Motivation and Coping as an Activist

We all will probably face times when we lose our drive to get active for animals or find ourselves feeling “burnt out”. We may still care about animal rights, but we suddenly lack the drive to get involved in activism.

Obviously if there are big personal problems affecting your activism drive then you need to get those sorted, for your own sake as well as for the animals. Otherwise, it might be worth taking a moment to think about why your motivation’s gone – pinpointing the problem can help you find out how to tackle it.

Ways to get motivated:

• What got you interested in AR in the first place? Re-read that book, re-watch that video, remember that conversation you had with another activist that first got you involved

• Find out what activism’s going on. I personally find going on Veggies ARC (an absolutely essential resource for UK activists) and seeing the list of demos, events etc makes me want to get involved

• Read about what other activists are doing. Let their commitment to AR inspire you to get active yourself

• If pessimistic thoughts about activism are holding you back, just think of all the positive changes various movements, including the AR movement, have created. Read a book like “Animal Century” by Mark Gold that illustrates the changing attitudes to towards animals in the last hundred years or so

• List everything you could do to help animals. This will get you thinking about activism again, as well as hopefully giving you ideas as to how to make a difference

• Go visit an animal sanctuary or other place with animals that aren’t being exploited. This will hopefully remind you of the main reason why you’re an activist – to help animals.

• Communicate with other activists. Going on the boards may be enough, but if you can, join a local AR group or become a member of a national organisation. This communication with other activists will again help inspire you, and the information about animal abuse and ways you can stop it should help motivate you to take action

• Think of times when you’ve taken part in activism and (hopefully!) how happy it made you feel afterwards. If you want that warm fuzzy feeling of having done good to come back, you’ve got to get out there and get active!

Preventing motivation loss:

It’s obviously much better if you don’t lose motivation in the first place. Looking after yourself will help a lot. Take time to relax. It’s a bit like when you’re revising for an exam: most people find that if they revise 24/7 without a break they end up getting more stressed and tired and remember less. Whilst you should aim to be as active for animals as possible, you still need time for yourself to avoid burn out, where you basically become so stressed or disillusioned by animal suffering you can’t bring yourself to be active anymore.

Exercise regularly. If possible get outside for some good old fresh air, but obviously if the weather’s not on your side or you live in a very polluted area this may not be ideal.

Things like yoga are very relaxing and good for you – great if you get stressed out a lot. Meditation also helps and is a good way to chill and de-stress. Doing aerobics, swimming, running, cycling – basically any exercise will help you not only physically, but mentally. Eat a healthy, balanced diet (because being a junk-food vegan is all too easy these days!) and take time to do the things you enjoy.

Even if you think your motivation levels are fine, doing the things mentioned for motivation will help stop you ever losing your activism drive or getting burnt-out.

Remember that small actions can make a difference. Whilst attending demos is awesome if you can, remember that door dropping leaflets or selling vegan cakes to people you know to raise money for an animal charity is still important. Be the best activist you can be without getting so active you end up burnt-out and unable to do any activism at all. That’s not an excuse for sitting around doing nothing, though!

Even if, for whatever reason, you can’t go out there, still try and get active. Make a recipe book with your favourite vegan recipes to sell to your friends to raise funds for an animal charity; write an article for a local / regional paper about any aspect of animal abuse; write a letter or email to a company that abuses animals; or use it as an opportunity to read up on animal issues, ethics, and activism so you can be the best activist you can be.

Stay motivated, stay driven, and stay active!

Running a Bake Sale

I enjoy baking; most people enjoy eating baked goods and are willing to pay for them... Combine the two and it's clear that a bake sale is the way to go.


A vegan bake sale is great for two key reason: Fundraising and Outreach. Obviously any money raised can go to a good cause, such as your local campaign group to fund future campaigns, to a national campaign group, to an animal shelter, and so on. The outreach aspect also makes activities such as bake sales well worth while. It sends out a positive image of vegans and veganism, and - so long as the food is tasty! - it shows off how good vegan food can be.


We held ours on campus, which took a quick email to the student activities organiser to arrange. There's a usual spot at my uni for holding stalls, bake sales etc, just outside the Students' Union building and by the student pub / bar.


Chocolate brownies (which disappeared within about 15 minutes of us setting up - will make more next time!), flapjacks, chocolate fudge, and lots of different flavour cupcakes were on sale. In the four hours we were out we raised £50.60 - not bad, especially considering it wasn't a very busy day at the Uni and that we'd almost ran out of the food by the end!


Having others help with a bake sale is crucial. There were two of us on the stall the entire time, and a friend who was unable to help on the day kindly baked cupcakes for the sale. Make sure you know what everyone's making so you can get a good range of baked goods.


We used an inexpensive cake stand and some pretty plastic plates to make it look nice, as well as a table cloth, as pasting tables aren't really that attractive! There were a few different vegan leaflets to the side too, such as the Animal Aid "I can't believe it's... Vegan!" one which I always try and have on stalls. I also printed off some copies of some of the recipes I'd used too. People may ask you questions about veganism or other animal issues, so treat this in the same way you would any vegan / animal rights stall, and make sure you know your stuff!


That was our first bake sale. Once I'm back at Uni come September, there'll be more bake sales organised. I know now to bake more brownies, and have some form of bags for people to put their purchases in if need be. I've also got copies of "The Cake Scoffer" booklet to sell to raise some extra funds too.


It's things like bake sales which I enjoy probably more than many other forms of activism, as they're more relaxed but still have an important place.

Review - The Beautiful Mountain Cafe

Whenver I visit somewhere, I do a bit of research into if there are any vegan, or vegan friendly, places to eat.

So earlier today, I decided to try The Beautiful Mountain Cafe (http://www.thebeautifulmountain.co.uk/index.php) in Aberdeen, Scotland. It's not exclusively vegan or vegetarian, but there are a few options suitable for vegans.

My partner and I both ordered a sandwich with the soup of the day. The soup and the sandwich filling I had ordered (grilled vegetables) turned out to be unavailable, so I had a bean pate sandwich instead. My partner had the avocado and pepper sandwich, which he describes as being "slightly above average" - same with the sandwich I had.

The staff were very friendly and helpful, knowing which options were suitable for vegans. My sandwich was "on the house" because of having to change due to my original choice being unavailable. It was busy when we went, but we managed to get a table, with a view outside.

They also have a takeaway area downstairs.

I would recommend giving The Beautiful Mountain Cafe a try if you are ever in Aberdeen. Finding places to eat when you're out and about, especially when you are staying somehwere you are unfamiliar with, can sometimes be difficult, so it is always nice to find a cafe where there are good vegan options and staff who understand what veganism is.

Positives:

• The staff were very friendly and helpful, and saying I could have the sandwich "on the house" was very much appreciated
• Nice atmosphere, doesn't feel too hectic

Negatives:

• A bit on the expensive side for what it is
• Accessibility may be an issue as the cafe's on the first floor
• Limited number of vegetarian and vegan options

"No More Torture, No More Lies" - Reflections on the World Day for Animals In Laboratories March and Rally

Listening to speeches in Whitworth Park

Yesterday I joined hundreds of fellow activists for the annual World Day for Animals In Laboratories march and rally, this year held in Manchester.

The group I went with arrived sometime just after midday, joining the large gathering in Whitworth park, where there were various stalls with vegan food, campaign materials, t-shirts etc, and the speeches - and some poetry. After these the march left the park, down Oxford Road. At first, there didn't seem to be much chanting, but soon enough those with megaphones were leading us with shouts of "No more torture, no more lies - Every six seconds, an animal dies" and "Close down the animal labs!"



As we reached Manchester University, the chant turned to "Shame, shame, shame on you!" Manchester Univiersity are one of many Univiersities in the country who carry out animal experiments. A two minutes' silence was held to remember all of the animals who have been killed because of vivisection, and to think about all of those millions of animals still suffering in labs right now.

After the silence, the march continued through Manchester, with protesters banging on drums, blowing whistles, shouting down megaphones, or chanting the various anti-vivisection chants.

Around two hours after we set off from Whitworth Park, we arrived in Albert Square. There were more speeches. Listening to information about the torture inflicted on animals is heartbreaking, but we need to be armed with these details if we're to get the largely apathetic public, as well as politicians and scientists, to realise that vivisection is cruel and unnecessary.

This was the first World Day march I've been on. We got our message out there - after all, how could the thousands of shoppers we marched by ignore our placards, leaflets, banners, costumes and chanting?! But, of course, we don't leave it here. We simply can't forget the animals' suffering. We must keep campaigning with activities such as more demos, info stalls, leafletting and letter writing. 

We must do what we can for the animals.

Leafleting: Door Dropping Leaflets

I wrote a little "Guide to Leafleting" a while back and posted it on a message board, where it got a good response. This post is based on the section about door dropping leaflets from that guide. If anyone has any comments, e.g. legal info or general tips, please share!

Door dropping is where you post a leaflet through a letterbox in someone's door. It's used by many people for advertising businesses or for campaign purposes.
 You have what is known as an "implied license" to door drop. If you didn't, you wouldn't get mail, free newspapers and other random leaflets through the door! If someone asks you to leave their property (e.g. their front path) you must oblige, or else you are trespassing.

Avoid door dropping in the same area too often. Not only will it potentially annoy people who may view the leaflets as "junk mail" after a while, you might as well door drop in other places to spread the message further. I don't door drop the same houses more than a few times a year. Be sure that you don't leave leaflets hanging out of letterboxes so they can be seen, as a leaflet left like this is a sign that a house is empty (i.e. the occupants are on holiday), leaving them more open to the risk of theft. And remember to leave things as you left them - if a gate was closed, close it once you're done!

While I think directly handing people leaflets is more effective as you can talk to them about the issues, door dropping is really quick and easy and can be done as you walk to the shops, to a friend's house etc. In about 15 minutes you could have covered around 40+ houses. That's 40+ households, many of which will have more than one occupant, who you are giving the chance to be informed about important issues. I'm not going to pretend that some of the leaflets we distribute don’t end up going straight in the bin, but I'm positive that some people read them, and hopefully take on board what they say.

Don't door drop anything with graphic imagery (e.g. of animals being slaughtered) in case a child picks it up. If you feel you really need to door drop such materials, place the leaflet in an envelope, or at the very least make sure it is well folded. I feel it's best not to door drop leaflets with graphic imagery at all. Be aware of leaflet content by being careful there's nothing libelous, threatening, or anything else that could land you in trouble. If you're using leaflets from the "main" organisations then it should be OK as they will have checked the content is legal, but still have a read through before distributing. Of course, you should be reading through the leaflet anyway so you know the issue!

Door dropping is also really good if you're a bit nervous about directly giving out leaflets as it usually doesn't involve communicating with anyone.

I definitely recommend you door drop leaflets with someone. Firstly, it'll be quicker and you'll be able to leaflet more houses. Secondly, it's safer in case there's the unlikely event someone is angry because they disagree with the leaflet or don't like you being on their property. I've never had a problem when door dropping leaflets, but I strongly advise you don't go on your own.

Recently, someone showed me a technique for pushing leaflets through letterboxes. Use a large wooden spoon to push the leaflet (which you fold over the spoon end) through. It can help get it through and is often safer, too. If there's an excited dog on the other side of the letterbox, I'd much rather they grabbed the wooden spoon poking through than my fingers. It can make door dropping slightly slower as you have to take a moment to fold the leaflet round the spoon each time, but now I've been shown this method, I'm definitely sticking with it.

Basically, door dropping leaflets is a simple way to quickly distribute campaign materials, so go for it!

Easter Nests

With Easter just over two weeks away, I deiced to try making some Eastery treats!
These Easter nests are really simple to make. There are various ways to make them - I went for the recipe from the wonderful Vegan Family website

(That page has some other good recipes for Easter treats  - in fact the site has lots of great recipes!)

 I ended up using Whizzer's chocolate beans rather than their mini eggs as I couldn't get hold of any! I used melted Humdinger's chocolate buttons to mix with the Weetabix which worked pretty well - I did try using dark chocolate but it wasn't as good.
You can also use cornflakes or rice crispies instead of broken up wheat biscuits.

Why You Shouldn't Bet On Lives

Two horses were killed at this year's Grand National

20 horses have died on the Grand National course since 2000.

It's not just the Grand National race that claims race horses' lives:

• Out of approximately 18,000 foals who are born into the British and Irish racing industries each year, only 40% will get to the race track. Some of the foals who don't make it are sent to slaughter.
• The horses kept to produce these foals are forced to endure a life of boredom, manipulation using drugs and artificial lighting to control and speed up reproduction, and long periods of isolation. Their misery can go on for more than 20 years.
• For the 7,500 horses who leave British racing every year, the future is often bleak, with few getting the decent retirement they deserve.
• Around 420 horses are raced to death every single year

PLEASE DON'T BET ON LIVES - BOYCOTT HORSE RACING

 click for more info on horse racing



Street Collections

Street collections are a great way to raise funds for charities and non-profit organisations.


So far, I've helped with two Animal Aid street collections. Many charities and non-profit orgs will be very active in helping you arrange your street collection, so don't let the thought of lots of form filling put you off organising one! Animal Aid list upcoming street collections and info on how to arrange a street collection for them on their website here.


You do need permission to hold a street collection for any charity or organisation. Again, Animal Aid and some other groups will be able to arrange this for you.




Helping with street collection

 Holding a street collection is obviously a really great way to raise funds for your chosen cause. It also is important for raising awareness, too. On both collections I've been involved with, we've had an info table with leaflets, booklets and petitions, and those of us stood away from the table would have a handful of leaflets as well (ones about the general work of whoever you're fundraising for works well). So, you're raising funds, you're letting people know that your chosen charity / org exists, and you're letting people know about the issues your chosen charity / org is involved with. It is good activism. And I honestly do enjoy it, too. I like getting to talk to people about Animal Aid and the issues. It's wonderful when you realise that the leaflet you just handed them, or what you just told them seems to have made them think more about an issue.


Tips for Street Collections


While I'm still a bit of a street collection newbie, here's a few things I've picked up from my experience:

• The more the merrier! In a small town centre or supermarket entrance, you obviously don't want to swamp the place with people collecting, but when you've got a large area, having a good number of people rather than just one or two does help. Again, some charities / orgs will tell their members and / or list upcoming street collections on their website, which really helps with getting more people onboard.
• Outreach. Fundraising for your chosen cause is the main aim, but it's definitely worth doing some outreach at the same time. Having a street stall and getting people with collection tins to hold some leaflets lets people know about the issues. Having a stall also works well for drawing people over, many of whom will then go on to donate. Please do check though what the rules are for having a stall in the place you're collecting. Most places tend to be fine with it, but it's best to check if you're not sure.
• Know your stuff. That's key for all activism though really, isn't it? Even if you're not distributing any leaflets and are simply collecting money, some people still like to know where their money's going. When campaign materials are being given out, knowing the issues is even more important. On the recent collection I did, we had petitions about banning the Grand National (chosen as the race is only a week away). We had leaflets about why people shouldn't support horse racing, but even though these can be given to those who questioned the petition to explain our reasoning, it is more effective when we actually give them a basic overview - we still give the leaflet to back up what we're saying. The issues people are perhaps most likely to ask about are the ones on the petitions, and sometimes the ones on any posters you have by the table as well. These are the issues you should definitely be able to talk about. Other topics will almost definitely be brought up, too, so make sure you know your stuff!
• Don't stand in people's way. Firstly, and understandably, it annoys people. Getting through a town centre on a busy day can be a bit of a battle at times, so makes sure people can easily get by. Secondly, obstructing the highway is illegal. What counts as an obstruction is a bit subjective - aren't many advertising boards put out by businesses causing obstructions? Regardless of this, you should be aware of how easily people can get by.
• Positioning. While you're making sure you're not obstructing the highway, you still need to make sure people notice you! Stand somewhere busy, but with space for people to get by easily.
• One way to get noticed is by wearing an animal costume. It makes you hard to miss!
• Thank people when they donate. Obvious, I know! It shows them their contribution - however big or small - is appreciated, and anyone nearby who notices may potentially be more inclined to give, too. The person who's donated will leave with a positive view of the charity / org.
• Represent your chosen cause well. When doing a street collection, you are representing that charity / org. To some of the public, you may be the first person they meet who's linked to that cause, so making a good impression is key.
• The law. Read through your street collection permit, or ask whoever's organising the collection what the specific rules are. Also, definitely worth looking at is Animal Aid's guide. Read Animal Aid's guide to street collections, leafleting and the law
• Enjoy it! You'll be talking to people about issues you care about while raising all important funds.

If you have any tips, advice, experiences of street collections you'd like to share, please feel free to comment.

Vegan Easter

Easter seems to be sneaking up, so if you're planning on buying Easter gifts, now's the time to get them if you haven't already!

The range and availability of vegan Easter products seems to be on the rise. Supermarkets sometimes stock suitable Easter eggs, often in the Free From section. I stumbled upon a reasonable range of vegan Easter chocolates in Sainsbury's Free From section a few days ago, with Humdinger chocolate rabbits (really nice!), and a couple of dairy-free Easter eggs.
I'm lucky that my local health food / organic shop always has a good selection of vegan products, and saw earlier today that they have the Moo Free easter egg, which is a really nice chocolate egg (no, I couldn't wait till Easter to try it!).

If you're not having any luck with supermarkets and other shops, there's lots of vegan Easter products online.

http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/  -  Moo Free, Divine, Booja Booja and Montezuma are some of the brands on here. I definitely recommend the Animal Aid online shop for the good selection of chocolates, books, stationary, cosmetics, shoes, and lots of other cruelty free items. The money goes to Animal Aid's work campaigning against animal cruelty.

http://www.vivashop.org.uk/  -  Again, nice range of Easter chocolates, plus other cruelty free products, with money raised going to Viva!'s campaigns.

http://veganstore.co.uk/  -  Lots of chocolates for Easter on here, plus other cruelty free items.

http://www.ethical-treats.co.uk/shop/  -  Good range of cruelty free Easter chocolates and sweets.

Some Useful Links....

Some sites for vegans and animal rights activists...

http://www.veggies.org.uk/  -  GREAT site. Definitely check out the Animal Rights Calendar regularly as it lists lots of upcoming demos, cruelty free fayres, meetings, and the like. Also look on the Directory for info on groups in the UK - useful if you're looking for a local group to join.

http://www.happycow.net/  -  Lots of good stuff on here. I mainly use it for finding places to eat. They list lots of vegan, vegetarian, and vegan and vegetarian friendly eateries around the world. I've found some good places through the site, and the reviews help with deciding where's worth visiting and where's best avoided.

http://www.studentsagainstanimalcruelty.org.uk/  -  Useful site for any students. Lots of info on campaigning on campus, plus a few vegan recipes, too.

The following are some of the campaigning groups in the UK:

http://www.animalaid.org.uk/ 

http://www.viva.org.uk/

http://www.captiveanimals.org/

http://uncaged.co.uk/

http://www.vegansociety.com/

http://buav.org.uk/

http://peta.org.uk/
I know that's just scratching the surface of what there is, so what other good vegan / animal rights sites does anyone know of? 

Vegan Carrot Cake

I decided to stop making chocolate cake every time I do some baking and try something new, so made carrot cake instead!



I used this recipe: http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/food/recipes/cakes/carrot-cake.aspx  Most of the ingredients seem to be things likely to be lurking in your kitchen cupboards anyway, or if not, should be easy enough to find in the shops.

Fairly simple to make. It's quite rich, which I suppose is a good thing since it stops me reaching for another slice straight away...!

The buttercream icing ideally goes on top, but I ended up making it as a sandwich cake after the cake tin I was originally planning to use decided to not work properly, so the buttercream went as a filling instead. Still works perfectly fine to make a nice cake.

Helping Hillside

A few days ago I posted about ways to help Hillside Animal Sanctuary, who are in desperate need of more funds.


One good way to raise some money for them are the new "Guess the Name of the Animal" competitions.

Me with the cuddly dog!

For £5 (which you can claim back later if you want), you get a cuddly dog or donkey toy, a big card with 30 possible names for your chosen animal, and an envelope containing the name of the animal. For a £1 a go, you get friends, family, and basically anyone you know, to guess the name of the animal. Once all 30 possible names have been chosen, you open the envelope to reveal the real name for the cuddly animal. The person who guessed the correct name wins the cuddly animal! It's a fun way to raise some funds for Hillside, and it also helps raise awareness, letting people know that Hillside Animal Sanctuary exists. I recommend ordering some leaflets (which are free, though of course you can donate to help cover their costs if you can) to give out when people guess the cuddly's name.

I went for the dog, which is very cute and soft, and a good size, too! It came with some back copies of Hillside's newsletter for me to give to those who take part to find out more about Hillside.


To order a "Guess the Name of the Donkey / Dog" pack, please visit http://www.hillside.org.uk/acatalog/Raising_Funds_for_Hillside_s_Animals.html

Book Review - Striking at the Roots

For many people new to veganism and animal rights, knowing how and where to start with outreach can be difficult. In "Striking at the Roots", Mark Hawthorne guides us through various forms of outreach, with plenty of tips from other experienced activists thrown in for good measure. Areas covered include leafleting, demonstrations, coroporate campaigning, and other important forms of campaigning.


The chapter, "Food as Outreach", struck me as one of the best parts of the book, and an area which more activists need to be aware of. After all, how many times have you been told by someone that they won't switch to veganism because "vegan food is dull"? By discussing how to promote veganism through activities such as food fayres and cooking workshops, Hawthorne shows us how to destroy the view that vegans live off salad leaves while promoting cruelty free living in a way which is friendly and effective. As someone who's planning to hold a vegan food fayre at some point (fairly soon I hope!), this is really useful stuff to know.


Another good inclusion is the chapter, "Animal Care: Activists are Animals Too". Being burnt-out is not good for anyone, so Hawthorne looks at why and how we can look after ourselves as activists.


Despite being an American book, as a UK activist I still found it very useful and relevant. Definitely recommended to new and experienced activists alike.


Available on many online shops, including http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/guidebooks.htm

Hillside in Crisis



A cow at Hillside's West Runton sanctuary,
Norfolk, England

Hillside Animal Sanctuary in Norfolk, England desperately needs our help to keep caring for the hundreds of rescued animals who live there.

What We Can Do

- Buy from their giftshop - http://hillside.org.uk/acatalog/allgifts.html



- Distribute Hillside leaflets, and use the cardboard donation boxes to collect loose change to donate. Available from

http://hillside.org.uk/acatalog/videos.html

Billy Griffin the pig at Hillside. He is
one of the animals you can adopt
 to support Hillside's work.



- "Adopt" one of their rescued animals, or sponsor a rescued dog. See http://hillside.org.uk/acatalog/Adoptions.html and http://hillside.org.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Adoptions.html



Me with one of the donkeys at
Hillside, August 2010



- Go to a Hillside open day! I went to one last August - well worth going! It's wonderful to see animals living happily, especially when you consider the conditions many of them suffered in before arriving at Hillside. See http://www.hillside.org.uk/OpenDaysatWestRunton.htm

- Fundraise for Hillside. There are collection tins available from their shop - http://hillside.org.uk/acatalog/videos.html (please make sure you have a the relevant permission before holding a street collection).

 - Guess the name of the donkey or dog -http://www.hillside.org.uk/acatalog/Raising_Funds_for_Hillside_s_Animals.html

- Any other fundraising you can do. Vegan bake sales, sponsored events - anything you can think of!

www.hillside.org.uk

Vegan Chocolate Banana Milkshakes

The amounts for all of the ingredients are rough. Makes roughly two to three large glasses of milkshake.

3-4 bananas, chopped

1 and a 1/2 glasses (use the glass size you're going to drink it from) chosen non-dairy milk, e.g. soya or oat

A few tbsp of vegan vanilla ice cream

Roughly a tsp of cocoa powder (I recommend having a bit extra to hand so you can add more to taste if necessary)

(Too much cocoa powder can really ruin it, so I tend to add little bits (e.g. 1/2 tsp) at a time till it's right.)

Chuck it all in a blender and watch as it all mixes into a delicious milkshake.

Enjoy!

Recipe - Tofu and Vegetable Stir-fry

Tofu and Vegetable Stir-fry

Serves two

Stir-fry with tofu, red bell pepper, courgette, onion, garlic, mushroom
and seaweed, served with leafy salad

Tofu and vegetable stir-fry is one of my favourite meals. Being a student, I find it’s great as it’s fairly affordable, easy and quick to make, nutritious, and tasty.

There are so many things you can include in the stir-fry. Pick around four or five of vegetable ingredients, or substitute in your own preferred ones. 

Roughly 260g firm tofu, cut into small chunks

1 onion, diced

Garlic to taste (I use around 4 cloves), crushed or sliced

1 courgette, diced

1 bell pepper, diced or sliced

3-6 mushrooms, diced or sliced,

1 medium to large carrot, thinly sliced or grated

½ small to medium red cabbage, chopped or sliced

4-6 cherry tomatoes, diced

A couple of handfuls of rice noodles (if using)

Seasonings as preferred, e.g. paprika, chilli powder, mixed herbs, salt, pepper, etc.

Heat up some oil (e.g. olive oil) in a large frying pan or wok on a medium-low heat. Once the oil is warm, add the tofu. Stir and turn the tofu over regularly.

After a few minutes, add the onion and garlic. Keep stirring. Once the onion has started to soften, add the bell pepper / carrot / red cabbage. Keep stirring. As these soften, add the courgette / mushrooms / tomatoes – keep stirring! Add your preferred seasoning.

After a few minutes of cooking (still on a medium-low heat), when everything should be about cooked through, add the rice noodles (if using), and keep on the heat till the noodles are cooked (the packet should say how long they need). Serve with a mixed salad, for example rocket and spinach.

Variations…

·        Seaweed works well with tofu stir-fry, too, and is a good source of iodine. Cook according to instructions on the packaging.

·        If preferred, marinade the tofu in a sauce (e.g. chilli sauce) for around half an hour before you begin cooking.

·        You can, of course, make this without the tofu and have it as a vegetable stir-fry instead.

·        I sometimes don’t bother with rice noodles, as it still does taste really nice without them!

Veganism on Campus

Been busy with various bits of campaigning the last few weeks! On Friday 5th Feb, Staffs Uni Vegan Society ran our first vegan info stall and free food giveaway on campus. Despite the weather being very windy (which is why having a plentiful supply of elastic bands is always a must!) and it being a fairly quiet Friday afternoon, we still had many people coming over to try out some free vegan food and take leaflets and booklets. Also gave out leaflets to promote our first meeting.


Food-wise, we had vegan chocolate brownies (based on the recipe here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chocolatebrownies_83803 ), plus with vegan chocolate "butter"cream and vegan chocolate buttons on top.
Also had things like vegan faux meats (sausages, sausage rolls, "bacon", sandwiches with various fillings, etc.) and vegan cheese samples.


Weds 16th Feb was our first public meeting. Unfortunately, it clashed with a general meeting organised by the Students' Union which was only announced a couple of days before. It ended up being more like an indoor stall than a meeting! Again, had free food samples and lots of leaflets and booklets. I ended up standing outside the building it was held in for a while handing out leafelts to entice people inside, with the promise of free food! It's things like this which illustrate how you have to be flexible and understand that not everything will always go to plan.


Should be organising more stalls and meetings in the near future. Getting a new group off the ground is going to be difficult, but here's hoping once we get going things will be great!

Eating Out

At first glance, eating out as a vegan can seem fairly hard. While many cafes, restaurants and other eateries seem to be getting more accustomed to catering for vegetarians, getting good vegan food when eating out may appear more difficult at times.

Some vegetarian options are suitable for vegans, yet for some reason, many vegetarian dishes are smothered with copious amounts of cheese! Although I’ve had to have chips and salad when eating out a few times (which in all honesty doesn’t bother me!), I can’t think of a single time I’ve gone somewhere and they haven’t been able to cater for me.

Some tips:

·        If at all possible, phone up ahead. You’ll find they already have vegan options (or dishes that are easily converted to being vegan); that there are no vegan options but the chef will kindly make you something suitable; or, in the rare, worst case scenario, they will struggle to serve up a good vegan meal – but by phoning you didn’t waste time going there only to be disappointed.

·        Make your dietary requirements very clear. Having nut and sesame seed allergies, I’ve always been used to asking questions when ordering food. Make sure the waiting staff know what you can’t eat. Don’t feel bad about politely asking questions – if you think that garlic bread may contain dairy, ask!

·        Consider different cuisines when eating out. I’ve often found there’s at least one thing on the menu at Indian restaurants that’s suitable for vegans, though do check that your meal won’t be cooked with ghee (clarified butter). Chinese restaurants tend to also be quite good, as boiled rice and various vegetable dishes, and sometimes bean curd (tofu) are often options. With Italian cuisine, watch out for egg pasta, and check there’s no animal ingredients in pizza bases. If the pasta’s OK, then there will likely be a tomato or vegetable based sauce it can be served with, and most places will let you request pizza without any cheese.

There are, of course, many vegetarian / vegan restaurants out there. I recommend checking out http://www.happycow.net/ which lists many places that are exclusively vegetarian or vegan.

My Veganism

It was sometime during November 2007 that I went from being a lacto-ovo vegetarian to becoming a vegan. Unlike my vegetarianism (which started October 2006), going vegan wasn’t an overnight thing. It was a fairly gradual transition. In hindsight, I could have, and really should have, made the change sooner. (How best to go about going vegan is something I plan to cover in another post in the near future.)

So, three years and two months of veganism. Has it changed me as a person?

No. But very much Yes.

Going vegan isn’t joining a cult. I’m still very much me. Yet it has changed me. It’s changed the way I perceive certain things, especially in regards to the rights of other sentient beings. I honestly feel it has made me more compassionate, more empathetic towards animals, people and planet.

On a practical level, it very much shapes the way I live. And that’s not just avoiding animal products in food, clothing and toiletries – it’s avoiding cruelty in as many areas of my life as I can. It’s not supporting animal circuses, for example. It’s getting involved in vegan and animal rights outreach and activism to try and create positive change.

So yes, being vegan has had a profound effect on my life.

I’m sure many will agree with me. And many will disagree. Your veganism, like pretty much everything, is personal to you.

Please feel free to share how veganism has affected you as a person, or your lifestyle.

First Post...

Welcome to my Vegan Life and Living blog! I plan to post about many aspects of vegan life, from vegan reviews and recipes, to ethics and outreach.

I've been a vegan now for over three years. There are many reasons why people choose a plant-based diet. For me, it's the belief that animals aren't ours to exploit that made me make the switch.

The blog will be updated regularly, so please do check back!