the view from here
go vegan!
“he is a heavy eater of beef. methinks it doth harm to his wit”
-william shakespear
Hi all!
Here’s my new page. The goal here is to educate you on veganism, with information and resources, i’ll try to post recipes once in a while too.
Earthlings.
please watch this (you might want to skip past part of the intro it’s very subjective…(but also please read what i’ll call my ‘disclaimer.’ it’s three comments down)
here are some quick scenes and directors comments:
http://www.earthlings.com/earthlings/trailer-streaming-2.php
here is the full movie for free:
Why go vegan?
here are the three reasons i’m compelled … (and all three of them can be boiled down to ethics- i will be able to expound on these in a later post.)
1. ethics- namely, the humane and compassionate treatment of animals
2. environmental and economic sustainability
3. personal health choices.
i love her!! see more adorable animals here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6356101
Potato Soup
everyone that tries this is in love with it!
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
3/4 cups raw cashews
1/2 block tofu
1 cup water
5 cups sliced sweet potato/yam
3 cups water
1/2 cup frozen green peas
fresh or dried dill
salt and pepper
lemon juice
Saute garlic and onion in 2 tsp olive oil and 2 Tbsp water with 1/4 tsp salt until translucent (salt draws out juice and lots of flavor).
in food processor puree cashews, tofu and 1 cup water until thick and creamy. Boil sliced sweet potatoes in 3 cups water until desired consistency, and turn down heat. Stir in sauteed onions and cashew/tofu mixture. Throw in the green peas and a bunch of dill and about 1 tsp salt. Grind in some pepper. For a little extra flavor squeeze in a little lemon juice. serve garnished with dill and hot sauce on the side.
ps. it’s great served with a salad of fresh arugula (or other green) with chopped tomato and cucumber with fresh lemon dressing.
Lemon dressing: Fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, fresh minced garlic and salt. stir.
eat me. i am delicious.
http://www.turtlemountain.com/products/purely_decadent.html
and yes. they are all yummy! my personal favorites: chocolate peanut butter, chocolate chip cookie dough. all vegan, many, such as cookie dough are gluten free as well 
RECIPE!
Tofu Salad
… this is perfect for summer….
1 firm tofu
(drain water and mash to desired consistency)
amount to your liking:
diced:
-dill pickles ( i use around 1-2, i like pickles)
-red onion
(some times if i want it chunky and vegetable-y i add diced carrot or green onion or celery)
a shake of:
-dill (fresh is better, but dried is good too)
-sea salt
-garlic powder
-onion powder
-nutritional yeast (makes it creamy, get it in the bulk section of a health food store)
big squirt of:
-mustard
-vegenaise
mix and mash and if it’s bland- more mustard, more salt shakes, and tabasco sauce(?)
i eat it on rice cakes, or on a bed of nice greens- but you gluten eater, can eat it on bread.
Read me!
Sweet Article! One of my favorite authors (Jonathan Foer wrote an article for the NYT about why and how he chose to give up meat. lovely! He’s such an amazing writer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/11/magazine/11foer-t.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&src=tp
7 Comments »
this “sounds” familiar
yay for the new page!
Comment by Sabrina — April 22, 2009 @ 11:45
hello love. i began watching the movie but i have some issues with it. there are several reasons why. but the main one is : it sets up humanity (people) as the dominators stating, “it is the human earthling who ‘tends’ to dominate the earth.” my main issue with this is that there is no tend about it. humans are not on the same level as animals. this statement suggests that animals can dominate the earth. for this to happen without humanity complete eradication animals would have to outthink us. i imagine this is not possible. planet of the apes is unlikely. but i am not suggesting that humanity has the right to hurt or abuse animals. but i am saying that to put humans on a equal level with animals and call it ‘earthlings’ and then to further suggest that it is racist not to promote equality under this title is not a valid argument. granted they make a few platitudes suggesting that there are differences only to further their argument that there are not. what the video does is set up a straw man argument. it seems to me that there are much better forms of getting the message across without equating humanity to the worst of humanity and to that of animals. by suggesting that animals are gifted in ways that we lost or never attained this video seems to even suggest that they are greater, more pure than we are. their world complete while ours is completely corrupt….
i guess what i am objecting to is the fallacious extremes that are used to argue in the preface and end. these extremes are not needed. yes animals feel. yes animals should have the right to be treated well. but they are not just like us. and i am sure to some i sound like some kind of animal hater. but i am unwilling to put animals on the same level. and in truth i am sure that i am not alone in this. if my son noah sat on the edge of life and death and so did my dog and i could only help one, i would pick noah every time. and this does not make me guilty of ’speciesism’ or cruelty.
i guess in truth i think that the treatment of animals should speak for itself without the screwed view that the video presents. there are people who only eat free range animals that have been ethically treated. (not to mention that animals eat other animals) furthermore, to blame the cause of the various diseases that humanity encounters on their eating and treatment of animals is ridiculous. obviously there are huge ethical issues at stake that concern me but i just don’t want to be convinced by heavy sided arguments. this is the same reason that i can’t stand fundamentalism as a whole. it is easy to attack a straw man. but the truth has two sides. i would like to see it more evenly.
and rachie, i am not saying any of this because i want to offend you. i do not. i love you
and in truth have major issues with the mass production and poor treatment of animals of animals myself.
summer
Comment by summer — April 23, 2009 @ 11:45
hey summer.
it’s okay if you feel that way. i am not advocating every sentence in that movie. we don’t have to agree with every phrase, sentence, or word that is used to know that we agree with the message that is being sent. i didn’t! but the truth is, we all do this in most every area of our lives. i’m not going to let the few things i didn’t agree with, detract from the main issue. getting caught up in these, is counter productive, they are non issues in the scheme of what we choose to do personally. if an individual wants to do it because they elevate animals to the status of humans, then they can go for it, that’s their prerogative. but it’s not mine.
that said.
the beginning of the movie is debatable, trust me, we’ve done it. but let’s agree to say that two people can watch the same exact movie, hear the same exact lecture, or read the same exact book, and come away with their own interpretation.
my personal feelings on the issue are:
humans and animals are NOT on the same level. they are not equal, and whether or not the movie is saying this, which is completely up for interpretation, is not actually the issue. the issue for me is this: humans are above all other animals, the pinnacle of God’s creation, placed as stewards of it. it is precisely because of this truth that we are called to extend our compassion to animals. the important questions to distinguish are not to debate WHY we extend compassion to animals but the philosophy of if we do, that is, the “SHOULD we?” the why is more personal preference, but the point that the “whys” boil down to, is answered by the SHOULD. and the answer is, we should.
so i posted this movie for educational purposes. YES, the language and imagery are emotionally charged, YES, people are at vastly different places in the way they live out their convictions on the issues (some people DO equate animals with humans, this is wrong, i acknowledge that), but emotionally charged language, imagery or metaphors that offend me, do not negate my responsibility to educate and change myself.
-love you summer!
Comment by rachel anna — April 23, 2009 @ 11:45
well said, rach. i imagined you would respond like this
miss you!
Comment by summer — April 23, 2009 @ 11:45
perfect for summer ,eh?
Comment by summer — May 3, 2009 @ 11:45
yes ma’am- the season too
Comment by rachel anna — May 9, 2009 @ 11:45
oh my. that soup looks delish! *adds to rapidly growing list*
Comment by Sabrina — May 5, 2009 @ 11:45