Some time ago, a friend of mine asked me about smoking and being vegan. As a then-new vegan, I explained that my reasons for it were ethical, not for health, so the fact that I smoked wasn’t in conflict at all with being a purposeful vegan. I didn’t really think much else about it at the time, since it seemed to answer my friend’s question. But the question has come back to me as I learn more about what ethical veganism really is.

I’ve had to ask myself again, is it vegan to smoke? And after much thought, I’ve had to answer myself, “Of course it’s not vegan, but who cares?! It’s just plain stupid!” I quit smoking last Friday, (yes, Friday the 13^th – what do you expect from someone who talks to themselves?).

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Sometimes that big bag of spinach you bought at Costco just didn’t seem so big until you got it home, and realized it doesn’t even fit in your crisper. What were you thinking, Popeye?  Sometimes you want something easy, inexpensive, nutritious, and different.  Maybe you’ve just had some dental work and want something easy to chew.  I have an answer for you: Spinach Dahl, an east Indian dish made with lentils, spinach, and a few easy-to-find spices.

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When we see the disturbing video clips and read the reports proffered by animal-advocacy groups, it is easy to become enraged, and to want the immediate removal of animals from their industrial nightmare. We want to end this “holocaust,” and maybe even “make the abusers pay” at whatever cost. It’s not a surprise that groups like Animal Liberation Front become militant, and other militant groups come into being, if they view this as rescuing holocaust victims from Nazis. When our eyes become opened to the many sufferings of the animals we use, it is a natural impulse to want to do something right now to try to stop it. And many activists do just that. ( Continued… )

Yesterday, November 1, was the 65th birthday of the formalization and naming of “Veganism.”

The Vegan Society was founded in 1944 by a man named Donald Watson, a very ordinary man who lived a very ordinary life. I think that his ordinary-ness (is that a word?) is what makes him so inspiring… because most of us can relate to his life and story, and see that even common people can change the world.

Watson founded a far-reaching and profound social movement, whose wisdom is becoming more and more evident as we see the detrimental effects of our use of animals — on animals themselves, humans, and the environment.

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I love tabbouleh. I’m going to marry it someday. It has always amazed me how energized I feel after eating a nice big bowl of this stuff – recently a friend told me it’s probably because it’s 100% raw… and that’s what eating raw nutritionally-dense food does for you.

Raw parsley is a natural de-toxifier and breath freshener, with 3 times the vitamin C as oranges and twice as much iron as spinach. It’s chock full of anti-oxidants and contains coumarins which are anti-clotting agents that help prevent arterial blockages. Add in the natural greatness of tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, olive oil, and some energy-providing bulgar wheat, and you’ve got one of the healthiest and most delicious meals on the planet. The other good news is, all the ingredients come straight from the produce and grain sections of your local supermarket, and are relatively inexpensive to buy. If you’re super frugal, buy the bulgar wheat in bulk – pre-packaged bulgar usually costs a little more.

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For today’s MoFo post, I’d like to give props to Ogden’s very own Pizza Runner.
We don’t have too many vegan dining-out options here it’s true, but that might just be because we don’t need them. Pizza Runner has a vegan specialty pizza, the Vegan Dread Head Prima Vera:

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You’ll not see nothing like it! Quinoa (KIN-weh) is a dry plant seed that is delicious, cooks like rice, (only quicker), is a complete protein, is full of fiber, helps prevent Type 2 Diabetes, AND provides a substantial amount of iron, thiamine, folate, and micro-nutrients.

Its protein quality is at least that of milk (so don’t ask vegans where they get their protein, it is easy to get all of it from plants- honest!).  Since it is considered a “whole grain,” it is suitable for many diabetics who can’t eat white rice (but always check with your doc).  It is also gluten-free.  Not too shabby for a little millet-looking bead!  Click here for more information about Quinoa.

I was able to find a nice big bag of quinoa at Costco, here in Ogden. If you can’t find it there, try Good Earth Natural Foods, and possibly Smith’s Supermarket on 12th Street.

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I don’t know what I was thinking with this one, sometimes I just feel like trying something new. It makes no sense at all that any sane person (much less a vegan), would want to emulate a dish comprised of a wee sheep’s innards boiled up in a beef bung.

Not judging, mind you, IF you need to kill an animal for nutrition, and IF you can make said animal’s lungs and other parts edible… I was born with a Mac surname, and I completely grok Scottish sensibilities, so… um… just sayin’.

I’ve never actually had real haggis, so as I looked around for interesting vegan recipes, decided that this truly looked tasty and nutritious. I had the ingredients on hand (nothing “weird” in this one, all ingredients come from any grocery store), and best of all… no one had to sacrifice a bung or any other bodily parts.  To be completely honest, his dish turned out fantastic – and I’m looking forward to any excuse in the near future to make it again.

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