New Vegan Mom

SHOUT VEGAN!

2008-10-02T16:23:00.000+02:00

Thank you for visiting the site and following my progress as a new vegan mother. As it has now been over a year since I became a new vegan I don't feel so new at it, in fact, I feel I have learnt so much I need a bigger place to shout about it and have therefore built a new site which I would love you to visit.

www.shoutvegan.com

This is more of a magazine than a blog and is still in its early stages. If you have something you feel you could contribute please let me know, otherwise I hope you come and visit me there instead of here.

And if you found this site as you are on a similar journey then please look back at the posts over the year.

I often sound negative about the difficulties faced as a vegan but I would not have my life any other way and feel so rewarded by the choice to not exploit or harm animals in my life. I hope this is something you now or soon will experience as it is a wonderful way to live. Miller and Heidi continue to be happy, healthy and somewhat silly children who love animals and would never knowingly eat them.

I also hope the new site will give more chance for discussion and maybe even a place to make more new and supportive friends,

Love,

Jill xxx

PS The new site, Shout Vegan, is named for exactly that reason, sometimes I feel I should apologise for being vegan, then I realised that was just ridiculous, I should shout about it x

PPS Do I ever shut up? But if you want to follow the yoga, then visit my other sites:
www.yogababy.tv
www.yogababy.ning.com
And keep up with our artistic efforts at...
www.barklive.com

Bye x

Vegan Wine

2008-09-26T12:22:00.004+02:00

So I am back from my training course in Brighton and it was so nice to be soemwhere that vegan food is widely available. Of course you need to know where to go but that doesn't take long to find out. Waitrose was handy for a quick hummus, carrot and salad sandwich, the Sanctuary cafe beautiful for home made vegan soups and salads and the selection of thai restaurants with so much choice of vegan, especially tofu dishes was lovely. Paskins Town House where I stayed was a delight and possibly make the best vegan breakfasts going...but enough of that! Today I want to talk about something else....Wine!

I never stopped to think about what was in the wine I drink. Usually I think carefully about everything, especially the food I eat as so many animal parts turn up in the least expected things and clothes and shoes need to be checked out thoroughly for animal skins etc but wine, well, wine is just grapes isn't it?

NO!!!

I watched a documentary about what was in wine and I must say I was and still am horrified! Not only at the amount of sugar and additives I have been gulping down but also how un-vegan most alcohol is. I have, until yesterday, been drinking Guinness twice a week as I discovered last year that it was an easier cure for my low iron than using iron tablets (and no, the low iron isn't because I don't eat steak as my mother and grandmother, huge meat consumers, both have this too) yet now I have learnt that stout is fined using fish bladders. Yum. So, no more Guinness for me. Well, at least I can enjoy a glass of wine. Um. No, actually. Most wines too are fined using fish bladders, or if not, using egg whites. Some wines even contain traces of milk. Put you off? Yes, did me too. So what do we vegans do? I have looked around and found a few sites which list vegan wines, usually listed by which Supermarket you can get them. It doesn't help me so much seeing as here in Norway you can only buy wine from the government wine store and they have only a limited selection of which I have no idea if they will contain traces of animal parts and secretions or not. I did send them an email two days ago but no reply as of yet and I am not hopeful of any reply at all (that's how some things work here). So if you know of a truly informative website which lists many vegan wines please let me know and I can email the goverment store and request them.
Of course, I could go teetotal and cut out all alcohol (some vodkas and other spirits also use animal parts in the processing by the way) but I don't really want to.... but I won't make animals suffer for my wants so we will have to see...!

2008-09-10T12:07:00.003+02:00

Today's post is one where I share some information I have found which I feel is really valuable to the vegan/vegetarian cause. The below excerpt is from this months Time magazine. The article is called 'Skip the Steak'. In doing so you can save the lives of animals who suffer on a daily basis. You know what you should do. Just do it.

Skip the Steak
By Bryan Walsh

Which is responsible for more global warming: your BMW or your Big Mac? Believe it or not, it's the burger. The international meat industry generates roughly 18% of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions—even more than transportation—according to a report last year from the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization.

Much of that comes from the nitrous oxide in manure and the methane that is, as the New York Times delicately put it, "the natural result of bovine digestion." Methane has a warming effect that is 23 times as great as that of carbon, while nitrous oxide is 296 times as great.

There are 1.5 billion cattle and buffalo on the planet, along with 1.7 billion sheep and goats. Their populations are rising fast, especially in the developing world. Global meat production is expected to double between 2001 and 2050. Given the amount of energy consumed raising, shipping and selling livestock, a 16-oz.T-bone is like a Hummer on a plate.

If you switch to vegetarianism, you can shrink your carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to research by the University of Chicago. Trading a standard car for a hybrid cuts only about one ton—and isn't as tasty.

And here is the Guardian's view

UN says eat less meat to curb global warming
· Climate expert urges radical shift in diet
· Industry unfairly targeted - farmers

* Juliette Jowit, environment editor
* The Observer,
* Sunday September 7 2008
* Article history

A joint of beef

A joint of beef. Photograph/Alamy

People should have one meat-free day a week if they want to make a personal and effective sacrifice that would help tackle climate change, the world's leading authority on global warming has told The Observer

Dr Rajendra Pachauri, chair of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which last year earned a joint share of the Nobel Peace Prize, said that people should then go on to reduce their meat consumption even further.

His comments are the most controversial advice yet provided by the panel on how individuals can help tackle global warning.

Pachauri, who was re-elected the panel's chairman for a second six-year term last week, said diet change was important because of the huge greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental problems - including habitat destruction - associated with rearing cattle and other animals. It was relatively easy to change eating habits compared to changing means of transport, he said.

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the century.

'In terms of immediacy of action and the feasibility of bringing about reductions in a short period of time, it clearly is the most attractive opportunity,' said Pachauri. 'Give up meat for one day [a week] initially, and decrease it from there,' said the Indian economist, who is a vegetarian.

However, he also stressed other changes in lifestyle would help to combat climate change. 'That's what I want to emphasise: we really have to bring about reductions in every sector of the economy.'

Pachauri can expect some vociferous responses from the food industry to his advice, though last night he was given unexpected support by Masterchef presenter and restaurateur John Torode, who is about to publish a new book, John Torode's Beef. 'I have a little bit and enjoy it,' said Torode. 'Too much for any person becomes gluttony. But there's a bigger issue here: where [the meat] comes from. If we all bought British and stopped buying imported food we'd save a huge amount of carbon emissions.'

Tomorrow, Pachauri will speak at an event hosted by animal welfare group Compassion in World Farming, which has calculated that if the average UK household halved meat consumption that would cut emissions more than if car use was cut in half.

The group has called for governments to lead campaigns to reduce meat consumption by 60 per cent by 2020. Campaigners have also pointed out the health benefits of eating less meat. The average person in the UK eats 50g of protein from meat a day, equivalent to a chicken breast and a lamb chop - a relatively low level for rich nations but 25-50 per cent more than World Heath Organisation guidelines.

Professor Robert Watson, the chief scientific adviser for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, who will also speak at tomorrow's event in London, said government could help educate people about the benefits of eating less meat, but it should not 'regulate'. 'Eating less meat would help, there's no question about that, but there are other things,' Watson said.

However, Chris Lamb, head of marketing for pig industry group BPEX, said the meat industry had been unfairly targeted and was working hard to find out which activities had the biggest environmental impact and reduce those. Some ideas were contradictory, he said - for example, one solution to emissions from livestock was to keep them indoors, but this would damage animal welfare. 'Climate change is a very young science and our view is there are a lot of simplistic solutions being proposed,' he said.

Last year a major report into the environmental impact of meat eating by the Food Climate Research Network at Surrey University claimed livestock generated 8 per cent of UK emissions - but eating some meat was good for the planet because some habitats benefited from grazing. It also said vegetarian diets that included lots of milk, butter and cheese would probably not noticeably reduce emissions because dairy cows are a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas released through flatulence.

Break out!

2008-08-27T09:48:00.005+02:00

We had some visitors yesterday. As we were going about our daily activities at home, Matthew told me to have a look in the garden. Upon doing so I saw four cows wandering around, enjoying the grass! The had found a gap in the fence at the back of our house and thought they would take a little trip. As our garden has nothing that the cows could have done any damage too we left them to it. Heidi and Miller had a great time stood on the balcony mooing at them and the cows mooed back each time! They hung around for most of the morning and when I looked out in the afternoon they had gone. Not back to the field. Just gone. Maybe moved to a different field, maybe dead ready to go on someone's plate. I feel such affection for cows, even more so when I get in close contact. They are beautiful animals, such gorgeous eyes and lashes and such soft skin (much preferable when still attached to the cow). I took a video which I will post when I can figure out how to do it on my new camera! One of them was very curious about our old Volvo and kept circling around it giving it a good sniff, the others were out exploring and seemed to be having a jolly good time.
I notice cows everywhere. Maybe other people do not see what I see - well I know they don't! A few days ago I drove past a field where I saw one cow with such full udders. It looked so uncomfortable and the cow could hardly walk properly. It reminded me of when I began breastfeeding Miller and how sore I was when he missed a feed or when I woke in the morning if he had slept for longer than usual. I wanted to stop and get out of the car and do something but what do I do? Do I go in the field and try and milk the poor thing, what do I do? I did nothing and I felt so bad for my inability to act. Yet this is just one animal and this is an animal in what I would could a good situation (not that there is such a thing in truth), out grazing on grass for one thing unlike the majority of dairy cows who never see a field now....
I have to stop this blog post now, it's too upsetting...

What about Protein!

2008-08-20T08:08:00.004+02:00

What about it? What is the big obsession with protein? When I tell people I am vegan it is usually the first thing they say to me, followed by 'What about Calcium', usually followed by a disapproving glance or two.

I thought it would be useful to share with you foods which have a high protein value. If you are a vegan you can rest assured you are getting enough protein if you are eating a varied and healthy diet and if you are not vegan you can read this and put your minds at rest that we are not all going to waste away from protein deficiency. Infact although protein is essential to our diets, most people eat far too much which can interfere with our ability to absorb calcium. We only need protein to account for 1 of every 10 calories we consume. The average vegan male needs to be consuming around 55-70 grams each day and the average female around 45-60 grams. After each food I have listed how many grams of protein are in a typical serving.

Lentils (1 cup cooked - 18g), Soyamilk (1 cup - 7g), Brown Rice (5g), Jacket Potato (4g) Wholewheat bread (1 slice - 3g), Spinich (5g), Baked beans (12g) oatmeal (1 cup - 6g), Broccoli (4g), Peas (9g), Peanut Butter (8g), Tofu (11g), Bagel (9g), Spaghetti (8g), Almonds (4g), Cashews (5g), Soya Yogurt (6g), Sunflower seeds (6g), Black beans (1 cup - 15g), Soya beans (1 cup - 29g), Kidey Beans (1 cup cooked - 13g), Chickpeas (1 cup cooked - 12g)

So you can see that a vegan diet is not devoid of protein. If you are a vegan and still concerned just make sure you have some of the above list in you home ready to use. We usually make up a batch of hummus (chick pea dip) which we snack on regularly with pitta bread, tortilla chips or raw carrots. I also make up nut mixes to have as snacks (which Heidi, my 3 year old loves - almonds, cashews, walnuts (for omega 3) and dried fruits). If you make salads or breads, throw in some sunflower seeds and linseeds (for omega 3 also). Marinade some tofu in soy sauce and add to a veggie stir fry, add spinich to your favourite pasta recipe, have baked beans for breakfast on a saturday morning - maybe experiment making veggie sausages - I came up with some great ones last week made with cooked red lentils and soya pieces mixed with soy sauce and breadcrumbs. Just experiment!

Ok, that's today's post. It won't stop people asking the question but at least you have some facts at your disposal!

Cashews 1/4 cup 5 2.7
Almond butter 2 Tbsp 5 2.4
Brown rice, cooked 1 cup 5 2.1
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 5 13.0
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 4 6.8
Potato 1 med.
(6 oz) 4 2.7

Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18, 2005 and manufacturers' information.

The recommendation for protein for adult males vegans is around 56-70 grams per day; for adult female vegans it is around 46-58 grams per day (see text).

Elephant Hunt

2008-08-13T10:35:00.003+02:00

This morning I began work at the studio by researching the life of Jumbo the Elephant for an idea I have for a short film. As I was meandering around I went further into the history, wondering how Jumbo, the famous circus elephant, was captured. It seems his capture came as part of the ivory trade with his parents being killed and Jumbo being caught for export. I then had a look at the ivory trade and researched how elephants were hunted and killed. I thought, as many of you probably thought, that elephant hunting was now illegal and only practised by rogue hunters outside of the law. Um, it seems that is where I am mistaken as I found this website and have been gobsmacked for the last fifteen minutes reading articles on the site. I would really advise you visit the site and do whatever you feel needs to be done to change this horrific 'sport'.

http://www.safaribwana.com/HUNT/elephant07.htm

The site tells you how great it feels to bring down a beast (nice choice of word) the size of a London bus (not that hard with a big gun, should it really make you feel strong?). It is a challenge. Go enjoy yourself! If that's not for you, you can try murdering another animal of your choice, perhaps leaving cubs without a mother, just to make you feel nice.

This has made me angry and I apologise if this blog entry is not as in depth as it could be but now I need to go and do something about the absolute horrific nature of some individuals. I will today write my short film, not about Jumbo but about the injustices being carried out today towards living, breathing, intellegent animals who deserve people standing up for them.

2008-08-07T11:41:00.003+02:00

Well, Summer seems to be over here in the Arctic, not that we really had one in the first place! The nights are getting darker now, we have said goodbye to the Midnight Sun until next year. I am just over the flu that has knocked me out for around two weeks and to top that off I had serious toothache resulting in my having to have one of my wisdom teeth out on Monday so now I hope that is the end to illness and pain for a while!

I plan to revert back to the plan of posting up some articles and research which I feel are important to the vegan cause so this will be my last personal post for a little while as I dig up some interesting facts about the meat and dairy industry!

Life as a vegan is so wonderful, I cannot express how it makes me feel other than saying it gives me immense strength to speak out, not just for the animals but for anything I believe is injust. I feel empowered and no longer just go along with general opinion just because I am afraid to be different.

I have taken the step to gain further yoga training and am due to take my first weeks intensive course in Brighton in the UK next month. I have reserved a room at a vegetarian hotel called Paskins, the children will come over with me and stay with family and Matthew is staying put with the dogs. This will enable me to further my plans for a yoga studio here in Northern Norway. Our Yoga baby web tv show is also flourishing with plans for the new show running smoothly too.

I have also been in contact with a society for the welfare of animals in Norway who are sending me some leaflets in norwegian that I can distribute here. It does not seem to push the idea of veganism but it is a start and they are heading in the right direction. After seeing a course advertised locally for 'learing how to put up electric fences to stop livestock escaping' I am even more determined to raise awareness of animal suffering here. It's a steep hill but I am feeling fit!

Wishing you all a pleasant day,
Jill x

Summer Flu

2008-08-02T11:22:00.000+02:00

I am taking a little time out as I have been ill with flu for 2 weeks! Good job I know how to make great vegan soups! Back soon x

Latvia

2008-07-20T11:18:00.004+02:00

What can I say about Riga other than GO! I think it takes its place at the top of my favourite cities list. I had rad so many conflicting reports about Latvia's capital and some do have some truth to them, for example, beware of paying more in some taxies than others, try and avoid the moronic groups of tourists all staring at the same thing at the same time etc but to be honest if you have any nounce (common sense) about you at all you will find your own way around, do some research about great places to go and you will probably like us, have a wonderful time here. The Musuem of occupation should be on your list even if just to be aware of what the people here have been through and of course you have to indulge in a little cafe culture too. The people we encountered were very freindly and helpful (contrary to what we had read), our hotel (The Nordic Bellevue) was a pure delight and Bjørk in concert at Riga Arena was really special.

In terms of being vegan in the city, well, really it wasn't a problem. I contacted the hotel by email in advance and explained we were vegan. We were given our own soya milk each morning and tratedby the chef to a mixture of vegan breakfasts including baked mixed beans and olive oil toast, fried mushroom, potatoes and broccoli which did sound odd fro breakfast but I really enjoyed it and fresh fruit salads. Out in the town we found a lovely pizza place called Il Patio where they were only too happy to make cheeseless pizzas, a japanese restaurant which I cannot recall the name of but it was opposite the hotel had a heap of vegan food on the menu. I sampled around 4 dishes there during our stay including potatoes in black bean sauce and vegetable singapore noodles and all were delicious. Where we could not find vegan dishes we simply asked the waiter and they spoke with the chef and prepared us something with no trouble at all. Indeed on our first night we arrived at 11pm. It was past 12 when we went in search of food having not had a vegan option on the flight. The 4 rooms restaurant in the main square happily made us a fresh vegetable pasta with olive oil and potato wedges with a salad. What more could you ask for?

So all in all this was a wonderful trip. We will certainly return. Next time we will take the children rather than leaving them at home with the folks. There is a beach resort near the town which we did not have time to get to but we will perhaps stay there on our return.

Now it is back to work and play!

Our neighbours

2008-07-07T13:19:00.002+02:00

These adorable cows have been moved into the field opposite our house. Yesterday Heidi and Miller were playing in the paddling pool on our small balcony and were overjoyed to see the cows and spent the first ten minutes mooing at them from across the road. The cows are so friendly and come down to see what you are upto when you go to collect the post. I am not going to spend this post talking about what may or may not happen to them later, I guess I will leave that upto you. What I will say is that Heidi and Miller are becoming even fonder of animals.

The other day I was looking in a dog manual to see if I needed to take Paris, our black 11 year old Labrador to the vet about a sore she has on her leg and Miller was fascinated by the book which has pictures of all different dogs in it. It has since become his favourite thing ever (apart from potato & veggie cakes and dark chocolate rice crackers - much to my sofa's dismay!) he carries it around everywhere, cries if Heidi takes it off him and points at the dogs and says 'der'.

I also now have acquired some bumper stickers for our cars and I put one on my old beat up volve that says 'Love animals, don't eat them'. Matthew (my husband) says it makes me look like a drifter but frankly I don't care. I am feeling rebellious!

My parents arrive on Thursday so I must have a clean up soon, considering my mum once said I was the messiest person she knew! Oh well, you can't have everything! x

Arctic Fox

2008-07-02T12:50:00.004+02:00

This is an Arctic Fox. Isn't is just beautiful!

We took a trip to the Polar Zoo recently. Yes, as a rule I don't agree with Zoo's unless they are for conservation but this zoo is pretty good as zoo's go, the animals have so much natural space and a lot of attention. It is like being out walking in the mountains. What a gorgeous animal this is. I was hypnotized by it. The kids loved the trip which we took with Grandma after I had returned from the yoga holiday. Heidi in particular fell in love with the Reindeer.....which people eat as you know...
Miller loved the wolverine, which I had never seen before and is possibly one of the most amusing animals around, with the biggest claws I might add!

So just wanted to share these lovely pics, have a nice day x

Animals in Norway

2008-06-25T09:40:00.005+02:00

I was surprised last week to find out the area I live in is known for horse meat. Shocked and horrified...yet what is the difference between eating horse and eating lamb? There is no difference, it is just what we are culturally conditioned to. Eating horse is disgusting but so is eating any corpse of an animal, raised and killed in an oppressive and painful way. As the horse eating came as a shock to me I thought I would find out more about where I live and below are some extracts from the Norwegian Animal Welfare website. Even though these are just facts (no comment on the suffering of these creatures), they still to me make sad reading.

Fur farming

The Norwegian Fur Breeder´s Association organizes the approx. 600 fur farmers in the country. Norwegian farmers produce mainly fox and mink pelts. Saga Furs of Scandinavia does the international marketing of all Scandinavian fur. Oslo Fur Auctions is a main participant in the Norwegian fur trade.

Farm animals

Norway produces eggs, chicken and turkey for own consumption. Usual high intensive breeds are used. Battery hens is the usual production system in egg production. The Centre for Poultry Research aims at serving the poultry industry.

Geno is the Norwegian association for breeding and keeping of cattle. Geno´s cow breed, NRF, is genetically composed to serve a combined dairy and meat production.

Fish farming, fishing and marine mammals

Norway hunts both seal and whale. The Ministry of Fisheries provides information about marine mammals. In March 2004 the Norwegian government presented a Report to the Storting on whaling and sealing (White paper to the Norwegian parliament) explaining Norway’s policy on marine mammals.
Farmed fish is Norway´s second biggest export product. Salmon is the most usual fish bred in captivity. Norwegian Seafood Federation publish facts and figures about fish farming.

Wildlife

Angling and hunting is popular in Norway. This includes small game hunting, big game hunting, as well as freshwater and seawater angling.

Statistics Norway provides plenty of statistics on hunting in Norway.

Vegan Outreach

2008-06-24T23:34:00.002+02:00

Just a very quick post as I have just come across this site whilst looking for more ways to spread the message of veganism. You can download leaflets, posters etc and the site is full of ideas! I feel I have a lot to do!....

http://www.veganoutreach.org/

Meat and Misery!

2008-06-23T14:25:00.002+02:00

Home from the yoga holiday and feeling healthy and revitalized. However I did suffer a vegan moment during one of the nights out. It came as most of the girls ordered mixed grills and a huge array of animal parts arrived at the table. I just could not bear to see so many hacked up animal corpses. Animals who did not deserve to die, animals who did not ask to be born just so they could be killed after a short life to end up on a dining table. I felt so sick and upset at the scene that I had to leave the table and sit away from the group whilst they ate. The rest of my night and the following day was spent wondering how my refusal to engage in an inhumane and cruel lifestyle was making any difference to the animals. I was looking at a small bowl of Parmesan cheese brought with my spaghetti napolitana (even though I had asked for no cheese) and thinking how a newborn calf had been killed for the rennet in its stomach to make this and then looked up and saw everyone else in the restaurant stuffing meat in their mouths. Are my choices making any difference at all when everyone else continues to eat corpses of defenseless beings, beings which experience pain, suffering and despair at our hand? I was so deflated but now I come home with renewed vigour to stand up for what is right. I feel I must do so much more to raise awareness of animal treatment, even if it means that some people will dislike me for it. I do not mean that I will start protesting outside the local slaughterhouse (yet), only that in future, when people say to me, 'Do you mind if I eat this infront of you', I will say 'Yes, I do mind but surely it is the animal you should apologize to, for it is the animal that has been killed because you did not feel like ordering vegetarian lasagne today'. Harsh. Yes, it is harsh but I feel I must live my truth. For years I tried to fit in, desperately in need of approval and acceptance. Maybe now I have realized my love of a compassionate life stands higher than that.

Cretan Night

2008-06-19T11:04:00.002+02:00

Hi from Crete,
The yoga holiday is going wonderfully. Everyone is relaxed and refreshed and we still have two more days. I have taken a little break from the heat to check my emails and thought I would write a little update. Last night we went to a Cretan night and were supposed to be served traditional Cretan food. What the students got was a pork chop and potatoes, it not only looked disgusting (and a have a picture to prove it and will post it later) but I think it tasted pretty bad too. My vegan food (which I hoped would be really good) consisted of a bowl of vine leaves. After a complaint I was also given a bowl of deep fried courgette which was just awful! So far it has been hot and miss with the vegan food options. I have been able to buy soya milk and vegetable margerine, baked beans and salad. Apart from that it has been limiting. In the restaurants I have had both good and bad experiences. One night I had a traditional Cretan meal of beans, potatoes and carrot ina tomato sauce which was so good and another night a no cheese pizza which was also a delight. One meal I must recreate at home is stuffed tomatoes and green peppers (a rice and veg stuffing) as I loved it! The bad choices have come when I could find nothing to adapt on the menu and the chef has just thrown a bowl of fried veg at me with no effort to even make them taste nice! It has been a little tough to see the amount of meat being eaten in restaurants, especially if people say it isn't much good (poor animal, to be killed and chopped up and then criticized) but that's what happens when your awareness is raised. All I know is that it gives me more strength to spread the message of vegetarianism and veganism.
Til next time x

Last minute running around!

2008-06-12T09:49:00.002+02:00

Just getting my last things organized before we leave for the yoga holiday on Saturday. Grandma arrives tonight so the kids are going to have a real treat when they wake in the morning and find her here! The owner of the villa is kindly buying some essentials for me so I can have a cup of tea with soya milk! I am trying today to leave the websites in a good state in case I cannot update whilst I am away. I started a new social network for yoga and health which is picking up nicely - www.yogababy.ning.com but I really want some more members so if you or anyone else you know is interested in anything yoga related, please spread the word. Yoga Baby is going really well now, we have been in magazines and on the news so viewing figures are up! I will be filming a new show soon too so looking forward to that. It's all go here! Speaking of which, Mr Miller just woken from his morning nap so I'd best be off!

Helpful vegetarian & vegans!

2008-06-08T14:06:00.004+02:00

I have had a great deal of support since turning vegan from many places and this is so encouraging. Although most people I encounter on a daily basis have no idea why someone would choose to be vegan, I found the internet is a wonderful place to meet people who do have a similar view on compassionate living.

Just the other day I was wondering how easy it would be for me to get soya milk and basic supplies whilst on a yoga holiday next week in Crete so I thought I would search google for vegetarian+Chania (the nearest town to where we stay) and 'The Green Terrace B&B' popped up. As I could find no other information in the time I had I sent them an email (not really expecting a reply as I am sure a b&b would be busy at this time of year and I am not a guest) but the next day I received such a nice email back, with details of where I could get supplies, complete with directions and some further information which may be really useful to me. So I would like to say thank you David and Kathy for your kindness. By the way the place looks beautiful so if you are ever thinking of a trip to Crete, drop them a line - their website is www.thegreenterrace.com.

So now it is less than a week until my students and I travel and my excitement is tinged with a little nervousness. I will miss the children and my husband desperately I know but at the same time am truly looking forward to catching up on some rest, practicing yoga twice daily and enjoying the Greek culture. I will try and post whilst I am away depending on the internet access where we are staying and am hoping to get some stunning yoga pics whilst there. This will be my first holiday as a vegan so as for my vegan experience....I will let you know!

Eating only Rabbit can kill you.

2008-06-02T14:07:00.004+02:00

I watched an episode of a UK tv programme I like called 'QI'. It's a quiz show without really being a quiz show, based on peoples general ignorance! Here I found an odd piece of information but worthy of sharing. The topic which dominated the show was 'If you eat only Rabbit you will die'. This was taken as a huge joke at first until fully explained. Rabbit contains protein. Protein = good in most people's opinion. However, rabbit does not contain anything else the body needs, no fat which the body can use and no vitamins or other nutrients useful to survival. A diet of only rabbit can lead to starvation/death. The joke during the show was to make sure you eat Rabbit with peas and carrots. Rabbit meat actually also draws vitamins out of your body so I think you would be much better off not eating Rabbit at all. Not to mention how adorable Rabbits are, and lambs, and calve, and chicks, ducklings and piglets.....

I did find some research to back up these claims and as usual found lots of other things that really got my back up. Below is one of them. So dignified. Let them sniff life, then kill them, aren't we such a humane species....

If you have to buy meat, or if you'd like to earn some extra money, think about raising rabbits. Rabbits are popular because they have lots of babies that grow quickly into big rabbits that you can eat. One healthy doe, can produce five litters of six rabbits each year. That is about 30 kilograms of meat a year. The meat, when cooked, tastes like poultry meat: rabbit curry and chicken curry taste just the same.

When your buck and your does are living in clean, dry, safe hutches, you are ready to think about breeding your rabbits. To breed the doe, put her into the cage with the buck in the early morning or evening when it is cool. Watch her carefully to make sure she mates. It should take only two or three minutes. If she does not mate, you can try again later. After she has mated, put her back in her own cage.

Thirty one days after mating, her litter will be born. Three days before the baby rabbits are due, give the mother a nest box where she can give birth. Put a little soft, dry grass in the box and the mother will mix it with her own fur. The nest is also a warm, dry place for the young rabbits. There are usually 6 to 10 babies in a litter. The baby rabbits will not open their eyes for about two weeks. Do not touch any of the baby rabbits until they are 7 days old. If you touch them, you will change the way they smell, and the mother won't feed them. If you must touch them, rub your hands over the mother first. That way, you won't change the way the babies smell. The rabbits will be ready to eat in only four months. You can wean them at 2 months of age. When the baby rabbits are weaned, it's time to breed the doe again. Feed them for 2 more months and, when they weigh 2 kilos, they're big enough to eat.

(Info from farmradio.org)
(Rabbit image courtesy of Jeff Clow)

The Circus is in town

2008-05-28T13:24:00.005+02:00

Hey everyone, the circus is in town!

Maybe I'll give it a miss. In case you've missed it, I live in Northern Norway. Circus Merano are Norway's touring circus. These are just a couple of creative commons pictures I found but if you want to look at Merano's website www.merano.no, you can find birds, dogs and goats as well as the elephant and horse, performing for the happy children.

I mention the fact that I live in Northern Norway for a good reason and that is because it is a long long way from anywhere else, including southern Norway. I have seen these circus trucks traveling and the conditions look none too comfortable. When we needed a car two years ago, Matthew drove to Trondheim, the next major city south from us to get a better deal. It took him 11 hours to drive it and that's only a little way down! I cannot think what these animals go through during these journeys. Yet I guess that's nothing compared to how they were trained to perform such wonderful crowd pleasing tricks.

I have always had a huge problem with circuses that exploit animals. Why can't a circus build a reputation on the clever things 'people' are capable of? Yet if people decided to boycott circuses that use animals, these companies would be forced to make a change. Yet the audiences still come. Those who would 'rather not think about it' keep this inhumane activity going and prolong the suffering of animals such as these. For those who say these animals are happy, they are not. Both you and I and everyone else knows it.

As I passed the poster for the circus the other day I was playing a CD in the car. It is Heidi's favourite CD and used to be one of my old albums entitled 'The Runaway Train'. Just as we passed the poster, 'Nellie the Elephant' came on the stereo and I sang it all the way through to Heidi's amusement. We listened to it 3 times with Heidi joining in as she learned the words.

Please let you children grow up knowing that animals deserve better.

Reindeer

2008-05-24T19:05:00.004+02:00

Today Heidi, Miller and I took a trip to the next town below us, Bardufoss, whilst Matthew spent the day at the studio editing and uploading Yoga Baby (that's one good husband I have!) On our way we passed a family of Reindeer om the main road. I was able to stop and get a couple of pics so thought I would post them up. It also reminded me that people here, including my friends, eat Reindeer meat. I remember just before I left the UK seeing Reindeer meat listed as a delicacy in an upmarket (apparently) supermarket. It doesn't bear thinking about when you see a family of animals like this, doing no harm to humankind, just going about it's survival. What happens to the children in this family when its mother and father are caught and killed, or shot in the name of sport (hunting is a popular pastime still)? Does anyone even care. Well, they should. Heidi was thrilled to see these beautiful creatures and I would never ask her unknowingly to eat the flesh from one of them. How could I and be a caring and conscious individual? Not when our survival doesn't depend on it. I just hope the family I saw today and which brought such a moment of joy to us, will live a peaceful and natural full life.

My boots

2008-05-18T10:14:00.006+02:00

Hi all,

I hope you are enjoying Summer. I cannot believe it is still snowing here. Yes, I know i live in the Arctic but this is late for snow even here. At last I am due some sun soon as I am leading a yoga holiday mid June to Greece, I'm excited but my first time away from the children so it will be hard too.

Last Saturday I had a rare opportunity to go out socializing which was very pleasant, beside a lot of drunk people falling around the place, I got to see a great band and met some Swedish people working on a contract up here. However during this night my vegan argument fell down a little! I had on a pair of suede knee high boots. I have had these boots for a number of years and when I turned vegan I toyed with ideas of what to do with them. After some thought (perhaps not enough) I decided to keep wearing them for now until I found a vegan pair I liked and could afford with the thought that I could not save the cow now and throwing them away did not gain anything for the animals. So, here I was, talking about veganism in a bar at 2am and the conversation moved to my boots. I explained my choice as I have above but it did not sound convincing, even to me. I felt like a fraud.

The outcome was that I came home, took the boots off and threw them in the rubbish pile. I now realize that it is hypocritical to talk of my compassion for animals whilst wearing their skin. I realise I may not have money to but vegan boots on the internet right now but at least I can make my choices whereas the cow being killed for its flesh and skin does not have any choices.

Just found this definition of Suede on Wikipedia as I wondered if it was just cow skin - here is the answer...
Suede leather is made from the under side of the skin, primarily lamb, although goat, pig, calf and deer are commonly used. Splits from thick hides of cow and deer are also sueded but due to the fiber nature have a shaggy nap. Because suede does not include the tough exterior skin layer, suede is less durable but softer than standard ("full-grain") leather. Its softness, thinness, and pliability make it suitable for clothing and delicate uses; suede was originally used for women's gloves. Suede leather is also popular in upholstery, shoes, bags, and other accessories, and as a lining for other leather products. Due to its textured nature and open pores, suede may become dirty and absorb liquids quickly.

Veal

2008-05-11T11:36:00.004+02:00

Ok, by now you know my views on meat eating but if you cannot stop your habit immediately, how about letting one thing at time go. Let's start here.

Calves raised for veal are taken from their mothers immediately after birth and raised so as to deliberately induce borderline anemia. Calves are then denied basic needs, including access to their mother's milk, access to pasture and exercise and often prohibited from any movement at all in order to produce the pale-colored flesh for which veal is coveted.

Calves confined in veal crates, usually measuring 2-feet-wide, cannot turn around, stretch their limbs, or even lie down comfortably. Scientific research indicates that calves confined in crates experience "chronic stress" and require approximately five times more medication than calves living in more spacious conditions. It is not surprising, then, that veal is among the most likely meat to contain illegal drug residues, which pose a threat to human consumers. Researchers also report that veal calves exhibit abnormal coping behaviors associated with frustration including head tossing and shaking, kicking, scratching, and stereotypical chewing behavior. Confined calves experience leg and joint disorders and an impaired ability to walk.

Based on these finding and incredible outreach and advocacy by animal advocates, the American Veal Association has just passed a resolution calling for the veal industry to phase out the use of individual stalls. This is a good first step by the industry in recognizing the suffering that calves destined for the veal industry must endure. However, our work is far from over.
What You Can Do

1. Please don't buy veal, and educate others about this abuse.
2. Contact restaurants in your city and urge them to take veal off the menu. Ask them to sign a "no veal" pledge.
3. Contribute to Farm Sanctuary's campaign to end veal production.

Farm Sanctuary - East
P.O. Box 150
Watkins Glen, NY 14891
ph: 607-583-2225
fx: 607-583-2041 Farm Sanctuary - West
P.O. Box 1065
Orland, CA 95963
ph: 530-865-4617
fx: 530-865-4622

Thanks to Farm Sanctuary for the information.

Potato, lentil and baked bean cakes.

2008-05-07T14:41:00.003+02:00

So this could be the oddest dinner I have made the kids in while but it turned out to be one of the best I had ever made! I wanted to share it because Miller and Heidi absolutely loved the outcome of this thrown together mess of leftovers. You could make it from fresh and I'm sure it would be even nicer! Apologies I don't ever measure - it's more fun that way!

Potato, Lentil and baked bean cakes:

Some cooked red lentils (I had made some earlier in the day and used a full cup of cooked lentils blended with half a roasted red pepper and some olive oil to make a sandwich spread which was pretty good too, need to play a bit more with this recipe!)
Mashed potato (or ready to go mashed potato mixture)
Flour (just to take the stickyness out of the mixture)
Couple of spoons of cooked baked beans
Optional herbs

Mix everything up (make sure lentils well drained). Add touch of water to mixture if needed to get a patty like consistency. If too much add a bit more flour or some breadcrumbs. Heat a frying pan, drizzle pan with olive oil, form the cakes into whatever shape you like - I was going to make mine into fishes with Heidi but her favourite show came on tv and I suddenly wasn't very interesting any more. Cook until crisp on each side, cool a bit, and serve, preferably with a salad if your children will entertain it, I am struggling with getting my two to eat salad but they are eating so well now I don't mind so much :-)

And there you have it. If you didn't tell anyone the ingredients I am sure you could pass these off as a posh dinner appitizer with some rocket and a chilli sauce dip - gorgeous!

Essentials

2008-05-04T17:30:00.003+02:00

Just a very quick post today to share great site with you. It is called Vegan Essentials (www.veganessentials.com). After searching all the stores here to find a hand cream without animal parts in with no success I had a look on the web. I had ordered some vitamins from vegan essentials before so went there to have a look and the range of goods they have is brilliant. It even gives you currency conversion to your preferred currency and is super easy to navigate around. I ordered a bundle of stuff, hand cream, face cream, soap, deodorant, blah blah and I think my order can to around 15 us dollars. Not bad!

So, that's it for this post, apart from to say the cute picture is of Heidi and Miller taking yoga practice with me. Ended up more like wrestling but what the heck!

Benefits of being vegan

2008-04-30T08:46:00.009+02:00

I realized on my way to the studio this morning that I may appear very negative with respect to writing about veganism, however I am in general a positive individual. I guess it is just that those things that seems unfair and cruel tend to stick in your mind the most and that is what drives the need to write a post about it. As I have said previously, being vegan is difficult at times as your awareness is raised as to what animals have to endure and what used to pass unnoticed now slaps you in the face. Yesterday for example I was almost sick in the petrol station paying for fuel as all I could smell was cooking bacon and it smelt so disgusting. For me, the image of burning dead flesh of a helpless, possibly tortured creature cannot be separated. Yet being vegan also brings with it an amazing quality of life. So today I want to talk about the positive aspects of being vegan. I did touch on this in one of my early posts, just after I had changed my lifestyle from pesco vegetarian (fish eating vegetarian) to vegan so now I thought I would make sense to talk about the benefits 8 months later. Everyone is different and I am not saying that these are benefits to everyone following a vegan diet, all I can say is that these effects are real to me and I would like to share them!

1. The psychological benefits: Knowing that I do not contribute to animal suffering makes me feel better about myself as a person. I do not eat the flesh of animal, chew their dead ribs, crunch on their skin, chew minced up body parts, spread smoothed out paste from animal organs on my sandwiches, drink milk intended for that particular animals babies which are taken away from them and usually killed, grate cheese that a small calf may have been killed for a part of its stomach, wear leather that has been skinned off a helpless animal, use cream that has parts of a murdered pig in it, eat eggs from a hen that might have had its eyes pecked out by its neighbour, trapped so close together they have gone mad.....I could go on but my point is that knowing I do not do this makes me feel more alive and part of a change in the world that will come.

2. The physical benefits: I have so much more energy since giving up dairy and my diet is so much more exciting. Before I stuck to the same meals, repeated over and over, now I am looking for new things, choosing new ingredients and experimenting and it is a lot more fun and I feel my body is getting more nutrients and I feel I am taking better care of myself. My skin is amazing, no blotches, no cellulite, no lumps of fat under the skin, a better skin colour and smoother skin in general. My breath is always fresh and doesn't smell of rotting food (sorry meat eaters but you do smell of meat a lot of the time). My figure has changed, not only did I drop a lot of weight in the first month but my shape has changed, admittedly I practice yoga regularly but have always done that so veganism must have made the difference...and it's a good difference. My nails are stronger and I have half moons at the bottom of the nail (I was always told that was a good sign you are getting enough calcium) where I never had them before, my hair is softer and shiner (I used to colour my hair but now it looks so healthy I no longer do it), my joints never feel stiff, I have fewer colds and I have less bags under my eyes even though Heidi still wakes me up at 6am most mornings!

I am sure I've missed some but I hope this list gives you some food for thought and if the psychological benefits don't get you, maybe you'd like some of the physical benefits! What's the harm in giving it a go for a month or even a week and see how you feel. What could you lose, apart from an ingrained untruth that meat eating is acceptable.

Ah...saturday

2008-04-26T11:04:00.003+02:00

It's a beautiful Saturday morning here in our Arctic hideaway. Matthew has taken Heidi and the dogs down to the lake, then he is off to collect a paddling pool and sandpit I bought for the kids last week but couldn't fit into the car (the boot now refuses to open on our clapped out volvo) and I'm sure he will get a few odd glances carrying a paddling pool considering we are still surrounded by heaps of snow! My justification is that there were 2 in the shop and I spent all last Summer trying to find something suitable that I didn't have to build myself so I wasn't about to let it go!
So I am home with Miller who is sleeping now and the place is so peaceful. It's a shame I couldn't maintain my peaceful happiness for a longer time as all it took was a look out of the window to the neighbouring farm to remember it will soon be lambing time and I will have to listen to the sound of baby goats being murdered. I can't predict how I will react or what I will do. I have thought about filming what I see and hear and posting it on the net but I guess we'll just have to see. It's hard being vegan as so much of what other people consider normal is so unacceptable to me. Anyway, I must get back into enjoying this gorgeous sunny day. When Miller wakes up we shall tootle off down to the studio to film next weeks edition of 'Yoga Baby' which is picking up a lot of speed. We were featured on a Sky News report recently and will be featured in the next edition of Mamma magazine here in Norway. I hope having a raised profile will make it easier to get a vegan message out to people...one can but hope!
Enjoy your weekend and please let the animals enjoy theirs.

2008-04-22T11:34:00.006+02:00

Please read the below article from Seattle Weekly and see if you agree with me when I say 'Jonathan Kauffman you are a disgrace to the human race and if anyone values your opinion then more fool them - you are an arrogant and cruel individual with blatant disregard for life'. Please if you are a meat eater, read this and think about whether this lifestyle is acceptable anymore because it is not. I have stopped saying 'I believe it is not'. It is just not.

Jill.

Baby Goats Taste Better

Whether served in a high-end tagine or $6 birria plate, goat is becoming Seattle’s other red meat.

By Jonathan Kauffman

September 12, 2007

Kevin P. Casey

El Paisano’s goat is adorable in a whole ’nother way.

Extra Info

Lola 2000 Fourth Ave., 441-1430, www.tomdouglas.com/lola. BELLTOWN. Open for breakfast/brunch, lunch, dinner, and late night daily.

Rosticeria y Cocina el Paisano 9615 15th Ave. S.W., 763-0368. WHITE CENTER. Open for lunch and dinner daily.

Kokiri 32703 Pacific Hwy. S., 253-838-4288, FEDERAL WAY. Open for lunch and dinner daily.

Right now, pork is the iPod of the food world, more of a social movement than a trend. Every culinary magazine and newspaper food section has been giving the pig serious love, and Seattle has seen whole-hog dinners and salumi one-upmanship among its chefs. These days it takes a brave restaurant snob to confess that she hasn't tried pig ear or rendered her own lard.

But sneaking up behind pork—not yet a fad, but more than an oddity—is goat. Many of Seattle's more adventurous chefs have been serving the meat.

"Ten years ago people wouldn't touch goat, but it's becoming more and more mainstream," says Brock Johnson, chef of Lola, which has been serving goat on the menu continuously since the restaurant opened in June 2004. "We just felt that it really fit Lola and what we do here. It's one of our most popular dishes."

A number of other restaurants feature the meat intermittently. "One of my cooks goes out and gets goats from a friend who has a small farm," says Matt Dillon, chef of Sitka & Spruce. "We make sausage [i.e., merguez and chorizo] and use the saddles and do roasts. I also love goat neck, and do a pasta with it."

Jeremy Ravetz, sous-chef at Lark, says, "Goat has a pretty low meat-to-bone yield [meaning a high proportion of waste], so we tend to use it for special dinners such as our Whole Beast Dinner." Joseba Jiménez de Jiménez of Harvest Vine prepares Basque-style roast kid, though he thinks the meat is at its prime only a few weeks of the year. Tamara Murphy, chef of Brasa, concurs. "When I want them is when they're babies—that's when they have the most delicious flavor," she says.

Goat may still be a screw-up-your-nose proposition for many white Americans, but worldwide it's consumed as widely as, if not more than, beef. Central America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Korea and Vietnam, Africa, southern Europe—all goat territory. And truth be told, most of the local restaurants where you can eat goat meat are non-Western.

But if you prefer to cook your own, and Pixie and Trixie aren't in the backyard, you'll have to search a bit. Goat meat is most popular with recent immigrants, so chichi markets like Whole Foods and PCC don't carry it. Asian grocery stores such as Ranch 99 and Mexican butchers like White Center's Carniceria El Paisano sell goat; however, the most reliable, widespread source is the dozens of markets around the area that cater to Muslims. Shahid Anis, owner of Pakistani-N-Indian Grocery, says that he sells about 15 whole goats a week—all halal, all locally sourced—as well as 30 pounds of frozen goat meat imported from New Zealand or Australia.

If you're searching for local, sustainably raised goat meat, Sea Breeze Farm on Vashon Island sells 30 to 40 kids a year—basically a sideline from its dairy-goat operation. And now's the time to buy: Since the farm's (caprine) kids are born in the spring, their meat is currently at its best. You can call the farm (567-GOAT) to pick up a live animal or buy prepackaged, fresh meat at the Sea Breeze stand in the Ballard, U District, West Seattle, and Vashon farmers markets.

I rarely skip over goat when I see it on the menu. Still, when people ask me how it tastes, I have to admit: either really good or really bad. Chef Dillon agrees, "The problem with goat is it goes from tender to tough quickly."

When it's good—you have to pick just the right goat at just the right age to roast it right, so in my experience, braised is far more consistent—goat is the perfect red meat: tender and lean (goat meat is not heavily marbled), with all of the richness of beef and none of its barnyard overtones, as well as a seductive whiff of lamblike muskiness. Able to take on strong flavors, this is a meat to pair with your biggest cab or Barolo. When the meat's bad—undercooked or too-quickly cooked—a piece of goat can take minutes to chew. At some places, it's hacked into fat-coated chunks studded with bone shards, so eating each piece requires as much concentration as jaywalking across Denny Way in the middle of rush hour.

But the payoff is often worth the gamble.

Right now, Lola's goat ($25) comes in a tagine, a flat-bottomed casserole with a tepee lid. As the lid is removed at your table, a wash of spiced steam rolls up from big chunks of meat, whose braising liquid has been reduced into a glossy brown sauce. Flanking the meat are a peach-half striped with grill marks and a pile of crinkly, dark-green mustard leaves. The goat meat teases apart into long, tender strands with a fork, and its rich flavor, accented with the Moroccan spices in the braise, pairs beautifully with the ripe fruit. The only problem: The sauce, which I'd typically sop up with bread, is oversalted, and salt saturates the greens, rendering them inedible. It's a botched flourish to a gorgeous hunk of meat.

Garlic and walnut spaghetti

2008-04-15T12:54:00.002+02:00

Miller is ill today and because I didn't feel like bundling the kids up and out to go shopping I decided to see what I could make with what I had in and the result was a gorgeous and super speedy spaghetti. Heres the recipe and it did me and the two rascals:

1 clove garlic
teaspoon green pesto
3 mushrooms
small handful of broken up walnuts (great for your source of omega 3)
olive oil
spaghetti

Cook up some spaghetti. Heat some olive oil and lightly fry the garlic, pesto and mushrooms. Throw in the walnuts last and cook for a couple of minutes. Throw the pasta in the pan with the rest and add a touch more oil and some black pepper. Serve. If I'd have had a green salad to accompany the dish it would have been perfect but it was still pretty good!

Think like a chicken!

2008-04-13T10:32:00.002+02:00

Very quick today, just wanted to tell you about a great site I found! It's called 'Thinking like a chicken: philosophical stories and essays about chickens". I especially liked the poetry. If you have a few minutes go and get lost in the site at...

http://www.upc-online.org/thinking/

Ready meals

2008-04-07T09:35:00.002+02:00

Last night I watched a tv show about the success of ready meals. It was quite fascinating. I, like many others I imagine, had not given much thought to how a ready meal is put together. I do not eat ready meals now but in the UK I occasionally bought one of if I was in a hurry or couldn't be bothered to cook. You know the type of food I mean, you can find them in any supermarket, either refrigerated or frozen, perhaps rice on one side and a curry on the other. There are countless variations but the principles are the same.

The programme showed a successful factory which produced millions of these meals for big name supermarkets. Let me describe the scene. The staff in wellington boots, hair in a blue plastic net and blue plastic gloves. Huge tubes filled with ingredients, already cooked, the press of a button and a certain amount spits out the bottom into a tray. Next a bucket of hacked up chicken, a blue hand reaches in and pulls out the desired amount and it is thrown in another section of the tray. Next another tube full of a coloured sauce squirts down over the meat. Another hand squashes all the food down into the sections and the package is put on a conveyer belt to be vacuum packed. All very clinical and extremely unappetising!

What hit me most was the vats of meat. I cannot imagine how many carcasses made up those vats and buckets. Just lumps and lumps of flesh being thrown about by human hands with no regard for what that animal used to be, what it felt during it's probably short and uncomfortable life, what pain it experienced whilst being killed or whether the animals deserve to be slaughtered and hacked up just for a lazy human with no conscious thought about the processes involved to sit and shove a ready meal in his or her face. Am I angry. Yes, I'm angry. Each day I become more angry about meat eating.

I still get asked on a regular basis why I am a vegan and it is always the case people don't really want to know the answer. I started responding really politely saying it is a personal choice and that it feels the right thing to do for me but now I want to answer more strongly and tell people exactly why, down to the last detail, no matter how uncomfortable it makes them feel. I want to tell people exactly how much suffering animals go through just so they can eat a bacon sandwich, I want to tell them the pain of a cow suffering bout after bout of mastitis until she can no longer produce milk and is killed, I want to tell them how pigs are dropped into vats of boiling water, often still conscious so that their skin can be softened for them to eat, I want to tell them how chickens trapped in barns start to go insane and peck each other eyes out, I want to tell them that when fish are brought up from the depths their eyes often pop whilst they are still alive, I want to tell them that calves are slaughtered for an enzyme in their stomachs that makes cheese taste better, I want to tell them that when i watch them eat meat I feel sick thinking that they are eating the flesh of an animal which had no choices in life, was denied any pleasure of living, that was not allowed to form a bond with its parents, that was not allowed any emotional attachment, that was treated as a nothing, a thing lacking intellegance and therefore denied any basic rights. Am I emotional? Yes I am emotional and I am proud of that.

Til next time, please think about your choices.

Advert in the Co-op

2008-03-30T10:57:00.004+02:00

Dinner anyone?

Advert for 'wild pig meat' on the noticeboard at the local Co-op food store here in Storsteinnes. Described as 'feast food'. I was so close to writing something on the poster or calling the number to ask if I could buy a pig but then I realized they were dead already.

How can people do this?

But we were made to eat meat!

2008-03-29T10:31:00.002+01:00

Hi, todays article is taken from www.learning how.com.au. I like to vary the places I look for information and this was a nice article I came across. Have a nice weekend x

Why Be a Vegetarian When Humans Were Meant to Eat Meat?

While many meat eaters make the argument that humans weren't made to live without meat in their diets, there is actually plenty of biological evidence to the contrary. Our bodies more closely resemble the physiology of herbivores than carnivores: our digestive system shows that our optimal food is plant matter, not meat.

While the human body is capable of digesting meat, eating meat long-term is known to cause many health problems. High cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis are all directly linked to eating meat. Although eating meat infrequently does not seem to significantly raise our risk for these maladies, the typical American diet contains so much meat that it effectively poisons our bodies. Were we designed to be meat eaters? The evidence suggests that we were not.

Why Be a Vegetarian? Why Wouldn't You Be One?

There are even more reasons to be vegetarian, but the most compelling reason is the one that resonates with you personally. Being a vegetarian means that you are removing your support from an industry that produces more waste than all other American industries combined. You are standing up in favor of a healthy life and healthy planet, and you are doing a good turn for animal rights. Being a vegetarian comes with many, many benefits for your physical, emotional, and financial well-being – and no detrimental effects to any of these.

Millers Birthday

2008-03-23T19:21:00.005+01:00

Happy Easter!
I hope it is one that hasn't involved you eating animals and if you have, I hope you might consider making a change, trust me, it is worth it!

Friday was Millers first birthday and we spent it at a new indoor soft play area in Tromsø. We had a great day, Miller learned how to climb pretty high and went on some big slides with Mom, Dad and Heidi. We ate there for a birthday lunch, the kids had french fries and bread from the cafe and some extras we had taken along and after explaining our diet to the kitchen were made some salad baguettes and the vegetarian pate which I now rely on came out of my bag! It was a really great day. Here in Norway almost everything is closed over Easter as it is a BIG holiday here. Most things shut down on the Wednesday lunchtime and reopen again the following Tuesday so to have this place open on Good Friday was fabulous and we all returned home tired but happy!

As to my decision on the baby milk issue, I have started to introduce cows milk for Miller. It is not a decision I made lightly and I so wish there were other well tested options for us now but I don't know enough yet to risk him not getting all he needs so we will try this for the near future and then re-assess later. Thank you for your comments and I welcome more advice anytime!

Enjoy the rest of the holidays and here's a little something you might find worth a look x

If you are feeling like a change after Easter and are not already vegetarian or vegan, please take a look at the below from www.goveg.com. If you are already a compassionate eater, you can ask others you know.

Pledge to Be Veg for 30 Days!

Whatever the reason, there's never been a better time to go vegetarian. Sign the pledge to explore a vegetarian diet for 30 days, and we'll send you an e-mail with our top tips on the best places to eat out, our favorite recipes, the tastiest animal-friendly snacks, and the most delicious pre-packaged vegetarian meals.

If you're already vegetarian, you can still help animals by becoming a "pledge recruiter." Click here to ask your friends and family to take the pledge to be veg!

"Chew on This"—in three minutes, learn 30 reasons to go vegetarian.

Here's the link - go take a look, after all, what harm can it do? (Jill)

http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/30_day_veg_pledge?qp_source=vegpledgegen

Magic beans time again...!

2008-03-13T09:42:00.004+01:00

Money money money!

Don't you just hate it!

So life is all good and well being a freelance arts educator until you reach a point where your money runs out! So now I am spending very little time wondering what food to choose in the store and more time wondering how the hell I am going to pay for it. It's a frustrating time at the moment as I am working every minute I can, either writing one of my two blogs (this one and my childrens novel www.snoredust.blogspot.com), presenting yogababy.tv each week, working on youth projects in the local area (eg www.handteater.com) , trying to build up our art studio (www.barklive.com), taking my exams to qualify as an Alexander technique teacher and looking after two small children. All of which I do not get any pay or funding for.

So what are my options when work possibilities don't pan out, like at this moment in time when a few projects have fallen through? I cannot take a part time job for low pay as that will not cover the nursery school fees needed for my children plus I already work every minute I have and refuse to sacrifice what I already do. The truth is that living in a foreign country is frustrating when it comes to seeking financial assistance. Not one artistic project I have applied for funding for has been accepted. See my handteater page (listed above). I tried to get support from every Norwegian grant agency but preference is given to Norwegians. I cannot get support from UK arts boards as I do not live in the UK. I have to date applied for over 10 seperate projects ranging from starting a theatre school in this rural area, to taking puppet productions to kindergardens, to running workshops on scriptwriting, publishing photography for local youth, making an exhibition of traditional art and taking 10 local children to a theatre performance in the next town. I forget the rest. Just so you know, I have a bachelor of arts as an arts educator with a spesialism in childrens and physical theatre, have a masters in scriptwriting and scriptediting for film and tv, an a trained actor, qualified yoga instructor and english teacher. How can I be in this situation?

There. That's my rant. I needed to get it out of my system and there it is. So lets see what I can add to this blog on a more positive note. Well, maybe it would be fitting to discuss living as a vegan on a budget!

VEGAN ON A BUDGET!

That means one thing to me... BEANS....! All varieties including magic ones are on my shopping list. it's a good thing we all love them. Here is my menu for the next goodness knows how long!

Jacket potato with kidney beans and chick peas in a chilli sauce
Baked beans on toast
Brown bean and lentil casserole with onions and potatoes
Bean and lentil soup
Bean and potato pie
Bean Burgers
Bean surprise (That's whatever I have in my cupboards, maybe the surprise is I have run out of beans)

Til next time!

Weaning

2008-03-05T07:59:00.002+01:00

Hi! Todays blog entry is a little different because today I am asking for your advice. As the title of the blog tells you, I am a new vegan mom and that means I don't have answers to a lot of questions. Each day is a learning process for me and my family but this topic is one that has me well and truly confused! I have researched the issue and get conflicting refults so I thought maybe the best thing to do was ask you! I know I have non vegans and non vegetarians who regualrly read (and great to have you!) but I also know there are many experienced vegan mothers out there too who could help me with this one...and for the curious I hope you will read any comments that come back to help you too!

So, the topic is weaning. I did begin weaning Miller when he was 9 months old and at the time the advice I found said that he was too young to be put on soya or rice milk and that the only alternative to breast milk was standard formula. So, I began substituting one feed, the another, until I was only nursing him twice a day. I will add that my decision to wean was due to Miller beginning nursery twice a week and my work commitments, I am not a full time stay at home mom. However, when Miller had a stomach illness in the New Year, he would not tolerate food or formula and would only accept my milk so I began re-establishing breastfeeding and was lucky that I was able to do that. it took time and a lot of body contact between the two of us but my supply returned. I am now nursing full time again which is great but things may now need to change...

Firstly, Miller is at nursery twice a week and I find it difficult to express the same as he drinks, maybe I get one bottle where he would have two or three so I cannot store enough and soon my freezer supply will run out. Also I am taking the yoga girls on a yoga holiday for a week in June and the children will stay home with Matthew. So what are my options?

I have introduced soya milk and although Miller turns his nose up at it most of the time he will drink it occasionally. he does not like rice milk and they are the only two alternatives I have here. I could try him on formula again but last time I tried him he threw up. The research I did stated that as a vegan, it was best to breastfeed for minimum 2 years or use formula...it didn't say what to do if you can't do either of these things! I have never tried Miller with cow's milk and don't really want to, it makes me so sad. (See my entires on cows and dairy)

I have also read reports about too much soya milk being a concern...is there any truth to this?

I would really welcome your thoughts on this... At home with Heidi today making flapjacks and destroying the kitchen!

Cheese

2008-02-28T10:51:00.006+01:00

So today I thought I would continue with bringing you interesting things I have found on the net. It seems to work well with the blog that I mix snippets from my daily life with things that I think you might like to read about. Today's theme is cheese. Cheese....hum, there was a time when if I had to choose one food I could not live without then this would be it. I was a huge fan of cheese, when I lived in the UK my favourite choices were mature cheddar, red leicester, bavarian, brie, camenbert, feta, mozzerella and don't mention philadelphia... I must have eaten cheese daily as a vegetarian (or as I thought I was), cheese sandwiches, cheese on toast, cheese on pizza, lasagne, sprinked on spaghetti bolognese, cheese and crackers, cheese flavoured crisps, cheese and onion, cheese slices, greek salad...and on moving to Norway of course Jarlsberg was added to the list of most purchased items.....well I think you get the point.

So, you might ask, what on earth is wrong with cheese? It's only cheese after all! So for all of you who want to know why I turned my back on all this deliciousness, see the below article. I will add that after I realized what was in a lot of cheese I started to research how milk was obtained, more on that later, and it just became the right thing to do for me personally.

I guess it is fair to say I had a cheese addiction. It is also fair too say that without cheese I feel a different person - a person living in a body with a lot less fat for starters (I used to have cellulite - not any more - could cheese be the main culprit? All I know is those little bumps of fat I had under the skin - thank you and goodbye!). Can not eating cheese really make such a difference to the way you feel? I am convinced of it. Why not give it a try? Eliminate cheese for a week and see how you feel, chances are you'll feel goooood!

I guess if you cannot let go of cheese at least research which cheeses contain dead animal parts and avoid them, at least then you are limiting the suffering. You can see my earlier blog entry on dairy cows to see why avoidance is the best option but you make your own choices in life! Here's the article, it is only short but to the point, courtesy of www.veggieglobal.com...

Many cheeses contain animal rennet, which is an enzyme often made from the stomach of calves and lambs. For example, some cheddar and traditional parmesan cheeses contain animal rennet.
However, rennet is also obtained from vegetables, such as cardoons. In the UK more cheddar cheeses are being made using vegetable derived rennet (but check the labelling to make sure). There is absolutely no difference in the taste between cheeses that are made with either animal or vegetable rennet. Animal rennet is a cheap by-product of animal slaughter.
The other thing to watch out with cheeses is if "pepsin" has been used in the making process. Pepsin is an enzyme from the stomach lining of pigs and is also used in preparation of some other foods containing protein. The problem is that "pepsin" may not show up on a cheese ingredients listing, even if the cheese doesn't contain rennet.
ALWAYS look on the label when buying cheese to make sure it's suitable for veggies. Remember, if you eat cheeses that contain dead animals you are NOT vegetarian.

Aqua massage and snow therapy

2008-02-19T11:27:00.003+01:00

It is snowing like you would not believe here today. We had a thaw last week and the roads cleared. We had a feeling it was a bit early and we were right! Each time I go out to get some wood or let the dogs out the snow falls into the porch and we get sweeping! I don't think I can be bothered going out today, clearing the car, warming it up, wading out in my boots with a child on each hip so am in the process of making soup and bread so I can be lazy and stay indoors. I do love this weather actually but today I am a little tired after two and a half hours teaching yoga last night and a full day at Bark (our arts centre) working on scripts and second life collaborations.

Today I wanted to share with you an experience from last week. One of my yoga girls in the next town works in a natural therapy clinic (www.westbytunet.no) . It is a gorgeous place and I took up an offer of trying the new aqua massage and floatation tanks. What a lovely experience that was. First the aqua massage, 15 minutes of pure bliss, especially after an advanced yoga session, you can choose your level, soft, medium, hard or a combination and just let it do its job..and it is good, really good, if you get the opportunity give one a try, chances are you will be hooked! The floatation tanks are very unusual, you get into a pod which is filled like a large bath with warm water and epsom salts. You have to be careful not to get the salt in your eyes and seal any cuts you may have but that's beside the point. You then just let the water hold you, lie back and relax, relax, relax. I stayed in for 20 minute and that was enough for me but you can be in for longer if you wish. It takes a few minutes to actually get used to the idea of being still, if you are anything like me you want to push gently off the sides and imagine you are in space but then again, maybe I'm just strange.

So, what a 'time out'. Highly recommended. What is not recommended is what I did immediately afterwards. So relaxed was I that after being in my car for just 3 minutes after leaving the clinic I encountered a snow drift, decided it was no problem and 1 minute later drove the car off the road, down a ditch and got stuck, had to get out of the car, knee deep in snow which soaked my trousers and went into my boots, walk to the petrol station without gloves as I had forgotten them and wait an hour for someone to come an tow me out!

What I also failed to mention was that I had offered to make a late supper for Matthew and I and had all the ingredients in the car with me so Matthew was sat at home with an empty stomach waiting for me to finish off my silly antics!

I got home at nearly 11pm, cold and a bit shaken with a fading memory of how great I felt not that long before! So we ate and went to bed and fortunately I didn't do much damage to the car, just a wheel wobble which I think is due to some ice stuck somewhere! I did bury the car so no surprize there!

Isn't it nice to know that even vegans can be complete idiots!

Bye x

Tesco Chicken

2008-02-14T09:21:00.002+01:00

Today is my first day at the studio without the children. They are both in kindergarden today and it feels so quiet, verging on peaceful, without sounding mean! So, I have made a cup of tea, am listening to Colleens latest podcast (www.compassionatecooks.com) and was reading the news online when I came upon the below article. So before I get on with my artistic plans for the day - looking at rough cuts of the shots my colleague did at the weekend for the childrens tv teaser and working on business plans to try and get some money so we don't have to work for free for much longer! Anyway...waffling again... the following article is courtesy of the BBC. I thought it was interesting to share with you.

Anger over £1.99 Tesco chickens

Tesco says the price has been lowered, not the welfare standards

Animal welfare and farming groups have criticised the supermarket giant Tesco for cutting the retail price of its standard whole chicken to £1.99.

The store says bringing down the price of a bird from £3.30 will benefit "shoppers on a budget".

The National Farmers' Union (NFU) says the move is "extremely ill-judged and short sighted".

Tesco has also increased orders for free range birds, which it says makes up 30% of its total chicken sales.

The supermarket's media director, Jonathan Church, said: "We have been working hard for a while to increase the amount of higher-welfare chicken we sell."

Reflecting on recent media coverage of chicken production by celebrity chefs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver, Mr Church added that the debate "has helped raise awareness of the choice available to customers".

But an NFU spokesman said the decision to cut the cost of standard, intensively-reared chicken was "completely the wrong thing" to do.

A spokesman told the BBC: "It's extremely ill judged and short sighted.

No-one should feel guilty buying a chicken just because it is good value

Jonathan Church, Tesco

"They're devaluing the product and doing it at a time when, overall, the market is strengthening and chicken prices are rising.

"They're sucking value out of the supply chain and unless Tesco is going to subsidise this, it is not a sustainable price," he said.

'Highest welfare'

Tesco insists it has doubled the amount of free-range and organic chicken it is buying, and has seen a 70% rise in sales of premium birds compared to a year ago.

"No-one should feel guilty buying a chicken just because it is good value," Mr Church said.

"The only reduction we make is in the price - not the welfare."

Consumers can be "safe in the knowledge" its birds have been "raised in the highest welfare environment", he said.

Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), which praised the chain in its latest supermarket survey for improving the environment for indoor-reared birds, believes that Tesco have taken the wrong approach.

Director for research and food policy, Dr Lesley Lambert, said: "If Tesco is prepared to drop their prices in this way, why don't they decrease it on the higher welfare chickens and make that more accessible to poorer consumers."

CIWF wants to see all supermarkets move away from buying intensively-reared chickens, and provide greater welfare for birds produced indoors.

Store promotions

The RSPCA, which oversees the "Freedom Food" programme for livestock welfare, said low-price chicken "was not the answer".

A spokeswoman said: "The consumer has the clout to change supermarket policy and we strongly encourage shoppers to buy higher welfare chicken and not be tempted by the discount."

The British Poultry Council, which represents chicken producers, was measured in its response to the Tesco announcement.

"The price at which Tesco choose to sell birds is a matter for Tesco," its chief executive Peter Bradnock told BBC News.

"The price is no indicator of the conditions they are kept in.

"Producers have no knowledge of what promotions might be on, you can't rear birds for certain promotions, they are all reared to the same, independent standards," he said.

Mr Bradnock believes the Tesco move raises another issue - whether consumers see the link between the supermarket price and the cost of production.

"We do need to get to the position where consumers realise the true costs of the food they are buying and are satisfied with the standards in that production," he added.

'Poor locomotion'

Meanwhile, research funded by Defra suggests more than a quarter of broiler chickens have difficulty walking as result of their high growth rates.

The Defra-funded study involved five major UK chicken producers

The study of 51,000 of the chickens, intensively bred specifically for their meat, found that at about 40 days old 27.6% exhibited "poor locomotion" and 3.3% could almost not walk at all.

Researchers from the University of Bristol said in the publication Public Library of Science there was evidence some of the birds could be in pain.

Dr Toby Knowles said: "Our research shows that the primary risk factors associated with impaired locomotion and poor leg health are those specifically associated with the rate of growth.

"The welfare implications of this study are profound. Worldwide approximately 20 billion broilers are reared within similar husbandry systems that are biased towards economics of production and detrimental to poultry welfare."

The research involved 176 flocks belonging to five major chicken producers in the UK.

Hurrah for the health food store!

2008-02-12T08:55:00.000+01:00

Pic: Heidi & Sooty the cat (At Grandads House during our trip)

Thank you Storsteinnes Health and Play store. Yesterday they received their newest order - probably made to make me shut up but I am so grateful - it is not a lot but it will mean I can get some lovely things without driving an hour following the desire of a bar of dark chocolate! So, what is now in the store? From memory they had dark orange fairtrade chocolate, vegetarian and vegan pates, vegetarian sausages (still in tins as no refrigerator but I am certainly not complaining, I know they are not so healthy but I quite like them), earl grey tea (yes I know tea is vegan anyway but I believe it was ordered for the English folk in the village - all 4 of us), organic salsa (yes I can make my own but 2 children, 2 dogs and freelance jobs do sometimes leave me with time lacking), brown pasta, rice pasta, ecological brown rice, chick peas and I think on the way more lentils, vegetarian gravy powder to compliment the small array that way already there such as linseed (flax) oil, red kidney beans, organic apple puree, soya flakes and the biggest selection of fruit teas you can find in the area! So, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Back to us, Matthew has his first day back at work after his illness and he has recovered well. He is tired and run down but as long as he takes it easy he should have a full recovery. Heidi is really beginning to use her languages now, some phrases are in Norwegian, some in English. It is great to see she is having no trouble understanding Norwegian. She is very musical and sings all the time. If she is not singing she is dancing. She is home with me today and plan to make a bit playdo mess when Miller goes for a sleep. Miller is growing so fast, he has been on the verge of walking for a few weeks but still won't let go! Maybe one day soon he will be attacked by a surge of bravery and go for it!

More vegan news and info in the next entry!

Have a productive day x

From one thing to the next!

2008-02-05T09:46:00.000+01:00

Just as things were starting to regain a sense of normality! Last Sunday Matthew was taken ill and had to be taken by ambulance to hospital for tests. It seems likely he has an infection in his gall bladder, maybe accompanied by gall stones. He is home with us now after 5 days and very weak. However, all being well he will have a full recovery and we must return for more tests in two weeks to check everything has now been resolved. So what a few weeks!

It has been difficult looking after the two children alone. It can be tough not having any family around to call on. The people I do know have been really supportive, offering to get shopping and walk the dogs which was great. It's a different matter asking people to come and look after two children they do not really know, one aged 2, the other just 10 months. So I tried to get the the hospital (and hour and a half drive) when the children were in kindergarten - Miller had a swift introduction and spent 3 days there! Thankfully he really enjoyed it and didn't want to come away! I even borrowed a car one day (thanks Kirsti!) as Matthew had the keys to our old bangor (the only one that currently runs - but not in snow!) in his pocket, he was so out of it that he forgot to leave them when he went in to hospital so I had to borrow a car to go and get the keys!

I think every person I know has asked if his illness was connected to being vegan. The answer is no. Doctors words, not mine!

I now hope we have had enough excitement and am looking forward to a normal life again! Not to mention I had to cancel my work (that took care of most of January - I think I clocked up 3 hours) and being freelance don't get any pay so beans on toast for a few weeks for us! Stay positive, isn't that what I'm supposed to do?!

Til next time!

An update with a touch of food poisoning

2008-01-24T11:51:00.000+01:00

So we have been home a week and feeling a lot more relaxed. It's amazing how quickly the stress came back in just a few weeks in a more aggressive and negative environment. I really feel the UK is on a slippery slope. It is not a pleasant place to be for the average Joe. Anyhow, today is the first time I have been able to take stock. Heidi is at kindergarten and Miller is napping. Now I have sorted all the washing and cleaning that needs to be done after a trip I am thinking about updating my sites, filming yoga baby, writing my children's book, filming the teaser for our kids tv show and wondering how I am actually going to make any money to actually pay for things but hey ho!

Miller is starting kindergarten now and I took him for his first day on Monday. I stayed with him and we will build up to two days a week for now and see how it goes. The staff there were so fantastic about Millers diet. They even offered to shop for the items he would eat instead of me bringing them in. Wonderful! And his being there a little will give me time to figure out how the next few months will go and maybe I'll have time to do things like take a bath, have a cup of tea and browse the news sites. Probably not but the thought is there! More likely I will work work work...but at least I'll enjoy it, that's the best thing.

So I hope to bring you a higher quality of information in the near future but while you are waiting I just want to share the below snippet with you. Now, this is priceless! The site is called 'It's your health'...hmmm. Surely the answer at the bottom should simply be 'DON'T EAT IT!' Here goes!....

YOUR HEALTH.

Food poisoning is caused by eating foods that are contaminated by some type of bacteria, such as Salmonella. It's not unusual for raw turkey and chicken to be contaminated. Other raw foods such as meat, fish, seafood, unpasteurized dairy products, raw shell eggs and products containing raw eggs can be a problem too.

Cooking food at high temperatures usually kills the bacteria contained in the food itself. However, that precaution doesn't help to control bacteria that may have spread to your refrigerator, counters or utensils while the food was being stored or prepared for cooking.

Minimizing Your Risk

It's not possible to tell if food is contaminated simply by looking at it. For that reason, it's best to treat all poultry and other raw meats as though they are contaminated.

Hmmm. Enjoy!

Home!

2008-01-19T11:07:00.001+01:00

So good to be back in Norway!

Miller has recovered well and is back to his cheeky self I am pleased to report. What a trip that was. 4 days in and one by one the family fell ill, we picked up the bug that has spread across the uk causing hospitals to close wards, a huge gap in the workplace etc. All the grandparents had it, all our friends had it, there was simply no escape! We had to wait until we were all clear before flying home so we were stuck in the UK for an extra week, making us miss the film festival here in Tromsø, yoga classes cancelled, Miller was due to start nursery school and we have had to delay that etc etc.. But it is soooo good to be home. The children slept better than they had in three weeks, I feel the difference in the air quality and missed our peaceful little house in our small village nestled in the mountains. I've had enough of smog, advertising hoardings, traffic jams, run down, uncared for places, constant noise and negative attitudes to last me some time!

As for the vegan life, well, I think it is easier here! I never thought I would say that but the options are so limited in the UK, maybe there are more actual foods to buy but you cannot find them. In a supermarket the size of our village here, how do you find the one or two items you are looking for, especially when the staff don't even know what the word vegan means? Even buying a vegan burger proved impossible, you say you are vegan and ask for a burger without cheese so they bring you one with mayo on instead, most sandwiches are pre-made so you cannot get a vegan sandwich made up for you, I didn't find one health shop to buy simple things like tofu, it was just very difficult.

Yet, yesterday I went to the local stores here and came back with everything I wanted. I guess what I am saying is that I have been ungrateful in my previous comments and take them all back! I don't mind driving to the health shop here, at least I am not stuck in traffic looking at boarded up buildings and miserable pedestrians! I also realised I can buy most whole foods here and that is what is important to keeping myself and my family healthy. All I found in supermarkets in the UK was veggie junk food. I tried certain things thinking I was treating myself and I found the majority were quite horrible, I had heard that Sheese was great...um, sorry Sheese but I felt sick after eating it and can't talk about it any more as making me feel ill again at the memory. Maybe it is just that I do not like the taste of anything close to dairy now, who knows.

Being here in Norway makes me feel more alive and what could be better than that.

It all goes quiet...

2008-01-12T20:29:00.000+01:00

Just a brief blog entry to apologise for the absence! Miller has a virul infection and we have been looking after him. It started 4 days after our arrival in the UK and got serious when we had to monitor him in hospital a few days ago. He is recovering now but we are not allowed to fly with him yet so are stuck in limbo in an airport hotel! However, we have been treated to some delicious vegan food courtesy of a good chef! Will write more of our eventful trip later as still tending to our little angel now...But before I go, I had to remind myself I was in manchester UK and not Manchester US when walking around the terminals here...starbucks, garfunkels, tgi fridays..I haven't been gone that long....where did England go?....(not that it was much good in the first place!)

Back in the UK and the vegan class struggle!

2008-01-02T22:23:00.001+01:00

Happy New Year!

I hope you all enjoyed seeing in 2008. We are in Wales visiting Matthew's mum and it is the first time I have had time to write a post. It has been a hectic trip with mixed experiences and emotions. It is dificult coming from a slow pace of life to an accelerated one and daiy tensions here are high compared to what we are used to. However, the children are loving spending time with their grandparents and it has been great to catch up with friends here.

Since turning vegan I believed Norway offered limited food choices for us and I was convinced that the UK would have a better selection of vegan options. However, our experience has not backed up this view. The supermarkets we have visited here have little choice for us, especially considering thier size. I called in to one the other day, bearing in mind with two young childen you are on limited time on a supermarket visit, and could not find anything to have with bread as we were on the run and needed convenience, so I asked a shop assistant if they had a vegetarian section (this store was huge) and he said 'no, things are just scattered about'. We eventually found a bruschetta topping we could eat and that was that. I looked around the local town centre twice for a health food shop and all I found were two stores selling a range of alternative medicines and vitamins etc with not a food item in sight. In Norway, there is a heath food shop in every town I have visited and although the selection is limited, you can at least get what you need.

One highlight to our visit so far was a trip to see Manchester United on New Years Day. The football match was a little boring but the experience was fabulous. Matthew's uncle has executive seats and we were treated to lunch in the bar. Out of four dishes available at the buffet, two were vegetarian and one was vegan. We were so pleased that this was now considered normal. It sparked a conversation between Matthew and I on the way out as we were walking back to the car. We were walking past row on row of cheap mobile food outlets selling all sorts of disgusting meat produce. Burgers, hot dogs (one boasting a 2 foot long hot dog), nuggets, pies, lamb pittas, chicken curry, steak and kidney puddings...... The stench of cooked animals was so foul it nearly made me sick at one point yet there people were, stuffing their faces with this rubbish. We on the other hand had enjoyed a lovely vegan lunch in the executive box. We felt there was a class difference here somewhere. I'm not very good at wording arguments but I will try and phrase this in a way I know...

Those people living in what would have previously been called the lower class are likely to be less well educated about a variety of things including food choices. People who may not be aware of what is in their food quite happily consume cheap meat options like those mentioned above. These folk may not be aware that they could be eating a selecton of things that no butcher wants, that are the dregs of the meat processing industry, may not be aware that the slab of meat might contain a whole host of bacteria, might lead to their life being shortened if this eating pattern is repeated day after day. I believe that food choice and knowledge about it is a class struggle and I would like to see more education about food and lifestyle across the board.

Not the most profound thing ever said but worth mentioning I think. So back to the trip. We found a small health shop in Pwllheli where we are staying now, funnily enough a small place like this has the options the large town we just came from did not, and we have a selection of new items to try. I am looking forward to tasting 'sheeese' which I have read is excellent, we chose a mozzerella alternative so might try pizza and we also picked up some organic dark chocolate and some firm favourites like tofutti spread. Matthews mum has a cupboard full of vegan options for us and the children and my mum did well with a few things but got lost in labelling with other things which means they now have a lot to eat in the fridge!

Heidi and Miller have coped well with the change of pace, better than we have actually, and I fear they will be bored on our return to the Arctic. Still, nothing could keep me from returning to the home we love!

I don't know when I will next get time to post but wishing you all the best for 2008!

Christmas Turkey

2007-12-23T10:43:00.000+01:00

Do you really need that turkey?

Please read Viva's factsheet on turkey farming below. After all we should know the facts before making our choices. - Jill.

Turkeys - Viva! Fact Sheet

Turkeys in their natural state
Turkeys have a zest for living and, treated with respect, they become very friendly. Turkeys have large, dark, almond-shaped eyes and sensitive fine-boned faces. Wild turkeys live in North and Central America. They are striking and handsome, graceful and intelligent. They roost in trees and roam in woodlands, eating vegetation and insects. They live in harems - the mothers being very protective of their young. An adult bird can fly up to 50mph.

Conditions in turkey farms
There are two main systems of turkey rearing:
a. Windowless units. The most common system where as many as 25,000 turkeys are kept in one shed. The birds are crowded together like broiler chickens, on a litter floor. Many develop ulcerated feet and painful burns on their legs and breasts as they spend their short lives standing on litter which often becomes wet, dirty and produces ammonia. Lighting is dim to discourage aggression.
b. Pole barns. These allow daylight and ventilation but conditions are still grossly overcrowded. Stress causes fighting and birds attack each others eyes and toes.

Slaughter age
Turkeys would live up to 10 years in the wild. Farmed turkeys are usually slaughtered between the ages of 12 and 26 weeks, although according to DEFRA some are as young as eight weeks.

Mortality rate
6%- 15% of turkeys die in sheds each year. Many die because they never learn to reach the food and water points (‘starve-outs’). Others die from disease or as a result of growing too quickly.

Aggression
Turkeys peck at each others feathers, toes and eyes when overcrowded. Sometimes their eyeballs are destroyed by the pecking. Cannibalism can be common in intensive farms. Turkeys are often kept in near darkness to discourage cannibalism. In the wild, turkeys would not be aggressive but on factory farms birds are driven to aggression by the conditions in which they are kept.

Mutilation
Debeaking is considered essential to many turkey rearers. 10% of all turkeys are debeaked (DEFRA, Oct 2001) When turkeys are only a few days old, their beaks are partially amputated, a section of the upper beak being cut off with a red-hot blade or with clippers. Potential breeding stock are debeaked again at around 16 weeks, and sometimes at a later stage too. Beak trimming is painful and can result in permanent pain. Research at the AFRC Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Research, Edinburgh, indicates that debeaking results in chronic pain similar to ‘phantom limb pain’ in human amputees. Birds have been observed, over a 56 week period, to show signs of behaviour associated with long-term chronic pain and depression, following partial beak amputation.
(“Behavioral Evidence for Persistent Pain Following Partial Beak Amputation in Chickens” - Michael Gentle et al, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 27 (1990) 149-157).

Toe removal is also performed on male breeding birds which can result in open wounds, blood loss and pain.

Desnooding is practiced to minimalise cannibalism. This is where the long fleshy appendage extending from the front of a turkey’s head over its upper back is removed with an instrument or pulled off.

When farmers want to prevent turkeys from flying, dewinging is carried out where the flight feathers of one wing may be clipped.

Slaughter
22 million turkeys are killed each year in licensed plants with an estimated 10 million being killed at Christmas (based on consumption figures, DEFRA, 23/10/2001).
Including small-scale enterprises which slaughter on premises, 35 million turkeys are killed in the UK every year. (Meat Hygiene Service, 1998)

According to the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS), there are 50 slaughterhouses licensed to kill turkeys. 34 out of 50 plants stunning turkeys use the electric waterbath. Others use gas stunning and very low throughput premises tend to use an electric hand-held stunner.

UK slaughter legislation states that birds may be killed by decapitation or dislocation of the neck. These procedures do not require a license provided that they are carried out on premises forming part of an agricultural holding on which the bird was reared.

Decapitation is not widely practiced but neck dislocation is the most widely used method of slaughter on small-scale enterprises. Scientists Gregory and Wotton expressed concern about the effectiveness of neck dislocation in poultry. They tried crushing and stretching the necks of poultry (method 2 works in a similar manner to manual neck dislocation) and concluded that, “neither method consistently produced concussion and it is uncertain whether they cause instantaneous unconsciousness.”
(N. G. Gregory, S. B. Wotton, 1990. Comparison of neck dislocation and percussion of the head on visual evoked responses in the chicken’s brain. The Veterinary Record 126, 570-572).

Researcher Roger McCamley says that, “There is certainly a potential for welfare problems to arise when small scale seasonal producers kill large birds by neck dislocation. Usually, no training will have been sought or received and because of the small number and infrequency of slaughtering, little expertise in slaughter will be obtained.”
R. McCamley, 1992. The welfare aspects of poultry slaughter on farms. The Meat Hygienist, December edition, 5-11.

If turkeys are not killed on the farm at which they are reared, they are transported live to a processing plant. Turkeys are caught from the rearing sheds and stuffed into crates for transportation to the slaughterhouse. Rough handling often causes severe bruising and injury. At the slaughterhouse the birds are hung upside down with their feet in shackles for up to six minutes before they are stunned (DEFRA, 2001). Birds are in great distress at this time, especially those with diseased hip joints or legs.

The shackled turkeys move to an electrically-charged water bath through which their heads and necks pass. The electric shock is meant to stun the birds. Turkeys tend to arch their necks at slaughter and may not be stunned before they reach the neck cutter. Each year, conservative estimates suggest that around 30-40,000 will enter the scalding tank alive. Around 43% of birds will receive painful electric shocks before being stunned because their wings touch the electrically-charged waterbath.¨

Breeding
Only a few breeding companies now supply most turkeys reared worldwide - British United Turkeys, Nicholas and Hybrid Turkeys. Reproduction in today’s turkey industry is by artificial insemination (AI). The modern turkey, like the broiler chicken, has been genetically selected to put on weight twice as fast as its counterpart in the wild. Now, male turkeys are too broad-breasted to mate naturally. In the wild, the turkey can fly up to speeds of 50mph, yet the modern male farmed variety cannot fly. Breeding turkeys can weigh as much as an 8-9 year old child (60lbs).

Collecting the semen
2 or 3 times a week the males are ‘milked’ of their semen by teams of operators whose jobs are to manipulate the males’ anal area until the phallus is erect (a form of human-to-bird masturbation) and semen is ejected, helped along by the pressure on the lower abdomen.

Insemination of the females
Female turkeys are caught and held upside down, while semen is introduced into the vagina by hypodermic syringe or the operator’s breath pressure, through a length of tubing. The repeated stress imposed by AI is extreme and unacceptable in welfare terms.

Eggs and chicks
All factory farmed turkeys never meet their mothers. Fertile eggs are transferred to the hatchery. After 28 days in an incubating cabinet the poults are hatched. At a day old the turkey chicks are transported to growing sheds with up to 25,000 chicks the same age. The lighting is dim and the heat is kept permanently high. Many chicks die from heat, stress, heart attack or bullying.

Disease
Most turkeys suffer from degeneration of the hip joints. In the ball and socket mechanism of this joint, much of the weight is distributed through a pad of cartilage. Under the stress of carrying an unnaturally heavy body, the structure breaks down, leading to degeneration of the joint. This leads to severe lesions and pain. Dr Colin Whitehead of the Agricultural and Food Research Council states that 70 per cent of the heavier birds are ‘suffering pain rather than just discomfort’.

The last decade has thrown up numerous examples of new diseases in turkeys. These include Rhinotracheitis, Paramyxovirus 2, and Salmonella enteritidis - a major new bacterial source of human food poisoning that can cause arthritis, blood disease, impaired immunity and death. Other diseases include Blackhead disease, Ornithobacterium rhinotracheale and Avian Influenza.

Turkeys are reared to be pathalogically obese. They have clogged coronary vessels, distended fluid-filled pericardial sac, abdominal fluid and a gelatin-covered enlarged congested liver. Their hearts can actually explode.

Artificial insemination spreads fowl cholera, a major bacterial disease of intensively reared turkeys.

Drugs
Throughout their lives, turkeys may be given antibiotics and other drugs to prevent or treat infections caused by worms, fungi, bacteria and other microbes. More than a dozen antibiotics are approved for use in chickens and turkeys, including erythromycin, penicillin, tetracycline and virginiamycin.

Help stop the suffering - Action:

The most effective step that you can take is to stop eating turkey and to ask your family to have a meat free Christmas. Contact Viva! for free veggie Christmas recipe leaflets - view them online here.
Viva! has organised a nationwide door drop asking people to have a turkey free Christmas and offering free Christmas packs. Please help Viva! get the ‘cruelty free Christmas’ message out by distributing Viva! turkey leaflets through doors in your neighbourhood. Contact Viva! for free leaflets.
Give out ‘Turkey free Christmas’ leaflets outside your local supermarkets and butchers shops. Contact Viva! for posters to make placards and to put in your window at home.
For more info on turkeys and for information on how to go veggie and other campaigns, look on our website or phone or write to Viva! for a free veggie info pack.

Viva! Vegetarians International Voice for Animals
8 York Court, Wilder Street, Bristol BS2 8QH, UK
T: 0117 944 1000 F: 0117 924 4646 E: info@viva.org.uk

Christmas parties

2007-12-16T22:12:00.001+01:00

Well it's official. Heidi has a better social life than we do!

On friday she was at her kindergarten party and today we had to cry off a party at a friends due to Heidi having an ear infection. Friday was lovely, she was at the party in the morning - and yes I did take a vegan cake (chocolate this time) so she wouldn't feel left out. I think I'm the only mum that makes so many requests at nursery school but the staff are really supportive. It's a whole different subject but as we are not religious we also don't want Heidi growing up to believe religion like it was fact so we ask for her not to join in bible stories and church visits too. Maybe some of the teachers hide when they see me coming!

I am hoping to get out for one night out this year, friday is looking promising but as any mother of small children knows, anything might happen!

So now I am planning for packing and for the trip. I called the airline to request vegan meals for us but they don't have them on the routes we are taking so I guess I have to take food (dried food only) on the flights...um, bread, crackers...doesn't sound so appealing and of course I can take baby milk as long as I taste it first...which takes better, breast milk or formula..will have to guess at that, formula smells quite horrible and just the idea of drinking my own milk is not filling me with joy. We have bought Heidi some new activity books for Christmas which we hope will keep her occupied but Miller is cruising now and almost walking and keeping him on my lap will be truly difficult and I don't envy anyone sat near us at all!

All parents are rallying round in a splended fashion trying to get the things we might need when we arrive, baby formula, soya milk etc. I think my mum has been studying labels on buy food for weeks which is really positive.

As an aside, I smelt a normal yogurt yesterday for the first time in a few months and it smelt so strong and pungent to me after not eating dairy for some time. It reminded me of something I heard some time back about the Japanese saying that westerners smell of milk, well, there is truth to it but much worse is that meat eaters do smell of rotting meat, that I noticed soon after becoming a vegetarian, I'm sorry to say it but it is true, maybe not all, all of the time but it's quite distinct.

Well, this blog is full of tangents so I'd better leave it there seeing as I have no coherent point to make!

Enjoy the run up to Christmas!

Vegan Christmas

2007-12-12T11:57:00.001+01:00

Well I'm just getting organized for Christmas. We have the snow and most houses have little lights or candles in the windows which looks really pretty. Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve here in Norway, with Santa arriving around dinner time and the opening of presents just after that. We have chosen to mix both cultures and have some presents on Christmas Eve and still have a somewhat traditional English Christmas Day on the 25th....minus the turkey, chippolata sausages, prawn cocktail etc etc!

Last year we drove to Sweden for supplies and bought some vegetarian fillets and made a traditional dinner otherwise, with vegetarian gravy, roast potatoes, roast parsnips and carrots. We even had Christmas pudding arrive from friends in the UK! This year we may take a total change and have something completely different, not sure as of yet! We don't want to get too much in as we fly to the UK on the 27th for 2 weeks. We have to leave the dogs here but they are being cared for by one of our neighbours - last time we left them here with other friends they got used to lounging on their sofas and thought it was the height of rudeness when we returned and reminded them what a dog bed was!

So, we are excited about our trip and looking forward to catching up with family and friends and being able to go to a vegan restaurant (so looking forward to that!). We hope to make the most of the babysitting options with family and have maybe our first night out alone without the children since Miller was born!

Not so looking forward to the noise, traffic, crowds, keeping a tight watch over the children in busy places and so on - I was back last November and it was a culture shock then. Matthew has not been back for 2 years so I think he will see a big difference to the lifestyle we have now. We have tried to save up a little so we can bring some things home with us but yesterday old Bente (our volvo) broke down twice so maybe we have to start growing magic beans...!

Miller is just waking from his nap so back on duty! .... However, if you follow yoga baby (www.yogababy.tv) you can tune in next week to see a special edition - 'Yoga Grandma' - filmed when Matthew's mum was here....she told me not to tell anyone but I think that means anyone she knows personally...!

Have a compassionate day!

Mad Cow

2007-12-07T10:59:00.000+01:00

Am I mad to be vegan? Read on...

Article from www.goveg.com

Mad Cow Disease: It’s Mad to Eat Meat

According to a 2006 report by the USDA inspector general, USDA slaughterhouse inspectors are still allowing many “downed cows”—who may be infected with mad cow disease—into the human food supply illegally.

Mad cow disease is one of the most frightening diseases of our generation. Also known as “bovine spongiform encephalopathy,” it is a member of a group of diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. These diseases, which cause the brain to degenerate until it becomes “spongy” and lead to eventual death, are caused by misshapen proteins called “prions.”¹ Researchers have traced massive outbreaks of the disease on factory farms to the meat industry’s cost-cutting practice of mixing the brain tissue of dead farmed animals into the feed of other farmed animals.…

Any animal with a brain has the potential to become infected with a prion disease and could pass the disease on to humans who eat the animal’s flesh. Scientists have already identified mad cow disease variants in humans, fish, sheep, minks, cows, deer, and cats.^2,3,4 Although illegal in Japan and Europe, in the U.S. and Canada it remains common to include the blood, bone, and unwanted flesh of all types of farmed animals in the feed of chickens, turkeys, and pigs. Of all the animal flesh and bone meal that is processed into food for farmed animals, almost half is fed to chickens and turkeys, 13 percent is fed to pigs, and 10 percent is fed to cows.⁵

How Do People Get Mad Cow Disease?

When people eat infected animals, they can develop the human version of spongiform encephalopathy called “new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease” (nvCJD). This disease eats holes in the brain (which results in a spongy appearance), initially causing memory loss and erratic behavior. Over a period of months, victims gradually lose the ability to care for themselves or communicate, and they eventually die. There is evidence that a large number of Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia may in fact be victims of CJD.

Eating contaminated meat has caused more than 150 deaths worldwide. Thousands more are likely infected but do not know it yet, according to a study published in The Journal of Pathology, and it can take years for symptoms to develop.^6,7 Millions of cows developed the disease in Europe in the 1990s and were killed and their bodies burned—although burning does not destroy prions. Hunters in the U.S. and their families may have contracted the disease by eating infected deer they killed.⁸

Order a free vegetarian starter kit to protect yourself and your family from mad cow disease, as well as heart disease, cancer, and obesity.

Daily eating habits

2007-12-04T10:43:00.000+01:00

Are we getting all we need?

It's easy to read books on nutrition but a bit harder putting things into practice when you are a new vegan family. I thought it might help if I made a list of our daily eating habits and if I'm missing out something major I guess I'm hoping you will point this out to me!

However, if I'm doing pretty well then you can use this as a guide!

Heidi - aged 2.
Breakfast: Sinlac dairy free infant porridge made with Soya milk fortified with B12- I add linseeds (for omega 3) and vitamin D drops. Fruit juice (no added sugar, half water *I cannot get Heidi to drink soya or rice milk so add to her food)
Snack: Toast with plant margarine &/or banana. Fruit Juice.
Lunch: Tomato & Lentil Soup / Potato cakes / Crackers & grapes (depends, sometimes she is not so hungry at lunchtime)
Snack: Almonds & grapes / Vegan biscuit
Dinner: Pasta with mushrooms, onion, leek, tomatoes / Veggie chilli made with kidney beans, lentils, soya flakes / Paella made with rice, squash, mushrooms, asparagus / Potato wedges and grilld marinated tofu (the latter she doesn't et much of). Fruit or soya yogurt
Supper: Toast or fruit

Miller - aged 8 months.
*Takes 3 nursing feeds per day plus 2 formula feeds
Breakfast: Infant non dairy porridge made with hot water or soya milk with B12 (I take a B12 supplement so he gets this in my milk too)
Snack: Toast strips or cheerios
Lunch: Same as Heidi or something simple like sliced cooked carrots
Snack: Cracker or rice cracker, banana
Dinner: Same as Heidi or mashed potatoes with veg
Supper: Biscuit or fruit yogurt

Matthew and I:
Breakfast: Cereal & or toast
Lunch: Crackerbread and tofutti spread / veggie sandwiches / soup /beans on toast / pasta and veg with tomato sauce
Dinner: Casseroles / Chilli / Pasta & veg / Vegetable Rice / Veggie sausages & mashed potatoes / Cheese free pizza / cottage pie / Stir Fry

Add to that the odd piece of cake and that pretty much sums it up!

Comments welcome, especially if you are longing to share a recipe! Remember thought that we cannot get a lot of items - no vegan cheese, flaxseed oil, only one type of tofu etc.... But I'm always up for trying something new!

I have been asked for my carrot cake recipe 3 times in the past 2 weeks so I must be doing something right!

Til next time..

2007-11-29T09:11:00.001+01:00

So, last friday night and the car was full of goodies and food for the weekend I was running. Matthew offered to take everything down for me. It had been a cold day and the snow was thick. Here we have snow ploughs clearing the roads but no gritters like in England when it snows so sometimes there is just a layer of ice left on the roads. We have snow tyres so usually it is no problem. Not this night! I got a call a few minutes after Matthew had left starting with those lovely words..'Don't worry love but...'

He was going 20 miles per hour over the top of a hill and lost control. He knew there was nothing he could do so lifted his legs off the brakes and up towards his body so as to avoid injury and waited for the inevitable! He went down a ditch and through a fence, just missing a tree!

Fortunately he was fine and walked home. We called for assistance and got the car back onto the road. Our car is a bit worse for wear but let me tell you about our car...

She is called Bente. We always name our cars for some reason. This one is called Bente as it is a Norwegain name and when we bought her we didn't have much money so just wanted something to get us through the first winter. She was ideal and had had a active life, you could tell by the dents in her bodywork - so 'Bente' was a good name. Well 3 years later she is still with us and now has another huge dent in her old body! You can see Bente on the picture - that's our place.

Matthew's mum, Marilyn is having a great time with the children and has adapted well to the vegan house! She has not asked for anything and has even read my 'Peaceful Palate' cookery book!

Jill.

Healthy and happy...and tired...

2007-11-25T19:55:00.000+01:00

Well the weekend has been fantastic. Two great days of peace and tranquility. I feel part of a community today and realised how much I missed that. I am lucky that the people here are accomodating enough to speak to me in English as although I pick up a lot of the spoken Norwegian now I still sound ridiculous trying to talk. I hope it wil change in the future but I find it truly difficult. I began learning italian before we moved over here and that seemed a breeze but Norwegian is all about how you say things and I can believe I am pronouncing things perfectly but no-one understands me at all! Anyway, that's a different subject altogether! My mind is tired but a happy tired. I am not a spiritual person but yoga has a way of transcending time and place whether you are spiritual or not and this weekend has refocused me.

So, you are asking, did I raise the vegan issue? The answer is this.. barely. I believe it is enough for people to know about my personal choices and they can take it from there. Sow a seed and who knows what will grow....some people might even stop by and read the blog once in a while...

Matthew's mom arrives on tuesday for a visit so we are looking forward to seeing her and the children will be pampered non-stop! My mom in the meantime is trying to buy us a tumble dryer so the kids don't get damaged by the damp washing we hang on the clothes horse...."if it's not one thing, it's your mother" (Peter Kay quote).

Just realised I didn't tell you about the car and the ditch...next time!

Peacefully yours...

Weekend & weaning

2007-11-23T22:24:00.000+01:00

First I would just like to comment on this picture. I wrote the blog entry below and knowing how difficult it is to read the first few lines I thought I'd add another pic. I went onto flicker creative commons and looked up baby bottle (can't remember the exact words but something like that) and this came up near the top. It made me quite emotional.

Anyway, must go as Matthew has just slid off the icy road and our car is now in a ditch... more on that next time, here's the blog entry!....

So I have just finished my preparations for my yoga and health weekend which starts tomorrow morning. I am really looking forward to a whole weekend of yoga, breathing exercises, relaxation, posture focus, discussion and good company. Although I am teaching it feels like time out for me in a way, considering most of my time is spent looking after two very young children!

I have taken the decision recently to partially wean Miller to make it easier for me to get out and do a few more things now. I have researched the issue and know most would recommend as a vegan wanting to raise vegan children that I should continue nursing for at least a full year but it is difficult. I teach in the evenings and Matthew was struggling to give Miller a bottle so I opted to express and combine bottle and nursing. However, that's not as easy as it sounds and my supply has dimished somewhat. So we are on a mixture of nursing and formula (I cannot get dairy free formula so I think Miller will have to have this until he is at least one.) I have to have a weekend away from home soon too so at least I feel comfortable knowing Miller is happy with a bottle and with Daddy putting him to bed sometimes (they get some special feeding time together too which is a plus).

Matthew is helping me cook a vegan lunch for the weekend tomorrow. He is making paella and he's pretty good at playing chef so I'm glad to have him onboard! I have made a carrot cake, some chocolate flapjacks and some of the mushroom and almond pate which I made for the first time just a few weeks ago and now love more than anything. I have bought a selection of breads and fruits too. I think..or at least I hope the group will be in for a pleasant surprise.

And so to bed to get some rest!

Yoga and Veganism

2007-11-20T22:21:00.000+01:00

My lifestyle has changed over the years as I became more self aware as a person. Turning vegetarian seemed natural and vegan even more so. Living a peaceful lifestyle is very important to me and my family. I have practised yoga since my teenage years and qualified so that I could spread the word. One thing led to another and now Miller and I have a weekly vlog called 'Yoga Baby'. We aim to get mothers and their little rascals doing yoga for a variety of reasons. Mainly to have a great time whilst getting back in shape after childbirth but of course yoga is a lot more than that. Not least it promotes a healthy and non destructive lifestyle. Moving into stillness gives time for reflection and promotes positive thinking. I run yoga classes here and hope I present myself as someone who makes compassionate choices. I have no vegetarians or vegans as students yet try and make it known that I have made that choice and maybe raise some discussion. I believe yoga and a non animal diet co-exist beautifully together and would encourage anyone, new mom or not to give it a try!

If you are interested or if you know a new mom who would like to see the show, you can go to our site www.yogababy.tv or subscribe through blip.tv or itunes (we have a group 'Yoga Baby' on facebook too - the show is a free weekly series, demonstrating new poses and breathing techniques - sometimes it runs smoothly, sometimes Miller has other ideas!

I guess I like to think people can be flexible with their life choices...

Vitamin D drops for babies

2007-11-20T16:27:00.000+01:00

Another short, succinct post as I just dropped by the site to tweak a few things and plan to write a more informative blog entry tonight when the little ones are snoozing but wanted to share this gem before I forgot it! I ran out of vitamin d drops for Miller a few days ago and it's essential for us - remember also we live in near darkness up here in the winter so can't get vitamin d from the sunshine! I asked Matthew to call at the pharmacy in Tromsø. They didn't have any and the assistant suggested cod liver oil as that particular brand had vitamin d in. Matthew said we were vegan and was told. 'Well, your baby won't get any vitamin d then, will it!' Matthew later said he wondered why some people chose their professions! We got it later from the local pharmacy who had plenty in stock and served us with a smile instead of condemnation.
Peacfully yours,
Jill.

Meat, fish or birds

2007-11-17T09:16:00.001+01:00

Just a little something I spotted in the local supermarket. 3 chopping boards for the kitchen, each a different colour. I will translate from the Norwegian...

Different colours for good kitchen hygiene:
Blue for fish and seafood
Red for meat
Yellow for birds

Maybe people here don't eat vegetables.

Have a good weekend x

Pigs

2007-11-13T21:12:00.000+01:00

Pigs and Piglets: Bacon and crackling

Today I'd like to share a report I have been reading...

Access Farm Sanctuary Research Report,
The Welfare of Sows in Gestation Crates:

For more info go to www.factoryfarming.com

Modern breeding sows are treated like piglet-making machines. Living a continuous cycle of impregnation and birth, each sow has more than 20 piglets per year. After being impregnated, the sows are confined in gestation crates — small metal pens just two feet wide that prevent sows from turning around or even lying down comfortably. At the end of their four-month pregnancies, they are transferred to similarly cramped farrowing crates to give birth. With barely enough room to stand up and lie down and no straw or other type of bedding to speak of, many suffer from sores on their shoulders and knees. When asked about this, one pork industry representative wrote, "...straw is very expensive and there certainly would not be a supply of straw in the country to supply all the farrowing pens in the U.S."

Numerous research studies conducted over the last 25 years have pointed to physical and psychological maladies experienced by sows in confinement. The unnatural flooring and lack of exercise causes obesity and crippling leg disorders, while the deprived environment produces neurotic coping behaviors such as repetitive bar biting and sham chewing (chewing nothing).

After the sows give birth and nurse their young for two to three weeks, the piglets are taken away to be fattened, and the sows are re-impregnated. An article in Successful Farming explains, "Any sow that is not gestating, lactating or within seven days post weaning is non-active," and hog factories strive to keep their sows '100 % active' in order to maximize profits. When the sow is no longer deemed a productive breeder, she is sent to slaughter.

The overcrowding and confinement is unnatural and stress-producing since pigs are actually very clean animals. If they are given sufficient space, pigs are careful not to soil the areas where they sleep or eat. But in factory farms, they are forced to live in their own feces, urine, vomit and even amid the corpses of other pigs.

In addition to overcrowded housing, sows and pigs also endure extreme crowding in transportation, resulting in rampant suffering and deaths. As one hog industry expert writes:

Death losses during transport are too high — amounting to more than $8 million per year. But it doesn't take a lot of imagination to figure out why we load as many hogs on a truck as we do. It's cheaper. So it becomes a moral issue. Is it right to overload a truck and save $.25 per head in the process, while the overcrowding contributes to the deaths of 80,000 hogs each year?

Prior to being hung upside down by their back legs and bled to death at the slaughterhouse, pigs are supposed to be 'stunned' and rendered unconscious, in accordance with the federal Humane Slaughter Act. However, stunning at slaughterhouses is terribly imprecise, and often conscious animals are hung upside down, kicking and struggling, while a slaughterhouse worker tries to 'stick' them in the neck with a knife. If the worker is unsuccessful, the pig will be carried to the next station on the slaughterhouse assembly line — the scalding tank — where he/she will be boiled, alive and fully conscious.

Where we live

2007-11-09T11:23:00.001+01:00

We live in a village about an hour and a half south of Tromsø, the highest University town in the world. It's way above the Arctic Circle and a unique place to live! It's a stunnignly beautiful and quiet plave to raise our family and we do love most things about it, however difficult being a vegan here may be. We have the snow now and yesterday the temperature was minus 7 so I guess winter is here to stay. Heidi was in kindergarten yesterday and I needed to take a trip into Tromsø to go costume hunting for a tv trailer we are filming so we took Miller with us, all wrapped up and happy for a day out. The trip was really successful however my pockets came back empty. I decided to call at a health shop, there are two chains of health food shops in the town and prices are high. I came home with two small bags and mins 500 kroner which is around 100 usd! Ouch! So now my cupboards have some useful extras (including rice chips, vegan cookies, vitamin b12, soya milk in plain and strawberry, soy yogurts, infant cereal, marinated tofu...yes I know it's lazy but I sometimes have a busy day and it's nice to go for an easy option!...and that was about as far as my money went!) I basically bought one (yes just one, that's how much things are) of everything they sold that was vegan friendly, the selection isn't very big and I am disappointed that the stores also sell non vegetarian products right alongside the others eg leather shoes and would you believe baby food with calf meat in - yes I have emailed a complaint to the head office.

I know it is best to work with whole foods and I do enjoy my new found cookery skills but sometimes it's nice to cheat a little!

Have a positive weekend!

My response

2007-11-06T14:08:00.000+01:00

Firstly, apologies for the banner obscuring the words at the start of a new blog post, will try and sort that out soon!

Short and sweet today! In response to my phone conversation (see below) I sent my mom two emails. The first was a report from The Vegan, an indepth study of a vegan lifestyle for infants and toddlers, examining all aspects of the diet. The second was a blog by Collen Patrick-Goudreau (if you don't read her work or listen to her podcasts, you're missing out - www.compassionatecooks.com) - this particular blog was entitled 'Maternal Instincts' and moves me so much I hope it sparks some recognition in my mom too. I included a note from me that said 'some research for you if you want to read it, you don't have to' and then I don't feel like I'm forcing a negative dialogue.
Both children and Matthew have a cold today (no, I don't think it's due to veganism!) so at home with the chores today however it's nice to be able to check emails and post entries whilst at home now!

Conversation with Mom

2007-11-05T10:33:00.001+01:00

I knew the conversation was coming and yet still wasn't fully prepared for it. As a new vegan, I had all my arguments ready yet my family seemed fairly quiet. Time passed and I sort of forgot about the lack of opposition. So today I am in the middle of a normal conversation with mom when we start to discuss our visit to the UK after Christmas. I will happily relay the conversation as I'm sure my mom will agree that she is guilty of asking questions she knows will upset me a little but she still asks them. We started by mom asking what food she needs to get in for the family when we visit. So, we are two adults, a two year old and our youngest will be 9 months. So I suggest (bear in mind it is just early November now and we are visiting end of december but mom is thoughtful and plans ahead) fortified soya milk, dairy free margarine, vegan substitutes eg veggie mince, pasta, beans, lentils etc. Hmm, a bit much, will send it on an email later, mom. So the kids need their own rooms now, I am still nursing but Miller sleeps better in his own space and just wakes once now in the night. Anyway, back to the diet… Are you sure it is a good thing for such young children to be on a strict diet? Yes, I am sure, I've done the research. So what don't you eat exactly? Well, animals or animal products. Umm. Well, that's meat, eggs, cheese, milk… Oh, it's quite restrictive then? Not really, you'll be surprised. We can eat cereal and soya milk, toast, pasta, casseroles, rice, soups…I'll even make you a vegan chocolate cake when we come. Are the children getting all they need? Yes, I think they are healthier than before. Heidi used to eat crisps as a snack, now she has almonds, hazelnuts and grapes. She used to eat heaps of cheese on toast, eggy bread and drink cups of milk and not much else. Now she eats veggie soups, casseroles, paella, basically all the healthy stuff she wouldn't eat before. She also has a supplement as a safe guard. Are you sure it's healthy. Yes, I've been researching it well. I think we have a better diet than meat eaters, meat eating has been related to many conditions including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and other things. We get all the protein we need from lentils, tofu… But what about calcium? Um, we have calcium fortified soya milk and you can get calcium from the veggies we eat. Where's your research from? I bought a vegan nutrition book, it tells me all we need to know. It's written by doctors. Um, are they vegan doctors? (Not sure about this one!) Um, not sure mom, think so. Have you read research by non-vegan doctor? At this point I was interrupted by my son getting into mischief – Miller is at pulling to standing stage and can easily get into sticky situations! So, have to go mom, not to do with the vegan stuff, just need to go….

Needless to say I left the conversation feeling a bit deflated. Shame as it had started with Heidi first talking with my dad and calling him 'Gramps' which she has had some difficulty saying and then singing songs to my mom. I did add late in the conversation that I hoped my mom knew I would not do anything other than give my children the best things they needed… I guess a lot of vegans can relate to this.

Annual Japanese Dolphin Catch

2007-11-03T17:13:00.001+01:00

You may have heard the recent outrage regarding the Japanese dolphin hunts. Fisherman in Japan slaughter thousands of dolphins to be used in pet food. The hunts this year received added attention as protestors were involved in violent clashes with the fishermen.

Why is it considered such an outrage to murder Dolphins but perfectly acceptable to murder cows? Why this double standard? Well, aren’t dolphins intelligent? Yes they are. So are pigs. But Dolphins are friendly. So are lambs. Yes, but Dolphins are cute. So are 6 week old veal calves. But Dolphins live as a social group. So do other animals we abuse, given the chance. Ah but Dolphins care for their young. As do chickens, pigs, sheep, cows and ducks. Or is it just that it is not in our western culture to eat Dolphins. Or cats. Or dogs. Does that make it wrong? Or does it make all animal eating wrong. Surely if one is wrong then so is the other?

I recently saw a t-shirt which I considered purchasing. It had a picture of a plate with knife and fork. In the middle of the plate was a live dog. I cannot remember the slogan but it was along the lines of ‘why not, you eat other animals’.

I would hesitate as a meat eater before condemning other cultures for their animal slaughter. Look closer to home.

Of course it is not right to murder dolphins. 23 000 dolphins and porpoises each year are murdered in Japan. The sea turns red with blood. The killing must stop. IT MUST STOP. So must the murder of helpless, frightened animals which end up on the plates of people who would be as upset as me at the terrible fate of the dolphins.

Please. Please see that all animals have the right not to be murdered.

Cancer Link

2007-11-01T09:56:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I saw a news report which highlighted a new report linking meat eating and cancer. Today I have been perusing the news sites and have found some interesting points which I'd like to share.

On the sky news website if you type 'red meat' in the search box, the first thing that comes up today is

1. Red Meat Linked To Breast Cancer

Eating small amounts of red meat every day can increase a womans risk of breast cancer, according to a study.

Number five..

5. Sausages And Burgers Could Cause Cancer

A food watchdog has called a meeting with manufacturers because an additive used in some sausages and burgers is feared to cause cancer.

Number seven..

7. Cancer Scare For Bacon Butty Lovers

Bacon butty lovers are being warned that eating five of their favourite snacks each week could cause cancer. The bacon research followed the diets of 135,000 adults.

Typing in cancer brings this up first..

1. Third Of Cancers Are Caused By Lifestyle

Up to a third of cancers could be caused by the victims lifestyle, according to researchers. (My note - this study highlights red meat, alcohol and smoking)

On to Google. Typing in 'cancer' brings this up first...

Poor diet ratchets up cancer risk
Excess fat can cause up to a third of all cases, study says, putting lifestyle choices on par with quitting smoking

MARTIN MITTELSTAEDT

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

November 1, 2007 at 4:15 AM EDT

The most comprehensive study ever undertaken on the association between cancer and obesity concludes that excess body fat triggers many types of the disease, as does the consumption of even moderate amounts of alcohol, red meats and processed meats.

ABC NEWS ONLINE:
A Harvard Medical School study has discovered a link between red meat consumption and breast cancer.

The researchers found that women who consumed more than one serving of red meat per day almost doubled their risk of developing some types of breast cancer, compared to those who ate fewer than three servings a week.

The epidemiological study assessed the diets of more than 90,000 pre-menopausal women in their 20s, 30s and 40s over 12 years.

The findings come after years of advertising promoting the health benefits of red meat and telling Australian women, in particular, to eat more iron-rich lamb and beef.

It seems that the meat industry can no longer promote red meat as being good for you. I wonder how long this will take to filter down into the general population. Not that long methinks. My parents, once daily meat eaters are aware that too much meat is bad for them. Now vegetarian pasta replaces mince hot pots. However, they still cling to processed ham on sandwiches and 'good' cuts of beef etc. So why instead of suggesting people 'limit' their meat consumption, don't the governments around the world suggest cutting out the meat? Surely advocating a vegetarian lifestyle would cause less heath problems, mainly diabetes, obesity and certain cancers? A vegetarian diet has been proven to improve health dramatically, for more information, please visit www.veganhealth.org where you can see the results of long term studies conducted on vegetarians and vegans.

Article on 'fixed' dairy prices.

2007-10-29T09:01:00.000+01:00

Today I want to share an article which Matthew (my husband) found regarding price fixes in the UK by the big supermarkets and dairy industries. It seems that there is a strong reliance on dairy addiction. People will pay whatever the price is as they class milk, butter, cheese etc as essential food items.

BBC NEWS 20 Sep 07 13:56 14:56 UK

Supermarkets 'fixed dairy prices'
Milk - The UK's big four supermarkets and dairies colluded to keep the price of dairy goods artificially high, the Office of Fair Trading has claimed.

The alleged deal led to consumers overpaying for milk, cheese and butter by an estimated £270m, the OFT said.

It accused Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and processors including Dairy Crest and Arla of involvement. The supermarkets denied the claims.

If found guilty of price fixing, the firms could face heavy fines.

Last month, British Airways was fined almost £121.5m by the OFT after it admitted collusion in fixing the prices of fuel surcharges.

"This is a very serious case," said OFT executive director Sean Williams. "This kind of collusion on price is a very serious breach of the law."

According to the OFT, stores and processors had already been warned the practice would limit competition and raise prices.

'Deterrent'

Mr Williams added that the watchdog would ensure it used its powers to punish such behaviour and "deter other businesses from taking such actions".

The Competition Act of 1998 prohibits agreements, practices and conduct that may have a damaging effect on competition in the UK.

The OFT has written to the big four supermarkets as well as processors Arla, Dairy Crest, Lactalis McLelland, The Cheese Company - part of Milk Link - and Wiseman setting out its findings.

It is now awaiting their responses to the claims - covering 2002 and 2003 - and any objections.

Morrisons said it was too early to comment fully, but added the group had never been involved with any of the actions mentioned by the OFT.

It also said that any Safeway involvement was another issue, as it would have come before the chain's acquisition by the group.

Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury's added that they would "vigorously defend" themselves against any claims they had not acted in the best interest of shoppers.

Meanwhile, trade association Dairy UK added that price rises during the period in question reflected the major costs and income problems being experienced by dairy farmers.

Director general Jim Begg said: "Dairy prices for consumers in the UK over the last 10 years have been extremely competitive and remain so.

"The competition between the main supermarkets is well-known to consumers. Price rises have generally been below the rate of inflation and dairy products continue to be very good value."

'No rip-off'

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) also insisted there had been no attempt to "rip off the public" adding prices had been raised at the time to help ease pressure on farmers hit by low milk prices.

"What we were trying to do was to ensure that at least we could get the farm gate price up a bit to help preserve the supply line," BRC director general Kevin Hawkins told the BBC.

However, Sean Rickard, a consultant to the dairy industry and former chief economist at the National Farmers' Union, questioned whether farmers had actually seen the benefit of the price increases.

"If one looks back at the data, it does appear that there does seem to have been an increase in retail prices, even an increase in processors' margins, but the dear old dairy farmers really saw no tangible benefit, no lasting benefit from any such move," Mr Rickard added.

The OFT said it was "committed to sorting out the case as soon as possible," and hoped to issue a final decision by late 2008.

2007-10-25T11:08:00.000+02:00

This is a norwegian 'pølser'. It is a hot dog and comes in a variety of types made from various concoctions of animals and body parts. It is quite revolting. They are for sale in every petrol/gas station and newsagents. Sometimes they have bacon wrapped around them too. The smell disgusting and make me feel sick when I smell them. There is no escape from them. They are everywhere! I long for a place where I can feel at peace but outside my own home it is impossible. Everywhere I look is evidence of murdered animals. I go to friends and sit on leather sofas and watch people eat cream cakes, I see animal wagons drive past me on the roads, I see sheep huddling around hay bales in the minus temperatures and when I have to stop for petrol/gas, I get the smell of rotting flesh forced upon me.

When will the world sit up and take notice? I don't want to be angry but I can't help feel that way sometimes. It took me this long to realize my way of living was wrong and I changed it. What gets my back up are the people who know what is happening to these defenceless animals but still eat them and use them for their selfish purposes.

Why does my father in law eat Fois Gras when he knows what happens to those poor birds, why does he take pleasure in talking about it and ending the conversation with 'well, they taste so great!' Why does my Dad say that 'tofu' tastes like socks yet will eat veal, baby calf, cruelly separated from it's mother who is denied motherhood and killed before it has chance to know what life is (not infront of me though, that's the honourable thing).

Why does it hurt so much? Because I look at an animal and I believe it has a basic right to live. I believe it has feelings. I believe it has intellegence. I believe as human beings we have got it so wrong.

Peacefully yours,

Jill.

Broadband

2007-10-23T18:59:00.000+02:00

Finallly, after three years wait, broadband is on its way to our Arctic home! I can even see the transmitter they have just put up on a nearby hill. Now we just have to wait. For so long we’ve been stuck with a poor dial up connection. I’m looking forward to getting on second life, making video calls with my family back in the UK and countless other things. It’s exciting for us, I know that may be difficult to understand but put yourselves where we are! It will be so good after not even having a net connection for the last few weeks to finally spend the time I would like on this blog, the yoga baby vlogs and other projects, as well as simply emailing and having the world at your fingertips.

I am writing this at home and will go through my routine later...stick my laptop in the car, drive to the studio, check my emails and post this up before driving for an hour to teach a yoga class in the town below us. The children are sleeping now so I have a little break in the day. Normal people would make a cup of tea and put their feet up, having a short break from two children aged 2 and 7 months but I have too many things I want to do, I never fit it all in anyhow! I’ve been scriptwriting whenever the opportunity has arisen (I have a commission for a children’s television series set on a local island – fabulous work and so much inspiration) so this is a little diversion!

Thanks for leaving comments, I’m sorry I’ve not been so pro-active in my responses – that’s mainly due to the above situation. I appreciate your feedback and suggestions. As a new vegan it’s great to get advice from other vegans and vegetarians. It’s also great to see that there are non-vegetarians visiting too. I checked the stats recently and was really surprised at how many people were visiting. Once I’m back upto speed I promise more pics and a more structured content.

On a side note, my daughter has a toy farm and I never thought anything of it until she was playing with it yesterday and I looked at it, there is a hen coup, a pigsty, a horse that can have a cart attached and fencing that comes with it to put all the animals inside. I now feel uncomfortable about her thinking that is normal and acceptable. Her grandparents bought it for her. What to do....

Til next time...

Dogs

2007-10-20T11:42:00.000+02:00

I am still unsure of what to do regarding my dogs diet. I have been researching the issue but am just downright confused! I know of 2 companies that make vegetarian dog food, both in the UK and the US. I cannot get anything in Norway as far as I can see. I have emailed the two companies but have got no response. I know I can get it shipped here but as you can imagine with 2 Labradors and the amount they eat that is not a cheap option and I am not well off by any stretch of the imagination!

I have read that dogs do not cope very well on a meat free diet but it's really hard for me now to feed them regular dog food. There are pictures of dead animals on most of the packaging, I now know what is probably in the dog food, no matter what brand I can get here - don't forget my limitations (Friskees and Pedegree Chum being the only options) and frankly the smell of the food is just disgusting. I think about how many animals suffered every time I have to fill up their food bowls.

My solution so far and it's not really a solution is to only give then half of what I usually do and top the rest up with homemade vegetarian food. I usually make more pasta or casserole etc and give them that. They have always enjoyed raw carrots as treats and seem to enjoy this new combination.

My dogs are 10 years old and sisters. They emigrated out here with us and have been through many changes in their lives. I want what is best for them but at the same time, want an option that makes me feel that I am not adding to animal suffering.

Comments welcome!

TV show 'How to holiday greener'...

2007-10-15T09:27:00.000+02:00

Being British there are a few things I hang onto living up here in the Arctic. One of them is British TV. We have a satellite package that includes BBC Prime. Now this is a matter of annoyance in our household as it was supposed to be the best of BBC programming but now has disintegrated into a channel that shows old repeats and utter rubbish. That’s a irrelevant rant on my part but needed to get it off my chest! Now to my point, I have found a program called ‘How to holiday greener’. It’s actually not even on Prime but on the Travel channel. It basically shows you how to lessen your carbon footprint when holidaying. This seems to boil down to taking remote camping holidays in the UK which might be well and good but personally I’d rather stay at home (sorry for being flippant but my idea of a holiday isn’t being alone in a tent in the cold with a flask and wind up torch – don’t get me wrong, I care a great deal about the environment but if everyone stopped eating meat, there would be no issue as meat eating is responsible for a huge amount of global warming..more on that in a later post). The first episode I watched had me stunned. It showed the presenter visiting a farm which had buffalo roaming around, majestic animals, the presenter was taken aback by their beauty. Cut to the same woman, eating a buffalo steak in the farm kitchen or restaurant (I can’t remember which) and salivating over the tenderness of the meat’. I called her some names I won’t repeat here and switched it off. When I saw it was on again yesterday my curiosity got the better of me. This week, they were advertising a remote Scottish village which there were no roads to, you could walk or take a boat. The presenter took the boat as it was an opportunity to go seal watching. I was ready, Seal watching, surely this would be followed by the eating of seal meat (they eat that in Norway on occasion – one comment I’ve heard is ‘It’s so hard eating them when you picture their cute faces’...). I was ready. No. Didn’t happen. Thank goodness! Two minutes later, a discussion about red deer, how they are so beautiful and many groups living in Scotland, but the numbers sometimes got too many (rather like Glaswegians) so here’s a green holiday idea, deer stalking! Yes, it’s all the rage, culls the deer and keeps the tourists happy.

So if you want to make a positive holiday choice, a green holiday choice, a carbon friendly holiday choice, then eat animals, shoot animals for pleasure... do anything other than what will really make a difference - stop breeding animals to be killed for food, therefore stopping all the methane emissions that have as much combined impact on the environment as all transport! Yes, really.

If you have time to spare please drop the travel channel a line and tell them what you think.

Goat's Milk

2007-10-13T14:07:00.000+02:00

Today I have a little story to tell. It is a true story and my own.

We moved to this sleepy village in Norway when I was pregnant with our first child. The house was a traditional norwegian house in need of some loving attention. Our first winter was fantastic with our new little girl and we spoke of this being our home forever. Until one night in spring. I was woken in the night by a peculiar noise. At first I thought it was foxes but couldn't pin it down. It was a distressing noise and I had to rule out the sounds as children's as they did bear a similarity to a young child's cry. The next morning as I was in my kitchen I could still hear the same sound. I went out onto the veranda to look around but could see nothing. It seemed to be coming from near the barn nextdoor. I was getting distressed by the sound and was about to go over to see if an animal was stuck somewhere or if there had been an accident. I even thought with it being spring that one of their animals might be giving birth and having problems. You see, nextdoor to our home is a small family run goat farm. A nice farm, I thought when we first bought the house, the goats are daily taken out to local fields to roam around and often escape the fields and wander along the local quiet roads all day before being herded back home.

So, I was about to go over to see what the noise was when my neighbour, my perfectly nice neighbour, opened the barn door and exited with a baby goat which was completely limp and threw it into a trailer. Then he went back inside and came out with another, then another. Then I realised what that awful screaming noise was. It was a combination of baby goats being killed and the sounds of the female goats in the same barn, mothers of these young animals. I felt sick, I feel sick writing about it now, sick to my very core. I cried and couldn't speak for some time but my husband calmed me down. 'It's probably a disease Jill', he said caringly. 'We're moving' was my reply. I didn't believe my husbands response. I thought then that the goats were killed as there were too many young for the farmer to raise on his small farm. I was distraught and looked at houses for sale all that day. I wanted to go over and talk to the farmer but I knew he spoke no English and also knew I would wade in emotionally and shout so I tried to calm down.

Over the next few days we discussed what to do. We asked around but got no answers. Days passed, then weeks and in true bystander apathy, I let it go. I thought it must have been a one off, that there must have been a reason, it surely wouldn't be legal to just kill baby goats for no reason. If it happened again I would be sure to find out what was happening.

Then I turned vegan. why did I turn vegan...because I found out that the male calves of dairy cows are killed as they are an unnecessary part of the milk industry. It took a while but when I next thought of those goats I put two and two together. What would a farm producing goats milk need lots of baby male goats for. They have a few male adults there for impregnanting the females I presume but they don't need more than that. Surely male babies are just an inconvenience..... Sorry but I am starting to get really upset writing this so I'll try and make sense .... Now I am not one hundred percent sure that my neighbour was slaughtering innocent babies infront of their mothers but I think that's what was happening.... and if true then it will happen next year and the next...

So what do I do. Well, first I need to get the facts, I need to do this without ostracizing myself from the community, then I need to come up with a way to stop this happening, my first statement was that I would go and buy all the babies and start a goat sanctuary in the field we own nextdoor to the farm. Not sure that would work so my next idea based on a discussion with Matthew, my husband, was to go to the papers. Hmm, not sure they would care. Government, hmm, not sure they would care either. So I am in a process of thought now. Maybe I'll make a documentary film...

Moving house won't solve the problem, it will simply take my eyes away from it and distressing and heartbreaking as it may be, hiding won't change anything. This is a small family run farm where the goats are treated kindly in some respects (I know that's hard for a vegan to say about captive animals but there are a lot worse places) so imagine what it is like everywhere else. I don't know my strategy yet but I will let you know, maybe there is something you can do too, when I think of it.

Maybe next spring my garden will be full of happy little goats, leaping around and enjoying life in peace, maybe their captive mothers will hear their cries. Maybe there will have been legislative changes to stop this injustice or maybe there will be another heap of infant corpses on a trailer in the middle the night surrounding by the sound of mourning mothers.

As a mother, I implore all mothers (and everyone else) to give animals the rights we deny them.

Snow!

2007-10-11T13:10:00.000+02:00

Well winter has well and truly arrived in the Arctic! Yesterday we were surprised with early snowfall. It has not stopped falling since and we are a blanket of white! It's really beautiful up here at this time of year. I've not seen the northern lights yet but I'm sure they'll make an appearance soon. Its such a shame however when such beauty is marred. I was admiring the scenery the other day only to see a sign in a cafe saying 'closed this week due to the Elk hunt'. Nice. Wonder if they'll be serving it up next week. I was listening to a podcast by Bob Lindon in San Fransisco the other day and it made me want to move! He was discussing all the good vegetarian and vegan restaurants in the area. I'd just be happy to get a vegan sandwich somewhere! Not a chance here. The sandwich spreads I ordered are not here yet and the shop is out of soya milk. It doesn't help that both of our cars are old and a bit useless which makes it tough to get out to work let alone thinking of where we need to travel to get ingredients! Thankfully the Sunday cooking day is really helping. I am at my studio and have just had the last of my mushroom and almond pate which was yummy, I was asked to add the recipe so here it is - note I don't measure things so apologies, you have to do a bit of guesswork!

Mushroom Pate:
2 handfulls of chopped or ripped mushrooms
1 handfull of sliced almonds (I guess you could use whole ones too)
1 clove of garlic
half chopped onion
Oregano or basil
Olive or rapeseed oil

Sautee onion and garlic in a little oil until soft. Add mushrooms and cook on a low heat for a few minutes. Throw in some herbs, mix and take off heat when mushrooms are cooked. Meanwhile toast the almonds for a few minutes in a hot oven, just until a little browned. Mix the two together and put in a blender (if a lot of liquid still in the mushroom pot then use a slotted spoon or mixture will be too thin). Blend to desired consistency and chill in the fridge before serving.

I usually make a batch and put in saved pots to take out when I go to the studio. Tastes great on flour tortillas with salad or on toast. Enjoy!

We also had homemade tofu burgers last night and they were good, good, good...much better than the substitute frozen burgers we've had before - that's another recipe for later and I can't take the credit, it was from a new cookbook!

I'm still without net access at home but we are due to get broadband in the next few weeks so really looking forward to that. I bet some of you are wondering why I live up here, especially now we are a vegan family with many frustrations, so I guess I'll tell you. This place is our sanctuary. We are lucky with our work and can survive working much less than we did in England with more time for our family. I am a theatre and yoga teacher mainly, working freelance with many projects. Right now I'm writing a children's television series. I trained for many years in the UK for little reward, not financial I might add but to feel like you are doing something useful and here I feel truly valued for what I do. I do wish that we lived in a more animal friendly place but then again maybe if I can use some influence here I may just change some minds.

Til next time x

Healthy living Seminar

2007-10-08T10:49:00.001+02:00

I will soon be holding a yoga weekend here in my local town. I was asked by some of the girls I teach yoga to if I could do something over a weekend as they really love practicing yoga. I am the only teacher for some distance and it is a real compliment that I have a core group who are so involved. I decided that I should involve some yoga philosophy into the weekend and so during lunch on the final day I have taken it upon myself to give a talk and seminar on healthy living. Of course the philosophy of yoga involves living in peace with things around you...including animals...

Now, here is where I need to tread carefully. How to find a balance between keeping the enthusiasm of the students whilst not stepping over the mark where they start to resent me for my ‘out there’ ideas. I have already stated I am considered strange in my veganism. Infact i will say strange in my vegetarianism, most people I know here are as yet unaware that I no longer don’t eat meat but now don’t eat anything produced by them either. I have not yet been into my local cafe as a vegan as I know there is nothing I can eat. Every item on the menu contains the dead flesh of what used to be a beautiful animal. As a vegetarian I used to ask specially for them to make me a cheese baguette. Sometimes I was only charged half price as it seemed I was leaving out the main ingredient. Sometimes the kind owner would ask if I wanted egg in it as well to give it more taste. I am not being derogatory here, the people working there are truly nice but the whole concept of vegetarianism is not understood, that is the point I am making.

How then do I discuss healthy living without talking about my choices. That’s simple, I must talk about my choices but I must do so in a very careful way. If people I know well think I am insulting them by talking about veganism then people I don’t know so well may take much offense if I question the lifestyle they know. So I think the best way to go is to highlight facts about the health benefits of compassionate eating and not get over emotional about the issue. Work it into a shift in lifestyle based on improving the self rather than saving lives of innocent creatures. Of course, it is true that the health benefits are immense as soon as meat and dairy are minimised or eliminated if a healthy diet is followed but as a vegan it is really hard not to talk about why I am vegan, how unjust it is that humans are so arrogant as to believe animals are property and how upsetting it is to me every time I see someone eat a body part. Actually that is what I find the hardest of all. Watching people eating meat and now watching people drinking milk makes me so very sad. I want to run over and tell them ‘there’s another way, it’s a good way, it eradicates suffering and pain’ but I know I will be considered a freak, a mad woman, someone to avoid. So, one step, then another, careful, intelligent and honest.

It can be a challenge being vegan but the saddest part is that the food part is so very easy, it’s going out into the world and spreading the word that’s difficult sometimes, especially when it seems no-one wants to listen.

So thank you for your support and if you are looking for more info on support groups then please check back next week as I will be posting some links to some sites of interest.

On a side note, I am still without internet at home so am posting when I am at my studio, my kids forgave me for the interruption as I made my last post on the way home from a shopping trip, Heidi was hungry after her less than nutritious lunch and wolfed down a full bowl of pasta and veg followed by a soy yogurt and then ate half of my evening meal too (we try and eat as a family when we can but sometimes it’s just not possible). She used to dislike so many things but now she eats so well, she eats her own meals and some of mine, all the time, even if I’m just having cereal and soy milk or beans on toast. Now she thinks everything I make is gorgeous – didn’t she used to be able to taste anything with all the dairy I gave her in her diet...?

Feeling alone in the world!

2007-10-05T15:55:00.000+02:00

Hi, just a very short note today to say thanks to everyone leaving comments on the blog, I really appreciate your feedback. I am writing this in the car sat outside my office using the wireless connection with my two children in the back getting frustrated at mum! This is because we are rebuilding the home computer and I have no internet access so just wanted to say I will be posting again soon but I may be a bit slow this week!

We've just had a day in Finsness, a small Norwegian town, to stock up on vegan goodies. My daughter kept picking up biscuits in the health shop and not one pack was free from animal products! Lunch consisted of bread as we I could find nothing else vegan in a hurry (Miller is still cranky with the arrival of his first tooth). So next time I know to make a packed lunch!

Better go!

God helg as they say here or 'have a good weekend'!

What do children think?

2007-10-03T14:59:00.000+02:00

I often comment on what a bad memory I have. I don’t recall a lot about my early years. I have recently wondered how I easily accepted that eating animals was the right way to behave. I know people go to a lot of trouble to disguise what is being eaten and here are a few examples...

- Most people refer to meat so it bears little similarity to the animal being eaten e.g fillet steak, bacon, chops, mince.... No-one wants to say the name of the animal (notice ‘veal’ instead of ‘calf’). There are exceptions e.g. lamb, chicken wings but people are so desensitised it just passes them by. *
*On a side note I watched a tv program yesterday and a couple were having a first date. The man had cooked and when the girl asked what she was eating the guy replied ‘pigs hooves’ and ‘tortoise’. The girl was horrified only to be reassured that it was only ‘pork dim sum’ and ‘chicken wings’, whereby she hungrily tucked in.... Is it just me?
- Advertisements mislead us – see the happy dairy cows tucking into the grass that most real dairy cows never see, see the happy bouncing lambs in the fields. These creatures obviously live happy and full lives.
- Money. The amount poured into governments by the meat and dairy industries reminds me of the tobacco industries some years ago. We pay you, you promote us. Telling everyone something is good for us doesn’t make it so.

So back to my point. When did I discover that what was on my plate was a piece of rotting animal corpse? The answer is I have no idea. Have I always loved animals? Yes. I used to be a member of all sorts of charities and refused to go to the circus. I even refused to go to Spain on holiday due to the bullfighting culture. Yet all this I did whilst eating meat. I first became aware that I had a choice in my eating habits when I was around 12 and momentarily turned vegetarian, until my mum gave me a beef and tomato cup-a-soup by ‘accident’, then I somehow fell back into the routine. It’s hard trying something like that when you cannot eat with your family as they are all having beef stroganoff and you are having beans on toast. My family were big meat eaters when I was young. Every meal had meat in it or my dad wouldn’t be full. Now they are following a more healthy diet. Infact last time they visited here for a holiday both my parents lost a lot of weight and are trying to keep it off! My dad is constantly surprised when we make a vegetarian meal that is worth seconds! We’ve not seen the folks since turning vegan so keep your eyes out for my New Year posts from the UK!

I wish as a child I had more awareness of the suffering of animals for humans to gobble up their bodies without a thought, I wish I had a stronger character that had stood up for myself in many ways back then but most of all I feel sorry for the animals I ate, whose lives I took. I am truly sorry. Maybe I can make up for it a little by telling my children what the red lumps on the supermarket shelves, why we don’t have animals milk in the fridge and why we feel it is not our right to harm other beings for our selfish habits. Maybe if someone reads this blog and makes a change, making 99 less dead animals per year then my conscience will be lighter.

I believe children should have access to the truth, it’s unfair to them and to the animals to feed them food so far removed from its origin that they have no idea what they are eating. I’m sure fish fingers, sausages and beef paste would lose their appeal if the disguise was removed.

Take care of yourself and those you share the planet with x

Quiet Days!

2007-10-01T10:55:00.000+02:00

Life is very different in Northern Norway compared to what life was like living in England. It took me a while to get used to the slow pace here, sometimes I even got frustrated with it. People take time to respond to emails and telephone calls, people are not interested in work outside working hours and life grinds to a halt at weekends and holiday times. Of course, there are many benefits to this lifestyle. Family is valued above anything else and sitting with friends over coffee is a huge past-time. When we first moved here I often forgot that the shops mainly close at 1400 on a saturday (I was used to taking a full shopping day on a Saturday back in the UK), I forgot that you cannot buy beer after 2000 hours. I forgot you can only buy wine at a governmnet outlet which closes at 1600 weekdays and 1500 on a Saturday. I forgot that nowhere except the odd petrol station is open on a Sunday. Compared to the UK where food stores are open 24 hours, Sunday is a day to travel to outlet villages for shopping trips or to go the the garden centre or DIY store. I wonder how much more frustrated I would have been in those early days as a vegan! I need to travel to a health store to get necessary items and if I forget I'm just stuck! So with a family it is important I know what I need, when I need it!

I have a local health food store now who I can use for limited items. I can get dried beans, organic rice, pasta, tinned veggie meatballs, veggie hot dogs and soya milk. I request things but it is so difficult for them as they tell me how much they throw away because people just don't buy it! They have kindly got in just for us, tofu and rice pasta and I'm trying to make a case for vegan sandwich spreads ('Tartex' and 'Tofutti' I can get if I travel for an hour and a half) and soya milk with B12. I'll keep you posted on my progress.

So, I find it is best for me to have plenty of raw ingredients at home so I don't find myself in a situation without food! Saying that I have noticed the huge benefits of a vegan diet is most things go into your cupboard and not your fridge and although I spend more on certain items, my food bill has come down.

Yesterday I spent some time in the kitchen. I have started to cook more and am really enjoying it. Heidi chips in too, she loves helping to kneed bread and stir casseroles. I had 2 new vegan cookbooks to hand and thought I'd try some new things. As you can't buy anything on a Sunday I was forced to adapt some of the recipes but thankfully things turned out really well. I'll not write down the recipes yet as I think I need to tweak them a bit to get them perfect but for a first attempt I was over the moon. The results were the most delicious soup I'd ever made (a Mediterranean tomato and veg soup), a variety of bread and a carrot, banana and walnut cake with orange topping. Heidi had a bit of everything and Miller had some bread and I made him some mashed potatoes with carrot and spinach. My husband Matthew commented on how impressed he was with both my cooking and my desire to do it!

So, now I am enjoying the quiet days here in Norway. I cook, I practice some yoga, I read or listen to podcasts - and yes I do actually have 2 children under 2 but when you are relaxed, so are your children...most of the time!

Signing off now as Miller wants to play!

10 Things I didn't know before turning vegan!

2007-09-29T08:44:00.000+02:00

Hello and thanks for the great response I am getting for the blog. It's really encouraging!

Miller now has his first tooth and is using it well! I'd been feeding him almost pureed food but have recently introduced rice cakes (supervised) and he just loves them. He was chomping on big pieces with no problem (please don't try this until your baby is ready!). So I thought maybe he'd like some more solid types of food so yesterday he had small chunks of banana and a mixture of carrot and broccoli cut into manageable chunks.

He is so different from my first born who would only eat pureed fruit until she was around 9 months. The mess however that Miller makes when eating is unrivaled. I have a child gate between my kitchen and hallway as our 2 Labradors just eat anything and lick the kids at every opportunity no matter where they've been or what they've been doing (dog owners will understand that I think!). So they are sectioned off at times and the dogs just lie looking through the bars like deprived prisoners, watching Miller throwing his food all over the place!

Anyway, back to the point, I thought it would be a good idea to post some solid facts on the blog and to make it interesting to those already vegan who know this stuff I've made them reasons why I made the change, the things that moved me into action. And to those who are still eating animals, maybe they will help you understand what is going on out there.

10 Things I didn't know before turning vegan...

1.Because of improper stunning, many pigs drown or are scalded to death when they are put, still alive, into the scalding-hot water tanks that are intended to soften their skins and remove their hair.

2. Like other animals fish feel pain and experience fear.

3. Eating meat causes global warming. Animal methane is 20 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

4. Veal calves are confined to crates so small they can't even turn around and killed when they are just weeks old.

5. Female calves not raised as dairy cows are slaughtered for the enzyme rennet in their stomachs, used to make cheese.

6. Most chickens suffer from chronic respiratory diseases, weakened immune systems and bronchitis and more than 99 percent of chickens carcasses are contaminated with E.coli bacteria by the time they reach market.(According to a report from the USDA).

7. Research has proved that chickens are smarter than dogs, cats and some primates and pigs are smart too and are often intellectually compared to 3 year old children.

8. No species naturally drinks milk past weaning. A cow's calves are traumatically taken from her after birth so humans can drink the milk designed for them.

9. When taken from ocean depths, fish undergo excruciating decompression which often ruptures their swimbladder, pops out their eyes and pushes their stomachs through their mouths.

10.Animals rely on humans to make a change in their habits to stop their suffering. They cannot tell us to stop but all we need do is look at them to see what we are doing. Meat eating, drinking and eating animal secretions and treating animals as slaves to our desires, whether it be testing on them for cosmetics, wearing them for fashion or sitting on their skins is wrong. No question. It is wrong. And you know it.

Points 1-9 are taken from Peta's Summer 2007 Magasine (see www.peta.org)

It's worth a visit to the Peta site and they will send you a vegetarian starter kit if you want a kick start (full of info and great recipe ideas).

On another note, if you are a new mother, I have just released a tv program on blip.tv called 'Yoga Baby' - just the first episode there now with the second being uploaded later today - it's intended for new mums to practice yoga with their baby to get the relaxation they need whilst strengthening the body and the bond between mother and child.

Have a great weekend, why not see if you can make it better for the animals too.

Doctors

2007-09-27T11:14:00.000+02:00

Yesterday my 2 year old girl, Heidi, had her MMR vaccination. We combined the visit with Miller's 6 month check up. Both children are doing really well. Miller is 2 months ahead of the charts in terms of what he is doing. Yesterday he actually started crawling for the first time. He had been spinning and shuffling for a while but now in 2 days he can cover a whole room in the time it takes to put the kettle on. Yesterday his adventures covered trying to eat my Yukka plant, eating Heidi's jigsaws and seeing if he could upend a chair! So, the fun begins! Also, he is wanting to stand (assisted) all the time and is eating 3 solid meals a day along with breastfeeding every 4 hours. Heidi is learning 2 languages simultaneously and loves puzzles designed for 3-4 year olds.

So, you would think all was well. Only I went and opened my mouth about our veganism. Not the best idea I'd ever had. I realized soon after I mentioned it that I was speaking to a health visitor and a doctor and not a nutritionalist and I do value my health centre and their expertise but it is clear that there is limited or non existent knowledge of the health benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet.

The response was a very surprised 'you don't eat meat or dairy?' ....'I respect vegetarians but children shouldn't be vegetarian til at least 4 years of age'. I explained my choice was made and I was hoping for some clarification of if I was eating enough fat whilst nursing my baby etc. Let's just say I got no answers! If you want to know all the facts about the health benefits, please visit www.vegansociety.com where you can find info & factsheets. All I know is mine and my children's chances of getting cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol and osteoperosis (yes the thing you think you need to drink milk to avoid) to mention just a few, are lower than a meat and dairy eaters chances.

Please don't be discouraged by those who have not done their homework. The little you know is probably more than many know.

I'll finish by saying that yesterday, Heidi ate a well balanced diet consisting of fortified porridge (non-dairy) with soya milk, toast with peanut butter, some walnuts, hazlenuts and almonds with dried fruit pieces, a fruit soy yogurt, raisin bread, home-made vegetable soup, wholemeal bread and a banana. If that's not a good thing then I don't know what is... a mcdonalds? turkey twizzlers? Cheese strings?...... You get the point.

Family

2007-09-25T10:14:00.001+02:00

When you make the decision to change your diet, especially if that involves changing your children's diet too, you are likely to encounter some resistance, especially from your family. They, of course, are simply concerned that you are not harming yourself or your children. It is important to have a real dialogue with your family about the changes you are making and reassure them that you are not only changing your family's diet but improving it tenfold.

It is hard for a new vegan to answer all the questions that everyone starts to ask. The truth is that as a new convert you don't have all the answers. It may be that you made the choice after just one experience. I certainly did, I dropped dairy as soon as I realized what the animals went through. You just won't know all the answers overnight and you are expected to know everything! 'Where do you get your protein', 'Where do you get your calcium', 'What supplements do you need and in what quantity' etc etc. The best thing you can do is state your case as you know it. Again, notice people don't ask questions about the animals here so you can bring it back to that, for example you could say something like 'I don't know all the answers, I'm having to do a lot of research but I do know that this is the only choice I have after learning what the animals go through so I can eat their bodies. Trust me, my children will be my first priority and you have no need to be concerned'....why not even add 'you can help me research veganism if you have the time, it would really help us out,'...but believe me, most won't want to do that.... ignorance is the easier option in most cases, and I don't mean to sound insulting but it is true whether people admit it or not.

However, this is true, you must do some research. I am finding my answers by looking for them, they won't come to you, especially if you live in a society where veganism is rare and perhaps even your doctor won't know what vitamins etc your family need. So look around, subscribe to a vegetarian or vegan magazine, search the net and find what you are looking for. I will try to list new things I am learning, like I mentioned the importance of vitamin B12 - I did get my supplements in the end, found some at an out of the way health store so now Heidi has a daily chewable multivitamin with B12 in.

Support is really helpful especially from those you love but you may be in a situation where some people never understand, no matter what you say and you have to learn to deal with that and let it go. All you can do is live your life the way you want to, hopefully making decisions that don't harm other living beings, and hope your lifestyle choices will influence others around you.

That's all for today, I did want to talk a bit about pets and food options but I am at my studio today and have no picture on my laptop and to talk about my two dogs without a pic of their adorable little faces would be just thoughtless!

Have a good day x

Why go vegan?

2007-09-23T12:10:00.000+02:00

I thought it might be an idea to write a little about why I have made the decision to turn from a vegetarian to a vegan. Firstly, I'd like to recommend a book I received yesterday which I had ordered from Amazon. It's called 'The Peaceful Palate' by Jennifer Raymond and I can't put it down! It's full of gorgeous recipes even I could handle! There is so much choice and it makes you hungry just flicking through it!

So, why vegan? I am sure there are many vegetarians out there, maybe you, who think 'Why vegan? I'm not eating animals therefore I'm not contributing to suffering'. Unfortunately in most cases this just isn't true. Not to say being a vegetarian isn't a wonderful thing and I thought exactly that same thing before becoming aware of other issues surrounding the animals for food issue.

I became what I classed a part vegetarian when I was 25, no red meat or chicken but I ate fish. My reasons being that it was not my right to cause pain to animals. I still ate fish, believing fish felt no pain and often said I could catch and kill a fish therefore that's ok, I could not catch and kill a cow. My argument soon fell apart upon further research. So I gave up the fish. There, so now I'm not causing any animal to suffer for my food choices. Wrong. And before I go on I want to say something about awareness. A lot of people don't want to be aware. A lot of other people know that the way they eat is wrong but close their ears to the facts because they know that if they really learn about what goes on then they will have no choice but to stop their consumption of animal products. People ask why you are vegetarian or vegan but are really asking what you do for nutrients and dishes, they do not seem to like it so much if you actually use the words 'animal', 'dead', 'flesh', 'corpse' etc. That they don't want to know.

My recent decision to adopt veganism as a way of life came around after my willingness to actually listen to the facts. The main ones that made me so adamant never to eat dairy was that of the dairy cow. A dairy cow lactates just as a human does, basically, after childbirth. A cow is made pregnant, carries her calf and gives birth to it. She is a mother and there is a bond between mother and calf. She is usually given 24 hours to milk her calf (and that's not for her benefit as the colostrum or pre-milk is of no use to the dairy industry and the calf gets rid of that). After that time spent with her offspring, the calf and mother are separated. A female calf is raised as a dairy cow, a male calf is taken to the veal industry, where it is usually murdered before it is 6 weeks old. If you believe there is no bond between cow and calf you are hugely mistaken. Calves in rescues centres who are lucky enough to have a mother there, still nurse sometimes age 3 years old (by which time the calf is ridiculously big due to growth hormones - given so they can be slaughtered at around 6 months of aged for normal beef cows). After this, the milk is pumped (for you to drink and eat in cheese etc) until it runs dry. Then the cow is impregnated again and the cycle continues. When a cow can no longer produce calves and therefore milk, she is sent to slaughter. Doesn't this just make you want to cry? If you are a mother you may have suffered mastitus, a painful infection of the breast. Many dairy cows suffer many bouts of mastitus. As mothers, we may put it down to a negative side effect of nursing but at least we are nursing our babies, the cow does not have this basic right.

I do believe in the future, all people we see the consumption of animals and their byproducts a moral injustice, just as most people now know the wrongs of slavery and equal rights for women. To be aware of the mass disrespect for animal life happening all over the planet is just hurtful but change is not gradual, it follows a upward curve so hopefully that time won't be too far away.

If you're not already on the path, please at least don't hide from the truth about what you are eating and what that choice means for those who have no voice.

Frustration

2007-09-21T09:29:00.000+02:00

I am frustrated today as I have just received a letter from Norwegian customs, telling me that I cannot have a parcel which has been sent to me. It is an order from abroad for a multivitamin with vitamin b12 included for my 2 year old and a multivitamin for Matthew and I. The only ones I can find in Norway have animal products in - you don't realize until you start looking how much animal products are used where you would least expect them. These vitamins are not allowed past customs and they are now sending them back. So what do I do? The only b12 supplement I can find for Heidi is not suitable until 3 years and the multivitamins for children I have found contain no b12. So, I try and get fortified soya for her which she has in her porridge but I do not think it is enough.

I will say a little about what I know regarding vitamin b12. It is a vitamin only found in animal products and therefore used as an argument by meat eaters as to why they need meat. However, the fact is that b12 grows on the bacteria contained in meat, not in the meat itself, not that nice a thought after all. It is able to be produced cruelty free as a supplement but every vegan needs it. So I now have to think about this and fairly soon! If you live almost anywhere else in the world I am sure it is very easy to get.

It is frustrating when people do not understand why you have made this choice. To me it is obvious, to others I am simply strange. Norway is a society addicted to meat products, they are everywhere. Even at a petrol station, the smell of hot dogs hits you as soon as you arrive and the sight of all that animal flesh everywhere is quite upsetting to someone who tries to raise awareness of what that animal went through to get there for someone to eat without any thought.

Anyway, onto a more positive note, I am glad to see the traffic coming to the site and it is encouraging me to write often. Today I would like to touch on some recipes for kids. In the last post I looked at some of my favourites but children are fussy and although Heidi eats most of the food we eat there are some things she just adores and here they are:

Pasta and Mediterranean veg:

Rice or egg free pasta
Mushrooms
Squash
Mixed Peppers
Tomatoes
Garlic

Cook pasta al dente, lightly fry the veg, adding the tomatoes and garlic last, let simmer for 10 minutes, then serve.

No cheese pizza:

*Of course, if you live somewhere you can get vegan cheese then you can use this as a topping, I find it's just as good without

Pizza base (home made or bought)
Tomato sauce (bought or home made from fresh tomatoes and herbs, simmer for 20 minutes to reduce, then strain or blend to desired consistency)
Selection of toppings
Olive or rapeseed oil

Roll out base, add tomato topping place veggies on pizza and drizzle with oil. Cook for around 10 minutes on 200 and serve.

Other great choices for vegan kids are peanut butter and other nut spreads, seed rolls, fruit cocktails and nut burgers/cutlets. You can also make patties up of varying ingredients for meals eg lentils and carrots, beans and oats, just experiment with different things (you can also go to fatfreerecipes.com for more info on good dishes). My daughter loves crackers, almonds and rice chips for snacks. I am proud that she dislike sweets and gives them back when given to her and although before becoming vegan she used to love crisps and milk chocolate she has not made any complaint about the change. She is also less manic and grumpy! I try my best to give her a wholesome diet with little additives but it is important that toddlers still get some fat content so don't worry about giving high calorie food.

Now I must get back to my day, I have both children at home today, Miller is taking a nap and Heidi is driving around on a toy truck but her attention is waning so I think we need an interactive task - it's either sorting out the washing or doing a jigsaw...I think the jigsaw might win!

Have a good day x

Good food!

2007-09-19T20:52:00.000+02:00

Well, I said I hoped to post once a week and this is my third post in just a few days! I find myself with a little time tonight so thought I'd share those recipes I mentioned. Talking of food, I have just devoured a gorgeous chocolate mouse (provamol soya desert). Better than the ones I used to eat before I cut out dairy. It amazes me how much eating dairy dulled my taste buds - things taste much better now.

As I said, I am not a great cook. I am not too good at inventing recipes but since turning vegan I have found it so easy. Take yesterday for example, I had a busy day with the two kids, arriving home right at dinner time with no plans and no idea what was in my cupboard. In fifteen minutes I had made a tofu and veg stir fry with rice noodles and it was delicious, my 2 year old loved it and it took no effort whatsoever - and so low fat which is a bonus!

So, here are just a couple of my favourite things so far, I will add more when I learn more!

Lentil spread for sandwiches/pitas/tortilla wraps etc:

1 cup green lentils (cooked)
1 cup red lentils (cooked)
2 cloves of garlic
Spices of your choosing (my favourites are a mixture of tumeric, paprika and coriander - half teaspoon of each)

Optional: half a finely chopped red pepper /quarter of diced red onion or anything else you fancy throwing in there!

Put all ingredients in a pan with a small amount of water (just so it doesn't stick to pan). Cook for 5 minutes. Mash or puree then chill in fridge. Easy & tasty!

Tofu & veg stir fry:

Firm tofu
Mushrooms
Onion
Courgette
Beansprouts
Soy sauce
Chinese sweet chilli sauce (optional)
Rice Noodles

Of course you can mess around with the ingredients for this too. Marinade the tofu for an hour in some soy and chilli sauce (after squeezing the block to get rid of any excess water). Throw all veggies in a wok or deep frying pan with just a touch of vegan friendly oil (I use olive oil). When veg is done (firm, not overcooked) throw in the beansprouts for 1 minute. Add the tofu and touch more soy sauce. Take off heat. Cook noodles for 4 minutes, throw in stir-fry and mix everything together. Serve & enjoy!

Vegan chilli:

Kidney beans (one tin or cup of dried, soaked overnight)
Chick peas (one tin or cup of dried, soaked min 8 hours)
Tomatoes (1 x tin or a few fresh, chopped)
1 clove garlic
1 Onion
Mushrooms
Green or red chillis (how many depends on your taste, I use 2 green or 1 red minus the seeds)
Half cup red lentils (dried)
Optional: mixed peppers/fresh torn basil leaves

Couldn't be easier. Put all ingredients together in an oven pot with lid or cooking pot on top of the stove. Oven cook on a medium heat for about an hour and a half or hob cook on low heat for about an hour (stirring occasionally). If the sauce is not thick enough, add a little cornfllower during cooking or throw in a few more red lentils (but let cook for 20 mins minimum). Serve with rice or tortillas.

Tomato and lentil soup:

This was a favourite before I gave up meat many years ago and I still adore it. Fast, easy and very very nice!

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 x 450g tins chopped tomatoes
250 g dried red lentils
Basil (pref fresh but dried ok too or oregano)
Water
Veg stock cube
*optional dash of chilli powder (yes, i like spicy food!)

Cook the onion in a little olive oil til soft. Add garlic, tomatoes, lentils and herbs. Let cook for 5 minutes. Add water and stock (I guess with the amounts,depending on how thick I want the soup) Cook for half an hour. Cool a little then blend roughly. (Tip* use a slotted spoon to drain some of the water off for the first blending session to gauge the thickness of the finished soup, if too thick, put more liquid in the next time). Reheat when ready to eat and add a touch of soya milk if you want a creamy soup. Serve with chunky bread. Can't go wrong!

That's all for now on recipes and there are plenty of sites you can go to for more adventurous recipes, I will add some links when I get chance, (maybe get my husband to post the recipe for his wonderful paella) but I would like to spend a few moments looking at things to buy to have in your cupboard as a vegan or at least things that I have used a lot of in the last few weeks, some of which I'd never used before!

Soya milk
Dried lentils
Chickpeas (dried is more economical)
Kidney Beans (dried is cheaper, tins more convenient)
Black eyed Beans
Tofu
Soya flakes (good for making burger mix and adding to casseroles etc)
Soya cream
Dark dairy free chocolate (if you are a chocolate fan, after losing the taste for dairy it takes sooo good!)
Nuts - walnut, almonds, hazelnuts
Dried fruits - bananas, papaya etc (Tip* mix with a variety of nuts and some raisins for a perfect snack food - complements wine very well)
Brown rice
Rice or egg free pasta

Also, always have a good selection of tasty veg to hand, my favourites are below, it makes it easy to make anything whenever you like:

Leeks
Corn on the cob
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Red Onions
Courgette/Squash
Peppers
Asparagus

You will adapt easily to a new way of doing things and even if you don't, it's still just as good for the animals of you substitute meat with a vegetarian alternative. Try spaghetti bolognese with veggie mince, for hot dogs use veggie hot dogs, veggie meatballs with gravy, veggie chicken pieces in a curry. Think about it. You can make a difference. We change the world one at a time.

How to lose weight whilst eating great food!

2007-09-17T12:36:00.000+02:00

Here's the really good news, you don't have to try!

I want to start by telling you about my transition from vegetarian to vegan but don't worry, for those of you just thinking of taking a first step towards vegetarian then read on as I will address that later in this post. Apologies too if my focus slips as my little boy is trying to take his first computer lesson as I'm writing - being a new mom doesn't mean we cannot do things, it just makes those things that little more challenging...did I say challenging, sorry, I meant exciting....! On a side note, don't let anyone make you feel guilty for having children and a life, you do still exist you know, no matter what your mother might think...!

So, how did I lose weight without even trying to? Well, lets see the back story. I had my first child, aged 31 and nursing was the best diet I had found, I was back in my post pregnancy clothes in weeks. I ate whatever I liked and didn't worry about it. I did manage to work in a regular yoga practice whenever time permitted and did a few sit ups now and then, nothing exceptional, I was just lucky my shape returned quickly. Not so with number two! A few months after the birth and my weight was going up, not down. Now hang on, that wasn't part of the plan! No new mom wants to still look pregnant. Throughout both pregnancies I was a non meat eater, although I did eat fish with Heidi and didn't cut that out until half way through the second pregnancy (and yes I was fine, less mercury in my body to worry about and no vitamin deficiency...). So I was feeling a touch depressed that I looked like the frumpy new mom I always said I'd never look like when I was listening to a podcast about how we are addicted to Cheese (thanks Colleen at Compassionate Cooks for the eye opener). It only took me 5 minutes to decide I never wanted to eat cheese again. I will later talk about why, for now, I'm keeping to the issue of weight loss. So, I said goodbye to cheese, along with cows milk (I wasn't a calf and didn't really think I needed to drink a cows breastmilk any longer) and eggs went too. There was no thought about what I'd gain in return...

1. Rapid weight loss *and the quality of my milk supply went up
2. A figure I'd not seen in a long time
3. A sense of wellbeing and health never felt before
4. A diet free from cruelty and suffering

Wow, just from making informed food choices! I am now a month into my vegan routine and I am thoroughly enjoying learning new recipes and cooking styles. Living where I do I have limited options but I have enjoyed every single meal recently as if eating for the first time. My body feels so light, I realized the heaviness I felt was due to cheese, milk and eggs, weighing me down. My 6 month old is still nursing and I have no qualms about putting him straight on soya or rice milk when he is ready. My 2 year old (after my receiving medical and dietary advice) no longer drinks milk (if you have or are transitioning a child to a vegan diet they will need a vitamin b12 supplement - more about that in another post) and she has started to eat foods she wouldn't go near before. From a diet of egg-bread, cheese on toast and the like, being a fussy eater like most toddlers, she now enjoys veggie chilli, rice-pasta, broccoli soup and basically eats better than any other child I know. As the pics says - no milk, no problem. She is a happy and adorable little girl who I seriously believe has the best diet I can offer her.

Ok, you're not ready for that yet. Well, that's ok, one step at a time. Just cutting meat from you diet will bring a whole new feeling into your life. Meat weighs you down, humans find it hard to digest, infact meat can stay in your gut for a long long time - I'm not planning in this blog to scare you into being vegetarian or vegan, it has to be an informed choice and one you take willingly but if you have read this far I think you know you are on a road you might not be able to stop walking down. When I turned vegetarian, aged 25, I felt a new lease of life. Colour returned to my face which once just looked grey and I got a spring in my step. I no longer needed to lie in bed every morning, struggling to wake up, feeling sluggish as I went about my day. I felt alive but whats more, I felt good about myself for not eating the bodies of animals.

One thing to remember though, beware of junk food. Yes, it's still available to veggies, especially if you have little desire to cook new food. It's easy to buy veggie pizzas and quick fixes and some of it's really good - just not for every meal! My next post will be entitled 'What can I eat?!' and I hope this will offer some ideas of how to make some changes. I am not a great cook. I am married to one however so this helps. Not all of you will be so lucky so you might make use of my tips for ingredients and recipes that I find convenient and really really tasty - even if you have no inclination to become a vegetarian or vegan and are just reading this out of curiosity, why not give some of them a try, it won't kill you, it won't kill anything else and it might even save or extend your life.

Bye for now...

PS. Miller fell asleep in my arms so I was able to concentrate on this post, thanks poppet x

Choosing a cruelty free and healthy lifestyle for you and your family

2007-09-16T10:19:00.001+02:00

Hi and welcome to my blog. My name is Jill Forrest and I am a new vegan mother. The aim of this blog is to share advice, stories, recipes and tips for a healthier and more ethical lifestyle, free from animal products. Yes, I know it sounds impossible and that's what I thought too until I started to adopt certain things in my life. I hope to offer alternatives which make it easy to transition towards a vegan life. Trust me, you'll feel so much better for doing so!

Don't believe me? Well I'll start by saying that I lost 14 pounds in 3 weeks! Stick with me and I'll tell you just how easy that was.

First I think I should tell you a little about myself. I am English but I live and work in Northern Norway. I have two children, Heidi who is two years old and Miller who is approaching six months, you can see the little rascal here. We have been a vegetarian family for some years and made the change to vegan one month ago after listening to a very informative podcast which I shall tell you more about later (if you cannot wait, then go to www.compassionatecooks.com).

Like many, I used to believe veganism was impossible if you wanted to live a normal life but this is so untrue. Sure, it is what we are led to believe, after all the animal industry relies on our money but I hope in this blog to dispel some myths and raise awareness of just how much of a difference you can make to stop animal suffering in your everyday life.

Posts will be theme based and I hope to post at least once a week. As a mother of two young children, I may sometimes be interrupted by nappy changes and nursing but that goes with the territory. What I hope to produce is an informative and engaging blog and welcome any dialogue with you.

My first issue will be 'How to lose weight whilst eating great food!' as I know it's something many of us new mothers are keen to do without affecting the quality of breastmilk and without feeling tired all the time. The good news is, you can gain energy too. I'm not saying you will spring out of bed for that 3 o'clock in the morning feed but I think you'll be surprised.

So, if you are a new mother or if you are just interested in what I have to say then welcome!

Til next time,

Jill.