If you're new to the vegan thing, or considering switching to a vegan diet, the idea of replacing dairy can be quite daunting.  In reality, replacing milk isn't an issue.  There are a wide variety of replacements that are conveniently available in almost any supermarket.  In addition to that, you can go ahead and make your own nut and oat milks.  (Jane makes almond milk religiously.)  However, soy and tree nuts can be allergens for some people, so if you have questions,  check with your doctor or nutritionist.

We've pretty much tried them all over the time we've been vegan, and here's how we typically use the various vegan milk products.

• Almond milk -  We have a Soyabella Milk Maker, and Jane uses that to make our almond milk.  I use that as the base for my morning shake, and she uses it for hot cereals, in her baking, and some soups.
• Hazelnut milk - Jane likes to use hazelnut milk in the same manner as almond milk.  My mom likes it in her coffee, and we've used it to make chocolate milk (yum).
• Soy milk -You can find this milk replacement anywhere.  And there are a wide variety of flavors available, from coffee to green tea, to eggnog at the holidays.  We've found they vary greatly in taste and mouth-feel, so we'd suggest buying a few different brands and having your own taste test.  Our personal preference is the Silk brand ever since they reformulated it to be more creamy.  You can also make your own.  We find it to be a bit on the  "beany" side, but Jane makes it occasionally and uses for savory dishes.  Don't forget to hang on to the bean remains, also called okara.  You can use it in cooking or baking or in soups to give your dish an extra protein punch.
• Oat Milk - We love this for our hot cereals and soups.  It has a very creamy texture.
• Hemp Milk -  I really enjoy the taste and texture of hemp milk, but it's the most pricey of all the milk alternatives (here at least) and so we tend not to buy it all that often.
• Coconut Milk - We buy the light version in cans at our local Trader Joe's and Jane uses it to prepare thai dishes and in some baking.  The full fat version is pretty high in calories.  So Delicious has also come out with milk, sold in cartons on the supermarket shelves.  Since we love their yogurt ($$$$)  and ice creams we were very excited when this product came out.  However, neither of us really cared for it as a milk.
• Rice milk - The least nutritious of all the milk-alternatives, we tend to stay away from rice milk, although we do buy some on occasion and sprinkle it with cinnamon to make our own Horchata.  It's a good snack.

I've been informed by Jane that Today is National Margarita Day.  I must admit, I've never heard of it before, and if I'd given it any thought, I would have tied that in with Cinco de Mayo.  However, any excuse is a good excuse so we will be going out for Mexican food and margarita's tonight.  Mexican is one of the easiest cuisines to veganize.  Simply start with Rice and Beans.  We usually get a fajita and split that as well.

Just a reminder...  there can be pitfalls.  Some restaurants prepare their rice using chicken stock, and some use lard in the preparation of their beans.   In order to be on the safe side, ask your server to check with the chef.  We've had good luck ordering black beans -- so far none have bee prepared with lard.

The Westminster Kennel Dog Show ended today.  Just before the award was given for "Best in Show," two Peta protesters managed to get out in the ring and held up signs reading "Mutts Rule" and "Breeders Kill Shelter Dogs' Chances." The protest was cut from television, so if you missed it make sure to watch the following Associated Press video:

This really touches a nerve for us.  According to Peta, 4 million unadopted pets are euthanized annually! Get your animals from the pound!!!!

Some of you may remember that we had to put down our beloved 16 year old cat last June. Our boy cat is still hanging in there, he'll be 16 in April. We finally got to a place where it was time to entertain the idea of bringing new cats home.  After meeting a few different cats, all of whom would have made wonderful additions to our home, we settled on a brother and sister from our local Humane Society.

We decided to get two because our boy is getting older, so when he goes, there will still be two cats to entertain each other. Jane also figured that siblings would be more likely get along well.

Our two monsters were abandoned by their owner... we're not sure why.  They are really fun cats.  They have very distinct personalities and love to play.  They're three years-old and they are fantastic.  As with any animals being introduced into a new environment, they require a little bit of attention to make sure they don't shred the furniture or climb the curtains.  But we've gotten them new scratching posts and toys to keep them active and help them to bond with us.

When we were at the shelter, the adoption counselor was so excited that we would take the two together. Apparently siblings are much less likely to be adopted together, or at all. They were even running a special... get one cat for $70 and the second for $15. Plus they gave us a coupon for a free vet exam at the vet of our choice in the San Gabriel valley.  This seems to be common practice if you adopt from a Humane Society.  They even offer senior discounts... if you're over sixty and get a cat over 5 years old, there is no adoption fee (not sure about dogs, but there are discounts).

If you're looking to get a new companion animal, you can find plenty of lovable animals looking for a home at Petfinder. They host photos of adoptable animals from a variety of shelters all over the country. There are currently almost 300,000 animals looking for a home!  Don't buy a pet, save a life instead!

And one other interesting fact we learned upon adopting our furr-balls.  The Humane Society provided us with a fact sheet advocating spaying/neutering.  According to them one unaltered cat could yield 420,000 cats in seven years based on the average cat having a litter of 6 every year and each cat from that litter producing the same, etc.  Even if those numbers are halved, that's certainly reason to spay/neuter your pets!

Firstly --- Happy 2010!  We wish you all a peace-filled new year.

Secondly -- Sorry for the vanishing act.  We're still here, and still vegan.  Life has been getting in the way of blogging.  We've both been very busy and when we've had a break, neither of us has been motivated enough to blog.

And thirdly -- If you had to fly through Newark tonight, you have our deepest sympathies!

But enough with the excuses already...  Back to the blog.

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While I've been m.i.a. I had the opportunity to read  Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, and I can't recommend it highly enough.  While none of the information presented was new to me, it was presented in a manner that I found easy to read and entertaining.  Often this material can be very difficult to read.  Safran Foer lays it all out in its gruesome details, but he also alternates that information with stories from his personal life, and his personal experiences with food.

Best of all, I think this book will be easy to read for the disinterested omnivore.  Safran Foer is able to present the information in such a way that the facts are simply that, the facts.  He explores all sides of the argument so that you, the reader, can decide for yourself.  The logic he uses is inescapable.  You cannot consider yourself to be an environmentalist if you eat meat (water, pollution, etc.)  He recounts his decision to stop eating meat, and all that that entails, in an intelligent and non-judgmental manner.  Really, this is one of the better books on the ethics of eating than any other I have come across.  The omnivores in my life will be getting copies of this book to read during the coming year.