Sara

    Sara is a mother of 3 beautiful children, wife and has been vegan for 3 years. She is the events coordinator-educational programs and volunteer with Asha Sanctuary. She is also the creator of My Life As A Vegan Mom.

     Growing up, Sara always had a love of animals. Her parents fostered dogs much of her childhood, something that she reflected on when making the decision to become vegan.  "When I really started to think about the animals on my plate being no different then the animals in my home that I loved growing up, I realized that all living things are beings." Speaking with her vegan friends as well as watching Vegucated and Earthlings, really helped her to make the decision to not contribute anymore to the cruel treatment of animals.  "I could not believe my eyes when I saw the truth about what was not only happening on factory farms and humane farms but also on dairy farms. I told myself that I did not want to raise my children with the belief that it was ok to treat any living being in such a cruel way."

       For Sara raising a vegan child is pretty easy. "Children are naturally caring and compassionate toward everyone. It is only through their upbringing that they learn hate and cruelty. The challenges I face most are when I need to explain to my kids the realities of a non vegan world. I hope that when they are my age we will all live in a more veg-friendly world!"

       Sara began volunteering in 2013 "I believe the message that Asha Sanctuary is spreading is critical. By saving a few animals and educating those that come to the sanctuary, we will save the lives of thousands more, simply by showing people a better way to eat. Nothing fills my heart with joy more then watching people who come out to visit for the first time and see them connecting with the animals. I also love the fact that my children can grow up being exposed to the love and compassion at Asha Sanctuary." 

       Sara started My Life As A Vegan Mom in 2013, but with family demands and the birth of her third child it was hard for her to keep up with it. Now its back with some fresh ideas and some helpers!!! "I always loved the idea of a place where other vegan moms could see that they are not alone and maybe get some new recipes and ideas. With the rebirth of the blog I hope we can also show moms who are maybe curious about veganism just how easy it is to raise a vegan family!"

Tracy Murphy

       For the past year I have had the extreme pleasure of volunteering my time with ASHA.  An animal sanctuary located in Newfane, NY getting ready for it's first rescue of chickens this spring.  I started out just helping to arrange tabling events in the summer but now I have been given the awesome responsibility of being their treasurer.  

    

      The woman who started this whole thing and has worked tirelessly in the past year to make her dream a reality is Tracy Murphy.  A beautiful lady who I am very lucky to call my dear friend.  She is a true inspiration to not only myself but others. I feel incredibly blessed that she has included me in helping her with this amazing adventure as well as witnessing her "baby" come to life. 

    After much thought,  it only seemed logical to interview Tracy so that others could learn about her story and what sparked her interest to start an animal sanctuary: 

1. How long have you been vegan and what made you decide to make this lifestyle change?

    

    I first became a vegan in 2007, but went back and forth with my diet for those first couple of years.  I made the final decision to be completely vegan in 2009 as the only true way to be compassionate toward farmed animals and end their suffering.  I decided to go vegan when I became aware of the horrific suffering in animal agriculture and allowed myself to begin to be emotional connected with the animals.  I strongly believe you can't go vegan just by knowing about the suffering alone.  Many people view animal agriculture as horrific, and it is evidenced when we hear comments like, "I don't want to hear about it."  But there is something magical that happens to people when they emotionally connect with farmed animals.  It becomes real for them - slaughter.  And they don't want to eat the animals anymore.  That's what happened to me.

2. When did you form BVS?

 
    I formed the Buffalo Vegan Society in 2007 when I first learned about animal suffering in cruel farming practices and became a vegan.  Funny thing is I really didn't know I was a vegan - I had not heard of the word yet! I just considered myself a vegetarian that did not eat any animal products.

    The first thing I did was try to find a local support group.  There were none in the area that I could find,  so  I got up the courage to form my own group on meetup.com, and we started as the Buffalo Vegetarian Meetup.  After a while, we voted on a name and became the Buffalo Vegetarian Society. We started with dinner nights out and then began vegan potluck dinners at a local church.  It was a wonderful time of fellowship and much support for one another.  After meeting for a while, we decided it was time to do more to help animals and people by reaching out and educating the surrounding community on all the benefits of a plant-based diet.  

  

    In 2010, we began holding lectures featuring well-known medical professionals that included Dr. Michael Greger of the Humane Society of the United States and nutritionfacts.org and Dr. Neal Barnard, Founder and President of the Physicians Committee of Responsible Medicine.  George Eisman, R.D. and Nutrition Director for the Coalition for Cancer Prevention spoke for BVS several times as well and has been very supportive of our mission to educate our community.  Our events have been very well-received and has brought in non-vegs, vegetarians and vegans.  Our feedback from people has been very positive and they've  told us they have become vegetarian or vegan, transitioned to veganism or greatly reduced animal-based meat consumption as a result of our educational programs.  Many of our BVS friends bring in their non-veg family members as well and look to us for a safe and fun way to introduce veganism to them. 

3. What made you decide to form ASHA sanctuary?

      It was the magic that happens when people meet farmed animals for the first time and see how friendly, emotional and intelligent they are.  As much as we worked hard over the years to educate our community on the cruel treatment of animals in farming practices, we were missing a very important component - the animals!  I founded ASHA to let the animals tell their story - a very simple one of wanting to be loved - they tell their story with a loving kiss, a warm nudge, or just a still look that captures our hearts and changes our minds.

4. Where do you see ASHA in 5 years?

      ASHA will have animals living on our grounds in peace and surrounded by love and will provide a safe place where people can meet the animals, establishing long lasting emotional relationships with them.  We believe these human-animal connections will allow people to see the animals as friends and not food, helping them to make the compassionate decision to go vegan.

    We envision a large pond in the front of ASHA where ducks rescued from horrible and inhumane foie gras facilities can finally be free from suffering and enjoy swimming and life the way nature intended. We picture a large barn for pigs and an area for them to run, play and get wet!  We look forward to having lots of chickens, turkeys, and roosters following volunteers around, basking in the sun or just on patrol watching out for each other. As well as inquistive goats running up to meet our guests with big smiles and kisses. 

    We see ASHA as a safe place for people to enjoy and explore nature by providing hiking trails on our 27 acre preserved forest. We will provide support and encouragement by offering plant-based cooking classes by expert vegan chefs in our historic 1800's house. We anticipate the barns on ASHA grounds being energy efficient by solar or wind energy and a conduit to help educate people in our surrounding community on sustainable living. We look forward to having a community garden to provide much needed revenue for our sanctuary and to serve as a community model in sustainable gardening.

5.  What are your thoughts about the progression of more vegan food options in area businesses throughout WNY?

    When I first started out, Gardein was not around and Daiya and Follow Your Heart Cheese had not made it to the East coast yet - at least not to Buffalo!  There weren't any places I could even order a vegan pizza with cheese!  It is so different now. Pizza Plant, Allentown Pizza and some other venues now offer vegan pizzas, subs and more with melted, vegan mozzarella cheese and even delicious toppings like vegan 'steak' and 'chick'n'!  I live out in the country and even my nearest grocery store has plenty of plant-based options which include ice creams, meats and frozen dinners.  It wasn't like this when I first became vegan.  The demand for compassionate, plant-based food is definitely increasing as our vegan community continues to grow.

Brio Vegan Pizza Night

    Last night Brio Pizzeria located in Lewiston, NY hosted a 'Vegan Pizza Night".  An evening that would allow customers to sample vegan items that would eventually be on their menu permanently.           The event started at 6pm and when my mom, my kids and I arrived, the place was already packed. 

     

      The staff was very friendly when we walked in and it was a pleasure to talk with them about the future of their vegan menu options, as well as the perspective of fundraising events with ASHA sanctuary further down the road. 

      The samples started with chips alongside an array of dips including hummus, guacamole, and salsa con "queso" 

     

      Then they brought out gazpacho, chili and jalapeno poppers, all of which were delicious. 

      Next they served portobello mushroom sandwiches and presented the main event... the pizza!!! 

      It was very yummy!  The crust and the sauce were both fantastic!  In my opinion it was the best vegan pizza that I have ever had.  Each one that came from the kitchen was as tasty as the one before.  I even ordered a pie to bring home for my husband so he could give it a try, and he LOVED it!  

      

      They brought out pasta with alfredo sauce that was also enjoyable,  my only complaint was that the sauce could have been a little thicker.  I did notice that they brought out quesadillas but I was so full from all the food earlier in the evening that I could not bring myself to eat anymore. 

  Desserts were generously donated by kimcakes and Orange Cat Coffee Co.  Which of course were delish as usual.

      I want to thank Danielle, Jen, Jessica and the rest of the staff at Brio for a fantastic evening.  I for one am so pleased that another restaurant has recognized the wish for vegan menu options.  Plus you can't beat it when there's a place around the corner  that delivers vegan pizza! ;) 

Super Delicious Veggie Stew With Dumplings

On a really cold day like today ( is it spring yet?) nothing is yummier that a nice warm bowl of soup.  My entire family loves this recipe, and any mother will tell you, when you can find something that everyone will eat you stick with it!  The greatest thing  is that this doesn't take very long to make at all.  You can have it on your table in about an hour :)


You will need:

8 cups of broth ( I use Better than Bouillon No Beef Base)

1/3 Cup of nutritional yeast

a few dashes of onion powder

1 bag of frozen peas

1 bag of frozen carrots

1 bunch of celery (preferably organic)- chopped

1/2 cup of plain almond milk

1/2 cup of unbleached flour

1/2 cup of water

1 Tablespoon italian herbs

1 teaspoon salt

black pepper to taste

For the scrumptious dumplings:

2 cups of unbleached flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of pink salt

1 cup of plain almond milk

2 Tablespoon of olive oil

a few dashes of italian herbs


1. In a large soup pot combine broth, nutritional yeast, onion and celery.  Bring it to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low.  Cover the pot partially and allow to cook for about 20 minutes.

2. While you're waiting for the broth to simmer,  in a bowl mix the milk,  flour and water.  Whisk it until it's smooth.  No lumps!  Then slowly mix into the pot, and keep mixing until the broth starts to get thick. Bring the stew to a simmer again, then add the carrots and peas.

3. While the soup is simmering, it's time to make the dumplings!  In a mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients and mix with a fork.  Then pour in the milk and olive oil.  Stir together until the batter is lumpy.   Make sure that you don't over mix!

4. Gently plop teaspoons of batter into the soup, cover the pot and reduce the heat.  Cook the dumplings for about 15- 20 minutes.  Only open the lid on the pot if the dumplings look like they are clumping and need to be broken up.

5. Take the lid off so that the soup can cool off for a bit because it's too hot to eat right away.  You can even test a dumpling to make sure that they are done to your liking.

This recipe makes a lot of food.  Our entire family will each eat 2 bowls and we usually have leftovers, which are of course fantastic the next day!

Chickpea Flour 'Omelette'

     Even before becoming vegan I was never a big egg eater, in fact if I wanted some, I always wanted someone else to cook them because I couldn't stand the smell.  Finding an alternative to scrambled eggs was so easy, there is nothing I love more than a  tofu scramble! To me it tastes 100% better than any eggs I ever had in my life, and I happen to be with the man that makes the best scramble ever!
 
      Once in a while however I do miss the idea of an omelette so I was determined to search for something that would be similar. After many internet searches and an experiment this morning,  I found my 'omelette'!

You will need:

° 1/2 Cup Chickpea Flour

°  2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

°  1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds

°  1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

°  1/2 teaspoon Tumeric

°  Salt & Pepper to taste

°   2/3 Cup Water

°   Chopped onion

°   Any kind of veggies you'd like to put inside, chopped

°    Vegan cheese if wanted, I used a little bit of shredded cheddar from Daiya

1. First add all dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well.

2.  Next add water and onion, and let the mixture sit for about 10-15 minutes until thick. After that  if needed add more water by the Tablespoon until it resembles pancake batter.

3. Heat a non-stick frying pan, once the pan is hot turn the heat to low and pour half of the mixture into the pan spreading it out with a spoon.

4. Cover tightly with a lid and let cook for about 4 minutes or until the top looks like a pancake does when it's ready to flip.

5. At this point add cheese and veggies, then fold the omelette in half, put the lid back on tightly and cook for another 4 minutes.

After that its finished! The batter makes 2 good sized omelettes. Although I will admit I ate both of them this morning, mostly to conduct the full experiment ;)

There is no doubt this will become a breakfast favorite in my house! Plus the greatest part is that I found a way we can enjoy an "omelette" without any chickens being  harmed! :)

ASHA's Vegan Valentine Celebration

Last Thursday ASHA Sanctuary held it's first ever vegan valentine's celebration at the Red Mill Inn located in Williamsville, NY. The event was a fundraiser to help with the rescue and up keep of our future residents at the sanctuary. The evening featured an amazing vegan meal which included gourmet "cheese", soup & salad and a Mediterranean stuffed "chick'n" breast with an array of delicious sides. 

We also had marvelous desserts charitably donated by Orange Cat Coffee Co. and Wheatberry bake shop as well as an awesome candy donation for our guests upon arrival from Aletheas. Yes their dark chocolate is vegan!!

The whole evening was an amazing experience and we could not thank Red Mill enough for all of their incredible work and accommodations. We can't wait until next year!

Run For Rover

Yesterday the organization I volunteer with, ASHA was invited to be a part of the Run for Rover. A wonderful event that the Pet Emergency Fund in Buffalo, NY has every year to help raise funds for families who can not pay for veterinary bills that can arise when an emergency strikes with their pet.


We spent the whole day at the event selling vegan goodies, handing out all sorts of leaflets promoting a vegan way of life and collecting donations to help us build a barn for the animals we can't wait to rescue and give a happy home.






  



If you would like to visit us at our next event we will be at the Williamsville Farmer's Market on Saturday August 24th from 7am-1pm.

The Orange Cat Coffee Co.

My kids,  fiance and I recently moved to Lewiston, NY and we absolutely love the area! There is so much to do, concerts at Artpark, the peach festival in September, the water front where you can have an awesome picnic lunch, Old Fort Niagara and not to mention downtown historic Lewiston where you can walk around and find all sorts of quaint little locally owned businesses. I am most thrilled about the move because I am short walk from my favorite coffee shop, Orange Cat Coffee Co.

They have so many different kinds of coffee, not to mention the fact that ALL of their baked goods are vegan!!! They have muffins, scones, biscotti and giant cookies which my kids totally love!

They have a small lunch menu that includes a hummus wrap, an amazing tofu sandwich and a fallafal salad that I could eat everyday! There is outdoor seating and the inside has a cute coffee house feel. 

They also have soup and coffee of the day which you can find out about by following them on Twitter.

Every single time that I have been, there has been a line out the door but you never have to wait long because they provide friendly quick service! The prices are very great too! I was able to get lunch for 3 adults with drinks and desserts for about $30.

If you are ever in Lewiston, vegan or not you should definitely give Orange Cat a visit!

They are located at 703 Center St in Lewiston NY
(716) 754-2888

Mini Vegan Donuts

My mom recently came to spend the weekend with us and after a busy day outside yesterday enjoying the weather and soaking up lots of vitamin D, we wanted to just relax and have a lazy Sunday. For me nothing starts a day like that more than some delicious donuts and coffee. 

A couple of months back my mom bought us a Babycakes mini donut maker . We have been using it with pancake batter to make mini pancake donuts but today I decided to try it out making actual donuts.

To make the dough you will need to following ingredients: 

1 Cup all purpose flour

1/2 Cup raw sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 shake of cinnamon

1/2 Cup of soymilk

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Egg replacer for 1 egg

4 Tablespoon vegan butter 


Glaze Recipe:

1/2 Cup powdered sugar (lump free)

1 Tablespoon soy milk


In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk to mix thoroughly. Combine the wet ingredients in a small sauce pan and heat over low-medium heat and mix until butter is just melted. Mixture should not get too hot, you should be able to stick your finger in it.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. It should form a very soft dough. After the dough forms spoon a little into each section of the donut maker, close the lid and cook until the green light goes on.

When they are finished dip them in glaze and then vegan sprinkles.

We made 15 mini donuts with this mix and they were absolutely delicious!

Amazing Vegan Bread Sticks

There is nothing that my kids love more with their dinner than bread sticks. They are the easiest thing to dip in sauce or just eat as a snack. Obviously frozen bread sticks are not vegan in any way so I decided to use my amazing bread machine (thanks mom!) and make my own. It's super easy and the machine does most of the work for you! I'm sure that you could even use this dough to make pizza, which we have not done yet but plan on trying sometime very soon!

You will need:

1 1/2 Cups Water

4 1/3 Cups Bread Flour

2 teaspoons salt

2 Tablespoons raw sugar

1 package of yeast


Add the ingredients in the order they are listed into your bread machine. DO NOT MIX!

Put your bread machine on the dough-normal setting. Then select "large" for the loaf size.

After the bread machine is finished doing it's thing, take out the dough and place it on a floured surface. Punch the dough down a few times to get the air out. Then place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Place in a warm place and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

When 30 minutes has passed take the dough out and again place it on a floured surface, punching a few more times to get the last of the air out. Place it back in the bowl, cover it and let it sit another 30 minutes.

I know this seems like it takes forever but trust me they are so yummy!!

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place the dough back on your floured surface. Roll it out to a long rectangle. You don't want it too thin, but also not too thick.

Cut the dough into strips and then cut each strip in half or thirds, depending on how long the strip is and how long you want your bread sticks.

Place the bread sticks on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I like to brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with garlic but what ever you want to do is fine!

Cook them for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

I get about 25-30 bread sticks using this recipe depending on how I cut them. We usually can eat them with 2 or 3 meals (depending on how many the kids eat!) For the simplicity and the price of the ingredients you can't beat it!

Earthlings

Well folks I've finally had enough courage to sit down and watch this movie. I purchased it instead of watching it online so that I would have my own copy to share with others. Boy is this movie an eye opener. Actually its more of an eye opener, its a movie that brings about great revelations. Earthlings has been dubbed "the vegan maker" and I can tell you that if I was not already a vegan prior to watching this film there would be no doubt in my mind that I would be after viewing this.

This movie is narrated by  Joaquin Phoenix who has been a vegan since he was 3 years old after a fishing incident with his family exposed him to animal suffering. This film takes the viewer through all types of animal abuse from factory farms, puppy mills, pet stores, fur trades and scientific experiments. The images in this movie are very graphic but I feel they need to be shown so that people watching will know the truth. Viewing this film brought me to tears and actually made me angry at how humans can be so cruel to other living creatures. I just wanted to reach through the television, slap the evil people and rescue the poor animals on the screen. I wanted to show those animals that not all humans are that hateful.

This film sealed the deal in my mind that I will never ever go back to eating or using anything that comes from an animal. Why would we want others to suffer so that we can have things we really don't even need? There are so many better alternatives in the world and no one had to experience pain for us to have them.

I feel that everyone should watch this film, vegan or not. The world  should be educated about what is really going on behind closed doors so that humans can have what they think they need and want from life.  People need to be shown how greedy and corrupt humans can really be.

This movie can be viewed in its entirety here

The Most Perfect Seitan Recipe Ever.... At Least According To My Kids :)

Last night I decided that I just had to make seitan again. I have become a little obsessed with it. Trying to achieve that perfect batch. Well it happened last night folks! I have been using a recipe I found online but have been slowly making some changes to it to make it better. It didn't take much and everyone in my family LOVED it!  My son wanted more!

Start out with about 8-10 cups of No Chicken Broth, I like to make sure there is a lot so that the seitan is covered well and can simmer. I put the pot of broth on the stove and let it simmer while I make up the seitan.

1 Cup Vital Wheat Gluten

2 1/2 Tablespoons Chickpea Flour

1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

pinch of black pepper

3/4 Cup water

1 1/2 Tablespoon oil 

Combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk them together. Then add the water and oil. Mix together until a dough forms.

 Take the "dough" out of the bowl and place it on the counter. Kneed it for a few minutes but not too long, it will get chewy the longer that you kneed. Kneed it flat onto the counter. Then cut the seitan into whatever size pieces that you want. Remember though that seitan expands in size when cooking!


After you have cut the sizes that you want, (I usually get about 30 pieces with this recipe) and the broth is simmering place the seitan pieces in the pot, one at a time. When you have put them all in stir them gently.

Allow them to simmer for 30 minutes, stirring gently about every 10 minutes.

After 30 minutes remove the pot from the heat and let it sit until it cools to room temperature.

While I'm waiting for the seitan to cool I get the pan ready for frying. I use extra virgin olive oil but I mix in a few spices to the oil before placing it into the pan. I use a little onion and basil. You can use whatever you want. I also get the supplies ready for whatever I plan to coat the "wings" with. Its usually Frank's hot sauce in this house! This is also a great time to start focusing on the side dishes that you are also serving :)

After the broth and seitan has cooled, put the oil in your pan and heat to medium-low heat. When the oil is hot enough for frying, using tongs take piece by piece of the seitan and place it in the oil. Brown each side a couple of minutes (it doesn't take long!) I like to leave mine in for a bit because they get nice and crispy but again, whatever you like.

When they are done frying I put them on a plate covered with a paper towel and if I'm serving them to the kids I keep them plain and serve with ketchup. If they are for us I put them in a bowl with a Tablespoon of vegan butter. Then I add about a cup of hot sauce and coat them! Everything will melt all together because the seitan is so hot.

 We served our with mashed potatoes and kale. I used vegan sour cream for dipping :) We sometimes have them when we have pizza night, or my fiance like them coated in sweet and sour sauce. However you eat them, they are fantastic!

Oh and don't forget to save the broth for another time!!

Vegan Is Love

Going along with a blog post that I did last week, I've decided to write a review about the other vegan children's book that I own. It's called "Vegan Is Love"  written and illustrated by Ruby Roth. She is a fellow vegan who had the idea of writing a children's book while teaching art at an elementary school. She has also written another book called "That's Why We Don't Eat Animals", which I have not had the pleasure of reading but if it's anything like "Vegan is Love", I know it's great.

This book is definitely better for older children, ones that have a better understanding of where meat comes from already and is not afraid of some realistic photos. The illustrations in this book are great and they really send a message without being overwhelming or too graphic. My son really liked this book, more then "Steven The Vegan" because this is geared toward a more mature child.

In the book, the reader is taken through all the ways that animals are used against their wills. Not only for meat and dairy production but also for clothing, animal testing as well as the zoo, the circus and the aquarium where the animals are not allowed to live a full and happy life but instead are forced to live in captivity and are made to do "tricks" to entertain humans.

This book is very honest and open and does not sugar coat anything, which is why it's better for an older child who will open up a dialog with you as they realize how far cruelty toward animals really goes. Be prepared to answer some questions as to why and how people can be so mean.

For my son reading this book really sealed the deal in his mind. I read him this book when our family first went veg a few months ago and we have read it a couple times sense. This book helped open his eyes to what is really going on in the world.

I encourage all vegan parents to buy this book and even if your child is not old enough for it now, they will be one day and it will be a perfect thing for you to share with them.
 

Her website is great as well, I encourage you to check it out: http://www.wedonteatanimals.com/home.html

Steven the Vegan

With my son home from school this week for spring break it's my job to keep boredom at bay for both kids. We've done crafts and practice sheets for his 3rd grade ELA testing at school in a few weeks, but nothing is better than cuddling up with both of them and reading a good book. Especially when the changing season has caused a cold to run through the house.

With my daughter being young and still learning about being nice to all animals I searched all over the internet for a book that would be appropriate for her and my son. I was very happy when I found Steven the Vegan by Dan Bodenstein and illustrated by Ron Robrahn. It's a great little story about a young boy who goes on a school field trip to a farm sanctuary and tells his classmates that he is a vegan and explains to them what that means. Steven goes through the farm and shows his friends exactly where the meat and milk that they love so much actually comes from. He even debunks the myth that you need to eat meat to grow up big and strong.  By the end of the book all of his friends are so moved by what Steven told them that they decide they will not eat animals any more because "animals are our friends, not food"

This book is really great for younger kids age 3 to 10. My son loved it but my 2 year old got a little restless toward the end of it because for her it was a bit long. She did love the very bright and colorful pictures of all the animals and for her age group, showing how cute and cuddly the farm animals are helps when driving home the idea that we don't eat our friends.

I would recommend that anyone who is vegan and has small children get this book and read it to them. It really is a great way to answer questions that your child may have as they get older and starts to experience criticism from classmates and non-vegan friends. It's a gentle and friendly way to explain where meat comes from without scaring or traumatizing children with real life images of what goes on behind closed doors at slaughterhouse and on factory farms.

The book can be purchased on Amazon

The Beginning...

Hello Everyone!

So this being my first official post I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Sara Till and I'm a vegan stay at home mom of 2 kids. My son Evan is 9 and my daughter Marley is 2. Our family (which includes my fiance Robert) has only been vegan for almost 3 months, but so many great things have happened in that short time that it feels like this is the way it's always been for us.

I have always been interested in food and would call myself an on again/off again vegetarian. I was very well aware of where meat came from but chose to be blind to how meat was produced and the actual effect that the whole process has on us, animals, the environment and our economy. After reading countless posts from my many vegan friends about different things, I decided in my mind that it was time. I went to my local library and checked out Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Eat to live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I came home and talked to my fiance about it and he was totally on board! That night we watched vegucated and I guess you can say the rest is history!! We were both hooked on learning everything vegan, I couldn't get enough information. I was reading everything I could find on the internet, asking my vegan friends a TON of questions and watching every movie I could to better learn the truth about our food.

Then I got overwhelmed! There is so much information out there, and when you start to not only see with your own eyes what is happening to all those animals but start really reading the labels of the food in your cupboard, it starts to get disheartening. Plus it was not just myself that I needed to change it was my fiance and my 2 kids. However in this whole process, each day gets so much easier. I am now eating fruits and vegetables that I had only previously eaten very occasionally. I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes more then I ever did before because with vegan cooking even the simplest dish has many different ways it can be prepared. I am also very fortunate in the fact that my fiance LOVES to cook and  we have spent many hours in the kitchen together, cooking, laughing and talking. He is even great about trying new things out. He was a good sport when he had to try my first failed attempt at making seitan wings. The only thing since we've gone vegan that he couldn't stand to eat. I don't blame him, it was very rubbery and gross! But we have since figured out a better way to make it! More on that later! My son is doing well with the transition and even talks about a opening 100% vegan restaurant, and wants to know how we can make the food that we used to eat but vegan! My daughter loves pretty much everything that we've given her to try. The advantage is that she's so young, being vegan will just be natural for her as she gets older.

Since being a vegan it didn't take long for me to want to start making some changes in the world! I didn't think that I would find something so quickly but I did by way of the NY State WIC program. My daughter is currently enrolled and I went to my local WIC office to get her new checks, armed with a note from her pediatrician stating that my daughter was now on a vegan diet and that we would like dairy alternatives in her WIC package instead of the usual milk, eggs and cheese. Little did I know that NY State does not allow vegan children this option, the only way is if the child has a milk protein allergy. My daughter's case worker was very helpful in the best way that she could be and advised me to make a formal complaint. When I returned home that afternoon, that is exactly what I did and the ball started rolling. In this whole process I have met, talked to and have established a relationship with many wonderful vegans in different fields that have been helpful in pointing me in the right direction to the next step in getting this policy changed. I have sent several letters to elected officials and have started to hear back from them. The most common complaint during this whole thing (besides the price) is that there is not enough demand for soy alternatives to vegan children so I have constructed an online petition for people to sign so that I can show that there in fact is. As a result of me rallying to see some change in the NY State WIC program I have been fortunate enough to become the volunteer events coordinator for ASHA a local farm sanctuary that is opening this summer in Newfane NY. As well as becoming a contributing writer for thisdishisveg.com

Becoming a vegan has been the best choice for myself and the people in my family, my mom has even gone veg since finding out about our change! Everyday is a new adventure in making new foods, trying new things and reading new material. This family will be celebrating it's first vegan Easter this Sunday, and I couldn't be more excited!