Monthly Archives: June 2011
Dog guards baby “forgotten” in park overnight by drunken mother
Wow! Animals never cease to amaze me. Thank goodness this rottweiler was more responsible than the adult in charge!
A dog has guarded a three-month-old baby forgotten in the park for a whole night in the Russian city of Saratov. The baby had been left by a reckless mother, and was later found with the loyal dog sitting by the pram.
The baby’s mother, 22-year-old Olga, says she went for a walk in the park with little Vadim and their Rottweiler Lada, when she met her friends. The girls decided to have a couple of drinks, and after several beers Olga, quite drunk already, went home, Saratov news agency reports.
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Only in the morning did the woman realize she had brought home neither the baby nor the dog.
Read more here.
The Naked Sprout = perfect
Last week I had the absolute pleasure of trying out a new vegan restaurant in Burlington, Ontario – The Naked Sprout.
Here’s the gist of it:
- all-vegan food, a lot of it raw
- beautiful atmosphere
- extremely friendly staff and owners
- amazing food!
Oh, and folks – the chef is not only talented, but he’s a total cutie, too.
I had the nacho appetizer (split with a friend), the Beaner, and a slice of pumpkin cheesecake. Sound amazing? It was. The pumpkin cheesecake was pretty much to die for. I mean… vegan…pumpkin…cheesecake. Life doesn’t get much better than that.
The gorgeous photos below are courtesy my fellow vegan friend Jen B., who also couldn’t say enough good things about our meal there!
If you’re not from Ontario or from Canada, you may have no idea where Burlington is located. That’s okay – I know you know where Toronto is, and it’s not far from there. Visiting Toronto? Perfect! Hop on the QEW or the 407 and head towards Burlington – it’s a short drive and it will be completely worth it. Click on the map below and you can work out your directions.
Do you need more incentive to try it out? Get in on this WagJag deal, where you pay $12.50 and you get a $25 credit to use at the Naked Sprout. Yes, seriously – beautiful and delicious ethical food, half-price. ( You can buy up to 5 of them and you have until October of this year to use them up!) Hurry, though, this deal is only available for the next 6 days or so.
So: convinced? You should be. Try it out and let me know what you think – hey, you may even run into me there, who knows.
Coconut Cream Pie Ice Cream
Well… this sounds amazing. I stumbled on this amazing recipe for vegan coconut cream pie ice cream and I’m pretty much drooling. Will someone make it and bring it over to me? Please?
Pop on over to Gluten-Free Gigi to get the recipe and try it out for yourself! (And then bring me some.)
Giveaway! Enter to win The Happy Herbivore Cookbook
The Snarky Chickpea is hosting an awesome giveaway – you could win your very own copy of The Happy Herbivore cookbook!
I debated not sharing it with you at all because more entires just decrease my own chance of winning – but alas, my vegan love wins and I’m sharing the news.
Giveaway is open to all folks with mailing addresses in the USA and in Canada. For details and to enter, check out this post! The last day to enter for the draw on Friday is this Thursday, June 16th – so don’t wait!
We must stop eating our oceans
There is no physiological need for humans to eat fish. Fish has no magical properties not found in plants.
- One Green Planet
Check through this incredibly informative post from One Green Planet about the place of fish in the world of ethical and environmental injustices.
The article is quite long, so do click here to read it in it’s entirety! In the meantime, here are a very brief number of highlights:
[F]ishing is one of the world’s most wasteful and destructive industries. Every year, more than seven million tons of so-called “by-catch”, (perhaps more accurately described as “by-kill”) is inadvertently caught and wantonly destroyed; including over 300,000 sea animals such as non-target fish species, sea turtles, dolphins, whales, sharks, albatrosses and other sea birds.
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Endangered species are also vulnerable to industry nets and other gear. Just as the dolphins still suffocate and die in the tuna industry nets, sea turtles are killed by the millions in the nets of the shrimping industry. In fact, for every pound of shrimp netted in the Gulf of Mexico, four pounds of “by-kill” is wasted and thrown back overboard dead.
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Not only are we depleting the oceans of fish at an alarming rate for human consumption, but half the world’s fish catch is fed to livestock! In fact, more fish are consumed by U.S. livestock than by the entire human population of all the countries of Western Europe combined. Factory farmed pigs and chickens are eating more fish than sharks and seagulls.
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Fish is the number one way humans become contaminated with methyl mercury.
No matter where your concern lies, whether it be health, ethics, or environmental concerns, there is good reason for not consuming fish!
Quote: Michelle A. Rivera
We are all aware of the ubiquitous “meat by-products” that is listed on commercial pet food labels. The ingredient is a large part of what your dog is eating when you serve him standard pet food products. “Meat by-products” refers to the parts that are left after an animal has been rendered. This may include the head, viscera, neck, bones, feet, intestines, eyes, nose, nail, and, in the case of poultry, feathers.
- The Simple Little Vegan Dog Book, p. 14
Coupon code, fundraising, veganism, animal sanctuary – win-win-win…win!
The EtsyVeg Team, a group of handmade sellers dedicated to animal-friendly wares, has been invited to Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary‘s July Jamboree. This is an animal event featuring great vegan food, live entertainment and all kinds of activities. This year, vegan friendly organizations and businesses have been extended invitations to table and strut their (vegan) stuff – and this includes the EtsyVeg Team!
Kristy from the vegan soap shop Sinister Soaps will heading there to represent the team and is still in need of fundraising money. She’s offering a great 25% off sale at her shop to help raise money:
I’m now holding a sale of 25% off all orders until Saturday, the 18th and could use a little help getting the word out. The coupon code is WOODSTOCK. I figured this way, people aren’t just making a contribution, but getting something for it as well. I’m ok with using my profits to get there, I just want to be able to get there at all!
Just last week I received an order from her shop and I love her stuff! (In case you’re wondering, I bought this, this, and this.) You can also donate through ChipIn – click to view the blog post here and scroll down to the bottom for ChipIn widget where you can donate via Paypal.
Thanks for your support!
Steve-O boycotts meat-serving charity function
Star of the Jackass TV series and films, Steve-O, recently walked out on a charity event held by the American Diabetes Association the moment he found out they were serving meat.
Apparently the stuntman, and hardcore vegan, thought the event was to help promote the idea that a plant-based diet can lower your risk of diabetes, so you can imagine his bewilderment when he arrived at the celebrity go kart tournament and found meat heavy catering.
He stormed out before the race could even begin, and he later told a rep for the Children’s Hospital organization, “I came here because I thought this was about promoting a plant-based diet as diabetes prevention and they’re serving meat there… so I’m outta here.”
Personally I love* when organizations use meat to sell their cause – it seems that animal shelters and health organizations are, for some reason, a big fan of this. “Please, adopt cats and dogs – but don’t worry about eating these pigs and cows!” “Yes, help us find a cure for breast cancer, by continuing to eat this hormone-laden meat that’s causing it!”
Steve-O has the right idea, and more people need to stand up to this disconnect.
* Use of sarcasm
