Steve's Guest Blog: World Go Vegan Week

Hey KMIVers!  Happy Vegan New Year!  Sort of.

Photo courtesy of In Defense of Animals

This final week of October (the 24th to the 31st) is officially World Go Vegan Week!  Started in 2006 by the organization In Defense of Animals, we are now celebrating our fifth annual Vegan week - and there is a lot to celebrate!

First off, Vegan Week is an international celebration of compassion and care for people, animals, and the planet, promoting the many benefits of a vegan diet as a healthy, sustainable way of both eating and living.  IDA and Mercy For Animals have teamed up this year, reaching out to restaurants in each of the cities occupied by a MFA office.  Each of these restaurants have developed an exclusive vegan menu for this weeklong event, incorporating their own flavor and flare into these new, delicious vegan dishes.  You can find out more about the participating cities and restaurants here.

Photo courtesy of Mercy For Animals

I have the distinct, and coincedental, pleasure of being in NYC during this festive time.  Joining forces with the already powerful IDA and MFA, GustOrganics, NYC's premier green restaurant, and Alexandra Jamieson create a dynamic team that promotes health, hope, and compassion through delectable vegan cuisine.  If you're in NYC, check out more on GustOrganics' all-day vegan menu - brunch, lunch, and dinner - and make sure you get your butt over there to try the food!  You have until Sunday!

Look forward to interviews with the people who made this happen: Matt Rice, MFA's NYC coordinator; Alexandra Jamieson, vegan gourmet chef and holistic health coach; Alberto Gonzalez, founder of GustOrganics, and Kathya Bustamante, Alberto's business partner.

So, get your booties out to some of these fine dining establishments and stay tuned for more delicious details! 

The above post was written by my handsome, passionate vegan hubby. I should know - I'm his wife.

Witch's Stew: An Oldie, But a Goodie

Hey peeps -

Below is a post I wrote about a year ago just before Halloween '09. It bears repeating, because it contains a fabulous recipe for stew, just in time for Halloween on Sunday. I hope you will enjoy it as much I have and will this weekend, and if you end up making it yourself, shoot me an email with pics please!

A very Happy Halloween to each and every one of you!!!

In honor of this super fun holiday, I am sharing my Witch's Stew recipe!

Every single year at Halloween, I would come home from school with the scent of pumpkin candles and my mom's Witch's Stew wafting through the house. Witch's Stew was really just my mom's beef stew, but the name gave it a deliciously magical touch. Last year, I tried to re-create this stew, but I was a very new vegan, so it wasn't quite what I had wanted. So, this year, I decided to be bold and improvise my own recipe, and I ended up creating the perfect autumn stew to warm anybody's heart (especially a cow's heart, since there's no cow in my recipe!).

Keeping warm in the crockpot...

 

And it's ready!

 

Steve approves.

WITCH'S STEW

serves many people :)

2 packages West Soy Stir Fry Strips or Seitan Strips, pulled apart into chunks

(you can also substitute beans, tofu, or tempeh for this)

1-2 lbs. red bliss potatoes, chopped into quarters

5-6 large carrots (with their skin left on), chopped or sliced

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finally chopped

1 bag frozen peas

4 c. vegetable broth or stock

3 tbsp. Earth Balance margarine (or cooking oil)

2 vegetable boullion cubes mixed with 2 c. boiling water

1 c. un-bleached flour, mixed with 1 tbsp. onion powder and 1 tbsp. garlic powder

1/2 tbsp. thyme

1/2 tbsp. sage

1 c. un-bleached flour, mixed with 2 tbsp soy sauce and 1 c. water

1. Dredge Seitan Strips in flour/onion powder/garlic powder mixture.

2. Heat Earth Balance or oil in a large pan or stockpot over medium heat. Toss in strips and cook until heated through and slightly browned.

3. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add vegetable broth, vegetable boullion/boiled water mixture, potatoes, onions, and carrots. Allow to cook for at least 35-40 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are mostly cooked through.

5. Add frozen peas, thyme, and sage and mix well. Add flour/soy sauce/water mixture slowly, and stir well - this is to thicken the stew sauce, so go slowly, as to not over-thicken. Allow to cook for 10-15 more minutes, or until peas are completely heated through.

5. Transfer stew to a crockpot and place crockpot setting to "Low". (this is an optional step, so that you can store the stew in the crockpot for future use) 

And the most important step:

Make a cackling witch-y sound, pick up your spoon, and get to it!!!

May everyone have a safe, fun, silly, crazy, and Happy Halloween! 

KMIV's First Podcast: Nathan Runkle

This is a lovely guest blog by hubby and guest blogger extraordinaire Steven Smith. While we both collaborated on the podcast below, Steve was the organizer of the interview and the writer of the lovely words below. Enjoy!

Today is a special day for three specific reasons.

One: KMIV is presenting its very first podcast!
 

Two: It's a hat trick!  We're sharing an interview with our third Animal Rights Hall of Fame Inductee!

Three: Well, the third reason takes the cake (oooh, did someone say cake?!) because our interviewee is none other than Nathan Runkle.  

With Nathan at The Chicago Diner.

Now Nathan Runkle isn't just any run-of-the-mill animal activist.  Nathan Runkle has been advocating for the animals since he was a baby.  Well, not quite.  But pretty close to it.  There are so many amazing activists out there that have made huge strides for animals in their lifetimes.  What makes Nathan so special isn't quite about the time he's dedicated to the animals (not yet, but it will inevitably be so one day) but how early he started doing so.  In 1999, at age 15, he founded Mercy For Animals, a national organization that leads the front for the compassionate treatment of farmed animals.  And just last year, at age 25, he was inducted into the Animal Rights Hall of Fame, alongside the esteemed names of Gene Baur, Zoe Weil (two of our KMIV ARHOF interviewees!), Ingrid Newkirk, Peter Singer, and many, many more.

Photo courtesy of Satya Magazine.

From grassroots organizing and demonstrating to mainstream media interviews; from releasing undercover animal abuse videos to producing Fowl Play, an award winning documentary on the hen-laying industry; from hands-on rescues and rehabilitations to assisting the passing of important animal protection legislation; well, you might say that Nathan Runkle has done it all.  But he has a lot of years left, and, if you ask him, he has a lot more to do.  Many of us dream to achieve what Nathan Runkle has done in our lifetime.  And while he has made such a positive, dramatic impact still just in his youthful years, he's shown us this: all it takes is a dream, a lot of passion, and a genuine want to help.

A true inspiration to us all, enjoy our first podcast interview with Nathan Runkle.

 

Mercy For Animals is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit animal advocacy organization. Founded in 1999 and over 50,000 members and supporters strong, MFA works to create a society where animals are treated with the respect and compassion they so rightly deserve. 

In honor of the upcoming World Go Vegan Week, Mercy For Animals has teamed up with various restaurants in participating cities throughout the United States.  Check out the link below to see if your city is one of the participating venues and how else to get involved with the worldwide celebration! 

http://www.mercyforanimals.org/veganweek/

Many thanks to Nathan for this wonderful podcast! To learn more about Nathan Runkle and Mercy For Animals, please visit www.mercyforanimals.org. If you're interested in learning more about a vegan diet, MFA has a wonderful website you can visit: www.chooseveg.com.

Brian Leahy is awesome. Animal Acres is awesome. Put them together? Wowzers.

On Sunday, a friend of mine, photographer and blogger (among many other wonderful things) Brian Leahy, joined me for a trip to Animal Acres. I wanted to capture the beauty and joy of this wonderful new place I've begun volunteering at, and I knew that someone like Brian would be able to help me do that. And help me he did.

I don't want to say too much, because the photographs are so gorgeous and moving that they speak for themselves. What I will say is this: Brian and his wife, Joanna, have a beautiful photography company based in Los Angeles, and, besides being amazingly generous people, they are so talented at what they do - whatever it is they may be doing at any given time! Brian also happens to keep a rockin' blog called The Groom Says that is a unique, hilarious, and touching presence among the countless sea of wedding blogs that pop up every year. You should definitely check it out - whether you're getting married, have already gotten married, or just like to read - because he's that good, folks. (Click here to read my personal favorite, a post that will definitely get you hooked on this guy's stuff!)

Okay, I said I wouldn't say too much, but anyone who knows me knows that just isn't possible. So now, I'll shut up and let the pics do the talking. Enjoy, and please get your butt out to Animal Acres if you live in Southern Cali and have never been! They are a tremendous organization, and one that I will be blogging about as much as I can in the future.  

Fred. What can I say? It was love at first cuddle. 

Those silly cows - they were so hungry that they forgot we were there!

Tour Liason Ciddy Fonteba capturing a moment - she is one awesome gal!

Turkey Lurkey and Education/Outreach Liason Cameron O'Steen share a moment. 

Animal Acres intern Sara and Turkey Lurkey get close. 

You might be my favorite little guy. Shhh... don't tell anyone...

Bliss.

All photos © Joanna Wilson Photography.

Like what you see here today? Well, then you must check out these three sites:

For Brian and his wife's photography, check out:

www.joannawilsonphoto.com.

For The Groom Says, Brian's blog, check out:

www.thegroomsays.blogspot.com.

For more info, cuddly critters, and an all around compassionate time, check out:

www.animalacres.org.

As Tall As the Tallest Tree

Happy Saturday everybody!

Awesome, KMIV-worthy story down below:

I was jogging through my neighborhood yesterday, and as I passed down a certain block, in the middle of it stood a tree. This tree was not only absolutely humongous, but its roots were visible, thick, and spreading over the yard like a protective parent's arms around a young child. I couldn't believe my eyes - standing before me was a tree that had probably been growing for years and years, and its body had become so intertwined with the apartment's yard that it looked as if they had become one. It was a moment that, after an exhausting nine-hour workday, simply took my breath away. 

The tree reminded me of a post I wrote a few months ago about trees that I ended up submitting to CrazySexyLife, the wonderful website of Kris Carr. If you haven't heard of Kris and her journey to plant-based wellness, definitely go and check her out now - she is one amazing lady. 

Anyway, the story is down below, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it back in June. It's not only a little bit of me being shared, but also a shout out to all of the activists out there who are trying to do good in the world - namely, YOU! Because if you are reading this blog, you have already begun your journey on the road to being an activist. And that rocks.

As Tall As the Tallest Tree

  
I love trees.

I love how tall they try to grow. 

I love how strong they are. 

How straight they stand. 

I love how their branches reach out like fingers spreading into the world.

I love how, despite a storm, or a hurricane, or a tornado, or a bout of lightening destroying and splitting one of their branches, they still remain rooted, they still stand up straight, they still spread their branched fingers. 

I love the ebb and flow of trees - how in the cold of winter, they shed their old "skin" of leaves and flowers and bare themselves so nakedly and vulnerably in the winter air for all the world to see. How their branches grow and bud into fully bloomed arms of flowers and leaves come summertime. How they allow their leaves to evolve into bright oranges, reds, browns, and yellows come autumn, opening themselves to experience another side of life, before going naked again.

I love how a tree can grow on a farm in Missouri, on a sidewalk in Brooklyn, on a sunny street in Miami, in the most remote section of the tiniest country town, on the top of the tallest mountain, or even on somebody's roof.

I love their persistence, their unyielding strength, their expansive growth, their comforting shade. 

Their peace. 

Their stillness.

As an animal activist, I try to think of myself as a tree - rooted in my belief of and hope for a better, more compassionate world. Ready at any moment to bare my animal loving soul's insights for others to see and experience. Open and willing to allow my own life's work to have an ebb and flow - to not stay so rooted that I don't spread my own branches wide into the sky with possibilities for change and evolution.  

Back in 2007, on a day like any other, my husband played for me the end of Fast Food Nation. It was the point in the film where cows in a slaughterhouse were forced onto the kill floor to be slaughtered for meat. I was an emotional wreck, my shirt soaked with tears, and I could barely control the shame and shock overcoming me, as I watched what was horrifically occurring onscreen - scared, innocent animals screaming out in fear and desperation, trying to do everything they could to save their own lives, were being violently killed for their flesh. In that moment, the lightbulb of my conscience lit up deep inside, and I knew in my heart that my life would never be the same.

I have always prided myself in being a true-blue optimist in life. But something changed when I began to learn about the horrors that exist for both the animals - and humans - in our society. We have taken and continue to take some of the most innocent, kind, and gentle creatures who exist among us and violently, selfishly exploited them. Who would want to continue living in a world openly knowing that this is what people do on a daily basis? And that by purchasing the products of these abuses, I was supporting the abuse in the first place?

If you had told me when I was in high school that I would one day be living as an ethical vegan, blogging about it, and fighting for the plight of animals everywhere, I would have looked at you like you were crazy. But life has a funny way of showing you who you really are through each and every experience you have. The experience that has defined my passion for life today was watching Fast Food Nation three years ago. I will forever hold on to that moment as the point when I learned how deeply love and compassion - for the animals of this Earth, for our environment, and for each other - is desperately needed in this world.

With Cowboy at Animal Acres.

In the few years that I've been doing this work, I've learned this much: the goal in the life of an animal activist is not only to share the information necessary for change, but to help generously bring a person to that first step of becoming enlightened. To allow that person to experience positive change firsthand, so that they can create room for change in their own lives and in others' lives. To be willing to stand nakedly in front of people with my own personal truth and experience, so that they may glean whatever necessary buds of awareness they can from what I've learned. To be willing to make this work deeply personal and deeply felt, but to also stand rooted, calm, tall, and strong when faced with opposition. To be still and listen to the animals of this world for knowledge and inspiration. To comfort others by showing them a better way, a more loving way, of existence. To find the peace and beauty in the the budding flowers and leaves amidst the chaos of factory farming, animal abuse, and the degradation of our earth. To know this deep down truth and to still want to spread my branches. This is the challenge of the animal activist, but this is also the beautiful reward. As far as this vegan blogger is concerned, I can tell you wholeheartedly that my branches are still growing, and I am far from completely rooting myself into the Earth. But when I finally do reach the point of properly balancing my own growth with the growth of so many others, when I am able to reach the point of standing naked and grounded in this mission, when I am able to reach the point of firmly knowing and staying rooted in the truth of this industry, but be open enough to branch out and evolve into a myriad of beautiful colors in spite of - and because of - that truth - then I can comfortable say that I stand as tall as the tallest tree.  And that is when the real work can begin.

I Need Recipe Testers!

To all of the budding vegan bakers out there - take note! 

I am on the lookout for six recipe testers for an upcoming 

review of three new vegan baking books. If you'd like to volunteer a little time to test out a recipe, take a photo of your newly baked treat, and write a few words about the experience, please email me at kissmyvegan@gmail.com. The first six people to email will be my testers. 

If you've always wanted to write for a blog, but never had the time or chance to, here's both for you! These recipes will be included in a very special review and giveaway coming up very soon, so get your oven mitts ready and starting emailing!

And of course I won't divulge about the names of these rockin' cookbooks, because that would spoil the surprise sillies!

Why I Do What I Do.

I received this email last week from one of my young readers. It is an eloquent, thoughtful, and inspiring message that connects right back to the reason I began this blog in the first place - so that anybody, anywhere, at any point in their life, could feel they could be an ambassador for animals and a vegan lifestyle.  Originally, I had planned for my blog to be filled with only recipes, but as my life grew in so many different directions, I wanted that growth reflected on this website. What I've received in return from readers like this special young lady is something I am immensely grateful for and humbled by - simply put, it keeps me going on this journey.

"After seeing your latest post today, I thought I'd send you a quick note to wish you a happy vegan anniversary. I thought that you'd also like to know that it is because of people like you and those you feature on your blog that I have been inspired to become more of an animal activist. 

This month, with the support of a group at school that raises awareness about environmental issues, I organized a "Vegetarian Awareness" campaign. I worked with the college's food service to do Meatless Mondays this month and to emphasize a plant-based, flexitarian menu for the rest of the week. We tabled outside the main dining hall on Friday asking people to pledge to try a vegetarian diet this month, I made a presentation of educational facts about the environmental consequences of eating meat to be shown on the televisions around the dining tables, I created a large sign to feature the daily meat-free meals, and I am currently working on an article for the school newspaper on the topic. Knowing that so many students will have less opportunity to consume meat this month and will learn how tasty and easy it is to be vegetarian is ah-mazing! 

Thanks for showing me how awesome it is to speak out for the animals and how rewarding it is to make every effort to educate people about how important it is to not eat them."

I get giddy when I read emails like this. Always feel free to reach out and share your story - send questions, comments, or anything else you can think of to kissmyvegan@gmail.com. 

How To Properly Be a Happy Vegan/Vegetarian/Animal Lover/All of the Above

Okay - so this week has been a long one! TGIF, people! TGIF... 

I may or may have not shared this with you all, but last month, I started two jobs. One is working on a west coast cage-free egg campaign in Southern Cali, and the other is a foie gras campaign in Los Angeles. So, I guess it could be said that I, Lindsay, am working full-time as an animal advocate. It's a crazy idea to behold, simply because I never thought it would be real - I always thought that making a living helping animals would be a pipe dream for me. And pursuing the acting thing always kept me from properly giving this animal activist thing the old college try - until now.  

How Jumper and I feel when five o'clock rolls around...

This week was a reckoning of sorts - I realized that if I really wanted to try out being an animal advocate, I would need to jump in with both feet. Which means committing fully to taking a year to really do this work with all of me. And I have. The result of all this? I am one tired blogger...

Oftentimes in this work, whether one is volunteering their time to help animals or being paid to, the feeling of exhaustion and stress can easily creep in, and for good reason too: being an animal activist of any kind is tough work. Most of the time, the work we do does not always directly benefit animals in the short term, and coming to that realization can be quite humbling. This does not mean that being an activist is a thankless job, because no matter what you are doing to help animals, be it blogging, working at a sanctuary, or interning at an animal protection organization, you are still doing an immense amount of good and promoting compassion.  

Since I work mostly from home, finding ways at the end of the day to close my Excel files and Word documents and shut down the computer can a challenge, and one that I am finding to be even harder when I'm having to balance my blog and social time online with my job. What's a vegan lady to do?

Well, first of all, take a coffee break (or a decaf tea break - whatever your preference). Second, breathe. Third, giggle.

Yes, I said giggle. Because what would life be without the giggles? How would we possibly be able to do this fulfilling, yet taxing, work if we didn't laugh at ourselves and at life from time to time? I don't know about you, but I wouldn't be able to do it. I need the giggles. 

That's why I've devised a lovely little list of ways to have fun, laugh, be silly, and celebrate your veganism - and you don't have to be 100% vegan to use this list. Feel free to take this apart and use it at your leisure. Trust me, having the fun stuff included in your week will make the work stuff even better, whether you're an animal advocate, a full-time mom, or a college student who loves animals and wants to help.
 

Okay, here it is: 

"Lindsay's Top Ten List of How To Properly Be a Happy Vegan/Vegetarian/Animal Lover/All of the Above"

1. Create your own "Reasons to Smile."

This can be like my RTS lists, or you can create your own version! RTS lists, like gratitude lists, are designed to remind us why we can smile while doing this important work, and I've found that they are an effective and refreshing way to keep my day positive.

2. Make a vegan birthday cake for yourself or someone you love (for recipe inspiration, go here), complete with sprinkles and candles. Make a wish together (or by yourself - who cares?!), blow out the candles, and enjoy that cake for all it's worth. 

Note: it does not have to be your birthday to enjoy this step.

3. Visit a farmed animal sanctuary and cuddle with the cute critters until the cows come home. Oh wait, they already are home. Awesome.

Need ideas? Check this list for more info.

4. Have a vegan celebrity movie night.

Here's a list of awesome vegan celebrities to get you started:

Ginnifer Goodwin
Joaquin Pheonix 

Natalie Portman

Alicia Silverstone

Casey Affleck

Woody Harrelson

Tobey Maguire

 

5. Have a tickle fight, pillow fight, staring contest, or whatever kind of silly competition you can dream up with a fellow veggie friend. Keep score. Have vegan ice cream be your prize and let the best veggie win!

6. Watch vegan comedian Myq Kaplan online here. 

7. Make vegan pancakes in the shape of plant-eating brontosauruses. If you're like me, you will probably fail miserably. But you WILL laugh.

8. Look at cute pictures of rescued farmed animals online, like these:

 

   

9. Write a poem from the perspective of a cow in a farm sanctuary.  

Here's my contribution:

"Comfy, Healthy, Happy, and Home"

by Lindsay at Kiss Me I'm Vegan!

 

There are cows everywhere and my family is here 
I'm comfy

There's sunshine, sky, fresh air and grass 
I'm healthy 
There are people who cuddle me, feed me, and hug me
I'm happy.
I love and I'm loved, I'm free and at peace  
 I'm home.

10. If all else fails, say "vegan baby buggy bumpers" ten times fast until you laugh. Repeat as many times as needed to get a smile on that face of yours.

If none of this works, contact me, and I'll tell you the whale joke. That should do the trick.

"We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them."

The words above belong to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and I think they go really well with today's post. The entire quote reads: 

"One day the absurdity of the almost universal human belief in the slavery of other animals will be palpable. We shall then have discovered our souls and become worthier of sharing this planet with them." 

As you all know, I'm a huge lover of farmed animal sanctuaries. I don't know what I love more about these beautiful, loving places - that they shine a positive, healing light on the animal advocacy movement or that they humble me beyond belief once I visit with the rescued animals there. For me, farmed animal sanctuaries are one of my very favorite kinds of advocacy, because they allow some of the closest human to animal connection of any effort. And it doesn't hurt that the animals there are always so darn cute!

On Saturday, I took my family to Animal Acres in Acton, California, and what we experienced can only be described properly in one word: bliss.

From Lila, the sweet, cute turkey who melted down onto the ground every time I pet her in just the right spot (underneath her wings), to Cowboy, the baby cow who licked my hands for five minutes as I cuddled with him, to Macy, the friendly pig who rubbed up against visitors and grunted sweet hellos to us, every single rescued animal at Animal Acres expresses a distinct personality and zest for life that is just plain magical to behold. As usual with all of my sanctuary trips, I had no desire to leave after three short hours whizzed by.

One of my favorite moments was capturing on film the interaction between my brother Jon and one of the happy little roosters at the sanctuary - Jon must have spent five whole minutes with the chicken in his arms, Jon's head nestled on the bird's chest and smiling like he was five years old again.

Jon and his new feathered friend.

It is my earnest hope to find time to volunteer at this amazing place and find ways to help them whenever I can. If you live in Los Angeles or in the Southern California area, you should definitely stop by! Tours are given on Sundays at 11AM and 1PM, and it will be an experience unlike anything else. You WILL make return stops here after checking out this place - I promise!

It should be noted that founder Lorri Houston's lovely sanctuary has two very hardworking, passionate, and exuberant activists working there who should definitely be mentioned. First is Cameron O'Steen, the sanctuary's humane educator, who helped share the animals' stories and backgrounds as we visited with them. Second is Ciddy Fonteboa, our tour guide for the day and star of the hilarious and touching online film, "A Journey to Animal Acres":

Isn't Ciddy the most adorable gal on earth?

I couldn't imagine my life - or our world - without animals, and Lorri, Ciddy, Cameron, and the good people over at Animal Acres make sure that no one has to be. Animal Acres is a California gem and a place that I will be talking about more and more now that I'm a West Coaster.

Cowboy and I share a snuggle.

For more information about the animal and human friends at Animal Acres, please visit www.animalacres.org.

Gandhi's Birthday and World Farmed Animals Day: Two Major Reasons to Smile

Hey everybody,

Today boasts two beautiful reasons to smile: Gandhi's birthday and World Farmed Animals Day. 

The website that explains WFAD states:

 Photo courtesy of Farm Sanctuary

"Observed on (or around) October 2nd, World Farmed Animals Day is dedicated to exposing, mourning, and memorializing the more than 58 billion cows, pigs, turkeys, chickens, and other land animals who needlessly suffer and die every year in the world's factory farms and slaughterhouses."

The most striking part of that statement is that 58 billion animals are raised and slaughtered for food in this world per year (and that number doesn't even include the millions of sea animals raised and slaughtered each year). I think you'll agree with me when I say that needs to stop. I personally don't believe that a single animal should be made into food for human consumption, but to see that staggering number is something that gives me pause this morning.

Gandhi was an extraordinary and peaceful activist who left animals off of his plate. A few of my favorite quotes of his:

"The cow is a poem of compassion."

“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” 

"Be the change you want to see in the world." 

Another thing to note about today - two years ago in October, I made the leap to a vegan lifestyle, so this is kind of a birthday of sorts for me as well. What a way to celebrate and honor that choice than to also celebrate and honor a beautiful and compassionate soul and a humbling cause. 

What I love about my blog is that readers of all eating and living preferences can come to a safe and positive place to learn about a vegan lifestyle. And I do want it to remain that way. However, today, I feel it responsible to kindly implore you - if you still eat the flesh, milk, or eggs of animals, please consider leaving it off of your plate today and do a little research about transitioning to a vegan diet. There are countless websites, blogs, and resources here on the internet that can get you started on the way to a healthy, compassionate way of living. One great place to start is www.chooseveg.com, Mercy for Animal's informative website about how to easily go vegan.

I love you all and am with you, whatever step you are at on your journey. Please reach out to me at kissmyvegan@gmail.com if you need help, have any questions, or would like to share your story with me. I am always here!

Love, compassion, and lots of veggies,

Lindsay