Yes, Your Fur Babies Can Eat Vegan Too!

What my dogs eat is probably one of the top 5 questions I get asked on social media. The answer is my dogs eat only vegan food and they love it. I have been feeding them a plant-based diet for years and they are all doing extremely well! And even though many dog owners believe that their dogs must eat animal products, research shows this is simply not true. Dogs are the same as humans, they are omnivores, meaning they do not have to eat meat! You should also know that apart from fleas, the leading cause of skin allergic reactions in dogs is food allergies. These allergies frequently come from meat like beef, chicken, or lamb. A vegetarian or vegan diet that eliminates animal food sources will help to handle the allergic reaction and other health issues of your furry friends like liver disease and kidney stones.

My routine usually includes a home made breakfast for all my pups and vegan kibble for the remainder of the day. I do this because after a ton of research I know that the vegan brand dog food that I feed them has absolutely everything they need for a balanced diet but I also like to switch it up for breakfast so they don’t get bored with their food. My fav brand and my doggies fav brand of plant-based dog food is V-Dog (click here to see their products).

Before you decide to make your own home made recipes for your dog family, remember you should always do your homework! There is a ton of reliable research available on the net so take some time and learn. You will also need to watch your pet closely in the beginning. Anytime you change their diet, you should watch and make sure they aren’t having any type of allergic reaction to their new food. If your dog has specific health issues, you can speak with your vet, but from my experience most know very little about plant-based diets. Also, there are a number of common foods you should never use in dog recipes. Some of these are: alcohol, apple seeds and the pits of most fruits, avocados, candy and chocolate (particularly anything containing Xylitol - a sweetener), coffee and tea, garlic, grapes, gum, onions and onion powder, raisins, rhubarb leaves, salt, walnuts, Xylitol (very toxic to dogs), and yeast dough. This is not a complete list and you should always check before preparing any dog food at home.

So, back to feeding our fur babies - I usually take a Sunday afternoon and make up a large batch of the home made stuff, then freeze it for the week. My dogs are all quite small so freezing the food in ice cube trays and then transferring to reusable plastic bags works for me but for larger dogs you can freeze larger portions.

These two recipes below include all of the essential amino acids as well as vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy pet. You can use your slow cooker or a large pot on the stove. You can also cook the ingredients separately or put them together at once into a pot, just leave out the seeds, yeast, kale, peas and spinach until the end to avoid cooking the nutrients out of them. In these recipes, I use cooked ingredients and mix them up at the end.

Lentil Chickpea Dog Food (makes about 4 cups of food)

- 1 C of cooked red or green lentils
- 1/2 C of cooked chick peas, unsalted and rinsed well
- 1/2 C each of: cooked sweet potato and cooked peas
- 1/2 C each of fresh chopped kale and apple
- 1 Tbsp each: Chia seeds, flax meal, ground or whole unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds, nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp each: turmeric, thyme, and rosemary**
- Taurine (buy on amazon and add according to the dosage on the package)
- CBD Oil (Optional-dosage per the brand)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Optional-1 tsp per 20 lbs of dog weight)
- Water if mixture is too thick.

Directions:
- Mix all of your ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Add small amounts of water if the mixture is too thick.
- If you are cooking for smaller dogs, you can mash it up with a potato masher.
- Freeze in proper sealed portions.
- A the time of serving, let the portions thaw and mix in taurine, CBD oil and olive oil (if using).

Quinoa Carrot Dog Food (makes about 4 cups)

- 1 C of cooked Quinoa
- 1/2 C of cooked black beans, unsalted and rinsed well
- 1/2 C each of cooked: diced carrot, green beans
- 1/2 C of chopped fresh spinach and apple
- 1 Tbsp each: hemp seeds, flax meal, ground or whole unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds, nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp each: turmeric, thyme, and rosemary**
- Taurine (buy on amazon and add according to the dosage on the package)
- CBD Oil (Optional-dosage per the brand)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Optional-1 tsp per 20 lbs of dog weight)
- Water if mixture is too thick

Directions:
- Mix all of your ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Add small amounts of water if the mixture is too thick.
- If you are cooking for smaller dogs, you can mash it up with a potato masher.
- Freeze in proper sealed portions.
- A the time of serving, let the portions thaw and mix in taurine, CBD oil and olive oil (if using).

A couple of notes: Even though Taurine is not an essential amino acid, it is added to most pre-made dog foods and I include it in my recipes but I add it at the time of feeding so each dog gets the correct dosage. I also do this with CBD oil - adding it at the time of feeding so each dog receives the proper dosage. If your dog has winter dandruff or dry skin issues you can add olive oil at the time of feeding as well. Also, if your fur baby doesn’t like a particular fruit or veggie, switch it up to something else or hide it in the food. My dogs don’t really like kale or spinach so I pulverize it in a food processor first and then add it at the end to my recipe. Lastly, cut the ingredients up to suit the size of your dog - if you are feeding a German Shepherd there is no need to cut your carrots up too small.

**there is a lot of conflicting information regarding rosemary as an ingredient in dog food. If you are at all worried make a small batch to see how your dog reacts, or if you prefer, leave the ingredient out.

Fast and Easy Ways to Get Delicious Food Into Your Mouth!

Whether you are new to a plant-based life or you have been eating animal free for years, there are days you don’t want to have to think too much about your next meal nor do you want to find some of those tricky ingredients. I have put together some easy and fast tricks that you can use to make your meal prep a breeze.

Something I always do when I am grocery shopping, is to stock up on plant-based items that are on sale. So even if I don’t really need another tin of chickpeas or a bag of frozen kale, if it is on sale, I grab another one. Stocking up on just a few ingredients will make your meal planning much easier. In my pantry I always try and have several tins of beans – black, pinto, chickpeas and kidney; cans of cooked tomatoes and even cans of veggies (some people frown on canned veggies, but for the most part they are pretty good); bags of red and green lentils, rice, couscous; instant oatmeal; mushroom and veggie stock; canned coconut milk; nut butter; seeds and nuts (including flax and hemp seeds); breads and bagels; oils and vinegars; and loads of dried spices and nutritional yeast. I make sure my freezer is filled with frozen veggies and fruits (these are delicious and quite often much less expensive than fresh and obviously last longer); some convenience food like vegan pizza, veggie pot stickers or a mac and cheese. Lastly, I keep pre-made sauces; tofu; pickles; olives; nut milk; vegan butter; and fresh veggies in my fridge.

With a basic stocked pantry/freezer/fridge you can easily put together fast and delicious meals. Let’s start with some quick breakfast ideas.

1)     Nut butter toast with sliced bananas and Chia seeds – Most bread and bagels are vegan but just check before you buy. Slather on your fav nut butter on two pieces of whole grain toast, add a sliced banana and sprinkle with Chia or Hemp seeds.

2)     Instant Oatmeal with apples and spices – Make your instant oatmeal and top with diced apple and your fav spices. I use cinnamon, maple syrup and cardamom. Then sprinkle it with hemp or chia seeds and top with a little nut milk if you like. You can add any type of fruit and even use frozen.

3)     Breakfast smoothie – there is no limit really to what you can add to this fast breaky meal. I always use whatever frozen fruit I have, some frozen kale or spinach, hemp and or chia seeds, cinnamon and nut milk. Sometimes I change it up by adding nut butter or instant espresso powder.

4)     Avocado bagel/toast – Another simple and delicious meal! I mash my avocado with lime juice, salt and pepper and often top it with sliced tomato, bean sprouts or even pickled jalapeno, but you can get creative with whatever you have in your fridge. A trick to keeping your avo’s at the ripeness we like is to put the unripe fruit in the fridge and take one at a time out and set on your counter – after a day or two it will be at the prefect ripeness. Also, if you are looking for a lower carb option, skip the bread and add diced tomatoes, jarred peppers (sweet or hot), some nutritional yeast and chopped cilantro.

5)     Overnight oats – These couldn’t be simpler because you make them the night before and they take only minutes to prepare. The choices here are endless but basically you add about 1/3 cup of instant oats along with the same amount of nut milk, then top with frozen berries, hemp, flax or chia seeds, and any spices you like to any type of container – I use mason jars because they hold the perfect amount and are transportable. Place the container in the fridge overnight and in the morning, they will be ready when you are.

6)     Smoothie bowl – This is completely customizable and is a great way to use up fruits in your fridge or freezer. Basically, this is a smoothie but just thicker and you eat it with a spoon. So just prepare your fav smoothie and don’t add as much liquid. Put it into a bowl, top with more fruit if you like and sprinkle with nuts or seeds.

7)     Breakfast Burrito – these will take a bit more prep time than a smoothie or toast, but the good thing is you can make a bunch up on the weekend and freeze them. Take one out the night before and put in your fridge. The sky is the limit with the fillings and a quick google search will give you hundreds of recipes but essentially, they are filled with either scrambled tofu or egg replacements, some beans, cooked or fresh veggies, some spices and plant-based cheese if you like. In mine, I include scrambled tofu which I add salt, pepper and ground cumin to while cooking; drained black beans, chopped avo and tomato, some salsa and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast to a whole wheat tortilla.

8)     Bacon and eggs – That is tempeh bacon and scrambled tofu. Most grocery stores stock tempeh bacon and it cooks very fast. Putting together a tofu scramble (firm tofu crumbled with your fingers, frozen kale, nutritional yeast, some chili powder, salt and pepper) takes only a couple of minutes, then fry up some tempeh bacon, add sliced tomato and your breakfast is done.

9)     English muffin breaky sandwich – Once again, the sky is the limit! One that I love includes mashed chickpeas with ground cumin, sliced tomato and avo, vegan cheese and salsa. I put the ingredients on a toasted English muffin and put it in the microwave for a few seconds or under the broiler in the oven. So good and so easy!

10)  Really lazy options – There are tons of prepared plant-based food options in your grocers’ freezers and shelves. Try vegan waffles topped with frozen fruit (heated up on the stove with a touch of water), maple syrup and hemp seeds. A bowl of cereal with sliced banana and chia seeds takes zero effort. Or a big plate of sliced fruit is another simple choice!

Whatever options you choose, eating a plant-based breakfast is much easier than it may seem. It is simple, delicious and animal free - good for you, the planet and the animals!

Taking Off the Blinders

Every accomplishment begins with the decision to try…  Everyone’s story of their path to becoming vegan is as different as the people themselves.

Many decide to live a vegan lifestyle because they see animals as sentient beings and can no longer be part of a cycle which causes pain and suffering to the animals who live in our supposed food chain. Others have come to understand that the greatest positive affect they can have on our environment is to exclude all animal products from their life. Some have adopted to this lifestyle simply because they believe it to be healthier for themselves. For many, it is the combination of all of these ideas that starts them on the path to a plant-based life. For me it was a little different; it was a very slow process of removing the blinders that had been covering my eyes for decades.

For the majority of my life, I lived like most people; taking weekly shopping trips to the grocery store looking for good buys on meat, veggies, dairy products and pantry items. I looked at labels, believed them and bought what I thought to be healthy’ish choices for my family at prices I could afford. This was all I knew and all I had been taught by my mother. It was simply the way it was and the way it had always been. During this period, my oldest daughter had decided not to eat meat at the age of five, and so her meals were as vegetarian as I could make them. I knew really nothing about nutrition and a vegetarian lifestyle but did my best.

Fast forward ten years …

Knowledge is power, but only when it is applied … I moved to a 150-acre organic farm which homed highland cattle, laying chickens, pigs (occasionally) and once each year, what the industry and farmers call, meat chickens or broilers. There is also a stocked pond with fish on the property, and a number of dogs and cats. During this time, I began researching pesticide and herbicide use in the food industry and did not like what I saw. So for most of my time on the farm, we organically grew all of our own veggies and raised beef, chicken, pork and eggs for our own consumption. I made my own bread, cookies and cakes, my own lemonade, mayo, pickles and ketchup, soups and stocks and almost everything you can think of. It was a ton of hard work but made my grocery store trips few and far between. At this point, my oldest was vegan and my middle daughter had become vegetarian. I was participating in meatless Mondays and the odd vegetarian meal but I was not buying into the vegan lifestyle. I found that many vegans were what I described as hard-core and found myself defending my omnivore lifestyle with them in person and on social media. I justified my position by saying that I did not participate in the meat industry and that every one of my animals were treated with respect and care, which they were. They were spoiled; they did not live the life of the animals in the industrial farm settings. That was, until I sent them to be killed and put into my freezer. I felt quite strongly that for me this was a great way to live.

I am an addicted researcher and began exploring the industrialized meat industry. The more I learned, the more I felt the need to continue investigating. What I found was disgusting and almost unbelievable, but my stance remained - I was raising my own food and was therefore not part of this horrendous production. I also began to sell products from the farm in an attempt to keep others from participating in these industries.

Fast forward to three years ago…

Your eyes will only see what your mind is prepared to comprehend… My oldest daughter asked if I could help with writing articles for her blog. I love to write but it was a vegan site and so most of my articles were based on research rather than personal experiences. It was during the research for plant-based articles that my blinders slowly began to come off. I very quickly came to realize that facts do not cease to exist just because they are ignored. I began to grasp that, yes my animals were well looked after, they were not beaten nor were they starved, mutilated or made to live in filthy confined areas with other abused animals, but they were sentient beings. They, like us, did not want to die. They were not put on this earth to become a spot on my dinner plate. I finally came to understand that they experienced love, sadness and pain just like we do. My cows did not want to become steaks; my pigs were not just bacon and chops; and my chickens would fight not to end up as stew or fried pieces of their body parts. This epiphany was a punch in the stomach, a knife in my heart and a huge wake up call.

Fast forward to two years ago…

Deep down you already know the truth … After a long and winding road, my blinders finally came off. I realized that animals do not need to die for me to live. I do not need to eat meat, dairy or eggs in order to be healthy. I see that a vegan diet is filled with great tasting food. And I see that I really don’t miss cheese as much as I thought I would. I see that buying cruelty free products is as easy as a quick google search; that telling companies to stop using Palm Oil can be done in seconds on their social media; and that educating others can be accomplished without shaming.

Through my research, I now know the truth about the industries that abuse and exploit animals for our food, clothing, medicines, cosmetics, sport and even our entertainment. I know the harmful impact they have on our environment. And, I know it does not need to be this way! Each of has the power to make a change. Each of us needs to become the best version of ourselves. It has been wisely said that the greatest threat to our planet is that someone else will save it.

Thank you to my daughter for helping me to see again.

Easy Ways to Veganize Your Christmas Dinner

What if Christmas doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. - Dr Seuss

Holidays are not about the presents, decorations or the food. They are about spending time with those you love, and your family and friends will love you no matter what you serve for a holiday meal! So why not start a new tradition? A vegan Christmas Dinner. It is delicious, healthy, easy and not a single animal will be killed in the process!!

I am going to show you easy changes for each part of a traditional meal.

Appetizers and starters are so easy when it comes to vegan based options. Here are some great ideas for home made recipes, but serving simple treats like fresh veggies with hummus or tortillas and salsa will be loved by all your guests.

Turkey or Roast Beef:

• There are so many ready-made options in the stores today. Gardein is one I use and it is so easy and delicious. For real convenience, you can even buy it with the stuffing and gravy included. Other brands include: Beyond Meat, Tofurky, Yves, Trader Joe’s, and many others.

• If you would like to serve home-made options, try my Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms or my Stuffed Pepper recipes here. There are also thousands of other recipe ideas all over the internet.

Side Dishes:

• Mashed potatoes are easy to prepare without animal products. Use either vegan butter or olive oil in place of butter. Adding roasted garlic or fresh herbs like Rosemary or Thyme is another great flavor booster.

• All of your veggie dishes can easy be made using vegan butters, oils and fresh herbs. Your friends and family won’t taste any difference! Here are some easy recipes that include all of the traditional fav’s along with some new ones to try.

• Stuffing is another dish that tastes even better when you take out all the animal products. Replacing meat broths with veggie or mushroom broth is easy and add loads of veggies, herbs and vegan butter or oil. Here is my favorite recipe, but the great thing about stuffing is you can add just about anything you like.

• Gravy may seem like a difficult thing to make without using animal products but it is so easy and tastes even better than the traditional gravies. You can either make it yourself or many stores offer Vegan Gravy options. If you prefer a home made version here is a great recipe that I make myself.

  - 2 C of chopped fine mushrooms – any type you like
  -  2 cloves of garlic, diced small 
  -  ½ onion diced small
  -  2 C of mushroom stock (or vegetable stock)
  -  ¼ C of AP flour
  -  2 Tbsp of oil (or vegan butter)
  -  1 tsp each: salt, pepper and thyme (dried-if using fresh use triple the amount)

  DIRECTIONS:
  -  Heat up the oil or butter over medium high heat in a large saucepan.
  -  Add mushrooms, onion and garlic and sauté for 4-5 minutes (or until soft).
  -  Add flour, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for 1 minute.
  -  Slowly whisk in stock and cook for about 2-3 minutes (until it thickens).

Vegan desserts have come a long way! You can now buy just about any type of dessert made without animal products. Here are some of my personal favorite recipes and pre-made products that will put the delicious finishing touch on your meal.

After putting together your first Vegan Christmas dinner, you will see how simple and delicious it is. Your health, the planet and especially the animals will thank you!

Remember if your store doesn’t carry vegan items, always ask them for it. Our food dollars control what is offered.

Skip the Turkey This Christmas

Most of you would never eat your dog or cat for Christmas or any other meal, and we condemn, sign petitions and protest those who participate in the dog or cat meat trade. And yet tens of millions of beautiful, intelligent turkeys are killed and served at holiday tables every year.

Turkeys are smart animals with loads of personalty just like your pets. They love to have their feathers stroked and even do a dance when they see a person they recognize. And just like your cute little puppy or kitten, turkey’s develop a strong bond with individuals who spend time with them.

I am not going to go into the horrific details of how these birds are treated for the short five months of their lives, but I will say that it is NO different than the cruel and disgusting treatment of dogs in the meat trade or the elephants and rhinos in the ivory trade. I will tell you all baby turkeys are subject to excruciating mutilations without any anesthetic of having all “non-essential“ body parts cut off - beaks, toes, snoods (the fleshy red protuberance that dangles over turkeys’ beaks and is used to attract mates). Sadly, their painful and traumatizing death comes as a relief to the torture they endure while crammed into sheds that allow them only a couple of square feet of space. In fact, just in the US alone, millions die while being transported to the slaughter houses - they are kicked and thrown, their legs and wings are broken off, all so families can eat their single holiday meal.

Understand this, there is NO such thing as a humane slaughter. These animals do not want to die and the processors who kill turkeys have no interest in being kind in anyway. Their mandate is to make money spending as little time as possible with the kill and processing. There is nothing humane about inflicting violence and death on animals just because people like the taste of their flesh.

Humans have zero biological need to eat meat, dairy or eggs! So what can you do? The simple answer is to STOP eating and serving turkey or any other meat. Whether you’re looking for store-bought, order-online, or make-your-own options, it’s easy and delicious to veganize your favorite holiday main dishes. There are literally millions of vegan recipes on the internet. I have tons of recipes in the Food section of this blog and they are all very easy and delicious. At some point in the not too distant future, you will not have the choice, as the water, earth and air will be of such poor quality, raising animals for food will be impossible.

Our compassion towards animals does not need to be taught, we simply need to stop un-teaching it!

Blessed Protein Thanksgiving Snacks - Oatmeal, Chocolate and Coconut

Whether you serve these as part of your Thanksgiving desserts, or just snack on them while preparing your dinner, these easy plant based cookies taste amazing with the addition of Blessed Protein Choc Coconut Protein Powder.

Blessed Protein Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (makes about 30 cookies)

- 2 cups quick-cooking oats
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup Blessed Protein Choc Coconut Powder
- 1/2 tsp each: baking soda, baking powder and salt
- 1 C each: sugar and unsweetened nut milk
- 2 Tbsp each: coconut flakes and ground flaxseeds
- 2/3 cup canola oil (or substitute with applesauce)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- In a medium bowl mix oats, flour, Blessed Protein powder, baking soda, baking powder, coconut and salt. Set aside.
- Place sugar, nut milk and flax seeds in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer or use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until smooth. Add the applesauce or oil and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir by hand until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips and stir until chips are evenly distributed.
- Using a tablespoon scoop and place dough onto baking sheets, spacing about 2” apart.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, then cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Some quick and Easy Plant-Based Dinners

I have the luxury of working from home and I live on a farm where I grow all of my own food, but I know that a lot of people don’t live like this. So for anyone who is in a hurry to put dinner on the table for their family or for themselves I have put together some quick and easy recipes.

Easy Pesto Pasta (Makes 4 servings)

- 1 C of basil leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 C of nuts (I use walnuts)
- 2 Tbsp of olive oil
- a pinch of salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 tsp of nutritional yeast (optional)

- 4 servings of whatever type of pasta you like

Directions:
- Put all of your ingredients (except pasta lol) in a blender or food processor and blend. If it seems to thick, you can add small amounts of water or more olive oil.
- Cook your pasta according to the instructions. Keep 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain and add the pesto and reserved water to your pasta.

Options:
- Add chopped fresh veggies like cherry tomatoes, spinach or roasted peppers.
- Add zucchini “meat” balls (recipe below).

Zucchini “Meat” Balls (Makes 4 servings)

- 1 C of shredded zucchini (squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can)
- 1/2 C of thawed frozen corn
- 1/4 C of finely chopped onion (whatever you have on hand)
- 1/4 C each of flour and corn meal
- 1 Tbsp Nutritional yeast (optional) AND 1 Tbsp of nut milk
- 1/2 tsp each: salt, pepper, ground nutmeg and garlic powder
- about 3 Tbsp olive oil for frying

Directions:

- Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. If the mixture seems to dry add a small amount of nut milk. If it seems to wet add a small amount of corn meal or flour.
- Form the mixture into balls (you can refrigerate at this point to cook later).
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
- Cook and turn the balls until they are golden brown. Remove and place on a paper towel.

Easy Vegetable Pho (Makes about 4 servings)

- 2 large containers (about 6 cups) of Vegan Pho broth**
- 3 cups of any type of frozen vegetables
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 4 servings of thin rice noodles (about 1/2 package)
- 1/3 cup of each: fresh torn basil, chopped cilantro and fresh mint
- 1 lime cut into quarters
- peanuts, sliced hot peppers and hot sauce (optional)

Directions:
- Heat up your broth in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Add your rice noodles and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add your frozen vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Take off the heat and add your sprouts, basil, cilantro and mint.
- Serve and top with lime juice, additional soy sauce, hot sauce, sliced hot peppers and peanuts.

** If you can’t find Pho broth you can use vegetable or mushroom broth. Heat the broth up and add 1/4 cup of chopped onion, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, a couple of slices of ginger, 2-3 pieces of crushed garlic, a piece of star anise, 2-3 whole cloves and a piece or a pinch of cinnamon. Heat up and simmer for about 20 minutes, then strain and use in place of the broth above.

Easy Ways you Can Help!

The number of issues out there negatively affecting our environment, animal welfare and our own health, can seem overwhelming at times. Many feel like their actions will not make a difference, but that is simply not true. Everything and anything you do goes toward a society that is more responsible and less reliable on convenience.

I have put together a list of really easy fixes that can make a big difference and probably won’t change your life much at all. Today we are looking at reducing your plastic footprint.

I know one of the “R’s” we are taught is to recycle and yes it does have some value, but understand that 91% of all plastic is not recycled and ends up in landfills and waterways, including our oceans. We are now producing 300 million tons of plastic each year and of that, over 8 million tons is being dumped into our oceans. Worse still, is about half of the plastic produced is used one time only!

Here are some easy ways to reduce your plastic use:

• Carry with you - reusable straws, chopsticks, fork, knife and spoon. I keep mine in a cloth pencil case in my purse.

• Be sure and ask for NO straw or disposable cutlery when you are eating out.

• Always carry a reusable shopping bag. There are some that fold up quite small. Over 500 billion plastic bags are produced each year and they have a “working life” of about 15 minutes.

• Buy and use a reusable water bottle and coffee cup.

• Avoid excessive packaging when buying fruits and vegetables. You don’t need your carrots or apples in a plastic bag.

• To help avoid excessive packaging with all groceries, stock up at your local bulk food store and bring a reusable container like a mason jar to fill up. Also, if your favorite product does use way too much packaging, email, Facebook or Instagram them and ask them to cut back. Companies will listen.

• Ditch the Ziploc bags and use glass containers instead.

• Swap out your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo brush. Over 50 million pounds worth of toothbrushes end up in our trash. They both need to be replaced at the same rate but the bamboo will biodegrade after 6 months.

• If you live in a country that hasn’t banned micro-beads, make sure your cosmetics do not contain them.

• Over 2 billion plastic razors are thrown out each year. Switch to a metal reusable razor and ditch the plastic for good.

• AND FINALLY, every time you make any type of purchase give it a look over to see how much plastic it contains or is wrapped in, then decide whether or not the item is worth the millions of years that the plastic will spend on this earth. Choose wisely and companies will have no choice but to get on board or if not, to get thrown out with the trash.

Soup for those cool days - Vegan French Onion

Who doesn’t love soup, especially during the cooler weather? This vegan French Onion soup is warm, comforting and really inexpensive to make! It uses simple ingredients that you probably already have, and it freezes well.

Vegan French Onion Soup (Makes 6 servings)

- 5 cup of sliced onions*
- 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped fine
- 2 tsp each: dried thyme, salt, pepper
- 1 Tbsp sugar (or maple syrup)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, plus 1 Tbsp vegan butter
- 3/4 C of wine (I used red but use what you like)
- 2 quarts mushroom or veggie broth
- 6 slices of thick toasted bread (I actually used bagel halves)
- 1 1/2 cups of non dairy cheese shreds

*use what ever type of onions you prefer and slice to the size you like.

Directions:

- Heat the oil and butter in a large pot on medium heat, and add the onions, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook for about 45 minutes stirring often so they don’t stick.
- Add the wine and cook for about 10 minutes.
- Add the stock and cook for another 15-20 minutes. (If you are going to freeze, do so at this point)
- Transfer 1/6 of the soup to each of your oven proof dishes, add a slice of your toasted bread and top with 1/4 C of cheese.
- Place under the broiler and cook until the cheese is bubbly (about 4-5 minutes).
- Serve immediately and enjoy!

Blessed Protein Double Chocolate Pancakes

These vegan pancakes are so quick and easy and are especially delicious with the Blessed Protein Chocolaty flavor!

Blessed Protein Double Chocolate Pancakes (Makes about 12-14 pancakes)

- 2 cups non dairy milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup mashed bananas
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, melted + more for frying
- 2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp Blessed Protein Chocolate Coco Flavor
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup vegan chocolate chips

 Dirtections:

- In two separate bowls, mix the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients whisking just until the lumps are gone.
- Mix in the choc chips.
- Heat frying pan on medium heat with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Add about ½ cup pancake batter onto the pan to form each pancake.
- Cook until the bubbles at the top to collapse about 2-3 minutes.
- Flip with a spatula and cook on other side for an additional 2 minutes.
- Continue until all batter is used up. Serve warm and enjoy!