Ethical Eating and Sustainable Living @ Cheap Wine and Cookies

Reduce, Recycle, Regrow

2012-02-13T13:26:00.000-08:00

      If you're on Pinterest*, I'm sure you've seen the latest wave of pins on regrowing celery. The first time I saw one of these pins, I was completely ashamed of myself for not having known this before. Talk about an easy, useful way to reduce waste and save money!

       So, of course, I tried it immediately, and it worked like a charm! After cutting the bottom off a bunch of celery, I simply plopped that bottom in a cup of water, and viola! New celery were starting to grow the very next day!

      A day or two later, I was chopping up some romaine lettuce for a salad, and figured, well the bottom of that bunch looks just about the same, same style of root. Why not? Plopped the bottom in a little cup of water, and BAM! More romaine starting to grow the very next day.

      Next, I tried baby bok choy. That also worked beautifully. The week after that, it was full sized bok choy - also a hit. Soon, we had little cups of starter plants lining our kitchen sill. Once they started to get a little bigger, we *ahem* MacGyver put them into re-used pots with some soil to await their planting in the garden here in a week or two.

This is our kitchen sill today - one bok choy, one romaine, and one celery - all less than a week old (look at that bok choy grow!!!), and I find the halloween cups amusing.

We go through a lot of veggies in our house, so we already have a lot of these little buggers going, and I don't plan on stopping. At this rate, we'll have plants in so many different stages that we won't need to buy celery, romaine, or bok choy anymore.

Even better? This makes buying organic even more of a value. I mean, I don't stress too much if I can't find a certain item in organic once in a while, but if I'm regrowing it, it becomes a lot more worth it. And really, it's not hard to find most of these things organic.

Some of the newly repotted plants waiting for a place in the garden.

Another tip: to keep your celery nice and straight, you'll have to put something round around the plants. Websites suggest cutting the top and bottom off a 2 litre bottle, removing the label, and putting that around them. It looks like a great idea - if you drink pop. We really don't, so I think we're going to go with little wire cages.

This really is a quick and easy way to save some money in the veggie buying department. And there are a lot more to come. I just wanted to touch on this one to show that not every step you take has to be labor intensive or costly. In reality, a lot of them are just this quick and simple. And a lot of them - like this one - actually save you money.

And every little bit helps - both you, your health, your wallet, and your planet.

* As most of you have already heard me bemoan, Pinterest is now blocked at work, which makes me very, very sad. I have not yet come up with a work related reason to get them to unblock it. Apparently "It sucks up WAY less of my time than Facebook - which isn't blocked" isn't good enough. :-(

Not a Hippie Thing

2012-01-28T07:26:00.000-08:00

       "Timothy will know - " I heard my name as I walked down the hall at work. (Being a Marine, I go by my last name at work.)

      I took a couple steps back to peek into the office from which I had heard my name. Three or four of the judge advocates I work with were gathered for an end-of-the-day gab session. "I'll know what?"

        "What, exactly," one of them asked me, "is patchoili?"

       I supressed a bit of laughter. "Why do you think I'd know that?"

       The answer is obvious. It has long been established that I am "The Hippie of the Law Center." I handed over what little knowledge I have of patchouli (which I consider to be a little more tied in with drug culture than the organic, plant eating, food growing, chemical free, pagan-y circles I perfer, but whatever, I did know what it was). The conversation then went on to much more hilarious topics that I won't be touching on here. ~~Ok, it may have involved plushies and custom costumes with trap doors... Maybe.~~

       Over the course of the last year, it has been far from unusual for my coworkers to ply me with random questions about my beliefs and lifestyle. Always respectfully and out of curiosity, mind you. The Marine Corps can be a pretty homogenous place, and the assumption is often that Marines are conservative and Christian. Often, that is exactly the case. But you also run into exceptions (like raging liberal UU Pagan Marines, ahem). I find that most of the judge advocates (military attorneys) I've worked with have been much more liberal than the general military population is held out to be.

      Regardless, while many of my fellow attorneys are pretty liberal, they are also, by and large, Christians and not at all what one might call "hippies." Except me. The Hippie of the Law Center.

      It is not unusual for me to find myself in a discussion about "crunchy" topics with one or two of my coworkers. Most often, they want to know about ethical eating and why I feel strongly about it and what I've read lately. About two months ago, one of them, who I'll call Capt Curious for simplicity's sake asked me to come to his office. He wanted to show me a video. He said he thought of me the moment he saw it. He was totally right, and I LOVED the video:

     This IS me. Really. Right up until the point where they decide to actually go to the farm, this is me. Okay, I've gone to the farms themselves, too, but not in the middle of dinner ;-) I love Portlandia. Everything about it. Especially Dream of the 90's. I love the 90's just as much as the 80's. Maybe even more because the style wasn't quite as horrifying. If you haven't checked out Portlandia, you should. Love it. And it totally confirms that MacGyver and I have been right in our continuing desire to move to Portland, OR (though I don't see that happening until the kids are older).

      Anyway, Capt Curious showed me that clip, which I stated was a more accurate representation of me than he probably realized, and we talked a little bit about Food Ethics. I told him that I don't eat factory meat becasue of the deplorable conditions - both for humane reasons and for health reasons. A couple other Captains wondered in through the course of our discussion, but the general feel was that no one else had really thought to look into it. Which I don't hold against them. That's sort of the status quo in the US. There is this assumption that mass produced = good, safe, healthy, etc.

      The degree to which that assumption is wrong is horrifying once you really start to peel back the layers. The massively negative health consequences of eating large quantities of meat, processed foods, factory meat, and other common, accepted products are astounding. And it doesn't end at food - cleaning products, cosmetics (including shampoo and soap), even the materials from which our homes are built, are saturated with toxic chemicals. But so few people even realize it. So few people are paying attention. And really, who has time to pay attention to all of it? I mean, I'm obsessive about it, and I know I'm only scratching the surface.

      Our system is broken. Just because something is in the grocery store or nicely packaged in NO WAY means it is safe or should be in your home or in your body.

      And that was what we discussed. Or, I should say, that was the opinion I gave, to which my co-workers responded with skeptical acceptence.

      Then, a couple days ago, Capt Curiosity approached me as I was milling around outside the courtroom.

      "I saw Food, Inc. this weekend." he informed me with obvious joy, raising his hand for a fist bump (a fist bump? Really? If you knew me in real life, you would know how laughable that is. Maybe just reading this blog is enough to realize I am not really a 'fist bump' sort of person. Then again, none of my coworkers probably are, either... MacGyver laughed out loud when I told him.)

      I returned the fist bump. "What did you think?"

      Basically, he was really glad he had watched it, and he wished he had seen it sooner. He had no idea about many of the serious issues that come into play in food ethics and how much idiocy goes on before food ends up in our grocery stores. He told me he had decided to switch to only local, humanely and organically raised meat. I was happy for him.

      "You've been won over to the hippie side." I told him.

      And that is when he balked a little.

      "Well," he said, "I don't really see it that way. I mean, I think wanting to know where you food comes from, being willing to do the research before making decisions doesn't make you a hippie, it just makes you responsible."

      Huh. Apparently I'm not a hippie after all...

Dear Shampoo, You're Fired

2012-01-12T11:02:00.000-08:00

      Natural, organic, crunchy, ethical living can be sort of a slippery slope. When I was in Law School, I cut out bleached carbs, high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils. Gradually, I started switching to a diet that emphasizes veggies above all else. This was all for health reasons. When I became a mother to Punky, I further cut out most juices and junk food except for on special occasions. The more I read, the more I tweaked our diet, removing processed junk and "non-food," adding whole foods, etc.

      Then I got pregnant.

       I started reading even more.  A lot more. And I started to slip. It wasn't just processed junk that had to go, but also pesticides and hormones. One lecture on food ethics and Fair Trade/Equal Exchange became a necessity. Factory meat was quickly banned from our house. Now it was not only about health but about responsible stewardship of the planet and treatment of the creatures on it (including other humans). But they go hand in hand, the ethics and the health.

      As it turns out, the simpler, healthier foods also have the least negative impact on the environment. But my focus was mostly on food. Sure, we switched to mostly "green" cleaning products, but I wasn't nearly as "into" it as I was with food. I had switched to vinegar and borax to wash Flintstone's diapers because I was told it worked better (it does), and had switched out a lot of our other cleaning products with vinegar, baking soda, citrus, etc. But I wasn't "on a mission" the way I am with food.

       Then I found out about the conroversy with Aveeno. I was partially shocked. Carcinogens and toxic chemicals in baby wash and lotion? Then again, I've always wondered what half the stuff in those ingredients lists was. Why was I shocked? Obviously, because I am fully integrated in a culture that takes these products for granted.

        I immediately went out and got Flintstone a simple, green baby wash. I started shying away from all the goo-type bath products our bathroom is overflowing with. Luckily I don't use many products at all. As a teenager I learned that the more harsh products you use to wash your face, the more oil it produces. So for a long time I've only washed my face with water. I DID use lotion pretty often under the (faulty) assumption that I was taking better care of my skin by doing so. I went out and bought a jar of organic coconut oil, which works great.

       But there was one bottle (or, I should say pair of bottles) I found myself reaching for every other day: Shampoo and Conditioner. And these, of course, contain all the same pointless toxic crud as the rest of it. And they come in plastic bottles that, even though we recycle them, create more waste. And I have been known to spend quite a bit more for fancier versions that promise things I know they'll never do.

       I've been having so much success with switching out cleaning products and making herbal remedies, it suddenly seemed obvious that I should be able to do the same with bath products. A couple quick Googles, and I had more information than I had ever hoped for.

      So, about a week and a half ago, I fired my Aveeno shampoo and my conditioner.

      I read tons of recipes and articles about going "No 'Poo," which is the very unfortunate name of what is a growing movement of ~~hippies~~ brilliant people who have caught on to the fact that grocery store shampoo is actually a pointless waste of money which is actually bad for your hair.

      By far the most common recipes to replace shampoo and conditioner are baking soda and apple cider vinegar (ACV), respectively. You mix the baking soda with water, about a tablespoon to a cup, which you can adjust to suit your needs, rub it into your hair, and rinse. Boom, no shampoo. Dirt and oil gone. Follow up with ACV mixed with water, about 1/3 cup to a cup ratio, again adjusting to your needs, pour into hair, let rest for a few moments if desired, and rinse. It detangles and imparts shine without adding anything to your hair. There is no residual vinegar smell.

      In the beginning, I got a little fancy with it and blended my baking soda mixture up with cucumber, but I didn't like the idea of having to keep my "not shampoo" in the fridge (or putting something that cold on my head in the shower!), so now I'm onto just the baking soda and ACV, though the cucumber did work well.

      I haven't shampooed my hair since 2011.

      Now any article you read on this will point out that for the first couple weeks, your hair can get a little greasy. This is because shampooing every day (or even every other day like I did) actually programs your scalp to produce more grease (just like your face, DUH!). Once your scalp realizes it's no longer under attack, the amount of grease it produces drastically decreases. I've read many blogs by women who have been shampoo free for a year or more and only need to use the baking soda/ACV rinses once a week because their scalps produce so little grease.

       I am currently right in the middle of the "greasy" phase, and you know what? It's not nearly as bad as I had feared. Granted, I wear my hair up in a bun or french twist for work every day, so it doesn't really matter much if it's greasy, but I DO have bangs, so if there's grease there, you can see it. Maybe it's not as bad for me because I wasn't shampooing every day when I made the switch?

       I have already noticed a change in the texture of my hair. I have had SUPER baby-fine hair my whole life. It has always taken me GOBS of product to get my hair to do anything. Already, after just a week without shampoo, my hair feels fuller, the strands feel thicker and healthier, and my hair is noticably more managable.

      This weekend I let my hair air dry (as I pretty much always do), but instead of drying into it's usual sad, stringy, "please do something to me now" state, it dried into these nice, flowy, loose waves. With no product in it at all. I can't wait to see how it looks in a couple weeks!

      Needless to say, I am now totally on board with this whole "no poo" thing. Still NOT on board with the name, but I'll just have to deal with that.

      I will try to update you all in a month or two to see how it goes. I know anyone reading this is now thinking, "Yes, that's all well and good, but I want to SEE it." Of course. But when I DO take pictures, I'm usually the one behind the camera, so for now, this is the best I can do. I will try to get a better picture of my hair (like, with it actually down) this weekend.

All I can think is how much I do NOT look good at this angle :-) But it's the only picture I currently have of my shampoo free hair. Enjoy.

Added bonus? This was one of my Project 52 goals! BAM!

For more information, I found this blog very informative.

Holiday Ham

2012-01-10T05:34:00.000-08:00

      When I found out the family was coming for Christmas, I was very excited. I immediately called Boo to talk about what they wanted to do while they were here. I also asked him what he wanted for Christmas dinner.

      "Dangit!" he exclaimed. "I didn't even think of that."

      "What?"

      "Mom made the best honey ham for Easter, and I was really excited about having one for Christmas, but I guess that won't be happening at YOUR house."

      Now, I have to say that when Boo stayed with us for about a month last summer, he had no problems with the food. He was actually surprised by how much he liked my cooking and the "hippie" lifestyle. That said, he still snuck hot pockets and pizza rolls once in a while when the kids weren't around.

      I reminded Boo that while we rarely eat meat, we are not vegetarians. We are Ethical Eaters. We eat meat when we can get it from a local, humane source, and we only eat it a few times a month because humans aren't meant to eat meat every day. And I just so happened to know of a [somewhat] local pig farm. I assured Boo the ham would be better than any crap you can get from the store, and set out in search of a cut of meat and a recipe.

      I played a little bit of phone and email tag with the couple who own the farm I planned to get the ham from, with the woman insisting to me over and OVER again that a fresh ham from a farm is NOT like a store bought ham. Of course. A fresh ham is not cured. It is not pumped full of chemicals, nitrates/nitrites, sodium, fillers, and dye. I understood completely. That's why I was putting so much thought and research into the recipe. But still, EVERY time I spoke to her, she reminded me that this ham would taste more like a pork roast than a grocery store chemical ham. It actually got rather annoying after a time. But the man I spoke to on the farm was far from condescending, and their pork was all humanely raised and well worth it.

      So one afternoon in December, I packed up the kids and made the hour and ten minute (one way) trek out to the farm to pick up our ham - which, by that point, I was starting to call "Boo's ham."

      I'm sure a 3 hour round trip might seem like a lot for one cut of meat, but I look at the bigger picture: The drive wasn't for the meat itself, it was for what the meat represents. It was for meat free of artifical hormones, antibiotics, and toxic chemicals (and YES, the meat in the grocery store - even some of the "organic" meat, contains TOXIC chemicals proven to increase the risk of brain cancer in children; why the EFF would anyone eat that?). It was for meat from pigs that were raised humanely, allowed to roam and play, and live. Because not only do I avoid putting toxic chemicals and additives into my body or feeding them to my family, I also avoid taking the products of cruelty and suffering into my body or feeding them to my family.

Punky with the happy cows on the farm. THIS is why I won't eat the cruelty laden garbage from the grocery store.

      So we drove out and picked up the ham. I also picked up some sausage and chorizo. I'm sure we'll be going back there sometime around Ostara (Easter for you Christian and/or secular types) because all the meat turned out delicious.

      Now for the recipe. I cobbled this together from a variety of different sites and recipes. There are two steps to it, brining and baking. Brining is necessary to obtain a "grocery store-like" honey ham taste. We had a 3lb ham. All amounts are estimates, and should be adjusted for taste. You will need more of everything for a bigger ham.

      Brine Ingredients

~ 2 liters cola (I suggest a pop made with real sugar like Pepsi Throwback. High fructose corn syrup should be avoided, and diet soda or pop with artifical sweeteners should NOT be used).

Yes, I used this much pop in my recipe. My goal was flavor. Since this was a holiday meal, I wasn't quite as uptight about sugar as I usually am. Plus, the brine is ultimately discarded and there were plenty of veggies served with the ham.

1 - 2 cups kosher salt
1 head of garlic, crushed/minced
6 Bay leaves
6 tbsp freshly ground pepper

      You'll need a big enough containter to hold the whole ham, completely submerged in the brine. I used the crock from my crock pot. If your ham has skin (ours didn't), slice the skin in a cris-cross pattern. Put about 2/3 the pop in the pot (be sure the pot isn't going to overflow when the ham is submerged). Dissolve the salt in the pop. I actually used half kosher salt and half sushi salt, which is nearly the same, because I needed to reserve some of the Kosher salt for another purpose. I also found that I lost patience with stirring before the salt was fully dissolved, but it seemed to work out perfectly anyway. Once the salt is dissolved, add the garlic, pepper, and bay. Stir.

      Submerge the ham in the brine. Add the remaining 1/3 of the pop if necessary to cover the ham. Cover the ham, making sure it remains fully submerged. I placed a small cup on top of my ham so that when I placed the lid on the crock pot, it pushed the ham down under the brine.

       Leave the ham in the brine for about 2 days, turning it at least once to ensure even flavoring. I think mine was in for closer to 2 1/2 days, but be careful not to leave it in too long or it will - I'm told - ruin the meat.

      Baking Ingredients (Glaze)*

1 can pineapple rings
1 jar marichino cherries (the pineapple and cherries are NOT necessary unless you're married to MacGvyer or someone like him)
Handful of whole cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sage

      I have to admit this is not the glaze I originally intended to make. This glaze more or less just happened when certain parties decided to *ahem* help me in the kitchen.

      After taking the meat out of the brine on the day you're going to cook it, let it sit at room temperature for about an hour. Rinse breifly and pat dry.

      In the meantime, pour only the juice from the can of pineapple and the jar of cherries into a small saucepan. Stir in the cinnamon and sage. Simmer gently and allow the juices to reduce to the desired syrupy consistancy. You may add water and a little honey if you have a bigger ham and are worried about the amount of glaze, but this was more than enough for our 3 lb ham.

      Preheat the oven to 325.

      If your ham has skin, it should already be scored in a criss-cross pattern. If not, score it now. In the corners where the lines cross, insert the cloves. If you live with MacGvyer (or someone with similar tastes), use some of the cloves to pin cherries to the ham. Place pinapple rings around the cherries.

      Bake the ham uncovered for about 25 minutes per pound, ensuring that the core temperature reaches 160 degrees fahrenheit using a meat thermometer. About 30 minutes before the ham is done, pour the glaze over it and continue to bake uncovered for the remainder of the time.

      For best results, let the ham sit for a few minutes before carving. Serve with plenty of fresh, healthy Farmer's Market veggie dishes!

A delicious, completely ethical, holiday meal. Made extra classy by Boo's Miller High Life.

The ham this year was a HUGE success. Everyone loved it, and it was a near perfect replication of the flavor of the "store bought" hams Boo loves. The flavor of the cola was somewhat detectable, which was by no means a bad thing, but next time I might try a brine without pop in it. Maybe using honey or pineapple juice.

One final Ethical Eating Plea: Please DO NOT use this recipe if you cannot obtain a humanely raised ham. I do not promote meat eating in general because so many people think nothing of purchasing meat from wherever they can get it at the cheapest price they can find, regaurdless of the sickening and deplorable conditions in which the animals suffer. This is why I don't typically post meat recipes even when we eat meat. If you don't care enough to find a humane source for your meat, please don't use my recipes.
* This glaze was delicious, but far from healthy. There are a lot of other delicious sounding glaze recipes out there in internet land that might not be quite as syrupy as this one. Then again, when it comes to a glaze for a special occassion, sugary isn't too bad. At the very least, I might leave out the marichino cherry juice next time because of the artificial color (or find cherries without the artificial color!).

What's On Your Plate?

2011-11-19T04:54:00.001-08:00

      Last weekend, Punky and I watched an excellent documentary together that I want to recommend to everyone.

      It's called What's On Your Plate? and it follows two 11 year olds on their journey to find out where the food they eat comes from.

       The film starts when these city kids visit Ohio and discover just how much better a fresh tomato tastes. They are able to visit the local farm where the tomato was grown, and they are instantly interested. Curiosity piqued, they return to the city on a mission to find out just where their food comes from.

      This is an informative and fun documentary; I highly recommend it as a way to introduce kids to the concepts of nutritious eating and a little food politics. It talks a lot about school lunches and where the food comes from and shows real kids getting involved in getting real food into their school. For kids, this is a great, engaging movie because it's told from their perspective by characters they can relate to.

       It touches on a wide array of topics, from Farmer's Markets and global pollution to diabetes, all in a simple, interesting, and engaging manner Punky loved.

       But this is not just a documentary for kids. It is an inspirational look at getting involved for people of all ages. As a parent, it totally renewed my dedication to getting Punky involved in our garden and all the other aspects of where our food comes from. As a person, it reminded me of many of the reasons I take Ethical Eating so seriously.

      If you're already well versed in ethical eating and food politics, this may not be the film for you. Then again, it still just might. If you're an average everyday person, though, you really should watch this movie. And if you have kids, they should really watch it with you.

       You should also check out the website for the movie, which contains even more information and fun and games for the kids!

      This is what Punky had to say about What's On Your Plate?:

      What's On Your Plate? rocked! When I grow up, I want to be a farmer and have a job and two kids. And I want to eath healthy food all my life. When I get older I want my own garden! My favorite part of the movie was when they went to the Angel family's garden. I didn't know that it was so hard for farmers to put their carrots in schools. I learned all that carrots have to go through to be in schools. Feeding your body right is very important. What's on your plate?

Ethical Eating Out: Food Day

2011-10-25T05:51:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Food Day! Did you eat ethically for the day? If you missed it, try it out today; it's easier that you think. Forego meat for a day - I have loads of delicious cruelty free recipes on my Recipes page. Buy Fair Trade/Equal Exchange coffee, chocolate, and tea. Visit a Farmer's Market. Switch to veggie broth. Easy steps!

I didn't get to do quite as much for Food Day as I would have liked because we're TAD, but I did what I could: I ordered my Fair Trade Chai Tea Latte with soy milk instead of inhumanely obtained cow's milk. And when we went out to dinner, I hit the jackpot.

How yummy does my dinner look? No meat, and possibly no dairy (depending on how the babba ganoush was made), and totally delicious.

Even Punky embraced Food Day with meat and dairy free penne marinara.

How did your Food Day go?

Eating Our Own

2011-10-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

      I am not a vegan, and I don't claim to be. I am not even a vegetarian. And I don't claim to be. Most of the time the meals I prepare are vegan or at least vegetarian, but I myself can claim neither of those labels. And there are reasons for that. Reasons that have become even more clear to me in the last few days.

      I practice Ethical Eating. Like veganism or vegetarianism, Ethical Eating is a lifestyle. But Ethical Eating is unlike veg'anism (that's the either/or term for vegan or vegetarianism) in the same way the Unitarian Universalism (which largely spawned the Ethical Eating movement) is different than most other religions: It isn't about hard and fast rules. The focus is on a continuing pursuit. It is about education, it is about constant steps forward. It is about striving.

      Sadly veg'anism has become very much about rules. It has become a "religion" from which one can be summarily excommunicated for failing to meet the self-righteous standards of other self proclaimed veg'ans. A couple days ago my friend Lindsay Nixon, author of Happy Herbivore, one of my very favorite cookbooks, wrote a post on her blog questioning whether or not Honey could be used by vegans. A simple enough topic, and grounds (in my opinion) for a lively discussion.

     Well, let's just say that "lively" isn't exactly the word I would use for what ensued from there.

      As a result, the next day she renounced her V card. Lindsay no longer claims to be vegan. Score one for the self-righteous vegan fundamentalists? I think not. Because what sort of backward-ass movement strives to shrink it's membership? How exactly does chasing away the author of an awesome and well known cookbook further your cause? In short,

W.T.F.???

I think Lindsay put it quite well in her post: "why are these vegans taking the time to run around and tell people trying to be vegan they're not vegan enough, instead of using that time and energy helping someone who isn't vegan at all? Is veganism some cool club that I'm not worthy to get into? Do we really want to make it about exclusivity rather than inclusivity? Someone said to me once, and I think this is painfully true, for cruelty-free dieters, vegans sure are cannibalistic!"

I never have and never will understand backbiting idiots who turn on their own (remember Catty B*tches? If you missed it, it's worth the read). It seems to me that they're kind of loosing sight of the goal here. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the ultimate aim to have an overall positive impact? To reduce the amount of cruelty caused by our consumption? And to improve our collective and individual health while we're at it?

At the very least, that's MY goal. For some people, apparently, the point is to prove how much better they are at "being vegan." Whatever. Have fun. But please keep the hell away from me. I'm trying NOT to make Ethical Eating look like the niche of crazy extremists. As Lindsay said, "As plant-based eaters, we are a minority. We need to stick together and support each other."

And THAT, my dear friends is what Ethical Eating is all about. Sticking together, and moving forward. Whether you're taking big steps or little steps, every step counts. My current struggles to cut out all foods containing inhumane eggs and cheese are no more or less significant that the person trying out Meatless Mondays (or, like us, Meatless weekdays! You'd be absolutely shocked by how easy and satisfying it is).

Whether you are a vegan or a vegetarian. Whether you call yourself one or not. Whether you claim to pursue the goals of Ethical Eating or you just want to make the best health choices for yourself and your family. Whatever your reasons, and whatever steps you take.

Because every step is a step.

And lets not lose sight of that.

What steps have you taken? Which were the hardest? Which were your biggest triumphs? What are you struggling with now. THIS is a safe place for any step on your journey (unless you promote cruelty, then you're just a jackass, obviously). Tell us where you stand.

Turkey

2011-10-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

     As we all know, I'm not one for skipping Holidays. It frustates the heck out of me when I walk into a store that's all fancied up for Christmas/Yule/Chanukka/Festivus and all other holidays on or around Winter Solstice before we've even hit Halloween (or even Patriot Day in some cases!).

      But I'm breaking my cardinal rule and skipping ahead a holiday. This skipping, however is necessary and is only preparatory. Heaven knows I would never fully gloss over Halloween/Samhain! But poor Thanksgiving really gets short shrift anyway, being sandwiched right between Halloween and the Soltstice holidays.

      Why start thinking about Thanksgiving so far ahead of time? Honestly, I should have been thinking about it a few months ago and I totally dropped the ball. The answer is simple: TURKEY!

      Thanksgiving is a holiday that supposedly centers around giving thanks, but we all know what it really centers around, at least culturally: Meat. Turkey meat, to be more precise.

      Just because turkey is a less popular poultry meat than chicken in no way means they escape the sick horror of factory farms. Every year, hundreds of millions of turkeys are raised in sickening, tourturous conditions in factory farms.

      I, for one, cannot stomach the idea of sitting around a warm family table discussing all the blessings in life that we are greatful for only to celebrate those blessings by feasting on an animal that lived its entire life in painful, sickening, deplorable conditions. That is just simply WRONG.

      But I really don't think I can get the fam on board with a meat free Thanksgiving this year, and I also don't see it as necessary. We still eat meat occassionally. Probably about 3 times a month. But we restrict ourselves from humanely raised meat from local farms.

      So I set out on a mission to find a humanely raised turkey for our Thanksgiving feast, and it looks like we're in luck. I found this awesome site: Eat Wild. Eat wild provides state by state information (with maps) on TONS of humane farms, many of which will even ship meat to you. Not only was I able to find turkey, I also found pork, beef, chicken, eggs (not that we need any), and goats. And I'm sure that's just scratching the surface. It is a GREAT SITE.

      I highly recommend everyone check out Eat Wild. You might just be surprise by what you find in your area. I know I was. Before I found Eat Wild, I only knew of one or two local humane meat producers, turns out there are tons.

     Now, in all honesty, I should have started looking for a turkey earlier in the year. Some of the farms start taking reservations for the turkeys back in June when the turkeys are babies. But I've sent emails to a number of farms to see what's available. And if I can't find anything in the state, I can always click Eat Wild's "Farms That Ship" link and find a farm that might be able to ship me a humanely raised turkey.

      Where are YOU getting your turkey this year? Or are you even having a turkey? How are you going to make your Thanksgiving a day of thanks not just for you, but for all the animals and humans who played a role in bringing your food to your table?

      And be sure to check out the recipes site for lots of Thanksgiving deliciousness before and after the day!

Food Day!

2011-10-04T10:26:00.000-07:00

      Monday, October 24th is National Food Day! And, whether they know it or not, it is effectively Ethical Eating Day. Just take a look at the 6 Principles of Food Day:

1 Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms
5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

      See? Ethical Eating Day! I am super excited about this, and I invite everyone to grab the button from up top and join me in celebrating food day by learning more, being mindful of what you eat and how it affects the world around you, and cooking a healthy, ethical, home cooked meal that day.

      Check out the Food Day website to sign a letter to your Congress person asking them to take notice of the issues Food Day is trying to raise awareness of and find ways to participate.

      They even have a free downloadable cookbook with amazing recipes from a ton of celebrity chefs! I doesn't get better than that.

      So, in honor of Food Day in just a couple weeks, I hope to see you all joining in, if even in a small way.

      Want to be featured here on Cheap Wine and Cookies? Send me your Food Day plans, and you'll get your very own post.

      What a fun and easy way to have a HUGE impact on our world!

New Posts Coming Soon

2011-09-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

Can't wait?

Submit a Guest Post!

What are you doing in your life to eat more ethically? I'd love to feature your story, tips, or even articles, books, or information you find enlightening in the realm of Ethical Eating.

Whatever you can think of, try me! Email me at CheapWineandCookies at gmail dot com.

The Good and The Bad: Drinks and Cravings

2011-06-06T12:17:00.000-07:00

Originally Posted:

Jun 6, 2011 2:36 PM

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the good and bad things in my life. I have two super-long posts drafted up about where I’ve failed and where I’ve succeeded, just sort of taking stock. I may never post them, though because 1) they’re probably pretty boring to read; 2.) the positive parts of them come off as super braggy; and 3.) they are super duper long. Such posts are the epitome of a post just for myself.

Still, I’ve been spending a whole lot of time just looking around myself, thinking, assessing. This morning as I made a cup of tea (organic white), I started ruminating on my eating habits. I’ve gotten a little lax the last couple weeks. I mean, not all that lax. I’ve still been eating ethically and getting enough veggies, but my sugar and fat cravings have been off the charts. I suspect it’s a combination of sleep deprivation and a recent Flintstone growth spurt.

Did you know that sleep deprivation messes with your hormones in a way that causes increased appetite? What a pain in the rear.

So in the last couple weeks, I’ve indulged in a few more cookies that I usually do. I’ve had veggie pizza twice (I found out that Little Caesars’ and Pizza Hut both use cheese without enzymes from slaughtered baby animals). And where I usually drink a constant stream of unsweetened tea – green, white, and black – all day, I’ve instead been drinking a lot more coffee with milk and agave nectar (or *cringe* flavored non-dairy creamers – mmmm . . . caramel macchiato . . .) and either Pepsi Throwback or Dr. Pepper Throwback in the afternoons (Throwback is made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, HFCS=gag). Granted, I’m still only drinking 2 or 3 cans of pop during the workweek, but I had been down to about one a week, usually divided over two days.

So this morning, gazing longingly at the coffee pot in my office mourning the fact that I really can’t have any more caffeine right now, I put my foot down (figuratively). I’m going back to tea. This little period of indulgence has gone on long enough. No more frozen yogurt before bed. No more pop in the afternoon. (Ok, to be realistic “no more” might be taking it a little far, but I am cutting it back down to once a week or so).

I think it’s about time to bring my loose leaf teas back to work.

Veggie Brain

2011-05-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

*** This is one of the 30 or so posts that have been languishing on my computer desktop, just a thought or a note, waiting for its moment of glory here on this highly respected blog :-P ***

I recently read a very interesting article in Psychology Today about the differences in brain chemistry/wiring between vegetarians/vegans (veg’ans) and omnivores. The article discusses a recent and very thought provoking study published by the Public Library of Science (PLoS ONE), The Brain Functional Networks Associated to Human and Animal Suffering Differ among Omnivores. You should seriously check out the study. Or at least the article. But I’m more into the hard scientific details and correlations, so I was thrilled to be able to read the study.

The basic finding here is – not at all surprisingly, in my opinion – people who refrain from eating flesh for ethical reasons seem to have much more empathy than those who eat meat. And this isn’t a touchy-feely fill out this survey and tell us how much you like animals thing; subjects of the study were placed in a fMRI machine and shown various images, to include images of humans and animals suffering. The areas of their brains that responded and the degree of the activity in these areas was then measured and quantified.

Has anyone noticed that I have a *slight* addiction to research studies? I probably read an average of 50 studies, articles about studies, or results summaries (on all sorts of topics) every week – no exaggeration. And the number was much higher when I had more free time (and didn’t blog . ..). I love studies. I know – I am, in the truest sense of the word, a complete and utter dork.

You can check out the study or the article for more detailed discussion of the various brain structures affected and the functioning behind them. While I love that sort of stuff, I recognize that most people don’t really care much whether it was the Anterior Cingular Cortex that lit up or the Medulla Oblongata (it was the former, by the way).

The long and short of it is that when vegetarians/vegans who refrained from eating flesh based on ethics were shown images of animal and human suffering, they exhibited responses in a NUMBER of brain regions associated with empathy, higher-order representations of the self and values, and bodily representation that were not found in omnivores.

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: Neither this study, nor I, in any way imply that omnivores are lacking in empathy or are in any way cold and heartless. The study simply demonstrates that ethical veg’ans have more empathy. So I don’t want any angry comments from the omnivores out there thinking I’m trying to malign anyone.

Empathy is an extremely important human emotion. It is an integral key to societal functioning, successful interpersonal relationships, and human happiness. I’m not exaggerating. Empathy – The ability to put oneself into the mental shoes of another person to understand her emotions and feelings (Alvin Goldman) – is the absolute foundation of true kindness. Those truly sick, cruel individuals among us and throughout history were the ones lacking in empathy (or able to dehumanize others to a degree where they could deactivate empathy, but the same idea).

If you can’t tell, I feel very strongly about empathy. I did well before I read this article. I have always felt strongly about “The Golden Rule,” which is found in most world religions, and I think empathy is the key to being a good friend, parent, wife, and human being. I am empathetic to a fault (if that’s possible).

I’m not saying veg’ans are better people (even though I know it sounds like it). But I’m not at all surprised by this study, either. There are people out there that can watch movies like Food, Inc. or see images or videos like the one below and three hours later are scarfing bacon or digging into a bucket of chicken. I can’t do that. It has gotten to a point where watching other people eat factory farmed meat upsets me. In that particular area, I have much more empathy than probably most people. But I’m sure there are other areas where people have me totally outstripped. As we all know, I have much less empathy for adulterers (granted, I actually do have some; I’m more talk and ranting than anything else on that, but still – I have a heck of a lot more empathy for poor farm animals than people who take vows then refuse to keep it in their pants).

So what’s my point? Interesting facts. Interesting study. Something to think about. No real point to speak of. I’m not trying to say veg’ans are better or trying to talk people into changing their ways. I simply found this study enlightening and pertinent to stuff I ramble about on this blog.

Ok, so maybe I’m trying to change your behavior a little. Seriously, how can anyone watch something like this and still eat factory farmed meat? Or refuse to watch it because they don’t want to feel guilty about eating said meat? By the way, this is where the SCHOOL LUNCH MEAT comes from:

<damn broken links - erg!.

Yes, these videos are graphic. Watching them makes me want to simultaneously vomit and cry. But, damnit, it’s better to watch it and make a change than to refuse to recognize that you contribute to this every single time you eat meat, eggs, or dairy produced by these animals. And for most US Americans that is EVERY MEAL OF THE EFFING DAY.

You don’t need “more empathy” to want to make this stop.

And, oh by the way, people who commit violent acts toward animals JUST LIKE THIS, are exponentially more likely to commit violent acts against other humans, particularly children. Think maybe we should try to put them out of business?

Human Milk From Cows

2011-04-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

This isn’t what I was planning on posting today, but this article really got me thinking: Scientists in China have genetically engineered 300 cows that produce milk very similar to human breastmilk. At first glance, there are a couple of possible pros to this: It would be a great alternative to formula for babies, and it might even be better for adult humans to drink than regular cow’s milk.

Just last night NotDonna and I were talking about how weird it is that the only milk most adult US Americans are not grossed out by is cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is designed for COWS. And what makes it more palatable than goat milk, or giraffe milk for that matter? Really, if humans want to drink milk, human breast milk should still be the first choice. Obviously, that’s not very workable since most human breast milk should be going to feed human babies, but you get my point. And all that said, I still drink organic cow milk occasionally, though I am phasing it out for Ethical reasons until I can find a local, humane dairy farm from whom to purchase milk.

Back to the genetically modified (GM) cows:

On further thought, there are TONS of cons to this idea. Here are just a few:

- The last thing we need is yet another “alternative” to breast feeding being promoted.

- The calves of these GM cows suffer and die. The milk isn’t nearly worth the cost of all that suffering and death.

- The milk has a lot of the same compounds as human milk, and they’re touting its “immune boosting” properties, but leaving out that fact that what it lacks are any of the mother’s antibodies, the main ingredient in breastmilk that protects babies.

- It will have to be pasteurized and whatnot, which will kill half the benefits of it.

- Human infants have what’s called an “open gut” which allows through much larger microbes than an adult stomach. If there is ANYTHING unusual in that milk, microbes, particles, etc., it will pass straight into the blood stream of the baby eating it causing, at the very least, allergies, and possibly much worse.

- I doubt they have yet tested the milk to see how it will actually effect human infants.

- Did I mention that producing this milk is CRUEL!?!

- And that people should just frigging BREASTFEED or get breastmilk from a milk bank?

I mean, really, isn’t breastfeeding and promoting and educating about breast feeding a MUCH more obvious and logical course of action? Not to mention a cruelty free one.