I’ve been obsessed with Roni Kantor ever since I spotted her shoes on Mooshoes’ site, but then I started following the Tel Aviv-based designer on Instagram and saw allll these amazing shoes that I couldn’t find in the US–until now! Her Etsy store has expanded with a new winter line and they are CUTE AS ALL GET OUT! I mean look at these green babes, so cute. 

And YOU KNOW I love a low heel, and she has so many styles with kitten heels like this pretty maroon number pictured above.  

Besides the winter line, she’s had a wedding line up there for a while. I love these floral ones–so 80s chic. 

And I HAD to get this pair of white low-heels for myself! They are SO ADORBS. [Disclosure: the company gave me 20{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} off when I told them I was writing about them for Vegansaurus–I totes didn’t ask for it I swear! I’m just a fancy vegan influencer is all]. 

For my next purchase, I’m thinking these low-heel oxfords. Perf for work right? Perf for work. 

So def check out these awesome vegan shoes! That is all!

Miss Rachel’s pecan sticky buns HUBBA HUBBA!

In the mystical city of Philadelphia, there’s a magical vegan food oasis known as Miss Rachel’s Pantry. Over the Thanksgiving break, I visited this magical vegan food oasis and, low and behold, MIND FRICKIN BLOWN!

Miss Rachel’s is an all-vegan market, bakery, meal-service, catering company and Saturday night supper club. 

I went there for a wonderful Thanksgiving meal and then had to come back on Saturday before we left town! 

THANK GOD I DID, because chocolate cinnamon babka!

The market is only open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. And babka is just one of the dozens of amazing vegan delicacies available. 

I also ate the best vegan grilled cheesed I’ve ever had. It was on vegan challah bread for christmas’ sake. 

It was also filled with tempeh I think and then the cheese was Miss Rachel’s homemade muenster! 

Of course I had to try the quiche and potato knish! The quiche was good, the knish was OUT OF SIGHT. It had caramelized onions on top yuuuummmm. 

These were also popular, vegan black and white cookies!!!

As for my Thanksgiving meal, if you ordered one in advance this probably looks familiar! Like I said, Miss Rachel does a meal service too, including special things for holidays like these bomb seitan roasts. So pretty right?? (Hint: RIGHT)

This was my full meal. Don’t be jeals. Ok you can be. 

And then for dessert we had this incredible caramel apple pie with streusel topping! It was like out of control.  

But even after I left Philly, my journey was not over because when we were there on Saturday, her take-home meal of the day was butternut mac and cheese! So obvi I got one for the road. Had it Sunday and it was amazepants. Super creamy. 

I hope you have enjoyed this photo stream. Though you can’t possibly enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed the food but…you can visit and try it all for yourself! So you can do the meal service, the catering, the weekend market, and/or (let’s be honest!: AND) the Saturday night dinners. Yay for you! Yay for Miss Rachel! 

Hello! As it’s “cyber Monday,” I thought I’d get it together early this year and help you out with your holiday shopping. As I’ve said in previous years, I’m the best gift-giver in history. So congrats, I’m here for you.  

For Dad

Also suitable for the dad-fashion enthusiast, Vaute has sweaters! You already know I’m a fan but fyi, I’m a fan. These are made from 80{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} recycled cotton left over from the fashion industry, and spun in a wasteless process. And they’re made in NYC!

For Mom

It is a scientific fact that 80{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} of moms are “freezing” 90{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} of the time. Therefore, they will love this infinite scarf by Threads 4 Thought! You can buy it at Mooshoes. Threads 4 Thought is a brand founded on sustainability and this scarf is made of 100{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} recycled polyester. 

For Baby

VeganBabyToys on Etsy has the cutest stuff animals, like this pretty ele! Though the name says vegan, you can also choose merino wool stuffing so just make sure you say vegan stuffing in the notes, just to be sure. These are made with organic cotton and plant dyes, yay!

Stocking Stuffers

There is nobody in the world who doesn’t love Hurraw lipbalm. At least no one I’ve ever met. Seriously, omnivores get obsessed with this all-vegan lipbalm. Not only vegan, the balms are made with all-natural, fair-trade ingredients. And they come in so many fun flavors! Or scents I guess? Idk you know what I mean. 

For Stressed-Out Friends

Coloring books for adults are a big trend now, and it could be because they relieve stress! PLUS looking at cute animals is a stress-reliever too, according to my own theory of Squee Therapy (and other people too ok). So basically, a coloring book of cute animals is like mega-perfect for your friends who need to chillax! Enter: Norbert and Lil Bub’s coloring book! It’s only $15 and a portion of the proceeds go towards Lil Bub’s Big Fund, her ASPCA charity that raises money to help special-needs pets. 

For the Host/Your Boss/Booze Enthusiasts

According to Barnivore, all Tuthilltown Spirits are vegan, including my super classy brother’s favorite, the Hudson Manhattan Rye. You can get Hudson whiskeys at most nice liquor stores, it’s pretty easy to find (at least in New York, it’s made locally). Hudson is an old standby in my gift-giving repertoire. Even if people don’t drink whiskey, they will feel classy having this on hand. I’m telling you!

The Latka-Loving Foodie

Hello you beautiful condiments! Mouth.com has assembled the ultimate latka topping gift set. From the fig and olive tapenade to the apple caramel preserves, Mouth lists all these products as vegan. Yay! Bring on the latkas!

Ok that is this year’s list! Hope it’s helpful and happy holidays to you all!

You guys! If you were interested in those Vaute sweaters and gowns we told you about, NOW is the time to buy one! They are on pre-order sale!!! Get them HERE (and bring your cc, they still aren’t cheap–hashtag worth it tho).

Refresher:

The gowns are made of recycled bottles! From a RIVER in ITALY! There is something so chic about recycled Italian bottles from a river, amirite? Maybe not. But I feel like I’m really right on this one. 

The sweaters are made from 80{ae720e0b436026f867bfa0c31185c2252a138f27e85f5f152ec5acc1c10a8cc9} recycled cotton yarn and knit in a wasteless process here in the NYC garment district. Leanne says basically NO one does this kind of process any more (hence all the waste in the industry), so that’s pretty freaking cool. 

I love vegan companies that are super environmentally conscious! And Vaute is like next-level, always innovating to find new and better ways to be environmentally friendly–while also being super high quality. Love love love. 

PS: there’s some cute new coat colors too!

I paused last night to contemplate how thankful I am for all my friends, family, and colleagues who are tirelessly working to build a more humane society for all of us, both human and nonhuman alike—thank you all!

Another reason to be thankful is that another week passed, and more major food companies announced they’re abandoning battery cages. General Mills, Jack in the Box, and Qdoba put a few more nails in the battery cage’s coffin this week.

With the climate conference in Paris starting soon, a prestigious think tank issued a report urging governments to tax meat in order to protect the planet. And speaking of the planet, one columnist blew this whistle this week on the big overpopulation crisis our planet is facing: too many farm animals.

Paul Shapiro
Vice President, Farm Animal Protection
The Humane Society of the United States
twitter.com/pshapiro

P.S. Video of the week: You won’t believe what this pig can do!