Monday, April 30, 2012
More vegan "cheesy" sauce!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Sweet/Sad story about a momma cow
I found this on tumblr and figured I would share.
A dairy cow made the tough choice to hide one of her calves after giving birth to twins. As her fifth birth, the cow remembered her previous agony and knew that both of her babies would be taken away, unless she tried to save one. The intelligence and care displayed by this mothering cow is both heartbreaking and breathtaking. Read this touching tale, told by a veterinarian, about an amazing display of motherly love that proves animals love and feel.
I would like to tell you a story that is as true as it is heartbreaking. When I first graduated from Cornell’s School of Veterinary Medicine, I went into a busy dairy practice in Cortland County. I became a very popular practitioner due to my gentle handling of the dairy cows. One of my clients called me one day with a puzzling mystery: his Brown Swiss cow, having delivered her fifth calf naturally on pasture the night before, brought the new baby to the barn and was put into the milking line, while her calf was once again removed from her. Her udder, though, was completely empty, and remained so for several days.
As a new mother, she would normally be producing close to one hundred pounds (12.5 gallons) of milk daily; yet, despite the fact that she was glowing with health, her udder remained empty. She went out to pasture every morning after the first milking, returned for milking in the evening, and again was let out to pasture for the night — this was back in the days when cattle were permitted a modicum of pleasure and natural behaviors in their lives — but never was her udder swollen with the large quantities of milk that are the hallmark of a recently-calved cow.
I was called to check this mystery cow two times during the first week after her delivery and could find no solution to this puzzle. Finally, on the eleventh day post calving, the farmer called me with the solution: he had followed the cow out to her pasture after her morning milking, and discovered the cause: she had delivered twins, and in a bovine’s “Sophie’s Choice,” she had brought one to the farmer and kept one hidden in the woods at the edge of her pasture, so that every day and every night, she stayed with her baby — the first she had been able to nurture FINALLY—and her calf nursed her dry with gusto. Though I pleaded for the farmer to keep her and her bull calf together, she lost this baby, too—off to the hell of the veal crate.
Think for a moment of the complex reasoning this mama exhibited: first, she had memory — memory of her four previous losses, in which bringing her new calf to the barn resulted in her never seeing him/her again (heartbreaking for any mammalian mother). Second, she could formulate and then execute a plan: if bringing a calf to the farmer meant that she would inevitably lose him/her, then she would keep her calf hidden, as deer do, by keeping her baby in the woods lying still till she returned. Third — and I do not know what to make of this myself — instead of hiding both, which would have aroused the farmer’s suspicion (pregnant cow leaves the barn in the evening, unpregnant cow comes back the next morning without offspring), she gave him one and kept one herself. I cannot tell you how she knew to do this—it would seem more likely that a desperate mother would hide both.\
All I know is this: there is a lot more going on behind those beautiful eyes than we humans have ever given them credit for, and as a mother who was able to nurse all four of my babies and did not have to suffer the agonies of losing my beloved offspring, I feel her pain.
Holly Cheever, DVM
Vice President, New York State Humane Association Member
Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association’s Leadership Council
A dairy cow made the tough choice to hide one of her calves after giving birth to twins. As her fifth birth, the cow remembered her previous agony and knew that both of her babies would be taken away, unless she tried to save one. The intelligence and care displayed by this mothering cow is both heartbreaking and breathtaking. Read this touching tale, told by a veterinarian, about an amazing display of motherly love that proves animals love and feel.
I would like to tell you a story that is as true as it is heartbreaking. When I first graduated from Cornell’s School of Veterinary Medicine, I went into a busy dairy practice in Cortland County. I became a very popular practitioner due to my gentle handling of the dairy cows. One of my clients called me one day with a puzzling mystery: his Brown Swiss cow, having delivered her fifth calf naturally on pasture the night before, brought the new baby to the barn and was put into the milking line, while her calf was once again removed from her. Her udder, though, was completely empty, and remained so for several days.
As a new mother, she would normally be producing close to one hundred pounds (12.5 gallons) of milk daily; yet, despite the fact that she was glowing with health, her udder remained empty. She went out to pasture every morning after the first milking, returned for milking in the evening, and again was let out to pasture for the night — this was back in the days when cattle were permitted a modicum of pleasure and natural behaviors in their lives — but never was her udder swollen with the large quantities of milk that are the hallmark of a recently-calved cow.
I was called to check this mystery cow two times during the first week after her delivery and could find no solution to this puzzle. Finally, on the eleventh day post calving, the farmer called me with the solution: he had followed the cow out to her pasture after her morning milking, and discovered the cause: she had delivered twins, and in a bovine’s “Sophie’s Choice,” she had brought one to the farmer and kept one hidden in the woods at the edge of her pasture, so that every day and every night, she stayed with her baby — the first she had been able to nurture FINALLY—and her calf nursed her dry with gusto. Though I pleaded for the farmer to keep her and her bull calf together, she lost this baby, too—off to the hell of the veal crate.
Think for a moment of the complex reasoning this mama exhibited: first, she had memory — memory of her four previous losses, in which bringing her new calf to the barn resulted in her never seeing him/her again (heartbreaking for any mammalian mother). Second, she could formulate and then execute a plan: if bringing a calf to the farmer meant that she would inevitably lose him/her, then she would keep her calf hidden, as deer do, by keeping her baby in the woods lying still till she returned. Third — and I do not know what to make of this myself — instead of hiding both, which would have aroused the farmer’s suspicion (pregnant cow leaves the barn in the evening, unpregnant cow comes back the next morning without offspring), she gave him one and kept one herself. I cannot tell you how she knew to do this—it would seem more likely that a desperate mother would hide both.\
All I know is this: there is a lot more going on behind those beautiful eyes than we humans have ever given them credit for, and as a mother who was able to nurse all four of my babies and did not have to suffer the agonies of losing my beloved offspring, I feel her pain.
Holly Cheever, DVM
Vice President, New York State Humane Association Member
Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association’s Leadership Council
Monday, April 16, 2012
"Cheesy" sauce recipe
Someone asked for the broccoli recipe from yesterday's meeting.The
batch I made for the meeting was five pounds of frozen broccoli. I've
tried to scale it down a bit, and even if you make too much, a little
extra sauce is a nice problem to have. The measurements are
approximate, because I don't really "do" recipes. I actually made this
one up the night before the meeting when I remembered I had a bag of
avocados that needed to be used up. So, forgive me if something is
missing or it doesn't turn out exactly the same.
2. In a medium pot, heat your non-dairy milk of choice and the margarine over medium heat.
3. When hot (but don't boil!), add avocado puree, Daiya, and nutritional yeast. Stir periodically to keep it smooth.
4. Add seasonings to taste.
That's everything! Enjoy. :)
-Allie
batch I made for the meeting was five pounds of frozen broccoli. I've
tried to scale it down a bit, and even if you make too much, a little
extra sauce is a nice problem to have. The measurements are
approximate, because I don't really "do" recipes. I actually made this
one up the night before the meeting when I remembered I had a bag of
avocados that needed to be used up. So, forgive me if something is
missing or it doesn't turn out exactly the same.
This is a really simple base recipe. Spice it up with jalapenos and
use less liquid for a thick Mexican cheeze sauce. Reduce or eliminate
the Daiya for a less fattening (and less expensive!) version. Use
mozzarella shreds for an Alfredo type sauce. Add pureed spinach or
butternut squash for a pasta topping with extra vitamins. Cooking is
fun; get creative!
Avocado Cheesy Sauce
1 very ripe avocado
Approx 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used the So Delicious
coconut based milk because it's so thick & creamy, but any brand will
work.)
2 tablespoons margarine (I used Earth Balance baking sticks, but any
brand is fine.)
1 bag of cheddar Daiya shreds
Approx 2/3 cup of nutritional yeast
Approx 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
Approx 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Approx 1 tsp garlic powder
Approx 2 tsp dried parsley (optional)
Approx 1 tsp dried basil (optional)
2. In a medium pot, heat your non-dairy milk of choice and the margarine over medium heat.
3. When hot (but don't boil!), add avocado puree, Daiya, and nutritional yeast. Stir periodically to keep it smooth.
4. Add seasonings to taste.
That's everything! Enjoy. :)
-Allie
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Tempeh recommendation
The Natural Food Market in Timonium has 2 lb vacuum packages of Tempeh. Better than buying the usual 8 oz package. I lightly fry Tempeh as Saturday breakfast and use it often in stir fry. Add Tiger Tiger Tandoori Paste, Seeds of Change Jalfrezi Sauce, Thai Peanut Sauce or Tomato Sauce.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Welcome to the 2012 Vegan Living Program!
Hi, everyone! We're less than a week away from the kickoff session of the 2012 Vegan Living Program. I'm so excited!
What is the VLP? It's a five-week educational program organized by Open the Cages Alliance. Five "core" sessions will cover different aspects of a vegan lifetsyle, and seven elective sessions will cover additional topics such as vegan baking, gardening, raising vegan kids, and more!
Twenty-five individuals will pledge to live vegan for the duration of the VLP, with the help of an experienced Vegan Coach. Pledges will also receive a goodie bag full of coupons and samples to make the transition easier, as well as a binder full of information, recommendations, recipes, etc. This is similar to the PAN Vegan Pledge Program we hosted last year, with a few changes and improvements. Check out last year's blog for a program recap, a few recipes, reflections from our pledges & coaches, and more!
Are you signed up as a Coach or Pledge? We'd love to have you share your experience on the VLP blog! Talk to me at the first session, or better yet, email allie (at) openthecages (dot) org to be added as an author.
Unfortunately, we have already received sign-ups for all 25 Pledges. But don't fret! Most of the core sessions and all electives are open to the public. Check out the schedule for more information on the dates, times, and locations. Hope to see you there!
-Allie
What is the VLP? It's a five-week educational program organized by Open the Cages Alliance. Five "core" sessions will cover different aspects of a vegan lifetsyle, and seven elective sessions will cover additional topics such as vegan baking, gardening, raising vegan kids, and more!
Twenty-five individuals will pledge to live vegan for the duration of the VLP, with the help of an experienced Vegan Coach. Pledges will also receive a goodie bag full of coupons and samples to make the transition easier, as well as a binder full of information, recommendations, recipes, etc. This is similar to the PAN Vegan Pledge Program we hosted last year, with a few changes and improvements. Check out last year's blog for a program recap, a few recipes, reflections from our pledges & coaches, and more!
Are you signed up as a Coach or Pledge? We'd love to have you share your experience on the VLP blog! Talk to me at the first session, or better yet, email allie (at) openthecages (dot) org to be added as an author.
Unfortunately, we have already received sign-ups for all 25 Pledges. But don't fret! Most of the core sessions and all electives are open to the public. Check out the schedule for more information on the dates, times, and locations. Hope to see you there!
-Allie
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