Techno Mom

I now have an iPhone! Yep I'm a hipster snob for real now. So I just wanted to test posting blogs from my phone. If this works maybe I'll update this thing more often!

It was a crazy weekend and Milo just took his first nap since Friday!!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Rough-And-Tumble Toddler

Check out this super tough guy. 19 months and a total toddler. Yes, I'm stuck in a world of tantrums and gimmes... (and teething at the moment).

Vote in the 2009 VegNews VeggieAwards--Represent Ohio Veg Businesses!

VegNews Magazine's ballot is up for the 2009 VeggieAwards. Now is your chance for vote for the best of all things vegan. Choose your favorite veg restaurant, bakery, cookie and city, among other categories. My goal was to vote for places close to home.

Of course, most of the places listed are in NYC, San Francisco and LA... I was disappointed that the VegiTerrarean, our local ("local" as defined by Cleveland+) awesome vegan eatery was missing from the "Best Restaurant" category. Not to worry--I wrote in their vote. Even though I love some of the restaurants in the running, I had to represent our region. Cleveland+ represent!

Sadly, that was the only opportunity to represent our city in the 2009 VeggieAwards unless I wrote-in other places--none of which would be entirely vegan. However, I did feel good rep'ing Ohio by casting a vote for Columbus' Pattycake Bakery under the "Best Bakery" category. They make some of the best vegan treats ever and deserve to win. Last year a bakery in NYC won and, while I'm sure their treats are divine, the Midwest deserves some props.

I want to see Cleveland blossom as a veg-friendly city. We have much to offer--it's just scattered amongst the corned beef and ribs. We have vegan grilled cheese sandwiches at Melt, vegan cupcakes and cookies at Sweetie Pie Bakery in Lakewood, dairy-free ice cream treats at Tremont Scoops, and plenty of ethnic restaurants that offer some of the best tofu dishes around (Vietnamese joint Tay Do comes to mind). Let's keep the momentum going. We definitely need an all-vegan restaurant in the city. Then maybe we'll get some recognition. We have accomplished a lot here in Cleveland but, admittently, we have much more to do. I mean if Philadelphia (Phildelphia?!) can be listed as one of the choices for best vegan city, we surely can be listed some day, too. Dream big.

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Speaking of Pattycake, I just scored some of their tollhouse cookies, moonpies and buckeye bars today. This is strange because I was sick last night and had a dream my bf was going to Columbus and was stopping at Pattycake. And I was sad because I was too sick to get anything. Luckily, I'm not so sick anymore and can I properly enjoy some tollhouse cookies. Mmmm.

Vegan in Cleveland: Tremont

A few days ago I walked around Tremont with my son. Previously, I wrote off Tremont as a snobby, trendy, gentrified area littered with condos and yups. But now I realize that was a hastily-made generalization. Tremont is actually really cute and diverse. Plus, they have a kick-ass bookstore called Visible Voices that has an amazing selection of political books and magazines.

Even more, their old-fashioned ice cream parlor, Tremont Scoops, has a whole line of vegan treats. From vegan cookie ice cream sandwiches to vegan oreo cream pie, Tremont Scoops has the treat for you. They also have vegan buckeyes (YUM!), "nutty buddy" bars, Tofutti ice cream, "cheese" cakes and so much more. My son completely devoured the vanilla Tofutti... he definitely was a happy boy.

Lago, a restaurant specializing in Northern Italian cusine, offers vegetarian specials on Mondays from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and offer a vegan risotto. Ty Fun Bistro is a Thai restaurant offering many vegan entrees.

So, yeah, it may be artsy-trendy and full of expensive (non-vegan) restaurants, but Tremont also has plenty of gems for the hungry vegan. And it's pretty. Just take a stroll around Lincoln Park on a sunny day and you'll fall in love.

[Images via "stu_spivack" (Flickr)]

ADA Says Vegetarian and Vegan Diets are Healthful for All Stages of Life

Here is more arsenal for the veg movement: On July 1, 2009, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) updated its position paper on vegetarian/vegan diets, concluding that an animal-free diet is healthy for all ages.

It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life-cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence and for athletes.

Say it loud, say it proud: I'm veg and I'm proud (and healthy, too!).

Vegan Family Friends

There are days when I feel so alone being vegan. Sure, there are other vegan folk around but they're all single. Some days it's tough raising a vegan family. Am I the only one doing this? There are those days... when everyone is giving their kids Goldfish crackers... or days when the moms are discussing the best organic beef... or when someone makes endless dumb vegan jokes in front of your child. Yeah, those days. The days when I need to hear someone say, "You, too? And I thought I was the only one living the vegan life!"

Here are some sites offering great relief, advice and, yes, camaraderie for those renegade vegan families:

VegFamily

Vegan Family House

Vegan Family Living

VegSource: Veg Parenting

VeganHealth.org: Profiles of Real Vegan Children

The Vegetarian Resource Group

PETA Media Center: Vegan Children--Healthy and Happy

Enjoy!

Do Moms Have a Harder Time Making Friends?

I think so. And so do many others over at Natural Moms Talk Radio.

Here's my response to their post. This basically sums up my thoughts:

I’m always struggling to make new friends. In one way, having a baby makes it easier to engage in small talk with other moms and say, “Hey, we both have little ones, let’s hang out.” But that’s only if I get the opportunity to actually talk to anyone!

I go to a playgroup every week and it’s just like the one described above–hectic. My one year-old son and I always arrive late so I miss out on all the conversations. Then I’m always chasing him as he tries to climb up chairs. I barely get to talk to anyone. Week after week we go to this playgroup and I still feel like a stranger to the group. I can’t help but feel like the outsider.

It’s so hard to break in. I don’t want to be melodramatic or paranoid, but I feel like they all hang out and leave us out. I mean, I remind myself that I go to playgroup primarily to expose my son to other kids but it’s as much for the moms, too. Hopefully I can actually talk to people when my son starts playing by himself.

I just feel like I'm dating again. "Does she like me? Can I ask for her number? Will we hang out? Is this (friendship) meant to be?"

As if I didn't have enough to worry about, now I need to make sure I have enough mama friends in my life. As for vegan mama friends... Yeah right! I'm not someone who holds a prerequisite that all my friends be vegan, but it would be nice to have someone to talk animal rights with. (I've met a great deal of vegan bitches/assholes who, while we share the same ethical views regarding animals, I would rather befriend a chair than deal with them for 10 minutes.) But it's just so hard to make new friends.

Any thoughts?

(Sorry if this post is rather jumpy... Keep in mind that it's almost 2 am! Bedtime is just around the corner...)

[Image via "Julie, Dave & Family" (Flickr)]