Did You Know.....? Foods With Hidden Meat.

I read this the other day on a favorite website of mine: Green Prophet and thought it was well worth putting it up on my blog.

I must admit that some I did know, but others surprised me.
Thanks Green Prophet.  If you want to read their whole article go here: Animal Free Food 

"How many of these veggie-imposters surprise you?

1. Beer and Wine,  particularly those made in Britain, use isinglass (a byproduct of fish bladders) in the clarification process. Most is removed in production, but traces can remain.
2. Fruit Juice frequently contains Vitamin D derived from lanolin (sheep oil), Omega-3 sourced from fish oil, and gelatin (a collagen obtained from beef skin and pig hide). Apple juice is often clarified using isinglass (refer back to Beer and Wine).
3. Enhanced Breads, as with juices, may include Omega-3 amino acids originating from fish oil. Commercial baked goods may also contain non-vegan ingredients such as milk, eggs, butter, whey, and honey.
4. Parmesan Cheese and other regional cheeses such as Pecorino Romano, are required by law to use rennet in the curdling process to retain their “authenticity”. Rennet, sometimes called “enzymes” on product labels, is derived from animal stomachs.
5. Boxed Cake Mix uses beef fat, sometimes listed as lard, as a common ingredient. It’s also present in many cakes, cupcakes, and cookies.
6. Bagels use a dough conditioner “enzyme L. Cysteine”, commonly sourced from duck and chicken feathers. It’s used in other processed bread products, particularly those served in fast food joints. (Dunkin Donuts, Pizza Hut  and McDonald’s  all admit to the practice respectively in their donuts, garlic bread, and apple pie.)
7. White Sugar bags typically list only “sugar” as an ingredient, but most processed sugar (including brown and confectioner’s) is whitened by a process that uses bone char.
8. Red Candy and most any food that’s colored red contains pigments extracted from the female Dactylopius coccus costa.  This red bug dye is typically listed as cochineal, carminic acid or carmine in the ingredients.  It’s found in candy, wine, vinegar, juice and colored pasta. Many candies are also coated with shellac, a resin excreted by the lac bug, which is usually listed as “confectioner’s glaze:”.
9. Soups, particularly those prepared in restaurant kitchens, are usually made with stock made from chicken, beef, or fish.  Canned vegetable soups can also contain animal stock and gelatin thickeners.
10. Salad Dressings in restaurants often start with bacon fat for added flavor, undermining the classic vegetarian go-to in restaurants. Caesar dressing contains anchovies, and creamy dressings often include gelatin.
11. BBQ-Flavored Chips,  well, if you’re tucking into a bag of greasy chips, food purity may not be paramount.  But know that most brands of BBQ-flavored chips get their punch from chicken fat. Worcestershire Sauce is made with anchovies.
12. Packaged Peanuts, high in quality protein, are an easy snack, but beware of gelatin coatings.
13. Breath Mints, Gummy Bears, Marshmallows, Jello and Fruit Jellies frequently contain gelatin made from animal skin and bones."

    

    Where the Gelatin comes from - YUK

Again, thanks to my friends at Green Prophet.

Happy Eating
Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.com

Little Visitor

I've decided that maybe I should be a Buddhist.  Well, lots of people ask me if I am due to the fact that I just find it totally impossible to harm animals.  I'm the one in the family who will actually take a cockroach out into the garden, so when I saw a little field mouse walk into the house the last thing I thought of doing was setting a trap……a killing/maiming one.

I was sitting on the deck, minding my own business and having a morning coffee when I saw this cute little mouse come from behind the broom that's up against the wall and just duck inside.

I named her Millie……of course, she could have been a Mickey.  So Millie took up residence behind the fridge.  She was exceptionally clean, never saw any sign that she was even in the house, in fact we actually thought she'd gone back outside.  However, the clue was all the little dog biscuits that we saw along the side of the fridge.

Now the dog is old, blind and deaf and, although still with a good sense of smell, she totally had no idea that someone else was dining out on her food.  In fact Millie really was living the high life….where else would she be warm, safe and buffet styled fresh food right on her doorstep.

But it was time for action.  After searching the net I came across a humane mouse trap ideal for trapping and releasing.

The trap duly arrived and after putting a little peanut butter on the end it was set right next to the fridge.  It did go through my mind that maybe Millie, with a stock of food already, may not be tempted.

Now the idea of the trap is that Millie would run into it, go to the end where the food is, the door would shut and the trap would tip.  So quite when Millie got in there is anyone's guess.  During the day I did hear little clicking noises, check the trap but it still looked like it was in the "set" mode, hadn't tipped at all.  It wasn't until later in the evening and on closer inspection I realized that she was, in fact, in there.  Design fault...needs to be a sticker on the door so you know that it's shut - where's the paint brush, I'll put a dot of paint there.

Well, there was nothing else to be done….I mean, I had no idea how long the poor little thing had been in there, but she just had to be released regardless of the fact that I was now in the P.J.s.  Into the car we hopped (dog and all) and off round the corner to the reserve next to the beach.

Millie was released, right next to the trash bin….well, got to give a girl some hope!!!

A little p.s.  pulling the fridge out to clean (and check there was no nest .... no), wow there was a huge stash of doggie bikkies under and around the fridge - I wonder if she had a bit of squirrel in her????

Happy Animals
Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.com

Where Does It Go?

Being a vegetarian in this country is a little unusual, of course, being vegan is just downright weird…but I'm not here to discuss the questions that I get asked, nor to ponder on the reasons this place is still a bit behind the 8 ball.

I was on the Vegetarian Forum today discussing quinoa and it got me thinking about how the different supermarkets approach vegetarian/vegan food.  So, as quinoa has already been mentioned, let's use it as the example. 

Now I do realize that most people here in N.Z. haven't got a clue what quinoa is, they still pronounce it quin-o-a instead of keen-wa, but you would think that the supermarkets would have some inkling of an idea as to what type of food it is.  Well, I'm here to tell you that I have found quinoa on a variety of different shelves in a variety of different supermarkets.

I've found it in the pasta section, the baking section, the gluten free section (yes, that's not too bad a choice, but not one that I'd go to straight away), it's been in the rice section and in with the cereals.  Sometimes I find it in the "International" part, the snacks aisle and once I was directed to the condiments - bizarre! 

The strange part is that if I go back to the same supermarket it can quite often be shifted and I have to start the quest all over again.  I'm at the point now where I just start laughing…..no point getting upset…..at least they do offer quinoa albeit one brand.

I thought maybe I should write to the supermarkets and tell them to create a new section: "Don't Know What It Is" - I'm sure they'd fill it up pretty quick.

Oh, and I can get it at my local health food store, no problem....I'm talking supermarkets - I would think it would go where the couscous goes.......any advances on that????

Happy Eating
Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.com

I've Started Farming

Farming? Well, worm farming.  Finally, after months of having the worm farm paraphernalia sitting around with no worms in it I am happy to announce that a very healthy bunch of Tiger, Red and Indian blue worms have taken up residence.

The process was really pretty easy.  I think the reason I hadn't gotten around to actually getting the worms was because I was really nervous about how I might just not be very good at it.

I was in the garden shop getting some winter veggie seedlings and when I got up to the counter I noticed that the people in front had purchased a worm farm.  I asked if they knew where to get the actual worms and, lo and behold, they were right there in the shop.  Hadn't seen them before, but then I don't think they come in very often.  Maybe the worms prefer the more up-market garden centers that have cafes and gift stores attached?

Off down the aisles I went in search of the worms…determination on my face and in my stride.  Found them, rushed back to the check out and into the car before I could change my mind.

The worms have their own website, so tap, tap, tap on the keys and up came a really great site with great information and brilliant videos that showed just how easy it was.  WormsRus

Got the worms settled in and this morning when I went to check….yup, they were all there wriggling and squirming and doing what worms love to do - starting the composting procedure.

This is going to be fun!  Oh, and the winter veggies got planted to.

Happy Eating
Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.com

Big Business At It Again?

New Zealand has the dubious honor of having the largest dairy exporting company in the world. Yup, little N.Z. can lay claim that dairy products are exported to more that 100 countries around the globe.

The company's name is Fonterra and you can bet your bottom dollar that they will outstrip and outsmart any other company that makes dairy products.

The latest "innovative" move they have made is to introduce a "light-proof" plastic milk bottle.  Now I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they genuinely thought they were right when they came up with the idea that milk deteriorates when it comes in contact with light and they should do something about it, but I'm more inclined to think that this is one helluva marketing ploy that will get the punters believing that, not only is milk good for you but it should be kept in the dark.

I spoke to a sales lady who was promoting the new bottles in the super market the other day, the conversation went something like this:

Lady:   Do you like the new bottle?
Me:      No, I don't - I can't see how much is left
Lady:   If you can't see the milk then that's actually a good thing, as it means neither can the light!
Me:     (under my breath -duh) It still doesn't solve the problem….so you're saying that one just has to do the weight and shake test and judge when you're going to run out.
Lady:   Ignored my comment.
Me:      With three layers….that seems like an awful lot of plastic.
Lady:   These bottles are 100% recyclable.
Me:      Yes, I know that, but it just seem like more plastic.
Lady:   The plastic is thinner, so there's not that much more at all.
Lady:   Did you know that with these bottles it means that the milk will be as good on day 15 as it is on day 1.
Me:     Mmmmmm, I think you'll find that a bottle of milk will be used within about 3 or 4 days in the majority of families - or are you saying that I can leave the milk out on the bench longer?
Lady:  Oh no, the milk still has to be refrigerated.
Me:     So there's really no difference then.
Lady:  Yes, this milk tastes better.
Me:     I can't see why if the milk is still used up quickly….milk is milk.
Lady:  But with these bottles it's fresher.
Me:     I can't see why - other companies get the milk bottled and into the stores daily, just like Fonterra does.

And so the conversation continued.

I finally left…I'd had my humor for the day….so off I went to get my soy milk….don't drink milk anyway!

When I was putting this blog together I came across an article (see link below) that said that the recycling companies are not happy with this bottle as it takes more energy and resources to create it. Wish I'd known that when I was talking to the lady!

There was also a comment made by "Whiti (N.Z.)" who threw up another argument:
"My wife is a science teacher and just couldn't resist testing the new bottle. Happy to report that the bottle does indeed appear to be light proof.
Unfortunately the good old fashioned lid is not. Given that most light tends to shine down seems a bit of an oversight if it's really all that important. Maybe just a lot of hype over nothing? Nice try Fonterra better luck next time."  See the article: New Zealand Herald 

Good one, Whiti, couldn't have said it better myself.

Give me the old fashioned way anytime!

Happy Eating
Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.c

Do You Buy Free Range Eggs?

Wake up everyone at take a look at what really happens. 

"This was his last moment on earth. He tried to fly away, but he was too young. 200 million male baby chicks are ground up alive every year because they are useless to the egg industry. He was one of them." (taken from "Mercy For Animals" website)

There are some videos that I really can't watch.  I'm a bit squeamish you see and I hate to see animal cruelty.  But if you're still not convinced go to the link above.

If you must eat eggs try to find some-one local who loves their chookies, (hens/chickens).
Yes, I still eat eggs from time to time - I do struggle a bit to be fully vegan, but my beautiful vegan friends don't pass judgement, bless them.
In saying that I eat eggs I am extremely lucky that I have a friend who just loves her chookies and I reap the benefit of being able to get eggs from her when they are fully laying.

These chookies roam free around her property, in fact they lay their eggs in the strangest places which is so cool.  They are not even fenced in other than the border fence around their property.  They do have a little house where they can roost for the night, but most of the time they roost in the trees.

Even so called "free range" eggs that you buy at your local supermarket can be a bit suss because, they too don't want to have the male chickens….what do they do about that?  Well a lot of the "free range" farmers buy their laying chickens from big factory-farm hatcheries….of course they only get the female ones so they believe that their hands are clean.

And what does my friend do?  Well, she does eat meat.  She doesn't raise that many chickens anyway because she takes the eggs…but if some do slip through and go on to hatch they are raised up…regardless of whether they're male or female.  And come the time - yes, she will kill one for the table - well, her husband does the killing.

If, like me, you can't do without eggs try to find some-one local who loves their chookies. A good place to start is at the Farmers markets and ask questions!!!

Read this for more on so called "Free-Range" poultry and eggs. but be warned, it will shock you.

Happy Eating
Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.com

Oil Spill Affects Humans This Time

With so many oil spills over the years it really wasn't too much of a surprise when I read from a favorite site of mine Treehugger.com - "Two weeks ago today, Exxon Mobil's Pegasus pipeline carrying diluted bitumen from Canada ruptured catastrophically, creating a 22-foot long gash that unleashed hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil and toxic chemical diluents into the Central Arkansas town of Mayflower."

What is tragic about this is the number of residences who have suffered from toxic fumes, the contaminated water and the fact that these people will now have to battle with lawsuits.  Having something like this happen within a built up area highlights the danger that pipelines, that criss-cross countries around the world, can create.  Most of the time these spills affect both the environment and the animals and, although tragic, is not as impacting on our sense of horror and outrage as it is when there is a population of humans in the forefront.

It really is time that we put more pressure on these companies that disregard the environment and disregard human and animal suffering.

I leave you with a video put out by comedians Andy Cobb and Mike Damanskis who have satirized this disaster…..even though it's "comedy" I'm sure if you watch it you will get the underlying message.

Happy Eating
Fee
website:  www.thevegetariancenter.com