Cruelty-Free Feathers

collection of feathers

With a renewed interest in green living, it is easy to find options for green products everywhere you look. Today, I'd like to focus on feathers, specifically those that are used in crafting and fashion. Where do the feathers that we use for these projects come from, and how can we be sure that they come from happy birds?

And, why feathers, of all things? 

I was prompted to do some research on cruelty-free feathers after receiving a set of beautiful peacock be-feathered earrings, necklace and headband from my sister for Christmas, and some lovely hair clips created by my good friend Ashley from home.

hello Petrie! 

I also happen to be best friends with a cockatiel named Petrie who has been a part of my family for about 12 years. He is in love with me, and loves to have his neck scratched, and I am often heard calling him my first "boyfriend". I'm fascinated by the shape, feel, and color of his feathers in particular, and think that feathers are an amazing product of evolution.

Because of this, I love to wear feathers and have considered having a tattoo of a feather done since before I graduate high school. However, a vegan friend brought to my attention that many of the feathers used for decoration are not gathered kindly, and she refuses to use them despite being a burlesque dancer (think feather boas, feathered fans, feathered bikinis, feathered pasties! The possibilities are endless!).

these chicks say no more to factory farms!

The majority of crafting feathers are gathered from birds that are kept and slaughtered on large-scale animal farms, either before or after their deaths. It's a very cruel process and and is painful for the birds. It also supports the cycle of commercial animal agriculture, which goes against my vegetarian, earth-loving nature.

When she said this, I became sad. I felt torn. I love a good feather boa, but I also love my bird.

peacock feather hair clip by frogworks

Fortunately, there are crafters and wholesale feather companies that are aware of the issues surrounding the use of feathers and have begun to sell and use feathers that fall off of birds during molting or preening. From Ebay to Etsy, it's easy to find beautiful, naturally gathered feathers and feathered products. Just check out Frogworks and their adorable hair clips and earrings made from cruelty-free feathers.

You can also read more about where cruelty-free feathers come from by check out this article written by The Happy Rooster, which sells cruelty-free feathers on Ebay-Cruelty-Free Feathers.

There are many more options to choose from. Just make sure you do your homework and ask questions if you are truly aiming to find your own cruelty-free feathers or beautiful, all natural creations.

Yay! I can have my feathers and wear them too!

-Check out petitedancer25.etsy.com to purchase any of my items!-

2011 inspires me to make new things... Vegetarian Miso Soup, for example

 Yes, I finally did it. I made a pot of vegetarian miso soup.

It's been a dream of mine to make a pot. I don't know what held me back all this time, but I finally did it. And it's absolutely silly how easy it was to make.

I'll tell you more about why I was so inspired to finally make my own miso soup in a future post. There's a lot happening here in the Springer/Stoltz studio since the New Year has come to stay. But for now, let's just say it was the New Year and a renewed sense of adventure that brought us to the miso... 

Traditionally, miso soup is made with dashi, which is a very standard Japanese soup stock made from tiny dried sardines or dried, smoked bonito fish flakes. It can, however, be made from dried kelp (kombu) or dried shitake mushrooms, which is great to know for a good vegetarian miso soup, or any kind of Japanese soup for that matter. If you are going for a traditional tasting miso soup, try to look for a vegetarian dashi, and use this as the stock for your soup.

Today, however, we did not find any vegetarian dashi, which led to my using the following recipe. If you do want a little more flavor and are willing to compromise on the vegetarian thing, feel free to throw in a few dashes of fish sauce.

Ridiculously Simply Miso Soup

• 2 Tablespoons Miso Paste
• 2 cups Water
• 1 Tablespoon Toasted Nori, Thinly Sliced
• ¼ cups Soft Tofu, Diced Into 1/4" Cubes
• ¼ teaspoons Chili Flakes Or Chili With Garlic Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Green Onion, Thinly Sliced
• ¼ teaspoons Sesame Oil
• Extras: Buttom mushrooms, edamame, rice noodles, or other

Add the miso paste to the water and heat, whisking to dissolve the paste completely.

Toast the nori by pass a sheet over a flame a few times until it turns bright green. I use my gas stovetop flame. Then slice as much as you need and store the rest in a Ziploc for next time. You can also purchase it pre-toasted, and if you do this, skip this step.

Once miso paste is dissolved, add nori, tofu, fish sauce (omit for vegetarian version) and chili. Consider adding other ingredients like frozen edamame, rice or cellophane noodles to your soup; add those at this time. Simmer gently for about 4 minutes. Add the green onions and simmer for another minute. Then drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

This soup doesn't need to simmer for a long time. In fact, it's better if you cook it for five minutes or less. I love adding mushrooms to mine, and having them be just tender, but not soft. This soup is perfect if you are little under the weather.

A little note about miso- I purchase a tub of miso about a year about and have had it in my fridge since that time. It's still good. Apparently, miso can last from one to many years in your fridge, as it is a fermented soy paste. But after learning how to make this soup, I have a feeling my miso won't last in the fridge for much longer.

Wanna learn more about miso? Click on this link. It's got a lot of great health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure if eaten together with the ingredients included in miso soup.


Happy New Year, here's a miso soup toast to your health and happiness in 2011!