Thoughts go out to those affected by another incident in our cruel world today. My dream of a perfect world only grows stronger. What if a perfect world will never coincide with Earth? Perhaps colonizing another planet to start over is the only way. What if we screen every single being prior to entering this perfect world? Let’s question their mental stability. How is their work ethic? What is their intelligence, eating habits and lifestyle? A positive contribution is a must. Guns would not be allowed because they would not be needed. In fact, weapons would be a thing of the past and belong only in museums. Renewable energy is the only energy. Gasoline, coal, oil would be prehistoric. Environmentally friendly technology and transportation would rule this world. Communities would love riding bicycles to work to work hard. A stable plant-based society would never harm a single animal as animals roam freely and carefree. What is crime? What is money? People used to eat animals!? Let the people that make our word a cruel, cruel place continue to kill a once beautiful world while the righteous move on and evolve appropriately.
Ⓥegan Pasta
Yesterday was my very first experience buying, cooking and consuming Earth Balance Vegan ‘butter’. It was extremely enjoyable and I’m officially now a lifelong customer. Along with Vegenaise, Earth Balance is better than animal-based dairy. SERIOUSLY. It could be the evolution of my palate, but serious tastiness anyway you consume these wonderful plant-based products is a no brainer.
Saturday night, immediately after work, I went for a ride via towpath to drink some beers and make a small night out of it. I noticed the super moon and was extremely impressed with the visuality of a normally immensely dark (death metal) towpath. I still used my light, but would’ve been fine without my NiteRider Lumina 700. When the moon casts shadows, you (me) know its close to our earth. For the second time this year, I completed a (my) local bars Hall of Foam where you get your name on a plaque for drinking 50 different beers. It was a great night! (Warning: not all in one night)
Here in northern Illinois, it has been unseasonably warm this September. And yesterday was the first Fall-like day this year (2015:). Chili (and Soup) season is HERE! Last night, after work, I had to make a buttery pasta with the amazing Earth Balance. I decided to make a Mexicano (Ⓥ) Pasta and I’ll just go ahead and call it Mexicano Ⓥasta.
Mexicano Ⓥasta ingredients:
- Earth Balance ‘butter’, mmmmmmmmm
- Garlic, minced
- Carrot, sliced small longways
- Onion, (red) diced
- Sweet Potato, WITH PEEL ON (try it!) chopped
- Oil/BalsamicVinegar
- SeaSalt/Pepper/ChipotleP/Cayenne/C.R.P./Paprika/FennelSeed
- Cilantro, I used frozen cubes
- Kale, frozen & NONGMOProjectVerified
- Corn, kernels
- Tomato, grape sliced
- Rice, Jasmine & cooked
- Lentils, cooked
- Radish, sliced
- Mushroom, sliced
- Eggplant, chopped
- Squash, Zucchini & chopped
- Angel Hair pasta, cooked al dente & not rinsed
- Thickening agent, instant mashed potatoes
T minus ______ until blastoff:
- Added a bit of Oil to heated pan and sautéed Garlic with Carrot, Sweet Potato, Onion & Eggplant while cooking Jasmine Rice and Lentils on another burner.
- I added seasonings, Corn, BalsamicVinegar & Zucchini, covering for a few minutes.
- Once Rice/Lentils are done, I strained and added with Earth balance ‘butter’, Cilantro, Tomato, Radish & Mushroom, covering on a simmer.
- I cooked Angel Hair (Capellini for those Italians:) al dente and strained. If you’d like, a little Oil on pasta…
- I added a few pinches of instant mashed potatoes as a thickening agent and served over plated pasta!
I couldn’t stop eating this pasta. Not literally, but just about. I might eat the leftovers for breakfast!
I hope everyone is having a great week! I also hope no one witnessed any crazies during this Super Moon.
And go Chicago Cubbies! Happy Wednesday!
I also made Sweet Potato Chips 🙂 (to be mastered)
Big Muddy Vegan Earth Day
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Title: Big Muddy Vegan Earth Day
Daily Ride: Yes
It is Earth Day 2015 today. And also my day off. Might as well spend some time on a blogfulness post. To others, Earth Day, means to recycle and post things on social media about how they are “saving” earth. To me Earth Day is every day. Many others have the same approach and lifestyle, but I want to talk about our planets livestock production. I’ve gathered a few notes from reading a PETA and Times article.
Both articles state how livestock production may have a bigger impact on Earth than anything else. And by passively “May”, they truly arrogantly mean “IS”.
Here are some of the notes I took:
-5 lbs. of wild-caught fish fed to farmed fish to produce one lb. flesh
-30% of Earths ice-free surface is not for growing grains, fruits & veggies consumed by humans, but for chickens, pigs & cattle to consume before most humans eat the animals
-70% grain & cereals grown are fed to farmed animals
-13 lbs. grain to produce 1 lb. of meat
-Livestock production uses ⅓ Earths fresh water
-11 times the fossil fuels to make one calorie from animal protein to one calorie from plant protein
-It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef to which one pound of wheat only takes 25 gallons
I’m a geek and watch numerous documentaries every week and even the science documentaries stress the destruction of factory farming inefficiency.
“You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you do by not showering for six months!” PETA
I say Happy Earth Day and don’t eat meat or better yet don’t eat or use any animal based product.
I made Vegan Saison-Serrano CornDawgs that were Organic and NONGMO but also, oil-free and skewer-free. Technically maybe not 100% organic and NONGMO, but damn close.
Saison (French, “season,” French pronunciation: [sɛ.zɔ̃]) is a broadly defined pale ale that, in modern versions, is generally around 7% abv, highly carbonated, fruity, spicy (sometimes from the addition of spices), and is influenced by Saison Dupont Vieille Provision.[1]Saisons are currently brewed in a range of countries, particularly the United States, and are often bottle conditioned.[2]
-WIKIPEDIA
Saison beers are usually amazing! I used two different Saisons for the batter. I used an Anchor Saison Spring Ale out of San Francisco and a Hennepin Farmhouse Saison from New York’s Ommegang Brewery. Both were very good. The Anchor Saison was very light for its ass-kicking ABV. I was impressed.
Vegan Saison-Serrano CornDawg ingredients:
-Organic Mustard
-Ketchup, high quality
-Spicy Mustard?
-Lightlife Smart Dogs, jumbo
-Saison, your choice as is anything
-Corn Meal, quality over quantity
-Baking Powder
-Sugar/SeaSalt/Pepper/Garlic P
-Roasted Corn
-Serrano, deseeded and finely chopped
-Flour
-Parchment Paper
The Voyage:
-Create your batter to the thick consistency and add your Smart Dogs.
-I let it all sit for a bit. Not sure how long. It probably doesn’t matter either way.
-Turn on oven, preheat is a joke unless you’re baking.
-I battered the dog generously and put onto the parchment paper and then rolled the parchment paper to keep the CornDawg intact and then I baked it.
I will have to remaster it, but it turned out very good.
The crazy thing is that the Meat Industry and large scale farming is destroying our Earth and I always thought vehicles were the biggest destroyer, never thought of the Pig (Beef) Destroyer until recent years.
I’ve mentioned in past Blog Fog that I used to go to SIUC and live in Carbondale, IL for almost four years. There is a brewery 5-10 miles west of Carbondale in Murphysboro, IL called Big Muddy Brewing after the Big Muddy River that flows through there. I used to drink various beers of theirs before my Untappd days. And have recently enjoyed many Big Muddy Brews in northern Illinois 300 miles north of this smallish brewery.
The only Big Muddy Brewing beer that I do not approve of is their Sour Du Shawnee. It was horrible unless it was meant to obtain an age, they failed horribly. It was vinegary and not sour. It did have a good nose to it. The Big Muddy Brewing brews I’ve had post Untappd days:
-Saluki DunkelDog
-Sour Du Shawnee
-Vanilla Stout
-Blueberry Blonde
-Galaxy IPA
-Backwoods Monster
-Pumpkin Smasher
-Big Muddy Monster
It is Earth Day and y’all should go ride a bicycle at least. I’m not always a fan of road rides, but often partake. You can ride defensively to a point, but you cannot control everything vehicles do. I often ride on Canals near me. They are not in great shape and continue to fall apart without correct fixes. It sucks. IDNR does not give a fucking shit. Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
HOW ABOUT THOSE CHICAGO CUBBIES!?!?
THE DYNASTY HAS BEGUN 🙂
