Don't put bugs in my makeup.....

Being vegan I try to make the best possible choices when it comes to food, clothes, cosmetics and makeup. Unfortunately most makeup companies use animal ingredients and test their products on animals. One of the most disgusting ingredients that is used in a lot of mascaras, lipsticks and eyeshadows is Carmine. Carmine is a red color produced by cochineal insect. In order to obtain this red pigment, the beetles have to be dried and ground up. It takes about 70,000 beetles to make 1 pound of cochineal dye. Not only is this cruel, but it is also pretty gross. Why would anyone want to put crushed up bugs on their face? By the way the same color is used in many food products as well. It is added to everything from fruit juices, to yogurt and candies. Food products that contain carmine based food dye may cause a severe allergic reaction in people who are allergic to this dye.

Luckily I found several makeup companies that don't test on animals and have products that don't contain animal ingredients.

Some of my favorites are ZuZu Luxe (100% Cruelty free and vegan), Smashbox (not all product are vegan) and Urban Decay (they have a great vegan selection). Urban Decay recently came out with a new beautiful vegan palette. The palette comes with 6 eyeshadows, black eyeliner, and an eyeshadow primer. The packaging is sooooo cute! I could not find it in stores so I had to order it online.

Salad with a bacon that didn't squeal

I have tried most of the fake bacon products on the market. Some of them were quite weird. So far the best one I found was Fakin' Bacon (Organic Smoky Tempeh Strips) by Lightlife company. It is a bit pricey for a tempeh product, but it is totally worth it. It smells and looks almost like a real bacon and even gets crispy. I love this stuff. I use it for yummy "BLT" sandwiches and salads. You can buy a regular tempeh, thinly slice it, and marinate it in some soy sauce and "liquid smoke". However, it is not going to taste as authentic.

This is a very easy and tasty salad.

Toss some chopped lettuce with sliced radishes, sliced onions, marinated artichoke hearts, kalamata and green olives, and tomatoes. Top with several strips of fake bacon. You can use whatever dressing you like the most. I used a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

For the ones who don't know what tempeh is:

Tempeh is a meat alternative made from cooked and fermented soybeans. Most commercially prepared brands also add grains, such as brown rice, barley or millet. Tempeh has a very unique nutty flavor. Tempeh is a great source of protein, calcium and iron.

Hi,

My name is Elisabeth and I am a Czech vegan living in America. I love cooking and baking, and I am currently working on my first vegan cookbook. I will be posting some of my recipes, pictures of my vegan creations, and reviews of vegan food, treats, cosmetics and some other fun things on this blog. My goal is to show people that being vegan isn't boring, dangerous, crazy, difficult, or impossible. Have fun, enjoy delicious food and make a difference in the world!