Vegetarian for Three Weeks and Counting

I haven't eaten a single piece of meat, including seafood for three weeks now. It hasn't required that much intentional effort since I ate very little meat to begin with.

Photo Credit

I went to an amazing Indian restaurant with my great artist friend, Jantira and I was able to order a completely tasty, SPICY, fulfilling meal with all vegetarian options. I went to the Spice Market with Amber and again, we were able to order a huge meal to be shared and it was completely vegetarian. I want to do reviews of both those restaurants soon!

At work, I'm often faced with challenges regarding my eating. It's harder to eat organic here and when lunches come it, we often just grab what's there. This time though...like yesterday, I just made sure I was intentional. Veggie Burger and Cajun Fried. In reality, I shouldn't even be ordering that. In actuality, I should be bringing my lunch each day because then I'd know my food came from the local CSA and its organic and sustainable.

(It trips me out that things can be organic but not sustainable. Or things can be natural but not organic. Or things can be environmentally sustainable but not culturally sustainable. I'm reading the book version of Food Inc and there is a section where the guy talks about heirloom tomatoes and he talks about what use is it to have an organic tomato, if the people who picked it are being mistreated, underpaid, and put at risk. So sure I eat organically, but is it sustainable environmentally and culturally? This freaking rabbit hole keeps getting deeper.)

As is, I have maintained a completely vegetarian eating regime for three weeks. Next week, after completely moving into my AMAZING apartment with the BEST KITCHEN ever, I will venture into a week of veganism. I did it once last year. The hardest part was not putting cheese and sour cream in my vegetarian gumbo. And after that, perhaps a week of raw food. I've been toying with that idea for YEARS! I even dated a raw foodist once. But I haven't taken the plunge. After finding the amazing blog , Raw on $10 a Day, I have renewed hope. I can't even begin to tell you about the amazing cheap recipes this woman concocts. Basically, I'm going to have to do a post just on her and her blog! Maybe I can even get her to do a granola interview.

The best vegetarian dish I've had in the past few weeks. Hmmm..the avocado, onion radish salad from the Spice Market and their stir fried asparagus with lotus root and lily bulb. God, you just have no idea!

What is your favorite vegetarian dish?

By the way...its a little hard being a vegetarian when you don't like mushrooms or eggplant. I personally kidn stand either.

simplehuman and simple people

 Are you aware of simplehuman products? I really enjoy them. The quality is impeccable. The aesthetics please me. The efficency to make my life at work and home, saves time. It's an organizational lover's fantasy. And considerings the quality, the cost is relative.

I just purchased another product by simplehuman and it made me wonder what their sustainable standards are. I've started becoming REAL picky about where I buy things from. I put aside convienence to make a statement with my money. "Oh you suck as a company, then you won't ever get my money again," I say to them in my head. People are going to always buy stuff. (Listen, I'm all for creating my own products, but unless you know a good way to 'create" a toilet brush cleaner", the I have to buy it. And until I have a massive garden, I have to buy food. And so it goes. Since I have to buy, I perfer to be an eco conscious consumer as much as possible.)

As I purchased two more simplehuman products for home..this puts me at 5 things, I wondered who they were as a company. I know they promote recycling like its nobody's business and they also promote public health safety.

But what are the conditions of their factories? What are the workes exposed to? What do they do with their waste water? Do they use all virgin materials? What kind of food do they serve in their breakrooms? What is their carbon footprint? It would be great if this company where completely sustainable. Then I wouldn't even hesistate to purchase some of their most expensive brands.

"Green" has been the it term for the last few years. I am grateful for that because its made my professional research much easier since everyone wants on the bandwagon. But being "green" is more than eating organic fruit and drinking from a cup made of corn.

Living a life of sustainability touches every aspect of your life. Are you an eco-conscious eater? Not just vegetarian or farm raised meat eater. But do you eat locally and in season as well? Are you an eco-conscious shopper? Do you know how much energy is required to maintain your life?

Listen, I think its cute that everyone wants to recycle now. But I think it would be beyond powerful if everybody raised their level of consciousness a little higher than that.

This isn't meant to demean anyone. There are aspects of my life where the level of my tree-huggingness is so high, I'm practically makes salads with the leaves. And then there are other areas of my life, where I'm the one with the chainsaw just hacking away.

Are you conscious of how you live? I'm afraid many people are not. And that's scarier than an ocean full of trash.

The One Time its ok to Bite the Hand....Buddha's Hand.

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I was doing some grocery shopping and perhaps because I'm reading Food, Inc. as my book of the week, I felt the need to be even more conscious of what I purchased. I decided I wanted to purchase fruit that was in season so I turned to google to find some answers.

The best website I came across was EPICURIOUS. com


I use Epicurious for many of my recipes at Cafe LaShay and therefore I trusted their site. What separated them from many of the other websites I came across was that they listed by month and by location what was in season. Sure, a mango may be in season...but in season halfway across the world. So I wanted to know what was good for this month and for New York. I didn't get many options but that's not the point.

For New York, it said that the growing season is currently dormant and that I should opt for items from storage such as apples, pears and root vegetable. (Side note, I'm currently looking for a CSA to participate in in Brooklyn and am excited!)

While searching for seasonal, local fruit I came across some things I had never heard of. Have you ever heard of Buddha's Hand?

 

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I didn't read too much on it yet. I couldn't tell you where it comes from or if its even available in the US but I just loved the name. It's like saying "God's Hand." "Jehovah's Hand." "Allah's Hand" "The Divine's Hand" or something like that. Who wouldn't want to eat it. Its one of my goals to try a fruit I've never even heard of. Depending on the availability and location of this fruit, maybe I'll be biting into Buddha's Hand.

Photo Credit

Do you consider the season and your location when shopping? Do you find the choices limiting? Have you ever heard of Buddha's hand and do you know more about it.

Granola Interview with Goddess and Grocer

 As mentioned in a previous post I wanted to take the time to highlight some of my favorite local restaurants in Chicago that I think are great. They must meet certain criteria.

• Must be a LOCAL non chain restaurant
• Must have good food
• Must have fed SLY at some point in her life (not for free. None of these places are paying me to highlight them. These are just places I like to frequent.)
• Must practice some form of sustain behavior so that my "granola" highlight isn't in vain. :)

For my first restaurant highlight, I was able to interview the owner which turned out great. (insert happy dance here!)


Today we will hear from Debbie Sharp, the owner of The Goddess and Grocer and Feast.

SLY:  How long has The Goddess and Grocer been around? 

DS: 5 and a half years, I think. 

SLY: What’s the difference between The Goddess and Grocer and Feast?

DS: Feast is  a sit down restaurant with a more global approach to food and wine - a neighbor restaurant with a global beat - is how we like to brand it. The Goddess and Grocer covers a much wider range than a restaurant - we have sandwiches, prepared foods, salads, pastries and desserts, catering - all made from scratch as well as drinks, a fantastic wine selection, is for quick bites, easy take out and wonderful catering 

SLY: I read in another interview that you got your start working in the entertainment industry as a caterer to entertainers such as Princess Diana, The Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, and the likes. Was that an amazing experience or what? WOW! Any interesting quick stories you can tell?

DS: I actually started out as an accountant, went into journalism and back into accounting before I started working for Adam and The Ants, a punk band in England in the late 70s and early 80s. Then I went into catering. My most amazing experience was working with Linda McCartney, who was such a strong woman but also such a caring and loving person. She always amazed me the way she kept her family so close and was also so embracing of everybody on the road.

Fun times - shopping in a local supermarket in Germany, and I had loaded 15 supermarket carts and as I was loading them, somebody was putting them back on the shelves, thinking I was a crazy woman, but too polite to ask me. it was like a comedy.

On George Michael, in Verona,  Italy, he was about to go on stage but  it started sinking into the ground. They thought there were going to be riots when they cancelled the show and they hid us in these caves in the  back of the amphitheater and sort of forgot about us for a few hours. thought we were going to be buried there along with other Roman soldiers.

Photo Credit: Goddess and Grocer

SLY: Are any of the ingredients that you cook with natural, organically and/or locally grown? 

DS: We try and use local products but they are very expensive considering they are locally grown.  I am very much a natural cook though and we don't use any additives or preservatives for anything. When I first came to the States, which was with the McCartney tour in 1989, I was shocked at all the added ingredients in food and wouldn't buy anything. It taught me a lot about using fresh products only. (SLY: And I must say, Debbie's food is FRESH and so TASTY!)

SLY:  Your menu seems to change based on the season…does this mean that you try to create menus based on what’s in season?

DS: We have some favorites that we need to keep on a regular basis for both stores, as customers would be upset without them and then we change seasonally. (SLY: This is a very important aspect of eco-conscious eating!)

Photo Credit: Goddess and Grocer

SLY:  Do you practice any sustainable methods within your restaurant? (Whether that’s through recycling, using wheat flour, or using left over veggies to make soup?  

DS: I have always recycled, I was one of the first restaurants in Chicago to do so. I also hate waste so I try to make sure we use up as much as possible. When I was in Mosco with Bon Jovi, also in 1989, we were doing a huge concert with 10 bands and I had brought all the food by truck from London because Moscow would not have the amount of food we need to feed 800 people on a daily basis for 2 weeks. I used to see the old woman going through our trash everyday picking through it and also our Russian helpers, so everything that was left over, we would box up and leave it out for them to take home.

SLY: What are some of your signature vegetarian and vegan dishes? 

DS: Goddess does a great bbq tofu sandwich and the garden goddess wrap is my favorite of alll the sandwiches. For Feast we do some really great Indian and Thai curries but do them as complete meals with four or five different things on the plates - maybe samosas,  vegetable curry, basmati rice, pappadum, mango chutney, raita (SLY: I have tried the BBQ tofu sandwich and it is AMAZING. Even some of my meat eater friends love that sandwich.)

Photo Credit: Goddess and Grocer

SLY: Why should someone come to Goddess and Grocer versus Potbelly's?

DS: We always say maybe twice the price but we are three times the sandwich! We also use much better quality bread, meats and cheese and our fillings literally are three times as much. But I do think Potbelly's does a good job. I like a couple of their salads a lot. (SLY: Such a classy lady. Giving Potbelly's props!)

 

SLY: Anything else you'd like to share?

DS: I think the economy is picking up because we are really busy and thrilled about it!

One of my favorite things about Goddess and Grocer is their RED VELVET CUPCAKES. I have eaten a LOT of red velvet cupcakes, including my own. But the BEST ones I've ever tried are from Goddess and Grocer.

Photo Credit

You can find out more about Debbie or her wonderful restaurants below......

Goddess and Grocer

BUCKTOWN

1646 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60647
p: 773.342.3200

GOLD COAST

25 East Delaware Place
Chicago, Illinois 60611
p: 312.896.2600

ELSTON

2200 N Elston Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60614
p: 773.292.7100 

Feast

 BUCKTOWN

1616 N. Damen Ave.
Chicago. IL 60647
Ph: 773.772.7100

GOLD COAST

25 E. Delaware Place
Chicago. IL 60611
Ph: 312.337.4001

 

Facebook: Goddess and Grocer  

Twitter: Goddess and Grocer 

Photo Credit

Dive! The Film

I came across the trailer for this movie in one of my sustainability RSS feeds. Having just watched it, I'm at a lost for words.

I'm sure there are some people who look down on people like those in this film because the Dive in dumpsters for food. They see them as too granola. And that fact that they can be arrested is sad.

We waste so much food!

To digress a little bit I remember a commercial years ago about dieting and they said something like, "Leave a little of your food on your plate at each meal"...because if you did that every time it would add up to you eating less and less. What that means is that left over food goes into the trash! Why not just put less food on your plate in the first place.

Anyways. I know a little bit about food being thrown out when its still viable. My company when hosting an event that's catered sometimes tosses the food out at the end of the day. Why? Because we don't have a place to store it. Because we can't give it to the homeless because of liability issues. When I am able to, I take as much food with me to rehearsals and performances for the actors and crew to eat. Sometimes I've taken fruit and made cookies and pies with them and brought them back to work.

Still. So much food is wasted. But what can you do when you can't donate it to a worthy cause. At least, don't arrest the people who have the balls to dive for you food.

Why can't all restaurants and such offer the day old food that's still viable at discounted prices. I know some places that do that.

Somehow I believe part of this is due to money. Profit. Capitalism and consumerism. Its like when instead of sharing the food with the underprivileged in the past, farmers would burn the food instead. It's crazy.

I have faced my own challenges with living alone when it comes to preparing food and not wasting it.

• A lot of my food used to go bad by the time I got around to using it
• I've tried shopping as needed versus doing monthly shopping. Sometimes though I don't have the time for that
• I've also tried cooking multiple recipes that require the same ingredients, thus lessening my chances of wasting raw ingredients

• A lot of my food used to go bad because I didn't want left overs three and four days later
• I've learned to invite friends over so they can eat my food too. Makes it disappear faster
• I've learned to alter a lot of my recipes so that I'm not making as much

Do you waste a lot of food in your home? Do you compost? Would you ever dive in a dumpster for food?

Honestly, I'm not sure that I would ever dive in a dumpster because all the other germs and trash freaks me out. But I don't judge the people who did it. I think they are pretty cool. And I'd eat the burger at their party too.

Granola Interview with Photographer Sam Schwartz

It's been long and coming but FINALLY, here is my interview with my dear friend, amazing photographer and fellow granola Sam Schwartz. I asked a lot of questions and she provided LOADS of information. But I promise you, it is worth the read. I learned so much more about sustainability and about Sam and I am so grateful she did this for me. Now I'm encouraged to interview even more people to learn more! Two performers in my most recent show are vegetarians and during our last break in between shows I grilled them with questions. I'm sure they were wondering just what I was up to. Now without further ado, here is Sam. I'll interject my responses and such, here and there, fyi.

I am the black girl in the picture. My fiend Megan is in the middle. And Sam is on the other end.

What is a CSA? How did you learn about? 




Actually, I learned about the CSA from my roommate Laura.  CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  Basically, we (along with many others) purchase a share of a local, Illinois farm.  For about 5 months a year, we receive 3/4 bushel of freshly picked, organic fruits and vegetables every week.  We have the option of getting bread, meat, and eggs from the same farm for an additional price.  Laura and I started purchasing the share two years ago.  We write a check to the CSA around March or April and then we are able to pick up the food once a week starting at the beginning of June until the last week or so of October.  Buying into a CSA program has several benefits.  First, you are getting freshly picked fruits and vegetables from an organic farm--which means no nasty chemicals or synthetic fertilizers AND your produce is only a few hours picked, so there are maximum nutritional benefits.  Second, because the CSA is local, you are supporting local agriculture, which is just better for farmers and for you.  You also have the option of helping with certain harvests if you want.  Related to being locally grown, you are also eating foods as common as carrots, but as diverse as kohlrabi or swiss chard.  Lastly, I have definitely become more aware of keeping food and planning meals around the food that is in season and provided.    

(Because of Sam's CSA involvement, we were able to take this apples........)

(...and turn them into this delicious pie!)

Another cool thing about CSA's:  if you live in a warmer climate (such as Florida) sometimes you can get this produce all year round--and it might even be cheaper and have awesome things like almonds!  There are also co-ops where you can get things like soap, paper products and other non-perishables.


 
Do you consider yourself "green"? In what ways would you say you live a "green" life?


Well, "Green" is a term I think we all need to use very loosely.  To be honest, I think it is all marketing!  Let's put it this way:  I recycle.  I try to turn things off and unplug them when they are not in use.  I don't buy those t-shirts at luxury brand stores that have weird "green" messages on them.

In what ways do you see yourself improving towards living a more sustainable life?  


Sustainability is always a goal.  Let me explain in the light of what I just said above:  "Green" to me seems like a really great way to make people spend more; consume more.  The idea of sustainability is about allowing life to be simpler while also trying not to drain a community or system of its resources.  I also think that sustainability has a lot to do with a process over time.  Being “green” is a trend, a tax break, a social status.  However, living with the goal of a sustainable lifestyle not only connects us to our communities, but makes us aware of our habits.  A sustainable lifestyle can also connect us more fully to our futures. Humans spend so much time figuring out how to get more for less.   More money for less work, more food for less cost, two for one…you see it all over the place, and frankly, this attitude disconnects us—from others, from the world, and ultimately from ourselves.  We don’t pay attention to where food or products come from.  We don’t know who harvests, or what it takes to grow.  We don’t know what chemicals enter into our bodies and homes.  Personally, I think living sustainably might take a little more time and effort, but in the long run, you get what you work for and it is more satisfying in the end.  I wish that we could live by that sort of mantra—you get what you work for.  Consider: 

“[H]uman brains…[have] become such copious and irresponsible generators of suggestions as to what might be done with life, that they made acting for the benefit of future generations seem one of many games which might be played by narrow enthusiasts—like poker or polo or the bond market, or the writing of science fiction novels.

[We] found ensuring the survival of the human race a total bore.”  --Kurt Vonnegut

I believe that taking these extra steps to be connected are more than just the trend that people make it out to be.  It is an important step to making certain that we can survive ourselves and our own technology and ideas.
    So, ways that I see myself improving...Over the past year I have started to wash out my ziplock bags (most of the time...if there is meat/dairy/egg product, I usually throw it out) and reuse them, I started an herb garden in my apartment, I unplug appliances such as the toaster, tv, cell charger, etc.  I also try to buy used if possible either through craigslist, freecycle, or the thrift store.  I've been trying to buy local groceries if possible.  I try to buy my spices and other herbs in bulk--sold in a small bag--to cut down on waste.  In fact, if I can find things without the extra packaging there is a better chance I will buy it that way.


I have also started to cut back on the chemicals I introduce to my environment and body.  It is very difficult because sometimes I rely on strange chemicals for medical reasons or because those are the things that are available and work the best.  I encourage people to take a look at the ingredients of things like lotions or cleaners.  I try my best to purchase cleansers that are not petroleum based.  Instead of buying a highly chemicalized prescription lotion for the very dry skin I get in the winter, I started just using olive oil, which has worked wonders….and I know exactly where it comes from!

It really helps to have a roommate who has these same goals also.  It doesn't help when your roommate doesn't care about things like saving energy or recycling.  My current roommate, Laura, is pretty awesome about stuff like this and I've learned a lot from her.  In that respect it is helpful to have friends who share the same values.  I get a lot of great ideas from friends!


Goals for the future: I would love to get one of those composters and start composting.  I would also love to start my own vegetable garden.  Going to the grocery store has become such a disappointment because it is hard to tell where that food is coming from.  Very few grocery stores and products label if something is genetically modified (because it is not something Congress sees as important…for whatever reason—food industry lobbyists, I’m sure.  Europe does it even for things like candy bars.)  That being said I would like to start buying more locally grown foods from farmers markets, and maybe even directly from local farms.
 

Is living a sustainable life in line with your personal goals for life? (for example, one goal of mine to be intentional in all that I do, to be present. one thing I've seen is that by trying to be more conscious of my energy consumption, waste reduction or intake of local food...i find that it makes me a more intentional person and it keeps me present. they just linked up naturally) Do you see examples of this in your life?  


Yes, a little.  A lot of these new habits started in an effort to save money.  This summer, I started baking my own bread because I realized that purchasing "the good bread" was costing me as much as $4.00 a loaf, but if I made it from scratch it cost me about $1.11 a loaf.  The same with herbs.  Buying them fresh from the grocery store can cost upwards of $3 (or more) and then they go bad before I can use them up.  But I can have fresh herbs all year round just by investing $1.25 in seeds and some dirt.  The same goes for buying used things. You can usually find things just as good as new for much less--and you don't encourage mindless spending.  Because you have to spend the time looking for something worth your money AND time, you are less likely to just buy whatever is stocked on the shelf at a department store.  It's all out there, folks.  Everyone thinks they need everything at one point, and when they decide they don't, it goes to the thrift store.   
All that to say, I've saved money, but I also found that things become much simpler when they don't come in a package.  Things seem to exist better, to flow together.  By simplifying I feel like I am doing something good for myself as much as possible.  It’s one of the only ways I feel like I can be a little selfish, without actually negatively impacting others. The effort adds balance to life. And I think that is the purpose now:  to find a better balance every day.

Why are many of your products in your home organic, natural, sustainable or raw? Such as the raw sugar, unbleached flour, seventh generation tissue, recycled aluminum foil?  

 (photos I took around Sam's home)

Here's another side of the story:  I don't want processed foods in my body!  Did you know that European countries won't import our meat and other foods because they are appalled by the way we produce our food?  American food won't pass any standards tests in Europe.  The way we produce and slaughter animals.  (By the way, did you know that raw meat in America is treated with Ammonia to keep out contamination?) The pesticides and hormones and genetically modified seeds we use.  It's really horrific.  As for the raw sugar--I'm a vegetarian (although I still eat some fish every so often) and often times sugar, when it is refined, is filtered through an active carbon source--usually animal bone char.  I'm usually not one of those crazy vegetarians, but I just find this kind of nasty.  All of this may sound kind of fundamentalist, but the way I think about it, every little bit counts.   

(photos I took around Sam's home)

Were you raised in a granola home?


Not entirely...We did eat a lot of granola! I was raised in a home without a ton of money.  So a lot of the things we did revolved around trying not to spend a lot of it.  Turning off lights, shopping resale, all that. My mom was an avid recycler though.  Before there were recycling programs in our town, I remember every Saturday we packed up all our recycling in the car and drove it to the next town over to recycle it.  And after we got a pick-up service, we had these huge bins where we put the recycling after we washed it and removed all the labels and reduced it.  We were recycling MACHINES!

Why did you choose to become a vegetarian? Have you noticed a different in your life since doing so? Have you felt that your meals are limited because you've taken meat out? 


I'm a little embarrassed to say that I first started eating vegetarian in high school because of a bet.  My best friend bet me that I couldn't last a month and I was determined to prove her wrong!  I've gone back and forth since then.  Reasons that I eat vegetarian:  Health reasons--I've found that eating less processed, simpler foods helps digestion, helps me to sleep more soundly, I feel more energetic because I'm eating several times a day in smaller portions and eating things that have more available nutrients than, say, a lean cuisine.   Other reasons have begun to emerge as well.  As I've continued exploring a vegetarian diet, I've found that it can also support a more sustainable ecosystem, a more balanced agricultural system.  I know that one person cannot change the way our farming system works.  But I also like the idea that I can explore other options like the CSA, not eating meat, buying more natural, organic foods, fair trade products. 

(If you go to dinner at Sam's place, you will eat things like Stuffed Tomatoes with Risotto, Ginger Carrots and Homemade Dill Bread.)

What is your favorite green product?  
Trees?

What is a great green tip? 


Evaluate the things you buy, such as cleaner, shampoo, lotions.  Take a look at the ingredients and see if you can find products with ingredients that you can identify right away.  If you have to Google more than 2 or 3 things, you might want to find an alternative.


Try to buy more locally grown veggies, eggs, and meats.  They taste better!

I notice that your apartment has lots of plants and herbs that you grow and take care of? Is there a particular reason?   

Having plants in the apartment makes it seem a little calmer and a little more inviting, especially in the winter.  It also increases oxygen, humidity in the winter, and has a cooling effect in the summer.  Also, they are easier to take care of than dogs…or kids…and I kill fish all the time…so, plants it is!

(Sometimes, Sam even has tomatoes and lavender growing at her place. It's wonderful!)

 

Tell me about your chair project and why you didn't just go buy chairs from ikea?

I needed some dining room chairs and I found 2 sets of 2 matching chairs from freecycle.com.  The upholstery was dirty and ugly, but this was fine with me because I wanted to reupholster the cushions myself.  Why? First I wanted to have chairs that were unique from anyone else’s!  I also like the idea of refinishing old things and making them usable and hopefully stylish.  So I got the chairs for free, and then I went to a cute little fabric store in Wicker Park www.theneedleshop.com and found some fabric that I liked.   

Also some other questions that will be good for people to know....

Where are you from?  


I am from Pell Lake WI.  It’s ok if you don’t know where it is.  We didn’t have paved roads until 1999.
 
On a Saturday afternoon at 3pm what are you most likely to be doing? 


Maybe taking a walk with a certain dog, cooking, if I’m being good I’m exercising.  Taking photos around town…shooting a wedding.  As I write this, I am sitting with two dogs, a handsome man and some good tunes, brewing my first beer recipe—Pear Walnut Oktoberfest!

Anything else you'd like to add? 

http://www.illinoisfarmdirect.org/index.html
http://www.plowcreek.org/farm/    (our csa)
http://www.foodincmovie.com/about-the-issues.php  (the website for the movie Food, Inc., but also includes links to other sites with information about food)
http://www.wbez.org/Program_WV_Series.aspx?seriesID=143  (podcasts/online listening on public radio about food)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120013107   (part I of an interview about overfishing on Fresh Air)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120049590  (part II of an interview about overfishing and how to eat fish more sustainably)
www.michaelpollan.com   (he is not only a phenomenal writer but also writes about sustainability, farming, consuming, and nature in the books he writes, but also for print such as the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, National Geographic, etc.  This is a link to his site, which links to articles he has—beautifully--written)

Sam is a photographer who currently resides in Chicago, IL. To learn more about Samantha Rose Photography, please visit SamanthaRosePhotography.com.

(Would you like to be interviewed next on granola tendencies? Do you live a granola life? Do you have amazing tips and advice that would help others learning more about sustainability? If so, email me at SheenaLYoung at gmail dot com and I'm sure readers would love to hear from you!)

World Vegan Day

Although I own two vegan cookbooks, I have spent little time pursuing vegan dishes.

Last week I made a black bean vegan soup. Although I realize I would have made it exactly the same way without being conscious to that fact that it was vegan. I believe there are a few staple things in my diet that lean towards a vegan tendency since they overlap with vegetarianism. (But occasionally, I do like my yogurts, cheese...mmmm smoked mozzarella...and I like 2% milk, although I drink almond milk too...) So, some meals are vegan and I don't even realize it. However, it should be noted that I don't adhere to a complete vegan lifestyle, so I can't claim a title that isn't mine.

I'm not sure why I started this on Monday,...perhaps from the black bean soup on Sunday maybe, but on Monday I decided I would try being vegan for the week. But I am honest with myself. So I said, I'd try being vegan for a day. And then the next day and then the next. And hopefully it would add up to a week.

SUNDAY was easy. I had spicy basil with tofu for lunch and black bean soup for dinner

MONDAY was easy too. I had a pear, and a vegetarian gumbo from Qdoba sans the sour cream and cheese, that I normally add on. (I thought it might taste weird without including those but I didn't even notice a difference)

 TUESDAY was an epic fail. First off, I've been snacking on fruit and drinking water and all that good stuff since last week's No Impact Project but then something happened on Tuesday. Because I ate tons of candy...thus producing trash. And I think for breakfast I started out with M&M's. Then someone ordered Thai for a meeting and I looked at the vegetarian option and it was okay. It was tofu with broccoli. I took a few spoon fulls but it wasn't seasoned. (You cannot have unseasoned tofu. That is why meat eaters laugh at you. Although I know meat eaters who don't season their chicken or steak. What is wrong with you people? Have you ever heard of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, hot shot, chili pepper, garli and onion salt? Something for goodness sake?) Anyways, the food wasn't that great and I was hungry so I cheated...not only did a break a vegan rule, I broke a vegetarian rule. I grabbed some of this spicy chicken dish and it was good! I felt bad later on in the day and for a snack I tried granola cereal with soy milk. Oh hell no! I'm sorry. I just cannot get into soy milk. Some things are an acquired taste and some things just do not work. If I am going to be successful at this vegan thing, I'll have to find the perfect almond milk! Later that night when I went home, I had more of my vegan black bean soup.

Wednesday was okay. Up until rehearsal I was doing fine with all the vegan-ness. And then at rehearsal I had a vegetarian sandwich..it had cheese on it. Crap.

Today...so far...I've been doing well. All vegan food. We will see though what happens later. :)

The final push for me to try vegan-ism this week was after a conversation with one of the actors at rehearsal on Sunday night. He is a vegetarian but says that occasionally he will go a few days without diary products and he achieves a higher level of mental clarity and his body feels a bit better. With that encouragement I embarked on a week of trying a vegan lifestyle.

But I'm a google whore, so I started looking up what vegan's really are, why they are and aside from their diet what else do they do. And actually to my surprise...I promise you this was not planned....but I also found out that coming up in three days is World Vegan Day. I promise you I did not plan that at all.

Photo Credit

There is a day for everything, I tell you. When is World Sheena Day?

In a quest to find out what being a vegan was really about I went google crazy and found all sorts of info and helpful websites. It seems like people become a vegan for one of three reasons, if not all of them.

Animal Rights. Environmental Factors. Health Reasons.

(Also as I type this I want to say that I haven't had coffee in a week and I feel a difference. A good difference. My stomach is more settled. My emotions are easier to manage.  My body feels better. The tea I'm drinking instead is more soothing and less heavy.)

I also found that there are dietary vegans and radical vegans. (These are my own terms or maybe someone else uses them. I don't know but they make sense to me) Dietary ones are the ones that just alter their food intake. Radical vegans alter the kinds of shoes they purchase, the kinds of clothes they wear...they alter every single thing! (But just as my director at Redmoon Theater pointed out who by the way is a vegetarian and her husband is a vegan..."ok, you choose to have vegan shoes. You can go to payless and get some cheap synthetic shoes that had no impact on animals but then they were made in China and an 8 year old made them for two cents and they were made under horrible conditions so sure there isn't animal cruelty but there is human cruelty and earth cruelty so where does it end.")

Okay, so she didn't say it exactly like that but that was pretty much it. Its like opening pandora's box. The balance between the human condition, the animal condition and the earth's condition, I suppose.

But I am one of those people who are all in or nothing. So if you say vegan than alter your clothes, shoes, and complete lifestyle. (It reminds me of black women who wear the banner of promoting natural hair and yet they wear globs of crappy makeup, they eat mcdonald's every night and they use lysol wipes to clean their counters. How the hell is your natural hair better than chemically processed hair when the rest of your lifestyle is chemically processed? That's a tangent for another day. Natural hair and how that helps the environment but all the crazy zealots out there who won't shut up about it. Another post in the making featuring what I learned about the man who invented the chemical hair relaxer in the first place. Her was also the man who invented the first stop light type device and safety helmet.)

I found a list of vegans and some of them are people I admire such as George Bernard Shaw (novelist and playwright), Martin Luther (founder of Protestantism...while I'm not one, I love the rebel that he was), and Voltaire (French author). I even came across some really intriguing quotes too but will post them each day leading up to World Vegan Day.

Want some interesting vegan reads?

Try What is a Vegan Diet? or any page on Vegan.org

There is also the Eating the Earth booklet  and the really helpful Vegan Catering for All

I even went so far as to google Vegan Shoes. While there were some nice ones and they make the world a better place by purchasing them...I am not going to pay an absorbent amount. Remember my Sustainable Guidelines? Aside from those guidelines though, I found one pair that is actually at a reasonable price. They are really cute and I just broke my brown pair of flats. Even after hot gluing them back together. They gave up again. So I need to purchase another pair..

Do I think every person should be a vegetarian and/or vegan and/or eat raw foodist only? No. What I believe in is moderation. I don't believe you should eat steak every day. I also don't believe its possible for me to eat an apple every day because I'd get bored. There needs to be variety, substance and moderation in your diet. (I say there needs to be...but I'm not expert)

Besides, even though I don't think man has dominion over the earth, I still believe an animal dying every now and then is a given that occurs.(hmmm. what do I mean? some of the vegan quotes I came across compared killing animals - slaughterhouse with killing man - battlefields. And just as I feel war is inevitable and sometimes a necessary part of life, so is animals.) I don't think we should be cruel to animals and subject them to harsh conditions. But sometimes, its a necessity that needs moderation. I have no facts on this but I think of native americans who sometimes killed animals for the warmth of their fur in the winter seasons. And yet native americans are hailed for their careful loving treatment of the earth. And yet they killed animals. In moderation for necessity. At least I think. If I'm wrong, tell me the facts. I could be making this up as I type.

On a recent episode of CSI Miami, a young couple dies from e coli poisoning and the harmful side effects of genetically altered corn. The owner of this huge corporate farm when facing off with Horatio says, "If we grew food naturally, people would starve. There would  not be enough to feed people. Therefore if genetically altering food kills one so that five hundred can eat, then that is a good thing."

Wow! I say. Wow! My reactions were...the earth will provide. When we treat it well, when we our stewards over our land, when we aren't greedy capitalist just looking for a profit, there is enough for everyone. More than enough. But we are greedy. We want a 16 oz filet mignon. We are fat with our desires thinking everyone of them is justified and should be satisfied. And while some things are out of our control sometimes I feel like the hurricanes, earth quakes, droughts and famine happen because we helped them happen. When did a whole town starve because nature did not provide in the time of need? Somewhere else in the world there was abundance to assist where there was a lack. But because of politics, culture and bullshit, people did not receive what they needed. So the earth provides, we just mismanage. Have you seen my quote at the very bottom of my blog. I truly believe it!

There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed. ~Mohandas K. Gandhi

Years ago...I'm talking back when I was in high school I believe, I came across a comic bit in the New Yorks Times or something. I have it in one of my files and will try to find it this weekend to post. But it is the funniest thing. I'll explain it but its much better when you actually see it.

The comic is a picture of a banquet and there is a banner that says something like "PETA 2050". And there are animals dressed in tuxedos and ballroom gowns. And on the banquet table are human skulls and the meat is human meat and stuff.

There are no words or anything. Its just a little funny joke about where we are headed with the extreme rights we give animals. It's an exaggeration but its cute and funny. Although I may have offended vegans and vegetarians everywhere.

What are your thoughts? Do you believe everything should be a vegan or vegetarian? Or even raw foodist? I knew a man who believes that nothing dead should enter his body because it was holy. So that was why he was a raw foodist. Do you think moderation is key? What do you think? Have you tried being a vegan for day? Did it make a difference?

My Indoor Garden

I'm sure I could google the benefits of growing plants, herbs, veggies and flowers in your home or apartment and a BILLION list will come up on how doing so makes your life better and the earth happy.

Google is always my impulse. Google and Google Scholar. I love using Google scholar to find research and such.

But I decided to just list my reasons for growing plants and herbs in my apartment and why I like it.

My jade

I bought this jade a long time ago from Ikea. It was such a baby plant. Like how a kitten fits into the palm of your hand. The jade fit into my palm and was a little bitty baby. And now, oh my goodness. I've repotted it four times. And it keeps growing! And its very very pretty.

That's reason number ONE: Keeping plants enhance the aesthetics of your home.

I mean some people have a jungle growing in their apartment, but then some have enough that its just plain beautiful.

Ummm. I think this is lavender that hasn't completely bloomed yet. I planted about eight pots of things and can't remember what they all were. (Spearmint, cilantro, basil, jade, green onion,...don't remember what else). My friend Sam has some beautiful lavender growing in her apartment.

Reason number TWO: I feel connected to the earth. There is a power in putting my hands in the dirt, planting the seeds, watering them, and watching them grow.

One of the things I noticed about the lavender was that it would bend towards the sun each day. My lavender was doing sun salutations everyday. Plants do yoga! :) Because the plant would bend towards the sun at an almost intense angle, I would have to turn the pot every day so that it wouldn't bend too far in one direction and then fall over.

Watching the plant thirst and reach for the sun was crazy. Or watching the basil sort of drivel up because I didn't water it and then blossom open again the moment I did...there is just something about being connected to nature. Do you know what I'm talking about?

This is a little glimpse at my basil.

Basil will keep growing. That stuff is no joke. So long as it has room to spread it's roots...that stuff just will not stop.

Reason number THREE: I am able to provide for myself.

There was something immensely satisfying about being able to use the things that I grow in the things that I eat. I was cooking a stir fry one day and thought to  myself, "it would be great if I had bought basil when I was at the grocery store." But before my pout set into my face, I realized I had basil growing on my windowsill. Grabbing some leaves off and adding it to the skillet was magical. Oh my pride had a good moment. And usually I spend over $4 for a little thing of basil and half of it goes bad before I even use it all. But I paid fifty cents for basil seeds and only used half the packet and I have a plant that to this day is still growing and making my food oh so good.

Some times I also have bamboo but right now I do not. Bamboo is beautiful and low maintenance. And since I live alone and do not have a pet (for now.....)....and so by having plants I have a bit of life in my apartment too. I guess that could be reason number four.

Just found this picture. This is the second pot the jade ended up in. That's funny seeing how little it used to be. The jade is so big now its in this huge pot that sits on the floor now. Nevermind the windowsill. :)

Okay. So the picture above is of spearmint I think. In it's baby stage. And the picture below is when it starts to bend towards to sun.

But sometimes..the bend would be so severe I thought the plant was going to topple out the pot, climb out the window and try to fly to the sun. So everyday I'd have to rotate some of the plants. Does anyone else have to do this? Should I be rotating them? Am I doing something wrong?

So...I've thought up a reason number five.

 Reason number FIVE: the anticipation and then the actuality of the first spout is like wanting the first kiss from a person of interest and then getting it and its the best ever.

Well, that's a long reason but that's all I could compare it too. Waiting and waiting and looking at the dirt and watering it and wondering when a first glimmer of life will appear. And then one day you come home and you start to see little specks of green. And its like, "holy crap, this is amazing!"

Although I would love a garden to grow all my vegetables and herbs and plants, I don't have one. I live in a studio apartment in chicago and there is nowhere physical to put those desires. But I'm not limited. I have a window sill and my window sill is a platform for endless wonder. No matter your situation, there is a way. Maybe its a different way, but its still a way.

What do you grow?

oooh. I thought of reason number six. The herbs and vegetables that you do grow...well...at least you know they were grown locally. :) They weren't shipped from god knows where. They traveled like three feet from the windowsill to the skillet or counter top. Therefore, you are able to be an eco-conscious eater.