The C.A.T.S. Resale Shop, Westwood, NJ...Shopping for a Good Cause

When it comes to my charitable dollars, my wallet is open both to the national organizations like PETA and the Humane Society of the United States, and local animal rescue groups. One of my favorites is C.A.T.S. (Caring About the Strays). Located in Westwood, NJ, C.A.T.S. are the guardian angels to homeless animals in the Pascack Valley area. The group runs a resale shop also called C.A.T.S., where I've found everything from $3 GAP jeans and $4 Free People tops, to artwork, books, candles and more. I donate items frequently as well, including my now unwanted leather boots and wool sweaters. While I cannot turn back the clock and un-do my purchases of these products, I feel glad knowing they will be reused and are raising money for a cause I strongly support.

I love thrift store shopping. It's frugal, an adventure (since you'll never know what you'll stumble upon), and supports my ideals as an environmentalist (I'm reusing, and everything doesn't need to be brand new, does it?) And the best yet, it helps pay for food, veterinary care, and more. Cats roam freely in the store, where you can socialize with beauties like Charlie (pictured above), one of the store's gentlemanly senior citizen residents.

Visit them at: 80 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood, NJ 07675

Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner for 1 at Whole Foods Market

Not able to face the days after Thanksgiving coming up with creative ways to use your leftover Tofurkey? Tofurkey sandwiches? Tofurkey casserole? Tofurkey soup? Tofurkey breakfast hash?

My area Whole Food Market (Chelsea NYC) has come to the rescue, offering a complete vegan dinner for one for $19.99. This includes:
Curried apple pumpkin soup
Holiday roast, stuffed with wild rice and dried cranberries
Green beans with almonds
Mini pecan tart

Bon Appétit!

What do you do between the horns of the day?

asks Michael Stipe in R.E.M.'s "I Believe."



Each day, I try and take 15 minutes and do something proactive for animals. That could mean visiting the PETA Action Center and sending out a quick e-mail (many are form letters and you simply need to fill out your name and address). Or e-mailing Dunkin' Donuts and asking them to add soy milk so I can indulge in a soy cappuccino (imagine the consequence of a major chain adding this to their menu).

Some days, I score small personal victories. Recently, I asked at my publishing job if they would supply soy milk for the office refrigerator for coffee/tea, tofu cream cheese for our Friday bagels, and a cheeseless veggie pizza for our Wednesday pizza luncheons. I got all three with no challenge, and to my pleasant surprise, co-workers are experimenting with the cream cheese, devouring the vegan pizza, and are fast depleting the Zen soy milk supply. I also suggested Gene Baur's Farm Sanctuary as the "Book of the Day," to my local library system, and it was soon featured on the home page of their county-wide web site.

Always ask. I think of the ASPCA motto, "We are their voice." We have to be.

With Election Day 2008 now a memory, we must not forget our activist spirit. Whatever you do for animals, whether it's attending an anti-fur protest, writing a letter to a company or to the editor of a local paper, or asking your local coffee shop for soy milk, do it with pride, and do it without apology.

To quote "Begin the Begin," another song off of R.E.M.'s brilliant Life's Rich Pageant, "Silence means security, silence means approval." And words we should all live by, "The finest example is you."

Dumping Dairy for Good, With a Little Help from Trader Joe's

Linda the Farm Sanctuary resident says, "Give soy milk a try, you'll like it."


Even though I was a vegetarian for nearly two decades, I always avoided the idea of veganism. Oh that's too restrictive, I would say. I would miss ice cream and pizza too much. Now, like many of us do when we flip through our high school yearbooks, I find myself wondering, "What was I thinking?!?" There is absolutely nothing to sacrifice.

Almost as much as I love animals, I love a good bargain. And I find it every time I hit Trader Joe's. These non-dairy items have made the transition a no-brainer.

*Soy milk creamer. A bargain at only $1.49 a pint, I use this in place of half-and-half in coffee and tea, and also to thicken soups. Also look for multiple varieties of soy, rice, and almond milk, delicious in cereal and especially in their mint cocoa.
*Soy Creamy non-dairy frozen dessert. Available in vanilla (great on their vegan apple strudel), chocolate (divine in 'milkshakes'), mango vanilla and my personal favorite, cherry chocolate chip. Bye-bye Ben & Jerry's! When the ice cream truck came jingling down my street this summer, I simply popped out a Tofutti Cutie ice cream bar and kicked up my feet.
*Earth Balance non-dairy buttery spread. You won't miss the real thing. Contrary to popular belief, everything isn't better with butter. Linda couldn't agree more.
*Tofutti-brand non-dairy cream cheese. My cinnamon raisin bagel would not be the same without it.
*Hummus. In varieties such as roasted red pepper, tomato and basil, and roasted garlic, this is a great substitute for cheese.
*Roasted vegetable pizza (in the freezer aisle). This is their own store-brand version of the Amy's Kitchen brand, and about $3 cheaper than what you'll find the name brand for in Whole Foods.

While you're there, don't forget to stock up on banana waffles, meatless meatballs, black bean and corn enchiladas, and Gardernburger BBQ riblets. They also have an impressive selection of inexpensive, cruelty-free personal care items, including peppermint toothpaste, aloe body lotion, shea butter soap and fragrance-free shaving cream. Happy shopping!

Resources:
Trader Joe's Vegan Product List.
PETA's Dump Dairy campaign.
Farm Sanctuary Factory Dairy Production release.

Vegan Dining in Watkins Glen

While my friends dined back on the farm...

...it was time to hit downtown Watkins Glen. Dinner was a Gardenburger riblet sandwich with tortilla chips at the Crooked Rooster Pub.

Homemade vegan ice cream! I never see this on the menu. After a taste test, I picked the blueberry at the Great Escape Ice Cream Parlor.

Lunch at the Glen Mountain Market was a veggie BLT with chips and apple cider.

After day of hiking and wine touring, a carb-boost at Jerlando's was needed. Dinner was a house salad, wine...

...and a HUGE portion of spaghetti with mushrooms and garlic bread (no butter, please). This could have fed four people! Definitely split a dish if you go here.

The best for last. An apple reuben with a wheat berry salad at the Grist Mill Cafe. The most charming place of all!


It was so inspiring to see a slew of vegan options in non-vegetarian restaurants. Often, I'm lucky if restaurants have one or two vegetarian entrees I can "veganize." I was disappointed I didn't get to try the Stonecat Cafe (closed Mondays), since I heard great things.

I also hit Good Groceries market, where I stocked up on organic coffee and boxed vegan mac & cheese.

The soundtrack for the drive, Natalie Merchant's "The House Carpenter's Daughter" CD.


Farm Sanctuary friends...I'll never forget you. You've left an indelible hoof-, paw- and claw-print on my heart!

Farm Sanctuary, Watkins Glen, NY

This fall, I visited the Farm Sanctuary's upstate New York shelter in Watkins Glen. Surrounded by wineries and great opportunities for hiking, the highlight was staying at one of the three cabins on the farm and meeting the "ambassadors" of the farming community, as Gene Baur would refer to them. The cost of the cabin was $65 for members, plus $10 for each additional guest. Bathrooms/showers were a very short walk away at the visitors' center. The shelter and cabins are open May 1 until October 31. Book early, since they fill up quickly. I stayed overnight Sunday and Monday, but found a couple of restaurants closed Monday.

A view of the cabin's interior. There was also a pleasant seating area with wicker furniture. Towels and soap were provided.

A vegan continental breakfast was included. This included bagels with Tofutti cream cheese; cherry breakfast pastries; muffins; coffee and tea with Silk creamer; fresh fruit; and apple and cranberry juice.

Some were curious...

Others strutted their stuff...


Some were amorous...

Others simply snoozed the day away...

An unexpected personal tour guide...

Not destined for foie gras...

On the drive back home, I crossed paths on the highway with a truck filled with chickens, most likely destined for the slaughterhouse. I took it as a universal wink from the heavens that I have chosen the right path to become a vegan and advocate for animals.

Stay tuned for a vegan food update.

One Can Make a Difference

I had the great pleasure of meeting Ingrid Newkirk at a book signing in Borders Columbus Circle in NYC for her new collection of essays entitled, "One Can Make a Difference." Filled with more than 50 writings from everyone from Moby to Oliver Stone, this book is meant to inspire personal activism in even the most jaded of us. She was completely gracious and it was a true honor to meet one of my long-time heroes. Her speech on Speaking Up for Animals planted the seed in me to go vegan. She is truly one of the great orators of our day and of our movement.

"Looking out for your baby or your friend is easy. The test of moral fiber is to stick up for those you relate to least, those you understand minimally, and those you do not think are that much like you." – Ingrid Newkirk

Speaking Up For Animals video; Speaking Up For Animals podcast (March 3, 2008, Why Animal Rights?)

S'nice

S'nice is a laid-back vegan and vegetarian sandwich and coffee shop in NYC's Greenwich Village. You'll find light vegan offerings for breakfast here. I've tried the tofu scramble wrap (Mexican-style with black beans) and vegan muffins (banana chocolate chip) and recommend both. They also offer an assortment of mock meat sandwiches and various salads. Recently, I tried a seasonal selection, the Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, served on a baguette filled with Tofurkey slices, gravy, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes and cranberry chutney, served with a side salad. Delicious, and I didn't even have room to spare for a vegan red velvet cupcake or vegan chocolate cherry cookie. Look for the 'chicken' pot pie wrap on their menu in the winter. Just like grandma used to make, minus the dead chicken. My only negative experience there was the number of people hogging the tables during lunch time (the restaurant has supposedly returned free WiFi).







Visit them: 45 8th Ave, New York City (At W 4th St) or at their other location: 315 5th Ave, Brooklyn (At 3rd St)

Tea & Sympathy

So you've just finished watching Keeping Up Appearances and you're craving a good "cuppa" Earl Grey in a lovely tea cup that even Mrs. Bucket (pronounced Bouquet!) would serve to a jittery Elizabeth. Where to go? Tea & Sympathy, where else? Now you might not think, "English food, vegan paradise!" Don't miss out on what I find to be one of the coziest establishments in the city. Open for lunch and dinner, indulge in their homemade soup (varies, always vegetarian, always non-dairy), baked beans on toast, lentil casserole (divine) and fresh beetroot salad. Don't forget a cuppa tea (blackberry or apricot are both delightful). The vegan options for dessert are non-existent though, so unless you want to whip up your own vegan Victorian Sponge Cake or apple crumble, just head to nearby S'nice for a vegan cupcake.

I was there recently on a crisp fall day, and had a bowl of butternut squash soup, served with two rolls (one white, one multi-grain, hold the butter, of course!) and a piping hot pot of blackberry tea.




Stop by Carry on Tea & Sympathy, the sister shop, next door, for tea, Ribena (blackcurrant concentrate), cups, and more.

Feeling more like Onslow and Daisy-inspired fare? Head to A Salt & Battery, one shop away, for some chips and homemade mushy peas, and wash it down with a Magners Irish hard cider.

Tea & Sympathy, 108 Greenwich Ave. (between 12th & 13th St.), New York, NY; A Salt & Battery, 112 Greenwich Ave.

Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I can't think of a better way to honor the 45 million turkeys who sacrifice their lives every Thanksgiving than by participating in Farm Sanctuary's Adopt-A-Turkey Project. For a $25 adoption fee, you will receive:

* A special Adopt-A-Turkey certificate with color photo of and fun details about your new friend
* A Farm Sanctuary membership for one year
* A one-year subscription to Sanctuary, a quarterly newsletter

Learn more about the project.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY (they also have a farm in California). More about my visit in a future post. If you haven't already, read "Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds about Animals and Food," written by Gene Baur, the organization's President and Co-founder. It should be available at many local libraries, as it was at mine.

Here's two beauties from the Watkins Glen shelter.

The Natural Gourmet Institute's Friday Night Dinner

The best-kept secret in the vegan food world in New York City has to be the Natural Gourmet Institute's Friday night dinner.

Every Friday (6:30, one seating-only), students of the school transform their classrooms into cozy, candle-lit dining rooms, where you feast on their divine four-course vegan dinner. Optional dairy occasionally shows up on the menu, but you can leave it out.

For $36 (tax/tip included; BYOB) I got all this:

Mushroom & Roasted Fennel Soup with Crisp Mushroom Garnish
Roasted Beets & Baby Arugula Salad with Toasted Walnuts & Balsamic Vinaigrette
Lemon-Thyme Tofu with Bitter Greens and Mediterranean Quinoa with Caramelized Onion Sauce
Apple Cake & Cinnamon Ice Cream with Caramel Sauce

While the students usually design the menu, that night guest chef Melissa Gellert was in charge. It was all scrumptious, except for the tofu, the only major misstep of the meal. It was uninspired, tasteless, and what is the stereotype of vegan food...a bland piece of tofu. And the portions sizes are never this big (I left having to walk off my indigestion for an hour!)

A word of warning...it can take a few weeks to get a reservation, so call ahead. Reservations required. Prices are soon going up to $40, but it's worth every penny.

Visit the Natural Gourmet Institute, 48 W. 21st St., 2nd floor (between 5th & 6th Ave.), New York, NY

Here are some pictures of our feast...

A few words of welcome

"Give me a bloodless road," Tori Amos sings at the end of her song "Sweet Sangria." While certainly not meant in an animal rights context, it has become my personal motto in living my new vegan lifestyle. Let no animal have to shed blood for my food, my clothes, my entertainment and or anything else when there is a world of compassionate alternatives. I was a "lacto-ovo" vegetarian since my early teen years, but took the vegan plunge this year after educating myself on the horrors of the egg and dairy industries. Veganism is not about what you can't have, but what you can have. I live in northern New Jersey and work in New York City, and look forward to sharing with you my adventures in eating, travel, and more.

Special thanks to Ingrid Newkirk and Dan Mathews from PETA, Eric Schlosser, author of "Fast Food Nation," and Gene Baur, author of "Farm Sanctuary." Your words and writings have inspired me down this road, and there's no looking back.

Yours for the animals, the environment, and in good health.
The Vegan Good Life(r)

Take it away, Tori!