What Kind of Vegan Are You?

Conflict occurs in our daily lives and it’s inevitable. I’ve been thinking lately of the question of the “kind” of vegan I am because of a recent conflict in our supper club. I’ve also been busy editing my first novel and haven’t been writing for this blog, which made me think ”What kind of vegan am I for not trying to spread a message of compassion every chance I... Read More

Is being vegan extreme?

I have heard this argument from people who defend eating meat. I don’t think veganism is extreme at all. What is extreme is feeding grain to cattle to make them sick and then using medicine to fix the problem. It is extreme to feed cattle 5 pounds of grain to get one pound of meat. It is extreme to feed 50% of U.S. grain to animals while 800 million people around the world suffer... Read More

My First Year As A Vegan

In my first year as a vegan, I feel as though I’ve learned a tremendous amount about myself and about other people. As I’ve heard many people say over the year, there was a time in my life when I never could have imagined myself living this lifestyle—but then again, I really had no idea what that even meant! I think I’ve proven to myself that following my heart and instinct... Read More

We’re the Radicals

Is it me or are there more stories on the web lately about “reformed” vegetarians and vegans? My definition of reform must be different than others, as I’ve always thought of reform from another perspective (you know, beneficial change). As I’m always interested in words in general, I looked up reform in my trusty online dictionary (yes, I still use the hardcovered one too)... Read More

Human Cost of Meat

In September PETA posted an article about how KFC chickens were raised “Free to Roam,” but were really stuffed in cages, KFC had to pull its advertising from its Australian website. When I put this story on our Twitter account, I got some interesting comments with the most interesting was “Fuck animals, what about people.” This got me thinking about if you... Read More

I choose to be vegan

I was inspired to write after reading some commentary about the dreaded Vegan Police, of which I’m not a fan. Veganism isn’t about policing; it’s about expanding your thoughts about what you eat, not reigning people in. Veganism isn’t about being exclusionary; it’s about sharing all of your wonderful recipes with people who might not have thought to bake with tofu... Read More

The fear of change

We’re all afraid of something. Those who know me realize that clowns are pretty much at the top of my list, followed by forced participation events at work and Carrot Top. Honestly, I get scared that we are digging our own graves on this planet and that there’s very little hope for humanity to change. I get discouraged by animal producers in Nebraska forming a political action... Read More

5 foods I never thought I’d like before I became vegan

If someone had told me years ago that I would have a new appreciation for food if I became a vegan, I’m not sure I would have believed them. Like many people, I just never realized how many doors you open when you lead a vegan lifestyle. One of those doors has food behind it–a delicious array of glorious, mostly nutritious morsels. I listed just five things here that... Read More

What You Eat Can Heal or Kill You – Part 1

I’ve been thinking about writing a long post on the benefits of a plant-based/vegan diet as a means for disease (plural) prevention. I’ve decided to break it up into several parts so it’s not too long, there’s way too much to cover, and because I wanted to share Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s CNN documentary on “The Last Heart Attack” that just aired... Read More

Giving thanks for the turkeys

I’ve written before about my vegetarian experience, when I first “got it.” I had never liked veal or lamb or pork growing up, and I had unsuccessfully attempted to eliminate meat years earlier. I, like many millions of people, had associated family meals and holidays with various foods. My favorite holiday has always been Thanksgiving—a time I consider to be a focus on those... Read More