Your Mommy Kills Animals

I just finished watching Curt Johnson's documentary "Your Mommy Kills Animals" and I have to say that I mostly really liked it. Except of course for the need to have it because of the horrible things that happen to animals in America every second of every day.

Also, I feel the need to clarify, just in case any non-vegans ever see this page :) For the most part, I don't like PeTA. Lots of vegans and people who are pro-animal rights don't. Animals should not be killed. Or hurt. For any reason. (With of course, the exception of seriously ill animals who are suffering and in pain.)

But for that prick who called PeTA's VP a hypocrite for using insulin . . . You do what you can. You do everything you can. If you have some sort of problem or condition that can't be helped in a vegan way, then you go take/do what you must. But still doing everything you can makes a difference. You can't just do nothing because you can't do one thing.

And I have a confession - I love Annemarie Lucas. I think she's the coolest, and I'm still ticked that I never had the guts to go meet her when I lived in Brooklyn. Alas.

Some of my favorite things

Okay. Great, yummy, vegan things you can buy off the shelf. Expensive, but they're yummy!

Miss rice krispie treats? Glenny's marshmallow treats! http://www.glennys.com/marshmallow-treats-c-26.html

Miss pudding from a cup, ready to go, without fuss? Zen Soy puddings! http://www.zensoy.com/health.html#puddings

Whipped cream? Soyatoo! http://www.soyatoo.com/en/start/

Those are my favorites right now. I'll let you know if I find new yummies!

I made VCon sushi! I thought I liked it, but I changed my mind. I blame the nori. I'm sticking to spring rolls. But they're pretty!






The infamous Egg McVegan from vegweb!



My first wrap on a collard green! With some of the ED&BV cashew white bean cheese spread (the right way!) stuff. Yummy!!

Why PCRM rocks!

Okay, so the most annoying thing to me about the repeated salmonella/e-coli breakouts are this - that I just KNOW that there are omnis are sitting around going "wow! those veggies sure are dangerous!" when in fact these things happen because some people insist on eating animals.

http://www.pcrm.org/news/release080709.html

Angry Doctors Use 1,000 Tomatoes To Spell Out Salmonella Source For FDA: "It’s The Meat, Stupid!"

Demonstration July 8 at U.S. Health and Human Services Seeks FDA Focus on Animal Agriculture’s Key Role in Foodborne Illnesses Linked to Tomatoes

WASHINGTON—As the Food and Drug Administration enters the 13th week of its struggle to identify the source of the salmonella outbreak that has reached 38 states and the District of Columbia, doctors will spell it out for them—quite literally. Doctors from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) will use more than 1,000 tomatoes arranged to write “IT’S THE MEAT, STUPID!” in front of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services building at 200 Independence Avenue, S.W., on Tuesday morning. They aim to highlight the key role of meat industry pollution in spreading salmonella, E. coli, and other foodborne pathogens that affect thousands of Americans every year.

“Salmonella are intestinal bacteria, and tomatoes have no intestine,” PCRM president Neal Barnard, M.D., says. “These germs come from chicken and cow feces that contaminate waterways used for irrigation and contaminate kitchen counters and grocery store shelves.”

A dangerous salmonella strain dubbed "salmonella saintpaul" has sickened more than 900 Americans in recent weeks. Pollution from animal agriculture is the most likely original source. Like E. coli, salmonella live in the intestinal tracts of animals and are usually transmitted to humans from food contaminated with animal feces. As a recent Pew Commission Report on industrial farm animal production noted, untreated animal waste harboring pathogens contaminates air, water, soil, and crops. Farm animal waste was the identified cause of a 2006 E. coli outbreak in which infected spinach killed three people and sickened hundreds of others, according to an investigation by the FDA, an agency within Health and Human Services.

Dr. Barnard pointed out that infected cows and chickens, not tomatoes or other vegetables, are the ultimate source of dangerous outbreaks of foodborne illness. The problem needs to be attacked at the source, in the factory farms, ranches, and feedlots where infected animals produce waste that contaminates healthful produce. Salmonella are currently found on approximately one-third of chicken products in retail stores, and feces from chickens and other animals carry the bacteria to other food products. Consumers can fight foodborne illnesses by choosing meatless meals.

Event details:
WHO: Neal Barnard, M.D., nutrition researcher and president of PCRM; Hope Ferdowsian, M.D., M.P.H., public health specialist; and other PCRM health experts

WHAT: “It’s the Meat, Stupid!” will be spelled out with more than 1,000 tomatoes, as doctors urge FDA to focus on meat industry’s role in salmonella outbreak

WHEN: Tuesday, July 8th, 10:30 a.m. to noon

WHERE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue, S.W. (in plaza area between 2nd and 3rd streets)
Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, especially good nutrition. PCRM also conducts clinical research studies, opposes unethical human experimentation, and promotes alternatives to animal research.

Likable versions of things you normally don't like but know you should like

You know what I mean. You know you should eat it, but you just don't like it.

Like I hate oatmeal that isn't those crappy lil instant packets. But then, the other day, I bought scottish oatmeal. The Bob's Red Mill brand. And I made it and added a tiny bit of agave and some vanilla soy milk. And a buttload of strawberries and blueberries - so many berries that each bite of oatmeal had 2 or 3 berries. And I liked it!

And kombucha. Now, I know that kombucha is good for me. I read it in Any Phyo's "Ani's Raw Food Kitchen" and I did further reading and I got this gingerberry flavor - and it was gross, I hated it. In case you don't know what kombucha is, it's fermented tea. So it tastes like wine. And I hate wine. But I went back to the health food store and was inspired by the Mystic Mango flavor, and the store owner agreed that it's one of the most likable flavors. And I like it! After it stopped fizzing all over me of course.

The kiddo and I went to TWO farmer's markets today, but I left my camera at a friend's house and so I only got a crappy camera phone picture of my haul. Scallions, more cute pumpkin shaped zucchinis, rainbow chard, pretty heirloom cherry tomatoes, tri-colored beans, cilantro, basil . . . I can't remember what else. Oh! A purple kohlrabi for $.50 - how could I say no? I've never tried so I'll update once the kiddo and I try it.


After that we went to the supermarket for dates (I've got more raw recipes to try!) and Soyatoo and Zen Soy chocolate pudding, and the kiddo had 2 meltdowns when I tried to put her in the cart. Oy. Later, a nice lady came up to tell me how adorable she is and how open she was and how the kiddo was waving at everyone - sweet - thank you ma'am! :)

Oh and I bought a new food processor/blender to replace the one I killed trying to make Ani's raw donut holes. This blender/processor is the one I killed: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006WNQ6 - so I looked at some places to see what was available, and I looked online, and I searched the PPK boards, and today I went to Bed Bath & Beyond with my 20% coupons. And it was there I went back and forth and back and forth and back and . . . you get the picture. SmartPower Duet® Blender / Food Processor? Pro Classic™ Food Processor? Back and forth back and forth. The bigger one has a dough blade - cool! But I have a kitchen aid stand mixer - do I need a dough blade? Yes, no, yes, no? Can I use the big one as a blender? I have a stick blender, do I need a blender? How big was the food processor I had? How big are these motors? Combo has a 3 year warranty, big one has a 5 year warranty. Do I get the big one and a cheap blender later? I hate my stick blender (mom gave me her thunder stick pro - ha!)

I almost had a meltdown. I'm still not sure if I did the right thing. http://www.cuisinart.com/catalog/produc … p;cat_id=1 for $79.99 - 20%. The confused guy there said that 2 things for $20 less was clearly better, but of course he had no idea what he was talking about. So far I've tried to crush flax seeds into powder (failed, had to use the coffee bean grinder) and I made Ani's Cherry Malt smoothie, which has almonds that stayed chunky. If I win the lotto, I'm buying a house with a huge kitchen and lots of counter space and I'm getting at least an 11 cup Cuisinart processor and a friggin Vita Mix already.

2018 Follow up if anyone reads this: Cuisinart has horrendous customer service and I won't buy their products again.

Our new Saturday "thing"

For the last 2 Saturdays, the kiddo and I have gone to a farmer's market, and after, we go to the park, of course.

Here is a picture of this week's haul:



I tried to duplicate the pizza rolls at the B36 blog - http://b36kitchen.blogspot.com/2008/07/pizza-aint-swirl-no-moreits-roll.html - I didn't do well, but they were yummy!



Today we bought Dreena Burton's "Eat, Drink & Be Vegan" and it all looked so good, that I actually made all the items in one of the picture! Orange sesame tofu, coconut lime basmati rice and simple swiss chard. Yums! It went over pretty well with Livi, considering that I think she's coming down with something.





Oh, and just for fun, here's a pic of Livi in her Stokke highchair - a cool $230 highchair that I got for $5 at a yard sale! WOO HOO!!!