eating chicken, pigs and baby cows is "OK" because they have some more room to move. Will they think now that these animals are being farmed humanely?? Are they going to be blinded to the fact that these animals are still kicked, punched, thrown about, thrown into garbage dumpsters alive, blown up just for fun, slammed against the wall and more attrocities that I don't even want to know about? Is this just fueling the whole "Happy Meat" campaign? Let's not waste our time being too victorious about providing bigger jail cells... make a real change for the animals and GO VEGAN.

source: www.yesonprop2.com

Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank

2008-11-12T12:37:00.010-05:00

I just heard about the first ever Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank on my favourite podcast, Animal Voices. This is great. Every day it seems, I am filled with so much hope because of the steps that are being made in the veg movement (for lack of a better term). One day, Oprah is going vegan for 3 weeks, the next there is a spotlight on veganism on CNN, and now - the only Vegetarian Food Bank in north america opens it's doors in Toronto (okay, it officially opened back in May, so I'm a little behind the times). Someone is taking care of all the people who are struggling out there but who can't stomach the thought of eating dead animals, or who cannot eat animals for spiritual/religious reasons. I am sometimes asked by omnivores... "what would you do if you were stranded and there were no plants and you had to eat animals?" (see every vegan's "Top Ten Stupid Questions Asked by Omnivores"). First of all, I can't see ever finding myself in a situation where there was nothing plant based around to eat, and my only option is to either kill a bunny, or starve to death. Can't see it. I am fortunate to live in the country where I live, and to always have enough money to pay the bills and buy food. I'm not convinced that my grocery bills would be any more or less if I ate meat. However, I must admit, that I do spend more money on products that are less harmful to the environment (organic, biodegradeable, free from toxins, chemicals and other such garbage). Wait... I'm heading off on a tangent here.

Back to the point... if I was struggling and needed help in the way of a meal every week, I am thrilled that I could go to the Toronto Vegetarian Food Bank and not have to pick the pork out of my beans or make the choice between accepting the free meal, despite the animal ingredients, or going hungry.

Hopefully, this event will inspire Vegetarian food banks to open up all across north america.

To donate or to help them out - please call 416-744-4357 or visit www.vegfoodbank.com (site currently under construction)

also check out the article in The Toronto Star.

Animal Voices = Number 1

2008-11-10T19:46:00.006-05:00

Lately I've been listening to a lot of podcasts. I'm totally addicted. My commute to work is 1/2 hour each way (soon to be 1 hour each way - boo!) and I don't know what I did before podcasts! Yes, I do actually. I was BORED. Bored by the radio, unless I happened to catch a really interesting show or a good song. Mostly though, I would flip stations from one overplayed song to the next. When I got my ipod, it was great. I could listen to my own music at least. But podcasts are the best, and Animal Voices is number one. I used to think it was Vegan Freak. Don't get me wrong, Vegan Freak rocks, but it doesn't come out enough. Bob & Jenna try, they lead very busy lives... I love their podcast and found myself literally waiting every week for the next one to come out. Sometimes I wait months! So sorry Vegan Freaks, that's a strike. You're great when you come out, but you don't come out enough. No disrespect to Vegan Freak, but Animal Voices is the most insightful, most inspiring, most compelling animal rights show out there. The interviews are fascinating and I sit on the edge of my seat during EVERY show. The shows make me laugh, they fill me with inspiration, with hope, with passion and also with sadness and disgust. I think it's very important to hear about all the issues discussed on Animal Voices. Normally, I block my ears & eyes from the atrocities that happen in the world. I'm already vegan, I'm not part of the horrible and cruel procedures associated with animal corporations (whether they be meat production, circuses, bear bile farms, bull fights, seal hunts etc). However on Animal Voices, I feel like there is an inspiring story for every horror story. The crew bring light on the cruelty, and they investigate all aspects of what is going on in the industry they are discussing, however I feel like they also put a huge emphasis on the good that is being done. The people that are interviewed are all people that are devoting their lives to animal causes. No matter how sad the show is, I always have a overwhelming sense of hope and feel completely inspired after every program. Thank you Lauren, Karol, Neil & CIUT for putting on an incredible and important radio program. If you have no idea what I'm talking about... head to www.animalvoices.ca

Pleasurable Kingdom

2008-11-04T13:50:00.004-05:00

I'm in the middle of reading Pleasurable Kingdom by Jonathan Balcombe. It is such a refreshingly positive book about the joy and pleasure that animals feel, with so many inspiring little anecdotes. The following, is particularly inspiring because it is about a creature that many people do not hesitate to refer to as dumb or brainless. The timing is great too! Here is a lovely little quote from the book, just before the US Thanksgiving.

"When Joe Hutto, a turkey hunter, lived for a year among a flock of wild turkeys in Florida, he was moved to describe them as his superiors - more alert, sensitive and aware, and vastly more conscious than himself. Hutto concluded that the birds are in love with being alive."

Speaking of US Thanksgiving, check out the Celebration for the Turkeys put on by Farm Sanctuary. Here's the link: http://www.farmsanctuary.org/farm/calendar/celebrations/index.html

Question of the Day

2008-10-31T07:08:00.004-04:00

What is the difference between "crumble", "crisp" & "cobbler"?

Whoever answer this question correctly gets a free SSOV prize!

or head to www.veganslovelava.ca for more SSOV treats!

OneBottle

2008-10-30T21:01:00.006-04:00

sounds pretty awesome to me. imagine if every company in north america adopted Onebottle's corporate challenge. There would be thousands or hundreds of thousands of bottles NOT going to the landfills. It's such a small step for a person to make, but it makes a huge difference.

Does anyone know...

2008-10-24T20:40:00.000-04:00

How many vegetarians are there in Canada? How many vegans?

Where we live, people piss in the elevators....

2008-09-01T07:42:00.003-04:00

Seriously. I didn't write this but I think it's hilarious. I mean, they could have edited it. "God doesn't sleep he only wears pyjamas!!" Priceless!

Honestly, I don't think people shit in the elevators, but it might as well be people. I'm sure it's people's pets who never get let out, so on the odd occasion that they get to go outside, they get so excited or they can't hold it anymore, so they piss and shit in the elevator. We've encountered it several times. The fact that the owner's don't clean it up boggles my mind. How could you walk away from that and feel good about yourself?? and the poor maintenance crew... anyways, so I guess it all became too much for this one "disgusted resident".

I chopped off all my hair!

2008-08-30T14:21:00.006-04:00

Okay, not all of it. But a hell of a lot of it! and I spent $90! I think it's totally outrageous how much people charge to cut hair. I suppose I wouldn't mind so much if they did something super exceptional... but my hair was long, and now it's short. I actually went to a salon that I knew would be more expensive, but I wanted to try it. It's called Salon 49 (or Studio 49?) in Bolton, Ontario... and it's an Aveda salon. Aveda's website says that everything is plant based, and nothing is tested on animals.. I found that one of the most attractive features. They also said that you get some sort of a relaxation treatment when you go in, including a cup of herbal tea.. I did not get a cup of tea with my $90 visit. I did bring home a bottle of conditioner though... I know, I'm a sucker.

The Vegan Advantage

2008-08-28T11:22:00.002-04:00

The Vegan Advantage
People with Type 2 diabetes should consider going vegan. In a study recently published by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), Dr. David Jenkins, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine, and colleagues report that a low-fat vegan diet improves glycemic control – even more effectively than the ADA diet.

During the study, those following the vegan diet said no to meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs, but could eat as many vegetables, grains, legumes and temperate-climate fruit (such as apples, as opposed to, say, papayas) as they wanted. In contrast, those following the ADA diet practised portion control, counting every carb and calorie. At the end of the study, the vegans had lost an average of 14 pounds; the meat-eaters only 6.8 pounds.Among the vegans, LDL (the “lousy”) cholesterol levels averaged a drop of 21 per cent, compared to 10 per cent in the other group. And improvements in blood-sugar management were three times greater in those who had gone vegan.

Jenkins has already shown that soy, almonds, barley and oats can lower LDL levels. But the stunning results of this study must be personally satisfying for Jenkins who turned vegetarian at age 13, shortly
after his mother tried to serve him his pet chicken. – Susan Pedwell

source: http://www.magazine.utoronto.ca/07winter/leadingedge.asp

2008-08-14T15:24:00.003-04:00

I just read this really interesting article on the addictive properties of cheese and meat on "Good Medicine". It's from the book "Breaking the Food Seduction" by Neil Barnard M.D. I'm thinking I'll probably go out and get this book pretty soon. Has anyone else reading this read it? Any comments?

"Analyzing samples of cow’s milk, they found traces of a chemical that looked very much like morphine. They put it to one chemical test after another. And, finally, they arrived at the conclusion that, in fact, it is morphine. There is not a lot of it, and not every sample had detectable levels. But there is indeed some morphine in both cow’s milk and human milk."
"...it turns out that cows actually produce it within their bodies, just as poppies do. Traces of morphine, along with codeine and other opiates, are apparently produced in cows’ livers and can end up in their milk."

Give the article a read yourself here: http://www.pcrm.org/magazine/gm03summer/gm03summer02.html

Summer please stay!

2008-08-08T08:58:00.002-04:00

Wow. I've really let it go a long time this time.... summer just seems to be passing me by! I don't know if it's because there's way more stuff to do in the summer; with festivals, fun things going on, visiting friends more often, people getting married and having babies (which means bachelorettes, weddings and showers) OR is it because it hardly feels like summer anymore since every day is grey and rainy. I already feel like I'm in September. OR maybe it's because my day job is really gearing up for an event in September, and therefore, I've got September's calendar constantly in my face.

Whatever the cause is, I don't agree with the summer being so short and/or going by so quickly. I think we should have an intervention with mother nature. :)

I've been meaning to write about lots of things... but like I said, I don't know where all my time is going. Here's a recap of some of the fun stuff that I've done this summer (maybe summing it up will make me feel better???):

white water rafting on the Ottawa river, Canada's Wonderland, Herbivores for Herbivores (vegan bake sale at Heart On Your Sleeve to raise money for Rabbit Rescue), Elvisfest in Collingwood, visiting my good friends at Frosted Flowers Food Co. at the Brampton Farmer's Market, No Parachute Required - art exhibit for Michael Byers and friends, baby showers, bachelorette parties, wedding showers, a wedding in Bolton for an old highschool friend.... there's undoubtedly more fun stuff I've done in the past couple of months, but these are the highlights. Things still to do include paying my brother a visit in Stayner, fulfilling my dad's birthday gift (I must have been having a fit of hysteria when I proposed we all go golfing together! I'm trying to convince him to go without me... so far no luck), celebrating Vesuvius/Waffle day, and of course... the Vegetarian Food Fair!

Not only have I not been writing this blog... I've also been avoiding our "monthly" newsletter (it usually comes out once every 2 months). It's not that there isn't anything to say... trust me. There is so much to talk about that it's hard to keep track of it all... Vegan culture seems to get more and more interesting by the day. I've been listening a lot to Vegan Freak Radio lately, those guys are awesome. Yes, Bob swears a lot and sometimes they are pretty unorganized, but I find them incredibly entertaining AND I find myself usually completely enthralled in whatever they are talking about. So if you haven't checked out their podcast, you should. I've become a huge fan over the course of a couple of days.

My sweet, technology & gadget loving boyfriend recently decided to buy us iPhones. I didn't fight it too hard. They are incredible pieces of technology and I'm hoping that they will help both of us become a little more organized. I have to admit, I love it... there is so much potential too - it's like having a laptop in my pocket. My relationship with Apple products is a sort of love/disappointment relationship. I love their products, I really do, they are superior to Windows in countless ways. I just wish they would get on the green bandwagon like a lot of other corporations are doing. I want them to initiate superior recycling programs to those of their competition... I want them to donate millions of dollars to deserving charities. I want them to use less harsh chemicals and make strict laws regarding sweat shops. Steve Jobs, I hope you're reading this!

Trek through the amazon...

2008-07-06T08:45:00.000-04:00

I was just surfing the Vegetarian Shoes website when I came across a great story. I thought I'd share it with you guys... read it here.

Awesome Quote

2008-07-01T13:36:00.000-04:00

"There's no reason to drink cow's milk at any time in your life. It was designed for calves, it was not designed for humans, and we should all stop drinking it today, this afternoon."

Dr. Frank A. Ski, former director of pediatrics, John Hopkins University

CONSERVE

2008-07-01T08:36:00.000-04:00

It doesn't get much more inspiring than this. These people in India have teamed up together to make an incredible difference. I just LOVE IT when people make something beautiful out of what most people consider "garbage". When I watch this video, I feel like there's absolutely no such thing as garbage. EVERYTHING can be reused if we know how to reuse it.

To-Go Ware has teamed up with CONSERVE by making beautiful bamboo cutlery, and keeping it in CONSERVE utensil holders. I was so inspired by the video about CONSERVE that I ordered a case for LAVA! There are 5 different colours and all of them are gorgeous!

check them out at www.veganslovelava.ca

It's been awhile...

2008-06-29T09:36:00.000-04:00

I know. But there's a lot going on. Worked the longest day at the day job (18 hours) and that knocked me out for the following day. These events take a lot out of me. The home life becomes non-existent and there's no time for lava.

HOWEVER! we're back on track and the event is over, so it's back to normal hours.... i've added To-Go Ware CONSERVE Utensils to the catalog, and they are just the most awesome portable cutlery out there.

Oh and I became a member of vegan world (http://veganworld.com/lava6) and it's an awesome site so I hope you guys will become my vegan world friends.

Off to Guelph to find a good bike, anyone have any suggestions on what I should be looking for???

x kelly

oprah's vegan cleanse

2008-06-13T20:52:00.000-04:00

"Eating more consciously now feels like a way of being. I actually think about how my food got to my plate. That was the whole point, right?

Doesn't mean I'm committed to veganism…but I am thinking about what I eat and why. And from that I can never turn back."

— Oprah

Ok, was I the only one hoping that Oprah would be so satisfied with a vegan diet that she would never go back?? I mean, at least vegetarian then if not vegan! Ahh well, I'm still proud of Oprah. 3 weeks being a vegan is 3 weeks that some animals were spared... and I hope that she'll share her experience on the show a bit more so others can open their eyes to a life without animal consumption.

Reverse Grafitti - clean art

2008-06-13T20:47:00.001-04:00

Leonard Cohen

2008-06-07T13:22:00.000-04:00

Last night I was treated to an absolutely incredible experience. I was invited to Leonard Cohen's show at the Hummingbird Centre (yes, I'm still calling it that... must absolutely EVERYTHING be turned into an advertisement?!?)

The vibe was incredibly positive and energetic. It's been a long time since I've felt that much energy at a concert. Every person in the audience, was there to stand in awe of a great poet, singer, songwriter, human being... From the minute the man walked onto the stage until his final disappearance, the crowd went wild. Thunderous applause filled the room. It was a moving experience. It was a large room, and a large crowd, but nonetheless it felt like an intimate gig. Leonard humbly took off his hat to thank each and every person for not only attending that night, but for their years of loving and supporting his art.

Thank you thank you for allowing me to be a part of a wonderful evening.

Is Oprah going vegan??!

2008-05-24T09:29:00.000-04:00

"Week One: Monday
Well, I feel like I got baptized in Vegan Land today. Kathy Freston sent her chef, Tal Ronnen, to help me and three friends at Harpo who are doing the 21-day cleanse.

Wow, wow, wow! I never imagined meatless meals could be so satisfying. I had been focused on what I had to give up—sugar, gluten, alcohol, meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese. "What's left?" I thought. Apparently a lot. I can honestly say every meal was a surprise and a delight, beginning with breakfast—strawberry rhubarb wheat-free crepes. — Oprah"

Read more: http://www2.oprah.com/foodhome/food/cleanse/blog/blog_2.jhtml

my lovely new bag

2008-05-21T21:55:00.000-04:00

i love love love it. thank you beautiful beth for making me this wonderful bag. it's much more than just a place to put all my crap (although today, i fit a loaf of bread, hummus in tupperware, a notebook, my copy of lifelines (veg.ca newsletter), two packs of oatmeal cookies, my phone, my wallet, pens, my work id, my lipgloss and various other random items and there was still room leftover...). It's almost like an extension of my body. It fits so snuggly under my arm, that I almost miss it when it's not there. ahh... my gorgeous new bag. does anyone else get this excited by bags (other than me and beth). I think everyone would if they had the perfect bag...

want your own? Check out www.dungareedolly.com

work life balance

2008-05-04T18:33:00.000-04:00

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my new favorite music video!

2008-04-25T21:36:00.000-04:00

Excuses for not going Veg...

2008-04-16T22:15:00.000-04:00

Have you ever heard a really dumb excuse from someone about why they "would go veg is only...(fill in the blank)?"

I've heard some pretty bad ones in all my years as a veg. Don't get me wrong, I have respect for the reasons why people decide not to go veg, but I also understand that there are no excuses if you're making a choice that you're very passionate about. It's comparable to quitting smoking. I just think that anyone who says they are trying to quit "but"___(blank)_____ is preventing them from quitting is just making it perfectly clear that they are not ready to quit yet. There are no real excuses. You're either ready to quit (which means it's something that you want) or you're not ready (you don't want to yet). And it's the same with being veg. Don't make yourself feel better by giving yourself a reason for not going through with it. Instead, be happy with who you are, and know that if being veg is important to you, you will find a way to make it work out in your life no matter what the excuse.

Ok... that was a small tangent. I just wanted to ask everyone to comment their favorite excuse for not going veg and/or their come-back to that excuse. The answers will make the next LAVAlicious! Thanks!!

The Food Circle

2008-04-15T21:15:00.000-04:00

As opposed to the food pyramid, this one isn't sponsored by the Dairy Board.

"Eating 4 Health" (Eating for health) diagram by Ed Bauman from Bauman College).

Quote of the Day

2008-04-14T20:58:00.000-04:00

"You cannot solve a problem at the same level of consciousness that created it."

Albert Einstein

Taurine and Red Bull

2008-04-13T11:08:00.001-04:00

So I disgusted all my friends at the dinner table yesterday, telling them about how beatles are crushed to make red food dye (carmine, cochineal, carminic acid) and how red bull contains taurine - which is made from bull juice. But I doubted myself, more on what kind of bull juice was used, than that red bull actually uses bull juice. I found this on a forum somewhere:

This is from the red bull website:
"Q:Is taurine made from bulls' testicles? Is taurine a derivative of bulls' testicles or semen?
A: Taurine is a purely synthetic substance produced by pharmaceutical companies and is not derived from animals or animal materials. "
( http://www.redbull.com/faq.action#6 )

So I guess that proves me wrong.... but I didn't research it further because I can't stand drinks like red bull anyways. If you want some extra energy, go eat a banana or some dates. You don't need chemicals to keep you awake.

Quote of the Day

2008-03-03T20:44:00.001-05:00

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly vegetables."

Michael Pollan

Non-Vegetarian Cookies

2007-12-17T22:43:00.000-05:00

I am always reading ingredients. At first, it was simply to find out what products contained animal ingredients, and which ones don't. Now, I find myself fascinated with the ingredients used to make certain foods.

Peak Freans Digestive cookies - one of the first ingredients is... get this... are you ready for it...?

BEEF FAT

I'm serious.

How disgusting. Imagine you're having some tea and cookies and you realize that you're eating beef fat. ugh.

i love blueberries

2007-12-01T15:24:00.000-05:00

a friend gave me a gigantic box of blueberries as a housewarming present and i don't think i can think of a better present. blueberries are delicious and extremely nutritious (full of cancer fighting antioxidants).

I just made this smoothie.. at first i didn't add a banana, because my bananas are kind of green, but i added one after all because a smoothie just doesn't taste "complete" without a banana.

3 tbsp frozen blueberries
1 banana
1/2 cup cherry juice
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tbsp protein powder (i'm a big VEGA fan, but i'm out right now... so i used SoyOne)
1 tsp maple syrup

enjoy!

Grist makes me giggle

2007-12-01T12:59:00.000-05:00

Dear Canada, if you care at all about the earth, you'll get rid of all your beer fridges. And if you care at all about peaceful international relations, you'll send your surplus booze our way. Love, America.

Neglect

2007-11-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

OMG have I ever neglected this blog. i apologize faithfull readers... life has thrown me a few crazy rollercoaster turns lately. Actually for the last few months it's been non-stop. But that's the last few months, so let's just start with my birthday!

For my birthday I dragged my parents, brother and boyfriend to a vegan restaurant (not quite kicking and screaming!). Fresh is a great (maybe the greatest) vegan restaurant in Toronto. Even though we had to sit cramped at a teeny table, and we drank organic wine from what looked like value village glasses, I'm pretty sure we all had a really nice night. Well I did anyways. Everyone ate vegan (with the exception of my brother, who ordered cheese for his mushroom burger) and everyone enjoyed it, or everyone lied about enjoying it. Either way I'm happy!

I had the Energy bowl. So yummy and so huge that I got it to go and enjoyed it again the next day. As an appetizer we had sweet potato fries and coconut tempeh, delicious!! The best part though was their incredible carrot cake with tofu cream cheese icing.. so so good. all in all a delicious evening. Fresh is the best.

Local Produce

2007-10-21T21:19:00.000-04:00

What’s In Season?
October 13th, 2007
Although the weather is moving into fall, farmers’ markets around the country are still in full swing. Many will stay open for at least another month, and there are a number that stay open year round.

If you’re interested in adding more locally grown produce to your meals, yummy fruits and vegetables are still coming into season, now and through the next few months. A sampling of what’s in season..

…In October
Apples, Beans, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chives, Cilantro, Corn, Cranberries, Garlic, Kale, Lettuce, Leeks, Onions, Pears, Peppers, Potatoes, Pumpkins, Radishes, Rosemary, Sage, Salad Greens, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Thyme, Turnips, Winter Squash

…In November

Apples, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Garlic, Leeks, Onions, Pears, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Turnips, Winter Squash

…In December

Apples, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Garlic, Pears, Rosemary, Sage, Turnips, Winter Squash

So bundle up, grab your canvas shopping bag and head out to your closest farmers’ market…and enjoy the bounty our local farmers have to offer.

Green byte: We love the new name for people who focus on buying locally produced food. Are you a locavore?

source: http://greenopolis.ca/

weird

2007-10-21T19:50:00.001-04:00

http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2007/10/what-are-the-ge.html

The Naam

2007-10-02T21:32:00.000-04:00

GREAT vegetarian / vegan restaurant in Kitsilano (Vancouver) and open 24 hours! The food is delicious, and I'd like to say the same thing about the vegan carrot cake with hemp icing, but unfortunately they forgot that. Going back tomorrow night though so we'll try again! The servers were very friendly, but also really busy. It's a really popular place! Even though it was full and there was a lineup, I still felt like my friend and I were in a small intimate little restaurant. so cute!

Nothing Else Matters by Metallica

2007-10-02T21:18:00.000-04:00

Dedicated to Chris.

So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say
and nothing else matters

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters

never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
but I know

So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
and nothing else matters

never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
but I know

Never opened myself this way
Life is ours, we live it our way
All these words I don't just say

Trust I seek and I find in you
Every day for us, something new
Open mind for a different view
and nothing else matters

never cared for what they say
never cared for games they play
never cared for what they do
never cared for what they know
and I know

So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
No, nothing else matters

8 Junk foods to stay away from

2007-09-28T10:25:00.000-04:00

I love reading stuff like this. I almost never eat any junk food, with the exception of the occasional bag of chips or new york fries, and when i read articles like the one below, i feel so happy that i've seen the light. junk food makes me sick in every sense possible. if i have a choice between a fresh salad full of nuts and fruits and fresh vegetables, maybe even some tofu and legumes thrown in there.. YUM and a coke and fries, it's a no-brainer for me. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of sugar packed vegan treats that i love too. but at least i have no desire to frequent the places that sell garbage masked as food. i just wish i could help more people see the light too.

Got this from http://www.grist.org.

FOODS TO ESCHEW
The foods listed below are more noxious than nutritious -- for you and for the earth.

1. Sodas
Teeth go rotten with Coke. A 12-ounce serving of most sodas contains 7 to 10 or more teaspoons of sugar in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that's linked to rising rates of obesity and diabetes. (To see what this amount of sugar looks like, check this out http://marshallbrain.com/science/sugar-in-soda.htm.) Diet sodas aren't much better: they're filled with aspartame, a questionable artificial sweetener, and studies show that people who drink them weigh more than those who don't.

2. Hot dogs, bacon, and processed lunch meats.
It's no baloney: high-fat meats like hot dogs, salami, and just about everything in your supermarket's pre-packaged lunches and "deli aisle" are filled with hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, and artery-clogging cholesterol and saturated fats. The latter can build up and cause strokes, heart disease, and cancers in adulthood. The nitrites in these meats are linked to increased risks of childhood cancer, too.

3. French fries
Most fries -- America's most popular vegetable dish -- wallow in cholesterol-boosting hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, aka transfats. The fats in French fries also seem to cause more deep belly fat accumulation, putting people at risk for diabetes and heart disease. And a single serving of fast-food French fries offers dangerously high
levels of acrylamide, a toxic chemical than can cause reproductive damage and cancer.

4. Doh-nuts
Just look at Homer. Doughnuts are the poster-child for food gone wrong: sugar-encased, high-fat packages of refined grains and empty calories, with food-dyed candy sprinkles on top. Plus, it's hard to eat just one.

5. Juice-flavored drinks
Some fruit juices are actually made with, uh, fruit juice. But most are only about 10 percent juice, plus water, sugar, and juice concentrate (which has almost zero nutritious value). Apple juice promotes tooth decay; over-juicing in general promotes obesity. Eat an actual raw organic fruit instead. If you're thirsty, drink some (non-bottled) water.

6. Artificial butter-flavored microwave popcorn
Artificially flavored anything is bad for you, but buttery-flavored nuked popcorn has the added problem of releasing toxic fumes, which in large amounts can cause a potentially fatal lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans -- or what's become known as "popcorn lung." Hundreds of workers in popcorn factories already suffer from the ailment, and a prominent researcher has warned federal regulators that consumers are also at risk.

7. Chips
Whether they're potato chips, Doritos, or some other entry in this snack realm, chips are high-fat and high-sodium with almost zippo nutritious value. Like French fries, many are also filled with alarming levels of acrylamide, a chemical that forms spontaneously when starchy foods are baked or fried.

8. Chicken nuggets
Cute as they are, these golden morsels aren't much more than a greasy, breaded salt- delivery system. They're filled with cholesterol-raising fats and super-sized loads of sodium. If you've seen Morgan Spurlock's Supersize Me, you'll also have heard the allegations that Chicken McNuggets were once made with sick chickens. And they're prepared with chemicals like TBHQ, a form of lighter fluid. Just say McNo.

Hungry in Surrey

2007-09-27T00:51:00.000-04:00

Hey people,

I'm in Surrey for the next two weeks and I am wondering if any of you out there know any excellent vegan restaurants in the area? Anyone?

If you do, you're more than welcome to join me. Beats eating microwave dinners in my hotel room.

Hug a Vegetarian Day

2007-09-24T22:04:00.001-04:00

Car Idling

2007-09-23T17:06:00.000-04:00

Recently, I went down to Belleville with friends. Along the way, at a couple of points... my friend let his car idle. There is almost nothing that irritates me more than someone who lets their car idle. Even though, the myth that "turning the car on and off causes more harm than idling" has been disproved over and over, there are still those that hang on tight to this claim, thinking that their 5 minutes of idling isn't doing any harm.

Which brings me to another point. Drive-thrus. I hate them! People sit in their cars in long lineups, idling for 5, 10, 15 minutes just for the convenience of not having to get out of their cars. Why are we such a lazy ass society?! I read an article of Adria Vasil's today about a study conducted by University of Alberta students. They found that drivers in Edmonton spent 5,000 HOURS idling at Tim Horton's drive-thrus, emitting 23.5 tonnes of greenhouse gases IN JUST ONE DAY!

Anyone who thinks that he/she is not doing any harm by idling for a couple of minutes is obviously just being ignorant. Plain and simple.

For the whole article, visit this website: http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2007-09-20/goods_ecoholic.php

Something to think about next time you eat a hamburger

2007-09-12T12:22:00.000-04:00

Your average quarter pounder, according to one Cornell University study, siphons 600 gallons of water, 1.2 pounds of feed grain, and 6 square feet of former prairie land-plus the loss of five times the patty's weight in topsoil-even before it gets slapped on a grill.

21 Things You Didn't Know You Could Recycle

2007-09-11T17:14:00.000-04:00

by Jasmin Malik Chua, Jersey City, USA on 09.11.07

There's more to recycling than paper, glass, plastics, and aluminum. Did you know, for instance, that you could send off your used Tyvek envelopes for recycling? Or that you could swap your dusty exercise videos for some you'll actually work out to?
Co-op America has a list of 21 recyclables (or at least reusables) you may not have known about.

Garbage. Americans produce more and more of it every year, when we need to be producing less.
Even the most waste-conscious among us can feel overwhelmed by the amount of household waste that goes beyond what municipal recyclers and compost bins can handle.
That’s why our editors have spent the summer investigating the state of waste management in our country, and putting together information for you, our Co-op America members, explaining how we can get serious about the three R’s – reducing, reusing, and recycling. Supporting members of Co-op America can expect to receive this issue of the Co-op America Quarterly this fall. If you’re not already a supporting member, join us now to get this special issue mailed to you.

1. Appliances: Goodwill accepts working appliances, www.goodwill.org, or you can contact the Steel Recycling Institute to recycle them. 800/YES-1-CAN, www.recycle-steel.org.

2. Batteries: Rechargeables and single-use: Battery Solutions, 734/467-9110, www.batteryrecycling.com.

3. Cardboard boxes: Contact local nonprofits and women’s shelters to see if they can use them. Or, offer up used cardboard boxes at your local Freecycle.org listserv or on Craigslist.org for others who may need them for moving or storage. If your workplace collects at least 100 boxes or more each month, UsedCardboardBoxes.com accepts them for resale.

4. CDs/DVDs/Game Disks: Send scratched music or computer CDs, DVDs, and PlayStation or Nintendo video game disks to AuralTech for refinishing, and they’ll work like new: 888/454-3223, www.auraltech.com.

5. Clothes: Wearable clothes can go to your local Goodwill outlet or shelter. Donate wearable women’s business clothing to Dress for Success, which gives them to low-income women as they search for jobs, 212/532-1922, www.dressforsuccess.org. Offer unwearable clothes and towels to local animal boarding and shelter facilities, which often use them as pet bedding. Consider holding a clothes swap at your office, school, faith congregation or community center. Swap clothes with friends and colleagues, and save money on a new fall wardrobe and back-to-school clothes.

6. Compact fluorescent bulbs: Take them to your local IKEA store for recycling: www.ikea.com.

7. Compostable bio-plastics: You probably won’t be able to compost these in your home compost bin or pile. Find a municipal composter to take them to at www.findacomposter.com.

8. Computers and electronics: Find the most responsible recyclers, local and national, at www.ban.org/pledge/Locations.html.

9. Exercise videos: Swap them with others at www.videofitness.com.

10. Eyeglasses: Your local Lion’s Club or eye care chain may collect these. Lenses are reground and given to people in need.

11. Foam packing: Your local pack-and-ship store will likely accept foam peanuts for reuse. Or, call the Plastic Loose Fill Producers Council to find a drop-off site: 800/828-2214. For places to drop off foam blocks for recycling, contact the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers, 410/451-8340, www.epspackaging.org/info.html

12. Ink/toner cartridges: Recycleplace.com pays $1/each.

13. Miscellaneous: Get your unwanted items into the hands of people who can use them. Offer them up on your local Freecycle.org or Craigslist.org listserv, or try giving them away at Throwplace.com or giving or selling them at iReuse.com. iReuse.com will also help you find a recycler, if possible, when your items have reached the end of their useful lifecycle.

14. Oil: Find Used Motor Oil Hotlines for each state: 202/682-8000, www.recycleoil.org.

15. Phones: Donate cell phones: Collective Good will refurbish your phone and sell it to someone in a developing country: 770/856-9021, www.collectivegood.com. Call to Protect reprograms cell phones to dial 911 and gives them to domestic violence victims: www.donateaphone.com. Recycle single-line phones: Reclamere, 814/386-2927, www.reclamere.com.

16. Sports equipment: Resell or trade it at your local Play It Again Sports outlet, 800/476-9249, www.playitagainsports.com.

17. “Technotrash”: Easily recycle all of your CDs, jewel cases, DVDs, audio and video tapes, cell phones, pagers, rechargeable and single-use batteries, PDAs, and ink/toner cartridges with GreenDisk’s Technotrash program. For $30, GreenDisk will send you a cardboard box in which you can ship them up to 70 pounds of any of the above. Your fee covers the box as well as shipping and recycling fees. 800/305-GREENDISK, www.greendisk.com.

18. Tennis shoes: Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe program turns old shoes into playground and athletic flooring. www.nikereuseashoe.com. One World Running will send still-wearable shoes to athletes in need in Africa, Latin America, and Haiti. www.oneworldrunning.com.

19. Toothbrushes and razors: Buy a recycled plastic toothbrush or razor from Recycline, and the company will take it back to be recycled again into plastic lumber. Recycline products are made from used Stonyfield Farms’ yogurt cups. 888/354-7296, www.recycline.com.

20. Tyvek envelopes: Quantities less than 25: Send to Shirley Cimburke, Tyvek Recycling Specialist, 5401 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Spot 197, Room 231, Richmond, VA 23234. Quantities larger than 25, call 866/33-TYVEK.

21. Stuff you just can’t recycle: When practical, send such items back to the manufacturer and tell them they need to manufacture products that close the waste loop responsibly.

Brought to us by

23rd Annual Vegetarian Food Fair

2007-09-10T10:18:00.000-04:00

I had a great weekend! On saturday, I had the opportunity to work on LAVA all day, which I don't get to do enough these days now that I'm working full time. On sunday though... Chris, Sarah and I attended the Vegetarian Food Fair in Toronto. What a blast! I really look forward to that fair every year, and I'm so glad I was able to attend after years of being out of the country. We all spent way too much money, but we got amazing deals - the best deal being on Vega protein
powder (thanks to the guys running that booth! They were so fun and friendly!) I learned so much from just 1.5 hours with Brendan Brazier. What a smart guy. I'm so glad that we got to see him speak. I was really hoping to see Sarah Kramer too, but sadly, she had to fly home for a family emergency. Ran into my friend AngelA and her husband Jason who run Taste Better (www.tastebetter.com). They had a bunch of incredible t-shirts and cooking dvds for sale... and the most indulgent, gluttonous part of our weekend happened at the Sweets from the Earth booth. Good lord do they have a ton of dangerously delicious deserts! Chris and I have absolutely no will power when it comes to sugary vegan stuff that's in no way healthy... so we bought a blueberry cheesecake and a carrot cake. YUM!!!!!!!!!!! We haven't broken them open yet... but just wait. When we do I'll be sure to post a photo of myself pigging out.

More Vegan Radio!

2007-09-08T22:27:00.000-04:00

This one is in Toronto! It's called Animal Advocacy Radio and you can find it at www.animalvoices.ca
All of a sudden vegan radio is everywhere. So awesome.

You have to love thrift stores...

2007-09-08T17:42:00.001-04:00

One Dollar! That's the price of great litterature these days....

It's worse than I thought...

2007-09-08T17:32:00.000-04:00

I expected to thrill you all with some of the benefits of drinking organic coffee and tea but alas... circumstances have prevented me from having a lot of computer time.... working full time is not for me I tell you! When will I find someone that will pay me for writing blogs and updating veganslovelava.ca?! hahaha...

The end of unemployment fairy tale land

2007-08-24T19:23:00.000-04:00

I feel like I'm in school again... the summer is almost over and i have to go back to work :( I have been so lucky to get the entire summer off... it's been incredible. of course, i've spent most of the summer working anyway, getting LAVA set up is a day and night job. but still, i also feel like i've had one long ass holiday.

so now i'm working at a coffee bar. c'mon not just any coffee bar! a really cool coffee bar! hahahaha

they have something like 30 or 40 different kinds of tea, 20 different kinds of coffee, and of course all the mixed frappacinos and double mocha lattes on ice etc. it's a little intimidating. i have therefore made myself deal that i'll learn more about the different kinds of coffees and teas that grow on this beautiful planet, so you can expect to learn about that too in the coming days, since i'm so fond of sharing my knowledge with you guys.

Organic Cotton

2007-08-24T18:59:00.000-04:00

I received this article in my inbox today about Organic Cotton. Very interesting. Please read. Brought to you by Treehugger.

Organic cotton is the version of its conventional counterpart grown without pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, chemical fertilizers or any other chemicals, and that makes it hugely different, especially considering that cotton (organic or otherwise) provides about half of all the world's fiber needs. Conventional cotton is one of the most chemically-dependent crops, sucking up 10% of all agricultural chemicals and 25% of insecticides on 3% of our arable land; that's more than any other crop per unit. That adds up to 1/3 of a pound of chemicals to produce enough cotton for a t-shirt, and 3/4 of a pound for a pair of jeans. And that's just not bad for the planet; 20,000 deaths occur each year from pesticide poisoning in developing countries, many of these from cotton farming, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Organic cotton, on the other hand, uses agricultural methods designed to help sustain the land it grows on, the people who grow and harvest it, and the planet in general. Organic farming really starts with the soil. Compost, frequent crop rotations and cover crop strategies replace synthetic fertilizers to keep the soil healthy and productive. Weeds are controlled by innovative farm machinery, hand labor or flame devices rather than herbicide applications. Rather than attempting to eradicate all insects with chemicals, organic farmers cultivate a diversity of natural enemies which prey on insect pests, and lure pests away from cotton by planting trap crops. Insect pests can be effectively kept in balance with well-timed introduction of beneficial insects to fields. In warmer growing regions, where the cotton plants must be killed or defoliated to pick a quality crop before the onset of winter rains, organic growers shut off water early, and apply certified materials to promote cotton boll opening and leaf dropping, readying the fibers for harvest. In the US, both conventional and organic cotton are mostly machine-picked; in some developing countries, cotton is still harvested by hand.

When it comes time to harvest by hand, it follows then that organic cotton is also much safer for those who pick it. Workers aren't exposed to breathing or otherwise ingesting toxic chemicals while active in the field, and don't have to worry about the same nasty chemicals getting into their water supply if they live nearby. They can raise healthier children and livestock, and everyone is happier (okay, we made that last part up, but it seems to fit, right?).

Like other organic products (food is the most prominent example), organic cotton must be certified as such by a third party, based upon pre-determined rules and regulations for what is and isn't allowed in the cultivation process. Here in the United States, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulates the organic certification process, based on the standards set in the Organic Food Production Act of 1990 (OFPA); because organic cotton is grown around the world, and the US supply is not large enough to keep up with demand, other certification groups are often cited for products we see and use. The Dutch organization SKAL (one we've seen around a lot), for example, works in Europe, South America, Africa and Asia to certify different agricultural products as organic. Among the rules for certification, in addition to the ongoing ban of pesticides and other chemicals, is that the soil cannot have been sprayed with any of the banned substances for three years, so proper organic certification takes significant time, effort and bureaucratic rule-following (some might call it hoop-jumping or cutting red tape, but we won't) but the results are something to be proud of: a truly sustainable product.

hen it comes time to put it on, many believe that organic cotton is softer and easier on your skin (though we don't have any scientific data, this TreeHugger is happy to corroborate this), and, of course, there aren't any latent pesticides or other chemicals that might disagree with your skin. This extra comfort is an added bonus when considering all of the benefits for the planet and its people, and the result is that organic cotton has been growing at an incredible rate.

Market retail leaders like Patagonia and Nike, who both blend and use organic cotton exclusively in their outdoor apparel, are being joined by high-end designers like Loomstate and Katherine Hamnett (whose work is directly above). This has been modulated by more mainstream designers like H&M, The Gap, Levi's and L.L. Bean, meaning that it's easier (and cheaper!) to get than ever before. Doesn't that make you feel all warm & fuzzy inside?

More information can be found via the USDA, the Sustainable Cotton Project, the Organic Trade Association and PAN Germany's Directory for Organic Cotton. It's been a very popular topic here at TreeHugger; in addition to all the links above, we've mentioned it in everything from wallpaper to crib sets, underwear to aprons, long johns to yoga mats and towels and sheets to organic cotton candy (wait a minute...). We also recommend a quick spin through our How to Green Your Wardrobe Guide for info on organic cotton and other green textiles.

Fun with Camaras

2007-08-22T19:55:00.000-04:00

Chris experimenting with our camara's cool features.

More about Vegan Radio

2007-08-22T12:30:00.000-04:00

How could I possibly forget about the Vegan Freaks? Very silly of me.... These guys are fun to listen too because they are witty and sarcastic and generally cynical about everything. They've even written a book which you can buy here. Although I HOPE that I will also be able to have the book available at LAVA. The lovely Sarah Kramer has agreed to supply her incredible vegan cookbooks already, so we'll wait and see if the Vegan Freaks are cool enough to be seen at LAVA too! ;)

Vegan Radio

2007-08-20T15:04:00.000-04:00

Leave it to the Americans to think of all the cool stuff first. Ok, maybe that's not fair. But in terms of vegan culture, I'm sad to say that the Americans are ahead of us. At least, the Californians are. Check out their new "vegan radio" at http://www.goveganradio.com.

Vegan Beer

2007-08-15T15:36:00.000-04:00

Finally! I got around to searching out vegan beers, and I'm happy to report that my friend... is wrong. It seems that many many beers are vegan these days. However, I was sad to find out that many wines are not. I went to two great sites that had a ton of information (so much info, that i didn't feel the need to keep researching). You'll find the sources at the bottom as usual.

Beer is occassionally fined using isinglass.

Isinglass is a very pure form of gelatin obtained from fish bladders(often sturgeon). The addition of a fining product simply speeds up a process which would otherwise occur naturally.

Unfortunately, many ciders aren't vegan as a number of large-scale comercial cider companies use animal products in the fining/clarification process. Specifically, some companies use the following non-vegan ingredients: gelatin (from an animal derived source), isinglass, chitin (crab shells), collagen.

Vegan ciders are usually naturally fermented in large oak barrels and allowed to settle over a period of months. Bentonite clay (mined and specially prepared for clarification purposes) or cellulose filter sheets are also sometimes used, to process cider in a vegan way.

Don't many alcohol companies support animal exploitation and abuse?

Unfortunately many do. They've been included on this list despite that, but it doesn't mean you have to drink them! Unfortunately a number of these companies support rodeos, bull-fighting, marine mammal captivity and much more (for example, Anheuser--Busch supports bullfighting through its Corona Beer affiliations, rodeos through Budweiser Beer, and animal captivity at its Sea World and Busch Gardens amusement parks). Many of these companies also use horribly sexist advertising. My advice? Boycott them too!

BEER CONFIRMED AS VEGAN

Bitters, etc.

Alloa Light
Alloa 70/- Special
Alloa 80/- Export
Alloa Stout
Batemans IPA
Batemans Nut Brown
Batemans XXXB
Batemans Victory Ale
Batemans Dark Mild
Batemans GB Bitter
Burtonwood Bitter
Burtonwood Mild
Burtonwood Pale Mild
Burtonwood Top Hat Ale
Drybrough Heavy
Drybrough Best Scotch
Felinfoel Bitter
Felinfoel Double Dragon Bitter
Fuller's London Pride
Fuller's Chiswick Bitter
Fuller's Mild
Fuller's ESB Export
Fuller's Pale Ale
Fuller's Brown Ale
Fullers LA
Gale's Southdown Bitter
Gale's Best Bitter
Gale's 777 Mild
Gale's Prize Old Ale
Gale's Pale Ale
Gale's HSB
Golden Promise Organic Beer
Hall & Woodhouse BXB Bitter
H & W Malthouse Bitter
H & W Oasthouse Bitter
H & W Badger Country Bitter
H & W Tanglefoot Bitter
Morrells Friars Bitter
Morrells Castle Ale
Morrells Light Ale
Morrells College Ale
Morrells Brewery Gate Bitter
Redruth Brewery Bitter
Redruth Brewery Mile Ale
Redruth Aston Manor Bitter
Redruth Gold Cap Bitter
Redruth Brewster Bitter
Redruth John Davey Bitter
Robinson's Best Bitter
Ross Brewery Hartcliffe Bitter
Ross Brewery Clifton Dark Ale
Ross Brewery Saxon Ale
Sainsburys Premium Ale
Sam Smiths Old Brewery
Sam Smiths Sovereign Best
Sam Smiths Tadcaster Bitter
Sam Smiths 4X Best Mild
Sam Smiths Dark Mild Ale
Sam Smiths OB Strong Brown
Sam Smiths OB Strong Pale
Sam Smiths Pale Ale
Sam Smiths Light Ale
Sam Smiths Nut Brown
Sam Smiths Strong Golden

Low Alcohol, N/A

AyingerBrau Low Alcohol
Clausen
Greene King Lowes
Marston's Low "C"
Wheelwright Low Alcohol
Wyvern Low Alcoholic
Sharp's
Kingsbury
O'Douls Premium Non-Alcoholic Brew

Lagers

Aston Manor Lager
AyingerBrau
AyingerBrau D. Pils
AyingerBrau Very Strong
Brewster Lager
Budweiser
Burtonwood Dagen
Cornish Pilsner Lager
Henri Funck
Grolsch
Guapa Lager
Hall & Woodhouse Hectors
H & W Forum
H & W Compass
H & W Skona
H & W Royal Hofbrau
Harp
Harp Extra
Heineken Export
Heineken
Holsten Pils
Knight's
Labatt's
Lincoln Green Organic
Lowenbrau Strong
Mousel
Norseman
Pinkus Special Organic
Prinz Strong
Redruth Brewery Pilsner
Sam Smiths Natural Lager
Scorpion Dry
Skol
Tennent's Gold Bier
TQ Lager
Tuborg Gold

US Domestics and/or bottled in the United States

Anderson Valley
Anheuser-Busch
Arrogant Bastard (Stone Brewing Company)
Barley's
Beach
Beck's
Big Dog's Hospitality Group
Blue Ridge
Brick
Carlsberg-Tetley
Columbus
Courage
Dallas County
Dempsey's
Deschutes
Dock Street
Dubuque
Eddie McStiff's
Fremont
Fullers
Genesee Brewing Company
Golden Pacific
Grant's Yakima (but Grant's Apple Honey Ale uses honey)
Greene King
Grolsch
G. Heileman
HighFalls Brewery (Genesee Brewing Company)
Irons
James Page
Jones Street
Lakefront
Latrobe (Rolling Rock)
Les Brasseurs du Nord
Lost Coast
Mad River
Manhattan Beach
Masters Brewpub & Brasserie
Miller
Miracle
Nelson
Nevada City
North Coast
Nouveaux Brasseurs-Bar L'Inox
Odell
Onalaska
Oranjeboom
Otter Creek
Otto Brothers'
Pacific Hop Exchange
Pennsylvania
Pete's
Pyramid Ales
Ragtime Tavern
Rainier
Richbrau
Roslyn
Samuel Smith (except Oatmeal Stout)
San Andreas
Saranac
Scottish & Newcastle
Shan Sui
Sharky's
Shepherd Neame
Sierra Nevada
Silo
Sleeman
Sonoma (Dempsey's)
Spinnakers Brewpub
Sprecher
Star
Steelhead
Stone Brewing Company
Table Rock
Telluride
Thames Valley
Treaty Grounds
Triple Rock
Truckee
Umpqua
Unibroue
Upper Canada
Vaux Brewery
Weeping Radish
Whistler
Whitbread Beer
Woodstock
Young & Co.

My favorites:

[+] Corona: Vegan Friendly

Status: Vegan Friendly
Checked by: Rick
Double Checked by: Nobody yet
Company email:
Yes, our beer is suitable for vegans; in fact, corona is made with natural products like Rice, Water, Hops, Refined corn starch and Yeast. No animal products are involved.

[+] Creemore Springs Brewery: Vegan Friendly

139 Mill Street
Creemore, ON, L0M1G0
Canada
P: 705-466-2240
F: 705-466-3306
E: thefolks@creemoresprings.com
W: http://www.creemoresprings.com
Status: Vegan Friendly
Checked by: Denise
Double Checked by: Nobody yet
Company email:

Yes our product is Vegan friendly. We do not use any animal bi-products in any part of the production of our beer.

[+] Moosehead: Vegan Friendly

89 Main Street West
Saint John, NB, E2M 3H2
Canada
P: 1-877-888 BEER (2337)
W: http://www.moosehead.ca/
Status: Vegan Friendly
Checked by: Amanda
Double Checked by: Nobody yet
Company email:
Thank you for your inquiry. We are happy to say that we do not use animal products in any of our brands of beer. The ingredients are malt, corn, hops and water. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any further questions or comments. As one of the country's few remaining independent brewers, your support means a lot to us.

[+] Sleeman Breweries Ltd: Vegan Friendly

551 Clair Road West
Guelph, Ontario, N1L 1E9
P: 1-800-BOTTLES
Status: Vegan Friendly
Checked by: Vickie
Double Checked by: Nobody yet
Company Email:
"Hello Vickie,
Thank you for contacting us. It is my pleasure to tell you that we don't use any additives or preservatives in any of our brands. There are no animal products used in any phase of production.
All the best!
Sue Keuhl"

source 1: http://www.veganstandards.com/drinks.html
source 2: http://tastebetter.com/features/booze/type=beer

www.veganslovelava.ca

2007-08-12T14:13:00.000-04:00

It's been a crazy week! I have been working on my website non-stop morning and night and teaching myself how to program. That's no easy task! The website is still FAR from complete, however I'd love it if you checked it out at www.veganslovelava.ca (and I'd love it even more if you wanted to contribute some feedback!). I can't wait to get some products up! I've been speaking to some amazing people though, like vegetarian shoes, matt & nat, keep company, etc. If you're out there and you've got some ideas about what kind of products you'd like to see at a canadian vegan online store, please let me know. I'm excited to offer a big range of stuff from shoes to face cream to baby stuff to recycled paper. yep. the sky is the limit!

Took my dog to the vet today to get her paw bandaged. She ripped out her thumbnail (ew!). She was such a suck, I swear I've never seen a dog that's more like a human being. She is like a little kid who needs a bandaid and a hug to make things better. The whole time she was being bandaged she had her face against my chest. If she could talk she would have been saying; "mommy, i don't like this. make them stop!" in a cute sad voice, not a temper tantrum angry voice.

So another project I've got on the go is that I have got to figure out if Corona is actually vegan. Anybody know? A friend of mine swears he's gone to the brewery and claims he's seen the clarifying agent himself, and it was geletin. He said the same thing about Sleemans and Labatts, but I've read everywhere that those beers are vegan. Are the breweries just lying or is the information on the web inaccurate. I'm making it my mission to figure this out, because... well... I like beer.

Herbivore ROCKS

2007-08-03T16:29:00.000-04:00

Herbivore is an incredible clothing business / magazine from Portland, Oregon and if you haven't been to their site yet, you should because it's FULL of beautiful clothing and articles that will make your sides hurt. I figure there's no harm in posting this article, it's free, and it talks about Terra Pass. I think I'm going to go out and buy a Terra Pass for everyone I know. Happy Reading!

BestiaPass: Wash away your vegan sins, it’s easy!

By Ryan MacMichael and Josh Hooten

Celebrities love them some TerraPass. That’s those freakin’ awesome “things” you can buy that supposedly help you undo the damage your lifestyle has inflicted on the environment. The way it works is you give money to somebody else in the world who does something GOOD (like plant trees), to fix up your BAD (like having a manure lagoon). Want to be a proud steward of the land? No need to change your behavior at all, just throw some cash at the problem. Want to be a proud steward on the Love Boat? Sorry sailor, that show went off the air years ago.

There’s no feeling quite like driving around in an SUV from one end of your gigantic house to the other and then clearing your conscience the good old fashioned American way to “offset” your carbon use. Your very beautiful and famous carbon use.

But what about us non-filthy-rich vegans? We’re generally pretty environmentally aware and do everything within our grasp to avoid supporting the exploitation or suffering of animals. But even the strictest of strict vegans will make the occasional mistake. So, in order to offset the guilt that comes with making one of these mistakes, we present an honor code-based “vegan offset” program. No need to join, just follow our simple suggestions to ease your conscious and make up for the world o’ hurt you’re causing by simply existing in the first place.

Offense: Stepping on an ant.
Offset: Pour something sweet on the ground to attract more ants. This will accomplish two things: it will ease the surviving ants mourning and benefit the ant community at large as you’re providing nourishment and a safe place to grieve. Ideally you will do this somewhere other than where you killed the ant in the first place to avoid more senseless death at the hands… no… feet… of otherwise kindly souls… no… soles. Bonus points for using agave nectar so as to extend your circle of compassion to include diabetic ants. Extra bonus points if you hang around for at least a half hour redirecting any foot traffic that may be headed for your grieving pile of shitfaced-on-agave ant mound.

Offense: Accidentally eating a snack food that you later realize had whey in the ingredient list.
Offset: Volunteer at a farm sanctuary picking up cow pies. Apologize to the female cows as you do and give them a warm, solemn, “namaste.” If you do not live close to a farm sanctuary… well… next time read the ingredient list, you big dummy. There is no other way to offset this offense. Rectify it as prescribed or burn in karmic hell for all eternity. YES YOU!

Offense: Hitting an insect with windshield of your car.
Offset: Next time, ride your bike. Avoid showering for a day or two in order to provide a welcoming sanctuary for more flies, a la Pigpen from Charlie Brown. As this offense is so common and there are already plenty of smelly vegans out there, we endorse a preventative approach to this problem. We endorse bike riding but if you must drive we recommend driving 11 miles an hour in the brake down lane everywhere you go. It has been determined scientifically that that rate of travel will not harm insects in your way it will merely bump them gently. Don’t forget to turn on your hazard lights! This is also a great time to outfit your ride with pro-AR sentiment bumper stickers as you’ll be getting so much more attention on the road… er… in the breakdown lane. Be sure you only pick REALLY persuasive slogans like “Beef: It’s what’s rotting in your colon” and perhaps a quote or two from Gandhi or Einstein.

Offense: Using a speciesist cliché like “kill two birds with one stone” or “I’m gonna stuff this albino Walrus down your pants, manbaby!”
Offset: Memorize and use the cliché’s alternative from Joanne Stepaniak’s classic Vegan Vittles (”Slice two carrots with one knife.”), no matter how cheesy. Oh, crap. There I go.

(Note: Though Josh swears he heard it several times a day growing up, no one else at the Herbivore World Headquarters has been able to verify the Walrus line is a cliché. Hence, we have no specific recommendations for offsetting that term.)

You might also offset speciesist clichés by changing them into human centric clichés to help people realize the power of language and how harmful it can be. We have found the following to be very useful in getting people to think about what we’ve said. And in many cases, to walk away very quickly, we assume to go change their ways.

Instead of: Running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
Try: Running around like I just cut your head off!

Instead of: You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.
Try: You can’t make an omelet because I’ll break your legs.

Instead of: You will catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
Try: You will serve more salads if you use money instead of lettuce. But they are very expensive salads.

Offense: Eating a little bit of honey that made its way into your bread or pretzels or whatever it was.
Offset: Next time you’re drinking a smoothie and a sweets loving bee lands on your cup, let it drink its fill. Even if this takes all day. You ate some of her food, it’s only fair. If you’ve wracked up some infractions in this category, it is always a nice gesture to put a dozen or so really tiny straws into your smoothie so the bee can invite some friends to join him.

We’re also big fans of that weird phenomenon from the 80’s that was always on programs like Real People and That’s Incredible—the beard of bees. No idea how that relates to offsetting your callous and destructive ways, but wow huh? Beard of bees!

source: http://herbivoremagazine.com

The Beginning of LAVA

2007-08-02T22:49:00.000-04:00

So a lot has happened in the last couple of days. Being unemployed is GREAT!!! hahaha I'm very close to getting the store up and running... there is still a lot of reading and planning to do, but... the business name is registered and we have a domain name! I hope that soon we'll have a website, so that we can offer many more things than just my random ramblings and the cool articles I find on the internet. I've found a place that offers printing on 100% recycled paper with all vegetable based inks (how perfect is that?! - thank you Frogfile!)

How many people are vegan in Canada? How many people have a tough time buying vegan shoes (or other products) that are good quality and don't have to be shipped from another country? How many of us are there that would like decent, up to date information on vegan cuisine and culture? In the next few days it's my mission to figure out the answers to these questions and more! Starting up this online community is so exciting! I only wish that I could right more interesting blogs about everything I'm going through. Are you a writer (assuming I have readers out there...) please contact me. I think I'm more of a reader personally. Speaking of which, I'm reading Ecoholic right now, by Adria Vasil. Very interesting and very informative. I highly recommend it.

Thanks for reading. Love, Kelly

Vegan cat and dog food

2007-07-31T12:21:00.000-04:00

I have often questioned whether feeding our animal friends a vegan diet is the right thing to do. I am passionate about being vegan and of course, I want to transform everyone I love into a vegan but I try not to push my beliefs and values onto other people. With that in mind, I've never tried to "push" my veganism on any of my pets either. (Although, of course, I'm the one who decides what my cat and dog eat in the end, no matter what the decision, so I guess I'm pushing something either way!)

I've been doing some research on this, and it seems that vegan food is actually quite healthy for cats and dogs. Nevermind the fact that cats are "naturally" carnivores. There's nothing natural about a cat living inside a house and being taken care of by people. There is nothing natural about giving your pet cat or dog shots against rabies either. So the nature thing is really not a valid argument in my mind.

I found an article about a cat sanctuary in India that experimented with vegan cat food. I will try to come back to this topic, because information is scarce and most of what I read is promoted by companies that are selling vegan pet food. Although, if they are successful in selling.... i guess that means that the food is working for the pets and their owners. I think I will definately give this a try with my next animal, and I will let you know my results.

Here is the article for your reading pleasure:

Cats go vegan in Asia's biggest feline shelter

West Bengal, India, 09:15 AM IST

Kolkata - In Asia's biggest shelter for rescued cats, the feline inmates are turning vegetarian these days, thanks to animal lovers who import alternative Italian food for the furry laptops.

These days the cats in Karunakunj, a centre for rescued animals near here run by the Compassionate Crusaders Trust (CCT), are getting addicted to an Italian food which is completely vegetarian.

'To avoid serving non-veg food to cats some of our animal-loving patrons thought that we should try to find out an alternative vegetarian food which can provide cats required nourishment and at the same time save innocent lives of other animals,' said Debasis Chakraborti, founder of CCT, a strategic partner of Maneka Gandhi's People for Animals (PFA).

'After a lot of search the animal lovers found a company in Italy - AMI Srl - which can supply 100 percent vegetarian food without any ingredients of animals or insects but having all non-veg food qualities,' said Chakraborti as he laid out the veggie spread before the residents of the cattery.

Karunakunj, about 25 km from here in Thakurpukur area of South 24 Parganas district, is an animal farm complete with freely roaming dogs, an aviary, a burial ground for pets and the biggest cat shelter of Asia where even the walls are painted colourfully like a Disneyland and props like logs fitted to keep the cute creatures rolling in their playful mood.

'Of the 90 cats in our shelter we have chosen 10 (for veg food). We weighed them before introducing them to the food and then segregated them from the rest. They have fully accepted the food and in fact are overfeeding themselves,' said Chakraborti.

'The ones who are not separated are also given the food and they all are liking it as well,' he said.

This dietary change, launched last week, was inspired by the principle of non-violence advocated by the Jain religion.

'I am an animal lover and a Jain by religion. So hurting even a small ant is unacceptable to us. After a lot of searching we could locate this company in Italy,' said businessman Bulbul N. Shah who along with M.N. Shah, another animal lover, sponsored the food to begin with.

'I hope we would continue to get the programme organised and sponsored as both Jains and non-Jains from across the world would come forward to promote love and care for the animal world,' Bulbul N. Shah hoped.

Said Chakraborti: 'As it is difficult and expensive to import small quantities we can provide pet lovers with food at a nominal handling charge which will in turn support our financial needs.'

Bulbul N. Shah said, 'Shelf-life of this food appears to be six months and therefore four months consumption can be ordered at one time as two months time should be kept for transit.

'If we are successful in sending right message to right place, requirement will grow fast to bring down carrying cost considerably.'

source:http://www.indiaenews.com

Birdfeeding

2007-07-30T15:11:00.001-04:00

I had to repost this article found on www.grist.org because I found it truly fascinating. When you throw some seed on the ground or in a birdfeeder for our little feathered friends in the freezing cold winter, you think you're doing a good thing. At least I always have. It never crossed my mind to think of the environmental impact this action would have.

Dearest Umbra,

Every winter I take pleasure in putting out birdseed to feed the backyard wildlife. I purchase the easily available, run-of-the-mill, found-at-my-local-hardware-store type of seed. My question is, in the big picture ... am I doing more harm than good? If the feed I am using is grown conventionally, am I doing a greater harm to the ecosystem as a whole? Or, on balance, is it better to provide free nosh to the locals?

Sincerely,
Rebecca in northwest Pennsylvania

Dearest Rebecca,

Bird feeders can be seedy hangouts.

A tiny conundrum. I could find no definitive study on this topic, so we must wing our way through the eco-thicket. I don't think the ecological impacts of birdseed production are so bad that filling feeders must cease. Hobbies that involve regular purchases of supplies will always have an ecological impact. Stuff has an ecological impact. You have to weigh the benefits within your conscience in this case, but let's go over some minutiae.

Wild birds can survive without human assistance (it's bird welfare, I tell you). Bird food is technically unnecessary, bird food -- sunflower seeds, millet, corn, etc. -- requires all the inputs of conventional agriculture, if people did not buy the bird food to begin with, then maybe water, pesticides (which might be harming other birds), fertilizers, fuel, and packaging would not be used to make the bird food ... hard not to conclude that you should stop buying bird food. I mean: you are doing more harm to the ecosystem than if you were not feeding birds. Except, maybe in your desperation for a hobby you would pick up drag racing, and if bird feeding were the only way to stop the drag-racing addiction, then bird feeding would be better.

There are potentially harmful impacts of bird feeding. One mentioned above is that birds could be harmed directly or indirectly during the growing of the bird food, through pesticides or habitat disturbance. Organic feed would potentially solve both impacts, but not certainly. If you're considering organic feed, it is available online, though an excellent study has concluded that birds do not prefer organic feed (by Danielle, a fifth-grader in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.). You can harm backyard birds by taking a slovenly approach to feeder maintenance and contributing to the spread of diseases such as trichomoniasis. Backyard feeders should be cleaned fortnightly with soap, water, and a weak bleach solution. Old, moldering food must be removed. Cats must be deterred from killing the birds, preferably by complete confinement within the home. Birdbaths should be emptied and cleansed daily (this will also stop mosquito breeding within).

Let's just finish up with a little more discussion of birdseed, because agriculture is fascinating. The basic, good birdseed is black-oil sunflower seed. Sunflowers are one of the only agricultural crops, and the only oil seed crop, native to what is now the United States of America. The seeds are used mainly for their oily properties, which are excellent -- mild flavor, high smoke point -- although they do also have "confectionary" uses, i.e., we eat them whole as snacks. Birdseeds are basically the almost lowest-quality oil seeds. We can thank the Russians for the current popularity of sunflower oil, as they developed the extra-oily varieties we use today. One more little tidbit: sunflower oil, which is also used in some biofuel mixes, contains energy content equal to 93 percent of the energy content of No. 2 diesel fuel. Zounds.

Confectionally,
Umbra

source: www.grist.org

GO VEGAN

2007-07-30T12:18:00.000-04:00

I just recently moved back to Canada to start up a website called LAVA. Leather Alternatives and Vegan Accessories. I believe that there is not only a need for a store in Canada that is 100% vegan and offering all kinds of differents products that vegans have trouble getting elsewhere (ie SHOES!). The goal is to receive questions from readers and post the answers on this blog. That way, all of us vegans can benefit from all the information for free. If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or if you just want to say hi, please email me at kellytwomey@gmail.com and I will get back to you.

Right now, I'm just finding out how everything works. I will have the store part of the website done by the end of this year.

I'm really eager to get started though! By becoming vegan you are not only taking a huge step to help a lot of animals, you are also helping our planet. Here are just a few facts on why veganism is good for our planet:

- Rainforest is still being bulldozed to make way for grazing animals, or to make way for crops to feed livestock.
- Storage of massive amounts of manure containing ammonia is the second biggest cause of acid rain (after fossil fuels).
- It takes 1000L of water to produce 1kg of wheat. It takes 100,000L of water to produce 1kg of beef.
- Animal agriculture is extremely inefficient and is a huge contributor of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide (greenhouse gases that cause global warming).

Want to read more about it? Please check out http://www.viva.org.uk/guides/planetonaplate.htm

Animal Rights

2007-04-29T03:26:00.000-04:00

I don't know if you've noticed... but there are A LOT of groups out there fighting for animal rights. There are protests all the time. Anti-Fur, KFC Boycott, Against the Ring-Ling Circus. I don't necessarily have anything against protests, but I believe that we can accomplish so much more with a positive demonstration. Instead of seeing an Anti-Fur rally, I'd love to see a PRO-faux fur rally. So maybe I should start a group that is based more on positive actions (I'll call it... SpiderLove... what else?). Wasn't it Mother Theresa that said that she would never attend an Anti-war protest, but she would definately attend a pro-peace demonstration? I think Mother Theresa was onto something there. It's the LAW. If we all think peace, we'll get peace. I have never been interested in attending a protest, and pushing my beliefs on other people. The people that I come in contact with in my life, quickly get to know that I am passionate about veganism and animals. If those people are interested in animal rights, I love to share my thoughts and ideas with them, and listen to what they believe. If however, they ask me idiotic questions like "Don't vegetables have feelings too?" or if their first response is about whether or not my shoes are leather (almost as if they can catch me "cheating"), then I know that there is little point trying to have a discussion. I am going to build a community for positive-minded people, who want to make a change by thinking about love, peace, compassion (no negative words here). I think this community will be huge! Most people want to help, and they end up joining protests because they believe that that can make a difference. However, I think, when you spray red paint on someone's fur coat, you not only give off a negative agressive impression, but you also piss that person off! What are the chances that the person is going to completely change their minds about fur? Is it not better to promote the good things the fur-wearer would be doing by supporting faux fur, or other materials... I don't know... just a thought.

A little lesson about Nutritional Yeast

2007-04-25T17:07:00.000-04:00

Yeasts are a group of microscopic single-celled fungi, relatives of the mushroom. More than 100 different species are known.

Nutritional yeasts can be used as condiments and supplements. They are rich in B vitamins. The yellowish colour of the yeast comes from the concentration of the B vitamin riboflavin. Some nutritional yeasts contain high-quality protein, with both essential and nonessential amino acids, as well as the vitamins niacin, thiamin, biotin, and folic acid and minerals selenium, chromium, zinc, phosphorus, and magnesium.

Gluten-Free

Primary-grown nutritional yeast is grown on mixtures of beet and sugar cane molasses. After it is grown and the fermentation process is complete, the yeast is harvested, washed, pasteurized, and dried at a high temperature. As a result, this yeast is guaranteed to be free of the Candida albicans strain of yeast. It contains no gluten.

This yeast is very easy to digest. Its delicious nutty-roasted taste lends itself to many cuisines. Two teaspoons (10 mL) of yeast flakes provide one microgram of vitamin B12, the recommended daily intake for most adults. I sprinkle it on my cereal, spaghetti, popcorn, and mix it into smoothies. Kept in a cool dry place, it can last for a year.

source: http://www.alive.com/3300a6a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=7

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