More than a number

My friend Jay posted this story about his new tattoo and his dog, Liam, on Facebook the other day, and I asked him if I could post it on the bakery blog because it brought me to tears. I’m just going to let it speak for itself, but I hope you think of Liam next time you consider buying a product that has been tested on animals. Remember, most lab animals don’t end up with the happy ending that Liam has. Here it is:

8888884. I just got those numbers tattooed on myself. They are numbers that mean a lot to me because I am not the first person to get them. These numbers were first tattooed on someone nearly 4 years ago. Someone who didn’t get to choose where he would get his number. Someone who didn’t want a number in the first place. His name is Liam. He’s my dog.

For the first 4 years of Liam’s life, he didn’t have a name. He was a laboratory testing animal and as such, a name wasn’t in the cards for him. A name would have personalized him. Made him real. Turned him into something more than the subject of an experiment, a tool to be used for human gain. It makes it harder to view a person as a thing when it has a name. A series of numbers says the opposite of a name. It denotes a lack of importance, it strips a living creature of its worth and makes it just a thing that is being used. Because thats what Liam was to the people who had him for the first 4 years of his life. A thing. A tool. Nothing more than a number.

People sometimes ask me how I can know that. How I can know what it was like for Liam in the lab? I know because I was the first person to see him when he came out. When Liam came to live with me, he was terrified. Not just of his new surroundings, but of everything. The sound of metal clinking, the feel of grass or anything soft, it all scared him. The thing that broke my heart most, was that he was afraid of me as well. When I touched him, he would put his head down and put his tail between his legs. The only touch he had known had been the touch that was always followed by something painful. Something unpleasant. I could see it in his eyes when I touched him, he was afraid of what I was going to do to him. Afraid that myself and my friends would treat him exactly how all the other humans he had ever encountered had. As a thing. A tool. Nothing more than a number.

But he proved himself to be stronger than I can even begin to understand. Somehow, even after everything he went through, slowly but surely, he began to trust the new people around him. He started to wag his tail. To learn that there was more to this world than pain, cages and concrete. The grass still scared him, but he wanted to be near the new people around him. So he would take one big jump into the yard to be next to us and then one big jump back to the sidewalk. Over time, he didn’t have to jump, he would simply walk through the grass. He had learned not to be afraid of the feel of something soft. He even learned how to play…sort of.

In preparation for getting him from the lab, my friends and I got tons of toys for Liam. Toys we quickly learned he didn’t understand or care about. We would throw a toy for him and he would just watch, unsure what was going on. He had never played before and didn’t have a clue what we wanted him to do. I remember vividly the first time he chased a toy. I got so excited and he saw it. He ran to the toy, picked it up, dropped it half way back and ran into me, knocking me over. He looked so happy. We threw it again and he would run to where it fell, leave it there, run back and bowl me over again and again in his excitement to be playing for the very first time. Watching him running back and forth through the house, wagging his tail and literally jumping into my arms remains one of the happiest moments in my life because I know it was one of the first happy moments in his. That memory still brings tears to my eyes.

To me, this tattoo is first and foremost about Liam. About someone I love and who constantly gives me the strength to not give up in the face of odds that nearly always seem insurmountable. But its about more than just Liam. Because Liam, despite all he has gone through, is one of the lucky few. The end of his ordeal was the beginning of something better. Millions of other animals in laboratories around the world and billions of other animal in exploitative industries don’t get a new beginning. Only an end. Liam reminds me of that every day. Because he got a chance the vast majority of them will never get. Its of them I think when I want to give up fighting. How Liam is getting the chance they all deserve. My dog, who I love more than anything is no different then any of them. The only difference between him and them, is he got the chance to become something more than a number.

Until every cage is empty,

-J

Cupcake Wars!

The Food Network called me and asked if I’d like to apply to be on a show called Cupcake Wars. I said sure, and they asked me to make a video application that shows my personality. Well, here it is.  Don’t know if I’ve made it on the show yet. Also, turns out a vegan girl has already won it once!

Closed on the 4th

We will be taking a much needed day off on July 4th! It’s pretty sad to skip a brunch Sunday, but it’s Michelle Herbivore’s birthday and there are fireworks, so who can resist? If you need to order a cake for that weekend, please call by Thursday morning to have the order available for pickup Saturday. Have a great weekend!

You’re getting married!

It seems like last year couples were a little timid about getting married. Fears about the economy perhaps? Less love and excitement about saying I do after you’ve just lost your job? Well, NOT THIS YEAR! Wedding season is in full swing, and for the first time ever, we are completely booked through September. That means I don’t have a Saturday off for 4 months, and I honestly couldn’t be more excited. I’ve met some wonderful couples, some demanding mother-in-laws, and this year more than ever lots of non-vegans who are just excited about our cake. And I’m kidding about that mother-in-law thing, you’re all laid back and wonderful.

We started off the season right, with a cake in my favorite colors. Turquoise? Orange? Yes!

Yellow bird, up high in banana tree... Anyone? Anyone?

This one was an adorable DIY wedding that I wish I could have stayed for! Sometimes the flowers really make it all come together.

dainty roses

And a groom’s cake for the man who loves basketball! This one was at McMenamins, and I have to say they know how to handle weddings. They take care of everything.

go blazies!

If your wedding is after September of this year, call to set up a tasting soon, and for those of you thinking about next year, we start booking out in January, so pick a date, and call early!

Monthly Cookbook Series

Michelle from Herbivore and I are doing a new FREE cooking demo series! Here’s the spiel:

Over here at the Vegan Mini Mall, we are always thinking about ways to get folks to go vegan, stay vegan, and make veganism attractive to others. It’s just another type of outreach or activism, right? There are also a LOT of new vegans in Portland, and we are here for you! We want to help keep your transition to compassionate eating fun and educational and, well, delicious. And keep you coming around our “mini-mall!”

Introducing the Monthly Cookbook Series! On the last Wednesday of every month, Starting June 30 at 7pm, Lisa Higgins of Sweetpea Baking Company, and myself (Michelle of Herbivore) will host a fun educational event to promote vegan cooking, vegan cookbooks, and learning new skills in the kitchen. Events will be at Sweetpea, 1205 SE Stark St. in Portland. Woo!

Sexy Plaintains!

Our first book and demo is the awesome new Viva Vegan by Terry Hope Romero. Don’t know what sopes are? Fear not. Interested in an empanada? So are we! Lisa and I will choose 3 or so recipes from the book, demonstrate new techniques and ingredients, demystify them, get you involved and doing something new too, and then we can all chow down. These events are limited to 20 people,and it’s now full. We look forward to seeing you there!

!!! I can’t tell you how much I LOVE this cookbook. I grew up in Miami, and I miss Cuban/Latin food like crazy! This will be a really fun event, email Michelle and sign up fast.

Sweetpea visits the Farm Sanctuary

In the 5 1/2 years since I started the bakery I haven’t had a chance to take many vacations. So when the flier came in the mail for Farm Sanctuary’s annual Hoe Down at the Orland, CA farm, I took one look at the pictures of happy cows and goats and sunny skies and ran to the computer and bought tickets. Orland is only an 8 hour drive from Portland, and I’d be able to bring a gift basket for their silent auction, as well as treats for the staff and volunteers.

after 8 hrs in the car and a night of camping it didn't look this good

It pretty much sounded like the perfect weekend trip. Except for the camping part, but I was overlooking that, mostly because my partner was so excited about it. (I mean, does anyone really LIKE camping?) I left Portland dreaming of having this amazing experience where I reconnected with animals, reinforced all of my beliefs about animal rights and remembered why I started a vegan bakery in the first place. I guess I wanted to renew my motivation, and stop being so bogged down in the day to day of running a business. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to make that happen.

I was already giddy about petting cows and goats, but I didn’t realize how excited I’d be about being in a farm setting in general. I’m such a city girl. When I came back I told Chad (from Food Fight!) that I couldn’t believe how bristly the pigs were, and he said “You’ve never touched a pig?!” and I have to admit, I hadn’t! I guess I’m a great example of how disconnected we are from these animals that many people consume as food on a daily basis.

underdog

As it turns out, I’m scared of cows. Did you know that they are HUGE? Their size and power amazed me, and I was nervous just being next to them. Of course they turned out to be so gentle and soft, and I quickly picked out a sweet brown cow named Harrison to spend all my time with. He was smaller, and less intimidating to me. Josh attached himself to the oldest cow he could find- he had a steady stream of drool blowing in the wind (the cow, not Josh, although Josh drools pretty often too). The pigs were so funny and grumpy, unless you were rubbing their bellies. Again, I was amazed by their size.

those ears! that mohawk!

I love goats.  LOVE THEM! They unfortunately, were not as fond of me. I also stepped in goat poop, but it did not dim my love of goats one bit.

run goat run

Turkeys were so rad, and I just never get tired of that gobble gobble noise. They look like characters from a Star Trek movie. We learned about how hey are bred to have such big chests (for breast meat) that their feet can’t bear the weight of their bodies.

giving me the stink eye i think

And when I got out of the tent at 6 am to pee for the 4th time that night (camping and beer, good idea, bad idea!) the sky and the moon were so beautiful I had to run back to the tent for the camera and get a picture, which of course just doesn’t do it justice.

let's all go back

As much as I loved being close to all of the animals, the best part of the trip for me turned out to be the people. Some were old friends who it was nice to just spend time with, like my mini-mall neighbors, Josh, Michelle and Ruby from Herbivore. We made new friends (Hi Kile and Missi!), met some phenomenal volunteers and staff and even got to meet the founder of Twitter, Biz, and his wife Livia, who are vegan and big supporters of Farm Sanctuary. By far the most exciting person there for me was Tanya Petrovna, the owner of Native Foods Cafe. Meeting another female vegan restaurant owner just made my whole trip off the charts, especially since I love Native Foods, and her cookbook. Tanya was so friendly, warm, and funny and the Chilaquiles she made for us were delicious (and easy!).

After stopping in Eugene on the way home to eat at  PRI and the Sweet Life, I couldn’t wait to get home with my renewed motivation and positive outlook. Getting back into the kitchen and remembering that every time we bake a cake without eggs, or a muffin without cow’s milk we keep an animal from suffering. I’ll never know how many animals lives have been saved by what we do on a daily basis, but I know that we are making an impact. If a year goes by, and I’m starting to forget, you will find me at Farm Sanctuary again next year, remembering!

Spring, we’ve been waiting for you

I’m sitting in the bakery enjoying one of my favorite times here – It’s 6am and the sun is just coming up. I have a cup of french pressed coffee in my favorite mug (Stumptown, Indonesia Sulawesi Toarco, for you coffee nerds). Aaron did all the work, so I didn’t even have to get up to make it, one of the joys of having great employees. It’s quiet except for the soothing sounds of food prep coming from the kitchen; refrigeration humming, knives chopping, pans clanging, oven doors being open and shut. Every once in awhile Jesse and Katie laugh at something as they work and I can’t help but smile. Outside traffic is starting to pick up, and when the wind blows the air is full of pink petals, flying like snowflakes, from the blossoming trees lining the opposite side of the street. I know in an hour it’s going to get hectic, and I’ll forget this moment.

by now i should probably know what kind of trees these are

It’s finally spring, and after all of the impatient waiting, the tulips are blooming, and we’ve had our first warm sunny days. It’s already getting too warm in the kitchen, and we’re started wearing shorts. We’ve been thinking about fresh local fruit coming soon, and all of the new things we’ll bake. As much as I love fall holidays, I think this time of year is my favorite. It’s like a fresh start.

In the theme of working on new things, we’ve been featuring more savory items lately, my favorite of which has been this roasted garlic and tomato tart. It looks fairly unassuming, but the intensity of flavors are incredible.

waves of tomatoes

Easter came and went already, so quickly that we barely had time to take any pictures. My Mom made a big deal of Easter when I was a kid, so I have more of a sense of excitement about it that the rest of my staff. I know it’s only because my Mom put money in our Easter eggs instead of candy, but I think that’s just because she’s a smart Mom – it kept me and my sisters interested in egg hunts well into our teens. Julie always seemed to get all of the money and I would get the eggs that had notes in them like “Empty the trash” and “wash the dishes”. Here at the bakery we made some cupcakes that were so fun and adorable that they sold out in minutes. And no chicken eggs were used in the process!

he's too fat to fit in the hole. too many cupcakes for breakfast.

It’s 8am now,and time to get to work. Hope your Spring starts as well as ours has, and we hope to see you in the bakery soon, wearing a tank top and shorts! Maye you can show us all the new tattoos you got this winter.

-Lisa

Portland Rules (duh!)

I finally got word from the city that our on-street bike parking is slated to be installed at the end of April. YAY! We’re getting 10 staple racks right out in front of the bakery, just in time for sunny weather. They will look like this:

room for 20 hufnagel cycles

I’ve borrowed that photo from Huntco, the company that installs the racks for the city. Can’t wait!

No News is good news

I haven’t been keeping up with blogging, which means we’ve been busy and I’ve been working a lot, which is GREAT! Can’t say thanks enough to everyone who has been coming in for sandwiches and ordering birthday cakes. We are super proud and pleased with our new sandwich menu.  I’m also excited about all of the wonderful couples I’ve met for wedding tastings this year so far. My summer is looking very booked! If you are planning a wedding this year, now is the time to call and reserve your date, and come in for a free tasting. We’ve already done some great weddings this year and I’ll post some photos soon. Hope to see you this weekend!

-Lisa

Valentine’s Day, Part Deux

Oh Valentine’s Day, you’re so enticing with your reds and pinks and hearts and love and stuff. Besides flowers and truffles, we’re putting together all of our regular suspects for the day.

Personalized Heart Shaped Cookies $1.50 each or $15/dozen.

You can call in advance and we’ll write whatever you’d like on your cookies. And we really mean ANYTHING, as long as it fits on the cookie.

how very tame

This year we are also adding Heart Sandwich Cookies ($1.50 ea, $15/dozen) to our list, reminiscent of that Pepperidge Farms cookie with the two butter cookies and the chocolate in the middle that I can’t remember the name of. Very subtle, so you can eat the entire bag in one sitting.

Choclate Brownie Mini Bundts ($4.50) are making an appearance, perfect for two…

a veritable volcano of love

Other exciting options are Heart Shaped Cheesecakes for Two ($10), or a larger Chocolate Raspberry Heart Shaped Cake (serves 8-10 $30) if you love a lot of people.

Call ahead to order  – we will have extras on hand, but when they run out, they’re gone! When you’re here that morning for our Buy one get one half off brunch you can pick up your Valentine’s Day order. Easy!