Vlogs I Vlike

It has been non-stop raining in Tampa Bay these last couple of days. I love rainy days, I truly do, but when it's day after day after day like this... it gets old. Especially since I would have liked to spend a day by the pool or at the beach (have I got tan lines to fill IN! Yeesh!).

Still, the rainy days haven't been completely miserable. I love waking up and falling asleep to the sound of rain. It's wonderful background noise while I'm working (whereas pumpin' the jams from Spotify is usually COMPLETELY distracting). The grey skies make me feel cozy. I've been doing a lot more reading, more writing, more DEEP THINKING, and I've been sleeping better. (But I find that when I "sleep better," it means I sleep longer, and that usually means strange dreams. Hmm.) So, even though it's been frustrating to not bring my hula hoop outside or soak up some sun, I have to say that these last couple of rainy days have been more productive than usual. Hooray for that!

I've been Youtubin' it up a little more lately, for two reasons: as a break from writing, and also as inspiration for writing. My Youtube use is primarily focused on two things: music (since Spotify doesn't actually have everything), and ridiculous videos, many of which involve pugs. But lately I've been turning to Youtube for inspiration and ideas.

But let's knock the silly stuff out first. :)

**DISCLAIMER: The following videos aren't necessarily VEGAN, but they ARE necessarily HILARIOUS.**

I've mentioned before how much I love My Drunk Kitchen. My broseph, Brandon turned me on to You Deserve A Drink. I didn't think I'd like it at first, but a few videos in, I fell under YDAD's spell. First, I'll share the Pair of Harts video, and then the latest Justin Bieber's Pickletini, which is the YDAD video that made me laugh the hardest (specifically, the blooper reel at the end). Warning: Mamrie Hart is crude and crass (and that's why I like her!), but that makes her videos not-quite-safe-for-work. So put your earbuds in.



Have I also mentioned before that I love Jenna Marbles' videos, too? This video she made this past Christmas STILL brings tears to my eyes.

PS. Fun fact! Jenna Marbles is like, mostly-vegan! For real. She's vlogged about it.

So, my bro Brandon (who recently guest posted on this blog) has been bitten by the vlogging bug. No doubt directly related to the video he made for his guest post, crooning that unforgettable, timeless tune, the theme song to "Blossom." Anyway, his two subsequent videos are vegan ones! I'm so proud of him, and watching these videos makes me miss him even more. I can't help but assume that at our next reunion, we will collaborate on some pretty freaking epic vlogs together. Check him out on Fat Kid Chronicle!


Okay, okay. Let's move on from the silly stuff.

My friend Amber sometimes manages to suck me into watching countless raw vegan videos. She'll watch them for hours on end, but my attention span won't allow for such marathons. Still, she's got me liking Megan Elizabeth of Easy To Be Raw. Megan Elizabeth is a fruitarian, meaning she eats a whole frick-ton of fruit every day. Her recipes are all pretty simple, which I like. Here are some examples.



(I've had raw food on the brain lately.)

Other vegan vloggers I enjoy are The Vegan Zombie and Vegan Black Metal Chef. Both of those are MUCH sillier than Easy To Be Raw!

So, this isn't a "vlogger" thing, but did you catch the clips of Dr. Joel Fuhrman on Dr. Oz earlier this week? Man, I can't get it out of my head! You can watch the clips of the show HERE. I had no idea that Jasmin Singer (one of the badasses behind Our Hen House) had lost so much weight going vegan. I'm impressed! I wish she had been able to talk more, though, because she's an AMAZING speaker.

What are some your favorite vlogs, vegan-specific or otherwise?

Linky-Dinks

Happy Friday! There's been some cool stuff floating around the interwebs this past week, which means it's time for another links round-up! I often share interesting articles and links on the Hungry Vegan Traveler Facebook page, but every now and then, there's so much that I'll save a bunch for one easy-to-digest blog page, rather than spam your Facebook wall. Enjoy!

No-Meat Athlete posted a round-up of tips from various people on traveling while vegetarian.

I haven't yet tested out any of Nomadic Matt's many travel tips, but he seems to know his stuff. He recently posted his 16 Step Plan to Realizing Your Dream, which simply breaks down every thing one needs to do in preparation for travel. As a disorganized someone who goes back and forth and back and forth on when and how to make my travel goals a reality, you best believe I bookmarked this article!

Via GloboTreks, reflecting on two years of travel blogging with 24 Things I've Learned about Life, Travel, and the World

Sarah Von over at the fantastic blog, Yes and Yes, wrote up a few tips for solo traveling. High gas prices be damned, I WILL ROAD TRIP THIS SUMMER!

Let food be thy medicine! Vegetarian Times posted an A-Z of healing foods (but you can skip the honey and yogurt because, well, YOU KNOW).

I watched this documentary the other night and loved it. It will truly have you give serious thought to where you put you trash, what happens to your trash, and how the waste we create affects everyone and everything. The people in this film are beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. (This doc is currently streaming on Netflix.)


In other news, I'm thinking about doing a raw week. Ever since I became kitchen-less, people have been suggesting it over and over. "You don't have a kitchen?! You should go raw!" But honestly, committing to eating completely raw for any time longer than a meal has always felt like too much. State of mind is important, too, though, and I think I'm finally at a place where I'm ready to do it. So... Keep up with Facebook and this here bloggy-blog, as I'm sure I'll rant and rave about it! (Whenever I actually start it, that is.)

Linky-Dinks

I stumble upon so many great articles as I mosey around the interwebs. Sometimes I'll share those links on the Hungry Vegan Traveler Facebook page, and other times I just forget and then I can't find the links later. Today, rather than overloading everyone's FB feed, I'm going to post a little links round-up of cool travel and vegan articles I've found lately. (But if you aren't a fan of HVT on Facebook yet, go change that ASAP!)

via Vegan World Trekker - Vegan Mobile Apps for Your Travels. I don't have a smartphone yet (one more month until contract renewal and phone discount! Woo!), but when I finally upgrade, I'll definitely be getting the HappyCow app.

My blogger buddy Amber in Kansas City went to San Francisco recently and shared some truly beautiful meals from her visit on her blog, Almost Vegan. PS. Her first cookbook, Practically Raw, is making the rounds and is available on Amazon. Check it out!

via Travelettes - 10 of the World's Most Inspiring Female Travelers Inspiring indeed!

via Volunteer Global - Volunteer Abroad Trips By Ladies, For Ladies

The folks behind the zine, Peace to All Creatures, are hosting an online bake sale on March 18th and 19th. All the profits will be split among four different charities, one of which is Darlynn's Darlin's, which I blogged about back in December. Check out their blog for more info on how to participate in their bake sale and please help spread the word about their event!

The Girls Gone Green is a non-profit organization based out of Jacksonville, Florida, whose mission is to "uncover the reality of many environmental, animal and health issues." They recently posted this cute video on their Facebook page, highlighting the many events they organize in Northeast Florida. What an inspiring group of vegans!


By now, many of you have probably seen the "Boyfriend Went Vegan" ad campaign from PETA. There are many things I do not like about PETA or their tactics, and their blatant sexism is one of them. This particular ad campaign has gone too far. It upsets and offends me on so many levels that I just could not even put my feelings into words. Eventually, the Ms. Magazine blog addressed it.

Links aside, I mentioned on Facebook earlier this week that I was considering going on a smoothie cleanse. Well, I didn't go on a "cleanse" exactly, but I naturally ended up leaning toward one. I had 2-3 different smoothies each day this week, one of which was always green. Here's what I noticed:
1. My blood sugar was stable all day long and never crashed.
2. The smoothies gave me plenty of energy throughout the day.
3. They were super-convenient. I took two smoothies to work each day and they would last me through my entire shift.
4. The smoothies helped curb my cravings and grazing habits, specifically at work. There's SO MUCH JUNKY FOOD at work, most of which I can't eat anyway because it's not vegan, but still, the crap that happens to be vegan is still no good, but I would often catch myself eating it because it was there, or I was feeling rushed, or my blood sugar was dropping. Instead, if I felt hungry, I would sip a smoothie and the cravings/grazing instincts would vanish.

Drinking fruits and greens all day led me to crave healthier foods, too. Dinners all week were either soups or brown rice with steamed veggies, and they were completely satisfying. I have felt cleaner and lighter these last few days. I plan to keep up my daily smoothie habits, and I'm excited to experiment with different combinations to jazz things up and prevent boredom.

And now I leave you with this great video of a vegan meal made only from ingredients purchased at a bodega / convenience store, which shows how simple vegan cooking can be!



What cool vegan and/or travel-related articles have you come across lately? Link me up in the comment or on Facebook!

Watch This. Feel Frustrated. Get Motivated.

The sad public health of America. Disturbingly unhealthy school lunches. Food deserts. The ulterior motives of the USDA. Of COURSE our country has an obesity epidemic!

Which of these problems have you seen in your city? How are you helping to create positive change in your community?

Forks Over Knives: Passing It On

About a month ago, I sent a DVD of Forks Over Knives to my father. My father has had health problems for as long as I've known him, and he's never been one to take good care of himself, especially where his diet is concerned. He blames years of trucking and eating on the road, but when he stopped trucking, he kept eating a Trucker's Diet.

I'd brought up going vegetarian to my dad many times, citing facts and statistics at random, pointing out how Dr. Oz agrees with a plant-based diet providing optimal nutrition (my parents like Dr. Oz), etc. My dad didn't buy it. My dad would claim that eating a lettuce salad alongside a giant steak and a baked potato was "balanced," and he also LOVED to tell me that "vegetables are what MY food eats."

And then I finally watched Forks Over Knives at the Tampa Bay Veg Fest last year and I thought, My dad should watch this. Because I've always known that I could send him books or starter kits every day, and he won't read them. But a movie? There's hope there.

So I sent the DVD and I waited.

Just this past week, my father told me that he watched the entire movie and it was "really interesting" and full of information and he's going to watch it again! My dad said he doesn't think he'll stop eating meat completely, but he's already cutting back.

I told this story to my best friend yesterday and she was impressed. (She knows my father!) She voiced her concerns about her husband's diet and said she was interested in watching the movie, too. I told her it's streaming on Netflix and she was excited. Later that night, she sent me a text, saying she and her husband were watching it. When they finished watching it, she sent me another text saying that they are going to go "mostly plant-based" for 12 weeks! This is HUGE considering her husband is a chef and enjoys cooking with lots of RICH ingredients.

Needless to say, I'm VERY excited and hopeful for my family and friends.

How has Forks Over Knives inspired you or someone you know to go plant-strong?

Vegan Sh*t

Let's kick your week off with some humor! Surely you have all seen the popular "Shit Vegans Say" youtube videos. Just in case you're out of the loop, here they are. (The second one is my favorite!)

"I left my leaflets in the car!"


"Casein?! SHIT!"


First thing I saw on my Facebook feed this morning was this "Shit that Meat Eaters Say" video. I swear, I've heard almost every single one of these! In fact, just a few days ago, a co-worker actually said the "People Eating Tasting Animals" line to me! SERIOUSLY?!



Update: Look! More Meat-Eating Shit!

Forks Over Knives on Netflix Streaming

Looking for a movie to watch this weekend? Forks Over Knives is now available streaming on Netflix!



Have you seen Forks Over Knives? What are your thoughts on this documentary?

PS. I know it's been kind of quiet around here lately, but I've been keeping up with the HVT Facebook page much better this past week. Check out all kinds of fun stuff over there!

Linky-Dinks

It's a gorgeous day in southwest Florida, folks, and I'm having a lovely day. Interneting outdoors, sipping iced green tea out of a Tervis Tumbler (the official beverage holder of Florida), jamming along with Pandora, wearing a skirt and bare feet... Life is good.

Because the weather is so perfect, I'm going to do a cheater post and share a couple of videos and links with you so I can get back to drinking in this day. Some of you that follow on Facebook may have already caught this one about receiving compensation for not just lost luggage, but "delayed" luggage as well. This is a great tip for travelers.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I watched this ad this morning and appreciated its honesty. Hopefully it will get people to think more about what they're putting into their mouths and bodies. What do you think about it?


A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my first visit to the Kalamazoo Olive Company in St. Petersburg. I was disappointed to read via their Facebook that they were robbed last weekend! Feel free to send them some kind words.

I was amused when I read today that SunChips are releasing a new "quieter" compostable bag. The original noisy bags didn't bother me at all; in fact, I thought they were kind of funny and perhaps even endearing. (I also don't eat SunChips, so the noisy bag affected my life even less. I just heard and read about other peoples' complaints.) Plus, who cares how noisy a bag is, when it's clearly better for the environment? I was annoyed that SunChips actually stopped making those bags because of "noise complaints" (seriously, people?), but I'm happy that they're bringing them back, a little more quietly. (I hope all those whiners are happy now!)

Before I wrap this up and embrace the day, I want to remind you of my CSN gift code giveaway, happening right now, right HERE. Go forth and enter and cross your fingers.

Have a beautiful weekend, everyone. Do something new and awesome and spread some kindness while you're at it.

Surrounded by Meat

Is anyone else annoyed with the overabundance of pro-meat commercials on the air today? Let's start with the Hillshire Farms "Go Meat!" ads.



The slogan should be "Go Over-Processed Mechanically Separated Meat-like Substances!" And where the heck are the "Go Vegetables!" or "Go Fruits!" or "Go Whole Grains!" ads? We need to level the playing field here.



(It also makes me sad that the quirky girl from Garfunkel and Oates is in a "Go Meat!" ad.)

This next ad is particularly infuriating on multiple levels. Here we see what could be an adorable school play about VEGETABLES (finally!), but then a crazed carnivore schoolgirl shows up, dressed as a damn MANWICH, and ruins what could have been a very positive message about vegetables and supporting local farms.



And their slogan is, "Meat Your Vegetables." Why should we? Vegetables are just fine and dandy on their own. There is absolutely NO REASON to "meat" our vegetables. By "meating" our vegetables, we're canceling out all of the goodness of the vegetables.



Let's look at that "full serving of vegetables in every Manwich," shall we? Here are the ingredients for Manwich sauce, before adding ground beef:
Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Less than 2% of: Salt, Sugar, Dehydrated Onions, Dehydrated Red and Green Bell Peppers, Chile Pepper, Tomato Fiber, Spices, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Dehydrated Garlic, Carob Bean Gum, Natural Flavors.

Things to note:
1. The "tomato puree" is mostly water.
2. Is it a shock that HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP makes an appearance? This is followed by two MORE sweeteners: corn syrup and sugar. Bring on the diabetes!
3. The "vegetables" are less than 2% of the ingredients.
4. The sauce has 16% of the Recommended Daily Allowance of sodium.
5. There is only 1 gram of dietary fiber, which comes from the "tomato fiber" seen in the ingredient list above.

And finally, as if meat upstaging vegetables was bad enough, we turn to Chef Boyardee, who makes vegetables a bad word.



Why are children so afraid of vegetables? Is it part of their upbringing? Is it because vegetables are missing from the standard American diet that when a vegetable DOES make an appearance on a child's plate, they FREAK OUT because it doesn't taste like chocolate, cheddar cheese, or Dorito's? In the last couple of years, there has been a WAVE of incognito vegetables. Instead of introducing our children to a variety of foods, INCLUDING VEGETABLES, suddenly it has become commonplace to sneak them in, usually in with heavily processed foods, such as Chef Boyardee ravioli. A quick glance at the nutritional facts for this product shows that a 1 cup serving offers 45% of the RDA of sodium. And this is being peddled as a healthy choice for children?!

It is so important for consumers to look beyond the advertisements on TV and radio, in print ads, and floating around the internet. There are very few processed food items on the market that are "good" for anyone, and this also includes some items that are labeled as vegan. It's just always a better idea to find the time to prepare meals at home, using fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. It's good to know where our foods come from, and it's good to share this with our children. Getting children involved in the kitchen also yields amazing results.

Think Before You Drink

Thanks to infrequent work hours, a struggling job market, and Netflix's Watch Instantly feature, I'm hooked on No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain. Anthony Bourdain is a difficult-to-like person. He doesn't have the warmest personality, he's extremely sarcastic, and hates vegans with a fiery passion. Still, I like his show because it shows so many parts of the world that I'm dying to visit and Anthony isn't afraid to get dirty, he prefers the unbeaten path, and he always interacts with the locals, which is my kind of traveling. Since my pockets are empty, this is as close to traveling as I'll get for awhile.

After awhile, he's grown on me. Sometimes his sarcasm is amusing, and I can easily get past the cheesy jokes and overabundance of meat products. I've come to like him, while fully realizing that he's kind of a jerk. This is why I find this clip so hilarious:



In a recent episode of No Reservations in India, Anthony did not hide his impatience with rowdy children. And now he's a guest star on Yo Gabba Gabba, surely one of the top most annoying children's shows on air today?! THIS CRACKS ME UP! In the YGG clip above, you can his clumsiness with "Tootie," and I'm just waiting for Anthony to get exasperated with the maniacal singing and pull out of a cigarette and some curse words.