Author: Tracy I
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Discovering grapes as if for the first time
I’m not sure if it’s just me, but lately the grapes seem bigger, firmer (without being hard), and more tasty. Whether red or green, over the past few months I’ve had some absolutely delectable grapes that are the size of small plums. In case there are any people out there who are still “meh” about…
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Happy World Vegan Day / Month!
Happy World Vegan Day to one and all! Since November 1, 1994, this day has been set aside for vegans to celebrate. I got an email from Veganuary this morning that offered five things we can celebrate today: If you’re not vegan but have been thinking about it (or not), here are five things you…
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Hummus: humble and reliable, even if part of a vegan stereotype
If there is one vegan stereotype that I embrace, it’s the hummus-lover. At any given time, I have at least two kinds in my fridge. And I keep a supply of extra, with cascading expiring dates, so that I never have to fear running out. I’m not sure why the iconic Middle Eastern dip is…
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Unreflective carnivores, the marginal case argument, and making a difference
I’ve been reading around quite a bit as I prep to write a new paper. When I say “reading around,” I am referring mostly to philosophy papers on topics in food and animal ethics, mostly as they seem relevant to veganism, meat-eating, animal suffering, and possible moral requirements that facts about animal suffering might yield.…
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Friday Night Popcorn
If you think about it, the possibilities for vegan snacking are endless. So many favourite snacks like potato chips and pretzels are already vegan (assuming vegan seasonings of course). Lots of really good chocolate is vegan. And thankfully, popcorn is both vegan and easy to make. I like air popping, either in the microwave or…
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Why single out horses?
Did you know that Canada is the leading exporter of live horses for meat? This fact hit the news this week because of a private member’s bill introduced to Canadian Parliament calling for a ban on these live exports. In 2022, 2600 live horses, bred specifically as livestock for consumption, were shipped to Japan. Once…
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Frozen Fruit on Fun-Friday
I love frozen fruit and today I am just going to sing its praises. Part of the purpose of the blog is to try to offer a gentle nudge to people who might be open to introducing more vegan foods into their lives but don’t know where to start. It’s not a secret that fresh…
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Should vegans be eating “facsimiles of flesh”?
I just read a paper called “Facsimiles of Flesh“ by philosophers Bob Fischer and Burkay Ozturk that goes against my long-held belief that there is nothing wrong with eating realistic facsimiles of animal products. Indeed, I have even made the case that from a harm reduction perspective these imitators are welcome additions to the vegan…
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A vegan feast for Canadian Thanksgiving
This weekend is Thanksgiving in Canada, where we celebrate the harvest season. For me, it is a time to get together with my family. As a settler Canadian living on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the…
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On leading a “less hypocritical or richer or better life…”
One of the great things (for me) about starting this blog is the steady stream of recommendations people (especially Shelley and Samantha) send my way. This week, it was Lorna Finlayson’s London Review piece, “Let Them Eat Oysters” (thanks, Shelley!). Ostensibly a review essay of Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation Now (Harper 2023) and Martha Nussbaum’s…
Vegan Practically 