Author: Tracy I
-
Travelling while vegan: Costa Rica gets a B
I am travelling home today from Costa Rica, where I participated in a long-awaited wildlife photography tour. As I like to do when I travel, I want to comment on what it is like to travel as a vegan in this part of the world. My comments won’t be representative of the whole country because…
-
On the matter of protein and dessert
It’s a well-known fact that if you tell someone you’re vegan there is a very good chance that they will ask you what you do for protein. People picture a plate. It is divided into three parts; meat or fish, potatoes or rice, and veggies. When you say you’re vegan they imagine an empty third.…
-
Sign of the times? Planta closes both Toronto locations
No question about it: the restaurant business is tough at the best of times. And these are not the best of times. Earlier this year a report out of Dalhousie University said about 4000 Canadian restaurants could close in 2026. But Planta? Both Toronto locations of this beloved vegan restaurant were busy every time we…
-
Saying good-bye to my mother: the blog loses its biggest fan
May was a tough month. Two days after Mother’s Day I lost my mum. Though she had some health issues, her passing was sudden and unexpected. We were making summer plans for July and thinking optimistically about what we might do for her 90th birthday at the end of this year. She and my dad…
-
I tried the McVeggie so you don’t have to
Well, after weighing the pros and cons of the very idea of supporting the McVeggie way back in September, I promised I would give the McVeggie a try and report back. So here I am (it’s been a long winter). A sheet of McDonald’s coupons showed up in the mail that included a few “2-can-dine-for-$17.78”…
-
Jump into Veganuary
On this second day of the year it’s a good day to start Veganuary. Going vegan for one month offers a wonderful nudge that could carry you into a year of being kinder to animals and the planet. Veganuary is a great way to show yourself that it’s not nearly as difficult as you might…
-
The future is (alt) meat
We have a breakfast and lunch place near us in Toronto called Evviva. They have two menus. One is “regular” and the other is a full plant-based menu, the most extensive I’ve ever seen for breakfast and brunch. You can get scrambled or sunny-side up eggs with your plant-based bacon and sausage. You can get…
-
You don’t have to eat dead birds on Thanksgiving (or ever)
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving in the US. It’s an occasion where millions of people give no thought whatsoever to their tradition of eating a dead, stuffed bird. 46 million turkeys die to become the focal point of festive tables across the country. That volume of production means factory farming, which accounts for 99.8% of all turkey…
-
Canadian Thanksgiving 2025
It’s that time of year again and the feast is now over. I have been enjoying some days visiting my parents in the Haliburton Highlands and it’s been surprisingly busy. Hence blogging after the fact rather than in prospect. What I can say is we had a wonderful meal. Here’s what I made: There were…
-
Can Jane Goodall inspire you to go vegan?
The world lost Jane Goodall last week, but her legacy of advocacy for non-human animals will have a lasting impact. Many people have lamented her death, posting tributes and professing to share her values. In 2017, Jane Goodall wrote: “There are three main reasons why we should eat less – or preferably no – meat.…
Vegan Practically 