The Vegan Butcher

There is an inexhaustible list of reasons why autumn in Nova Scotia kicks ass, but one of the tastiest is also one nearest to the top: It’s apple pickin’ time! Our big apple growing region is the Annapolis Valley (or just “the Valley”, if you’re from ’round these parts), and we enjoy the fruits of the Valley’s farmers’ labours each and every fall with great vigour. And one of our favourite ways to do so? Apple crisp, bitches. (more…)

Helllllloooooooooo Readers! My hectically busy year in London has drawn to a close and I’m back in glorious Nova Scotia again, just in time for endless delightful North American autumnal baked goods and comfort foods. First up to/on the plate: Vegan Chicken à la King and Pot Pies! (more…)

I went over to my darling bestie Jerri’s house the other day. The days are getting shorter, the nights chillier, and the summer is clearly dying. Before it gives its final death rattle we wanted to have one last BBQ hurrah. Jerr Bear had a supply of mini hamburgers and mini buns and was going to make mini sliders.

NEEDLESS TO SAY (but you know I’m gonna say it anyway), I got very jealous. I wanted to have mini burgers too! As I sat there grumping Jerri and I came up with a plan: mushroom sliders! If we couldn’t find vegan mini buns we would make our own with cookie cutters and bread! IT WAS ON! (more…)

It’s time for our next post in the “Into the Woods” series! If you missed the first I recommend that you read back so as not to be totally and utterly confused during this post.

Next up on our list of fairy tale characters to explore: Little Red Riding Hood.

In “Into the Woods” Little Red is a chubby little thing that loves her sweets. She stops by the Baker’s house on her way into the woods to visit her grandmother and places an order…all for Granny, of course:

“It’s not for me, it’s for my Granny in the woods. A loaf of bread, please—to bring my poor old hungry Granny in the woods… Just a loaf of bread, please… And perhaps a sticky bun? Or four? And a few of those pies, please… I sort of hate to ask it, but do you have a basket?” (more…)

I am a mutt of the world. I have a lot of nationalities that claim a part of my heritage and in recent years I have gotten into exploring the traditions of my forefathers. An especially fun way to do this is through food.

My Mama and her entire side of the family is Mennonite. Her parents lived with my family for almost my entire childhood, so my brother and I were raised in the Mennonite traditions and saw a lot of the ways of the old world. We were brought up on the (non-vegan) traditional foods, hearing the home German (we call it “Low German”) daily, though we weren’t taught to speak it. I’m still mad about that. (more…)

Today it has been two years since my Opa died. He was a nomadic Mennonite man that was born in the Ukraine, and spent time in different parts of Europe before heading to South America after World War II. In Paraguay he met my grandmother, in Brazil they had my mother, and in 1958 they immigrated to Canada. He and my Oma helped raise me from a young age. (more…)

As I have previously bitched blogged about, in preparation for my move to London in 6 months, I am working two jobs. By day I sell group health & life insurance. By night (and weekend) I work in a tollbooth at a hospital parking lot. As far as second jobs go, it’s pretty sweet. For example, I am writing this blog post in my booth right now. I have tonnes of downtime, it’s not strenuous or stressful in the slightest, and I just cooked a grill cheese sandwich while on the clock. If I have to spend an extra 33 hours of my week working, this is a pretty good place to do it. (more…)

Toad in the Hole? Bubble and Squeak?! ONION GRAVY?!?!? British foods have the best names! In preparation for my move to jolly ol’ England in 6.5 months, I am continuing my British culinary education tonight with some awesomely-named British food.

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Sugar pie, honey bunch! You know that I loooove youuuu!!! Well, sugar and honey are two things Jerri and I don’t do. So the main question at hand is what to do when you are vegan and your bestie is diabetic? Bake diabetic-friendly vegan pies, of course! (Duh.) Can we please start by agreeing that whoever created the term “easy as pie” can kiss my ass right now? Thank you. Moving on… (more…)

Y’all ready for this?!? It’s time for my first posted recipe! These are my favourite cookies of all time and have been since childhood. They have, of course, been altered and veganised, but they still tastes just as good! These bring back a lot of memories… (more…)