So… I’m asked – a lot – “so, you’re vegan?!?” Sometimes followed by “…so do you eat fish? or eggs?”

But even after explaining that… I’m often met with a blank stare – and the silliest of questions: “So, what do you eat?? Beans and rice?”

And while beans and rice is, somtimes, on the menu… I wated to let you know what I’ve had to eat today.

Just because.

Amaze your friends.

So… it was a birthday day… we started out with a pretty serious brunch.

Oatmeal… with strawberries and organic cane brown sugar.

And – before you ask – NO! That was NOT it.

We also had the Tofu Scramble w/ Vegan Sausage that’s mentioned on this site… nomnomnom.

And we had the Biscuits from this site. More nomnom.

And we had a NEW dish – DINER POTATOES (recipe to come soon)… much nomnomnom.

And we were FULL!! and HAPPY!

So… we were going to skip lunch (since we ate at 11:30 a.m.) and just do an early dinner.

But noooooo. We were hungry mid afternoon.

So – I made grilled artichokes. First time. With lemon, and olive oil, and garlic, and balsamic vinegar, and garlic, and a little more garlic. Boiled ‘em. Grilled ‘em. Ate ‘em. Amazing. Incredible. RECIPE ONLINE.

Then we were again temporarily satiated.

So what to do for dinner? It’s a bit cold out, so we decided to make a new recipe for CHILI with a cornbread topping!

And, wow! It was nomnomnom good, too!

Had organic kidney beans… and tomatoes and tomato sauce… and organic corn… and a bit of cocoa powder, and more great stuff.

It turned out FANTASTIC!! The corn bread topping was really cool – I’m amazed that it stayed intact. You do the first part on the stove… then finish it off in the oven. MMMMMM.

That recipe’s coming, too. Soon.

But I just wanted to put it out there. I got my protein, my carbs, my nutrients, my mmmm feeling… all from veggies and veggie stuff. Very little of what I make comes out of a box or a bag… as you know if you read this blog. I didn’t eat tree bark and sand. I’m not relegated to beans and rice for every meal to make the “magic formula” work and keep me alive.

So what do Vegans eat, anyway?

Food that helps us live longer, healther lives… while helping to offset global greenhouse gases, reduce rainforest destruction, and resource exploitation. Oh, and then there are the animals. Those helpless animals that depend on humans for humanity. And they just don’t get it. I won’t even begin to discuss the abysmal conditions they’re subjected to – even in the best of circumstances. We’ll save that for another blogger… or at least another post.

The options available to Vegans are rich, flavorful, and fulfilling – and are fantastic for our bodies and our lives. They help us live healthier and happier today… and contribute to better health every day in the future.

In case you wanted to know!

Thanks to the amazing Isa Chandra of Post Punk Kitchen fame… and KitteeKake … we’re now in day FOUR of #Vegan MoFo. That’s Month of Food. Vegan. Vegan Food. Vegan Month of Food. You’ve probably got it. You’ve probably heard of it.

And because of this wildly successful PROMOTION (See LA TIMES ARTICLE on it) … more people, bloggers, and media folks are talking about the benefits of Vegan eating.

You know that 40 percent more greenhouse gasses that contribute to global warming come from farm animals … than CARS, right? You know that rainforests are being cut down because the land is “needed” to put farm animals (70 percent of deforestation) and the crops to feed them (nearly 30 percent).

You know that – if everyone in the world were vegan… there would be NO HUNGER. SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RATES of Disease and death from disease. And, I think, a more compassionate planet.

So… I read a lot of books, magazines, blogs, and whatever else I can get my virtual hands on about #Vegan Cooking. You might notice that when we started this blog, I was vegetarian (thus the use of eggs and butter and dairy and cheese in some earlier recipes). But after reading The China Study

… and now, more recently, Skinny Bastard…
,

I’m done with even trying to justify “eggs are okay” and “but I like cheese.” Please. As if the pus, poo, antibiotic factor weren’t enough.. the harsh, cold realities of how factory farming works (see FOOD INC) does.

I know, the “Smug” is getting really thick. But I do feel good about what I’m personally doing for me. For my body. For my family. For the planet. AND for the animals. In our family alone, we’re preventing the painful, inhumane raising and slaughter of over 400 animals each year because we are vegan or vegetarian (one is still vegetarian… which is great).

I feel strange when I open a box. Or sometimes even a can. Or a bag. I just want to work with, cook with, and eat… REAL food.

You know?

Give Peas a Chance… and I hope you have a GREAT week.

Vegan or Vegetarian Dogs? WOT?

I know, sounds strange. Because we’ve been taught to think it does. I thought it sounded strange. But consider the quality of meat that makes it to the grocery store for human consumption – the “meat” that makes it into dog and pet food is surely not as “good.”

I’ve found a couple of vets who love the idea… and a couple who are challenged by it (one who said she was going on a trip to see the Science Diet factory because she’s such a fan… hmm. Not sure about that one.)

And, if you have read some of my other blogosphere stuff… I’m a huge fan of Dr. Campbell’s “The China Study.” Took me from vegetarian to confirmed and proud vegan in a matter of a week.

So – if it’s good for humans, and decreases our risk of cancer and so many other diseases… what about dogs? Aren’t they carnivores? I did a lot of research… as I am NOT an expert by any means in the field of canine nutrition. But MOST non-accidental canine deaths are caused by cancer… and over half over age 10 die from it.

Seems they do NOT need meat. Seems cats DO… but dogs don’t. I moved my four to Nature’s Recipe… with mixed results. They seem happy… well adjusted… vet says they’re healthy… but their … um… business… is … um… loose. Really loose. And that concerned me.

On the advice of more research and several personal recommendations, I’m moving them to another complete balance food – SUPER premium (and not cheap). It’s Natural Balance… and I’ve got high hopes. Supposed to help reduce the itchy skin and other allergies, too.

Watch this space… I’ll let you know.

Give Peas a Chance…

Patrick