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The Emotional World of Farm Animals

"Buffalo Chicken" Salad!

Okay, don't question it. Just love it. And make it. Worry about it tomorrow.



Salad of boston green and red, endive, carrots, red cabbage, cukes, red onions, green peppers. Take your favorite chicken sub such as extra firm (skillet browned) tofu, or chik'n nuggets, or chik'n strips, whatever, and toss those in a "buffalo wing" sauce. Ken's and Buffalo brand are vegan but chemically. Hey, the healthy part is the salad, right? Top your salad with the buffalo "chicken" (but don't use real chickens!! duh!) and toss the whole thing in a ranchy/blue cheesy blend of Vegenaise, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, basil, oregano, parsley, paprika, pepper, and red wine vinegar to desired texture.

Enjoy bliss.

Some People are Awesome. Some People Suck.

Yeah, you know who you are. It's (was) my birthday and I'll rant if I want to!

I'll start with some awesome people. My five friends who joined V and me for dinner at Vegetate last Thursday for my birthday. Not only did four omnis happily go to a vegetarian restaurant with three vegans, all apps and entrees ordered were vegan and there was much passing and swapping of plates. I had such a blast with everyone and they all have my lifelong thanks for coming out and giving me one of the best b-days ever. This group of delightful and witty peeps are most definitely people who are awesome. Our server at the restaurant? He's one of the people who suck.

Another awesome person--our mortgage hotshot, A. She is nothing short of amazing in her dedication to helping us get into a house. Too bad we lost the "perfect" place, but she was right there through the whole thing and is a fantastic cheerleader with a super sharp financial brain. This of course amazes me, considering my hatred of all things mathematical.

To add to the list--my boss, M, with whom I only have one more day. Were it not for her, I would not have a new job with a tremendous bump in responsibility and salary. She's one of the most incredible people I've ever met and it breaks my heart that she's leaving. Alas, she is so wonderful, everyone wants her to come work with them, and she's moving on to something exciting for her. Her new colleagues are lucky bastages indeed. Though I lose her as a coworker, she will remain something much more precious, a friend.

And the final note on people who are awesome--my love, V. He is the funniest and most handsome and most patient man in the world. I know putting up with me and my shit is not an easy thing (no comments necessary on this one, kids), and he endures with love and humor. He rocks my world and fills my eyes with tears for how much I love him. And I'm not just saying that cuz he got me an i-pod for my b-day!

On to the people who suck...

Former friends. What's up with that? Once we were friends, confidants, buds, girrlz. Now that I'm here, little to no contact EVEN WHEN THEY VISIT DC. I almost posted about this back in January--because I was really really hurt--but I let it go, hoping there would be an apology e-mail. Something to tell me how horribly busy they were during the big conference of the year. But I know that conference. I've been going longer than they have, and I know there is plenty of time to do non-conference things. Especially if one of those things is seeing an old and dear friend. You know, maybe contact somebody before you get to town, let them know your dates, your schedule, figure out when you can get together? Or maybe that's just me. I'M the one who had to contact them while they were here, only to be told they were going to sessions that night but would be going out the next. All this by text. And I never heard another word. No text. No call. And I knew when the conference was over of course. I was there too. And here, two months later, no contact explaining why that happened the way it did. Today, I find out that one of these people was in town last Thursday and Friday. You know, my BIRTHDAY. And yet again, didn't bother to mention the visit. So, these are people who suck. If it's you and you see this, are you offended? Because I say you suck? Yes? I suppose that's much the way I felt when I realized how little our friendship means to you, when it always meant so much to me.

Other people who suck--friends who only want to do things that are their idea. You know the type. Doesn't matter what you come up with, if it wasn't their suggestion, they won't participate. Sure, they offer up ideas of things to do, and will give you shit for not coming out, but you'll never see them show up for anything you suggest. Even when it's your birthday.

And while I'm on it--people for whom you go out of your way to do something special for them. Oh, I dunno, let's say on their birthday. And you don't even get a many happy returns when yours rolls around. Now obviously I'm not saying "I got you a gift; where's mine?" Gods no. Not what I mean at all. If I give someone a gift it's because I want to, with no expectation of anything in return, save for a "thanks." I'm just talking about some kind of acknowledgment, you know, a call, an e-mail, a text, a hug. I don't think that's asking too much, so I'm saying those are people who suck.

So some people are awesome, and some people suck.

Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and some random thoughts

What's a girl to do, sitting home with her dogs on a Saturday night? Well make cookies of course! These are the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies from The Joy of Vegan Baking. And they are nothing short of fantastic.


I'll be heading to Nannie's on Monday for the annual xmas irritation. Happy birfday, Jebus! I'm going to do my best to keep my cynicism to myself though, with this being our last xmas in the house. As much as I hate to admit it, the sentimental part of me knows this will be tough--for both of us. The only xmas memories I have, I have in that living room, with the dark wood wall, a roaring fire, the gumdrop tree, and Nannie's perfect tree with some ornaments that are 70 years old. Oh well. Things change. I suppose we just have to deal.

I went through six or seven cookbooks today, planning what to make while I'm down there. Nothing nailed down, but I'll definitely be doing a few things from Bryanna's Almost No-Fat Cookbook, the new Yellow Rose Recipes (don't have it yet? get it!) and one I picked up yesterday, Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen. I've been pretty bad of late, and plan to get back to healthy eating by doing a lot of soups. They're filling, comforting, variable, generally low in fat, and I feel better when I eat a lot of soup, "lighter" somehow. Now to stay away from the bread machine...

Anyway, here's wishing everyone a happy time, however you celebrate the season. Cook lots and tell me all about it!

Some Food (with recipes) and Stuff

Hey, kids! Yeah, yeah, it's been a while and I obviously didn't fare well with NaBloPoMo. Eh, whatever. But I DO know someone who completed NaNoWriMo, so a HUGE CONGRATS to my friend H. You did it! There was never any doubt. So now I know a novelist! I guess that makes both of us cool.

Aaaand on to some food and crappy pix. Wouldn't it just ruin things if I actually had a decent camera?

Earlier this week I made my friend VeganWitch's spinach lasagna.

YUM. I also made it last Thursday--on that day that some people "celebrate" but which is actually a day of mourning--for Nannie and she loved it. V was pretty fond of it too, as evidenced by his three helping dinner. As always, I added way more spices and garlic than called for.

It's super easy to put together and utterly delicious. Make it. Like now.

Kick Ass Lasagna

Ingredients

* 2-3 jars of favorite spaghetti sauce
* 1-16 oz bag of spinach leaves
* 1/2 lb. carrots
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
* 2 cloves minced garlic
* 1/4 cup canned low-sodium veggie broth
* 1 lb. tofu (I usually mash in some oregano, pepper, garlic powder and salt)
* 8 oz. vegan "cream cheese" (I use tofutti)
* 2 Tblspns. lemon juice
* 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
* 12 lasagna noodles, cooked
* 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Slice carrots and steam, set aside. Add olive oil to a large skillet, place over medium-high heat until hot. Add parsley and garlic, saute for 1 minute. Add carrots and veggie broth; simmer uncovered for 5 min. Add tofu, vegan "cream cheese", and lemon juice; stir well. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until fake cheesy stuff starts to melt. Stir in nutmeg and nutritional yeast. Remove from heat; keep warm.

Place 3 lasagna noodles in bottom of large baking dish. Spread carrot mixture over top, place 3 noodles on top of that and spread tomato sauce and spinach on top of those, repeat process until all noodles are used up... top with spaghetti sauce. Cover and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes. Enjoy!

On Thursday I decided not to go to work. Actually, on Wednesday I decided not to go in on Thursday. Late in the day I decided chocolate chip cookies would be a good idea. So here they are:

I used the recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking. Something went awry but it was most certainly user error, as others have made this recipe with great success and that book is fucking amazing (as evidenced by the cranberry scones I made last week). Not sure what I did but the cookies didn't spread in the oven as usual, so for the second batch I had to flatten them before baking which I think made for a crunchier cookie. I prefer chewy, but whatever, they're good and of course being eaten. Oh, and I also added walnuts. Cuz, well, they're walnuts.

Next, on to some soup. I also didn't go to work on Friday (I actually was feeling kind of crappy both days--due to the fact that I'm a GIRL), so I made some potato soup. This is also one of VeganWitch's recipes and it is positively fantabulous. Make it. Like the day after you make the lasagna. Okay, that may be a bit much back to back, but toss together a salad and look how healthy you are! Besides, this soup has broccoli in it, and everyone knows that any dish with broccoli is super healthy.



Creamy Potato and Broccoli Soup

I have made this recipe several times in the last few weeks.....it is so awesome. I like to serve it with a sprinkle of vegan "bacon" bits and a dollop of vegan sour cream.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1 large onion
6 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, diced
3 cups of water
2 tablespoons of veggie bouillon powder
ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
3 cups "milk" (I used Silk enhanced with flax and DHA)
1 head of broccoli (frozen or steamed)
1 tablespoon of dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
salt, to taste

In a large stock pot melt the margarine and add the onions and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent.

While the onions are cooking, place the diced potatoes, carrots, water and bouillon powder in another stock pot and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Season with black pepper to taste.

Add the flour to the cooked onions to make a paste. Gradually add the "milk" and stir well. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until warmed through. Add the potato and carrot mixture. Stir in the broccoli, parsley and thyme and heat through. Add salt to taste.

I have also made variations of this soup using celery, garlic and veggie broth. Also have tried topping with vegan cheddar and croutons.

Enjoy!

Again, an easy and tasty recipe. You'll have leftovers, but it doesn't make it to the freezer around here--it's just too damn good and gets eaten quickly.

Lots of things going on aside from kitchen activities. Maybe I'll get to some of that later.

Thanksgiving with the Turkeys--and then some ranting

This past Saturday was the annual Thanksgiving with the Turkeys at Poplar Spring. Two vegan friends from Baltimore, who I don't see nearly enough, came down for the day. I love them dearly and they're smart and fun chicas, so it's always good to see them.

Of course it's always wonderful to see the turkeys, chickens, pheasants, and others enjoying their fanciful feast. Catered right to their yard on table tops for their dining pleasure, and with the security that no one is going to hurt them ever again.

Being a potluck, ya gots to bring some food, right? So I made gonzo salad, cornbread, and I had frozen the massive amount of Greek Stuffing from the other night, so I heated that up and brought it along. There were GOBS AND GOBS of food--so much there's no way you could taste everything. I truly wish there was a Poplar Spring Cookbook, because some of the dishes were nothing short of incredible and I'd love to have the recipes.

After a satisfying lunch and three plates (yes, I said three plates) of desserts we passed around, we went to visit with the other animals. I am especially in love with goats and pigs. Why? Cuz they're goats and pigs! Have you ever spent any time with them? The goats are always fun--they're so curious and have such unique faces. It's always with the goats though that I start crying. Especially with the older ones or the ones who've suffered such cruelty they have obvious lifelong injuries. Pigs are just so freakin' smart and adorable and many are quite affectionate towards humans. How anyone could put the flesh of these beautiful animals into their mouths in beyond my comprehension. You have to be a pretty sick fuck to look into their soulful eyes and see "food." Toward the end of the day, V and I took a walk out to visit with the cows, who I think had pretty much had their fill of people by that time. Can't say I blame them.

Which leads me to the angry portion of this post.

What the fuck is wrong with people? The ENTIRE IDEA of Thanksgiving with the Turkeys is to, well, spend Thanksgiving with the Turkeys. Gee, I thought that was kind of, you know, obvious. And of course to visit the other animals and serve as a fundraiser for the monumental work done at the sanctuary. So why the hell when they were bringing out the birds' feast were there more people lined up at the potluck, waiting to dig in, than hanging by the birds?? Why? I shall tell you why. Because humans are selfish, ignorant, tacky, greedy fucks. Now I'm no Miss Manners, but if any one of you ever happens to run across this--YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. I was ashamed for you. You embarrassed yourselves. I don't care whether you're vegan or not; you demonstrated some high level assholery with that one. The birds were the guests of honor, and instead of even waiting until they had been served THEN going to get in line, your greedy asses were standing there, paper plate in hand, waiting to be given the "go" signal. Next year, how about you just write a check out to Poplar Spring and leave your sorry ass at home, k? Thanks.

And another thing--I know some of you brought non-vegan food to this event. In fact I saw you, Hippie Boy, walk in with those two large containers of grocery store-bought doughnuts. Being that this is DC and we don't have vegan doughnuts like Seattle, Portland, and Vegas, you broke the basic rule of the potluck. Way to go. Doughnuts aren't even vegetarian. And I noticed a lot of store bought things, especially on the dessert tables. I'm not saying you gotta rock the kitchen like Isa or Colleen, but come on. Most of that shit was likely not vegan. Don't have the time or talent to make something? Grab some pita and hummus on your way, but don't you dare bring non-vegan food to an ANIMAL SANCTUARY event. Oh, as for the TWO hummers in the parking lot? FUCK YOU.

And finally, I invited no less than 16 people to this event, and NOT ONE would attend. Kind of getting used to no one in this town ever wanting to do anything, but seriously, not one? For something fun, educational, and including free food? And for something that was actually pretty important to me? Then again, when I asked everyone I know to go vegan just for ONE DAY as a personal favor to me, I had exactly one person grant my request. One. Hope no one else ever needs a favor. Yes, I am aware that this could be nothing more than a failure in my activism, and that's probably something I should explore further. But in general, I have had it with omnis (yes this includes you, pescatarians) and vegetarians too afraid or too guilty or too stubborn to face the reality of what they're doing. What they're doing to the animals and what they're doing to the environment and what it all means with regard to social and environmental justice. It is NOT a personal choice. When YOUR so-called choices affect the well-being and the very existence of others, they cease to be "personal" choices. If you could have gone to this event, or a similar one in your area, and you didn't, well--you suck.

And while I'm starting my third paragraph with the word "and," I have had it up to HERE with people telling me how much they looooove animals. Yes, they love animals so much they put it into practice by tacitly participating in their murder and then eating their corpses. Please stop saying you love animals. It's obvious you don't. Just say you love dogs and/or cats, cuz that's really all you're talking about. And if you don't see the hypocrisy in saying you love your dog but you're eating a pig, well then I'm not really certain of your intellectual capacity.

This really shouldn't have turned into a big ole rant. Saturday was a beautiful day in so many ways. Overall it was wonderful seeing friends, sharing a meal, visiting with the animals. Just can't forget the asshats who always seem to stick out.

Greek Stuffing

Wow, what a slacker. No posts since Sunday. I have failed in NaBloPoMo in a big way. But hey, if you gonna do it, do it big.

The pumpkin spice bread was a big hit at work. People grubbed it right up (yeah, you know who you are!).

Monday was D's birthday, so dinner at the Playbill. Tuesday was class. Wednesday was back in the kitchen! I made the Greek Stuffing from Cozy Inside. I was a bit leary of the raisins and the cinnamon--and with good reason. The recipe is good and the dish turned out just fine, it's just a personal taste thing that made both V and me less than crazy about this one. I think I'll try it again--because the wild rice and seitan were superb--but go with a savory flair next time. And probably more garlic, cuz, well, it's more garlic.

Although there's no pic of the Greek Stuffing, here is a pic of the two most adorable dogs on the planet taken that same night. How do I know they're the most adorable dogs? JUST LOOK! And see if this doesn't make you want to sing "Maggie got a big ole butt, oh yeah!"