Jbbeach710's profile

More About Me

Reasons why I prefer to eat vegetarian or vegan:

Quitting carnism is the easiest and most obvious way for an individual to decrease the amount of violence and suffering in the world, while reaping the benefits of bodily, environmental, and even financial health.

I joined HappyCow Members Community because:

Because conscious vegetarians are very hard to come by in my social circles! Also, I'd like to contribute to the local knowledge base regarding where to get the best vegetarian food.

Here are some places I've been that I liked... and places that I would like to visit one day:

Iowa: I spent a year there for work, and absolutely loved it. It's the only place I've ever felt "at home". Hard to explain. India: I went there in my solidly-carnist low-carb days as a teenager to work with Christian missionaries, and felt mysteriously "light" and "clean" after eating mostly vegetarian food during my stay. I learned then that there was something special about their cuisine! New Zealand: I spent a couple weeks there for my friend's wedding, and would like to visit that relatively-pristine place again. Middle East and Africa: I'd like to visit these area. Some of my closest friends are from these parts of the world. Central Asia: I'd also like to visit this huge area, as I feel that there is a rich history there that is not well-publicized. Arizona: I was born in Tucson and spent my youth in the high deserts of Arizona. There is much to explore -- and much unique beauty -- there. If society were to collapse I would want to be in Eastern Arizona since it is rugged, sparsely populated, and rich in natural resources.

Some of my favorite veg*n foods include:

Blueberry-Hemp Bowl: frozen blueberries, bananas, coconut oil, and hemp seeds, all mashed together in a mortar and pestle. Indian foods: dosa, sambar, gobi manchurian, chana masala, vada, paratha, poori, and many more! Fermented drinks: Kombucha, Jun, "Kombu-Java" (what I call coffee fermented with kombucha cultures). Pecan-Stuffed Dates (put a pecan in the hole left by removing the pit...it's like a bite-sized pecan pie!). Sweet Kale Salad: add chopped dates, pecans, sesame seeds, cinnamon, maple syrup, etc and massage the kale to soften it. Hearty Greens Salad: kale, green onions, chard, parsley/cilantro, etc.

Here are some books, movies, magazines, and my favorites that I would recommend to other HappyCow members:

Books: The Essene Gospel Of Peace. Vegetarianism and Occultism, by C.W. Leadbeater. Movies: Earthlings. Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. Food, Inc. Forks Over Knives. Websites: http://whatonearthishappening.com/, http://essene.com/, http://www.near-death.com/