What's in our fridge!

One of the many things I love about this blog is that every week I get to meet people who have decided to go vegan. It's wonderful being in touch with them and being able to support them and be a resource for them.

One of things that I have realized that seems to be common with people going vegan is that they are not used to buying a lot of vegetables. When I tell them what we typically buy they tend to be a little surprised.

So I decided to write this post and let you know what we typically have in our fridge. You will notice some items that tend to be considered healthy. I definitely do not consider myself an expert in nutrition but I do have links to nutrition experts on the main page.

Here we go:

Rice milk
Orange juice
Dates
Brocolli
Cauliflower
Kale
Swiss Chard
Spinach
Pears
Apples
Red peppers
Celery
Blackberries
Blueberries
Tofurky slices
Daiya shredded cheese
Vtopian cheese
Some vegan empanadas from Maria Empanada
Earth balance spread and sticks
Tofu
Treeline cheese
Tortillas
Veganaise
Braggs

We also have a lot of the compliments, too many to list.

I hope this is helpful to those of you who are new to being vegan, or even those who are looking for new food ideas. We really try to eat more fruits and veggies and less processed foods. We don't always succeed, but I definitely think we are on the right track.

Thanks for reading!

My 14 faves of '14: #11

I must admit that I have finished a whole box of these. All by myself. I keep telling Mike that they must be putting less into a box.

I love these crackers. Definitely one of my faves for '14.

They are making their way around but I'm not sure if they are everywhere yet. If you have a chance, buy them.

In the Denver area we buy then at Nooch Vegan Market.

Enjoy.

And thanks for reading!

No gifts, thank you.

I am super grateful to all of my family who, for years now, have donated to a local animal shelter or HIV/AIDS organization instead of getting us a Christmas gift. It's been at least ten years since my parents started doing this, and every time we are back in Michigan we get to see the results. The animal shelter in Bay City where my mom donates in our name even has a brick for me and Mike!

So many amazing organizations doing so much good work.

Every year around this time I like to write about this. It's pretty simple. We have the power to make an intense amount of change by asking our friends and family to donate to an organization we would support rather than get us a gift. I have altered that for some folks who insist on a gift as it's "what they want to do" to say that if you get us a gift, please make a donation of equal value.

Our friends and family have loved this. So have the small, local HIV/AIDS organizations and animal shelters.

Everybody gets a gift. Plus, those who love us get the chance to know us on a deeper level by being a part of supporting groups we support. And they get to learn why we support these groups.

Thanks for reading!

Note to business owners who want vegan business

Mike and I are vegan.

We share our house with four dogs and two chinchillas. As expensive it is that they can seem at times, I'm sure it's nothing compared to having human children.

We don't have a lot of extra money as I work in the non-profit world and Mike teaches in our local public school system. Don't get me wrong, we live very well. We both feel like we live a charmed life.

So when we shop, we like to spend money with nice people. When we dine out, we want amazingly delicious food and incredibly hospitable service.

This can be challenging with some folks. Recently we have had poor experiences when trying to support vegan businesses and businesses that are trying to get vegans to spend their money with them.

Some experiences were around things like this:

Do you really think that you have to act like you are cooler than us? I get it, you are cooler than us. So relax.

If you have promoted a product as vegan, it should be vegan. Don't get pissy with us when it's not. It's not our fault. Vegan means no animal product. None. And no insect product. Zero. If your product contains just a little animal product it's still not vegan.

I'm vegan. I'm against cruelty to animals. I'm shopping with you. I don't want your opinion as why it's OK to use animals for this purpose or another. I definitely don't need you to tell me that they don't really hurt the animals in whatever process you are talking about.

If you own or run a restaurant and want vegans to dine with you, then create delicious vegan food. Make your vegan dishes so incredibly creative and tasty that your restaurant will be the talk of the town. A simple salad or pasta dish just doesn't do it.

If you are vegan and have created the most amazing vegan product, food item or business, we are super excited for you. We will probably end up loving your product or business just as much as you do. So please treat us kindly. Arrogance and ego don't really work for us. Kudos on the wonderful creation. We'll support it. Just remember that we're customers and will be part of your success.

We LOVE vegan businesses. We love them even better when the folks we engage with speak with us rather than at us and if they treat us as if our business and support might matter to them. A vegan business that we love and one that ROCKS at this is Vegan Cuts. I met the owners (I think they were the owners!) at a bloggers conference. They we so incredibly nice to me, just one of hundreds swinging by their booth. They made it so I wanted to do business with them. And we sure have! Their initial way of treating me created a long term customer and a huge fan.

This all boils down to the big rule for us: treat others as you wish to be treated. It's pretty simple. And easy. Personally I believe that it's so much easier to be kind to someone than unkind, especially to a customer!

If you are in business I assume you want to do well. Please keep some of this in mind. The way you treat people really makes a difference. I don't mean to come off negative with this post, I truly want businesses to take note and think about some of these issues. It's not just Mike and I who have experienced this, but much of what I am writing about are issues that many of our friends and blog readers have experienced.

We look forward to buying your product, dining at your restaurant and enjoying your newest vegan creation!

Thanks for reading!

Create a vegan pop up market where you live!

It's the third Sunday of the month and in Denver that means Neat Market day.

I think it's been over a year since a group of people who were already serving a monthly vegan dinner decided to create the Neat Market. Vegan vendors of all varieties come to sell their goods. Well, everything is a suggested donation. Hundreds of people come. Everyone leaves happy. Some of us leave stuffed because we not only shop, we eat.

Imagine being able to meet friends, grab the newest vegan drink with a great sweet and maybe even lunch. Then go meet the person who is selling vegan cheese right next to the guy who has just started a tempeh company. Vegan marshmallows dipped in chocolate, of course!

I love the Neat Market. And every time we go I think that this is something that could be happening in any city where there is a vegan community.

It can be some work: finding a place, spreading the word, finding enough vendors that make it worth the trip, etc. Yet it is a wonderful way to build community and spread the message of vegan awesomeness. We have met incredible people doing incredible things. Oh, and every month there is a non-profit that can raise money and awareness for their cause.

We are all about building community as a way to be a strong voice for the voiceless. This is a perfect way to that. It's like having a mini veg fest every month. The bonus is that every time we go we get to try something we hadn't tried before. And we get to watch vegan businesses grow and thrive.

I have planned a lot of events. They take time and commitment. And when you're working on an event that can do so much good like a vegan market, it seems a little easier.

You don't have to live a big city. You need to know some other vegans, hopefully a few that have been creating delish vegan food or awesome vegan products. That's really it. The rest will come about with your passion and compassion.

We would love to hear about vegan pop up markets where you live.

Going vegan

This blog has given me the opportunity to meet many people who have recently begun the vegan path. It has been wonderful getting to know people as they decide to take their overall compassion and make it include what is on their dinner plate.

I have been vegan for 16 years. My how time flies when you're having fun!

The process is pretty much the same, with a TON of more vegan options these days! When I became vegan the typical "veg" option in a restaurant was a portabello mushroom sandwich. I had so many of them back then that these days I stay away from them.

What helped me in the early days was trying to connect with other vegans and checking out what they ate. I was fortunate to have started out in Norfolk, VA where there were already potlucks and an annual animal rights conference (that just so happened to be at the hotel I worked at!).

It was a process. I was extremely fortunate that I didn't have a battalion of people judging me at every step. The folks I turned to were compassionate towards all living beings, including humans. They offered support, recipes, ideas, and a way of life that has never stopped giving back more to me than I could possibly give.

These days when people ask for help I try to keep it simple. Watch what you eat (Capt'n Crunch is vegan), Try cooking at home more often. Check out vegan cookbooks and pick your favorite. Find a potluck or a meetup. Ask the manager at the grocery store you shop to carry items that will support your new path. Go online and read blogs (like this one!), especially those that have recipes and ideas around what kinds of foods to make sure you include in your meals. We have links here to many such blogs.

Finally, I want anyone thinking about going vegan to know that we have met vegans from all parts of the country (and the world), from small towns to big cities, in the most rural place in the South to Alaska. Wherever you are it is indeed possible to do this!

Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear from you: vegandude@msn.com