Veggie Beauty

Back to School Makeup Bag, Vegan Edition!

2011-09-06T23:41:00.000-05:00

Its that time again: meeting new teachers, paying way too much money on books, and putting your swimsuit away in your dresser. Going from lazy, hazy summer days to cracking open the books can be a tough transition for some. I'm here to help make your transition a bit easier by giving you some ideas for a vegan beauty survival kit. I'm going to keep this pared down to basic items because most if your backpack storage should be devoted to books and projects for your various classes.

First off, you'll need a cosmetic bag to put all your goodies. Nothing sucks more than having your favorite powder spill all over that paper you have to turn in in about 5 minutes or else. My sister bought me a bag from an organization called "Buy Her Bag, Not Her Body." The bags are handmade in Cambodia by weaving recycled rice paper together in intricate patterns. 100% of the profits go to help stop sexual trafficking and to developing career development programs for women. And they are pretty darn cute as well!

$20 Nomi Network Quilted Cosmetic Bag

I'm a fan of mineral makeup when I don't have time to touch up throughout the day. It absorbs oil while looking natural. The only bad thing about loose mineral powder is that it can be hard to fit the necssary brushes into your bag. That's why I love the Everyday Mineral Flat Top Brush. The handle is very short which makes it quite portable. Its also super soft, made with vegan Taklon bristles. Its great for buffing mineral foundation or touching up with a finishing powder.

I may be a bit biased, but I've really been loving my full coverage foundation from my line of 100% vegan mineral makeup, Pumpkin and Poppy Cosmetics. I honestly use all the products I make and formulate them to be top quality. My foundation shade is Creamy Peach, a fair foundation leaning a bit towards those with yellow undertones. Its good to have a foundation in your bag for touch ups and its really easy to blend out and use mineral foundation instead of a liquid based product.

I have 7 shades total, so you're bound to find a color match! My formula provides full coverage without looking cakey. This achieved by using magnesium stearate (vegetable derived). It provides such a creamy, cushiony feel to the product. My foundations don't include any talc, lake dyes, bismuth oxychloride, or parabens so they are great for sensitive and acne prone skin.

$11.25 (30 grams) Creamy Peach Full Coverage Foundation

$10.25 (30 grams) Oil Absorbing Mineral Veil

Pumpkin & Poppy Oil Absorbing Mineral Veil is another great alternative for those who have great skin, but want to avoid looking like an oil slick between classes. It contains rice powder which is soothing to skin and helps absorb oil. Silica microspheres (you know, the particles that make glass) blur imperfections and give a nice finish to the skin. There is a translucent glow to the finish of the product, so you will great even if this is the only product you have time to put on before dashing out the door to your 8 A.M. class. It also comes with a rotating sifter, so you won't have a large mess to deal with.

Shiro Cosmetics Intertubes are amazing color vegan lip tints that are super affordable. My favorite color is in Three Wolf Moon. Its a gives a gorgeous cherry stain to the lips, a perfect and easy daytime red shade. Full size tubes are 5.5 grams and only $6.50! If you want to save room in your bag, you can also purchase sample sizes for only $1.80! I also love how she names all of her products after geeky references (this color is named after that infamous t-shirt with the 3 wolves howling at the moon). Perfect for your inner nerd!

Admit it, sometimes you skip your morning shower, roll out of bed and head to class. To avoid any B.O. issues, I recommend throwing in some deodorant into your bag. My favorite healthy, non-aluminum brand would have to be the Crystal Essencen Mineral Deodorant Spray in the Lavender & White Tea scent. This stuff is amazing and truly stops odor causing bacteria. You also will find that you sweat less after to switching to mineral salt based deodorants because your body isn't overcompensating for the presence of aluminum.

Most of the Wet n' Wild trios are not vegan friendly, but Walking on Eggshells (ironically) is! Its a perfect neutral trio to carry with you. The lid shade is also a great dupe of the popular non-vegan color, Stila Kitten. Extremely pigmented, creamy, and easy to blend this trio is a great buy at only $2.99!

Bronzer is also a great pick me-up item to throw in your school bag. Since most bronzers have a more sheer base formula, its hard to over apply unlike blush which most be applied with a light hand and blended out throughly.

Pumpkin & Poppy carries a NARS Laguna dupe, only its completely matte, so those of you who like the tawny tan color, but not the shimmer, give the Tawny Beach bronzer a try. $8.50 for 20 grams of product without any of the yucky animal byproducts or parabens. Stila's Sun Bronzer in Shade one is also another good vegan bronzer, but its a bit on the pricey side at $28 retail.

Now you have your vegan beauty back to school survival kit, you can focus on more pressing issues on hand like making sure your alarm actually goes off in time on the big test day.

Free Shipping and New Items at Pumpkin & Poppy Cosmetics!

2011-09-04T04:01:00.001-05:00

Just thought I'd let you all know if you've been interested in a making a purchase from Pumpkin & Poppy Cosmetics, now is the time! I'm offering free shipping for the U.S. and Canada (kinda like a Labor Day Sale to thank all of you hard working people!). The sale ends on Tuesday September 6th, so get those orders in!

I've been very busy lately formulating and creating new products for Pumpkin & Poppy. I thought I'd make a picture heavy blog post so you can check them all out! I'm offering samples for every item as well; $.99 1 gram eyeshadow samples; $1.25 1/4 teaspoon blush/bronzer/highlighters; $2.50 for 3 teaspoons of 3 different foundation colors to test out to find your perfect shade.

I've been developing eyeshadows for my line, and I have 4 shadows inspired by fall, which is my absolute favorite season so you will be seeing more fall colors I'm sure. These are of course 100% vegan, cruelty-free, no lake dyes, preservatives, parabens, bismuth oxychloride, or talc.

An elegant and timeless Champagne shade, perfect for all over the lid or as a highlight.

Swatched on top of ELF Cream Eyeshadow in Dawn

Swatched over ELF Eyeshadow Primer

A mix between MAC's Coppering and Cranberry, this shade makes blue eyes pop!

Swatched on top of ELF eyeshadow primer, a deep gorgeous purple w/ red undertones

Lid- Copper Kettle; Outer V, Upper/Lower Lashline- Moth Wing; Highlight- Champagne

New Full Coverage Foundation Color- Seashell (English Rose Complexion)

Oak Bark Cool Toned Contouring Powder; Perfect contouring powder for fair and/or cool toned complexions.

Formulated w/ a semi-sheer base so its easy to blend without looking muddy!

Highlighters are great for adding the appearance of an inner glow to the skin.

A transparent gold w/ subtle green duo chrome. This is a very unique highlighter!

Update: Vegan Journey

2011-08-23T05:10:00.000-05:00

I've just now realized how much time has gone by since I first decided to stick to being vegan as my New Years resolution. Its been almost 9 months, and I feel like the time has flown by. In the beginning, I was worried that I would not be able to give up my cheese addiction, but in the end it was very simple after the first couple of weeks. If I get a cheese craving now, I have Daiya and Follow Your Heart vegan "cheese" in my fridge.

It hasn't been perfect or easy all of the time. I find the hardest time to be a vegan is when you are at social events and can't control the food situation. I usually bring my own food to gatherings, but it takes extra planning. Its also hard when someone is trying to be nice and offer you food, and you have to turn it down. Its not always appropriate to bring up the vegan issue, especially at work...so I usually just say "I'm full" or "I'm watching my calories." As much as I'm passionate about veganism, I find that sometimes I want a break from having to explain my choices constantly.

Also, I'm still on the search for a vegan boxed wine that is readily available; if anyone reading this knows of a brand let me know! I have been enjoying the red wines from Yellowtail, as all of their reds are vegan. I miss affordable white wine, and I have yet to find vegan white wines where I live.

My husband is doing well with the vegan diet; he's not 100% committed to veganism, but at work and home he has been very faithful to the diet. At first he did it to please me, but I think he's coming around to understanding all of the health benefits and how its better overall for the planet.

My vegan makeup line, Pumpkin & Poppy Cosmetics has been doing amazingly well! Its a lot of work, but I absolutely love my business and am very passionate about it! It is a way to incorperate all of the things I love: color mixing, cruelty-free makeup, and skincare. I've already sold 45 items on my artfire store and have received great feedback from customers. I feel very fortunate and I keep coming up with ideas for new products.

I still have lots of plans and ideas for my youtube channel; I need to make more cooking videos. I also really want to make an ebook, compiling some of my favorite vegan kitchen concoctions that I've come up with.

Overall, this year has been very positive and filled with change...which is something that I really feel I needed to be happy. I'm living my dreams instead of just hoping they will come true. Its hard work, but I feel so much better about where I'm at in my life. I feel good that I can make a difference for animals doing what I love to do anyway.

Pumpkin and Poppy Cosmetics is Now Open For Business!

2011-08-11T22:30:00.001-05:00

I've been planning and preparing, and fine tuning recipes for my new vegan makeup line since December of 2010. After much hard work, I'm proud to say that Pumpkin and Poppy Cosmetics is now available for purchase through artfire.com. I'm still learning and growing as a business woman, but I think the opening of my shop has gone very well and I feel so lucky to have so much support and interest in my line. I will be making my first shipment on Friday, and I can't wait to get some feedback on my items! I use them myself and have been testing them, so I know I love them. My blend of mineral foundation has really helped improve the condition of my skin.

Current Items for Sale Include:

6 Full Coverage Foundations ($11.25) : Rice Paper (Neutral Porcelain), Creamy Peach (fair), Cashew (lt. medium beige), Olive Branch (lt. medium olive), Chai (warm tan), Mocha (medium/dark)

Full Coverage Foundation Sampler (Pick 3 Colors) $2.50: This option is for those of you who need help picking a shade of foundation. You will get a teaspoon of 3 shades of you choice to test out!

Rose Gold Blush ($8.50): This color is my version of NARS Orgasm blush. It is slightly pinker in tone and has more subtle gold shimmer. It is a universally flattering color, and it brings a nice, youthful glow to the skin!

I've made sure to formulate my products to be 100% vegan, and good for sensitive skin. I don't use cheap fillers in my products...everything I use has a specific benefit to the skin and the quality of the product. No parabens, bismuth oxycholoride, or talc!

Every listing has a detailed description of the ingredients I use and what they are used for in the product. I plan on developing a line of bronzers, highlighters, and expanding the color selection of my blushes. I do also ship internationally to several different countries. Any suggestions on what you'd like to see would be much appreciated!

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Review: Alba Botanica Green Tea SPF 45 Sunblock

2011-07-26T16:30:00.000-05:00

I think my search for the perfect everyday sunscreen has ended! In the past, every single traditional liquid sunscreen I've used has given me trouble; they usually cause me to become an oil slick, break out, or itch like crazy. On top of that, I'm super picky with my beauty products because I'm a vegan with sensitive, combination, acne prone skin. I have been mixing zinc oxide into my personal mineral foundation blend that I've created, but I still want a bit of extra protection because I burn extremely easy in the sun. Also, the number one thing you can do to prevent premature aging is to protect your skin from UVA/UVB rays.

What product has met my strict criteria? The Alba Green Tea Sunscreen with SPF 45 is an absolutely fantastic natural sunscreen. It doesn't contain any harsh chemicals or parabens, its cruelty-free, Leaping Bunny approved, vegan, and does its job amazingly well. The way I've chose to use it is to mix my mineral foundation directly into the sunscreen. This cuts down on the layers of products on my face, and also helps my mineral foundation to apply more evenly to my skin. Also, if I need to reapply, it already has my foundation color in it, so it will blend into my makeup naturally.

It is a bit pricey at $9.95 for 4 oz., but I buy mine on vitacost.com on for $4.98. It doesn't break me out and it makes my skin incredibly soft so its replaced my need for a daily moisturizer. I also don't notice my skin over producing oil or itching at all from the sunblock. I would prefer the product to be fragrance free, but the smell is light and inoffensive so I don't consider that much of a draw back.

I love that it has soothing plant extracts in it that are beneficial to the skin, so I feel its much more than just a simple sunblock. These ingredients include: aloe, chamomile, and lavender.

I will definitely repurchase when I run out and would highly recommend this product. It is a summer essential for the pasty and pale!

Tips: Working with Mineral Makeup

2011-07-10T07:01:00.002-05:00

A lot of people are turned off by mineral makeup because it can be a messy process. I personally think the quality of mineral makeup is worth the extra effort. Mineral makeup, if bought from independent companies, tends to be cheaper than high-end or even drugstore makeup, yet they use the same ingredients (and can easily be customized to be vegan and sensitive skin friendly).

Tip #1: Don't apply to dry skin.
Mineral makeup is meant to work with the natural oils of your skin to create a natural finish. If your skin is dry, the makeup will cling to any dry, patchy areas left on your skin. It also won't have completely even coverage since the makeup doesn't have anything to cling to. I recommend starting out with a toner in the morning instead of cleansing with soap, and follow up with a light moisturizer if you have combination/dry skin. You could also use a primer if you want an extra smooth canvas to work on.

Tip #2: Eyeshadow bases make a huge difference with mineral eyeshadows.
Mineral pigments have a much easier time sticking to the eyelid when you apply a sticky base underneath. You don't need any fancy products; I just use eyeliners in various colors as my bases. Urban Decay 24/7 make great, waterproof eyeliners that work well as bases; I also enjoy using the E.L.F. cream eyeliners & shimmer eyeliners as eyeshadow bases. Remember, dark bases will deepen and intensify colors. Light, shimmery shades will brighten and add dimension to the colors you apply on-top. Also, the colors you choose will slightly change the appearance of the eyeshadow, giving you endless possibilities with your makeup.

Tip #3: Foil eyeshadows for extra intensity.

Foiling is a very simple process. You can use a makeup palette or just use the lid of your mineral eyeshadow. Take a few drops of water (start out slowly and add more if needed) and mix in a good amount of pigment. You want to create a paste like consistency to achieve the most saturated color. Apply to your eyeshadow base, let dry for a few seconds, and that's it! It creates more intense pigmentation and also helps to set the color so it lasts longer on the eyelid.

Tip #4: Use the correct makeup brushes for each specific product.

Eyeshadow Pigments: I like to use a flat, thin shader when applying all over color to my lids. This really helps cut down on fall out, and ensures you apply your product in a thin, even layer. I actually really enjoy using the E.L.F. Studio concealer brush for mineral eyeshadows!

Foundation: If you only need light coverage, a large face kabuki will provide a flawless finish to your skin (I enjoy the E.L.F. Studio face kabuki). If you want heavier coverage in certain areas, go in with a flat top powder brush. I enjoy the Everyday Minerals short handle powder brush for traveling and the E.L.F. Studio flat top powder brush works well too.

Blush: Less is more when applying mineral blush. Its easy to add too much since mineral makeup tends to have less filler and more pigment. Start out slow and build with up with a fluffy face brush. I enjoy using the E.L.F. Studio complexion brush. If I get too much blush on, I simply buff it out with my kabuki brush until it looks more natural.

Tip #5: Spritz makeup with a toner for a dewy finish.
If your makeup is looking a bit too powdery, pour some of your favorite toner into a spray bottle and lightly mist your makeup. This sets the powder and keeps your makeup fresh. You can re-spritz throughout the day to refresh instead of reapplying your makeup constantly. Less is more with mineral makeup if you want it to look natural.

Advice: Homemade Bread/Pizza Dough

2011-07-07T00:03:00.001-05:00

It took me several tries to figure out how to bake bread, and find methods that work for me. You have to experiment and try out different techniques and recipes until you find something that works for you. They won't all be successes, but don't be so hard on yourself. Just because your recipe didn't turn out how you wanted doesn't mean it can't be delicious or that you can't learn from the experience.

Breakdown:
Bread dough is essentially made of these ingredients with a few variations: wheat flour (or unbleached white flour; it is recommended to use bread flour if you can find it), salt, water, and active dry yeast. Sometimes sugar is added to feed the yeast and create a sweeter flavor to the bread. I use agave nectar and organic brown sugar usually, but I found most recipes work without adding sugar. If you are making pizza dough, you can add a bit of olive oil and herbs to the dough. Pizza dough only needs to rise once, so its easier than baking a loaf of bread.

Things to keep in mind:

When proofing your yeast, make sure the water you add is neither too hot or too cold (should be warm/tepid water). If the water is too hot, it will kill the yeast. If it is too cold, it won't activate the yeast. You should see the water start to bubble after 5-10 minutes; this means the yeast is working its magic.
I wouldn't get the fast acting yeast...a lot of the flavor and texture of bread comes from the slow rising process of active dry yeast.
Add water gradually; this will help you make sure the dough is neither too dry or to wet to knead.
Some recipes (like sandwich bread below) don't call for kneading, but I personally like to hand knead my bread. It takes awhile for the dough to reach the proper elasticity, usually 5-8 minutes. Make sure to lightly flour your kneading surface; this will keep the dough from sticking to the surface.
Don't be afraid to add herbs to your dough.
Experiment with different recipes and types of flour once you feel more comfortable.

There are two methods I use for rising my dough:

1.) Place dough in an oiled bowl. Wrap plastic wrap on top (this helps keep the gases from the yeast trapped). Store in a warm, dry, dark place for an hour or until the dough has risen to double the size.

2.) You can also make your dough the night before. Wrap in an oiled bowl and place in your fridge overnight. This method is good if you don't have a lot of time to make dinner during the day.

Your dough needs to rise a second time after it has doubled. Place in a lightly oiled bread loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap in a warm, dark, dry place for 40-1 hour. The timing on this can vary, but you want to make sure its risen well above the loaf pan. It becomes very dense if it isn't allowed to rise enough. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time, especially when baking bread. I like to rise my dough while I'm doing other housework, especially laundry.

These are great starter recipes if you are new to bread and dough making:
N o Knead Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
Easy, Yummy, Quick Pizza Dough (requires less rising time)
Pizza Crust (my favorite)

Recipe: Portbello Mushroom Burgers with Peach Chutney

2011-07-01T03:06:00.000-05:00

Portobello mushrooms are the "steak" of vegan foods. They are juicy, tasty, and a fraction of the fat and calories of their meat equivalent. You can use the broiling method I use in this recipe, but this recipe would also work very well on the grill have you have a cookout to plan.

The trick to cooking portobello mushrooms is to marinade them prior to cooking them. This really helps bring out their flavor. Here's a very simple marinade that I threw together, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Ingredients:
6 large portobello mushrooms
6 homemade whole wheat buns (try this recipe)
2 roma tomatoes sliced thinly
1 cup fresh spinach
steak sauce (make sure its vegan; I use the ALDI brand)

Marinade:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 TB apple cider vinegar
2 tsp dried basil (or fresh if you have it)
1/2 TB dried parsley (or fresh if you have it)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

You should marinade the mushrooms the night before for the most flavor, or marinade them for 2 hours prior. Wash and remove the stems. Place the mushrooms gill side up in your broiling pan. Drizzle some marinade in the bottom of the pan and pour the rest of the marinade on the gill side of the mushrooms. Cover in plastic wrap while marinading.

For this recipe, I made homemade wheat buns. Its much cheaper and healthier to bake your own bread. I recommend taking the time to do this step. I used this recipe from Baking Bites, but you can use your favorite vegan bun recipe. Whole wheat buns are more dense than white flour, so maybe use half and half if that's a concern. I personally like the whole wheat buns as they don't get as soggy while eating your mushrooms.

I created a peach chutney to give a unique spin on the burgers. It is a nice, fresh condiment that is popular in Asian and Indian cooking.

Peach Chutney
2 fresh peaches, chopped into cubes and depitted
3 TB organic brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp dried basil

Mix together the brown sugar into the water until dissolved. Set your stovetop to medium high, making sure to stir frequently to avoid burning. You want to reduce the mixture, so cooking low and slow helps with cooking chutneys. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir into the chutney after 5 minutes. It will take about 20 minutes to bring out the flavors of the chutney and to reduce it.

While you are simmering the chutney, set your stove to a low broil. If you don't have a low setting on your oven, set to bake at 400 degrees Farehnheit. Cook gill side up for about 15 minutes. Flip over with a pair of tongs and cook for another 8 minutes. When finished, they should be juicy and dark brown, but not dry and burnt.

Layer your toppings: tomato, chutney, spinach, and steak sauce (I use ALDI's Burman brand, its "accidentally" vegan). Enjoy with a nice cold beer or some lemonade!

Pumpkin and Poppy Cosmetics: F.A.Q.

2011-06-27T18:06:00.002-05:00

I’ve had some questions about my vegan makeup line, so I thought I’d do a little overview about my line. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!

1. Do you use silicone in your products?

I actually have formulated my full coverage foundation with silica microspheres, which actually isn’t a chemical silicone product. It is a different thing entirely. It is a common mineral and is one of the main components in glass. Its found in sandstone, clay, granite, and even plants. It helps difuse the light and gives an airbrushed look to the skin. It really gives a nice, silky feel to the products.

2. Do you use an preservatives in your products?

I do use a preservative for your safety. I wouldn’t feel comfortable selling cosmetic items without a preservative. I will never use parabens in my products though.

Here’s some info on Preservative Cap-5

This broad-spectrum preservative is a paraben-free and formaldehyde-free product which preserves against a variety of nasties. Here is the short and sweet:

+ Highly effective broad spectrum antimicrobial
+ Effective at pH levels below 6.0
+ Non-formaldehyde donor
+ Paraben-free
+ Very Mild

The INCI for the product is: Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Hexylene Glycol. The Caprylyl and Hexylene Glycols are the liquid carriers. They are there simply to disperse the active ingredients. The active ingredients in the product are:

Phenoxyethanol (35-45%). This ingredient is a bactericide preservative.
Potassium Sorbate (8 - 15%) This ingredient is an anti-fungal and anti-microbial agent that converts into sorbic acid at low pH.

3. How to you formulate reds/pinks/purples without carmine (crushed beetle shells)?

I use a variety of non-animal derived ingredients: iron oxides, micas, manganese, etc..to achieve my reds and pinks. Sometimes I do have to use lake dyes to achieve bright pinks, reds, and purples but I always try to formulate without when possible. There are limitations to what I can formulate without the use of carmine, so lake dyes help me achieve those colors.

4. How often will you ship and do you ship internationally?

I will be shipping internationally. I will have shipping profiles for certain countries that I will be shipping too…if you don’t see your country, you can contact me and we can workout shipping costs. I plan on shipping twice a week (international packages once a week). I will be shipping by weight to keep costs down. If you order a lot of product, your package will automatically be updated to a flat rate priority mail shipping box.

5. Are your ingredients organic?

Most of my matierials are inorganic pigments, minerals, and micas. I do use rice powder in a few of my blushes. My rice powder is natural, high quality, kosher grade powder.

6. Does your foundation contain spf?

According to the FDA, unless I get my products tested for SPF I cannot make any claims regarding the SPF of my products. I do formulate with foundations with zinc oxide, which is known a natural sunscreen though.

Recipe: Satay Tofu Stir-Fry

2011-06-19T21:17:00.000-05:00

I have a delicious meal to share with everyone; I just made a version of my own simplified vegan peanut satay stir-fry for my husband and I. It is a very hearty, satisfying dinner that takes little to no effort to prepare, but tastes like you spend the day slaving over the stove. It has thai flair to it, but the recipe uses very basic, easy to find ingredients that you may have lurking in your pantry.

Ingredients:
Half a block of extra firm tofu (pressed and diced into cubes)
1 TB olive oil (for sautéing)
1 cup sliced carrots
1 large red onion (diced)
1 green pepper (sliced into strips)
1 tsp garlic powder
salt to taste
1.5 cups dried white rice (cooked w/ 3 cups water)

Satay Sauce:
1 (16 oz.) can Lite Coconut Milk
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp garlic powder
3 TB soy sauce
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 TB agave nectar (vegan brown sugar)
juice of one lime
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp all spice
salt/pepper to taste

1. Start the 3 cups water boiling for the rice. When ready, add the rice and lower to a simmer. It should take about 20 minutes to cook the rice after the temperature is lowered.

2. Take the pressed and cubed extra firm tofu and saute' in a medium pan over medium heat. Stir after 5 minutes, and cook till golden on all sides. Sprinkle salt and 1 tsp garlic powder after 10 minutes of cooking.

3. Start up the satay sauce. Add one TB olive oil to a small sauce pan on medium heat. Add 1 cup of creamy peanut butter and the can of coconut milk. Stir and add the rest of the ingredients. Lower heat to a simmer.

4. Take a large skillet and add 1/2 TB oil over medium heat. Once heated through, add the carrots, onion, and green pepper and stir.

5. When the rice is done, add the satay sauce and the tofu to the skillet with the vegetables. Simmer on low for another 5 minutes.

6. Serve over the rice. Add more soy sauce if you'd like to each serving, to taste. Serves 6.

Review: Ecco Bella Flowercolor Foundation

2011-06-07T06:43:00.001-05:00

I've been testing out this product for the last few weeks, and I have to say my skin is loving the natural ingredients in this! I was originally interested in trying this product out because I was looking for a more natural alternative to a chemical based color foundation. I have sensitive skin, so it is essential for me to use gentle skincare products. I also have a very difficult skin type; I have an oily t-zone and flaky chin and forehead.

Ingredients
Active: Titanium dioxide. Organic aloe vera gel, glycerine, isopropyl palmitate (from palm wax), saccharide isomerate (natural sugar), organic sunflower oil, TEA palmitate (from palm wax), kaolin, magnesium silicate (a natural mineral), organic extracts of chamomile, calendula, cetyl alcohol (emulsifier), lecithin, flower wax, iron oxides, phenoxyethanol, natural fragrance.

The ingredients in this product were the main reason I decided to purchase this product. I am familiar with all of the ingredients and can actually pronounce them! Foundation is a something you wear everyday, over the entire surface area of your face. Your skin is your largest organ, and drinks up the ingredients in the foundations you wear. Many liquid foundations contain known carcinogens and harsh chemicals, so keep that in mind when you are shopping for your cosmetics.

UVA/UVB Protection
I'm now in my mid twenties, and I want to insure that my skin stays fresh, young, and cancer free. I also tend to break out if I apply too many products underneath my foundation, so I try to look for products that already contain UVA/UVB protection in them. Using multi-tasking products helps you save money too! Ecco Bella's Flowercolor Foundation contains SPF 15 from the Titanium Dioxide; this is decent amount of protection for normal, everyday use. If I'm going to be outside for long periods of time, I would need to apply a higher SPF sunscreen though.

Color Selection
I'm fairly impressed with the color selection on this product. The colors tend to be more neutral, leaning a bit more towards yellow toned skin if anything. The color I selected is their lightest shade, Bisque. This is the perfect summer shade for my light skintone. I don't know if it would be light enough for my skin in the winter months, but I could always mix in a lighter tinted moisturizer, like my Kiss My Face TM in Manilla. There are seven colors in this product line: Bisque, Ivory Porcelain, Light Beige, Natural, Linen, Tan, and Mocha. This foundation has a great range of colors from pale to the darker skin-tone range. I would recommend purchasing a shade lighter than you think you'd need.

Cruelty-free & Vegan
This foundation is 100% Cruelty-free and a vegan product, which is always a requirement for me!

Overall Impression 4.5/5
I wear Hard Candy Sheer Envy Primer underneath this product, which helps prolong the wear of this foundation. On its own, it lasts a good 5 hours without touch-ups which is a fair amount of time. The finish has a natural glow to it, without making my skin look greasy. I like to apply a translucent powder of top to keep the finish more natural. It evens out my skintone, probably because of the moisturizing ingredients (glycerin and aloe vera gel). This makes it perfect for my combination skin, as I get a balance to my skin without having to apply too many products underneath, which can contribute to breakouts.

This product definitely gets points for being made of natural ingredients, and I don't feel bad about wearing this product everyday. It is a water-based formula and doesn't clog my pores or cause breakouts at all, I'm very pleased! If I could offer any criticism, I would suggest that Ecco Bella get rid of the original formula of this foundation, as it still contains parabens. Make sure to get the Flowercolor formula if you puchase this product. It is also a bit on the pricey side at $22.50 retail. The most affordable price for this product is on the website, vitacost.com, at $15.31. Most drugstore foundations cost this amount, so I personally think its worth spending a bit more money on, especially since it also contains SPF and moisturizes the skin, in addition to creating a more even skintone. It is a medium coverage foundation, and it is buildable without looking cakey. This is definitely a holy-grail product for me!

Review: Beauty Without Cruelty

2011-05-21T14:10:00.002-05:00

I personally contacted the animal friendly cosmetics company, Beauty Without Cruelty, to ask if they’d like me to do a review for any of their products. I was interested in doing a review for this company because I think they need more attention in the beauty community. Not only are they a cruelty-free company, they are focused on creating quality vegan products using ingredients that are good for the skin. I was sent their fragrance free body lotion and a tube of their vegan lipstick, one of the most difficult to find items in a vegan makeup lovers collection.

The lipstick shade I selected to try was Natural Infusion Moisturizing Lipstick in the shade Ripe Cherry. The first thing I noticed was the packaging; its gorgeous with their famous swan heart logo pattern on the tube. The packaging is sleek and black, definitely high-end quality. They don’t use any artificial flavorings in the lipstick, so you will taste a bit of the jojoba oil, but I personally enjoy products that are more natural. The formula of the lipstick is less emollient than I’m used to, but once applied it stays on the lips for a good 4-5 hours without touchups. I’d compare the feel and wear a bit to a matte lipstick, but it does have has a bit of shimmer to it. It is not a drying formula, although I’d recommend applying a bit of lipbalm underneath to keep the lipstick from sticking to dry spots on the lips. The color is a vibrant, buildable bright pinky warm-toned red; it’s a perfect shade for the summer nights out on the town. Its hard to find vegan red lipsticks, so this shade is a winner for me. In the future, I’d like to try out different finishes and colors. If I had one criticism, I’d like to see the company have better online swatches so its easier to decide on your color selection as well as the formula of the lipstick.

The next product I was sent to try out was their fragrance-free lotion. The lotion is made of natural, organic ingredients. It doesn’t contain any harsh chemicals or fragrances which were the main reason I wanted to try this product out. I have very sensitive skin and it’s hard to find fragrance lotions. This product is completely free of animal byproducts and the only smell that is detectable is the natural fragrance of the oils included in the lotion. On the bottle, it suggests adding a few drops of your favorite essential oil of choice, which is a great idea! The lotion sinks into the skin rather quickly, which makes it great for everyday. It is moisturizing without being greasy; also, because its fragrance free, it won’t interfere with any perfume you decided to wear. I’m not sure if its’ moisturizing enough for super dry, winter weather, but I think this will be my go to lotion for the spring and summer. Its reasonably priced for the quality of the product, so I definitely see myself repurchasing a full size of this product when the sample runs out.

This company has great customer service and sound ethics which are important factors to consider as a contentious consumer. I feel good buying their products, especially since they are one of the original companies who were dedicated to ending animal testing in the cosmetic industry. Not only do they not test their products on animals, most of their product line is entirely vegan! They have a full line of color cosmetics as well as skincare and haircare. I definitely intend on purchasing more from this company in the future and I hope you will consider checking them out at their website: www.beautywithoutcruelty.com

Finding Vegan Liquid Foundation is Tough!

2011-05-11T04:11:00.000-05:00

Finding vegan liquid foundation that is affordable and paraben-free is a daunting task. As a vegan beauty blogger, it is my goal to search till I find my holy grail vegan foundation to help myself and to help all of my readers.

Here are some products I've tried:

The Stila One-Step Makeup was okay, but its really yellow toned and I'm about as fair as they come so it really doesn't work for me; it also has a very thick texture and you have to use your fingers to pat it in. I also don't like Stila's customer service. They were rude to me when I was inquiring about which of their products were vegan and which weren't. They were very curt and simply responded "we cannot claim vegan." How arrogant does that sound? Very unhelpful and they took ages to get back to me, and they didn't want to help me in the first place. Also, just look through the ingredients on their foundations...full of preservatives and chemicals that aren't good for the skin and our bodies.

While I do like the color and coverage of ALDI's Lacura foundation in transparent, its more of a dewy finish and causes me to break out when I wear it, and again it has the same points against it as Stila does as far as chemicals and parabens. It is very cheap though, $3.49, but I can't guarantee 100% that its vegan, although the ingredients appear that way. I'm starting to lean more towards products that are certified vegan, but those again are very expensive usually. I am, however, willing to spend more money on foundation that doesn't break me out, is cruelty-free and vegan, provides natural coverage, and matches my skin tone. If my skin is non-irritated and less prone to break out, I won't need as much foundation (that's how I'm going to look at it).

The next product I've tried (and still enjoy) is the Kiss My Face Tinted Moisturizer in Manilla. It is light enough, no parabens, and its vegan. It does have a watery texture and doesn't provide enough coverage for me (but it is supposed to be a lighter product). It is in no way moisturizing, its more of a light, matte foundation. I think this is a good mixing product if your foundation isn't light enough or too thick. I currently use it as a base for mineral powder foundation, which seems to provide a decent coverage but can look a bit too overdone for everyday use.

I decided to purchase some Ecco Bella Flowercolor Natural Foundation in the shade Bisque (their lightest shade) on vitacost.com. On their official website, the foundation is about $22.95, which, to be fair is cheaper than most high end foundations. But, vitacost.com sells it for about $15.31, which is a super deal. With shipping, it only costed about $20, which is very doable in most people's budgets. If you are going to spend more $ in your makeup routine, put it towards foundation!

Bisque actually appears like it will be light/cool toned enough and reviews on makeupalley.com seem to confirm this as well. The reviews were mixed on the quality of the foundation for the price, but I'm willing to give them they benefit of the doubt because this company, by far, have the most natural list of ingredients I've seen for a liquid foundation for the most affordable price. Its also a water-based foundation, which is my favorite formula, especially for the summer months. It provides UVA/UVB protection (SPF 15) which is crucial for good skincare. I will probably need to find a more potent sunscreen if I'm going to be outside for long periods of time though. This formula is paraben free ,but Ecco Bella does have a formulation on Amazon that does have parabens in it, so make sure to get the Flowercolor Natural Foundation, not their Liquid Foundation product. I also like that its in a squeeze tube so you can get every last bit of product out, and its much more sanitary than a pour top bottle.

I will update all of you when I receive the product and have a chance to wear it for a couple of weeks (I like to give a skin product a good length of time to test because skin can take awhile to show irritation and breakouts from products.) I'm cautiously optimistic about this product, only because I've been disappointed so many times in the past. Let me know what kind of foundation the rest of you vegan makeup lovers wear!

Review: Beaver Wasabi Powder

2011-05-05T01:50:00.002-05:00

Wasabi is a delicious and addictive Japanese sushi condiment; its also very expensive and virtually impossible to get fresh anywhere but Japan. What is a spicy Japanese condiment lover to do? Pick up some wasabi powder and mix your own paste whenever you want!

Check out the Asian section at your grocery store, or check health food stores. Beaver Wasabi powder is a bit pricey (about $3.95) for 2 oz., but it ends up making a good quantity of wasabi. It isn't 100% pure wasabi, as it contains: mustard flour, spinach powder, and silicon dioxide (which prevents caking). The most important thing is that wasabi is listed as the main ingredient, so you want to look for that when you purchase your wasabi powder.

To get the most our of your wasabi, here is the best way to prepare it:

1. Use equal amounts powder and water to form a thick paste. It should not be a runny consistancy.

2. Flip your bowl containing the wasabi upside down on top of a small plate for about 10-15 minutes; this helps the wasabi to become more concentrated and locks in its flavor and intensity.

You can use the paste straight as a condiment (be careful because a little bit goes a long way). It is traditionally mixed with soy sauce or tamari, but there are many ways to utilize wasabi's potent flavor. It can be added to vegan mayo, and it is a unique way to spice up hummus.

Health Benefits of Wasabi (source: genuineaid.com)
- Improves wound healing
- Prevents cells from damages
- Improves gums health
- Improves teeth health
- Improves Immune System
- Protects from free radicals
- Reduces Aging
- Lowers Risks of some Cancers
- Improves Iron absorption
- Improves Lung health
- Prevents from frequent colds
- Protects from frequent infections
- Normalizes Blood Sugar Levels
- Normalizes Cholesterol Levels
- Helps prevent constipation
- Helps prevent hemorrhoids
- Supports Weight Loss

Of course, the heath benefits are strongest if you are using fresh wasabi, but this root truly has some astounding health properties. It also tastes delicious and is great for dieters as spicy foods are well known to suppress the appetite. Powdered wasabi is a great way to enjoy wasabi without the high price attached to fresh wasabi. Just be careful to eat slowly, or you will feel the burn!

Maintaining a Vegan Diet on a Budget

2011-04-26T23:35:00.003-05:00

It can seem overwhelming to stick to your budget while grocery shopping, especially if you are new to veganism. You may be tempted to stick to convenience foods, and this is the first mistake that new vegans make. They start eating prepackaged foods and then equate veganism with being far too expensive for their lifestyles. Stick with this guide and you can be a healthy vegan without going broke.

Eating healthy is slightly more expensive
The government subsidizes corn and soybeans, hence the reason they are in EVERY prepackaged food in one form or another. The government does not subsidize organic produce, or produce in general for that matter and that's why it costs more at the grocery store. In an ideal world, eating healthy would be more affordable, but that's not the current state of our society. Remember, there are hidden costs to eating unhealthy foods. Health problems may not be immediate, but if you eat prepackaged, sodium heavy, chemical laden, preservative full, and nutrient devoid foods it will catch up to you eventually.

Symptoms of eating this kind of a diet: diabetes, fatigue, mood swings, depression, hypertension, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and of course obesity.

Eating healthy is the most affordable health insurance policy
Eating a healthy vegan diet saves you money if you look at the big picture. Many of us can't afford to buy health insurance in this economy. We must rely on our own knowledge and the foods we eat to sustain our health, which should be of higher importance to more people regardless of their financial situation. The best health insurance policy you can have is to switch your diet to a healthy, plant based diet. One of the most respected scientists in the field of nutrition, T. Colin Campbell, wrote The China Study; it is a compelling book extolling the virtues of a plant based diet and how modern medicine and our government keep the real truth from us as far as meat and dairy are concerned. Far too much money is tied up in dairy and factory farms; this is why they don't want us to think about their ill effects on our health. I guarantee The China Study you will change the way you think about nutrition and food.

This article from nursingdegree.net also shares 57 different health benefits of switching to a plant based, vegan diet.

Avoid the Dirty Dozen
Its not realistic for most of us to buy organic produce, as it is more expensive. If you have a farmer's market, buy produce locally if you can. Ask the sellers if they farm organically or if they use pesticides. Also, keep in mind that not all foods have equal contamination from pesticides and chemicals.

According to Organic.org, there are the "dirty dozen" to avoid if you can, and they also list 12 of the least contaminated foods. So if buying organic produce is important to you, only buy organic from the most contaminated list.

12 Most Contaminated

Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes (Imported)
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes

12 Least Contaminated

Onions
Avocado
Sweet Corn (Frozen)
Pineapples
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet Peas (Frozen)
Kiwi Fruit
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papaya

If you don't have access or money to buy organic, eating nutrient dense food is still a healthier option than a nutrient devoid diet. Do the best you can and don't stress out about being perfect.

Buy Bagged or Bulk Beans and Grains
Canned and boxed foods are convenient, but they aren't always the most affordable option. Keep around a few cans of beans for those nights when you are very busy. Try to buy bagged beans and rice for the majority of your meals and you'll save a lot of money. You can cook up a bag of beans for about $1.00; this equals about 3 cans of beans, which can cost you at least double, to triple this amount. The same principle applies to rice; instant rice has already been precooked so you don't get nearly as much as a bag of uncooked rice. It takes a bit more time and planning to cook dried beans and non-instant rice, but its worth it when you are on a tight budget. Also, it creates less packaging waste which is great for the environment.

Limit Vegan Specialty Items
It is important to have some speciality items in your pantry, such as nutritional yeast and vegan vitamins to help supplement B12 in your diet. For the most part, you should stick to very basic whole foods: vegetables, grains, nuts, legumes, beans, and fruits. Tofu is alright in moderation, but don't make it the main source of protein in your diet as it is still a processed food and can inhibit the absorption of zinc, iron, and calcium. A lot of speciality items like vegan cheeses, veggie burgers, and dairy substitutes contain soy, so keep that in mind when you are shopping. If you want to use fake meats, consider making your own seitan using vital wheat gluten. That way, you can control what you put into your food and it is much more affordable.

Shop Around
Often times, we only shop at one grocery store because we want to save time. It pays to know your prices and to shop around and find out which stores carry certain items at the cheapest prices. ALDI has incredibly low prices on canned goods and produce. They aren't organic, but stores like ALDI are a lifesaver if you are on a tight budget. Also, if a canned or bagged item you use regularly is on sale, stock up on it! Food Co-ops are another great, money saving option if you have one available.

Cut Out the Crap
You'd be surprised how much money you save if you stop buying non-essentials and items that don't contribute to your heathy lifestyle. Things to avoid or use moderation: soda, snacks, processed sugars, candy, cookies, etc...Also, when you go vegan, you won't be spending money on high priced items like meat and cheese. Use the money you'd spend on those items to buy an organic item or to stock up your pantry with more expensive items like quinoa, flaxseeds, nutritional yeast, and nuts.

Get Cooking!
Eating out is the quickest way to put a strain on your budget. Learning how to cook is the best skill you can acquire if you want to become healthy and stick to a budget while eating a vegan diet. Make sure to invest in some vegan cookbooks and vegweb.com is a free vegan recipe resource as well. You can find a lot of cookware at thrift stores, which is another great way to save money and recycle.

Everyone can eat a healthy vegan diet, especially if you follow these money saving tips. It takes awhile to adjust to shopping as a vegan, but you will find a pattern that works for you and your family with time.

Opinion: New Billboards Ask Would You Rather Save Rat or Child?

2011-04-21T08:17:00.000-05:00

The billboard slogan, “Who Would You Rather See Live?” is placed between an image of a rat and child, as if this is the only option available in this scientific day and age. These billboards are funded by the Foundation for Biomedical Research, and are being put up in the following cities, according to ABC News: Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Baltimore, and will be in Madison, Wisconsin shortly. This foundation is supported by a biased group including researchers, pharmeceutical companies, and universities who are are still using animal testing in their research.

I am an independent researcher and supporter of ending animal vivesection in all areas, and most specifically in the areas of cosmetic animal testing. I also run a non-profit website dedicated to the elimination of cosmetic animal testing. To see such inaccurate and degrading propoganda upsets me for many reasons. I undestand that these researchers have been physicially attacked and threatened by radical activists like Animal Liberation Front and the UCLA Primate Freedom Project, which I don’t agree with. I’m not a radical activist and one of the reasons I became a vegan is because I support non-violence in all areas of life. I do have a problem with the slow pace of change in scientific research however, and how priority is not given to perfecting and implementing humane testing procedures.

According the The Humane Society International, dozens of alternatives to animal testing currently exist. Instead of wasting resources and dividing the public, why not spend the $150,000 from this new ad campaign and put this towards the research currently being done to end animal testing procedures? Animal testing is never 100% accurate because animals contain a different genetic makeup than humans. Many of these results are inconclusive, and must be tested on humans anyway, even after extensive animal testing. Its time for biomedical researchers to follow in the footsteps of the hundreds of cosmetic companies that have eliminated the need for animal testing; these companies are thriving because the public is demanding the end of inhumane animal testing.

Vegans and animal rights activists are against specieism, which means we don’t believe in the enslavement or exploitation of any living creatures, nor do we believe that one life has more value than another. To continue these outdated modes of testing is immoral, especially when acceptable and even potentially superior methods already exist or are being developed. Even if you are a not a vegan, you can still take a stand on these issues. Refuse to buy from, or support companies that are unwilling to work towards ending animal testing.

Most animal rights activists are realists and we realize that change doesn’t happen overnight. If these companies spent as much time and energy as they put into these pro-vivesection campaigns, they’d be well on their way to completely ending animal testing. It is simply not a priority for the research community, because many jobs and companies are financially tied to animal testing. Its time for us to take a stand against the Foundation for Biomedical Research’s campaign; they need to realize that we demand priority be given to saving animals. In this day in age, we should not have to choose the life of a rat over the life of a child. All life deserves respect and reverence, and scientists should be on board for implementing humane testing instead of fighting to save outdated procedures.

Recipe: Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff

2011-04-20T05:29:00.002-05:00

This is my husband's FAVORITE meal. It was one of the first meals he learned to make when he cooked for his family at home. Its far from a health food, but I wanted to prove how easy it is to veganize foods if you are creative and experiment a little bit. Its my version of "Beef" Seitan & Mushroom Stroganoff and its vegan comfort food at its best!

The key ingredient of Stroganoff is sour cream. Tofutti makes a really great tasting vegan sour cream substitute. You can omit the seitan and keep this is a simple mushroom Stroganoff, but its more fancy if you take the time to make the "beef" stroganoff. This turned out so close to the original version, it was wonderful! My husband gave it the thumbs up approval and said its the best Stroganoff I've made, and that he couldn't tell it was vegan. He had seconds, if that says anything!

"Beef" Seitan
1 cup vital wheat gluten
3 TB nutritional yeast
2 tsp Better than Bouillon Vegetarian No Beef Stock
1/2 cup boiling water (dissolve the Better than Boullion to make stock)
3 TB soy sauce
1 TB olive oil
1/4 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt/pepper to taste

Boil a large pot of water, adding soy sauce and No Beef Boullion into the water to flavor the seitan as it cooks. Mix together the dry ingreidents; in seperate bowl, combine stock, soy sauce, and olive oil. Mix quickly together to form a dough. Knead dough for about 3 minutes, then roll into a log shape. Cut thin strips. Place the seitan in pot and let cook for about 40 minutes on medium heat. Drain and set aside.

Stroganoff
1 lb 100% semolina rotini noodles (I use the ALDI Priano brand)
12 oz. Tofutti Sour Supreme
1 cup Better Than Boullion No Beef Base Stock (1 tsp concentrate add to 1 cup water)
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 TB onion powder
1 tsp ground thyme
salt/pepper to taste (extra pepper!)
3 TB cornstarch dissolved into a 1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley (add at the end)

1. Boil noodles, rinse, and set aside.
2. Saute onions in broth in a large skillet for 5 minutes on medium high heat.
3. Add the Tofutti Sour Supreme and reduce heat to medium.
4. Add thyme, onion powder, salt/pepper, and garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
5. Add the dissolved cornstarch into the sauce when it starts to bubble.
6. Stir until the sauce thickens, then remove from heat.
7. Serve immediately over the rotini noodles.

Serves about 6.

Fresh green beans pairs perfectly with Stroganoff!

VegNews Apologizes For Using Meat Images

2011-04-18T22:49:00.001-05:00

I am not a subscriber to VegNews magazine. I honestly don't read many periodicals; I get most of my information from books or online resources. I feel like I'm coming at this topic from a objective standpoint. I have no ties or connections to the VegNews magazine, nor did I have anything against them in particular prior to recent events. That said, I do have a few issues to discuss on this topic as it has been such a heated topic of debate in the vegan community. The real question: is it ethical for a vegan magazine to use stock images of meat products and claim that they are vegan "faux" meats? Not only did they claim they were vegan, they photoshopped these images and removed bones, so this is not a simple case of misunderstanding. VegNews knowingly used and manipulated these images for print in their vegan magazine.

As of April 18, 2011, VegNews has officially apologized. You can find their apology here if you'd care to read it. Essentially, they've stated in their apology that they will no longer use any animal product stock images and that they are committed to using 100% vegan imagery in their publications from now on. I feel like this is a good step, but I have a few other issues that I feel needed to be addressed in their apology if it is to be a sincere and truthful one. First, they need to address the issue of censoring their readers comments, reader's who found these stock images and confronted VegNews on the issue. They had their comments deleted and were virtually ignored by VegNews until it became a bigger issue and more awareness was raised in the vegan community. Even if you have no problem with a vegan magazine using these images, readers and paying customers should never be censored and should be allowed to voice their opinions, especially when the have irrefutable evidence to support their claims. Any attempts to censor these individuals reflects extremely poorly on VegNews. If they indeed felt they were doing what the had to do, from a financial standpoint as they've said, why the secrecy on the issue?

My thoughts are that they knew it was wrong, but didn't want to deal with the hassle of finding truly vegan imagery. Money shouldn't have been the issue. I know many vegans who would gladly donate their time and services to help provide imagery for VegNews. Many photographers out there simply would love to have their name printed in the magazine for promotion purposes. Sponsors could also help fund vegan photography, or they could have asked for donations from their loyal readers if things were that tight financially. Being a vegan is never supposed to be about convenience, its about doing what's right even if that cuts into your profits.

I am glad VegNews has admitted fault, and that goes a long with me. Does that mean I support what they do? Of course I do, but with slight hesitation. Trust takes a long time to earn back after its been broken. VegNews has made the first step, which is great. If they have truly changed their policies and admit their faults, then I'm sure the vegan community can forgive and move on from this crisis. We are a minority and need to band together; vegans fighting against vegans is never constructive or good for the cause. We are all here to learn, make mistakes, and grow in this ethical lifestyle choice. The vegan community is full of diversity, but all of us, including VegNews, needs to remember what the purpose of being a vegan is; veganism is about the abolishment of using all animal products in all areas of our life, and to end animal enslavement and exploitation. Using animal flesh in a vegan magazine does not live up to what being a vegan is about, and I'm glad VegNews can admit that.

Vegan Makeup: Too Faced Cosmetics

2011-04-11T10:01:00.001-05:00

Too Faced Cosmetics was so nice to send me a list of their vegan products, and its quite a long list! I also doubled checked on their primer potion as it used to contain lanolin oil (an animal derived ingredient), but it has been reformulated and doesn't include this ingredient any longer. This is great news because the Urban Decay Primer potion still contains this ingredient and is longer vegan friendly. They also have synthetic makeup brushes, which makes me extremely happy! I hope this list helps!

Too Faced Cosmetics Website: http://www.toofaced.com/

Too Faced Cosmetics ~ Item Listing of Products Completely Free of Animal Derived Ingredients:

· Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer
· Single Eye Shadow – Label Whore
· Single Eye Shadow – Blonde Ambition
· Single Eye Shadow – Neptune
· Duo Eye Shadow – Ooh & Aah
· Duo Eye Shadow – Fantasy Island
· Duo Eye Shadow – Skinny Dip
· Duo Eye Shadow – Lucky Charms
· Duo Eye Shadow – Shamrock Chic
· Duo Eye Shadow – Rich Bitch
· Lockdown – I’m Guilty
· Galaxy Glam Eye Shadow – Shooting Star
· Galaxy Glam Eye Shadow – Super Nova
· Galaxy Glam Eye Shadow – Moon Beam
· Galaxy Glam Eye Shadow – Deep Space
· Chocolate Galaxy Glam Eye Shadow – Cocoa Comet
· Chocolate Galaxy Glam Eye Shadow – Mocha Meteor
· Chocolate Galaxy Glam Eye Shadow – Amber Asteroid
· Liquif-Eye Eye Shadow Transformer
· Brownie Brow Pencil – Browne-y
· Brownie Brow Pencil – Blonde-y
· Liquid Lava Eyeliner – Lava Matte
· Foiled Liner – Bronze Bombshell
· Foiled Liner – Black Beauty
· Starry Eyed Liquid Eyeliner – Restraining Order
· Starry Eyed Liquid Eyeliner – Mad Mad Love
· Starry Eyed Liquid Eyeliner – Stalkerazzi
· Starry Eyed Liquid Eyeliner – Drunk Dial
· Starry Eyed Liquid Eyeliner – Obsessed Fan
· Starry Eyed Liquid Eyeliner – Ooh & Aah
· Starry Eyed Liquid Eyeliner – Super Freak
· Starry Eyed Liquid Eyeliner – Gold Digger
· Starry Eyed Liquid Eyeliner – Silver Lining
· Metal Eyed Shimmer Liquid Eyeliner – Blackout
· Metal Eyed Shimmer Liquid Eyeliner – Hand Cuffs
· Metal Eyed Shimmer Liquid Eyeliner – Twilight
· Metal Eyed Shimmer Liquid Eyeliner – Get Lucky
· Metal Eyed Shimmer Liquid Eyeliner – Plum Crazy
· Metal Eyed Shimmer Liquid Eyeliner – Brown Sugar
· Metal Eyed Shimmer Liquid Eyeliner – Dirt Bag
· Metal Eyed Shimmer Liquid Eyeliner - Shotgun
· Borderline Anti-Feathering Lip Pencil
· Love Lisa Lip Balm SPF 15
· Tanning Bed in a Tube
· Tanning Bed for the Face
· Mirror Mirror Lip Gloss – I Know You Want Me!
· Mirror Mirror Lip Gloss – Envy Me
· Mirror Mirror Lip Gloss – I Love Myself
· Mirror Mirror Lip Gloss – Damn I’m Hot!
· Mirror Mirror Lip Gloss – I’m Perfect!
· Mirror Mirror Lip Gloss – Don’t Hate Me…
· Lip Injection Lip Plumping Lip Gloss
· Lip Injection Lip Plumping Lip Gloss – Super Size
· Lip Injection Technocolor – Techno Kiss
· Lip Injection Technocolor – Techno Tart
· Lip Injection Technocolor – Techno Punch
· Lip Injection Technocolor – Techno Glow
· Lip Injection Extreme
· Caribbean in a Compact – Sun Bunny
· Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer
· Brightening Blush – Mocha Mi Amore
· Wrinkle Injection Extreme Wrinkle Filler
· Primed & Poreless Face Primer
· Kitty Glitter – Pussie Galore
· Kitty Glitter – Purrfect
· Refresh Blotting Papers
· Mini Brush Set (Teddy Bear Hair)
· Kabuki Brush (Teddy Bear Hair)
· Flat Kabuki Mini Brush (Teddy Bear Hair)

Frozen Banana Ice Cream!

2011-04-10T06:26:00.001-05:00

The weather is finally starting to get warmer out, and the ice cream parlors are starting to open again. With so many dairy filled temptations, how does a vegan resist the urge to eat ice cream? The great thing is we don't have resist, we can make our own! You don't need a fancy ice cream maker to make this ice cream, just frozen bananas!

When bananas start to turn, slice them up and freeze them in a resealable container. Whenever you want a cool frozen treat, stick some of these sliced frozen bananas in the blender with whatever ingredients you'd like to mix with it.

Options

Sunspire Organic Dark Chocolate Chips (Can be found at Hy-Vee in the Heath Market)
Organic Cocoa Powder
Agave Nectar
Orange Juice
Strawberries
Raspberries
Walnuts
Cherries (de-pitted of course)
Peanut Butter
The sky is the limit as far as what you can put in your banana ice cream. This is a great option for those of you on a diet as well, because it has very little fat as opposed to normal dairy based ice cream. Also natural sugars are much healthier for your body than processed sugars.

Here's one of my favorite simple frozen banana ice cream recipes:

3/4 cup Orange Juice
1 TB Agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup soy milk (or any non-dairy milk of your choosing)
1 1/2 cups frozen bananas

Simply blend all of these ingredients together in either a blender or food processor. It couldn't be more simple or delicious and it tastes similar to an Orange Julius! The taste of the banana isn't as overpowering as you'd think either. Depending on what you pair the bananas with, you can either emphasize their taste, or diminish it (using peanut butter pretty much eliminates the taste of the bananas).

Health Fact:
Bananas contain tryptophan, which is an amino acid that can convert to seratonin, which can lead to improved mood. Other health benefits: high in iron, high in fiber, and high in potassium which helps prevent heart problems,

Play around with different recipes, see what you like, and enjoy your guilt-free ice cream treat!

Couple's Ignorance Kills Child, Not Veganism

2011-04-07T23:28:00.004-05:00

In the news, a recent featured topic regarding the vegan lifestyle has been the child abuse case of a vegan couple from France. Sergine and Joel Le Moaligou fed their 11th month old baby daughter, Louise, only breast milk. The couple decided to go vegan after viewing a television program on factory farming. Their heart may have been in the right place, but being a vegan is the same as any other major dietary change and should be treated as such.

The main cause of Louise's death was the ignorance of her mother regarding her own dietary health. Mothers need to be careful to eat a healthy balanced diet, regardless of their beliefs. This can be easily achieved with some basic research into the vegan diet. It is not generally recommended to jump into any diet without all of the facts and information. An issue many educated vegans are aware of is the necessity to monitor B12 levels in their diet. B12 naturally occurs in the soil, which is ingested by livestock, which omnivores in turn ingest by eating the animal. It is not solely located in meat, but happens to exist in meat because of the soil. Vegans usually get their B12 from nutritional yeast, fortified cereals, non-dairy milks, and dietary supplements. Sergine was compromising her health by being an uneducated vegan, and this tragically is what killed her daughter, not the diet itself.

Another key factor in Louise's death was the negligence of her parents. They believed in alternative medicine, and refused to have their daughter treated for bronchitis and ignored medical advice about the child's extremely low body weight. This was brought to their attention during Louise's 9 month check up, and they refused to do anything to help their daughter. It is child abuse, neglect, and ignorance that killed Louise Moaligou, not the vegan diet.

This case will obviously call the vegan diet into question, and its really unfortunate since vegans are already such a small minority in the overall population (In 2009, only 1% of Americans claimed to be on a vegan diet). Not only is veganism a very healthy diet, recommended by many doctors and nutritionists, its also very easy to get all of the vitamins and nutrients necessary for a healthy life. Let's dispel some myths about the vegan diet lacking key nutrients (source: www.vrg.org):

Vitamin D- Some mushrooms treated with UVB rays can contain Vitamin D. The most reliable vegan source of Vitamin D is absorbed by the body through direct sunlight. According to Vegan Outreach, light skinned individuals can absorb their daily vitamin D through 15-30 minutes of direct sunlight. It takes twice as long for dark skinned people to absorb the same amount, so supplements are usually suggested.
Calcium- Many studies have suggested that plant based calcium is actually more readily absorbed in the bones than dairy. Dark, leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli, bok choy, and spinach have high amounts of calcium. Other vegan calcium sources: fortified cereals and non-dairy milk.

Iodine- Iodized salt is a the way most vegans get their daily iodine intake. Just make sure the salt you are using is fortified with iodine and you'll be just fine.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids- Flax seeds, Walnuts, tofu, and canola oil.

Iron- Black Strap Molasses is taken by many vegans as an iron supplement. Iron can also be found in lentils, spinach, quinoa, and in many dried legumes.

In conclusion, the vegan diet is only as healthy or unhealthy as you make it; it is up to each individual to make smart meal plans and make sure they and their children are being wise with their dietary choices. This case is a clear case of criminal negligence on the part of the parents, and should be treated as such. Many vegan mothers are able to raise and feed their children and themselves on vegan diets without any complications. We should not let one couple's tragic mistake change the fact that veganism is a healthy and natural dietary choice.

Recipe: Asian Seitan "Chickn" Pasta Salad

2011-03-28T06:34:00.001-05:00

This is probably my favorite recipe that I've concocted since becoming vegan. My husband loved this recipe too...its sweet, yet savory and has a subtle Asian flair to it. Its easy to throw together and it would be great for picnics or family get-togethers too; pasta salads only get better with time, once its had a chance to marinate in the salad dressing for awhile. The cabbage adds a nice touch to the dish, and I'm usually not a huge cabbage fan. This salad's ingredients have a nice crunch and freshness to them, which is very refreshing. The seitan "chicken" was pretty believable as well and so much cheaper than buying pre-made faux chicken from the grocery store.

Ingredients:
1 lb 100% semolina rotini noodles
4 carrots (diced)
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup frozen peas (thawed)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1/2 cup diced scallions

Asian Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
3 TB agave nectar
2 TB soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp prepared wasabi paste
1 tsp ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Seitan "Chickn"
1 cup vital wheat gluten
3 TB nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp Better Than Boullion "No Chicken" Base (2 tsp for boiling the seitan in)
1/2 cup hot water
1 TB olive oil
1 TB soy sauce
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried tarragon (optional)
salt/pepper to taste

If you want a better idea of how to make and prepare seitan, check out my blog entry on the subject. The only real difference is that I use no chicken base in this batch of seitan and its what I use to boil it as well. After they are done boiling, you can fry them up in a bit of olive oil if you want it to be a bit more crispy. Another tip: make a double batch and use the rest of the seitan in another meal you are making that week!

Directions:
1. Prepare and cook seitan. Fry it up if you'd like (this step is optional)
2. Boil and prepare the rotini noodes until they are aldente.
3. Rinse the noodles off with cold water until they are room temperature.
4. Thaw the frozen peas in the microwave, but don't cook too long (you don't want soggy peas!)
5. Chop/dice carrots, red pepper, scallions, and cabbage.
6. Whisk together the salad dressing ingredients.
7. Mix everything together in a large bowl and toss in the salad dressing.
8. Let cool for a few hours if you have the time, or eat as is (its good either way!)
*Top with extra fresh ground pepper if you'd like before serving!

My Experiences with Emotional Eating and Self Esteem

2011-03-20T10:30:00.000-05:00

I grew up in a household where we ate a lot of processed foods and had a limited range of meals we usually ate and experienced. In my household, every meal had to have meat (my father insisted). This is a traditional view held by many households in the midwest, so it was just a way of life for me. I always felt heavy, and weighed down after my meals...but this wouldn't stop me from having seconds. I grew up with that "clean your plate" mentality, even if the portion size was too large for my small frame (yes, I used to be a skinny lil' brat). My body psychologically thought it wasn't full until I had seconds, even if it was protesting physically by causing me to vomit.

Most girls talk about their eating disorders when they hit their teen years; I actually started out my eating disorder when I was around 4 years old. I would literally eat until I would make myself sick. I'm still not 100% sure why I had so many problems, but it was like I had a psychological disconnect between the food I put on my plate and into my body and the food I actually needed to nourish myself. That happens when you treat food as a reward, or a comfort, instead of a fuel to power your body to do the things it needs to do. I'm not going to go into detail about my family problems on the internet, but lets just say my house wasn't a happy one for the most part. My father was verbally abusive towards me and I felt afraid to be who I was. He also favored my sister over me, which gave me a inferiority complex. No matter what I did, I was compared to her. She was her highschool class valedictorian. I'm not stupid, I got good grades in school (I currently have about 3.5 in university); but how do you compete with a sister who gets straight A's and is an overachiever?

I threw myself into activities, hoping I would feel accepted and find a purpose, but I still felt that lacking inside. I had (and still have) a hard time relating and connecting to people sometimes because I have a lot of issues with trust and self esteem. I spent a lot of time in my room, reading and imagining a way outside of my mind and my crippling self doubt. I used food to self medicate when I was feeling depressed, as many people do when they feel helpless or are avoiding the real problems. It became a compulsion for me. Even though I was involved in physical activities like show choir and P.E., I still gained weight and felt uncomfortable with my body.

I naturally have a larger body frame, I've accepted that. But at the time, I felt like I didn't fit in. I had acne, I wore hand me downs, and I was really different compared to others in my grade. (My graduating class in highschool was only 90 kids!) I stood out and got picked on for it. I was bullied a lot and I struggled to find a way to fit into any group, even if they were petty and cliquey. I ended up leaving a particular group of friends because they were catty and one girl in particular found joy in torturing and bullying her supposed "friends." They continued to torment me and it was such a small school it was hard to avoid it. I ended up making friends with a couple of girls who joined our class in 7th grade and that helped immensely. They listened to the same music as me and had similar interests. I also threw myself into my schoolwork and activities to boost my self-esteem, which helped, but wasn't enough to stop my emotional eating.

Even though I wasn't severely overweight (maybe a bit chubby) in my mind I was a huge, gross monster. When we are in our teen years, we have such a hard time with body image, and no wonder why. We are bombarded with magazines, movies and fashion spreads that ignore and neglect women who are larger than a size 6. Things have improved a bit for larger girls since then; there are many brave women out there who are proud of who they are no matter what size they are. Stores are carrying larger sizes now; it used to be a struggle to find a size 13 in a normal store. When I was a teen, I ended up wearing ill-fitting, uncomfortable clothes because that's all that was available to me.

Without my artwork and my ambition to make something out of my life, I don't know where I'd be today. The act of making something with my hands and mind has given me a true and healthy outlet for any troubling feelings and thoughts I have. I like being able to create something bigger than myself and my own problems. This interest has naturally lead me into exploring makeup artistry, which has also helped boost my self confidence. I love being able to share that area of my life with girls starting out in makeup too...anything I can do to help boost others self-esteem makes everything I went through worth it. If I didn't have so many struggles and difficulties, I might not be as empathetic as I am today, and I've learned to be grateful for that quality. Veganism has also given me such inspiration and drive in my life. Its helped to take me out of my head and concentrate on larger, worldwide issues. The more I give and help others, the more whole I feel inside. I'm not going to say things are perfect now, because they aren't. Living by your ideals is not an easy way to live.

Yes, I'm married and very much in love with my husband. He supports me and is the best friend I've ever had. I have a few close friends who are always there for me, and I love and cherish them. Its difficult because I live in a college town, and many of friends have moved away (I don't blame the either, I would move if I could too). Yes, I am finding my purpose and place in life...but things are never easy in this life. I've had to work hard to get where I am and sometimes my husband and I barely break even.

Even thought things aren't perfect for me, I'm proud to say that I'm dealing with the root causes of my emotional eating and self esteem problems. I'm working hard on forgiving myself and others who have inflicted emotional pain on me, whether they were aware of it or not. Emotional abuse takes just as much of a toll on a person as physical abuse. Sometimes its harder to diagnose because the bruising is on the inside instead of the outside. I am dealing with it, and reteaching myself healthy eating habits. I no longer view food as an outlet to escape pain. I view it as a way to nourish and support my body, my immune system, and to explore various cultures.

Some healthy eating habits I'm developing:

I don't count calories or hate myself if I gain a pound here or there.
I am working on portion control, that helps a lot. You can eat what you want, just monitor how much....ask yourself if you really need that second portion of food.
I wait 10 minutes after I eat, if I'm still hungry I'll allow myself a bit more.
I treat dessert as a treat, not a normal part of my everyday meals.
I make healthy, interesting meal plans and stick to them.
I make a grocery list and stick pretty close to it whenever I go shopping.
I eat fruit when I get a sweet tooth and blend my own smoothies.
I'm finding healthy snacks: apples, bananas, carrots, oatmeal, cereal, and 1 piece of bread w/ peanut butter
I drink a lot more fluids. Sometimes when you think you are hungry, your body is just thirsty.
I make sure to think about vitamins, nutrients, and minerals when I eat. I ask myself: is this food contributing to goals I have with my health, or hindering it? If its not, I make myself limit my portions.
I drink apple cider vinegar to help boost my metabolism and encourage healthy digestion.

Since January 1st, 2011, I've lost about 18 pounds. I didn't do it by obsessively dieting, by shaming myself, or by exercising a crazy amount (I need to do that more though for my health though). I did it by not using my food as a tool to treat my depression. I did it by cutting out the crap (processed foods, meat, cheese, processed sugars). I'm learning my triggers and learning to avoid them or deal with them when they come up. I'm taking time to better myself and be healthier in mind and body. Its a process and its not something that you are ever completely healed from, but things do get easier. Life is hard enough without punishing yourself and your body. Love yourself, no matter what size you are. Don't hold onto the past, forgive. If you don't like your situation, work on changing it. Do what you can and don't worry so much. Life is too short to be wrapped up in shallow, petty self hating. You are worth the effort, and you can do anything as long as you allow yourself to believe that.

Cruelty-Free List Update: Added 2, Removed 1

2011-03-10T19:41:00.003-06:00

I was so happy to hear that the UK chain of drugstores has been BUAV approved (leaping bunny certified), which as of February of this year means they no longer do any kind of animal testing, nor or they involved in any form of 3rd party testing! So I’m proud to add Superdrug brand products my cruelty-free list. (*Note-if I’m adding products that are not from the U.S., I will denote which country they are from on the list). I also added their brand of affordable makeup, MUA. I can’t verify if any of it is vegan though, just cruelty-free.

On a sadder note, I don’t feel 100% confident that Clarins is completely cruelty-free because of a letter from the company that one of my readers sent to me:

“The ingredients we use are purchased from specialist suppliers who produce a safety file, conforming to European regulations, for each raw ingredient they sell. We will always request a copy of this documentation to ensure that an ingredient is safe to use for cosmetic purposes, but at no time do we demand or commission animal tests.”

To me, this sounds like they are avoiding coming out and saying that they are 100% cruelty-free. Its up to you if you still want to purchase products from them, but I personally don’t trust their statement, especially since European regulations haven’t completely put a stop to animal testing at this point in time. I get the feeling that 3rd party testing is involved, so I’ve taken them off of my list.

Vegan Makeup: Physicians Formula

2011-03-09T21:29:00.005-06:00

I am in the process of contacting Physicians Formula to verify if a few other products/ingredients are vegan. I do have a list of their vegan products that I have currently verified to be vegan by researching their ingredients via the Physician's Formula website. I really commend them for putting all of their ingredients on their website; it makes research much easier for me and more convient than trying to sort through ingredients in a crowded drugstore. The reason I didn't include a lot of the Mineral Wear line is because the brushes supplied with some of the products are made out of animal hair, so I dont consider those to be vegan (or cruelty-free for that matter).

*Disclaimer: I am not a scientist and cannot verify a product's safety. Check all of the ingredients on the Cosmetic Database before use:

Eyes:

Brow Definer Automatic Brown Pencil (all shades)
Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio (automatic pencil liners) all shades

Eye Definer Automatic Eye Pencil (all shades)

Face:

Mineral Wear Talc-Free Liquid Foundation (all shades)

Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Pressed Face Powder (all shades)
Concealer Twins 2-in-1 Correct and Cover Cream Concealer

Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Correcting Pebbles

Mineral Wear 100% Face Brightener (all shades)

Bronzers:

Healthy Wear Bronzer (all shades)

Bamboo Wear Bamboo Silk Bronzer Refill (all shades)

Bronze Booster Glow-Boosting Pressed Bronzer (all shades)

Makeup Removers:
Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Makeup Remover Towelettes
Oil-Free Eye M/U Remover Pads for Normal to Oily Skin

New Company Added!: One Bath and Body

2011-03-09T18:54:00.003-06:00

One of my subscribers contacted One Bath and Body and confirmed that they are a cruelty-free company, so I added them to the list! Their products are sold online and at some Targets. They have 100% recyclable cardboard packaging to create less land-fill waste which I think is really amazing! I can’t wait to try some of their products and do a review for all of you! And they are a 100$% vegan company as well!

Buy One Bath and Body Products Online: http://www.onebathandbody.com/

Here’s their cruelty-free statement:

Thank you so much for your email, I am proud to answer your four questions with NO. One also uses NO animal byproducts so we are Vegan friendly. I hope as you try other One items you will give me your thoughts as we thrive to always improve our line. Please feel free to contact me direct anytime, I want to make sure you enjoy everything about One and if not, I want to know!

I have two goals, make great products for our customers and second set an example for other companies that you can develop product that uses no plastics, we as a nation are currently adding 40+ Billion bottles to landfills each year taking up to 1,000 years to biodegrade. I just hope One can be part of changing that then we all can have a cleaner healthier planet.

Please do not forget us on Face Book and Twitter, we do fun TGIF trivia on FB for free One stuff!!

Best regards,

Glenn

First Impressions: Stila One Step Makeup (Fair)

2011-03-09T01:30:00.004-06:00

Here’s what Stila says about this foundation:

Primer, foundation, concealer and powder all in one easy step! This skin-loving formula combines the benefits of four complexion-perfecting products with 100% mineral pigments to deliver one high performance, high definition, long wearing, luxurious formula. The medium coverage foundation is buildable and blendable and leaves skin looking flawless.One Step Makeup is energized with Stila’s Youth Revival Bio-available Mineral Complex – 15 ionically charged minerals that read and react to all your skins needs.

I just got Stila’s One Step Makeup in the shade fair. It retails for $44, but amazon.com sells its for $18. I’m trying out vegan foundations, and I thought this one sounded perfect for me. It is a multi-purpose product, perfect for days when you just want to get out the door as quick as possible. It includes primer, foundation, concealer, and sets to a powder finish.

You do have to apply it with your fingers…its much too thick to apply with a brush, but it blends out amazingly and doesn’t look cakey or streaky. The trick is to pat it into the skin, not to rub too hard (this is what Stila recommends to do anyway). It covers up redness and acne scarring really well too; it probably helps that it has a slightly yellow undertone, but it really blends into the skin and looks natural. I’m not sure I’d say that it completely covers up all of my acne, but its not a full coverage foundation so I didn’t expect it too. I honestly hate the look of full coverage foundations; I prefer to use concealer on trouble spots for a more natural look anyway. I will update you guys if it makes me break out or if I get super oily, but so far so good.

Ingredients: Dimethicone, Water (Aqua), Isododecane, Hydrogenated Didecene, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Tribehenin, Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Phenoxyethanol, Tropolone, Methicone, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Disodium Edta, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Kaolin, Malachite Extract, Illite, Montmorillonite, Smithsonite May Contain (+/-) Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499) .

Apple Cider Vinegar Cures Acne?

2011-03-09T00:56:00.002-06:00

I’ve been having trouble with hormonal cystic acne for so long, but I think I’ve finally found something that’s working internally for me. We only think to solve our acne problems by dealing with the skin and the surface problems. A lot of the time, the problem lies internally. If our digestion isn’t working properly, toxins are released through the skin causing breakouts.

I’ve been doing some reading into drinking Apple Cider Vinegar for acne. I’ve heard of it being used as a toner, but not drinking it to cure acne.

Here’s an excerpt from this article about ACV’s health benefits (and you have to use Bragg’s ACV or vinegar that is organic and not heavily filtered for the best benefits):

Natural Apple Cider Vinegar is a wonderful natural cure for a number of ailments which usually require antibiotics and other medications that have a number of side effects. In particular, Apple Cider Vinegar has been known to:

Reduce sinus infections and sore throats
Balance high cholesterol
Cure skin conditions such as acne
Protect against food poisoning
Fight allergies in both humans and animals
Prevent muscle fatigue after exercise
Strengthen the immune system
Increase stamina
Increase metabolism which promotes weight loss
Improve digestion and cure constipation
Alleviate symptoms of arthritis and gout
Prevents bladder stones and urinary tract infections

The acne.org forum has had a lot of success drinking it internally to prevent acne from forming, and have said that it adds a glow to the skin. I’ve decided to be a test subject and I will let you guys know how it works. So far, so good! My cystic acne has been healing up and no new cysts have formed in the last few days. Plus my skin feels softer, and its the only change I’ve made in my skin care. You probably want to dilute the vinegar, as an strong acid is bad for your teeth and can burn your throat. I drink 2 TB in a bit of water once a day. I may try twice a day if I can stomach it…it does taste kind of gross, but diluting it does help. Anything I can do to improve my skin and health that is safe and natural I will try!

My Veggie Beauty website is Up and Running!

2011-03-08T04:50:00.001-06:00

I'm proud to announce that after 2 months of planning and creating my website, www.veggiebeauty.com is ready to debut! My husband is a graphic designer and taught himself how to use wordpress to create dynamic websites. I wrote the content for the site and helped draw and design its overall look with my husband. It was a lot of work, but I'm so happy with all the new doors this website will open for me and for my cruelty-free research.

Features:

My Cruelty-free list divided into categories (dental care, oral care, hair care etc...)

Cruelty-free statements from companies

Recipes

My youtube videos (divided into categories)

Dynamic links and automatic updates

Online Store (featuring my hand painted purses & shoes and my paintings)

Custom Order Form (allows you to order a custom item through my website)

F.A.Q. on Animal Testing

Form Letter to Contact Companies

I'm very proud of how it turned out! I will be selling my 100% vegan, cruelty-free mineral cosmetics through my website as well, so I'll keep you update on that! The line will be called Pumpkin and Poppy Cosmetics because the colors for the line will be inspired by plants, flowers, vegetables, and fruits.

I hope all of you check out my website and let me know what you think of it! If you are looking into creating your own website using wordpress, my husband is accepting freelance work to build up his portfolio. He works are reasonable rates and is really great at what he does. If you want to check out his graphic design work, his portfolio is:

www.kierancutsforth.com. His email is: kieran.cutsforth@gmail.com

Let me know if you check it out and if you have any suggestions for additions or improvements:)

Recipe: Broccoli Cashew Alfredo w/ Roasted Red Peppers

2011-03-01T05:46:00.001-06:00

One of my fave pre-vegan dishes was Alfredo. This is one dish I wouldn't try to sub with vegan cheese like Follow Your Heart or Daiya Cheese. It wouldn't have the creamy texture which is so essential to an Alfredo type sauce. That's where the cashews come in; they already have oils in them so when you blend them in a blender or food processor, you get such a lovely, decadent sauce...and dare I say that they have a creamier, yummier taste than the other kind of Alfredo without all the guilt and cholesterol?

Ingredients:
1 1b Penne pasta
1 1/2 cups cashews (soaked for an hour in hot water)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 jar roasted red peppers (chopped)
4 cloves garlic minced
1 sm. red onion (chooped)
2 cups fresh broccoli
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (optional)
1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp italian seasoning (or oregano)
1 1/2 TB lemon juice
1 1/2 TB olive oil (to blend in sauce)
some oil to saute red onion and roasted
1 cup hot water (to blend the sauce)
fresh ground pepper and salt to taste

First things first, for my version of cashew Alfredo, you are going to need to pre soak your cashews. I use a tin from ALDI which costs about $2.19 (it ends up being about 1 1/2 cups of cashews). I let mine soak for about an hour, but if you have longer, the sauce will be a creamier texture. While your cashews are soaking, you can prepare and chop your onion, roasted red peppers, broccoli, and mince your garlic cloves.

For the next part, you will need either a food processor or blender. If you are using a blender, make sure to scrap down the sides a few times between blending to make sure everything is blended evenly into the sauce. At this point put into the blender your sauce ingredients: cashews, garlic, lemon juice, pepper, olive oil, and 1 cup boiling hot water. Blend until creamy, it should smell really yummy at this point!

Get some water boiling for your penne pasta while you saute the red onion and roasted red peppers with a bit of olive oil on medium heat. Transfer the cashew sauce after about 5 minutes and heat through. Add the parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, and italian seasoning. You can add a cup and half of marinara sauce at this point if you want, its completely optional. I like to add it to make the sauce go farther, and plus I really love creamy tomato sauces!

Once your water is brought to a rolling boil, dump your penne in the pot. After about 3 minutes (to save on the clean up work!) add the broccoli in with the pasta. When the noodles are done (usually takes about 8 minutes total) rinse the broccoli and pasta with a bit of warm water (this helps to blanch the broccoli and keeps it that fresh, bright green color).

It serves about 6, so you can have seconds if you want! It tastes great the next day too, but heck, anytime is good for some pasta (yes, I'm a pasta-holic, and proud of it!)

Be a Book Moocher!

2011-02-26T14:16:00.001-06:00

You guys need to check out www.bookmooch.com. Its a great way to recycle your old books and give them to people who will actually read them. Once your book is “mooched” (someone requests it) you send it to them and then you recieve one book mooch point. That means you can pick any book that members post (it doesn’t have to be from that person). You really have to search through the books as there are a lot of duds in the bunch, but stock your wishlist full of requests. Once a book is available from your wishlist, bookmooch will let you know via email. You have to pounce on it, as other members might want that book too, but I’ve been lucky so far.

So far, I’ve recieved:

a hard cover copy of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

It by Stephen King

Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

They only $ you have to pay is shipping costs, which aren’t that big of a deal. usually if you buy books online you have to pay for the book and the shipping. I also love that I can declutter my bookshelf and giveaway books that other people might enjoy more than me.

CHEAP Imported Vegan Beer Alert!

2011-02-20T15:17:00.005-06:00

Sooo….I decided to do some vegan beer investigation. Since I wanted to make sure my favorite cheap imported beer (ALDI’s $5.99 Wernesgruner Pilsner) was vegan friendly, I contacted ALDI who contacted the German company where they brew the beer and I got this message back:

Kristy,

Thank you for your inquiry about the Wernesgruner Pilsner. You will be glad to know that this beer does on contain any animal ingredients and animal products are not used in the making of this product. Therefore, this is considered a vegan-friendly product.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Thank you,

Greg Sabatke

Prestige Wine Group

Yay!

Borscht: Bright Purple Eastern European Power Food!

2011-02-18T16:29:00.001-06:00

I bet none of you thought that vegetables could "bleed," but after working with beets I'm not so sure! Okay, now seriously they can't "bleed" in a traditional sense because they don't actually have blood, but unless you're careful, your hands, cutting board, and anything you touch will turn a bright fushia purple color. Which isn't such a bad thing, because the stunning deep fushia color of my soup made the mess entirely worth it. I would recommend investing in some latex gloves if you don't want your hands dyed purple.

I have avoided working with beets for a long time because I remembered eating pickled beets as a child and hating them. They were a weird mix of sweet and sour, and the I admit the color was a bit off putting. Since becoming a vegetarian, I kept seeing recipes for Borscht popping up in every single vegetarian cookbook I read. I must admit, the deep purple of soup looked gorgeous, and the ingredients sounded affordable and healthy. I finally got around to trying out this Eastern European staple this week. I've made it my goal to expand my repertoire of vegetables that I'm comfortable eating and preparing. I have the perfect excuse to do this since becoming vegan this year. It keeps my meal planning exciting and I look forward to discovering new flavors and ways to get heathy nutrients into my meals.

There are many different versions of borscht, depending on what region of Europe you get your recipe from. The recipe I chose to use had a nice, simple balance of the basics. I can't give the recipe, because I got it from a copyrighted cookbook. Here are a list of the ingredients I used though:
Beets, Cabbage, Carrots, Celery, Onion, Diced Tomatoes, Vegetable Stock, Organic Sugar, Apple Cider Vinegar, Dill Weed, Salt and Pepper.

Borscht Tips:

Grate one beet if you want to give you soup a deep purple color
Julianne the beets and carrots to give the soup a beautiful presentation
Keep things simple and don't over season.

Here's some links to some different vegan variations. Pick which one you'd like to use based on your particiular tastes and what you have on hand:

Borscht with Potatos

Ukrainian Red Borscht Soup

As you can see, its a very simple, hearty, homey unpretentious soup (which happen to be one of my favorite kinds of meals to eat and prepare). A lot of recipes suggest adding sour cream or yogurt, but I decided to try mine without. If you want to do that, I highly recommend the Tofutti brand of sour cream, its vegan and delicious.

If you are still afraid to try beets, may I persuade you with the added health benefits of this particular vegetable?

Health Benefits of Beets:

They are great for dieters, as they have no saturated fats and are very low on calories for the amount of carbohydrates they supply.
They are loaded with magnesium, calcium, iron, and phosperous.
Beets have folic acid which helps aid in new cell production
Studies have shown that they reduce the risk of colon cancer and heart disease
Betacyanin is the purple pigment in beets that helps to fight cancer

Vegan Gourmet Pizza with Artichokes and Cilantro Pesto

2011-02-15T12:08:00.003-06:00

My husband and I are on a strict budget, so Valentines Day dinner for us had to happen at home this year. To be honest, there aren't that many great vegan choices at restaurants in our town. I remember how disappointed we were 2 years ago when we went to a fancy New Orleans style restaurant, only discover that their only vegetarian option was a bland spaghetti marinara that I have made ten times more flavorful at home. If we want tasty vegan options, I need to whip out my own culinary skills, which is fine by me because then I don't have to tip!

On the menu for our romantic dinner was a gourmet vegan pizza. I remembered my last pizza since I went vegan was a cheese-less Pizza Hut delivery pizza that was kind of soggy. I knew that I could do better and that veganizing a pizza wouldn't be rocket science.

I ended up using a whole-wheat pizza crust recipe from vegweb.com. You can use whatever recipe you'd like, but I like using whole wheat crust because its healthier than white all-purpose flour. In the past, I've had trouble getting my dough to rise, but I had no problem with this recipe.

Pizza dough tips:

make sure your yeast isn't expired
use warm water with the yeast, not hot or cold.
Set your oven on warm; cover your dough in plastic wrap in a bowl, set in the oven for about an hour. This provides a nice warm, dark, draft free environment for the yeast to work its magic.

Instead of pizza sauce, I decided to use pesto to make it a bit more fancy. I adore pesto, but its so damn expensive! That's because pine nuts are like $60 per lb! No thank you. I decided to try a more affordable version, based off ingredients in a recipe from Get It Ripe: A Fresh Take on Vegan Cooking and Living. I recommend checking out this book; it not only has delicious, nutritious recipes, it has about 100 pages about vegan nutrition.

I'm posting my version of cilantro pesto since I only used the recipe for ingredient inspiration. I used my own measurements, herbs, and a few special touches.

Cheap Cilantro Pesto

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (salted and roasted)

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (roasted)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 large bunch of fresh cilantro (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 TB nutritional yeast

1 TB vegan parmesan (optional)

freshly ground pepper (to taste)

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

Pizza Toppings

1 block "Monterey Jack" Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese (grated)

1/2 medium onion (diced)

1/4 cup sliced black olives

1 jar Grandessa Artichoke Salad from ALDI

(or you can use green olives and a can of artichoke hearts)

1 (16 oz.) can diced tomatoes

freshly ground black pepper and 1 tsp oregano sprinkled on top of the "cheese"

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Roll out your dough on a large cookie sheet. Make sure to sprinkle the sheet with cornmeal to keep the crust from sticking.

2. Spread the pesto with a spatula over the dough, leaving about an inch around the edge of the dough. Brush olive oil on the outer crust.

3. Spread out your toppings over the pesto. Sprinkle the "cheese" on top of the ingredients.

4. Top with freshly ground pepper and oregano. Bake for 35 minutes. Slice into 8 pieces and enjoy!

*Quick Review on Follow Your Heart Monterey Jack: It tasted delicious..it did melt, but was a bit watery. I've heard that daiya melts better on pizza, but its about $5.69 per bag:/ I thought the Follow Your Heart was a delicious, if not perfect cheese alternative. If you are super picky, maybe invest an extra $1 and buy the daiya.

Walnut Puttanesca with Roasted Asparagus

2011-02-10T03:16:00.004-06:00

I really love how versatile pasta dishes are. I ran out of the nutritional yeast I was going to use to make an Alfredo type sauce with, so I had to come up with something equally tasty for dinner using what I had on had. I've been trying to branch out from solely cooking marinara sauces, because they do get a little boring when you eat them every week.

ALDI had some beautiful asparagus that I just had to buy when I went grocery shopping (it was only $2.99 for a huge amount!). I didn't know what I was going to use it for though, I thought maybe I'd just cook it up as a side dish. I decided to use it in my pasta dish tonight, which ended up being my version of pasta puttanesca, which literally translates in Italian to mean "whore's pasta." Yep, that's right, look it up if you don't believe me! A puttanesca sounded like a fun mix of color and flavor...so even though I'm not very crazy about the name, the dish itself is a great concept.

The original recipe has a bunch of anchovies, olives, capers, etc...so this recipe is tweaked to my tastes and dietary needs as a vegan. The thing I love about a puttanesca is the unique jumble of flavors you can throw together using what you have in your pantry and stuff you need to use up in your fridge. Its a very economical dish in that sense, where anything goes as long as you balance flavors. So if you aren't a fan of any of these ingredients, that's totally fine, just substitute what you like or have on hand.

Ingredients:
1 lb 100% semolina pasta or whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
20 stalks of asparagus, chopped in thirds
1 small yellow onion
10 medium sized mushrooms sliced (I just used white mushrooms)
1 (16 oz.) can diced tomatoes
6 small cloves of garlic, minced (or 4 large ones)
1 tsp ground thyme
1 1/2 TB balsamic vinegar
2 TB extra virgin olive oil (for roasting asparagus)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to drizzle on noodles and to saute' ingredients)
crushed red pepper to taste (optional)
lemon pepper and/or fresh ground pepper to taste
salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle EVOO on rimmed roasting pan and mix together the asparagus in the oil on the pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven for about a 30 minutes, stirring once.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and cook noodles till al dente.

3. Chop up your vegetables: mushrooms, onion, and mince garlic. Also, add the walnuts at this point. Saute' on medium heat in a large skillet, and add the can of diced tomatoes and after 10 minutes.

4. Transfer asparagus to the skillet with your Puttanesca sauce. Add balsamic vinegar, seasonings and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Drain and rinse noodles. Add your sauce to your serving of the dish, and drizzle EVOO to taste. This step is optional, but it adds so much flavor!

Serves 4 healthy sized appetites!

This was so incredibly delicious and healthy! The walnuts provide a nice crunch and texture, and bring a ton of protein and omega 3's for brain health to the dish. Tomatoes provide lycopene, which is a substance that contains antioxidants that help fight off illnesses. Pasta provides carbs, which we do need in a moderate amount in our diets for energy, no matter what Dr. Atkins would like you to think. Olive oil has a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, which actually help fight heart disease, and olive oil also contains those all important antioxidants. I really need to eat more asparagus, especially after reading this article about 8 health benefits of asparagus.

My husband loved it said "it was savory and the fresh asparagus was delicious", so we also have a husband approved recipe here (he still loves his cheese too and isn't a 100% vegan). It is so inspiring and fun to cook vegan foods, I feel so much more creative when I plan my meals and I don't have the heavy, weighed down feelings of guilt and indigestion anymore.

Official Cruelty-Free Statement: Sonia Kashuk

2011-02-08T20:42:00.003-06:00

This was the official statement I received regarding the Sonia Kashuk makeup line, which is available in many Targets. Go check them out, they are cruelty-free, no 3rd party testing! I don’t agree with them using animal hair brushes, but sadly most makeup companies still make them. They do have several synthetic options though, which is nice!

Actual email:

We are working on our website and the actual certification for cruelty-free.. In the meantime see below….

On 2/6/11 1:21 PM, “Kristy Cutsforth” <kristycutsforth@gmail.com> wrote:

I am doing cruelty-free research, and I couldn’t find a cruelty-free
statement on your website. I had some questions to verify that you are a
100% cruelty free company:

1. Does Sonia Kashuk test on animals? never
2. Is Sonia Kashuk owned or affiliated with any companies that test on
animals? Owned by Target corporation and I believe they do not test on animals
3. Are your ingredients tested on animals by a 3rd party or by the
manufacturer? No

extended info: In the case when we have natural hair makeup brushes these are also 100% cruelty free as no animals are hurt in this process

I would really appreciate this info, and thank you very much for your time!

Tips for Healthy Grocery Shopping

2011-02-07T18:15:00.002-06:00

I cannot emphasize how important it is to make a meal plan before you go out grocery shopping, especially as a new vegan or vegetarian. Its easy to be swayed by all the bright, shiny packaging and new items that grocery stores try to tempt us with. If you want to avoid unhealthy, processed foods, dairy, and meat...make a grocery list and stick to it. I'm not saying that if you see a sale on some fresh produce that you should skip out on it because its not on your list, but it is a good policy to stay pretty close to the items you've written down.

My husband and I eat pretty much all of our meals at home, which makes our grocery bill seem a bit higher than most. But think about it...you go out to eat, get a couple of drinks and dessert, you can easily spend around $40 in just one night. Our average for 7 days (including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, cat food/ litter, household items, cleaning supplies and alcohol) ends up being around $100 per week. Do the math...3 meals a day, plus snacks for 2 people, that's not too shabby. And the majority of our diet is produce, which can seem a bit pricy...but remember, you aren't paying for dairy and meat which can be very expensive too.

I honestly don't mind spending a bit more money buying produce and whole foods because I look at it as a health insurance policy. We save hundreds of dollars in health care bills because we simply don't get sick. I'm being totally serious. Besides my dental issues, I haven't gotten sick in over 2 years...not one cold, fever, nada. People underestimate how important fruits and veggies in your diet are when it comes to boasting your immunity to illness. You don't need to take vitamin supplements if you are making smart meal plans and eating the right foods.

I recommend getting a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian cookbooks. There are a lot of free vegan recipes online if you can't afford to buy cookbooks. I look for recipes that are low in saturated fats and have a grain, protein, and a mixture of vegetables. I try to eat a wide variety of vegetables every week to make sure I get all of the different vitamins and nutrients I need to keep me healthy. So don't just eat broccoli all week long; keep a good healthy variety of produce in the mix.

Fat-free is not something I'd recommend in your diet. You need "good fats" to be healthy, just make sure its in moderation. Avocados are an excellent source of healthy oils (I adore guacamole!) Extra virgin olive oil is an absolute staple in my household, I use it for sauteing, salad dressings, and yes, skincare! Canola oil is a good replacement for butter/shortening when you are baking because it has a neutral taste and is one of the healthier oils.

Try to stick to "brown" grains when you are shopping, especially if budget isn't an issue. White rice as been processed and stripped of some of its nutrients. I do keep some on hand though because it is very cheap and is still good for you. My favorite grains to cook with: quinoa (its a complete protein!), couscous, basmati brown rice, barley, and oats. I also get whole wheat bread as well for the same reasons. I'm not a huge fan of whole wheat pasta, but I don't eat pasta that often anyway. I make sure the pasta I do eat is 100% semolina with no eggs though.

I also try to keep a good variety of nuts on hand. You do want to make sure to not gorge yourself as nuts as they are high in saturated fats, but in moderation they are power house foods. For example: walnuts are not only a good source of protein, they are also high in B vitamins (something you need to monitor on a vegan diet) and high in omega 3's which are essential for brain health and function. They've also been shown to reduce the risk of coronary disease when eaten in moderation! My favorite nuts: peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios. You should also keep seeds on hand for salads and snacks, I personally love sunflower seeds on salads and in homemade trail mixes.

Protein is something that many people worry about when they switch to a vegan diet. You don't need to worry, vegetable sources of protein are very easy to incorperate into a vegan diet.

Here's a great article about vegetable protein sources

A lot of new vegans buy Bocca Burgers and overly processed faux meats to get their protein. Not only is this unhealthy, its also very expensive. I recommend using beans as the main source of your protein. My favorites: black beans, garbanzo beans, and kidney beans. Lentils are also an amazing and versatile protein source. I love using them in soaps and Indian dishes. Red lentils don't need to be soaked like other bagged beans and they cook up in about 40 minutes! Quinoa, which I've mentioned before, is also a complete protein source that is low in calories and perfect for those on a diet! Its not a grain (its a seed), although its used just like a grain in many recipes. Tofu is another good protein source, but I would eat it in moderation (and only organic, no GMO tofu). If you eat too much soy, it can cause an increase in estrogen among other issues, but this is only if you are eating it in huge quantities everyday. Seitan (wheat meat) is a delicious source of protein made out of vital wheat gluten. It has the chewy, stringy texture of meat and I use homemade seitan in place of many faux meats you find in the grocery store.

As far as vegetables go, the sky is the limit! Eat a wide variety of colors and you will be getting well balanced nutrition and vitamins. Dark leafy greens will keep you a high source of plant based calcium which is actually absorbed by the bones much easier than dairy based calcium. Carrots and other orange/yellow vegetables and fruits contain high sources of Vitamin A&C.

Read this article to learn more about healthy fruits and veggies (other than the part about seafood):

http://www.bellybytes.com/articles/29foods.shtml

Staple fruits/veggies in my household: spinach, broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, grape tomatoes, roma tomatoes, mixed greens, celery, zucchini, onions, garlic, eggplant (for special occasions), assorted bell peppers, jalapenos, grapes, apples, oranges, bananas, raisins, cabbage, the list goes on and on.

Other things to keep in mind:

Have a wide variety of condiments, salad dressings, spices, and herbs. Having a variety of flavor enhancers will help make your food more exciting and fun. Mustard is a favorite as its extremely low in calories and tastes delicious on sandwiches and in salad dressings.
Grapeseed Vegenaise makes a great replacement for mayo, and is much healthier and cholesterol free because it contains no dairy or eggs.
Look out for worcestershire sauce when you are looking for BBQ sauce and other sauces as it contains anchovies in it. Also avoid honey in condiments, cereals, etc...
Soy milk is the most widely available non-dairy milk, but make sure to try out other varieties to see what you like: almond milk, coconut milk, hemp milk, rice milk etc...
I use rice/soy 'cheese" on occasion, but I try not to make any processed foods a main part of my diet
Bone char is used to bleach processed sugars, so beware. I use organic sugar; it will have a light brown coloration to it. Other vegan sweeteners to try: agave nectar, 100% pure maple syrup, stevia, and turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw).
Avoid milk chocolates or chocolate with milk-fats in the them. Cocoa powder is vegan, and you can make your own hot chocolate with it. Try using dark chocolate, the higher percentage of cocoa, the more likely it is vegan. Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants, and it is also a mood enhancer. When eating moderation, its actually a healthy part of your diet!
Check out barnivore.com to see if your favorite beers and wines are vegan. Some beers and wines may contain: isinglass (from fish bladders), gelatin, egg whites, and sea shells. Also, vegan beers don't contain any honey.

Here is an example of my grocery list for this week to give you an idea of what we shop for (keep in mind I already have a lot of staples like rice, pasta, flour, nuts, beans etc...on hand in my pantry):
Produce:
Mixed Greens, 2 bags fresh spinach, grape tomatoes, roma tomatoes, asparagus, assorted bell peppers, granny smith apples, dried mixed berries, kale, cilantro, lemon, lime

Canned Goods/Dried Goods: 1 can diced tomatoes, olives, chopped walnuts, low-fat italian dressing, vital wheat gluten, tortillas, 2 cans black beans

Other: Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheddar "Cheese", soy creamer, soy milk (regular), 100% whole wheat bread, hoagie buns, brown dinner rolls

A vegan pantry and fridge may take a while to build up, but its very easy to transition. You need to make eating vegan fun and exciting by trying out lots of different recipes and nationalities of cooking. Don't try to and amass everything at once, over time you will eventually have a wide range of spices, beans, flours, dried good at your disposal.

Remember, shopping vegan is an adventure, not a chore. You will eat a much wider variety of foods than you ever did as an ominvore. No only will the animals and the planet appreciate your decision shop vegan at the grocery store, your body will thank you for making the healthy, ethical choice.

Finding Passion for Makeup Again

2011-02-05T07:39:00.003-06:00

Peacock Look using cruelty-free products

I just did a tutorial on my youtube channel using peacock inspired colors. I have been seeing so many beautiful peacock inspired looks on youtube because of the M.A.C. Peacocky collection, but I've been really down about makeup in general in the last couple of months. This is partially because I recently found out that M.A.C. is not a cruelty-free company and have gotten a lot of hate for pointing this out. I had quite a few people unsubscribe to me for telling the truth, and it just made me feel kind of down about the cruelty-free research I have been doing.

I've recently decided, thanks to the support of my friends in the beauty community, to give makeup a chance again. I'm not going to worry about what makeup everyone is hyping up on youtube. I'm going to use products from companies I can respect, and products I can afford. I'm also excited about the great cruelty-free, and vegan companies I've been adding to my cruelty-free list. I can't wait till I have the funds to try out more brands and get people more excited about cruelty-free makeup. I think it will be kind of rebellious to use products that other bloggers aren't using, it will make the items I use more unique and special. I don't want to use the same products as everyone else, I want colors and products that reflect my interests, budget, and passion for animal rights.

After much reflection, I've decided that I can still enjoy the color and artistry of makeup collections without supporting companies that contribute to animal cruelty. My friend, Heather (barbiedlux on youtube) had a great idea to do cruelty-free dupes of M.A.C. collections. I know I'm a bit behind on the Peacocky collection trend, but her idea really struck a chord with me. When I paint, I don't need to use a certain brand of oil paints to create the colors and overall style that I want. The same idea applies to makeup artistry. The ideas and inspiration come from me and things that inspire me, not from what brand of makeup I use.

I have to say I am inspired by all of the beautiful, bright colors that spring fashion shows are forecasting and the 60's and 70's fashion spreads I've been seeing. I just have to let everyone know that I treat fashion and beauty magazines as a guide when it comes to makeup and fashion, not a bible. I know my blog and my youtube channel are usually focused on my cruelty-free research and vegan interests, but I wouldn't be a beauty blogger if I didn't really LOVE the glamour and beauty of makeup. I really do want to love it again after feeling so negative about it for the last couple of months because of the dishonesty of certain companies. I'm not going to let them take away my passion for makeup, if anything, its made me appreciate the brands I use that do have integrity. I don't need to have expensive, high end up makeup to create beautiful makeup looks. If you have skill, you can make your 100 pc. ELF Palette create any looks that inspire you.

Vegan Chocolate Goodness!

2011-02-02T09:49:00.004-06:00

I had a request to post up some chocolately vegan suggestions and recipes, and I think this is an area that trips up most people. A lot of chocolate chips, processed cookies, and chocolate candies have milk-fat in them. These recipes aren't just for vegans though, they are also great for lactose-intolerant people (which are actually quite a large part of population).

Vegan chocolate ingredients:

Sunspire Chocolate Chips are vegan and can be found at most health food stores or you can order them online at a number of vegan stores.
Click here to order some and other vegan essentials!

If you can't get a hold of sunspire, you may be able to find some dark chocolate chips that have no milk-fat in them, so just read through those ingredients. You can also break up a whole chocolate bar and use the chunks instead of chocolate chips. Just put it in a zip-lock bag and smash it up. I like ALDI brand 55%-85% Moser Roth chocolate bars, they are vegan imported chocolates! Yum!

Cocoa powder is already vegan, as long as its not a hot chocolate mix with dried milk.

Ah!laska chocolate syrup is also vegan:
Click here to get some vegan chocolate syrup!

Vegweb.com is a great, free vegan resource if you are trying to find a vegan recipe for your favorite desserts. Here are a few that look super delcious and were well reviewed on the site! I've tried out and personally love the Chewy Gooey Brownies!

Vegan Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Classic Chocolate Chip Recipe
Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
Chewy Gooey Brownies (My Fave!)

I also had a request to post up my Mexican Hot Chocolate Recipe. Its very easy and I think it tastes better than the store bought hot chocolate mixes.

1 TB Dutched Processed Baking Cocoa (or regular works fine too)
1 1/2 TB Organic Sugar
1 1/2 cups soy milk (or whatever non dairy milk you enjoy drinking)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Get a small saucepan. Heat the milk on medium, but don't let it boil or it will get a weird skin on top. Whisk in the sugar and hot cocoa. Then, whisk in the rest of the ingredients. Simmer till is warmed through, but not boiling. Serve immediately!

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burritos

2011-01-28T02:34:00.001-06:00

This is one of my favorite recipes for many, many reasons.

It's super healthy and low-fat. You don't have to add any cooking oil to this for it to taste great...just a little canola oil spray to keep the burritos from burning the oven.
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene and vitamin A!
Black beans are the super power of the bean world. They pack so much healthy protein and taste delectable.
All of the ingredients are cheap. I buy organic black beans for about $1.50 (enough for at least 2 meals). I use the ALDI brand tortillas which are under $2 for 10. And the condiments are something you usually have on hand anyway.
This recipe has a real comfort food feeling, without all of the guilt of a fast food burrito (*ahem* I'm talking about you Taco Hell

Ingredients:

3 monster sized sweet potatoes or 4 smaller ones

1 can beans (or 1/2 cup dried black beans, cooked)

1 red onion (chopped)

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 TB chili powder

3 TB spicy brown mustard

2 TB soy sauce

fresh ground pepper to taste

1/2 TB molasses

8-10 tortillas

canola spray

9"x13" casserole dish

Directions:

I'm a lazy cook, which is why the crockpot is my friend when it comes to beans. You can buy canned beans, but nothing tastes better than home-cooked beans, cooked low and slow in the crock pot. Also, they are a million times cheaper by the bag and create less waste.

As long as you do a bit of meal planning, crockpot cooking couldn't be easier. You can either soak the beans or leave them on low heat overnight. Some beans take longer to cook than others, so just adjust your cooking time accordingly. I find that the "low and slow" method works best if you have at least 8 hours. So set the crockpot while you're at work or while you're sleeping, just don't let the beans over cook or they can get mushy.

When your beans have about an hour left, then you can add salt to taste. Don't add the salt at the beginning, or you will get tough tasting beans. This would be the time to throw your sweet potatoes in the oven. I set my oven at about 400 degree Fahrenheit, poke holes in the tops of the potatos, set them on a lidded pan, and go watch an episode of Desperate Housewives (I know, I'm pathetic:). Cooking time will depend on how big your sweet potatoes are. Sometimes they are skinny and long, and sometimes you get these huge, fat, monster potatoes as big as your head. If you don't have a bunch of time to bake them, you can either choose smaller ones, or microwaving works too.

Now that your potatoes are done (you want them to be mushy, not hard), drain your beans. After this, everything is super quick and easy. Carefully scoop out the insides of the potatoes. I've burned myself many times doing this, but I've found the best way is to use one spoon to hold the potato and the other to grab out the orange stuff. Transfer this to a skillet; add the beans, soy sauce, chili powder, mustard, onion etc...Cook on medium heat until its warmed through.

Your oven should already be set to 400 degrees from cooking your potatoes. Start transferring your mixture into the tortillas. One tip, much sure not to over stuff the tortillas. Add the mixture to the bottom half, fold in the sides a bit, and then wrap it up tight. You should be able to fit 8 burritos into your 9"x13" casserole dish. Make you lightly spray the bottom of the dish so that they don't stick to it. Also, spray the tops of the burritos to keep them from burning. Bake uncovered in the over for about 20-30 minutes, or until they are slightly golden in color. I like to serve mine with hot sauce, but you can eat them as is or top with jalapenos and guacamole.

Now for the pictures!

Home Remedies to Relieve a Tooth Abscess

2011-01-26T20:18:00.001-06:00

Before I get into this blog post, must put up this disclaimer. ALWAYS go see your dentist if you have any tooth problems, as an abscess infection can spread to your facial bones and eat away at them. You can even die if the infection gets to your blood and makes its way to your heart. Its not a pretty picture. You need to get anti-biotics and possibly a root canal as soon as possible.

That said, I totally understand how painful and awful tooth abscess and aches can be. I don't have health insurance right now, and can't afford to get an $800 surgery that I need to get my root canal fixed. Gotta love the U.S. health care system. I went to the free clinic and they said I needed a specialist to get my tooth fixed, so there's nothing they can do except extract my tooth. If the situation gets really bad, I may have to do this, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep my tooth.

So the main thing I'm doing now is trying to prevent infection from occurring. This means I need to use great oral hygiene, but sometimes that's not enough to stop an infection from coming back. I just got tooth pains again after drinking 2 cans of soda after abstaining for about a month...I will never drink soda again:( It rots your teeth, the acids combined with exorbitant amounts of sugars eat away at tooth enamel. No wonder our nation has so many cavities! Damn addictive refined sugars and caffeine!

I was lucky that I had a refill on my amoxicillian that my dentist prescribed from before. I've been taking that 3 times a day to help get rid of my infection internally. This does nothing to deal with the intense pain that comes with an abscess. Also, if you want speed the healing process, you need to help the abscess to drain. Here are some affordable home remedies that I recommend to help relieve the pain and speed the healing process.

Drink a cup of black tea. Use the tea bag and place it on the abscess for an hour. This will ease the swelling and help to draw out the infection from the tooth.
Cloves are a great pain reliever. I only had ground cloves on hand, so I made a mixture of olive oil and clove and applied it to the gum on the infected tooth.
Make sure to keep the area clean and bacteria free by rinsing your mouth with hydrogen peroxide.
Slice a thin amount of raw potato (make sure its clean) and place it on the abscess to draw out infection.
Apply some hydrogen peroxide on a cotton ball and place it on the infected area.
Eat a few cloves of raw garlic. Garlic is a great antibiotic, but only works if its raw.
Eat healthy...try a blueberry smoothie. Not only will it cool your inflammation, the antioxidants will help boost your immune system.
Drink lots of fluids, as always.

What the heck is Seitan?

2011-01-23T23:25:00.001-06:00

When most people hear the word seitan, instantly thoughts go to a demon with red horns. No, its not that...its actually a wheat mock meat that Buddhists have been eating in Asian for centuries. A lot of Asian supermarkets have it canned as "mock duck." There are several different methods and ways you can prepare seitan. Even if you are an omnivore, I bet the taste of this will surprise and delight you. It even has the stringy, chewy texture of meat without the guilt, baggage, and dietary issues that come with eating it. A lot of people are steering away from wheat based foods because of the gluten-free craze that's going around. Yes, its necessary for celiacs to maintain a gluten-free diet, but it won't harm anyone else. Seitan actually contains a lot of healthy, low-fat protein and its way cheaper than buying meat if that's what floats your boat.

One other ingredient you may not recognize is nutritional yeast. Its not the yeast you use to make your bread. Its a great source of vegetarian B12, and has a cheezy, nutty flavor. Its amazing in popcorn, sauces, and spreads. Red Star has a vegetarian support brand, I just use the nutritional yeast from my local health food store. Bob's Red Mill also carries it, and most stores carry that brand (I live in Iowa and they have it here).

What you'll need (I tweaked this recipe a bit from vegweb, here's the main source: (http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=33785.0):
1 cup vital wheat gluten (I use bob's red mill brand)
3 TB nutritional yeast
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 TB canola oil or olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 TB soy sauce

1. Mix the dry ingredients together.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the stock, oil, and soy sauce. Add to the dry ingredients and mix till you form dough
3. Knead the dough on a flat, clean surface (I like to use my cutting board).
4. Roll into a cylinder, and cut into whatever size pieces you'd like (thinner is better).
5. Bring a small saucepan to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can serve the seitan like this, or you can saute in a bit of cooking oil to get the skins to crisp a bit. This will give you a meatier texture.

I used this seitan in my "steak" fajita recipe and worked really well. My husband said it was his favorite meal of the week. Fajitas are pretty versatile, but here's a basic recipe if you want to try out the meal featured in the pictures.

Seitan pieces (recipe above)
3 peppers, chopped (you can use green, red, yellow)
2 jalapenos, diced
1 red onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 TB chili powder
3/4 cup salsa
1 TB cayenne hot sauce
lots of course, fresh ground pepper (fine ground pepper doesn't taste as good)
taco shells or tortillas

Saute the peppers, onions, jalapeno, red onion on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add in the spices: chili, garlic, and pepper. Pour in cayenne sauce and salsa. Mix in the seitan after they are golden. Serve on tortillas or slightly warmed taco shells (microwave about 15 seconds on high).

Vegan Journey: Week 3

2011-01-23T22:30:00.001-06:00

Its getting much easier for me to resist dairy and cheese this week. I had friends over twice, both offering popcorn that had dairy/butter in it, and I turned it down and made my own popcorn on the stove with nutritional yeast, garlic, and seasoning salt. I felt very satisfied and didn't crave the overly buttery microwave popcorn. I find if you can make a suitable vegan alternative for your craving, it goes away almost immediatly. I don't have to deny myself, I just need to be prepared to make my own snacks and food, which I enjoy doing anyway. It was nice that none of my friends made me feel weird; they were very accepting to my veganism actually. I'm sure there will be situations where I'll be around more close-mined individuals, but I feel strong enough to stand up for my beliefs and my own dietary choices.

I shared more information with my husband on dairy farming practices and the health risks of eating dairy, and he's agreed to only eat dairy if we go out to eat. I'm so proud of him, and it was his choice:) He's not denied by any means, I probably do more elaborate, tasty cooking now than I did when I was still using cheese. I find it makes me be more creative with my meal planning and I use a wider variety of grains, vegetables, and fruit when I cook.

I did have a few setbacks, as you may have read in my previous post. I found out that Almay/Revlon are tested by 3rd parties, so I have to find a new foundation to use. I'm not going to be upset by this. I'm going to use it as inspiration to develop my cosmetic line. I will be testing out the Manic Panic foundation and powders as they are vegan and seem to have light enough shades for me (and are in my price range).

I'm a very visual person, and I always gravitate to cookbooks and recipes with pictures. So I decided to do a photo montage of what I made this week. If you want more indepth recipes on anything, let me know:) I'm going to be doing a separate post on the seitan fajitas and give you a bit more info on how to make "wheat meat."

Asian Tofu Salad wrapped up in a tortilla with mixed greens

Chickpea Baja Soft Shell Tacos with grilled pineapple & and an orange ginger sauce

Tomato and Barley Soup with fresh Parsley and Carrots

Black Bean Burgers with Oven Baked French Fries

Vegan French Toast with Mixed Berries and Tofu "eggs"

Seitan Fajitas with Peppers and Red Onions

I will probably do this every week because its fun for me to keep track of the recipes I made...and that way when I'm not sure what I want to make each week, I can look back at my pictures!

Frustration with the word "Cruelty-Free"

2011-01-22T05:51:00.001-06:00

In light of new research, I've disovered that I can no longer ethically use my Almay Clear Complexion foundation. I found out that Revlon, Inc., which owns Almay, Revlon, and Mitchum deoderant (which I just bought for my husband) is only 50% cruelty-free, as they still buy from suppliers that test ingredients on animals. This is extremely frustrating for me, as I feel bad for recommending these products. It infuriates me that companies can call themselves cruelty-free and still contribute to animal suffering knowingly. They aren't doing it for the animals, they are doing it for PR purposes. There is no 100% accurate list as of now, but its my goal to continue to work on own personal list that I feel safe recommending to others who want to be 100% cruelty-free in their makeup and beauty products.

I also found out some new info on PeTA that has made me not trust their list anymore. They don't do a lot of research into the companies they put on their cruelty-free list. They don't look at wording such as, "doesn't test finished product" or "doesn't test unless where legally required." This means that testing is still happening, in one form or another.

Also, PeTA founder, Ingrid Newkirk is waaay too far on the left. She makes vegans and animal activists sound like completely insane nutjobs...she had a quote about dancing on Colonel Sanders grave or something equally ridiculous. I've also done more research into PeTA, and they don't have what's best for animals on their agendas. Do some research on PeTA, you'll find that a lot of time they "rescue" shelter animals, only to put them down. To them, they are being "ethical" so that these animals don't suffer/ aren't enslaved. I call bullshit...I looked up their numbers, they made over $30 million dollars in 2010 alone, are you telling me they couldn't afford to build no-kill shelters and find homes for animals in need? Instead, they decide to spend their funds on endless sexist campaign ads featuring naked celebrities, many of which are pseudo-vegans, meaning they care more about the image of being vegan than the animal rights aspect. Instead of focusing on being "press sluts" (something she actually sounded proud of saying), shouldn't they quit sensationalizing everything and work at saving animals, if that's what they are supposedly all about? Don't even get me started on their ties to terrorist groups, who have been tied to bombing testing laboratories.

So where does that leave me? Extremely frustrated, upset, and disillusioned about the whole "cruelty-free" movement. It is not a joke to me, nor should that label be taken lightly. I'm also frustrated that more girls on youtube don't take a stand on the cruelty free issue. Michele1218 took down her cruelty-free video, which upset me and made the movement seem wishy-washy. I was happy to see a guru I admire, talkinmakup take a stand and I hope to see more girls do the same. I respect the girls on The Cruelty Free Beauty Channel for taking a stand and they continue to inspire me. I don't like telling them the bad news about products they love to use, I feel like the bad guy. I don't want to be the only one researching and contacting companies, everyone who cares about the issues should do this. If you have a channel, make videos about it. I don't want to feel so alone.

I know people unsubscribed from me when I said that I don't support MAC, because Estee Lauder (MAC's parent company) had a conflicting cruelty-free statement. They said they don't test unless required by law. It IS NOT required by law to test unless you are using an unsafe/toxic ingredient! There are many companies creating quality products that DO NOT test whatsoever. To continue to do so for cosmetic purposes is not necessary and it an outdated and cruel process.

I know that I need to take a break from buying makeup. I still need to buy powder, foundation, mascara if I run out, but I honestly have been a project pan for about a month now. I want to collect myself, and save my money to start my own cruelty-free vegan makeup brand. I think that's where my time and dedication need to go, not constantly researching companies that are deceitful, who try to trick us into thinking we are supporting an ethical brand. I also have no problem supporting independent and lesser known brands; if I can trust the product and it is quality, that's what I care about. I don't need a guru to tell what products to try, I have different criteria than most of them anyway. So yes, I am picky about products and companies I endorse, but I am this way because the animals don't have a voice. We are their voice and only we can help them. It may be difficult to do the right thing, but its always worth it. Sometimes it helps to refocus energy if things get overwhelming, and I know that's what I need to do.

Who doesn't love breakfast dinner, especially when its vegan!

2011-01-21T00:39:00.002-06:00

Tonight we had breakfast dinner…don’t you guys just LOVE eating breakfast food, but who actually has energy to make it at the butt-crack of dawn? I made French Toast, using the recipe from The Vegan Brunch of Isa Chandra. You don’t need eggs to make french toast! The egg replacer for vegan french toast is cornstarch and it worked great! Its pretty much just soy milk, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and cornstarch whisked together and soaked into the bread. The trick is using stale bread or slightly toasting your bread at 300 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Also, take your time cooking on medium heat till each side is golden. Texas toast is vegan and works perfect for french toast! We topped with powdered sugar, frozen mixed berries, and maple syrup with a bit of Earth Balance margerine.

I also made tofu “scrambled eggs.” I chopped firm tofu into small cubes, then sauteed the tofu on medium heat with a bit of canola oil, nutritional yeast, curry powder, salt/pepper. They taste soo good, better and healthier than eggs in my humble opinion.

You can find this recipe and many more when you buy The Vegan Brunch!

How to make the PERFECT Veggie Burger!

2011-01-19T18:58:00.002-06:00

I've experimented with MANY veggie burgers over the years...I've been a vegetarian for about 4 years, so I'm always on the quest to find a good one. While I enjoy Bocca and Morningstar burgers, they are just too expensive and over-processed to eat on a regular basis (and many contain eggs/dairy). I never had a problem letting go of meat when I went veg, but I would still get intense cravings for a cheeseburger every once in awhile.

I used to make black bean burgers with mashed potatoes, and while they were tasty, they would crumble and fall apart when I went to fry them, not to mention how they kept crumbling off of the hamburger bun. They also didn't remind me at all of a burger. I've tried other recipes, but many recommend using an egg to bind ingredients, but that kinda defeats the whole idea of making a veggie burger in my opinion.

I ended up using the Black Bean Burger recipe from the Veganomicon cookbook, and it is by far my favorite! If you want to try out vegan food, Isa Chandra knows her stuff. She makes being vegan relatable, and she provides recipes for all of the comfort foods you enjoy. A lot of them taste better and have no saturated fats like animal based products do.

Rice Vegan Cheese melted well on the burgers and tastes great! Not 100% like cheese, but a nice alternative.

Most of the other ingredients are fairly typical of most recipes I've seen (black beans, onions, cumin, bread crumbs, chili powder, etc...) but the secret to why these burgers hold together is Vital Wheat Gluten. VWG is what vegans use to make mock meat otherwise known as seitan. It gets the stringy, chewy texture of meat when you prepare it as seitan by kneading it, and boiling it in vegetable broth. In this recipe, it makes an excellent binder along with bread crumbs. It holds together perfectly and makes the burger more chewy, which is the sensation I missed when I used to eat cheeseburgers.

As far as toppings go, the sky is the limit. You could grill up pineapple and make a tropical salsa chutney to put on top. Jalapenos are great when you want to add a spicy kick. You can even finely chop them and put them right in the burger mix. You can use creamy guacamole as a topping, my personal fave. I highly recommend checking out ALDI's premade guacamole, its tasty and you get a lot for the price. Also, don't forget the typical burger favorites: pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, and red onion.

Some basic tips for successful burger making:

Don't over mash your beans. Just use a fork and its okay if there are few whole beans left. You want your burgers to have texture.
Finely dice any vegetables or herbs that you put in your burgers. If they aren't chopped fine enough, your burgers won't hold together.
Don't put too many bread crumbs in...it will taste mushy and kinda blah if you put too many in.
Make sure to season your burgers well! You can even make asian, mexican, italian burgers depending on what you put into your mix.
Don't cook on high heat...keep the heat on medium. Allow each side to cook 5 minutes and press down on the burgers with a spatula.
If you want to cut down on calories, put your olive oil in a spray bottle. Spray your patty, and when you flip spray the other side. This will reduce the amount of oil that the burger soaks up.

This is what the mixture looks like when its all kneaded up, before you make it into patties.

See how nicely they hold together? Make sure to cook them on medium heat for 5 minutes on each side!

Don't forget to make fries to go with it!

This was epic on so many levels and its 100% vegan. Yay! Make sure to check ingredients on your buns to make sure they don't contain any eggs or dairy. I used the grocery store brand of 100% whole wheat buns and they worked great.

Click here to see the actual recipe I used to make these burgers!

Vegan Journey: Week 2

2011-01-16T15:56:00.002-06:00

I thought I'd do a little update and let you know some of my successes with this new lifestyle and some of the more difficult issues that I've had to deal with. Overall, its been fairly easy to stick to this new lifestyle as I do all of my own cooking and we rarely go out to eat. My husband is still addicted to cheese and we've had many arguments over the dairy issue. I've gotten him to at least admit that's its not morally correct to continue to eat cheese, but he won't give up his pizza. Other things that are tempting me to stray:

I have a $25 Godiva gift card that I won in a giveaway. Unfortunately, they have no vegan items available for me:/ If anyone wants to purchase this card from me, let me know. I wish I could use it, I'd much rather it go to a happy home. I'd be willing to sell it for $20, so you'd get $5 off if you want to take it off my hands. You'd be helping me not to give into my temptation and you'd get some delicious chocolate for yourself if you don't have an issue with dairy. I also have a Coldstone Creamery gift card my mom gave us for Christmas, but I'm sure my husband will use that up.
My husband went and bought non-organic cheese which really peeved me off:/ That's the least he could do if he wants to be supportive. He apologized...I'm trying to get him to realize that things that are convenient are not always the most ethical.
He ordered pizza, but I got my side without cheese. It was difficult to not eat the cheesy side, but I made due. I made a "cheezy" sauce out of nutritional yeast and carmelized onions. It wasn't too shabby. Next time, I'll keep some vegan mozzarella on hand for this occasion.

On a more positive note, there were a lot of great things that have happened to me as well.

I lost 5 pounds without exercising!
I feel a lot more energetic and I don't have that heavy weighed down feeling after eating.
I experimented with new recipes from the Veganomicon and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World.
I made stuffed peppers for the first time and they turned out amazingly well! Yum!
I don't feel that sense of guilt I used to get when I ate cheese.
I also discovered that Bill Clinton, Ellen Degeneres, & Alicia Silverstone are vegan!

I will do an update when I go shopping for next week's groceries and I'll have a post of all of the vegan foodstuffs that I purchased. I love looking at food porn, I don't know about you guys! That's the great thing about eating a plant based diet, it all looks so pretty and colorful, it makes your food fun to eat. I'd say my recommendation to new vegans is to indulge your a bit more in the beginning weeks. I made vegan no bake peanut butter and oatmeal cookies and maple cupcakes with almonds. Mmmmm! And they didn't taste like health food whatsoever...My omni friends loved them! I even made a vegan Mexican Potato Soup for my friends and they ate it all up! The hard part is convincing people that being vegan doesn't mean you need to be a "smelly hippie." It can be and is a perfectly normal lifestyle. Its such a healthy diet and great for those who want to lose some weight and feel good about making ethical dietary and lifestyle choices.

Glittersniffer Cosmetics are Unsafe!

2011-01-11T00:36:00.003-06:00

I'm not sure if anyone who reads this blog uses Glittersniffer Cosmetics. If you do, PLEASE stop. The FDA has recalled a bunch of her pigments. It was found out that not only was she using carmine in a bunch of her "100% vegan" eyeshadows (carmine is not safe to use around the eye area); She was also using soap dyes which are not approved for cosmetic use. Several girls have had severe allergic reactions and have had to go to the hospital for treatment from using these products. There are many other reasons to boycott this company:

*There are photos of her packaging her pigments without latex gloves, directly on children's desk with playdoh out from the child playing.
*She was selling a set of badger hair brushes, all the while claiming the whole "100% vegan" slogan for her company. When I challenged her on this, she never replied and her fans told me that they were "farm raised badgers." Badgers are not domesticated, and animal hair brushes, no matter what anyone says, are not cruelty-free.

She has horrible customer service, and deletes any negative comments or feedback off of her facebook page. She's even called girls up on the phone and yelled at them for criticizing her.
She intentionally sold "glow in the dark pigments" and said they weren't approved by that she used them with no problem on here EYES all the time. So unsafe! The same with her neon colors.
She repackages many of her pigments and sells them as her own colors
She wouldn't openly list the ingredients of her products.
She used these unsafe soap dyes in a little girls makeup kit, knowingly.

Here's some info on it:
How to get a refund:
http://glittersniffercosmetics.com/re...

Lela's official statement:
http://gscosmeticsscamreports.blogspo...

List of unsafe pigments:
http://gscosmeticsscamreports.blogspo...

Paypal Community Disputes page for Glittersniffer (there is info on there how to get a refund from Glittersniffer):
https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/F...

Proof of repackaging:
http://phyrra.net/2009/11/glitter-sni...

Featured Song: "Pearl's Dream" by Bat For Lashes

2011-01-07T23:33:00.003-06:00

I just had to share this song/video/artist with you all! Bat For Lashes is definitely inspired by Tori Amos, Bjork, and Kate Bush...I love the 80's feel of song (and the album). I will have a more indepth review of Two Suns by Bat for Lashes soon.

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Pasta

2011-01-06T23:33:00.002-06:00

A lot of us home chefs make spaghetti when we don't know what else to make, don't have much $, and don't have a lot of time. While I do love my pasta, my husband and I are getting sick of plain tomato marinara. I decided to jazz it up a bit this week, using one of my favorite ingredients: roasted red peppers! While you can roast your own peppers if you feel up the task, it is a lot simpler to purchase them pre-roasted in a jar. Roasted peppers have a sweetness to them that fresh peppers lack; they are beyond delicious. Pre-roasted peppers can get pricey, but if you have an ALDI, they sell a brand called Priano that is only $1.67! Even if you roasted your own peppers, it would not be that cheap! Also, I highly enjoy their Grandessa pasta sauces, they taste just like Prego, but are at least $.50 cheaper!

Just a warning, this makes A LOT of pasta. I like to make a bunch of pasta because it keeps well and we both eat it for lunch the next day. If you don't want to make as much, just halve the recipe. I like to make a lot because leftovers=less cooking the next day!

Ingredients:
2 pounds 100% semolina spaghetti noodles
2 (24 oz.) jars tomato basil spaghetti sauce
1 (16 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (16 oz.) jar roasted red peppers (or about 4 red peppers if you are roasting your own)
1 yellow onion (chopped)
1 green pepper (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 TB red wine vinegar
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
freshly ground pepper (it tastes so much better than pre-ground) & salt to taste
1 TB olive oil

1. Chop up all of your vegetables and mince your garlic. You'll need to chop up the roasted peppers into finer pieces as well. I find if you get your chopping done all at once, this saves a lot of meals from burning from inattention. While you are chopping, heat 1 TB olive oil on medium heat on the stove in a large skillet or saucepan. Saute the onions and green pepper for about 10 minutes on medium heat, then add the garlic and saute for another 2 minutes.

2. Stir in the diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, italian seasoning, red wine vinegar, and crushed red pepper flakes. Add in freshly ground pepper and salt to taste.

3. While this is happening, boil a large pot of water and wait till it gets to a rolling boiling (not just a few bubbles on the bottom). Stir in the spaghetti noodles, and keep at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally to keep noodles from sticking together. Cook till aldente (usually about 8 minutes).

4. When your noodles are done, drain and rise in a colander (sieve). You can add olive oil to your noodles if you'd like, I prefer them without as I'm trying to watch my calories. I like to add extra fresh ground pepper on mine for extra flavor! This serves about 6 hungry people, or will provide leftovers for lunch for 2-3 the next day.

As you can see from the picture, my husband took WAAAY too much pasta, but you can tell that he likes it! (and my husband is not a vegan like me). This would be a good meal to feed any vegan/vegetarian skeptics because its affordable, delicious, really healthy...but it doesn't taste like the bland health food many people picture vegans eating.

Album of the Week: Youth Novel by Lykke Li

2011-01-05T21:33:00.001-06:00

I haven't heard such a good straight up pop album in a long time. I'm not a Lady Gaga fan really, I rarely listen to top 40 music, so if you expect me to write about that kind of music on my blog, you'd come to the wrong place. Lykke Li is a Swedish indie pop/alternative singer. There is something really unique about her voice, it has an innocent quality to it, much like the French yi yi singers of the 60's, but well...er... Swedish. I know that probably doesn't make sense, but seriously...just listen to Youth Novel. Also, I really dig her sense of style, I would totally rock her accessories and clothing if I had the money.
I know her album, Youth Novel, came out in 2008 so I'm behind the times, but who cares. Good music is good, no matter when it came out. Here's hoping she releases a new one soon!

Organic and Specialty Vegan Items!

2011-01-04T03:13:00.001-06:00

I went shopping for my vegan meals for the week, and it was actually really easy for me, and enjoyable. I went to Roots Market first (a health food store where I live) first....I still haven't been able to find tempeh ANYWHERE here. Let me know if you live in the midwest and where you get your tempeh from, I'm dying to try some!

This store is a vegan oasis for me. Half the the store is dedicated to microbrew beers and delicious wines...a bit pricey for everyday, but I would definitely buy alcohol from them for special occasions. There are organic cheese/milks for vegetarians as well. I also saw some vegan lipbalm by The Merry Hempsters which I will have check out soon. I'll be able to try and review a bunch more vegan products as I won't have to pay shipping to try them out!

These were the items I got from Roots this week:

Organic Brown Basmati Rice

Vegan Parmesan (I tried some on my pasta tonight, it was pretty good!)

Vegan Coconut Milk Creamer (I like to try non-soy vegan products, we will use this in our coffee this week)

Vegan "Cheddar Cheese" Slices (not bad at all, they definitely aren't "cheese" but they do have the sensation of eating cheese)

Veganaise (I got this earlier this week and I've eaten it before. It is a vegan item I recommend to vegan skeptics...it tastes so creamy, and just like the real thing only MUCH healthier!)

These are salt free, and will help satisfy my snacky cravings without adding a ton of salt, oil, and fat to my diet. Very addictive, and I love the mellow sweetness of these.

Organic Red Lentils (I eat brown lentils on a regular basis; I thought these would add a change of pace and a different flavor...also, the bright orange is so pretty!)

I will be doing a separate blog post on the actual meals I'm making for the week, I was just really excited to share some of the vegan goodies I purchased with you all.

Easy "Baked" Microwave Apples

2011-01-03T00:11:00.002-06:00

The thing I'll miss most about holiday feasting will be a nice, warm apple pie, handmade with love. I know there are vegan pie crust recipes, but what I really want is the baked apple goodness inside. I figured out a way to get my apple pie fix without all the calories, and in a fraction of the time. I would recommend using a firm, baking apple, I like granny smiths personally.

Ingredients:
2 granny smitth apples (cut into slices)
1/4 cup apple juice (or cider)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 packets stevia (I use the truvia brand, its a natural 0 cal sweetener taken from the stevia plant)

Take the apple slices and place them in a microwave safe bowl. Pour the 1/4 apple juice, and sprinkle stevia and cinnamon on top. "Bake" in the microwave on medium heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Make sure to stir every couple of minutes so that they apples cook evenly. Voila...its so tasty, low cal, and tastes just like apple pie! It was the perfect desert tonight!

Being vegan is going great so far, we had garbanzo tacos with spinach and hot sauce for dinner. Super cheap, easy, and spicy! I will be grocery shopping tomorrow and I'll be doing a post on the meal plan I have for the coming week.

My Personal Vegan Guidelines for 2011

2011-01-02T05:37:00.001-06:00

As part of my resolutions for 2011, I stated on my youtube channel that I am going vegan this year, starting right out of the gate. Being a vegan for me may be different than being vegan for someone who is an extreme leftist, who won't even ride in cars because fuel is made out of ancient animal remains. I want to do the right thing, but I'm also a realistic and practical person who needs to survive in real day to day situations.

My Rules:
No meat consumption, of course (which I've already been doing for the last 3 1/2 years).

No dairy, or any products containing caesin. And of course, no eggs.

I will not purchase products with animal bi-products, specifically carmine, lanolin, silk, pearl, urea, or any other animal derived ingredient, including beeswax (even if its organic beeswax).

I will not purchase new items made out of leather, wool, feathers, fur or any other animal derived product.

My stance on thrifted/used items remains the same as it was previously; I have no problem thrifting something that is wool or leather because my $ is going to help a charitable organization (Goodwill, St. Vincent Dapauls) and is not funding the factory farms that abuse animals. If I didn't purchase the item, it will simply be thrown away, rotting in the landfill; providing no warmth or protection, which would at least give some dignity to that creature who gave its life for us.

I do not believe in wasting products, food, or items that I already purchased prior to starting my vegan lifestyle. As I've said before, once the item/food leaves the shelf and enters your home, there's nothing you can do to take back that action. It is wasteful to throw things out just to clear your conscience. If you really can't stand using something, try donating it to a charity or a friend. If its makeup/hygiene items, make sure to sanitize everything and make it clear that the items are used. If you see me using any makeup items on my channel with any bi-products (ie. NYX Jumbo Pencils) that is why. Once those items are gone, I will not be repurchasing them and I will be looking for a vegan replacement for the item.

My stance on beeswax and honey: I believe if you say you are a vegan and are adopting that particular lifestyle, you should not consume items with these ingredients in them. I know some vegans say they indulge in honey because insects don't have emotions or intelligence like other creatures. They also say the the animal is not harmed in the honey farming process, but I tend to disagree. If you are tearing apart their hives for beeswax and taking their food store, you are negatively impacting their lives. Also, who are we to assign value to a life...an animal is an animal to me whether they are insect or dolphins.

There are a lot of super strict guidelines if you want to call yourself 100% vegan. For instance, if you accidentally step on a bug, would that make you not a vegan? Certainly not. If you are doing everything in your power to do no harm to other creatures, you are in my eyes a true vegan. Being a vegan isn't an overnight process: it takes dedication, creativity, and passion. And obviously if you are reading this you have those qualities and are perfectly capable of making a stand towards doing what's right for our planet. We need to be caretakers of this world, not simply takers.

Please take a stance in 2011, even if its just reducing the amount of meat, dairy, eggs, or animal bi-products you use. Let me know if you have any questions and if you want to accept the vegan challenge with me!

Top 10 Beauty Products of 2010

2011-01-01T03:55:00.002-06:00

I've seen pretty much every beauty blogger on youtube and beyond compiling their favorites of 2010. It seems a fitting way to bid adieu to the old year I suppose. I'm usually not one for jumping on the bandwagon, but I like to chart my progress. When I look back a year from today, it would be nice to have a time capsule of what I used in 2010 to keep myself feeling fabulous. I know I've already come leaps and bounds in my "makeup journey" (yes I said it, and yes I know that its corny). I know that 2011 will bring new brightly colored pretties and hopefully my holygrail vegan foundation and powder for my super porcelain oily combination complexion from hell.

(*Disclaimer: Everything featured in my blog was purchased by moi, or gifted from a friend. I'm not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned, nor do I wish to be.)

1. Dr. Bronner's 18 in 1 Hemp Peppermint Castile Soap 16 oz. $8.99 : This soap has come in so handy for me. I use it for most everything...as a face wash, body wash, to clean my makeup brushes. I'm sure in a pinch I could use it to do my dishes and as a toothpaste, but that last option doesn't sound too appealing. I've heard you can use it as shampoo, but that it makes hair stringy and strips it of its oils. That's the only downside I can think of. The cryptic religious writing all over the body is a bit weird, but endearing (I admire passion, and Dr. Bronner had loads of it to spare). Oh, and the peppermint oil is a bit shocking to, shall I say it, some "sensitive" areas...girls you know what I mean. So next time I may go with the lavender for a body wash, and just use the peppermint for everything else because peppermint is one of my favorite scents. The tree-hugger in me also loves that its fair-trade, vegan, and of course organic! It most importantly, it doesn't leave that slimy residue behind that many soaps have.

2. E.L.F. Stipple Brush (Studio Line) $3: This is another multi-purpose item that I use everyday...I seriously don't know how I did my makeup without it. I will definitely be buying more of these in the future when ELF has another one of their glorious sales. It works well for applying a thin layer of foundation and helps me conserve my product as a little bit goes a long way when using this brush. My favorite uses for this are with pigmented mineral blushes and cream blushes. It makes the finish natural and keeps you from looking like you stepped out of an 80's Motley Crue video .

3. NYX single eyeshadow in Sparkle Cedar $3.50: I not usually one for sparkle, but I always found myself gravitating towards subtly dramatic shadow this year. Its a perfect lid color on me, its super affordable, and it works for day/nighttime looks, depending what colors you pair it with in the crease. I've heard its a dupe for MAC's Smoke and Diamonds, but don't quote me on that. Its the perfect shimmery, beigey, tan/taupe color that is universally flattering on most skintones.

4. Ecotools Bamboo Eye Brush Set 6 Pieces $7.99: This set, by far, is the best bang for your buck as far as affordable, cruelty-free makeup brushes go. Ecotools is readily available at drugstores, its very affordable, and the quality can't be beat for the price. I really don't mind the short handles on these brushes, it helps me get closer into the mirror so I can actually see what the heck I'm doing. They are super soft, and my personal favorite is the highlight brush, although I do use it for blending instead of its intended purpose.

5. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I get a 16 oz. bottle of it as ALDI grocery store for $3.99!): This year, I've been focusing my skin care are more natural, less harsh products. Olive oil has been a life saver for my combination crazy ass skin. My skin flakes and it breaks out constantly, so its pretty much a nightmare. This stuff helps me even out my skin, removes my makeup, including my eye makeup. My eyelashes have grown in thicker since I've started using this! I like to use this right out of the shower, and it soaks beautifully into my skin. My one caution...make sure you throughly remover any left over oil on the surface of the skin with toner so you don't have break outs.

6. NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Iced Mocha: I know that the Milk Jumbo Pencil gets all of the love in the beauty community, but I seriously use this as base for my lid colors at least 3 times a week. Its simple, no frills, metallic brown colors that makes everyday neutral looks pop. I highly recommend it!

7. E.L.F. Luscious Liquid Lipstick Bark $1: I can't count how many of these I've gone through this year. Its the perfect, wearable mauve with the slightest bit of brown. Its my idea of a what a nude lip should look like. Its not sticky, it has a vanilla mint flavor, and did I mention its only $1?!

8. E.L.F. Studio Blush in Blushing Rose $3: The ELF studio blushes are my absolute favorite blushes of all time. They are vegan (no crushed beetle shells for me, thank you!) beautiful and buildable colors. They last a really long time too for a low end blush. I have a bunch of them, but the one I used most this year would have to be Blushing Rose. It gives a nice, glowy flush to my cheeks. Stunning, especially for the fall/winter.

9. NYX I Dream of Nevis Palette $8.99: I could probably use this palette everyday...the colors are perfect for cool toned gals like myself. There is a nice range of matte and satin colors, and I use the deep brown in my outer v quite frequently. The quality is the same as the single shadows, and you get more bang for your buck at 5 shadows for under 10 dollars. The only shade I could do without would be the super glittery silver. Beware, or you may end up looking like a disco ball.

10. ELF HD Powder $6: A good translucent powder is a must for setting the undereye. This also helps my makeup last longer and keeps the oil slick at bay. Its more pricey than most of the ELF line, but I seriously have been using the same container for over a year now, and still have a good bit left. A little goes a long way with this product...the trick is to not overdo it or you will look ashy and sickly. I reach for this EVERYDAY, not kidding.

Recipe: Asian Shitake Mushroom Soup (Vegan)

2010-12-30T17:58:00.001-06:00

My sister sent me this packet of dried shitake mushrooms.

I get a lot of questions about what kinds of foods I eat when I eat vegan meals. The answer: I eat a wide variety of foods and ethnic cusines, much more than I did as a meat eater. That's the thing I love about "going veg." You are challenged to explore spices, herbs, and vegetables/plants from around the world. I find my food to be healthier and more flavorful because I take more effort and time when I create my meal plans for the week. I wanted to share an affordable, tasty, and completely vegan Asian Shitaki Mushroom Soup recipe with you (photos taken by moi!) This recipe was created by me, I did not follow a cookbook nor did I plagiarize this for my blog. It is 100% my own creation, based on Asian flavors that I love.

Ingredients:
10 dried shitake mushrooms
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 (16 oz. cans) vegetarian vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp Chinese 5 Spice
1 tsp garlic powder (or 3 cloves fresh garlic minced)
1/2 cup cashews
1 (16 oz.) can peas
3 carrots (cubed)
4 green onions finely diced (optional garnish)
1/2 cup whole wheat rotini pasta
2 TB rice wine vinegar
1 TB olive oil (for sautéing)
pepper to taste

1. Soak the dried shitake mushrooms in warm (but not boiling) water for about 20 minutes, or until tender and reconstituted. Chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces.

2. Use a soap pot to heat up the vegetable broth and mix with 2 cups of water. Add 1/4 cup soy sauce to the broth and simmer on medium heat.

3. Next, heat up the olive oil in a medium skillet to medium high heat. Don't overheat the olive oil, you don't want it to start smoking! Saute the diced carrots for about 5 minutes, and then add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Add the sauteed vegetables to the soup pot with the drained can of peas. Next, add the half cup of rotini noodles to the soup and let simmer until tender, for about 15 minutes.

5. While the soup is cooking, washing and dice the green onions. Add the scallions as desired to each individual serving bowl as you want them to remain crunchy and fresh. Serves 6-8.

Why I am a Vegetarian: Part I

2010-12-28T00:09:00.001-06:00

One question that I get asked frequently on my youtube channel is why did I become a vegetarian and how strictly do I adhere to that particular lifestyle. I may do a video on this question, but I thought a blog post would be the best way to answer this particular question. This way, I have in writing what my stances are so there is no confusion.

I became a vegetarian about 3 years ago, but I've been passionate about animals ever since I can remember. When I was a kid, I really wanted to have pets. I asked my parents an obscene amount of times if we could have a dog or a cat...hell, I would have a settled for a hamster. My parents told me that they didn't want to be responsible for a pet and that they didn't think I would have time to take care of an animal. Psh...I would have done a great job, I know it. (Can you tell I'm still a little bitter?) I also wanted to be a veterinarian at point or another, but I'm just not that gifted in the sciences/math department. Plus, I don't think I could handle putting an animal to sleep (although it is a humane practice as long as its regulated and there are no other safe options to prolong the life of the animal).

I still think its odd how it takes awhile for us to understand the connection between a cute, furry pet and that slab of meat on our plates. We think we know where meat comes from: it comes from cute little family run farms where the animals graze on sweet grass all day long and nuture and care for their babies. They are only used for meat after they die of a ripe old age surrounded by their loved ones on a soft bed of hay. Right? I know this was the idea I had in my head for the longest time (and it is the idea that is perpetuated today by countless advertisements). This could not be further from the truth. I was in a coma, not understanding the deception that many of us endure on a daily basis, by our own government who should be on the side of decency.

I was in this coma until I started college and had access to different points of view on the subject. I am from the Midwest, where it is not only expected, but demanded that you eat meat and potatoes on a daily basis. Any questioning of this logic gets you distressed stares and looks of disgust. I believe I was in english class as a sophomore, and I saw a girl give a speech on veganism. She shared a clip of what factory farms are actually like and the awful conditions animals were kept in for their very short, terror filled lives. It was a huge wake up call for me; I felt sick to my stomach and very angry. Mostly angry at myself for being so ignorant to such real suffering....as an animal lover I should have made the connection between my plate and creatures I love so dearly.

It becomes easy to set aside compassion when it has become the norm to do so. Our mentality is that if something is going wrong, our government will find out about it and right that wrong. But our government gives subsidies and tax reductions to farms that use these inhumane practices because they produce "cheap food." Its not cheap, my friends.

FACT:
If we eat the plants we grow instead of feeding them to animals, the world's food shortage will disappear virtually overnight. Remember that 100 acres of land will produce enough beef for 20 people but enough wheat to feed 240 people.

The world's fresh water shortage is being made worse by animal farming. And meat producers are the biggest polluters of water. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat. If the US meat industry wasn't supported by the taxpayer paying a large proportion of its water costs, then hamburger meat would cost $35 a pound.
Half the rainforests in the world have been destroyed to clear ground to graze cattle to make beefburgers. The burning of the forests contributes 20% of all green-house gases. Roughtly 1,000 species a year become extinct because of the destruction of the rainforests. Approximately 60 million people a year die of starvation. All those lives could be saved because those people could eat grain used to fatten cattle and other farm animals - if Americans ate 10% less meat.
(source: http://www.giveusahome.co.uk/articles/vegetarianism.htm)

We feel like we are so small and anything we do is insignificant, so why bother? Its that "why bother" mentality that has gotten our world in the mess its in. We need to take responsibility for the things we can control. It is my goal in 2011 to give up cheese and eat a completely vegan diet. Its going to be rough, and when I'm traveling or visiting someone, I may not be able to avoid eating dairy. But I'm not trying to be perfect, I just want to do what I can to live a life of non-violence...to reduce any negative impact that my life can bring to this earth.

That's why I started my youtube channel, Veggie Beauty, because I do believe that every little bit helps. If we all reduce our animal consumption and use of animal bi-products, think of how many lives we can save every year (including our own lives in the long run). Think of how much healthier we would all be if we really thought about what was in our food, and what ingredients were in our cosmetics/hygeine items. I'm very passionate about this issue, but I'm far from perfect. I'm not here to judge anyone, just to inform and show you how rewarding this lifestyle can be. And fun!

Easy things you can do:
Only use items that are produced by a cruelty-free company
Support ethical companies
Reduce the amount of meat, eggs, and dairy in your diet
Try eating vegan meals
Replace the eggs in your baked good with Energ-Egg Replacer
Support independent cosmetic/beauty companies that create vegan items
Buy clothing from a thrift store whenever possible
Recycle!
Use nature skin-care items
Donate $ to an animal friendly charity: Click Here to Find Animal Friendly Charities!

This is only 1 blog entry, as I have several other reasons why I'm a vegetarian. I will be doing weekly blog posts on the benefits of the vegetarian lifestyle, and I why I so strongly support going veggie:) As always, let me know if you have any questions.

2010-12-27T23:22:00.000-06:00

So, I've decided to start a blog. Whew...that wasn't so hard:) I used to blog all of the time, but I'm a little bit rusty, so excuse me if I ramble or if my entries aren't as concise or to the point as I'd like. I'd like to start off saying that just because I have blog, this does not mean I plan on leaving my youtube channel, Veggie Beauty. On the contrary, I thought it would be nice to have a place to write more indepth reviews and cover other topics and issues I'm interested.

Since my youtube channel is focused on almost 90% beauty related issues, I thought I could use this blog to share other interests and passions of mine, in addition to providing more indepth reviews/pictures to compliment my videos.

Non-beauty related entries:

Why I became Vegetarian

How to custom paint your own purse

Artists I love

Current projects I'm working on in my studio

EasyVegan Recipes

Album of the month

Book Reviews

And whatever else floats my boat at that particular moment.

I will be posting pictures on here of various projects I'm working on. I will also be posting updates on my vegan cosmetic line that's in the works as we speak (I'm currently in the research/supply purchasing phase).

Let me know if you have any ideas for posts you'd like to see. I'm always up for a challenge!