Vegan

It doesn’t happen often, but still, there are some days when I think, “Man, getting older sucks.” (And then I quickly remember, “but it beats the alternative.”). Still, I find it’s a common occurrence lately to wake up the morning after a workout and feel my muscles aching as I climb the stairs (I keep [...]

Sarah Kramer Banana Pancakes with TJ's Maple Syrup for breakfast... 'Quinoa Avocado Salad' $5 from The Randy Radish for a late lunch. Quinoa, Black Beans, Sweet Corn, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Cilantro and Avocado combined with a Light Lemony Dressing. The Randy Radish has set me back at least a day in CSA Vegetable consumption, but I had to try the 'Mock Tuna Wrap' for dinner. Described thusly: "Chickpeas and Red Onion form the basis of this veggie rendition of traditional tuna salad. Stuffed into a Whole Wheat Wrap with Fresh Greens and Grated Carrots." It was light and tasty. Dessert was the 'Spicy Summer Rolls', described as "Two Rice Paper Rolls filled with Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips, Serrano Peppers, Carrots, Arugula, Peanuts, Rice Noodles, Mint and Basil. Served with our Peanut Dipping Sauce." Very unusual Summer Rolls. My mouth is still on fire from the Serrano Peppers. My CSA haul from Potomac Vegetable Farms today was: Chard, Hakurei Turnips, Peas... Beets, Head Lettuce, Squash...Basil and Scallions...I don't even have room in the fridge anymore for some of this stuff. It's sitting out on the dining room table.Below are the Eastern Phoebe babies that hatched above our porch light. I counted five fuzzy little heads. They haven't even opened their eyes yet. No pics of the proud parents because they're not only tiny but also very active catching bugs to bring to the nest.Not so tiny was this Black Bear that came around right after I filled the backyard feeder at 7am. He/she pulled down the feeder and calmly munched away for about a half hour. Yes, I refilled it later. I took this pic through the kitchen window.More WFH grub tomorrow.

A young Tenzin Ösel Hita, from the FPMT photo galleries. I am not Buddhist. I do not align myself to any belief system—I was brought up to question belief as it is quite often the death of thought. If you know an answer (or the answer), why keep looking and learning, right? However, Tom is Buddhist. In fact, he’s the Director of Education for FPMT, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition. The funny part of this is that he’s said I’m more Buddhist than a lot of the people he comes in contact with through the organization. That’s right, in spite of the fact that I recite no mantras, make no offerings, and do not practice formal meditation, I do seem to accidentally think, speak, and act with truth, compassion, and positivity. Huh. One aspect of a compassionate life that just seems like a gimme is veganism. I totally get it that long ago, in sparsely populated regions, animals were raised in very humane ways, were not artificially inseminated, were not forced to live in filthy, confined spaces… The world’s early religions were not born in our modern society, so their texts and traditions do not reflect the reality we live with today. Interestingly, when I saw the Dalai Lama last month, he spoke to this, recognizing a changing reality and pushing one’s thinking to reflect that. He also spoke of ecology and our duty to preserve our world for future generations. All signs point to veganism, no? As part of the Dalai Lama’s visit, FPMT had a big ol’ meeting, so the board members, other lamas, associated publishers, and longtime friends of the foundation also came to town. Oddly, it was a novelty to encounter a vegan among these folks. The two confirmed vegans were older men, and they were just as excited to learn Tom and I were vegan. Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t persecuted or anything in this crowd, and we all sat together at meals and shared vegan cookies. I find it hopeful that there was a bit of talk throughout the visit, both in and outside of official meetings/talks about how the foundation should be encouraging Buddhists (and the Buddha-curious) to go vegan. FPMT does have the Animal Liberation Fund as part of its charitable projects, in an effort to illustrate animals are still sentient beings with feeling and inherent value. Tom’s office strives to ensure all their provided meals are vegan, and the two vegans of 10-ish in-house staffers are pushing for a vegan office kitchen—small scale, to be sure, but it’s walking the walk. FPMT’s Mandala magazine just published a piece from FPMT fixture (he’s held several positions there and currently heads the Wisdom Archive) Nick Ribush about his path to vegansim, which danced around a bit on his Buddhist path. I love the perspective he has, having spent so much of his life in the organization—and has no reservation questioning the foundation leaders about why they don’t officially promote veganism. There’s politics involved, to be sure, in that they don’t want to turn folks away from the Buddhist path with the scary V-word, but also, Buddhism allows acceptance and workarounds for meat eating. Nick mentions that there are mantras you can recite to “bless and benefit the dead animal.” Not acceptable in my proverbial book, but it’s a helpful explanation. I do hope that Mandala readers take Nick’s story to heart and start to examine their attachment to animal products, from meat to eggs, to wool, to test subjects. A piece like this in such a publication is really meant to inspire that first baby step, to initiate the internal examination. Nick’s reflections on his path are likely pretty easy to relate to and could illuminate that vegan path for readers. If you’re part of a spiritual/religious circle—Buddhist or not—how do you reconcile your tradition’s failure to extend compassion to nonhuman beings? And how do you push

Brownie Sundae’s  We have had lots of celebrating going on lately. Miles birthday, Reno’s summertime birthday celebration at school, Fathers Day..BBQ’s..etc…I’ve been baking a lot of desserts for all these events. First up was my son’s 2nd birthday. We packed our backyard with family and friends. I was originally going to make cupcakes and then quickly realized I’d have to make 4 dozen of them. Then realized that most of the time the kids just lick off the frosting and leave the cupcake behind. I didn’t want that experience! I decided to make a double batch of my Double Chocolate Brownies and then got the idea to make a Brownie Ice Cream Sundae bar. My sister was kind enough to stop at the store and pick us up some vegan ice creams. It was hugely popular and I’ve decided to do this for all hot weather parties.  Since this was a last minute idea all there was were my brownies, ice cream and berries. Next time I’ll have other toppings and whipped cream available. Vanilla Vanilla Cupcakes For my daughters summertime birthday celebration at school I made 2 dozen Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. I love this recipe and it alway’s goes over well with kids and parents because the cake isn’t too sickening sweet. I piped the buttercream on top after it was in the carry case to make less of a mess and was lucky to find some hot pink sprinkles in the spice cabinet. According to my daughter a few of her friends wanted seconds, some kids didn’t want them at all and I’m sure some just licked the frosting. C’est la vie. For the record..my daughter ate 3 of them. Double Dare Peanut Butter Cake Peter’s cousin was kind enough to invite the whole family over for a BBQ last weekend. She saw the peanut butter cake I made from Robin Robertson’s Nut Butter Universe book and asked if I would make it for her party. I jumped at the chance to make it again. Its so easy and everyone loved it the first time I made it. The pic above is the same as in the review post. I was so embarrassed with how the second cake looked! The piping bag dropped on the cake and the piped border started melting…it was hot mess but it was still delicious. His whole family really enjoyed it though and they thought it looked nice. I’m sure I’ll be making this cake again soon. Father’s Day BBQ Our last celebration was Father’s Day and I again made my brownies. Instead of talking about them I’ll show you our feast. My sister made some of the best grilled vegetables I’ve ever had. She didn’t do anything special with them at all and they were amazing! My mom was kind enough to set aside some macaroni salad and potato salad before she put mayo on them. I was then able to add some vegan mayo and enjoy the salads along with everyone else. (she even put the macaroni salad aside before she added peas to it! she knows me well!) My mom’s famous doctored baked beans were served also. You can find a recipe for the baked beans right here on the site. We have many other events and holidays to celebrate over the summer months..I’ll be very busy baking for them!

Do you remember when you first learned about Native American Indians in elementary school? You may have learned, like I did, that when these tribes went hunting, they made full use of the animals they killed. They ate the meat, used the horns and feathers for tools and adornment, and made clothing and teepees from the leather. In today’s world, there’s a common misconception that our leather comes about in a similar way; that it’s simply “left over” from large scale meat production. Many people – including vegetarians, my former self included – believe that since the animal has already died, its skin will go to waste unless we manufacture it into something useful. Well, that notion is wrong. The reality is that leather is not a by-product of the meat industry but a very lucrative co-product. It is produced not to minimize waste, but to meet consumer demand and is often more economically valuable than meat. As this article from The Guardian points out: “It might be more accurate to describe [leather] as a subsidy. It’s very hard to get any statistics as the big meat companies are under no obligation to release figures, but the selling of skins can certainly be very profitable for farmers (while meat is not always so). Farmers don’t sell hides … out of the kindness of their hearts or from a desire to minimise waste. They are in a moneymaking business and need to maximise profits, and the leather industry is worth billions, if not trillions, of dollars annually.” The scale is tipping so that more and more animals – particularly exotic animals like ostrich, snake, and alligator – are being killed just for their skin and not their meat. Perhaps even more alarmingly, China – a leading exporter of leather – annually skins millions of cats and dogs, a practice unknown to most consumers due to mislabeling or complete lack of labeling. There’s more to the story. Some of the softest, most expensive leather on the market is calfskin or kid leather, which as the New York Times points out, “is most definitely not a byproduct, as it comes from newborn calves, or sometimes from calf fetuses.” If veal is a moral problem for many carnivores, then why isn’t calfskin? If fur is a moral problem for many carnivores, then why isn’t leather in general? Cows and furry animals are both treated inhumanely and both suffer gruesome deaths when killed for their skins. In fact, the leather industry may be even worse than the fur industry when one takes into account the harm done to humans and the environment when leather is produced.  Hides must undergo a three-step process to become leather, which includes tanning and usually dying. Harsh chemicals including ammonia, cyanide-based dyes, and formaldehyde are just a few of the toxins released into the environment during these processes. Since the majority of leather comes from India and China, countries with poor environmental and workplace standards, leather workers often have virtually no protection against toxins that result in cancer, blindness, respiratory problems, skin diseases and birth defects in their children. These pollutants are also released into the air, soil and water supplies in communities surrounding tanneries, poisoning people who have nothing to do with the leather industry. There’s no reason to support leather when there are an ever-growing number of humane and safe alternatives. Brands like Matt and Nat, OlsenHaus, and Beyond Skin not only produce non-leather shoes and handbags, but strive to incorporate recycled materials and environmentally-conscious production methods. It is also possible to find “unintentionally vegan” products from major brands like Steve Madden, Nine West Outlet, BCBGeneration and hundreds more. The quality of faux leather from these brands is often so high that it is difficult to discern them from genuine leather, and their durability is testament to the fact that synthetic leather can last just as long as the real thing. Even more encour

Every year when summer rolls around, families start dreaming of their coveted vacations. It’s the time of year to take a break from the daily routine and escape to a faraway destination. The grind of nine to give can be exhausting, even more so when it’s on behalf of the well-being of your loved ones. But even the kids need a break from their routines, and a summer vacation is the perfect way to achieve that. A break from your daily routine will not only break the cycle of boredom, but it will also rejuvenate you physically, mentally and emotionally. So get ready to take a vacation this summer. Here are a few things to remember when trying to convince yourself to the plunge and ask for the days off, pack your bags, and take the family on holiday. There are a number of places to be visited during summer holidays in the UK or for your weekend trips after a long, cold winter season. Heading to the seaside can be one of the best options for you to spend your summer holidays as there are a number of seaside locations in UK including Blackpool, Brighton and a number of Butlin’s seaside resorts to relax during these holidays. Some of the lake side settings can also be a good place for you to enjoy your summer holidays in UK if you do not relish going to seaside locations. You can enjoy scenic beauty, boating and walks along the lakes during summer alongwith rides on lake cruise at some places. You can also visit a number of cities and towns in the UK if you are not used to countryside lifestyle. You can visit cities and towns with historic value to know about your culture and enjoy lots of sights on your way. Restaurants, museums and shopping centers at these places are also a great way to enjoy some consumerism and escapism. You can get away with the family on August bank holiday at Butlins, which provides a number of facilities for summer vacationers at different locations in the UK and other western countries. Skegness, Bognor Regis and Minehead are some of the camps originally developed by the founder of this chain, Billy Butlin. A variety of fun and entertainment activities are run by Butlins to entertain its summer vacationer free of cost as many of them are included in the price of their holiday package. Entertainment activities are organized, presented and hosted at Butlins by Redcoats. In this way you can break humdrum routine in your life with lots of great things to do at Butlins. It may just be the perfect resort getaway for you if you just need to check out for a bit. The post Inspirations for a Brilliant Summer Holiday This Year appeared first on .

Garlic Sautéed Shiitake Mushrooms, Red Rice with Mushrooms Broth, Garlic, Smoked Sea Salt

Cruel and unusual punishments aren’t things which prisoners in this country have to endure. So we’re glad that compassionate meal options are being offered to prisoners so that animals aren’t necessarily being subjected to such punishments, either. Like us, animals are made of flesh, blood and bone. They have the same five senses that we do, and they have the same capacity to experience suffering and fear. All animals share the desire to live their lives free of pain and to avoid a violent death. Feeding prisoners pasta instead of pork chops … Read more.

This week's meal plans are our FRESHEST yet and full of seasonal salads for both plans, including Buffalo Ranch Chickpea Salad with Low Fat Vegan Ranch (so easy!) (NEW!), Quinoa & Heirloom Tomato Salad (NEW!), and Balsamic Sweet Potato & Spinach Salad (NEW!), plus TONS of kids' favorites on the family plan like Big Burrito Bowls (NEW!) and Ranch Dip + Veggies (NEW!). The meal plans also got a makeover!! In addition to the new & improved user-friendly format we released last week, we've added even MORE new features, like tips for make-ahead preparation, storage, and how to expand meals to make them bigger. We also have lower fat options now (with gluten- and soy-free options as always!). Individual Highlights Buffalo Ranch Chickpea Salad with Low Fat Ranch Dressing (NEW!) Breakfast Potato Tacos Avocado Yogurt Dip Quinoa & Heirloom Tomato Salad (NEW!) Mocha Smoothie Orange Teriyaki Rice BBQ Chickpeas & Veggies Balsamic Sweet Potato & Spinach Salad (NEW!) Chocolate Banana Oatmeal Cajun Bean Dip Get this meal plan now. Family Highlights Buffalo Ranch Chickpea Salad (NEW!) Sweet Potato Lime Wraps (NEW!) Big Burrito Bowls (NEW!) Quinoa & Heirloom Tomato Salad (NEW!) BBQ Chickpeas & Veggies Peanut Lime Noodles (NEW!) Ranch Dip + Veggies (NEW!) Balsamic Sweet Potato & Spinach Salad (NEW!) Mocha Smoothies Cajun Bean Dip Strawberry Pancakes Get this meal plan now. Testimonials "I am LOVING the new format you put the meal plans into! It really does help out with finding the recipe faster :D" — Ricky B. "I started using the meal plans in March, and am starting the reboot and cleanse tomorrow to get back on track after two weeks abroad. I LOVE the meal plans!" — Stephanie Get the current meal plan now.