Copy of Vegan Life magazine and a Pudology banoffee pudding – perfick 🙂
It’s lovely to read a magazine which is focused on positivity and like-mindedness!
Month: August 2016
Bath skyline walk :)
On Tuesday, Jacob and I went on the Bath skyline walk (well, half of it, as I foolishly sprained my ankle when we came across a long-jump pit and decided to have a jumping competition…!)
It is a gorgeous place to walk, with amazing views of the city. You just need to take plenty of water and energy-filled snacks!
I packed dried fruit, a few bourbon biccies, apples, and three-layered sandwiches made from wholemeal seeded bread, vitalite spread, lettuce, tomato, violife slices and avocado – omnomnom 🙂
YouTube conversations :O
Sometimes – probably more often than we would like to admit – we find ourselves in the comments section of YouTube. Oh the wonders of humanity! Most of the time I avoid looking at animal videos, so as not to get aggravated, but the other day I happened to (dramatic chord!) scroll down on one of these videos and read some of the comments and, before I could help myself, I was replying to some people…
So a few days have passed, and I thought I’d share the results with you all. It seems a good example of the sort of comments which can often be found on a video of this nature. The video was “The F Word pigs go to slaughter – Gordon Ramsay”, where Janet Street Porter says goodbye to the pigs she’s raised for The F Word kitchen. I am quite pleased with how the conversations turned out, but probably won’t comment on any more (for a while at least), because YouTube is rather tiring and tends to bring out the worst of people!
(Contains bad language)
Conversation 1
Vegan woman: These poor innocent souls will never come to understand why they are being treated in this way. If you can look at a potato and a piglet and say that they are the same, you are insane and should be locked up as you are a danger to society and those around you. People need to wake up and realize how barbaric the consumption of meat and dairy truly is. If watching these animals be killed against their will makes you uncomfortable or feel any guilt, then you damn well know eating meat is not right. Go vegan, save the animals.
Some guy: Yeah? Fuck you, meat all the way
Vegan woman: Being childish isn’t going to help anyone. just because you condone the torture, rape, and slaughter of animals does not mean you can curse at me. Come back with some facts and form your argument and next time, maybe I’ll take you seriously.
Some guy: I never said I condone that, but meat is delicious
Vegan woman: When you know animals are treated terribly day in and day out and still choose to eat meat is when this becomes a problem. By eating meat, you in fact do condone the torture, rape, and slaughter of animals who never even had a chance and “they are not as smart as us and who cares, they are yummy!” is not an excuse. They feel things like pain, anxiety, and fear just like we humans do. If we look into it, we are so much alike and people don‘t realize this.
Some guy: Animals are made to be eaten, and the fact that they get tortured is none of my damn business, and rape? Nobody slaps their dicks on a pigs ass, they get killed, we eat them, as simple as that, no need for rocket science, and why do you care what people eat? “Go vegan” it shows in fact that you‘re way too desperate, sit down.
Vegan woman: Animals in both the meat and dairy industry are indeed raped. Cows, pigs, and other animals have men with very large gloves stick semen in their vagina so they may become pregnant either to produce milk or be slaughtered. A cow can only produce milk when they are pregnant. This is all against their will. The babies are ripped from their mothers at birth. Imagine the trauma these animals go through, being raped and then having your child taken from you. These animals know that things are not going to get any better and people like you contribute to that every day.
Some guy: Not really, that’s just stupid…
Vegan woman: No, you are just to ignorant and desensitized to realize it is the same thing. this is all against their will so don’t make excuses for yourself. once an animal is involved in a disgusting place called a slaughterhouse, their children after them will meet the same fate which unfair and inhumane.
Some guy: Look, you piece of shit, food is to be eaten, like… You are an arrogant piece of shit vegan, I will stuff pork in your mouth and you will eat it for the rest of your life you vegan plant killing ignorant arrogant disgraceful piece of carrot lover, oh, I heard vegans don‘t drink milk, I will force drink you goat milk and piss and force feed you shit you cucumber muncher
Me (to the vegan woman): Ignore the stupid insulting trolls and people burying their heads in the sand. Eventually the world will wake up. Being ethical has always been the lonelier road, but it is a lot more rewarding, and you have a much clearer conscience. Surround yourself with like-minded people, eat loads of lovely vegan food, and hold your head high! 🙂
Some other guy: Yeah, go go ahead, Idc. But when you bring your stupid ass arguments telling people being an omnivore is bad, gtfo. You guys have no idea what you’re missing out, So much misinformation as well.
Me: Yep thanks for that polite, insult-free comment 😉 What most omnivores seem to forget is that vegans know exactly what we’re so-called “missing out on”; nearly all of us used to eat animal products! But guess what? We researched, gained dietery, health, ethical and environmental knowledge, and have decided to quit them. Because we know that they are unnecessary, and that the future of the planet, the animals and our own wellbeing is more important than if we happen to like the taste of a few strips of bacon! (And btw I tried vegan mock-bacon the other day and it was absolutely delicious. And nobody died for it 🙂 Vegans are not misinformed; we’re just not selfish. We have heard every pathetic, defensive argument against us, and still know that we’re doing the right thing. So save your breath!
Some other guy: How do you know the future? How do you know what the animals feel like? You don’t. As long as it had a decent life, and was local farm raised, I’m ok. I don’t eat bacon, I’m hinting at the important amino acids and shit you’re missing out on, as other foods CANNOT give you them.
Me: ^ Oh look, more misinformed ignorant arguments that I have heard before a thousand times, what a surprise! But since you’re clearly so concerned about us, vegans get our amino acids from beans, legumes, oats, plant milks, nuts, seeds, green veg, and grains. I used to have the same opinion. But let’s face it: “humane” meat is just humans trying to justify a practice which is unnecessary, selfish mass-murder. Take this scenario: if a group of human babies were brought up in an OK environment for a few weeks or months, would it then be OK if they were suddenly shipped off to a slaughterhouse, killed (even if it was allegedly “painless” and “stress-free”), cut into pieces and sold?
(No reply)
Conversation 2
Some guy: Ignorance is bliss I think, I’m a massive meat eater but this makes me feel like a shit person cause of it
Me: No, ignorance is bad because it keeps you in denial of what you’re consuming. If you feel bad for eating meat, and yet you do it anyway, then you are being a hypocrite. I’m not having a go: I was a hypocrite for years and, when I finally went veggie then vegan, it was the best step I’ve ever taken, and a massive weight of guilt off my shoulders. We aren’t meant to consume animal products; they are not healthy for us and contribute to the needless suffering of billions of animals every day (including ourselves). Why continue when we can get all our nutrients from plant-based foods?
Some guy: I continue to eat meat because meat tastes great and me stopping won’t make any difference apart from making me feel good about myself.
Some girl: did you think it was grown in the supermarket of something? I fucking love it! I’m not eating a dog or a cat or something so yea, i can live with it.
Me (to the guy): I know meat sometimes tastes great; I used to eat it! However, when you weigh it up with the detriments of eating it, and the fact that you get plant-based alternatives which taste even better, then you decide to stop. Stopping eating animal products makes all the difference in the world: compassion, empathy, a better environment, animals returning to their natural population sizes and habitats, lower risk of disease, much fewer plants being used for consumption (yes, because it takes many many more times to feed livestock than it would to feed humans directly, even if the whole world was vegan!) etc etc etc…
Me (to the girl): How come we keep cats and dogs as beloved pets, and yet it’s considered perfectly OK to slaughter pigs and cows? They’re all our fellow animals and should be treated with equal respect and dignity. All of them are individual lives, who feel love, grief and pain just as we do; they are not commodities to be used at our leisure. Imagine if there was a more evolved species on earth than us, which decided it liked the taste of humans (even though human flesh is not healthy for them, and there are much tastier and healthier plant-based alternatives). Would you consider it OK if they still harvested human adults, children and babies to be taken to slaughterhouses, cut into little pieces and sold?
(No reply from the girl)
Some other guy: We keep cats and dogs as pets because they don’t taste good.
Me: Lots of nations eat dogs; there are even dog eating festivals! 😦 and in yet other nations, pigs and cows are seen as sacred and are never eaten. It all depends what culture you’re in. What I’m saying is, culture shouldn’t have anything to do with it; all animals should have equal rights, full stop! What gives humans the right to exploit them?
Some other guy: Fuck no ill gobble down a bacon burger without any guilt, animals were put on earth for food. Whether its eaten by us or other animals
Me: Thanks for your polite, well-informed replies on this issue…
(As you can see, this tends to be my default response if somebody is not worth responding to! 😀 )
Some other guy: It’s not an issue, start eating meat and your pale ass won’t look so much like a ghost
Me: Ah more personal insults… You’re making yourself look like a very polite, intelligent individual here… Not that I have to justify anything to you, but you do not know what I look like, and my skin tone was exactly the same when I used to eat meat anyway, so I really don’t know what point you’re trying, and failing, to make! 😀
Some guy: It’s only an issue if the animal was treated poorly or killed and not eaten
Me: I used to think that as well but, on the contrary, meat production is also the biggest negative impact on the environment. So if, like me, you care about the environment as well as animal welfare and health, then that is another reason to ditch animal products as much as possible. Besides, even IF the animals are given an apparently ‘humane’ slaughter (oxymoron?), why does that make it OK to breed them for mass murder? Why should we exploit them like that? How would you feel if somebody did that to humans?
Some guy: Now the issue is that you’re comparing animals to a human
Me: Absolutely I am. All animals have the right to live. Otherwise you are just exploiting your position. Did you know that it has been proven that pigs are more intelligent than 3-year-old humans? And all animals feel pain, grief and fear; they have a central nervous system, just as we do.
Some guy: You’re basing your opinions on a non sequitur fallacy. Simply because they have a sense that lets them feel pain doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be killed for food
Me: Vegans’ problem with animal products is not just this one (although it is a very important issue of animal welfare!). It’s the fact that we simply do not need them in our diets; they are actually detrimental to our health, and cause the suffering and slaughter of billions of animals every single day. And while people provide supply-and-demand, this will continue to happen. For these reasons, and the other things I have mentioned above, people such as myself make the decision to remove themselves from the animal product industries as much as they possibly can within their individual means and resources. Meat production is not natural any more, or humane; it is a vast industry which cares about nothing except making money. And, despite the insults and arguments that we face every day, millions of vegans are proving that you can live a cruelty-free life and be totally healthy and happy. Believe what you will, but this is the truth of the matter. I’m not spending any more of my time debating about it on here. I’m stopping my notifications now, so I won’t see any more replies.
Conversation 3
Somebody: I’m no vegan, but I also don’t eat animals that I got to know personally, and frankly I don’t know how Janet can sleep at night knowing she did
Me: How about seeing all animals as equal? It doesn’t matter if it’s a pig you raised by hand, or one you’ve never met before; neither of them deserve to be murdered. A lot of farmers find it upsetting sending their animals off to slaughter. Well if they don’t like it, then they shouldn’t do it! Especially considering that we don’t even need animal products in our diets.
Another woman (to me): Absolutely right! We have no reason for animals in our diet, so the only reason humans continue to kill and eat them is because of addiction. My taste buds are nowhere near as valuable as someone’s life. 🙂
Me: Exactly 🙂 Even if you DO like the taste of bacon or chicken or whatever, you come to realise that it is not worth the suffering of others, and you stop being selfish. The people spouting off rubbish like “but bacon” and ignorant misinformation are just burying their heads in the sand and sound like broken records! And yet they accuse US of being misinformed hahaha!
‘Protein punch’ recipe
The other day, I wanted a good dose of protein and energy, so I made a delicious and nutritious concoction using a bag of Essential organic soup mix (a combination of lentils, split peas, rice and barley), which had been given to me ages ago.
Firstly, I had prepared the whole bag of soup mix, by boiling it in water for 45 mins, so that I had a supply to use as a base for several meals. One of these was a very simple pasta dish, which I will explain here:
- Fry onion and fresh tomatoes for several minutes
- Add passata and a selection of seasonings (I used oregano, garlic, sage, thyme, basil, and black pepper)
- Stir in a portion of the ready-prepared soup mix and some nutritional yeast
- Let the mixture simmer away while the pasta boils
Not a particularly exciting-looking dish, but it is very tasty and healthy 🙂
Veggie-versary!
Facebook kindly reminded me that it’s a year ago today that I went vegetarian! At the time, I was doubtful that I would make it to being vegan, but after just a few months I made the change 🙂 Here are the posts I wrote a year ago, and today:
Last year’s post:
I am finding myself rapidly going off any foods which contain meat and animal products. I’m going vegetarian, as soon as I find a nice-tasting chicken substitute, and hopefully vegan soon after 🙂 I’ve been very aware of the cruelty, and environmental impact, of the meat and dairy industries for ages and feel it would be hypocritical and lazy of me to not make any changes.
This is completely my decision; I’ve had no pressure from Jacob whatsoever. However, being his girlfriend has made me aware of the absolutely delicious vegan meat and dairy substitutes which are readily available at all the shops! I prefer them to the real thing anyway 😀
Today’s post:
It’s a year ago today that I went veggie! And just five months later I ended up going vegan despite thinking, like most people, that “I wouldn’t be able to”.
But guess what? I was able to. Because all animals are equal, and deserve life without unnecessary interference and exploitation from humans. Especially considering that animal products aren’t meant for us anyway, and that we can get all our nutrients from plant-based foods! (As millions of vegans are already proving every day, despite all the ridicule and arguing we encounter.)
Why choose meat, dairy etc. when it contributes to the needless suffering of billions of animals every day (including ourselves)? We all need to wake up and boycott the animal industries as much as possible. For the planet, for the animals, for our health i.e. for the most important elements of our existence.
Edinburgh Fringe 2016!
I have now returned home from Edinburgh with a bad cold (unsurprising considering I have been mingling with thousands of tourists!) and deafness in one ear from the high pressure on the plane home! Totally worth it though; Jacob and I had an absolutely fab few days, and we’re already hoping to return next year 🙂
Edinburgh is absolutely fantastic for vegan food, and is a very inclusive place, so I have lots of pictures and info about various eateries we visited:
We discovered a brilliant little place on Pleasance called BBL (Breakfast, Brunch and Lunch) where we ended up going every morning for either an all-day breakfast, or a burger which came with vegan bacon rashers too!
We had a slightly stressful time trying to find somewhere to have dinner on the third evening, as everywhere was very busy and we ended up being turned away from Kalpna and David Bann because they were full! However, this turned out very well as I dived into the nearest Indian restaurant (Red Fort) and the staff were extremely helpful with catering for us. They made us three delicious vegetable-based dishes, pilau rice and garlic naan for just £7.90 each with student discount!
Henderson’s was a gem of a find, in the New Town on the corner of Thistle Street (where they have an entirely vegan branch too!), which does big portions of veggie and vegan food for very good value, and also offers student discount. We ate there twice once we had discovered it 😀
It was nice to see this poster on a random bus stop 🙂
We will miss you, Edinburgh!
Laaandan nosh!
We’re back from our two nights in London, and now have a few days relaxing before going to Edinburgh! 🙂 It was a very eventful few days, and my top achievements were managing to navigate London transport without any hitches, and plucking up the courage to sing a karaoke song in front of a room of strangers for the first time 😀
Obviously we could choose between a huge variety of vegan-friendly eateries (ahh how refreshing!), and took full advantage of the lovely food available…
I’ll do a little itinerary of where we went and what we had:
Wed 3rd August
- Took the National Express from Bath to London Victoria and travelled to our hotel to check-in.
- Popped into Subway before going to see The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre (wooooo spooky noises)
- Ate at Sagar vegetarian Indian restaurant, then went for a couple of cocktails 🙂
Thurs 4th August
- Got the bus to Highgate and walked through Waterlow Park through to the Cemetery (we came across a tiny café where we assumed we wouldn’t be able to get anything, but it transpired that the waiter was vegan too, and got us some bagels!!) So unexpected and funny 😀
- Had a tour of Highgate Cemetery (wooooo more spooky noises)
- Got the tube to Mildred’s restaurant in Soho, which was amazing!
- Did some sightseeing around Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and the London Eye
- Went out for drinks and karaoke with a friend of ours whoo lives in London 🙂
Fri 5th August
- Checked out of our hotel and got the tube to Victoria Station, where we got lunch at Pret A Manger (Ironically we happened to walk right past the Veggie Pret in Soho the day before, but we didn’t go in cause we were going to Mildreds! Only in London would you pass up a great vegan-friendly eatery to go to another one!)
- Got the National Express back home 🙂
We have already planned our next trip to London: a meet-and-greet with Meat Loaf, of all things!! It’s only the musical kind of meatloaf we like 😀
Jenny's Vegan Journey 