vegansaurus!

Shiraleah: the vegan hotness

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:04:51 -0800

Alternative Outfitters just got a bunch of new Shiraleah bags and I totally suggest checking them out!

Three percent of their profits from the handbags go toward helping disabled children in Hanoi, Vietnam: “Our goal is to purchase needed rehabilitation equipment and double each child’s daily food budget to provide a balanced, nutritious diet.” Shweet! They’re also environmentally friendly and all that good crap. I recently got this wallet from them and it’s super-dope. Well made and I’ve stopped losing my credit cards.

Animals! Adjectives! Television!

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:26:05 -0800

“Discover the glorious variety of life on earth and the spectacular and extraordinary tactics animals and plants have developed to stay alive.”

Yowza! Take it easy with the adjectives! But this does seem pretty exciting. The Discovery Channel has put together a cool-looking series called Life. It’s the second chapter of their popular series Planet Earth and focuses on all the amazing animals we got here on Earth. There’s 10 episodes, including Birds, Insects, and Creatures of the Deep. Yeah that’s cool but guess what number 10 is!: Primates

OMG I love me some primates! Especially the apes!* They’re all cool with their “I eerily resemble a human but not quite” shtick. Robots are like that too except apes are way cuter. Except for maybe Number 5.

The series airs Mar. 21 through April 18th.

*I know, I know, we’re technically apes too, but you know what I mean.

Raw vegan food from Vivapura rocks!

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:41:19 -0800

Unless you’ve been living in a fantasyland that involves subsisting on only defrosted leftovers from SF Vegan Bakesales (hey, I don’t judge!), you probably know we vegans can benefit greatly from supplementing our deep-fried vegan Twinkie intake with some raw greens now and then.

Whether or not you fall into the camp that refrains from cooking their food, if you enjoy yummies that taste amazing and are still healthful for you, I highly recommend checking out the excitingly awesome products from the brand-new raw vegan superfoods company Vivapura, located super-close to the Tree of Life raw vegan retreat center in Patagonia, Ariz., which is a tiny town (pop. 1,000) 20 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border where approximately one in 10 residents is a raw food vegan.

Since I live just up the road from Vivapura (I’m currently living and working at working at the Tree of Life), I recently had a chance to drop by the Vivapura warehouse factory and sample a bunch of their stuff. According to Vivapura’s website, superfoods are “plant-based foods that boast extraordinary energizing and healing properties due to their abundance and density of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins, and other vital nutrients.” From the stuff I tried, I have to say I can’t feel a noticeable change in my body, but either way, Vivapura’s stuff tastes amazing. Their superfood products range from raw regulars like cacao nibs, cocounut flakes, gogi berries etc. to more obscure items like wild-harvested spirulina crunchies (spirulina is a protein-packed algae that tastes way better than it should) and several proprietary blends of upscale, nutella-like coconut chocolate crème spread. All of their products are organically grown, ethically sourced and sold at really reasonable prices! (Note: Vivapura does sell a few bee-derived products, which I avoid of course, but everything else is animal-product-free.)

As of right now, Vivapura is only available to SF Bay Area folks through ordering directly from the company’s website or the Tree of Life Culture of Life Store. The good news is Director of Retail Sales Erika Rier assures me Vivapura has laid the groundwork to get their loveliness into Rainbow Grocery, and other local Bay Area independent organic stores really soon. If you want Vivapura products sooner rather than later (which, trust me, you do!) Rier says to request them from your independent local organic retailer.

This is the latest post by Vegansaurus raw correspondent Sarah E. Brown. Thanks, Sarah! [image from Vivapura]

We already know the fools at Humphry Slocombe are a bunch of...

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:04:53 -0800

We already know the fools at Humphry Slocombe are a bunch of asses so it’s delightful to see them hated on so hard. I love a good internet joshing.

[Hat tip to myself over on Uptown Almanac! I don’t know, I can’t explain myself.]

Vegan Chocolate Orange Ginger Cupcakes! I’ll take one...

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 07:03:52 -0800

Vegan Chocolate Orange Ginger Cupcakes! I’ll take one million!

The recipe’s from omni food blog, The Ktchen or however the hell it’s spelled. The coolest part is this part below that I copied from the site because I am too lazy to paraphrase BLOGGING 2.0 BABY:

There’s a secret we’ve been fostering for quite some time now. We love vegan cupcakes. More than “regular” cupcakes. Their flavor is intense, pure and did we mention there’s none of that creaming and beating nonsense? They’re literally as easy as 1, 2, 3! You’re sure to be a hit at your next party if you come toting these!

I came across this gem on greenlagirl.com: the perfect...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:59:06 -0800

I came across this gem on greenlagirl.com: the perfect passive-aggressive gift for your favorite omnivore: a T-shirt detailing the environmental costs of a single cheeseburger. Awesome! Visit the blog for more background on the stats. You can buy the shirt on cafepress.com.

Hello, BABY BUNNIES THE SIZE OF A FINGER! What’s that? You...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:24:00 -0800

Hello, BABY BUNNIES THE SIZE OF A FINGER! What’s that? You are one week old? And in a few months, you’ll be available for adoption through the Santé D’Or Foundation in L.A.? The Foundation, you say, rescued a rabbit called Bettina less than a month ago, who was already pregnant with all of you? Gosh, for the itty-bittiest little rabbits I have ever seen, you sure are full of useful information!

[link via Cute Overload, duh]

Product review: Reduced Fat Vegenaise!

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:58:57 -0800

Follow Your Heart’s new Reduced Fat Vegenaise has been floating around health food stores for a few months now, but is totally lacking visibility on the internets (well, besides here). It deserves more love! Made with heart=healthy flaxseed and olive oil, this stuff has about half the fat and calories of original Veganaise. This means you can put twice the amount on your sandwich/nachos/toast/spaghetti!

And what’s more, its taste is seriously on par with the traditional stuff. Weird, huh?! Find it at your local health food store. It has a yellow label. It’s adorable! A perfect dip for steamed artichokes!

This Vegansaur gives it five stars out of five.

[photo by Bryan!]

Giveaway alert: Raw for 30 Days DVD

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:58:00 -0800

Giveaway alert: Raw for 30 Days DVD:

I love an easy blog giveaway. All you have to do is leave a comment on any post over at Veg888’s Blog before Saturday, Mar. 27, and you’ll have a chance to win a Raw for 30 Days DVD. I’m not sure if this is the DVD in question or not, but either way, free is a good deal!

Lifehacker's common sense guide to "organic" and other food labels

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:54:58 -0800

Lifehacker's common sense guide to "organic" and other food labels:

Just because as vegans we’re all smart and stuff about food labels, doesn’t mean everyone else is. When polled, more people trust food labels with the word “natural” than people who trust the word “organic,” which is crazy. “Organic” is the word that’s actually regulated by governments, while “natural” is marketing fluff that anyone can print on a label, even if you’re selling Dupont’s All-Natural Diesel Crisps.

So Lifehacker put together a handy guide on food labels and certifications, including a breakdown of the different grades of USDA Organic, a list of certifiers you should trust, and this really useful eco-labels verifier from Consumer Reports. You’ll be unsurprised to know that words like “free range,” “free-roaming,” “hormone-free,” and “antibiotic-free” are as meaningless as “tastes better!” and “kids love it!” but people trust them anyway. Send this one around—though I can’t help wonder how much of it is actual confusion and how much of it is wishful thinking.

Vegan bacon cheddar quiches. That’s right, we’re...

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:54:00 -0800

Vegan bacon cheddar quiches. That’s right, we’re rolling with the big dogs now. Except we won’t get killer cholesterol and heart disease from what we’re eating OH SNAP.

Hell Yeah It’s Vegan is a very tasty site and has the recipe so DO IT MAKE THEM NOW GO DO IT.

It's a boy!

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 07:03:51 -0800

I saw this story on the news Saturday night (shut up! I wouldn’t have gone out even if I did have somewhere to go!) and gee whiz, what a cutie! A little Masai giraffe was just born at Safari West, an African safari park in wine country. His name is Stretch McCovey, after some San Francisco Giants hall of fame player who was probably nowhere near as good as Mike Schmidt. But his nickname was Stretch, and this is a baby giraffe, get it? But for real, that’s a cute name. And just look at his face! SO CUTE! He’s all like, “DID I STUTTER?”

Really, I say this a lot, but I think baby giraffes are my new favorite animal! This is the 14th giraffe born at Safari West and in total, they now have the largest privately owned giraffe herd in the United States!

As soon as I saw it was some tourist attraction, I was immediately like, “ABUSE!” but turns out this place isn’t so bad. And according to Vegansaur Steve, it’s pretty great! “I’ve been to Safari West (stayed overnight, did the full tour) and it seems to be the real deal,” he says. “Virtually no enclosures, just wide open spaces and the animals seemed very suited to the hot, dry environment of wine country.”

And Safari West has a blurb about their breeding programs in the new born announcement:

Breeding Success—Safari West is committed to the management of captive populations to support wild populations, and continues to put significant effort into the conservation of the many species which call Safari West home…. “To allow our animals to exhibit naturalistic behaviors, including reproduction, we make every attempt to provide our wildlife with the most naturalistic settings possible. This includes multi-acre habitats, wooded areas, streams, and ponds,” says Nancy Lang, Ph.D. The environments found on the 400-acre wildlife preserve at Safari West are much like those found in the exotic and untamed lands of the African continent.

That kind of does sound great! I also found this bit in their FAQ: “Safari West is not a zoo or a theme park, nor are we a drive-through park. We are an African Wildlife Preserve and African Tent Camp. Safari West Wildlife Preserve is a private facility whose primary focus is on conservation through education.”

Sounds pretty legit. And Steve told me that thanks to Safari West, Scimitar-Horned Oryx populations are being introduced into northern central Africa after being nearly hunted to extinction. Kudos!

[Images from Safari West website and this Sonoma county real estate blog]

Try not to die from the cuteness! IMPOSSIBLE. Sites from Britain...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:22:14 -0800

Try not to die from the cuteness! IMPOSSIBLE. Sites from Britain are all in a tizzy with this adorable story. Mabel the hen has adopted a litter of puppies on a farm in Shrewsbury (wherever the hell that is)—oh, the cuteness! This isn’t really one of the common tales of inter-species adoption because the dog who gave birth to the pups, Nettle, is still around, she hasn’t abandoned them or anything. Mabel just likes hanging out with them!

According to the Daily Mail, Mabel was born at this same farm where she lives now. She was supposed to be someone’s dinner but the fam “rescued” her (I’m like, did they eat all her siblings or was this a random chick?) and kept her. At some point in her life, she had a run-in with a horse who stepped on her foot—sad! And because of that, she gets really cold in the winter…I’m not really clear on the logistics of that but whatevs. So since she gets cold, they keep her in the house like a regular old pet!

Mabel was just chilling in the house when one day, Nettle the dog had puppies! The man of the house says that only a few days after she gave birth, Nettle was out hanging in the yard like usual. And then, adorableness ensued!:

“Mabel observed Nettle’s behaviour and, as soon as there was a chance, she hoped into the dog basket to roost on the pups. She keeps them and herself warm, while Nettle is outside on the yard.”

OMG I think I am dead! Interspecies adoptions are the cutest! And this one is really nice because it doesn’t start off sad with the pups being abandoned; they still got their mom, they just also have a nice feather-heated blanket!

[photo from the Daily Mail]

A scary PSA about plastic and marine life courtesy of the...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:18:06 -0800

A scary PSA about plastic and marine life courtesy of the Surfrider foundation as part of their Rise Above Plastics campaign. Warning: DOWNER.

"The Cove" crew goes undercover and busts Santa Monica sushi restaurant serving whale meat

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:16:00 -0800

"The Cove" crew goes undercover and busts Santa Monica sushi restaurant serving whale meat:

No wonder killer whales have been getting testy. They know what’s up. The team behind Oscar-winning documentary The Cove brought in their undercover cameras to catch a high-end sushi restaurant in Santa Monica serving whale meat, and if there’s one, who knows how many others are doing it too. Someone give these vegans another Oscar. Or a fucking medal. Because this shit isn’t just outrageous, it’s illegal:

Last week, several federal agents, including one from the Border Patrol and one who speaks Japanese, joined their team. Once again, the chef and wait staff more than once identified the meat as whale, the affidavit said, and it may have been obtained from a Mercedes parked behind the restaurant.

Armed with a search warrant, federal officials on Friday went searching for evidence from the restaurant, including marine mammal parts as well as various records and documents. The possession or sale of marine mammals is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and can lead to a year in prison and a fine of $20,000.

Buying illegal whale meat out of a trunk parked in a back alley? SKETCHY. Time to reevaluate your lives, fuckfaces. IN PRISON.

Whales are having a seriously bad month. Because now the National government in New Zealand wants to join Japan’s illegal death party and lift its own restrictions on whaling. Really New Zealand? What happened to you? After years of being a leader in the fight to end whale hunting, now you’re trotting out the same old excuses of “but we neeeeeeed to do this for scientific research”? Right. And if a few extra “research” whales just happen to fall off a truck on their way to Santa Monica, then, well, waste not, want not! It’s “eco-meat!”

[Correction: New Zealand wants to bring back commercial whaling, not just expand “research” whaling. So it’s EVEN WORSE.]

Scientists are morbid freaks

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:21:53 -0800

Forensic scientists are sinking dead pigs into the ocean to see how human bodies might decompose in the water—way to be FREAKS. And then marine biologists are collaborating with them to study dead zones and the animals that can inhabit them. I say collaborating, every online article says, “piggybacking.” WTF is up with puns when people are writing about gross animal stuff? They are relentless. But regardless, two studies for one pig!

All I can say is at least they are dead before they put them in the ocean. I couldn’t tell at first. Apparently they get the pigs from the butcher. What about all the children? Where will they get their saturated fat?!

The best part is that according to this article from 2008, America’s meat habit is a huge contributing factor to the dead zones. So when they get these pigs, are they contributing to the very problem they wish to solve? Survey says: YES!

[Megan Rascal cartoon]

A million pairs of Melissa shoes are on super big time sale over...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:20:00 -0800

A million pairs of Melissa shoes are on super big time sale over at Gilt today, including these adorable Vivienne Westwood rain boots! If you want to buy them, REGISTER HERE AND GIVE ME YOUR SIGN-UP CREDIT PLEASE AND THANK YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH.

You have to hurry because Gilt is crazy and this sale ends tomorrow (Mar. 10) at 10 p.m. PST SO ACT NOW, TRAMPS!

From Cute and Delicious, a recipe for vegan fudge!...

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:56:03 -0800

From Cute and Delicious, a recipe for vegan fudge! It’s made with delicious mimic creme! LOOKS AMAZING. Worth it for the photos alone. Also, this site is just the cutest and I want to take it on a date and make it love me.

Infographic: Top 20 countries with most endangered species

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:03:53 -0800

Infographic: Top 20 countries with most endangered species:

Great. I haven’t even had my coffee yet, and I’m ready to kill either myself or everyone else. I haven’t decided yet. (Although after coffee, the world will seem sparkly and full of bunnies again, and I’ll call off the doom parade. Until then: don’t cross me, human race! I’m warning you!)

Here’s an infographic showing the world’s top 20 countries by number and type of endangered species, just in case you feel like breaking off a piece of this misanthropic funk for yourself. Ecuador is No. 1, America is only No. 2, and China has some catching up to do at No. 6. Get on it, China! Keep building those coal-fired power plants and dumping industrial waste in your rivers! You can do it!

Here’s my favorite part: “About 900 species of plants and animals have gone extinct in the last five centuries, and more than 10,000 others are now on the verge of joining them.” SUPER! We are doing SO WELL! 900 species in the last five centuries vs. 10,000 in the next few years (or week). UGH.

[graphic from Mother Nature Network]

Vegan Caramel Popcorn with Dark Chocolate Drizzle and...

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:03:44 -0800

Vegan Caramel Popcorn with Dark Chocolate Drizzle and Almonds

What You Need:

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Corn Syrup

1/4 Cup Water

7 Cups Air Popped Popcorn (I bought pre-made plain popcorn from Whole Foods)

1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda

1 Tbsp. Butter (or Earth Balance for the Vegan Version)

Melted Dark Chocolate (for the drizzle)

Nuts, Pretzels, or any other add-ins (optional)

1. In a large pot add the sugar, corn syrup and water. Cook until it starts to turn a golden color (do not stir)

2. Add in the baking soda and butter and the popcorn. Mix quickly and carefully. Pour in your nuts or any other add-ins. Then spread the popcorn onto a parchment/silpat lined baking sheet. Allow the popcorn to cool then drizzle with dark chocolate.

This looks ridiculous and I need to eat it immediately. [via delishyourdish]