painting by Warwak

My college degree was in art (with a design emphasis), so fine art is always on my mind in one form or another. Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to do a search for “vegan art” and I came across this site: Veganica.com. It’s a site for veg creatives to show off their talents in visual art, music, writing, photography, crafts, video and more. It also contains blogs and vegan radio streams. I’m actually listening to one of the radio shows right now as they discuss Oprah’s vegan detox and play some veg music. The site also has forums and shopping.

1/3 of the money Veganica makes is donated to animal rights groups which is, of course, lovely. If you are a creative that wants to get your work featured on their site, there are various levels of memberships: “from a simple splash page with a link to your existing web site to a full gallery with a shopping cart.” So you know that money you spend on a membership will go towards a good cause. I think it’s a nice place for fellow veg’s to go and support each other’s artistic talents. No surprise here but they do have a myspace page as well if you want to befriend them: http://www.myspace.com/veganica.

There really is a whole lot to explore on this site so I encourage you to check it out in your spare time.

Comic-Con 2008 was sooo much fun. So much to see and do. Some of the speakers I got to hear at the panels included Kevin Smith, Judd Apatowe, Seth Rogen, Justin Long, Jay of Jay and Silent Bob, Elizabeth Banks, porn stars Katie Morgen and Traci Lordes (all in Kevin Smith’s new movie Zach and Miri Make a Porno, the cast and director of the next Terminator movie (unfortunately Chrisitan Bale couldn’t make it because he was promoting Dark Knight) and the cast of the Sarah Conor Chronicles, the cast of Bones, a head designer at Pixar, a couple of head designers at Disney, the director of 300, and more! We also got to see tons of early footage of films that will be coming out in the next year which was very exciting. The next Pixar movie Up looks absolutely adorable. I also got to see my favorite comic book writer, Bryan Lee O’Malley, who writes the Scott Pilgrim series.

And guess what? I found the Exclusive Tofu the Vegan Zombie! And I bought him! Getting him out of the package took me a little while. Stubborn little zombie. But now he’s out and happily standing on my desk. It’s the Green Grocer Tour Exclusive so he comes equipped with boxes of fruits and veggies. They also gave me a free DVD of the Zombie Dearest short film. Yay!

It really was a fun trip and you would not believe how popular Comic-Con is. There are long lines for everything. I even waited in line for like 45 minutes one morning to get a soy latté. It’s like Disney World for young adults. Lots of great costumes too. And though the lines could be rediculously long, if you timed it out right, you could see plenty of great panels. And I think we’ll have even better luck next year now that we know what to expect. San Diego is a great city. Had we been there longer, I would have checked out this restaurant: Veg-N-out. I looked it up before we got to San Deigo and was very enticed by the menu, but unfortunatley we never made it there. We did find some deliscious eats in the Gas Lamp District. It’s a cool area I encourage you to check out if you’re ever in San Diego.

If you would like your own Tofu the Vegan Zombie, you can get the color version here.

Call us geeks, but this weekend my boyfriend and I will be at the Comic Book Convention in San Diego. Maybe I’ll get to hang out with Kevin Smith or something. My boyfriend has been an avid comic book reader for many years so he’s pretty excited that we were able to get tickets. I’ve never been to one of these before and I’m not quite sure what to expect. Lots of nerds dressed as superheroes, perhaps? Nerds dressed as superheroes and getting married? I’ll bring my camera.

One thing I do hope I get a chance to see is a Comic-Con 2008 exclusive limited edition: white Tofu The Vegan Zombie vinyl toy action figure. That’s right! Only 200 of these unique toys will be sold. There’s actually a (slightly disfunctional) website dedicated to Tofu the Vegan Zombie: http://tofutheveganzombie.com/ . Pretty cute. And you should check out the animated short “Zombie Dearest.” Impressive animation. Here’s the story of Tofu the Vegan Zombie:

“Tofu” is a friendly zombie, created from a botched experiment in Professor Vost’s laboratory. Monkey # 5, one of Vost’s lab animals, stuffed a block of tofu into the zombie boy’s open skull after accidentally losing the brain. As a result, “Tofu” eats only vegetables and grains and has no taste for human meat. However, if “Tofu” ever loses his “tofu-brain”, he turns into a dangerous zombie creature, craving human flesh.

Professor Vost’s sole mission in life is to find a cure for the menacing zombie epidemic plaguing mankind. Vost believes the zombie pathogen to be viral, caused by the genetic manipulation of meat products. The Evil Mallesteros, owner of the world’s largest meat packing company, wants to shut down Professor Vost’s research because sales from meat are beginning to suffer due to Vost’s conclusive findings.

“Tofu” is able to walk among both the human and zombie world with safety and ease, however, he is never fully trusted or accepted by either group. The professor’s daughter Addie helps “Tofu” blend into the human world by bringing him along with Lab Monkey #5 for fun and adventures. However, Lab Monkey #5’s mischievous, playful nature always gets “Tofu” and Addie into trouble.

Because of his unique ability to intermingle in both worlds, and his harmless vegetarian nature, the professor believes “Tofu” to be the key in solving the Zombie epidemic. The question is; will he have enough time to find a cure….

So there you have it. Tofu solves the flesh-eating epidemic of the undead. The jiggly white substance has taken on a whole new role in society. Now featured in vynil toy form, comic books, and animation? Its official: veganism has carved its niche in youth culture.

I’m so fortunate to have a Whole Foods a block away from where I live now. I can wander over there at any time (which is actually kind of dangerous because it’s certainly not the cheapest place to get groceries). I’ll be honest. I have not been true to the raw food lifestyle. But I still highly respect it and think it’s a wonderfully healthy way to live. On that note, I found a lovely drink at Whole Foods called Synergy. It’s an organic raw beverage containing Kombucha Tea, which is:

a handmade Chinese tea that is delicately cultured for 30 days. During this time, essential nutrients form like: Active Enzymes, Viable Probiotics, Amino Acids, Antioxidants, and Polyphenols. All of these combine to create an elixir that immediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality.

It comes in a variety of flavors and the few that I’ve tried I really enjoyed. Pretty low in calories, too. Oh, but don’t shake the bottle before you open it. You’ll see natural culture strands sitting at the bottom and be tempted to shake the heck out of it, but it is a carbonated beverage and you will be sorry. Anyway, I find it to be quite refreshing. It’s not a very strong flavor, but it’s nice. It is an acquired taste and apparently some people really don’t like it. Tina Fey actually talked about it on the David Letterman show and said that it smells horrible and tastes horrible but she loves the energy she gets from it. And since it’s fermented, it can contain small amounts of alcohol. I have yet to get tispy off of it, personally.

It’s an easy way to do something positive for your health. And Kombucha is believed to support digestion, metabolism, your immune system, control your appetite, control your weight, support liver function, body alkalinity, anti-aging, cell integrity, and help give you healthy skin and hair. Pretty impressive! But it’s never a bad idea to do some unbiased research. Click here to learn more about Kombucha.

photo by Gilles Gonthier

In the last few days I’ve begun reading the Pulitzer Prize winning book Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. So far I’m finding the book to be very interesting. It discusses the origins and development of humanity and poses certain questions that I don’t often think about. One of the issues brought up is the extinction of various species throughout the course of history. Now, typically when I think about animal extinction, I either think about the unexplained dinosaur disappearance, or I am reminded of my hatred for hunting. But obviously there’s much more to it than that. It can also be related to general human ignorance with regards to how strongly our way of life can impact the animals around us. Every time a new subdivision is created, or a new mall is built, there is dramatic destruction that occurs to the ecosystem of that area. Even the sound of a plane flying overhead and other such noise pollution can take its toll on nature. Animals that can no longer properly communicate with each other over the sounds of construction suffer the consequences.

The reason I bring this up is because I feel that if you choose to be vegan for ethical reasons and a genuine concern for animal cruelty, then you cannot turn a blind eye to environmental concerns. I mentioned in an earlier post that I feel veganism and environmentalism often go hand-in-hand. Well there is a good reason for that. Animals die horrible deaths in slaughterhouses every second of every day. It is an unfathomable truth. But what about the silent deaths that occur in nature? What about the animals that are starving to death because their ecosystem is in turmoil? What about the creatures that are unable to reproduce because their mating calls cannot be heard over the highway traffic? Or the animals suffering from the dramatic climate changes related to global warming? Who’s to say those deaths aren’t equally cruel?

Now, I don’t expect you to stop living your life for the sake of nature, but I do expect you to be aware. It was your choice not to be ignorant to the injustices going on in the meat and dairy industries that helped form who you are. Living a vegan lifestyle is your personal protest against animal cruelty. So don’t let it stop with what you put in your mouth or what you wear. Go for a nature walk and consider how sad you would be if that natural environment no longer existed. Keep yourself educated on how you can help the environment. Donate to conservationists. Plant trees. Pick up litter. Turn the lights off when you leave the room. Buy local. Walk or use a bike when you can. Ask yourself what you can do to help save that next species from extinction…

I’ve got a bit of a sweet tooth. I blame my grandma. I’m a big fan of chocolate, caramel, and brownies. I’m also a big fan of bars. I tried a flavor of Luna bar a long time ago and liked it but didn’t really start buying them until recently. I bought a variety pack of mini Luna bars (by Clif Bar) and discovered my favorite: the Caramel Nut Brownie bar. For 190 calories (80 if you buy the minis) I can indulge in a bar that tastes like dessert but, in fact, is natural and organic, gives me 9 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, has a low glycemic index, is high in calcium and folic acid, and is rich in antioxidants. Oh, and none of their products contain dairy. It even says on the package “We source ingredients that are not made using wheat or dairy and are not genetically engineered.” You could say I’m in Luna Lala Land. They’re quite filling, too. You won’t go hungry after eating one. I especially enjoy them after they’ve been in the fridge for a while.

They are categorized as Whole Nutrition Bars for Women but that doesn’t mean you men can’t enjoy them as well.

Luna bars are pretty easy to come by these days, too. You can find them, not only in health food stores, but in regular grocery stores and even at Target. So, I highly recommend you try some flavors if you haven’t already. You’re bound to find one that lights you up.

I haven’t had really good thai food in a long time and was very excited to find Chiang Mai Thai, a fantastic thai restaurant close to where I live, that has some lovely veg options. And when it’s nice out, as it was on the day we went, it’s got outdoor seating. Just beware of “the elements” as my boyfriend had a bird poop right on his pant leg. Haha! One unique option this restaurant has is mock duck. I’ve never had real duck before but I thought the mock duck was quite good. I had it atop the thai basil stir fry which is mushrooms, onions, bell peppers and carrots sauteed in a savory mixture of Thai basil and spices with a side of steamed jasmine rice. I thought it was a little piece of heaven on a plate. They use fresh basil, which I looooove, and the stir fry tasted amazing. I also was delighted to find they serve Strongbow, which is a hard, dry cider I enjoyed very much while I lived in England and is still, to the best of my knowledge, a vegan cider.

Chiang Mai Thai
Calhoun Square
3001 Hennepin Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Daily 11 AM- 1 AM
(612) 827-1606

There’s a lot to love about this award-winning Indian restaurant. For one, it’s in the beautiful city of Minneapolis. It’s a quaint little restaurant in an adorable house with a cute outdoor seating area. The food I got was some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had. They pride themselves on using local organic ingredients, and though the menu’s not entirely vegan, the meat they serve is free-range. There are plenty of vegan options. And not only that- they make vegan dining a breeze by putting a V next to all the VEGAN dishes. The service was excellent, and if you arrive during happy hour (3-6) drinks are buy one get one free and you can try out some of their delightful appetizers.

Namaste Cafe, 2512 Hennepin Ave S,
Minneapolis, MN 55405 Tel: 612 827 2496
HOURS: 11AM - 11PM (SMTW)
11AM - 12AM (TFS)

My boyfriend’s dad came up to Minneapolis to visit recently and one of the first things he talked about was how excited he was about his new Big Skinny wallet. So excited, in fact, that he got one for my boyfriend as well (so he now has two new wallets, both of which he loves).

The great thing about these wallets, function-wise, is that you no longer have to deal with a massively thick book wearing out your back pocket. And it still has plenty of room for your cards and cash, etc. Another great thing of course is that they are made out of cruelty-free nylon micro-fiber which is sexy and durable. It used to be so standard for wallets to be made out of leather, but if these puppies make it big, people will look back and laugh at how inconvenient those thick leather wallets were.

Why stick with big, heavy, thick and annoying when you can have light, thin, stylish and convenient!

And here’s their site: http://www.bigskinny.net/
(as you’ll see it’s not as pretty as the wallet)

photo by Ryan McD

I love me some veggie sushi. A little rice, some avocado, carrots, cucumbers, throw in some tofu tempurah… so decadent… and of course, seaweed!

A co-worker of mine had been ill-informed about seaweed, hearing it had little to no health benefits. I assure you this is a very wrong assessment. In fact seaweed is incredibly good for you. According to Seibin and Teruko Arasaki, authors of Vegetables from the Sea, “All of the minerals required by human beings, including calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, iodine, iron, and zinc are present in sufficient amounts. In addition, there are many trace elements in seaweeds.”

Seaweed also cleanses your body by binding to heavy metals and eliminating them from the body and is even thought to be an effective cancer treatment. In addition, it’s really good for your hair. Other health benefits, according to Carlson Wade’s book Health Secrets from the Orient, include regulating the hormones, enriching the bloodstream, assisting in metabolism, promoting a youthful skin color, and helping to warm the body to promote mental youthfulness. Oh and did I mention it’s one of the best sources of vegetable protein and B-12? Yup, yup.

According to an ezine article :

Seaweed has been confirmed as one of Nature’s “all- round pharmaceutical miracles” with claims that it can accomplish everything from warding off and treating several types of cancer, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, thin the blood, prevent ulcers, kill bacteria and even cure constipation.

Really the list goes on and on as far as how great seaweed is for you. Check out the articles listed below for more info. If you don’t get much sushi in your diet, I recommend you to start adding more. And if you can’t stand sushi, I encourage you to explore other seaweed-laden recipes. Your body with thank you! And if you’re a raw foodie, don’t worry, seaweed can be eaten raw as well!

sources:
http://health.learninginfo.org/seaweed-benefits.htm
http://ezinearticles.com/?Seaweed—Mother-Natures-Health-Miracle-&id=344321