photo by Broompl (Pete)

It takes a certain kind of person to look an adorable baby seal in its beautiful big eyes, pick up a spiked club, and beat that pup to death. And then do the same thing to thousands of defenseless seals. And how can Canada allow the largest slaughter of marine animals on Earth to take place in their very country? It makes me absolutely sick. And also incredibly sad.

We need to help stop these horrid seal hunts once and for all. The European Union has voted on a proposal to ban its seal product trade “…the Internal Markets and Consumer Protection Committee of the European Parliament voted in favour of a strong prohibition on trade in seal products in the European Union. The IMCO’s Opinion will go forward to plenary weeks from now.”  The U.S. is boycotting Canadian seafood until the commercial seal slaughtering is shut down permanently. And for the first time ever “Canadians have proposed legislation to support and end to the hunt…” Thanks to the bill Senator Mac Harb introduced into the Canadian Senate, the end of commercial seal slaughtering is very likely. It has taken a lot of hard work from a lot of people to make this dream a real possibility. And there’s still a lot of work to be done, but we’re closer now than ever before.

Unfortunately, thousands of seals have been slaughtered in the last few days. The Humane Society along with the ProtectSeals Network have been there to document the horrible slaughter as well as the aftermath. “Just weeks ago we stood on these ice floes with newborn seals. Today, the ice is awash in blood. We could see the blood and carcasses on the floes from hundreds of feet in the air. It is devastating to be here—the sadness is palpable.”

Read more about it here. And help stop the mass genocide of innocent seal pups by going here.

I, as well as many others, have had to make adjustments during this economic crisis. (A bit of my history…)

My fiance, Emory, and I lived in Utah for a few years and decided we wanted to move back to the Midwest (we’re both from Wisconsin). As luck would have it, and in no time at all, Emory ended up finding –and getting hired at a very cool motion design firm in downtown Minneapolis. We were very excited. So, we each gave our two weeks at our respective jobs in Salt Lake City, and before we had time to take another breath, we were back on the same road we had taken out to Utah less than three years earlier.

Unfortunately for me, I did not have the same fortune of finding a great job. I specialize in print design and in the Midwest, decent jobs in my field are essentially non-existent these days (which is actually why we moved out to Utah in the first place). And with the economy taking its downturn, print design is suffering more than ever. And quite recently, Seattle P.I., a paper similar to the one I worked for in Salt Lake, shut down its print portion, and is now exclusively online. I wonder if my paper in Salt Lake faces the same demise.

Needless to say, I’ve been humbled by the whole experience. I’ve had to make some tough choices, re-assess my life goals, suck it up and apply for available jobs not in my field. I now work at a coffee shop, do freelance when I can find it, and am heading back to school in the fall for psychology.

I had always planned on going back to school, so perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise. But, it looks like I’m going to be strapped for cash a while longer still.

Now that you know my situation, you can see why being a vegan on the cheap is important to me. So I’ve compiled some money saving tips to get through these tough times. Some may be pretty obvious, but just think of them as helpful reminders.

1. Grocery Hop. It’s OK to get some groceries at one store, and some elsewhere. If you just have to go to Whole Foods because it’s the only place that sells vegan cheese, do it! But DON’T get all the items on your list there. I love Whole Foods but they’re absurdly expensive. They don’t call it “Whole Paycheck” for nothing. Sure, it may take you a little longer to gather up all your groceries, but every dime saved is good. And for all the items you avoid buying at Whole Foods, you’ll be saving far more than dimes.

2. If you have a Trader Joe’s nearby, shop there! Sorry I keep bringing them up, but they are just so darn cheap and they have such great stuff! They are so affordable because they buy their products directly from the companies that make them, so they’re cutting out the middleman and saving money in the process. So if you live near one, by all means, go there. Otherwise, take a field trip to some of the co-ops and shops in your area and do some price comparisons. You may be pleasantly surprised by the bargains you find!

3. Grocery Lists. Make them. As soon as you remember something you need, write it down. Don’t wander aimlessly through the store picking up everything you see. You’ll end up having to make another trip back to the store later to get the crucial items you forgot (waste of gas) and you’ll waste money on stuff you don’t need. And plan ahead with recipes. If you know you’re going to make burritos this week, add the ingredients to your list before you forget.

4. Don’t be afraid of coupons. If I remember to collect coupons, I always forget to use them! So, keep your coupons clipped to your grocery list and hopefully that will help you remember to bring them, and use them– instead of leaving them at the bottom of your bag/hiding in your wallet. But don’t buy things you don’t need. Sure, there may be a great deal on pineapple juice this week, but if you don’t really like pineapple juice, you’re wasting money, not saving it.

4. Compare prices. With my grocery store hops, I have some weeks where I’m at 3 different grocery stores. One has the more affordable (but still quite fresh) produce, one has the cheaper soymilk and packaged goods, and one has a few items that the other two don’t provide. And to save money on gas, if you can walk or ride your bike to at least one of those, that helps.

5. Learn to love frozen vegetables. I know fresh produce is fantastic, but it goes bad quickly and then you end up throwing stuff out and being sad. And frozen veggies last a long time and still taste very good. So if you can pick some veggies you’re willing to buy frozen, you’ll waste a lot less, and you’ll always have veggies on hand.

6. Buy in bulk. When it makes sense. If you know you’re going to use almond milk for many weeks to come, buy several non-refrigerated ones (look for 2 for 1 deals and sales), so you have backups when the refrigerated one runs out. Don’t be afraid of bulk bins at stores. They can be a great money saver. But don’t buy a bazillion hazelnuts if you’re only using them for one recipe. Be aware of portions.

7. Notice the sales. Stores have sale items all the time. Take a moment to flip through those annoying Dollar Deals/ Penny Saver type papers bombarding your mailbox. And keep your eyes peeled for all the little signs in the store. Read the fine print and get the good deal you deserve.

8. Brush up on your cooking skills. Making homemade eats can be so much cheaper than buying packaged or pre-made meals, and certainly cheaper than eating out. Dust off your spice rack, look through the countless vegan recipe sites online (free vegan recipes be all over the internetz!) and have fun with it! Grab a couple of those “past their prime and, therefore, way cheaper” bananas in the produce section and make yourself some yummy vegan banana bread. Pick up a loaf of that super cheap day old bread (make sure it’s vegan), which can be made into croutons and will go great with homemade soup.

9. Head to the farmer’s market! You can get some pretty sweet deals when you’re buying straight from the farm. And if you’re anxious to test out your green thumb, buy some plants and seeds to grow on your own. You’ll have fresh, super cheap herbs and veggies to add to your homemade cuisines.

10. Say “Yes, please” to doggy bags. Restaurant helpings are often massive. And don’t you feel kinda bad when they end up throwing a lot of it out? OR, you end up stuffing your face and getting a belly ache because you ate too much in one sitting? Don’t be ashamed of taking some of it home with you. Leftovers are great. A free second helping already prepared, just for you.

photo by hebam3000

I have a pretty pronounced sweet tooth. I’ve tried my fair share of sweeteners. I was a huge fan of Equal in high school, dabbled with several other sweeteners, and got really into Splenda once that got popular. I’ve had plenty of diet sodas containing Aspartame (which has been linked to complaints of seizures, blindness, brain tumors and even death). But I was pretty bummed about having to choose between getting fat from too much sugar and potentially getting a brain tumor from chemical sweeteners. But, considering I didn’t know anyone who actually had health problems as a result of artificial sweeteners, and I’ve always had to keep a close eye on my figure, I went the chemical route.

I have longed for a more natural sweetener that would neither go straight to my thighs, nor mess with my precious brain matter. Splenda was supposed to be the new breakthrough chemical because it was “made from sugar,” but even Splenda has its questionable health research.

And then came Stevia. Well, Stevia has actually been around for a very long time and has been used as a sweetener for over 400 years, without ill effects. It comes from a plant called Stevia Rebaudiana, native to South America. The leaves of this plant are sweet and calorie free. How did this not become popular sooner?? Well, the FDA is taking its precious time getting around to approving this natural sweetner (they’ve approved it as a supplement but not an additive in foods). But they are more than willing to back the potentially harmful chemical sweeteners that have, sadly, done horrible things to lab mice, and have been linked to human health problems as well. Apparently Coke and Pepsi are planning to add Stevia into their products to replace Aspartame. And actually, Stevia has been popular in Japan for over 20 years and they’ve used Stevia in their Coke, but recently decided to replace it with Aspartame to be more unified with other Coke products around the world.

Though Stevia does seem like an underappreciated miracle sweetener, bear in mind the old adage “too much of anything is never good.” Moderation is important. On boxes of Stevia they advise you not to use more than 8 packets per day. So be safe about your consumption. And, though Stevia is stamped as a vegan product, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has been testing it on animals. To fight against this cruel, unreliable and archaic method of product testing, go here: http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/cspi_stevia.

more sources:http://www.steviacafe.net/stevia-sweetener-mainstream-coca-cola-soda,  http://www.steviacafe.net/dangers-of-stevia, http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/12/18/coke-and-pepsi-stoked-for-stevia-after-fda-green-light/, http://www.cspinet.org/nah/4_00/stevia.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121082042102994411-search.html,

Sound too good to be true? Well, it almost is. I got the idea from a co-worker who had created a non-vegan version. It sounded delicious and I knew it could easily be veganised (and healthier). Strap yourself in because this dish is absolutely packed with flavor. And it goes great with green beans. Serves 2 at around 250-320 calories a serving (depending on if you use 1 or 2 TBS butter and weather or not you add sundried tomatoes).

What you’ll need:

• 1 bag of MorningStar lightly seasoned Chik’n Strips
• 1 or 2 TBS Earth Balance or other veg spread
• 1/8 block Vegan Mozzarella
• a few leaves of fresh basil (chopped)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• sundried tomatoes (optional)

Preaheat oven to 350°. In small sauce pan, roast garlic for a few minutes, then add butter and simmer a few minutes.

In bottom of a bread pan, place chik’n strips. Grate vegan ‘rella over chik’n. Top with basil. Then pour melted butter and garlic on top. Add a few sundried tomatoes on top (chopped if desired). And top with freshly ground pepper, to taste.

Bake for about 20 minutes. Then, if you like crispier chik’n, broil for a few minutes.

That’s all there is to it.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

In honor of this day, I thought I’d post some not too complex vegan recipes I found for Irish num-nums.
(sources included at the end of each recipe)

Irish Soda Bread

• 1 cup soy milk (rice milk works too)
• 1 T. apple cider vinegar
• 2 ¼ flour
• 2 T. sugar
• 2 t. baking powder
• heaping ¼ t. baking soda
• ½ t. salt
• ½ cup (or more!) raisins
• 3 t. caraway seeds

Preheat oven to 350°.
Add the vinegar to the milk and set aside to ‘curdle’. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. When the oven is ready add the wet to the dry and mix just until everything comes together into a dough. Sprinkle a bit of flour onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Form the dough into a ball, sprinkle a hint of flour on top and give it a little “x” slice across the top. Bake for approximately 40 minutes. Give it a toothpick test for doneness and if it sounds hollow when you tap it, it’s certainly ready. Set it on a rack to cool or the bottom might get soft.

To keep it festive, add a couple drops of green food coloring into the milk before mixing. (source)

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Vegan Irish Coffee

• 2/3 cup hot strong brewed coffee
• 2 tbsp Irish whiskey
• 2 tsp raw sugar
• vegan whipped cream or whipped topping (optional)

Stir together the coffee, whiskey and sugar, making sure the sugar dissolves.

Garnish with a generous spoonful of non-dairy whipped cream, if desired. (source)

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Irish Colcannon Potatoes and Cabbage

• water for boiling
• 5 large potatoes
• 1 head green cabbage, chopped
• 3 leeks, sliced
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot and add enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for at least 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

In a separate pot, boil the cabbage in water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In another pot or skillet, cook leeks in soy milk until tender, about 15 minutes.

When potatoes are done cooking, mash them together with leeks, soy milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Add cabbage and stir to combine. Add more salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! (source)

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Vegan Irish Whiskey Cake

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 cup vegan margarine
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• Egg replacer for 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup strong coffee
• 1/2 cup Irish whiskey
• 1-2 tbsp powdered sugar (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 cake pan.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
In a separate large bowl, beat together the vegan margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the egg replacer and mix well.
In another bowl, combine the coffee and whiskey.
Slowly add the flour mixture and the coffee mixture into the margarine and sugar mixture a bit at a time, beating well in between.

Pour into the cake pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool slightly, and sprinkle the top of the cake with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy your vegan Irish whiskey cake! (source)

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Vegan Irish Stew

• 4 cups peeled, diced potatoes
• 2 cups peeled, diced carrots
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 bag frozen/non-frozen meatless crumbles or one package fresh mushrooms (diced)
• 4 garlic cloves (freshly smashed and diced)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 Tsp. Oregano
• 1 Tsp. Thyme
• 2 Tbs melted vegan margarine
• Salt and pepper to taste

Peel and slice carrots and potatoes. Set to boil. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Brown for 5 minutes, then add tomatoes. 5 minutes later, add meat substiute (frozen or non-frozen crumbles or mushrooms) and sauté for 5 minutes (mushrooms will take a few more minutes). Pour in vegetable broth, melted margarine, oregano and thyme.

Add carrots and potatoes. Salt and pepper to taste. Some like to add Guinness, red wine, or another type of alcohol. Be creative!! Let simmer for up to an hour. (source)

photo by juan23for

I just had a DELIGHTFUL time visiting friends in Boston, MA over an extended weekend. Jamaica Plain, which is on the southern edge of Boston, is a fantastic area. It’s very artsy, small-business-loving, and very vegan-friendly. My first meal in JP was a short jaunt from my dear friend’s apartment, at a place called Fiore’s Italian Bakery. It’s a small little shop with several vegan baked goods and entrees. I had a  melt-in-your-mouth fantastic vegan panini for dinner with roasted veggies and nut cheese. I also had a vegan coffee cake, which unfortunately was a bit dry, but still good. We also stopped by for breakfast one day and I had a tasty vegan blueberry scone. Sadly, I was only in town for four days, otherwise I would have tried more of their goodies.

To my surprise, there was a vegan co-op right next door called Harvest, which though quaint in size, had oodles of vegan options! So my friend (also named Emily), who recently took a cooking class in which she learned all about spices, created an amazing home-cooked meal with curried seitan, and seasoned cauliflower, roasted brussel sprouts, sauteed red cabbage, and seasoned potatoes (recipe to come soon). And later in the trip we made homemade breakfast tortillas filled with vegan sausage, mushrooms and vegan cheddar with Penzey’s sausage seasoning. MMMmmmm… so good.

It’s been a while since I really got creative with vegan dishes. My ambitions are rejuvintated and I’m ready to start experimenting again. Sometimes all it takes is some amazing spices to liven up your food options. I will certainly be getting some Penzey’s spices. After several rave reviews and now having finally tasted their goodness, I’m sold. I know very little about spices, and now I’m determined to learn more. I feel like a dope for going this long without really exploring the world of spices. Sure, I own basic spices, but I don’t really understand them. And I’m pretty boring with my choices. I usually always default to some sort of Italian seasoning blend. SO, now that my eyes have been pried opened, I’ll probably be discussing spices more in-depth in upcoming posts. And I’d love to hear recommendations for spices, if you have any.

Getting back to the trip, I had a lovely time visting Boston and a few surrounding areas, and highly recommend if you’re in the Boston area that you check out Jamaica Plain. Walk around and check out their cute shops.

Just two Emilys having a good time.