Fun Vegan Fall Frocks

Don't forget all the little animals when you're shopping for Fall and Winter! There are oodles of cruelty free stylish faux fur and faux leather alternatives available!
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Check out these finds:
All Vegan...

Life's Water

I'm fascinated by spirits, cocktails, and mixology; and not just because I like to drink. The stories and histories of alcohol are just as intoxicating as a night out on the town with my girlz. I can just imagine standing in an old barn, cellar, stone hearth kitchen, back woods clearing, or even a cave, staring at a pile of corn, potatoes, grapes, herbs, whatever, trying to figure out how to transform produce into a magical elixir. Elixirs meant to soothe ailing bones, rotting teeth, or a burdened mind! The whole process seems a bit crazy, fermenting and straining, aging and flavoring to refinement. All over the world spirits were being born without written recipes, immaculate stills, bottling machines, or even printed labels. How did anyone know what the hell they were drinking? How did they know it wouldn't kill them? Our beverage crazed forefathers were imbibing mad scientists! But truly, the heros of alcohol are the mixologists. The art of taking those raw spirits and blending them with fruit muddles, syrups, herbs, or other spirits to indulge us all, is what keeps this liquor love affair alive. I'm pretty sure most folks use ambosol or just see the dentist if they have a tooth ache these days. We drink for enjoyment, most of us anyway.

My best friend Kate recently brought me a bottle of Linie brand Aquavit from a trip she took to Sweden. Aquavit is a slightly licorice flavored spirit made in Scandinavia. Linie, which means equator, sends it's batches voyaging on ships to cross the equator twice in sherry casks, enduring changing temperatures and humidity, and the jostling of waves, all to tint Aquavit its' signature amber color. Now that's creative dedication! Sending your booze on a cruise half way around the world to perfect it has to be the real definition of a booze cruise.

Stories abound. The next time you're at a bar or in the ABC store try something you've never heard of, read it's label, google it. You're most likely to learn a little something! Not everything about alcohol will kill your brain cells.

Failed Veganism

I have not been able to kick the dairy for more than 2 weeks straight at a time. I start the week out on a good vegan diet and inevitably someone wants to order pizza and I always eat a slice. That opens the door for cheese and crackers at get-togethers and caprese salads etc. I've done really well baking without dairy all summer long. I have even managed to give up my former favorite food, REAL BUTTER, on everything, for Earth Balance Spread. I just can't seem to turn down the dairy in social settings.
I'm about 90% dairy free now which is better than before, but I still just wanted to do it, the whole vegan diet, for good you know. I'm not giving up. I say that thinking "what am I not giving up on" dairy, or becoming a vegan? We'll see which one wins. I'll report back in a few months. My cellophane cheese wrappers go off to all you hardcore vegans! You have some major taste bud will power!

Tiramisu Cupcakes from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World"

I want to share my favorite vegan desert recipe with you. You have to try these extra delectable Tiramisu Cupcakes from "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World"
I really love "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World"! One of the reasons I love this cookbook so much is that I can tell that Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero really experimented with the recipes. They make special problem solving notes through out. For example: I made a very similar vegan cream cheese icing for a cake recently; the icing came out runny with little chunks in it. Moskowitz and Romero surely must have had this problem before too! They note that you should always let your icing ingredients warm to room temperature before mixing them. I did that and the (no)cream cheese icing turned out perfectly and delicious.

Here's the recipe. Experiment and have fun. I had to leave the cocoa powder out because of my allergy and they were still the bomb-diggity! I highly recommend just buying the cookbook for more great cupcake recipes.

Vegan Tiramisu Cupcakes:


1/4 cup nonhydrogogenated margarine (softened)
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese (softened)
2 cups of confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Second! Prepare the cupcake batter. You will need:

1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar mix vinegar and soy milk together and let sit to curdle for about 10 minutes
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour mix your dry ingredients together with a fork and set aside
2 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil mix wet ingredients in a mixer for a few minutes and then add dry ingredients a bit at the time
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract


Third: Prepare your soaking liquid
1/3 cup espresso or strong coffee
1/3 cup Kahlua or other coffee flavored liqueur


Save for last to sprinkle over cupcakes and garnish:
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
12 chocolate covered coffee beans or chocolate chips


Mix your icing and put it in the frig.
Mix your batter and bake it for 22 minutes at 350 in cupcake papers
Let your cupcakes cool
Cut a little cone shape of the top of the cupcake and save it
Pour about 2 tablespoons of Kahlua in to the divot you cut in your cupcake top and let it soak in
Fill the divot with icing and then swirl some up on top
Dip the little cone shaped piece of cup cake you cut out in to the Kahlua mixture then place it on top of the icing
Put another little dollop of icing on top of that, then dust with cocoa, cinnamon, and add coffee beans and chocolate chips.

Serve right away! You might want to make a double batch once you've mastered this one. They go fast!

Food, Inc.

I just saw Food, Inc. the very informative movie about where our food really comes from. Food, Inc. does an excellent job of unveiling the facts about the so called farms that bring meat, dairy, corn, and soy products to our dinner table. The majority of these so called "farms" are actually mass production factories. Little or no concern is given to the well being of animals being raised at these giant agribusinesses. Even if you are not an animal activist you will be shocked by the inhumane treatment. The use of ammonia and antibiotics, and pesticides, and genetically modified organisms in commercial foods will send you straight to your local organic farmers market or whole foods store. I learned a lot from Food, Inc. I didn't realize that 90% of soybeans grown in this country are genetically modified and protected by a patten put in place by the huge chemical company Monsanto! It's appalling what has happened to farmers across America because of this. You've gotta see this movie! If you eat, you should know the facts!
I saw it at the new Bowtie Cinema in Richmond, VA. It's a great theater. The tickets were expensive, $9.50!! I looked around the sold out show to see 225 people who definitely appeared to already be folks who knew a lot about the subject and who were already probably doing their parts to make changes by either choosing vegetarianism, veganism, or being whole foods advocates. This struck me as a classic "the church preaching to the choir" scenario. I think this film and others like it, Fresh, Fast Food Nation, all need to reach the masses, especially those who can't afford to pay $9.50 to get in. I asked a woman who was on the panel of experts invited to answer questions after the screening if she knew if the film would be shown at a discount anywhere. She did mention that her organization wanted to show it for free after it ran it's course in the theaters. That's good. I checked online and found out that Chipoltle's across the country are also showing Food, Inc. for free! This is great! Below I've posted some links with more info.
Food, Inc. is an excellent resource. Plus the film features one of America's best organic and free range farmers, Joel Salatin, of Polyface Farms, in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.


I could write an essay on this subject but instead I'll just leave you with these links. See the movie, do your own research, and be a part of the solution to the problems by demanding better products by making conscientious purchases and sharing your discoveries with others! :> All of us can help make this world a better place for ourselves, others, the animals, and environment by just refusing to be kept in the dark!

Thanks,

Mary

Food, Inc. Official Website: http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-film.php

Polyface Farm

Free screenings of Food, Inc

Bowtie Cinema Richmond, VA

One Little Jar of Strawberry Preserves

I went home to the Eastern Shore of Virginia this past weekend to visit my Dad and family for Father's Day. I was also home to deliver some household items and clothes to my cousin Kelly who's house recently burned down. Kelly is my cousin on my Dad's side of the family. Kelly's great grandmother and my great grandmother were sisters. Kelly's great grandmother died in child birth and her 3 children were divided up and raised by her 3 sisters. My great grandmother, Nanoo, being one of the sisters raised little Josie. Nanoo's sister, Lee, raised little Nancy. Nancy is Kelly's grandmother. Long story short... My great grandmother, Nanoo, and Aunt Lee, AND Kelly's grandmother Nancy were all neighbors when Kelly and I were growing up. Kelly and I used to have so much fun baking mud cakes in oyster shells, rolling down the big hill that went up to her grandmothers house, eating amazing Sunday suppers with the whole family, and just playing games.
So on this past Sunday when we took the donations for Kelly to her grandmother Nancy's house it felt like going back in time. I hadn't been there in 15 years! My Nanoo died when I was in high school and I just hadn't been over there much after that. Walking in to Nancy's house up on the hill after so long was special. We just popped in and Nancy and Fred A. (Kelly's grandfather) were sitting at the little table in the bay window nook eating a southern meal complete with Lemon Meringue Pie and a jar of homemade strawberry preserves. I saw the preserves on the table and asked Nancy if they were homemade. She said of course and went to the cupboard and gave me the last jar. I didn't want to take her last jar but she wanted me to have them which made me so happy. It's weird how just a jar of jam can send you back to your childhood. When I opened the preserves the next night back at home, I nearly cried they were so delicious. All those women who took such good care of me when I was a little girl, showing me how they baked pies, and singing me hymns, and just letting me ask so many questions about every little thing they did, they're almost all gone now. I miss them dearly.
Those strawberry preserves from Aunt Nancy remind me of my Nanoo, Gaggie, Aunt Lee, Aunt Tabby, and just being a a kid.
Good Memories.

Peter Singer

Most people think of non-human animals as lesser beings based solely on their level of intelligence. A lot of people feel differently. I am one of them. I believe all living beings should enjoy life and that that that is our purpose for being here. Life is the pursuit of happiness. Finding one's inner peace should be a universal right. We are not designed for pain and suffering, and neither are other animals. It is beyond my rational logic that anyone finds it acceptable to mistreat another being, of any kind, especially based on the thought that that being is not smart enough to know any better. If pain and anxiety are felt then that is what is understood. Unhappiness is known. The reasoning behind such suffering may eternally remain a mystery to the sufferer. That sufferer won't understand that it is being denied it's birth given rights to happiness because it tastes good on a bun. Any form of purposeful mistreatment toward another living creature is a sin. If you must kill to eat, do it quickly and in the least painful manor possible. Do not raise another life for the sole purpose of killing it unless you are going to give it the freedom to live out it's life time happily. These are my beliefs. It took me much longer than I would have liked to realize that by eating factory farmed meat and dairy products I was condoning these sins.

My good friend Terry Brown sent me a link to a Charlie Rose interview. The subject of her email simply said "Listen". So, I did. I listened to Charlie Rose talk with Australian Philosopher and Princeton Bioethics Professor Peter Singer. He's fascinating. Singer is very well known, and very controversial, for his views on abortion, speciesism, and euthanasia. Peter Singer became a megaphone for the animal liberation movement with his 1975 book Animal Liberation. As I listened to Peter Singer speak about ones given rights being based on ones ability to feel pain rather than on ones intellect I became excited! Hearing my own true beliefs described so eloquently was fulfilling for me. I love deep thinking and extremely compassionate people. Peter Singer is both. He went on about his ideas of religion and compassionate suicide. He makes some valid and caring points. His own mother is on her death bed. He has said that if it were up to him alone she would not be alive now, but instead at peace. He has a sister who doesn't share his view points so his mother is still alive and suffering, and Peter Singer is helping pay the bill. He has admitted to not living up to all of his own standards especially when it comes to charitable giving. He donates 25% of all his earnings to UNICEF but says he could and should give more. He states that not giving what you have beyond your needs to others living below their needs is like helping contribute to their decline. I have mixed opinions on this subject. Although I believe in charity and helping anyone in need to get themselves back on track, I do not believe in continuous handouts. I feel such systems create laziness and a level of expected donation.

The point is is that Peter Singer is a living Philosopher tackling issues of our time. He spends his life studying us and the way we live. We can learn a lot from his theories or at least bring some excellent questions upon ourselves which usually leads to growing as a person. Peter Singer is definitely someone to add to your informative source list. I need to delve deeper into his philosophies on assisted suicide, abortion, and charitable giving before stating that I totally agree with everything he says, but from what I've gathered through the below listed links I'm very interested to hear and read more especially on his animal rights ideas. I know why Terry sent me the link now. She knows how I feel about animals, and life in general. Thanks Terry B. :>

Info Links:

Interview with Charlie Rose
Interview with Ronald Bailey
Article by Paul Shapiro
Article by Donald Demarco
Utilitarian