Practice Makes Progress

Deciding to become vegan was an overnight decision I made. Deciding to write a blog was, well, I don’t know why I decided that. 

However, I decided to take online courses this month that started today. They are Blogging 101 & Writing 101. Today’s  assignment was just to write a post. Write about why I write this blog. 

So I’m already stumped, on day one. And it’s past midnight. I’m the typical procrastinator, not following through with things, waiting till the last minute to get just something turned in. Not like I was a slacker in school and not like I got bad grades. I just wasn’t passionate about what I studied most of the time. And so that’s why it surprises me about how well I’ve done as a vegan. For over a year now, I have not (intentionally) eaten meat. There were a couple times I thought it was a fully veggie pizza, but a slice of pepperoni found its way to my slice. Ew! And yes, I said pizza, and I don’t mean, cheese-free or even vegan cheese. Although, my tastebuds are starting to enjoy Daiya. So on that note, I’m not fully vegan. I admit it. And honestly it’s because I can be a lazy, busy chef-in-training. I’ve got a couple little guys’ mouths to feed too!   

So as I write this post, I think about the word “practice.” For this last year I have been practicing at being a vegan and a blogger. Practice makes progress. But the reason why I am doing both, as a vegan and a blogger, is because I care. I am a compassionate person. I want to help save many animals’ lives. I want to save the environment. I want to pass on this legacy to my sons to make the world a better place. I want to share my story to others so they can learn from me and I can learn from them. 

God didn’t create me to be a vegan or a blogger. I was created to be a compassionate person. Show love. Learn. Grow. As I reflect on an amazing man who recently left this planet, Dr. Wayne Dyer reminds me that we all have music to share with others before we die. What’s yours?  

Summertime and the vegan livin’ is easy

 
Summertime & the vegan livin’ is easy. BBQ tofu? Yes, please!

  
I saw a recipe for BBQ tofu & actually really liked it. It was meaty in texture and the sauce was what made it. I rounded this meal off with grilled veggie kabobs, mashed potatoes, pineapple & watermelon. The tofu was baked in the oven, but the veggies & pineapple were put on the grill.

Steve pulled out the grill again another night. We had veggie burgers on rolls smeared with avocado. On the side we had sweet potato fries, corn on the cob & of course the in-season watermelon. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it. Wish I had a picture for this one too.

What’s funny is my 4 year old son was excited to eat these types of food, especially the veggie burger. “I love veggie burgers!” And Dylan can’t get enough watermelon.

We topped all this off with some iced tea & we were officially celebrating summer!

What’s your fave summer food?

Here’s a pic of Conor getting his fill of his fave seasonal fruit.

  

Why did the tofu cross the road?

Why did the tofu cross the road? To prove he wasn’t chicken!

  
Wow! I can’t believe how many jokes for, and against, vegans there are.

And why do I ALWAYS have to defend myself? I’m just being the voice for animals who don’t have voices, not to mention I’m doing what I can to reduce my carbon footprint so my children and grandchildren have a future.

My sister tells me I don’t have to tell people I’m vegan. That it’s none of their business. And I probably don’t… They’ll find out other ways.

For instance, last week I brought lunch to my husband’s work and “met” his new co-worker. She said  “oh yeah, you’re gluten-free.” I looked at her funny. And she said, “oh no, you’re vegan.” As if they’re related. And by the way, my name is not “Vegan.” She doesn’t even know my name. Then she goes on to tell me how she could never stop eating cheese. Very common response and because… drum roll please… Cheese is addictive! Yes, the protein in milk breaks down into a morphine-like substance. Ha! There you go! One huge reason why many people can’t go vegan. 

  
So that part of the conversation wasn’t unusual. What was unexpected was how she went onto say how she recently saw a huge truck transporting chickens to the slaughterhouse and she was smiling and laughing about how scared they looked! Yes, this conversation was disturbing and inappropriate, but you would be surprised at how many similar conversations I have with others that feel similar. Maybe not this extreme, but goes in a bad direction. I still never officially met her. The only way I learned her name was by asking my husband, who by the way was proud of how I handled myself in this predicament. I told her that animals are smart and have feelings too. Hmmm… How it would have felt to… no I can’t go there. Sorry!

  
On the other hand some people who love me and have known me all of my life don’t appear supportive of my compassionate decision to live a close to vegan lifestyle. The other day my parents and I were having lunch at their home with their friend, Dave. Conor wanted chocolate milk so I asked my dad to pour him a glass. He still drinks cow milk. I asked my mom to pour a small glass of almond milk for Dylan. Dave, out of curiosity, asked if he drinks almond milk because his belly gets upset from cow milk. I said “No, we eat a mostly vegan diet.” So the conversation began. Ugh! Yes, I could have sugar-coated things by lying, but what for? I could have said that his belly does get upset. Or that he prefers the flavor. But those cows don’t have voices, I do. So of course I was ready to speak for the cows… My dad asked about the reasoning for not drinking cow milk. “The cow isn’t slaughtered.” I hesitated but but then went on to explain that they are slaughtered. You would be amazed to know the truth about the dairy industry. Their lives are cut way short when their milk dries up. And oh by the way, the dairy cows are raped to get pregnant in order to have milk producing hormones often. I spared him that gory detail.

So that was a normal part of the conversation. But again, it had to go in a bad direction. My mom turned to Dave and said, in a sarcastic tone of voice, “Don’t buy a leather couch.” They laughed, yes laughed, and I said “That’s right. That is the skin of dead cows. What did the cow do to deserve that? It was born. That’s it.” She went on to tell her friend how I opposed her buying a new leather couch. Yes I did. And she looked at me explaining that it was her decision. And I agreed. However, not only is it the skin of a dead animal, but it’s unhealthy with deadly chemicals.

Time after time I am forced to be the voice for animals. It is very rare for people to just accept the fact and move on. They feel guilty. They are in denial. They are on the defense. I don’t blame them. I used to be one of them. But then I woke up. Ignorance is NOT bliss. So many animals are suffering. The world is hurting. Our bodies are at risk. I will continue to speak up. What good is it to live a vegan lifestyle to keep it to myself? It is no secret. I am, however, rethinking ways to respond to people’s questions, comments, inappropriate conversations. 

Here is an idea: “You would assume I’m an animal lover, right? Wrong. I really hate plants.”

  
Any other funny responses? I’d love to hear them!

  
 

Extreme Parenting

Raise your child as compassionate or apathetic? That is the question.

  
On Memorial Day a woman came up to me and my husband. She asked if we cooked up our meat on the barbeque yet. Steve right away pointed to me and said “She’s vegan.” She stepped back and she lost eye contact with me. She was uncomfortable. Steve could have said that I practice witchcraft and she would have had the same reaction.

Over the weekend, Steve brought Conor to Chick-Fil-A and he ordered chicken nuggets for Conor. I was sad to see him eat, yet again, more dead animal. All along I’ve been telling Conor it’s up to him but that Dylan & I don’t eat animals. But Conor seemed to have been going in the rebellious direction, towards his father’s tendencies. This time, though, I brought him in his room and asked him if I can show him why I don’t eat animals. He said yes. So I opened up his vegan books Steve gave him (yeah right), just kidding, I gave him for his birthday. “That’s why we don’t eat animals” has some cute illustrations that I feel are age appropriate.  So I showed Conor the pictures where animals are happy playing in grass with their friends and families. Then the next page it shows the animals scared, alone, caged up, in filth. It’s all the truth so I find it necessary to show him. We went through pages about multiple animals, while I spoke with a genuinely sad voice. Conor looked at me and said he won’t eat animals anymore. But then went on to ask if he can drink chocolate milk. So that opened up another (quick) “can of worms.” I asked him how he would feel if someone took him away from me when he was a baby & that he couldn’t have my milk, or more currently that someone took Dylan away so other people could have my milk. I didn’t go into more details than that or show him the real truth in videos. He seemed to think deeply about it.

Some people may think that this is too far. Too extreme. That it’s not right for my boys to hear or see what is happening to animals. Well, I have a different point of view. Don’t you think we should be asking ourselves why this truth is even happening in the first place? Why should I have to hide my children from the fact that when someone eats bacon that it came from a cute, smart pig? Or that when they’re eating a chicken nugget that the chicken had a family?
  
I value compassion and am passing on this legacy to my children. Ignorance is NOT bliss. When someone is ignoring the truth that animals are suffering and don’t have voices, they themselves are part of the problem. Funny how people think that giving your child plant-based whole foods out of compassion for animals is extreme.  No one ever questioned my parenting when I fed my boys Happy Meals and pizza. No one ever asked me if I was concerned about childhood obesity or diabetes. No! Instead people now ask me if my children are getting enough protein and calcium. Ha! 

I’d rather be a person of extreme compassion than a person who supports extreme suffering. Fortunately I’m not the only person who feels this way. Check out these other articles and blogs:

http://www.bitesizevegan.com/vegan-lifestyle-2/is-a-vegan-diet-is-too-extreme/

http://www.oopsimavegan.com/blog/is-being-vegan-a-bit-too-extreme

http://gentlelivingonline.com/vegan-2/youre-too-vegan/

Neat “Meat”

I grew up on tv shows like the Cosby Show & Family Ties. These families would sit around the dinner table and talk. My family looked like these families at the table, with maybe a bit more fights. Either way, it was overall enjoyable and I have always pictured my future family doing the same thing. 

Well last night we did it… at 8:30pm! But it was so worth it. At 6pm I started working on the lentil-walnut loaf. But whoa… so many ingredients and so much prep work! Fortunately we all liked it, except for Conor. The whole meal was delicious and vegan! Along with the lentil-walnut loaf (aka Neatloaf), I served mashed potatoes (with Earth Balance butter & soy milk), and steamed veggies. I recently took a vegan cooking class and we made “neatballs.” So whenever I make something that is a meat alternative, I just use the word “neat” in front of it. Cute, huh? I think for non-vegans, the dish may be more palatable.  Our minds are very powerful.

  

As I practice cooking new recipes, I improve and have more fun. But I always seem to dread the aftermath of dirty dishes and spills. If only someday Alice from The Brady Bunch would show up on my doorstep…

Friend or food?

To eat or not to eat. That is the question.    

Now as I reflect on my life as an omnivore, I am disgusted that I ate dead (previously abused and tortured) animals. There’s no sugar-coating it. The way meat is advertised objectifies the body of this innocent animal. From the breast, to the ribs, to even the innards. Go to China… eat a dog, monkey brain, or even camel hump. I’m so glad the American culture hasn’t adopted these practices. But still, I’m not satisfied. Change needs to come.

The boys and I went on a play date on Thursday to Rancho San Antonio Space Preserve in Los Altos. We had a great time exploring nature: creek, hawk, maybe poison ivy… Here are pictures of my sweet animal lovers.

Then we came across Deer Hollow Farm. Cute, but definitely not for real animal lovers. Not vegan. I had to hold back my negative comments about the signs. My friends don’t want to hear my honest thoughts. I just don’t know them we’ll enough. But I had to take pictures. What’s wrong (in terms of animal rights) with these pictures?

            

I mean, really?! Brainwashing generation after generation that these animals don’t have rights. That they are objects: meat, milk, eggs, leather, fur, brushes, and even soap.

We have two dogs, Brutus & Pepper. What makes them more significant than a pig, cow, or chicken?

Happy (fill in the holiday)!

Your birthday or some holiday is coming up. Yay! It’s fun, it’s relaxing. Maybe a bit stressful but that’s to be expected. 

  

Now throw into the mix that you’ll be eating vegan, or just simply vegetarian. Usually not a big deal… except for the fact that when you eat out just about every salad in America has meat and cheese piled on top. Plus, is salad really that fulfilling? So now “It’s my party, I can cry if I want to.” Fortunately, my family is adapting and more understanding now. A few days before my birthday, we went with my family to Aqui, a Cal-Mex kinda restaurant. I ordered a grilled tofu dish and… ahem… a margarita swirl. Yum! But… Uh oh, I forgot how much of a light weight I am. Thanks sis for the vegan cupcakes! Then on my birthday Steve brought me to a movie and a nice Mediterranean restaurant. There were limited vegan options but I found a yummy dish. However, even though they knew I was vegan, the servers brought me a cow milk ice cream dessert topped with a lit candle. What did Amy do? Well, it’s really hard for me to say no to ice cream so I ate it, of course. 

  

   

Then Conor’s birthday was a few days later and we went as a family to Dave and Busters to play and eat. No big deal, right? Wrong! The only thing I found that was vegetarian/vegan was a veggie burger. I mean, that’s fine. It’s what I ordered, but every salad was covered in animal products, the appetizers were all smothered with cheese and the main dishes were pig/cow/chicken. Again I ordered the veggie burger and fries but felt a bit cornered. It was my only option. Afterwards we played video games and I forgot all about the dinner.   

  

  

Easter was more of a challenge. Ham? No thank you, Mother! But still you insisted on bringing ham to our potluck dinner because “Steve wants to eat it.” Whatever! He’s become more open minded than people give him credit for. We had veggie lasagna (with cow milk cheese), garlic bread, and salad. But seeing the ham in the crock pot and watching the family eat it made me both nauseous and sad. I only can picture it as a tortured pig. The only request I had was that the boys didn’t have any. I think everyone respected that. And fortunately Conor now is understanding that meat is animals. For his birthday I gave him a few children’s books. One is called “Vegan is Love.” His mind is open and he looks up to me, his compassionate mom. I’m so proud of this animal-lover of mine!

  

And don’t forget today is Earth Day! One big reason why people adopt a vegan diet is, not just to save animals from torture but, to save the environment. What do you plan on doing for Earth Day (and beyond) to make the world a better place?

  

You can’t handle the truth!

Me: You want answers?
Them: I think I’m entitled to them.
Me: You want answers?
Them: I want the truth!
Me: You can’t handle the truth!

We live in a world where “Calves are generally taken from their mothers within a day of being born—males are destined for veal crates or barren lots where they will be fattened for beef, and females are sentenced to the same fate as their mothers. After their calves are taken away from them, mother cows are hooked up, several times a day, to milking machines. These cows are genetically manipulated, artificially inseminated, and often drugged to force them to produce about four and a half times as much milk as they naturally would to feed their calves. A cow’s natural lifespan is about 25 years, but cows used by the dairy industry are killed after only four or five years… Dairy cows’ bodies are turned into soup, companion animal food, or low-grade hamburger meat because their bodies are too “spent” to be used for anything else. Male calves—”byproducts” of the dairy industry—are generally taken from their mothers when they are less than 1 day old. Many are shipped off to barren, filthy feedlots to await slaughter. Others are kept in dark, tiny crates where they are kept almost completely immobilized so that their flesh stays tender. In order to make their flesh white, the calves are fed a liquid diet that is low in iron and has little nutritive value. This heinous treatment makes the calves ill, and they frequently suffer from anemia, diarrhea, and pneumonia. Frightened, sick, and alone, these calves are killed after only a few months of life so that their flesh can be sold as veal. All adult and baby cows, whether raised for their flesh or their milk, are eventually shipped to a slaughterhouse and killed.” PETA

I breastfed Conor until he was 17 months. I’m still breastfeeding Dylan and he’s 14 months. If someone were to steal them away from me then attach me to milking machines to feed my milk to, let’s say, dogs, someone would get hurt! But when I could no longer produce milk, I’d be slaughtered because there is essentially no use for me in the industry. Ridiculous, right? But that’s what’s happening to some animals.

For more information about how other animals are used for food

We live in a world where “animals who are killed for their skin endure the horrors of factory farming—extreme crowding and deprivation as well as castration, branding, tail-docking, and dehorning—all without any painkillers. At slaughterhouses, animals routinely have their throats cut and some are even skinned and dismembered while they are still conscious. Buying leather directly contributes to factory farms and slaughterhouses because skin is the most economically important byproduct of the meat industry. Leather is also no friend of the environment, as it shares responsibility for all the environmental destruction caused by the meat industry as well as the pollution caused by the toxins used in tanning. With every pair of leather shoes that you buy, you sentence an animal to a lifetime of suffering.” PETA

For more information about how other animals are used for clothing

We live in a world where imprisoned animals live in “attractions [that] are often dismal, with animals confined to tiny, filthy, barren enclosures, but even the best artificial environments can’t come close to matching the space, diversity, and freedom that animals have in their natural habitats. This deprivation—combined with relentless boredom, loneliness, and sometimes even abuse from the people who are supposed to be caring for them—causes many captive animals to lose their minds. Animals with this condition, called “zoochosis,” often rock, sway, or pace endlessly, and some even mutilate themselves. Zoos claim to promote education, but the only thing to be learned at these sad facilities is how animals who want to be free act when they are confined. Zoochosis is so rampant that some zoos even resort to administering mood-altering drugs such as Prozac to address the public’s complaints about abnormal behaviors… Marine mammal parks capture animals from the wild, tearing animal families apart; confine highly intelligent animals who were meant to swim up to 100 miles a day to small, concrete, chemically treated tanks; and force the animals to learn silly circus tricks, often by withholding food. Whales and dolphins at these facilities typically die decades earlier than their counterparts in the wild, and some have reportedly even committed suicide by choosing to stop breathing or by slamming their heads against the walls of the tank.” PETA

For more information about how other animals are used for entertainment

Me: You don’t want the truth.

Them: Why don’t you eat meat? What about fish? But it’s free range, grass fed, organic, humane, etc. We need calcium from milk. We need protein from animal meat. But cows produce milk for us to drink. But chickens produce eggs for us to eat. But people have been eating meat since the caveman days. But bacon tastes oh so good.

The list goes on. And six months ago I would’ve said those same exact things.

Then last July I watched a video and it changed my thinking ever since, overnight!

I’m not a strict vegan yet. But I’m close. And awareness is key. I go out of my way to learn the truth. My reason why is important. People ask me if it’s hard to be vegan. Hell no! What’s difficult is knowing how long I contributed towards animal suffering and how much is still happening because people are lied to and brainwashed. It wouldn’t hurt if I was a better cook too! Fortunately there are many cookbooks following vegan cuisine. Almost too many!

People are asking the wrong question:

More myths about how we treat animals

There are many documentaries out there educating the public with the truth about the animal industry. Health, animal rights, and just overall vegansim. I’ve seen many and enjoy growing and changing. Many people really can’t handle the truth though and I doubt they would even try. It’s a wake up call. It changes you forever.

I dare you to watch the ones I can’t even watch:
Pamela Anderson’s documentary
Paul McCartney’s documentary

The good news is that there are so many options of cruelty-free foods out there. Also you can choose nonleather shoes, clothing, belts, bags, and wallets. And finally please don’t pay to keep animals imprisoned. Learn about animals by watching nature documentaries or by observing them in their own habitats instead.

Animals are love. Animals deserve to live a life free of pain and suffering.

Now… Can you handle the truth?

The Things You Do For Love

Dogs are family. But when Brutus was put on meds for his hurt neck, I tried to see if he’d like treats and food that would wet his appetite but were also vegan. The peanut butter Zuke’s treats motivate him. Same as Greenies. But it stops there. I’ve been giving him kibble made from meat. Wrapped his meds in cheese. Even to entice him to eat his kibble I gave him… cooked ground beef. Ugh! I hated cooking it, but… the things you do for love. I prayed to the animal that lost his life. Then I set off the smoke detector. Oops! I felt sick smelling it on my clothes. When he was in the hospital for 48 hours they were feeding him wet dog food with animal meat as well as puréed baby food like chicken. Now that he’s been back home, I need to carry on over these methods, including sticking the pills in hot dog chunks! Last night he gobbled that up but today he went back to his old picky self, so I had to bake chicken, chop it up and stick meds in it too. He gobbled that up! Whew! This is physically and emotionally exhausting. I had Steve pick up the meat products, I can’t do that anymore. I have to prep the meat and the meds. Some have to be cut in quarters. Then while I’m prepping the meds in the meat, I’m praying to the poor animal that unwillingly gave its life.

I love Brutus and want him to be comfortable, but this is going against my beliefs as an animal lover and rights activist.

Here’s the progression of Brutus:

My Sous Chef

You’re fired! Well at least that’s what I want to say to my new sous chef. He started about a year ago. He’s around for my food prep, cooking, cleaning. He always distracts me and gets in the way. It can be unsafe, distracting, but most of all it’s annoying. Problem is: I don’t pay him so how can I get rid of him? Maybe I’m also a bit torn because well… He’s family! He’s my one year old son, Dylan.