What Do You Feed a Vegan?

I am not the creative cook of the family. That's my husband, but he hasn't shared his yummy vegan lactation cookie recipe with me yet. That means I'll just have to make sure you know about some other great vegan food blogs.

These are a few recipes I'm drooling over lately:

Live. Love. Learn. Eat. - Tangelo Creamsicles

Luminous Vegans - Bread Pudding Muffins

The Mighty Vegan - Pepper-Crusted Cashew Vegan Goat Cheese

In more personal news, the baby has decided he's gotten way too old for naps. It's kind of exhausting, but I have to be soooo grateful for his night sleep. I actually think he could sleep through the night if I didn't wake him after 7 hours. Any tips or tricks for day time naps you'd like to share?

Why Eggs and Dairy Are Bad For Babies

This is not a post about health. Well, not human health.

This is a post about the things that people don't think about when they buy eggs and milk. This is a post about why you, as a parent, should care.

Both industries have one unfortunate byproduct: boys.

Think about it. Eggs and milk come from female animals, right? And to keep the industry going, they have to keep breeding more animals. More egg laying hens and more dairy cows. Just like any other time, though, half of the babies will be boys, so what happens to them?

First, lets point out a fact that is often overlooked. Cows produce milk for their babies. You don't lactate when you haven't had a baby right? Well, cows are just like us, so they are kept perpetually pregnant to keep lactating. The male calves that result are most often used for veal. Maybe you don't realize just how cruel veal is, so I'll share. When I was an intern at Farm Sanctuary, Farmer Brown took us to visit a stockyard, so I was able to see firsthand. The calves are taken from their mothers as soon as possible, maybe a couple days old if that. They're put into a pen together and shuffled around with canes and electric prods. I saw the workers cracking them in the heads to get them to move where they wanted myself. They're scared. Then they are auctioned off and taken to a strange place. There, they are kept confined either in a crate or on a very short tether. They're fed an improper diet and kept from moving so that they don't develop any muscle tone. Then, they're slaughtered while they're still babies.

Veals in crates.

The egg industry is even more ruthless. As the chicks are sexed, the males are simply tossed into trash bags to suffocate or ground up alive. It's that simple.

Male chicks left to die in a dumpster.

That is why eggs and dairy are bad for babies.

Please, sign the pledge to go veg for one week, and consider making it a lifelong change.

What Does Cause Labor...

Jimmy.

We intended to go to Carrabba's for Valentine's, but (as I expected) the wait was over an hour. I was a nine-month pregnant woman, and that wait was not going to work for me. We thought about where we could go and settled on sushi. We'd been to a great little place once before, but we never went back because a different place was always running good deals.

We got there, and while they weren't dead, there were still open tables. We had a delicious spread consisting of (now take notes for when you're ready to pop):

-Edamame
- Asparagus Rolls
- Oshinko Rolls
- Tofu Rolls w/Miso Sauce
- Sweet Potato Tempura & Avocado Rolls (Amazing)
- Avocado Rolls w/Miso Sauce

As you can see, they're very vegan-friendly.

Here's the final touch: At the end of the night, Jimmy, the owner, came around with roses for all the ladies. He gave me my rose, touched my belly, and labor started within hours.

Jimmy's Sushi
5731 Seminole Blvd.

Thank you, Jimmy!

The Magic Labor Rose (Which has about an inch of new growth since we've come home).

The birth story will be up soon I hope. It's a long one!

In the Zone

So at 37 weeks, I'm officially allowed to have Jonah at Breath of Life, not that I think he has any intention of showing up early.

I think we're pretty ready. The nursery is mostly done, just need curtains and a rug, but he won't be in there much at first anyway. We have most of the supplies we'll need, and everything we should need immediately. We just have to figure out what food to bring to the birth center. I need good energy foods that I'll actually want to eat, and something nutritious and delicious for afterward. It's a tough one because most people have had their babies in the hospital where they weren't allowed food. The birth center can only be so much help because they aren't used to making recommendations for vegans. Still any suggestions are welcome!