Animal Testing Thoughts

If you ever decide to become vegan or meet some vegans you might hear about animal testing a bit. This being said, as many vegans don't eat animals or animal products, most of them also choose not to use products that are tested on animals or that contain animal products.

There are many ways to tell if products are cruelty free or vegan. For cosmetics you will see on the label a bunny noting at the product is not tested on animals or a statement stating such. Many brands will also label if their product is vegan or you may have to google the ingredients in that item which can be a bummer.

Here you can see what companies do and do not test on animals I think there is also an app that will give you the same info. http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/default.aspx

In the animal testing world some of the biggest news recently was Urban Decay's reversal of their decision to sell to china. If they sold products to china their products would no longer be cruelty free. China requires animal testing. Due to public outrage and the revoking of their leaping bunny status Urban Decay will remain cruelty free. They also sell many vegan cosmetics and their make up brushes are completely synthetic.

Animals die and suffer from animal testing this is why so many vegans and vegetarians are against it. However, many will say if there is no other option, such as some medications that it's okay for a person to use a product tested on animals. Many may not completely stop using these products but may reduce their use when possible.

That being said one must know what other ingredients are animal products and know their brands. Beeswax is in many products and cosmetics. It's not vegan. Bees are killed for their wax and many starved and hurt in giant industrial bee farms. I will never by burt's bees because of this. You can find vegan lipbalm, a simple one is even listed on peta's website. Lanolin is also used in many lip products and this is from sheep as it is wool grease or wax.Chicken bone marrow, bug shells and fish scales, whale stomaches, and even animal pee are also commonly used in cosmetics. Just check your brand. It's kind of gross.

Vegetables are delicious? What is, I don't even?

Seriously. I was probably the last person I'd think that would actually like eating vegetables aside from canned corn, peas, and green beans.

But since I've gone down this veganist path I've realized how delicious they were and it's like discovering food all over again (but not in a bad way).

Most recently I discovered I LOVE avocado. I used to eat here and there only when my grandma put it on chalupas, other than that I wouldn't and when it was served with a dish I'd push it aside or give it to someone else. Now I love it! I don't love the price though. Avocados are usually expensive. Sometimes up to $2-$3 for one small one depending on the season. However, you can buy prepackaged guac in the veggie section which is cheaper, lasts longer and more convenient. That being said, this is not a 'raw vegan, microbiological-benefit blog'. Anyway. They are delicious now. You can find tons of health benefits of eating avocados like vitamin C and healthy fats, ect. I'm still learning new ways to use them in food. I saw something about someone putting some in with some quinoa which looked promising. Then of course you can use it in just about any mexican dish or dice it up with some peppers to make guac or spread it in a sandwich.

That being said about how I now love some veggies and I can list more like peppers and more greens, there are some I don't think I'll ever like alone. I can't stand plain baby carrots and celery. I wish I was one of those people who could snack on them all day but I can't. I think it's a texture thing. I like cooked carrots and I can stand some carrot shreds in food but not a straight up carrot. I suppose this just goes to show you that not all vegans like all veggies and that you'll notice you'll be craving certain veggies like you used to crave non-vegan food.

I was never big on sweets. I would eat a couple donuts once in a three month period or maybe a pastry here and there and I don't like cake so I never really ate it except for when I was young and people forced it on me. They still try and I always have to get into a fight about it (this was before I was vegan as I simply hated cake). I was more a salty snack person, like popcorn, chips, ect or a carb craver so I liked breads and pastas alot. Now what do I snack?
I still have chips sometimes. They're vegan but they're not healthy and I don't want to come off from a soapbox standpoint like some people do and act like they've never eaten anything not-healthy or not-vegan in their entire lives because I think it's unrealistic and preachy. But sure I'll have some chips here and there, usually with a sandwich, but I don't eat sandwiches much. And of course I'll have some if I'm at a mexican place. I order avocado now in place of queso and I don't miss it. Of course, if you follow my blog, you also know I have recently discovered I have a dairy allergy to casein. So I can't have it anyway unless I want to feel crappy for several days. I'll also snack on nuts like almonds which are my favorite and sure I'll do the roasted. I also like sour candy here and there and fruits like apples or I'll make a smoothie. I will also eat seasonal fruit like watermelon or grapes and plums and strawberries.

Vegan 'Milk'

Many people may ask you about milk when you become vegan. However, there are some good milk replacements you can use daily or in recipes that call for milk. Luckily, these are readily available in almost all grocery stores so you won't need to go to a specialty shop. Also, if you are cooking for non-vegans they can't tell the difference if you used cow's milk or not.

You can choose from soy milk, rice milk, almond milk and some people use coconut milk. There may be some issues that can result from introducing too much soy into your diet so do your own research and some trial and error on what works for your body. Personally, I did have some issues from too much soy I think so I am switching back to almond milk since I finished up my soy milk. If you are looking for try soy milk I recommend silk. I never really drank milk for several years because I realized I was lactose intolerant so it made me feel terrible, but when I did have milk it was only in cereal and I really didn't know what to do as a teen because I didn't know about other types of milk that wouldn't make me sick so I just suffered through it. Anyway, my personal favorite is almond breeze. I usually get vanilla or unsweetened to add to my cereal or use in baking.

Also, you don't have to be vegan to enjoy these milk replacements. People with dairy allergies or lactose intolerance can enjoy them. Also, you may look for some of these in the baking area of your store, not all of them require refrigeration until after you open them.

Vegan Burrito Recipe!

I made this for dinner, I'd have taken a pic but I was really hungry right after work. This burrito was super easy to make and delicious! Ingrediants:

bocas 'meat crumbles' (1/2 cup)

teaspoon taco seasoning

goya's canned black beans (1/2cup)

daiya mozzarella cheese (1/4th cup)

crushed tortilla chips

homemade pico de gallo (diced tomatos, onion, and jalapenos)

Whole wheat, low carb, high fiber tortilla (burrito sized)


I guess there really are no instructions except to prepare the 'meat' first with the seasoning in the microwave and warm up the canned beans and then combine everything in a burrito. This was very filling and a great source of fiber and protein. I rarely ever see black beans in restaurants but I love them. I also like the mozzarella 'cheese' as a welcome change to typical chedder used in burritos. If you want to make it more 'southwest' add in some corn. I might do that tomorrow since I still have plenty of beans left. I hope you like this recipe!

Meat Subs

I apologize for the delay in posting. I was having some health related issues. Long story short I have hypertension which at the moment there doesn't seem to be a known cause. Anyway, I am on medication for now until they can determine a cause or whatever.


u. I have found some new interesting vegan products I'd like to share that are meat replacements which are great to use if you are just starting out vegan/vegetarian, cook for meat-eaters, or just want to use them to cut down your meat intake. I'm going to try and focus on ones that are more readily available in case you don't have a specialty grocer near you. These you can find at most grocers like walmart and heb.


Quick, interesting facts about meat: You don't need meat for protein. I know lots of vegans/vegetarians get asked this. Also, when you consume meat or animal products you are also in taking cholesterol which can lead to health problems like hypertension and heart disease in excess. You can get protein without cholesterol from plant sources like beans, nuts and grains.


Yves makes some sandwich 'meat' that's fairly decent. I got the bologna since it was all I could find at walmart. You can probably find more at specialty grocers. They also make 'hotdogs' and 'meat' crumbles. www.yves.com

Next there are meat crumbles. Many brands make these but my favorite so far are the boca ones. Morning star makes them too and they are also in most markets. You will find these in the frozen section. These are great and easy to make. I used to get them anyway because they were cheap and last longer than ground meat. You can use them in place of meat in just about any recipe, just add your seasoning. They're great in burritos.





Now chicken alternatives. Again many brands make these too. I'm posting some by gardin brand. I found these at heb, but I believe morning star makes some too. You can find grilled or crispy varieties. Some also come preseasoned.


Of course, you can also find tons of veggie burgers on the market, some made of soy and others of black beans which I heard are really good. I hope to try them soon. You can also get more variety at other shops or ask your grocers to carry them. I'll do another blog on dairy alternatives soon. I hope this helps!

Unflavored Tofu! NO!

So I've had my fair share of meat subbies like boca and morning star and for the most part I've liked them. I even had the meat crumbles before going vegan. I try nd not rely on them and seek protein from other sources like nuts and beans.

I'm not sure if any of you are familiar with ghengis grill, but it's a 'mongolian' stirfry place. I like it and my boyfriend loves it so we decided to go there today and I decided I'd go with the tofu. Usually I'd have the chicken...but yea...today I found it odd that the tofu was not with the 'proteins' like it usually is. It was with the veggies which is weird. They seem to have changed things up since we last visited. So I tried it and loaded up on my regular things like tons of pineapples, some water chestnuts and other veggies.

The tofu was weird! It has no taste! I don't think I like it this way. I added spices but I think it would have been better if the tofu had been marinated in them. I'm not swearing off it but I think there is a trick to cooking it. I will find it!

Is Pizza Vegan? It can be!

I know a lot of people think that once you become vegan, or realize you have a dairy allergy, that you cannot have pizza. Not true! Also, typically vegan pizza is healthier because you are either doing no cheese or a vegan cheese and likely you are adding more veggies.

For pizza, you have many options. Take out, frozen, or make your own.

Take out

For large pizza chains you will need to go through their ingredients, don't assume you can just not order cheese. Many places include dairy or egg in their sauces or crust. Papa john's original crust and sauce is vegan so you can load up on veggies. If it's a smaller pizza chain, you can ask them if they have a truly vegan pizza. Most places will not have vegan cheese on hand unless it's a specialty place.

For frozen, amy's makes a vegan pizza I believe, and there is also a brand called turtle's island I believe, and they make an amazing tofurky pizza which is very filling and has vegan cheese. It's actually labeled as 'vegan', some brands will do this.

Or you can always make your own! You can use tortillas or bagels that are vegan or you can go all out and make your own crust and buy vegan cheese and toppings. Watch out when buying 'vegan' cheeses because some brands will have casein which is a dairy protein. I like 'Daiya'. You can find it at specialty shops or request for your local markets to carry it. Some might since they know dairy allergies are common. I am trying to get mine to carry it so I will update on how that goes.

You can find recipes for vegan pizza in vegan cookbooks or online such as youtube. I personally love the vegan zombie's videos.