Vegan dessert

Taken from Facebook:

3 mashed bananas

1/3 cup applesauce

2 cups oats

1/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. cinnamon

Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes

Vegan orange stir fry

1 cup tofu

flour

bean threads

broccoli, carrots, squash (or any vegetable mix you like)

vegetable oil

1 T orange juice

1 T Teriyaki

Cut up tofu in small squares and dredge in flour. Brown in oil.

Boil water; after water is boiling turn off heat and drop in bean threads. Let set for 8 minutes.

Add vegetables to browned tofu and stir fry until vegetables are soft.

Remove oil from tofu and vegetables and add orange juice and teriyaki. Cook until warm. Stir in bean threads. Serve.

Vegan "diet"

It has been atleast a year since Jacob moved from being a vegetarian to becoming vegan. He has noodles, rice or cereal at every meal, lots of fruits and vegetables, protein smoothies, peanut butter, fried tofu, stir fry, pot stickers, veggie hamburgers, bean burritos, cheese-free pizza, and many other things. I am still surprised when I hear people argue that he should be eating meat. It's his ethical choice and I think for him, it would be wrong to do anything else.

He loves his kale smoothies. He's getting tired of strawberries so I have been using kiwi and mangos instead.

Green Mango Smoothie

1/2 cup kale
1 cup orange juice
1 cup mango
1 kiwi
1-2 tablespoons flaxseed

Blend in blender.

More Smoothie Ideas

Jacob has had this peanut butter smoothie several times.

8 oz. soymilk

1 banana

1/2 cup fruit

1/2 T. flax seed

2 T. peanut butter

Place all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

He prefers the berry smoothie:

8 oz. juice (cranapple, grape, etc..)

1 banana

1/2 cup frozen fruit (mango, pineapple,....)

1/2 cup kale

grated carrot

2 T. tofu

Blend in blender until smooth.

Veganism

Just like anything, veganism can go too far. I have been very hesitant to say this, because it is my son's passion. He's a sensitive, bright, deep thinking child who has come to the decision to be vegan over many years.

When he was as young as 5, allergy testing showed a sensitivity to beef and chicken so I gave him other foods, keeping everything he was allergic to to a minimum.

In 4th grade two things happened: He saw a movie showing chickens in cramped cages, and he went to the San Diego zoo where he saw cages marked endangered species, and at this point he decided to be a vegetarian.

Jacob made this choice because he wanted to do his part to not support the endangerment of animals. We supported him in every way we could, and he never ate meat (now it's been 7 years without eating meat).

A year ago he became vegan. He decided he didn't want to support any company that would use animals in their products so he cut out gelatin, dairy, honey, eggs, and any product that he cannot prove wasn't tested on animals. This ethical veganism is disturbing to me. It is not that we prove animals were hurt in the creation of the product to not use it, it is that we have to prove they were not used in any way in the making of the product in order to use it. If we do not know then Jacob's default is to not eat or use the product. That can mean not using deodorant or not brushing teeth.

I believe he's gone too far, and I'm almost ready to stand up and say it. (Not that I've never told him my frustration. I've just respected his taking a stance that I wanted to support him.) I think anything can go too far. I believe it's wrong to keep animals in cramped conditions, but are these animals unhappy? I know God says he cares about the sparrows, but I don't think he cares about the sparrows over the people.

Yesterday it was soap. He wanted soap that was not tested on animals. I don't see how testing soap on animals can hurt them even if they were in cages as the tests were being conducted. I told him this. We bought the Jason body wash that is vegan approved (and more expensive).

I will never expect anyone to believe exactly as I do, and they cannot force me to believe as they do. I believe God loves his creation, but my conscience is not affected by eating commercially raised animals or using any soap, shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant...that is on the market.