BBQ Ribz for World Farm Animals Day

                                             

October 2nd is World Farm Animals Day.   A day to reflect on the lives of billions of animals bought into existence only to be slaughtered for our pleasure.   In our modern societies, with so many options, choosing a humane way to feed ourselves is not only the right thing to do...it's getting easier and easier.  This recipe for Ribz is a great example...really easy to toss together, very tasty  and nutritious, AND does not include the unnecessary suffering of another being.   We love these ribz with coleslaw, lots of extra BBQ sauce and serve it up on big buns or rice.  Try this recipe for barbeque ribz, you'll love it and the pigs will love you !
                     A warning :   this is very very good...I recommend making a double recipe :)
                                                          SUSAN'S RIBZ WITH A Z

Peaceful Prairie dot Org

I sometimes forget how wonderful this organization is, and have to go to it now and then to remind myself. Lots of information, links, recipes, awesome photography and beautiful heartfelt stories of the lives of some of the animals at their sanctuary out in Colorado. This site is worth visiting for the stories alone.   So check them out at : http://www.peacefulprairie.org/index.html

Pawfest in Winchester , Va !

Here are some kids ( and an adorable Boston Terrier pup ! ) sampling cookies that Jocelyn and I made to show people that fantastic baked goodies can easily be made without animal products. Totally cruelty-free, delicious AND easy...what's not to love ?

The event, Pawfest is an annual fundraiser and is held on the grounds of the Winchester ASPCA. There were all kinds of games for kids to play, a playground for dogs and a dog wash as well ! Cats and dogs were available for adoption, and I think several found new homes that day. It was a gorgeous late summer day and a perfect event to introduce animal lovers to animal-free baking. We had lots of free literature on hand ( some with recipes )as well as the recipes for the cookie samples. A free drawing for Robin Robertson's great Vegan Planet cookbook created a nice opportunity to show off all the vegan cookbooks out there now.
Lots of curiosity, questions and surprise..." you made THAT without eggs or butter ???? " seemed to be the most common question, much to our delight ! Jocelyn's Chocolate Chip Cookies and my Orange Chocolate Brownies were the hits, and both recipes can be found on her blog, Vegan Family Values. Her husband Mike and their two fun kids were there to help as well. Jocelyn heard many people asking if we'll be there again next year...let's hope so !

Animal Counter

Below is a pretty incredible graphic put together by the folks at Animal Visuals. I wish there could be one of these posted up on a big screen in every grocery store, just to get people thinking about the individual animals involved, as well as the sheer numbers. Something about seeing them squirming while hanging from their neck or leg tendons, even though I know it's just a cartoon, really makes the point.

DC Vegfest and Cat Food Woes

The DC Vegfest is coming up soon, September 11th.   I have missed them in previous years, but definitely plan on getting there this year !    Looks like a good line up of speakers and food sampling.

The organization ( and fantastic podcast ! ), Our Hen House, continues to amaze me with their broad coverage of vegan issues and their fabulous website.   

  I've been in an awful quandary about what to feed our 3 cats since one of them developed a urinary tract issue from crystals in his urine.   It did not require surgery, but lab tests revealed that his urine was not acidic enough, there were crystals present and even a little blood from the crystals scraping his urethra on the way out...and that meat needed to be added to his vegan diet.   Ugh.   I had had them on Evolution cat food, the kibbles and the canned for well over a year and had no problems...better than that really...they all were doing very well, including our 15 year old cat who had just joined the ranks of Indoor Kittydom last December.  He had been an indoor/outdoor ( mostly outdoor ) most of his life, but was just becoming too slow to escape what ever other critters were out there, that might to do a kitty harm.   And the wildlife needed a break from his predation, as well.  I am WELL acquainted with the whole "cats are obligate carnivores " issue,  and I'm sick of the "how can you press your vegan values, choices on your pet...that's animal abuse, etc....".   But at the end of the day I keep coming back to this:   Yes, cats are carnivores.  But is it right to feed our pets other animals we've dredged from the seas or bred into existence just to be killed and processed into food for us and the scraps as food for our pets ?   No.    So what to do ?   Not keep cats is one answer.   But I've already got them ( or do they have me ? ).   Find the most ethical way to feed them ?   Still working on that.    So far, once the one kitty's ( Tomsky )  urinary issue cleared up, we're back to 1/2 cup Evolution kibble, soaked in lots of warm water for about 15 minutes, and about 1/2 a can of various animal meats stirred in.  All three cats eat this.  I cringe every time i open a can and am researching finding a better alternative.   I got an "acidifier" for the vegan cat food, but a little late...Tomsky was having issue with the crystals and needed tests, and the vets answer was "meat".  And how much acidifier to add to the vegan food...?  And why isnt the vegan cat food already acidified ?  This is a very complicated, loaded issue,  and I am pretty confident that an ethical answer for feeding pet felines is on the horizon....but for now, we'll just have to keep experimenting with what is the least worst choice. A website for vegan catfood...VeganCats.com...bravely wades into these waters and offers some suggestions.

How to contact New Leaf Vegan !

Email Dale Ball at vegeats@gmail.com with questions or comments, and recipes from events.   I'm working on setting the blog up to be a little more user-friendly  :)
Thank you for your patience!

Dale Ball

Portland, Oregon and the Let Live Conference

I flew West from Virginia to Portland , Oregon on the 24th of June to attend a weekend of  animal rights and vegan advocacy workshops and meetings.   The Let Live Conference was organized by Student Animal Liberation Coalition, with support from Let Live Foundation as well as local area businesses such as Herbivore Clothing, and Food Fight Grocery. Total immersion  in animal exploitation issues for a several days in a row could be very difficult, but the organizers kept things mixed-up to keep the optimism and spirits high.   There was an animal rights themed spelling bee the first evening.....a  lot of fun, a little educational, and a great ice-breaker to relax everyone.   We came from all over the country and from many different perspectives, but advocating for the voiceless unified us all.
Jasmin Singer from Our Hen House guided several of the workshops and discussions, providing both framework and humor to the topics.     Gary Lowenthal from Compassion For Animals shared his experiences with animal rescue and tips and in developing the World Wide Vegan Bake Sale .   Isa Chandra Moskowitz, author of many great cookbooks, sat on several panels and offered her take on food activism.

Pictured below are , from the left : Glenn Gaetz, Lauren Ornelas, and  Christopher Greenslate in one of the workshops.   And some neat cast cement gigantic diatoms as sculpture on the streets of Portland....nice !

  
A strong showing of  very active, very brave activists who were hosting this event  implored us all to dig deeper and work beyond our comfort zones to be more effective advocates.   I am inspired by their dedication and applaud their work.  Check out the Let Live link for the list of speakers and exhibitors.
It's really hard to pick just a few favorite speakers, so I will close with two new-to-me people and their grassroots organizations that are working for positive change: Lauren Ornelas of the Food Empowerment Project and Glenn Gaetz Liberation BC.