Delta gets a "B"

Just got back from a cross country trip flying Delta, and I have to say, I was somewhat impressed with Delta.  It's not like vegan wonderland in the air or anything, but I definitely felt like they made some effort to accommodate vegans.

First of all, the best thing about Delta is those Biscoff Cookies.  I wrote about the Biscoff spread before, so I assumed the cookies are vegan, and their website confirms, "Does Biscoff contain any animal products? Original Biscoff Cookies and Biscoff Spread are both vegan and do not contain any animal products." (Their "Biscoff with Chocolate is not vegan and contains milk," but they don't serve those on the plane.) I like it when when they come out and say the V-word, vegan, instead of just saying "No eggs or dairy" and then you wonder is there something else I should be concerned about?

In regards to other food available, there was really only one option on their menu of food available for purchase, but I give Delta a lot of credit because their options were clearly labeled (above) which I appreciate. So I bought that one item, Mrs. May's Cran Blueberry Crunch, and it was great!  I meant to have a little, and then save the rest for later but I ended up eating the whole bag in one go.  It's a great snack, and it's nice that it is so travel friendly- had I been able to restrain myself, I could have re-sealed the bag and kept crumbs from getting sprinkled throughout my backpack.  I just emailed the Mrs. May's to ask what other vegan products they offer, because I would definitely try their other snacks!

Update from Mrs. May's: "All our products are vegan besides our Rounds line."

Some things I learned at the Vegan Meetup

There was a ton of food at the vegan meetup - the food was delicious (pakora and lentils were my fave) and almost everyone at the table had seconds (why did I snack beforehand?!), but most nourishing of all was the FOOD FOR THOUGHT!!!

I've been processing the experience over the past few days, and here are some things I didn't fully realize before the event.  I guess I had sort of heard about these things in the past, but our enlightening conversation made the following points very clear to me:

1) Vegans amongst us!  I don't know what I was expecting - maybe a restaurant full of 20-something pale emaciated hippies/hipsters wearing shirts that say "I'm VEGAN."  I came in the restaurant and saw there was a big communal table set up with some people seated already, and I was really unsure if that was the vegan group because they all looked really, really normal.  Like a sample of people you see on the subway during rush hour- just regular folk from all walks of life getting on with their lives.  I thought vegans were these rare diamonds in the rough, but the truth is there are probably more vegans out there than I realize because you can't wear a t-shirt that says "I'm VEGAN" every day.  Of the people at the meetup, I would never have guessed that any of them were vegan just by looking at them. I guess it's like when you discover someone you've known for a while and assumed is American is actually Canadian, or on the show Battlestar Galactica (above) who is a cylon!.  Which brings me to....

2) Vegans are diverse! The group definitely was very diverse across age, race, gender, religion, profession, body type, local, visitor... as mentioned before, the kind of diversity that you see when you ride the subway in NYC (which is a big part of why I love living in NYC).  I guess the answer to the question, "What does a vegan look like?" is "Anyone who wants to be a vegan!" Because all these people from different backgrounds all have come to the same conclusion - Vegan is the way to go.  That's very heartwarming that being vegan is something universal that can bring folks together!  

3) Diversity among Vegans  - I'm talking about why these people chose to be vegan, when they decided to change their lives, and how and what they eat.  I guess the only thing they have in common is what they don't eat (animal products).

Why (some people do it for multiple reasons, some people did it for a single reasons and just get added benefits):

• Health Vegans
• Animal lover Vegans
• Eco Vegans

When (how long people have been vegan):

• Longtime
• New
• Future (Wannabegans!)

What vegans actually eat: 

• Vegan junk food (often the animal lover vegans)
• Organic/raw/high carb fresh fruits and vegetables (often the health vegans)
• Fancy vegan versions of animal dishes
• Normal stuff, just minus the animal products

How 

• Strict vegans / Vegetarian mostly vegans 
• Raised vegan or in vegan community / Stand-alone vegans (first vegan in family/community)
• Activist vegans / quiet vegans

Anyway, if you are looking for a place to be vegan and fit in, I assure you you will fit in! Take a look at the group ("Welcome Vegans and Aspiring Vegans!") and see if there is an event coming up you can join!

So Invogorated!

Just a quick note to say that my husband and I just got back from the NYC Vegan meetup at Ayurveda Cafe (on the Upper West Side, not the East side like I thought before I actually looked at a map!), and it was totally amazing!  The food was really great and I absolutely stuffed myself, but the company was really what made it special and has me all excited.

We sat at a smaller table with three super awesome vegans that I'm hoping I can profile for you here.  I'm going to think up some questions for them, and post their responses here!

Pants Up @ the Pop Up! May 5 - 11, Chelsea Market

My home is not totally vegan.  One of the things I've been meaning to donate to Salvation Army and replace is my husband's leather belt. He only has one belt, it still functions, and he wears it every day, so I have to find a replacement before I can get rid of it.  

I think I found it!  Yesterday I was walking through Chelsea Market, where they have an "ID Pop Shop Independent Designers Sale" (lots of really cool unique stuff there, I don't know why people who visit NY from around the world bother shopping at the big mutli-national chains because that stuff is the same around the world. This is the place to see REAL local NY talent).  ANYWAY I saw this one booth (above) with really cool textured accessories - made from CORK.  I timidly asked the lady working there if there is any leather in the belts, thinking maybe there was leather layer in the middle, and she proudly responded that all their products are vegan!  Well, in that case, let me take a look around!!

The shop is Cliff Belts, and they actually have a ton of different accessories that are typically made out of leather, plus guitar straps(!).  My favorite items are the ones with the natural cork color and texture showing through (they also have colored and embossed styles). So unique! The lady in the booth showed me some cool features of their belts, where some of them are mix-and-matchable with the buckle and strap, and another line of belts are made out of recycled subway car grab poles!  Super awesome!   

​I love that it is strong, durable, ecological, cruelty free, and lighter than leather. Cliff Belts says, "Cork is environmentally preferable to leather as it comes from a lower carbon impact source (tree bark) and does not use animal products in its manufacture (a vegan product). The environmental concerns associated with leather include the energy and carbon intensity of generating animal products and the chemicals used in the leather tanning process that can be damaging to human health and the environment. Cork is a naturally beautiful and greener alternative to leather."

Anything from this shop would be great for anyone who wears pants, wants to define his or her waist, or carries things (so basically everyone).  And probably also for anyone that loves wine (because wine people are into cork).  I'm going to get this belt for my husband, and I want this for me, I'm hoping I can put a little notebook inside it.  

PS - Reminder, Vegan Dinner at Ayurveda Cafe is tonight! 

The Love Affair Continues

I really love shopping at Trader Joe's, and I shop there despite the closest one being pretty far from my apartment and I have to haul all that stuff back home in multiple backpacks and tote bags (they do have delivery, I've just never used it).

ANYWAY!  I wrote to them the other day:

"I LOVE your unscented cruelty free skincare products (Nourish oil free antioxidant facial moisturizer and Nourish All-in-one facial cleanser)! Thank you so much for making those and clearly labeling them with the no-bunnies logo, it so easy to check if it can go in my basket or not! I often buy Tom's unscented deodorant when I am at your store, but am curious about your Trader Joe's Unscented Deodorant with Cotton - is that tested on animals? There is no indication. 
Thanks and keep up the great work! Please introduce more unscented, cruelty free products!"

And they responded super fast with the following exciting information!

"Our HABA (health and beauty aid) products are ALL cruelty free - no animal testing. This includes our deodorants."

YES!  So my husband switched from the Tom's deodorant to Trader Joe's Unscented Deodorant with Cotton and he likes it a lot better!  He uses it on a daily basis and it has even held up through his martial arts classes (he comes home literally DRIPPING with sweat and his clothes are soaked with sweat, but he does not smell!)

So I also discovered that they also list all their vegan products online which makes it super easy to pick what you want to buy ahead of time!

"Goodbye, Easter Bunny"

Above: Tully, available for adoption in Chicago

Aww! I didn't realize this is STILL a problem in this day and age!  People buy baby rabbits for Easter, and then the kids don't want them after a few days, the parents don't want to deal with caring for them, and then the most innocent party in this whole ordeal (the rabbit) gets abandoned :((((((.  NYTimes article here.

Things I didn't realize and learned from the article:

• Rabbits require as much care and maintenance as dogs(!)
• Once the rabbits hit puberty...male rabbits spray urine everywhere, while females grow territorial
• It can cost $300 to spay or neuter a rabbit
• Because determining a young rabbit’s sex is difficult, owners who thought they had two female rabbits can suddenly find themselves with litter after litter of bunnies
• A rabbit can live more than a decade

Above: Ty, also available for adoption in Chicago

My cousin and his wife are huge rabbit lovers and have had three (that I know of) over the years, so I've seen how rabbits can be really great and beloved pets. They are REALLY into their rabbits, they even made a rabbit room in their house, and they spend a lot time of caring for them. Rabbits are awesome but you really have to be prepared to handle the work and responsibility that comes with along with them.  If you are ready and live in the Chicago area, check out the rescue where my cousin got his most recent rabbit: Red Door Animal Shelter. (That's also where I got the pics of the bunnies I put in this post.)  Here's the bun they adopted from Red Door:

BONUS: Rabbits are authentic, for-real 100% vegans (not just wannabegans!). I think they are popular pets with vegan humans because you can feed your leftover vegetable bits and scraps to the rabbits and they love it.

East Side Eating

I am firmly rooted on the West Side of Manhattan, but I do occasionally venture across Broadway and spend time on the East Side!  Last weekend, I wanted to check out an exhibit on Museum Mile (Masterpieces & Curiosities: Diane Arbus's Jewish Giant at the Jewish Museum), and of course all the walking around made me hongray so my husband and I wandered around in a totally new neighborhood in search of food.  

Right around the corner was a lovely spot that reminded me of my neighborhood favorite, Juice Generation.  It was called Juice Press!  

juice press

Vegetarian / Vegan Restaurant and Juice Bar

1296 Madison Ave. (at 92nd St.), New York, NY 10128

They had similar pre-prepared vegan raw/dishes, and they were delish!  I found everything to be a tad bit pricy, but it's all organic, and according to the cashier, also raw, kosher, and vegan. We followed up our raw falafel and hummus wrap with a juice, I forget which one 

In other East Side dining news, I actually missed the Vegan Meetup at Organic Grill, but there is another NYC Vegan meetup coming up, and it's on the Upper East Side! 

What: Vegan Dinner at Ayurveda Cafe

When: Wednesday, May 7, 2014, 7:00 PM

Where: Ayurveda Cafe

706 Amsterdam Ave. (bet. East 94th & 95th Sts.)

New York, NY 10025

For complete information and to RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/nycvegans/events/177101402/

I already RSVPed, hope to see you there!