Don't hate me, but I have decided to eat my dog.

I know that I haven't updated this blog a lot, and I apologize for that, but I have a good excuse.  My dog has continued to get very sick with this distemper and I think I may have had an epiphany last night.   This distemper thing is bad and I think it's time to get real about the fact that Mooms will not not be here forever :)   The question is "How can i incorporate this life event into my philosophy about food-for-life?"  Well, guess what? There is some good news about distemper.  Apparently it does not pose a threat to humans if ingested.  I know this is hard for some of you to swallow (pardon the pun!) but think of it this way:  I once had a professor who help up a piece of chalk and asked the class "How do you think I can make this chalk come alive?"  Then he took a big bite of the chalk and declared the chalk is coming to life!  Entering his blood stream and now a part of his living body, the chalk is part of the living world!    

Well, what better way to honor Moomie's soul - to make her a part of my living body!   Everyone talks about having a low impact on the environment, but how many of us really live that way?? When Moomie is gone, I won't be driving to the animal hospital, filling this atmosphere with greenhouse gasses along the way and spreading tiny bits of rubber tire on the road and into the groundwater and into your body for you to get some kind of distemper-cancer-like disease.  No, I will find a way to honor Moomie in my own house, with my closest friends around  me to help me prepare Moomie in a delicious, respectful, honorable, and (healthy) meal.  Jen - if you are reading this, I know that it disturbs you. That's ok.  It's ok to feel uncomfortable.

Kim Jong-Un is Vegan???

Ok, seriously, I do NOT like guys who starve their people, but there are now reports that Kim Jong-Un told Dennis Rodman that he is a Vegan??  WOW!  Well, if that is true, then maybe it's time for some vegan diplomacy along with the basketball diplomacy. I have to admit that I have real mixed feelings about this...

So what does the North Korean leader love to eat?? I am researching what is going on here and will continue to update.

Morel

Miss Vegan April!

This is crazy, but April was asked to do a "sexy vegan photo shoot" and guess what...April is Miss April!  For the photo shoot, April received a total of $175 which we are donating to PETA.  Sweet!!

Here is a preview...more to come!  Thank April!

Yummy Vegan Fun - Quinoa stuffed peppers!

Served this for my favorite holiday - St. Jean Baptiste Day  and it was a HUGE hit.  It's one of my favorites and won't let you down for your next big event:

Quinoa- and tofu-stuffed sweet peppers are a protein-packed appetizer or light lunch that also presents well if you have company over for a vegan meal. Sweet peppers are often sold in multi-color packs that include red, yellow, and orange peppers, which increase the eye-appeal of this vegan recipe.

Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Peppers

Makes 15 appetizers

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 (12-ounce) block of firm tofu, pressed, drained, patted dry
• 3 tablespoons minced white onion, soaked in ice water for 10 minutes
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon agave
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh Mexican oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 15 sweet peppers (each about 3 inches long)
• 
  
• Directions:
• 1. Cook quinoa in vegetable broth according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, crumble tofu and stir in onion, vinegar, agave, orange zest, and oregano.
  3. Add quinoa to tofu mixture and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  4. Slice the stem end off each pepper and remove seeds.
  5. Blanch peppers in a large pot of salted boiling water. They should be just softened and not mushy. (This step is optional.)
  6. Fill each pepper with quinoa mixture.
  7. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day. Let come to room temperature to serve.

Just found out that our local bagel place is serving testicles!

Ok, I know this sounds wacked, but I went to get my bagel and shmear (with capers, yum!) and I saw this poster on the door:

 

They looked pretty good, so I asked my bagel barista, Sammy, for a dozen, and he replies that they only have enough meat for 4-5 at this time. "Have enough meat?"  What does that mean.  Well apparently, bagel balls are actually made of  TESTICLES from BULLS.  Yes, I am serious. Like rocky mountain oysters?  Yep. This wasn't on the poster or mentioned in any other media related to the "bagel balls".  So Sammy and I go way back, and I think he is putting me on, so I go back in the kitchen to see what is going on:

 

 

No kidding around, it's a bull testicle being sliced and diced to be be cooked and then put inside a bagel.  I am not sure how to feel about this, and I know nothing about how these testicles were harvested or how the bulls were treated, but I do know that I like my bagels with cream cheese, NOT with sliced reproductive organs.



Placenta Beef Jerky!

My friend Abby just had her baby and requested that I post one of my FAVORITE all time placenta recipes...what I call Placenta Beef Jerky!  LOVE LOVE LOVE to eat placenta and this is a way to keep eating your placenta all year long (or share it with friends).  Abby - just one request - when we are camping next summer with the gang, bring some placenta jerky for all of us!  If you name your kid "Morel" that's cool too!

Dehydrating your placenta

Instead of cooking your placenta whole, you can dehydrate it and then add it to meals!
...
Method:

Cut off the cord and membranes.

Steam the placenta, adding lemon grass, pepper and ginger to the steaming water. The placenta is "done" when no blood comes out when you pierce it with a fork.

Cut the placenta into thin slices (like making jerky) and bake in a low-heat oven (200-250 degrees F), until it is dry and crumbly (several hours).

Crush the placenta into a powder - using a food processor, blender, mortar and pestle, or by putting it in a bag and grinding it with rocks.

Put the powder into empty gel caps (available at drug and health food stores) or just add a spoonful to your cereal, blender drink, etc.

The recommended doses vary, some suggest up to 4 capsules a day, others just one. Perhaps the best advice is to take what makes you feel good

Vegan Mondays!!

I have decided to be a Vegan on Mondays.  Everyone hates Mondays, and my Vegan friends tell me about how good they feel, so I decided to try Veganism for one day of the week and see how it feels on that day.  Silly? I don’t think so.  Ever read “The Lean Start Up?”. I believe that Monday Veganism will be a MVP (minimum viable product) approach where I can test out veganism without the full investment.    Now, does this alienate me with true seven day a week vegans when I eat a BLT  on a Tuesday for lunch?  Possibly, but if I feel good on Mondays, I promise to eat less animal product one more day of the week. But I need your support people!  Send me good Vegan recipes.  Tweet them to me @eatingwithmorel or  DM to me!!  I promise to share the results!