DIY: Mod Podge Picture on Canvas

I saw a few examples online of people taking photos and ‘mod-podging’ them onto a canvas. Instead of using a photograph, I wanted to see if it would work with a band poster (thick paper). It turned out great! Here’s how I did it:

STEP 1- Make mod podge.

STEP 2- Cover entire canvas with the mod podge and place your poster on top. Allow to dry.

STEP 3- Cover entire poster with mod podge. Allow to dry.

Step 4- If you desire, dab on acrylic paint around the edges of the poster to help the edges stick down better.

*I tried to smooth out as many bumps and ridges in the poster as possible while it was still wet. However, I like the way it turned out with a few ridges. 

Read More

What you'll need:

2 cups flour

1 cup boiling water

3 medium sized potatoes

1 onion

1 tsp chopped/minced garlic

3-4 chopped up mushrooms if desired

¼ cup shredded vegan cheese (or nutritional yeast)

salt + pepper

Making the filling:

1. Dice the potatoes and cook them in a pot

2. Dice the onion and mushrooms and fry in frying pan, adding the garlic near the end

3. Once the potatoes are done drain the water and mash them. 

4. Add in your onions, mushrooms, garlic, and vegan cheese (I used rice cheese). Then add a dash of salt and pepper.

Making the dough:

1. In a bowl, combine flour and water then knead the dough

2. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin, and then use a wide mouth glass to cut out circles in the dough

Making perogies: 

1. Put a spoonful of the filling in the middle of the circle of dough.

2. Fold one side over to make a semi-circle shape. Use a fork to mend the edges.

3. In a frying pan, add a little oil, and fry perogies on a medium-high heat.

*This recipe made about 12 perogies. 

Read More

Get Real PETA

PETA is known for their controversial ad campaigns including their ad featuring Joanna Krupa with a crucifix, which didn’t sit well with the Catholic Church,



their “Pleather Yourself” ad featuring porn star Jenna Jameson,



and their “All Animals Have the Same Parts” ad featuring Pamela Anderson, which was banned in Montreal for being sexist.

Many of PETA’s ads use half-nude celebrities to grab people’s attention, and according to them, it works.

“We try to make our actions colorful and controversial, thereby grabbing headlines around the world and spreading the message of kindness to animals to thousands—sometimes millions—of people,” said PETA on their FAQ section of their website.

PETA also claims that their ad campaigns helped them grow to gain millions of members.

“From the most conservative to the most radical and from the most refined to the most outrageous—and this approach has proved very successful. In the quarter-century since PETA was founded, it has grown into the largest animal rights group in the world, with more than 3 million members and supporters worldwide,” said PETA.

PETA does stand for good issues, and their offensive campaigns do give them media attention, but do they still need to be so controversial, especially with the objectification of women? If they already have 3 million members, many of whom spread PETA’s messages and participate in protests, is it really necessary to keep using half-naked women to get attention?

It’s time to get real PETA. The reality is that veganism is growing more and more popular; more people are caring about what they eat, the environment, and the ethical treatment of animals. You, PETA, are the largest animal rights group in the world, the largest! Stop focusing on womanizing ads, and put your money into ads with real vegans and vegetarians who are making a difference each and every day.

Read More

Reuse Reuse Reuse

I’m always looking for ways to repurpose items to put them to good use. I had an empty wall area above my fireplace, and didn’t have much money to go out and buy a nice picture, so I took some old records I had lying around and pinned up the covers.



Some more repurposed items above my fireplace are the three mason jars sitting on the mantle. I use these three mason jars to showcase different cards or post cards that I received or collected. For an extra little touch, I even tied some twine around the top of the jars.



I was looking for a pot to put my plant in, and instead of buying a new one, I used a can from my recycling bin. I was originally going to paint the can (I’ve seen some painted ones online that look really cute) but ended up liking the shiny silver look.



These are just a few items in my apartment that I have reused to add a decorative touch, I’d love to hear about your ideas of what you’ve reused. Send me your pics with a brief description to Kelly@veganadvantage.ca to have them showcased in another reuse reuse reuse blog post!

Read More

Homemade Perogies Recipe

What you’ll need:

2 cups flour

1 cup boiling water

3 medium sized potatoes

1 onion

1 tsp chopped/minced garlic

3-4 chopped up mushrooms if desired

¼ cup shredded vegan cheese (or nutritional yeast)

salt + pepper

Making the filling:

1. Dice the potatoes and cook them in a pot

2. Dice the onion and mushrooms and fry in frying pan, adding the garlic near the end

3. Once the potatoes are done drain the water and mash them.

4. Add in your onions, mushrooms, garlic, and vegan cheese (I used rice cheese). Then add a dash of salt and pepper.

Making the dough:

1. In a bowl, combine flour and water then knead the dough

2. Roll out the dough using a rolling pin, and then use a wide mouth glass to cut out circles in the dough

Making perogies:

1. Put a spoonful of the filling in the middle of the circle of dough.

2. Fold one side over to make a semi-circle shape. Use a fork to mend the edges.

3. In a frying pan, add a little oil, and fry perogies on a medium-high heat.

*This recipe made about 12 perogies. 

Read More

Vegan Tip

When buying fries from a fry truck or snack bar, make sure to ask what oil they use in their deep fryer. I’d even suggest asking at restaurants as well; you never know unless you ask.

I recently tried to grab fries at a fry truck and they said they use rendered beef fat in their deep fryer.

I was happy that this snack bar (fries in picture) used canola oil. I needed my vinegar smothered fry fix!

Read More

Veggie Ground Round Options

When I first turned vegetarian, I hit up the vegetarian section of my local grocery store. It was full of veggie dogs, tofu, veggie sandwich meats, and even veggie ground round. I bought a lot of the vegetarian products and really enjoyed them.

The vegetarian ground round was very flavourful, and I even tricked my dad into thinking it was real meat in his spaghetti sauce. The only downfall to this product is the price; it’s about $4-$5 for a 340g package. At that price, I really did feel like I was getting ripped off, but I never realized how much I was getting ripped off until I discovered how inexpensive Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is.



Veggie ground round is essentially TVP with just some added flavours. So why not buy the inexpensive product and add your own flavour?

HOW TO COOK TVP:

1.     Add equal parts boiling water to TVP

2.   Let sit for about 5 minutes (until it becomes fully hydrated)

Wow, that was easy.

Now it’s time to add your flavour. Here are some of my favourites.

For tacos:

You can buy packs of taco seasoning, or simply add some chili powder, paprika, and salt.

Veggie Burgers:

To make veggie burgers, I usually add some mashed up beans to help the whole burger stick together better. For flavour, I typically open my fridge and add all that seems good. A little bit of ketchup, some bbq sauce, garlic, chili powder- pretty much anything goes.

Shepherd’s pie:

Fry up some onions in a large frying pan, add your cooked TVP. You can add a can of mushroom gravy. Put in some rosemary and/or other herbs. Toss in some frozen corn. Let the flavours blend together, then put it all in an oven safe tin, add your (garlic) mashed potatoes on top and bake on low for a half hour or so, then ENJOY!

These are just a couple of examples. TVP is such a versatile product that’s great to always have in the cupboard.

Also, take a look at the nutritional facts:



Happy cooking!

Read More