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.

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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. 

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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!

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Minty Spring Fashion

Spring is finally here, and a colour that I’ve been gravitating to lately is mint. I’ve scoured the Internet looking for all things mint that are also vegan! Here are some of my cute finds:

 

This mint top from lulus.com is long, light and flowy. It looks great with a pair of shorts, but would also go great with leggings. The material is 100 per cent Rayon, and is a loose fit.

$36

 

This faux-leather headband from nastygal.com is sure to give you more of an edge, but the mint colour helps it from being too edgy.

$18

 

Also from nastygal.com is this synthetic leather wallet. The mint wallet features gold studs and textured detailing.

$38

 

This distressed faux leather cross body purse is from freepeople.com. The mint purse features metal stud detailing, two zipped compartments, and one open pouch compartment. You can even remove the strap on this purse to carry it as a clutch.

$38.74

 

These beautiful mint sandals from lulus.com are 100 per cent vegan friendly. The thong-style pair has a cupped heel that wraps around the ankle. They are very easy to throw on and even have a little bit of a heel.

$30 

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Alternatives to honey for a vegan diet

Everybody knows that honey comes from bees, but not everybody knows or cares about the process.

To make a long story short, bees make honey and store it as winter food; humans exploit bees for their honey.

Yes, honey is sweet, and it tastes good, but there are many alternatives that taste just as good, or better.

AGAVE SYRUP:

Agave syrup is produced form several species of agave plants, and is sweeter than honey. Its consistency is thinner than honey so it flows a bit quicker, and it can even dissolve in cold beverages.

MAPLE SYRUP:

Maple syrup of course, comes from maple trees. The trees are tapped to collect their sap. The sap is then heated to evaporate the water, leaving the concentrated syrup.  According to the nutritional facts chart, maple syrup is also rich in vitamins and minerals.

BROWN RICE SYRUP:

Brown rice syrup is made by cooking brown rice flour or brown rice starch with enzymes. The syrup is filtered, and excess water is evaporated, making its consistency thick. This syrup is half as sweet as sugar.

DATE SUGAR:

Although it can be quite expensive, date sugar, made of dried dates, is a good alternative to honey or sugar. Date sugar does not dissolve into drinks or melt, but can be used to crumble on top of dishes like oatmeal.

RAW UNREFINED SUGAR:

Raw unrefined sugar is made from the juice of the sugar cane plant. When sugar is refined, all of the nutrients are stripped away. If you want to use cane sugar as a sweetener, then raw unrefined sugar is a better choice.

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Meet Shawn!

I’d like to introduce to you, my boyfriend, Shawn. He is vegan and will contribute to my blog from time to time.     -Kelly



Hi, I’m Shawn, nice to meet you!

 Let me introduce myself, I’m a 21-year-old journalist from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I grew up in Mississauga, Ontario and now I call Hamilton home.

 Let’s rewind about four years, I was in my freshman year at college, and I was on the college diet of hamburgers and Kraft Dinner. So one day I went back to my room in residence after a long day of classes, and I threw a couple frozen burgers on the George Foreman grill. After I ate my dinner, I looked at the nutritional facts on the box, and what I saw shocked me, over 100 per cent of my daily fat, sodium and trans-fat in one meal. Needless to say, I decided never to eat meat again.

Fast-forward about six months from that, after doing some research and watching some documentaries (including Food Inc., a great documentary, check it out if you haven’t seen it) I decided that I’d go vegan. It was a logical move for me; I felt that since I was vegetarian, I might as well go all the way and be vegan.

When I told my parents that I was vegetarian, they thought I was joking at first. I came home from college for the weekend and said that I didn’t want any meat, because I’m vegetarian now. Despite the initial confusion, my parents have been very supportive of my decision and eventually my brother became vegan too. My parents have been very supportive of all my endeavours in my life, and I owe a lot to them, and I’m always happy to have their support. My grandparents don’t really understand veganism, but they support me anyways. My grandma “veganizes” some of my childhood favourite meals when I visit, and she makes her chocolate cake, which happens to be vegan anyways.

I know that not everyone is supportive of the vegan lifestyle, which bothers me because people like to rip on it, without fully understanding it. I believe in tolerance, some people find solace in religion; you wouldn’t rip on someone for their religious beliefs. Some people (including myself) feel that being vegan makes sense to them, so why would it be acceptable to disrespect someone over being vegan? Bob Dylan says it best “don’t criticize, what you can’t understand,” (from The Times They Are a-Changin’)

Aside from becoming vegan at college, I also found the love of my life, Kelly. We started dating when we were both 18, in our freshman year. We have been inseparable ever since. When we first started dating, Kelly was not vegetarian, it didn’t really bother me, but I did want her to consider the change. She tried going vegetarian, but it didn’t last too long. A few months later, she tried again, and was vegetarian for a long time, until she recently became vegan too.

So about six weeks ago, Kelly came to me with an idea. She said how she wanted to do her own vegan lifestyle blog, which I thought was a brilliant idea! Two weeks later, Vegan Advantage was born. Kelly asked me if I would be interested in contributing to Vegan Advantage, and of course, I wanted to. I have to congratulate her on an impressive start-up! Six weeks ago, Vegan Advantage was merely an idea, and today it is an established vegan lifestyle blog.

Not only am I an advocate of the vegan lifestyle, I’m most importantly an advocate for healthy eating. I understand that veganism isn’t for everyone, but that’s okay, every person is entitled to their own decision- it’s what makes us unique. However, healthy eating is important, herbivore or omnivore. The obesity rate in Canada is at about 60 per cent, and our neighbours to the south have a 70 per cent obesity rate. Veganism helps reduce the amount of fats and trans-fats you take in and promotes healthy eating, and many studies show it reduces risk of disease, including heart disease. Vegan or not, eating healthy is important.

My vegan friends, I hope you find Vegan Advantage a resourceful tool for recipes, vegan fashion and even for some DIY projects on your down time.

For my omnivorous friends, please consider eating less meat or trying out the vegan lifestyle, even for just one day, or for one meal. I hope you too can find Vegan Advantage resourceful, try making one vegan friendly meal from one of Kelly’s recipes.

Thank you for reading, I know there are millions of pages on the Internet, and I thank you for taking the time to visit this one. If you have any questions, comments, or would like to say hello, drop Kelly a line at Kelly@veganadvantage.ca

All the best,

Shawn

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DIY Cork Board

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DIY: Cork Board

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Book Review: Vegan Food Gifts

I went to the library today, not really knowing what I was looking for. I figured punching in “Vegan” on the library’s browser would be a good start. Instead of looking through the book titles on the computer, I decided to write down the code of the first vegan book I saw, and head down to that section.

There was a variety of vegan and vegetarian cookbooks, but one book in particular caught my eye. I pulled out the book “Vegan Food Gifts,” by Joni Marie Newman, and sat down at a table to look it over.

Not only does this book give you yummy-looking vegan recipes including banana nut bread, tofu jerky, and s’more brownies, but it also gives you DIY packaging methods so you can give someone a vegan food gift!

 “Besides turning the world vegan (no small task!), I also plan on furthering the DIY gift movement,” Newman wrote in the book’s introduction. “When you make gifts yourself, you save the animals, you save the planet, and you say no to corporate greed, all in one fell swoop!”

The book has a grading system that lets you know the level of difficulty, cost, and speed/quantity of the project. Most projects are easy, inexpensive (under $5), and quick to do, and Newman also included pages of paper cut-outs (tags, recipe cards) to use with your DIY packaging.

The book is laid out very neatly, with a lot of large pictures to give you an idea of what the recipe looks like, and how you can gift wrap it. If you want to do a some vegan cooking, want some DIY craft inspiration, and want to give someone the gift of vegan treats, I’d suggest taking a look at this book.

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H&M's Conscious Collection

French singer, model, and actor, Vanessa Paradis, is the face of H&M’s new eco-friendly collection called Conscious. The collection officially launches in Canada on March 21, 2013.

“I like being part of something like the Conscious collection at H&M,” says Paradis. “I try my best to shop consciously, and vintage is very much part of my wardrobe. I love the style and it works in an eco-friendly way because I like to use and reuse old clothes.”

The collection is made from more sustainable materials, including organic cotton, recycled polyester, and a material called Tencel Lyocell, which is a natural man-made fiber. The line includes fashion for men, women, kids, and babies, and even offers some accessories.

“We have our dedicated conscious collection every spring and then throughout the year we always have select garments made from more sustainable materials in all departments,” said Emily Scarlett, from H&M’s communication and press department.

H&M highlights their environmental values on their website. Their sustainability strategy includes being ethical, climate smart, and using natural resources.  Not all of H&M’s garments are made from sustainable materials, but they say they want to use more sustainable sources in the future.

“We are the world’s largest user of organic cotton and hope that by 2020 all the cotton in our range will come from more sustainable sources,” said Scarlett.

Some of my favourite picks that are already in stores include this short-sleeve lace top, made with 51 per cent recycled polyester. This top comes in natural white, khaki green, and black. Although this top is made with sustainable materials, it’s still affordably priced at $12.95.

Keeping with the natural colours, this khaki green jumpsuit will definitely get you craving springtime. This sleeveless V-neck is made out of 100 per cent Tencel Lyocell, and the sparkly bedazzlements on the pocket give a trendy flair to the earthy jumper.

 

This grey sweatshirt is made out of 100 per cent cotton and looks very warm and cozy. The flower-covered ‘C’ design, representing the Conscious collection, gives the sweatshirt a more feminine feel.

 

Keeping with their environmental values, H&M has also launched their garment collection initiative, allowing customers to bring bags of unwanted garments from any label to select stores. In return for each bag, customers will receive an H&M voucher. They state that this effort is to prevent clothing from going into landfills.

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Q&A: Vickey Hachey RHN

To get more information on the vegan diet, I decided to get in contact with a nutritionist. Vicky Hachey is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist at Intent Nutrition & LifeStyle Consulting, in Hamilton, Ontario. She spoke to me about the benefits of a vegan diet, and what to be mindful of.



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Would you recommend the vegan diet?

I think it has its benefits, and as long as the person knows what they’re doing. Just because you’re vegan, doesn’t mean you’re eating healthy. Often times I find that they’re eating a lot of processed foods, packaged foods, a lot of grains, a lot of breads, because they’re trying to feel satisfied. I think most people that go from a vegetarian to vegan diet, hopefully they’ve mastered that. It’s very individual. I don’t push any diet on anyone. Yes, there are some benefits [to the vegan diet] for sure, but as long as you’re doing it properly.

What are some benefits you would get from a vegan diet?

If you’re doing it properly, then probably clarity of mind, more energy, clear skin, being more regular (your menstrual cycle). There are lots of benefits, for sure.

In terms of nutrition, what do you think vegans should ensure they are getting in their diet?

The iron and the B12. B12 you get from nutritional yeast, you can get iron from molasses and spinach- they’re usually the higher sources of iron. Spirulina is probably one of the better choices for those components.

It all goes down to digestion too. My kids, when they were smaller, we used to do a lot of paper mache, so white flour and water makes a paste. When you’re eating a lot of white flour products you’re allowing a lot of paste, for lack of a better word, between your stomach and your small intestine. You have these little villi, and it gets clogged up, so when you’re eating all the good stuff, you’re not absorbing all of the nutrients.

I would try to have some good fats in there, and your vegetables for sure.

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Vegan Playlist

I was looking up different artists who are/were vegan, and decided I’d create a vegan mix for everyone to enjoy!

1. I’m Yours- Jason Mraz

2. Every Single Night- Fiona Apple

3. Summer of ‘69- Bryan Adams

4. Ironic- Alanis Morissette

5. Nothing Compares 2 U- Sinéad O’Connor

6. Nothing Else Matters- Bif Naked

7. Creep (acoustic)- Radiohead (Thom Yorke)

8. Scar Tissue- Red Hot Chili Peppers (Anthony Kiedis) 


9. Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe- Barry White

10. White and Nerdy- Weird Al Yankovic

(Source: http://8tracks.com/)

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Quick Tip Video: Beans and Legumes

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y4m8L2zgFk?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0&w=500&h=375]

Quick Tip Video: Beans and Legumes

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

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Vegan Quesadilla

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8L4jN6VbAnA?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0&w=500&h=281]

Today’s lunch: Quesadilla and soup! 

You can really top your quesadilla with what ever you want. I used what I had in my kitchen.

-Tortilla

-A couple tablespoons of Refried beans (I used canned)

-Half an onion

-Corn (I used frozen corn)

-Salsa (can go on it or on the side if it’s runnier)

-Vegan cheese (I used Daiya cheddar)

You can also put in more ingredients like green peppers, green onions, tomatoes, black beans, and jalapenos.

I had a bowl of tomato basil soup on the side.

(Source: http://www.youtube.com/)

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quick, healthy, and cheap meal ideas

Being a college student, it can be hard finding the time to cook healthy meals on a tight budget. Over the years, I’ve learned what products to buy that keep my cooking time to a minimum, and my wallet happy. Today, probably 90 per cent of the meals I make take less than 30 minutes to prepare.

Although specialty vegan products can be prepared quicks, I don’t often buy them because they can be pricy.

Here are some of the items that I ALWAYS like to have in my kitchen…

These items are a great base to whatever meal I am preparing. Here are a few examples of meal ideas using these items.

Breakfast Ideas:

Lunch Ideas:

Dinner Ideas:

  

These are just some ideas of how to use these products as a base to your meals. There are endless recipes online, or you can just try experimenting on your own! All these ideas can be made within a half hour if needed, cost next to nothing, and last a long time in the cupboard and freezer. For the lentils, chickpeas, and chili, you can throw it in the crock-pot in the morning to come home to a beautiful meal.

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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!

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eco chic for her and him

When it comes to fashion, you don’t have to be a PETA supporting tree-hugger to make some environmentally-conscious and animal-friendly decisions. Many companies offer eco-friendly and/or vegan products, while other companies, like Etnies, are starting to put out full eco-friendly lines.

Etnies currently has a ‘Buy a shoe plant a tree’ line for men and women, in which the company plants a tree in Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest for every pair of shoes sold. The line also includes some vegan/animal-free styles.

The men’s Jameson 2 Eco low-tops are completely vegan, and are made using a recycled rubber outsole, recycled plastic in the shoe laces, and the inner sole is made of cork. Even though these canvas skater-style shoes are eco-friendly, they do not lack quality or style.

The women’s Caprice Eco shoe is also vegan-friendly and uses materials including hemp, and recycled rubber. These shoes come in a verity of colours and designs, and are sure to turn some heads.

Matt and Nat (short for mat(t)erials + nature) is a Montreal-based company making products with eco-friendly, recycled, and upcycled materials.

The women’s Trench messenger bag is 100 per cent eco-friendly and uses a 100 per cent recycled nylon lining. This bag is textured, giving a leather look and feel, without using any animal products.

The men’s Ethan cotton canvas messenger bag is also made of 100 per cent recycled nylon. The simple over the shoulder bag has two compartments, and is perfect for carrying a laptop.

Vancouver-based Elroy Apparel focuses on ethical, innovative, and sustainable fashion. Designer Leanne McElroy spends four months of the year working with their sustainable employment sewing cooperative in Indonesia.

The Jamesia jacket from Elroy is made of 100 per cent upcycled cotton.  This sleek trench-style coat features a wooden toggle button, and a tie waist closure.

Macbeth Footwear is a footwear, apparel and accessory brand from Southern California, which offers a number of vegan and organic products. The company was co-founded by Tom DeLonge from blink-182.

This Vegan Cow T-shirt is made of 100 per cent cotton and allows those who are vegan to show it.

These are just a few of the many options if you’re looking to make some environmental and/or animal friendly choices when it comes to your wardrobe.

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