Compassionate Women

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Quick & Easy
    • Dinner
    • Confection
    • Beverages
  • Health & Beauty
  • Bits & Pieces
    • Animals
    • Travel
    • Tidbits
    • Resources
  • Stella the Dog
  • Shop
  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • My account

Be Beautiful Inside and Out, Part 2

October 6, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Face cream and calendula flower

This is part 2 of my series about the little known toxins lurking in your everyday beauty products, and the safer alternatives to buying the cheap, big brands that are harmful to your body. If you missed it, here’s Be Beautiful Inside & Out, Part 1.

And here’s a quick reminder of why it’s important to buy cruelty-free products.

Natural Toothpaste

Toothpaste – Most people use toothpaste multiple times every day and never think there may be some serious toxins in a paste this is supposed to keep teeth healthy. Unfortunately, all the big brands contains a plethora of chemicals that do harm to the body. For years fluoride was touted as the end-all-be-all for strong pearly whites. I remember getting the fluoride foam treatment every time I went for a check up at the dentist. New studies show that sodium fluoride may be a possible neurotoxin, and the Food & Drug Administration now requires all toothpaste containing fluoride to label this warning on their product:

WARNING: Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, seek professional help or contact a poison control center immediately.”

Ummm, great. So glad I swallowed so much of that foam treatment when I was a kid. In fact, it takes a very small amount of sodium fluoride to cause symptoms of acute fluoride toxicity. If there’s a warning label on something as simple as toothpaste, I’m going to assume I probably should find a better option. Aside from that, big brands also contain sodium hydroxide (the chemical name for lye and a toxic drain cleaner), titanium dioxide (a possible carcinogen), and PVM.MA copolymer (a highly irritating binding agent). Don’t forget about 2 chemicals I discussed in part 1 – triclosan (classified as a pesticide) and sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS (used in products like garage floor cleaners and engine degreasers). Oh, and those pesky dyes and additives, like FD & C Blue Dyes 1 & 2 are made from coal tar oil and synthesized from petroleum, and can still be absorbed into your body even if you don’t swallow your toothpaste. Scary! I currently use Xyli-White from Now Solutions. It’s free of fluoride, SLS, gluten, parabens, and all the other chemicals we just discussed.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Health & Beauty Tagged With: acne, baby wipes, beautiful, beauty, calendula, chemicals, compassionate, cruelty free, face wash, facial wipes, fluroide, health, homemade, humane, make up brushes, mouthwash, natural, non-GMO, oatmeal, olive oil, organic, plant power, plant-based, pyrithione zinc, rosacea, shea butter, skin, skincare, toothpaste, toxins, vegan

Vegan & Gluten Free Banana Nut Scones

September 23, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Banana Nut Scones

Who doesn’t love a good scone? That’s one thing I missed when I switched over to a gluten free, vegan lifestyle. There was a bakery in Austin that had the most amazing chocolate chip scones and I miss them, but now that I have a foundation for plant-based scones, the possibilities are endless! I originally found this amazing recipe on CookieandKate.com and it was so delicious looking (and easy) that I had to try it. The scones came out great! I’ve tweaked the recipe so that’s it gluten free and vegan (original is not gluten free), added one minor ingredient, a couple of other small changes and bam! – scones that are yummy, healthy, and cruelty-free. I’ve made this recipe so many times – I’ve tried it in scone form, muffin form, and full on cake form. I have to say the scones are still my favorite.

Coconut Oil Spray Pan of Toasted Pecans Toasted Pecans

First things first, toasting the pecans. It calls to toast them in the oven on parchment paper, but of course I never have parchment paper (sigh…) so instead I used coconut oil spray on the baking sheet and it worked perfectly. After 3 minutes, pull them out of the oven and chop them up. I don’t get too focused on chopping them finely, otherwise my OCD will kick in and it will take me an hour just to chop the pecans.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Confection, Recipes Tagged With: almond meal, almond milk, baking, banana, breakfast, brown rice flour, coconut oil, compassion, compassionate women, cruelty free, earth balance, flax milk, glaze, gluten free, health, healthy, humane, love, maple glaze, maple syrup, muffins, non-GMO, nut, nutrition, nutritious, organic, peace, pecans, plant-based, recipe, recipes, scone, scones, vegan, vegetarian, women

Be Beautiful Inside and Out, Part 1

September 12, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

Natural Beauty Products

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about what humane beauty products are, why it’s important to choose them, and some ideas on how to go about that. I decided to do a three part series so I can go into a bit more detail about the everyday products that most of us use, include some homemade substitutes, and remind everyone how easy it is to make the switch over to humane. I mean, if it’s so easy, why wouldn’t you?!

Nail polish – I love to paint my nails. I’ve been doing my own nails since I was a small child and I always get compliments on them. However, I never stopped to think that toxic chemicals could be in my nail polish. But, oh, they are. The majority of nail polishes contain the following: toluene (which is neurotoxic), formaldehyde (cancer-causing preservative), & dibutyl phthalate (or DPT, which interferes with reproductive hormones). Yuck, right? And just like your skin, your nails absorb whatever is put on them. Plus, many nail polish brands test on animals. Yuck again. Check this link out for a list of vegan nail polishes, it contains a lot of well known, easy-to-find brands on it. However, it’s important to find out if any of the brands contain the toxic trio (I’m very happy to report that OPI does not, which is great news, because I love them!) Best way to find out? Do your research. It’s so easy these days to find information on the internet, just make sure it’s a legitimate resource. I wouldn’t necessarily go to a product’s website, because products that claim they are chemical free, actually are not. I would check out websites like EWG’s Skin Deep as well as search for studies that have been done on products outside of the company. Your nails can look fabulous without harming your health or harming animals!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Health & Beauty Tagged With: animal testing, beauty, body wash, chemicals, compassionate, compassionate women, conditioner, cruelty free, deoderant, fragrance, health, homemade, humane, nail polish, natural, perfume, plant power, plant-based, plants, poo free, shampoo, shaving gel, skin, skincare, toxins, vegan, women

Vegan Mexican Taco Salad

September 3, 2014 by Jillian 3 Comments

Vegan Mexican Taco Salad

So I was going to write a post about something else this week but I’ve been thinking about food so much lately, that I couldn’t help but post another recipe! Necessity is indeed the mother of invention. When I walked into my kitchen the other night, starving, there was barely anything decent to be found. I had some leftover black beans in the fridge and that got me thinking about what I could whip up with them. I ended up creating a tofu crumble reminiscent of ground beef or turkey, with sauteed onions, the black beans, and salad fixings. And it was so, so good! It took twenty minutes at the most and filled me up without leaving me feeling heavy. Ready for this super simple, quick, nutritious meal?!

Tofu and Onions

This recipe starts out very white, but don’t fear, it ends up very colorful! I cut up some thick slices of white onion and put them in a pan with a splash of olive oil on medium heat. I let those sizzle for a couple of minutes. Take any kind of tofu you like. I used the Trader Joe’s Organic Sprouted Tofu Extra Firm, it works the best for crumbling and having a ground meat consistency. This particular brand is in the refrigerated section. Use your hands to crumble it into the pan and give everything a quick stir. You can turn the heat down to low or med-low.

Tofu Crumble, Onions, and Spices

Next I added seasonings: Cumin, chili powder, and paprika. I wait to add the salt and pepper until all the ingredients are in the pan. It’s easier for me to see how much S&P I need when everything is mixed together, but do whatever works for you.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Quick & Easy, Recipes Tagged With: black beans, compassionate, compassionate women, cruelty free, fiber, gluten free, healthy, heath, humane, meal, mexican, nutritional yeast, onions, paprika, plant power, plant-based, recipe, recipes, taco salad, tofu, vegan, vegan taco salad, vegetarian, veggie, women

Little Ways to Make a Big Difference

August 21, 2014 by Jillian Leave a Comment

rescue dog

I think most people agree that in general, we all like animals and we all want to help them. Working at animal shelters, I got to witness firsthand how amazing and kind some people can be when it comes to helping a cat or dog in need. However, I also witnessed that many people don’t know how to help or don’t think to in the first place. Unfortunately, humans have become so conditioned to believe that we matter more than our furry counterparts that we’re used to seeing animals lying in the road that were run over, we’re used to hearing about all the healthy companion animals that are “euthanized” in shelters every year, we’re used to hunting and killing animals for entertainment, and we’re used to eating animals without giving it a second thought. Kinda crazy when you stop and think about it, right? I mean, we’ve been controlling animals minds and bodies for thousands of years without ever really wondering what the true consequence of that is. We’re finally beginning to see some of those severe consequences.

What’s really going on?

Studies show that this current generation of children in America are the first that will shorter lives than their parents. That seems to sort of go against evolution… And it’s all due to the dairy, meat, gluten, and processed foods they are consuming. And it’s spreading across the world. Asia always had the lowest rates of cancer and heart disease because it’s a traditionally vegetarian area. But as soon as they began adopting Western eating styles, their rates of cancer and heart disease steadily rose.

Another scary fact is that we are running out of water, as well as farm-able land. Why? Because of factory farming. Eating cheap meat and dairy has become so popular that this world must sustain the billions of animals that produce this meat and dairy. That means water. Animals consume a lot of water. They also consume a lot of food. These animals are fed corn and grain (not what they’re supposed to be eating in the first place) and corn and grain need a place to grow. That means cutting down the rainforests and other natural habitats to grow these crops. Statistics shows that if we got rid of factory farming and instead used those resources to grow fruits and vegetables and healthy grains, we could easily feed all the starving people in the world. In fact, we would never have starving people. Oh, and animals on factory farms emit more methane gases than all the cars in the world combined.

That’s all the bad news. The good news is, we can do things in our daily lives to make a difference. And if everybody does little things that make a difference, then we can begin to reverse all the damage that’s been done and literally save the world. If we could save the world and also spare animals from the intense suffering they experience at our hands, why wouldn’t we?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Animals, Bits & Pieces Tagged With: adopt, adopt don't shop, adoption, animal rights, animal sanctuary, animal shelters, animals, compassion, compassionate, compassionate women, dairy, dog shelter, dogs, donate, educate, factory farming, health, healthy, humane, love, make a difference, meat, meat production, no-kill, peace, pet shop, pet store, puppy mills, rescue, rescue animals, rescue dog, sanctuaries, supplies, vegan, vegetarian, volunteer, women, world hunger, zoo

  • 1
  • 2
  • Next Page »

HEY THERE! I’M JILLIAN.

I live near Houston, Texas with my rescue dog Stella! I create cruelty-free recipes that are delicious, to demonstrate that it's easy to follow a plant-based lifestyle. Not only are the health and beauty benefits noticeable, but it creates a more sustainable planet and keeps our animal friends safe & happy. In our spare time, Stella and I also love watching movies, reading, snuggling, and taking long walks! LEARN MORE…

Check out the documentary I directed!

remember my soul

Feature-length documentary that uncovers the Jewish history of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and the customs & traditions the Jewish people there have contributed to.

Subscribe to my mailing list and receive a FREE RECIPE E-BOOK as a thank you!

* indicates required

compassionatewomen

Compassionate Women
Perfected my vegan pulled pork recipe 👅 Made so Perfected my vegan pulled pork recipe 👅 Made some tacos with it, a side of roasted potatoes, and my "magic" sauce 💯
.
.
.
#tacos #vegansofinstagram #veganlife #vegano #veganshare #veganfoodlovers #vegans #veganfortheanimals #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfood #veganeats #vegansofig #veganfoodie #vegandinner #veganfoodporn #healthyfood #healthyeating #glutenfree #foodblogger #foodlovers #foodblog #foodstagram #foodpics #yummy
Vintage 1940s cameo ring. If my daughter didn't ha Vintage 1940s cameo ring. If my daughter didn't have such large paws, I'd pass my jewelry down to her 🐶
.
.
.
#cameo #jewelry #vintage #vintagejewelry #vintagestyle #jewellery #jewelrygram #ring #rings #ringsofinstagram #jewelrylover #dogmom #daughter #bloglife #blogger #bloggerlife #instajewelry
Took a lot of coaxing but Stella ventured out to e Took a lot of coaxing but Stella ventured out to experience snow, and also peed in it as soon as she could 😂😂
.
.
.
#snow #snowday #snowdog #texas #snowyday #ilovemydog #ilovemypitbull #pittiesofinstagram #pitbullmom #pitbullsofinstagram #pitbulllove #pitbulladvocate #pitbullpride #petsofinstagram #petstagram #petlovers #pets #dogstagram #dogsofinstaworld #dogsofinstagram #doggo #dogs #dogsofig #dogmom
In the past week I made 2 deeeelicious lentil soup In the past week I made 2 deeeelicious lentil soups. The first is green lentils with potato and mushroom. The second is Greek Red Lentil soup that tastes like a gourmet tomato soup 🍅 and also has carrot, rosemary, lemon, and a hint of cumin. Both soups have kale because that makes them 💯% better. 
.
.
.
#soup #soupseason #winterfood #comfortfood #yummy #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #veganeats #vegan #vegansofig #veganshare #veganfoodie #veganfoodlovers #vegetarian #vegetarianfood #vegandinner #veganism #veganfoodshare #veganrecipes #plantbased #crueltyfree #dinner #healthyfood #healthyeating #fitfood #healthyliving #healthyrecipes #foodblogger #foodlovers #foodstagram
One of the things that has interested me about the One of the things that has interested me about the horrific scene at the Capitol yesterday is the connection between veganism and colonialism. Some of the mob members yesterday were proudly covered in the skins of dead animals. To me, it's no surprise that white male supremacists are speceiests at their core. They believe they are inherently superior. They have historically compared people of color to animals, and treated them as sadistcally as they treat animals. In America, the government orchestrated the slaughtering of 60 million buffalo for no other reason than as a way to starve Indians into submission. Among other things, white supremacy and colonialism is linked to an obsession with killing, hunting, and dominating over others. So here are some bomb homemade VEGAN Butterfinger I made yesterday. Free of cruelty and made from plants. I'm not just vegan for the animals, I'm vegan for people because it is all connected.
.
.
.
#veganfood #vegansofinstagram #vegancommunity #veganeats #veganfortheanimals #vegan #vegandessert #veganlife #veganshare #veganism #veganforlife #veganfoodlovers #vegansofig #plantbased #crueltyfree #veganfoodie #foodblogger #foodlovers #foodblog #dessert #chocolate #foodshare #foodstagram #veganfoodporn #speciesism #animalrights #animallover
My little wheel of crystals ✨🌈 I researched e My little wheel of crystals ✨🌈 I researched each one, including their healing properties, and wrote a blog post about them (link in bio) 🌙🌟
.
.
.
#crystallove #crystalenergy #crystals #crystalhealing #crystal #crystalcollection #crystalsofig #stones #amethyst #obsidian #healing #healingcrystals #healingenergy #healingstones #heal #growth #vegansofig #vegansofinstagram #bloglife #blogger #blog #energyhealing #energy #emotionalhealth #spiritualhealing
Stella's New Year goal is for you to follow her @c Stella's New Year goal is for you to follow her @cindersmella_stella 🎉🎉
.
.
.
#dogstagram #dogsofinstagram #dailydog #doglife #doggo #doglovers #dogsofinsta #dogs #dogmom #dogslife #dogsofinstaworld #doglover #dogs_of_instagram #dogsofig #dogs_of_instagram #doginstagram #vegansofinstagram #veganlife #vegansofig #rescuedog #pittie #pittiesofinstagram #pitbullmom #happynewyear #newyearseve
I made this creamy cauliflower dip today and it wa I made this creamy cauliflower dip today and it was delicious with my salad 😋🥗 Cashews, roasted cauliflower, fresh rosemary, lemon juice, and spices 🍽️
.
.
.
#salad #healthyrecipes #healthyfood #healthyliving #healthyeating #vegan #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #veganeats #veganfortheanimals #vegansofig #vegano #veganshare #veganism #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodie #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #vegetarian #glutenfree #foodblogger #foodlovers #foodblog #foodie #foodshare #foodstagram #foodpics
Took a break from audio editing to make my own coc Took a break from audio editing to make my own coconut syrup for some iced coffee 🥥☕ It was my first time making it. Next time, less sugar and more steep time! 
.
.
.
#coffee #coffeelover #coffeetime #coffeegram #coconut #homemade #recipe #easyrecipe #veganeats #vegansofinstagram #veganlife #vegansofig #vegan #veganshare #veganrecipes #syrup #dogmom #drinkstagram #coffeeholic #foodblog
My first attempt at chickpea tuna salad 🐟 and i My first attempt at chickpea tuna salad 🐟 and it was amazing! It tasted like the real thing. I used chickpeas, fresh dill, lemon juice, chopped pickle, vegan mayo, s&p, and garlic powder topped with red onion and on a bed of spinach and tomatoes 🥗
.
.
.
#tunasalad #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #vegancommunity #veganeats #veganfortheanimals #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #vegano #veganshare #veganism #veganfoodie #veganfoodshare #veganfoodlovers #veganrecipes #plantbased #crueltyfree #foodblogger #foodlovers #foodblog #foodie #foodshare #foodstagram #foodpics #foodlove #yummy #healthyrecipes #healthyfood
I hate selfies but I loveee this Frida Kahlo shirt I hate selfies but I loveee this Frida Kahlo shirt I found for 10 bucks!! 🤯🤯
.
.
.
#fridakahlo #tshirt #tshirtslovers #tshirts #frida #selfie #selfportrait #vegansofinstagram #vegansofig #veganlife #vegan #tuesday #clothes #veganfortheanimals #instamood
Another successful Hanukkah! Stella is scared of a Another successful Hanukkah! Stella is scared of any kind of fire but she still helped light the menorah every night, then we went across the living room to turn the lights on the Xmas tree because one December holiday just isn't enough! 🕎🎄
.
.
.
#hanukkah #holidayseason #holidays #menorah #chanukah #pitbullmom #ilovemydog #ilovemypitbull #pitbull #pittiesofinstagram #pittie #tradition #vegansofinstagram #vegansofig #jewish #judaism #bloglife #blogger
Adventures in vegan & gluten free pizza making! 🍕 The first pizza has homemade alfredo sauce (from cashews), mozzarella, chicken, mushroom, kalamata olive, kale, and shallot. The second one has tomato sauce, cheddar cheese, Beyond sausage, onion, broccoli, and mushroom. Both are topped with vegan ricotta. The pizza dough was pretty good, found it at a natural foods store 😋
.
.
.
#pizza #pizzalover #pizzatime #glutenfree #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #veganeats #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #veganism #veganfoodie #veganfoodlovers #vegandinner #veganfoodshare #healthyeating #foodblog #foodstagram #foodblogger #foodlover #foodpics #foodie #foodlovers #foodshare #foodiesofinstagram #foodlove
Last night I was in bed and realized I hadn't seen Last night I was in bed and realized I hadn't seen Pixie in a while. I got up to look for her and she was nowhere to be found. I kept calling her and looked in every nook and cranny of my house. I thought something terrible happened to her. Then I noticed a pillow moving. She was sleeping inside the pillowcase next to me the whole time. I didn't even know she could climb onto the bed by herself 😂😂
.
.
.
#kittycat #kitten #kittenlovers #kittensofinstagram #catsagram #catsofinstagram #fosterkittens #fosterkittensofinstagram #cats #adoptdontshop #catlover #kitty #rescuekitty #rescuecats #instacat #instakitty #funny #funnycats
Keeping it handy. Gotta manifest that positivity 🌜🌈✨💎
.
.
.
.
#crystals #crystalhealing #crystallove #bookstagram #book #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaddict #booknerd #bookworm #positivity #positivevibes #manifestation #manifest #vegansofinstagram #vegansofig #veganlife #read #crystalenergy #readersofinstagram #readingtime #readersofig #reader
Good 'ol Tofurky on ThanksLiving Day 🦃🦃 . . Good 'ol Tofurky on ThanksLiving Day 🦃🦃 
.
.
.
#thanksgiving #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #veganeats #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #veganism #veganshare #vegans #veganfoodie #veganforlife #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodshare #vegandinner #crueltyfree #plantbased #vegetarian #vegetarianfood #dinner #healthylifestyle #healthy #healthyliving #bloglife #blogger
Follow on Instagram

Meet Cindersmella Stella – my pretty, pretty rescue pittie!

stella the rescue pit bull

Recent Posts

  • The Healing Properties of Crystals
  • All Natural Homemade Conditioner for Hair Growth/Health
  • The Best Vegan Nachos Ever
  • Making a Movie in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas
  • Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Recipes

recipes

Travel

elisabet ney museum

Animals

happy dog

Categories

Privacy Policy

  • Privacy Policy

Tags

animals austin beauty breakfast coconut oil compassion compassionate compassionate women confection cruelty free dessert dinner dinner recipe dogs gluten free gluten free recipe health healthy healthy eating healthy food healthy recipe love nature non-GMO nutritional yeast organic peace plant-based plant power plant protein recipe rio grande valley south texas Texas travel turmeric vegan vegan blog vegan cheese vegan food vegan recipe vegetarian veggie veggies women

Archives

Copyright © 2021 · Genesis Sample Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in