This Thursday is Thanksgiving in the United States, a day that often centers around the eating of a stuffed turkey. For those of us who are vegan, it’s often a challenging day to feel included in the family “gathering” and also it’s a sad day for us, thinking of all those precious turkeys who’ve lost …
How Food Choices Can Support Our Animal Reiki Practice Read More »
One of my favorite things to see in Maui, besides the beach of course, is animals. This trip my highlight was adorable feral kitties! I was also heartened to see some beautiful people feeding this colony living along the beach path near the hotel where I stayed. I could see by the cats’ tipped ears …
Vacationing Vegan on Maui – 5 Days of Yummy Eats Read More »
Leah D’Ambrosio (VP of The Shelter Animal Reiki Association (SARA)), Kelly McDermott (Director of SARA’s East Coast Projects) and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Glasgow, Scotland, where I had the honor of speaking on “Reiki for Dogs” at the Natural Canine Care Convention, alongside other amazing speakers such as Dr. Karen Becker …
I recently came back from a very fun trip with my family to “The Happiest Place on Earth,” Disneyland in Southern California. One of my goals on this trip was to find a way to eat delicious, healthy food and stay true to my diet of vegan/gluten-free (V/GF). I have to admit, eating V/GF while at Disneyland wasn’t a walk in the park (no pun intended). There were a few times where I realized the true meaning of the slang term “hangry.” (Definition: irritable or bad-tempered as a result of being hungry.) I even thought about calling this blog, “Woman cannot live on fruit cups alone” or “Starving with Snow White and Sleeping Beauty,” but settled on a more positive choice. 🙂
Sure, I read up online to see what food choices I could expect to find, but to be honest, I have three additional personal qualities that go against success on my mission of eating V/GF at Disneyland …
Thanksgiving is a beautiful opportunity to celebrate peace, kindness—and turkeys. Each year, I try to find a way to celebrate compassion on this special day. Last year, I joined Gene Baur and Farm Sanctuary at the Celebration for the Turkeys in downtown San Francisco. This year, I plan to share an array of delicious homemade vegan dishes with my family and friends.
Though some people may give you a strange look when you mention you plan to celebrate a vegan Thanksgiving, keep in mind you’re in good company: Beyoncé, Russell Brand, Ellen Degeneres, Liam Hemsworth, Jared Leto, Alicia Silverstone, Gwen Stefani, Carrie Underwood and Kat Von D will be enjoying a cruelty-free Thanksgiving, too.
But that doesn’t make it any easier when it comes to planning a menu that will impress even the most ardent carnivore. Here’s what I’ve decided to prepare for tomorrow …
Happy Valentine’s Day to my tribe! What are your plans this weekend? No matter if it’s dinner, dancing or a snuggle on the couch, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to celebrate love with your nearest and dearest (both human and animal). This day is also an opportunity for animal lovers like us to show our compassion and respect for all of earth’s creatures by celebrating in special animal-friendly ways. So before you finish up the last of your heart day shopping, consider these 10 awesome vegan Valentine’s gift ideas …
What could be more merry than shopping for holiday presents for the kids in our lives? While it’s super fun to make their holidays magical, don’t forget to balance out all that consumerism with some charitable giving—specifically, teaching children about the spirit of giving and helping those less fortunate during the holidays. With that in mind, here are five easy ways kids can help animals this holiday season …
Can I confess something to you? I am a foodie. No, really: I love great food. Not good food, superb food! As I have transitioned my diet into a “mostly” vegan one (and gluten-free), many of my friends have said to me, “Oh good for you, but I could never do it! I just love ____ too much!” (Fill in the blank with your favorite dairy, meat or wheat-inspired food.)
I want to share with you that, yes, it takes some exploring and learning new ways to cook. And yes, it’s not always easy to find things to eat out at restaurants. But I am so blessed to live near one of the world’s yummiest cities in the world: San Francisco. Just a short drive from where I live, I have found a blissful vegan’s paradise …
Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? I’ve only just begun! In case you’re still searching for that special something, here’s my ultimate holiday gift guide for the cat and dog lovers in your life. Stay tuned next week for part II, which will feature even more fun and creative gifts for animal lovers …
In the middle of a crowded Saturday afternoon in San Francisco’s Mission district, I found the wisdom of the farm: peace, compassion, presence.
I decided to participate in Farm Sanctuary’s Celebration for the Turkeys—a beautiful gathering of animal lovers, a delicious vegan feast and a live video feed of the sanctuary’s turkeys eating delicious platters of lovingly prepared food. Thanksgiving feasts “for” turkeys, instead of “of” turkeys—what a concept!
I was deeply touched and honored to meet two of my personal heroes: Gene Baur and Susie Coston of Farm Sanctuary. Gene gave an amazing speech about compassion, and Susie shared photos and stories of some of the many turkeys she cares for at Farm Sanctuary in New York.
The gathering was given at Citizen Fox, a new vegan restaurant in San Francisco …
