Thinking about all the pig that will be eaten this 4th, I'm reminded of a powerful podcast by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau of Compassionate Cooks titled, "Peace for Pigs".

Description of the April 2007 podcast:

Today's episode is dedicated to pigs - how wonderful they are, how we misrepresent them in our society, and what affect that has on our treatment of them. Pigs are exploited and used by humans in a variety of ways: as research tools, as "food animals," in high school science classes, as entertainment in a blood sport called "hog-baiting" or "hog dogging," as victims of hunting. We also talk about how our language shapes our perception of them and, thus, our treatment of them, and we examine the cycle of violence inherent in hiring men to work in slaughterhouses, desensitizing them to violence, and then essentially supporting abusive and sadistic behavior - just because we like bacon. The cycle of violence makes its final stop in the homes of these slaughterhouse workers, where alcoholism and domestic abuse is commonplace. Finally, we end on a positive note with a beautiful poem by Pulitzer-prize winning poet, Galway Kinnell - who pays homage to our porcine friends in "St Francis and the Sow."

Amy's Kids Meals

Amy's Baked Ziti Kids Meal

My local Kroger just started carrying Amy's Kids Meals. There appears to be only one meal that's vegan, but maybe by the time my little one is ready for solid food they'll have more out. If I was in a pinch, it would be nice to be able to send my child off to daycare with one of these. I just wish Amy's would drop the vegetarian crap and go all vegan.

Nacho Momma's Cheese Dip

Dreena Burton's Vegveeta Cheese Dip (see her March 31st post)

No, this is not your mama's cheese dip. This is another one of Burton's glorious recipes.

I didn't have paprika on hand and I only used the minimum measurement she suggested on the turmeric, so mine didn't turn out as orange as Velveeta. Instead, mine is more of a "queso blanco". I did swirl in some salsa (picante) as she suggests. What I like about this recipe, as with many of Burton's recipes, is that she doesn't use soy. Anyway, I polished off an entire bowl of this stuff!

Of all the things...

Of all the products that are available to moms these days, this one would make my grandmother roll over in her grave! But, I think it's important to detect alcohol in your breastmilk -- it saves on waste, right?

Flawless flapjacks, finally!

Thin, tender, syrup-logged pancakes

Yesterday at 5 a.m. I woke up with a craving for pancakes, which has not been an easily-remedied craving for me, until now. I've finally found a recipe that delivers pancakes that are not too fluffy, dense, or tasteless. But, they're certainly not healthy.

Perfect Vegan Pancakes
modified from recipe found at ThriftyLiving

Dry Ingredients:

3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/8 tsp. salt (a few dashes)
1/8 tsp. cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. soy milk (I used vanilla soy milk)
3/8 cup water (it's about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Combine wet ingredients then add to dry mixture. Do not over mix/stir (makes pancakes tougher).

Get skillet really hot. I used a non-stick pan, but also sprayed it with non-stick spray. I used a 1/8 measuring cup to pour batter into pan, then spread it around to ensure thin pancakes. Obviously, the less you spread it around the thicker the pancake. Finish off with Earth Balance, maple syrup, etc. Serves 1-2 people.

Thank God I found this recipe because at 8 1/2 months pregnant, it takes an act of Congress to divert me away from my cravings. I thought I was going to have to wait until Sunday to drive 60 miles round trip for Spiral Diner's all-you-can-eat pancakes.

Pizzahhhh!

My favorite pizza these days.

Jeff Varasano's Famous New York Pizza Dough Recipe

Varasono's dough recipe is the best we've tried yet. For best results, it needs to be chilled the day before you use it.

Base: olive oil rubbed with fresh garlic, all-purpose seasoning, red pepper flakes, and a generous pinch (or two) of kosher salt.

Toppings: fresh tomato, fresh basil, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and thin shavings of Vegan Gourmet Monterey Jack.

I've found that when making a pizza without cheez, or with light cheez, the ingredients have to be placed strategically so that the pizza doesn't dry out. For this pizza, I put the fresh basil down first, followed by thinly sliced tomatoes (overlapping), followed by shaved pieces of the cheez. Pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes have a high oil content and burn easily, so I throw those on the last few minutes of cooking time.

Also, we use a pizza stone preheated to 500 degrees. Finally when the pizza comes out, brush the crust with some olive oil and let it sit a few minutes before cutting.

Beefless Stew

Beefless Stew recipe from Fatfree Vegan


Use a hunk of sourdough to sop up this full-bodied stew.

The tender potatoes, carrots, peas, celery, mushrooms, onion, red beans, and pearl barley are seasoned perfectly with comfort spices like rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. We enjoyed this stew with hunks of crusty sourdough - a perfect winter meal.

Slightly modified from the original recipe posted on Fatfreevegan

Ingredients:

8 small red potatoes -- cut into 1" cubes

1 large onion -- chopped

2 celery ribs -- chopped

8 ounces mushrooms -- quartered (halved then quartered, if large)

2 large carrots -- sliced thick

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon rosemary

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons soy sauce

freshly ground pepper -- to taste

1/4 cup red wine -- (optional)

1 cup beef colored or flavored TVP Chunks (I used red beans instead)

1/4 cup millet -- uncooked (I used pearl barley)

1 cup frozen peas

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Fill a 5-quart saucepan or dutch oven 2/3 full of water (about 10-11 cups). Add the first 13 ingredients, potatoes through pepper, and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the onions are cooked and the potatoes start to soften.

Add the red wine (if desired), TVP chunks, and millet. Cook until the millet is completely cooked (not hard anymore). Add peas.

Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water (or additional red wine, if desired). Stir the mixture into the stew and cook until the stew thickens slightly. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper as needed.

I like a thicker stew, so I pureed 1 cup of the cooked stew in a mini-food processor then added it back to the pot.

Serve in bowls with lots of fresh bread.

Per serving: 205 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (3% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 938mg Sodium; 13 g Fiber