Big Shopping Weekend! Veg Artisans Gear Up!

Friday kicks off a huge weekend of shopping, getting holiday shoppers all aflutter! Black Friday precedes a Saturday of supporting small businesses (Small Business Saturday) and Cyber Monday, online shopping's biggest day of the year. Some of my fellow teammates in EtsyVeg are celebrating by offering great sales and perks, giving you a chance to not only support small businesses by shopping with our independent artisans, but the chance to support handmade and more compassionate living!





Take the Pledge to Buy Handmade for the Holidays and the pledge to Shop Small, while supporting vegan and vegetarian artisans- kick the holiday shopping season off ethically while buying gifts that are unique, made with a personal touch, and filled with love! :)

Check out these shops for awesome savings:

AndLive~
30% OFF everything in shop Thanksgiving morning through midnight on Cyber Monday.
Code: ETSYONSALE

Arthurs Plaid Pants~
10% OFF everything in shop on Black Friday, 11/25/11 only!
Code: BLK10
15 % OFF everything in shop on Cyber Monday, 11/28/11 ONLY!
Code: CYB15

ClaynFiber~
20% OFF from Thursday, November 24th through Monday, November 28th.
Code: HOLIDAY20

Ideology~
Save 30% on everything in shop from Black Friday through Cyber Monday (the weekend included)! Cyber Monday buyers will also receive a free gift!
Code: 30PERCENT

KarinaManarin~
FREE SHIPPING on all domestic orders through Monday the 28th!

Krug's Eco-Logic~
$20 & up ... 20% off code: 20PERCENT
$40 & up ... 30% off code: 30PERCENT
$60 & up ... 40% off code: 40PERCENT
$110 & up ... 50% off code: 50PERCENT

LuniqueUK~
20% OFF Friday through Monday.
Code: LOVEXMAS

M's Knits and Things~
25% OFF orders from Friday morning through Monday night at midnight.
Code: BLACKFRIDAY25

Mom, Baby & Me~
FREE SHIPPING NOW thru Black Friday/Cyber Monday Weekend!
Code: FREESHIPPING

Twig & Leaf Botanicals~
30% OFF on black friday, small business saturday, and cyber monday!
Code: ETSYONSALE

Veganville~
30 percent off everything in shop (except gift certificates) from midnight Thanksgiving through midnight cyber Monday. Yay!
Code: BIG30

Vivace Crafts~
15% OFF everything from Black Friday to Cyber Monday! :)
Code: BLACKFRIDAY1

Have fun! Support Small Businesses! Buy Handmade! Go Veg!

Vegan Sweet Potato & Bean Burritos

I love this recipe, and we have made it many times! Sweet, spicy, fresh, and delicious, not to mention lower in fat. The title of this post leaves out the "Black Bean" in the original recipe simply because when I made them this last time I used a combination of kidney beans and garbanzos instead, with great results.

This recipe makes A LOT of burrito mixture! Two of us eat two burritos each per meal with plenty of filling, and we get 3 meals easily from one recipe.

Experience in making this recipe has led me to make some of my own modifications to better meet our taste preferences. You'll see my changes in italics beside each recipe ingredient and in the Notes section after the cooking directions.

The biggest modification I make is significantly reducing the amount of cumin and coriander called for. I love cumin, but I find the 4 tsp called for is too much and reduce it by 1 tsp. Additionally, I find the 4 tsp of coriander the recipe calls for to be overpowering, and find it adds a strong perfumey taste. I reduce the 4tsp in the recipe to 1 tsp with satisfactory results. Lastly, I almost always end up adding an additional 1-2 Tbsp of fresh lemon juice to the burrito mixture at the very end of the recipe, after the bean and potatoes are mixed in with the onion-spice blend.





Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos
from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat [Vegetarian] Favorites


5 c peeled, cubed sweet potatoes
2 tsp canola or other vegetable oil (I used olive.)
3 1/2 c diced onions
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 tbsp minced fresh green chile
4 tsp ground cumin (I used 3 tsp., reducing by 1 tsp.)
4 tsp ground coriander (I used 1 tsp., reducing by 3 tsp.)
4 1/2 c cooked black beans (three 15-oz. cans, drained) (Make sure to rinse, too.)
2/3 c lightly packed cilantro leaves (plus additional chopped for topping)
2 tbsp lemon juice (Fresh is best. I added an additional 2 tbsp at end.)
1 tsp salt
8 eight-inch flour tortillas
Fresh tomato salsa





1. Preheat oven to 350 OR 300 degrees F (see "my notes" below).

2. Place sweet potatoes in pot with water to cover. Cover and bring to boil. Simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. While the sweet potatoes are cooking, warm the oil in a medium skillet or saucepan and add the onions, garlic and chiles. Cover and cook on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander and cook for 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and set aside.

4. In a food processor, combine the black beans, cilantro, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, salt, and cooked sweet potatoes and puree until smooth. (You can also mash the ingredients in a large bowl by hand using a potato masher. The result will be a less smooth but nicely textured filling.) Transfer the sweet potato mixture to a large mixing bowl and mix in the cooked onions and spices.

5. Lightly oil a large baking dish. Spoon about 2/3 to 3/4 cup of the filling in the center of each tortilla, roll it up, and place it, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, until piping hot. Serve topped with salsa.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings


MY NOTES:
Rather than baking these as called for in step 5, I do the following:

In step 4, I add the bean-potato mixture to the skillet with the cooked onions and spices and reheat entire mixture over low heat. This is when I add the extra lemon juice and adjust spices, adding pepper and additional salt, if needed.

While the mixture is heating in the skillet, I toss the tortillas onto the top rack of the oven for several minutes, preheated to 300 degrees F. Remove when warm and set aside.

When mixture is hot and tortillas are warmed, add mixture to each tortilla and top with fresh additions like:
chopped fresh cilantro, avocado slices, fresh tomato chunks, salsa, vegan (or dairy) sour cream or plain soy yogurt (adds the zing and creaminess of sour cream with lower fat), vegan cheeze or dairy cheddar

Enjoy! :)

Chocolate Zucchini Bread!

I came across this recipe for zucchini bread with chocolate when I was still super excited about harvesting an abundance of squash from my own garden. Once I accepted that I won't have any home-grown zucchini of my own (*sigh*), I was ready to find another way to make this delicious bread. Bought a big, healthy zucchini from a Grow Pittsburgh stand this weekend, and made this recipe that very day. :)

The result is a moist, chocolatey bread that is more like cake. The zucchini seemingly melted away into the cake, and with the chocolate chips added little, random pockets of gooey goodness. YUM!























I veganized the recipe and changed a few things, but click on the title to follow the link to the original instructions. I also doubled the recipe with good results.


Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 c Shredded Zucchini

1 c Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/2 c Cocoa Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 c Canola Oil (I used half applesauce to reduce the fat content. Use 1/3 c applesauce to replace all oil.)

1/2 c Sugar (For a less sweet bread, use 1/4c sugar here.)

1/2 c Packed Brown Sugar

Vegan substitute for 2-Eggs (I used Ener-G Egg Replacer.)

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 c Chocolate Chips























Directions

In large bowl, use a mixer to combine oil/applesauce, sugars and vanilla. Add egg replacer and shredded zucchini. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. (I used a regular, fine metal kitchen strainer, as my sifter broke.) Slowly add dry ingredients to wet. Beat until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Scrape batter into a greased 9x5x3 loaf pan, OR a loaf pan lined with parchment paper (my preference). Bake at 350 degrees for 50-65 minutes, or until sharp knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Eat it up, yum! :P

Confetti Couscous Salad (vegan)- Vibrant, Fresh, Super Easy

Been making this recipe from Vegetarian Times for years, and it's a favorite because of its alive, bright flavors. I'd forgotten about it for a while, until the recent heat wave and a need for some easy & nutritious whole foods made me start digging for some dishes that are low-cook, low-kitchen-time, and low cost. This is very similar in ingredients to the Easy Burrito recipe I posted last week, but with a little less cooking!

Use fresh peppers and herbs from the garden or farmer's market! I used a fresh-picked Habanero pepper, which is one of the hottest peppers on the Scoville Heat Scale, and my fingertips burned for hours, literally! We made vegan chocolate chip cookies for dessert after this- try this awesome recipe (I prefer to use another egg substitute- Ener-G Egg Replacer- in place of the applesauce. A bit too cakey otherwise)!



















Confetti Couscous
from Vegetarian Times Issue: June 1, 2000, p.60

Ingredient List

6 servings

1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper (optional)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 to 4 Tbs. fresh lime juice (2 limes)
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (optional)
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 cup uncooked couscous
15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 3/4 cups cooked black beans
1 cup cooked fresh (about 2 ears) or thawed frozen corn
1/2 cup diced red onion

Directions

NOTE: Because of my dislike of most raw veggies, I actually saute the peppers for a few minutes before adding to the salad.

In medium saucepan, combine salt, cumin and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add couscous, stir and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with fork. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff again.

Add beans, corn, onion, bell peppers if using, cilantro and jalapeno. Stir in oil and enough lime juice to give salad a puckery edge. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Easy Bean & Veggie Burritos

This is a throw-in-the-kitchen-sink kind of dish, so be experimental and throw in any leftovers that you think might work. :) We have added sweet potatoes, grilled or steamed veggies, rice, mango, etc.















Measurements are approximate, so adjust to taste. I err on the side of caution here to leave room for correcting mistakes- it's far easier to add more than dilute or reduce. This dish also lends itself to fresh goodies from the garden, like herbs, squash, peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes.


Super Easy Bean & Veggie Burritos (Serves 2)

Ingredients:

olive oil
1 14.5oz can beans, any type, rinsed well
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 bell pepper, any color, sliced thin
1 c fresh or frozen sweet corn kernels
1/2 - 1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into chunks
garlic clove (or 2 or 3), minced
1 jalapeno or other chile pepper, seeds removed and minced
1-2 T chile powder (start with a little, then increase to taste)
nice pinch of dried cumin
1/2 - 1 T or more juice from fresh lime (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh avocado, chopped or sliced
fresh tomato, chopped
fresh lettuce greens, shredded
fresh cilantro, chopped
cheddar cheese, dairy or vegan (I prefer Daiya vegan shreds or Sheese Cheddar)
flour or corn tortillas (I prefer whole wheat)
















Have fresh ingredients chopped ahead of time, as well as lime juice squeezed. Add olive oil to a skillet or wok and heat over medium heat. Toss in onions, peppers, jalapeno, and garlic. Saute until onions are slightly translucent and garlic is browning slightly. Add dried spices and stir a few minutes until fragrant. Add corn and squash, as well as other produce ingredients you may be adding on your own. Stir in beans (and rice, if adding) and heat through. Add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.























After beans are added, turn oven on to 300 degrees F. Distribute tortillas onto oven rack to warm for a few minutes.

To serve, sprinkle cheese (if using) onto warm tortilla, then layer bean and veggie mixture, fresh lettuce and tomatoes, herbs and avocado.

Eat'em up yum! :)

Quote of the Week: Eating Animals is Immoral

“A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral.”

~Leo Tolstoy

Vegan Pancakes & The Best Vegan Brunch in Pittsburgh

So, I love pancakes. Actually, I hated them as a kid because the only ones I ever had were made of Bisquick, which is gross. But I rediscovered them in the past few years, trying recipe after recipe until I hit the jackpot on VegWeb- "The Best Pancakes Ever! Vegan or Otherwise". The title speaks the truth. Pancakes, flapjacks, hotcakes, or whatever you want to call them, this recipe produces light, slightly sweet discs that are heaven for your mouth.

Anyway, last week I happened to 'hear' about an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast with vegan options this past weekend to raise money for Tree Pittsburgh. Me + pancakes + trees = LOVE, so I was all about it. So on snowy Sunday morning, we headed to a favorite eating destination that was hosting the event, Double Wide Grill. Now... if you see an event advertising a pancake breakfast with vegan options, wouldn't you assume that meant VEGAN PANCAKES were offered? Well, not according to Double Wide. They handed me a menu with some other options, claiming there was "a mistake" and that no vegan hotcakes were being served. DUH. *sigh* Lesson: Call first. No matter what vegan claims are made. Sucks.

I wasn't about to leave my pancake cravings unsatisfied, and neither were other people I saw leaving for the same reason. Luckily, just down the street from Double Wide is my favorite veg restaurant in Pittsburgh, Zenith, which happens to have a famously amazing vegan brunch on Sunday mornings.











The thing about Zenith is that it's not only an all-vegan restaurant, but a veritable museum of awesome antiques and vintage coolness for your coveting pleasure. When you enter the building, you do so into a mini warehouse space filled floor to ceiling with anything vintage or antique you could think of. Clothes, furniture, jewelry, dishes, collectibles, stained glass windows from old buildings, weird salt and pepper shakers, and art. The inventory is always changing, and it's all for sale.











Once you pass through this area, you enter the restaurant, which is two more rooms of old treasures and art from local artisans. The walls of the first room are completely covered with paintings, sculpture, and display shelves filled with gorgeous antique collectible glassware in a kaleidoscope of colors. The second room's walls are adorned with art for sale from area artists, and one wall has huge lead windows that let in loads of natural light. The coolest thing is that all of the tables, chairs, and dinnerware used at the restaurant are also vintage or antique. And the ceilings are hanging with all sorts of unexpected odds and ends suspended above diners.















Zenith's menu changes from time to time, but is all vegan all of the time (they do occasionally offer eggs at brunch and an option for dairy cheese for some dishes). They have a super long list of loose teas available- more than I've seen in any one place. On any given day, there are 2-3 options available to choose from for each course: appetizer, soup or salad, entrees, desserts, etc. Our favorite Zenith dish is the divine Tofishy Sandwich, breaded tofu on a thick, soft bun served with vegan tartar sauce or cocktail sauce. We lick our hands and plates afterwards, no kidding.

















Each guest, for just $10, gets a coffee or tea, choice of one made-to-order breakfast entree like almond french toast, banana pancakes, or a burrito AND an all-you-can-eat buffet of delicious fresh salads of all kinds, breads, and like 10 different homemade vegan pies and cakes. We always leave full and happy. :)











A tip: If you plan on dining at Zenith for brunch, which is offered from 11 am - 3 pm on Sundays only, plan to get there early or expect a wait (which isn't hard given the exploring and shopping you can do in the meantime). There are a lot of tables, but they fill quickly. A line forms at the door well before 11 and wraps around the building, so when the doors open most tables are called for.

Vegan Polenta Lasagna

After watching Nigella Lawson make a Venetian Lasagna on the NBC Today Show, I was inspired to come up with my own variation, vegan (easily made vegetarian) of course. ;) I greatly simplified the recipe, using primarily the idea of using layers of polenta to make a fantastic, creamy-tasting lasagna!













POLENTA LASAGNA
(inspired by Nigella Lawson's Venetian Lasagna)

INGREDIENTS

2-4 c tomato sauce(depending on how much sauce you prefer), jarred or homemade, any flavor

1/2 c water

1 vegetable bouillon cube, or enough vegetable broth or water to make up the polenta following the instructions on the package

2 c unprepared polenta

1 T vegan butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T dried parsley

1 t each of dried basil and oregano

2 t kosher salt or 1 t table salt, or to taste

1 c vegan Parmesan cheese

2 medium-large carrots, peeled and cut into thin discs (any veggies would work)

1c shredded vegan mozzarella cheese (I suggest Follow Your Heart brand or Daiya)

*You will also need parchment paper and a 9x11" or 8x8" glass baking dish, lightly oiled.


MAKE IT

If making your own sauce, do so first and set aside.

Prepare for making lasagna layers by tearing off 2 pieces of parchment paper a little larger than the size of the lightly-oiled pan you are using. Set aside.

If using a bouillon cube, dissolve in the specified amount of water, or measure out veggie broth or water. Follow the preparation instructions for the polenta you have on hand, using a medium-large saucepan.

Stir as instructed with wooden spoon, and when the polenta has thickened, add, stirring well as you go, the tablespoon of butter, garlic & herbs, salt, and 1 cup of Parmesan. Taste to see if you want any more seasoning. The polenta is finished once thick and coming away from the sides of the saucepan.

When polenta is ready, immediately and quickly pour a thin layer evenly into the bottom of your baking dish. Divide the rest quickly into more thin layers, all the same size, on the sheets of parchment paper. Obviously, the layer depth will be thinner if you have chosen a larger pan. As you drop each layer, use a silicone spatula run under cold water to spread it evenly to the same size as your pan. The polenta will set almost instantly, so you have to work quickly. Allow to set further and cool.














When you are ready to assemble the lasagna, preheat the oven to 400°F. In your polenta-lined baking pan, spoon 2/3c (or other preferred amount) of sauce over bottom. Add one layer of carrot slices and a light sprinkle of vegan mozzarella.

Carefully hold the parchment paper with the next layer of polenta over the pan. Peel back paper as you set the polenta on top.
-OR-
Carefully peel next polenta layer off of paper with fingers or spatula and move to pan.
If any breaks into pieces, simply reassemble in pan.

Add another layer of 2/3c sauce, carrots, and sprinkle of mozzarella.














Top with the final layer of polenta from the third pan, then remaining sauce and rest of mozzarella.















Bake for 1 hour until bubbling and melty, even in middle. Allow to set for 10-15 minutes, then serve. So Good! :)

Making the Connection: An Excellent Short Film on Veganism

Some "food for thought" for Vegan MoFo!

"The thinking man must oppose all the cruel customs no matter how deeply rooted in tradition or surrounded by a halo...We need a boundless ethic which will also include the animals."
-Albert Schweitzer

Just wanted to make mention of Making the Connection, a thoughtful, artful short film on the the various advantages of a plant-based diet and lifestyle by The Vegan Society.

Watch here!

Happy World Vegan Day!

November 1st is not only World Vegan Day, but kicks off World Vegan Month and Vegan Month of Food (Vegan MoFo)! :)
















What is "vegan"?
A "vegan" is someone who chooses to live free from animal products for compassion and peace, health, the planet (or any combination of these things). A vegan diet is easy and healthy, based on fruits and vegetables, grains, beans and legumes. Vegans choose to save the lives of other living beings each time they eat or shop! They do not consume meat, fish, eggs, dairy, honey (some vegans do eat honey) or any other food that is derived from an animal or processed using animal ingredients (such as bone char used to refine some sugars and salt). Most vegans do not use or wear any products that are tested on animals or that are derived from an animal, like wool, fur, silk, and leather.

Have you thought about trying a vegan lifestyle? Try it for one meal, one day, one week, or one month to see if being vegan is the right choice for you! Take the first step by taking the "Vegan Pledge!"















I made these yummy, super simple vegan pumkin cupcakes for Halloween yesterday! Delish!


Here are just a few of my favorite resources for vegan information and recipes. Check my blog throughout this week for more resources for vegan living!

Compassionate Cooks

International Vegetarian Union

Live Vegan

Post Punk Kitchen (PPK)

The Vegan Society

Vegan Outreach

VegWeb

Free Vegan Starter Kit



Happy World Vegan Day!

EtsyVeg Spooktacular Sale and Giveaway

Come Haunting with the Etsyveg Team October 27th-November 2nd, 2010! EtsyVeg kicks off the EtsyVeg Spooktacular today, with creepy savings and a frightfully fantastic shopper giveaway! In my shop, save 15% on all purchases, get free shipping on all orders $25 and over, and receive a free gift with all purchases of $40 or more!

SPOOKTACULAR SAVINGS
EtsyVeg's vegan and vegetarian artisans are celebrating Halloween with special treats abound, from discounts to free shipping to free gifts! Shop the participating shops listed below to save big!

* 3 AM Art Productions- BOGO on all art prints/photography

* Au clair de la lune

* Blackbird and Peacock

* Crickets Creations Handknit Scarves- $5 off anything tagged "Halloween"

* Gardenia's Garb- 10% off any item tagged "Halloween"

* Jen O'Connell Paintings and Original Artwork- free shipping

* JFIllustrations- free shipping

* Kimbas Critters

* Lalu Jewelry- 15% off

* Maple Ash and Oak- 15% off

* M's Knits and Things- 15% off all scarves

* Mumbot Shop

* Palafox Studio 23- free shipping

* SilentLotus Creations- 15% off entire shop, plus free shipping over $25 and free gift over $40

* Starfirewire- Free Shipping and Free gift


GHOULISH GIVEAWAY

As part of our ghostly event, EtsyVeg is hosting a giveaway in which lucky shoppers will receive scarily fabulous handmade prizes from our ghostly talented artisans! All shoppers who make purchases from EtsyVeg member shops participating in the Spooktacular (see list above) are invited to comment on the EtsyVeg Blog. Include the link to the item(s) you purchased and your Etsy shop name or email address so we can contact you if you're name is drawn, and you will be entered to win an incredible prizes ( a random number generator will be used to choose winners). Winners will be announced on November 3rd!

Extra Entries: Earn one entry for every shop from the list above that you purchase from (please comment separately for each shop)!

Throughout the Spooktacular, check the blog daily for updates, featured artisans and their screamingly awesome handmade creations, and more! Please email us with questions at etsyveg@gmail.com . And Happy Halloween!

Blog Action Day 2010: Water

Today is October 15th and Blog Action Day 2010! Powered by change.org, this year's Blog Action Day will bring together thousands of bloggers from all over the world to help shed more light on water issues around the globe.

Here are some facts that illustrate the severity of the global water problem, and why Blog Action Day 2010 is such an important opportunity to raise awareness about the issue:

* Unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation kills more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Unclean drinking water can incubate some pretty scary diseases, like E. coli, salmonella, cholera and hepatitis A. Given that bouquet of bacteria, it's no surprise that water, or rather lack thereof, causes 42,000 deaths each week.

* More people have access to a cell phone than to a toilet. Today, 2.5 billion people lack access to toilets. This means that sewage spills into rivers and streams, contaminating drinking water and causing disease.

* Every day, women and children in Africa walk a combined total of 109 million hours to get water. They do this while carrying cisterns weighing around 40 pounds when filled in order to gather water that, in many cases, is still polluted. Aside from putting a great deal of strain on their bodies, walking such long distances keeps children out of school and women away from other endeavors that can help improve the quality of life in their communities.

* The average American uses 159 gallons of water every day – more than 15 times the average person in the developing world. From showering and washing our hands to watering our lawns and washing our cars, Americans use a lot of water. To put things into perspective, the average five-minute shower will use about 10 gallons of water. Now imagine using that same amount to bathe, wash your clothes, cook your meals and quench your thirst.

Petitions by Change.orgStart a Petition »

One of the most negative impacts upon the global state of water is animal agriculture and the consumption of meat and other animal-derived foods. Subsequently, transitioning to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is one of the most critical actions you can take to help shift ongoing degradation of the world's water supply (and the environment as a whole). Here are some important reasons to go vegan or vegetarian for water, for the planet, and for and all of its inhabitants:

* It takes 6.3 gallons of water to produce just one hamburger. That 6.3 gallons covers everything from watering the wheat for the bun and providing water for the cow to cooking the patty and baking the bun. And that's just one meal! It would take over 184 billion gallons of water to make just one hamburger for every person in the United States. (Blog Action Day 2010)

* The livestock sector is probably the largest contributor of water pollution, the major sources being animal waste, antibiotics and hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and pesticides used for animal feed crops, and sediments from eroded pastures. (EcoHearth)

* The largest amount of water the agriculture sector uses for livestock is to provide them with food. The feed production industry uses huge amounts of water to irrigate the land on which food is grown for all these animals, which have been bred to provide people products like meat, dairy and eggs. It has been estimated that the livestock sector may account for about 45 percent of the global budget of water used in food production (source Zimmer and Renault 2003). (Vegan Peace)

* Plant-based diets only require around one-third of the land and water needed to produce a typical Western diet. Farmed animals consume much more protein, water and calories than they produce, so far greater quantities of crops and water are needed to produce animal ‘products’ to feed humans than are needed to feed people direct on a plant-based diet. With water and land becoming scarcer globally, world hunger increasing and the planet’s population rising, it is much more sustainable to eat plant foods direct than use up precious resources feeding farmed animals. (Vegan Society)

* In most of the developing world, untreated manure enters water used by people for drinking, washing and bathing. Along with the manure flow lots of other undesirables including pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, and their breakdown products, not to mention the surplus of nitrogen and phosphorus coming from fertilizers placed on the feed crops. All of this livestock-related influx upsets balance in nature. It can lead to fish kills and algal blooms which can deaden lakes. (Vegetarian Resource Group)

* It takes 5,000 gallons (18,900 Litres)of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while growing 1 pound of wheat only requires 25 gallons (94.5 Litres).A totally vegetarian diet requires only 300 gallons (1134 Litres) of water per day, while a meat-eating diet requires more than 4,000 gallons(15,120 Litres) of water per day. You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you do by not showering for an entire year. (useecofriendlyproducts.com)

While these facts may be grim, there is hope for real solutions as more and more people around the world are waking up to the clean water crisis. It's not too late to join the efforts of Blog Action Day 2010! By registering your blog, sharing something you've written or come across about water, embedding an action widget, signing the petition, fundraising for clean water and spreading the word, you're helping shed light on an often over-looked, yet incredibly important issue.

Be a part of this amazing day of blog activism!

The Big Fake Meat Debate

In the veggie community, discussion about whether or not folks can "stomach" meat substitutes and how a *true* veggie can eat them (due to the opinions some have about the similarity fo their taste, texture, and smell to the "real thing") has come up quite a bit. So I thought I'd chime in.

I have no problem with fake meats, and I eat them quite a bit. Their texture and smell don't in any way remind me of meat, nor does their taste.




I find the texture, smell, and taste of meat to be highly unique and unreplicatable. I don't eat "faux meats" to "pretend to eat meat" or because I am hungry for meat but want to avoid eating it. I eat them because they are yummy, protein-packed, and time-saving. I never ever get hungry for meat after nearly 13 years of being vegan and 2 of being veggie before that. My palette and mouth don't ever think that anything I eat is 'like meat' cause it's such a foreign concept to me anymore (that doesn't mean I don't recognize the taste of the real thing- I do).

When I think, "Mmmm, I could sure eat a Celebration Roast or veggie burger right now," I am getting hungry for the specific yumminess of that food, not any sort of meat at ALL. In my mind and spirit, there is no connection between 'fake meats' and the real thing . There is no way any kind of veggie food could "fake" the blood, flesh, suffering, and terror of the real thing. And in fact meat "substitutes" are meant to save other beings from ever becoming that in the first place. I don't even consider them "fake meats" unless I use the term to explain to someone with no familiarity what such a food is.

To me, they are just a protein source and way of changing things up a bit. Bring on the BBQ Veggie Riblets! ;)

Pittsburgh Walk for Farm Animals 2010!

I am thrilled to be part of the upcoming Pittsburgh Walk for Farm Animals 2010 next month! On Saturday, October 2nd, Pittsburgh will host its very first Walk for Farm Animals to support the lifesaving rescue, education and advocacy work of Farm Sanctuary! This event takes place annually in more than 75 cities across the United States and Canada to celebrate and promote compassion for farm animals and raise funds to enable Farm Sanctuary to continue its vital work. One of the amazing walk organizers, Kim Piper of Sunstone Soap, states, "Our goal is to walk together as a compassionate community while we have fun, raise money and help better the world for all beings!"

Please consider walking with us! Everyone compassionate about animal welfare is invited, and non-vegans and non-vegetarians are absolutely welcome! You can walk solo, create your own team, or join my team called "Team Craftastic." :) When you go to register for Pittsburgh's walk, you will be given the option of choosing a team. Register here by clicking ‘Get Started’ & selecting the Pittsburgh Walk. Advance registration is only $15 and includes a t-shirt. Or visit my page and follow the registration links. I hope you'll join me!



You can also help by sponsoring me in the walk. Any amount donated, whether $1 or $100, is hugely helpful. Visit my fundraising page or look for the widget on my left blog sidebar to contribute!

If you would rather, you can also donate by sending to me directly via PayPal- let me know if you'd like my email address for that.

You can also donate a prize for the event, whether handmade, a gift certificate, or other item. Contact me to arrange this.

GIVEAWAY ALERT: Every fan of my Facebook Fan Page who donates toward the Walk for Farm Animals via my fundraising page will be entered in a giveaway to win two 5x7(ish) art prints of your choice! Yay!

Just donating any amount gets you one entry. Every $10 donated gets you another entry. So a donation of $10, for instance, would mean one entry for donating and one entry for $10 and so on. :) Just "like" my Facebook page and comment there to let me know you've donated!
ANY AMOUNT IS WELCOME! :)

Thanks so much for your support!

Lady Gaga... WTF?

Okay, so I adore and am a huge fan of Lady Gaga, but I am so disappointed in her and so pissed off about her wearing an outfit entirely made of meat for a recent magazine cover and for the Video Music Awards. I won't post a picture, but you can Google it. To Ellen Degeneres she claimed she did not want to disrespect vegans and vegetarians, but how is wearing meat as a fashion statement NOT disrespectful?!?! Never mind whether or not she offends us veggies, but what about the animals who died to make her outfit and the million more who will die because society is still sending the message that commodification of animals for human use is okay? For fashion, for food, for sport... It's so f***ed up and WRONG! :( >:[ It's the ultimate disrespect of life!

Eating Out Loud: West African Groundnut Stew (vegan)

Not quite the type of recipe you'd expect to be posted on a sunny, summer afternoon, but the warm, aromatic and delicious spices of my very favorite stew/soup ever seem to me to fit with the hot and vibrant day. When I first tried this stew, a friend made it for me for dinner at her home. I was blown away by the excitement in my mouth and warm exuberance in my stomach. Sweet potatoes, ginger and garlic, a kick of pepper and spices, and the unexpected and unusual mixture of tomatoes and peanutbutter made me fall in love with this extraordinary dish, and I am sure it will do the same to you! :)





West African Groundnut Stew
(author unknown- if you know, please inform me so I can credit them)

Ingredients

1T canola oil
1 med onion
1 red or yellow pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 t minced fresh ginger
1 cayenne or serrano chile, seeded and diced
2 c water
2 c tomato juice (I sometimes mix tomato paste and water)
1 14oz can stewed or diced tomatoes (preference)
2 c sweet potato, diced
1 T dried parsley
1 1/2 t dried thyme
1 1/2 t cumin
1 1/2 t sea salt
1/2 c chunky peanutbutter
2 c shredded spinach or chard





Directions

1. Saute onion, pepper, garlic, ginger, and chile in oil 4-5 minutes.

2. Add water, tomato juice, tomatoes, sweet potato, and spices. Simmer 25 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until potato is very tender.

3. Aggressively stir in peanutbutter.

4. Add spinach or chard and return to simmer, stirring frequently.

5. Remove from heat and let stand 5-10 minutes.

The recipe suggests serving over couscous or rice, but I prefer it with a crusty, fresh ciabatta instead. Enjoy! :)

Baking Out Loud: Vegan Strawberry Shortcake!

It's National Strawberry Shortcake Day! :D What better time to share my favorite recipe for vegan strawberry shortcake? The strawberries are sweet, juicy, and delish this time of year- make this while they are in season locally!
















Vegan Strawberry Shortcake (6 Servings)
from http://www.vegancoach.com

(*my comments are in pink*)

This is such a yummy recipe. It's kind of time-intensive, but absolutely worth it. I made the berries first, then let them marinate while I made the shortcakes and whipped cream (I have used storebought, too, and it works well).

The BEST Vegan Whipped Cream

1/4 cup unbleached white flour
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup non-dairy butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. In a small sauce pan, combine the flour and milk and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until VERY thick. Remove from heat and chill completely.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the powdered sugar and margarine until smooth. Add the extracts and beat until combined. Begin adding the cooled flour/soy milk paste 2 Tbsp. at a time and beating thoroughly after each addition until the mixture is completely smooth and the paste is incorporated.

3. Sometimes a hot kitchen or the action of the blender will cause your whipped cream to be VERY runny. Just pop it into the fridge for a bit and let it firm up to your desired consistency. Also, if you don't finish all the shortcakes in your first sitting (highly unlikely!!), refrigerate the whipped cream. This action will firm it up. Simply let it sit out for 10-20 minutes and stir again before using.


Strawberry Filling

Make sure you choose ripe, whole berries with little to no white areas, no moldy spots. Organic is always best (they are on the list of top 12 foods that should always be bought organic), and those grown in CA are best avoided.

4 cups sliced strawberries (about 2 pints)
2 Tablespoons granulated unrefined sugar
1 to 2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier or orange juice (optional) (I recommend 2T, as this time I made it with just one and we would have like more sauce.)

1. Place 2 cups sliced strawberries in a bowl. Sprinkle with sugar and crush lightly with fork. Stir in remaining berries along with Grand Marnier or orange juice, if using.

2. Set aside for 20-30 minutes.


Vegan Shortcakes

1/3 cup non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice or cider vinegar
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons granulated unrefined sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to sprinkle on dough
1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (I am not a fan of nutmeg in this recipe, and prefer to leave it out)
1/3 cup non-dairy butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Set rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Combine milk and lemon juice or vinegar in measuring cup. Set aside for at least 5 minutes to curdle.

3. Combine flours, 3 Tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in large bowl. Stir well with wire whisk to aerate and combine.

4. Use small spoon to drop tiny bits of butter evenly over flour mixture. With pastry blender or fork, work in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

5. Add vanilla to milk mixture and drizzle over dry ingredients. Stir with fork just until mixture forms soft dough. (Do not overwork dough.) Personally, I just pick it all up and work it together with my hands.

6. Divide dough into 6 equal portions and place on prepared baking sheet. Shape into round blobs approximately 1" thick. Sprinkle the tops with 1 teaspoon sugar.

7. Bake until tops have hint of color and bottoms are lightly browned, 10-12 minutes (watch so they don't burn). Transfer shortcakes to wire rack to cool.

Serve shortcakes topped with the yummy berries and a large dollop of whipped cream. SO fresh, light and awesome!

Color Fling!

Check out this treasury I made featuring the talented veg artisans of the EtsyVeg and Vegan Etsy Teams! It's actually my entry into a Vegan Etsy challenge, and how many visitors and clicks on individual listings each treasury gathers factors into who wins! So please visit and clickety-click, and share! Thanks! :)

A Dollar for Peace!

Every year there are millions of people who go with little to no food, suffering from hunger, and often malnutrition as a result. In a struggling world economy, the numbers continue to grow. There are 25,000 people every day who die from hunger-related causes. But hunger not only robs the body of the nutrients it needs to function well, but also marginalizes and disempowers people. Run entirely by volunteers, Food Not Bombs activists believe having basic needs like hunger met is a right, not a privilege.

Food Not Bombs, my charity for December (10% of all sales in my shop go directly to them), is founded on the belief that "no one should be without food in a world so richly provided with land, sun, and human ingenuity" and that "the world produces enough food to feed everyone, if distributed equally." The cause stands up for the belief that money spent on sustaining global war and violence would be better spent on sustaining the basic needs of humanity, and seeks to both feed the hungry and support and sustain social movements that empower people to fight for justice.


Food Not Bombs' A Dollar for Peace campaign centers around being able to provide about 4 meals for as little as $1.00. They have roughly 400 chapters around the world (new ones sprout up every day) that provide free healthy, sustainable vegetarian and vegan meals weekly meals in over 1,000 cities around the world to people who would otherwise not have any or adequate food. They often utilize food that would otherwise have been thrown away as waste by grocers and bakeries to nourish the homeless and hungry, day care centers, and families of workers on strike. Through providing food for people, they are making sure those people are taken care of in some small way.

"No consideration of money, no demand for profit, should stand in the way of any hungry or malnourished child or any adult in need," according to Food Not Bombs. They want to make this message clear by setting up to distribute meals in very visible places. Yet they do much more than nourish the hungry, also seeking to empower and sustain progessive movements. Their meals also feed people at important social justice events around the globe like peace rallies, environmental and animal rights demonstrations, striking auto workers in Korea, and Peace Camps on the West bank of Palestine. In addition to their efforts to end hunger and support peace, Food Not Bombs has started animal shelters, planted community gardens, and organized programs like Homes Not Jails to house the homeless. Every dollar contributed to A Dollar for Peace will go directly towards ending hunger, poverty and war.

This year, EtsyVeg is supporting the Dollars for Peace program through a week long promotional event in which 10% of all sales made in participating shops will be donated to Food Not Bombs' Dollar for Peace campaign! For just one dollar you can help build a world based on peace and justice. We invite you to learn more about this great program and ways you can help by visiting their website.

Please support our effort to raise funds for this amazing organization by shopping handmade for the holidays with participating EtsyVeg shops!

Activism Out Loud: Should We Numb Farm Animals so They are Immune to Pain?

I just read an article in early September’s New Scientist magazine about research into numbing animals raised for food so that they don’t feel pain. Researchers are working to genetically alter the DNA of farm animals so that when they are exposed to pain and suffering, they aren’t “bothered” by it. What do you all think about this?

Personally, I feel this is simply a way to justify and continue animal abuse, neglect, and torture. It creeps me out, feels eerie, and feels viscerally immoral and ethically wrong. It may *seem* well-intentioned, but I think it’s a guise to continue using animals to meet human needs in whatever way suits them, no matter the consequences to the being, and to keep money flowing!!! Animal rights awareness is the factory farmer’s worst nightmare- this is such a crock of sh**! What do you want to make a bet that the meat and dairy industries are backing this research? I imagine altering perception and experience of pain and suffering in human slaves just so heinous practices and inhumane treatment could be continued. Why would anyone think this is okay to do to animals?

An editorial about this in this same magazine issue sums up my view pretty perfectly:
Yes, logically speaking, pain-free animals make sense. But only in a world that has already devalued animal lives to the point where factory farming is acceptable. Our visceral reaction to pain-free animals is actually a displaced reaction against the system that makes them necessary.

Too many of us are too attached to the pleasures of affordable meat to consider the plight of factory-farmed animals. If the proposal to create pain-free animals achieves anything, it is to force us to confront the pain and suffering that our diets inflict. End factory farming, and the "problem" of pain-free animals goes away, too.

And more fodder for discussion: Cloning Animals for Meat & Milk