Joy!

So, I am sitting here on my couch, taking a break from writing my thesis and sipping on a cold brew coffee, and I am thinking about all the things in this world that bring me joy.

The recent death of Cecil the Lion, and all of the drama and outrage it has caused in the world has started a stream of arguments the likes of which I have never seen on Facebook. So much hate and anger at the world from vegans  who are pissed (like me) that the rest of the population can't see Cecil in the eyes of the cows they consume on a daily basis, and defensiveness and indignation from non-vegans who feel judged and hated by those who are (like me) pissed that they can't/don't/refuse to see the big picture.

Earlier today I was glancing through one of my friend's Facebook post about Cecil, where she essentially makes the same point as I did  in my blog yesterday. She was immediately bombarded with arguments against her point of  view, and numerous defences for why it is okay to eat animals like pigs and chickens but not to kill lions. This made me so sad and angry... it made me feel a bit helpless ... as though the situation is hopeless.

...but then I began to wonder why this  makes me so sad and angry and why my immediate reaction to things like this is always to look at the dark side instead of the bright.

There is so much in this world that is amazing. First, shouldn't I just be overjoyed that this friend shares my point of view?! How wonderful is it that in a group of people less than 200 there is at least person (though, honestly, many more) that totally and completely gets it? Second, when I posted my own little snippit on Facebook about Cecil, I was met with support from my friends and family. I received numerous messages encouraging me to keep going,  to stay positive, and thanking me for setting a positive example. When I shared my post about switching to a whole foods plant based diet I received a message from a friend to which I had not spoken in years, asking me for advice on cutting animal products out of her diet. In fact, every time I share something on my Facebook about my  lifestyle I am met with support.  Isn't that wonderful!? Isn't it so nice that there are so many people who, even if they do not live the way that I do, support my life  choices, and think that the way I live my life is commendable?  This brings me joy!

Last night VOMD and I went for a walk to get coffee at one of the local shops down town. I was wearing my 'Vegan is Peace' shirt and as soon as I walked in the girl behind the counter began asking me questions about going vegan. She told me that she is scared that it will be difficult, that she is nervous that she will not have the will-power, or the support to go all the way. I gave her my phone number and email address and answered all her  questions as best I could. She told me that she wanted to be vegan from the bottom of her heart, and that seeing me walk in right at the end of her shift was like a sign from the universe. See?! Wonderful things happen all the time! This brings me joy!

And today, when I went to my favourite little coffee spot Cafe Oranje on King St. I had yet another  conversation about how delicious vegan food is while I was buying one of the vegan pies they sell (made at Cake and Loaf, I believe, but correct me if you think I'm wrong) called "The Wellington".  Joy is everywhere! And everywhere people are starting to realize that the way that we live now, taking animals and the planet around us for granted is just not doing it  for us any more.

People are changing. We have this amazing capacity for adaptation that no other creature on earth does, and when I speak to people like the coffee shop girl who is starting to go vegan, or the baker who makes vegan pies, or the curious person on the street who asks me about my 'Vegan is Peace' shirt, or the long lost friend who is trying to eat less animal products, or my older sister who is starting to be more careful about what she puts in her body and now drinks Vega shakes instead of whey, I realize that if I am willing to remain positive, and set an example of joy instead of anger, then the world really can look like a much brighter place.

And if trying to see the bright side ever fails, I can always rely on my animal companions to bring the light back into my life!

Lego and I like to have staring contests.

 Happy Friday!

-J

Cecil the Lion...

Sometimes I just want to go on a punching spree and just lose it on  the world around me. I mean, yes, I always try to refrain from being the psycho vegan  weirdo who hate everyone, but  just now and then (especially when I'm feeling hormonal) something happens in the world that takes the internet by storm and causes me to question whether it is worth it for me to leave  the house any day.

Let me start by saying that I am obviously heartbroken by the death of Cecil the Lion - if you don't know about Cecil the Lion, check out this article or just do a quick Google search. Essentially, an American dentist went over to Africa and paid someone to let him kill a famous protected lion. Horrible, I know. There really is no way to justify this, and I am heartened to see that the majority of the internet is freaking out about it.

But if you remember my previous post about the giraffe killer who joyfully posed with her victim, outraging strangers across the globe, you will recall that to me, and many people like me, it makes absolutely no damn sense that we would be so disgusted with the murder of a lion, or an elephant, or a giraffe, and yet happily scarf down a double bacon cheeseburger on our lunch break, with a half litre carton of chocolate milk!There is so much research that tries to explain why we love  some animals and kill others... but none of it really gets to the heart of the issue for me...that it...our hearts. None of it really explains it for me. It all just seems like rationalization.

Why is it so difficult for us to see  the similarities between the destructiveness and cruelty in ourselves yet so  easy to see these very same traits in others?

I'm feeling very emotional today so I really have nothing else to say except to urge you to start thinking a bit more about the way that you treat the animals in your lives - and those that come across your plates - every time  you start to get a little rattled by some jerky hunter who travels to another continent to kill so-called "majestic", or "exotic" creatures.

-J

Why I'm switching to a whole foods plant-based diet

So, as you obviously are aware, I am pretty damn vegan. I don't eat any  animal products; I don't wear animal fur or  skin, and I do not use any product that contains animal bits or excretions; I don't even use  products that are tested on animals (except for, sadly, Midol...because nothing else dulls the horrible aching, can't-do-anything-all-day-except-cry-and-puke pain I get with my monthlies...if you have any suggestions for an ethical alternative please let me know!)

There are two reasons why I am vegan: for the animals, and for the planet! Recently I was reading a post on One Green Planet that mentioned eating vegan junk food still lends itself to a pretty hefty footprint, so I started thinking seriously about why I  am vegan. Every day animals are found with plastic lodged in their stomachs from consuming what they thought to be food in the ocean, but turned out to be trash. Consuming oil in the quantities that VOMD and I do also has a pretty negative impact on animals and the planet. Olive oil production creates waste biproducts that are not biodegradable and can seriously harm the planet  if not treated properly. Producers in less wealthy countries like Morocco (where lots of our olive oil comes from) can't afford the pricey treatment necessary to protect the environment.  And then there is the production and packaging of all the other crap we eat - from Daiya cheese to Yves veggie meats, to vegan Becel. While we recycle  almost everything around here (we produce maybe 1/2 a grocery bag of real trash per week) even recycling has a huge impact on  greenhouse gas and makes our carbon footprint unacceptable by environmentalist standards.

Switching to a whole foods diet would mean eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, and less processed packaged foods, which would together have a fairly huge impact on the planet.


But aside from the whole good for animals, good for the planet angle... I am also starting to think about my own health. Here's a little TMI: after three years of having perfectly healthy menstrual cycles, I have started  getting really messed up timing-wise. Where I used  to have a steady 29 day cycle, now it ranges from 26 to 45 days. I have to think that this has something to do with my lifestyle. Since starting my relationship with VOMD I have eaten more processed foods  than I ever had before  - things  like  Daiya and olive oil and veggie burgers. I also have more acne than ever before. Since the age of 20 I have has mild acne issues - flare ups  at certain times of my cycle and in times of stress and so forth, but never so bad as it has been for the last year. I also have to assume that has to do with changes in my  diet.

I don't  like being the type of person who hates the way they look, but we live  in a culture of  makeup and photoshop, so having bad skin is unacceptible. Even with the whole #nomakeup trend, it is pretty uncommon for a woman to post a picture of her acne covered bare face for all to see.

This is me (right) in 2010, on a mostly plant-based, whole foods diet without any concealer or powder on my face. Look at that glow! (also...my crazy beautiful sister!)

This is me a couple weeks ago on a  100% vegan, but not whole foods diet sans make-up of any kind. Takeaway: being vegan doesn't magically cure all of your ailments...the internet lied to  me!

I am ready to start choosing healthy,  unprocessed foods instead of what has now become the norm in my household - i.e. VEGENAISE. Being vegan is about protecting the animals...so why do I treat myself so shittily? Aren't I an animal?

I would love any advice on go whole from anyone willing to offer it,  and I will be sure to update you on  my whole  foods journey!

Happy Wednesday!

-J

Having your period should be free

Warning everyone, this wacky feminist is about to talk about...menses!

So, I don't know if you're aware of this but every single month, the average woman has this thing that happens to her body without her having any right to choose how, when or for how long it happens. It's the menstrual period and every year women spends between $4 and $15 (before tax)  a month on menstrual products like tampons, and pads to wick away this problem.  That's somewhere between $48 and  $180 dollars a year. Now, figuring that the average woman starts menstruating around 12 years old, and continues to have their period until they are  at least 45-55 (and more than 60 for some!),  that can be as much as $8640 per lifetime on feminine hygiene.

Okay, so that doesn't really seem like that much money in the long run, especially spread out throughout 40 to  50 years, but it does represent a very problematic inequality that of late people are starting to take note of.

Tampons and pads in Canada are now GST free (as of July 1st). In some ways  this is a huge victory!In others, it makes absolutely no effing sense. Fist, just throwing it out there people: I love taxes and firmly believe that if we  want to live in a better country that gives a shit about its people we have to stops thinking of "taxes" as a dirty word. We should tax everything, including groceries. This would increase government revenue and with the right leadership, lead to better public services! Second, taking away the GST on tampons is one of those things that the government can do relatively easily without risking too much moo-la. The largest portion of the population are the baby boomers, and guess what,  they aren't menstruating any more! The proportion of the population that are menstruating adult women is the smallest its been in...well, I don't know how long. But it's been a while. This is still a minor moral victory, but its not the huge victory  that we need.

But this victory did not win us the war... Yes, this saves the average woman a little bit of money, and begins to address the problem, but when it  comes down to it its a bit absurd that women have to pay for tampons at all. Canada has free healthcare for everyone, and any necessary medicine, product or procedure that cannot be done without should be funded by the government. In the same way that I can just decide  tomorrow to get an ultrasound f my hip, I should also be able to walk into any publicly funded wash-room and grab some free feminine products when I'm in need. (And for you conservative budget-minded naysayers, here's a little tip, if we stopped seeing taxes as burdens then the government could afford this no problem!)

The big problem is that we think of this as dirty talk. We're  not supposed to talk about things that come out of our vaginas, unless we're talking about a cute baby. We  are supposed to go about our days pretending that we're  not in horrible pain  from menstrual cramps, and we're supposed to pretend that we don't have to wear a diaper sized maxi pad on heavy days to avoid any accidental leakage. We're supposed to ignore the obvious discomfort it causes to get infections and allergic reactions to certain low quality feminine products that are the only ones we can afford while we're in university or taking care of our families, or working a dead end job to try to make a better life for ourselves.

Don't talk about your period. It's gross. Oh, I'm sorry, is this natural thing  that happens to me and is beyond my control offensive to you? Suck a lemon.

But we should talk about it more. We should scream it from the rooftops - if you'll excuse the cliché - and we should demand that the government fund high quality, preferably organic and chemical free, feminine hygiene products to menstruating women.

It just makes sense.

Happy Tuesday!

Dear Ex-Vegans: Stop acting like your're smarter than the rest of us

If you’ve been vegan for any amount of time you’ve probably met a few ex-vegans, and you’ve heard all their explanations for going back to their previous lifestyles. Bloggers a plenty  have talked about become ex-vegans. They all sound frustratingly intelligent and  thoughtful. They say "I used to be like you" or... "you remind me of me when I was younger",  implying that your ethical lifestyle is a result of youthful idealism and will pass once you grow up and grow out of it. 

They tell you things like “if you do the research, it is abundantly clear that it is NOT POSSIBLE for most humans to get the nutrition they need on a strict vegan diet” (See article here) and talk about how they didn't like the person they became when they went vegan, saying stuff like: “I became aware of how enraged and difficult I was. Over the past few years, I didn't have much compassion toward fellow humans, and I blamed them for factory farming and their lack of consciousness. I demanded that my friends and family go to vegan restaurants and questioned them for their eating habits constantly” (article here). I respect these people because they made a choice to alter they way they lived their lives, however briefly, and in the long run, they still had a very positive impact on the world. But at the same time, I get so sad because  they do not present you with  facts, but their anecdotal experiences, based on unhealthy choices, and Google searches. I have to say that I am a bit tired of hearing ex-vegans talk like they are so much smarter than us vegans because they've been through vegan healthy hell and came out the other side happily munching on meat and feeling morally validated. 

My responses to these two writers (from the above cited articles) are as follows:

First, my own anecdotal evidence. I have been vegetarian for 9 years now and vegan for three. I feel healthy, strong and happy. I struggle with mild skin problems, but aside from this I am happy with my body and my appearance. I have excellent blood pressure, healthy digestion, and excellent levels of iron. My DHA and EPA levels are perfect, but if I ever see a dip I can take a supplement made from laboratory produced microalgae. I do not take B12 but have in the past and I do not see this as a particularly vegan problem. My eldest non-vegan sister is in her thirties and has dismally low B12 stores so she has to take a B12 supplement every day. The fact that I am energetic and healthy without one,  but take one now and then when I get spooked searching the internet is a good sign, I think.

Some not so anecdotal evidence: Vegetarians have lower levels of many cancers ranging from pancreatic, to bowel, to multiple myeloma (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24898235). Vegans, if eating a well-balanced diet and visiting the doctor regularly for blood tests and physicals, see an increase in energy and maintain healthy body weights easier than non-vegans. So many amazing sources on the internet exist to show you how to deal with basic problems some people face when transitioning away from eating animal products. Many of  the problems people face come from not  eating a balanced diet full of good, unprocessed sugars, healthy fats and high protein foods like whole grains, nuts,  leafy greens, and beans. Here’s a great  one: http://www.vegkitchen.com/nutrition/vegan-athlete/

Second,  I am not a dick. If you become a dick when you go vegan, its  probably just that you were already a dick, and being calorie deficient due to poor food choices, and therefore pissy made your dickiness shine through. If you don't eat enough, you're bound to get a bit hangry. 

Despite stereotypes to the contrary, some of the most fun, whacky, loving, peaceful and all around wonderful people I have ever met are vegans; I and most other vegans do not hate humanity; I and most other vegans do not try to change my/their family and friends – except when I know it will make them feel better to eat a damn carrot once in a while – and in general  I would say that I am a god-damn delight to be around. I am not preachy. I would say I have two non-vegan best friends and neither of them hate being around me nor do they feel pressured by my lifestyle. In fact, they have done their own research and know that the way I am living my life is a healthy, happy one that is good for the planet. They don’t need me to tell them that! Even my grandmother, who has eaten meat her whole life came to a vegan restaurant with VOMD and I and told me afterward that she really liked it and is glad that I am living healthily. VOMD’s grandma and his great aunt,  both over 60,  have admitted that they have often thought of being vegetarian because they don’t really like meat anyway, and when they eat meat they face problems like colitis and body aches.

Admittedly, there are some of us that don’t go vegan the healthy way. We eat chips and Oreos and any vegan junk food we can get our hands on. But there are plenty of non-vegans who eat just as shitty as   bad-health vegans; the difference is, the vegans are trying to save the world, not just themselves.

There are also some vegans who are dicks. But the ratio to vegan buttfaces to non-vegan buttfaces is probably about equal. You don't become nice just because you stop eating animals - though the choice to not eat animals is sure a nice one!

Most of us go vegan because we love animals. Like a mother that risks her life for her child, many vegans happily submit to poor health so long as they are not hurting animals.  If tomorrow I was faced with the choice between eating a steak and dying of some kind of crazy vegan-only disease… I have to admit that I would gladly take death. But given that I am not in that position… I guess we’ll never really know if I’m all talk, or if I actually am that much of a raging vegan.

I love the planet. I love animals. I love my fellow human beings. And I am happy to say that being vegan has made all of those loves stronger.  

Happy Monday everyone!

-J

Being Vegan in Hamilton: Part 2

So, Hamilton has been pretty good to us. I know I complain a lot about people not understanding what vegan means, and why it is so important that my latte is made with soy instead of dairy. But honestly, Hamilton is actually full of places that are accommodating - and don't even make you define  what vegan means!

VOMD and  I don't have a ton of money, but we try to go to at least one veg friendly place in Hamilton a week, just for fun! It's nice not to have to cook every day of the week.  I posted a Being Vegan in Hamilton Part 1, so be sure to check that out as well. Here are a few more places that we have come to love!

1. Gourmet Veggie Foods/Hamilton Farmer’s Market: On the suggestion of  one of my readers I went and checked out the farmer’s market for vegan treats. Usually I stick in the little vegetable section – Dilly’s Farmacy always has cucumbers on at $2 for 5! -  but I decided to give some of the other  little places a shot. One place stood out the most – Gourmet Veggie Foods! It’s run by a guy named David So who is just fantastic! They have veggie jerky and other snack type foods, but the cream of the crop there is a vegan shrimp alternative. At $10 a bag, it better be  damn good…  and it definitely lives up to expectations. I was never a huge fish, sea food or crustacean fan when I was an animal product eater, but VOMD was, and for a treat now and then it is totally worth it to spend $10 on faux shrimp.

2. Good To Go: We also went by Good to Go on Dundurn. It is this tiny little shop with barely enough room to turn around it, but they have lots of tasty looking treats at prices that are comparable to any other veggie place around.

3. Cake and Loaf: As for places that aren’t vegan, but cater to us, Cake and Loaf is by far one of the best bakeries in town. They have vegan pot pies, cakes, loafs (as their name suggests) and chocolate bars. They have these vegan coconut dark chocolate bars that taste just like I remember Bounty bars tasting – which were my favourite chocolate bar by far! (Although to be fair…it’s been years since I ate one of those).

4. Rebel’s Rock: This place is VOMD and I’s favourite pub in Hamilton. They have a decent number of vegan beers on tap, and they can make you awesome Irish chips with curry gravy on top! Make sure you tell them you need it vegan, because they otherwise put dairy in. You can also get your chips with spices and rubs on them. So good. The atmosphere is amazing and they often have music.

5. Homegrown: This place is hipster heaven. I first went to Homegrown during SuperCrawl last year. They often have live music and there is some pretty rad art on the walls. It’s this stranger little place that is decorated like a bad nineties bar but serves amazing food. They usually have vegan chilli and a couple sandwiches you can choose from. They also make excellent coffee.

6. Ben Thanh: VOMD and I were craving Thai and weren't wanting to throw out a bunch of cash for an all you can eat Sushi/Thai place, so we tried Ben Thanh. They have a really good selection of vegan/vegetarian dishes. Make sure you tell them no egg, because some stuff has egg – like the fried rice. So freaking good. We took VOMD’s grandma there, and she loved it, even though she has never had a vegan meal before. Their servings are also sizeable, so when we go we order a couple of appetizers and meals, and then have a bunch of leftovers for midnight snacks and lunch the next day.

Oh, also, look how freaking cute Tobi was when she was itty bitty! I found a bunch of old photos and it kind of made me cry a little. I'm so lucky to have this little rambunctious ball of furry joy in my life. When I first got her she was very sick with the Snuffles and the vet told me she would probably live a year. She's now three and healthy as can be! I took her off medication after consulting a couple vets and other rabbit caregivers two years ago because it kept having a negative impact on her digestive health. I'm pretty sure the keys to her longevity have been: clean air, clean room, clean litter, healthy fresh organic veggies, plenty of organic hay, and a giant frozen bottle of water as a mini air conditioner on hot days!

Now freak out at the cuteness!

That's it for now.

Happy Thursday!

-J

Dietary Veganism?

I need to just rant a little bit right now, and I know that it is going to annoy some people. I am a member of a page/group on Facebook dedicated to connecting vegans in Hamilton and I have thus far loved reading  about peoples' experiences of being vegan in Hamilton and found it overall very helpful in finding community events, food, and so forth in the city. However, recently there have been some arguments about the definition of veganism and it has caused quite a ruckus, leading the admins to state that they  would like such talk to cease.  Some members have been  rightly irritated by the Hamilton Halton Animal Liberation Front (HALT)'s support of native hunting rights, and have started exploring why and how supporting such an organization is against vegan values. Others disagree vehemently. Some names have been thrown around back and forth.

I wouldn't dare put my voice in there, because I honestly don't like to be that person who argues with others on the internet. Sometimes, though, I wish I were less shy because while I was reading all the arguments on the above-mentioned page I wanted to type, in big, obnoxious capital letters "THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DIETARY VEGAN!"

Recently there is a trend of people deciding to eat vegan. I totally respect their dietary choices, and at the core, I am pleased that they are saving animals, even if that  is not their reason for going "vegan". But, there is just one thing that I feel vehemently about: if you eat animal products, if you wear leather or fur, if you think there is nothing problematic about silk or wool, then you are not a vegan. Period. Veganism is first and  foremost a philosophy of  compassion. We avoid to the greatest extent that we can the exploitation of any animal. We do it not because we want to lose weight; we do it not because we think it makes our skin look  great; we do it not because we have a  partner who is vegan, so we want to make them happy. We do it because we love every single creature on the planet.

THIS is why I'm vegan. Tobi is one of my best friends. My cats are also my best friends. I love my animal companions, and I see no difference ethically between them and farmed animals, or the wild animals that people hunt. They deserve a life of dignity and joy, just as do humans.

That's just my two cents.

Happy Tuesday


-J

Monday Happies: My best friends wedding!

So, last week was a bit  nuts. My internet went down on Monday  morning because a huge truck drove by  and tore down the cable. It wasn't up and running  again until Friday, but by then I was in Barrie helping my best friend prepare for her wedding day!

The wedding was on Saturday and it was probably the most beautiful wedding I've ever seen.  They rented out a barn at Lazy Dayz B & B in Coldwater, Ontario, and with all the tulle and twinkle lights in the world, the place was transformed into a magical country wonderland.

The front of the building had a big porch where they set up a buffet. We strung up the basement of the barn with twinkle lights as well, and  by 11pm that place was rumbling with the stomping of so many cowboy boots!


The wedding party was absolutely gorgeous, and so much fun!



The makeup artist, and the hairdresser (the bride's Aunt is a hairdresser and she was an absolute super star!) did an amazing job.

Posing for pictures makes you a little grumpy after a while!

We all wore cowboy boots in honour of the bride is is an absolute country queen. It's strange that my best friend and I are so completely different. But when it comes down to it, all the history we have together, the secrets we've shared, and all the amazing times we've had together has made us the type of friends that will be close until we are a hundred.

 Before she asked me to be her  maid of honour we had not spoken in a few years, and I am so happy and honoured that she asked me to be part of this day, and that it reconnected us. I will never let us slip that far apart again.

The night before the wedding, we stayed up in the dark, giggling about silly memories, talking nonsense, and thinking about happy, beautiful things to calm her nerves. It was like we were 10 years old again, laying in her single bed, talking about boys and planning the silly adventures we would go on the next day.

That's it for me. I will post something veg related later this week!

Happy Monday!

xo

-Jo

Monday Happies

This weekend was amazing, in large part because VOMD and I cleaned the whole house from top to bottom, but also because I got to tutor a new Canadian, meet VOMD's grandmother - who is such a lovely woman! I also met his great aunt, who apparently has lived here in Hamilton for 50 years, and is a total firecracker of a woman! We had no idea VOMD had family in the area, so it was pretty exciting.

Other than that, I really have not much to share today. But in the interest of my commitment to share happy thoughts now and then, here are a couple pictures of Lego sleeping like a weirdo:

Happy  Monday!

-J

Good Food Friday: Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup (and happy thoughts!)

It's Friday again, already! This summer is flying by. I feel like if I blink I will miss July altogether.

I didn't do a "Monday Happies" this week, so I thought I would share some of the things that make me smile today, for good measure before giving you the BEST recipe EVER for Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup.

I love my momma! 

First, last weekend VOMD and I went up North to visit family. We went to Temiskaming QC to see his parents and ended up loading up the car with free stuff they wanted to get rid of. As much as I am attempting to downsize and be less of a consumer, I can't say no to free things, especially if they are just going to end up in a landfill. We scored three comforters, three sets of sheets, a new (to us) desk and throw pillows! LOVE IT! But now, alas, we need a place to store all this stuff, and we don't have a linen closet so its basically going to sit in a  pile in our bedroom until we move  into a bigger place. Then we headed to Magnetawan to see my Mom for her birthday. We had a BBQ and a pool party, and I got to see two of my big sisters and some of my nieces and nephews. Being around them makes me desperate to move back up north again. I don't like being so far away from my family.

The most handsome man in the world, VOMD. Oh, and Coors is VEGAN, fyi.

 It was nice to actually just relax, lay in the sun, and hear the voices and laughter of my family around me. I often feel very disconnected from  them, being here in Hamilton, so this weekend was so badly needed.

My beautiful big sister and I! I miss her so much. We used to have girls' nights every Friday, so going months without seeing her is awful! 

I am so lucky to have such an amazing family. My mom bought veggie burgers for me and VOMD, and even made vegan pasta salad, and an awesome bean salad with carrots and broccoli, and one  of my sister's brought vegan taco salad (with veggie ground round!).



Now on to the vegan mushroom soup recipe I promised! Mushrooms are VOMD's favourite vegetable (I guess they aren't technically vegetables though...but saying they are his favourite Fungi just doesn't really hit home), and when he still ate animal products his  favourite soup was Cream fo Mushroom. I thought I would give it a try as a surprise because I found a bunch of mushrooms on sale because they were a tiny bit brown...but that just makes them more flavourful! It actually turned  out amazing!

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
2 cups chopped cauliflower florets
2 cups chopped white mushrooms
1 can whole mushrooms, unsalted preferably
1 large  onion, peeled and cut in quarters
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled

2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cube of vegetarian vegetable soup base (or a little spoon full if you only have powdered)
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Shredded vegan cheese (optional, I used Vegan Gourmet mozzarella)
Fresh parsley to garnish (optional)
Deep fried onions to garnish (you can make them yourself or buy them...this is optional)

Start by boiling your cauliflower until it is literally falling apart. If you drop it on the counter from a couple feet, it should be mushed on impact. Strain and set aside. Then throw onions, white mushrooms and garlic into a food processor and pulse until well chopped but not so well blended that it isn't chunky any more. You want some texture in your soup. Turn on you cast iron pan, add a tiny splash or oil, and fry up this mixture until the onions are golden and the mushrooms juicy and darkened - you can add a little salt and pepper for flavour here. You can put a lid over it once its slightly browned to get the juices flowing, and add the canned mushrooms to the mix. While this is sizzling away, put your cauliflower in the food processor and blend until totally creamy. Add almond milk, soup base cube,  and sift in flour, and keep blending until totally combined. Once this is done, combine cauliflower mixture with onion and mushroom mixture in a pot and put on medium low heat and stir until thickened. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. You can also add garlic powder or onion powder if you feel like it could use a boost, but don't overdo it because natural fresh flavours are always best! IF it isn't as thick as you'd like, add a tiny bit more flour to a cup, whisk it with a tiny bit of water until completely combined, an stir it into soup. If you prefer not to use flour, you can make this soup flour free by using more cauliflower and less almond milk.

Serve garnished with onions, cheese and parsley and eat way too much!

Being Vegan in Hamilton: Part 1

I moved to Hamilton last year from North Bay, Ontario and was immediately struck by how incredibly vegan friendly it is compared to what I am used to. I guess it's not all that surprising; Hamilton is significantly more multicultural than North Bay, which is notably monochromatic, and it is  kind of HUGE comparatively. In spite of this, I am finding that being vegan anywhere presents its own unique set of challenges. In North Bay, I struggled to find restaurants that had a large number of vegan options,  but for the most part (perhaps this is because it is a college/university town, or maybe just because it is small) I never had trouble finding  chefs who would happily whip up something vegan for me (without having to be told what vegan means). And even though grocery stores seldom stocked the plethora of vegan alternatives you find in larger cities, North Bay's few grocery stores happily began stocking veggie sandwich meats and dairy free cheeses when requested.

Hamilton is a whole different ball game, and while I really do love this city, I find myself getting increasingly frustrated with the ignorance of some of the people I meet, especially in the service industry. A couple of days ago, for example, I went to a new pizza place that just opened up in the strip mall by our house to ask if they could make vegan pizza. I wanted to know, obviously, if there dough was vegan, and what non meat, non-dairy options they had. The girl at  the front counter responded: "No, sorry, all our dough has gluten". ....I didn't even know how to respond. I explained that I wanted something without animal  products, and she just stared at me blankly.

How is this something that people don't know?! Granted, its not as though we have vegan education in public schools but still!

Nonetheless, there are lots of places in Hamilton to eat vegan, even if there are fewer places now than there were when we moved here (RIP Affinity!).

So, I came up with a little list of our favourite places to eat vegan and find vegan products in Hamilton in the hopes that it will help out other vegans who are new to the city, or those who are looking to start incorporating ethical choices into their lives (vegan or not). This is definitely not a comprehensive list, but its a start. I will do my best to post another with awesome vegan stuff in Hamilton  later  in the summer.

Food Places (Vegan/Vegetarian)
There aren't a ton of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Hamilton, surprisingly, but the ones that exist are pretty damn good.

1. The Green Smoothie Bar: this place on James St. North is all vegan and serves smoothies, yummy puddings, and fast order food. They also have some groceries and supplements. They recycle EVERYTHING and every time I go in there the staff are friendly and informative.
2. Bridges Vegetarian Cafe: Bridges is a vegetarian restaurant on the McMaster main campus. Make  sure you specify that you are vegan,  though, because they do serve dairy products. 
3. Lettuce Love Cafe: This is actually on John St. in Burlington. But for a 15 minute drive, its pretty damn worth it. They are completely vegan, and offer lots of different  options from smoothies to burgers to soups. They are a little pricey, but worth it for a once-in-a-while vegan treat. Their nachos are super good, but VOMD doesn't like cilantro so if you are of like mind, don't order them, or ask for them sans cilantro.
4. DEMOCRACY: Holy crap is this place amazing. They make the BEST soy lattes in the city and have an entirely  vegan menu with full meals, snacks, baked goods and awesomeness. 

Food Places (With Vegan options)

Vegetarian Combo Platter at Wass Ethiopian Restaurant

1. Mulberry: Its a standard coffee shop, but they can make you an awesome vegan sandwich and they serve yummy vegan cupcakes and cookies. Try the chocolate cookie with dates and oats. I forget what it is called but  it is  UNREAL when you heat it up.  
2. Wass Ethiopian: This place is so much fun. They have about five or six vegan entrée options, but you can get them on a platter all together for about $13. You eat everything with injera, a flat, pancake like thing made of fermented grains. Its excellent. VOMD and I go here about once a month.  The vegetarian combo platter is enough for both of us if we get extra injera. Also, you get to eat with your hands! Who doesn't love that?
3. Pita Pizza (Main St. E): This place is your standard shawarma and pizza place that you find all over Hamilton, but with the exception that they make a falafel pizza that is completely vegan! Its so good with extra veggies. 
4. Cafe Oranje: This is a cute little Dutch inspired coffee place on King St. down town. They often have gluten free vegan blondies and vegan date squares and these amazing chocolate peanut butter crunch bars, and they just started stocking vegan nanaimo bars! They can make you a latte with soy or almond milk and are generally pretty good. I just wish they made vegan boterkoek. I would die of happiness right there. 

   

   Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch Bar from Oranje (the picture does not do it justice)

Happy Eating! 

-J

Arby's doesn't respect you

I am fuming right now over a new campaign by Arby's to sell bacon. They have posted a letter that you can read online here: http://arbys.com/vegetariansupport

The deal is, apparently their new bacon is so good that they are offering vegetarian support. I am so disgusted by the contents of the letter.

Being vegetarian or vegan is not a joke. It is something that we take very seriously. So I've written my own letter back to Arby's; here it is.

Dear Arby's,

You obviously do not respect us  or our decisions, nor do you respect the planet on which we live. You say "We love our meats, but realize they’re not for everyone", as though some how that actually addresses the important points that thousands of vegetarians have been trying to get at by boycotting your company and encouraging others to rethink Arby's. It is not that meat isn't for everyone... it is that it isn't for anyone. You know, except for the animals from which it comes.

What is sad is that the type of people your slanderous, disturbing "vegetarian support" campaign appeals to are the masses of uneducated, unhealthy Americans who still cling to outdated, backwards ways of living that are destroying our planet. These people will certainly find your help line hilarious. But for the majority of vegetarian and vegan people across America and beyond, your 'hilarious' help line bacon campaign is a deep insult on par with advertising a 'pray away the Gay' helpline.

You are disgusting. In an age when companies across the United States, Canada, and beyond are offering up not only vegetarian, but vegan options for their  customers,  you are turning an ethical way of life and a deeply held belief system into a joke.

It is about time that Arby's gets their ass into the 21st century. I know many of my non-vegetarian friends and family will agree with me in refusing to visit Arby's because of this disgusting display of disrespect.

Sincerely,

A vegan who really doesn't need your support

10 things you should know about being vegan

I have now been vegan for four and a half years and vegetarian for 8. It  has been a strange journey, learning how to listen to my body, how to properly read product labels, and how to negotiate with die-hard non-vegan family and friends. When I decided to go vegan in 2011 I truly intended on only changing the way that I ate.  I didn't want to be one of those vegans that bitched about their belief system, or who made people feel uncomfortable at social events, or who inconvenienced their family at Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners. I thought it would be  a simple matter of just substituting certain products for others.

But it really isn't that simple when it comes down to it. Yes, changing the way that you eat is entirely up to you and really doesn't take much effort, but there are certain challenges I was just not prepared for, and other things that it was just impossible to predict. For the most part, though, these things aren't discouraging. Rather, they are wonderful side-effects of changing your life and living for something greater than yourself!

1. There will always be some people who just don't support your choice. I was not  expecting this at all. I was never one to really involve myself  with other people's choices, and I always just assumed that what I chose to put in my body was my business. Why would anybody give a sh*t about whether I choose to eat soy cheese rather than cow cheese? It's not as though I am rubbing it in their faces or  forcing them to eat it. What I have come to realize, though, is that often people will rag on your for your ethical life choices because it makes them uncomfortable. When they see  you living your life with a purpose beyond your own selfish needs, it makes them feel bad  about their own choices. So, naturally they feel the need to degrade you and make you feel as bad as they feel. This is classic school-yard bully mentality. When it comes to friends and family, often a careful and thoughtful discussion, brought up one on one will do the trick and stop the bashing. My dad used to put meat on my plate at family dinners, but after much discussion, he now makes me vegan meals when I come to visit!
2. Not all Beer is vegan. This was a HUGE shock to both my and VOMD's systems. I had good vegan mentors early in my transition who helped me navigate the LCBO and Beer Store, but when I met VOMD he hadn't changed any of his drinking habits, two years into his vegan journey, because he had honestly just never considered the fact that beer would be made with animal products. He was still drinking Guinness! But I know plenty of vegans who had done the same thing. Luckily we came across an amazing website called Barnivore that tells you whether the beer, wine or liquor you are going to drink is vegan or  not. They even have an app!
3. The jokes literally NEVER stop. If you are female, it is very likely that you will get dirty "meat in your mouth" jokes from men. If you are male, it is very likely you will get jokes about femininity and being girly (as though being feminine is something to be embarrassed about.  WTF society!?) Even people who support your decision to be vegan are going to make jokes. This is in large part because they simply cannot wrap their heads around how meaningful this choice is  for you. If you are like me at all, then watching someone consume a steak breaks your heart into little pieces. People around you don't  understand that this is something that is deeply felt, and not just a casually  made diet choice. The only way to deal with jokers is to respond positively. I've found that if I get upset or angry because of a joke, the jokes will continue or become cruel. Meanwhile, if I joke back about obesity, consuming breast milk as an adult, or kidney stones, then it is more likely that the jokes will change or cease altogether. Sometimes it's just a matter of responding to cruelty with joy - when someone is rude to you or makes a shitty joke, say something nice to them. Tell them you like their haircut or their outfit. It throws people completely off their rude joke game. 
4. You probably will become a raging, militant vegan activist. I never thought that I would be vocal about my food choices. I initially thought of it as a personal choice, but after about a year of being vegan I started getting nuts about it. I started researching like a crazy person, sharing my opinion with strangers in grocery store lines, and having debates with old guys at dive bars. This is not  because I am a jerk - it just began to strike me that people around me should know what I know! I want to world to care and I will do whatever I can to share my story with whoever will listen. This might mean that some people will become offended, but often I find people are very receptive. People like learning about how they can make healthy choices. It also helps that as a vegan you look and feel better than you did before - people are way more likely to take food advice from beautiful people! Wink!
5. Protein isn't really that big of a deal. When I was vegetarian I justified my  intake of dairy and eggs by saying that I had to get my protein from somewhere! But when you become vegan you learn that it is literally impossible to eat wholesome vegan food and be protein deficient.  Even if all you eat is fruit you will get enough protein. If you are not calorie  deficient, you cannot be protein deficient. Protein isn't "meat" specific. I wish I had known this YEARS ago. 
6. Sugar is kind of a HUGE deal. Fist, not all sugar is vegan. Second, sugar is just NOT good for your body. Third, honey is not really all that ethical (but I have made the choice to eat honey that is as ethical as possible). Fourth, Agave and Maple syrup take a LOT of resources to make  and are really expensive. This means that in the end you will probably opt out of most sugars, even if they are vegan. Luckily I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but this has been a huge struggle for VOMD. He is constantly looking for new and inexpensive vegan sweets.
7. You will probably start caring about compost, and organically grown vegetables, and farmers markets and recycling. Being vegan ends up not just changing what you put  in your  body, it also starts to make you question what you've  been surrounding yourself with, what you've been throwing away, and where you are buying everything. You start to realize the impact your vegan diet  and lifestyle has on the planet and will begin making conscious choices about other aspects of  your life - like choosing not to buy the red peppers in a plastic wrapper, buying laundry detergent without chemicals  in it, and bringing your own reusable bags to the market. You might stop wearing deodorant, stop washing your hair, and stop wearing chemical laden make up and cosmetic products. You will also probably become intensely feminist, a supporter of local movements and start researching about how to live off the grid. In short, it is likely you will become a dirty hippy... and LOVE it. 
8. Not every vegan is going to like you. And you will definitely not like every vegan. When I first went vegan I had awesome mentors and friends who showed me the ropes, shared recipes with me, and inspired me to stay on the right path. They never judged me for my ignorance, nor did they ever make me feel bad when I messed up. But, it turns out that going vegan doesn't automatically make you a good person, and vegans can be cruel to other vegans and carnists alike. As someone who is wholly in it for the animals and has never thought of my choice to be vegan as something that makes me better than anyone else, I sometimes am shocked when I hear other vegans telling one another that they are doing it wrong, or for the wrong reasons. I've seen posts on facebook from one vegan to another saying that there is no way this person is vegan because they are too fat! Can you imagine!? This is something that everyone vegan or not has to start working on. There is no way that you can live a life happily if you are constantly cutting other people down. And you really do have a better and larger impact on other people by  being kind. 
9. Eating seven overripe bananas, or mashed potatoes on their own are perfectly viable meal choices. I used to think that a meal consisted of meat, starch, and veggies. When you go vegan you learn that you don't really need to break down your food this way - as long as you eat a varied diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables you are going to be healthy. So, now that I am a vegan I never look in my cupboard full of potatoes and onions and think there is nothing to eat. I just eat the damn potatoes on their own. 
10. It is literally the best choice you will ever  make for your mental health, for your body, and for the planet. When I first went  vegan it was honestly just because of the heartache I felt and continue to feel over the suffering and needless death of nonhuman animals. I never thought it would be this fun and make me feel this good. I feel healthy, I feel strong, and I feel happy. 

There are plenty of other things that change in your life when you make the decision to live a better life. Some are things I wish I had thought of sooner, but for the most  part I am just pleased with the journey. 

I would love to hear about what you did or did not expect about going vegan! Or what you want to know about going vegan before you make the decision to shift your lifestyle in  this direction!

Happy Wednesday!

-J

Reflections on over-consumption

This morning I was walking to my coffee shop on King St here in Hamilton (Cafe Oranje...awesome) and I  saw one of the most typical sites one sees in  large shopping districts - a young mother with a child chasing after her, begging for a toy. It reminds me of the Berenstein Bears book about "The Gimmies"! (Admittedly the overzealous Christian values  portrayed in a number of these books totally turned me off them as I got older, but this one in particular is a freaking gem and I will definitely read it to my kids!). The mother was trying not to pay attention to her child, just held her hand tightly and dragged her along while scrolling through something on her phone.

I am not judging this young mother. I do not know her and I cannot begin to know what was going on in her life that caused her to act this way. The problem is  much larger than this one woman alone. The problem is with our  consumer society.  VOMD  and I were at the mall in Barrie a couple weeks ago when we went to visit my childhood best friend (who is getting married very soon!) and I remarked to him that I was surprised by how many people bring their children to a shopping mall, knowing that they will probably regret it. There were families everywhere, and people pushing shopping carts full of toys and snack foods and soda and clothing. Almost every person we saw in the  mall was miserable. They were in a hurry. They  were weighed down by  parcels and bags. They  hate being there. And I hate being there too. But we feel like we need to be  there. We need to shop. We need new clothes and new electronics, and new body care products. We need so much stuff. But this stuff  never makes us feel better. And what's worse is that it  is destroying the planet (I mean, to a lesser extent than animal product consumption does). 

When I got home from my coffee  walk I went on the internet and starting reading up on consumption. To live is to consume, so it is not surprising that the majority of new jobs in North America are sales and marketing related. North Americans have more consumer debt than ever before in history, and so much of this money is spent on things that are non-essential. Apparently in the US people spend more than 25 billion dollars on video games every year! If you think that is bad, Americans spend around 65 billion dollars on soft drinks! BILLIONS OF DOLLARS on soft drinks when  tap water is essentially free.  Doesn't  that just totally freak you out? Think about all the un-recycled soft drink bottles.

After learning about this I started looking around my house at all the stuff. Some stuff is sentimental and means so much to me that I would never consider donating or re-purposing it. I have no regrets about the little knick knacks here and there that remind me of happy memories, or my loved ones. But on the other hand, there is so much stuff that I don't need, barely like, and just sits around collecting dust. And then there is my dresser, which is filled to the brim with  t-shirts I never wear, and pants that I bought for a job interview that I never went to. Why do we do this to ourselves? 

So, here is my new  goal: I am going to try to be less of a consumer. I am going to make my own laundry soap, I am going to re-purpose old clothes instead of tossing them or buying new ones. I am going to stop buying so many single use plastic items and buy groceries and pantry staples without plastic as much as possible to avoid creating more waste and I am going to do my very best to stop buying so many lattes (but this one is going to be difficult...maybe I should just commit to never forgetting my reusable coffee cup). VOMD and I already don't consume any soft drinks, and though we do drink our fair share of beer, we always return our bottles. But there are certain things we could do without - like vegan cheeses wrapped in single use plastic packaging and new socks (whatever happened to the ancient art of darning anyway?)

I also found this really cool website called Becoming Minimalist which is just full of awesome ways to live a simple life with less stuff.

I would love to hear how you limit your consumption! 

Happy Tuesday! 

-J

All Lego consumes is soft food, sun rays and snuggles. 

Friday Foodies: Chickpea Burgers and Lazy Caprese

Good morning!

This week was Canada day week, and Wednesday night VOMD and I did our civic  duty and went out to see the fireworks. As I noted before I am really not that much of a Canada day fan, and fireworks are honestly just not a good idea. Yes, they usually go up over lakes and rivers so that fires are less likely, but c'mon  man, what goes up always comes down. So, what the hell are we doing shooting balls of flaming garbage into the air and  into our lakes? Not to mention the mixture of toxic chemicals that actually goes into the making of fireworks (you know , the stuff that makes them all colourful and exciting!?)...

And then there is the noise... Hamilton is split into two sections, the North and the South. The south end is on what locals call "the mountain", essentially the Niagara Escarpment extends along the length of Hamilton, so there's a huge cliff separating the North and South. The fireworks take place in the North over the lake, but  because of the way  the city is located on the escarpment, the sound of the fireworks echoed twice as much as it  would in a city without a giant rock face in the middle of  it. This is literal hell for all the animals in the area. Animal ears, including ...duh, dog's ears, are considerably more sensitive than the human ears and fireworks can permanently affect their sense of hearing, and companion animals fleeing from the sound of fireworks often get lost, and are brought into shelters, their paws bleeding from running through backyards and down city streets away from the noise. And apparently, after fireworks, wildlife rehabilitators experience an increase in orphaned birds, squirrels, and other small mammals because their parents flee the sound and sometimes are so disoriented that they cannot find their way back to their nests.

And all of that for ....this. Just this. Sparkles in the sky. Across Canada, almost every city and town had their own display of sparkles in the sky, threatening the lives of animals, f*cking with the environment...just to indulge our selfish, childish desire to see explosions.

But that's enough of that.

Last week I shared my yummy alternative to meat and potatoes and this week I thought I would share my recipe for one of my favourite, super simple burgers.  Lately VOMD and I have been eating so many burger and sandwich based dinners. In part, this is to beat the heat (although this recipe still uses the oven) and in part its just because  it doesn't feel like summer unless you're eating burgers.

Here they are: Simple vegan Chickpea  Burgers with Lazy Tofu Caprese Salad (I say lazy, because its just not as pretty as your standard caprese)

VOMD  is super weird and doesn't like Ketchup (even awesome sugar free organic Ketchup) so we use Sriracha a LOT (in case you're wondering about the red stuff on there).

Here's how you make the burgers

Simple Chickpea Burgers

Ingredients (makes 6 burgers)

2 Cans of chickpeas, drained and  rinsed (you can use dried,  just make sure you cook them until they are really soft. You will need about 3 cups of drained chickpeas, whatever you choose to use)

1 handful of fresh her of your choice (I used basil this time, to go with my basil caprese, but parsley will make it seem more like a falafel burger, if that is what you're craving)

1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 cup oat flour (just throw some steel cut oats in the food processor until its floury)

1 teaspoon of cumin (optional,  but its sooooo good)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put your herbs in the food  processor and pulse for a couple seconds until they are all chopped up into tiny pieces. Then add your chickpeas, onion, and cumin. Pulse again until your chickpeas and onions are all chopped up,  but you don't want to go for too long. You  will want your chickpeas to be chunky, not creamy, and the onions should be well chopped,  but still in large enough pieces that you can taste them!

Scoop this mixture into a mixing bowl and give it a taste. Add salt and pepper if needed. Then sprinkle flour on  top  of mixture and kneed with your hands until combined. It  should be kind of sticky and a little doughy (similar to a light cookie dough). Line a pan with Parchment Paper and roll your dough into six  balls. Flatten into patties about 1 inch thick and place on pan. Bake for about 35 minutes, flipping half way. They should be golden brown when finished. They will be a little crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. If you want them firmer, turn your heat down a little lower and cook for longer. The longer you cook them, the firmer they will be.

Serve on a bun with your usual toppings! The leftover burgers went into VOMD's lunch for work, with home made hummus and garlic sriracha mayo. But I warn you, these are waaayyyy better FRESH. (For Garlic Sriracha  Mayo, mix  about 1/2 cup of vegan mayonaise with 3 or four cloves of fresh crushed garlic and about 2 tbsp of sriracha sauce. It will keep in  the fridge for about a week, so it is the perfect take-take-for lunch condiment)

Tofu Caprese Salad

Ingredients (makes enough for two as a side)

1/2 a large cucumber, sliced  into rounds

1 large tomato, sliced

1 cup of cubed firm tofu

1 small lemon, juiced

1 clove  or garlic, crushed (or more if you want it to be hotter!)

1 handful basil, chopped in the food processor, OR a couple dashes of dry organic basil (if you use this option, reconstitute in the dressing for about an hour before serving)

A splash of olive oil

In a bowl, mix together lemon juice, garlic, basil and a splash of olive oil. If using dry basil,  let sit for about an hour. Add tofu to mixture and mix to coat. Let sit until some of the juice is absorbed into tofu. Place your sliced tomatoes and cucumber on the plates, and pour tofu  mixture  on top.  If you want you can drizzle a little more olive oil on top, or add some more lemon juice if you want it to be more zesty. Then, consume!

Happy Friday!

-J

Happy Birthday Momma!

I've hinted at it before, but today I want to talk to you a little bit about why I have the best mom in the world. Almost everything I like about myself I get from my mom. I get my love for animals from my mom, my love of hard work and getting my hands dirty (she always has a vegetable garden!), my desire to live a simple life, and my ability to find the joy in every day.

No matter what happens, she can always find something to smile about, even if its just a silly joke, or a neat bird fluttering outside the window. She  is the strongest woman person that I have ever known.  Her laugh is boisterous and infectious; she is just the right amount of weird; and any time I am feeling down, she is there for me, no matter  the distance or time of day (She once drove more than an hour to see me when I was having a really bad night at 12:30 in the morning).

I struggled a lot in my youth with mental health and identity issues and no matter what the problem was my mom always listened, was always kind, supportive, and  helpful (even when I know it hurt her to have to hear what I had to say), and as I've come into adulthood my mom has become my best friend.

My  mom  is my "tell-first" person - that one person that gets to hear all my news, good or bad, before anyone else. Through ups and downs (and there have been plenty, especially recently) she has always been there for me, and for my sisters. Everyone  who knows her is so lucky to have her in their lives.

Happy Birthday, Momma. I love you so much.

The thing about Canada Day

Today  is Canada Day. VOMD wants to take me to see some fireworks, but given the impact that fireworks have on animals, I'm not very excited to be part of it. Not only that, but I feel a little bit strange celebrating my belonging to a country that believes that immigrant citizens are second class, and who treat animals like property and food. I love it that I get to live in  Canada.  I love the scenery, the seasons, the people...well, lots of the people. Beyond the obvious stuff (like the right to vote, the freedom to marry who we please and all those things that are obviously excellent) I just don't feel like we have that much to celebrate.

Animal cruelty is incredibly common in Canada. Factory Farming in Canada is just as violent and cruel as it is in the United States - even though we regularly compare ourselves to the US to make ourselves feel better. In Canada, more than 95% of the animals raised for food are raised in factory farms, and disturbingly, approximately 20% of chickens in Canadian factory farms die of stress and malnutrition before they are even ready for slaughter.

Our meat consumption in Canada is among the highest in the world - around 95 kg per person per year. That's about 1/2 a pound of meat a day. Given that our population is around 35 million, that means in Canada we consume around three billion three hundred twenty-five million kilograms of meat across the country.

Can I just say that this totally disturbs me and breaks my heart completely to pieces?

Don't even get me started on pipelines and the oil sands, which threaten millions of migratory birds, have killed hundreds of black bears in Alberta, and have displaced far too many other species of animals to count, or the annual "cull" (read: murder) of seals...

So, even though I am happy that I live in Canada, unless Canada and Canadians make some major changes in terms of how they treat animals I will not ever really be able to say that I am proud to be Canadian. I love this country, but I do not love what it does to animals.

So, this Canada day I am going to celebrate with my friends and my boyfriend. But it will be a celebration that is darkened by the image of what Canada and Canadians do to animals and the planet. I will not be carrying around helium balloons (which animals mistake for food, causing intense pain and even death) and I will not be munching on beaver tails (named after one animal yet made of the stolen eggs and milk of another) and I will not be singing the national anthem, because "Glorious and Free" doesn't really describe the experience of all that live within these borders.

Enjoy your Canada Day, everyone.

-J




For more information on Canada's treatment of domestic, farmed and wild animals:
Canada's criminal code and animals: http://www.spca.bc.ca/cruelty/legislation/criminal-code-of-canada-animals.html?referrer=https://www.google.ca/

Pipelines: http://furbearerdefenders.com/blog/pipelines-are-bad-for-animals

Factory Farming: http://www.beveg.ca/factory-farming-in-canada.php

Migratory Birds: http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6052

Black Bears: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/02/22/black-bears-wildlife-alberta-oil-sands-tar_n_1293109.html