Love at first kitty kiss

I woke up today and just felt the urge to search kitty adoptions online. If you know me, this will not surprise you in any way. I have always loved animals, particularly if they are kitties. It didn't take long for me to follow the breadcrumbs. In just a few minutes, a very special kitty led me to The Goathouse Refuge website. His name was Oscar and he has 3 legs, 1 eye, and he's darn cute. I decided to call the place but couldn't get through after a couple of trys. So I figured, "Why not go there?" A quick google maps search revealed it was only 30 minutes away. Doug said "okay," and off we went!

Goathouse Refuge is only 30 minutes away but it's in Chatham county, which is much more rural than my home in Orange. We drive up to a dead end & we're lost, arguing about whether or not to drive down a dirt road labeled "Private drive. No trespassing." I'm for, Doug is against. And darned if he wasn't right, too. After at least 5 unproductive minutes, we discover a gravel road with a small sign that had been sitting in plain view the whole time. As we bump along, stirring up a cloud of dirt, it reminds me of my days as a summer camp counselor during college. We pull up and see this huge fence with dozens of kitties happily wondering and lounging about on the other side. Some are nested by trees, others snuggled among plants creating what looks like a cabbage patch of kitties.

We walk up to the door and meet Susan, who is very pleasant. She looks surprised when I ask about Oscar. "You do know he's a three-legged, one-eyed cat?" I said "yes," that I'd seen him online. She proceeds to give me a tour and we start walking to find Oscar. Meanwhile, I am greeted by more kitties than I can pet! As we walk, they pop out from all different directions hoping for pets, which I am overjoyed to provide. I recognize a couple from the website. A small grey and white kitty gingerly approaches and I immediately knew she was Victoria (from the website). I stroke her back and we continue on the search for Oscar.

It turns out that Oscar is extremely shy of people. He has been at the Goathouse for more than 2 years and has yet to let a person pet him. We eventually find him in the "cabbage/kitty patch," lounging away. Siglinda, the petite Italian woman who founded the Goathouse, comes out to talk to me about Oscar. She says that Oscar has a community with the other cats here and that she does not thing he would not do well leaving as he still will not allow much human contact. Oscar was found in a parking garage in NY trailing a broken front leg. A woman found him and brought him to the Goathouse (catching him had to be no short of a miracle), where his leg had to be amputated and an eye removed from severe infection. He's in great shape now. He has to kind of hop on his front leg to move, but it doesn't seem to bother him. It's wonderful to just see that he's happy and healthy, living in a safe environment. I can see why he would not be happier living in my 1000 sq ft townhouse, with no way to be outside.

I decide to spend the afternoon visiting all of the kitties. There are so many sweet cats, all with different personalites. A couple of them would hop right on top of me, demanding attention. I think I spent 3 hours there. I wasn't really sure that I was going to adopt a new kitty, especially after learning more about Oscar. I was just enjoying loving on the kitties there. As I was outside, Victoria (the little grey & white kitty), came up among the crowd. She was very patient, quietly waiting her turn to be petted. She didn't get upset with the other cats when they got petted instead of her. My 6 year old cat is extremely shy and gentle -this is the kind of cat that would complement his personality. Susan said that it was unusual for her to come to someone like this, that sometimes kitties "pick" certain people. So I petted her some more and pretty soon, she was licking my hand, giving me kitty kisses. She had picked me! Hook, line, sinker.

Animal-Friendly Beauty Products

I have a deep love for beauty products that started from the time I was a little girl. As a teenager, I used to spend my entire allowance on make-up. I've started doing a little research online about companies that test on animals. Ideally, I would love for no companies to test on animals. I also work in health care and many of my patients would be dead without the drugs and research the came from animal testing. It doesn't make me feel good about it, but it is a reality that likely extends far beyond my knowledge. Since I can't boycott the whole world (at least not yet), I have to start somewhere. In my mind, that's stuff like make-up, hair care, and skin care.

I was pleasantly surprised to find more than just "natural products" that don't test on animals. I'm all for the environment and everything but chemicals are kinder to my face! I say this after having worked at Aveda for 2 years while I was still in school and trying dozens of organic and/or naturally derived products. So I can knock it because I have tried it! Among the list
NOT TESTED ON ANIMALS Yay!
Almay
Avon
Aveda
Bath & Body Works
Bobbi Brown
Bonnie Bell
Burt's Bees
Clinique
Estee Lauder
Fresh (per their website)
Hard Candy
Jane
Kiss My Face
Laura Mercier (per their website)
L'Occitane
M.A.C.
Mary Kay
Merle Norman
Nordstrom Cosmetics
OPI Nail
Physician's Formula
Revlon
Smashbox
Stila
Tarte
Too Faced
Urban Decay
Victoria's Secret
Wet 'n Wild
Yes to Carrots

I was really disappointed that some of my favorite products didn't land on the list, especially gentler products like Aveeno, Neutrogena, and Dove. I even emailed Johnson & Johnson about Aveeno. From their response, it sounds like not all products under the company umbrella are necessarily tested on animals but that it is happening in some of their products and R&D. The bigger the company, the more likely it is. But that's not always the case. For example, Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works are under The Limited brand and they don't test on animals. I've included some of the ones that do below.

Companies that Do Test on Animals:
Unilever (Axe, Dove, Ponds, Suave, Vaseline)
Johnson & Johnson (Aveeno, Clean & Clear, Listerine, Lubriderm, Neutrogena, ROC, Scope)
Proctor & Gamble (Always, Aussie, Clairol, Crest, Draino, Febreeze, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Ivory, Iams, Max Factor, Mr. Clean, Olay, Old Spice, Pampers, Pantene, Secret, Swiffer, Tide, Zest)
L'Oreal (Garnier, Kiehl's, Lancome, Maybelline, Redken)
Dial (Renuzit, Soft & Dri, Soft Scrub)
Palmolive Co. (Colgate)
Clorox (Glad, Off, Tilex)

I used the website www.caringconsumer.com as my main source for this list. It's a really helpful site, worth checking out. I'm sure there are more and I'll try to add to the list as I find them. I'm happy to announce that I bought some Estee Lauder skincare products (my first from this company ever) online. I got some free samples with my order and so far I like everything. Mostly, I like that I'm supporting a company that takes a stand against animal cruelty. (And, of course, that I don't have to do it with all natural products.)

My Weekly Produce Box

Tonight I enjoyed a tasty salad of mixed greens and radishes from a local farm. I added walnuts, Morningstar Farms Chik'N Strips Meal Starters, and Amy's Goddess dressing. Easy and tasty = my kind of dinner. Sadly this is the first time I've had fresh veggies in over a week. I'm starting to get lazy on the whole fresh fruit and veg thing. Luckily, I planned ahead for this: I joined a CSA last month! Now I get a box of fresh, local vegetables every week. I also get pasture-fed eggs (which are amazing...I could devote a whole post to them).

For those of you who don't know what a CSA is (p.s. I didn't either until 3 months ago), it is basically an agreement you make with a local farm to financially support their farming and they provide you an allottment of fresh produce. My farm is in Hillsborough. For the next 4-5 months, I pick up a box of veggies and a dozen eggs every Thursday. I got my sister, Ashley, to join with me so that we could reap the benefits at a lower cost - I just cook for myself and my boyfriend 1-2 times a week so I didn't think I'd use the whole box. So far it's working out really well. It's also fun figure out how to make foods I might not normally eat -it forces you to go outside of your routine. I actually had to look up several of the greens to find out what they were. Tomorrow I'm trying lambs quarter for the first time - it's supposed to be even better for you than spinach! Here's to hoping it tastes as good...

If you're interested in getting your own weekly produce, you can probably find one close to you just by googling "CSA near _______ (your town, state)." I found this one just surfing the internet and per both a co-worker's and friend's recommendation. The CSA's usually deliver to pick-up locations. If you don't have time for that, my co-worker Kimberly found an online service that delivers straight to her house at www.theproducebox.com. I also know the owner of www.bellabeanorganics.com that is similar, delivering to Durham, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro.

What about pet food? Kittens love organic too!

Last October I found a 1-week-old kitten behind Chubby's Tacos in Raleigh, NC. I had no idea how much care she would need and how low her chance of survival would be. But survive she did - with the help of my supportive boyfriend, my sister, the entire staff at my vet, and Kim, an extremely dedicated veterinary tech who cared for her round the clock in those first few weeks when I couldn't. The little kitten is now 7 months old. Her name is Moneypenny. She is small for her age but full of spunk and she loves her brother, 007 (who is my 5 year old tuxedo cat).

007 is grateful to Moneypenny for introducing a daily breakfast of wet cat food. I have always been an advocate of dry food because of the dental benefits and easy storage, but Money has had a difficult time transitioning. Initially she had to be bottle fed with kitten formula (yes it does exist). Then you gradually wean them to wet cat food by mixing it with the formula. I was finally able to get her down to a morning feeding but I didn't have the heart to stop because she is so earnest-looking in the mornings. Also, because she has been small, I haven't wanted to compromise her growth by giving her only dry food and just hoping she eats enough. And, of course I had to give 007 at least a little wet food or he might start getting uber-jealous. So here I am, 7 months down the road, and I now feed my cats wet food every morning. What can I say? I told you I'm a sucker for animals.

This whole industrial farming issue expands beyond my personal diet. Pet food contains all sorts of animal products. The ingredients label is very unclear about what all of it is. I started doing online research about cats and what to feed them. I already knew that the kitties couldn't become vegetarian but maybe there are healthier, sustainable ways to feed them. In the extreme, some people would argue that cats should have a diet of raw meat with no filler grains or anything like that. There are recipes for grinding up your own cat food and some companies that you can buy from online. I considered these options but the hassle and cost were just too much. Plus, I worry about whether a home-made food would really have the right composition of nutrients, vitamins/minerals...not to mention the potential bacteria concerns with raw meats. I'm sure it works great for some people but not for me.

So how could I improve my pets' diet without breaking the bank and/or stocking my freezer with ground up chicken legs? To start, I am big on using a trusted brand for my pet food, especially after the whole China scare with contaminated pet foods. I like Purina, Iams, Science Diet. So I started looking at the packaging really closely. After all my researching, I have decided that organic meat is really the best I can strive for. While you don't have a humane certification for animal treatment, you do know that the living conditions have to be better to not allow antibiotics. Also, I have been choosing more fish ingredients than chicken or beef. I realize that the fishing industry has its own contaminants and issues, but in sticking to my main goal to improve treatment of traditional farm animals, reducing consumption of those products is a step in the right direction.

Dry Food: I have always used Purina One -it's not perfect but I think it's pretty good compared to other options. I have literally looked at every dry cat food in grocery stores, Wal-mart, Target, Pet Smart...none of them were ideal. None are organic, to say the least. I did buy some organic dry food at the local co-op, Weaver Street Market. It's called Wellness Kitten Health Cat Food and I got 2.5lbs for $9.99 on sale. The cats didn't seem to have a preference. I am still on Purina One, which is substantially cheaper 7lbs for $9.99 on sale -I've gotten it for as little as $7.99 with a coupon. It's not organic but that's just not a step I can take right now. It is, however, lower in animal by-products than other brands, which is supposed to be better for your pet.

Wet Food: I generally buy Fancy Feast (which is a Purina brand) and Iams 3oz cans. I am buying primarily fish flavors for the reasons I mentioned above. Today, I fed the kitties organic food by a company called PetGuard. (They make non-organic pet foods too, fyi.) I actually put 1/2 their normal food and 1/2 the new organic food. Guess which one got eaten first? The organic! I wasn't surprised because I noticed that this food was the first wet cat food I had ever opened that smelled good - kind of like chicken soup or something. My plan for now is to see if I can switch them to this food. I found 12.7 oz cans on sale for $2.59/ea, normal price was $3.59 but that's actually pretty reasonable if you can get it on sale. This is one of the best prices I've seen for all the online options. I usually spend $0.50-0.59 on a 3oz can. The organic food on sale is $0.61 per 3oz which is doable for my budget. Moneypenny is watching me type with approval even as I write this. I think I found a winner. :)

My First Meat-Free Month (Well Almost...)

One month down and I must say that I have adjusted to my new diet quite happily. After a rough first week, I learned that in order to thrive on mostly-vegan diet it is best to go high calorie. [Gasp] Dare I utter the words high calorie? You betcha! Even with all my nutrition knowledge, I had overlooked something. Here's why: when you eat animal products, they take up a good chunk of your calories. Fruits and veggies become side dishes and if you want balance (i.e. not turning into a walking beach ball), you have to keep them light. [Lightbulb over the head.] I had approached this with my a meat-eating mindset: lean protein, more veggies. This left my meals particularly lacking and in my quest for adequate protein, I had not accounted for what really satisfies: fat. This simple realization opened a huge door of culinary possibilities and gustatory satisfaction.

Summing up the month:
Week 1: The hungry toot machine (thank goodness I moved on!)
Week 2: Gaining confidence - my first restaurant
Week 3: Missing substance - attention to food textures
Week 4: Fully transitioned - creative planning

When I talk about animal products, I think it's important to clarify what that means. Briefly, that includes meats, seafood, eggs, milk and any product derived from or containing those things. It sounds pretty simple at first but this experience has made me realize how many of our foods depend on animal products as a key ingredient beyond the obvious: chocolate, most baked goods (i.e. cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins), puddings, custards, ice cream, protein powders, sports bars, cream sauces, mayonnaise, yogurt, sour cream, whipped cream, many soups, mashed potatoes, butter sauces, coffee shop drinks, baby formula, supplement drinks like Slim Fast and Ensure. I could go on and on and on. When you really think about it, it's pretty crazy. If you're going to really go there, it is tough to be dedicated.

The Tricky Encounters:
Provided lunches at work - I only encounter this one day a week but I have started bringing some leftovers from home. I broke down one afternoon when they served Chick-Fil-A chicken fingers, a former favorite of mine. I had 2 and justified myself in thinking that I didn't want it to get wasted. They were good but it was a bit anti-climatic. It wasn't like tasting water for the first time after days in the desert. I find I'm much happier with my own back-up lunch.
Restaurants with friends - My first restaurant trip was much harder than I expected. My boyfriend and I met friends at a seafood restaurant. I haven't quite made up my mind about fish but I was hoping to find something that had no animal products at all, essentially vegan. In my naivete I failed to check the menu in advance. As I settled into the booth and studied my menu, my heart sank. I realized how few options there were that were vegetarian, zero that were vegan. Everything had meat, fish, or some kind of dairy! There was one non-fish entree with chicken. Beyond that there were 2-3 "vegetarian" options that had milk or cheese in them. I literally had no choices and I was really hungry. On this occasion, necessity dictated and I decided that I could eat seafood afterall. To me, that was better than having dairy.

In the past month I have had animal products a handful of times, maybe two times a week. In it's place I have been exploring soy and rice milks, meat alternatives like tempeh and tofu, and eating many more nuts, beans and whole grains. I have gotten much more out of this than just knowing that I am helping to make a difference for animals and changing our food system. It's motivated me and forced me to become more creative in the kitchen. I have been eating a larger variety of foods. My kitchen is full of fresh, wholesome foods and interesting herbs and spices. I've also become a lot more resourceful about using fruits and veggies that I might have otherwise thrown out for being too old. I'm spending a lot less money on food, actually spending less than food budget for the first time, and saving time by making dinners with shorter cooking times.

Let me also premise that I am scientifically trained in nutrition. In this arena, it is of utmost importance that everything we recommend be the product of research rather than adage or "this worked for me" philosophy. There are clear benefits of a diet high in fiber, fruits and vegetables and I am always thinking about whether I'm eating healthy on some level, but until now I didn't realize how often I chose meat or cheese over veggies and whole grains when I was hungry. Eliminating many animal products has given me more room in my diet for other foods. I'm gonna pull a "this worked for me" and say that health-wise I really do feel better. I suffer from regular, often constant headaches from a combination of allergies/sinus problems and TMJ. They have been fewer and less severe. I also think my digestion is better. My family and close friends have always known that I could hold my own in any burping contest. Not anymore. My stomach overall just feels better.

I'm also smarter and more attractive. Okay, not really, but I think you get my point.

Ode to the Samoa Girl Scout Cookie: A Tasty (and Healthy) Snack Recipe

I saw something similar to this as an alternative to eating chocolates and it is surprisingly delicious. I played around with some recipe ideas online and adapted my own version. It reminds me of eating the gooey top of a Samoa (a.k.a. Caramel Delight) and I have yet to find someone who doesn't like them. Here's my recipe:

1 cup pitted medjool dates (~12 of them)
3/4 cup almonds
3/4 cup dried coconut flakes, unsweetened if possible

several tablespoons ground flax seed -or-
unsweetened cocoa powder

Combine the almonds and coconut in a food processor until they are minced. Then add the dates and blend. After a few minutes it should become more like a paste and chunk up on the side of the bowl. If it still doesn't do this after 5 minutes, add 1-3 more dates. Remove from food processor and transfer into a bowl. If needed, use your hands to fully mix. Then roll into 1" balls and set onto a piece of wax paper. I like to use a cookie scoop for this because it works a lot faster. Roll the balls into the ground flax or cocoa powder to finish. Let them set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. Then enjoy!

The Ultimate Egg Test: Taste Testing!

Putting all known benefits aside, I decided to test the theory that better quality eggs taste better. I had some Eggland's Best regular eggs (sadly not cage-free or organic) in my fridge. I'm lucky to have a local coop in town called Weaver Street Market and I headed there to check out their egg selection. I picked up 2 kinds of cage-free eggs there: one from a local farm and the other Organic Valley brand. Then I grabbed some regular eggs from the closest grocery store, Food Lion. Since there are only 3 companies supplying 85% of the animal products in the country, I think it's safe to assume those are the same as the store brand at any non-specialty grocery store.

The Contenders:

a. Local farm eggs from Latta's Egg Ranch in Hillsborough, NC ($3.89 for 18) Package claims: Fresh grade A, cage-free, all-grain diet with no animal by-products

b. Organic Valley ($1.49/half dozen with $1 off coupon) Package claims: Grade A, cage-free, USDA organic, 100% vegetarian diet, Oregon tilth certified organic

c. Food Lion brand ($1.45/dozen) Package claims: Grade A Fresh, United Egg Producers Certified

d. Eggland's Best ($2.50/dozen) Package claims: Grade A, all natural, vegetarian fed hens (no animal fat or by products), no added hormones in diet, no antibiotics, 100 mg Omega 3

Results:

Test 1. Overeasy

Winner = d. Eggland's Best (me), b. Organic Valley (my boyfriend)

Runner up? Nope. We couldn't tell a significant difference between the other three.

Test 2. Scrambled

Winner = b. Organic Valley

Runner up = d. Eggland's Best

There was a much clearer taste and texture difference in these ones. The Food Lion brand egg was clearly behind: it had a much tougher texture and less flavor than the others.

Interestingly, none of these eggs had any greater claim for animal welfare than the 2 that are cage-free, which I now know is having a little more than a piece of paper size of living room. But it was clear that the feed and the environment have an effect on the taste. I wonder what one of Joel Salatin's eggs taste like...