Conscious Dish

February Vegan Makeup Haul

Some of my vegan beauty favorites from the month of February. Featuring: Giovanni, Devita, ZUZU, Gabriel, Zoya and DL & CO. ENJOY!

 

Vegan Make-Up Basics

 

Fruit Cleanse II

 

Fruit Cleanse

 

Ready Made Vegans

I did a tabling event recently for PETA handing out Go Vegan starter kit magazines with celebrities plastered on the cover and it ignited my need to call them out as they are not all vegan. The use of celebrities to sell us on a product or lifestyle (political, ethical, religious, dietary) choice is one that our culture readily embraces.

Take Ozzy Osbourne or Jessica Simpson as an example, two stars that became vegan but are better known for tearing off bat heads on stage dressed in all leather or starring in a reality show eating tuna questioning if it was chicken. Do you think they did it for it the right reasons? Publicists and the media do a great job of shining the spot light on the next new ready made celebrity living a compassionate, philanthropic, and environmentally friendly, cow hugging diet and are applauded by all for their change of heart. Only to find in the coming months that US weekly has a photo of them eating a steak at Mortons and are quoted saying I couldn't live without my hamburgers.

Who really cares about what these people do? They are self-centered, ego driven entertainers(if you can call them that) that will constantly do the next thing to gain publicity. They don’t really give a shit about animals or being vegan to begin with it. For them it's another photo op moment. A choice based on the wrong reasons and yet their stories and photos are used to sell you on the idea. This infuriates me because it’s more then just a fad, it is about a life long sustainable lifestyle. I take this very seriously because these people are the worst role models for those that are considering making the change as they have not had the lived experience. This is not about my personal standards or me trying to proclaim that I am a better vegan, it about really understanding what VEGAN means. And I can tell you what its not: It is not riding to red carpet events in huge gas guzzling SUVS and wearing $1,500 leather Manolos heels and a $15,000 Chanel silk dress and then stating that they sponser a rescued pig and eat veggie burgers. I commend the few vegans within Hollywood’s star culture that have made the choice and live it whole heartily but until animals rights activist Ellen DeGeneres stops trying to make another dollar off her Cover girl (a company that tests on animals) makeup campaigns, my respect for them is non existent. Its hypocrisy at its finest and I only hope that you are able to read between the lines and make decisions for yourself! Its called free will! We need to stop looking to these people as icons, end the false hero worship and look within. Start making choices that reflect that and not mirror those that make a half-ass attempt. I applaud those that are making the vegan transition but please seek advice from those of us that actually respect and live the lifestyle, not make a mockery of it.

P.S. Dear PETA, VEG NEWS, Farm Sanctuary and others... please do your research about who your choosing to represent the millions of animals next time and not the weekend, vegan yoga retreat celebrity.

Green Mt College to Slaughter Two Oxen: Bill and Lou

Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont is slated at the end of October to slaughter their two hard working oxen pair and serve their meat in the cafeteria. The two Oxen: Bill and Lou have plowed the fields of the Cerridwen Farm for 10 years and are known as unofficial mascots of the school. Current students and alumnae have helped care for these magnificent animals over the years and have become part of the colleges “family”. The decision was made earlier this fall when the farm managers, faculty and the student body decided that they want to slaughter them to follow their “sustainable school model" and serve their meat in the cafeteria as Bill and Lou could no longer provide service in the fields. However I do not believe this to be entirely true as many students and alumnae have come out saying they do not agree with this decision and they should be able to have a retirement. This retirement has already been offered by VINE, a local Vermont animal sanctuary in Springfield. There has also been several petitions signed from caring individuals all over the world that disagree with the schools decision even PETA and other animals organizations have gotten involved. A well known author and professor, Marc Bekoff has written an article in Psychology Today about the two and a letter to the school pronouncing his disgust in the decision and how oxen are highly emotional animals.

As someone who was raised and currently lives in Vermont, I am absolutely appalled and angered that this is happening in my backyard. Bill and Lou have worked hard for the school for years and deserve a proper retirement. There also needs to be some changes with how the school is approaching their sustainability model. They are clearly clouded by the assumption that by replacing the oxen's meat with that of factory farm meat for 2 months that it will lessen the schools enviromental footprint. For the short amount of time that it provides “food” for the school it is out weighed by many other reasons: It teaches students and the community to devalue life in a non-human forms, it shows no appreciation for the hard work they have given to the farm, the meat will provide a poor form of protein to the students ( the school should look into nutrient dense plant-based food alternatives) and most importantly murders two animals that given the choice would like to live. Life is precious to all of us whether human or non-human animals. We all feel pain the same way. Slaughtering them mercilessly is not the way to treat any being.

I urge everyone to boycott this school and halt any financial support whether through alumnae donations, purchasing products from their farm or potential students to attend the school. They have shown to be un-compassionate and clearly close minded, which are two traits one would think would come from a school that specializes in environmental sustainability.

With some hope that we can change their minds please contact Paul and Bill and let them know how you feel about this decision.

Paul J. Fonteyn, President: FonteynP@greenmtn.edu

Bill Throop, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs: throopw@greenmtn.edu

Or on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Green-Mountain-College/137783307864

If Bill and Lou are slaughtered in the end, their death will not be in vain as their spirits have already touched thousands of caring individuals across the world that believe all animals deserve a chance to live!

Vegan Apple Crisp

This may just be the best thing your mouth has ever tasted. With help from Isa Chandra from Post Punk Kitchen I bring to you the yummiest apple crisp recipe out there. It's perfect for a fall dinner party dessert or yummy as breakfast left overs. I also urge you to try adding other fruits like blueberries or you can even subsitute the apples for fruits like strawberries, rhubarb or peaches, for a peach cobbler. I personally added a touch of lemon zest and juiced one lemon over the apples before putting the topping on. It adds a hint of tartness and pairs well with the sugary crisp topping. I also chose a variety of apples like macs, pink ladies and few others that were avaliable at the farmers market. I may use a tad less sugar next time just because it has a lot in recipe.  I also doubled on the topping to completley cover the apples so it was a perfect layer. Whatever you decide to use for fruits use this recipe below as your guide, as this is the perfect blend of sweet, crunchy and deliciousness ;) Top with a vegan whipped topping or dairy-free ice cream and enjoy!

 

 

Recipe

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the filling
4 lbs apples (I use Roma)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple juice or water
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (cornstarch will work too)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup raisin (optional)

For the topping
1 cup quick cooking oats (not instant)
1 cup flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup canola oil
3 tablespoon soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Before going in the oven:)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F

Peel, core and thinly slice apples. Dissolve the arrowroot in the apple juice or water. Set aside.

Place apples and raisins in the baking dish, add sugars and spices and combine everything well (you may need to use your hands to do this). Pour arrowroot mixture over everything.

To prepare the topping, in a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Add oil, soymilk, and vanilla, mix well. Crumble topping over the apples. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

 

I urge you to try Isa's recipe's and her cookbooks!http://www.theppk.com

Super Moist Vegan Pumpkin Bread

 

I was waiting for September to roll around to bust out the fall decorations and indulge in some yummy fall treats. Yup, it's the 1st and I couldn't hold back. So even though Vermont's warm summer sun is still out during the day, it's starting to get noticeably colder at night, which I love:) This means fall is around the corner and there is nothing compareable to a Vermont folliage. Pumpkins, Leaves and Sweaters, Oh My! So this brings me to an amazing fall recipe from Post Punk Kitchen. I actually stumbled upon this recipe on Alicia Silverstone's blog, The Kind Life. This is a super most, super yummy fall treat that I just had to share. Drum roll please.... Vegan Pumpkin Bread!

 Recipe:

Serves 8

The bread gets its name Super Moist from the addition of an unusual ingredient: coconut milk! This bread is so good that most people (even vegans) don’t believe that it’s vegan.

Equipment
(2) 8″ x 4″ loaf pans

Ingredients
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup flaked coconut

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8″ x 4″ loaf pans.
2. Spread walnuts in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Toast in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, white sugar, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Add the pumpkin puree, oil, and coconut milk, and mix until all of the flour is absorbed. Fold in the flaked coconut and toasted walnuts. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, and cover loaves tightly with foil. Allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove foil, and turn out onto a cooling rack. Tent loosely with the foil, and allow to cool completely.

Conscious Dish Note: I chose not to use coconut flakes or walnuts as I like my pumpkin bread simple and I have a husband that is allergic to nuts. But maybe next time I will try using 1 cup of vegan chocolate chips to the batter to make an even more savory snack. I always use coconut oil for baking and never canola or vegetable oil. If you decide to do the same make sure to melt it down completely prior to adding it to the mixture. I would also check the pumpkin bread after 50 mintutes with a fork as an hour and 15 mintutes may be a touch to long.

Farm Sanctuary Part III

Photo: Derek Goodwin

(If your reading this as the first post of the three, scroll down to the original post so you can read them in order)

Meet Jean Pierre. A die hard vegan fitness athlete, nutrition and fitness consultant to the stars including vegan, Ellen DeGeneres. His passion for eating whole plant foods paired with heart-pumping exercise is his equation to living a long, healthy life. He shared with us the importance of choosing the "right" foods over the ones that may taste good for just one bite. Rethinking choices such as coffee and a donut in the morning and swapping that out for green tea and flax oatmeal or a green juice smoothie. He created three DVDs for those of us on the go, that want yummy nutritious vegan meals:  "In The Kitchen With John Pierre & Friends", "When Bachelor Meets Homemaker" and "Vegan Weight Loss". Check out his website at http://www.johnpierre.com for more information!

Photo:Derek Goodwin

His presentation was a segue into a cocktail hour with all the speakers from the event available to answer any questions. It also gave Carlitos and I a chance to mingle and enjoy the amazing vegan treats and local, organic vegan wines! Of course we were only drinking green smoothies, JP:) Surrounded by new friends we sat down to enjoy an amazing meal thanks to Uptons Naturals Seitan! To bad we can't find Upton's in our health food stores in Vermont but you can order them online. Check out Jeffs Uptons stache and Carlitos rockin the real thing;)  

Following dinner was a screening of Vegucated, a film by Marisa Miller Wolfson that captured the personal transformation of three people from different backgrounds that agreed to go vegan for 6 weeks. You will have to check out the film to find out what happens:)

As night fell it was time for dancing and a good old fashion HOE DOWN! Carlitos and I were on the dance floor for a short time but felt exhausted from the day. We decided to curl up in our sleep bags and fall asleep to the sounds of crickets.

Sunday morning...1,2,3...we heard the voice of Jean Pierre hosting a boot camp workout at 8am. Darn. I really wanted to be there but I dosed back to sleep ;) We woke up an hour later and ate an amazing vegan brunch and had a "coffee talk" with the panel of staff and speakers from the weekend. It was much like a Q & A, really fun and informative. 

Photo: Derek Goodwin

After "coffee tawwwllkk" Bruce Fedrich and Alka Chandna presented. The pairing are an amazing couple that both work in animal welfare. Bruce is a senior director for strategic intiatives at Farm Sanctuary and had worked for PETA for 15 years where he met Alka Chandna, a PH.D senior researcher focusing on animal experimentation issues. They shared with us how to be an effective vegan advocate. Bruce co-authored a book called, The Animal Activists Handbook that has great tips on how to get your vegan message across. 1) Is being presentable meaning dont wear PJ pants leafletting, rockin' stickers on your car or laptop, wear vegan t-shirts, bring yummy vegan options to holiday events and share up to date vegan articles on social networking sites such as facebook!

The upbeat presentation was followed by one of a more serious tone with Timothy Pachirat a PH.D from Yale Univserity that worked undercover for 5 months as a liver hanger, chute worker and quality control in a Nebraska slaughterhouse that kills more than 2,500 cows a day. His thesis book was called Every Twelve Seconds: Industrialized Slaughter and the Politics of Sight. His research explored the distance and concealment of the daily operations that enable massive processes of violence against animals and immigrant workers in our modern society. He shared with us the compartmentalization of each section of the slaughterhouse and how each department is closed off from the other. There are only three workers that actually participate in the slaughter. The other 197 workers are focused on working on their assigned animal part, meat packing or office duties. Each separate department have their own bathrooms, lunchrooms and do not interact with other workers in the slaughterhouse facility. The office side of the building is so segregated from the actual slaughter or "kill floor" there is no way to access that part of the building unless you were to walk out of the building and walk around the whole complex. It is set up this way so workers are so disconnected to what is actually happening on the "kill floor" that they never see live cow "product". For most of these workers which happen to be illegal immigrants are only there because they need money. This is a job with a very high turnover rate. The workers hired for processing are assigned to specific animal part for 8 hours every day whether that be a stomach, heart, liver etc. . It becomes a routine much like any other factory product whether textiles, computer parts or car parts. The emotional disconnect is blatant. What a profound observation by Timothy that in our every day lives we are separated or compartmentalized from seeing what is behind the "wall". As a consumer or even we rarely question what we are purchasing and the negative impact it created prior to our hands. Its important about being an informed consumer. What is interesting it that Timothy didn't become vegan until years after going undercover. He said he had to come to terms with his emotional response from the experience and it wasn't until he completed the book that it has come together for him. I couldn't even imagine what he witnessed!

 

After the presentation I was more than ready to go back up to the farm and spend some time with the animals before departing back to Vermont. We joined new friends and spent time in the fields with dairy cows and veal calves. (One of the calves are pictured in my Conscious Dish banner). They were so affectionate and sweet, rubbing up to get chin scratches any second they could. I savored every moment, inhaling the sweet smell of timothy grass on their wet noses.

We couldn't leave the farm without meeting Julia, the gestation sow recently rescued by the sanctuary with all of her little piglets. I couldn't help but squeal myself when I saw them. I wanted to take them all home. Each with a very different personality, they truly behaved like little puppies wrestling around in the mud pit. This was such a beautiful closing to an incredible weekend.

At around 4 the day at come to an end and we packed up our car and headed back home through the beautiful Adirondacks. What a journey this was! I encourage any of you reading this to visit a Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY or at one of their two California locations. For more information visit:www.farmsanctuary.org

  

Farm Sanctuary Animals

Part II

Carlitos and I hitch a tractor hay ride up to the farm to meet the sanctuaries animal ambassadors. Our first stop, the pig barn.

As we walk into a large, air condition barn full of padded hay there were at least 10 pigs sprawled out on the barn floor taking an afternoon nap. I approached a group of them and kneeled down to greet them. They must have been at least 4 or 5 feet long and a few hundred pounds. I had never been so close to a full grown pig, but I wasn't scared. I instantly wanted to just hug him/her as they had overcome so much but appeared to be so loving and forgiving. So hugs all around:)

I met one pig that really stood out, his name was Sebastian. If you watch the video below you can learn about his story.  I started to give him a belly rub and he snorted in delight. He couldn't get enough. I was laughing and only rubbed harderr as his grunts got louder and louder. We both had a good time:) Carlitos and I couldn't believe how much room they had to roam, mud bathe, root and sleep. A whole pasture, a shaded barn and lot's of friends miles a difference from a cold, damp, concrete gestation crate.

 

 

We then visited the chickens and turkeys and Carlitos teased them with our car keys as they apparently love shiny things. After spending 20 minutes in there pen we both realized how individual the chickens really were and the established pecking order. To say that chickens and turkeys don't have personalities is a lie.

Carlitos and I both met up with Grace and Phil, a couple we had met on the hay ride ( I will post an entire blog separately on their story) and headed up to the sanctuaries largest cow pasture. This was not part of the normal tour as Grace had rescued a beautiful 4-H dairy cow named Faith a few years ago and had re homed her on the sanctuary's grounds.

Faith along with ten or so other cows have a herd up in the hills where they roam on over a hundred acres. Grace visits Faith once a year and brings her special vanilla vegan cookies and we got to take part in the sweet offering. I had felt so honored to be standing in the meadow surrounded by these large, beautiful creatures and accepting sand paper licks from them. What an experince.

Hours had gone by although it felt like mintutes as I was soaking up the time with the animals, by far my favorite part. However there was more time the next day to see them and lot's more to learn about down at the barn. What's next? Ellen DeGenerees's personal trainer, Jean Pierre!