Easy Vegan Meal - Thai Coconut Soup

It's cold, I'm in the mood for soup today, I'm lazy and I'm on a coconut kick. So....another can of Amy's soup comes to the rescue!

This time it's Amy's Tom Kha Phak or Thai Coconut Soup. To this, I add a can of Trader Joe's Light Coconut Milk - I like this kind because it's less calories and this brand is inexpensive. Then I throw in some frozen sugar snap peas, frozen mixed mushrooms (the greatest thing ever from Woodstock Farms) and Morningstar Farms Chik-n-Strips. I bring it to a light boil, serve some up and then season with kosher salt and pepper to taste and top with some fresh cilantro. I like things spicy, so I also splashed some Tabasco on top.

OMG good!

By adding the extra ingredients, I stretched the servings from 2 to 4, enhanced the flavors and textures, created more of a complete meal in one pot and cut down on the sodium content.

What if McDonald's suddenly became vegan?

I have this fantasy that if all the McDonald's suddenly went vegan, no one would really notice the difference, or complain. No one goes to McDonald's to eat healthy food anyway, so as long as it was still fast, cheap and tasted good, I believe it wouldn't matter.

Now, I'm not examining the issues surrounding "fast food" and what that implies about our society's priorities; I'm only conjuring up a scenario based on our current habits. And recognizing that being vegan isn't really a matter of difficulty for a society, but only a matter of us currently having a fast-food, animal-product dominated, society.

I've often presented the question to others who still choose to eat animals and animal products about what they would do if suddenly there were no animals to eat. The answer has always been that they would no longer eat them - or they offer no answer at all. But the answer has yet to be "I wouldn't survive." (I imagine that would be a pretty ridiculous answer when the person asking the question is a thriving vegan!) Vegans are living proof that you don't need to eat animals and their byproducts to survive.

We all know the phenomenon where someone tastes something and declares it delicious, only to retract their assessment once it's revealed to them it is something they previously declared unappetizing. Some get angry, believing they have been deceived. But some realize through this exercise how their perceptions had been dictating their food choices, rather than actual taste. And I'm sure these scenarios would play out in a sudden McDonald's conversion. Now I know it's a stretch that you could replicate all the flavors in McDonald's products perfectly in vegan forms, but I imagine if they became the only options - either you eat this or stop eating at McDonald's - people would most likely be unwilling to give up the cheap convenience due to a lack of animal parts, if it was at least tasty.

At least that's what I choose to believe. That if there was no other choice, society would have no problem being vegan.

Easy Vegan Meal - Lentil Vegetable Stew

I'm an okay cook, but I definitely prefer the eating more than the preparing and tend to avoid following recipes. I've come to accept that I come from a long line of ancestors whose favorite things to make were dinner reservations. So, I look for shorcuts where I can.

I was really in the mood for stew yesterday, but didn't feel like making something from scratch. I had a can of Amy's Lentil Vegetable Soup (and I can't tell you how cool it is to see products with "(VEGAN)" heading the ingredients list) in my pantry, to use as a starting point.

These processed foods tend to have too much salt, so the first thing I do is add about a half can of water to start and then play it by ear, depending on how it tastes, to determine if I'll add more water later. Then I throw in whatever frozen veggies I have on hand - yesterday it was your basic mixed vegetables and cut leaf spinach - and maybe a frozen animal-product substitute, like the vegan Morningstar Steak Strips I used in this dish. (I just dump the frozen items right into the pot - they cook just fine.)

After bringing the soup to a simmer/low boil, I decided it could take some more water, and that I would then thicken it up with a corn starch roux (whisking the starch with some of the hot soup broth until it's a paste, and then adding it back to the pot). Then I added some garlic powder and a little Kosher salt, once in the bowl, to taste. And of course, I had to have some ketchup with my stew, as is my personal tradition.

It was delicious, hearty and satisfying, and SOOOO quick and easy! And by adding the water, veggies and strips, I turned a 2-serving, $2, fairly high-sodium can of soup into a healthier, 4-serving, multi-meal stew.

Today, I plan to have the rest with some leftover Basmati rice. Just the antecdote for a cold, rainy, winter day when you need a little comfort food.

The Only Humans Most Animals Will Ever Know

Gary over at Animal Writings gets frequent responses to his rodeo posts, from apparent rodeo workers attempting to defend the treatment of the rodeo animals as being "humane" and "better than most people's pets". While it's obviously ludicrous that you could ever call jolting animals with high voltage, roping babies around their necks in order to drag them through mud and then slam them to the ground, subjecting them to flank straps and spurs, scaring them, jumping on them, leaving them to suffer when they break necks and bones and then killing them when they can no longer be exploited - "humane" - these people continue attempting to justify this heartless, cruel and unnecessary "sport". If this is what some people think is "humane", what does that mean for the animals?

Which got me thinking ... about the only humans most animals will ever know.

For instance, chickens at birth have their first introduction to our species when they get their beaks burned off. Then they are either confined in a battery cage where the only human contact for a year might be the occasional employee who comes around to pull out their dead cage-mates; or they are crammed into football-field sized sheds to live in their own excrement, where in a few weeks their next human interaction is being grabbed by their feet and slammed into cages (resulting in painful injuries and broken bones) while being rounded up for slaughter.

Both the egg-laying hens and the "broiler" chickens (free-range and organic included) will have their last human interactions at the slaughterhouse - after being trucked without protection from the elements or any food and water for hundreds of miles - where they will be killed with little consideration for their suffering, since chickens aren't protected under the Humane Slaughter Act (not that this act does much for any other animals included, since it is rarely enforced and there is never anything "humane" about killing animals bred for exploitation).

Now, the chickens could have other human interactions in their brief and tortured lives - humans screaming at them, stomping on them, kicking them, raping them, slamming them against walls, pulling off their heads, putting explosive devices in their mouths and rectums for entertainment, etc. These are all documented abuses of chickens by the humans paid to provide the public with eggs and "chicken".

These workers are the only humans these innocent, sentient beings will ever know. (For reference, approximately 14,000 chickens are slaughtered per minute in the US.) They will never know that humans can give them kind and comforting words. That humans can provide them with sunshine and grass and space to roam freely. That humans can help to heal their wounds and treat their illnesses. That there are humans who know exploiting them for their flesh is wrong. All they know is that humans exist to inflict pain and suffering.

If you support animal industries, you are complicit. If you are willing to spend your money on animal products or animal "entertainment", you are paying others to mistreat and kill animals on your behalf. As far the animals are concerned, you are just another one of these humans. Is that how you want to be known?

Animal Advocacy Tip:

When you're stuffing PETA cards in with your bills (see previous tip), how about also including checks with messages advocating for animals, that also provide a donation for your chosen organization? Check out Message Products. They offer a variety of animal groups to choose from. I became aware of them through Farm Sanctuary, and ordered some up for my non-activist husband who was willing to at least do this kind of advocacy.

Besides bill-paying, anytime you write a check, the recipient will get an animal-friendly message. While online transactions have their appeal, sometimes technology eliminates this personal component, so I think we should take advantage of it where we can.

Amazing Vegan Thanksgiving Feast! (Only thing missing was the cruelty.)

At your Thanksgiving celebration, did you have Stuffed Shells, Macaroni Salad, Couscous, Green Bean Casserole, Orange Liqueur Sweet Potatoes, Tofurky with potatoes and green beans, Sweet and Sour "Meat"Balls, Roasted Lemon Rosemary Carrots, Mashed Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Stuffing, 2 kinds of gravy, Enchiladas, Walforf Salad, Cranberry Sauce, Applesauce, 5 different appetizer dips, with chips & veggies, Pumpkin Pie, Cinnamon Rolls, Chocolate Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie, Whipped Soy Cream, Apple Cider and Sangria? All without animal cruelty mixed in?

I can't imagine that anyone could have eaten any better than I did yesterday, due to the addition of animal carcasses and animal by-products on their table. Not only was the food delicious and satisfying, I didn't celebrate a day of thanks by supporting the pain and suffering of sentient beings.

We should all be thankful for the abundance of non-animal food choices and the creative people who devise fantastic dishes from them. I can't think of a better example of what Thanksgiving is about.

Backyard Birds - Providing a Water Source

The leaves are late to turn and fall this year, but the Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees and Wrens have returned to my yard on time. I'm a little concerned about the lack of Cardinal visitors this past year, but there have been an abundance of House Sparrows, Blue Jays and Mourning Doves.

Over time, I've begun to notice the different temperaments and personalities of each species. The cardinals are always first to arrive in the morning, and the last to visit at dusk - always announcing themselves while here. The doves are mellow and content to preen and rest much of the day, sometimes cautiously peering into my windows to see about the colorful cockatiels residing behind the glass. The sparrows only stay long enough to take care of business - arriving and leaving in large groups - squabbling with each other over food and water access. The wrens are incredibly curious about everything - latching onto the window screens to get a look inside, exploring every inch of the wooden deck and any planted pots. The chickadees eagerly approach as I put out seed - seemingly unfazed by human presence.

But what almost all the birds have in common is their enjoyment of bathing. And no matter what mood I am in, watching birds bathe is sure to put a smile on my face. They partake so completely and with such abandon - and lots of splashing! Wild birds appreciate a constant, clean source of water for drinking and bathing, and in return, you get to watch the show.

Pretty much anyone can find a place for a birdbath at their home. If you have a balcony or a deck, you can install one. One I use year round is a deck-rail model - it tilts for cleaning and has a built-in heating element to allow a water source in freezing temperatures. (The doves tend to hang out on it all day in snowy weather!) You can find them at many online wild bird sites, including this one in the Wild Bird category.

Whether or not you offer bird food, I highly recommend adding a bird bath somewhere outside. You won't be disappointed.

Thanksgiving at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary - The Pigs

I was with a new activist when he met live pigs for the first time this past Saturday at Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary in Poolesville, MD.

He was amazed at their size and gentleness and how much their eyes look like ours.

They approached us, wanting to be petted like dogs.

They followed us along the fence of their enclosure like cats, taking in our scents, and probably hoping for food.

They basked in the sun with what appeared to be smiles of contentedness.

I saw a pig run - RUNNING FAST - in joy and anticipation of something approaching, that caught her attention.

We brought them pumpkins, cracked them against the ground for them to indulge, while we indulged in a joyful moment of our own - getting the chance to witness them partaking of this yearly, autumn treat.

The first time I encountered the pigs at Poplar, they were all dozing in their enclosure, about 30 or so of them, surrounded by visitors bending down to touch and hug them. Standing amid this dusty sea of slumbering pigs, I looked at my husband, who was off a bit in the distance, and started to choke up and cry. I knew what their brothers and sisters were enduring that very second in cages, trucks and slaughterhouses around the world. Here I was surrounded by so few who managed to escape that fate to live out a long life in bucolic bliss, and I was overwhelmed by the bittersweetness of that reality. I wanted all of them to be this lucky...

Animal Advocacy Tip:

Although I don't pay too many bills by mail anymore, when I do I always include one of PETA's business-card sized leaflets like this that provide lots of informational bang for your buck, in a tiny format. My favorite to use is "Please think before you eat" with a photo of a turkey and info on the back. I don't see it on PETA's literature site at the moment, but the product code is VEG250 if you wanted to try to request it.

The people at these bill companies must get bored opening up so much mail, and I imagine they aren't expecting something in there for them. Hopefully they appreciate some information the animal industries would rather they didn't know. It's so easy, everyone should do it! And it takes a little of the sting out of bill paying.

Check back for more Animal Advocacy Tips in the future.

It's that most horrible time of the year...for the Turkeys

Shel Silverstein's poem so nicely sums up the animals' perspective on human family dinners. Choose compassion this Thanksgiving and at all your dinners:

Point of View
Thanksgiving dinner's sad and thankless,

Christmas dinner's dark and blue,

When you stop and try to see it

From the turkey's point of view.

Sunday dinner isn't funny

Easter feasts are just bad luck,

When you see it from the viewpoint

Of the chicken or the duck.

Oh, how I once loved tuna salad,

Pork and lobsters, lamb chops, too,

Till I stopped and looked at dinner

From the dinner's point of view.