The Duke (The Queen of England’s official representative in Scotland) and Duchess of Hamilton declare they will boycott the department store Selfridges in protest of its continued sale of foie gras.

In a letter to to Selfridges’ chief executive Paul Kelly the Duchess describes the force-feeding of duck and geese to make the liver pâté as a “grotesque abuse of animals”.  She states, “As you must surely realise by now, long inflexible pipes are jammed down the throats of ducks and geese as many as three times a day, and several pounds of feed are forced into the animals’ stomachs,” she protested. “This cruel process causes the birds’ livers to become diseased… Some birds have their necks torn open by the pipes, and sometimes the animals’ internal organs rupture.”

The duchess also mentions in the letter that Prince Charles has banned foie gras from Royal menus. “I deeply regret to say that my husband and I will boycott Selfridges and encourage our friends and family members to do the same until you end the sale of foie gras,” she wrote.

Click here for full article

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/vegetarian-aristocrats-and-their-campaign-against-the-cruelty-of-selfridges-foie-gras-803537.html

(Before veg diet)

The Daily Mail (UK) reports that Nigella Lawson’s husband, Charles Saatchi, has switched to a vegetarian diet. The article focuses on his weight (apparently he’s shed a few pounds since going veg). Perhaps Nigella will focus more on vegetarian recipes in the future!

after veg diet

I discovered a new blog recently, “Everyday Dish, Your Source for Healthy and Creative Cooking.” Chef Julie Hasson (pictured above) also produces a top-notch cooking show, which is viewable online.  Julie Hasson’s the author of 125 Best Cupcake Recipes and 300 Best Chocolate Recipes.

UK’s celebrity chef Jamie Oliver highlights the cruelty of factory farming… Read full article… http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=506536&in_page_id=1773

For anyone who is unfamiliar with the wonders of seaweed, it may come as a surprise that it’s up to 20 times higher in essential nutrients than land veggies. I first became familiar with the benefits of seaweed from cookbooks by Cathe Olson. (She calls for seaweed in quite a few of her recipes.) But I’m still learning how to include more of these aquatic gems into our diet..

Kombu - Often used to flavor soup stocks and is rich in calcium, magnesium, folate, protein, and fiber. It’s also a source of fucoidan, which is a polysaccharide that kills certain cancer cells…

Wakame - A good source of Vitamins A, C, and E, and also has omega-3 fatty acids. Wakame is commonly used in powdered miso soups.

Dulse - High in fiber, protein, vitamins B6 & B12, iron and potassium. Look for it in dried herb seasoings, dietary supplements, or flavor cubes.

 Nori - Contains Vitamins A and C, calcium, zinc, and iron. But those with high blood pressure should steer clear because it’s also high in sodium.

… In collaboration with Te Casan…

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2007/12/24/natalie-portman-vegan-shoes/

The International Vegetarian Union reports that Dr Rajendra K. Pachauri (International Panel on Climate Change) is a vegetarian… Read his bio here:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajendra_K._Pachauri

We get quite a few requests for child-friendly school lunch/meal ideas. I myself face the same challenge and am always on the lookout for appetizing lunch ideas for our pre-schooler.

The book BETTER THAN PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY - Quick Vegetarian Meals Your Kids Will Love! (revised edition) by Marty Mattara & Wendy Muldawer includes quite a few helpful menu ideas (150 recipes to be precise) that your child(ren) may — or may not! enjoy.

To give you an idea of what sort of recipes the book contains, here are 4 (out of 14) recipe names from the “Sandwiches & Packables” section of the book:

Falafel Sandwich with Lemon Tahini Dressing (my favorite!); Mexican Pizza Sandwich; Carrot Salad Pita; Spinach Sandwich (If you have luck with this one, let us know!)

Overall, I think it’s a handy little recipe book with several good ideas. Let’s face it, anything that assists parents with healthy child-friendly meal ideas is most welcome! 

Vegetarian Stroganoff

This is a recipe I adapted from Linda McCartney’s “Linda’s Kitchen”), which I absolutely love - and it’s relatively quick to prepare.

 Ingredients:

4 tablespoons margarine ( I use non-hydrogenated Earth Balance).

1 - 2 onions sliced or chopped (I prefer just 1 onion finely chopped)

 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup white cooking wine

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup sour  cream (non-dairy is fine, though watch out for & avoid  hydrogenated ingredients!)

freshly ground black pepper

chopped parsley for garnish

** optional 1/2 lb small mushrooms cut in half.

  1 package Lightlife “Smart Strips” steak-style)

1 cup vegetable broth/stock

Heat margarine in saucepan, add onions and cook (covered) till soft. Add the flour, mixing well, and then stir in vegetable stock and white wine. Add mushrooms if using. Simmer gently uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, heat oil and brown Smart Strips. Mix into sauce, stir in sour cream, season with lots of black pepper. Cook very gently for 6-8 minutes.

Serve over noodle of choice - I prefer wide egg noodles.

Warning: Lightlife Steak-style Smart Strips are remarkably like meat. I honestly felt a bit nauseated the first time I opened the package! But after cooking with this product for a couple years now, it no longer bothers me. It really is a great meat alternative.

It occurred to me while preparing this recipe today how simply wonderful it is to cook without seeing BLOOD - Seriously, it’s one of the perks to vegetarianism. Had I used “real” beef, there would be blood, something that always disgusted me back in my meat-eating days.

Did you know that pumpkin seeds are a good source of proten, iron, zinc, and vitamin A? They also contain omega-3 fatty acids… Today I tried a wonderful brand, “Kathie’s Kitchen” SuperSeedz (w/ sea salt.) They also come in other flavors - spicy, cinnamon & sugar, and curry. I purchased them at a local natural food store, however I just checked and they are available online. A great snack!

http://www.superseedz.com/