Peter Dinklage becomes Ambassador for Cruelty Free International

‘The Present Of Life’ - Rapanui

It’s great to see there’s an animal rights based Christmas single out there this year. Rapanui Clothing have released ‘The Present Of Life’, a benefit single, whose proceeds will go to the Badger Trust and help campaign against the badger cull.

The video features David Attenborough, Chris Packham and Michael Fish plus DJ Rob da Bank. The song was written by Jason Paine and Andy Booth (Andy used to be Go:Audio, a fave band of ours).

The lyrics of the song obviously focus on wanting the present of life (which badgers and all animals should have).

The single can be bought and downloaded from iTunes for only 79p at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/the-present-of-life-single/id580220380

Or buy from Amazon for 89p at http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Present-of-Life/dp/B00AC9IIJY

Spread the word so more people know about it and buy it this Xmas.

The video can be seen below:

Vegucated

It may be nearing the end of 2012 but I’ve only just watched VEGUCATED – which was released back in 2011 (how did time fly so fast?). Anyone else watched it? You can download it from www.getvegucated.com or find it on Netflix. I ordered the DVD recently (the one with the eco-friendly packaging!) and it just arrived today. My overall consensus is that it’s very, very (or should I say veggie) awesome. That said, I seem to say that about every vegan/animal rights movie – but this one is definitely another to add to the ‘Everyone you know MUST WATCH it’ pile.

The movie centres around three meat eaters who volunteer to try going vegan for six weeks in New York. You see them taken around health stores, shown all the different vegan food that is available (see the younger girl’s eyes light up when she is told that Oreos and other cookies are vegan). They go to Moo Shoes. They take their first bite of vegan products. You see what happen in factory farms. The trio are shown around a slaughterhouse, emotions start to set in…

At the end of the six weeks you find out whether they want to stay vegan or go back to their old way of life. I won’t spoil the story – but this is a great movie, so you should head over to getveducated.com and watch it in full.

Aside from the main feature, there’s bonus footage of a nutrition Q&A with Dr. Joel Fuhrman (he’ll let meat eaters in on a few things they may not know, like how eating too much fish can bring on dementia and heart attacks due to all the mercury inside). There’s also a stand-up comedy set by one of the volunteers in the film, Ellen.

Watching the DVD made a thought come to mind early on – how I love my fellow vegans (thank YOU for caring). But if you’re reading and not vegan, how about giving it a go and watching it? Go on. It may inspire you. What’s the worst that could happen!?

http://www.getvegucated.com/the-film/watch-the-film/rent-buy/

Missy LePink’s Tattoo Tonic - Info & Giveaway

We’ve been a fan of Missy LePink for quite a while (some of you may know her as Kiria – see our 2010 interview with her over at www.saveascream.com/kiria.htm). She’s vegan, likes the colour pink, is a talented musician and singer – and if you didn’t know, she’s also the creator of her own cruelty-free skincare. Missy LePink has been hard at work for the past two years experimenting with and testing formulas for a tattoo balm. The completed, final balm is now fully EU approved and available for purchase. Since Missy LePink is vegan, Missy LePink’s Tattoo Tonic is of course all-natural and all vegan too. Whether you have a new tattoo or even old ones, then Missy LePink’s after care Tattoo Tonic is for you. Missy LePink boasts that it is ‘The Essential Elixir For Tattoo Longevity’. It soothes, heals, nourishes and brings out the natural luminosity of your skin. It is also free of Petroleum, Lanolin, Parabens and Preservatives (other than 100% natural preservatives).

You can find out more over at https://www.facebook.com/MissyLePinksTattooTonic 

And order directly at:

The full ingredients of the Tattoo Tonic are: Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Jojoba Seed Oil, Rosehip Seed Oil, Candelilla Wax, Wheat Germ Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower (Neroli) Oil, Rosemary Oil, Lavender Oil, Farnesol, Geraniol, Limonene, Limanool.

GIVEAWAY

We just happen to have two pots of Missy LePink’s Tattoo Tonic to give away along with two of Missy LePink’s new EPs. Her new band is Viva Le Pink and their debut EP is entitled ‘London Crawlin” and features three rockabilly-style tunes.

Two winners will each win a pot of Missy LePink’s Tattoo Tonic & a Viva Le Pink ‘London Crawlin’’ EP. To win, send a photo of your tattoo to editor@saveascream.com along with your name and address. Put the subject header ‘Missy LePink’s Tattoo Tonic Giveaway’. We’ll pick two winners at random.

We also asked Missy LePink a few questions…

Shari Black Velvet: You’ve been making your own skincare for a long time. Is it easy? Should more people make their own products rather than buy from a store?

Missy LePink: Oh yes! It’s so simple, obviously dependant on how far into you want to go, but you can research making your own cosmetics, shampoos and daily household products very easily and cheaply these days, for instance using the internet. The best part is not only do you avoid using non-animal friendly/aggressive chemicals on your skin, but you often save yourself money in the process! Once you start you will find it’s pretty addictive once you start to reap the benefits of your work! I intend to post some of my fool-proof recipes on my Missy Le Pink blog in the near future so keep an eye out for those!

SBV: When can we expect more Missy LePink items to be on sale?

ML: Ooooh! I’d love to do a vegan/natural beauty range, that’s what I’d like to do in future and I’m well practised at the art already, but I guess I’ll have to see how the balm goes first! It’s funny, because just making products I’ve always done, but setting up a new business has involved an incredible amount of hard work, learning and of outlay I didn’t really foresee or even have!, so I’ll have to see if it takes off before I start expanding. Paws crossed!

SBV: Are there any other (vegan) items you think the world needs but may be missing out on?

ML: Some good natural make up… I can’t find a great chemical free vegan mascara for love nor money! Also more fake leather products for the rock and roll scene. I have some wonderful shoes and jackets that are fake, they simply don’t need to use it any more, so I wish they wouldn’t!

SBV: Your band is called Viva Le Pink and you wear and use a lot of pink. Do you remember when you first grew attached to the colour pink?

ML: When I was about eight, an older sibling moved out of home and I had my newfound, unshared bedroom painted completely pink. I was utterly thrilled, because there were six brothers and sisters at home so we didn’t have a lot of money, and I felt like it was the best moment of my life, really amazing to have a whole pink world all to myself! It was like being in a bubble. I soon got into rock and roll and adolescence though, and all of a sudden pink was hideously embarrassing to me and I wanted it gone, forever! I then had a black phase right up into my twenties. No bright colours to be seen! I guess the darkness was synonymous with the teenage shame and angst I felt throughout that period. Now that I’ve learnt to be happy with what I have and where I am, I’m enjoying being feminine and enjoying myself - which I feel the colour pink reflects perfectly! Also, the trouble making side of me just Loves the fact that certain male players have been horrified when they’ve enjoyed the music, come for an audition and then heard and been horrified or put off playing with me by the band name! I guess it takes a comfortable sort of gentleman to not be threatened by the pink theme.

SBV: Your new band Viva Le Pink are a rockabilly outfit. What has most inspired you to play Rockabilly/be a part of a rockabilly band/outfit?

ML: Roots! Rock and roll is where it all started for me, the Rockabilly sound requires confidence, and most importantly gets me moving and enjoying myself. It strokes the soul. I figure that’s what music’s all about, and I’d like to tour doing something that does exactly that, so that’s where I’m staying for the foreseeable!

SBV: When can we expect a full Viva Le Pink tour and what will rock fans experience if they come to a Viva Le Pink show?

ML: Well, my first show involved a giant life size elephant (not real!), and all I can say is that half the audience ended up on stage with us by the end, and everybody left smiling. I like to have a lot of fun on and off stage at shows. I best not give away too many forthcoming plans, but one thing I can guarantee is that no show will ever be the same, apart from the fact they will enjoy their night! As for a tour, 2013 will be the year for that, it will be my first, and I just can’t wait!

Check out Viva Le Pink over at https://www.facebook.com/vivalepink

Alpro Vs Tesco

Tesco’s new(ish) Free From products seem to have passed their trial and have made their way into more stores around the UK. We’ve even found them in Redditch’s Tesco. Hurray! We’ve now stocked up on an assortment of Tesco Free From cheese, cheese spread, desserts and milk (wot no marg?!). Today I decided to do a taste test trying a Tesco Vanilla Dessert against an Alpro Soya Vanilla Dessert - since I think Alpro are making Tesco’s Free From desserts for them and was curious to see how they differed.

They actually both taste good. Alpro Soya is probably a little bit thicker. I got my mom to test them both too (she’s not vegan) and she reckoned Alpro Soya’s tastes like custard. Tesco’s Free From Vanilla Dessert is a little thinner and has slightly less of a taste. Alpro’s is yellower while Tesco’s has a creamier look.

Alpro Soya’s Vanilla Desserts come in 4 x 125g at a price of £1 while Tesco’s Free From Vanilla Desserts are 4 x 100g at a price of £1.25 - so you get a little more for your money from Alpro. That said, hopefully some non-vegans that shop at Tesco that maybe haven’t tried Alpro Soya will try out Tesco’s new Free From range due to its name.

Overall, both taste good - and both beat eating dairy yoghurts/desserts. Dairy involves a lot of cruelty to animals, so if you can avoid eating dairy it is kinder to yourself and cows. These desserts also come in different flavours such as caramel and chocolate. And you can get smaller ‘On The Go’ ones that come with a straw for drinking on the go (they are gone too quickly though!).

Militant Meat Eaters. Plus Vegan Eating in NYC

Some people call vegans militant, yet pig-headed meat eaters that refuse to try new food and rant at how they love their steak, how they will keep on betting on the horse racing or go hunting/fishing, and how we were born to eat meat (no we weren’t) are the most militant of all. Is it so hard to try a piece of soya cheese or a veggie sausage? Will it kill you? Did all that meat that you’ve consumed cover the brain in your head? My sympathies go out to those that live in a cocoon of cruelty, that have no heart in working order and that are happy to fill their bodies with disease-ridden, antibiotic-pumped dead flesh from a tortured animal. I think this little rant could possibly make me sound like a militant vegan - but it was inspired by a militant meat eater. :-)

Incidentally, last month I went to New York. I managed to go to a couple of vegan places I hadn’t been to before. First on the agenda was Terri, a great fast service diner at 60 W. 23rd St. My two non-vegan friends came with me. Well, we actually went twice - although only Maria was with me the first time, since Kaori hadn’t arrived from Japan. I tried the bacon, chicken, cheddar ranch sandwich - although opted for no chicken as I don’t really like to eat too much fake meat. I can deal with fake bacon, but bacon and chicken (despite obviously being vegan) on one sandwich might be a bit much. The sandwich was amazing though. Serious heaven. It was so good that we went back a second time. I had a vanilla shake too, which was one of those amazing ice-creamy type shakes, thick and so good. My mouth is watering as I’m typing this, and I wish I could miraculously transport it in a jet plane travelling at a gazillion miles an hour to bring one to my house from NYC right now.

After Terri, we went in search of Dun-Well Doughnuts in Brooklyn, a 100% vegan doughnut store. It was getting late so probably all the best doughnuts had already been eaten - but I chose 3. I ate one there and then managed to contain myself from eating the other two and kept them for breakfast the next morning!

I need to find my actual doughnut photo! I think it’s on my mini laptop.

We also went to Viva Herbal Pizzerie which is an awesome pizza place that I’d been to before - although had forgotten the name of. When I got there I realised I’d been there before. They do amazing Daiya Cheese pizza. Incredible. Again, it was so awesome I had to go not once but twice. The second time I bought a really nice fizzy raspberry drink too.

From the outside it doesn’t look up to much, but once you’ve tried the pizza you will be a convert. Even Maria, who’s from Italy, loved the pizza there.

As the trip was fairly short (it included a trip up to the Niagara Falls, and then down to New Jersey for Bamboozle Festival) I didn’t get to visit too many different places in NYC. I’ll have to add these into my New York article on the website. If you’re ever in New York, make all three - Terri, Dun-Well Doughnuts and Viva Herbal Pizzeria - places you visit.

And thanks to my two meat eating friends that came with me and were happy to try new vegan food. These are the cool sort of open-minded, easy going friends everyone needs. Those militant anti-anything vegan types can FOAD.

Vegan Cheese Pizzas Now in UK Stores!

There is a God!

The Redwood Wholefood Company have come up with some new lines including three amazing vegan pizzas - Cheezly & Tomato, Meatless Feast and Ham & Pineapple, plus fish-free ‘fish’ cakes and ‘fish’ steaks. The Meatless Feast pizza comes with Redwood’s realistic spicy ‘beef’, vegan ‘ham’ and ‘pepperoni’. All are made from natural plant based ingredients so free from animal products/derivatives, cholesterol, artificial colours/preservatives, lactose, hydrogenated fats and GMOs. We’re super-excited to try the Cheezly and Tomato since pizza is our fave food in the whole world - and it will be amazing to be able to buy a ready made one from a store rather than having to make our own. The new additions are of course suitable for vegans (and vegetarians) and kosher certified. They will be available from good health food shops nationwide, including Holland and Barrett. They have been spotted in stores already - and we hope to be able to find them in our local branch ASAP. Find out more at www.redwoodfoods.co.uk

I’ve been Teesed

The good thing about signing up for online store newsletters is that when they have a deal you will know. Veganstore.co.uk yesterday sent out a newsletter offering free postage (for 24 hours only) if you bought one of a number of items. I was swayed by the free postage, so bought a few items including the Teese that they’re now selling. I was interested to try it, since it’s vegan cheese from USA that I hadn’t tried. Today I made a Teese Pizza and then a Grilled Teese Sandwich to try it out.

My thoughts: It tasted nice - although I wouldn’t say it’s much tastier than our UK cheese. The ‘cheddar’ flavour was relatively strong (I generally prefer a weaker cheddar taste). It melted ok - not as much as Cheezly, but more than some other cheese. Overall, if I lived in the US I’d probably eat it a lot more. In the UK it’s £4.45 which seems quite a lot (unless you’re comparing it to Vegusto) - obviously to cover the shipping from the US as well as the product. Although the block is quite thick, so will probably last for a good few meals.

I’m now eating some of these sweets…

They’re from Italy and look similar to LUSH’s Toothy Tabs, except they’re thicker and harder to bite. Try not to get them mixed up with the toothy tabs - it wouldn’t be good to try and brush your teeth with these and eat the toothy tabs. These are nice though.

New Tesco Frozen Meat-Free Range

Did you know Vegetarian Week begins on May 21st? It’s also World Day For Animals in Laboratories on April 28th. Perfect timing all round to try out Tesco’s new range of frozen meat-free meals, which goes on sale from April 30th. The meat-free meals come shortly after Tesco’s new chilled free from dairy range. We’re liking these new ranges a lot!

Tesco now have Meat-free Fishless Fingers. Not sure if these are actually fishy as we haven’t tried them yet. You can also try Tesco Meat Free Salsa Crispbake which are packed with vegetables and beans, and said to be full of punchy Mexican flavour and coated in crispy tortilla crumb for extra crunch. There’s also Tesco Meat Free Chickpea and Barley Gumbo which is a combination of nutty pearl barley and chickpeas and butternut squash. Sounds pretty cool! We’re not exactly sure what’s vegan yet, but hope to find more info shortly. If you go into a Tesco store, please check the ingredients before purchasing if you are vegan.

Tesco are also expanding the Linda McCartney range with Fishless King Prawn, a new Quarter Pounder Burger and a BBQ selection pack that includes burgers and sausages and chicken-style fillets now available.

Here is a list of some of the new frozen meat-free goodies you can now find in Tesco. Although they’re not all vegan, unfortunately, this is great news for meat eaters AND vegans/vegetarians as it gives more options to everyone. If you eat meat, you now have an even greater choice of food that will show you how great meat-free food is, while still possessing the taste that you are used to.

Product Listing

NEW! TESCO MEAT FREE FALAFEL BALLS 300G £1.69

NEW! TESCO MEAT FREE MUSHROOM RISOTTO BAKES 280G £1.69

NEW! TESCO MEAT FREE 15 VEGETABLE FINGERS 424G £1.69

NEW! TESCO MEAT FREE 2 MEXICAN STYLE SALSA BAKES 280G £1.69

NEW! TESCO FISHLESS FINGERS 180G £1.79

NEW! TESCO MEAT FREE CHICKPEA & BARLEY GUMBO 350G £1.89

NEW! TESCO MEAT FREE 4 VALUE GRILLS 227G £1

TESCO MEAT FREE BACON STYLE RASHERS 150G £1.99

TESCO MEAT FREE MEXICAN STYLE BEAN BURGERS 454G £1.69

TESCO MEAT FREE 4 VEGETARIAN QUARTER POUNDERS 454G £1.69

TESCO MEAT FREE 2 CHEESE & SPRING ONION BAKES 280G £1

TESCO MEAT FREE 6 GLAMORGAN SAUSAGES 300G £1.69

TESCO MEAT FREE CAULIFLOWER CHEESE GRILLS 397G £1.69

TESCO MEAT FREE 4 NUT CUTLETS 350G £1.69

TESCO MEAT FREE 2 CHICKEN STYLE CHEESEY GARLIC KIEVS 250G £1.99

TESCO MEAT FREE 4 CHICKEN STYLE FILLETS 300G £1.69

TESCO MEAT FREE CHICKEN STYLE ROAST 454G £3

TESCO MEAT FREE CHICKEN STYLE NUGGETS 320G £1.99

TESCO MEAT FREE 2 GLAZED FILLETS 200G £1.99

TESCO MEAT FREE 4 CHICKEN STYLE & MUSHROOM PIES 568G £1.99

TESCO MEAT FREE VEGETARIAN MINCE 454G £1.75

TESCO MEAT FREE 6 LINCOLNSHIRE STYLE SAUSAGES 300G £1.99

TESCO MEAT FREE 8 BURGERS 454G £1.75

TESCO MEAT FREE 10 HOT DOG SAUSAGES 300G £1.99

TESCO MEAT FREE MEAT STYLE BALLS 400G £1.98

FINEST* MEAT FREE MEDITERRANEAN SAUSAGES 300G £1.14

FINEST* CHEDDAR CHEESE & FOUR NUT ROASTS 280G £2.29

NEW! AMYS KITCHEN MUSHROOM RISOTTO 269G £2.49 (£1.59 from 1/5/12 – 21/5/12)

NEW! AMYS KITCHEN BLACKBEAN & CHEESE ENCHILIDAS 227G £2.49 (£1.59 from 1/5/12 – 21/5/12

NEW! AMYS KITCHEN LIGHT & LEAN SPAGHETTI ITALIANO 227G £2.49 (£1.59 from 1/5/12 – 21/5/12)

NEW! LINDA MCCARTNEY FISH FREE KING PRAWNS 250G £2.50

NEW! LINDA MCCARTNEY ASPARAGUS, LEEK & WHITE WINE TARLET 300G £1.89

NEW! LINDA MCCARTNEY TUSCAN TOPPED CHICKEN STYLE FILLET 360G £1.99

NEW! LINDA MCCARTNEY VEGETARIAN BBQ SELECTION 477G £2.50

NEW! LINDA MCCARTNEY QUARTER POUNDER 227G £1.89

LINDA MCCARTNEY 6 VEGETARIAN SAUSAGES 300G £1.89

LINDA MCCARTNEY 2 MOZZARELLA BURGERS 227G £1

LINDA MCCARTNEY 6 VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE ROLLS 342G £1

LINDA MCCARTNEY 4 COUNTRY PIES 664G £1.98

LINDA MCCARTNEY 6 ITALIAN VEGETARIAN SAUSAGE 300G £1

NEW! QUORN STICKY FILLETS CHICKEN CHILLI & LIME 250G £2.59

NEW! QUORN STICKY CHICKEN FILLETS SMOKY BBQ 250G £2.59

QUORN SAUSAGES 336G £1.98

QUORN MINCE 300G £1.89

QUORN FILLETS 312G £2.19

QUORN CHICKEN STYLE BURGERS 252G £1.99

QUORN CHICKEN STYLE PIECES 300G £1.89

QUORN SMOKY BACON STYLE SLICES 150G £2.17

QUORN SWEDISH STYLE BALLS 300G £2.18

QUORN 2 CHEESE & BROCCOLI ESCALOPES 240G £2.49

QUORN CHICKEN STYLE DIPPERS 320G £2.49

QUORN STEAK STRIPS 300G £2.19

QUORN 2 CRISPY FILLETS 200G £2.29

QUORN MINCE 500G £3.99

QUORN FAMILY ROAST 454G £2

QUORN CUMBERLAND SAUSAGES 300G £1.99

QUORN 4 BURGERS 200G £1.69

QUORN CHICKEN STYLE PIECES 500G £3.19

QUORN FISH-LESS FINGERS 228G £1.50

QUORN 2 CORNISH STYLE PASTIES 300G £2.09

QUORN CREAMY MUSHROOM PIES 567G £2.29

CAULDRON ADUKI BEAN KIEVS 220G £2.29

Of course if you can, keep supporting your local independent vegan store. But if you don’t have one around you, or know friends that aren’t likely to go there, then Tesco is here and are bringing some great vegetarian food to the masses. (And if this was Facebook, I’d click LIKE!).

Merry Xmas / Happy Holidays

What’s a Christmas Day like for a vegan? Well, I ended up opening my presents before going to bed on Christmas Eve. I was overjoyed at receiving lots of great vegan items… everything from a vegan slogan T-shirt to an animal rights cotton carrier, vegan chocolate bars, some Lush bodycare and an Animal Aid mug. I think I got the most vegan related items than I’ve ever had – which is great, as I think this means awareness is spreading. I love my friends that put thought into getting items that really matter to me.

Vegan Pressies 2011:

So after getting up late (did I mention I tried one of the Angell vegan choc bars before going to bed and loved it?) and realising a cold was coming and my throat was getting killer sore (think edgy razorblades), I took a multi-vitamin and had my usual soya hot chocolate (I say ‘usual’ – this is usual at weekends and holidays, as on work days or getting up early days I need an energy drink due to lack of sleep instead). I went to see my folks before starting on the big Xmas dinner. This year I’d decided to actually try a proper vegan turkey-style Christmas dinner. Usually I just eat anything… whether I feel like beans on toast, veggieburger, veggie cottage pie or whatever else takes my fancy. But since I do always wish meat eaters would try veggie turkey I figured maybe I ought to have one for a change so I could really show first-hand what it’s like.

I discovered the week leading up to Christmas that there are actually lots of different veggie roasts you can buy. In Tesco you can buy Quorn veggie roasts as well as a Tesco meat-free Chicken roast (ok, chicken’s not turkey, but still!). In Asda you can buy Linda McCartney’s vegetarian roast plus various nut roasts. The best vegan roast in the UK however is Redwood’s Celebration Roast – available from Holland & Barrett and various vegan/health stores. Some of the veggie roasts such as Linda McCartney’s we can’t eat as they have milk and eggs in. Redwood do a 100% vegan roast.

The ‘Celebration Roast’ actually comprises of six turkey style pieces, plus 4 ‘pigs in blankets’ – veggie sausages with vegan bacon wrapped around them. You also get some vegan gravy mix. This is cheaper than buying a real turkey – plus if you buy one of these, an animal doesn’t die. You’ve saved a life. Win win all round.

I put everything in the oven… and waited… After x amount of time I decided to see if they were done and opened the foil to see how the turkey-style pieces and pigs in blankets were doing… The aroma was very ‘meaty’ – in fact, I was almost put off wanting to eat it – the thought of eating something so ‘turkey-like’ almost sickened me, as I haven’t eaten anything tasting of turkey in the last 21 years, since going vegetarian. I was a little apprehensive and told my mom she may end up having to eat all of it!

I put the sprouts on the grill and then added hot water to the gravy granules. The gravy smelt very beefy! I’m used to having vegetable gravy granules while this Redwood gravy was more meaty too.

Eventually the moment I’d been waiting for arrived. Everything was ready so I served it up… Trying a piece of the turkey (fake, don’t forget!) was daunting… I put it in my mouth with a piece of potato and sprout. The taste WAS very turkey-like. In fact I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to eat it all. Thoughts and flashbacks of real turkey filled my mind. It almost tasted too much like real turkey. The sausages almost tasted too much like real sausages too. (I should at this point point out that I’m one of the pickiest eaters on earth when it comes to food. Even food I CAN eat, a lot of it I don’t like…. like I don’t like asian food… or indian food… even if it’s vegan).

The end result:

While I think I’m happier eating non-meat-like items, unless it’s a veggie burger or things like cottage/country pies, I think this roast would actually be perfect for anyone who eats meat that might like to try a meat-free roast – because it really IS similar to real turkey, and real sausages and bacon (the bacon’s not as crackly and softer, but still. Actually I eat the Redwood’s bacon sometimes when I make a BLT – I just wasn’t so keen on it wrapped around a sausage). Seeing and trying something like this makes me wonder why more meat-eating folk don’t actually bother trying it. Why do people keep eating slaughtered animals when they can try something so similar they probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference? Is it out of laziness? Is it just because they THINK they love the taste of what they’re eating and couldn’t try anything else? Why aren’t people open to trying different food?

After finishing dinner I ate my Moo Free chocolate Santa, which was another Christmas present from a friend, had a look around Facebook and discovered that California now makes McDonalds state that chemicals in some of their food can cause cancer. Wow. I didn’t know about that. After googling a bit it turns out that Acrylamide is the chemical that has been discovered to cause cancer and it is particularly high in high temperatured fast food such as McDonald’s fries. Here’s an article from 2004 - http://corpwatch.org/article.php?id=11351 – it’s interesting how so many people eat McDonald’s but really don’t care what they’re doing to their bodies. It’s also no wonder cancer rates are getting higher when so many people eat at fast food places such as McDonalds. Is it worth paying their cheap prices if you’ll eventually get cancer? It’s funny how people don’t care about what they put into their bodies – until they actually do find out they’ve got something like cancer. They don’t care about animals getting abused and murdered… and they don’t care that the food they’re putting into their bodies could bring on something like cancer either. What DO people care about? They don’t care until it’s too late to care.

I tried watching a couple of movies… first Ice Age, then Kung Fu Panda that I’d recorded earlier… but neither of them interested me. I ate a vegan carrot cake that I’d bought from Goodness Direct, and ended up finishing the night reading a book (how rock n’ roll… Although to be fair it was Nikki Sixx’s Heroin Diaries book which I’ve had for years and never got around to finishing it - I finally got it finished at 5.45am). My mom told me she loved the pigs in blankets (not at 5.45am) – yep, she got the ones I didn’t eat. My mom eats meat, yet everything vegan that I give her to try she loves… It makes no sense why she doesn’t go vegan. I guess she buys meat mainly for my dad… and eats it too.

Now it’s Boxing Day and I’ve just read in the paper that Tory minister Jim Paice is declaring that the fox hunting ban failed. I think that’s insane. If it HAS failed it’s only because the stupid toffs that go out fox hunting are so disrespectful that they don’t care what they do. How is it that the smoking ban managed to be successful when so many people were involved? The general public managed to abide the law of not smoking in public places – yet these moronic fox hunters, of which there are a lot less, think that because they’ve got a bit of money they can disrespect laws and do what they want? That shows how screwed up this country is. The general public with less money has more respect and are more law-abiding than these despicable toffs. Yet the law is not enforced when it comes to people with money that say ‘tallo-ho’. It sickens me, it really does.

Happy Xmas! Ha.

Red Kite

Today I did a day of volunteering at Red Kite Health Foods in Bromsgrove. Since Lisa, owner of Red Kite, is a friend on Facebook I had the idea to email her recently to ask if I could go in and do some voluntary work. I wanted to gain a bit of experience working in a shop since I’ve never worked in one before. Lisa said yes so we arranged that I’d go in today. I got home a few hours ago after an enjoyable day.

(Lisa behind the counter)  

First thing for me to do upon arrival was to get some change. Lisa trusted me with £20 so off I went to the bank to get it converted into 5ps, 10ps and 20ps. Once I returned my main job for the day was going through new stock that had arrived, checking each item off on the list, attaching price labels to each item and putting them on the shelves. Although Red Kite is quite a small store it’s stocked to the max! The store mostly sells vegan and vegetarian products – with a few fish oil supplements too. In amongst the items I had to price and put on shelves were soup, porridge oats, rye bread, tea, pate, sweets, desserts, cooking sauce, regular sauce, mayonaise, beans, seaweed, cereal, biscuits, rice cakes and more.

In my dinner hour, after eating, I walked down Bromsgrove High Street – since I never really go to Bromsgrove – and checked out a bunch of the shops. Later on in the afternoon, Lisa also showed me how to use the till and the credit card machine. Overall the day flew by and soon it was approaching 5.30pm. I bought a few vegan items to bring home with me (and Lisa gave me a few – thanks Lisa!) before we left for the day.  

If you’re ever in Bromsgrove, make sure you call in to Red Kite Health Foods. It’s well worth a visit. You can find Red Kite on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Kite-Health-Foods/148704191836472

Forks Over Knives

Want cancer, diabetes, heart disease? Then eat meat and dairy!

Forks Over Knives is a documentary now available to buy on DVD that shows how eating a plant based diet can cure diseases. It can reverse the effects that eating meat and dairy can cause, it can stop you having to take pills on a daily basis. Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn have both been inspired by the research discoveries they’ve made during their years in the medical industry which led them to the conclusion that meat and dairy is bad for humans. Eating meat can cause strokes, heart attacks, dairy has been shown to bring on more cancerous tumour growths, hypertension and diabetes and more. On this DVD the duo explain it.

More and more people are getting these diseases. There are some interesting quotes in the movie, one being ‘One quarter of what you eat keeps you alive, three-quarters of what you eat keeps your doctor alive’. The medical industry makes billions from the illness of humans. This is why many won’t just tell you to change your eating habits and cut out meat and dairy - and are just happy to keep giving you pills. Would they like to be out of a job? Hell no!

In the DVD you see a number of people who were on medication for diabetes or heart-related problems - and you see how thanks to a change to a plant-based diet they have combated those diseases and no longer need medication, becoming healthier, happier individuals.

Forks Over Knives is the DVD everyone that eats meat or dairy needs to watch. Everyone is always so happy to keep their eyes shut and pretend cruelty to animals doesn’t happen, as long as they can eat the food they like - but in years from now when you start needing medication on a daily basis, won’t you wish you’d done something about your eating habits? Won’t you regret the McMurder Burger you ate on a weekly or monthly basis? Or that slab of steak that wrapped its wings around your heart. Was it worth that taste to be unwell?

Forks Over Knives is inspiring from 30 seconds in - and doesn’t let up until the end. A definite, informative DVD to learn from, and for others to learn from too.

Watch this trailer and then order the full product. It’s well worth it - especially if it means you get to live longer!

Visit www.forksoverknives.com for more info.

Help: Revitalise My Skin

Works With Water is a UK company that have produced a range of food supplements containing ingredients that have been scientifically proven to improve the human body. The products all come under the ‘help:’ name with one of the newest being ‘help: revitalise my skin’, a gel supplement that contains CoEnzyme Q10 and Aloe Vera which aid skin regeneration.

One box of ‘help: revitalise my skin’ costs £9.99 and includes seven sachets (two or three mouthfuls) of the gel supplement, which you eat. They taste nice, although as it’s recommended you eat one a day, they are quite costly. I personally didn’t notice too much of a change in my skin, although maybe it’s more of an inside process. Or maybe I just have awesome skin already that doesn’t need regenerating (I wish!). The products are vegan and not tested on animals.

We do like the idea behind Works With Water and their products although it’s a shame they’re not a bit cheaper as those that aren’t swimming in money probably won’t want to spend £10 a week. That said, it’s good to see edible natural products that can help improve our skin or body functions - and aloe vera seems quite pricey in general (has anyone tried Aloe Vera juice?). You can buy ‘help: clear skin’ (female and male versions) - which tackles blemishes, ‘help: blood pressure’ and ’help: cholesterol’. The products are definitely interesting and innovative. Loads of people take tablets for blood pressure, so if something like Works With Water can lessen the risk of heart attacks and strokes and eleviate blood pressure a more natural and cruelty free way, we’re all for them.

Check http://www.workswithwater.co.uk/ for more info. You can find ‘help:’ in Boots, Superdrug, Holland & Barretts, Waitrose and more.