Back in my less ethical omni/dietary vegetarian days, I was a big fan of Doc Martens. And I say this as someone who was never really into shoes to begin with (certainly not in a stereotypically “girly” way, anyhow). In particular, I had this one pair of gold, glittery sequined boots that were just fierce. My shit kickers, I called ‘em, but not because they were designed for wear while doing hard, dirty labor – rather, they imparted a feeling of bad-assness (assitude?), such that I felt like I could cut through any amount of bullshit while stomping around in those bad girls. (Think definition #6 vs. #1 in the Urban Dictionary.)

So when the nice folks at Vegan Chic offered to send me a pair of winter boots for review, I jumped at the offer – more specifically, at their Workshoe-Inspired Women’s Vegan Boot. Alas, so did everyone else; in the time it took me to shoot an email to a Vegan Chic rep, my size sold out! Luckily, these shoes proved so popular that Vegan Chic recommissioned them. Score! I received my very own pair a few weeks ago, I am happy to report.

The weather has been dreadful as of late, and seeing as I work at home and all, I haven’t much left the house. I did, however, wear these outside yesterday while shoveling off the patio. It was 15 degrees if that, and snowy and windy to boot. Bundled as I was in a freezer jacket and two hand-me-down left-hand Isotoner gloves,* my feet were the only body parts that stayed warm. The pleather repelled the melting snowflakes wonderfully,

keeping my feet dry and toasty. Probably I wouldn’t wear these out in a monster snowstorm – there was only a few inches of snow for me to shovel – but that’s just because I wouldn’t want to punish such good-looking shoes.

If the reviews on Vegan Chic are any indication, these boots seem to run a little on the large side; if you’re getting them for winter wear, though, you’ll want a little extra room for thick, cozy socks anyhow. I doubled up, with a pair of anklets under my super-awesome, super-happy rainbow Scooby Doo slipper socks.

They’re just barely peeking over the top of the boots, see?

Who says I’m not totally cute and cuddly, hmmm?

By the by, that last photo has a photocopy layer blended on top of the actual photo, to give it that quirky day-glo look. The boots are much darker and more muted than this!

* Ugh, yes, leather trim and all. I keep meaning to replace them, but winters in Missouri are usually so mild, this is the first year I’ve had a need for thick winter gloves. Bad vegan, bad!

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Tagged: vegan veganism vegan chic review boots vegan boots pleather black pleather black pleather boots punk rock workshoe boots winter boots shiny flickr photos goodies scooby doo slipper socks snow storm

My mother is notoriously difficult to shop for. If you buy her clothing, odds are she won’t like it. Give her jewelry, most likely she won’t wear it (allergies). She doesn’t have much extra time to read books or watch movies; now that her nest is empty, she works three jobs (making her kids look like lazy asshats in comparison!). Edible yumyums are a good choice, but I’ve fallen back on chocolates so often that I’m starting to look somewhat unimaginative. So when Mother’s Day came around, I found myself in bit of a pickle. And while I love pickles, it’s not my favorite place to be.

For whatever reason, Etsy came to mind, and I decided to check it out. The craftacular Etsy, by the by,

is a website that provides the general public with a way to buy and sell handmade items as well as vintage items and craft supplies. Handmade items cover a wide range including art, photography, clothing, jewelry, edibles, bath & beauty products, and toys. The site follows in the tradition of open craft fairs, giving sellers personal storefronts where they list their goods for a fee.

Etsy allows sellers to self-organize into different “teams” – which are kind of like plazas composed of similar store fronts. Teams can form around a location, craft, medium, interest, lifestyle, philosophy…I think you know where I’m going with this! Etsy boasts two teams of interest: EtsyVeg (tagline: “Your source for unique goods from vegan and vegetarian artisans”) and the more discriminating Vegan Etsy (“We Read Ingredients” – please and thank you!).

After much browsing – I am an obsessive comparison shopper – I settled on some baked goods from The Cupcake Mint: 1 Dozen Giant Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies; 4 Oatmeal Raisin Spice Vegan Cookie Cream Sandwiches; and Half Dozen Jumbo Vegan Cinnamon Rolls, samples of which are pictured above (photo courtesy my lil’ sis). Naturally, I cannot attest to the yumminess of any of these, since 1,000+ miles separated my mother the baked goods and myself, but I heard from my mother, my grandmother, and yes, even my sister that they were incredible: huge, gooey, soft, sweet – everything cookies and pastries should be. Win!

Anyhow, since my minor victory, I’ve taken to browsing Etsy in search of gift ideas. I prefer to support fellow vegans with my purchasing power whenever possible, and Etsy is home to some really talented vegans! (Many of them women, which is a double bonus for this vegan feminist.)

For example, the Vegan Etsy team features 146 members, including these storefronts, which are among my favorites:

* The Cupcake Mint, whose specialty is – duh! – cupcakes. Mark my words, cinnamon rolls – one day, you will be mine.

* KT’s Kitchen – Another vegan bakery, KT’s has a wide variety of goods, including Liz Lemon cookies, which makes me all smiley and happy.

* UberDuperCreations, which sells handmade dog dishes and treat jars, as well as vegan and animal rights zines. Dog treat production will be resuming sometime in the future!

* SweetFritsy is home to vegan baked goods and some homemade candies, too. Everything is crazy cute, especially the seasonal Halloween goodies.

* Cody Pendent rocks the party. And if you were to buy me the Little Red Riding Hood, you’d totally rock, too. (*wink, wink*)

* Starrlight Jewelry makes incredibly gorgeous goth jewelry – and for animal companions, too.

I could go on and on, but seeing as it’s 7PM and I’ve yet to eat dinner, probably all I’ll do is inventory vegan bakeries and drool on my keyboard, so it’s best to wrap this shit up. Etsy can be a magical place for vegans, especially if you know where to shop! Many of the sellers are individual DIYers or small businesses, so if you have a special request or need something made custom, Etsy is your friend. There are also lots of good deals to be had, plus the aforementioned fuzzy wuzzies that come from supporting Team Vegan.

Links you’ll need:

Vegan Etsy Team page

Vegan Etsy blog

Vegan Etsy Facebook fan page

Vegan Etsy on MySpace

EtsyVeg Team page

EtsyVegan blog

EtsyVegan Facebook fan page

EtsyVeg on Twitter

Got a vegan shop on Etsy? Promote away!

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Tagged: vegan veganism food food blogging carnival october veganmofo vegan mofo vegan month of food PPK Post-Punk Kitchen animals animal rights animal welfare herbivore meat-free dairy-free cruelty-free animal lovers blog swarm etsy shopping baked goods diy crafts feminism frugal frugality cheap deals flickr photos gifts

Today was a gorgeous autumn day: warm and sunny, not hot, not cold – the perfect t-shirt weather.

(Lucky for me, the UPS delivery person brought me a shiny new animal rights tee this very afternoon, along with some replacement Dandies and nomnomnom! Go Max Go bars from Vegan Essentials

- but I digress, big time.)

Because it’s also likely that today was the last such day this season (oh 10-day forecast, why must you mock me so?!), I spent much of it outside, doing yard work (redundant much?) while the dog-kids frolicked, burrowed, grazed, lounged. They’re delightfully exhausted now – it was all Rennie could do to lift her head upon hearing Ozzy’s hungry meows echo from down the hallway – and so is their mommy. But whereas those lazy fuckers can nap ’til dawn, I still have a VeganMoFo post to write!

‘Tis a good thing I hit the kitch today. While waiting for the weather to warm this morning, I made the dogs a pot of (Liquid) smokey, (nutritional yeast) cheezy potato soup. Having finished their sweet potato soup yesterday afternoon, I wasn’t left with much of a choice now, was I? (Eat their kibble plain? Blasphemy!) I needed a replacement, and fast. I was too rushed to find and follow a recipe, so I improvised. ‘Twas a success all around – I liked the dish (well, up until I mixed in the nutritional yeast – I’m not a fan), and come lunch time, they gobbled it down with gusto. Maybe your dog-kids would enjoy this gravy on their kibble too?

Cheezy Smokey Potato Soup

Ingredients

1 16 ounce bag of dried navy beans OR 6 cups cooked navy beans OR 3 pounds cooked navy beans OR 4 16 ounce cans of navy beans
8-12 cups water
2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 baking potatoes
8-12 cups water

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup nutritional yeast
4 cups plain soy milk

Directions

1. If using dried beans, sort, rinse and soak the beans the night before making this dish. If using canned beans, skip to step 2.

2. When you’re ready to get all veganmofo-ey on their asses pods, drain and rinse the beans, cover with water (by about a half of an inch), mix in the Liquid Smoke, and cook on medium heat for an hour or so, until the beans are tender. Leave the pot covered as it heats up, and then cook uncovered, stirring constantly, so that much of the water can dissolve.

3. Transfer the cooked beans to a large Tupperware container.

4. Rinse out the pot. Add the olive oil, bring to medium heat, and then toss in the garlic. Cook on low, stirring constantly, until the garlic is golden brown.

5. As you’re waiting for the garlic to cook, clean and cube four white baking potatoes into 12 or so pieces each. You can peel them if you’d like, but I left the skins on.

6. Add the potatoes to the pot and cover with water (again, 8 to 12 cups). Cook, covered and on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes liquefy. You can use a hand masher to speed up the process. (If you’re multitasking like moi, this step will take between 30 and 45 minutes.)

7. Once the potatoes have dissolved, stir in the garlic powder and cumin.

8. Add the nutritional yeast and mix until blended.

9. Add the soy milk a cup at a time, stirring the pot after each cup. Keep adding soy milk (or, alternately, water) until the soup reaches the desired consistency.

10. Remove the soup from the stove and combine it with the navy beans in the storage container. If you prefer, you can add the beans to the soup pot and cook, covered over medium heat, for a few minutes to warm the beans up.

Optional: If this is for your dog-kids, you can makes the beans more readily digestible by breaking them up in a blender or food processor. To do this, after you’ve mixed soup with beans, transfer the finished product to a blender or food processor and blend/process in batches.

Optional x 2: In place of beans, blend the soup with silken tofu for that added protein kick. Skip steps 1 through 3 and make this your new #10. In which case, #10 would really be #7. Confusing much?

Optional x 3: Creamy Potato -n- Corn Spowder, which served as my jumping-off point for this dish!

Happy noshing!

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Tagged: vegan veganism food food blogging carnival october veganmofo vegan mofo vegan month of food Isa Chandra Moskowitz PPK Post-Punk Kitchen animals animal rights animal welfare herbivore meat-free dairy-free cruelty-free animal lovers blog swarm recipe soup potato soup potatoes liquid smoke garlic nutritional yeast my furkids dog canine pet companion animal animal companions dog food cumin vegan essentials flickr photos

v.

Aesthetics

Whereas the pillowy shape of Dandies resembles that of traditional, gelatin-based marshmallows, Sweet & Saras are square, squat and dense.

Winner: Dandies are cuter, but I’m loathe to endorse lookism. Tie.

Flavors

Sweet & Saras come in three flavors: vanilla, vanilla coated in toasted coconut flakes, and strawberry. In addition to marshmallows, the company also sells S’Mores (both “plain” and peanut butter flavored) and Rocky Road bark. I can vouch for the yumminess of all, save for the strawberry marshmallows, which were not available when I placed an order.

Dandies are, as of this writing, only available in one flavor: vanilla. Give ‘em time, though, they’re still noobs.

Winner: The point goes to Sweet & Sara for creativity.

Marshmallowy-ness

Sweet & Saras are square, squat and very dense; if I were crafty enough to make my own marshmallows, they might look something like Sweet & Saras. (That’s one big “if,” though.) They have that pan-made shape about them.

Dandies are pillowy, light and fluffy; that’s the power of air puffing, baby! Much like “real” marshmallows, Dandies are soft and squishy, lightly dusted with powder (angel dust, perchance?) – and highly addictive. They’re similar in constitution to my Kaylee, with one important difference: edibility.

As much as I coo that I could eat her up, I won’t.

Sweet & Saras and Dandies are similar in size, ranking somewhere between traditional Mini and Jumbo marshmallows. They’re a little too big for baking (without cutting, that is), but too small for jamming on the end of a sharpened stick and roasting fireside. Hopefully variety will increase with demand. Please, gals and guys?

Winner: Dandies, fer sure. Assuming you aren’t grossed out by mock marshmallows.

Snacking

Between their S’Mores, Rocky Road bark and Toasted Coconut (and strawberry flavored) marshmallows, Sweet & Sara provides plenty of snacking opportunities. The Toasted Coconut marshmallows are especially addictive at room temp.

Again, though, we return to the light, fluffy, airy quality of the Dandies; these are marshmallows as you remember them, just without the horse bone.

Winner: In the case of Vanilla v. Vanilla, Dandies wins fer sure. (That is, unless you dislike faux meat and feel the same about marshmallows; see: “Marshmallowy-ness” above). But Sweet & Sara brings the variety, with maximum snackability.

Baking

Thus far, I’ve found the Sweet & Saras and Dandies to be nearly identical in baking/baked goods.

For example, I used the both the vanilla and toasted coconut Sweet & Saras to make a batch of Chewy Chocolate Marshmallow Granola Bars,

and subbed in Dandies in place of walnuts in Vivacious Vegan’s Best Brownies Ever,

and the marshmallows melted, congealed and tasted the same. (A word of warning: when baking or microwaving, allow plenty of room for the marshmallows to expand and contract. It’d been so long since I’d been with a marshmallow that I’d forgotten that they need room to breath, and almost had a nuclear meltdown in my oven when experimenting with the Chocolate Marshmallow Granola Bars.)

The insides of each are sticky and make for irksome cutting – a quality probably shared by all marshmallows – but the angel dust on the Dandies make them slightly easier to hold while slicing.

Winner: Whichever is cheaper – you’re just melting them in the oven, yo!

Hot chocolate

Since they’re smaller and fluffier, the Dandies melt more quickly in hot liquid than do the Sweet & Saras. Of course, this may or may not be a positive, depending on your tastes.

Winner: Varies by judge.

Ice cream

Ditto: “Baking.”

Roasting

Clearly I’m a tool for saying this, but I’ve yet to try fire roasting or S’Mores-ing these yet.

On the plus size, Sweet & Sara sells pre-packaged S’Mores, and in two flavors, at that. Perfect for lazy vegans such as myself.

Winner: To be determined. Probably a tie.

Microwave

When I was a meat-eating toehead with a stomach of iron, I used to gorge on all manner of grossness: Fried bologna? Check. Cold hot dogs? Check. Fried beef patties topped with pan-fried bacon? Check. Dinty Moore Beef Stew? Hells yes. (I even had a promotional sticker album, gag.) Raw brownie batter, complete with uncooked, germ-infested eggs? I used to hide that shit in my room!

Another favorite snack was marshmallows and chocolate chips, microwaved for maximum swirliness, and then left to harden into a kind of bark. Upon receiving my shiny new boxes of Sweet & Sara and Dandies marshmallows, I hadn’t tried this “treat” in years. Decades, even. (I dropped gelatin along with meat when I went vegetarian, figuring that bone wasn’t much diff than the flesh that used to hang from it.) So, one lazy Friday afternoon, I decided to make a chocolate/marshmallow dipping mix for my fresh strawberries.

That iron stomach I mentioned a few paragraphs up? I think I left it on a roller coaster somewhere in NY. Ugh. Never again will I ruin a perfectly perfect batch of strawberries by drowning them in a vat of overcooked sugar. Bad, bad idea.

Anyway, the point of the story is that, as with baking, Sweet & Saras and Dandies react much the same under high heat. They huff, they puff, they threaten to blow your microwave door off. And then, just when you’re ready stuff them into your gaping maw, they deflate and harden, and eventually collect in the pit of your stomach, making you rue the day you caved to nostalgia.

Winner: We’re all losers here. Although, I bet Sweet & Sara’s S’Mores would taste good after 10-15 seconds in the microwave. (Note to self: remember to try that tonight. Or whenever you’re able to purge all memory of the Great Chocolate/Marshmallow Disaster of ’09 from your taste buds.)

The Final Verdict

Winner: Vegans the world over.

Hey, I’m just ecstatic that we (finally) have not one, but two brands of ready-made vegan marshmallows from which to choose.

Victory, thy taste is sweet and compassionate.

Addendum

New Zealand-based Angel Food sells a DIY marshmallow kit; for $8.00 NZD, you’ll get either “50 good-sized deliciously smooth marshies” – or a world of heartache, depending upon your competency in the kitchen. These were sold out when I bought the Dandies from Cosmo’s Vegan Shoppe, but the next time I place an order, I’ll throw one of these kits in my cart. I’ll be sure to update this post after my experiment. I’m not feeling optimistic, though. Reviews suggest that the kit is temperamental and difficult to pull off. The mighty Isa, I am not.

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Tagged: vegan veganism vegetarian vegetarianism marshmallows vegan marshmallows sweet & sara dandies chicago soydairy s’mores brownies granola bars ice cream baking hot chocolate snacks review taste test comparison flickr photos product review

Vaute Couture –

Perhaps you’ve heard of them? They’re a vegan fashion house based in Chicago? Supportive of emerging artists, eco-friendly and cruelty-free? Founder Leanne Mai-ly Hilgar was recently named one of the “20 Under 30″ by VegNews magazine? (You remember! – the list that made the rest of us vegans feel like sorry slackers?)

- anyhow, in 2008, Vaute Couture announced that they wanted to design and launch a special new winter coat, the sale of which would benefit Farm Sanctuary. VC left the specifics of the planned peacoat up to a popular vote, which closed last October. The result? A seriously cute pea/dress coat, dubbed the Vaute Coat (and also known, quite appropriately, as the “Farm Sanctuary benefit coat”). Naturally, it’s 100% vegan and way too expensive for my pocketbook. But if you *heart* fashion and Farm Sanctuary – or *heart* someone who does (a blogger, by any chance? maybe she has a potty mouth and wears a size medium?) – the Vaute Coat would make a sweet x-mas gift, just not to die for.

Here are the details, via Farm Sanctuary:

Introducing Fall/Winter’s Must-Have Item: The First High Style + Function Coat with a Conscience

– Sales of Vaute Couture’s 100% Vegan, Ethically Produced Coat to Benefit Farm Sanctuary’s Rescue and Rehabilitation Work for Abused Farm Animals –

– Activist Fashion House on Forefront of Vegan Fashion Trend –

Chicago, IL – July 14, 2009 – When Michael Jackson sang about turning up the collar on his favorite winter coat in “Man in the Mirror,” his anthem to discovering your ethical core, he very well could have been singing about Vaute Couture’s mission to change the world one fabulously chic, vegan, eco-conscious coat at a time. This fall/winter, the Chicago-based activist fashion house is “gonna make a change” for farm animals with the launch of their limited run “Vaute” coat. Already on the wish list of conscientious fashion forward women around the world and guaranteed to become your favorite winter coat, all profits from the sale of this runway-worthy coat are being donated to Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, to support their vital mission to end cruelty to animals and promote compassionate living through rescue, education and advocacy.

A Coat with a Conscience

Being truly lovely starts from the inside. The alluring pea/dress coat — inspired by the winning illustration chosen by 8,000 voters from the Vaute Couture community, and interpreted into a feminine hourglass silhouette with oversized asymmetrical collar, puffed sleeves and inverted pleated skirt — is fully lined in a windproof 100 percent recycled zero waste satin ripstop, and is wind, water and snow resistant. The product of eight months of fabric research, it is constructed of a brand new technologically advanced fabric from the Polartec® Wind Pro ® Series that is luxuriously soft and designed to retain heat while staying slim and flattering. Hilgart chose fabrics with Chicago women in mind, offering performance level quality in sweet cuts as an answer to the hoards of North Face wearing women who want something just as comfortable but with a more feminine look. It is vegan, eco-conscious, artist inspired, and made on a living wage in Chicago.

Entrepreneurship = The New Activism

Born out of founder Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart’s desire to merge her passion for design and voice for the animals (and to produce a fabulous vegan coat to endure a Chicago winter!), Vaute Couture (as in “haute couture,” but with a “V” for vegan and pronounced “vote” because a purchase is a vote made with your dollar) is committed to discovering, supporting and developing more ethical production methods and high function materials that are animal, earth and socially conscious.

“Our raison d’être is to make it easier and more carefree to live a compassionate life full of style, comfort and warmth,” said Hilgart, a Ford model who was on contract in Hong Kong last summer when she started Vaute Couture and was recently named one of VegNews Magazine’s “20 Under 30” activists to watch. “When I visited Farm Sanctuary’s New York Shelter and spent time with the lovely and intelligent animals who live there, it was a great motivator to keep working on their behalf. The rescued animals come from conditions so stressful and violent, I’m touched and inspired by the love and friendship that they give us after all they’ve been through. Farm Sanctuary is a magical place; it’s one of my favorites in the world. The Vaute coat is my way of honoring their courage and driving the industry toward more ethical standards for high design and function fabrics.”

Why Vegan?

Veganism, the natural extension of vegetarianism, is an integral component of a cruelty-free lifestyle. Choosing not to use or consume any animal products, including dairy, eggs, fur, leather, down, or wool provides numerous benefits for animals, the environment and an individual’s own personal wellbeing. Dressy winter coats, until now, have been almost exclusively made of wool, and are the end product of a cruel and violent process where sheep are roughly handled, cut and mistreated in the name of profit. Last year, 30 labels, including Timberland, H&M and Abercrombie & Fitch, signed on to ban Australian wool (BusinessWeek) in protest of this industry’s engagement in egregiously cruel practices, such as mulesing (a very painful mutilation) and live sheep export. Yet no fashion label has focused on developing a stylish wool-alternative coat, until now.

“When consumers become aware of the suffering that went into the production of their coats, most are no longer comfortable wearing the results of that abuse on their backs,” explained Farm Sanctuary’s Development Director Samantha Ragsdale. “Farm Sanctuary is honored to have the support of such a compassionate, visionary design house. Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart and Vaute Couture are light-years ahead of the industry.”

The Vaute Coat is a must-have for non-vegan/eco women too. “The fabrics we chose aren’t just vegan alternatives, they are a great innovation for sensitive skin too,” noted Hilgart. “In addition to their weather protection qualities, these cruelty-free fabrics are incredibly sensual next to your skin, which is great news for women who are sensitive to rough fabrics like wool.”

Equally gorgeous over dresses, jeans, or leggings, the Luxe Vaute coat can be ordered at www.vautecouture.com/p-17-vaute-coat-preorder.aspx and is available in Black, Cobalt Blue, Gray, and Ivory, as well as a Honeycomb Recycled Black version, and in sizes XS-XL.

More information about cruelty-free fashion is available at vegforlife.org/wears.htm.

The coat is only being produced in a limited run for 2009, with an initial availability of 25 per style/color this season.

* Incidentally, the XL Blue was the first (and, at the time of this writing, the only) style to sell out.

Just sayin’.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare action alerts farm sanctuary goodies shopping Vaute Couture Vaute Coat benefit fundraiser gifts coat vegan peacoat eco-friendly fashion green veganism cruelty-free animal-friendly chicago

Stephanie (of the Animal Rights blog at Change.org) also wrote about That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals, and the importance of children’s books in fostering compassion in the next generation. Check it out – as a former nanny, her thoughts on this are quite relevant. (Me, I don’t even have so much as a niece or nephew, and haven’t really been around a young’un for twenty years or so!)

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A few days ago – possibly while browsing Vegan Dad’s archives in search of yummy vegan recipes – I stumbled upon a link to That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals: A Site About Vegans, Vegetarians, and all Living Things. Populated by whimsical drawings of chickens, pigs, cows, dolphins and bugs, and aimed at the naturally animal-loving training wheels set, TWWDEA, is so ridiculously cute that it kind of makes me want to be a kid again.

Better yet, the website’s actually a supplement to an upcoming children’s book by author/artist/teacher Ruby Roth (who herself is a bundle of vegan cuteness) called That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals: A Site About Vegans, Vegetarians, and all Living Things.

That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals takes a candid, compassionate look at the plight of animals on factory farms, using gorgeous artwork and lively text to introduce vegetarianism and veganism to early readers.

An endearing cast of animals is shown both in their natural state—rooting around, bonding, nuzzling, cuddling, grooming one another, and charming each other with their family instincts and rituals—and in the sad conditions of the factory farm. The book also addresses the effect eating animals has on our environment, rainforests, and endangered species. At the end, a section entitled “What Else Can We Do?” suggests ways children can learn more about the vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.

The boldest step yet in children’s literature, this heartfelt, informative book offers a key resource to inspire parents and children to talk about a timely, increasingly important subject.

Ms. Roth explains the genesis and gist of the book in this video, also available on the site:

The book is geared towards kids aged 4 to 10, and has received endorsements from an impressive and lengthy list of advocates and activists, including Jane Goodall (herself quite the children’s writer/educator), Alicia Silverstone, John Robbins, Ed Begley, Jr., Ingrid Newkirk and Rory Freedman.

You can view more of Ms. Roth’s artwork on her Flickr stream, where she shares some super-sweet bumper sticker style drawings. They’re all adorable, but I especially love this one:

Probably due in no small part to my recent thoughts on animal agriculture and its effects on the parent/child bond, which is as strong (if not more so) in many non-human animal species as it is in homo sapiens.

In any case, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, god-mother and fathers, friends of the family – any vegan, vegetarian or animal activist with a young’un in their life – should consider pre-ordering a copy of That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals. (And all else, implore your local library to do so.) In compiling a children’s reading list, I found a number of books which address certain animal issues – usually related to animal companions, i.e., dogs and cats – but thus far, Ruby Roth’s is the only kid’s book to tackle factory farming and veganism. (Not just vegetarianism, but veganism! The mega-enviro orgs won’t even touch veganism with a ten-foot spork, yo!)

(Of course, I could be wrong, in which case I’d love to know. Parents and guardians, help me build up this reading list!)

If you’d like to learn more, check out the book’s: Flickr stream; Facebook page; MySpace page; You Tube channel; and, of course, the website.

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare book kid’s book children’s book ruby roth vegan veganism vegetarian vegetarianism factory farming factory farm animal agriculture teaching parenting cartoons drawings art That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals compassion humane education

A few months back, Vegan Chic (formerly known as Vegetarian Shoes and Bags) contacted me about doing a link exchange and asked if I’d like to review a product from their spring line. Whee! Free shoes! Who could resist? Not I!

The link exchange was easy enough, particularly since I’d already included the company – under the old name and URL – in the “online vendors” category of my blogroll. (I’d link to the category, but Shane hasn’t set up the permalinks yet. Drats. Just look to your right, and down.)

Unfortunately, it’s taken me much, much too long to review the shoes, for which I apologize to Jessica and Chris profusely. My mailing address is a PO Box, and as it’s a good 25-minute drive from my home, I don’t always make it down there on a weekly basis. And of course, by the time I retrieved the shoes (or rather, sent the Mr. to do so), I was out of commish for a few weeks while my immune system struggled to overcome (succumb to?) the attack of the Killer Juniper Trees. But it’s still May, and seeing as these cuties are for spring/summer wear, I’m right on time!

So. The shoes!

Allow me to introduce you to the Ines by Neuaura:

This gem of a vegan shoe hails from Neuaura, creator of the very best animal-friendly footwear. Flexible and supple, this vegan shoe is incredibly comfortably molding easily to the shape of your foot. Created from a glossy patent pleather and a faux-snakeskin material, this shoe is very chic and very exclusive.

Featuring a very comfortable padded footbed, and supple pleather lining, you’ll love how these feel on your feet. Accented with a lovely metallic buckle, and attractive stitching, you’ll be the envy of your friends with this fantastic casual shoe. Extremely desirable.

* Glossy patent pleather and faux-snakeskin upper
* Supple and soft
* Comfortable fit
* Accented stitching
* Prominent metallic buckle
* Padded footbed
* Supple pleather lining
* Fashionable and unique

It comes in red, too. (I had a hard time choosing, but naturally I went with the more practical color.)

As you can see, they’re ridiculously cute. And shiny! (In both the literal and Firefly slang sense of the word. I didn’t realize it at first, but you can see my reflection in the shoes in all but a few of the photos I snapped this afternoon. Speaking of which, I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and do a spring themed shoot outdoors. Indulge me, won’t you?)

They’re also very light and comfortable – it hardly feels like you’re wearing shoes, let alone dress shoes – with a deceptively cushy layer of padding. They’re not as heavily cushioned as, say, a pair of Crocs (no laughing!), but they’ve got enough padding that my ankles and knees don’t ache when I walk on my concrete slab floors. (Potential joint pain is a small price to pay for never having to clean Kaylee pee off of a cheap carpet, I tell you what.)

The curve is an interesting feature – as you can see from the photos on Vegan Chic’s website, the shoes curve a bit naturally, making them rather flexible. I get the impression that, with time, the padding will gradually mold itself to my feetsies, but it’s too soon to tell. Either way, super-comfy.

And did I mention that they’re shiny!?

Vegan Chic’s spring line is rather impressive (and the women’s selection runs a whopping 32 pages), so if you’re in the market for some new shoes, check ‘em out. They also have carry several styles of boots that I quite like (but alas, I already own more than one pair of vegan boots!), and some pretty fierce-looking heels (I’m too timid and clutzy to step into anything over an inch).

Or, if an occasion for gift-giving is fast approaching, and the recipient loves/needs/wants shoes, consider going veg, even if the giftee is not. Vegan gifts are a great way to show non-vegans that ethical choices don’t necessarily require a lifetime of sacrifice and living without. And, you know, you get to vote with your wallet, too.

(As an aside, I purchased some vegan baked goods from a vegan seller on Etsy for my mother this past Mother’s Day. With one purchase, I was able to support a vegan-owned business, get my mom a unique gift she enjoyed and show her and the rest of my family that vegan sweets are every bit as good as the cruelty-laden stuff – all without violating my own morals by supporting businesses and buying products to which I’m ethically opposed. Win! And also, review forthcoming, as soon as my lil’ sis sends me the photos she snapped of all the yummy sweets.)

If you do decide to purchase shoes online, be sure to confirm the sizes and fit beforehand. I guesstimated my size, and FAILED. (It’s been awhile, I suppose.) A size 7 Ines was a little tight, whereas a 7.5 fits like a glove. On the plus side, exchanging the shoes was a breeze.

One last photo (these shoes are like eye candy, I swear), and then I’ll leave you with a press release Jessica included with her initial email. It describes the reasons behind Vegan Chic’s name change and gives a brief company overview. And of course, you can learn more at www.veganchic.com.

PRESS RELEASE
February 25, 2009

927 Pine Cone Lane
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
p: 608.577.9337
f: 715.720.6885
e: jessica [at] libradesignandmedia.com

For More Information, Contact:
Jessica Burfield
jessica [at] libradesignandmedia

Vegetarian Shoes and Bags Announces Company Name Change to Vegan Chic

Tarzana, CA —Vegetarian Shoes and Bags, an online, Vegan Society Certified retail boutique featuring 100% vegan, cruelty-free shoes and accessories, announced expansion to the company’s vegan visions today with a new name, Vegan Chic, with plans of expanding the company’s line of animal-friendly products. The change was introduced to further reinforce the company’s belief that consumers can “look fierce without being cruel.”

“The name ‘Vegan Chic’ better communicates our core belief that you can be vegan and still be fashionable and glamorous,” states the Vegan Chic management team. “We strive to create a vegan shopper’s paradise, and under our new name, Vegan Chic, we have more room to make that happen.” Vegan Chic will carry the same animal-friendly line of boots, shoes and handbags from famous name brands such as Simple, Earth, Ecolution, CL Laundry, Madden Girl, Punk Rose, which consumers have grown to love. Additionally, though, the company will now offer a greater variety of apparel, such as belts, wallets and clothing. This expansion will make Vegan Chic a one-stop shop for consumers looking at maintaining their vegan lifestyle or simply wanting to find a complete and fashionable ecofriendly outfit from head to toe using guilt-free fashions.

Vegan consumers can be assured that Vegan Chic will still provide “fear-free browsing” as the company plans to further ensure that every item is 100% vegan and cruelty-free without exception. They plan to continue striving to make a genuine difference in the world by donating to animal charities and offering products that support their earth-friendly values, containing natural, organic and sustainable materials.

For more information on Vegan Chic, contact Jessica Burfield at Libra Design and Media, 608-577- 9337, or jessica [at] libradesignandmedia.com, and visit Vegan Chic at www.veganchic.com.
 
 
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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare vegan veganism vegetarian vegetarianism vegan chic shoes vegan shoes pleather Ines Neuaura spring spring collection women’s shoes black flats shopping review flickr photos fashion

A belated shout-out to Columbia University Press, who sent me a copy of Dr. Paola Cavalieri’s latest, The Death of the Animal: A Dialogue, a few weeks back. You may know of Dr. Cavalieri through The Animal Question: Why Non-Human Animals Deserve Human Rights (2001) and The Great Ape Project: Equality Beyond Humanity (1994), which she co-edited with Peter Singer.

The Death of the Animal looks to be an intriguing mix of philosophy, ethology, psychology and anthrozoology:

While moral perfectionists rank conscious beings according to their cognitive abilities, Paola Cavalieri launches a more inclusive defense of all forms of subjectivity. In concert with Peter Singer, J. M. Coetzee, Harlan B. Miller, and other leading animal studies scholars, she expands our understanding of the nonhuman in such a way that the derogatory category of “the animal” becomes meaningless. In so doing, she presents a nonhierachical approach to ethics that better respects the value of the conscious self.

The book was published in January, and is available on Amazon. Currently, it’s sitting at the bottom of a very large book pile, but I hope to read and review it – some time before the paperback edition is released, perhaps? I kid, I kid. By July, it’ll be so hot, it’ll be a chore just to peel myself off the couch – plenty of time for catching up on my reading!

Until then, here’s some additional material to sink your teeth into, courtesy Philip at Columbia:

Columbia University Press is pleased to announce the publication of The Death of the Animal: A Dialogue by Paola Cavalieri with Matthew Calarco, J. M. Coetzee, Harlan B. Miller, Cary Wolfe, and with a foreword by Peter Singer.

The book sets these thinkers in a unique dialogue as they expand our understanding of the nonhuman through a discussion of the idea of the “animal,” ethics, moral perfectionism, and the value of the conscious self.

We have also posted one of J. M. Coetzee’s responses in the book: “On Appetite, the Right to Life and Rational Ethics” as well as the Table of Contents.

* I really need to grab a new Shout Out! screenshot, dontchathink?

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Tagged: animals animal rights animal welfare books the death of the animal Paola Cavalieri peter singer ethology psychology anthrozoology shout out the colbert report stephen colbert flickr photos

Sigh. Next thing you know, I’ll be wearing a Snuggie. Or a Slanket. Probably a Slanket. For some inexplicable reason, they’re currently donating a portion of their proceeds to NRDC.

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Tagged: video video blogging gardening tomatoes infomercial tomato tree topsy turvy food vegan veganism vegetarian vegetarianism vegetables diy

Admittedly, I haven’t sampled many of the newer vegan cheeses (Teese, Sheese), but Vegan Gourmet is the best I’ve tried thus far. The mozzarella has a bit of a salty taste; Shane says it tastes very much like “real” (read: cow’s milk) mozzarella (I wouldn’t know; I’m allergic). The cheddar isn’t as salty (though it contains more sodium – go figure), but has a “cheddary” taste. (Again as per Shane; a direct quote: “They’re very reminiscent of real cheese.”) Since I don’t have any experience with dairy cheese, I’m having a bit of trouble putting the taste into words; suffice to say, both the mozzarella and cheddar and very tasty. Though, I do have a slight preference for the cheddar, probably because it isn’t as salty as the mozz. (The cheddar is healthier, too, what with less fat and more protein – yay!)

True to Follow Your Heart’s promise, both cheeses are uber-melty: They Melt! Almost too well, actually: it’s really difficult to slice a large pizza right out of the oven, because the cheese is so melty. It practically liquefies under heat! We had to let the pizzas sit for about ten minutes before we could cut and serve the slices, and even then, it proved messy.

Naturally, we made a second batch of pizzas last night. (I expect it’ll be pizza 24/7 round these parts, now that we’ve found an edible soy cheese!) This time, we tried “pressing” the bricks of cheese like tofu, in order to draw out some of the excess water – the suspected culprit in the greasy/watery/liquid-y consistency of melted Vegan Gourmet. We also spread the shredded cheese on a large baking pan, and let it sit out on the counter for about an hour prior to making the pizza, hoping that any excess water might dissolve into the ether. All this helped a tad – the melted cheese wasn’t quite as watery – but it was still a lil’ messy to work with. Still, it’s a huge improvement over the alternatives, namely, cheese-less/-free pizza, or pizza laden with cruelty (i.e., dairy cheese). 4.9/5 stars!

Here’s a pic of last week’s pizza, along with our go-to pizza dough recipe. I know it looks radioactive, but I blame it on the fluorescent hood lights. I’m not proliferating nukes, I swear.

DIY Pizza Crust

Ingredients

1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
(Optional: use 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cup all-purpose/white flour for a heartier crust)

Directions

1. Stir water, sugar and yeast together until dissolved. Add the olive oil and the salt. Stir in the flour until well blended.

2. Let dough rest for 10 minutes or more. (We usually prepare the dough an hour or two before dinner, allowing it plenty of time to rise.)

3. Pat dough into pan or on to a pizza stone using fingers dipped in olive oil. If desired sprinkle basil, thyme or other seasonings on crust.

4. Top with your favorite pizza toppings and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a preheated 425 degree oven.

We used: red sauce, Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet soy cheese (cheddar and mozzarella), black olives, sundried tomatoes and Lightlife Smart Deli (soy) pepperoni.

Note: Makes one 12″ to 16″ pizza crust.

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Tagged: food recipe recipes vegan veganism vegetarian vegetarianism pizza pizza dough cheese vegan cheese soy cheese follow your heart vegan gourmet cheddar mozzarella baking flickr photos