Adventures in Screenprinting
Back in July I took a two-part screenprinting course at the Boston Center for Adult Education. Krista Siana of Bias Design was our teacher, and I can't recommend the class highly enough. Krista is really fun and relaxed and presents all the necessary techniques in a totally manageable way. 
Had an awesome time in @klsiana's screenprinting class at @bcae today—check out my first t-shirt! pic.twitter.com/porKkN5PgF— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) July 19, 2014
The first week we cut our designs out of clear-lay with an Exacto knife. 
In the second class we used a more time-intensive but versatile technique: you trace your image directly onto the screen, then fill it in with blue drawing fluid. (This is where the ink eventually goes.) Then you apply a brick-colored screen filler, let it dry, and rinse it so the drawing fluid dissolves. Then you're ready to print, and can use this same stencil for a hundred printings if you like. Here are some step-by-step pics: 
(The death's head I used is from the King's Chapel Burial Ground.) 
Bad ass art making happening today in my BCAE class. @cometparty rocking that drawing fluid like a pro. pic.twitter.com/Sz2kxtDbZq— Krista Siana (@klsiana) July 27, 2014
Art making! @cometparty @BCAE Take my class, and make all your T shirt dreams come true. pic.twitter.com/XUEgbt0NtA— Krista Siana (@klsiana) July 27, 2014
Needless to say, I am hooked on screenprinting. Now I just have to take advantage of some Dick Blick coupons so I can gather all the necessary supplies to keep printing at home. In addition to screenprinting sessions in October and November, Krista is offering a Japanese woodcut printing class that I would totally sign up for if I weren't going to be out of the country!
Fall Squam 2014
Each time I blog about the latest Squam retreat I'm reminded of how inadequate language truly is. It's impossible to convey the transformative magic of this place to someone who hasn't been here.This was my first time teaching, and while I came with the express intent of stepping into my teacherhood, I received SO much more than that. People (who'd taken my class, or had heard good things) kept asking where else I was teaching, if I offer e-courses and the like, which has me thinking deeply again about creating my own opportunities. I connected with kindred spirits—special shout outs to Liv White, who picked me up at North Londonderry a day early so we could help decorate the playhouse, and who has one of the purest hearts I have ever encountered; and to Sarah Greenman, whom I love with a fierceness that is eerily disproportional to the precious-little time we spent together IRL. I did the woo-woo thing with my wonderful cabin-mates (and fellow teachers), some of whom (fortunately for me!) live in the Boston area. I shared a story from my childhood at lunchtime on Saturday and wound up bawling onto my empty plate; it was a huge breakthrough and I'm so grateful to Dixie for her insight. Even when I found myself in conflict with a very dear friend, I could (eventually) see it for the gift that it was.Because EVERYTHING is a gift. Even when it's hard, it's a gift. How else are we supposed to grow? 
I also can't adequately convey just how excited I am about life right now. I'm hatching all sorts of plans for workshops and books that will go even deeper than I had time for in only six hours, and I've taken down the old stuff on my "learn with me" page to make space for these new projects. I'm so, so grateful to my dear friend Elizabeth for giving me the opportunity to share what I've learned, and go on learning as I do so.
A parting gift from @ccerruti at @squamlove. pic.twitter.com/LlOeWSyfAS
— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) September 14, 2014
Competent Omelet Flipping and Other Noble Endeavors
Last night Faith and I went to see The Hundred-Foot Journey, which (for all its preparation of traditional French and non-Hindu Indian cuisine) got me strangely excited to experiment in the kitchen and expand my competency in areas that have always given me trouble. I will not cook with eggs again, but I still want to learn how to flip an omelet!What? There is such a thing as a vegan omelet? Yes, friends! Check out this amazing recipe by Vegan Richa (it's soy and gluten free to boot). As you can see, my attempt did not come out so neatly... 
Went out to a movie last night for the first time since The Muppets. New Helen Mirren = Slumdog Millionaire + Ratatouille. Good fun.
— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) September 17, 2014
The Hundred-Foot Journey follows the rise of a young Indian chef, who studies old French cookbooks every night before bed. It hit me that, while doing things by the seat of one's pants may sometimes result in unexpected deliciousness, if you actually want to learn how to do things correctly you ought to apply a bit more diligence. Even just Googling a particular technique and reading a couple of articles can be the difference between a triumph and a flop. And, y'know, using the right sort of skillet! I need to learn more about equipment too—"the right tools for the job" and all that. 
I've been talking about my "uncookbook" with anyone who asks what I'm currently working on, and the response is always enthusiastic. My amazing time at Squam last week (blog post coming soon!) reinforced for me that the teacher is as much a student as everyone else in the classroom, and I'm excited to expand my competence as I begin setting down what I already know. 
Infinite Curiosity
As I mentioned in my post for the Main Street Vegan blog over the summer, one of the virtues that the shift to veganism seems to cultivate is curiosity. I've been thinking about Leonardo recently, what with my rekindled artistic ambitions and all, so I thought I'd share this excerpt from Colin Spencer's The Heretic's Feast: A History of Vegetarianism about the most curious man who ever lived:
...Before Montaigne and roughly contemporary with both Erasmus and More one giant among men passionately denounced the slaughter of animals and loathed meat-eating: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), Renaissance man himself, possibly the greatest draughtsman ever to have lived, possessed of an infinite curiosity which drove him on in an unstinting examination of life's myriad phenomena. Yet in the sixty or so biographies in the London Library on his life and work, only one book bothers to discuss his vegetarianism...
Leonardo's inventions or near-discoveries would have made him remarkable enough without the paintings or drawings. He designed the first armoured vehicles, several types of aircraft and helicopters, anticipated the submarine and almost discovered the circulation of the blood. He dissected corpses and made anatomical drawings hundreds of years ahead of his time. Around and among all these drawings and sketches he wrote copiously. His views on vegetarianism and his pity for animals were no secret—a letter from India, written by Andrea Corsali in 1515, to Giuliano de Medici (Leonardo's patron) tells us: 'Certain infidels galled Guzzerati do not feed upon anything that contains blood, nor do they permit among them that any injury be done to any living thing, like our Leonardo da Vinci.'
There is throughout Leonardo's scattered notes a rising disgust with man himself, as here: 'King of animals—as thou hast described him—I should rather say King of the beasts, though being the greatest—because thou doest only help them, in order that they may give thee their children for the benefit of the gullet, of which thou hast attempted to make a sepulchre for all animals'...
Leonardo writes: 'Now does not nature produce enough simple vegetarian food for thee to satisfy thyself? And if thou art not content with such, canst thou not by the mixture of them make infinite compounds, as Platina describes and other writers on food?' Leonardo was clearly aware of vegetarian cuisine.
Was there any such thing as a meat-free cookbook back then? I must keep reading!
Falcon Ridge Folk Festival
I spent the first weekend of August camping, volunteering, and listening to terrific live music at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival near Hillsdale, NY. My friend Miranda has been going nearly every summer since she was (literally) in diapers, and I'm so happy she convinced me to come along! 
Miranda plays one of her original songs for her dad, Aldon. 
#100happydays, day/drawing #33: inspired by the Horse Flies' banjo player at @falconridgefolk. pic.twitter.com/AQ4c3BJbqk— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) September 1, 2014
My favorite musical "discovery" is Boston-based Darlingside. Even after listening to this song at least two hundred times, it still gives me chills: Gorgeous, right? 
Plotting the Course
My Up & Writing workshop prep has been somewhat addicting. I love shaping and refining my thoughts for (what will hopefully be) maximum impact. I leave for Squam bright and early tomorrow morning! 
Vegan by the Seat of Your Pants!
Teaching people doesn't subtract value from what you do, it actually adds to it. When you teach someone how to do your work, you are, in effect, generating more interest in your work. People feel closer to your work because you're letting them in on what you know.
Best of all, when you share your knowledge and your work with others, you receive an education in return.
—Austin Kleon, Show Your Work
It's very nearly a year now since this new site went up, and while things may not seem to have changed much on the surface, a lot of the bits on the site feel ripe for an update. You may have noticed the vegan creativity coaching pitch on the "learn with me" page, which I composed thinking that at some point I would feel ready for that sort of thing, but it hasn't happened yet. Thanks to Austin Kleon's Show Your Work, I'm thinking even more lately about how to share what I've learned, and private coaching has never felt like the right path for me. I'm a writer, not a motivational speaker (which is not to say I don't want to work on developing those skills at some point, because I definitely, definitely do.) And while I'd also love to host workshops and other educational events (in person and online), those things take a ton of energy to organize and publicize, and even then you might get only a few signups.I'm not meaning to be an Eeyore here, and you know I'm definitely not a "realist"—I'm only trying to be careful about where I'm putting my energy at any given time. Someday I will put my heart and verve into those endeavors—just not yet.So what DO I feel ready for?More of what I already do best. 
Anne and I were recently talking over the vegan meal planning suggestions I'd given her, and she said, "Why don't you expand on this information and make it available as an ebook?"The thing took shape in my head almost right away. A cookbook that takes the mystery out of vegan cooking, especially for people who say "I'm not a good cook." A cookbook for people who buy cookbooks and never use them. A blueprint for kitchen confidence. An UNcookbook.I do not have a culinary degree, and I have taken exactly one cooking lesson in my entire life. Paradoxically, my lack of training is precisely why I am qualified to write this sort of book—if I can do it without any specialized education, then so can you!The basic idea is this: I'll offer variations on a given dish, depending on your needs and preferences and what's already in your cupboard and produce drawer (or, if the fridge is looking bare, what's in season). So for instance, with a pesto, I'll say you need just three basic ingredients: a green (or not—olives and sundried tomatoes are other options), a nut (or seed), and an oil. You don't actually need to measure any of these ingredients; you add a couple handfuls of chopped greens and a couple handfuls of nuts and keep adding a bit of oil and blending in the food processor until smooth, adding salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, and other seasonings to your taste. The more conversations I have about cooking at home with people who don't enjoy it, the more I realize other people find "winging it" like this downright intimidating. The goal here is to make the preparation of basic hearty nutritious meals feel totally doable—even joyful. 
Here's my basic meal category list so far:
- Salads
- Stirfries
- Soups and Stews
- Spreads and Sauces
- Cutlets
Each section will offer a basic framework, to which you add whatever ingredients suit you. For example, you can make roasted red pepper cutlets even if you are gluten free, because breadcrumbs are just one option. I'll also include basic nutritional values so you can easily compare those options.This project will be months in the making, of course, but I am already signing up "unrecipe" testers. (Thanks, Kath!) Let me know if you are interested, and also if you have any kitchen-related questions or quandaries you'd like to see me address in this ebook!
Random Ireland
When I slack off on the blogging, all the interesting things start backing up! So I figure I'd better get back to it. For the next few Tuesdays, collections of interesting photographs from Ireland that didn't quite fit into a themed post: 
Bones & All and "The Coroner's Bride" Redux
Two items of business, dear readers. Firstly, this (in case you didn't see it on social media recently):
It is a wraparound paper-art cover (YES YES YES!!!)
BONES & ALL cover time! The @stmartinspress art team is blowing me away. Truly not overstating: you have not seen a cover like this, ever.— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) June 20, 2014
The ARCs have been printed, and I should be getting an expedited copy in the very near future. I can't WAIT to hold this book in my hands (the advance copy and the hardcover). It's a whole new level of special.
And while we're on the subject—if you'd like to preorder the book, I've updated the Bones & All info page with online retailer links!
@cometparty ugh, I check goodreads for the cover every day. I WANNA SEE THE THING!!!— Anna Pett (@peachandblue) July 16, 2014
Second item of business: I am very excited to announce that my first published short story, "The Coroner's Bride," is now available to download on iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Scribd, and Amazon/Kindle. I hope you like it, because there's going to be a collection someday—following the same heroine throughout her life, from one supernatural mystery to the next. I'm psyched to write it!
Why @peachandblue is my Twitter BFF: check out this BONES & ALL magnet she made me!! pic.twitter.com/fuEetmY04J— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) August 26, 2014
June Squam 2014, part 3
("Blossoms unspooled from her mouth"; June Squam 2014, part 2; all Squam entries.)
Why has it taken me two and a half months to finish blogging about June Squam? I guess I've wanted to focus on drawing rather than writing about drawing. I'm doing it, I'm really doing it—one drawing a day for eight minutes (or more, depending on how much I'm into it). Some drawings are meh and others I'm really proud of. Either way, the point is, I'm doing it, for almost sixty days in a row now!—and I'm tweeting my drawings. I'm so grateful to Kerry Lemon for giving me the space and encouragement to make that breakthrough.
An essential part of this drawing-and-sharing process has been learning to recognize the stories I tell about myself—stories that are outdated, or were never accurate to begin with. In this case, the story was I'm a better writer than I was an artist, with variations on that theme:
If I were talented enough, I would have run with it when I had the chance.
I didn't get that portfolio together in time to apply to art college, and that was MEANT TO BE.
I should leave drawing and painting to people who are real artists. People with VISION, who know what they're doing. It's enough for me to appreciate and support the real artists.
I can't draw faces.
And so on, and so on. Most of these "stories" are nonsense, and yet we live out our lives believing them, and letting them hold us back. It feels so good to have reached the point at which I don't care what anyone says or thinks of what I make, if anyone considers it "worthwhile." It's my time, so I get to be the person who decides that. And anyhow, everyone who saw my drawings said lovely supportive things, so it's not like I have any naysayers buzzing nearby. I'm so blessed to have friends and family who support me no matter what I want to do. 
There'll be more Squam awesomeness coming soon, since this time I'm going back to teach!
Vegan Meal Planning Without Tears, part 2
Vegan meal planning, part 1 (breakfast.)
Now for lunch and dinner! I usually just make enough dinner for lunch the next day, but here are some light meal options:1. A big protein-packed salad. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are both a great source of protein, and add nice texture. Lately I've also been making big batches of beet and carrot salad and adding a big dollop to a green salad. Consider making your own dressing—I like whisking up some mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Otherwise, Goddess dressing is my absolute fave.2. Another salad option, alone or on top of a green salad: chickpea and tomato salad.3. Sometimes I just like a sandwich. I'm a huge fan of the soy-free olive-oil-based vegan mayo from Earth Balance (Follow Your Heart brand is also good). I'll do some Tofurkey or Smartbacon slices with lettuce and tomato on sourdough bread from Trader Joe's. Vegan mayo is also great with textured vegetable protein (TVP) to make a salad that approximates tuna or chicken. (Not that I want to approximate those foods, but TVP is great for transitional purposes!)And for dinner:1. I often just do a stirfry, which you can jazz up by using different combinations each time. Stirfry essentials (in the order you put 'em in):—onion and garlic—other vegetables: carrots, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, potato/sweet potato, etc.—for protein: beans or tempeh—greens (I use kale, collards, spinach, or callaloo)I am using nutritional yeast on a daily basis now because it's a good source of protein and B vitamins and it gives a rich cheesy taste. LOVE it. (Also great on kale chips.) So I stir in a healthy shake of "nooch" every time I sauté vegetables.2. I do "unrecipe" versions of chili or lentil stew. Easy peasy. Don't worry about getting the proportions perfect—just throw it all in there and leave it to cook.Lentil stew: Begin by sauteeing onion, garlic, and herbs, add carrot/potatoes/etc., then veggie broth and rinsed lentils. If you buy beets for another recipe, you can chop up the greens and use them in this stew. (But you can use the beetroot here too. Yay for unrecipes!)Chili: same deal (onion, garlic, potato, etc.), then add crushed tomatoes, black/pinto beans, peppers, and chili powder or spice mix.Make sure you cook a lot because the older the leftovers the better they taste!3. As for a proper curry recipe, my go-to is chickpea and pumpkin curry (I usually sub butternut squash for the pumpkin and skip the lemongrass).4. "Alfredo" sauce using avocado + veggie broth (fresh herbs optional) = HEAVENLY. Put it on pasta or over a stirfry. Makes everything you put it on taste amazing.Great easy side dishes:Roasted root vegetables: beets, parsnips, carrots, potato/sweet potato with garlic cloves and fresh sage or rosemary. Bake at 400º for one hour.Best way (I've found) to cook Brussels sprouts—halved, tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper, and baked at 375º for 45 minutes.
When people tell me they feel overwhelmed by the notion of cooking (like, "proper cooking") for themselves, I try to present my meal planning tips like this, as simply as I can. Not everyone could have a confident grandmother to learn from in the kitchen—I do think that's a big part of why my sister and I cook so much, and are open to trying new recipes and improvisation—but EVERYONE can prepare flavorful, simple, nutritious meals for themselves and their loved ones as long as they're willing to go through a bit of trial and error. Heck, isn't that just life? Besides, figuring out what you like and how you like it is a way more satisfying process than you might expect!
Vegan Meal Planning Without Tears, part 1
Recently my dear friend Anne asked for some tips for vegan meal planning, so I thought I'd share what I came up with. While preparing healthy meals may not be as fast as the drive through, you don't have to spend hours chopping, stirring, and washing dishes either. We are busy people! You can do what's expedient without sacrificing the wholesomeness—I'm all about making big quantities, because leftovers are efficient as well as delicious.So, first things first: breakfast!
2. Good for summer (and also if you are trying to minimize gluten intake)—I posted a recipe for chia breakfast pudding on the blog awhile back.3. I haven't tried making my own granola yet, but my friend Jill has made batches for gifts and I really love it. Here's a recipe round-up at Oh She Glows (great blog!!)4. I sometimes do a smoothie for breakfast—I don't get too fancy, bare minimum is a ripe banana + cinnamon + almond/coconut milk. Additions: fresh or frozen fruit, avocado, hemp protein powder, flax oil. Spinach, spirulina, etc. too. You can also pick up a bottle of probiotic (use 1 tbsp per serving), which will make the smoothie taste more yogurt-y and give you the same gastrointestinal benefits.This Vegan Hipster Life
I have a bunch of big posts planned (on all themes), but I can't seem to get myself motivated to finish any of them. Ah well. In the meantime, here's some of what I've been up to.Firstly, more meals in Ball jars. I don't care if it's hipster, these jars are less expensive and way more durable than Gladware and you can banish that vague worry about chemicals leaching into your food. I also really enjoy eating and drinking out of them, in the same way I'd rather go without coffee than drink it out of styrofoam. It's the same drink and all, but it just tastes better out of a proper mug. 
I made a variation on this recipe for callaloo stew with my farmshare callaloo, carrots, and spring onions (using plantains and red beans), and it turned out AWESOMELY delicious. Made a big batch for quick lunches and snacking for the following week. 
Collards, tempeh, onion, garlic, nooch. (I put nooch on nearly everything these days. Great source of B vitamins and protein!) As for crafting, I haven't been knitting as much as I've wanted to, although I did manage to finish an embroidery project I started in 2012 (more on that later). My most recent F.O. is an elephant for Paré's baby, Marlo. Her initials are M.M.M. so I think of her as "M3." (This was not an entirely vegan project, as I'm still using up my collection of tiny balls of Cascade Superwash.) 
@cometparty LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!! Thank you so much! pic.twitter.com/E8NcBhnmN9— Sarah P. Miller (@SarahPMiller) July 11, 2014
I've already got a bunch of knitting projects started, but for some reason I had to cast on for yet another one while I was in New Jersey this past weekend. I'm using laceweight bamboo weaving yarn from Webs, so it's going to take forever (as my grandfather gleefully reminds me whenever I bring my knitting over), but it'll be worth it. 
I'm also in the middle of expanding my humble herb garden. (A nesting/organizing post is one of the things I haven't gotten around to yet.) Finally, a couple of notes. If you were thinking about ordering a winter coat from Vaute Couture, today's the time—preorders are 50% off for 24 hours starting sometime this afternoon (keep refreshing the Facebook page, haha).Secondly: registration for Fall Squam ends this Friday, August 15th! There are still a couple spots left in my Friday Up & Writing! class. Insanely excited for this.
Boston to NYC, 1704 style
Bright and early (7AM!) I am hopping on a bus to NYC en route to, as Kelly B. says, "the dirty Jerz." I thought it would be fun to contrast a 21st-century four-hour Megabus trip (air conditioning, WiFi, &c., &c.) with this description of the same trip made in colonial times:
In October 1704, Sarah Kemble Knight, aged thirty-eight, set out alone on horseback on a trip from Boston to New York. She picked up companionship along the way, often with the post rider, for New England had a mail service now. She endured shabby inns where village topers often kept her awake at night; meals that varied from the unpalatable to almost decent; rocky, unmarked ways that sometimes led into dead ends; but not once did anyone attempt to rob her or threaten her with bodily harm. It did not disconcert her to wake up one night and find she was sharing the room with two men in a nearby bed. The few times she thought her heart might stop came while crossing a stream in a tippy dugout canoe or on a ride to the next stage during a moonless night "that rendered every object formidable," when "every lifeless trunk with its shatter'd limbs appear'd an armed enemy, and every little stump a ravenous devourer."
(From David Freeman Hawke's Everyday Life in Early America. Professor Hawke does not specify how long Mrs. Knight's journey actually took.)
The Way the Cookie Crumbles
After the smashing success of the coconut cream pie (though the credit, of course, goes to Isa), I was feeling cocky. I am a VERY GOOD baker!, &c., &c.You know how they say cooking is an art, baking a science? Truer words were never spoken. You must measure carefully and make substitutions even MORE carefully...or you will end up like yours truly, who subbed gluten-free flour (it said "all purpose"!) for the "real thing" in my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe (out of The Joy of Vegan Baking), and wound up with this: 
(I couldn't bear to take a photograph of this mess on the actual baking pan.)So, lesson one: if you want to bake gluten-free cookies for a friend, for goodness' sake, use a special gluten-free cookie recipe like this one!Lesson two: when life (or, er, your own carelessness?) hands you cookie crumbles, turn them into another dessert and pretend it was your plan all along. 
(The last jar is pesto using a combo of farmshare basil and parsley and basil from my little windowsill herb garden, which I will show you soonish.)I'd recently picked up a dozen wide-mouth Ball pint jars, and while a pint is rather too generous for one helping of dessert, I did not see why that should stop me. I envisioned something like a "mud pie," with three strata—pudding, then cookie crumbles, then a different flavor of pudding on top. Then I got lazy and just did one layer of each. I made caramel pudding using this recipe (with almond milk), and at one point it looked like this dessert was going to fail almost as spectacularly: 
The sugar re-melted, fortunately, although I ought to have let it "toast" for a couple minutes longer than the recipe suggested. It was still quite edible though—I packed it for our Falcon Ridge trip (more on that next week) and it kept me full (and my sweet tooth satisfied) for the first couple days!
Of Shoes and Ships and Sealing Wax
Last month I spent a very happy Saturday at Essex and Ipswich with my gentleman caller. We went to the Shipbuilding Museum (new-new-new book research!) and whiled away the afternoon at Crane Beach (above). 
If you are even a little bit into nautical things, I recommend a visit to the Shipbuilding Museum. Those guys are REALLY passionate about building and preserving old-fashioned sailing vessels. Among other things, I learned the origin of the expression "caught between the devil and the deep blue sea": the seam between the last plank on the deck and the side of the boat was known as the "devil seam" because it was so tricky to seal, and if it began to leak mid-voyage one unlucky sailor would have to lower himself off the side of the ship to fix it up again. 
The rest of this post is just cool boat photos. 
Vegan Footwear
Last summer I was staying at a friend's house, and when we decided to go out to dinner I wished aloud that I had brought a nicer pair of shoes to wear. She offered me a pair out of her closet, and when I asked if she had any non-leather shoes I could borrow, she exclaimed, "I don't wear plastic shoes!"*Well, neither do I. Twenty or thirty years ago vegans may have been limited to what they could find at Payless, but now there are many breathable (and stylish!) faux leather and suede options. I thought it would be fun to show you most of the shoes in my wardrobe so you can see how easy it is to avoid leather. People like to think leather is "natural," but 1, the tanning process is HORRIBLE for the environment, and 2, that whole "using all the parts of the animal" argument is complete baloney anyway. (Are you a 16th-century Native American? Well then.) When you put on a pair of leather shoes, you not only become a party to that environmental devastation, but you are also implicitly condoning needless cruelty. 
I recommend shopping at an all-vegan shoe store like Sudo Shoes (Cambridge, MA), Moo Shoes (NYC), or Vegetarian Shoes (Brighton, UK) as opposed to DSW, since most of the DSW inventory isn't cruelty free, and I've found the prices comparable at Sudo Shoes anyway. (Moo Shoes seems to be somewhat more expensive, but in fairness their rent must be through the roof.) I've never ordered from them, but Zappos has a vegan shoe section. 
You may be wearing vegan shoes without even thinking about it—like Tevas in the summer or Bogs in the winter. (I own and love both. My Bogs boots kept my feet warm and toasty last winter, although not every boot style is vegan.) I also picked up a comfortable and very sturdy pair of Montrail running shoes from Sudo last year. 
Let's talk a bit about the environmental sustainability of leather alternatives. Kate Sheppard lays out the basic concern in this Mother Jones article:
The best I can discern from the label stamped inside of them is that they were made in China with "All Manmade Materials." Most fake leathers are made of some kind of plastic product—which was almost certainly derived from petroleum. Some faux leathers are even made of polyvinyl chloride (better known as PVC), a product that contains, among other not-so-nice chemicals, phthalates.
Back to the plastic shoe conundrum! So yeah, if you buy a cheap pair of shoes from DSW, they'll probably fail the sustainability test. That said, high-end vegan brands like Novacas (Spanish and Portuguese for "no cow") claim to use eco-friendly vegetable leather:
What are the shoes made of?We use the highest quality synthetic microfibers on the market for our footwear. Our synthetics stretch, breathe, and wear like leather and are completely PVC-free.
Are your shoes eco-friendly?Our shoes never contain any PVC, which is often very toxic to the environment. Our materials do not contain any toxic products and, in case of fire, do not emit any toxic fumes. The materials we use are highly biodegradable. The uppers, whenever possible, are 100% biodegradable. The materials are produced in European factories known for using the highest environmental standards available in all of their manufacturing.
Even if you can't afford a $100 pair of Novacas (and they are worth it!!), you might take comfort in the argument Jamey made during one of our vegan pow-wows at Sadhana Forest: while pleather shoes have one strike against them, he said, real leather footwear has two—environmental fail AND cruel to animals.I suppose I should say that, for the record, I paid between $60-110 for most of the shoes I'm showing you in this post (though thanks to Sudo's sales, I did get sweet discounts on some of them). As for durability, there is certainly a great deal of truth in the assertion that leather shoes last longer than their made-in-China-of-manmade-materials counterparts, but as with all things, you get what you pay for. A well made pair of vegan shoes can last a long time! (I still have a pair of one-inch heels I purchased at Moo Shoes in 2004, and the only reason I haven't posted a picture is that I can't find them in the infernal mess that is my closet.) 
*It must be noted that my friend has since gone vegan! Woot woot!
Books & Chocolate
Tagged by my pal Jordan at Sweatpants and Coffee, I offer this little book-and-chocolate pairing.* * *The biannual Harvard Books warehouse sale is one of the unexpected pleasures of my new life in Boston. The pre-Christmas sale made me feel like a kid again: so many delicious books! Free samples from Taza Chocolate! The warehouse event inevitably becomes a be-your-own-Santa kind of shopping excursion.
Having been a Victorian two lifetimes ago (I'm kidding...I think), the other thing that gets me in the cozy Christmas spirit is an old-fashioned ghost story. Will Storr vs. the Supernatural might not fit that description exactly, but this book turned out to be just as satisfying as anything by M.R. James or Sheridan Le Fanu. Storr, a British journalist, understands that a skeptic, in the proper sense of the term, does not reject strange phenomena out of hand because it conflicts with his own worldview. (The author interviews a psychiatrist, but the doctor dismisses all talk of supernatural phenomena as symptomatic of mental illness, which actually makes no sense from a scientific standpoint, right? Everything is a mystery until scientists figure out how to observe and measure it.) A true skeptic maintains an open mind while pursuing all rational explanations. And while Storr, in all the nights he spends in reputedly haunted houses or tagging after demonologists on their rounds, never sees a "full-body apparition," there is one freaky episode in particular that pretty much convinces him there's something to all this ghost stuff. The author tells us enough about himself and his history to give him a comforting air of the everyman, and his sense of humor tempers some of the more unpleasant anecdotes and characters we meet in the book. Even with the chapters on Satanists and religious nuts Will Storr vs. the Supernatural is an absolute delight, and I'm really glad I stumbled upon it at the warehouse sale.* * *I'd heard of Taza, but I hadn't yet tried any of their chocolate when I got to the warehouse last December. Taza is fair trade and vegan, they're based in Somerville, and any one of their gourmet flavors might send you into a fit of ecstasy. Cinnamon and gingerbread are my favorites, but I see why people love guajillo chili. I had a Hershey's childhood, and I'm making up for it now.* * *Thanks to Jordan and Sweatpants & Coffee—this was a lot of fun. And now I tag Deirdre and Erica!
Temper Passion with Compassion
Just a quick vegan-themed post today as a sort of response to this NPR blog piece and my subsequent Twitter exchange with the lovely A. N. Devers.
The class act featured in this piece called me a Nazi for winning Edward Gorey's fur coat at an auction. http://t.co/rgE2SCsGZ3— A. N. Devers (@andevers) July 22, 2014
I read Sharon Gannon's Yoga and Vegetarianism several months ago, and I will blog about it eventually, but for now here's a passage that speaks to the attitude vegans must adopt if they actually hope to convince anyone. (Boldface mine.)
When people learn of the horrible animal abuse that goes on day after day, they typically react in one of two ways. Either they feel despairing, overwhelmed, or helpless, or they get angry and want to attack the perpetrators.
Neither one of these reactions will bring about a positive transformation that will benefit the animals. It will take intense passion of the best type: compassion. Only through active, conscious compassion can you affect people's minds and hearts, with the result that they find it in themselves to be compassionate and to extend that compassion to all beings, including animals. In other words, change must start with you; you must become the embodiment of compassion. You must treat the people you are speaking with in a compassionate manner no matter how outraged you may feel. Even though you now know the facts about how animals are abused and how this is causing mass destruction of the planet as well as our spirits and our health, you must use yogic self-control and temper your passion with compassion. If you come across as preachy, angry, or judgmental, you most likely will not be able to hold an audience long enough for them to begin to hear the truth of what you are saying.
As you begin to speak of the truth you have experienced about how animals are treated, you will likely be ridiculed by others at first, even by friends and family members. Accept this as a natural phase in the process for people whose lifelong conditioned assumptions are being challenged. Hang in there, and stick with your principles. Patanjali suggests that when you find yourself in a difficult situation, turn it upside down. See it as an opportunity, not as an obstacle, and, most importantly, don't get angry.
There's a great deal I could write on the subject of nonjudgment—an aspirational practice for me, as you know!—but I'll leave it here for now, and link back later.Next week: how to assemble a shoe-wardrobe that's every bit as cute and breathable as leather.
Farmshare love, part 3
I haven't really felt like blogging lately, so this post is going to be on the short side. Just some pretty produce pics and fun recipe links.
Here is an unrecipe for pesto. You need: 1, a big bunch of fresh basil, washed and chopped; 2, sunflower seeds; 3, olive oil; 4, a bit of salt. Put everything in the food processor and you're done. (I also used nutritional yeast. Can't remember if I used any garlic, but that would've been tasty too.) 
While we are on the topic of pesto, have I mentioned that parmesan isn't actually vegetarian? I'm still annoyed that I ate it all those years without knowing!I haven't managed to take any pictures yet, but I have made gazpacho (not with tomato, just cucumber) using these two recipes for inspiration:Allyson Kramer's Cucumber Basil Avocado Gazpacho and Robin Asbell's version using silken tofu instead of avocado. Gazpacho is the perfect meal for hot weather—light and refreshing. I'm making some more this week, so I'll finally have to take a photo.I also made a coconut cream pie last night—Isa's notes and the comments are the most helpful I've ever found in a baking recipe. Will take a pic and let you know if it's as delicious as it looks! 
A simple breakfast hash with spring onions, yellow squash, and callaloo from my CSA box, along with a turnip-radish hybrid (which I picked up for free at a farmstand near Brooklyn Boulders on Vegan Meetup night) and some black beans, garlic, and white button mushrooms. Oh, and more nooch.
I'm having one of my very favorite authors over for lunch. Amazed and grateful that I get to be able to say that like it's no big deal.— Camille DeAngelis (@cometparty) July 16, 2014