Fabris softener!

[HoosierGiant]

Perhaps your daughter needs to reconsider agar-agar. It's gelatin derived from seaweed. Japanese have used it for centuries.

Agar... carrageenan... welcome to the world of polysaccharides! She's giving us all quite an education!

[Karma007]

Some ethnic markets make a jello-ish dessert with agar agar, and Whole Foods carries a gelatin free one as well. I'm vegan and can reccomend some cookbooks, if you're interested. Anything by Isa Moskowitz (Vegan with a Vengence AND Vegan Cupcakes Take OVer The World are faves) or the Vegan Lunchbox (Jennifer McCann) . They're all easy to read, easy to make, and not too preachy.

[HoosierGiant]

Some ethnic markets make a jello-ish dessert with agar agar, and Whole Foods carries a gelatin free one as well. I'm vegan and can reccomend some cookbooks, if you're interested. Anything by Isa Moskowitz (Vegan with a Vengence AND Vegan Cupcakes Take OVer The World are faves) or the Vegan Lunchbox (Jennifer McCann) . They're all easy to read, easy to make, and not too preachy.

Thanks a million!!!

[OakLeaf]

If you just get the agar plain (either powdered or in sticks or sheets, which just take a little longer to dissolve) you can make jello with any type of fruit juice. Way cheaper and healthier than pre-packaged desserts!

Plus, since the thickening agent is a soluble fiber rather than a protein with gelatin, it's actually good for you.

[gnarwhal]

Some ethnic markets make a jello-ish dessert with agar agar, and Whole Foods carries a gelatin free one as well. I'm vegan and can reccomend some cookbooks, if you're interested. Anything by Isa Moskowitz (Vegan with a Vengence AND Vegan Cupcakes Take OVer The World are faves) or the Vegan Lunchbox (Jennifer McCann) . They're all easy to read, easy to make, and not too preachy.

YAY! Another Vegan cyclist who loves Isa! I have VwaV on my wishlist but people keep buying me Veganomicon...i have 3 copies now.

[indigoiis]

Hm. For all we know, vegetables have consciousness, too.

I only eat rocks.

[OakLeaf]

Ahem. I don't think there's any need to ridicule other people's life choices, which possibly have a religious or spiritual basis. (And note that it's only Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions that make "consciousness" a foundation of vegetarianism; Christian vegetarianism is historically based more on what eating the animal does to one's own body and spiritual state).

I've been slipping lately, for a number of reasons that I won't go into here, but I know very clearly which creatures I'm prepared to kill and which ones I'm not. What did/would you do when it's your turn to wring the chicken's neck or cut the steer's throat? Have you ever been to a branding?

This thread started by talking about horse byproduct. Many people who aren't vegetarians recoil at the idea of slaughtering certain animals that are capable of forming deep emotional bonds with humans. Horse slaughter is now banned in the USA (whether you approve of that legislation or not). Meat from dogs or cats - while common in some cultures - wouldn't last half a second on US grocery shelves.

[Brandi]

YAY! Another Vegan cyclist who loves Isa! I have VwaV on my wishlist but people keep buying me Veganomicon...i have 3 copies now.

Bet some ladies here would buy them off you?

[Brandi]

I am not a vegan. I don't do crap food though except here and there if there is nothing else. I am bothered by the fact that we need all these wierd things in our life. I don't mind eating meat here and there. We tend to lean twords vegatarian if we can. I don't use fabric softener's on our bike our hiking clothes. I liked it for things like sweaters, towels, sheets etc...I understand it is clean and so on. But putting animal fat on your clothes is strange now that I know about it. And it doesn't say on the bottles so looking for it doesn't work. I know there are probably a lot of things just like this. But what does fabric softner really do? Make your clothes smell nice and soft? True. But do we need it?

[Irulan]

static control, "soft feeling", wrinkle control and artificial scents.

[Aggie_Ama]

I switched to Bamboo Sheets and they can't use dryer sheets but they are oh so soft. Organic sheets, no fabric softener= win! And they breath so well in hot Texas. My only gripe is they are a natural color and seem dingy because DH and I both tend to have oily skin in the summer. But did I mention they seem naturally soft and light?

[Karma007]

I found thse neat laundry sachets at Trader Joe's. They're reusable, and gave my laundry nice lavendar scent...

[Aggie_Ama]

My family and DH's are ranchers though so you can guess we will never embrace the lifestyle but I will never go to the slaughter house again. So even the carnivores draw the line and I don't care about others choices. But I must say a rock would really hurt my teeth.

When I was in high school my best friend was from Indian and ate primarily vegetarian, although chicken was eaten. I would give anything to have a big helping of her mom's Samosas again. Heaven in triangle and no Indian restuarant can hold a candle to hers. I could die just thinking of them. She used to make them for me for driving her home from college for the weekend and tell me I could freeze them but they never lasted long enough.

[Karma007]

I don't judge other poeples diets. I simply believe that if every single person did a little more, we'd all be better off. If you can't give up meat, fine, just be aware of what you're eating, and what is being given to it before you eat it. If you're still okay with it, cool. We're all friends. I choose to avoid animal products where possible. My cycling shoes are leather. Does it make me a bad vegan or an avid cyclist? I don't know. I don't really care.
Regardless, I am thrilled to have another vegan cyclist on board.
And, to stay on topic, I threw away my dryer sheets last night. This has been an informative thread.

ETA- Vegan Cupcakes Take of The World is one of the most awesome cookbooks ever, no matter what you eat!

[indigoiis]

I apologize - I was not ridiculing. The rocks part was definitely being silly, yes, but I was making a valid point. Vegetables are living organisms and we really don't know that they don't have consciousness or feel pain. Where does one draw the line?