Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary "Run for Animals"

The 8th Annual "Run for the Animals" hosted by Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary is on Sunday, May 15th.  Sign up now for this 5K run and be a part of "Team VSDC" (Vegetarian Society of DC) to help us win the coveted Pigasus trophy.  Runners of all levels are encouraged -- only the top two or three times for men and women count, so no need to worry about holding the team back, the more the merrier! 


Join hundreds of runners, or participate in the 1-mile fun walk. An assortment of delicious vegan refreshments will be provided. Although dogs cannot participate in the run, they are more than welcome to come out and join the walk. 

WHEN: May 15 at 8:30 am (actual race start time)
WHERE: Wheaton Regional Park, 2000 Shorefield Road, Wheaton, MD 20902
PRICE: Before Apr 18: $25.00; then it's $28.00; $30 on race day - registration fees benefit Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary 

Easy tofu scramble

There was a time when I was hesitant to try this dish. Now it has become a weekend staple. The taste and consistency is "scrambled eggs" and I would even say it taste better.


Servings 2


Ingredients:
1/2 Onion
1/3 Red Bell Pepper
10 oz. Firm Tofo
2 tbsp Olive Oil or Grape Seed Oil
1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
2 Kale Leaves
2 Green Onions
1 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Curry Powder
1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos 


-In a frying pan heat finally chopped onions and red peppers in 2 tbsp of olive oil for about 5 mins on medium, until they soften.


-Rinse and dry the tofu then crumble it into the frying pan, tossing the pieces with the veggies & oil.


-Let the tofu cook for about 10 mins, moving it around with a spoon, until it starts to darken.


-Add 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast, after 30 seconds mix it in.


-Add the tumeric, cumin, garlic powder, curry, and pepper. Stir it in well.


-Add the chopped kale & green onions


-Add the Braggs Liquid Aminos


- Turn the heat off and keep slowly mixing together all the ingredients for 2 mins.


Total cook time is about 18 mins.




Once you make this you can customize it with other vegetables and spices.


Let me know your feedback if you tried this or have a similar recipe. 

The Artichoke

I admit, the artichoke looks quite challenging compared to the neatly packaged artichoke hearts sold in the grocery store. This should not stop you from enjoying the vegetable that is one the highest in antioxidants.  

The artichoke, which originated in North Africa and still grow in the wild there, comes from the Arabic term Ardi-Shoki meaning "ground thorny". They are grown in warm areas in a hardiness zone 7 and above. Once harvested they can stay fresh for 2 weeks or longer. 

Whole artichoke preparation is easy.

• The stem is trimmed off to the artichoke can sit flush
• Some outer thorny leaves are removed
• About an inch off the top is cut off with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors
• The artichokes then steam for 50 to 60 minutes in water with cut up garlic

Once they are steamed the leaves easily peel off. You drag the leaves between your teeth eating the pulpy flesh. You can prepare vegan hollandaise or lemon dipping sauces to add flavors. This is done until you reach the center. Carefully cutting away the base stem you pull out the center of the artichoke, or the artichoke heart and this is eaten entirely.

I hope you will give the artichoke a try if you havent. Besides from being so tasty they are packed with healthy antioxidants which we all need on a daily basis. 

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.