Oprah Vegan updates

Vegan.com has been following Oprah's journey and if you are not currently a vegan or are new and looking for some great nutritional information, click on the picture above to check out Vegan.com's podcasts. They are highly informative, even if you have been vegan for awhile and not keeping up with all your nutritional needs, these podcasts are just the information you need. Each podcast addresses different needs and if you can listen to all (recommended) or if you need specific information, check out the podcasts that interest you most.

Thanks Erik for helping to keep us healthy!

Vegans are now Terrorists? Anthony Bourdain must be thrilled!

What the hell? So now we are considered terrorists? Evidently, the FBI thinks so, as they are looking for informants to infiltrate "vegan potlucks" throughout the Twin Cities and rub shoulders with RNC protestors, schmoozing his way into their inner circles, then reporting back to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, a partnership between multiple federal agencies and state and local law enforcement. The effort’s primary mission, according to the Minneapolis division’s website, is to “investigate terrorist acts carried out by groups or organizations which fall within the definition of terrorist groups as set forth in the current United States Attorney General Guidelines.”

Here is a link to the full article.

According to another article, the man approached to become an informant had this to say: “Then for twenty minutes they flatter me about how my personality and appearance are perfect matches for what is required in some espionage dealio. They wanted me to crash vegan potluck parties and get into the inner circle of terrorists because supposedly terrorists are trusting and I’m “trustable, easy going, funny,” and a bunch of other flattery. Every time they said “vegan potluck” I chuckled, but their faces showed they weren’t kidding. They said “vegan potluck” half a dozen times. They really feared vegans and their violent conspiracies to blow up buildings in protest to the republican national convention."

Seems like Anthony Bourdain has some influence with the FBI, as he is the one who called vegans "terrorist scum."

Joshua Valocchi at Philadelphia Weekly asked about what Bourdain calls a “plague of vegetarians”:
“These fucking people are not really all about us not eating duck liver,” snarls Bourdain. “No, no, no. They don’t want us eating any animal product whatsoever.
“When they win this tiny battle, they’ll move to the next one, like freeing the lobsters."
“These people,” says Bourdain, “are the worst kind of terrorists. And they must be stopped.”

Funny Toon

I actually found this funny because whenever me or my kids are posing for pics, I always yell "Tofutti."

Close to Home comic link here.

And yet another recall....

Another happy day for carnivores everywhere. It seems the recalls are becoming more and more of a common thing.

A Chicago company (JSM Meat Holdings Company ) has just recalled some of their beef due to a possible E. Coli contamination. And what lovely sounding names they give their beef. "Boneless Chucks," "Boneless Clods," "Flat Rounds," "Gooseneck Rounds," "Knuckle," "Heel Meat," "Scotties," "Trimmings 50," "Trimmings 60," "Trimmings 65," "Trimmings 70," "Trimmings 75," "Trimmings 80," "Trimmings 85," or "Trimmings 90." Doesn't that sound scrumptious? (can you just hear the sarcasm in my voice?)
Here is the link to the USDA News release.

Oprah Goes Vegan!!

Well, I think I am a bit behind, but I do not normally watch Oprah. If my TV is on during the day, it is on PBS or Noggin.

Anyway, exciting news, Oprah has decided to go VEGAN for 21 days, following author Kathy Frestons book Quantum Wellness: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Health and Happiness

You can read more about her experience during this "detox" by following her blog here.
I really like the passage from her Day 1 post where she writes

"In the passage, Kathy talks about an overweight friend who would gain and lose. She didn't conquer the weight issue until she became a "conscious" eater.
Conscious eater. That struck a nerve. I had recently come to the conclusion that after spending weeks reading and rereading A New Earth and being on line with Eckhart Tolle that bringing a higher level of awareness to my eating was the solution I'd been avoiding. My idea of a conscious eater, however, was not quite the same as Kathy's.
I thought it meant not allowing yourself to eat emotionally and filling the void of anxiety with food, as I've struggled with for years. I thought it meant taking your time, making healthy choices and chewing slowly—being conscious of every bite and not scarfing down a meal and then thinking about the next one.
That is one level of consciousness. But what she talks about in her book is a higher level. She speaks of "spiritual integrity." How can you say you're trying to spiritually evolve, without even a thought about what happens to the animals whose lives are sacrificed in the name of gluttony?
So this 21-day cleanse gives me a chance to think about it differently and see what my attachments are to certain kinds of foods—and what I'm willing to do to change. Don't know if I'm going to feel better or worse, but I'm willing to try to see if my body at least feels differently."

I really hope she chooses to remain vegan for life once this 21 days is over. And perhaps with her huge following, a large chunk of her fans will follow suit!

Trader Joe's Vegan Products

Here is a list of products Trader Joe's carries that are Vegan. Remember that the TJ's nearest you may not carry all the products listed, but this list can be helpful. So if you're interested, here is the link.

Food Porn

Ok, I am going to admit this and it will probably piss off many people, but I HATE food porn.
Don't get me wrong, it is not that I hate food porn in and of itself, but the fact that food porn usually is of something I would love to eat but is not accompanied by a recipe and therefore I cannot eat it!
Ok, there, I said it. Hate me, but not because I'm beautiful.