Vegetarian Wrap

This is something I tried when I went home. The wrap is extremely simple which is saying something for me since i am a terrible cook. This is an easy lunch for anyone in a hurry. There is no cooking involved. All you have to do is pile the ingredients on the tortilla and wrap it up. I recommend using the cheese just to add some flavor

Instructions

* 1 whole wheat tortilla
* 1 large pinch broccoli sprouts
* 1 handful herb salad
* 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* Balsamic vinegar
* 1 tomato (optional)
* 2 slices fresh mozzerella (optional)

Factory Farmed Dogs

This past weekend I was talking to my mom about why it is good to be a vegetarian. I brought up that animals are smart and feel pain just as much as humans. We have had this conversation before and it has gone nowhere. So I took a new approach. I asked her if she would ever eat a dog or a cat and of course she said “No”. What is so appalling about eating a dog or cat that isn’t equally appalling about eating a pig or cow? All of these animals are smart. They can be trained as pets. They have feelings. When I asked my mom this, she didn’t have a response. If dogs and cats were raised in factory farms they would be shut down right away because no one would ever think that is acceptable. This is something I always think about when I have a craving for meat. I would never eat a dog or cat so it is equally unacceptable to eat factory farmed meat.

Best Mac and Cheese EVER!!!

Growing up as kid I always loved mac and cheese. When I became a vegetarian i found a simple mac and cheese recipe with tofu. It is now one of my favorite dishes and I always enjoy when my mom cooks it for me. The recipe is simple and can even be made in a college dorm. The most difficult part is finding all the ingredients, but once you have all of them it is easy to make

Macaroni and Cheese with Tofu
From: Moosewood Restaurant New Classics
Serves: 4-6

You will need:
12 oz. pasta (white or whole wheat)

Cheese sauce:
12 oz. low fat silken tofu
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 up grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. turmeric

1/4 cup minced onions
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/2 bread crumbs mixed with 1/4 cup grated cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-qt. baking dish with oil.

Bring water to a boil, and cook pasta according to package directions.

Combine all cheese sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree.

Drain pasta, and mix it along with cheese sauce, onions, and pasta, into baking dish. Sprinkle bread crumb/cheddar mixture on top. Bake for 30 minutes covered, and then 5 minutes uncovered.

From http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/02/tantalizing-tofu-mac-n-cheese/

Eating Meat and Global Warming

Recently more and more evidence is coming out to support the claim that factory farming is a huge contribution to global warming. An article in USA Today states “The growing numbers of livestock are responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions (as measured in carbon dioxide equivalent).” With all this evidence coming out, hopefully more people will stop purchasing factory farmed meat and start buying locally grown meat at their local co-op. Below is the article from USA Today

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2743_135/ai_n19039005/

Meat your Meat

This is a pretty graphic video that a a student at my high school showed a couple years ago. It shows what goes on at factory farms and how badly animals are treated. This video is something that has stuck with me for years and helps me not eat meat



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIjanhKqVC4

Turkey Day

After three months of being at school, I went home for Thanksgiving. I had been debating whether I should eat turkey or not. I had planned on staying a vegetarian, but I really wanted turkey. In the end, I decided to eat turkey since my mom bought it at a local co-op and it was not a factory farmed turkey. I came to the realization that I will eat non factory farmed turkey and chicken while at home. At school a will remain a vegetarian just because I can’t be sure if the meat is humanely raised. My guess is that since it’s at the Montgoris Dining Hall, it is most likely not humanely raised.

Struggling Vegetarian

After being a vegetarian for two and a half years, I decided to call it quits on the account that I knew how difficult it would be to stay a vegetarian while in college. I ate meat for the first month and a half and thought it was delicious, but soon that craving went away. I started to feel sick from the meat, and I just didn’t want to eat anymore. So I decided I would give being a vegetarian another shot. This time it has been a lot harder.

When I first became a vegetarian I was living at home and could rely on my mom to buy the food and cook for me. Now however, I am living in a dorm on the other side of the country, which makes everything ten times harder. The dorm lacks storage to keep vegetarian food, plus I cannot cook to save my life.

That leaves me with very few options. I don’t want to eat meat, and I have been able to avoid red meat, but occasionally I will indulge in a turkey sandwich just because I don’t really have any other way of getting a sufficient amount of protein.

I know that I just need to suck it up and figure out a way to survive as a vegetarian. I don’t want to go back to eating meat for both moral and logical reasons. I don’t believe it’s right to eat animals, and I also know that it can be healthier to not eat a lot of meat.