Ah The Sauce!

Picture of our traditional yearly sauce making. It is so easy to do and the sauce lasts for the entire year. This is the first year we used a pressure cooker to seal jars. We bought 2 bushels of roma tomatoes, tomato paste, and the industrial size bags of garlic and onions.

The tomatoes are put through the juicer to remove the skin and seeds. The onions are cooked slow until translucent and then the garlic added until they start to brown. Then the tomatoes and paste are added and cooked on a simmer for about 3 hours. Add a little salt, pepper, and red wine and you end up with sauce. We ended up cooking 5 batches over 2 weekends.

Once you you start making our own sauce you will never go back to jarred sauce again!

Natto?

Have you tried Natto? Yes Natto, a traditional Japanese food made from soy beans fermented with bacillus subtillis. It's a popular breakfast rich in protein and good bacteria.

I found it local, sold in a Japanese market. It comes frozen in a styrofoam 3 pack. Through research I was weary of the smell and taste people were talking about. After a few servings this past week, I can say it actually tastes good and the fermented odor was not offensive at all. To eat Natto you open the styrofoam to find a small mustard package, soy sauce, and the Natto. You add the mustard and stir the Natto vigorously until it looks foamy. I ended up using my own shoyu in place of the supplied soy sauce. I added some chopped green onions and served it over rice.

The Health Benefits

Natto has pyrazine that has been shown to reduce blood clots, which may help to prevent heart attack, pulmonary embolism, and stroke.

Natto has nattokinase which has the ability to degrade amyloid fibrils, which suggest it may be a preventative treatment for Alzheimer's.

Natto contains large amounts of Vitamin K2 which is involved in the formation of calcium binding groups in protein, fighting against osteoporosis.

Natto contain Vitamin PQQ, which is very important for the skin. PQQ in human tissues is derived mainly from the diet.

Have you tried Natto? Are you going to?  Let me know your opinion if you do, your body will thank you for it.

The Taiji slaughter continues

Have you ever swam with the dolphins? Have you been entertained by the amazing intelligence of a bottlenose dolphin at an aquarium show? These activities support the inhumane killing going on in Taiji, Japan.

Dolphins are chased into a cove by fishermen which is then netted off to prevent the dolphins from fleeing. Fisherman pick out "show quality" dolphins to sell to aquariums at up to $150,000 each. The dolphins that won't sell are herded deeper into the cove out of sight and slaughtered one after another turning the cove waters red with blood. The meat is sold for human consumption.

Ric O'Barry, Campaign Director for Save the Dolphins, has spent the last 38 years rallying agains this slaughter. Mr. O'Barry first recognized in the 1960s for capturing and training the five dolphins that were used in the well-known TV series Flipper. He made a radical transition from training dolphins in captivity to fighting against the captivity industry soon after Kathy, one of the Flipper dolphins, died. According to Mr. O'Barry, she died in his arms in what he believed was a suicide due to depression. Dolphins unlike humans have to consciously breath, she swam onto his arms and just sank, not trying to come up for air.


Mr. O'Barry was also involved in the full length documentary The Cove. This film released in 2009, centers on Taiji in Japan, bringing attention to the hunt of over 2,000 dolphins taking place there every year. Currently it is available for free on Netflix streaming.


Read more about Save the Dolphins and sign the petition. These intelligent marine mammals need your support.

Thanksgiving

This was the first year of a truly vegan Thanksgiving. First we adopted a turkey "Daphne" from Farm Sacntuary and then we prepared a feast without any animal products.

Our new traditional meal consisted of:

• Tofurky Roast
• Vegan Mashed Potatoes
• Stuffing 
• Brussels Sprouts w/ Caramelized Onions
• Cranberry Sauce

I must say everything tasted wonderful, even the following days leftover sandwiches.

Recent studies show that for every year a person eats vegan, 58 animals live.

Think this doesn't happen in America? think again

Help End Factory-Farming at AnimalsAustralia.org

Adopted Daphne

Help save baby Riley

Of all the tiny, shaking piglets in the crowded pen at a recent stockyard auction, Riley was the smallest, and clearly suffering. This poor baby was too sick to stand upright, his head awkwardly tilted to the side, and one of his eyes was nearly swollen shut. As the auction went on, and bystanders did nothing, little Riley was left to die – stumbling in the corner of the pen. But thankfully, Farm Sanctuary’s Emergency Rescue Team was there to protect this fragile baby and lift him out of this heartless scene. Like you, we wanted to reach out and hold him. We couldn’t just stand by and watch this tiny piglet suffer and die, so we rushed him to safety. Now Farm Sanctuary is doing everything we can to give Riley the urgent care he needs to survive. Please help by joining Farm Sanctuary now. His condition is critical. Severe infection has left his eye badly injured and his ear filled with fluid, causing him intense pain. Immediate surgery at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals is necessary to relieve the pressure in his ear and begin the healing process. And while we remain terribly concerned about his prognosis, his improved appetite and balance give us reason for hope. Join now to help baby Riley receive the specialized care he needs to beat the  odds and heal from this horrendous neglect and sad start in life. Your donation will also help ensure that Farm Sanctuary can respond to the next emergency, no matter where or when it occurs. Tragically, Riley never needed to become so sick. His illness likely began as nothing more than basic pneumonia. But because those who were supposed to care for him neglected to help him, his infection worsened. Now he is fighting for his life. Please join Farm Sanctuary today to help give Riley the love and care he should have  received from the start. Although we cannot guarantee Riley’s recovery, with your emergency donation, we can guarantee that this precious baby will know nothing but loving hands, a soft bed and gentle care as we work to bring him back to health. Help us show Riley that humans are not all cruel, that his life matters, and that relief and comfort can await him. Join now to help Riley and ensure we are ready to  respond to the next emergency call. If there was ever an animal who needed your support, it’s Riley. Please be generous.