Hey guys! A pretty big event happened yesterday and I'd like to share it with you. As you may already know, this whole blog is apart of a school project called the 20% project. Yesterday I pitched my idea (my idea being my goals of creating original vegan recipes, reviewing vegan restaurants, and extra how to's/ recommendations). For this event, everyone had to make some sort of visual and present it to anyone who was interested. I made an extremely colorful poster that explained my goals and I put my original recipe for vegan chocolate cupcakes with butter cream frosting. (I will be uploading that recipe on here this weekend!)
yes i drew this I know I'm a pro. Official Happy Pig logo fer sure.
Here's the thing about pitching the idea to strangers: I kind of hate public speaking and will pretty much avoid it unless I'm feeling comfortable enough, which is rare. So while I was smiling at all the onlookers, my in-head-conversations were based upon the the paranoia of looking awkward and speaking like a fool. Although I'm sure I did just fine, my brain just likes to come up with worst case scenario possibilities because, well, because it can.
Public speaking isn't everyone's forte, but this was kind of an accomplishment for me. I didn't say anything stupid for once! In fact the only thing that I wish I had done was bring the cupcakes for test tasting. But that's alright, I brought them for my teachers today and they literally ate them within seconds and with every chew they expressed how they couldn't even tell that it was vegan. I was requested by a vegetarian on-looker to write a review on the Veggie Grill at the Irvine Spectrum. I most certainly will chose this as one of my restaurants to dine at. If you have any requests/comments/questions feel free to comment them on the blog or email me at bornasloth@gmail.com
Hey guys! Not all of my readers are vegetarian/ vegan and that's totally cool. Vegan food is super delicious and you don't need to be vegan to enjoy a guilt-free meal. This post will answer some questions some of you might have about the mystical way of a meat free lifestyle.
What's the difference between vegan, vegetarian, and pescetarian?
Some people who want to be vegan take it step by step. The first step is pescetarian, which is a red meat-free diet. Pescetarians are still able to eat chicken and fish, but avoid steaks and burgers. The next step is vegetarian. This diet is plant based, but includes some animal bi-product. Veggies avoid meat, but can still have dairy and eggs. Then comes vegan, a strict, plant based diet. No milk, no meat, and you have to be careful of all the animal bi-product that get's randomly inserted for flavoring packaged food.
Why on Earth would I want to do that?
Studies have shown that vegetarians live seven years longer than meat-eaters. Vegans live double that. How could this be? Studies have also shown that ditching meat prevents cancer, heart disease, and stroke. It turns out that meat isn't all that good for the body. Besides protein, meat doesn't do much except damage the body. You can get more protein in tofu and soy products than meat. For example, almond milk has more protein than cows milk. What it doesn't have is puss, blood, and fat, which you can't taste in milk but it most certainly is there. ew. Basically, if you want to live a long, healthy life, then skip the beef and gnaw on a carrot!
But bacon...
Is the only reason why you're not meat-free because, um, hello, you have taste-buds? No one blames you. In fact, that's only another reason to try vegan food. You can get food that tastes exactly like meat, only healthier. You can find these options everywhere. Take your grocery store for example. If you search the frozen vegetable isle, you can find a section that's meat-free and amazing. From Chik'n nuggets to riblets to, of course, bacon, you can find Morning Star Farms products in any grocery store. Morning Star can be microwaved or cooked in the oven and looks and tastes so real you'd be in shock. Morning Star, Gardein, and Tofurkey are brands that I recommend trying. All can be found in the deli or frozen section.
So, Chelsea, why did you decide to go vegetarian?
In the summer of eighth grade, I watched a video about slaughterhouses. Enough said. I don't recommend you looking it up because it is not a pretty sight. However, you do deserve to know what is happening when the happy cow in the pretty green pasture finds herself in a small, stressful cell with workers who don't care to treat her so nicely. If you are interested in a movie that isn't graphic but shows what is happening to the current food industry, then rent Food Inc. You'd be surprised in what you find. PETA's If Slaughterhouses had Glass Walls isn't for the weak stomached but that is a short film that shows the graphic side of some factories. Here is a video from the Humane Society that can be very helpful (nothing graphic here!)
If you have any questions or comments you can email me at bornasloth@gmail.com
Hey guys! I'm going to be using this blog for my Twenty Percent Project. Basically, by the 24th of May, I will have uploaded five original recipes if not more. These recipes will be vegan and delicious! They, of course, will be completed with a picture of the result and step-to-step cooking instructions so you can make it for yourself. I will also write three reviews on vegan restaurants so you guys can check out a new place to dine! Now for this project I need a mentor. I have asked my favorite teacher, Mrs. Bellfield, to mentor me because she used to be a vegetarian in college. Although she is no longer a vegetarian, she still believes the cause behind it. I do expect some challenges with this choice of project. I have to manage my time and come up with recipes while balancing other priorities in my life; I will overcome it though. I will come up with recipes with my mom on weekends and update this blog rather than procrastinate on my other blog. Yes Tumblr, I am talking about you. If you have any questions/ comments feel free to ask (whether it be about the recipes/ recommendations or even how to become vegetarian) you can email me at bornasloth@gmail.com.
