Living Without Meat

This weekend I drove down to the Washington, D.C. area to exhibit for the Humane League at the Humane Society’s Taking Action for Animals (TAFA) conference. It was a fun, though busy and tiring, weekend. I got meet people who I work with through phone and email but had never met in person, and just generally enjoy being in the company of several hundred like-minded people. But most of all, I got to eat! There was such a high prevalence of good food at this all-vegan conference that I easily overate.

On my drive down, I munched in the car on green grapes, a banana, and coffee with soy milk.

After I arrived and got set up, I used my lunch voucher to grab more fresh fruit, a vegan egg salad sandwich, a vegan BLT, and the largest chocolate chocolate chip brownie ever (which I am still working on). They also served a couscous salad and chips.

For dinner, there was a sit-down banquet. It was weird to grab a roll and spread some butter on without even thinking about whether it was vegan or not. I even jumped a little when the server started pouring a creamy dressing on my garden salad. The entree included a rice dish, broccoli rabe, and two faux chicken cutlets from Gardein. Dessert was a fancy-looking red velvet cake (shown here) with a few different sauces and icings. Sadly the cake was a bit dry, but everything else was excellent.

The next morning I was treated to a free drink and pastry at the hotel’s Starbucks since I had a less than desirable room. (I was right next to the elevator and people kept trying to open my door thinking it was the stairs.) I planned on just getting my standard iced soy latte until I saw the sign: “Lemon poppy seed muffin and chocolate chip scone are vegan.” I went for the muffin.

Lunch for Sunday included two more delicious vegan sandwiches - a panini with pesto, tomato and Daiya cheese, and a wrap with faux chicken, lettuce, dried cranberries, and apples. There was also more fruit, chips, chocolate chip cookies, and some pasta salad.

Two days later I am still full!

This dessert picture was snapped by VEGdaily and Ecorazzi blogger Michael Parrish DuDell. Check out both of these blogs for more TAFA posts including an interview with celebrity speaker actress Ginnifer Goodwin.

My knowledge of vegan pop culture failed me this week: I missed wishing a happy birthday to well-known, outspoken vegan advocates!

Tuesday, June 9, was the 28th birthday of the gorgeously adorable, much-loved vegan princess Natalie Portman. Then, two days later on Thursday, June 11, it was PETA President Ingrid Newkirk’s 60th birthday celebration!

Celebrating a vegan birthday in your social network? Here are some good vegan birthday cake recipes and ideas to try:

* Figure out to convert your favorite non-vegan cake recipe with the Vegetarian Resource Group’s replacement guide.

* Read up about how the Veg Family satisfies their vegan kids, complete with Elmo cakes and homemade ice cream!

* Isa of the Post Punk Kitchen has included a wealth of cake and icing recipes available on her site.

* For vegan cupcakes, you simply must head over to Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, but Vegan CupCake Recipes is a close second resource.

But birthdays are not just about the cake. Growing up, we always got to pick what we wanted to eat for our birthday dinner. I always chose one of three meals: Scalloped potatoes, homemade mac and cheese with breadcrumbs, or kabobs. The last is fairly easy to veganize, but I have never attempted to do so with either of the first two. Try one of there recipes to make a vegan version of my favorite birthday dinner:

* FatFree Vegan and Karina’s Kitchen have good vegan scalloped potato recipes.

* Everyone calls their vegan mac and cheese “the best,” including posters at Recipezaar and VegWeb. Vegan Yum Yum has a yummy sounding one, too.

Keep up with all of the vegan celebrities’ birthdays with Vegetarian Star’s regular feature, “Slice of Vegan Birthday Cake to ….”

Last night was the opening night of the Ringling Brothers’ Circus in Philadelphia. It was also my first time attending a protest; usually I stick to spreading the word about being veg. For two hours before the event started, I stood outside of one of the parking lots with three other women, big signs, and fliers to hand out. Around the corner, at the main entrance, about a dozen more activists were doing the same, along with one person dressed up in a giant elephant costume.

Nearby, we could peek behind a somewhat see-through temporary plastic wall and see the elephants waiting, unchained momentarily so the public didn’t see the chains. They had just arrived in Philly, after spending 30 hours on a train from Connecticut. One time I peeked in to watch the circus folk cleaning the elephants with a leaf blower. The men wanted the animals to lay down while getting cleaned, and since one elephant didn’t want to he was “encouraged” to do so with a swift whack from a bullhook.

We had a lot of fun - despite the occasional person shouting accusations at us or giving us the finger. At least one family turned around and decided to find something else to do for the evening instead of go in to the circus.

Confused as the why we would not like the circuses? Please take a moment to check out these explanations:

* PETA’s Circuses Web site

* Wilmer “Fez” Valderrama’s video

* The Humane Society’s circus articles

* Any of the hundreds of videos of abuse caught on tape, available through YouTube

Whether or not you’ve been following W magazine’s attempts to include vegan fashion, and regardless of whether or not fashion interests you, the new issue of W is sure to excite you!

In the beginning of April, W published their first ever article with an animal slant when their online version featured “The Best Vegan-friendly Accessories.” A couple weeks later, editor Dana Wood wrote “Trials of a Fashion-Loving Vegan!”

Now, their vegan love is bigger and better … and printed on the front cover!

HBO’s Big Love star Ginnifer Goodwin is W magazine’s June cover model. And she’s a vegan. The accompanying blog post from the editor, “She’s just not that into meat: Ginnifer Goodwin on going vegan,” went live today. Read what made the He’s Just Not Than Into You star start thinking about what she was eating.

Anyone watch The View this morning, May 7? Lois, a member of the Humane League, emailed us this note today about today’s episode:

“Barbara Walters held up a copy of the newspaper, the New York Daily News. On the front cover is a photo of a baby cow that escaped a slaughterhouse. She announced that she is upset by the photo and is on her way to being a vegetarian.

“Any way that light can be shed on the plight of farm animals is much needed. I thought Ms. Walters was phenomenal at bringing attention to this. She spoke briefly, but added she is bringing a veggie burger to her Washington, D.C. trip this weekend. Kudos to Barbara!”

Thanks for letting us all know, Lois - and thanks for the veg promotion, Barbara!

The picture shown here, where a young calf is being treated like an escaped criminal, is the one that Barbara shared with View watchers this morning; read the accompanying article, “No bull, cow escapes slaughterhouse and hoofs it through Queens.”

I have never watched, or even had the desire to watch, Cesar Millan’s TV show Dog Whisperer … until now!

On the May 8 episode at 9 p.m. on the National Geographic Channel, Millan and the Nat Geo crew will go into a puppy mill!

Dog Whisperer: Puppy Mills Exposed is going to be huge! I just watched a preview of the episode on The Insider (click here to watch it) and it is not going to be a puff piece. They are showing dogs getting beat in the head, living in disgusting conditions, sick and dying, with visible diseases and ailments, going blind, suffering in pain … and they are going to attempt to rescue them!

This is surely a do not miss show! If you can’t wait until May 8 to see the great things Millan is doing, check out the episode’s pictures, videos, and recaps at Nat Geo online.

Dear Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie,

I know that you do incredible things for children, and you even take time out of your busy schedules to care for the environment, too. But must you wear so many dead animals? If you were to refrain from eating and wearing animals, your green efforts would be doubled.

And yes, Angelina, I realize that this fur monstrosity is part of your wardrobe for the movie Salt, but you are established enough as a desired actress that I am sure you could have requested faux. (Or did you? Can anyone tell if this is by any chance fake?) UPDATE: It is fake! Thanks for checking up on this, PETA!

Please, Brangelina, please consider adding “doesn’t wear animal skin” to your long list of good deeds.

Thank you.

Read the stories behind these paparazzi snapshots at Faded Youth Blog: Angelina Did Not Collapse and Brad’s Cool Landing.

What do a-list actress Natalie Portman, Pretenders’ singer Chrissie Hynde, and me have in common? We are all vegans and we have all had non-vegan items named after us. First there was the ponyskin purse by Hogan that was inspired by and named for rocker chick Hynde. Then there was the calfskin Chloe bag that was named “Sally” (and I’m sure it was named after me).

And the latest debacle: A new sushi roll was added to the menu at Chef’s Secret in New York City. It’s called the “Natalie Portman” and it features lobster and mayo, two very non-vegan items. The rest of the roll - strawberries, seaweed, and wasabi - sounds fantastic! But what were they thinking? Well, they are certainly getting press coverage if that’s what they were after with this stunt.

When will companies learn to pay attention to what the celebs like and dislike before naming something after them? What’s next? The Al Gore Hummer?

I’ve always had a thing for actor Ryan Reynolds, ever since he starred as Berg on Two Guys and a Girl. But now he’s speaking up for animals and being sarcastic while doing so? Swoon!

As a native Canadian, Reynolds wrote a commentary on the Canadian seal hunt for the Huffington Post.

The seal hunt is an annual event, supported by the local government, where thousands of baby harp seals are beat to death by clubs with a sharp hook on the end. This year’s goal, as set by the Canadian government, was 280,000 seals. The hunters are protected by regulations that make it illegal to watch, photograph, or interfere with the clubbing.

Seals are sought after for their pelts for hats, coats, and trim, as well as their oils for beauty products.

Here’s an excerpt from Ryan’s commentary. Click here to read the whole article:

“… Yes, the blood thirsty, baby seal.

Confronting these menacing assassins of the ice is no small feat. In the “kill or be killed” world of Seal Clubbing, there are but only a few ways to overpower such wicked beasts. …

The second best way to club a baby seal is to, well, use a club or “baton.” This technique is seemingly simple to the dis-educated, but there are in fact subtleties involved. A kind of inexplicable nuance handed down from generation to generation. Not everybody can do it. Here’s how it works: approach the creature from the front, maintaining plenty of eye contact. Raise the baton about shoulder height and strike the mammal hard across the face or head (or as hard as you and your son or daughter are able). Now watch closely, to ensure all the innocence has exited the carcass. (And watch your children grow up before your very eyes!) Although it’s not recommended for beginners, you may also lure the creature to your baton by whistling, smiling or juggling fresh fish. An alternative - and markedly slower method - includes snuggling with the offending seal until it dies of old age.”

It’s the year of the eco-friendly fashion designer. Consumers want sustainable, organic, and animal product-free fabrics, and designers are providing.

When talking about green fashion, it’s impossible to avoid mentioning the queen of green, Stella McCartney. Last night, Monday March 31, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) honored McCartney at the Forces for Nature gala. The gala featured entertainment by Saturday Night Live comedians, dinner vegetarian style, and daffodil centerpieces that were replanted after the event.

Stella’s dad, Sir Paul McCartney, was also in attendance and spoke highly of his daughter’s accomplishments: “A love of nature has been instilled in [Stella] as she grew up, but I don’t want to take any credit. She’s a smart girl. When she came in to the fashion industry, she came in to Gucci, which is leather city. I was really wondering how long it would be before she’d have to cave in to the economic pressures, but she just hung in there.”

Newcomer to the fashion world but not the animal-free life, Pamela Anderson has teamed up with Heatherette designer Richie Rich to create their own eco-friendly line. The collaboration, which will be called Muse, will include leather-free shoes and casual clothes such as skirts, bathing suits, and hooded tops. Between sex kitten Pam and glitter-loving glamorous Richie Rich, Muse will surely be the first collection to successfully mix organic with sparkles. During fashion week, after Pam walked the runway for Richie Rich, she said, “I prefer to be naked, but if I’m not, I want to be wearing Richie Rich.”

I don’t about you, but it has not slipped my mind for one minute that actress and animal/veg activist Alicia Silverstone is working on a vegan book. But just in case you did forget, Alicia drops a reminder as she talks about eating green in a behind the scenes photo shoot for 944 magazine:

“Eat Green. Because food production causes the most damage to the planet. So eat as many plant based foods as possible. Ease away from the meat and dairy. Move towards the whole grains and vegetables and beans and tempeh and all the yummy things out there. I have a book coming out in October called The Kind Diet. It will show you how to eat the most delicious food on the planet but also green. Every little bit makes a difference so the more vegetarian meals you have the better.”

In fall 2007, when handbag designer Hogan created a ponyskin leather purse and named it “the Chrissie” after Pretenders’ lead singer and PETA activist Chrissie Hynde, she successfully sued. So I’m wondering - now that designer Chloe has created a calfskin leather purse named “Sally,” can I sue?

Aside from the color, which I love, what about this bag made you think of me, Chloe? I am vegan, the shoulder bag is leather. I am cute, the bag is not. Please don’t use my name to promote your cruel fashions.

But anyway, speaking of Chrissie Hynde … In a recent interview with her Akron, Ohio, hometown news, Chrissie talked about her vegan restaurant, the VegiTerranean, and why she is a vegan: “For me it’s about [the animals] health. If I get any (nutritional) benefits from not killing them, I guess that’s a bonus.”

Hynde’s restaurant is making the news a lot lately as her Executive Chef Scot Jones is making a name for himself in the vegan health food world. When he’s not working up new creations at the VegiTerranean, he’s been writing for vegan cookbooks and developing recipes for Oprah’s 21 Day vegan cleanse. Ironically, this master veg chef isn’t even vegetarian, let alone vegan. But since his life is increasingly saturated with all things veg, he has been incorporating more vegan food into his regular diet.

The cookbook that Jones wrote for is due out this fall, and currently has a working title of The Conscious Vegan. Chef Tal Ronnen, founder of Veg Advantage, a non-profit organization that helps restaurants put vegetarian items on their menus, is the main author of the book.

Fortunately for our cats and dogs, Bob Barker will never quit. The man just doesn’t stop speaking out about spaying and neutering your pets. Since retiring from The Price Is Right, he has continued to be an outspoken friend to the animals. Earlier this month he hosted the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida Gala, and now he’s written a book.

Priceless Memories, which is due to hit shelves April 6, is not an animal rights read exactly. It is Barker’s memoir about life as a TV host, his time spent on a Native American reservation, and being raised by a single mother through the Great Depression. He recalls meeting and falling in love with his wife, and training as a fighter pilot with the Navy during World War II. But, since animal rights has always been a large part of his life, he also discusses the importance of animals in his life. Plus, proceeds will benefit the D&T Foundation, which he founded in 1994 to help foot the bill of spaying and neutering animals.

Unfortunately, it seems as if there will not be a Farm Sanctuary Gala this year. There is one in the works for 2010, potentially in Los Angeles, California, but for 2009 we will just have to find another way to get our Farm fix. Living less than a day’s drive from the Watkins Glen, New York shelter, I am contemplating a northward vegan road trip with friends. Those Farm fans that are not able to work in a tour-season trip (and those that can, too) can and should check out the goods up for auction at Charity Buzz to benefit Farm Sanctuary, open now through April 1.

As always, there are a lot of top-name vegan celebrities and brands offering autographs, meet-and-greets, fashions, and more. The most popular lots right now include exclusive meet ups with Kelly Clarkson, Ali McGraw, Joan Jett, Gene Baur, Kevin Nealon, and Amy Smart. There are also yoga classes, raw and vegan nutritional counseling, an audition with an agent, tickets, salon and spa treatments, and so much more.

Happy MeatOut 2009!

Send this eCard

Spend your day spreading the veg love today! Don’t eat any meat, and encourage your friends to do the same … for the animals, for personal health, and for the environment. Take a page from the book of Bones star Emily Deschanel, who recently convinced former Chairman of Fox, Peter Ligouri, to go vegan, and help your friends and family with encouragement, support, and education.

“We were at a party, and I said, ‘You’d make a big difference by just trying it for a week.’ I sent him food, and he really stuck to it,” said Deschanel about helping Ligouri find the vegan light.

One day not a challenge? Try a week, or every Monday. The same folks that encourage to spread the veg word every year with Meatout Day, also host Meatout Mondays. Every meat-free meal makes a difference!