Tag Archives: sunday reads

What is that Mogo? You love me?! I love you too! CHU~<3

What is that Mogo? You love me?! I love you too! CHU~<3

Hey guys. Just trying to relax this weekend and catch up on some reading. I have some cool ideas for blog posts this week, and I hope I can share them in a timely manner. What’s coming up this week? A smoothie, a soup, maybe some tomatillos, crossfit, and my experience with counting calories. I hope they will interesting reads. But for now, check these links.

Recipes:
I love banana ice cream, so when I saw this recipe for Caramelized Banana Ice Cream, I completely lost it.

The Kitchn does a post about why Coffee and Booze go so well together. It made me cry a little, two things I love and two things I try to cut out of my diet. But hey, when I indulge I can double indulge right?

Olives for Dinner creates a vegan Carrot Lox. Am I drooling yet?

Alissa makes the most logical vegan move ever- mixing hummus with pasta. What? Which gave me some inspiration for an idea for my dinner tonight.

Vegan Richa publishes a recipe for Lentil Granola! This is such a cool idea, maybe a new granola recipe from me will be coming up.

Food News:
Oh stats! How I love you! NPR does a report showing how much we spend on food. How much? Less than your Granny did

NPR does a small interview with some of the leading names in veganism, and asks the important question- does being vegan really help the animals?

Ever feel like food blogs all look the same? Well, maybe they do.

Fun Stuff:
I am just in love with Jo’s photos from the Auckland Zoo.

I saw Oh Darling’s post about playing around with film, and wanted to try it. So I was happy when I saw lomography’s instructions on how to cook film. Now I just have to get my analog cameras working.

I started a Pinterest board on wombats because I loves them.

Which brings me to my next point- guess who bought this print? This chick.

Politics:
I’m not a buddist, nor do I meditate really. But I found this article really interesting

This article from the New York Times about how social problems are not isolated in Ferguson is really interesting.


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I recently updated our Pinterest board, catching up on about a month’s worth of posts. Then I found out about map pinterest boards, and thought it would be so cool to use. I always wanted to make “touring” posts featuring vegan friendly places that are pretty much free. Like what? Like parks, trails, museums, and such. The main reason I didn’t was because I wanted to have an interactive map that would make finding locations easy.

Anyways, while updating our Tour boards I went through our archives and read some of our early posts. It is funny seeing the differences with how Alexa and I post. Alexa makes posts touching many different topics, while I usually use a post to say just one thing. I also noticed how bulky the Sunday Reading posts are. They clog the main page, making it hard to bother with older posts. So I made a decision to redesign the page. I think more people have a similar format and usually post it on Fridays. Well, I’m sticking to Sundays. XD

This week there was A LOT of really cool stuff. I have no idea how my list got so long. So bear with me, and try and read everything that I posted.

Recipes:

This layered butternut squash “lasagna” made me think about the sweet potato cauliflower on I reviewed earlier. But I like how this one uses the squash as if it is the pasta, making an all veggie casserole.

I’m not a Bailey’s fan, but this recipe for boozy vegan bailey’s is getting my attention.

Oh She Glows is making me drool over these coconut layered snacks. Need to make!

Food News:

Mother Jones speculates if the Junk-Food Era is drawing to a close. I don’t think so, but I do think with all these health food blogs and the internet is making people more aware of how to eat less processed foods.

I wasn’t interested in watching Fed Up, the documentary. But I am really interested in watching That Sugar Film, it looks like a documentary that really takes advantage of the film medium. It also tried to show the effects of sugar by putting the filmmaker on a “healthy” sugar diet.

I remember having a discussion with my family about how it made more sense that kids would less allergic to peanuts if introduced at an earlier age. Turns out science is now backing that up.

American’s apparently are eating less desserts! I never really ate dessert when growing up, sure we had ice cream, but I am pretty sure that was it. Although money and laziness are reasons why I don’t eat desserts, usually not actually being hungry is the main reason.

Ur What U Post is a cool interactive website that counts Instagram hashtags of healthy and non-healthy foods. The website features some fun games as well, which is nice twist to healthy foods which usually have really boring ad campaigns.

Fun Stuff:

Gina shares some of the problems that slowed her down when trying to get into fitness.

Orthodox Jewish Babysitter’s Club? Where can I get a copy?

Apparently smelly farts are good for you health. Vegans must have perfect heath.

I love fairy tales! And apparently a whole new collection has been found with one about a turnip princess?! Alexa and I are both excited about it.

My friend Ian got a web shop up of his art. He is the cool dude who painted my big cat head from my wedding and drew the design from my bear tattoo. Go check out his stuff.

An artist buys art from garage sales and adds a new spin to them. I really want to buy this print guys.

Equality:

Emily from Bite Size Vegan talks about horse carriage rides this week.

Wrestling fans? Well, good news, the divas are starting to get a little more respect. Now let’s hope it stays this way.

The Ringling Brothers are phasing out the elephants from their shows. Sadly the decision is less about what’s best for the animals and more about money.


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Hi everyone! Another lazy day, it is snowing outside and turning into rain. I love snow but I am at the point where I am happy to see spring. It is the gross type of cold outside. It is constantly snowing then raining, creating sheets of ice overnight. Since it is warmer, the ground is muddy and gross. Basically it is harder to get outside and be active than the actual wintertime! Regardless, here is your weekly reads (and views.. or whatever).

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Mapping Migration in the United States Since 1900

Have I ever expressed my love of data on this site before? I am not sure if this relates to food or veganism, but I find it really interesting regardless. New York Times made an interactive map saying where people moved to within the United States. The data is interesting and kind-of makes sense. Of coarse it gets pretty clunky in the Northeast since the states are so small. But it is a cool thing to check out if you lived in the US.

Simply Delicious Shower Thoughts with Cookie Monster

He had me on onions rings are just vegetable donuts.

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The Clutter Cure’s Illusory Joy

I am in a current clutter crisis. Since I am helping my work move I’ve found some interesting yet questionable items, surgical stapler anyone? So this article about the world’s new obsession with clutter struck a cord with me.

Is Medication Vegan?

I love this new video from Emily of Bite Size Vegan. She breaks down what makes medications not vegan. I also like her conclusion, just because there are animal products or animal testing being done, doesn’t mean you should stop taking birth control or anti-depressants. But that doesn’t mean you can’t voice some concern or try some alternatives. She even leaves a bunch of helpful links to expand on the topic and for your own research.

Fitnessista’s YouTube Channel

I’ve been reading The Fitnessista’s blog for a few weeks now. She updates it A LOT! Luckily her posts are fast reads so that makes it okay. But I started to do some of the workouts from her YouTube page. Man, I am loving it. I am particularly loving her barre exercises. I love the muscle quakes from the exercises, but the healing process seems to be faster. I also love her body friendly instructing.


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Lots of people are complaining about the cold weather, but I’m loving it. I’ve been snuggling under blankets at the apartment, and finally getting to relax. My apartment controls the heating, so I am usually too hot, and opening windows in the winter. Not now. It is finally so cold, it is creating the perfect temperature inside. 

I also mentioned in my other 365 project post that my work is moving, and it pretty much happened during the coldest time during the whole winter. I am fine with that. It made moving kind-of nice, and sometimes I got TOO hot. The only downside is that once I stopped moving around, all I wanted to do was curl up in a blanket. 

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Your Healthy Eating Habits Are Pummeling The Packaged Foods Industry

Here’s an interesting article that gives me a little hope with my generation- we are eating less packaged foods! I started to notice this when I started working with my bosses that were late fifties and sixties. I noticed that in some ways they were completely cool with eating packaged goods, even being health conscious. But the article also notes the decline in sales is also because there are just more competition.

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The Best Exercises for Healthy Bones

 I found this old article when looking up something for Alexa Asks about calcium post. The article talks about which exercises really helps strengthens bones. It is interesting as it talks about how scientifically it makes a difference.

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Guide to Gluten-free Ancient Grains

One thing I like about the Gluten-free movement is that it forces people to vary their grains. Variation is an important part of a healthy diet. Sadly, I think we are all guilty of eating some of the same foods over and over again. I mean this week I think all I ate was rice! So this blog post is cool since it talks about other grains, and leaves links to recipes! I know I will check out a few for teff, I got a whole bag of it sitting in the cupboard.

The Science of Anti-Vaccination

I am not thrilled by all the articles people are sharing on Facebook about vaccinations. Almost all articles write in a demeaning voice, and pretty much always has a voice of “just vaccinate your kids dumbass!” This isn’t going to change people’s opinions. Viewpoints like Saywards’ are important to convince people to vaccinate children. This SciShow video is great since it explains the logic about the anti-vaccination movement, and doesn’t paint a picture that these people are simply stupid. Watching the video I sat there thinking about how I follow many of those logic traps. 

How Long Are You Going to Live?

Did I mention how I was watching a lot of YouTube videos since it is so chilly out? Well, here is another great video about how to read life expectancy rates. It also talks about how race and education effects life expectancy.


023Hey everyone! This week has been weird. My work is moving locations so we are having a huge blowout sale. So my “job” has shifted from framing in the back with helping customers in the front. There is so much anticipation and excitement I am ready to explode! I am a little relieved that we FINALLY OFFICIALLY start to move today, even with the below zero windchill. But I’m getting a paid workout with all that heavy lifting right?

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One thing that happened this week is that I discovered Lincoln had really sexy hair. I betcha he was the type of guy would spend hours in front of the mirror and then just play it off like he “woke up” that way. I also can’t help but think that if Lincoln lived today he would of been a male fashion model. I mean the hair, the cheek bones, the vacant stare- all model qualities.

Other cool things I did this week? I finished up reading Norwegian Wood, which was amazing! I went into Philadelphia twice, once for the Philadelphia Museum of Art and another time to get some coffee at an all vegan cafe. The coffee was good, but it was so nice to just go in a place and order ANYTHING off the menu. Oh and we FINALLY got some lovely snow yesterday. Not a lot but the flakes were big and pretty.

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What’s in Those Supplements?

I think some people are surprised that I don’t take many supplements as a vegan. But the answer is easy for me, I have little trust in the industry. This article only came as half of a surprise. There was a Consumer Reports article awhile ago about vitamins and said that many brands didn’t have the advertised amount of supplementation. But this article blew me out of the water, major branding having zero of the advertised herbs? Crazy.

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Super Food Lattes

I have a few latte recipes on the site, but since this winter hasn’t been so chilly I kind-of stopped making them. This post from The First Mess is giving me a little inspiration again to make some flavored hot drinks.

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Coconut Oil Sugar Cookies

Everyone is flooding the blogosphere with chocolates and sugar cookies. I am not a huge sugar cookie fan, but Oh Lady Cakes seems to have a recipe that looks pretty solid. She also has the prettiest natural dyed icing I’ve seen yet. I am kind-of regretting making peanut butter blondies instead of these cookies right now.

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Here (1989)

This awesome comic made my day. It has recently been revamped and published into a full length book, expanding on the idea. But you can read the original online, which I really dig the style more in the original than the new published book.

Super Expensive Korean Fruit

In the west we have fruit baskets, and we know they can be pretty expensive. But I always wondered if it was worth the price. Well, apparently Korea has even more expensive fruit, racking up at $13 per pear! Of coarse these are super pears and super apples, grown to be pretty, huge, and really sweet. 


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Hey everyone, I’m having a pretty laid back Sunday. I hope you are too. I’ve been using it to catch up on my backed up blog reading, making 2 gallons of kombucha, and making a new recipe to post for tomorrow. Pretty exciting stuff right? I might even get enough time to squeeze in finishing up Norwegian Wood.

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Yesterday I was able to make a trip to into the Philadelphia Museum of Art and I took some great photos that I might post later this week. The coolest exhibit was the collection of German Kraktur folk art from Pennsylvania. It was pretty cool since it is a little piece of my history as my Mother grew up in rural Pennsylvania.  The drawings were really interesting, they seemed like an odd mix of American history, patterns, text, and drawings that look like they are from a 8 year old. You can see more information at the PMA website.

Oh I also watched Frances Ha last night and I. LOVE. IT! I remember watching Tiny Furniture and I wanted so much to like it. It was about a girl just out of college, trying to find her place, struggling with family, etc. But it sucked. Sorry. It really made me not want to watch Girls, though I’ve heard Girls is much better than Tiny Furniture. Frances Ha on the other hand is great, I loved the characters, the dialogue, the visuals, the message, every freakin thing. I would totally recommend this movie to any 20-30 something and all film lovers. Watch it via Netflix.

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Radical Farmers Use Fresh Food to Fight Racial Injustice and the New Jim Crow

This article made me pretty happy. Reading articles about social injustices can crush your soul, making you believe that humanity is spiraling downwards. But reading about initiatives to help people instead of just blaming them can really lift the spirits. 

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Why U.S. maternity leave policies still fail women and children

Anyone who plans of having a kid or knows a friend who plans on having a child in the United States should read this article. It is an awesome breakdown on why there is a paygap with women, and how a lot of it has to do with children. We all know that most American parents both work, but the way the government works hasn’t caught up.

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When did letting your kids walk home alone become a crime?

I grew up in a small town that was little over 2 square miles. I walked to school, and for one year I had to bike to my new school across town. I could of technically walked there, but that probably would of taken 2o minutes every morning. So reading this article was interesting, and scary. 

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Coconut Milk Available in U.S. Starbucks Stores Beginning February

Starbucks is now adding another non-dairy option- coconut milk. I hope this trend continues since many smaller coffee shops follow Starbucks lead. Why am I so excited? I really usually hate almond milk in a latte. Yes, it can taste awesome, but it is easier to mess up. By the way, if you get a dark mocha with almond milk at Whole Foods- bliss! But I am marking my calendar on the 17th a picking up a “sample” latte of the coconut milk.

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Beyoncé Launches Vegan Meal Delivery Service With Her Trainer

Does Beyonce deliver the meals? Because if not, I’m not using it.


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It’s Super Bowl Sunday! Truthfully I only started to care about the Super Bowl when I started dating Jon. He got me to start watching and liking football. Granted, I think I care a lot less than most people about the Super Bowl. I mean it is fun but I tend not to care if there isn’t a team I like going in. This years line up I am not too thrilled about, and if my husband didn’t have anything to say about it, I would be watching the Puppy Bowl instead.

But here are 5 articles or videos I found interesting this week:

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U.S. Research Lab Lets Livestock Suffer in Quest for Profit

I think all vegans and vegetarians have seen this article at some point in past two weeks. But if you haven’t, I highly recommend checking it out.  It is a hard read but an important one. 

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Here’s What You Really Need to Stock up on for the Blizzard

If you live on the Eastcoast of the United States you probably heard about the blizzard. You also might of heard about the mad panic that New York (and the states below it) went through to have it be a big bust. There is always a joke that during storms people always grab toilet paper, eggs, milk, and bread. But The Kitchn makes their own stock up list, and I have to agree with them.

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Green Bay’s Board-Game Obsession

Anyone a Settlers fan? A friend taught my husband and me how to play, and we enjoyed it a lot. As time passed I learned about how many other people were playing it, then I read this article. Complicated games for adults are thought of as nerdy, but it makes lots of sense that they should be fun for everyone. I think most people are just distracted by bars, tv, and movies.

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Sexism is making women sick

This article hit home. As someone who use to live in Philadelphia, a city that has a pretty big catcalling problem, and moved the suburbs, I’ve noticed how my behaviors have changed. I cross the street when I see men walking, I walk down different blocks to avoid construction sites, and I tune out other people. So it is good to see evidence that what I do is normal.

Side note- I figured we should have a fuzzy cat as a photo instead of a stressed out woman, because why not?

The War on Ballsacks

Ever taken public transportation? Ever had to commute? If you have, I am sure you know that “rush hour” brings out the worse in people. At least everyone can have a sense of humor about it.


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This week has been pretty gross. Well weather wise. I love winter. I mean I love everything about it, the snow, the ice, the chilly air, etc. But year is a far cry from the last. It is usually above freezing, which causes lots of gross snowy-rain mix. I really can’t stand that. It is effecting my running too since I draw the line at running in near freezing rain, or icey patches, which happens the next morning.

BUT I have some exciting news- Alexa is coming down today and tomorrow and it is suppose to snow tomorrow. So maybe we will have some super cute photos to share. And maybe we will have a new restaurant review to add to the site.

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Unwavering Love

I love Jenny from She Loves Dresses. I think she is really great at talking about social issues on a platform that normally doesn’t talk about it (I mean how many feminist, socially aware vintage fashion blogs are there?) I think she poses great arguments, and there’s some great dialogue going in the comments.

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The Cult of Positivity

This is another post that made me think “yeah I get where you are coming from.” Kat talks about how positive self-talk is great for helping mental illnesses but isn’t a cure. But there is a big push back where people will claim that if alternative medicine doesn’t cure you, then you aren’t doing it right. I think this concept hits pretty much every movement including eating healthy and veganism. I mean how many times have you heard someone who stopped being vegan due to health reasons be called out for “not trying hard enough” to stay vegan?

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Gochujang Queso Sweet Potato and Kidney Beans

So this week I MIGHT be putting up a page about Gochujang, which was perfect timing with Olives For Dinner’s new recipe. I am thinking about grabbing a few ingredients for a last minute dinner this week. 

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Real Fruit Jewelry

I stumbled on this cool etsy shop full of jewelry made from dried foods. I love this current food-fashion culture except I am not big on most of the popular foods used in clothing since they aren’t normally vegan. I mean I love pizza but they are always CHEESE pizzas on leggings. Nor am I a big cupcake or donut fan. So I love seeing fruits and veggies take center stage!

YouTube Interview with President Obama

I am a big Hank Green fan, and I got excited when I heard he would be interviewing President Obama. It was a smart move to try and get younger kids involved with politics. I am firm believer that the more involved the public is involved with politics, the less corruption gets by.


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Today is definitely a stay inside day, whether I want it to be or not. The morning started out with freezing rain, so I am postponing my grocery shopping until the temperature goes up. And man.. is it painful. I wanted to go running this morning or go for a walk. At least I will be able to on Monday I suppose. But since I am stuck inside, I have a lot of time to read. So enjoy the articles below.

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How A Former Wall Street Trader Solved The Restaurant Industry’s Biggest Problem AND The Latest Restaurant to Abolish Tipping Offers Workers a $35K Salary Instead

Man I hate when I find something interesting but can’t choose between two articles. Recently a Pittsburgh restaurant tried to solve the tipping problem in the American restaurant industry. For anyone who is unfamiliar, usually there is a specific minimum wage for waiters, which can be lower than $3 an hour. This is done assuming that the worker will receive tips to make up the cost. Waiting tables is a very crappy job, but Bar Marco tries to give its workers a salary, vacation, and days off. The funny thing is that I am reading this article and told my husband thinking “WOW! This is great for a waiter” and his response was “THAT’S HORRIBLE! THAT’S A TERRIBLE JOB!” So even with ideal conditions, it seems being a waiter is still a shitty job, which is why I almost always tip 20%.

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Vegan Infographic

Sometimes I just love seeing numbers, which is why I love inforgraphics. And even though I like seeing numbers, I am really good at forgetting numbers. So it was nice to see the stats stacked up again to have a nice visual reminder of why I’m vegan.

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Kick Your Caffeine Habit with These 4 Coffee Substitutes

I was so happy to see this article since I am trying to kick coffee to the curb. I think I am doing pretty well, and creating a semi-structure to live by. My rule? If it isn’t good coffee then don’t drink it. The only exception to the rule would be headaches, of which I rather have coffee in my body than medication with caffeine in it. I would love to give some of these a taste, to feed my desire for a complex nutty and bitter drink. I am a little surprised they didn’t include Crio Bru, cocoa beans that are roasted like coffee.

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#marginalizED

I am loving this project idea. So I am sharing it in hopes that some see it and check it out to share their story. The idea? To show that eating disorders hit more people than just white middle class cisgender female. 

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7 cultural concepts we don’t have in the U.S.

Culture, it shapes how we view the world. Here is a list of different ideas that are more common outside of the US. I would probably would say the ideas mentioned in the article are available in the US, but don’t have a proper word to convey them. Or would be viewed as being “hippie dippie.”

When You Burn Fat Where Does It Go?

When I first saw the title for this sci show video I had a big “Duh! You break it down for energy.” But I quickly realized how short sighted that thought was. I mean you break the bonds to create energy, the matter doesn’t get destroyed to make it. So what does happen? Well, the answer is pretty poetic, and I LOVE it! Now I will always be thinking about breathing out “energy” when working out.


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Another week has gone by and I have been pretty good about some of my New Years Resolutions (or Goals, whatever way you like to word it) I’ve taken a photo a day, worked out fairly consistently, drinking lots of tea, and abstaining from coffee and booze. In fact the other night I had a beer and noticed how unproductive I got afterwards. So maybe that will be a nice reminder to lay off the beer on weeknights. 

But I am sure you are here for the articles, here are my top five articles (well one video) for the week.

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Healthy Hungry Hippo Soup

Can we stop for a moment and bask in the beauty of these hippo rolls? I’ve been getting into the spirit of dipping rolls into soups, and this takes it to a whole new level. Of coarse I have visions of being that crazy Mom who makes hippo rolls and wonders why all the other Mom’s think I’m trying too hard to impress them.

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The Future of Meat is Plant-Based Burgers

Here is an article profiling Ethan Brown (founder of Beyond Meat) and their newest product, the Beast Burger. I am always shocked by how many vegans shy away from the “fakes.” I use to be one of them. It wasn’t going to taste the same so why bother? But the older I get, and the more I cook I figure out WHY they are important. One reason is cultural, there is something comforting about being able to eat a traditional meal that you’ve eaten for years. A second reason is texture, you need something chewy or crunchy from time to time. And the third reason is that meats and cheese are often persevered and prepared for easy weeknight cooking. Sure you can do that with a black bean burger, but there are culture “quick” foods that don’t translate easily to homemade vegan. Sandwiches are hard to make vegan and still have them be fast to eat and very filling. Do I live off of the “fakes”? No, but I do occasionally use seitan, gardein, beyond meat, tofutti, and daiya.

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This Year, #LoveTheMirror

I think there is too much stress on dieting, staying thin, looking a certain way, and fat shaming. I’ve heard a lot of hateful bashing about “fat people.” I’ve heard people say horrible things about body parts looking too much like this, this person is too thin, that person looks too feminine, too much like a man, whatever. Everyone deserves to love themselves. You don’t owe anyone an apology for how you look. Period.

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What Happened When I Made a Resolution to Not Buy Anything New for a Year

I thought this was a pretty cool concept, though I am not sure if I could do that (at least with a husband with plans to buy a house) I would love to try this out one year, but I couldn’t image when I would do this. Maybe baby steps? One week not buying anything, then one month?

Is Birth Control Vegan?

This video gives information you never really put much thought about. Sure we all vaguely remember reading something about the ye old days when viking used intestines for condoms (or something like that) but we are totally more advanced than that right? Well, a little, but there are vegan options out there. This is naturally a touchy topic, and every vegan has their own choices to make.