Vegan Ingredients Everywhere Agree: Let's Get Baked!!

It's official, V Girl is now a V Goddess in the kitchen. OK, I might be getting ahead of myself with that statement but I must say my baking skills have gone from 0 to 60 faster than your daddy's m series beemer.
I recently discovered an organic vegan cake mix courtesy of Dr. Oetker (brand name, no actual doctors were involved). For my first try I used hemp milk instead of cow's milk but I found it a bit too earthy. This time around I went with vanilla soymilk (despite trying to get away from the soy) which gives a sweeter taste to these tasty treats. I have heard of many egg-replacers in my life time: applesauce, mashed bananas, silken tofu, etc. I read that 1 tablespoon ground flax seed mixed with 3 tablespoons water is equal to 1 egg. After baking 1 cobbler, 1 cake, 12 cupcakes, 12 mini brownie bites, chocolate and vanilla frosting in the last few days, I have to say I highly recommend the flax seed alternative. Not only is it heart healthy, it doesn't leave an awkward taste in my baked goods...eureka! I bought a fair sized bag of Bob's Read Mill ground flax seed at Whole Foods for less than 4 dollars and I'm pretty sure it will carry me through the semester. A pretty good deal when you consider the cost of an egg (on your wallet and your heart hehe). For butter I use Earth Balance vegan buttery spread, and for my "cream cheese" vanilla frosting it was as simple as 6 oz. toffuti cream cheese, 2 tbs vanilla extract and 3 cups of sugar blended together. The recipe called for 4 but after tasting this decadent topping I would even consider cutting it down to 2 cups of sweetness. I noticed the somewhat grainy nature of the frosting and used the left overs as a body scrub on my knees, elbows, feet, etc in the shower. It left me smelling sweet and not the least bit sticky!
Finally, for all of you non-vegan readers, you might be thinking "Only vegans would find her cupcakes delicious". Well, let me tell you!, this has not been the case, pally. All 3 cupcakes tasters were heterosexual carnivorous males and all enjoyed my cupcakes thank you very much. The same is to be said of the numerous people who enjoyed nomming on my chocolate cake earlier this week. To be clear, I'm not showing off, because my cooking skills are mediocre at best. The point is that vegan baked goods can be easy to make and fun to eat no matter your cooking skills or your taste bud preferences.

Dude I Forgot to Write About Amsterdam

It's been almost a month since I was actually in the Netherlands but I think it's important to write about the vegan scene there anyways. To begin, the euro exchange rate was way better than the danish crown, which made exploring food more possible. No north american should ever have to feel relief when confronted with a euro exchange rate, no one. But alas there I was relishing in a terrible exchange rate that was way better than the last.
I thought I would be overwhelmed by all the craziness of Amsterdam, what with the drugs and the women and the drugs. To my surprise, I found it far quainter than bustling Copenhagen. The Dutch are more outgoing than the Danish, and I'm pretty sure they drink less. Actually, they do most things less than Americans too. I was surprised (but strangely satisfied) to learn that more Americans smoke pot, use coke, (or pretty much any drug) on a regular basis than the Dutch. More American men have paid for sex than Dutch men as well. Which brings me to my next point: the Amsterdam we idealize or deplore is based on tourism, not Dutch culture. The Dutch are not crazy party people or sex-maniacs; they are simply tolerant. This is embarrassing to admit, but I understood the Austin Powers joke on a deeper level when Michael Caine says "There's only two types of people I hate in this world- people who are intolerant of other cultures, and the Dutch" because being Dutch and intolerant seem to be almost mutually exclusive. The coffee shops are likely filled with people foreign to the Netherlands and most of the men I saw in the Red Light district were not speaking Dutch. In other words, Amsterdam is catering to certain types of tourists. Some might be high rolling horny jackasses, but others might be those docile innocent creatures we so often refer to as hippies.
Symptoms of hippiness commonly found along the canals of Amsterdam may include an affinity for all things ganja, hatred of money and the establishment (usally funded by the parents' bank account-we call these beings trustafarians), and a general distaste for...yes you guessed it meat. With this in mind I realized my 1 hour plane ride had basically transported me into a land of my kin, a virtual goldmine of vegetarian and vegan delights.
First stop was Bio Market, sort of the Dutch equivalent of Whole Foods. Since coming to Denmark I had not seen a veggie burger in a grocery store, but did see one offered on a menu at a pub for 20 USD (I pased). Now here I was, surrounded by the good stuff- what's a V Girl to do? Bio Market offered everything from dark chocolate covered soy nuts to vegan spring rolls, and my personal favorite: vegan salami sticks. I have fond childhood memories of nomming on 7/11 salami sticks but had all but given up hope for an alternative. In this way, Bio Market pretty much one-upped anything I've seen in the US- cheers Amsterdam!
I hear de Waagals has a fabulous eastern inspired vegan menu (think curry, lentil burgers, etc) but I never had time to visit. Eat At Jo's has its own seperate vegan menu. It's kind of like the Dutch take on an American gritty diner, way cute and affordable. I also saw a charming pizza place with 3 different vegan pizzas, I wish I could remember the name! However, the point of this post is that I can't remember the name because there were so many vegan options. If you go to Amsterdam you don't really need to plan ahead as a vegan, you'll find something different every night at a reasonable price for European standards- we're still not talking dollar-menu cheap here people.
Vaarwel,
V Girl

Hi Fra København

So many thoughts and now way to connect them! Hello friends, I'm sitting in my dorm (kollegium) here in Denmark enjoying the random spurts of sun and then rain that seem to define the midsummer climate. Did I fly 10 hours only to find myself in a European Seattle of sorts? In some ways yes, but mostly no! Some non-food related things I love about Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Danes:

• baller architecture- its either super old or super modern
• they all speak english REALLY well but choose to speak in Danish to each other even when a non-Dane is around- protect that culture!
• everyone is beautiful
• everyone dresses really well
• people are quite nice but not overly polite like in the US. I have been told to stop apologizing for nothing several times now
• bomb public transportation
  
• the history here rocks, ancient burial sights, Viking ship excavations etc!
• Roskilde Music Festival aka the second largest festival in the world. It's 8 days long, picture Bonaroo or Sasquatch except with even prettier hippies and more drinking. This year's line up includes Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Coldplay, The Mars Volta, Oasis, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mew and bajillions of bands that you may or may not have heard of depending on your hipster status. This was also the location of the Pearl Jam concert in the 90s that ended with 9 people being trampled to death. Unfortunately, it starts the day before I leave so I can't go...very upsetting.
• Christiania. everything about it.
  
• the Danes like to party, and there's nothing wrong with that

Like Seattlites, Danes really like their bikes. Unlike vegan friendly Seattle, Danes also really like their pork. Denmark is the highest exporter of pork in the world, followed by Canada and then the U.S. This is not a criticism, and I'm certainly not saying the Northwest doesn't enjoy its meat. My childhood was spent under the tables of the Met Grill and Elliott's Oyster House and as the daughter of someone in the restaurant business I enjoyed my fair share of steak, salmon, etc. Furthermore, the latest foodie craze seems to be very meat oriented with restaurants such as Portland's Beast. At the same time, Seattle and perhaps all of the USA to some extent has several food cultures, some based on fast food, others conciousness, some obesity, others anorexia. All of these are extremes and I can't deny that veganism is somewhat of an extreme in comparison to normal food culture in the majority of societies. Seattle is a pretty new city, even for US standards and Seattleites have thus created a very hip and modern food culture often rooted in politics or what is fashionable.

In Denmark, meat and cheese is not a fad or a statement but a culture firmly rooted in history. My Danish familien (school program hooked me up with a Danish family) recomended La Glace, a Danish bakery/ pastrie shop created in 1870. The Danes are also famous for their smørrebrod, or open faced sandwich and a little shop called Ida Davidsen seems to be the most recommended. What I'm trying to say here is: When in Rome, motherfuckers!! I typically try to have 2 vegan meals a day but the rest is open game. I have found a great schwarma stand close to school that has vegan falafells for 27 kr- that's about 5.50 USD, a true steal in one of the most expensive cities I've ever visited. However, I have also enjoyed my share of pastries and even had yogurt for the first time in several months.

My familien lives in Roskilde, about a half hour by train from central Copenhagen. The change in scenery is a bit like going from Seattle to somewhere a little further up north like Camano Island where farms, open fields, and tons of nature reigns supreme. Once in Roskilde, my familen showed me the local sights including burial sights built before the time of Christ, excavated Viking ships, and the camping grounds for Roskilde music festival, all mentioned earlier. My familien also introduced me to traditional Danish cuisine. This involved pickled herring, pork patte, and smoked cheese, all served over 4 different types of bread. DELICIOUS. They were also gracious enough to bake an incredibly cute cake for my birthday complete with 3 Danish flags and an American flag on top of the strawberries. I've noticed a pattern here where everything from their cakes to their juices taste healthier over here-and have less calories- presumably because there's less additives.

I do want to mention a few great vegan friendly places I have found here. Riz Raz has an all vegetarian buffet and I hear there are a few others around the city I have yet to visit (cut me some slack, a normal lunch here costs 20 USD). For anyone looking to be full time vegan, Morgenstedet in Christiania is a shining beacon of hope, and perhaps one of the best vegetarian restaurants I've ever visited. For those who don't know, Chrisitiania is sort of a city within a city inhabited by squatters, decorated by endless walls of beautifully spray painted art, and perfumed by the all too familiar aroma of cannabis and hash. When I walked into Morgenstedet (about 6 hours after getting off the plane) I asked the woman behind the counter what was vegan. Instead of telling me the menu, she began to explain what a vegan is- so incredibly adorable! I immediately felt at home considering abroad but even in the states I often have to explain what it means. Anyways the meal was fabulous and although not extremely cheap it wasn't exactly a bank breaker either = )
Next week, more Denmark, then...AMSTERDAM!
Hi Hi fra V Girl

Sea Townnn

I have returned to the land of my origin- conceived in a hotel in Victoria, BC and born into this world in Seattle, it feels great to be back in the Pacific Northwest! I am currently sitting at a coffee shop in downtown, bumming internet from whatever is next door (the barista advised I sit next to the window hahah) and sipping a soy cappuccino. Although I had the option of rice milk, how baller is that?
I am becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of soy, but am having difficulty giving it up. I like rice milk, but soy has so much more protein, it's hard to resist! But as someone giving up animal products for environmental and health reasons, the soy industry can seem as bad as the meat industry. Soy increases estrogen levels and can lead to breast cancer, thyroid issues, prostate cancer, etc. Furthermore, GMO products like soybeans seem to fuck over farmers, not to mention our bodies (hedu Michael Pollan). That last link is a video by the way, check it out if you prefer watching shit over reading it.
In my quest for a lifestyle less dependent on soy I have found shelter in hemp. I'm not talking about smoking either because munchies increase my chances of eating dairy, just to put that out there. No no my friends, I'm talking about hemp milk. It's got tons of vitmamins, no cholesterol, almost half your RDA of calcium, omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and more protein than rice or almond milk! Plus, for those of you trying to pass a drug test, hemp milk does not contain THC, sweeeeet. Living Harvest seems to be the most available brand of hemp milk (found it at Whole Foods and my local grocery store) and offers other products like hemp protein shake powder. I tried it once, haven't gotten used to it but it's so damn healthy it's hard to refuse!
Hope everyone's summer goes swimmingly.

Christ is Risen- and so have my expectations

No, I'm not Greek Orthodox, I'm just lazy so sorry this post is happening a week after J's big day. On the other hand, V's (for Vegan!) big day is April 22nd, hope everyone can celebrate Vegan Day with some fruit, veggies, beans, and soy milk! I also highly recommend Super Protein Odwalla Bars, 16 grams of delicious vegan protein. A bit unfortunate that Odwalla is under the killer Coke umbrella but I've decided to pick my battle.s
2 weeks ago I went to a documentary called "A Delicate Balance" about how a vegetarian, vegan, or carnivorous lifestyle affects health. Although I love the new sexy PETA ad that the Superbowl refused to play, I'm pretty weary of vegetarian movies, pamphlets, etc as they tend to be heavy on the propaganda. I love animals, but that's not why I'm vegetarian...I'm more concerned with the earth and my health. Sorry if that offends but I gotta be straight up. ANYWAYS, this doc really impressed me because it wasn't pulling at viewer's heartstrings with 2 hours worth of sad looking, homogonized, half starved cows. Instead, it makes viewers think about the implications of what we put into our bodies on a daily basis.
Last year I reverted to vegetarianism after Lent because I didn't have a good reason not to. Sure, I felt healthier as a vegan, but it wasn't really enough to make me forgo yogurt and ice cream. While I'm still not 100% sold (sorry Andy and I destroyed your cheddar cheese chex mix last night, John), this movie made the most convincing argument to date for me to remain vegan...or at least try to when I'm sober.
As the daughter of a Type 1 diabetic (that's the kind you get when you're young, not because you're an obese American), I've witnessed the debilitating effects of this all too common disease. I've been vegetarian since 10th grade, and my mother swore off red meat about 2 years ago to lower her cholesterol (it worked, she doesn't need meds!), but my father refuses to change what he eats, often citing the need for a balanced diet because of his Diabetes. Let me make clear right away that I have no issue with meat eaters, watching people eat meat, buying meat at the store for my family...hell I even tried (read: failed) to grill a chicken at my summer solstice party last year. However, I have a huge issue with watching people eat themselves into unhealthy lifestyles. I'm not perfect; I helped myself to a lovely combo of a 30 rack of stones and Chex Mix last night and woke up this morning feeling a little heavier. However, I'd like to think my overall lifestyle reflects mostly healthy choices.
This documentary made me realize that dairy products are not always a healthy choice. Doctors did a study comparing Finnish children (Finland consumes the most amount of milk per person in the world) and Japanese children (a culture that tends to go light on the milk). The study found that Finnish kids were 36 times more likely to develop Type 1 Diabetes than Japanese kids...holy shit! Furthermore, a doctor at George Washington University- shout out DC- ran a study comparing 2 groups of Type 1 diabetics. One group ate a normal diet of dairy, meat, veggies, fruit, etc. The other group went vegan- something pops has always said is impossible. The study found that while Group 1's diabetes tended to get worse over time (typical), the vegans' diabetes remained controlled or got better. I always said that when I was pregnant I would stop being vegetarian to get my baby all the proper nutrients. I've now realized that this might not be the best option. We all remember the lawsuit against those crazies who let their newborn starve because they wanted it to be vegan. That shit is fucked up. However, given that Type 1 Diabetes tends to skip a generation and given that there seems to be a correlation between dairy and Diabetes, I'm really considering giving my kids soy products from the get-go. That's not that weird either if you think about all the lactose-intolerant people in the world. Point is, I want to do everything in my power to prevent my future bitties from the life changing effects of Diabetes. Thoughts?
Oh yeah, vegetarians live longer!

notes on a scandal

hey dc northwesters, Vegan Girl here...and i have the biggest news ever
spotted: five friends eating banana bread after some late night clubbing...what's a non-dairy eater to do? according to some very reliable sources at whole foods, the banana bread was actually vegan! wonder who's laughing now: A, M, bunny girl, jrcollegedropout or vgirl?
who am i? that's one secret i'll never tell. you know you love me, xoxo Vegan Girl

forgive me father for i have whimmed (and other revelations)

from the book of vegan revelations, chapter 1 verse 1

it's hard to show someone around your city without eating animal products. my dear friend joe, an avid anti-vegan, came for his spring break which was wonderful. tuesday night i decided to take him to kramer books and afterwards, a local spot that combines two of the coolest things ever invented by humans: books and desert. aided by alcohol and the wishes of my guest, i went out on a whim and ate cheesecake. i love cheesecake, but its pretty much the antithesis of vegan. therefor, i have decided that for every day i am not vegan, i will add 3 days of veganism on, post easter. im hoping this measure will be enough to end the drunken temptations

1.2

crepes fashioned from the hands of the crepe guy at eastern market make life worth living, i'm not sure i can reconcile this with being vegan. 6 days.

1.3

my friend julie, a vegan of 3 years, told me she does not drink guinness because it uses fish products. this is also a problem as guinness is my favorite beer. having had bad experiences with irish car bombs however, this is easier to give up than crepes. and luckily crepes are not as common as beer. and guinness is not as common as natty. although tom does appear to have a heady crepe maker, and pat does occasionally promote his irish heritage through the thick brown stuff

1.4

green tea soy ice cream rocks. so does zen soy chocolate pudding. and homemade sorbet. i came across this super simple recipe (if you could even call it that) and feel the need to pass it along:

2 cups strawberries or the antioxidizing berry of your choice. i used half fresh from whole foods (currently on sale because they're so ripe) and half frozen + 1/2 cup soy milk + 2 packets sugar. blend and freeze. today i had my sorbet and ate it too!