Question. Wish.

Question: Why is the idea of protein more important to people then animal welfare?
Wish: I wish people would educate themselves on a balanced vegan or vegetarian diet and learn that protein comes from plant sources as well as meat and meat by products. I wish people would extend their compassion.

Plain and simple..

Summer Fresh

Had a lovely day off today. Went to the market to buy some light summer treats and then came home and had a bit of a picnic. Goat cheese Canapees, field greens with my own white garden radish, vine ripened tomato and some nuts. And for dessert some delectable local strawberries. Very tasty and relaxing. Eating it in the grass, listening to Devendra Banhart made me feel connected to my surroundings. Simply lovely.

" We've got no guns no we don't have any weapons
Just our corn and the children"
- 'Cripple Crow'

A Present Day Animal Holocaust

As a vegetarian I have always made a connection between the Holocaust and factory farming because the treatment of the Jewish/gypsies/disabled during World War Two was so brutal. As of yesterday I had never actually taken the time to think about why I felt this way. So I thought step by step thought the process of the Holocaust and related it to Factory Farming and to my amazement every step in the process really fight the treatment of present day animals in modern operations.

#1 Preparation

When the Jewish were taken to concentration and work camps they were prepared by cutting their hair etc.

In factory farms there is also cruel preparation which differs depending on the the live stock.

Ex:
Pigs: Tails cut off
Chickens: Beaks sanded

#2 Transportation

Jews were taken to camps in cars with too little space in humid cruel conditions.
Similarly pigs, cows, chickens are transported in small boxcars in large numbers.



#3 Selection

In Nazi work camps workers were chosen by age, health and work capacity. If they did not meet these standards they were killed.

In the dairy industry and egg poultry industry if the cow/bird is not meeting quota it is slaughtered.

#4 Living Conditions

When relocated Nazi prisoners were often separated from their loved ones and lived in small cramped housing.

Much like this dairy cows and beef cows are separated from their young. Many animals chickens and pigs in particular live in very cramped conditions.

#5 Death

Death for both the Jewish and farm animals of all kinds is uncertain. Their death date could result in an off day. The method of killing for Jews was incineration for animals it is "cooking". Cooking their flesh- again very similar to the method of Nazi prisoners.

I find it odd that the puzzle fits together so perfectly in all steps. Perhaps this was done purposely to "dehumanize" the Jewish prisoners.

No soul deserves this treatment. Animals are not for butchering. Animals have a life to live just like all humans have.

Note:

In no way am I saying that an animals life today is equal to a Jews. I am simply comparing the two cruel happenings and pointing out the value of both a human and animals soul. The Holocaust should never have happened and will hopefully never happen again. It was a terrible thing. So lets end animal slavery as well.

Wierd Fruit!

Today I tried these need exotic fruits for the first time. The first shown here is called a Mangosteen native to the Sunda Islands and the Moluccas. These are hard to explain because they taste like nothing I have ever tasted before.. but they sort of remind me of a cross between a blueberry and a banana. Quite tasty.


Granadilla fruit is very interesting indeed. The Granailla originated in the Andies - between Venuzuilla and Bolivia. The shell is thin and the texture of a plastic, and once cut inside there is a sac of jelly covered seeds protected by what looks like a thin orange skin. I liked the jelly around the seeds but didn't care for the seeds themselves which are edible and crunchy but not hard. Both are very interesting fruits, try them! It's always fun to try new foods. :D

Missed Novelties

I got to have a BLT this month with fake bacon from Yves which was actually good! It was so nice to sink my teeth into something I grew up with without the guilt of eating a piggy and actually have it taste delicious!

Ever wonder what a cow thinks? Wonder no longer.

Defining "vegetarianism".

What is a vegetarian? This is confusing for people because there are so many uninformed sources out there who say we eat read meat, fish, chicken etc but the truth is:

Vegetarians don't eat the flesh of any animals be they mammals, birds or fish.Vegetarians do eat animal by products like honey, eggs and milk.

Now what is a Vegan? Vegans do not eat the flesh of any animals be they mammals, birds or fish OR the animal byproducts (dairy, honey etc).

Another reason the definition of a vegetarian or vegan is so confusing is because some people classify themselves as vegetarians and still eat fish, chicken etc. Whether or not these people are vegetarians is a matter of opinion.. My opinion is that these people are simply people who don't eat certain meats out of preference. They simply want the title of vegetarian without stopping eating their favorite flesh.

So there you go folks I hope that cleared things up. Vegetarians eat everything but flesh, vegans eat everything but animals by products and flesh. Lock that knowledge away and spread the word.

Now enjoy this funny video about the misconceptions about the definition of vegan and the frustrations some of us feel.

Good Friday Breakfast. Who says vegetarian cusine can't be fattening!

For my good Friday breakfast I cooked up a massive helping of soy pancakes and "bacon" with strawberries and some maple syrup! Suprisingly I didn't even under cook or burn my bancakes.. I was quite proud.

This was my first time eating fake bacon. I must admit I was quite skeptic as I usually don't like faux meats, but this product was very good! Believe it or not I ate this whole meal with no one sharing! Delish~*

April 2 Dinner- Tofu Stir Fry and Naan Bread

This is an extremely easy meal that is good to use up what every you have in your fridge or freezer. All you do is saute your veggies in oil or PAM, fry your cubed tofu (best in firm or extra firm form) put in some spices of your choice and voila. No need for measuring either. I used asparagus, snow peas, string beans and onions. For my tofu I first pressed the block to get out extra water, then cubed it. I then added it to my oiled skillet and spiced it with turmeric, cumin, sage, soya sauce and garlic, but again you could use whatever you like best. I served it with a piece of naan, a yummy flat bread.

If I were doing this again I would use less oil, and saute the veg in PAM instead.

Overall this was a pretty good dinner. Easy and was good with the naan.

The Most Common Question Vegetarians Get ; "Where do you get your protein?!"

If you are a vegetarian no doubt you have been asked many times "where do you get your protein?" by a concerned associate. If you are that concerned friend or family member you have probably asked this question. Maybe you are a new vegetarian and you aren't sure where you are getting your protein, hopefully I can help you out.

So contrary to popular belief to get protein with out meat is not a hard thing to do. You do not have to eat excessive soy products like meatless , processed crap (unless you want to.. then you can go for it haha) or constant tofu. Now.. let me just say that if anyone is eating a balanced diet they will get all their protein, whether they are eating meat or not. A person needs 5 -6 % of protein in relative to total calorie in take. But most people over eat protein, the average American for example eats..wait for it.. 11-21 % . I don't know the Canadian figures but I would guess that they are probably not far off.

#1: Veggies

The reason I say that you don't have to live on soy products is that animal protein is not the only type of protein. There is such a thing as vegetable protein. Keep in mind that most veggies don't have much. Tomatoes for example has 2g, asparagus, beet root, and brussel sprouts all have 3g etc. Here is a handy dandy chart to use: http://www.weightlossforall.com/protein-vegetable.htm
Though these foods are lower in protein than meat but they are also lower in fat and calories and have lots of other good stuff in there. So eat your veggies friends!

#2 Whole Grains

Grains are a great way of getting protein and are really good for you especially if you eat whole grains - grains that are not refined. Whole products are whole wheat bread (pastas, breads, crackers) , multi grain bread, oatmeal etc. One piece of whole wheat bread has 2.4 g of protein, and one bagel has 6 g. These are also a nice choice because they are high in fiber -yay for roughage. ;)



Rice as well has lots of good stuff in it, but try to stay away from plain, white rice- trust me you'll be missing out. One cup of brown rice has 4.9 g of protein and lots of other good stuff. 1 cup white rice only has 4.1 g .


#3 Beans beans the magical fruit! (Lentils and Beans)
1 cup:

Baked Beans: 5g
Chick Peas: 8g
Soya Beans: 14g
Lima Beans: 14.7
Lentils : 16g

Yum yum - beans!

#4 Nuts and Seeds
Keep in mind it is best to only eat 1 serving of nuts (or one hand full roughly) a day as they are high in fat and oil.

Almond 21g
Cashew nuts 20g
Peanuts 25g
Peanut Butter 22g

#5 Soy

1 cup soy milk 33.4 G
Tofu 8g

#6 Dairy Products

If you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian (ie you still eat animal by products ((not a vegan)) ) then getting protein is beyond easy as eggs and milk are high in protein.

So as you can see as a vegetarian it's very hard not to get enough protein unless you are living on junk food . Just eat your veggies, whole grains, dairy/soy or beans or nuts -- whatever you want , just make sure the fruits, veggies, and grains are there (that goes for omnivores too!). There is lots of variety in a veg diet (meat does not = variety), you choose what you feel like eating and don't worry about protein.

Good Luck and happy eating!
-The Angry Giraffe.

*(Protein numbers vary)

Making Homemade Vegetable Chips!

Looking for a greasy, Delicious treat? Try switching things up with these yummy, crunchy root veg chips.

First chop up the vegetable that you want to use. I used beets, sweet potato, regular potato, parsnips and carrots. For a more exotic dish try using Lotus root or Taro if you can get your hands on them. Carrots and Parsnips are best cut in long pieces, while other work best cut round and all types should be sliced thinly. Also if you are doing potato it is best to soak the pieces in a bowl of water to suck the starch out.

Next fill a pot with oil and deep fry the vegetables until crisp this should take 2-3 minutes. Then use a skimmer to take the slices out, place them on paper towel to get rid of excess grease, and sprinkle on some sea salt.

These are best served right after cooked, if not the sweet potato tends to go limp.

Chickpea Dinner.

Looking to for a fast and easy meal? Have a can of Chickpeas that you need to use up? Well look no further for a good, light , protein packed meal because I have it right here!

There are really no precise measurements for this recipe, as I pretty much invented it. First if you are using canned Chickpeas, take them out and wash them in strainer. Chop up some veggies of your choice, I used green bell pepper, asparagus (a good spring vegetable), mushrooms and broccoli.

You could also add or substitute spinach, onion, pineapple or what ever you think would be good. Put the chopped up veggies in frying pan, add the cooking oil of your choice, and saute your veggies. Next add curry powder - 1 to 2 tsps depending on how spicy you want the dish to be. I also added some garlic--about half a tsp-- and put some salt in. Add your chickpeas now, as many as you would like in proportion to the veggies. Make sure you don't wait to put these in as they take a while to heat. To make sauce for these recipe add water to the frying pan to cook with the veggies and spices.

When cooked spread over rice. I used white rice, but wild, brown or even coconut would be equally good in my opinion. This recipe take 20 minutes tops to make, 10 minutes for the rice and veggies and 10 for prep.

Bon Appetit~!

A breif over view on why to lower or elimenate meat consumption.

What's with these crazy vegetarians anyway? Why would they choose not to eat MEAT? ;) Well there are many reasons.
Some vegetarians choose to stop eating meat for compassionate reasons - they don't want animals to die for their consumption or they don't support 'animal factories'. Animal factories are large factories that raise and slaughter animals, often the conditions are extremely unfavorable for the livestock. In these factories animals have little room to move, they are always indoors, they are feed growth hormones and they are overfeed. Be informed about what you eat and visit one of the many vegetarian sites that explain more about animals conditions.
PETA as intimidating as they are does a great video on factory farms, it's called 'Meet Your Meat' and can be found at http://www.goveg.com/factoryFarming.asp.
An example of a factory farm ^.
Although compassion is a major factor in many vegetarians choices to alter their diets it not the only reason. The general public seems to assume that vegetarians always choose their diet for compassionate reasons, the truth is however that there are many other reasons that I will outline below.
Albert Einstein once said “nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet”. Einstein was a vegetarian who knew what he was talking about, vegetarianism is an economical, environmentally and healthy lifestyle that has the potential to change the world for the better.
The environment: If livestock operation were less needed we could cut down on 18% of our green house gases, we could also reduce 64% of harmful anthropogenic ammonia emissions, cutting down significantly on the chance of acid rain. We would also have more water for human consumption and less water pollution from animal wastes etc. Check out what David Suzuki says about cutting down on meat consumption at:
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/WOL/Challenge/Newsletter/Two.asp
Economy and Humanitarian reasons : Cutting down on meat consumption would benefits man kind. We could save a great deal of money that we are presently spending on livestock feed and maintenance of livestock. We could realistically solve world hunger since 70% of crops in the US alone are used to feed livestock. Peter Singer, the author of ‘Animal Liberation’ says “if Americans were to reduce their meat consumption by 10% for one year, it would free at least 12 million tons of grain for human consumption” meaning we could feed 60 million people. Check out how Peter Singer says you can make a difference : http://www.princeton.edu/~psinger/make_a_difference.html
Health: A vegetarian diet also reduces the risk of getting many diseases. A study by the Oxford Vegetarian Society concludes that vegetarians have a 28% less chance of getting coronary heart disease. They also have less chance of having diabetes, many different types of cancers, and gallstones AND they have a less chance of being obese. Yay!
So with these environmentally, economical and health benefits we defiantly owe it to ourselves, the plant and others to make the choice to cut down or eliminate meat completely from our diets. With veg diets you can still eat all kinds of great food and feel even better about the life choices you make for yourself. You don't have to go to a field and live with the animals , join PETA ,be an extremest or live on tofu --- Trust me! Even if you cut back on meat every little bit helps the animals, environment and yourself, besides humans really don't need meat every meal, your body won't shut down with out it. I've been vegetarian for about a year and a half and I haven't died yet. Either way get informed and you decide!