Maomao and Yulin Dog Meat Festival

Debby said:
Cookie you are a dear and I understand exactly what you've said in your last comment. I have many of the same experiences that you've described here and considering that we live in a meat-centric world where you see a never ending flow of meat advertising, dairy advertising, suggested recipes on cooking shows, and it's all presented in such an antiseptic way, it becomes increasingly hurtful. Add family and friends pressuring, asking questions but not wanting to really get an answer...yes indeed, difficult to live in this world sometimes. And always theres the accusations about being an angry veg'n, 'pushing our beliefs down the throats of others' when I know most of us say very little......difficult isn't it sometimes?

I'm blessed in that my one daughter has also chosen the same path in life and my husband as well. Mind you he had to 'come along' because I do the cooking;) and he doesn't even know where the can opener is kept! I have him under my control:D but I've also made a point of learning to cook the best meals! He's never dissatisfied always happy with the results and because of how I cook he never packed on the pounds the way so many men do by the time they're 65 so it's all good. (And considering that my cooking when we first got married meant replacing burnt pans monthly! Yep things have improved!)

As for protein, I just had a blood test done a few months ago and one of the things he tested for was protein levels and they were perfect, iron levels perfect, all perfect. You mentioned that you find it difficult to be sure to eat enough protein foods, maybe if you want to PM me with an idea of what kinds of foods you eat, perhaps I could give you some ideas on how to be more sure on what you're getting.

I know one thing that I like to cook is lentils with coconut cream sauce. I cook the lentils with a soup cube and then when close to done I'll add the coconut, maybe a little bit of leftover spaghetti sauce, some curry spices, pepper, parsley and a tiny bit of 5-spice powder. And of course it's perfect for adding all sorts of finely chopped veggies and then spoon over top of potatoes or noodles or rice. I usually make a large pot so that we're having them for several meals or freezing for another day.

I use lentils too that are cooked to be quite soft and then add them to spaghetti sauce and they take the place of hamburger beautifully. I also find spaghetti sauce a little acidic sometimes to the taste, so I'll often add just a heaping tablespoon of coconut cream to just smooth it a little.

And here's an easy idea, my husband goes to the gym and he'll fuel up before he goes with a slice of toasted whole wheat bread with peanut butter. Now he likes to top that with bananas but you could use a nice jam. Toast and peanut butter, healthy protein! or if you had a cashew nut spread or some other nut spread and voila!

The interesting thing I just learned recently is that you don't need to combine foods specifically to get your protein. Our bodies are able to sort of warehouse enzymes and then when an appropriate match comes along, the system does it automatically. Who knows, you might be doing a lot better than you think. After all everything has protein enzymes in it right. I mean look elephants get so huge on leaves and grasses. Must be getting protein somewhere. Horses, cows, same thing. I even heard you could conceivable get all the protein you need from blueberries except you'd have to eat something like 60 cups of blueberries:).
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Great post!

IMO it's always better to teach than preach, thanks for the ideas for using lentils. If you have any other information to share on vegetarian cooking using everyday supermarket ingredients I would enjoy reading them.

Thanks, B
 

Well Ike, it seems to me that guns have been covered at least a couple times and numerous folks have different offerings in each instance. And sure, maybe no one here is going to change, that's your right, but that doesn't mean that the science isn't growing to support the other side and I think that folks who have grandchildren that will be growing up in what we leave them, and who might be interested in hearing it from time to time, have the right to hear it. After all, we know that you aren't going to be bringing that kind of information here:playful: right?
 
Aunt Bea said:
Great post!

IMO it's always better to teach than preach, thanks for the ideas for using lentils. If you have any other information to share on vegetarian cooking using everyday supermarket ingredients I would enjoy reading them.

Thanks, B
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Well thanks Aunt Bea, and maybe I'll start a thread about veg. cooking in the next couple days. I've been working for weeks on a study about B12 and I'm in the middle of organizing my notes but maybe I'll put that on the back burner for a day or two and give this some thought. Thank you so much for the good idea.
 

I was going to stay out of this but we all know that I can't. Wednesday I have 4 steers going to slaughter, they are four of the most healthy contented animals you would ever care to see. These critters that I have looked after,fed,watered, worried over for 22 months will provide sustenance to my extended family of 22 humans. One of them is traded to a friend for a pig that was also humanely and lovingly raised. We now have three white tail deer in the freezer to also provide lean protein to our diet. Actually I am not real crazy about the venison since the deer around here subsist on almost nothing but GMO Roundup ready corn and beans. We have a few chickens for eggs, but it is cheaper to buy the meat hens already processed from an Amish neighbor than to raise our own.

I refuse to feel guilty for living my life as an omnivore as nature intended. There are certain facts about the Human animal that are just that, facts,and no amount of "enlightenment " or lifestyle will change.
 
 
Robusta said:
I was going to stay out of this but we all know that I can't. Wednesday I have 4 steers going to slaughter, they are four of the most healthy contented animals you would ever care to see. These critters that I have looked after,fed,watered, worried over for 22 months will provide sustenance to my extended family of 22 humans. One of them is traded to a friend for a pig that was also humanely and lovingly raised. We now have three white tail deer in the freezer to also provide lean protein to our diet. Actually I am not real crazy about the venison since the deer around here subsist on almost nothing but GMO Roundup ready corn and beans. We have a few chickens for eggs, but it is cheaper to buy the meat hens already processed from an Amish neighbor than to raise our own.

I refuse to feel guilty for living my life as an omnivore as nature intended. There are certain facts about the Human animal that are just that, facts,and no amount of "enlightenment " or lifestyle will change.
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Since we're 'going there', I'm just going to remind you that you are not the last experience that your animals will have. Cattle can smell blood five miles away so as they are approaching the place of their death, they will not be unaware. While that slaughterhouse that they are going to may not be like the big places that process 300 per hour, they will still know that something is wrong and that they don't want to be there, away from everything that is familiar and safe.

But fortunately meat consumption is dropping in North America so fewer animals will go through what you find so acceptable. And as the world finally wakes up to the damage that animal ag is having on the planet, science is developing new, safer and better ways to feed the people on this planet so one day, maybe a few generations from now, we will be looking back at an archaic lifestyle. Given that more protein calories per acre is available from plants than from 'beasts', meat production is a waste on so many levels and we need to do better.

It was interesting that National Geographic did a piece on Brazil last week and the damage that the cattle industry is causing in that country and that impacts the world weather systems. To date, that country has lost 20% of its Amazon rainforest for the sake of cattle and the expectation is that in the next 15 years they will lose another 20%. There is a loss of biodiversity to contend with, not to mention the impact that it has on the worlds rain patterns that is impaired by that loss as well as absorption of the GHG's that are emitted by our lifestyle.

Overall, the industry is responsible for 18-50% (depending on which report you look at) of GHG emissions, plus tons of antibiotic use that finds its way into water systems and has brought about the advent of super-bugs, plus mega tons of animal waste that also pollutes both the air and the water. Robusta, you are a small (almost inconsequential) part of a much larger system that causes grievous damage and suffering and our great grandchildren will also be paying the price for choices made today. One can only wonder what they will feel (damaged and suffering?) when the waterways are fouled or non-existent and the temperatures are drying up the fields so that crops won't grow. Perhaps the thought of 'their thoughts' is what motivated the UN to call for an end to meat consumption. That and images like this:

a-cattle-farm-at-Estancia-002.jpg

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-free-diet

UN urges global move to meat and dairy-free diet

Lesser consumption of animal products is necessary to save the world from the worst impacts of climate change, UN report says

(and that folks, is what is going on in the world that so many don't want to talk about)


 
SeaBreeze said:
Aunt Bea, if you haven't looked yet, we have numerous vegan and vegetarian recipes in our food section here, under the sub-forum "Recipes". Here are just a few. :)

https://www.seniorforums.com/showthread.php/16166-Creamy-Mushroom-Stroganoff
https://www.seniorforums.com/showthread.php/21487-Hummus-Veggie-Wrap
https://www.seniorforums.com/showthread.php/21577-Curried-Carrot-and-Avocado-Soup

https://www.seniorforums.com/showth...oes-with-Fresh-Basil-and-Mozzarella-Appetizer
https://www.seniorforums.com/showthread.php/547-My-Homemade-Guacamole-Dip
https://www.seniorforums.com/showthread.php/20629-Healthy-Vegetarian-and-Vegan-Recipes
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Those are nice recipes SeaBreeze! Thank you for sharing them and I'm especially liking the stroganoff. I'd probably dump in a cup of chick peas too to just 'round it out'. And with the carrot and avocado soup, I'd maybe include some quinoa. That wouldn't even alter the colour of the soup.

And believe me, 'colour' or appearance can be a bit of an issue. I once tried a new recipe with company coming (don't do it by the way :playful:). With my company seated, hungry and anticipating, I brought the bowls of black bean soup to the table and started out by apologizing for the way it looked. Tasted fabulous but it looked like bowls of mud! Fortunately, folks 'closed their eyes' figuratively speaking and licked the bowls clean (also figuratively speaking:))
 
Thanks Debbie and Seabreeze for the recipes and sites. Very helpful and inspiring. I've been doing this for 45 years now, that's right, 45 years. Don't get me wrong, I am getting my protein, and meal preparation can be challenging at times, but not impossible. I find I can be creative and inventive as well as organized most of the time, other times less so, but that's OK.

Debbie, thanks so much for your encouraging words and the insightful and informative posts. I hope people read them and take them to heart. My 95 year old friend who has been a vegan for most of her life was telling me last night me about her 96 year old brother who is hooked on his bacon and eggs every morning and nothing she said could sway him from this routine, and she wondered why she even bothered. He had lived out his whole life and survived (although has some health issues) and I agreed with her that by now it was best for him to keep doing what he was doing, and not to upset him. Besides, some people are genetically predisposed to live a long time no matter what they do.

And as far as the aging population goes if people haven't made some changes by now, would it make a big difference? Maybe if they want to stay healthy. Maybe to the environmental damage, but really how long will this last. I think its only a matter of time, maybe another 20-30 years before the younger generation who has learned to be environmentally and health conscious from an early age will take over and will be the dominant force to make a positive impact on our world. Lets hope so.
 
It wouldn't be so bad if they just killed the animals cleanly and ate them for food. But these prolonged rituals serve no purpose especially in this day and age. I still see too much mistreatment of dogs in the US. Too many view these animals as an accessory, burglar alarm, security guard, fighting money machine tec but not as a living creatures that can experience pain, discomfort and fear.

To stray just a bit. With bull fighting is the bull eventually served up as food?, How about the chicken in SantaRia is it? -Saw a horrific picture of bull on fire with in the last month. I don't give a darn about rituals or customs when I see stuff like that. Animals should be treated as food, as pets/family or left alone in their own environment. There should be no room for these outdated practices.
 
I thought the dog lovers here would like to rejoice with me that the following has just happened, well sometime today, that Korea's largest and most horrific dog meat market has been closed down as of today! Isn't that wonderful and all the result of activists pushing and talking to the authorities there and people like us signing petitions! So wonderful to hear and an incentive to never give up in doing what is good and kind and just!

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/south-koreas-largest-dog-meat-market-closes-its-doors/

'...Most recently, Moran Market, one of the most infamous dog meat markets in South Korea, responsible for the sale of around 80,000 dogs a year, officially shut its doors!... And it looks like years of persistence have finally paid off – for the benefit of so many dogs!

rescuer-and-dog-jm0012-at-atlanta-airport-credit-in-defense-of-animals.jpg

Doesn't he look like a happy fellow! Great news to him!
 
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