In this episode of our podcast, we talk about “upcycling” versus “recycling” and share some ways people and businesses are using upcycling. We talk about how our business, Cheery Bird Vintage, uses upcycled art as a way to repurpose materials that would otherwise be discarded. You can listen to us discuss upcycling and upcycled art below, or read on for a quick summary of what we discuss. What is Upcycling and How Does It Differ from Recycling? Back in episode 351, we talked about recycling and shared five benefits of the practice. In case you missed it–recycling is the process of breaking something down into its raw materials in order to create something new. An example of this is clothing or bags that are made from recycled plastic. Upcycling (also called creative reuse) is the practice of repurposing items or materials, in whole or in part, to create new ones of greater perceived value. For example: * Making a wine bottle into a lamp * Turning an old car seat belt into a bel...
If you listen to the podcast, you know we’ve talked about vegetarian meal delivery services in the past. As the demand for more plant-based options goes up, businesses such as meal delivery boxes is constantly changing! That’s a GREAT thing! In this episode of our podcast, we’re talking vegetarian meal delivery options again but this time, with a special guest! Our guest today is Vegetarian Zen community member, Danielle Fried. Danielle, (who we affectionately call “Listener Zero”) has been a friend of ours for almost as long as we’ve been podcasting. She became a vegetarian very close to the same time we did (about 6 years ago) and was one of the first people to reach out to us commenting on the podcast. Very similar to us, Danielle became decided to give vegetarianism a try after watching Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and Vegucated along with a couple of other documentaries. Danielle is a very active member of our Peas and Carrots Society offering friendly advice to fellow membe...
Tips and Recipes Ideas for Tasty Tofu! Back in episode 8 of the podcast, we talked “All About Tofu”, explaining what it is and sharing a few tips for cooking with it. 291 episodes later we’re back with another round of tofu talk, this time inspired by Peas and Carrots Society member Ron Kaufman-Schmick who posted in the group: “Looking for new ways to marinate tofu please…..annnnnd go!” As usual, our fellow Peas and Carrots members jumped in with some great ideas! In today’s episode of the podcast, we’re going to share some of their suggestions along with some tips for ensuring that your tofu is the best that it can be! What is Tofu? Tofu is a coagulated soy milk product that has been pressed into curds and made into solid white blocks with varying degrees of softness. The softness levels are silken, soft, firm, and extra firm. Each type lends itself to a different type of dish. For example, silken tofu is great in smoothies and baking, but wouldn’t hold up to cubing, marin...
Intarsia, Baby Rhinos, and Baby Elephants! We’ve made it a goal for 2019 to share more interviews with members of our Vegetarian Zen community. This week we are happy to welcome artist Sherri Lewis to share her wonderful art and insights with us. Sherri is a woodworker who creates amazing pieces using a technique called intarsia (she’ll explain all about it shortly). Her art is inspired by a truly worthy cause…the plight of wild elephants and rhinos, whose numbers are dwindling quickly due to poaching. We talk to Sherri about her love of woodworking, her commitment to protecting these wild animals, and the techniques of creating her pieces (including using reclaimed/upcycled wood!). Please be sure to check out Sherri’s site, Sundog Wood Murals and like her page on Facebook! Please note that some of the links on this page may be affiliate links and, at no additional cost to you, we will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through to the product using...
This year, Netflix launched a new show called “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” which is based on the best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Marie Kondo is an organizing consultant and “tidying expert” who visits families to help them declutter their homes. Her system, the “Konmari Method” is the framework for which she helps people get their households under control. What The Konmari Method Is (and What It Isn’t) First, I’ll start with what the Konmari Method is not. The method is not about minimalism, whereby the goal is simply to eliminate as much stuff as possible. It’s also not just about organizing, although that is a significant component of the method. Before you try to organize you must take the important step of discarding items. The method is pretty simple and and can be summarized as follows: Choose a single item While holding the item, ask yourself if it “sparks joy” within you If the answer is no, thank it for serving you and then either put in the trash or into a pile to donate That’s pretty much it. Before you begin these steps, there is one process to follow so that you’re not just going through everything at once. The Konmari Method utilizes categories to sort items into groups before deciding what to keep and what to discard. These categories are clothing, books, papers, sentimental items, and Komono (miscellaneous items). Sorting through one category of items at a time will help prevent overwhelm so that you can complete the process. My Experience with the Konmari Method I read The LIfe Changing Magic of Tidying Up and the follow-up book, Spark Joy, a couple of years ago. This was before Larissa and I become vintage item resellers–it stings just a little bit (okay, maybe more than just a little!) when I think of all the items we gave away that we could have sold. On the bright side, we donated three pickup trucks’ worth of items to a thrift store that benefits youth in crisis, so at least they went to a good cause. After discarding what no longer sparked joy within me and organizing what was left, I felt happier. Besides loving the fact that my house was clean and just felt ‘lighter,” I ascribe much of my happiness to the fact that what survived the process were items that truly brought joy to me. It allowed me to see those things much more clearly and, in a sense, hold them closer to me. This led me to the question, “What else can these principles be applied to?” How I’ve Applied the Konmari Method Beyond Physical “Stuff” On her Netflix show, when Marie Kondo enters a home it’s not just about the clutter of the physical “stuff” visible to viewers. Typically, it quickly becomes very evident that clutter is simply a manifestation of other things going on in the household. Marie often uncovers tense relationships or dysfunctional behaviors beneath piles of clothes, books, and papers. Holding onto things because they are familiar but no longer spark joy can keep us stuck in habits that no longer serve us. Beyond physical clutter at home, our lives are filled with noise and things vying for our attention, including (but not limited to) work and social relationships and commitments, news stories and social media, and day-to-day activities like driving and shopping. Many of these things are simply distractions and don’t necessarily bring us joy. In episode 291 of our podcast we talked about The Call-Out culture and how destructive it can be. By calling people out and judging others, people who practice these behaviors can actually turn people away from the very causes they claim to be helping. Witnessing these unhealthy shaming behaviors within the vegetaria...
Several weeks ago, we found a stray dog at a park near our neighborhood. It was a stressful experience for us because once we were able to contain him, we weren’t sure exactly what we should do. Listen to our story here: Safety first! Rescuing is awesome but you need to ensure that you are looking out for their safety and for yours as well. Be very careful to keep the stray away from your own children and other animals as they may have contracted diseases, fleas, or ticks. Animals who are injured can be particularly aggressive if you try and approach them so it’s better to call animal control in this case to protect everyone including the animal. Could this be a lost pet? If you are able to safely approach the animal, check for tags that may have an address or give a clue about where this little guy or gal belongs. If the animal does not have a tag and you are able to safely take the animal to a local vet, they can scan for a microchip. Scan for flyers in the neighborhood Very oft...
Be my Veggie-Valentine! Despite its theme of love, Valentine’s Day can be a high-pressure holiday. What to give your spouse of 30 years “who has everything”? You’ve only been on two dates with someone—do you give them a gift? Should you declare your undying love for your secret crush?? (probably not!) Being a cruelty-free, eco-conscious shopper can make preparing to celebrate this day of love even more stressful. Here are 6 tips for finding animal planet-friendly Valentine’s day gifts! 1. Think outside the box (the chocolate box, that is!) — or at least find awesome vegan chocolates Just because it doesn’t say “milk chocolate” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s vegan. Some dark chocolate products may contain filler ingredients, like whey or casein, that are derived from milk. Check out this article from Peta for a guide to vegan chocolate. 2. Opt for Organically Grown Flowers from Local Farms Did you know that some of the flowers sold locally can actually come from places far...
What are Buddha Bowls? Larissa and I are busy people, as are most of the folks in our community. Full-time jobs, kids, pets, and finding time for friends and family can make it challenging for anyone to plan meals, much less plan healthy meals. The siren song of Grubhub beckons all too often when we realize, after working, that we forgot to take a lunch break and failed to plan for dinner. You can listen to us discuss Buddha Bowls here or read on for a quick summary: Enter the Buddha Bowl… I follow a LOT of vegan and vegetarian accounts on social media so I definitely see my share of Buddha bowl pictures. If you follow the same type of accounts I guarantee you’ve seen them too, even if you didn’t know what they were called. Buddha bowls, sometimes called power, nourish, hippie, sunshine, or macro bowls, are bowls filled with vibrant, healthy food. While they are typically plant-based (and dairy-free), I have seen some variations that include fish or meat. Why Are They Called “Buddha Bowls”? I’ve read several explanations of why these delicious meals are called “Buddha Bowls”: The shape of the bowl signifies Buddha’s belly It’s “balanced”, just like the Buddha It’s what the Buddha himself ate While there’s no single definitive explanation regarding the name, one thing for sure is that these have absolutely helped us solve a few challenges we’ve faced with respect to our own eating and nutrition. 3 Reasons You Need Buddha Bowls in Your Life When I really started researching Buddha bowls, it didn’t take me long to fall in love with them. They seem like the perfect solution to several food-related issues Larissa and I face with as two very busy people. * Meal Planning. While we certainly have moments when our meal planning is on point, things can get pretty crazy. A Buddha bowl is a super easy, healthy meal to create on the fly. While some ingredients you choose may require advanced preparation (grains, noodles, etc.), there are many ingredients that won’t take much time at all. Once you have your ingredients prepped, you’re pretty much ready to go. The only thing you need to do is assemble them! While you can assemble ingredients ahead of time, some foods will keep better kept separately until you’re ready to eat them (dressings and sauces, for example). * Variety.Many of the folks in our community have households made up of both omnivore and plant-based family members. This can make it tough to plan a meal that is healthy and versatile enough to accommodate everyone’s needs and tastes. By including Buddha bowls in your meal rotation, you can easily meet your vegan requirements and satisfy your gluten-free omnivore spouse or kids as well. Ingredients can be tailored in a way that pleases everyone. * Meeting Nutritional Needs.Once you understand the basic components of a Buddha bowl (which we’ll discuss in the next section), you’ll realize how completely these amazing meals can fulfill all of most of our basic nutrition requirements. Your body is rewarded nutritionally by your creativity! The Anatomy of an Amazing Buddha Bowl Buddha bowls typically have five ingredients, though not just any five. The key components are: Veggies and/or fruits Whole grains Nuts and/or seeds Protein Dressing The reason these specific components are important is that the combination of fiber, starch, protein, and grains provides you with a burst of energy and enables you to feel full longer. The ratio of ingredients can vary, but the majority of the bowl should consist of vegetables (35-40%). This certainly isn’t set in stone,
The Ultimate Vegan Tailgate Party! A few days ago, I tweeted aVegNewsarticle about a Free Vegan Tailgating Party that will happen Super Bowl weekend in Atlanta.I received a response from a fellow tweeter, offering more info about theevent; this person, it turns out, was the event’s organizer and host, Kimberly Barnes! According to Kimberly, not only will football fansbe treated to free vegan food, beverages, and entertainment, but they will be experiencing the biggest vegan tailgate party in history! How’s that for the ultimate tailgate party? Needless to say, we wanted to have her on the show to talk about her work, and about this incredible pre-game day event. Who is Kimberly Barnes? Kimberly Barnes is a vegan chef, activist, weekend karaoke singer, and serial entrepreneur. Her site, “Might Be Vegan”, is a plant-based culinary group offering in-home meal preparation in Atlanta, Georgia,and virtual meal planning services to plant-eaters around the world. As a chef, she’s had t...
The year was 2013 and I was on vacation for the holidays. Larissa and I, a steak-loving couple, decide to watch Netflix and queued up a couple of documentaries just to pass some time. For some reason, we decided on “Fat Sick and Nearly Dead” and “Vegucated“.By the end of Vegucated, Larissa and I decided that we were done eating meat. Becoming Vegetarian How hard can it be, right? Just don’t eat meat! While our hearts were certainly in a good place when we decided to become vegetarian, our brains really had no idea what we were doing. We feasted on Oreos and Fritos and other highly processed junk food thinking that we were doing just fine. However, it only took a few days before our bodies told us otherwise. At first, I thought, “Well, I guess I just need to eat meat” but I knew I couldn’t go back after seeing those documentaries. So what’s an aspiring vegetarian to do? To the Internet! Rather than give up on vegetarianism, we decided to look for some online resources to hel...