I'm trying to become a vegan, but I'm slightly confused?!

I got a free hat (months after I'd become a vegan) which was just 5% wool - and though I'm not especially happy about that 5%, I figure there's not a great deal I can do about that. I could give the hat away, but seriously it looks so good on me that I'm going to keep it till it's worn out. I wish I could find an identical one which didn't contain any wool. I wouldn't wear the hat at all if sheep were routinely killed or harmed to obtain their wool, you understand, but as a vegan I don't support the wool industry because it is still exploiting animals. As it is, I didn't spend any money on the hat, so none of my own money (since becoming a vegan) has gone towards perpetuating either the wool industry or the silk industry, and additionally since becoming vegetarian 35 years ago, virtually none of my money has gone to the leather, fur, sheepskin, suede, felt, etc. industries. I still have a few wool and silk items, but they'll eventually wear out.

Cookies (or biscuits or bikkies as we call them here) - I would probably use the same "egg-replacements" that I use for cakes. Normally, for cakes, I use one tablespoon of [either treacle, molasses, golden syrup, malt extract, agave nectar, maple syrup, pear juice concentrate, apple juice concentrate, or something similar] per recipe-egg. So, for instance, if the recipe calls for 2 eggs, I use 2 tablespoons of my alternative. Because those ingredients are all sweet, it also means that you can use a little less sugar (if you want to). But, depending on what the recipe-egg is supposed to be doing in the recipe (binding, fluffing, moistening, whatever), you might want to use something else, or something in addition to that tablespoon of sweet, sticky stuff. Perhaps a little soy milk or a little vegan margarine or a little vegetable oil or a little silken tofu. I can highly recommend that you get a vegan cookbook that covers 'cookies'. I've recently bought this one, and several people at work were so impressed with the ones I made from it that they copied the recipe:

Vegan cookies invade your cookie jar / Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero.

Chocolate - I don't eat that and haven't for nearly 30 years - not because of any vegan/vegetarian concerns, but because it contains caffeine (which gives me migraines) - and also because men don't eat chocolate (unless they're trying to get in touch with their feminine side). However, most chocolate available in the world is not vegan, as it contains milk products. There are some which don't, of course, so if you're really addicted to it, seek out those. (Try to look for fair-trade brands too.)

Soy milks vary greatly. You wouldn't believe how many different varieties there are in the supermarket - some calcium-enriched, some with extra fibre, some especially for women, some fortified with B12 or iron or you-name-it - so it's difficult to give a yes/no answer to your question. Other ones you might want to check out are almond milk (a lot more expensive), oat milk, rice milk (some people really like it, but I find it a bit watery), hemp milk, quinoa milk, hazelnut milk, etc.

EDIT: I forgot to mention - carob is a great alternative to chocolate/cocoa. You can use carob powder in any recipe that calls for cocoa powder. Carob is naturally sweet - between 40 and 50% of it is natural sugars (unlike cocoa, which is quite bitter and needs sugar to be added) - and contains no caffeine or theobromine.

Vegan!

I very highly recommend the 'Vegan Cookies Take Over The World' cookbook. Everything is absolutely delicious and you can barely tell it's even vegan. EnerG egg replacer is fine but I prefer using more yummy, natural substitutes: applesauce, bananas, etc. which bring more flavor to the finished product too!

You absolutely can eat chocolate! You need to be mindful of reading ingredient labels, but there are many regular brand semi-sweet & darker chocolates that are "accidentally" vegan. Even Oreos are! And health food varieties will actually specify on the label.

Soy isn't necessarily healthier than milk & is not highly recommended in huge daily quantities. I would suggest trying almond milk which is full of healthy fats & is the most delicious. Rice milk is also a good choice.

Wool is definitely not considered vegan. It's up there with leather & furs because of the horrifying treatment the animals receive even though they are not directly killed. That said, if you already got the hat, go ahead & use it. At least make the suffering worthwhile rather than just torturing the animal for no reason by not using the hat at all. I'm not currently fully vegan but am slowly transitioning, and while I have stopped buying leather shoes, wool coats & silk blouses, I still use the older items I already have.

Vegetarian for over 7 years; Vegan bakery owner

Personally, I'd suggest working out what you are and aren't comfortable with, rather than looking for "rules" to follow. Everyone's different. Whether or not wool is considered vegan by others or not is irrelevant, what matters is whether -you- are happy wearing it.

Someone said, "many sheep have their coat shaved off in the coldest time of the year and die because they're too cold." I very, very much doubt that, you're going to have to provide proof if you're going to make such wild statements. 1) it makes no sense, it's not in a farmer's interest to follow practices which will kill his livestock, and 2) I drive past fields of sheep daily and I can categorically state that, certainly in the UK at least, this is not the case.

There are many substitutes out there for eggs. Half a banana for one egg is a popular one.
Yes, you can eat chocolate, as long as it doesn't contain milk. Some dark chocolates are vegan.
About the wool. Actually, sheep that supply wool aren't treated very nice. They don't care what season it is- many sheep have their coat shaved off in the coldest time of the year and die because they're too cold. They also aren't very careful when shaving them, since it's a fast and quick process so they can make as much money as possible. Many are severely injured (cut from blades) that shave them and can develop illnesses.
But since you've already received the hat, the "vegan" rule of thumb is to just use it until it gets old. Then the next time you buy a hat, get a vegan one. You don't have to throw out all your clothes in the beginning, just buy vegan ones over time and soon you'll have a vegan friendly closet also. :)

You are confused because you are trying to fit in to the meaning of "vegan" instead of just living your life and let a lifestyle fit you. "Are you allowed to eat chocolate" is one indication that you would rather live by "rules" that don't really exist instead of making your own decisions. Think about it, calling yourself "vegan" does not really improve or diminish you as a person in any way. Live your life the way you think is best and not because someone else (who does not really know any better than you do and certainly has no scientific nor moral or professional credibility to dictate what you should do) said that is the way it should be lived.

You seem to be lacking basic knowledge in what a vegan is.
A vegan is someone who abstains from participating in any industry involving the use or exploitation of animals.

We don't buy or eat meat, including fish and gelatin, or foods containing it,
buy or eat dairy, eggs, honey, or foods containing them,
buy products from companies whose distributors conduct animal toxicity tests:
http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-pe…
we don't buy or wear leather, fur, wool, or silk, or anything trimmed in them,
and we don't frequent zoos, rodeos, circuses, aquariums, or other venues where animals are held in captivity or forced to perform for profit.

So to answer your questions:
There are many types of chocolate. A vegan only eats the few which don't contain animal products.
Wool is an animal product, which thousands of sheep suffer for. If you'd like to research the cruel practices which are routine in the industry, feel free. Either way, wool is an animal product, and vegans don't participate in the use of animals in any way.

As for egg replacements and soy, I can't help you- I don't bake or eat soy.
~4 year vegan~

You can buy egg replacement products, but actually certain foods can act like eggs in baking (like bananas). Jus poke around online a little and you should fine it. Some chocolate is okay and some isn't, just check the ingredients. Soy gives a lot of the same ingredients, especially when its fortified. Wool is technically immoral (at least to me) but I'd go ahead and wear the hat because you already have it and the only other opion is to give it away.

Egg replacer is one, and I've heard of people using flax seeds, or even bananas to replace eggs.
Yes, you are allowed to eat chocolate. If you choose to eat milk chocolate, you are not a vegan. Dark chocolate is fine for vegans (usually 70% and up, but as long as it has no milk by products it's fine)
If you got it before you became vegan, then yes it would be okay.

To answer simple:
Egg replacer: Ener-G egg replacer. you wont notice a difference

Chocolate: Find a vegan chocolate, and stay away from milk chocolate. Or read labels for things like milk, artificial flavors, ect. Being a vegan, you should study a list of animal ingredients

Wool: no. not vegan. Wool comes from harm too.

Soy: healthier for you. Soy has it advantages and disadvantages. It has vitamin b12 which helps. But like anything too much of something can be bad. I alternate between soy and almond milk. Almond milk tastes more like regular milk.

Also, no honey ;) that usually is a shock to some people.

wool: http://www.veganviews.org.uk/vv77/vv77wo… and Earthlings documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkLt88_u5…

If you have an iPhone, Animal free app while you shop at the store:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/animal-fr…

Soy milk: http://www.ehow.com/about_5412429_pros-c…

vegan chocolates: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/shoppingp…

Egg replacer: http://www.ener-g.com/gluten-free/egg-su…

Animal ingredient list to study or have handy while you shop:
http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-in…

keep your own hens and eat their eggs. long as they are happy hens, whats the problem. im vegetarian i eat eggs from my parents hens, who are pretty much their pets. you cant eat chocolate if ur a vegan and im sure soy is fortified with lots of nutriets if it doesnt contain them already. by the way rice milk is nicer than soy. as someone already said, carob can be used instead of chocolate.

It's great that you're exploring other lifestyle choices. The mainstream food industry is full of pitfalls and vegetarians still have a lot to learn since the industry now has so much junk food for us too!

The premixed egg replacer I use is called "EnerG Egg Replacer" However, depending on the recipe, you may be able to use your own homemade concoction including bananas, cornstarch, etc.

When I eat chocolate it's 99% dark or raw cacao: it takes some getting used to but the best way to try it is with your favorite tea. Take a nibble, drink a sip. Take a nibble drink a sip. It's fabulously dreamy.

If you're under 18, then try organic soy milk. Most, if not all, brands of soy milk come fortified with calcium and have just about all the same nutrients and vitamins as milk...without the lactose and sugar. After 18, try weaning off soy with some almond, rice or hemp milk (all 3 of which, honestly, take a bit of getting used to).

And while I don't eat animal meat, I believe in using all parts of an animal if it must be killed or - as in your example - it is for hygiene reasons. Which means I wear leather and I wouldn't be opposed to a fur from an animal that was respectfully killed and used for meat by some other appreciative (as opposed to those brutal videos in which you see animals skinned alive and left for dead in the middle of nowhere).

But that's me: there are so many shades of vegetarianism and you'll need to find out where you fit most comfortably. Is it political, ethical, social, economical, sustainable? Gosh, there are more reasons that I can think of for being vegetarian/vegan but those are the ones I come across most in talking with others over the years.

Grab yourself a cookbook, some flour, beans, rice and spice and you'll be on your way to a happily full belly of vegan goodness!

http://www.ener-g.com/egg-replacer.html

First off, what do you use as a replacement for eggs when making cookies?
--I use 1/4 cup mashed banana, apple sauce, or silken tofu per egg, depending on the flavor I want.

Are you allowed to eat chocolate?
--Milk chocolate is a no go, and for the most part is replaced by carob. It tastes a little different from dark chocolate, but in a pleasant way. Most dark chocolate is vegan, which makes my life. Dark chocolate is my favorite. I know that there are a few types of vegan white chocolate, but I've only ever found it on the internet and haven't tried it yet.

And is soy healthier than milk? (Does it give same nutrients, basically.)
--I think we're all a little biased towards this question. Dairy gives me unbearable migraines and upsets my stomach, so I honestly don't think it's too great for you. Soy milk generally contains the same amount of calcium, and can be fortified with the same vitamins as cow's milk (as well as B12 in some cases.) Honestly, though, I prefer not to drink soy milk. I try to limit myself to two-four servings of unfermented soy a week, and I'd much rather use those on tofu or edamame than soy milk. My favorite is rice milk, then almond milk. There are also other nut milks, coconut milk (which is amazing in dessert recipes and makes an awesome whipped topping), oat milk, and hemp milk (which I've heard is the most nutritious, but haven't tried yet.)

Also, for my birthday, I got a really stylish hat- made out of 100% wool. Is this okay? I feel it is, because you don't harm sheep to get it. You shave off their coat for the summer. What do you think?
--I don't wear wool, but that's partially because my sister's hairless dog is allergic to it. There are some sheep farmers, mainly in Australia, that implement mulesing. This basically means they cut off the sheep's skin folds along with the wool to prevent flies from getting stuck in them. It can seriously harm or kill the sheep though. If it were me, and I didn't have the dog, I'd try to trace the source of the wool. If mulesing wasn't used I might keep it simply out of respect for the gift giver, but if it had been I wouldn't feel right keeping it. That's your own personal choice, but there are few people who consider wool a vegan product, so it may be best to avoid purchasing any in the future (regardless of what you do with the hat.)