Feed the Turkeys

Last Saturday went to the "Feed the Turkey" celebration at the local Farm Sanctuary - Traveled there together with a small group of animal rights activists. The day started off with a visit to the Farm to see all the rescued farm animals - cows, pigs, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys and more. The air was cold but the sun was shining and the beautiful views of

the surrounding farmland and rolling hills were beautiful and calming. The main event was the feeding of the turkeys. The food is piled neatly on large trays - cranberries, lettuce and assorted greens and placed on low lying tables. Once all is in place, the turkeys are let out of the barn to partake of their feast. Check out this picture:

After the turkey feast is over, there is time to continue to visit with the animals, take some refreshments at the Main building or visit the gift shop. Warm cider, vegan cookies and apples - Yummy on a chilly day! 3 of us also had fun discovering a secret 'well-heated' video room where we watched a great factory farming animated short called "The Meatrix". If anyone would like to see this (google Meatrix), it communicates the info about factory farming in an entertaining and clever way.

After the farm visit, we all went to a very upscale restaurant for a vegan meal. The banquet room was large and very festive. The food was delicious - yummy appetizers, tofurky, field roast, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, gravy. The dessert was a pumpkin truffle and a chocolate dipped strawberry. It was so nice to be able to eat every offering without having to ask what was in it!!! There were speakers with interesting stories and info and many conversations with fellow animal lovers and vegans. What a rare treat it is to be spending a day with others on the same path to the compassionate life. No animal suffered in the success of this day. I hated to see it end. Here are a couple of other pictures that captured the spirit of the event.

"Juneau, Alaska - it's so far away. If I had the money I'd be there today"....... from a song. This is a picture of a great little restaurant we found when we visited Alaska last summer. Silverbow Bagels - just the name evokes a feeling of happiness, comfort, satisfaction. Most people don't think of Alaska as a state that would support alternative food choices. However, when we stayed in Juneau for a few days, this was proved false. In the restaurant right next to the Driftwood Lodge (where we stayed) was the Starlight Cafe and they had vegan pancakes and said right up front they could make anything on their menu vegan if we would like. They actually knew what vegan was and what was part of a vegan diet. Amazing! I had the pecan maple vegan pancakes and they were wonderfully decadent. Took half of it back with me to be warmed up the next morning. In addition, there was an alternative grocery store within walking distance that had organic, vegetarian and vegan items, food, books, accessories. Rainbow Foods! My favorite place was the Silverbow Bagel Bakery shown above. Once we discovered it, it became my first choice for a meal out. My favorite was a daily special of a vegan soup and a freshly baked bagel, toasted and topped with veg oil spread and a salad all for an amazingly reasonable price. The soup was full of vegetables, leafy green and otherwise and lots of great spices. The bagel was freshly made and tasted it! The salad was loaded with greens, tomatoes, dried cranberries - absolutely fresh and delicious. Even now as I am writing this, I wish I could hop on a plane and head over there. Except for the harbor full of cruise ships, Juneau, Alaska is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen and I know that it is a place that seems to be very friendly and tolerant of human diversity in so many ways other than just the food. It irritates me when people only associate Alaska, now that I have been there, with Sarah Palin. We mostly saw the Inside Passage - Wrangell to Juneau - it is wonderful, breathtaking, and, yes, remote. It calls to me even now after I have returned home and resumed my normal life. Was I really there? Was it a beautiful, crazy dream that I don't want to wake up from? Anyway - I love you Silverbow Bakery and I miss you and don't know if I will every return again.

Halloween Vegan Potluck

Had a delightful Halloween vegan potluck at my house this afternoon. It was pretty funny because one of the attendees was heading to volunteer at the cat coalition after the dinner, so she wore the top that she wears to do that with the logo on it. We joked that she came as an animal rights activist. Since I was the hostess, I spent most of my time getting ready, so I just wore a dark straight hair wig and plenty of dark makeup and red lipstick. The head of the animal rights group that organized it came as a hydrofracking protestor. It is always fun to break bread with activists of any kind - there is a bond that can be a source of encouragement and, in this case, fun! There are things in this world scarier and more evil than witches, ghosts and vampires! :-) The food was good too. I made a green bean casserole with soy milk, and still was able to use those fried onions in the can (believe it or not, they are vegan). I also made a cranberry orange relish - a big hit - and an apple pie. Others brought roasted brussell sprouts and sweet potatoes and cranberries, a pasta dish with broccoli, black beans and a sauce; pasta dish with tomatoes, capers and vegan feta cheeze. Vegan peanut butter cups was another favorite. We had candles and lighted pumpkins and a holiday tablescape? - not exactly up to Martha Stewart standards, but festive nonetheless. The talk was sometimes serious - animal rights, politics - or just fun conversation getting to know each other a little better. And now I have some tasty leftovers! Oh yeah - being the hostess has its perks, eh? Happy Halloween to all and to all a good night!

Post.....What??

It has been so long since I posted. Not on Facebook any more, so had the urge to put something out there......... Changed my profile picture - love this one of our dog when he was a puppy - Angus McFergus McTavish Dundee - "Angie" for short. He was our crazy little brother who could sing with the high notes on a recorder, chase us around our house island and never tire, play hide and seek, steal and hoard chocolate cupcakes on a regular basis, and lick our faces when we were sad. I realize that my love of animals was strengthened by having lived with a wild wire haired fox terrier. When the time finally came in my life to be educated on the abuses that humans inflict on animals, some pet animals, and some raised and killed for our food, I was ready to listen. I'm not sure why I didn't get the picture before - denial?, too busy to listen? ignorance? It's funny, but as I look back, I never liked bloody rare meat or the tendons I saw on a chicken leg or the animal parts inside the turkey. It bothered me, but it didn't stop me from eating meat. Now that I am a vegan and have walked through the door to the other side, I look back through and clearly remember those queasy feelings of distaste around animal flesh, bones and body parts. I am so glad that I no longer have to deal with any of that - have learned how to eat a balanced diet without killing. The compassionate lifestyle is now one that I can call mine.