Raising Veg Kids
FOLLOW US!
  • Blog
  • Veg Pregnancy
    • Veg Baby Shower
  • Veg Babies
  • Veg Kids
    • Fun Activities/Products
  • Animal-Friendly Vacations
    • Animal Sanctuaries
  • Holidays
  • Contact Us

Throwing a Vegan and Eco-Friendly Birthday Party for Kids!

9/11/2014

3 Comments

 
Many parents are faced with a dilemma when trying to plan their child's birthday party. They want a party that is not only fun, but one that doesn't contribute to the suffering of animals, harm the environment or include products made using unethical labor practices. This is the birthday party of the future. Read below for some suggestions on how to do this...
Picture
Charlotte standing under her homemade decorations in her party outfit from the local thrift store!
As parents, we're all extremely busy. If we can share ideas it will make our lives much easier, and we won't have to reinvent the wheel every time we do something like throw a birthday party. Let's work together to create a party that considers our kids, animals, other people, and the environment. I hope other parents are able to use some of these great ideas...

As a current student of the Institute for Humane Education (IHE), I recently attended residency in Maine. I gave a presentation about how to throw a MOGO (Most Good, Least Harm) birthday party. Together, with my peers, we came up with tons of creative ideas on how to do this. I was able to use many of these ideas for my daughter's party this past summer.

The venue was a pavillion at the beach. We covered the picnic tables with fabric tablecloths and scarves that my mom had in her closet, instead of using disposable, plastic tablecloths that would end up in a landfill after the party, not too mention which are full of potential nasty chemicals.

Decorations
usually consist of balloons, streamers, and other one-time use items that are just thrown away at the end of the party. I used one of the many ideas from my IHE classmates, and decided to decorate with what was available in nature. With my parent's help, I gathered sticks and vines from their yard. I found an old bag of colorful pipe cleaners in my craft bin, and we twisted those around the branches. My daughter was able to help with this, which made it that much more special! We hung these one-of-a-kind pieces of art in the pavillion; they looked beautiful. We also had flowers on the tables. More ideas for decorating the space from my classmates include: having the guests at the party paint pictures to hang up (or having your child do this beforehand), create centerpieces using flowers from your yard, found objects, painted rocks, or recycled materials, and make confetti using a hole puncher and old wrapping paper or greeting cards. You can also use old wrapping paper for tablecloths. Hang kites, wind chimes, pinwheels, and shells and see them flutter in the wind . If you end up buying a set of decorations, reuse them again the following year.


Picture
Nature Collage.
The food at the party was all vegan. No animals harmed in the making of this party! We had chips, veggies, homemade hummus, and salsa. I just couldn't get my act together this year (1yr old at home!) to make everything homemade, so we ordered Chinese food for the main meal. In hindsight, it wasn't the most eco-friendly option. While the Chinese food was delicious, it came with a lot of plastic packaging, so next year we'll get back to the basics and make our own food. Live and learn. Now onto the birthday cake! We had a vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream frosting from Whole Foods; my daughter requested that Merida from the movie Brave be on it. It was delicious and everyone--vegan or not-- loved it! My Mom spoiled us with a homemade vegan peach and strawberry cobbler that we topped with soy whip cream. We also had vegan chocolate chip cookies and fruit.

For plates, cups and utensils we used the pink, non-toxic, compostable, renewable, and made in North America, Susty Party brand from Whole Foods. For an outside location, it's harder to use real silverware and plates, but of course if you're able to do that, it's the best option. 

Goodie bags and Party Favors are a staple of kids birthday parties. Most are filled with junky, fluorescent, toxic, plastic toys made in China that get used for about 10 minutes on the car ride home. After that, they end up in the landfill... along with the tablecloths and decorations! Just think about the amount of birthday parties per year, and how many goodie bags are given out. That's a lot of stuff! Such a waste. For my daughter's party, I combined the goodie bags and the activity, which was a great recommendation from my friends at my IHE residency. I reused brown paper bags from Whole Foods by cutting them down and attaching a handle made from the scraps of the bags. Each child was given a bag to collect whatever they could find in nature. The kids came back with grass, twigs, acorns, rocks, sand, and other interesting items. They used them to make a collage on construction paper covered cardboard. They took their finished masterpieces home with them; this served not only as an activity, but also as their goodie bag. Other ideas for party favors include thrift store toys, homemade vegan treats (kids can make them at the party), or any other craft made before or during the party. One of my classmates suggested decorating old oatmeal containers (or any type of round container), and using them  as drums. When finished, kids can have a drum circle. Another classmate suggested buying stuffed animals from a thrift store and playing a habitat station game at the party. At the end, each child gets to take home their animal. For the actual bag part of the goodie bag, you can use recycled paper bags, cloth bags, or even old t-shirts tied with shoestring or ribbon.

Charlotte had a wonderful birthday party this year-- and the guests did too! Having a birthday party that's fun for everyone, and good for the planet and those who inhabit it, is the birthday party of the future. Birthday parties are just one example of an ingrained system that we can change... family by family. Each year we can learn from the year before and find a way to do it even better. I hope you'll join me in helping align birthday parties with our values to create a more sustainable and compassionate world for all!

HAPPY birthday....for all!

If you have any more ideas, please share them in the comment section below...I'd love to hear them!


3 Comments

Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale: Fun for the Whole Family!

3/4/2014

4 Comments

 
Looking for a fun, meaningful event to do with your kids? How about a vegan bake sale! Join one that's already happening in your area, or start your own! People from all over the world are participating in the 6th annual Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale that takes place this year between April 26 - May 4. Make it a fun family day--involve the kids through baking, promoting the sale, setting up the table, handling the money, picking the organization to donate the proceeds to, and more. Together, families can help raise awareness one delicious vegan bite at a time...
Picture
Photo by Tara Keramaty.
Sixth Annual Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale-- April 26 through May 4, 2014


GUEST POST by Gary
Loewenthal from Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale
Vegan bake sales are a unique blend of fun, outreach, fundraising, and community:
  • It's fun to see what everyone made, and to see customers enjoying your bake sale's tasty creations.
  • Delicious vegan cookies, cupcakes, banana bread, and other baked goods can be a surprisingly effective outreach tool. Often one bite can change a skeptic's impression of vegan food, and melt away fears that it is boring or unsatisfying.
  • Bake sales are a time-tested and popular fundraising technique.
  • At a bake sale, you're likely to meet others in your community and swap recipes, and get a wonderful sense of community.
Picture
Petey from Inhabitots.com
So what is the WVBS? It's almost too simple but maybe that's the key to its success over the last five years:

Each year, around the end of April and the beginning of May, groups all over the world hold vegan bake sales. Each participating group signs up on the WVBS web site, but has complete control over its bake sale, including what to sell and what to do with the proceeds. Anyone can participate. If you can't do it during the “official” week, you can do it as close that week as possible. That's it!

Picture
Bake sale in Bethesda, MD.

The WVBS provides great opportunities for family involvement. For example:
  • You don't have to be an official group to hold a bake sale. Over the years, informal groups of friends, as well as kids on the front porch have organized successful bake sales as part of the WVBS.
  • School clubs and classes have participated. One advantage of doing it this way is that you already have an excellent place to hold and advertise your bake sale- the school!
  • Church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious groups can participate (and have participated) in the same fashion.
  • Girl or boy scout troops- same deal!
  • Moms and dads can help in all sorts of ways: serving food, decorating the bake sale table, handling the money at the bake sale, promoting, folding to-go boxes, taking pictures, and so forth.
  • Family Meetup groups- for example, this year the NYC Vegetarian and Vegan Families Meetup group will be hosting a family vegan bake sale on April 27. Location TBD. Join meetup to stay posted.

The WVBS web site has tons of tips on how to have a great bake sale, from finding locations to connecting with bakers to getting the word out to setting prices. You probably will not find a more complete reference for bake sales.

                                                    Photos above from Bianca Phillips at VeganCrunk.blogspot.com
If organizing your own bake sale isn't practical, you can check the WVBS schedule to see if there's a participating vegan bake sale near you, and if so, there are lots of opportunities for both kids and adults to help out with that event:
  • Bake something for it.
  • See if you can get a local bakery to donate items.
  • Help promote the bake sale.
  • Volunteer to help out at the table.
Note: If the sponsoring group is a registered charity, high school students may be able to receive community service credits by volunteering at the bake sale.

I want to suggest one last very simple but crucial thing you can do to help out vegan bake sales and the WVBS. But first...
Picture
Kerstin's Ⓥ kitchen

Bake sales are a great way for families to have fun and do good at the same time. With vegan bake sales specifically, you're helping to create a more peaceful and compassionate world. Other articles on this web site talk about the cruelty of dairy and eggs, so there's no need to repeat that here. But one of the many disturbing aspects of dairy and egg production-- and this applies to organic, free-range, and small operations, too-- is that it destroys animals' families. Baby calves are torn from their mothers on dairy farms, and egg-laying hens are denied growing up with a mother (almost all come from industrial hatcheries and are shipped to their destinations). Cows and hens are often looked upon as the epitome of doting, tender mothers. By showing people the deliciousness of vegan baked goods, you're gently but perhaps quite convincingly opening their eyes to a kinder alternative. To a degree, vegan bake sales are families helping families.

And now for the final tip...if you don't have the time or other resources to organize or help out at a participating vegan bake sale, there is something else you can do, which is essential and very easy and enjoyable: Attend the nearest participating bake sale in your area, buy some tasty treats, contribute to a worthy cause, and support your local, talented, hard-working, creative vegan bakers!

BIG THANK YOU to Gary Loewenthal for organizing such an important worldwide event!

NOTE
: If you are in the New York City area, the NYC Vegetarian and Vegan Families Meetup group will be hosting a family vegan bake sale on April 27. Location TBD. Join meetup to stay posted.


Picture
Bianca Phillips from VeganCrunk.blogspot.com

Join the Sixth Annual Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale on April 26 through May 4, 2014
If you're in NYC...
RSVP to join the NYC Vegetarian and Vegan Families Meetup bake sale on May 3rd from 1-3pm at Peacefood Cafe. Or stop by for some tasty vegan treats! All proceeds will be donated to Catskill Animal Sanctuary.

4 Comments

Gift Guide for Vegan Kids- 2014

12/12/2013

4 Comments

 
Here are some of my favorite suggestions on what to get vegan kids this holiday season. These gifts are animal/vegan-friendly and fun. They are gifts that inspire kindness and healthy living. Read on to find the perfect gift for your own vegan child, grandchild, nephew, niece, neighbor, or any other vegan kid you know...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2014 Gift Guide for Vegan Kids

Picture

HOPSCOTCH KIDS NAIL POLISH
is made just for kids. The nailpolish line is paraben free, vegan, fragrance free, toxin free and biodegradable. There are nearly 20 fun colors to choose from. My daughter loves her Hopscotch nailpolish!

Picture
The Rescue Princesses book series is perfect for the animal-loving kid-- it's geared to the age 7+ set. Each book centers around the princesses on a mission to rescue animals who need help. This includes wounded tigers, snow leopards, baby pandas, lion cubs, dolphins, dog thieves, and trapped deer. So if young girls are going to be obsessed with princesses (sigh...my own), then they should be compassionate and kind to animals, and these princesses are!

Picture


FUR & FEATHERS BOARD GAME
is an animal-friendly board game for kids.The object of the game is to save animals, and players do this through different methods. It's a fun game for the whole family, and it would make a wonderful present for that animal-loving veg kid in your life.

Picture

CYNTHIA KING BALLET SLIPPERS
are beautiful! My daughter loves her pair. They're cruelty-free slippers made of canvas, and they come in 3 colors (fyi they have adult sizes too). They were even featured in Vogue magazine in Natalie Portman's cover shoot! Get a pair for the vegan dancers in your life.

Picture

Charlotte's Web
is a classic movie that every kid should see. It's about a little pig who escapes his destiny as a meal, and befriends the other barnyard critters including Charlotte the spider. It's a really sweet movie with a powerful message. There are so many other great animal-friendly films including Chicken Run, Babe, Finding Nemo, Open Season, and the brand-new movie just recently in theaters, Free Birds. Check out this list for more.


Picture


CRAZY RUMORS LIP BALM
is a perfect stocking stuffer. It's a natural, vegan lip balm that comes in fun flavors including banana split, orange creamsicle, gingerbread, pistachio, bubble gum, orange juice and may more unique flavors. My daughter loves her raspberry sherbet balm!

Picture

Kidlicious
cookbook for kids. This all plant-based cookbook has recipes that kids (and parents) will love. The book includes color photos and recipes that are healthy, fun, creative and easy to follow. Just to name a few: zebra pizza, monkey pancakes, refrigerator pickles, salad on a stick and apple nachos! Pair this cookbook with a kid's cooking tool kit to get your kids excited about getting in the kitchen to make healthy food together.


Picture


LUSH BATH BOMBS
are so much fun for bathtime. Throw them in the tub, and watch them fizz as the water changes color. They come in many colors and scents. When they're finished "melting" in the water, some leave behind special surprises such as glitter, dried flowers or silver bells. It makes bathtime extra fun for kids.

Picture



VEGAN KID NECKLACE
is a sweet gift that represents compassion. Kids should be proud to wear this. It's a reminder that their lifestyle is based on love and respect for all animals. It's a symbol of kindness.

Picture

THE LITTLE VEGAN GINGERBREAD HOUSE KIT
is a must have for the holidays. If you don't have time to make a vegan gingerbread from scratch this year, order one of these kits from Etsy. The kit includes everything you need to assemble the house including the vegan candy and icing. What a great idea, and of course kids will love making it!


Picture

100% PURE YUMMY ICE CREAM GIFT SETS
come with bubble bath, body lotion, and body wash/shampoo. They come in 3 different flavors: strawberry, vanilla and mint-chocolate chip. The ingredients are all vegan, natural and food-based and
don't contain any synthetic chemicals, harsh detergents, artificial fragrances, chemical preservatives or any other toxins.This makes a really nice gift, it's definitely on my list.


I hope these suggestions are helpful, and I hope the vegan child in your life loves whatever you choose!

Have a very happy and peaceful holiday and a wonderful new year!
4 Comments

How Veg Kids Can Spend Their Summer Vacation

4/23/2013

5 Comments

 
Looking for a summer camp that gives kids the knowledge, motivation, confidence and skills they need to make a positive difference in the world? And that serves vegan food? Youth Empowered Action (YEA) Camp will teach kids to be leaders, activists, compassionate citizens, and solutionaries. Read on to learn more about the inspiring, life-changing YEA camp...
Picture
Guest Post by Nora Kramer, Executive Director of Youth Empowered Action Camp (YEA)
Many veg kids and their parents are accustomed to being one of a small minority not wanting to eat hot dogs, hamburgers, and other typical meat-based meals at school or camp, and perhaps tolerating some ignorant remarks from others, maybe about the food chain or a desert island.

But what about a summer camp that serves all vegan food, and has plenty of other campers and staff who also care about animals, the planet, and good health? Or a camp that is all about helping youth get more involved in community service, social justice, and activism for causes they care about? That is Youth Empowered Action (YEA) Camp, a week-long overnight camp with locations in northern California, Oregon, and Massachusetts. 
YEA Camp, which is prepping for its fifth summer of programs for youth 12-17, is first and foremost a leadership program for young people who want to make a difference in the world. YEA's purpose is to support youth in getting active on an issue they care about once camp is over. The curriculum -- designed to build campers' knowledge, skills, confidence, and community support -- is engaging and fun, tapping into and expanding campers' passions and interests while affirming their power to make an impact on social issues they care about. Campers choose issues such as factory farming, school bullying, environmental protection, gay marriage, and more. They learn skills like how to start a school club, fundraise, and use art and social media for social change. 



Alumni campers have done so many inspiring things after camp, it's hard to keep track or be surprised anymore. From launching school clubs, getting more vegan options in the school cafeteria, initiating school-wide anti-bullying programs, ending dissection in school biology classes, leading neighborhood clean-ups, holding fundraisers, and volunteering or interning with different nonprofit organizations, YEA Campers go home and make a difference on issues they care about for years to come.
Picture
While all of YEA Camp's food is vegan, being vegetarian or vegan is certainly not a requirement to attend, and in fact many campers have never given any more thought to going veg than the average teen. The vegan food is not the point of the camp -- changing the world is. YEA Camp seeks to bring our actions into alignment with our values and commitment to peace, compassion, equity, sustainability, and social justice. YEA Camp tries to model "being the change we wish to see in the world," as Gandhi said. Serving meat or dairy would undermine everything we are standing for.

At the beginning of camp, many non-veg campers are nervous about the food, while other campers who are vegan or vegetarian are beyond thrilled to be able to eat everything, and to not have to ask questions or eat the "alternative" or "special" meal at the side table, like at other camps. In the end, though, everyone is beyond impressed at the deliciousness of vegan cuisine, with kid-friendly meals such as French toast and pancakes for breakfast, mac n' cheeze and burritos for lunch, pizza with Daiya and veggie sushi for dinner, and chocolate chip cookies and brownies for dessert. Don't worry, there's also plenty of veggies and salads and gluten- and soy-free and other options too! 

Picture
YEA Camp is an opportunity for youth to meet like-minded peers and adults, to pursue a cause that really matters to them, to get encouragement and training on how to make a difference in ways that feel right for them, and to have what many campers describe as a life-changing and unforgettable experience. And to eat amazing vegan food for a week while having a great time. Not a bad way to answer the question "How did you spend your summer vacation?"
Picture
YEA Camp 2013 will be held:
California: July 14-21
Oregon: July 27-August 3
Massachusetts: August 10-17

YEA Camp helps to make arrangements for youth flying in from out of the area. To learn more about YEA Camp, take a look at this two-minute video or visit www.yeacamp.org.
5 Comments

Highlights from the Children's Area at the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival

3/6/2013

8 Comments

 
It was exciting to be part of the recent NYC Vegetarian Food Festival on March 2-3. I coordinated the first-ever children's area and I was also a speaker on the topic of Raising Vegan Kids. Here are a few highlights from the inspiring weekend!
Picture
Kids are the future of the vegan movement, so it's crucial that we involve them at events, conferences and festivals. Thank you to the NYC Veg Festival for offering a dedicated space just for families-- a place for parents to stop by and pick up information about raising vegan kids, and where kids could participate in vegan-friendly activities that promote kindness and compassion towards animals. The kids and their parents were inspired and empowered to make a difference for animals, the environment, and their own health.
Picture
With the help of my husband, I set up the children's area literature table with coloring books, wristbands, bookmarks, tattoos, comic books, stickers, and other materials for kids and their parents. We also had fun, giveaway prizes. Thank you to all the wonderful organizations for participating including Teachkind, Vegbooks, Mitch Spinach, Today I Ate a Rainbow, Youth Empowered Action (YEA) Camp,  Kids Gone Raw, Grey2K USA, and the individuals who participated including NYC Vegetarian and Vegan Families Meetup members, Lottie Hanson and Christina Burke, HEART Humane Educator, Kim Korona,  Institute for Humane Education graduate student, Kate Skwire, Vegbooks Outreach Coordinator, Jennifer Gannett, Super Sprowtz founder, Radha Agrawal, Certified Holistic Health Coach, Ellie Aaron Chef Maddie Sobel from PCRM (Physicians for Responsible Medicine), Fiona Walsh from the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, nutrition and wellness consultant, Jennifer Medley,  and Vegan Chef and Yoga Teacher, April Dechagas.

We also had a table for kids to play the animal-friendly board game, Fur & Feathers, as well as table filled with printouts to color, including this fun Vegan Plate page. Another table was set up for the activities, including making healthy vegan snacks such as rice/kale balls and rice cakes with hummus/apple butter/apple sauce spreads, seeds and grapes used for making faces. There was a mat for kids to sit on and read from our kid's vegan library with books provided by Vegbooks. There was also a table set up for puppetmaking.


Also, congratulations to Danette Suarez who guessed how many fruits and veggies were in this jar (below). She guessed the exact number- 401!! The prize.... a Rainbow Kit donated by Kia Robertson from Today I Ate a Rainbow! Danette is a second grade teacher so she is looking forward to using it in her classroom!
Picture
Guess how many fruits and veggies?

Here are photos from the children's area...

Such a wonderful, jam-packed weekend full of activities to inspire and empower kids to be kind to animals...and eat healthy! Thank you to all who participated and made the children's area special for all of the kids and parents who stopped by.


                   
                               My Talk on Raising Vegan Kids
Picture
I shared personal experiences as well as ideas, tips and resources I've gained from researching and talking with other vegan/vegetarian parents.

Laying the Foundation Early to Raise a Compassionate, Healthy Child


Pregnancy

Research shows that what a woman eats during pregnancy may shape food preferences later in life. In the womb, the baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid a day and this fluid is flavored by the foods and beverages the mother has eaten. So what you eat in pregnancy can result in preferences for certain foods for a lifetime. In other words, if you eat broccoli while you're pregnant, there's a much better chance your baby will like broccoli. So for the sake of your baby, eat a varied, healthy diet and skip the soda, chips and ice cream! 

Research also shows that the foods our children eat in the first 15 years of their lives is critical and has more of an impact in determining later diseases and illnesses than the last 50yrs of your life.


Here are a few tips to help develop HEALTHY eating patterns in children:
Healthy eating is really 2 parts: It’s what we DON’T feed our kids (animal products), and its about what we DO and SHOULD feed our kids. Healthy eating is about adding nutrient-dense foods into your diet that fight cancer and other illnesses, and provide phytonutrients to keep us healthy. (Read: Disease Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Dr. Joel Fuhrman)

Be Consistent: it can take up to 15 times exposure to a food before a child accepts/likes a food. Don't give up!

Be a good role model: you can’t snack on oreos and potato chips and expect your child to eat carrots and celery. Let your child see you eating healthy foods. Eat together.

Cook and bake with your kids: kids are more apt to try something that they’ve helped make. My daughter helps me by mixing and pouring ingredients, mashing up tofu in her hands for tofu scramble, ripping kale, and adding fruits to the blender for green smoothies. An added bonus is that she often eats half of it before the recipe is even finished! Buy kid-friendly baking tools, and a fun apron. This also reinforces science/math/motor skills!


Bring kids grocery shopping: let them pick out foods that they already like and also challenge them to find new foods that they want to try. Adults should do this too!

Grow vegetables in your backyard or windowsill if possible. Go to a farm to see vegetables growing in the ground. Also, pick-your-own fruits and veggies in season.

Remove the competition: just as you remove meat and dairy from your households, you should also remove the junk and processed foods. If kids are hungry and there isn't any junk food around, they'll be forced to grab something healthy to eat. Keep fruits and veggies visible out on the counter so when kids are hungry, that's the first thing they'll see/grab.

Redefine the word “snack” dessert” etc: snacks don’t have to be crackers, chips, ice cream, or sugary stuff, they can be what we typically view as breakfast, dinner, or side dishes. (Ex. pieces of roasted cauliflower, chickpeas, chunks of tofu). Dessert can be fruit, not ice cream. Try freezing 3 bananas and then blending them in a processor/vitamix, and you instantly have creamy banana ice cream using only one healthy ingredient (add peanut butter too)!

Be Creative: make art/faces out of fruits and veggies. Put food on a kabob. Use cookie cutters to make shapes. Tell a story about a bunny who loved carrots, or Mitch Spinach, etc. Kia Robertson from Today I Ate a Rainbow recommends making it fun!


Doctors- Dr’s receive little to no nutrition education (20hrs average, but some don't receive any training) in med school. Their courses have a heavy emphasis on treatment and pharmaceuticals, rather than prevention. It’s likely in regards to nutrition that you know more than them. Dr's always want to fatten up thin kids to get them on par with the rest of the kids in this country (obesity epidemic!), but because veg kids often eat more fruit, veggies and other lower calorie but higher nutrient-dense foods instead of high-calorie, high fat foods such as doritos, ice cream and mac & cheese, then it's common sense that they will be thinner.

Don’t worry about being perfect: the typical standard American toddler eats the same few foods over and over (chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, ice cream, pizza) so by not feeding these foods, you’re already ahead of the game! It's not about purity, it's about the overall picture.



SHOCKING STATS!

1)    Protein- if you’re eating a sufficient caloric diet, then it’s almost impossible to be deficient in protein. The protein myth in this country was created by meat industry, and we typically get 400x more protein that we need. Animal protein is what’s killing us! According to Forks Over Knives...“We’ve never treated a single patient with protein deficiency, yet the majority of patients we see are suffering from heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases resulting from trying to get enough protein”


2)    25% toddlers between 1-2yrs old eat no fruits/veggies at all!

3)    American kids eat less than 2% of their entire diet from fruits/veggies! They move into adulthood eating 90% of their calories from dairy products, white flour, sugar, and oil.

4)    Heart Disease risk factors are being seen in kids as young as 10yrs old.

5)    CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has predicted that this is the first generation of children that may NOT outlive their parents.

6)    By the time American children are 15 months old, French fries have become their most commonly consumed vegetable.



Social Side
Kids don't want to feel left out or different; they want to fit in with their peers. So it's our job as parents to help them with this. There are also ways for kids to gain a better understanding and appreciation for why their family is choosing a vegan diet. Here are a few suggestions: 


Visit a farm sanctuary- so kids can get up close and personal with rescued animals. These sanctuaries are very successful in creating a powerful, long-lasting connection to animals. Kids are less likely to want to eat animals after meeting them. Since most vegans don’t visit zoos, this can be a good replacement for that.

Make holidays and events extra special- you can come up with new  family traditions, but try to also include some classic traditions that other kids will be doing- just do it with a vegan twist. Nowadays almost everything can be "veganized." For example, you can make a vegan gingerbread house, color wooden or paper mache eggs instead of dying real eggs, snack on vegan jelly beans, and make vegan candy corn for Halloween.

Read kids books that affirm vegan values- where animals are respected and shown in a positive light, rather than being used by humans in exploitative situations such as in zoos, circuses, and horse-drawn carriages. Skip the books that show kids eating hot dogs, drinking milk, eating ice cream, fishing, etc. Vegbooks is the best online resource for finding veg-friendly books. Also read books about brave people throughout history who were once viewed as being different and in the minority such as those who worked for the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, and civil rights but were later viewed as heroes, who despite challenges, spoke up for what was right.

Find a vegetarian/vegan parenting group in your community, and if there isn’t one, start your own. It’s really important for kids to be around other veg kids, and it’s also a great resource for veg parents to get together with other like-minded parents to exchange advice, ideas/tips, recipes, etc. If you live in the NYC area, join the
NYC Vegetarian and Vegan Families Meetup.

Show your kids the power of activism. If they feel strongly about a specific animal or issue, encourage them to join a protest, write a letter to a newspaper, have a vegan bake sale, hand out literature, or create an art project. They’ll most likely have fun doing this, and it will teach them to be a voice for the voiceless.

Remember there are opportunities for teaching kindness and empathy all around us- here in NYC every time I step outside I come across pigeons, squirrels, and bugs such as spiders, ants and flies. Teach kids to respect these not so cute and cuddly creatures as well. Encourage your kids to stop and watch their behaviors. Instill curiosity and reverence. Model kindness by teaching them to never intentionally step on creatures/animals, chase them, or hit them.

Take advantage of social media to create a virtual support community. Ask questions, get advice and share some of your own tips and ideas with other vegetarian/vegan parents. Follow on Twitter & Pinterest and LIKE on Facebook any and all pages related to vegan kids/vegan parenting. You will be exposed to wonderful articles, recipes, ideas, and inspiration.

8 Comments

Be Proud and Confident in Your Decision to Raise a Vegan Child!

1/30/2013

14 Comments

 
I wrote a post for Girlie Girl Army that I wanted to re-share on my website. It’s a piece for parents who are raising vegan kids. I hope it will give you the courage and pride to raise a child according to principles of integrity and compassion. Here it is!

Picture
"Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar." -- Bradley Miller

ORIGINAL ON Girlie Girl Army:
"When I tell people that I’m raising my child vegan, I sometimes feel as though I have to defend and explain my decision. My decision is passive, I'm just leaving out certain foods from her diet. But parents who are feeding their kids meat, dairy, and eggs are actively adding in foods. So shouldn’t it be the other way around? Shouldn’t they have to defend their decision to purchase that hot dog that came from a pig who never stepped foot on grass or saw the sky (except from the slot in the truck on her way to the slaughterhouse) and whose mother was forced to live in a tiny metal crate amid her own urine and feces, where she was unable to even turn around or take a step forward or backward for weeks on end?

Why don’t parents who are feeding their kids meat and other products taken from animals have to defend their decision? They’re giving their kids cow’s milk, which is exactly that … cow’s milk! Isn’t that a little strange? It’s meant to fatten up calves. Humans are the only species that drinks another species’ milk, and we’re the only species that drinks any milk past infancy. Casino mogul Steve Wynn said it best: “It’s liquid cholesterol!”

What exactly is it that people are concerned that my child will be missing out on … high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity? It surely can’t be protein, calcium, or iron because there are tons of healthy plant-based sources (spinach, nuts, whole grains, vegetables, beans, and fortified juices, cereals, pasta, etc.) that don’t have the added fat and cholesterol, not to mention the hormones and antibiotics.

The sad truth is, in this society, any behavior or child-rearing decision that goes against the norm is often seen as wrong or irresponsible. Even weird. And that’s a shame because it often prevents people (in this case, parents) from doing the right thing. Unfortunately, society’s backlash is a strong deterrent, and so is the desire to adhere to the status quo.


Picture
NYC Veggie Parade, 2012
Despite the many studies indicating that vegan diets are not only appropriate for children, but may in fact be healthier (for example, the American Dietetic Association—the nation’s largest group of nutrition professionals—stated, “Well-planned vegan diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes”), parents are still opting to add animal products to their children’s diet, mainly as a result of tradition and being constantly bombarded with messages from the dairy and meat industries. Years of slogans like “Milk does the body good” and “You need meat for protein” have been drilled into our heads by multi-billion dollar industries pushing their products. If milk does the body so “good” then why is it that the countries that consume the most milk are also the countries with the highest rates of osteoporosis- and vice versa. And the more animal protein that a population consumes, the higher the prevalence of osteoporosis. There is a big protein myth out there, but the fact is Americans eat about 400% more protein than necessary, and even vegetarians eat more than they need.

It would be unethical for me to feed my child meat, dairy, or eggs based on what I know about how animals are raised for food. You can look the other way or deny that it’s as bad as they say, but the truth is, the majority of meat/dairy and eggs sold in this country (>95%) come from animals who have been raised in appalling conditions in overcrowded, filthy warehouses, where they are crammed into small cages and crates and denied basic necessities, including fresh air, sunshine, grass, and companionship. Simply put, I don’t believe that animals should be treated like this, so I’m choosing to leave cruel animal products out of my child’s diet. I’m teaching her that if she wants to help end animal suffering and also not knowingly contribute to major environmental problems including climate change, water and air pollution, deforestation, and soil erosion she has to be a part of the solution, and that means not supporting it (with dollars). This is what it really means to live according to your values.


Picture
Catskill Animal Sanctuary
People raise their children according to their own set of morals and values. Just like a Buddhist wouldn’t raise her child Catholic and an environmentalist wouldn’t raise his child to be wasteful, I wouldn’t serve my child chicken fingers or ice cream. Children are little extensions of ourselves (at least until they’re old enough to make their own decisions). In our society, we typically do not allow children to make the decision to participate in anything that is morally questionable until they are of age. Since I consider the way that animals are raised for food in this country to be morally abhorrent, I therefore would not impose animal products upon my child and would not allow her to make that decision until she is old enough to think critically and understand the consequences.

So instead of focusing on what a vegan child is not getting (fat-laden, cholesterol-filled slabs of meat as well as milk, cheese, and eggs from miserable animals who’ve been raised in terrible conditions), let’s focus on what they are getting (a healthy balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds). And my daughter is getting a whole lot more than that including a moral compass based on compassion, justice, courage, and integrity. So if you’re raising a vegan child like I am, stop being on the defensive, and start embracing it! Be proud that you are living with intention and consciously choosing compassion over cruelty!"
14 Comments

Vegan Ballet Slippers

5/16/2012

2 Comments

 
This is one of those posts that gives me hope and a glimpse into what the future can (and should) look like. If we all start voting with our dollars, it can be a future where everyday items such as food, clothing, and personal & home products are replaced with cruelty-free vegan replicas. For example, if we can make clothes and accessories that look, feel, and function the same as those that are non-vegan, then we are on our way to a more compassionate, just world-- one that doesn't exploit animals. In this post, professional dancer, Cynthia King brings us one of these items....beautiful vegan ballet slippers! Read and share this post with other parents...

Picture
Vegan Ballet Slippers

Guest post by Cynthia King, Professional Dancer and Creator of vegan ballet slippers.
I first made the connection between the animals that I loved and the food on one’s plate years before I was a professional dancer, at age 10. It drove me to become vegetarian, then vegan. Later it guided me to create
Cynthia King Vegan Ballet Slippers. 
 
Dance celebrates the beauty of life. It’s true that some dancers suffer for their art, but people who do that have chosen to. Animals who suffer for the sake of performances whether because they are performing or their skins are being used for dance shoes have no say in their fate. As a dancer, and a vegan, I didn’t want any animal to suffer for the sake of my art. As a young dancer I searched for a vegan ballet slipper and had no success finding a suitable alternative. When I became a teacher, students and their parents asked me to recommend shoes--there just were no good ethical options available. That’s when I decided to create my own vegan ballet slippers. After a lengthy development process, the first shoes were ready in 2003. Today 
Cynthia King Vegan Ballet Slippers come in three colors (peach pink, pastel pink, and black) and are sized for children and adults, suitable for both male and female dancers. They are the only ready-to-wear vegan slippers produced worldwide, and the orders we receive from around the globe reflect that. The slippers have seen their share of the spotlight too, having been secured for Voguephoto shoots as well as being used by Alvin Ailey dance camps to outfit their campers. Not too long ago young Cynthia King Dance Studio students participated in a photo shoot (pictured below) featuring the vegan ballet slippers at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. It helped the dancers to connect the vegan slippers with the individual animals they were saving by wearing them.  It warms my heart each time an order comes in, because I know that every pair purchased means that someone has chosen compassion over cruelty. And I love seeing them on all of my young students’ feet, knowing that no animals have suffered for the sake of their dance.


 
Picture
Dancers with vegan ballet slippers at Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.


In addition to my vegan ballet slippers, I create a lot of dance pieces at Cynthia King Dance Studio (my school in Brooklyn) that are about animals. I’ve choreographed dances that celebrate the ways animals move, and one that served as an exposeé about animals in entertainment. Recently I created a piece titled, “Dinner” in which dancers played animals on a plate and then performed as ghosts of their former selves describing in movement what it was like to be alive. I’m looking forward to staging another production in October 2012 that will again take on animal issues through the art of dance.

I’m very interested in community, as well; both participating in the ones I am a member of, and creating community at Cynthia King Dance Studio. One way of fostering community that I am especially fond of is holding vegan events at my studio. Not too long ago, I hosted “A Children’s Celebration of Farm Animals,” with children dancing as animals and author Maya Gottfried reading from her picture book, Our Farm: By the Animals of Farm Sanctuary. More recently I held a screening of Marisa Miller Wolfson’s wonderful documentary, Vegucated at the studio, followed by a reception featuring hors d’oeuvres by Brooklyn vegan restaurant, The V Spot. It was a wonderful way to bring all of my worlds together.

Editor's Note: You don't have to be a vegan to buy these vegan ballet slippers. If you care about animals, and want to help reduce their suffering one step at a time, this is a perfect way to make a difference. Order a pair for your child and be proud that you are choosing compassion over cruelty. Your kids will feel proud too!  

Cynthia King
, a professional dancer since 1978, has been teaching and choreographing for children and adults since 1986. She trained extensively at the Boston Conservatory and The Ailey School, honing her skills under the tutelage of legendary dancers including Carmen De Lavallade, and Rod Rodgers of whose dance company she was a member. Ms. King has been credited by the New York Department of Education with developing “…one of the most comprehensive dance programs in the district.”
In 2002, Ms. King launched the Cynthia King Dance Studio where her innovative curriculum embraces classical to emerging styles including ballet, tap, modern, B-boy/B-girl, and hip hop. Combining her passion for dance and compassion for animals, Ms. King developed ready-to-wear cruelty free, vegan ballet slippers. The slippers are popular worldwide and are the required slipper for two of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's innovative camps. Ms. King is an energetic community member and activist, having served on the Board of Flatbush Family Network, Vote Humane, and Windsor Terrace Alliance, and currently serving on the Board of Directors for Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary. She and the studio proudly support the PTAs of local public schools, DanceNYC, Our Hen House, Farm Sanctuary, and Animals Asia. Ms. King lives with her husband, two sons, two dogs and one cat in Kensington, Brooklyn.

 
2 Comments

When Compassion and Kids’ Books Become Strangely Controversial

4/22/2012

2 Comments

 
RaisingVegKids loves Ruby Roth! Ruby recently wrote a blog post for our site; if you haven’t read it yet, check it out: Armed and Prepared….Some Advice For Vegan Parents.  In it, she shares some valuable tips on how to make sure you are prepared with information when it comes to raising your kids vegan, especially when the inevitable “expert” teachers, doctors, and other parents will come out of the woodwork with their opinions. You’ll hear the same matter-of-fact assertions: Kids need milk for calcium and growing bones, they need meat for protein, etc. This is outdated, and furthermore inaccurate (according to the American Dietetic Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics "well-planned vegan and vegetarian diets can satisfy the nutritional needs and promote normal growth of infants and young children"). So Ruby urges veg parents to be ready!

Picture
Vegan is Love by Ruby Roth

Ruby has been under fire recently for her new book, Vegan Love, which hits shelves this week. This is Ruby’s second book for kids about veganism. Her first is That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals. Ruby has faced critics of her new book on shows including The Today Show and Fox News. Her critics have been less than impressive. For example, when some of them recently kicked the nutrition-babble into high-gear, with oddball claims such as asserting that a “flexitarian” diet can “advance your nutritional status (emphasis added),” that’s when I knew they were simply grasping at sraws. What the heck does “nutritional status” even mean and how is it relevant to a childrens book?

Only slightly less bizarre, but more worthy of discussion, are the criticism of opponents of the book who speculate that its themes are too scary and violent for kids (images of animals in labs, factory farms, etc). ….and Ruby responded back that if it was too scary and violent for kids to read, then it’s probably not something you’d want to eat (or support). 


Click to see
Ruby Roth debating a psychologist on FOX News

The irony in all of this is that when we look at some of the most famous kids books in the world, that’s where we'll find the truly scary, graphic, and even violent themes. We see Little Red Riding Hood’s Grandma eaten by a wolf, Hansel & Gretel caged by a witch in preparation to be baked in an oven, the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz literally lighting people on fire, Snow White being poisoned to death, and the list goes on and on. Scary? Violent? But these are timeless classics! Yet, what Ruby depicts in her book (which is actually non-fiction) is somehow deemed objectionable. If her book didn’t have to do with the hot-topic of food choices and animal treatment, I wonder if people would still find it objectionable?

It’s interesting that gratuitous violence in mainstream kids’ books, cartoons, and films is considered appropriate, but as soon a book with a positive message about being compassionate towards animals (including those we eat) comes out, suddenly there are national headlines and a fear that kids are going to be somehow psychologically damaged to hear that people can mistreat animals. It seems that, as long as the the moral of the story doesn’t involve something as “personal” as our food choices then these are just themes kids should hear as part of growing up and is not disturbing at all. Let’s face it, that’s just intellectual and moral laziness.


 

I don’t believe that parents, if they knew, would want to continue perpetuating the myth (aka lying) to their kids about how animals are treated in industries that use and kill animals. Every other book you pick up at the library or bookstore shows a happy animal dancing in a circus, frolicking in a zoo, or living peacefully on a sunny farm. Aren’t we as parents supposed to be 
relaying accurate information to our kids to help them make kind choices, especially when it involves our deepest convictions, and ethics? Even (or especially) if the reality isn’t pretty?  No doubt the issues Ruby covers in her book are not sugar-coated, including the nasty, cruel business of factory farming, however, from what I’ve seen so far, neither are they out of bounds, age inappropriate, or overly graphic. So we could either tell the truth to children, or ignore it and keep reading books about happy cows being milked and elephants having a jolly ol’ time performing in the circus. Through books, many parents teach their kids about serious issues including not talking to strangers, the harm in bullying, and inappropriate contact with others. These issues are not always happy, and in fact some are very scary, but they’re important nonetheless. There can be no “moral” of any story without a choice between good and bad, and that’s what makes Ruby’s book similar to so many of the best books we all fondly remember from childhood.

With age-appropriate honesty, popular kids books already cover once-controversial issues such as poverty, the environment, endangered species, civil rights, prejudice, and bullying. My hunch is that the controversy being stirred around a similar truthfulness regarding issues of animal treatment is much less about the children and more about parents feeling uncomfortable about having to square their own values with the reality of animal use and mistreatment. I’m sure that once we as parents do a little growing up, we can get back to one of our first responsibilities, teaching our children right from wrong (hopefully, without all of the convenient, and even bizarre, excuses we makeup mostly for ourselves).

For more veg-friendly kids books, check out Vegbooks.

Post by Robyn Moore
2 Comments

Vegan Friendship Soup

4/10/2012

8 Comments

 
I'm excited to introduce this post, not just because it's a great recipe for kids to eat and make, but also because it's written by one of my very best friends from elementary school, Heidi Rogers! She shares a recipe for a delicious and healthy soup that's especially perfect for teachers to make with their students...so grab a baguette and get started! 

Picture
Friendship Soup

Guest Post by Heidi Rogers
My 3 year old daughter Elizabeth honored me with an invitation to her nursery school’s Special Person’s Lunch. What would be on the menu? It was a valid question. It was, in fact, 3 year olds cooking!  All I knew was that Elizabeth needed to bring a vegetable to school that day. I sent her with 3 potatoes!

Well, as all the “Special People” sat down for lunch, my question was answered. We were served Friendship Soup that her class had cooked. Each child contributed a vegetable and a soup was created; a vegan soup made with love. The children were so proud to be serving us their own cooking creation.

The following weekend, my daughter wanted to make Friendship Soup at home, for Robyn and her daughter, Charlotte. They were coming to visit for a few days. So here is our creation. I think it was a big hit because Robyn and Charlotte ate it for 3 meals during their stay! Please notice that the ingredients are very flexible. Use what you have in your fridge and cabinet, use what is in-season, and use what you were given in your CSA.



                                   FRIENDSHIP SOUP

Picture
Ingredients


INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil
2 onions- chopped
4 cloves of garlic
(2) 32 oz boxes of vegetable stock*
6-8 carrots cut into small pieces
1 small eggplant cut into small pieces
2 large zucchini cut into small pieces
2-3 celery stalks cut into small  pieces
29 oz can of tomato puree
28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes
2 cans 15 oz cannellini beans - washed and drained
2 cans 15 oz red kidney beans- washed and drained
Package of baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta of your choice: my daughter chose a box of pasta that looked like wheels!

Other options
: mushrooms, different beans, French style green beans, quinoa, lentils, and/or basil.



DIRECTIONS
:
In a large saucepan on medium begin to heat the olive oil. Cut onions and saute in the olive oil. When onions are just cooked (5-7 minutes) add garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add a splash of vegetable stock to slow the garlic’s cooking process. Add all the chopped vegetables and saute over medium heat. Continue to stir and add stock to help vegetables cook. When carrots begin to soften add the remainder of the stock (one or two boxes*), puree, tomatoes, beans, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Pile spinach on top of soup and cover for a few minutes until spinach is wilted and can be stirred easily into soup.

Reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for approximately 1 hour until the vegetables are tender. Check soup every once in a while, stir and adjust stock to your preference.

I cook the pasta separately and add it into soup bowls individually. This allows you to easily freeze any left over soup and make fresh pasta each time you want soup.

*The amount of stock added is up to you. Do you want soup? Or stew?


Have fun and let the kids help.... 
Picture
Washing the vegetables
Picture
Cutting the zucchini. Very serious!
Picture
Chopped ingredients*
*Favorite kitchen tool -- Rachael Ray’s Bench Scrape 
 
Picture
The finished product....yum!
 
Enjoy the Friendship Soup!

Editor's Note: After (or even before) making this wonderful soup, you can read, Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert together. It's the perfect book! Read the review at Vegbooks. Also click here for lots of fun vegetable-related games and crafts, and printable coloring pages.



Heidi Rogers is a full-time mom to her two beautiful daughters in Mystic, CT. She has her master's degree in elementary education and is a former teacher. When she is not taking care of her kids, or working for her husband's dermatology office, she enjoys sewing, staying up to date on her favorite crafting blogs, gardening, healthy cooking, and enjoying the great outdoors with her family.

8 Comments

Vegan Easter Egg Cookies with Raspberry Icing

4/3/2012

5 Comments

 
I was really excited to make these Easter cookies, particularly the icing. I was determined to not buy any store-bought artificial food coloring, so I tested out a natural food "dye" that was safe and vegan....and came from a fruit. Using a bag of frozen, organic raspberries, I was able to create a beautiful, bright pink colored icing! Read on for this simple recipe...

Picture
Having fun making Easter cookies

Easter bunnies, chirping chicks, flowers in bloom, and....easter cookies! Holidays are always a fun excuse to make (and eat) cookies, so with the materials and ingredients in hand, my daughter Charlotte and I got started. Although I love my go-to delicious and easy-to-make sugar cookie recipe (from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar)  that I use for Christmas Cookies, I decided to try out a new recipe. This is also a fun, kind alternative to coloring easter eggs.
It's pretty simple and tasty, so here it is:


Vegan Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
3Tbsp Ener-G egg replacer powder (you can get this in any health food store or online here)
1/4c. warm water
3 3/4c. flour
2tsp baking powder
1c. vegan butter
1c. white granulated sugar
1/4c vegan cream cheese (Tofutti is a good brand)
1tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

1. Combine the Ener-G egg placer powder with the warm water, whisking until gooey. Set aside.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the vegan butter and sugar using an electric hand mixer for 3-4 minutes,
or until creamy and fluffy. Add the egg replacer mixture, vegan cream cheese and vanilla, beating until just combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating to form a stiff dough. Form the dough into two discs, wrap inplastic wrap, and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4" thickness (if it is a little hard and dry from the fridge, wait a few minutes). Using floured cookie cutters, cut out your cookie shapes, and place each on the prepared baking sheet about 1" apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before decorating.

Yield: About 3 dozen cookies

Note: Don't let the "vegan" ingredients scare you off. The Ener-G egg replacer is available in most health food stores or online. Recipes call for such a small amount, that I've had the same box for more than a year. So skip the eggs, and buy a box and keep it on hand. The vegan cream cheese and vegan margarine are available in most mainstream stores nowadays, including Stop & Shop, C-Town, Key Foods, Price Chopper, Safeway, Albertson's, Publix, etc. and of course, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  
 

Here's Charlotte mixing up the ingredients....


...and licking the spoon (no salmonella worries because there are no eggs).
Picture



The next day we rolled out the dough and cut it into egg shapes...

Now for the best part....the ICING. Food coloring is bad news for many reasons...there's a lot of controversy surrounding its toxicity, and of course most aren't vegan. There are vegan alternatives available sold in stores and online, but I was determined to find a fruit or vegetable (of any vegan food for that matter) that I could use to color my icing...and with the help of the internet and my professional baker friend, Sarah, I found one! I used raspberries and the icing came out perfect-- it was a beautiful, vibrant shade of pink.

Raspberry Icing Recipe:
1/2c. vegan butter
10oz. bag of frozen raspberries (thawed)
4c. powdered sugar
1tsp. vanilla
1-2Tbsp soy/rice/almond milk (if needed to thin it out)

1) Boil raspberries on medium heat until thoroughly mixed into a sauce (about 4-5min).
2) Mix raspberries and butter in large bowl.
3) Add one cup of sugar at a time. Mixing in-between cup additions. 
4) Add vanilla, and mix.  If the icing is too thick at this point, add one to two tablespoons of soy milk to thin.


Picture
Boiled raspberries



Time for decorating the cookies with the raspberry-flavored icing and sprinkles...
Note: You can order organic, vegan sprinkles online.


HOPPY Easter to all!
5 Comments
<<Previous
    Picture

    About Me

    Robyn Moore is a mom to two kids, whom she and her husband are raising vegan. She has a master's degree in elementary education. She has a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University and a certificate in Humane Education from the Institute for Humane Education. She has organized the kids area at the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival since 2013, and is the organizer of NYC Vegetarian & Vegan Families Meetup, a book reviewer for VegBooks, and has taught English in Nepal, volunteered helping animals in South Africa, and lived abroad in Switzerland.

    Picture

    Archives

    November 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    March 2014
    December 2013
    August 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011

    Categories

    All
    100% Pure Kids
    21 Day Vegan Kickstart
    50 Awesome Ways Kids Can Help Animals
    Alicia Silverstone
    Alternatives To Coloring Eggs
    Alvin Ailey School
    Animal Friendly Vacations
    Animal Rights Coalition
    Animal Sanctuary
    April Dechagas
    Babe
    Battery Cage Hens
    Blackfish
    Blinders
    Books
    Books About Animals
    Bunnies
    Camp Kindness
    Catskill Animal Sanctuary
    Celeste Hill
    Chicks
    Chloe
    Chloe Coscarelli
    Chloe Jo Davis
    Christina Burke
    Christine Dorchak
    Christmas
    Coconut Whipped Cream
    Colin Campbell
    Coloring Easter Eggs
    Compassionate Kids
    Cow
    Crazy Rumors Lip Balm
    Cruelty Free Easter
    Cynthia King
    Cynthia King Dance Studio
    Dairy
    Dairy Cruelty
    Daisy’s Greyt Escape
    Dallas Rising
    Dog Racing
    Donny Moss
    Ducklings
    Easter
    Eco Birthday Party
    Eco Kids
    Egg Industry
    Eggnots
    Elephants
    Elizabeth Forel
    Ellie Aaron
    Empathy In Children
    Environmental Camp
    Equine Advocate
    Eric Hopf
    Factory Farming
    Factory Farms
    Friendship Soup
    Fruits
    Fruit Turkey Centerpiece
    Fur
    Fur And Feathers
    Fur & Feathers
    Garlic- Onion- Beet- Spinach- Mango- Carrot- Grapefruit Juice
    Gentle Living
    Gingerbread House
    Green Birthday Party
    Gretchen Primack
    Grey2k Usa
    Greyhound Racing
    Greyhounds
    Halloween
    Happy
    Healthy
    Healthy Eating
    Healthy Eating Kids
    Heart
    Heidi Rogers Mystic
    Help Animals
    Hillary Feerick
    Horse Collapse In Nyc
    Horse Cruelty
    Horton Hears A Who
    Hospcotch Nail Polish
    Hsus
    Humane Books
    Humane Education
    Humane Educators
    Humane Kids
    Humane Society Of The United States
    Ihe
    Ingrid E. Newkirk
    Ingrid Newkirk
    Institute For Humane Education
    Isa Chandra Moscowitz
    Isa Chandra Moskowitz
    Jeff Hillenbrand
    Jeff Repanich
    Jennifer Medley
    Jenniffer Gannett
    Jessica Almy
    Jill Fehrenbacher
    Joel Fuhram
    Josh Latham
    Kate Skwire
    Kathy Stevens
    Kc Theisen
    Kia Robertson
    Kidlicous
    Kids
    Kids And Animals
    Kids Book
    Kids Books
    Kids Gone Raw
    Kids Helping Animals
    Kim Korona
    Kind Kids
    Kindness
    Liz Longacre
    Lottie Hanson
    Lush Bath Bombs
    Maddie Sobel
    Marsha Rakestraw
    Meatless Monday
    Meet Your Meat
    Michelle Carr
    Michelle Schwegmann
    Milk Cruelty
    Mitch Spinach
    MOGO
    Moon Cake
    Nathalie Vanbalen
    New Year
    Nora Kramer
    Nyc Horse
    Nyc Vegetarian Food Festival
    Owen Ford
    Pcrm
    Pele
    Peta
    Peta Kids
    Rainbow Food
    Rainbow Kit
    Raising A Vegan
    Raising A Vegetarian
    Raising Compassionate Kids
    Raising Vegan Kids
    Raising Veg Kids
    Robyn Moore
    Rory Freedman
    Ruby Roth
    Sarah Gross
    Seaworld
    Skinny Bitch Bun In The Oven
    Social Justice Kids
    Star Cupcakes
    Storytime
    Susty Party
    Switch Witch
    T. Colin Campbell
    Teaching Kids About Animals
    Teachkind
    Terry Hope Romero
    Thanksgiving Kids Crafts
    That
    The Coaltion To Ban Horse Drawn Carriages
    The Rainbow Bunch
    The Rescue Princesses
    The Secret Life Of Mitch Spinach
    The Seed A Vegan Experience
    These Little Piggies Have Tofu
    Tilikum
    Today I Ate A Rainbow
    Tumeric Dye
    Turkey
    Vegan African Safari
    Vegan Babies
    Vegan Bake Sale
    Vegan Baking
    Vegan Ballet Slippers
    Vegan Birthday Party
    Vegan Camp
    Vegan Candy
    Vegan Christmas
    Vegan Christmas Cookies
    Vegan Classroom
    Vegan Conference
    Vegan Cookies
    Vegan Cooking With Kids
    Vegan Crafts
    Vegan Cupcakes
    Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World
    Vegan Dance
    Vegan Dye
    Vegan Easter
    Vegan Easter Cookies
    Vegan Easter Eggs
    Vegan Eggs
    Vegan Families
    Vegan Family
    Vegan Food
    Vegan Food Coloring
    Vegan Gift
    Vegan Gift Basket
    Vegan Gingerbread House
    Vegan Girl
    Vegan Goodie Bags
    Vegan Halloween
    Vegan Household Cleaners
    Vegan Icing
    Vegan Is Love
    Vegan Kid
    Vegan Kid Necklace
    Vegan Kids
    Vegan Kids Books
    Vegan Kids Crafts
    Vegan Kids Gifts
    Vegan Mac And Cheese
    Vegan Macaroni And Cheese
    Vegan Parent
    Vegan Parenting
    Vegan Party Decorations
    Vegan Party Favors
    Vegan Personal Care
    Vegan Pregnancy
    Vegan Present
    Vegan Product Guide
    Vegan Products
    Vegan Pumpkin Cupcakes
    Vegan Recipe
    Vegan Safari Vegan Kids
    Vegan Soup
    Vegan Sprinkles
    Vegan Teacher
    Vegan Teen
    Vegan Teenager
    Vegan Thanksgiving
    Vegan Treats
    Veg Babies
    Vegbooks
    Vegetables
    Vegetable Soup
    Vegetarian Babies
    Vegetarian Camp
    Vegetarian Easter
    Vegetarian Family
    Vegetarian Kid
    Vegetarian Kids
    Vegetarian Safari
    Vegfamily
    Veg Family
    Veggies
    Veg Kid
    Vegkids
    Veg Kids
    Vegkins
    Veg Parent
    Whales
    Whole Foods
    Wooden Eggs
    Yea Camp
    Your Time Travels
    Youth Empowered Action Camp
    Zebra
    Zoe Weil

    RSS Feed

    Picture
Proudly powered by Weebly
Photo from dcysurfer / Dave Young