Living Without Meat

This awesome animaly-friendly poem comes from Poems of Experience, by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (shown here), written in 1917. It’s a long one; to read past the first stanza, click the “read the rest” link at the end.

The Voice of the Voiceless

I am the voice of the voiceless;
Through me the dumb shall speak;
Till the deaf world’s ear be made to hear
The cry of the wordless weak.
From street, from cage, and from kennel,
From jungle and stall, the wail
Of my tortured kin proclaims the sin
Of the mighty against the frail.

Read the rest of this entry »

It has long been established that animal rights organizations - PETA in particular - hate Kentucky Fried Chicken more than any other restaurant out there. The prominent fast food joint has a history of being the so-called cruelest of the cruel when it comes to animals being used for human food.

Recent events began to show, however, that perhaps the Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign is getting to the Colonel Sanders, or at least to his Canadian counterpart.

In May of this year, actor Ryan Gosling spoke up for his fellow fowls by writing a letter to the KFC Canada (his home country) headquarters, urging them to reconsider their ways. At the beginning of June, after seven months in discussion with PETA, KFC Canada announced that they would be introducing many new animal-friendly practices including a vegan, faux-chicken menu option.

With barely enough time to celebrate the small victory, Canadian vegetarians and vegans have already been let down: the vegan chicken isn’t vegan nor vegetarian.

Perhaps the fake meat is vegan before KFC workers get their grubby hands on it (unlikely, however, as most contain eggs), but once the veggie chicks are de-thawed, they are fried in the same lard as the real chicken. Then, they are slathered in mayo which has an egg base.

So if you are the kind of lax vegetarian who eats eggs and doesn’t mind your food mingling with meat, in a meat-based fat, then head on up to a Canadian KFC and get your vegan-ish faux meat.

The floods in the Midwest had many victims, but the ones that caught the world by surprise were the pigs of Iowa. Photos quickly spread of pigs swimming for their lives, only a hint of snout above water, amongst contaminated waters and fellow pigs that had not been so lucky.

A rescue mission was quickly put into place.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare, American Humane Association, Farm Sanctuary, and Animal Rescue League of Boston quickly went to work, assessing the situation and pulling the pigs to safety.

A team of about 25 people tirelessly worked long days (16 to 18 hours per day) to save the 69 pigs that had swam to a nearby levee and survived. They were dehydrated, hungry, exhausted, and sunburned to the point that their skin was charred black. Some had pneumonia and injuries.

Some of the unlucky ones, that swam and fought for their lives, were shot by local law enforcement because they were seen as a threat to the levee. Their bodies were left, the situation regarded as “fixed.”

Two (of the rescued 69) were in such poor health that they needed to be put down. Three were in need of such extensive care that they were sent to Cornell University Hospital for Animals. The rest have found refuge at Farm Sanctuary, and are working toward a full recovery.

The needs do not end here, however. Several of the sows are pregnant. In fact, one gave birth while fighting for her own life and was able to keep her newborn piglets safe. The veterinarian bills are piling up. And, unfortunately, the number of pigs will prove to be too much for Farm Sanctuary to handle.

Here are the ways that you can help the Midwest flood pig rescue mission:

* All four above mentioned organizations have set up a “pig rescue” fund and are in need of donations to help absorb the cost of the mission and the aftercare. Every dollar will help; consider showing your support by giving to one of these great organizations.

* If you are a vegan home, that has the means and space to care for a rescued animal, consider adopting a pig or two by signing up for Farm Sanctuary’s Farm Animal Adoption Network by contacting: shelter@farmsanctuary.org, or 607-583-2225 ext. 223.

* Show support, keep informed, and learn more by visiting the 2008 Midwest Flood Pig Rescue blog. You have to visit this site to see the photos!

The first photo shown was taken by Molly of Best Friends, an organization that went to Iowa to work on rescuing the stranded pets. The second is an AP photo.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary has added over 100 new words to their newly published edition. Two of the words that have been very popular (that is, mentioned in every press release and article about the new words), are vegetarian-related!

edamame: immature green soybeans

pescatarian: a vegetarian whose diet includes fish

phytonutrient: bioactive, plant-derived compound (as resveratrol) associated with positive health effects.

Plus, it’s not just the fact that the dictionary people are acknowledging these words, but rather that they are doing so because they believe the words reflect “current societal trends.”

Other words or phrases added include air quotes, mental health day, subprime, and Texas Hold ‘em.

This weekend I met up with my mother and sister, with her two tots, to have a picnic in a park before a Johnny Cash tribute concert.

As we sat down at the picnic table, and began setting out the food that we had each brought, my contemplative 3-year-old nephew speaks up:

Nephew: Aunt Sally? Mommy says that you don’t eat anything from an animal.

Me: That’s true, I don’t.

Nephew: Well, then, you can eat … this, and some of this, and …

Apparently he reminds my sister every time she is cooking and I am coming over of my diet. I also noticed that it is apparently an instinctual response to tell a veg*n what food they can eat. It was super cute!

We had a delicious spread that was “accidentally” vegetarian (and completely homemade). With one veg head and four meat eaters, our dinner included:

* vegan version of tomato, basil, mozzarella salad
* hummus with whole wheat pita and carrots
* gazpacho
* eggplant parmesan
* water

No soda. No packaged, processed foods with unpronounceable ingredients. And no meat. I was in heaven … and continue to be, as mom gave me the leftover hummus and gazpacho!

Lunch yesterday was hummus, carrots, and whole wheat pita. Today I’m having a baked potato with gazpacho. And that potato? It comes from my dad - he’s working a delivery route for a local farmer and sent me a box full of fresh-picked, local, organic vegetables!

My family sure knows how to spoil a vegan!

****
For more great vegan picnic ideas, check out the recent post over on the Urban Vegan titled “101 Fast Recipes for Inspired Vegan Picnics.”

It feels so good to be back!

No, I didn’t go anywhere - no fun vacations for this starving writer. But Living Without Meat took a little break. 451 Press, the great masters that own and support me and LWM, has been having some technical difficulties, but with all new servers and other techy junk that I don’t really get … I’m back, baby … and just in time for you to make the deadline (Wednesday, July 16) to nominate me for the Sexiest Vegetarian Blogger on Peta’s blog.

See how much of a smiley goon I am? That’s what makes me sexy: a super sillyness and goofy grin backed with a contagious confidence.

Sitting at my desk, I can glance up and see out a window overlooking an open field. I often enjoy watching groundhogs and birds romping around.

But not this Wednesday.

As the afternoon slump began to set in, I stretched and looked around. Two men (maybe 40-50 years old) were riding a golf cart through the field, which is not an unusual sight. Then they stopped, cart butted up against the fence, just behind the dumpster.

I was bored; I was intrigued. What were they doing?

It only took me a moment to realize what was going on: they had a groundhog pinned while one threw rocks and the other smacked at it with a stick.

“They’re beating a groundhog!” I shouted, catching the attention of my three neighboring coworkers. “I wonder how fast I can get out there.”

I leaped to my feet, ran down the hallway, out the door, down the steps, out the next door, and continued toward the fence.

“Excuse me!” I shouted, getting no response.

I clapped my hands, as you might have to get the attention of a stray animal. I finally got a look. They began to meander on their way, but I was not finished.

My heart was pounding.

“What is your problem? Do you honestly have nothing better to do that pick on something barely 1/100 of your size?”

Silence. One man shrugged. One gave me the creepiest smile that I have ever seen in person.

They finally began driving away, but were moving at a speed that told me they were interested in coming back. I stood statuesque, hand on hips, and stared. They stopped and turned around to see if I was still there. And finally, the *!@#$!s drove off.

I walked over to where the groundhog hand last been. He was cowering on the edge of the parking lot, a small thing scared and confused. I waited and watched as he was finally able to run off into the field safely.

I was agitated, shaky, and generally disgusted for the rest of the day. What is wrong with people?

I was sitting around my complex’s pool eating dinner the other night. It was steak night which is surprisingly the themed food night where I have the most options (sauteed mushrooms, corn, asparagus, salad greens, potatoes …).

Sitting at the table next to me was a woman with five girls, all about age 10. The girls were all settled with their meals when - horror! - it was noticed that one girl had not gotten a steak!

Observant Girl: You don’t have a steak on your plate.

Steak-free Girl: Um … I don’t really eat meat.

Mob Mentality Girl: But why don’t you have a steak?

Steak-free Girl: I just don’t eat meat.

Finally, they were all okay with this girl’s decision not to eat a steak. The poor girl was shy, and noticeably upset at having her food choices questioned.

I was noticeably excited to watch a budding vegetarian, though I was sorry that she is already meeting opposition.

Stay strong, Steak-free Girl! Make your healthy, cruelty-free diet choices!

As my juice fast was coming to an on Sunday, my teeth were restless. All I wanted to do was chew something!

My morning started out with a breakfast juice of an orange and a couple of carrots. For my first snack, I made a digestive aid using 4 large carrots, some jicama, and half of a pear.

After these two juices, I was so ready to never see a carrot again, but equally enticed by the recipe that I had picked out for a cold carrot soup for lunch. I juiced a few carrots, then blended it with an avocado and some cumin. It was so creamy and satisfying, but I really wanted a cracker or piece of bread to go along with it. I stayed strong though.

The mocktail for happy hour was fantastic! With the juice of one tomato, half a cucumber, some fresh cilantro, and a chunk of lime, it created a fun version of a Bloody Mary.

Then it was time to drink dinner: a juice blend of apples, spinach, parsley, and lemon that is meant to target the colon’s cleaning needs. I am surprised to say that this was my favorite drink of the day. It was light and refreshing. However, for the first time during the day I felt hungry and headachy. It was the least fulfilling … I may have had a little homemade hummus with carrots and celery at this point.

Drinking so much juice, I wasn’t really thirsty and only finished about one tall glass of water. I did, however, brew a pot of detox tea and sipped it throughout the day.

To round the whole day out, I treated myself to a tropical taste of pineapple, kiwi, strawberries, and ginger juice, blended with a touch of soy milk and some ice cubes.

In the end, it wasn’t a whole day of nothing but juice, but there is no denying that I had a very healthy day, offering my body a replenishment of nutrients.

The movie that I just watched - Charlie Bartlett - was very inspirational. After watching it, I picked up my guitar for the first time this year, and got an early jump on my Sunday juice fast. I made a pink lemonade juice that was amazing!

Into the juicer went: 1/4 organic lemon with the rind on (only okay if it is organic and washed); 2 huge, red delicious apples; and 1/2 thoroughly scrubbed beet.

Yum! I highly recommend it … but I also recommend taking it slow when you pick the guiter back up. My calluses aren’t there anymore and now my fingers are in pain!

***

This, and all, of the juices that I am making during this juice fast were inspired by recipes from the very informative and innovative book The Juice Lady’s Juicing for High-Level Wellness and Vibrant Good Looks by Cherie Calbom, M.S. It’s one of the best resources for both recipes and nutritional explanations.

Protein will forever be a hot topic between meat eaters and veg*ns. When I first started Living Without Meat one year ago, in May 2007, I talked for a good number of days on the nutritional subject. I brought it up in my very first post - on May 17, 2007 - as I counted the most frequently asked questions that vegetarians encouter.

I then researched and wrote a two-part article all about proteins: What are They?, and How Much Do I Need? Still, I had even more to say. After analyzing my diet for two days (day one; day two), I finally pointed out that there is more to a healthy meal than just protein.

But out of all of these articles, I never once came up with the hilarity Vegan Soapbox did earlier this week in 10 Responses to “Where Do You Get Your Protein?” The list included the perfect mix of sarcastic and educated comebacks.

My favorites were: “The grocery store,” and “The same place you do. I get my protein from food.”

Now, go read the rest of the list oer at Vegan Soapbox!

Another major print and online news source has worked up a great article on veganism.

The New York Post published “Intriguin’ Vegan: (Don’t) Say ‘Cheese’ at These Spots” on Wednesday, June 25. The article hits on celebrities in the vegan spotlight and New York City vegan restaurant reviews (simultaneously by a vegan and carnivore). It also includes a spread from a photo shoot - “V” for Vegan.

I have always wanted to do a day of only fresh juice, but have never buckled down and actually done so. But with all of the birthdays, picnics, and celebrations going on this time of year, I am finally planning a fresh juice fast for this Sunday, followed by light raw vegan foods and more juice on Monday.

Today’s mission is grocery shopping in preparation.

MY JUICE FAST GROCERY LIST:

**All organic if possible**

* 5 red delicious apples
* 1 green apple
* 3 vine-ripened tomatoes
* 2 kiwi
* 1 pineapple
* fresh ginger
* 1 pack celery
* 20+ carrots
* 1 head romaine lettuce
* beets with greens
* 1 pear
* 1 avocado
* cumin
* 1 cucumber
* fresh cilantro, basil, and parsley
* 1 lime
* 1 lemon
* 1 orange
* 1 grapefruit
* 2 bunches of spinach

From a juicing book that I snagged at the Dollar Tree, I have a lot of great sounding recipes planned out for the day including a chilled juice soup and a bloody Mary mocktail.

Check back on Sunday for specific recipes and more.

I once had a doctor ask me “How do you get your exercise?”

“I walk. A lot,” I replied.

“No. I mean exercise. Walking doesn’t really count.”

While impressed that a general practitioner would take the time to ask a patient about their workout habits, I have been forever disturbed by her disbelief in walking as exercise.

I was reminded of this instance recently as a coworker and I have been chatting about walking lately. We both take our half an hour break to walk around outside. But this week she stepped it up a notch: she’s been wearing a pedometer … and she has an extra one that she gave to me!

Today is my first day counting my steps to a healthier system. Yesterday, said coworker topped 11,000 steps. The recommendation is at least 10,000 per day.

Game on! Here I go … (”walking down the street/ I get the funniest looks from/ everyone I meet”)

***

A pedometer is a small mechanism that clips to the waistband of your pants, and keeps track of how many steps you take. It counts by tracking each bounce created by your hips, so take it off when riding in the car.

For a free pedometer of your own, join Tylenol Arthritis Pain Relief’s Keep Moving Program and receive one along with a DVD.

Step counters are also available for purchase at sporting goods, health, and other stores. If you spend more money, you get more reliability and more functions (such as calories burned, time, etc.).

In all that you choose to do (or not do) in life, it always helps to have a support community of like-minded people. I’ve been enjoying searching for new vegan blogs to read in my quest for such. One of my new favorites is Vegan Soapbox, and, thanks to the writers over there, I have a new list of ones to check out: VegNews magazine’s VegBloggy award winners.

* Abolitionist Approach
* An Animal Friendly Life
* BitterSweet
* The Conscious Kitchen
* FatFree Vegan Kitchen
* Hezbollah Tofu
* Let’s Get Sconed!
* Post Punk Kitchen
* Ramblings of a Vegan Man
* SuperVegan
* The Urban Housewife
* Veg Blog
* Vegan Dad
* VeganEtsy
* Vegan Talk
* Vegan Yum Yum
* Vegans of Color
* Vive le Vegan
* Walking the Vegan Line
* We Like it Raw
* What the Hell Does a Vegan Eat Anyway?

Check them out, let me know if you find any particularly interesting or fun … but do come back, ya hear?

Pick up the next issue of VegNews - the music issue - to read their review of each site.