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I am a thoughtful, compassionate, introspective vegan. I commend and support people with strong vegan beliefs. I read and research information about vegan diets and lifestyle. I love intellectually sound documentaries promoting veganism. I can not watch explicit documentaries about factory farming. I know it exists, and if someone is on the fence about veganism, and they need to see to belief, than by all means they should see these type of films. I guess I am just too sensitive, it makes me physically sick to watch factory farming and the horrific visuals of innocent, dead animals. I really liked this first video, so simple, no words but, very powerful. There are some disturbing images of factory farms, dead, animals, caged animals, and horrifically malnourished people. When those images came on, I actually cried. However, the positive message way outweighed the cruelty of the world. So, take a look at this video and pass it on.

We ventured south to Eugene, home of the Oregon Ducks. Eugene has that environmental, alternative lifestyle vibe.

We visited the Cornbread Cafe for lunch. A 100% vegan comfort food diner. How cool is that? This place is small and eclectic. This isn’t your healthy garden salad with a side of steamed broccoli kinda place. Vegan comfort food, think old fashioned diner for vegans. Calista had the Shredded Barbeque Seitan sandwich which she said was delicious, the barbeque had just the right amount of sweetness and spice. Mike had the Eugenewich, which had a fried tofu patty, Daiya cheddar, deep fried carrot slices, onion rings, lettuce, tomato and a smoky sauce. He really enjoyed all the different flavors going on. I had the build your own meal, where you get a choice of phish sticks (my choice, soo good, breaded in cornmeal and fried, perfect imitation of fish sticks but, better), southern fried tofu, chicken fried tempeh & gravy, or barbeque pull-a-parts. Next you choose your first side; mac and uncheese (my choice, so good, creamy, subtle, yum!), mashed potatoes and gravy, or crinkle fries. Then you choose either sauteed greens or sassy slaw. I went with the slaw which tasted just like non-vegan slaw. Finally a choice of cornbread or biscuit. I opted for the biscuit. This place is big on charm with lots of sandwich, salads and create your own plates. If you are in Eugene, give this unique vegan diner a try.

After limited exploring we stopped by the Divine Cupcake, this 100% organic vegan bakery had lots of cupcake options; we got several to go; holiday dream, red velvet, peanut butter cup, warm fuzzy, holiday eggnog, and chocolate vanilla. They had lots of options, and many cupcakes are seasonal. The eggnog was our favorite by far, the frosting was soooo good. Overall the cupcakes were good and flavorful but, all were a little on the dry side. There is nothing better than biting into a moist delicious, vegan cupcake. A little tinkering with their recipes would probably deliver the desired moistness. Having said that, I would definitely go here again for their delicious espresso drinks, the iced pumpkin and hazelnut soy lattes were very good, and their inventive cupcake flavors make we want to try them all. Support your local independent bakery and have a cupcake.

Vaca 2011 Christmas Overview – Portland, OR (zestyvegan.com)
Vaca 2011 Xmas Overview – Bend, OR (zestyvegan.com)

Portland Vegan Eats

We arrived in Portland early evening and battled traffic and rain to find Proper Eats in the St. John’s neighborhood. This eclectic little gem was just what we needed. The front part of the building was an organic market with fresh vegetables, fruit, vegan products, and delicious looking desserts. The restaurant is not 100% vegan as they do offer some dairy items. The back part of the building is the restaurant, there is a funky, laid back atmosphere to this place. The menu is loaded with sandwich and salad options, along with some speciality plates like Shepherd’s

Pie, Chana Masala, and a Cornmeal Tempeh Plate. Mike opted for the Tempeh Reuben with marinated tempeh, carmelized onions, homemade kraut, reuben sauce on rye bread. He said it was very good, lot’s of flavor. Calista had one of their nightly specials, chili and cornbread. She is quite the picky eater and quite the chili connisseur. She loved the chili, even though it had lot’s of vegetables, there were 3 kinds of beans, and it was on the spicy side, very good. It came with a slab of vegan cornbread which she devoured. I had the vegan nachos which were sooo good. Blue corn chips, quinoa, black beans, salsa, vegan cashew cheese (so good, tasted just like nacho cheese sauce), corn-pumpkin seed relish and guacamole. You can add tempeh or tofu sour cream, but it did not need it. Have I mentioned I love Mexican food?!! These were so good, so full of flavor, I was so full I couldn’t finish them, but Mike and Calista did, Mike even used his spoon to get the last bit of “cheese” sauce. If you are looking for delicious vegan food in a casual environment in Portland, check out Proper Eats.