Gobblers are guests, not fare, at vegans' Thanksgiving spread
By Virginia Kopas Joe
vkjoe@post-gazette.com or 724-837-1725
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Monday, November 24, 2003
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03328/243289.stm
Talk about turning the tables. At this Thanksgiving feast, Tom Turkey gets served dinner with all the trimmings.
Welcome to a vegan holiday at the OohMahNee Farm Animal Sanctuary in Mount Pleasant, Westmoreland County. Yesterday, 150 guests fed the fowl and sat down to a Thanksgiving dinner that promoted the sanctuary as much as the vegan lifestyle of its activists. Vegans do not eat meat or dairy products.
Based on their strut, the plump poultry, with names such as Tom and Gertrude, seemed to appreciate their version of paradise as they ate both people food and grain from the outstretched arms of visitors.
"I realize that the turkey breast, turkey leg and wing that everyone wants causes incredible suffering to a living animal," said Mia Branthoover of Pittsburgh, who made the hour drive east from Downtown yesterday.
It might be politically incorrect to say that the poultry and people diners pigged out, but they did fill up on a vegan dinner that looked and tasted like traditional Thanksgiving fare, but without meat, dairy products, honey or animal-based flavorings.
The, uh, meat of yesterday's menu -- enjoyed by human and animal alike -- was a product called seitan. Wheat gluten-based, the seitan was stir-fried and served with gravy made of arrow root and cornstarch. There also were mashed potatoes with margarine, lots of vegetables, and pumpkin pie.
Shelter founder Cayce Mell said the feast also was a chance for the community to learn what goes on at the place with the funny name. Mell founded OohMahNee, a play on the word "humane,'' in 1995 to rescue and rehabilitate farm animals, as well as to promote the vegan lifestyle.
There are more than 700 chickens and turkeys and another collection of about 700 cows, pigs, rabbits and sheep enjoying old age at the shelter. Volunteers rescued them all from the slaughterhouse.
"These are beings,'' she said with conviction. "It's not called a leg, a wing, a breast for nothing.''
She believes that animals, on the planet long before man, have a natural evolution that shouldn't include a trip to the dinner table.
"Your compassion shouldn't end at your species,'' Mell said.
Indeed, the farm animals at OohManNee live a in a virtual Eden. They roam free on more than 230 acres of fenced-in land and are fed grain and leftover produce donated by a grocery chain.
They will live out their lives at the non-profit shelter, thanks to the $290,000 annual budget Mell raises through grants, donations, hard work and her vision.
OohManNee has six paid staffers, and the site includes 12 barns, a makeshift office, and an education center in an old farmhouse that contains grisly photographs of animal auctions and slaughterhouses.
Mell, 28, runs it with her husband, Jason Tracy, and the couple live with their son, Aedan, 3, above a garage. The sanctuary has grown from the day the couple took in a handful of abandoned hens.
Mell traces her devotion to animals to her high school days in rural New York when she found her mom crying over a news account of how dogs are treated --- and eaten -- in the Orient. Tracy's interest was local: He grew up around farm animals in Mount Pleasant.
In August, the couple and a dozen volunteers drove to an egg farm in Ohio and picked up 1,048 Rhode Island Reds that an egg producer no longer needed. More than 700 of the hens have been adopted by so-called gentleman farmers and suburbanites who promised to protect them and never put them back in cages.
Yesterday, volunteers promised they will be working for more Thanksgivings for more animals.
"We'll really celebrate on the day when there are more people here than animals,'' Mell said.
Anyone interested in adopting any animals living at OohMahNee should call 724-755-2420. The sanctuary is on Route 819 in Hunker, Mount Pleasant Township. Web site is http://www.oohmahneefarm.org
Showing posts with label recipe: thanksgiving meal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipe: thanksgiving meal. Show all posts
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Excellent site: Gentle Thanksgiving
Gentle Thanksgiving
Please visit their site: http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/
Millions of vegetarian and other caring folks across the U.S. are celebrating this Thanksgiving with a rich selection of delicious vegetables, fruits, baked goods, and mock meats replacing the carcass of a dead bird on their dinner table. The vegetarian bill of fare may include a 'tofurky,' lentil or nut roast, stuffed squash, corn chowder or chestnut soup, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin or pecan pie, and carrot cake.
Some are doing it for their health, some oppose the violence, and others are concerned with the environmental consequences.
Most vegetarian Thanksgiving observances are held in the privacy of a home. Many others, in hotel ballrooms, community centers, and church halls, are open to the public. Please click here for a listing of public events
http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/tevents.htm
Vegetarian homemakers have many choices. Those pressed for time can buy a tofu and seitan 'tofurky,' as well as other wholesome, delicious, ready-to-eat vegetarian dishes in their local food markets. More traditional homemakers can consult a number of vegetarian cookbooks and web sites. Please click here for recipes and other resources.
Much of the credit for the national shift to plant-based eating goes to the overwhelming support of food editors and other media representatives.
= = = = = = = = = = =
About A Gentle Thanksgiving
http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/about.htm
Many people believe that abusing and killing an innocent bird betrays the life-affirming spirit of giving thanks for our life, health, and happiness.
The 330 million turkeys killed each year in the U.S. spend their entire lives crammed into large sheds with little room to move. Their legs can barely support their genetically disfigured bodies. Their beaks and toes are trimmed to reduce damage from stress-induced aggression. Their eyes and lungs are burned by toxic fumes emanating from their excrement. After 16 weeks of misery, they are hung on a conveyer belt, their throats cut, then they are dumped, sometimes still conscious, into scalding water that strips their feathers.
The birds exact their revenge. Their flesh is laced with cholesterol and saturated fats, which have been linked conclusively with an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic killer diseases that kill 1.4 million Americans annually.
Turkey flesh is also contaminated with hormones, deadly pathogens, and antibiotics. Hormones disrupt normal growth and sexual development in the consumer. The pathogens, including Salmonella and Campylobacter, are introduced by eviscerating equipment spilling fecal matter into the bird's body cavities. Careful adherence to U.S. Department of Agriculture warning labels and Poultry Hotline directions are required to avoid severe food poisoning. The antibiotics build up the pathogens' immunity to these powerful remedies.
Much of the 10 billion pounds of manure generated by 7,300 turkey farms in 33 states ends up in our drinking water. Grain fed to turkeys is denied to millions of starving Third World people.
Plant-based eating has become increasingly popular, as Americans discover the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of kicking the meat habit.
More than 30 million Americans have explored meatless eating, and nearly one third purchase mock meat products regularly.
One in three teens thinks that being vegetarian is 'cool.'
California and Hawaii legislatures have recommended that schools offer a daily vegetarian lunch option, and other states are considering similar resolutions.
Mainstream health advocacy groups, like the American Dietetic Association, American Cancer Society, and National Cancer Institute are touting plant-based, vegetarian diets.
Major food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, like ConAgra, Kraft, Kellogg, SYSCO, Burger King, and McDonald's, are marketing vegetarian meals.
All supermarket chains carry a large selection of mock lunchmeats, vegetarian burgers and dogs, and ready-to-eat meals containing these items.
= = = = = = = = = =
Arranging your own vegetarian Thanksgiving event is easy and satisfying. Please click here for detailed instructions.
http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/action.htm
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Gentle Thanksgiving campaign is to encourage your friends, family and neighbors to adopt compassionate alternatives to funding the abuse and slaughter of innocent, feeling turkeys. We accomplish this by demonstrating the great taste and superior nutrition of turkey-alternatives and other festive plant-based foods.
REGISTER NOW!
We invite you to plan and Register a public or private Gentle Thanksgiving event that will raise awareness of these delicious alternatives and spread the message that compassion should be an integral part of everyone's vegetarian Thanksgiving celebration. Events can be as simple as a private vegetarian dinner or an elaborate public event. It is important to Register so we can list you and your city in our Events Directory and publicize your event to local and national media, as well as other activists.
HINTS, IDEAS & MATERIALS
For guidance on how you can make your event or celebration as effective as possible, with tips on timing, planning, and materials, please click on our Guide to an Effective Observance. A number of Gentle Thanksgiving materials available for downloading are provided below, and more are available after you Register.
In addition to arranging a festive vegetarian meal for your friends or the general public, you can conduct various educational activities. You can utilize the power of the printed word by distributing Gentle Thanksgiving leaflets at local events, malls, metro stops, natural food stores, or anywhere your inspiration takes you. Leaflets can be downloaded and printed from your computer by clicking on Leaflet Master. Be sure to collect pledges to make this Thanksgiving a truly gentle and compassionate holiday on a copy of our Petition Master.
You can bring your message to the streets with graphic video footage of factory farm and slaughterhouse atrocities. TVs and VCRs can be set up wherever you can find a power source, including your car battery. To find out more, click on Setting Up a Video Rig.
Athletic? Try a charity race (as an individual or with friends). Wear a vegetarian or animal-friendly t-shirt. You could also choose to provide tofurky samples at the finish line. Remember to stay friendly and positive so as not to detract from the sponsored charity.
Sample news releases are provided in our Media section. If you expect to conduct media interviews, please review the Arguments for a Gentle Thanksgiving. You can obtain additional media coverage by following our guidance on Visiting TV/Radio Stations.
Once again, please be sure to Register your event, even if your plans are not finalized. This will allow us to promote your event to activists and media (both local and national).
Please visit their site: http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/
Millions of vegetarian and other caring folks across the U.S. are celebrating this Thanksgiving with a rich selection of delicious vegetables, fruits, baked goods, and mock meats replacing the carcass of a dead bird on their dinner table. The vegetarian bill of fare may include a 'tofurky,' lentil or nut roast, stuffed squash, corn chowder or chestnut soup, candied yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin or pecan pie, and carrot cake.
Some are doing it for their health, some oppose the violence, and others are concerned with the environmental consequences.
Most vegetarian Thanksgiving observances are held in the privacy of a home. Many others, in hotel ballrooms, community centers, and church halls, are open to the public. Please click here for a listing of public events
http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/tevents.htm
Vegetarian homemakers have many choices. Those pressed for time can buy a tofu and seitan 'tofurky,' as well as other wholesome, delicious, ready-to-eat vegetarian dishes in their local food markets. More traditional homemakers can consult a number of vegetarian cookbooks and web sites. Please click here for recipes and other resources.
Much of the credit for the national shift to plant-based eating goes to the overwhelming support of food editors and other media representatives.
= = = = = = = = = = =
About A Gentle Thanksgiving
http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/about.htm
Many people believe that abusing and killing an innocent bird betrays the life-affirming spirit of giving thanks for our life, health, and happiness.
The 330 million turkeys killed each year in the U.S. spend their entire lives crammed into large sheds with little room to move. Their legs can barely support their genetically disfigured bodies. Their beaks and toes are trimmed to reduce damage from stress-induced aggression. Their eyes and lungs are burned by toxic fumes emanating from their excrement. After 16 weeks of misery, they are hung on a conveyer belt, their throats cut, then they are dumped, sometimes still conscious, into scalding water that strips their feathers.
The birds exact their revenge. Their flesh is laced with cholesterol and saturated fats, which have been linked conclusively with an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic killer diseases that kill 1.4 million Americans annually.
Turkey flesh is also contaminated with hormones, deadly pathogens, and antibiotics. Hormones disrupt normal growth and sexual development in the consumer. The pathogens, including Salmonella and Campylobacter, are introduced by eviscerating equipment spilling fecal matter into the bird's body cavities. Careful adherence to U.S. Department of Agriculture warning labels and Poultry Hotline directions are required to avoid severe food poisoning. The antibiotics build up the pathogens' immunity to these powerful remedies.
Much of the 10 billion pounds of manure generated by 7,300 turkey farms in 33 states ends up in our drinking water. Grain fed to turkeys is denied to millions of starving Third World people.
Plant-based eating has become increasingly popular, as Americans discover the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of kicking the meat habit.
More than 30 million Americans have explored meatless eating, and nearly one third purchase mock meat products regularly.
One in three teens thinks that being vegetarian is 'cool.'
California and Hawaii legislatures have recommended that schools offer a daily vegetarian lunch option, and other states are considering similar resolutions.
Mainstream health advocacy groups, like the American Dietetic Association, American Cancer Society, and National Cancer Institute are touting plant-based, vegetarian diets.
Major food manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, like ConAgra, Kraft, Kellogg, SYSCO, Burger King, and McDonald's, are marketing vegetarian meals.
All supermarket chains carry a large selection of mock lunchmeats, vegetarian burgers and dogs, and ready-to-eat meals containing these items.
= = = = = = = = = =
Arranging your own vegetarian Thanksgiving event is easy and satisfying. Please click here for detailed instructions.
http://www.gentlethanksgiving.org/action.htm
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Gentle Thanksgiving campaign is to encourage your friends, family and neighbors to adopt compassionate alternatives to funding the abuse and slaughter of innocent, feeling turkeys. We accomplish this by demonstrating the great taste and superior nutrition of turkey-alternatives and other festive plant-based foods.
REGISTER NOW!
We invite you to plan and Register a public or private Gentle Thanksgiving event that will raise awareness of these delicious alternatives and spread the message that compassion should be an integral part of everyone's vegetarian Thanksgiving celebration. Events can be as simple as a private vegetarian dinner or an elaborate public event. It is important to Register so we can list you and your city in our Events Directory and publicize your event to local and national media, as well as other activists.
HINTS, IDEAS & MATERIALS
For guidance on how you can make your event or celebration as effective as possible, with tips on timing, planning, and materials, please click on our Guide to an Effective Observance. A number of Gentle Thanksgiving materials available for downloading are provided below, and more are available after you Register.
In addition to arranging a festive vegetarian meal for your friends or the general public, you can conduct various educational activities. You can utilize the power of the printed word by distributing Gentle Thanksgiving leaflets at local events, malls, metro stops, natural food stores, or anywhere your inspiration takes you. Leaflets can be downloaded and printed from your computer by clicking on Leaflet Master. Be sure to collect pledges to make this Thanksgiving a truly gentle and compassionate holiday on a copy of our Petition Master.
You can bring your message to the streets with graphic video footage of factory farm and slaughterhouse atrocities. TVs and VCRs can be set up wherever you can find a power source, including your car battery. To find out more, click on Setting Up a Video Rig.
Athletic? Try a charity race (as an individual or with friends). Wear a vegetarian or animal-friendly t-shirt. You could also choose to provide tofurky samples at the finish line. Remember to stay friendly and positive so as not to detract from the sponsored charity.
Sample news releases are provided in our Media section. If you expect to conduct media interviews, please review the Arguments for a Gentle Thanksgiving. You can obtain additional media coverage by following our guidance on Visiting TV/Radio Stations.
Once again, please be sure to Register your event, even if your plans are not finalized. This will allow us to promote your event to activists and media (both local and national).
For vegans, turkeys make good pets only
For vegans, turkeys make good pets only
By Natasha Lee
Staff Writer
November 22, 2007
Link to full article below
NORWALK -- The traditional Thanksgiving feast features a golden roasted turkey flanked by mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
But recent emphasis on healthy eating and the environmental effect of meat diets on global warming has many opting for alternatives this Turkey Day.
Vegan Priscilla Feral has ditched typical Thanksgiving dishes for those based on soy and inspired by vegetables.
Feral, president of the Friends of Animals, a nonprofit advocacy group, adopted a vegan lifestyle 15 years ago and has been championing a plant-based diet for more than 20 years.
"I don't think there's a benefit in meat. I dispute it. The more we get away from meat, the better we are," Feral said yesterday from her kitchen as she gathered ingredients for her chestnut soup.
Feral's "veganized" menu has all the fixings with appetizers, a main course and dessert.
For starters, guests will enjoy carrot pate seasoned with olive oil, dill and miso. There are side dishes of green beans with almonds cooked with vegan margarine and Feral's favorite, mashed Yukon potatoes whipped with soy creamer, sea salt and chives.
The main dish, tempeh London broil, a soy bean-based cake marinated in olive oil, wine, lemon juice and tamari -- a wheat-free soy sauce -- is a "crowd pleaser," Feral said.
The meal is topped off with a choice of dairy-free spiced pumpkin cheesecake or apple crisp.
To read the full article: http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-a1vegan.11.22sdmnov22,0,5088979.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines
By Natasha Lee
Staff Writer
November 22, 2007
Link to full article below
NORWALK -- The traditional Thanksgiving feast features a golden roasted turkey flanked by mashed potatoes, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.
But recent emphasis on healthy eating and the environmental effect of meat diets on global warming has many opting for alternatives this Turkey Day.
Vegan Priscilla Feral has ditched typical Thanksgiving dishes for those based on soy and inspired by vegetables.
Feral, president of the Friends of Animals, a nonprofit advocacy group, adopted a vegan lifestyle 15 years ago and has been championing a plant-based diet for more than 20 years.
"I don't think there's a benefit in meat. I dispute it. The more we get away from meat, the better we are," Feral said yesterday from her kitchen as she gathered ingredients for her chestnut soup.
Feral's "veganized" menu has all the fixings with appetizers, a main course and dessert.
For starters, guests will enjoy carrot pate seasoned with olive oil, dill and miso. There are side dishes of green beans with almonds cooked with vegan margarine and Feral's favorite, mashed Yukon potatoes whipped with soy creamer, sea salt and chives.
The main dish, tempeh London broil, a soy bean-based cake marinated in olive oil, wine, lemon juice and tamari -- a wheat-free soy sauce -- is a "crowd pleaser," Feral said.
The meal is topped off with a choice of dairy-free spiced pumpkin cheesecake or apple crisp.
To read the full article: http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-a1vegan.11.22sdmnov22,0,5088979.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Recipe: Cranberry Sauce for your Thanksgiving meal
Raw Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups fresh cranberries (ground)
1 orange (grate off outer rind and then chop very fine)
2 ripe pears (peeled and chopped fine)
1 medium apple (peeled and chopped fine)
½ cup walnuts or pecans (chopped into small pieces)
4 celery ribs (chopped fine)
½ cup raisins or dates (if using dates, chop fine)
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
* ¼ teaspoon ginger
* ¼ teaspoon allspice
* ½ cup raw unfiltered honey or agave nectar
Instructions
Grind berries; add fruits, nuts and spices. Then place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve on a bed of leaf lettuce. Keeps well covered and in the refrigerator for several days. ENJOY
Option: Leave berries whole and place in a saucepan with all remaining ingredients. Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally.
*Organic ingredients are always recommended.
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