Happy Birthday, Humphrey!

Humphrey is one of the loves of my life. He's a min-pin-dachshund cross who joined us in his 'forever home' this weekend in 2004. As a rescued pup from Tennessee, his background is a bit of a mystery, even to the point that we don't know his exact birthday, or even age. All we know is that he was rescued from a high-kill shelter in TN and brought up to New England by the good folks of the FACES network. These people are like a modern day 'underground railroad', saving countless lives by transporting non-humans from areas where they will be killed to loving homes. And just because we don't know exactly when he was born - and he's sure not telling! - does not stop us from celebrating him and marking his 'honorary birthday' each year on President's Day weekend. Today, he looked forward to and seemed to thoroughly enjoy a slice of birthday cake...

A Carrot and Vegan Sausage Cake with non-dairy Cream Cheese Filling:



Savouring the moment and knowing that it's all for you:



Trying to keep it on the plate:



OK, it's all toooooo good!:



Yum:




Looking for every last crumb:



Happy 'Birthday' Humphrey and many - MANY - more to come!
:)

In a kitchen redolent of nutmeg and spice...

Thanksgiving this year was wonderful. Coincidentally, it fell upon My Beloved's birthday but he gave me the best present...a ticket out of the tortured-turkey nightmare by way of a trip to Cape Cod to stay at the area's only vegan inn. The Shady Hollow Inn is in some ways a quaintly typical New England establishment - wide plank flooring covered with sumptuous rugs, perfect white trimwork, handpainted works of art, Shaker-style furniture, and a slightly nautical feel. Everything was comfortable, our wishes were not only accommodated but also anticipated and we wanted for nothing.

But it was more than that. What made it distinctly atypical was the ethic of the innkeepers themselves. David and Ann are simply terrific people with a vision for the inn based in living their own values, which extend far beyond simply offering guests a break from life. Their values are founded in compassion and respect for the natural world: long time veg*ns, they serve only organic vegan (and local as far as is possible) food, recycle and reuse, tend a wonderful garden, decorate the inn both inside and out with 'animalia' and offer the local avian population the widest choice of feeders that I have ever seen.

I knew I was 'amongst friends' the second I arrived when, welcomed into Ann's kitchen, I espied her stack of vegan cookbooks open to several of my favourite recipes. We bonded over cashew cream (from the Joy of Vegan Baking) and vegan pumpkin pie, debated the finer points of the Veganomicon and were excited to find we both possessed largely the same array of culinary tomes. I instantly felt like I had met up with an old friend - one fortunate enough to possess a beautiful, old-worldy kitchen, comfortingly redolent of nutmeg, cinnamon and spices, in which to while away the afternoon. I was enchanted and could have happily spent the whole weekend right there - this is no exaggeration.

On the promise of dinner, however, I managed to tear myself away and set off, albeit somewhat trepidently, for the Ocean House Restaurant. Now, if you do happen to check out their menu you will see a veritable Noah's Ark of animals thereupon. When Ann recommended them, I was hesitant but trusting and I am so glad I was able to put aside my worry. I had a really delightful meal:

Cocktails:



Mine was 'The Pear', a delightful concoction the essence of which was a pear-based eau de vie. My Beloved enjoyed the Mojito, made with Kaffir Lime Vodka, fresh mint and lime. To the right on the pic you can see the bread which is worth pointing out. They take a section of a french stick, make several vertical cuts almost all of the way through and into them insert some crispy flatbreads, which end up looking like sails in the wind. Moving beyond the usual herbed olive oil, these breads are accompanied by a white bean, chilli oil and miso puree which was a very nice touch I thought.

The appetizers were extraordinary and the presentation fanciful:



I chose the vegan spring rolls which were accompanied by a ridiculously fresh and citrus-y Asian coleslaw, a dipping sauce and a Chinese mustard drizzle.

My main course was a cobble-together of various entrees: the cod over a bed of pumpkin risotto, minus the cod but with a side of the tenderest, freshest spinach sauteed with sliced garlic I have ever enjoyed. The risotto itself was soft to the bite with not even a hint of nuttiness and yet the rice grains held their shape. Added to that, I split a side of Thai fried rice which omitted the usual eggs and anchovy sauce in favour of 10 different spices, vegetables and even a suggestion of pineapple. It was simply divine.



Oh, and dessert. Well, far from having to 'settle for a sorbet' we opted for it: a fresh, home made apple cider sorbet, delectably sweet and creamy. It arrived with a slender candle and 'Happy Birthday' which once again embarrassed (but secretly, I think, delighted) My Beloved.





Happy Birthday, Darling!
Not a bad start to your 42nd year!

Until the next time, Stay Vegan, friends!

Today is my Vegan-versary!

Today is my Vegan-versary!

My Vegan Birthday!

I am one year old today!!

Yes folks it is exactly *a year* since I first stumbled across the truth about how we treat the animals that wind up on our dinner plates. Then it was shocking....and it still is. Over the course of the year, I have learned more, cried more, raged more, become stronger, and consolidated my understanding of the issues. I have learned to cook in a new, fresh, exciting ways that have reinvigorated my diet and passion for food. I have dropped a few pounds, although not nearly as many as I would have liked! (Perhaps in this way I have contributed to debunking the myth that all vegans are sickly and thin? I certainly am not!)

I have made new friends, read new books, brought my values to a new workplace and have volunteered my time and skills in new endeavours. I have come to see the world and my place in it through a different lens: one that highlights the connections between all living things and the contradictions of our all too human behaviour; one that rejects the selective compassion of cuddling pet dogs while eating hot dogs; one that understands the social crutches of 'tradition' and 'habit' as excuses for selfish taste preferences and elitism.

And so, with a nod to that once ubiquitous Mastercard ad....

Number of days since going vegan: 365
Number of new cookbooks gleefully purchased: 17
Number of factory-farmed land animals not eaten by me: 35.7

Living in harmony with my conscience: Priceless

Stay Vegan, Friends!

Happy Birthday, Colleen!

A very special person has a birthday coming up, so this is a shout out to her - Happy Birthday, Colleen!

As you may know from previous posts, I am addicted to and inspired by the Vegetarian Food for Thought podcasts produced by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau of Compassionate Cooks. Colleen's work is consistently thoughtful, highly-researched, balanced without pulling punches, and above all each podcast embodies the compassion she advocates. She truly is a hero to me and I recommend her work to anyone with even the faintest interest in healthful, sustainable eating or animal welfare. To learn more, search for vegetarian podcasts in iTunes, or click here to visit her website.

My teacher, my guide, my friend - Happiest of Birthdays to you!

:)

Happy Birthday, Humphrey!

This weekend marks the anniversary (aka 'birthday') of Humphrey, the Min-Pin/Dachshund doglet, coming to live with us - My Beloved, Darwin the Beagle - his older brother - and myself. Rescued from a kill shelter in Tennessee and brought up north by the incredible volunteers who make up the FACES network, 'Gus' as he was called then was always a happy-go-lucky little guy. No-one is too sure about his real background, but the official story was that a woman turned him in to the shelter after seeing him hanging around her apartment for a week. He is now a whole 15lbs - and that's after 3 years with us - so you can imagine what kind of shape he was in after living alone on the unforgiving Tennessee streets...

These days, however, he is a very contented and loving little guy and this year - although he does not yet know it - he is going to have a birthday cake. And a vegan doggie cake at that! I have a recipe that I'm going to have a crack at veganizing tomorrow, using mainly a base carrot cake with Gimme Lean 'sausage-style meat'. The original calls for ground up turkeys - and that ain't going to happen! - so let's see how the soy-meat performs....

I'll definitely post some pix and the recipe (in the 'Eat Me!' section) but in the meantime why not try out the Pumpkin Spice Dog Cookies...for your own four-legged bundle of love!

Stay vegan, Friends! :)