VegNews does not deserve our support!

UPDATE: VegNews issued a second statement on Monday, April 18th. You can read it here. While I am not entirely pleased with their second response (and the fact that it took five days), I believe it is a step in the right direction. I'm pleased to discover their new photo policy will include actual photographs of the recipes they publish, and that all stock images used in the magazine and on the website will be vegan. This is what should have been issued on day one. There will never be any excuse for the unethical practices conducted by this publication, and no amount of 'apologies' will change what they have been doing for (presumably) a decade. However, my acceptance of their apology is accompanied by a great big "finally," rather than a "thank you."


I cannot stop thinking about THIS atrocity. On Thursday morning, Quarry Girl exposed me to one of the biggest blows veganism has seen: VegNews magazine/website have been passing off photos of MEAT/MURDER as vegan. They've been using stock photography of meat-laden dishes all over their magazine and website. They've been knowingly publishing photos of MEAT in a VEGAN magazine. And they don't feel they've done anything wrong, nor do they plan to change their actions or offer an apology to anyone. There are so many things wrong with this, I'm at a loss for where to begin. I'm saddened, infuriated and disgusted that a team of vegans so determined and committed to making veganism mainstream could even fathom that this would be OK.

Moreover, I'm utterly flabbergasted by their response to this. VegNews is not the victim here, yet they coyly try to explain otherwise. According to that press release, they've outlived most other independently published magazines by nearly a decade, have won major magazine rewards, are revered alongside Oprah and Martha Stewart AND reach more than one million viewers monthly...but they cannot afford to print/shoot/buy VEGAN food photography?! Excuse me, but there is no excuse for what they have been doing, and there is no excuse for continuing it. Just like their is no excuse for me to continue to support this organization. They've cheated us, lied to us, and have preyed/profited on our ethics and convictions. Please do yourself a favor and stop supporting an organization that is more concerned with profits, deadlines and "sit[ting] on the newsstand next to titles such as O, The Oprah Magazine and Martha Stewart Living."

If you care at all about honest journalism, upholding yours and others ethical convictions or veganism please write to vegnews@pcspublink.com or call 706-291-1546 (VegNews customer service) to express your disgust with their lies. They deserve to know that  they screwed up royally and that their actions and lack of self & customer respect will not be tolerated! Here is a tidbit of what I had to say:

Dear VegNews,

I wanted to inform you that I'm canceling my subscription to your magazine, news letters and recipes immediately. What you have done and your excuses for doing so are unacceptable to say the least, and utterly disgusting and unethical to say the most. Your preoccupation with profit and fame clearly outweigh providing an honest and dignified publication. You've compromised your journalistic integrity and editorial ethics. Almost every single recipe you've ever published has lost its credibility. I wanted to be sympathetic; I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. I trusted you. But your unapologetic, apathetic attitude and excuse has infuriated me to no end. I’m through with you and will no longer support your magazine or website. 

Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Seven

Day Seven: Survey and a Menu

While only a few hours remain of this Sunday, I swore to blog all thirty days of November, so that  is what I shall do! To be honest, I haven't made anything new today because I've been trying to polish off all of last week's leftovers. Instead of showing you the same meal twice, a survey will have to suffice! Because what would MoFo be without a couple of vegan surveys? This one was created by Keri of I Eat Trees, and she basically rules. Don't forget to stop by her blog and enter to win Lick It, a vegan ice cream recipe book by Cathe Olsen.

On to the survey!

What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now?
Olives! Only in the last five years have I been eating olives and I love them! I always abhorred the murky jar of stuffed olives in my parents fridge, and would throw a tantrum if one of the slimy green suckers appeared on my plate at dinner.

What vegan dish or food do you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?
Pickled treats. Most vegans I know love pickles, and many take delight in making them. I'm also not a big fan of BBQ Tofu. It's everywhere. To be fair, its the barbecue part I dislike.

What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day?
Water, water and more water.


What dish are you “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?
Hmm, I have no idea. I make and offer a lot of baked goods to friends and coworkers, but I don't have a single dish I'm known for. People always enjoy my baguettes!


Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?
No dipping foods or fingers directly into jars, cans or containers of anything. Grab a utensil!

What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home?
Hummus, or peanut butter. If either of those items are in my kitchen, it's very possible I won't make any "meals" for several days and I'll just munch on various crackers or veggies.


What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged?
I've stopped purchasing so many things in the last few years! I make my own tomato sauce, vegan cheeses (wet and dry), hummus, salad dressing, bread, cookies, wheat crackers, salsa, and guacamole. My next endeavor will be homemade pasta.

What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?
I like buying organic fruits, especially apples, bananas and strawberries. They much sweeter than their non-organic counterparts, and my local produce market sells them at a cheaper rate than most grocery stores.


Are you much of a snacker?  What are your favorite snacks?
I'm not normally a snacker, but  my partner would spend his life snacking if he could. We love raw veggies and hummus, smashed olives on toast, TINGS!!, dehydrated fruits, toasted walnuts with raisins.


What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings?
Crumbled marinated tempeh, spinach and garlic is my favorite combo. I will also scarf down a (vegan) white pizza (if I ever get around to making one!)


What is your favorite vegetable?  Fruit?
Just one? I don't think so! broccoli, cauliflower, taro, wakame, cherries, bananas, dates, avocado...I should stop. You did ask for just my favorite.


What is the best salad dressing?
Amy's Goddess dressing, hands down. It's better than anything I've ever made.


What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread?
mashed avocado and black pepper.


What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best?
Something thick and hearty, usually containing potatoes variety (yukon, purple, sweet) of anyand garlic. Yes, lots of potatoes and garlic.


What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor?
My go-to cupcake flavor is vanilla. I like to get creative with my frostings, and vanilla cupcakes allow for a lot of variety. Peanut butter and coconut is my current favorite frosting flavor, but if you made me choose between that and strawberry-pineapple butter cream, I might have to kill you.


What is your favorite kind of cookie?
What is with all the difficult questions, huh? Today I'll choose white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies. Tomorrow, I think I'll go with snickerdooles.

What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”?
I have a really simple but totally awesome macaroni/penne/any noodle lying around the house and cheese recipe that we make atleast once a week. I usually add a few veggies to the pasta (broccoli, diced tomatoes, carrots, etc.) and have a salad on the side. Depending on our patience levels and how late it is, I flop between eating it straight out of the pot and baking it.

What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat?
 I really love raw nuts, almonds being my favorite, but my partner won't eat most nuts unless they are salted, sweetened or curried.


How long, in total,  do you spend in the kitchen on an average day?
On weekdays I try not to spend more than two hours in the kitchen. This includes making dinner for my partner and I, making dinner for our dog, prepping the next day's lunch, and cleaning. One the weekends, I can easily spend the entire day in the kitchen.

Now it's your turn to fill it out!

Vegan Today, Not Tomorrow

Welcome to Vegan Today, a vegan food blog structure around informative, exciting, and enticing vegan recipes, photos, restaurant/product reviews, news and rants&raves. Newly involved in the world of blogging, I'm exploring and advocating a vegan lifestyle for today. This blog stresses the importance of immediate action regarding animal rights, environmental sustainability, and health conciousness. Of course, I will include plenty of yummy recipes and pictures!

Simply, veganism can matter TODAY. There's no reason to wait until tomorrow to get involved!

-Mikaila, Vegan Today