I’m so thankful to Phoenix Magazine. The writers/editors have this amazing way of keeping their finger on the pulse of what’s going on in all of the greater Phoenix area. Recently they had an article about the best neighborhoods in Phoenix. While our little neck of the woods didn’t make the list (that’s ok because it is perfect to me), the highly-sought-after Ahwatukee area did. I like Ahwatukee. I have nothing against Ahwatukee. But now I’m jealous of the charismatic, south-eastern part of Phoenix. Why? Because it is home to what is quickly becoming my new favorite restaurant, Pomegranate Cafe.

Ah Pomegranate Cafe, how I love thee. This is a restaurant fastened after my own heart. It is entirely vegetarian and any dish can be served vegan. When you live an inspired vegan life, you get quite used to going to traditional restaurants with friends and family and ordering some wimpy little concoction of hacked-together side dishes. So it is like walking into a dream when you can go to a restaurant and order anything on the menu! It feels so liberating. So inviting. So powerful.

On my first trip to Pomegranate Cafe, I used my super vegan power to order the tomato & basil pesto sandwich. It was delicious. Typically I’m leery of pesto … it’s made with mayonnaise and that’s just plain gross. Pomegranate Cafe assured me their fantastic pesto was not of the sort – no dairy, no cow suffering needed for my sandwich. The sandwich is made with ancient grain bread, basil pesto, tomato, avocado & greens. It comes with a fresh, yummy side salad and some chips.

I must say I was not disappointed in the slightest over my lunch selection but I couldn’t stop looking over my plate to my friend Adria’s. She ordered the raw collard wrap which looked like a giant burrito wrapped in leaves. Basically they take two large collard leaves and stuff them with carrot, avocado, tomato, and homemade almond cheese. It was a braver choice than mine. I’ve had almond cheese before – in one of New York City’s finest vegan restaurants – and I didn’t like it. But after sneaking a bite from Adria, I will definitely order the raw collard wrap on my next trip.

Lunch is such a fun time of the day when you get to meet with good friends and share good conversation. I’m grateful for the inspirational women in my life. But on this particular day I found myself feeling about equally as much gratitude for Pomegranate’s blueberry-peach cheese cake. It was THE MOST delectable cheesecake I’ve ever had. In fact I would happily go back there just for desert. And this was just one of many, many vegan deserts!

While my friends and I were lunching, a local farmer came in to drop off her produce. Eh? I say. You can actually meet the person who grows the food we eat at the restaurant? What a throwback! These days with all the food scares and strange foods trucked in from all parts of the planet, I take comfort in knowing that there are places committed to not only providing fabulous food but supporting the local economy around them.

Now who wouldn’t love a restaurant that makes you feel so good inside and out; one that leaves you feeling like you have vegan super powers! Check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

Pomegranate Cafe
4025 East Chandler Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ
Phone: (480) 706-7472
www.pomegranatecafe.com

Tuesday – Friday: 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Serving: Breakfast & Lunch

Don’t miss Part 1: Why Go Vegetarian, Part 2: How to Become Vegetarian, Part 3: Vegetarian Nutrition, and Part 4: Speaking Vegetarian.

This is the final post in my five part series on becoming vegetarian. Now that you are informed about where your food comes from and all the great reasons to choose plant foods over animal foods, it’s time to take things a step further. Time to start thinking about the animals we wear, sit on, and use as accessories. Yes, I’m talking about leather, wool, fur, and other animal parts used in human creature comforts.

Wool

Wool can also be called mohair, pashmina or cashmere. It is found in many products from sweaters to carpets. Approximately 6 million sheep are used for meat and wool production in the United States and 2.5 million goats are used for meat, milk and mohair production¹. When you think about wool, it seems like it would be pretty harmless, right? I mean sheep and goats grow fleece/hair and it needs to be trimmed. It’s not that simple. The goats and sheep don’t willingly give up their fur.  And like most animals used for human consumption, they are “altered” for the convenience of those profiting from their bodies. Within weeks of birth, lambs’ ears are punched with holes, their tails are chopped off, and the males loose their man parts without anesthesia. Then when they no longer produce enough wool to meet their farmer’s demand, they are killed for meat and/or their skin. Furthermore, it is not true that the animals must be shaved. If sheep were not altered by humans, they would grow just enough wool to protect themselves from the weather.

Sheep used for wool, mulesing.

In Australia, the country that creates more than 50% of the world’s merino wool, lambs endure a horrible process called mulesing. Mulesing means that huge hunks of skin are removed from the animal’s behind to prevent the infestation of flies in their folds of skin. This is done without anesthesia or painkillers. Can you imagine what it would feel like to have a huge chunk of skin cut out of your behind – much less with or without anesthesia? Seriously, that’s more than ouch! After the sheep endure this horrible “procedure” several are shipped overseas to countries in the Middle East and North Africa to unregulated slaughterhouses where they are killed in ways much harsher than we can imagine. This journey takes weeks or months. The sheep are given little food or water. They become stuck in their feces, at times unable to move. Some are trampled to death. And they endure all that just to be killed in a foreign country in cruel ways.  Even Pink – the singer – just called for a boycott of Australian lamb mutilations for wool.

What can you do about it? Don’t buy wool. Don’t eat lamb. Also avoid other animal-derived materials like angora which comes from rabbits, cashmere which comes from goats, and wool from alpacas and lamas. There are many alternatives to wool … some of my favorite sweaters and home furnishings are made of cotton, tencel, bamboo, and polyester (it’s much better now than it was in the 70s). For more on wool, visit www.savethesheep.com.

Leather

Now it’s no mystery that leather is indeed the skin of another animal. How it became such a desired product is beyond me. But the reality is that most of us have been conditioned to think that leather couches, leather shoes, leather handbags etc. are superior to non-leather goods. Why? It’s kind of strange when you think about it. Leather is cheap to buy … it’s the “desirability” that you’re paying for. It’s time to bust open that misconception. As PETA says, “whose skin are you in?” I prefer to hang out in my skin not another animal’s skin thank you very much. Just as I enjoy the skin on my body – protecting my organs and whatnot – I’m sure that animal appreciated its skin on his or her body. Next time you go to the store and think about buying that pair of of-so-lovely leather shoes, just think that another animal died for them … they suffered an uncomfortable life of confinement, they bled all over their skin before it was cleaned up and made into your pretty shoes. That’s enough really. We don’t need to buy those shoes! Really, I mean it.

Indian cows used for leather.

The multibillion-dollar meat industry profits from more than just animals’ flesh. According to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report, animals’ skins represent “the most economically important byproduct” of the meatpacking industry². And that’s not even the beginning of it. Most leather used for clothing, furniture, etc. comes from India and China. Yes, India … a very vegetarian country. While cows have little protection here in the U.S. in these countries, cows have even less protection. Slaughter processes are unregulated. Just watch the documentary Earthlings. They actually show companies buying families beloved cows, convincing the people that their cows will be taken to a sanctuary, and actually trekking them across state lines (miles and miles and miles) to have their throats hacked open with a hand saw. You’ll never be able to look at those leather shoes quite the same again.

It’s important to note that cows are not the only animals used for leather. Pigs, goats, zebras, bison, water buffaloes, boars, deer, kangaroos, elephants, eels, sharks, dolphins, seals, walruses, frogs, crocodiles, alligators, lizards, and snakes are also used in clothing and household goods. And believe it or not, even dog and cat skins are used in goods from China and Europe. When’s the last time you bought a product that wasn’t made in China? Those new leather shoes might very well be made of dog or cat skin.

Leather is disgusting, horrific and unnecessary. When you start to see what cool non-leather products are out there, you won’t feel like you need leather anyway. My favorites are Matt and Nat for purses, www.mattandnat.com, and Olsen Haus for shoes, www.olsenhaus.com. For more on leather, visit www.cowsarecool.com.

Fur

Now I’m hoping that most of you have never owned fur. But maybe you have. I remember when I was a little girl my grandma thought it was really special to have me try on little fur coats. I didn’t know any better. At that time, she probably didn’t either. Fur was grand. It was exotic. It was expensive. It literally like wearing wealth on your sleeve. Thankfully we are becoming more knowledgeable each and every day. Like every other animal product, fur does not come easily. Millions of fur-bearing animals including foxes, raccoons, minks, coyotes, bobcats, lynxes, opossums, nutria, beavers, muskrats, otters and others are killed each year on fur farms by anal and vaginal electrocution and in the wild by drowning, trapping, or beating³.

Dog caught in a fur trap.

Most fur animals are not used for their meat. So the only reason people “value” them is for their fur. Foxes are often raised on ranches where four are kept in cages only 2.5 feet square. That’s much worse than a college dorm room. More like a chicken’s battery cage. Other fur animals are trapped out in the wild. The problem with this is that the hunters don’t check their traps every day so the animals are stuck with one of their legs horribly injured. They are unable to escape so they often time chew their own legs off. Can you imagine? Being so desperate for escape that you would chew your own leg off? Unfortunately non-fur-animals get caught in these traps too. Bambi, Fido and Heathcliff may find their fate suffering as a result of this cruel industry.

When it comes time for these animals to die … it’s not done nicely. They have no protection under the Humane Slaughter Act so they are often strangled, beat, or stomped to death. Others are electrocuted through their vagina or anus. The electric rod fries the animals insides. I mean seriously, who thought of that? Well the whole point it to make sure their fur stays in tact. Problem is … sometimes the stomping or electrocuting is not effective and the animal is skinned alive. Another scene from Earthings that haunts me is the image of a fur fox moving its head around painfully after all of its skin had been removed. Haunting. Don’t wear fur!! For more on fur, visit www.furisdead.com.

What You Can Do

Obviously, you can not buy wool, leather or fur. We honestly don’t need them to live a complete, whole, fulfilling life. In fact eliminating these products from your closet and household will only help you live more compassionately. You’ll get to see how GREAT it feels when your friends ogle over your new vegan bag and you can proudly say that no animals were harmed for your fashion choices. It will make them think about their fashion choices. If you’re wondering whether or not to purge your closet of wool, leather and fur, learn how I decided to eliminate these products from my closet piece by piece in my post, Shearing My Winter Coat. For me it was a process.

Living compassionately often begins with the food on your plate but becomes so much more. Once you awaken to the suffering other animals endure for human convenience, it is difficult to look at the food and products we once adored but now know are a result of so much suffering. The good news is that tomorrow is another day. You can choose differently the next time you buy a pair of shoes, a couch, a rug, or shoes. That’s what is so wonderful about this journey. We don’t need to feel guilty about what we did not know but we can feel empowered with what we do now know.

This concludes my five part series about becoming vegetarian. If you missed the previous posts, check out Part 1: Why Go Vegetarian, Part 2: How to Become Vegetarian, Part 3: Vegetarian Nutrition, and Part 4: Speaking Vegetarian.

Resources

1. USDA National Agricultural Library, Animals and Livestock: Sheep and Goats, http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=8&tax_level=2&tax_subject=10&topic_id=1735&placement_default=0

2. PETA, Cows Are Cool, http://www.cowsarecool.com

3. PETA, Fur is Dead, http://www.furisdead.com

I heard about Pizza Fusion on Facebook but was a bit reluctant to drive out to this obscure location in East Mesa (ok, I’m a lazy sucker for convenience) until I convinced my good friend Tuula to make the trek with me. It didn’t take much convincing since Tuula is like minded about food choices. I was pleasantly surprised that the journey wasn’t really as long as I thought and that the restaurant is fairly conveniently located off the new 202 freeway.

Enough about getting there. Let’s talk about the food. When it comes to restaurants clever vegans can always come up with something to order but there are good vegan dishes and there are horrible vegan dishes. For instance ordering vegan at Outback is terrible. All I can muster is a side of steamed veggies and a baked potato with ketchup. It will suffice in a famine but it’s not what I call a good vegan dish. Pizza Fusion on the other hand, delighted my taste buds and filled my belly.

We ordered the Farmer’s Market vegan pizza with a medley of roasted artichoke hearts, red onion, roasted zucchini and roasted portobello with tomato sauce with vegan cheese. Can you believe it? Yes, you read that right. They have vegan cheese! Better yet, you can order any one of their pizzas with vegan cheese. I know! It’s time to stand up and do a little dance. Something as simple as vegan cheese at a pizza joint makes me as happy as an insect fluttering around a warm light bulb.

When the vegan pizza came to our table, it looked amazing! It was rectangular shaped with fragrant veggies piled on top. The cheese was melted perfectly and I could barely wait to shove it in my mouth, which I promptly did. This tasty morsel of vegan pizza did more than quench my pizza pang, it far exceeded my expectations. It was flavorful, crisp, sweet, fresh … I could go on. Tuula and I are opportunists. And we took this opportunity to eat 3/4 of the entire pizza! That’s more than normal but it was so delicious, I could not bare to leave it for tomorrow’s leftovers. I’ve been so excited to tell you about the pizza that I forgot to mention our starter Fusion Salad which was great too but, you know, salad is salad. I was there for the pizza.

What I didn’t expect was a monster brownie for dessert. You see we got to talking with the manager Sandy and she told us that we absolutely had to try this vegan, gluten-free brownie. My first reaction to dessert is typically no. I assume that the desserts are a melange of dairy products or eggs, the typical. But not so at Pizza Fusion. Tuula and I went for it. We dove right into this warm, exquisite brownie. When I make vegan brownies they always seem a bit crumbly and strange. This vegan, gluten-free brownie was absolutely perfect. Every bite was deliciously sweet and as it slid off the fork, it seems to melt in my mouth. The dollop of vegan whip cream on top, dare I say, was the icing on the brownie.

After this gluttonous spectacle, I felt filled with love for Pizza Fusion. They starved off my pizza pangs that had built up over the years. They dazzled me with an unbelievable brownie. But there was more. As I started to look around, I began to see that the owner, Jennifer, truly believes in what she does. She cares about people eating healthy and saving the planet … one pizza at a time. From the 100% post-consumer recycled paper products to the low flow toilet in the bathroom and the sign in the mirror that says “this person is changing the world,” you can tell that Jennifer wants her customers to feel that their food choices are making a difference. And they are.

Pizza Fusion is more than just great food. It’s a place of inspiration in a listless and frankly boring restaurant market. It’s a place where you can talk to the owner and the manager and feel like they care about the same things you do. It’s something different, something genuine, and something with damn good food!

P.S. Jennifer did not pay me to write this review. I just loved Pizza Fusion that much. You can follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/PizzaFusionAZ.

Earthlings movie

If you haven’t already watched Earthlings, a documentary narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, run … don’t walk to rent it. I’ve just watched it and will write a commentary once I can digest it all. In the meantime, you can take this man’s word for it.

“This is the single most powerful and informative movie about society’s treatment of animals . A must see for anyone who cares enough to know”

- Woody Harrelson

I was very excited a few days ago when I noticed a documentary on HBO about Ingrid Newkirk. She is someone that grabbed my attention a few years back. Yet the more I came to know of her, the more puzzled I became. I hoped this documentary might help shed some light on her work as an animal activist and the co-founder of PETA.

That it did … and even more so than I could have thought. It’s not like anything described in the documentary was new. They portrayed Ingrid as a passionate animal rights activist, a media whore, and an extremist. Many people think Ingrid is absolutely nuts. I do think she creates this “buzz” for herself. At one point in the documentary she says that she wants her flesh carved up after she dies to be barbecued (like that of an animal), her skin made into a wallet or handbag, and one eye to be delivered to a high powered government official to remind him that PETA will always be watching.

Now that may sound crazy but I truly feel that whatever Ingrid wants to do with her body when she’s dead is her issue. What I have a problem with are her tactics to uncover animal cruelty in factory farms. She has a whole team of people that land jobs as factory farm workers. Their job – as an animal rights activist – is to act like a factory farm worker would and to document cruelty while there. This means that these undercover PETA workers kill thousands of animals! In the documentary HBO interviewed two men who killed literally thousands of turkeys in a Butterball factory to get just two hours of video footage which was a bit disturbing but rather blurry and ineffective.

I feel that people working towards the compassionate treatment of animals are generally doing a good thing. Yet after watching this biography, I could not help thinking that the means absolutely do not justify the means. How can an animal rights activist literally kill thousands of animals just to get some video footage? I think in the end, the footage didn’t have a large effect in passing legislation anyway. Other organizations seem to find a way to get footage without slaughtering animals.

I was also really puzzled by Ingrid’s continued discussion that some animals need to die. At one point they show her “rescuing” a pit bull off a chain only to put it to sleep. I have participated in dog rescue for many years and I think they could have saved the dog. It had tick fever and needed a blood transfusion … all of which can be treated by compassionate vets. Yet, Ingrid chose to put the dog to sleep. Why? Was it too much of an inconvenience to help this dog? Was it too expensive? Would it be too hard to find a home for a pit bull? None of these questions were answered and Ingrid felt justified in her decision. I, on the other hand, was greatly puzzled by it.

To me the definition of an animal rights activist is someone who works day in and day out for the welfare of all animals. Whether they be dogs or cows or chickens, a true animal rights activist would not bring harm to any animal in order to achieve some strange personal goal that has little effect for the animals or on people. I am so troubled by this documentary, I’m just not sure how any person that truly wants compassion for animals could support PETA.

I say this with a cautious heart because I am grateful to PETA in may ways. I attended a conference several years ago and it was my first exposure to veganism and animal suffering on a large scale. I am thankful for PETA bringing the animal’s plight to my attention. However I am apalled at their tactics at gathering the information to pursuade people to choose this lifestyle. How can one say to themselves, “I’m goign to go kill 2,000 turkeys today, so that people will stop eating them.” That is just absurd!

Just kidding. But seriously, they make some of the kewlest vegan bags around. I was lucky enough to buy my first Matt and Nat bag at Ahimsa Footwear in Denver, Colorado about 6 months ago. Matt and Nat have been featured in Oprah’s magazine and on Ellen and probably a gazillion other places. Their bags are not only SO AWESOMELY vegan … they are very, very kewl looking.

My husband – although still a meat eater – wins the best husband on earth award this Christmas because he was so considerate of my vegan lifestyle that he totally and shamelessly spoiled me with three (yes three!) Matt and Nat bags. I just can’t believe my luck even as I type this.

I am now the proud owner of (drum roll please…)

• A black Kali bag,
• A silver Sade clutch, and
• A beautiful silver Chi wallet.

While at first glance you might think these bags are a bit pricey, I assure you they are a fabulous discount compare to my former Coach fetish. They are surprisingly durable like Coach and yet lighter to carry around. Can you believe that Coach has started using python in their bags? As if baby cow skin wasn’t enough. Geesh. Yet when I go to the mall it seems like every chick there has one of those patchy Coach bags or a Louis Vuitton. I want to yell at them … hey why don’t you do everybody a favor and go buy a Matt and Nat bag? Better for the cows (or snakes as the case may be), better for the environment, and better for humanity.

At least now when I walk proudly through the mall or any other place people will see my beautiful Matt and Nat collection – ok well I probably won’t wear all of them at one time – and ogle over my fine vegan goods. And I’ll proudly say that no animals or people were harmed in the process of making these gorgeous bags! I invite you to try one too, www.mattandnat.com.

A: is nice but not super expensive as I have several to send
B: is absolutely vegan
C: would not freak out non-vegans

In my experience many people – especially corporate people – are kind of freaked out by the whole vegan thing because – you know – it’s a bit different than the norm. I really did not want send my clients a gift that would be over-the-top vegan as I have relationships to maintain. So I searched and searched. In previous years we’ve sent trees from the Arbor Day Foundation and other such things. This year I really wanted to do something different.

I came across Allison’s Gourmet, www.allisonsgourmet.com. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Allison makes these beautiful, organic, gourmet treats! After much debate I settled on the vegan toffee for all of my VIP clients. Ours came in the mail today and I am baffled at how YUMMY and beautiful these treats are!

Immediately I clawed into the package which was carefuly wrapped in tissue and tied with adorable twine and threw back a pice of the toffee. It was so good I promptly stuffed my face with about 1/2 the bag! Oh boy … that’s not good for my weight watchers points but I couldn’t help myself!

Not only is this toffee absolutely delicious, I am so thankful for the personal attention Allison paid to my order. We talked on the phone a couple of times to make sure everything was just perfect for mailing. I even asked Allison if she could tuck one of our personalized holiday cards into each package and she was VERY happy to do so!

In a day when corporate gifts are often made in China causing people and perhaps animal suffering, I am so thankful to have found Allison. Her sic culinary skills combined with the personalized attention she provided makes me a very happy customer. Thank you Allison for helping me give a gift to my corporate and non-corporate clients that is delicious, meaningful, and vegan – but not weird vegan!