Animal Welfare Natzis
From: Tierra ~Abolition, Veganism, & Direct Action
Date: Dec 17, 2007 7:48 AM
Many Nazis were brutal inhumane fiends. Many animal welfare
activists are saintly in their altruistic devotion to
animals. In the name of machine-like efficiency, the Third
Reich produced a killing machine that processed human lives
much the same way that today's modern day slaughterhouses
process millions of animals each day. Had the Nazi killing
been random and chaotic, it would never have been as
efficiently abominable. To the Nazis, compassionate mass
murder meant killing victims who did not know their final
fate until the very final moment of their lives. Was the
final act of death in Nazi slaughterhouses any different
than today's Slaughter house?
This is a most difficult column for me to write. As an
American Jew, the roots of my family tree include relatives
who were gassed and incinerated in Hitler's crematoriums.
Each day of mankind's history includes examples of the
horrors of hostilities and death. Every issue of the New
York Times contains stories of war and conflict and murder
by terror.
In 1915, the Turkish government sanctioned the slaughter of
millions of Armenians. Many people were raped, tortured,
viciously beaten for the amusement of those with the power
to commit crimes against man. In the Armenian Genocide,
murder was committed in the streets, and killers laughed and
took pleasure in their crimes.
Similar events recently took place in Serbia and Croatia,
rationalized by nationalistic policies that the world came
to know as "ethnic cleansing." Each century contains
examples of horror committed by man against man. No animal
would do the same. Nature does not allow for such aberrant
behavior.
Jews were "processed," in Nazi slaughterhouses, and the
killing was made efficient. Such slaughterhouses were
staffed by Hitler's regime with workers hired from animal
slaughterhouses. Hitler was influenced by and adapted the
assembly-line efficiency of Henry Ford's car factories.
Hitler also recognized that compassionate slaughter of Jews
would translate into an orderly and expedient final
solution.
If farm animals sensed the details of their final solution,
they would stampede long before being loaded onto trucks.
Jews were transported to trains. They were then sent to
slaughterhouses, and had no reason to believe that something
other than water would come out of shower spigots. Instead,
doors were locked and they were gassed to death. Efficient
murder.
Those analyzing the problem (To Nazis, the existence of the
Jewish race was a problem) also created their version of a
compassionate solution. Kill Jews by generating as little
fear as possible. Lead them to their final deaths calmly, so
as not to evoke fear and chaos, and to make slaughter an
efficient process.
Today, many people who are active in the animal welfare
movement act no differently than the Nazi planners. In order
to reduce the final pain of death, measures were taken to
reduce the stress of one or more of the stages before
slaughter.
Compassionate human slaughter was a crime against humanity.
Nazis in slaughterhouses showed compassion as a matter of
policy, in the name of efficiency, but their crimes were no
less horrible than the rapes and cruelty by the Turks to the
Armenians.
Compassionate animal slaughter is no less a crime than the
child who tortures a cat or dog. Each act results in death.
Treating a chicken "humanely" by giving it ten percent more
living space is no different than slicing its throat while
the bird feels pain and thrashes, resonating death squawks
in blood. Each chicken dies, and compassionate measures
merely provide efficiency in a series of stages leading to
slaughter.
Many animal welfare activists devote their lives to raising
money to promote compassionate animal slaughter laws. Many
of these same people make a very healthy living by skimming
much of that money for their needs, and calling that blood
money "salary."
Slaughterhouse workers live lives of violence, and soon
become immune to the horrors of their daily jobs.
Occasionally, these workers capture a moment. A glance from
a dying animal asking for help. A look of fear, asking "Why
are you doing this to me?" The screams of dying animals are
not thank you messages for those who devote their energies
to making life before death tolerable.
The animal welfare Nazis must look carefully in the mirror.
Those supporting compassionate slaughter should devote their
energies to "zero slaughter" campaigns.
Nazi Germany tried hard to keep secret their holocaust.
People standing along train routes knew the fate of the
Jews. The secret was not much of a secret to these people,
who participated in a nationwide effort to keep truth from
the victims.
Today's slaughterhouse secrets are kept from the public.
Animal welfare Nazis are part of the problem. Each new
compassionate slaughter law is a victory to them, allowing
for celebrations that result in more funding. The vicious
slaughter continues, and the secret photos of
slaughterhouses remain known to just a select few.
In 1996, Paul and Linda McCartney issued this joint
statement:
"If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be
vegetarian."
Compassionate slaughter laws exist to keep those images of
horror secret. All people must see truth, for that is the
last chance for animals.
If the animals who were fated to die had human qualities,
such as gallantry, valor, ethics, and courage, they would
seek to get slaughter photos into the hands of all meat
eaters.
To these imaginary freedom-fighting farm animals, the animal
welfare Nazis who promote compassionate animal slaughter are
one and the same with those who clench the knives. To those
who thrust the killing weapon. To those who cut the flesh.
Animal rights Nazis stand in the way of truth and justice.
Followup
Yesterday, I was not very well versed on the debate between
animal rights welfarists and animal rights abolitionists.
Today, I have a better understanding and respect for the
issues through the work of a courageous law professor from
New Jersey, Gary Francione.
Five of Francione's comments:
"There is no animal rights movement in the United States.
There is only an animal welfare movement (PeTA and HSUS) that seeks to
promote the "humane" exploitation of animals."
"To disagree is not to be 'divisive.' I disagree with the
welfarists. I regard welfarism as ineffective and
counterproductive. I think that the empirical evidence is
absolutely clear that welfarism does not work. Despite all
of the welfarist campaigns of the last century, we are using
more animals now in more horrific ways than ever before in
human history."
"The most important form of incremental change is educating
the public about the need for abolition. We have not yet had
that, for the U.S. movement has always been embarrassed
about being 'radical.' We do not want to alienate the
'mainstream.' The problem is that the 'mainstream' is
polluted and we ought to stay far away from the mainstream."
"The 19th century reformers argued that it was better for a
slave's owner to beat his slave four times a week rather
than five...Putting a string quartet on the way to the gas
chambers -- as the Nazis did during the Holocaust -- may
make things more "humane" in some sense, but that misses the
point, doesn't it?"
"Nonhumans will continue to be exploited until there is a
revolution of the human spirit, and that will not happen
without visionaries trying to change the paradigm that has
become accustomed to and tolerant of patriarchal violence."
"Cattles think they are going back to where they came from"
Evil Temple Grandin the slaughter house designer
NotMilk.com
Veganism: The Primary Principle of the Abolitionist Move
Date: Dec 5, 2007 11:21 AM
Veganism: The Fundamental Principle of the Abolitionist Movement
Posted by: Gary L. Francione in Blog
Many animal welfare advocates claim that the rights position, which seeks the abolition of animal use, is not practical because it rejects incremental change and does not provide any guidance for what we should do now—today—to help nonhumans. These critics of the abolitionist position argue that we have no choice but to pursue more animal-welfare regulations—more attempts to make animal exploitation more “humane”—if we want to do something “practical” to help animals.
The notion that animal welfare regulations provide significant protection for animal interests is about as wrong as wrong gets. As I have discussed in my writing, because animals are property, they are only economic commodities with nothing but extrinsic or conditional value. Their interests have no inherent value. As a result, standards that require their “humane” treatment are interpreted in an economic sense and limit protection to what will provide an economic benefit to humans. Purported improvements in animal welfare do very little, if anything, to increase protection for animal interests; for the most part, they do nothing more than to make animal exploitation more economically efficient and socially acceptable. Moreover, there is no historical evidence that animal welfare regulation leads to abolition.
The welfarists are also mistaken to claim that the rights position does not provide any practical incremental steps that we can take on the road to abolition. There is very clear guidance for incremental change: veganism.
Veganism is not merely a matter of diet; it is a moral and political commitment to abolition on the individual level and extends not only to matters of food, but to clothing, other products, and other personal actions and choices. Becoming a vegan is the one thing that we can all do today—right now—to help animals. It does not require an expensive campaign, the involvement of a large organization, legislation, or anything other than our recognition that if “animal rights” means anything, it means that we cannot justify consuming meat, fish, dairy, eggs, or other animal products.
Veganism reduces animal suffering and death by decreasing demand. It represents a rejection of the commodity status of nonhumans and recognition of their inherent value.
Many animal advocates claim to favor animal rights but continue to eat animal products. Indeed, many “leaders” of the animal movement are not vegans. That is no different from someone who claims to be in favor of the abolition of slavery but who continues to own slaves.
There is no meaningful distinction between eating flesh and eating dairy or other animal products. Animals exploited in the dairy industry live longer than those used for meat, but they are treated worse during their lives, and they end up in the same slaughterhouse after which we consume their flesh anyway. There is probably more suffering in a glass of milk or an ice cream cone than there is in a steak. And anyone who thinks that an egg—even a so-called “free range” one—is any less a product of horrible suffering than is meat does not know much about the egg industry.
If someone stops eating flesh but eats more dairy or eggs as a result (as many “vegetarians” do), this may actually increase suffering. In any event, to maintain that there is moral distinction between eating flesh and eating dairy, eggs, or consuming other animal products, is as silly as maintaining that there is a moral distinction between eating large cows and eating small cows.
Rather than embracing veganism as a clear moral baseline, the animal advocacy movement has instead adopted the notion that we can act ethically and still consume animal products. Consider the following examples (of which there are many):
- Peter Singer maintains that we can be “conscientious omnivores” and exploit animals ethically if, for example, we choose to eat “free-range” animals who have been raised and killed in a relatively “humane” manner. (The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter, at 81-169) Singer praises purveyors of “humanely” exploited animals, such as Whole Foods Markets, Inc. and its CEO, John Mackey, as “ethically responsible” (177-83) and he describes strict veganism as “fanatical” (281).
Tom Regan featured Mackey as the keynote speaker for a 2005 conference entitled The Power of One, which focused on the ability of individuals to make meaningful changes for nonhumans. Regan celebrates Mackey and Whole Foods as “a driving force behind higher standards in animal welfare.”
PETA gave Whole Foods an award in 2004, claiming that the company “has consistently done more for animal welfare than any retailer in the industry, requiring that its producers adhere to strict standards.” PETA also gave an award in 2004 to slaughterhouse designer Temple Grandin, declaring her—quite remarkably in my view—to be a “visionary.”
Humane Farm Animal Care, with its partners the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Animal People, World Society for the Protection of Animals, and others, promotes the Certified Humane Raised & Handled Label, which it describes as “a consumer certification and labeling program” to give consumers assurance that a labeled “egg, dairy, meat or poultry product has been produced with the welfare of the farm animal in mind.”
It is, of course, as a general matter, always better to do less harm than more once we have decided to inflict harm. If we are going to eat an animal who has been tortured, I suppose that it is “better” to eat the one who has been tortured less. But putting aside the question whether “humanely” raised nonhumans are really tortured less than others, there is a big difference between the position that less suffering is better than more suffering, and the position that causing less suffering makes an action morally acceptable. The notion that the animal movement actively and explicitly promotes the latter position—that doing less harm is a morally acceptable solution to the problem of animal exploitation—is deeply troubling.
If X is going to rape Y, it is “better” that he not beat Y as well. It would, however, be morally repugnant to maintain that we can be “conscientious rapists” by ensuring that we not beat rape victims. Similarly, it is disturbing that animal advocates are promoting the notion that we can be morally “conscientious omnivores” if we eat the supposedly “humanely” produced animal products sold by “ethically responsible” purveyors of suffering and death. Not only is such a position in conflict with the notion that nonhumans have moral significance, but it strongly encourages people to see continued consumption as a morally acceptable alternative to adopting a vegan lifestyle.
Moreover, many of the animal organizations portray veganism as involving a difficult lifestyle that requires considerable self-sacrifice and is only for the “hardcore” advocate. I became a vegan 24 years ago. It was not particularly difficult back then but it is absolutely absurd to characterize it as difficult today. It is easy to be a vegan. Sure, you are more limited in your restaurant choices, particularly if you do not live in or near a large city, but if this inconvenience is significant to you and keeping you from being vegan, then you probably were not serious about the issue anyway.
The animal movement will never have even a hope of shifting the paradigm of speciesist hierarchy as long as it is not absolutely clear as a baseline principle that it is morally wrong to consume meat, fish, dairy, eggs, or any other products made from animals.
If, in the late 1980s—when the animal advocacy community in the United States decided very deliberately to pursue a welfarist agenda—a substantial portion of movement resources had been invested in vegan education and abolitionist education, there would likely be hundreds of thousands more vegans than there are today. This is a very conservative estimate given the hundreds of millions of dollars that have been expended by animal advocacy groups to promote welfarist legislation and initiatives. I maintain that having the increased number of vegans would reduce suffering more by decreasing demand for animal products than have all of the welfarist “successes” put together and multiplied ten-fold. Increasing the number of vegans would also help to build a political and economic base required for the social change that is a necessary predicate for significant legal change.
Given limited time and limited financial resources, it is not clear how anyone who seeks abolition as a long-term goal, or who at least accepts that the property status of animals is a most serious impediment to any significant change and must at least be radically modified, could believe that expansion of traditional animal welfare is a rational and efficient choice—putting aside any considerations about inconsistencies in moral theory.
Assume that tomorrow, you have two hours to spend on animal advocacy. You cannot do everything; you must choose. There is no doubt in my mind that 2 hours of your time spent on passing out literature about veganism is, in a number of ways, a much better use of your time than 2 hours of your time campaigning for bigger battery cages or for more “humane” forms of animal slavery.
In sum, just as someone who says that human slavery is wrong but who continues to own slaves is not really an abolitionist with respect to human slavery, someone who says that animal slavery is wrong but who does not embrace veganism as a way of life is not really an abolitionist with respect to animal slavery. Let those of us who accept the abolitionist approach be clear and unequivocal and promote veganism in our words and our actions.
Gary L. Francione
© 2006 Gary L. Francione
Why the Government Allows Meat Consumption
Date: 05 Dec 2007, 21:34
Why the Government Allows Meat Consumption
This is the same government that condoned slavery and segregation for hundreds of years. The same government that denied women the right to vote until 85 years ago. The same government that stole America from Natives and called it manifest destiny. The same government that denies equal rights to gays. The same government that labels anyone opposed to the Iraq War as unpatriotic or a supporter of terrorism. The same government that denies health care to the needy. I think you get the picture.
The meat and dairy industries represent two of the most powerful and profitable businesses on this planet. Since money makes our government churn, how can it even begin to promulgate the unhealthiness of meat, eggs and dairy, or the immorality of killing billions of animals?
We should never rely on politicians to make the world a more ethical place. Only when we, collectively, climb out of our abyss of callousness, open up our circles of compassion, stop viewing animals as commodities and property, and start viewing them as family, will animals ever achieve the freedom they rightly deserve. Senators, representatives, the President, even your local police chief, have no incentive to outlaw the killing of animals because society doesn't reward the ethical vegan, it deifies the cruel meat-eater.
Recipes for your cruelty free holiday entertaining
Serves 6 to 8
1 bag fresh cranberries (remove the soft ones, wash and coarsely chop remainder in food processor)
4 green onions, chopped (about a 1/2 cup)
2 small jalapeño peppers (or 1 large), seeded and chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 ounces of vegan cream cheese (try Tofutti)
Vegan crackers
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, and store in the fridge in an air tight container for at least 4 hours to allow flavors to mellow.
Scoop vegan cream onto a serving plate, and pour cranberry mixture on top. Serve with vegan crackers.
Chicken-Free Gravy
Makes 4 servings
3 tablespoons soy margarine
1 cup flour
1 cup nutritional yeast*
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning**
1 teaspoon onion salt
dash of pepper
2 cups vegetarian broth or 1 vegetarian bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cups boiling water
Melt the soy margarine in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, nutritional yeast, and seasonings, stirring quickly with a whisk.
Add the broth, stirring until blended. Continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes, or until thick.
* Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast rich in vitamins and minerals, with a wonderful cheesy flavor that can be found in most natural foods grocery stores. It can be easily added to soups, stews, casseroles, or in place of cheese to make any dish creamier.
** Poultry seasoning—a mixture of sage, thyme, marjoram, and other herbs—can be found in nearly every grocery store.
Cornbread*
Serves 9
1-1/2 cups soymilk
1-1/2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup unbleached flour
2 tablespoons sugar or other sweetener
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine the soymilk and vinegar and set aside.
Mix the cornmeal, unbleached flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add the soymilk mixture and the oil. Stir until just blended. Spread the batter evenly in an oil-sprayed 9x9-inch baking dish. Bake until the top is golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Serve hot.
* This recipe is courtesy of Compassionate Cooks
Herbed Crostini with Roasted Garlic
Serves 8
For the Herbed Crostini
1 loaf French or Italian bread
6 tablespoons olive oil
dashes of oregano or basil
Preheat the oven to 350oF.
Cut the bread into 32 slices. Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush each piece with olive oil. Sprinkle on oregano or basil. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve immediately with Roasted Garlic.
For the Roasted Garlic
8 bulbs garlic
8 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat the oven to 350oF.
Cut off the tops of the bulbs of garlic, exposing the tops of each clove. Drizzle each bulb with a tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap well in tinfoil.
Bake the wrapped garlic bulbs until soft, 50 to 60 minutes.
While warm, spread onto Herbed Crostini.
Savory Stuffing
Serves 6 to 8
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup diced onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cups soft bread cubes
1 cup chopped apple
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup cranberries
1 cup vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon oregano
Preheat the oven to 350oF.
In a large skillet, heat the oil and then sauté the onion and celery until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Pour the sautéed vegetables into a casserole dish. Add the remaining ingredients, bread cubes through seasonings. Toss well, making sure all of the bread cubes are soaked in the vegetable broth. Bake for 45 minutes.
Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Acorn Squash
Serves 3 to 4
1 acorn squash
2 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)
1 tablespoon soy margarine
1 tablespoon nutmeg
Preheat the oven to 350oF.
Slice the acorn squash in half and scrape out the seeds and the strings. Place both halves face down in a casserole pan filled with 1/2 inch of water. Bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Put the peeled and sliced apples, dried cranberries, brown sugar, and pine nuts (if using) into a bowl and toss until well mixed.
Take the steamed acorn squash out of the oven. Empty the casserole pan of any water. Place the halves face up and fill with the apple mixture. Top with the soy margarine and nutmeg. Cover the pan loosely with tin foil and bake until the squash, apples, and cranberries are soft, about 30 minutes.
Crispy Home Fries
Serves 2 to 4
4 medium baking potatoes, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 tablespoon oregano
1 small onion, chopped (or more to taste)
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 small red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil (or more if adding the optional vegetables)
Put the thinly sliced potatoes and the spices in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake for 30 seconds, until the potatoes are well coated. Set aside.
In a large frying pan, sauté the chopped onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms (if using) in olive oil until the onion is translucent and slightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Add the spiced potato slices to the sautéed onions (and other vegetables, if used) in the frying pan. Toss well. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, browning over medium-low heat. Do not stir. Flip over and let sit for another 10 minutes, or until both sides are crispy brown. Serve immediately.
Creamy Cucumber Dip with Crispy Chips
Serves 6
For the dip
2 small cucumbers
1 14-ounce package of tofu
3 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
pinch of cayenne
1/4 cup finely sliced red onion
Peel, seed, and grate the cucumbers, then let it sit for 10 minutes.
In a blender, combine the tofu, lemon juice, garlic, salt, coriander, cumin, and cayenne. Blend until completely smooth.
Squeeze the grated cucumber to remove any excess moisture and then place them in a serving bowl with the red onion. Stir in the tofu mixture. Chill 2 to 3 hours before serving.
For the chips
6 pieces pita bread
1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil
dashes garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, and salt, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350oF.
Brush the tops of the pita breads very lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle each pita with the seasonings. Cut each piece into 6 to 8 triangular wedges and place them in a single layer on baking trays or aluminum foil.
Bake the pita chips until they're very crispy, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove them from oven and cool on a rack.
“Cheezy” Garbanzo Spread
Makes about 2 cups
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1/2 cup roasted red peppers
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed butter)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Drain the garbanzo beans, reserving the liquid, and place them in a food processor or blender with the remaining ingredients. Process until very smooth. If using a blender, occasionally stop to push down the bean mixtures with a rubber spatula. The mixture should be quite thick, but if blending is difficult, add a tablespoon or two of the reserved bean liquid.
Serve on crackers or bread, in casseroles, or as a delicious filling for quesadillas.
Moo-Free Cheese Sauce
Makes about 2 cups
2 tablespoons soy margarine
2 cups nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
1 teaspoon mustard
1/2 to 1 cup soy or rice milk
Melt the soy margarine in a pan. Once melted, add the remaining ingredients, whisking well. Add more non-dairy milk for desired consistency. Continue stirring until well blended. Delicious served over pasta or grilled vegetables.
Mango & Black Bean Salsa
Serves 4 to 8
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 7-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained
1 15-ounce can mango slices, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and lightly toss.
Serve with baked tortilla chips or as a delicious garnish on burritos.
“Cheezy” Potato Skins
Serves 4
4 large baking potatoes
1/2 small butternut squash, cubed
1/2 cup soy margarine
spices, to taste
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for 1 hour. (Note: Do not wrap the potatoes in foil.)
While the potatoes are baking, steam the butternut squash until tender and then scoop out of the rind into a large bowl.
Once the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, remove them from the oven and halve. Scoop out the potatoes from the skins, leaving about 1/4 inch attached, and put in the bowl with the squash. Add the soy margarine and any spices, such as black pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, or cumin. Mash until the consistency of lumpy mashed potatoes.
Place the skin halves onto a baking sheet and spoon the mixture into each skin. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Serve as-is or with tofu sour cream or salsa.
Bean Dip Delight
Serves 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 hot pepper, diced
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 24-ounce can kidney beans, saving liquid
5 to 6 ounces salsa
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Sauté the onion, hot pepper, and garlic until the onion is clear. Add the drained kidney beans and salsa, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the beans are soft.
Mash with a fork or potato masher. (The mixture should be fairly thick.) To thin, add tablespoons of the saved bean liquid until reaching the desired consistency.
Tuscan Panzanella
Serves 4 to 6
4 slices Italian bread
olive oil cooking spray
1 cup basil leaves (preferably fresh)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup pitted, halved black olives (optional)
2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 16-ounce can white beans
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Trim the crusts from the bread slices. Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Lightly coat the bread cubes with cooking spray and bake until toasted, about 15 minutes.
Combine the basil, onion, olives (if using), tomatoes, and rinsed and drained beans in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and stir with a whisk until mixed well. Pour over the tomato-bean mixture and lightly toss. Add the toasted bread cubes and toss well.
Pumpkin Seeds
Makes 2 to 4 servings
seeds from 1 large pumpkin
salt
nutritional yeast flakes (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Extract the seeds from the pumpkin. Separate and discard the pulp. Thoroughly wash the seeds in warm water.
Spread the seeds onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle with salt and nutritional yeast flakes. Bake for 20 minutes, checking them every 5 minutes to lightly toss and add more seasonings, if desired.
After 20 minutes, take out one seed and taste after it’s cooled. If the inside of the seed is dry, the pumpkin seeds are ready! Allow to cool and serve.
Lentil Loaf with Barbecue Sauce
Lentil Loaf with Barbecue Sauce
1-1/2 cups Lentils, uncooked
1 cup Brown Rice, uncooked
2 Onions
6 tbsp. Tomato Puree
2 tbsp. Molasses, unsulphured
1 tbsp. Mustard, prepared, brown
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Garlic, powder
2 tsp. Sage
1 tsp. Marjoram
Hot Sauce (to taste)
Preparation
Place 3-1/2 cups of cold water in a covered glass pot and heat on the stove top until it boils. While the water is heating, rinse the lentils in a strainer, and remove any stones or other foreign matter. Add the rinsed lentils to the boiling water, cover, and lower heat to "simmer". Cook until all the water is absorbed.
Place 2 cups of cold water in a second covered glass pot and heat on the stove top until it boils. Add the rice to the boiling water, cover, and lower the heat to "simmer". Cook until all the water is absorbed.
While the lentils and rice are cooking, wash, peel and finely dice the onions. We precook the onions in a microwave oven for about 3 or 4 minutes and set aside. If you don't have a microwave oven, add the onions to the lentil pot when the water is almost completely absorbed, and cook with the lentils until all the water is absorbed.
The barbecue sauce can also be prepared while the lentils and rice are cooking. In a small mixing bowl combine the tomato puree, mustard, molasses, soy sauce, and one half of the garlic, sage, marjoram, and as much hot sauce as you like. Mix well and set aside.
When the lentils are cooked, place then in a large mixing bowl and coarsely mash so that most of the lentils are broken. Add the remaining garlic, sage and marjoram. Add the onions and one half of the barbecue sauce and mix well. Add the cooked rice and, again, mix well.
Firmly press the lentil loaf mix into a lightly oiled loaf pan or covered glass or ceramic baking dish. Pour on the remaining barbecue sauce and evenly spread over the surface. Bake in a preheated oven at 350º F. for 1 hour. Serve plain or with your favorite condiment. Enjoy!
The above photo is of a "wedge" cut from a lentil loaf baked in a round glass baking dish.
Animal cruelty Warning graphical video
From: ♥Just a bimbo [who stands for nothing]
Date: Dec 4, 2007 10:11 AM
AMAZING VEGAN SANDWICH RECIPES
From: L'Angelo Misterioso
Date: 02 Dec 2007, 09:13
AMAZING VEGAN SANDWICH RECIPES
Ezekiel Bread (Ezekiel 4:9)
Makes 4 loaves
3 hours ; 2 hours prep
This bread will supply protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium, vitamins A and C, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin. Plus it tastes good! Prep time includes time for the dough to rise.
Made during Bible times, this is a Middle Eastern bread.
8 cups wheat flour
4 cups barley flour
2 cups lentils, cooked and mashed
1/2 cup millet flour (grind up millet in the blender)
1/4 cup rye flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon salt
4-6 tablespoons olive oil
2 (1/4 ounce) packets yeast, in or 1 tablespoon yeast, in
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon honey
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let sit for 10 minutes.
Mix the other ingredients.
Blend lentils, oil and small amount of water in blender and place into large mixing bowl with remaining water.
Stir in two cups of mixed flour.
Add yeast mixture.
Stir in remaining salt and flour.
Place on floured bread board and knead until smooth.
Put in oiled bowl.
Let rise until double in bulk.
Knead again and cut dough and shape into loaves.
Place in greased pans.
Let rise.
Bake at 375* for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Enjoy!
Prep time includes time letting dough rise.
Veganaise (Vegan Mayonnaise) Copycat Recipe
2 1/4 cups safflower oil
1 cup soymilk
1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (to taste)
2-2 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, raw or lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Combine all ingredients except vinegar or lemon juice in blender, blending until smooth. Slowly add vinegar or lemon juice until liquid thickens.
TOFU EGG SALAD
by Anita Sands Hernandez
http://home.earthlink.net/~astrology/
astrology@earthlink.net
Mash l lb tofu with 1 tsp curry powder, chopped olives,
3-4 tbsp mayo (Vegenaise tastes best)
2 tbsp healthfood store no preservative, sweet pickle relish,
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds, 4-10 drops chile sesame oil,
chopped celery/olives. Spread on bread.
You know how you can tell it's not egg salad?
It tastes better! Plus -- tofu is full of youth preserving
natural hormones that soy has so your glands don't wither and
YOU never wrinkle!)
Vegan Egg Salad Recipe from Food 911
2 lbs firm tofu
1/2 cup soy mayonnaise (or regular, your choice)
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (I've used dried as well)
1/2 cup green onions, diced
salt and pepper
roasted sunflower seeds (on top)
I always drain my tofu first.
I cut it into 1/4s, wrap it in paper towels on a cookie sheet, with another one on top, weighted down with some heavy canned goods.
Let sit in refrigerator for 10-20 minutes.
Mash the tofu in a bowl with a wooden spoon.
Mix tofu well with remaining ingredients.
Chill overnight and serve.
Vegan "Bacon" for BLT's from Recipezaar
If you were to use this in a BLT sandwich and replaced the bacon with it, you would never know the difference! My kids are bacon lovers, but now they prefer this. It doesn't look quite like bacon but it tastes the same.
1 lb firm tofu, cut into strips shaped like bacon
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons soya sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon oil, something neutral, not olive oil
Fry tofu strips on low heat until they are crispy on the outside. The best way to do this is to lay them in the pan in the oil and let them sit for at least 10 minutes, simmering. They should turn easily after that.
Turn them and give them another 10 minutes on the other side.
Mix the soya sauce with the liquid smoke first, then take the pan off the heat.
Pour the liquid smoke/soya sauce into the pan and stir the tofu so all sides are coated. Sprinkle the yeast over all, stir some more, over the heat, until the liquid is gone and the tofu is covered with sticky yeast.
Recommended: The Magical Loaf Studio
200+ VEGAN SANDWICH RECIPES
Tikkun Olam! :)
L'Angelo Misterioso
Animal Rights: Frequently Asked Questions
From: Delly Doolittle (Go Vegan!)
Date: Dec 3, 2007 2:11 PM
Animal Rights: Frequently Asked Questions
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Q. What does it mean to be in favor of animal rights?
A. Obviously, granting animals rights doesn’t mean we’ll see cats in the voting booths on Election Day or chickens behind the wheel of a car. What it does mean is that in similar situations, we ought to consider the interests of humans and other animals equally. That is, we should not grant less weight to an individual’s desire to avoid pain simply because she or he isn’t human. All animals bred for food, fur, animal research, and entertainment are capable of experiencing pain. They seek to live free of suffering. They care about their lives and those of their loved ones. As such, nonhuman animals, like humans, should be treated compassionately and live without fear of torture or death.
Q. Obviously humans should have rights, but aren’t animals inferior to us and therefore not deserving of rights?
A. Throughout history, people have tried to withhold rights from one group or another on the basis of race, gender, class, religion, or sexual orientation. Discrimination based on species (speciesism) is no more justifiable than these other forms of discrimination. Many arguments are used to justify speciesism, often based on the fact that humans are more intelligent than nonhuman animals. This fact may be useful in determining someone’s right to read Thoreau or Shakespeare, but it is irrelevant if we’re discussing someone’s right not to be treated like a commodity. However, many nonhuman animals are more intelligent than human infants and even some human adults who suffer from severe mental retardation. If someone can feel pain, does it matter how smart she or he is? We would never claim that infants or severely mentally retarded adults should be used in painful experiments, have their skin worn as clothing, hunted for sport, used for our entertainment, or eaten merely because they are less rational than we are. When it comes to experiencing pain, other animals are our equals.
Q. If the animals are raised to be eaten or used in other ways, isn’t that okay?
A. Two hundred years ago in the United States, humans raised other humans as slaves. The fact that these humans were raised to be slaves did not justify their slavery. For the same reason, raising animals for the purpose of eating them, using them for entertainment or sport, experimenting on them, or using their fur or skin does not justify their exploitation.
Q. But it’s legal to use animals.
A. In the United States, it was once legal to refuse women the right to vote. In Nazi Germany, it was legal to torment and kill Jews. Cockfighting was legal across the United States. The legality of something does not determine its morality.
Q. Didn’t God give humans dominion over other animals?
A. It’s hard to imagine the divinity of any religion condoning the misery we cause animals. We deny the animals we raise for food everything that is natural to them. Most have little freedom of movement and are confined in spaces so small they can’t even turn around, let alone access sunlight and fresh air, or socialize normally. They are tormented in ways that would horrify any humane person, and almost always for purposes that are unnecessary. Most religious and spiritual people agree animal cruelty is immoral. If we agree that God is against animal cruelty, then we should end our support of industries that mistreat animals for profit.
Q. Other animals eat each other. Why can’t we eat them?
A. Predators in the wild kill other animals out of necessity. Without doing so, they would not survive. Humans, on the other hand, kill other animals by choice. Our bodies have no need whatsoever for animal flesh, milk, or eggs. In fact, medical research has consistently shown that a vegan diet is healthier than a diet heavy in animal products. Eating animals is not necessary for human survival. Rather, it is a choice we make. Is it right for us to choose to cause animals unnecessary suffering?
Q. Humans are the smartest animals and we’re at the top of the food chain. Why shouldn’t we use our strength to our benefit?
A. The “might makes right” argument has been used by many to justify cruelty and domination throughout history. Just as intelligence is an insufficient characteristic to justify human supremacy, so is strength.
Q. Where do you draw the line? Insects? Plants? Bacteria?
A. If the only morally relevant characteristic is the capacity to suffer, then the vast majority of animals abused in the United States today would qualify for moral status. All the animals used for food, fur, animal research, and entertainment possess a central nervous system and are capable of experiencing pain. There are some animals (such as insects) who we are less certain experience pain. It is up to each individual to decide where she or he feels the line should be drawn exactly. Plants and bacteria almost certainly do not experience pain, as they lack any nervous system at all. Nevertheless, even if one wanted to kill the fewest number of plants possible, one would be vegan. We eat substantially fewer plants by consuming them directly, rather than funneling them through farmed animals, who are extremely inefficient in converting plants to protein.
Q. If you want to be vegan, that’s fine. But, don’t tell me what to do.
A. Imagine saying to someone, “If you don’t want to beat your child, that’s fine. But, don’t tell me not to beat mine.” While we are entitled to believe what we like, we are not entitled to treat others—especially those who may be weaker—however we like. If we are harming others in our actions, people have every right to ask that we stop.
Q. It’s impossible to live completely “cruelty-free.” Almost everything we do causes someone suffering. Why try at all?
A. While we can’t completely eliminate the suffering we cause, by taking simple steps we can substantially reduce the suffering we are responsible for and even abolish various forms of institutionalized animal abuse. By becoming vegan, in particular, we can dramatically minimize the amount of suffering we cause each day. Being vegan is not about being “pure.” Rather, it is about doing what we can—within reason—to remove our support for animal abuse.
Source: Compassion Over Killing
To end this cycle we must STOP EATING MEAT!!
From: Tierra ~Abolition, Veganism, & Direct Action
Date: Dec 2, 2007 8:32 AM
The number of animals killed for fur in the U.S. each year is approximately equal to the human population of Illinois.
The number of animals killed in experimentation in the U.S. each year is approximately equal to the human population of Texas.
The number of mammals and birds farmed and slaughtered in the U.S. each year is approximately equal to one and two-thirds the entire human population of Earth.
Over 99% of the animals killed in the U.S. each year die to be eaten. Everyone makes choices directly determining the fates of these animals when deciding what to eat each day.
Because most people eat animals, the commonplace view remains that animals are tools and commodities. There are a million symptoms of this view–small-scale yet highly visible abuses that always seem to demand our attention: canned hunts, circuses, cockfighting, fur, horse racing, etc. Many activists burn out because of the never-ending torrent of these "battles" around them and the difficulty in winning even the smallest "victory."
This cycle will continue until there is a fundamental change in society. The only way to make this happen is by convincing people to stop eating animals.
boycot these products and make the difference !!!
De : Jena
Date : 01 déc. 2007, 11:04
Thank you: ♥Linda [[Eat food NOT animals.]]
What can you do about it?
Sign the petition by Clicking on the banner
You can start by taking a good look at these brands..
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http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/close-huntingdon-life-sciences.html
Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) is Europe’s largest contract animal testing
laboratory.
They have about 70,000 animals on site, including rabbits, cats, hamsters,
dogs, guinea-pigs, birds and monkeys. These animals are destined to suffer and
die in cruel, useless experiments. 500 of them die each day.
HLS will test anything for anybody. They carry out experiments which involve
poisoning animals with household products, pesticides, drugs, herbicides, food
colourings and additives, sweeteners and genetically modified organisms.
HLS have been infiltrated and exposed a number of times in recent years. Each
time horrific evidence of animal abuse and staff incompetence has been
uncovered, including workers punching beagle puppies in the face.
Take action to have this disgrace of a company closed down. For more
information please visit www.huntingdonlifesciences.com and ww.shac.net. These
sites can explain it much better.
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