I made this cake for my fiance’s quarter century birthday. He took it to work. Apparently it was pretty amazing. Because I never even got to try it. I guess his co-workers were obsessing over how moist and delicious it was and couldn’t fathom how it could possibly be vegan. And my fiance, who’s pretty tough to please, also raved about it. Which is a relief since I totally screwed up his cake last year. Oops.

Ingredients

Cake:

• 3 Cups shredded Carrots (I recommend a few seconds in a food processor if you have one)
• 1 1/4 Cup of Sugar
• 2 Cups Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
• 2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
• 2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon
• 1/2 Cup of Orange Juice
• 3/4 Cup of Canola Oil

Frosting:

• 1/4 Cup Tofutti cream cheese or other kind of soy cream cheese
• 1/4 Cup Vegan Margarine
• 2 cups powdered sugar (I recommend Florida Crystals Organic Sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Do not use a hand mixer for this recipe, use a ladle or spoon. Mix all the dry Ingredients together. Then mix in the Carrots and the Oil to the dry ingredients. Add the Orange Juice and mix it all together.

Grease pan with cooking spray or oil. Put the batter into cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until knife/toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Let cool completely

Beat cream cheese and margarine together. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla together with hand mixer. *Add a splash of water if needed. Pipe into a plastic ziplock bag and close bag. When cake is completely cool, cut a little snip off the bottom corner of the ziplock bag and drizzle the creamy frosting over the top of the cake as pictured (I went a little manic with my drizzling). Or spread like normal.

slightly altered from original recipe found here: http://www.grouprecipes.com/44964/best-vegan-carrot-cake.html

photo by law keven

This is a huge victory for animal rights, affecting 20 MILLION farm animals! What, specifically does this proposition do? Taken directly from the yesonprop2.com website:

• Prevents cruelty to animals.
  It’s simply wrong to confine veal calves, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens in tiny cages barely larger than their bodies. Calves are tethered by the neck and can barely move, pigs in severe confinement bite the metal bars of their crates, and hens get trapped and even impaled in their wire cages. We wouldn’t force our pets to live in filthy, cramped cages for their whole lives, and we shouldn’t force farm animals to endure such misery. All animals, including those raised for food, deserve humane treatment.
• Improves our health and food safety.
  We all witnessed the cruel treatment of sick and crippled cows exposed by a Southern California slaughter plant investigation this year, prompting authorities to pull meat off school menus and initiate a nationwide recall. Factory farms put our health at risk—cramming tens of thousands of animals into tiny cages, fostering the spread of diseases that may affect people. YES! on Prop 2 is better for animals—and for us.
• Supports family farmers.
  California family farmers support YES! on Prop 2 because they know that better farming practices enhance food quality and safety. Increasingly, they’re supplying major retailers like Safeway and Burger King. Factory farms cut corners and drive family farmers out of business when they put profits ahead of animal welfare and our health.
• Protects air and water and safeguards the environment.
  The American Public Health Association has called for a moratorium on new factory farms because of the devastating effects these operations can have on surrounding communities, spreading untreated waste on the ground and contaminating our waterways, lakes, groundwater, soil, and air. Prop 2 helps stop some of the worst abuses and protects our precious natural resources. That’s why California Clean Water Action and Sierra Club-California support YES! on Prop 2.
• Is a reasonable and common-sense reform.
  Prop 2 provides ample time—until 2015—for factory farms using these severe confinement methods to shift to more humane practices. Arizona, Colorado, Florida, and Oregon have passed similar laws. The Humane Society of the United States, the ASPCA, hundreds of California veterinarians, including the California Veterinary Medical Association; California family farmers; the Center for Food Safety, the Consumer Federation of America, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the United Farm Workers, and the Cesar Chavez Foundation; Republican and Democratic elected officials; California religious leaders; and many others.

So, as you can see, not only is this a great victory for farm animals, but also family farms, the health and safety of the people, and the health of the environment. These guidelines seem like they should be standard, and yet, without this proposition, factory farms in California would continue to keep animals in horrible, abusive conditions. If you took any part in getting the word out to California voters, you’ve helped propel a monumental movement. California is a hugely influential state and if we can get a proposition like this passed there, perhaps some day we can get the rest of the country to follow suit. Animal rights history has been made! Wooo!

Here are some vegan goodies I’ve been buying lately because they’re great! (and no, I’m not paid to endorse anything)

Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Chewy Coated & Drizzled Granola Bars
Something about the peanut butter they use. It’s so creamy and delicious. Unlike any bar I’ve ever tasted. Made entirely of organic ingredients.

Walden Farms Calorie Free, Sugar Free Ranch Dressing
It’s not easy to find creamy vegan (and calorie free!) dressings. Walden Farms to the rescue! I’ve only tried the Ranch flavor so far because I’m hooked on it, but they do have other vegan products on the market that you may like as well.

Update: the Thousand Island dressing is great, too!

Roundy’s Organics Natural Flavor Microwave Popcorn
I’m sure you’ve noticed that most microwave popcorn you find in the store contains dairy. I did not expect Roundys to be one of the few brands that actually makes vegan popcorn! And it’s good! The only ingredients it contains are: organic popcorn, organic palm oil, and salt.

Trader Joe’s Traditional Hummus with Sesame Tahini
I always end up going back to traditional hummus. You can jazz it up all you want with roasted red peppers and extra garlic, but the original is still my favorite. And Trader Joe’s hummus is fantastic!

Robert’s American Gourmet Veggie Booty
I’ve been a fan of this stuff for years, but I don’t buy it very often. When I do, I go crazy on it, so I have to limit myself. But it’s actually pretty low in calories. And has healthy ingredients like spinach, kale, broccoli, cabbage, and parsley.

I love Halloween. Perhaps it’s because fall is my favorite season. I love the burnt orange leaves in the trees, and the bright orange pumpkins. The cool, refreshing air, and the orange glow of the fireplace. But it’s easy for vegans to see Halloween as one big stress fest, because you’re bombarded by goodies you simply can’t eat. But, clever vegan that you are, you’re going to overcome this battle with glee and confidence! Don’t feel like you have to deny yourself a good time for the sake of being vegan. There are plenty of ways to partake in the fun, without compromising your ethics.

Check out the Natural Candy Store for some vegan candies (no bone char refined sugar!) you can safely nosh on. And award winning Crispy Cat Bars are organic and vegan, created by a vegan. Sold at most Whole Foods.

I watched the Food Network show Unwrapped and they had a special on organic cotton candy by Pure Fun. The people they interviewed said it tasted much better than your average cotton candy. The natural ingredients create a very rich and refreshing flavor. I’m excited to try it! I’ve been told they sell it at Whole Foods. I’ll have to see if I can find any next time I’m there. It comes in a variety of unique flavors (besides original) like root beer, licorice, maple, and cinnamon.

In the mood for a little DIY?
Here’s a recipe for Vegan Caramel Apples!
And one for Vegan Chocolate Pumpkin Pie!
A weakness of mine, Peanut Butter Cups!
And who can forget about Rice Crispy Treats!

Whether you choose to curl up on your couch with your black cat, a hot cup of cider and cheesy old b-movie horror classics like Bloodlust, Blood Thirst, Bloody Pit of Horror, or A Bucket of Blood (corn syrup o’ plenty)…

…or you choose to party with friends dressed in the most ridiculous outfits imaginable, have fun this year! You deserve it!

photo by Andrew Stawarz

In September, I posted very disturbing footage of an Iowa pig farm that supplies for Hormel. I still get tears in my eyes when I think about the pile of little piglets that were slammed onto the concrete floor, in attempts to kill them. PETA president, Ingrid Newkirk, has some hopeful news to report in regards to that investigation.

Dear Emily,

We have very important news. Last month, we told you about our new undercover investigation on an Iowa pig farm that breeds piglets to supply Hormel. Our investigation revealed that pregnant pigs were confined to barren gestation crates, beaten with metal gate rods, and kicked by farm workers. Workers were documented shocking pigs and spraying toxic paint around their eyes and up their noses, and one supervisor even raped a pig with a cane.

We are pleased to announce that the Greene County Sheriff stated in a news release yesterday that six individuals employed by the farm at the time of PETA’s investigation now face a total of 22 counts of livestock neglect and abuse.

Those charged include a former farm manager and a supervisor. Fourteen of the counts are aggravated misdemeanors—the stiffest possible charges under Iowa state law for crimes committed against farmed animals—and each carry up to two years behind bars. Such charges are unprecedented.

PETA is on the front lines, fighting as hard as ever to expose and end cruelty to animals. We can’t and won’t let animal suffering and abuse be ignored or forgotten. Please take heart in the results of this investigation and the fact that your help and support makes this victory and everything that we do to help animals possible. And please know that we will continue to expose and end these abuses until the day comes when we bring an end to factory farming.

You can still help! Please forward the video to everyone you know and urge them not to eat pigs or any animals. And if you haven’t already written to Hormel to demand that the company follow PETA’s eight-point policy to govern future pig-farming operations, please do so now.

Thank you for all that you do for animals!

With kind regards,

Ingrid E. Newkirk
President
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals

It’s a relief to see that the police are taking this issue seriously. And thanks to PETA for going undercover to investigate this horrid abuse. The people who abuse these animals clearly are disturbed and deserve a just punishment. Often times people who are violent towards animals are violent towards humans. I hope these abusers undergo a psychiatric evaluation in order to understand why they do what they do and to determine if they will continue to be a danger to society. We need to get to the root of this violence.

It’s interesting when you compare this situation to that of the Humane Society’s undercorver footage for Westland/Hallmark. That made the news and was a huge deal. Why is this case less important to the media? This is just as bad, and quite possibly worse abuse. I guess with Hallmark, people feared the risk of consuming contaminated meat from sick cows. Either way, I feel this footage and all the other disturbing footage PETA and other animal rights groups have captured over the years deserves that media attention. Perhaps some day…  In any case, this is a great achievement, and we can view it as a glimmer of hope for decreasing animal abuse in the future.

photo by rephotography

I mentioned in an earlier post, and many of you may be aware of, PETA’s settlement with KFC Canada to, not only sell a meatless “chicken” option, but also to adhere to more humane methods of killing. KFC Canada has agreed to purchase chickens solely from suppliers that administer gas-based controlled-atmosphere killing, or CAK. The standard practice of killing chickens is to dip their heads in a pool of electrified water. This method often times leaves the birds paralyzed but conscious at the time of entering the throat slitting. Some birds even manage to avoid the throat cutting by wriggling around and are ultimately burned alive in scalding water tanks. The CAK method is thought to be the most humane method of killing because it involves little pain, while guaranteeing that the birds are dead before the slaughter and processing. Though I must admit, putting animals in a gas-chamber makes me think holocaust and genocide and it puts very frightening images in my head.

Ideally, no animals would be slaughtered for human consumption. Realistically, we have a long way to go before we reach that milestone. So, along the way, can we at lease make sure the animals that do die feel as little pain as possible? Those who object make a valid point in saying no method of killing animals is humane. And I do agree that it is important to continue to promote meat-free diets and bring the demand for meat down so less animals are slaughtered. But between now and the one beautiful day in the future when the general population realizes how wrong it is to eat meat, we must look out for the well-being of the animals destined for slaughter.

Obviously this is a pretty heated moral debate and I’d love to hear your thoughts. How do you feel about controlled-atmosphere killing? Is this progress or a compromise of ethics?

Mmmmoist. Yummmm. Seriously, this ‘nana bread is tops. The crust is so sweet and chewy.

• 3 tsp Egg Replacer (mixed with 4 tablespoons warm water) equivalent to 2 eggs
• 1.5 C sugar (I like Sugar In The Raw brand)
• 1/2 C oil
• 3/4 C mashed bananas (or one medium sized banana)
• 1/3 C water
• 1.5 C flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients together, blender recommended. Grease loaf pan. Bake for about an hour, or until done.

Batter can also be used to make muffins, in which case bake at 375° for 20 minutes.

This dish is so tasty. If you like curry, you’ll love this. It’s got a lovely sweetness to it, and there’s no denying that wild rice and sweet potatoes are good for you!

• 2 C cooked wild rice
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in half and baked for 1 hour at 350° in 1 tsp. oil
• 3 green onions, chopped

Marinade

• 1/3 C vegetable oil
• 1.5 tsp. white wine vinegar
• 1.5 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1.5 tsp. curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Mix all together. Allow to chill and marinate for at least 10 minutes. Serve!

Thanks, Mom!

Can you believe this mouth-watering dessert is not only vegan, but RAW? And what does that mean? Oh yeah, it’s healthy! This is Ecopolitan’s Berry Parfait. It’s coconut date cream topped with seasonal berries, whipped frozen banana, pecans and raisins. It’s as cold and creamy as ice cream and the crunchy brown stuff underneath is like a graham-cracker crust. Yum yum.

Ecopolitan has a wide variety of dishes, all of which sound heavenly. And all incredibly good for you. You can’t lose. Even if the whole raw thing freaks you out and sounds horrible, you should check it out. You’ll be amazed by the orgasmic potential raw food can have when prepared by experts.

And if the food’s not tempting enough, they also have an infared sauna, oxygen bar, eco-art gallery, eco-shop, and eco-clinic. Find out more on their website: http://ecopolitan.com/ And it all takes place in a cute vintage house. We had a great time when we went and the wait staff was incredibly friendly. We showed up for a late dinner and the place was still hopping. My sister brought her baby along and they mashed up bananas for him (his first time trying bananas), which he absolutely loved!

Ecopolitan
2409 Lyndale Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55405
(612)-874-7336

photo by d&e

Many animal rights activists are protesting this new rent-a-dog business called FlexPetz that allows busy people to rent pets to take care of without maintaining the long-term responsibility of keeping a companion animal full time. I can see problems right off the bat: it can be an emotional roller coaster for animals to be shipped from one home to the next, never being able to form a steady bond with one person or family. However, there are also many many neglected animals out there whose owners just don’t have the time to be full-time pet owners. Is this a good compromise for otherwise neglected animals? Animals that would ultimately be returned to the shelter due to lack of care?

The owner of FlexPetz, Shari Gonzales, prefers the term “shared ownership” versus rent-a-pet. If the dogs are able to be cared for by multiple families versus spending a great deal of time at home or in kennels, wouldn’t that be better? And the time dogs spend at FlexPetz apparently is in cage-free kennels. When they are “rented” out, the owners are given care-kits with food, leashes, beds, etc to ensure that the dog has what he needs.

I know plenty of people, including myself, who would love to have a dog but, for one reason or another (like living in an apartment or never being home), cannot. Some important things I think must be required for such a service to work:
1. The “owner” has a decent amount of knowledge when it comes to animal care.
2. Making sure the owner will not be cruel to the animal. That the renter is very responsible and caring.
3. The living situation at FlexPetz as well as in their adopted homes is a happy and positive one for the animals.
4. The animals are never treated like a product.
5. Constant monitoring of the animal’s stress levels. If the dog seems very unhappy with the switching of families, he probably isn’t an ideal candidate for this lifestyle.

Gonzales claims that the pets are only shared with two or three families, which seems like an ideal situation. I would certainly be more concerned if it was a free-for-all where you could pick out a new pet each week and the dogs never had a steady family to return to. Gonzales also says that the owner spends hour-long sessions with the dog to make sure they get along well. The dogs featured on the FlexPetz website are dogs that would otherwise be in animal shelters because they were abandoned by the owner or were given up. And the dogs are monitored very closely for any health problems they may have had when they arrived.

But I can also understand the nay-sayers’ claim that “you wouldn’t rent out a child.” And if a dog is having a really great time with his family and then gets sent back, is he getting a message that he is being punished? It may be very hard to cope with.

I guess what it boils down to in my mind is, as long as the situation is treated with a great deal of care and sensitivity and isn’t some money-making animal exploitation situation, it’s better to have a few families to go home to that pepper you with love, versus ending up in a shelter or living with one family that’s never around. Read CBS article.