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Thanksgiving … the scariest time of year if you are a turkey or if you’re like me and getting married in December and have a very form-fitting dress that won’t accommodate overindulgence in holiday fare. Fortunately, we can help turkeys and our waistlines by having a vegan holiday feast!

Vegans are approximately one-ninth as likely to be obese as meat-eaters. Researchers have found that overweight people consume about the same number of calories as slim people—but they don’t consume the same kinds of food. Animal products contain much more fat than plant-based foods.

There are many delicious vegan creations to tempt your taste buds this holiday season. Green bean casserole, sweet potato biscuits, Tofurky, and Orange-Cranberry Upside-Down Cake, anyone? For a festive centerpiece that is certainly more appealing than a stuffed avian body cavity, why not try stuffing and baking a pumpkin with your favorite vegetarian stuffing? You can even use your fancy carving tools to carve it and wow your guests.

Click here for more vegan Thanksgiving cooking ideas.

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Mice. Oh so cute. If only they didn’t leave their little evidence everywhere. Last year, a little mouse got into my apartment. I heard some chewing in the walls at night for quite a while but couldn’t figure out exactly where it was coming from. I went out of town for a weekend, and when I came home I saw little pieces of cat food on the kitchen floor. This was very curious, considering that I do not have a cat.

What had happened was that this little mouse had chewed through the wall in my pantry while I was gone and went straight for the emergency bag of cat food I keep on hand for when I find strays. I quickly cleaned up the little mess that he had made, and I searched for the point of entry. I found his little escape route and I plugged up the hole with some steel wool. I then proceeded to clean my whole kitchen with peppermint-scented soap and essential peppermint oil (mice are not fans of peppermint!).

Thinking that I had dealt with this issue, I went to sleep right after baking some vegan apple-raisin muffins—leaving the muffins out on the counter to cool. I woke up in the morning, ready to have a muffin for breakfast, and—all the muffin tops had been eaten! This was so cute and so frustrating all at the same time―all I could think of were his tiny little hands holding the crumbs and chewing incessantly on the treasure that he had discovered as I slept.

If you build it, they will come, and things can get a bit exasperating if you don’t solve the problem completely. Over the next couple of days, I did a thorough check of my whole apartment and found two more holes that he was using to go in and out. I sealed those up, and things have been mouse-free ever since.

In the event that a little mouse or several mice find their way inside your home, check out our humane tips for making your house mouse-proof.

Cruel methods are never necessary―please also take a moment to ask Lowe’s to stop selling glue traps.

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This past weekend, I was doing a bit of holiday shopping, and to my surprise I stumbled upon some amazing cruelty-free body care product deals in the most unlikely of places.

Maybe everyone else has known this for eons, but while shopping at TJ Maxx and Marshalls, I saw some fantastic bargains on products from companies like Nature’s Gate, Jason Natural, EO Products, Mrs. Meyers, and more. You just have to look in their special health and beauty care sections.

Furthermore, both stores had a lot of great nonwool sweaters and scarves and even a few synthetic-down jackets. There were also lots of nonleather shoes at a fraction of the price that they would cost in most department stores.

Another store where I have recently spotted some over-the-top deals on cruelty-free products is Big Lots. Big and bright orange on the outside—a virtual treasure chest of cruelty-free finds on the inside. On recent trips, I have seen everything from cheap tubes of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste to highly discounted bottles of Method laundry detergent. Last time, I even scored some Freeman face wash for $1.50.

So, if you’re looking to stretch your holiday budget by buying cheaper personal-care products for yourself so that you can spend more on gifts for others, you might want to give TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Big Lots a try. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find the perfect gift for that hard-to-shop-for person on your list in the process.

Wishbones have always been pretty bizarre. I mean, how exactly are your heartfelt wishes all supposed to come true by splitting a greasy bone that you pulled out of the dead animal lying on your table? And, after all, wouldn’t the turkey have wished not to be eaten?

Well, the folks over at Lucky Break Wishbone seem to realize that there are a lot of vegan wishes out there waiting to come true. Thus, they have created a wishbone that is most definitely vegan-friendly—the wishbones are completely synthetic.

So, now there is a cruelty-free option for all of you who still want to take part in this tradition. Just think—by using these wishbones, you can make all sorts of wishes about better treatment for animals.

You could even stick one in the middle of your Tofurky (just make sure no one tries to eat it!). Both the packaging and the wishbones themselves are recyclable and made in the USA.

Enter to Win!
We’re giving five “lucky” people the chance to win a pack of 10 of the wishbones. To win, post a comment below with a wish that you have for animals! (Don’t worry―the whole saying it out loud thing doesn’t really apply, since you are typing it.)

This contest ends on November 18, 2008, and the winners will be chosen and notified the same day. You should also be sure to read the contest terms and conditions and PETA’s privacy policy before you comment—you’re acknowledging that you have read and agreed to both by leaving a comment.

Good luck!

The holidays are upon us, and to many of us, that means not just piling the Tofurky and vegan pumpkin pie on our plates, but also piling an extra couple of pounds on the bathroom scale.

Fortunately, there is a new program that can help you and animals this holiday season: The PETA Pack.

By participating in the PETA Pack, you can raise money to help animals and keep your weight in check so that the holidays don’t leave you with something like the “Freshman 15″ around your waist.

By joining the PETA Pack, you will gain access to 13 fun weeks of professional coaching from Coach Darren, the “pack leader.” He will help you learn how to run if you’re just starting or help you achieve new goals if you’re already a runner. You’ll also get great vegan diet tips and helpful exercise training information.

At the conclusion of the 13 weeks, on February 1, 2009, a race will be held in San Francisco. If you can’t make it to the race, you can still join in spirit and run a race in your own hometown.

So, what are you waiting for—join the PETA Pack today!

Amy’s vegan wedding cake!

This past weekend, my good friend and coworker Amy, who writes the Veg Cooking Blog, got married in her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia.

The early evening ceremony was beautiful—illuminated by countless white candles and the fading end-of-day sunlight that was fleeting from the large vintage windows above. When Amy appeared, locked arm-in-arm with her dad, looking all stunning in her gown and birdcage veil, I was happy to have the small pack of tissues emblazoned with my hotel’s logo in my bag.

For all you Veg Cooking Blog fans, it will come as no surprise that the food was also stunning. I will post the menu and more food photos soon, but in the meantime I wanted to talk about the cake.

The cake was a luscious three-tier vegan chocolate cake with amaretto frosting made by Southern Sweets Bakery of Decatur, Georgia. The cake was so intensely decedent that it essentially melted in your mouth.

I really hope Amy won’t be too disappointed on her one-year anniversary when she goes to get the cake top out of her freezer and instead finds a box weighted with about 10,000 “I Am Not a Nugget” stickers that Joel and I left as a decoy while we stole the top of the cake to eat on the way home…

Congratulations Amy!

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month is just about to come to a close, but it’s not too late to ask the Susan G. Komen Foundation to cut out animal research! Every 12 minutes, a woman in America succumbs to breast cancer, but the Susan G. Komen Foundation continues to waste funds on cruel, outdated, and unreliable animal tests as the clock ticks on cancer patients’ lives.

Please support humane breast cancer charities, such as the Avon Foundation, which channels its funds into prevention, community-based organizations, and cutting-edge clinical research.

Searching for a cure shouldn’t cost animals their lives. Please take a moment to urge Susan G. Komen Foundation officials to immediately end all support for animal tests!

Click here to send them a letter.

The following post was originally published by Christine Doré on The PETA Files. Click here to view the original post.

We at PETA have long-loved Zappos.com for its amazing selection of leather-free shoes. In fact, we recently ranked Zappos as the #1 best retailer of vegan shoes. So needless to say, when we found out that Zappos was selling lots of fur products, we were none too pleased.

Back in August, we wrote to the company about this, urging it to adopt a fur-free policy. At the time, Zappos said that it would look into the issue, to gauge people’s thoughts on it. So, to help speed that process up, we launched an on-line marketing campaign, getting members of the public to write to Zappos’ CEO and urge him to send the pelts packing—which more than 11,000 of you did! The campaign also become totally viral and social networking was a huge part—many people posted tweets on Twitter and passed around our petition on Facebook and much more.

I mean seriously, is this the first campaign in history to ever be won by tweeting and the slick use of other online tools? It’s pretty exciting if you ask me. And also pretty novel! We are paving the way of the future, my friends.

Well, it seems Zappos got the message that people hate fur, because yesterday, the company officially adopted a permanent policy of never selling any products containing the fur of an animal!

Thank you SO much to all of you fantastic online activists for helping, and to Zappos, for making the kind decision to forego fur now and into the future. This will help spare countless mink, rabbits, foxes and other animals all the horror of fur-farming and trapping, like being electrocuted, bludgeoned and skinned alive.

Now that we’re all rightfully pumped about this exciting victory, we’ve decided to take on new campaign because, well, we can’t be stopped! Please join us in asking Amazon.com to follow Zappos lead and go fur-free. For those who want to learn more about the issue and find other ways to help, please visit FurIsDead.com and be sure to check out our compassionate clothing guide here.

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Does shopping for cruelty-free deodorant have you up in arms? When looking for a deodorant product, everyone has different needs. Whether you are shopping at your local health food store, drugstore, mega-mart or online, the world of cruelty-free deodorants has something for everyone.

Fortunately, cruelty-free deodorants are popping up all over the place. The following cruelty-free products are all fairly easy to find and one of them is sure to meet your needs, whether you need a strong antiperspirant, deodorant, a natural deodorant stone, or even if you would like to make your own product:

Antiperspirants
Antiperspirants are chemical agents that reduce perspiration or sweating.

Almay
Avon
Certain Dri
Estée Lauder
Mitchum

Deodorants
Deodorants are not antiperspirants—they do not prevent sweating. They work by masking the smell produced by sweat-eating bacteria.

Burt’s Bees Herbal Deodorant
Jason
Nature’s Gate
Tom’s of Maine

Deodorant Stones
This is nature’s deodorant: A combination of mineral salts that control odor-causing bacteria.

Body Crystal
Crystal Body Deodorant
Deodorant Stones of America
L’OCCITANE

Homemade Deodorant
If you are feeling ambitious, you can even make your own deodorant. I like the essential oils from Aura Cacia. Some people are sensitive to essential oils, so always do a small test on your skin and wait 24 hours to see if you have an adverse reaction before applying liberally.

On a small saucer, mix the following oils with your finger. Once combined, massage a thin layer of the oil under your arms until completely rubbed in:

1 drop essential rose oil
6 drops jojoba oil
2 drops essential lavender oil
1 drop essential vanilla oil

Click here to search for more cruelty-free brands and please post about your favorite cruelty-free deodorant too!

The following post was originally published by Amy Cook on The Veg Cooking Blog. Click here to view the original post.

One of the best things about going vegan—aside from the whole “being healthy, feeling great, saving animals” thing—is that if done right, it can be a very cheap way to eat. Yes, you can spend an arm and a leg if you’re only buying prepackaged items or hard-to-find soy cheeses, but if you go the more natural route, you can really save.

The best money-saving trick is to stick to staples like dried beans, rice, and pasta. All three of these can be purchased for less than a dollar, can last a long time, and are healthy.

Loading up on veggies is a necessity for any healthy diet, and you can save a little cash by buying frozen veggies. They usually contain more vitamins and nutrients than the canned options and last longer than the fresh stuff—meaning that you never have to throw out that broccoli you never used and waste money.

Creative, ethnic dishes are a great way for vegetarians to add flavor to their meals while still cutting costs, and you can make easy at-home versions. Pick up a soy-based sauce (around $2 at many stores), add it to those veggies I told you about, tofu (four servings can be purchased for $1–$3), and rice or noodles, and you could have an easy stir-fry for four that comes in under 10 bucks.

Or if stir-fries aren’t for you, try simple sandwiches. Peanut butter can be purchased for, well, mere peanuts at most stores. Spreads like hummus, mock-tuna salad, and mock-egg salad might be expensive if you buy them already prepared, but making them on your own is cheap and easy.

And for those of you who are totally against all things green or natural—processed vegan items, like soy cheese and faux meats, are now readily available at just about any grocery store, and they’ve become much more affordable. If you ate only these items, you might not see any savings, but adding them to your menu sometimes definitely won’t break the bank.

These are just a few pointers, and there are many other ways to save while eating vegan. To find out more about specific budget-friendly meal ideas, check out our guide to going vegetarian.