i got home last night and was in a cooking and roasting frenzy! the irishman and i have a hard time keeping up with our weekly c.s.a. delivery and since another bountiful box is coming tomorrow, there were still loads of veggies waiting for their debut in our fridge. i was roasting squash and broccoli and whipping up a black kale, bok choy and tatsoi stir fry to go over brown rice for dinner/lunch/dinner like a madwoman! so you could imagine my sorrow when searching for today’s meatless monday post, that i came across heidi’s recipe for miso sesame winter squash…suddenly my stir fry seemed so amateurish!

and considering the fact that this week’s box from underwood family farms contains the following:

1 bunch Candy Beets

1 bunch Yellow Carrots

1  Green Leaf Lettuce

1 pound Broccoli

1 Celery

1 Celery Root

1 bunch Italian Parsley

1 Colored Cauliflower

1 bunch Rainbow Chard

1/2 pound Brussel Sprouts

1 Green Cabbage

1 basket Blueberries

Related articles

• #meatlessmonday recipe: how to cook lentil soup via @bittman… (modernest.com)
• #meatlessmonday recipe: triple smoky mac & cheese and a protein lesson from @herbivoracious… (modernest.com)
• Miso Sesame Winter Squash (101cookbooks.com)
• Learn to Cook: Winter Squash (wholefoodsmarket.com)
• Seasonal Eats: Butternut, the King of Winter Squash (laist.com)

aptly named, “fresh” takes a fresh approach to talking about sustainable food systems. like documentaries before it, it discusses the horrors and damages caused by factory farming. but more than the others, “fresh” gives voice to the farmers caught in the monsanto/foster farms/KFC/industrial agriculture web. you meet farmers who got out and others who want to. you meet activists and average folks who just want to eat better and are willing to work for it. most importantly, you find out what you can do.

the first thing you can do is watch this amazing film for FREE until february 1st. tell everyone you know to do the same. buy the dvd. make a donation. have a fundraiser. spread the word.

watching the film made me think, i can establish a co-op wherever we land. even though whole foods market supports a lot of local producers, many americans live in a food wasteland where access to produce is nearly impossible. for the farmers, getting a fair rate for their efforts means the difference between survival and bankruptcy. so i’m adding this to our idea jar.

the bottom line, organic farming is sustainable and it can feed the world. and the first step is for us to step up and support local farmers.

Related articles

• thank you, @marthastewart for lending your voice to the voiceless. end #factoryfarming (modernest.com)
• Please share widely: Groundswell’s Sustainable Farming Certificate Program (flxpermaculture.net)
• Tech Startup Brings Transparency to Food System with Online Tools to Track Food from Farm to Table (seedstock.com)

yesterday, the california supreme court overturned a law that required euthanizing downed livestock at federally inspected slaughterhouses. this 2009 law was enacted in california after the humane society released undercover footage of workers abusing cows at a slaughterhouse. most of this meat was slated for delivery to school lunches and other federally funded programs.

the supervisor was jailed for animal cruelty, the slaughterhouse was shut down and 143 million pounds of beef were recalled, but there was no way in hell that the factory farms were going to take this lying down. according to the huffington post:

Federal law “precludes California’s effort … to impose new rules, beyond any the FSIS has chosen to adopt, on what a slaughterhouse must do with a pig that becomes non-ambulatory during the production process,” said Justice Elena Kagan, who wrote the court’s unanimous opinion.

Under California law, the ban on buying, selling and slaughtering of downer cattle also extended to pigs, sheep and goats.

Pork producers sued to stop the law, saying it interfered with federal laws that require inspections of downed livestock before determining whether they can be used for meat.

The Federal Meat Inspection Act allows a federal meat inspector to examine and then determine whether a downed animal is fit to be slaughtered for meat. It also says states cannot add requirements “in addition to or different than” its requirements.

About 3 percent of pigs that show up at slaughterhouses are non-ambulatory, the National Meat Association says, but veterinarians normally give the non-walking pigs a few hours to determine whether their problem is disease, or just stress, fatigue, stubbornness or being overheated from the trip to the slaughterhouse.

A federal judge agreed and blocked the law, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out the hold. The justices overturned that decision.

Federal law “regulates slaughterhouses’ handling and treatment of non-ambulatory pigs from the moment of their delivery through the end of the meat production process,” Kagan said. California’s law “endeavors to do the same thing, at the same time, in the same place – except by imposing different requirements. The FMIA expressly pre-empts such a state law.”

basically, california law could not go above federal law. the humane society has introduced a federal bill hr3704, currently under consideration by the house agriculture committee. you can send a letter to your representatives here.

wayne pacelle, president of the humane society of the united states says:

“This ruling places the matter squarely in the Congress and USDA to take meaningful action to protect animals unable to walk, and prevent the food safety threats that arise from these animals,” Pacelle said. “But it’s a very tall hill to climb because of the power of the meat industry in D.C.”

in her op-ed piece this morning patt morrison shared asking jane goodall what was the single thing that one individual could do to make the biggest impact on the planet and the prospect of human survival, and she said, “stop eating meat.” until the world turns vegetarian, can’t we at least unite to ensure that the animals who give their lives to feed us are allowed to live a life free of cruelty and abuse?

Related articles

• Supreme Court Rules Against Animals (vegannewsnow.com)

the days have finally turned chilly and nothing sounds better than a hearty bowl of soup. i must admit, protein content aside, i’ve felt a little guilty posting that last cheesy recipe from herbivoracious (especially in the light of paula deen’s pill popping diabetes revelation). so, i figure i would health it up a bit for this meatless monday recipe…

7 ways to make lentil soup comes from mark bittman’s brilliant “how to cook everything“, so once you get the basics down, you can tweak and edit to your heart’s (and tummy’s) delight!

Related articles

• #meatlessmonday recipe: triple smoky mac & cheese and a protein lesson from @herbivoracious… (modernest.com)
• Mark Bittman’s Truthbomb: Reducing Your Meat Intake Isn’t As Difficult As You Think (blisstree.com)

i’ve said it a million times, i don’t eat meat and i don’t judge those who do. but it’s crucial that people know how their meat is raised. under what conditions. what it’s fed.

a few things you can do:

• support farm sanctuary (whose mission is to “protect farm animals from cruelty, inspire change in the way society views and treats farm animals, and promote compassionate vegan living”)
• check out whole foods market’s global animal partnership program – creating transparency in the meat industry and hopefully, encouraging other grocers to follow suit
• sign this petition to raise awareness and help stop the brutality of factory farming

your spirit, your body, your children and your planet will thank you!

…and so will i!

Related articles

• Compassionate Eating 2012 (vegannewsnow.com)
• Going “Cold Tofu” To End Factory Farming (psychologytoday.com)
• Factory Farms Are Killing You (Reason #463) (timzimmermann.com)
• 2011 Animal Rescues: Farm Sanctuary Shares Heartwarming Stories (PHOTOS) (huffingtonpost.com)
• Ellen DeGeneres shares why she supports Farm Sanctuary (showlovedaily.com)

this video is from 2011. don’t be distracted by the fact that the fox people struggle reading the teleprompter, it’s more important to note that by this time, paula deen was well into her awareness of her diabetes diagnosis.

she seems completely baffled why, based on the foods she cooks, that anthony bourdain would call her “the most dangerous person in america”. she “aw shucks” and “y’alls” and continues to spin her well-worn tale that she just cooks the way her mama and her grandma cooked. she’s just a sweet, unassuming southern gal who has no idea why anthony bourdain would have such angry things to say about her…

…well, now we know. now we know that for the past three years, she has continued to peddle her fat filled, sugar saturated, butter bonanza recipes to the public while all the while knowing that she suffers from a food based disease. now we know that she wasn’t using the time to “digest” the diagnosis (as she claimed on “the chew“), but was more than likely seeking out the most lucrative pharmaceutical deal to once again peddle to the same public that she helped to make sick.

she could have spent that time writing a new cookbook – a healthier one, based on the palates of those faithful fans. one that lightened the southern diet (more greens, less fat, less oils). instead, her son is spinning off his own career based around “not my mama’s meals” < so she knows it’s wrong, but why not keep more money in the family? mom gets the drug deal, son gets to make his own money and career on a different network…it all works out quite well for the deen family…not so well for america.

anthony bourdain is right when he tweeted: “Thinking of getting into the leg-breaking business, so I can profitably sell crutches later.”

serious eats was running a series way back in 2008 called “paula deen is trying to kill us” – an artery blocking collection of recipes including this one for ham and banana casserole:

• Butter
• 12 slices white bread
• 8 large slices deli ham
• 4 bananas, sliced on the bias
• 2 cups shredded Cheddar
• 2 cups crushed potato chips
• 6 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cream
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

see? like a lasagna? my favorite ingredient is the unspecified amount of butter…but knowing paula deen, it’s measured in sticks and not tablespoons.

i’m all about personal responsibility. hell, my sister loves some of paula deen’s recipes. and i know for a fact that she doesn’t cook them every night. some have tried to (once again) make this discussion about class – what’s the difference between ina garten and paula deen? one is french based, the other working class. so let’s criticize the working class celebrity chef. but when you are “sending love and best dishes” with a deep fried cheesecake with added chocolate and powdered sugar and “tee hee” a vegetable (a sprig of mint), then somewhere down the line, you are responsible for your own actions:

i don’t wish illness on anyone. but paula deen had a real opportunity to educate her fans and help them change their diets and change their lives. but instead, she claims that she always preached moderation (i must have missed those episodes) and that now she will have to change her life – by cutting back on her sweet tea – because that’s what’s killing america…sweet tea.

Related articles

• Paula Deen Vows To Donate Diabetes Drug Profits To ADA…Then Eats Birthday Cake (blisstree.com)
• Chef Paula Deen hid diabetes, pushed high-fat food (sfgate.com)

along with so many parts of this blog, my meatless monday posts have fallen to the wayside, but like other parts of this blog (and my life), i’m trying to get things back on track! we’ve started selling items on ebay for the “farm fund” and i have to admit, the first posting was a little difficult. i’ve been collecting things for far longer than i’ve been a vegetarian and i have some deep emotional attachments to some of them. and as i walk through the house, deciding what will stay and what will go, it’s the oddball things that seem to make it to the “stay” list. i’m sure that as time goes by, as the fund grows larger and our new life is closer on the horizon, these feelings will change, but for now, it’s kind of difficult separating from all this stuff….difficult, but not impossible…

it’s also strange that through my googling research, that this “urban homesteading/homesteading/off the grid” concept seems to be occupied by two seemingly disparate groups:  eco peeps and survivalists. so, some websites are very bucolic and inviting, others feel like previews of  “the walking dead“. but at least it gives me hope that red states and blue states can agree on something (even if it’s for very different reasons)…

geez, i’m rambling this morning. back to meatless monday!

image from herbivoracious

in reading michael’s git yer protein post, he had a link to this dish with a whopping 25 grams. and since the days have turned cold here, his recipe for triple smoky macaroni and cheese will give us a warm and hearty dinner and delicious leftovers for our workday lunches. i’ll either wilt some arugula from my CSA box on top or have a lovely salad on the side – despite it’s ooey gooey cheesy goodness, i’m still trying to lose my 2011 stress and holiday overindulgence pounds!

…just one more thing on the “go” list!

Related articles

• 3 Most Popular Meatless Monday Vegetarian Recipes for 2011 (planetforward.ca)
• Meatless Monday: 10 Vegetarian Black-Eyed Pea Recipes For A Lucky New Year (blisstree.com)
• Meatless Meals: 15 Hearty Vegetarian Recipes Best of 2011 (thekitchn.com)
• Mark Bittman’s Truthbomb: Reducing Your Meat Intake Isn’t As Difficult As You Think (blisstree.com)
• Reader Q and A: What’s the Difference Between a Complete Protein and an Incomplete Protein? (self.com)

via treehugger

have you ever had a moment when everything changed? a moment of such clarity that it shook you to your core and upended your life path? well, i’m happy/grateful/excited to say that happened to me last friday. i went to a class for work. i felt i didn’t have time to devote a whole day to this class, little did i know the earthshaking lesson i would learn that day…

the chef who lead the class was an amazing man. with an amazing story. a story that was filled with the ups and downs many of us face (and one, that broke his heart and his spirit).  but with time and meditation, what he came away with was a realization that he was meant to be of service. and everything shifted for him. i sat there, mesmerized by his tale. and i started to wonder about my life. and the lives of my friends. all of us, working so hard. and for what? to pay the rent. to pay the mortgage. to dream of the day when we are retired (and old!) so that we can live some life of simplicity.

why not now?

why not sell everything? why not say, to hell with it and get off the grid? for the first time in a long time, life seemed full of possibilities. and these possibilities made total sense. i called the irishman to see if i was crazy. was this something we could do? could we grow our all own food? could we build our own tiny house? could we have a workshop where we could get serious about creating? could we have loads of dogs and toil over soil? he was all in. i started googling “homesteading” like a mad woman. there were many things to consider. as eco as i am, there are certain things i cannot live without:  a bathtub. wifi. a washer. i definitely could live smaller. but i need access to a city. museums. a job.

i started looking at all our possessions as assets to freedom. we’ve been collecting a lot of stuff for a lot of time. and now that stuff would help us get to a place where we could actually live our lives. i started calculating:  those sofas + that diner = a solar panel system. i opened closets, filled with clothes and shoes and more stuff. kitchen cabinets filled with plates and bowls and appliances. our garage…oh, our garage…

so. the plan is to plan an exit plan. to figure out how to get from here to there. the first step is to liberate ourselves from and with all this stuff. to pick maybe the top 5 places we would like to own land. maybe there’s an interim step where we are still city dwellers, but we reduce our environmental impact. we grow a serious garden. we start to barter more, and spend less…maybe we raise some chickens for eggs? i’m not going to overthink things. i have to remember that moment in that class where everything felt so clear…it wasn’t rational, it was emotional. i figure 2012 will be all about squirreling away money. about research and learning and meeting like-minded people.

but all of that could change in a moment. and we’re completely open to that change.

back in may of 2011, roger ebert wrote a review of “forks over knives“. and while he felt the documentary was directed at physicians and focused a bit too much on nutrition (and not on exercise), he had no criticism of the message:

The bottom line: I am convinced this message is true. A plant-based whole foods diet is healthy. Animal protein is not necessary, or should be used sparingly as Asians did, as a flavoring and not a main course. This adds the advantage of allowing us to avoid the chemicals and carcinogens pumped into livestock and poultry. Fast food is lethal. Parents who feed it to their children are helping them get hooked on fat, salt and sugar addiction. The facts are in.

but somehow, by the end of the year, this life-changing documentary became the worst film of 2011 on his show, “ebert presents at the movies“.

(i couldn’t get the video to load, but i urge you to click the link and listen to the banal critique.).

forks over knives wasn’t meant to be entertaining. it wasn’t shot to go up against “transformers” or whatever else hollywood churns out for us to sit in a darkened theatre and shove popcorn and jujubees in our pie holes. it wasn’t glossy because it wasn’t glossing over the facts:  we are a sick nation. many of our ailments can be prevented/cured through a healthier diet. hell, even roger ebert changed the way he “eats” because of it:

P. S.: I have recently decided to ditch my canned nutrition and switch to a liquid diet based on fresh fruits and vegetables. Yes, I consulted my physician.

to name this film, of all films, as the worst of the year is insulting and a crime. countless lives have been changed/saved…and that is the power of filmmaking at its core.

i’m not a violent person, but after watching these two critics, i’d like to beet the crap out of them!

2 great resources for you to eat healthier this year are the “engine 2 diet” and whole foods market’s health starts here program.

have a healthy and happy 2012!

Related articles

• Forks Over Kniv… (thrivevegan.com)
• “A Film That Can Save Your Life…” (rootsacupuncture.org)
• Forks Over Knives (healthdiscoveryjourney.com)

the approach of the end of the year usually brings loads of self-reflection. but this year, i feel i’ve been doing it every day. instead of writing here, i’ve been buried in my journal, trying to figure out what happened…but our financial implosion was caused by people i’ll never know and by a sense of greed and a disregard for others that i cannot comprehend. so all i can focus on is what i do know…i have an incredible circle of friends, an amazing and talented boyfriend and 2 dogs that bring me joy each and every day, i have my health, a creative mind and i work for a company i love. i feel things are coming back into focus. i feel a shift in the air and that 2012 won’t be as brutal as 2011 was. we’ve all become untethered from possessions and ways of thinking that were holding us back. and in that liberation, we must find a way to move forward. together.

i feel my life is more authentic now and to 2012, i say, “bring it!” … i’m ready.