On Friday I went to the Farmers Market in Richmond, California to videotape the live bird vendors in an effort to expose the cruel treatment of the chickens. The birds are stuffed in those yellow crates, usually about 9 birds per crate, and when they are purchased they are violently shoved into paper bags (2 per bag) which are then stapled shut locking the birds inside. This vendor sells crates of eggs as well as the birds themselves, which are typically used for food or for cockfighting. Army of Compassion is working hard to end these practices. "Live animals are being sold at Farmers' Markets and shops, treated in ways that violate California's anti-cruelty laws, and are often in violation of health laws - yet law enforcement, politicians and judges have historically been reluctant to take action because of political pressure and other influences by people profiting from the markets."

I looked over this afternoon and Chance was in bed barking and "running" in his sleep, and I felt the urge to document his hilarious habits and share them with you guys. By the time I got the camera out he started waking up a bit and acting super groggy and snuggly. Adorable, no?

During the AR conference I got a chance to explore some of the many veggie restaurants in the LA area. The Veggie Grill was my favorite, with some of the most delicious food I've ever eaten! If you're ever in the LA area, don't miss this place. Check out their website and see their menu here: http://www.veggiegrill.com/

At AR 2009 I got to interview my good friend Yvonne Smith, the Traveling Vegetarian. I don't get to see her very often but we got a chance to reunite and share many meals and laughs at the conference. If you haven't heard about her you can check out her website, http://www.thetravelingvegetarian.tv/

I got a chance to interview veterinarian Armaiti May about feeding companion animals vegan and vegetarian diets. You can learn more about Dr. May at her website, http://veganvet.net/

Isa Chandra Moskowitz, who you may know from Post Punk Kitchen (http://theppk.com/), is the author of numerous vegan cookbooks including Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengeance, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, and now this new Vegan Brunch cookbook! I can't wait to try out these delicious looking recipes.

Seed is a vegan, organic and macrobiotic restaurant in Venice, California. They offer dishes ranging from curry bowls and burgers to bbq tempeh and cupcakes. I had the opportunity to interview the owner of Seed, long time vegan and chef, Eric Lechasseur. Be sure to check out their website at http://www.seedkitchen.com/

During my trip to southern California, Jen, Dan and I stopped by Real Food Daily in Santa Monica so we could show you a glimpse of yet another all-vegan restaurant/bakery. We didn't get to try the restaurant foods, but the baked goods we tasted were all amazing. My absolute favorite was the vegan version of a Hostess cupcake (which I never used to like, but this vegan version was out of this world).

During my 3 day visit to Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY, I took lots of videos and pictures of the animals so I could share a bit of the sanctuary (which I think is the most peaceful place on earth) with you! There was also additional footage provided by Farm Sanctuary. This video will bring you face to face with animals that have been rescued from horrible lives and ultimately from slaughter. Some were literally taken off of the dead piles at slaughterhouses. They will live out the rest of their lives in peace at Farm Sanctuary.

My good friend Stephanie Ernst, who writes the http://www.animalrights.change.org blog, posted a compelling blog entry about sheep and wool today. She wrote about common practices in the wool industry that are unbelievably barbaric and painful to the sheep, such as mulesing. This practice of tying down sheep and slicing off the skin surrounding the tail without anesthetics is something I learned about for the first time at Farm Sanctuary this summer. I always knew that as a vegan I would stop wearing wool because it is an animal product, but I didnt realize the extent of the suffering and painful mutilations associated with wool production. In this Vegan Break episode, Angela from farm sanctuary describes some of the reasons why wool definitely isnt something I want to support, let alone wear.

Before you go out and purchase "humane" meat, "cage free" or "free range" eggs, or "organic" animal products, take a few minutes to research what these deceptive labels actually mean. As it turns out, they don't mean much at all in terms of animal welfare. In this interview, Farm Sanctuary's director of legal campaigns, Delci Winders, speaks about the misleading labeling techniques used by animal agriculture industries to deceive the public and sell their products.

Jasmin Singer, the National Advocacy Organizer for Farm Sanctuary, gives quick witty responses to 5 questions and statements that vegans are asked all the time. It's fabulous to have the knowledge base to be able to launch into a lengthy, well researched response to questions such as the infamous "where do you get your protein?" question. However, it's always nice to have short (and fun) responses on hand. If you carry literature with you, you can then give people a "Why Vegan" brochure so that they can read more information on their own time.

*Visit http://www.VeganBreak.com for contest details! Anyone who has seen my Facebook profile recently has probably noticed that I discovered a brilliant online tool that can turn any picture into an "OBAMICON." That's right, remember those posters of Obama in red white and blue that swept the nation before the election? Well now you can make your own. Whether you are an Obama fanatic, a NObama kind of man, or you don't get yourself involved in messy political side-taking, you've got to admit this is awesome, hilarious, and altogether brilliant. Almost as brilliant as the Chia Obama (but not quite). In light of this new discovery and my subsequent addiction to Obamifying my very Obamagenic dog Chance, I have decided to hold a Vegan Break Obamicon-Off! That's right. I'm challenging YOU to make the best vegan-themed Obamicon. The winner will win a $20 gift certificate to VeganChic.com! How to enter: Go to http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com and create an Obamicon. Just upload a photo and play around with the color ratios until it looks like a winner. Choose a fun, sassy, *vegan themed* saying. Click "Save and submit." It will ask you to register for an account, which is super-quick and free. Save the image to your computer and upload it to the Vegan Break Facebook Fan Page! *submiting your photo to the Obamicon site will not enter you into the contest--you must post it to the Facebook Fan Page!* You may enter as many Veganized Obamicons as you want. There will be 3 judges who will rate the submissions, and we will choose a winner on Friday September 18th, 2009 at 6:00PM. Now...let the games begin! May the best human win =) PS. This is also a great form of online activism because anyone using the Obamicon website will see our awesome Vegan photos! WARNING: Obamiconifying pictures is known to be highly addictive. Use with caution.

Farm Sanctuary's Susie Coston tells the story of some of the sanctuary's resident pigs and speaks about the problems with Gestation Crates.

For some people the idea of pizza without cheese seems ludicrous, but in fact you can have a very fulfilling, delicious, and much more healthful pizza by leaving off the cheese. Many if not most pizza places don't use dairy or eggs in their crusts, so you typically won't have to feel left out if the family is ordering pizza--just ask them to hold the cheese. But if you want to have a little more fun and get creative, try making your own pizza! Trader Joe's sells a pre-prepared pizza dough (it comes in a plastic bag and is very fresh) as well as some delicious pizza sauce. Grab some garlic, veggies, and vegan cheese if you want it (Daiya works well if you can find it), and personalize your very own pizza pie.