Thursday November 13, 2008, 4:22 am

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION FROM THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES!!!

My heart really breaks for these poor creatures… they have the most nightmarish life from day 1 as chicks… and much worse death when their time of release from hell comes!! Please help them, they have around 140,000 signatures…

LET’S HELP THEM REACH THEIR GOAL OF 150,000!!! Help these poor birds!! :-(

Thursday November 13, 2008, 7:23 am
I already signed.

Thursday November 13, 2008, 8:25 am
FROM THE HSUS WEBSITE:

It's time to close a gaping loophole that has brought unnecessary suffering to billions of chickens, turkeys, ducks, and other birds who are slaughtered for food. To help end this staggering problem, The HSUS is circulating a petition calling upon Congress to amend the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) to specifically state that birds are included in its provisions.

Passed in 1958, the HMSA stipulates that livestock be rendered insensible to pain before they are shackled and killed in slaughter plants. However, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not consider birds to be livestock, therefore exempting them from the HMSA's modest protection.

As a result of the USDA policy, processors continue to slaughter billions of birds annually using such inhumane methods as shackling them upside-down, electrically stunning them into paralysis (but not unconsciousness), and sometimes even drowning them in tanks of scalding water—all while countless birds are fully conscious.

And tragically, sadistic slaughterhouse cruelty is also a serious problem. For example, an undercover investigation at a West Virginia Pilgrim's Pride slaughterhouse revealed workers stomping live chickens and hurling them into concrete walls.

Mimi Brody, director of federal affairs for The HSUS, states, "The Petition for Poultry, demonstrates to Congressmembers that their constituents support explicit inclusion of birds in the HMSA—and oppose the shocking cruelty that billions of animals endure during slaughter each year."

Sign our Petition for Poultry and urge the USDA to protect the nine billion birds killed each year for food from the worst abuses.

Thursday November 13, 2008, 8:34 am
Petition signed and story noted.

Friday November 14, 2008, 10:35 am
Signed and sent to others!!! These poor babies!! Please give up meat everyone! This is the only way this nightmare for the animals will stop!!! Thank you dear Marisa! Noted with such concern!

Friday November 14, 2008, 10:45 am
Thank you for your compassion for all animals.

Signed, thanks Marisa

Friday November 14, 2008, 11:00 am
Marisa,

Do you have any ideas or recipes for a meatless thanksgiving dinner?

Friday November 14, 2008, 11:01 am
Signed.
Humans should be judged by how they threat those in their care.

Friday November 14, 2008, 11:18 am
Michael, I´m sorry for my ignorance but I have one for a really yummy meatless Xmas nutroast... is that any good for Thanksgiving? Sorry again for my ignorance.

I´ll post that one in case it´s any good, and it can also be used for Xmas anyway, regardless, BUT, Tofurkey seem to do really excellent alternatives (I´m saying "seem to" because we don´t get them in Spain, yet).

I have to go somewhere now, but when I get home tonight, I´ll get it and post it. I´ve been making it for years at Xmas, and everyone loves it!

Cheers Michael!

Friday November 14, 2008, 11:23 am

Tofurky: http://www.tofurky.com/products/tofurkyfeasts.htm

And their recipes: http://www.tofurky.com/recipes/tofurky_recipes.htm

Friday November 14, 2008, 11:38 am
signed. thank you

Friday November 14, 2008, 11:42 am
LETTER SENT

Friday November 14, 2008, 12:42 pm
Signed and letter sent. Thanks sweet Marisa! xxxx

Friday November 14, 2008, 1:09 pm
Signed. Thanks for letting me know about the petition.

Friday November 14, 2008, 1:47 pm
Noted and signed, I will be having nut roast for Yule, thanks Marisa!

Friday November 14, 2008, 2:18 pm
Petition signed. Thanks Marisa.

Friday November 14, 2008, 2:47 pm
Thank you Marisa ~ petition gladly signed!

Friday November 14, 2008, 4:16 pm
You have already participated in this advocacy campaign..

Thank you, Marisa!

Friday November 14, 2008, 4:59 pm
Signed. Thanks Marisa.

Saturday November 15, 2008, 1:48 am
Noted and petition signed. Thank you Marisa.

Please everyone remember if you buy/eat poultry this is the suffering the defenseless bird has been through before it ended up on your plate! You are condoning and supporting one of the most an inhumane industries in the world. The majority of poultry comes from these 'factory farms' which are a hell on earth if your a bird.

If you haven't already please consider and adopt vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, it is cruelty free to the animals.

Saturday November 15, 2008, 2:50 am
Noted and signed. Thank you Marisa for posting this!

I purchase eggs... but never of the "commercial" strain. I purchase eggs from local farmers with small- scale chicken farms, where the laying hens are free to range, and fed cracked corn and other natural grains.

Many years ago I learned the reality of mass-production utilized on eggs, as well as chickens and turkeys utilized for commercial meat production...if everyone knew of what goes into "simple egg Production... Not to mention the brutal concepts that are in involved
in birds utilized for commercial meat production. And that's not even including the cruelty of so many of the sub-primates employed by such industries.

Thanks again Marisa - so glad to see this petition!

Saturday November 15, 2008, 6:17 am
You have already participated in this advocacy campaign. So, I also have crossposted and shared.
For years I only buy cage-free eggs with the certification of "Eco" and with the number 0 ( zero ) on the eggs. You will find tasty recipes on many vegan websites. For me Thanksgiving can only be meaningful with true peace in my heart, without animal cruelty into my food and I am glad being a vegetarian.
Thanks for sharing Merisa

Saturday November 15, 2008, 6:43 am
Noted and signed and now forwarding.Thanks Marisa.

Saturday November 15, 2008, 6:50 am
Signed. Thanks, Marisa!

Saturday November 15, 2008, 7:11 am
Signed & Noted Marisa,Thanks

Saturday November 15, 2008, 7:53 am
noted and signed

Saturday November 15, 2008, 8:58 am
Please stop the inhumane and torturous acts of abuse of these animals. No living breathing creature should have to suffer like they do. Thank you

Saturday November 15, 2008, 11:16 am
Thanks for posting those ideas; I will definitely give them a try Marisa.

Saturday November 15, 2008, 12:25 pm
Signed, noted, and forwarded. Thanks for sharing.
Much Love,
Black Dalia:)

Saturday November 15, 2008, 12:50 pm
Signed, noted and forwarded, too! Poor chickens cooped up in small cages plus their other tortures!

Saturday November 15, 2008, 2:46 pm
I'm sorry Marisa I had already signed but forgot to put it down and I will cross post Thank you.

Saturday November 15, 2008, 2:51 pm
Michael (and for everyone else), here's the recipe I told you about in my comment above:

BRAZIL NUT ROAST EN CROUTE
Serves 8

FOR THE NUT ROAST:
- 500g / 1lb vegetable puff pastry (frozen or home made)
- 2 large onions, peeled and chopped
- 50g / 2oz pure vegetable margarine
- 450g / 1lb shelled brazil nuts, finely grated (I mill them, I don't see how brazil nuts can be grated!)
- 225g / 8oz soft fine breadcrumbs (it's important that they're soft - I get the soft sliced bread that comes in bags and it works really well)
- Half a teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A good pinch each of grated nutmeg, ground cloves and ground cinnamon.

FOR THE STUFFING:
- 225g / 8oz soft fine breadcrumbs
- 25g/ 1oz fresh chopped parsley
- Finely-grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon of juice
- 1 teaspoon each of dried thyme and marjoram
- 1 tablespoon grated onion
- 75g/ 3oz pure vegetable margarine

METHOD:
1 - Set oven to 200 degrees Centigrade / 400 degrees Farenheit / Gas Mark 6. Have ready a large baking sheet.
2 - Fry the onion in the margarine for 10 minutes until soft but not browned.
3 - Remove from heat and add the rest of the nut roast ingredients, seasoning well. Make sure the mixture is moist enough: you may need to add 3-4 tablespoons of water.
4 - Make the stuffing by mixing all the ingredients together to make a soft mixture which holds together. Season carefully.
5 - Roll pastry out on a floured board to a rectangle 30 x 35 cm / 12 x 14 inches.
6 - Form the stuffing into a sausage shape about 25 cm / 10 inches long and place down the middle of the pastry.
7 - Pile the nut roast mixture all over the stuffing, covering it completely.
8 - Fold the ends of the pastry up to enclose the nut mixture completely. Tuck in the ends, then place on the baking sheet with the join underneath.
9 - Make one or two steam-holes, decorate with pastry trimmings, brush with soya milk. Bake for 30 minutes, until crisp.

MY NOTES ABOUT THIS RECIPE: I've had this recipe since 1987 or 1988, and as I've been making it for many, many years, on everyone's request, I'd like to add my thoughts and experiences with it:

When you get to point 6 of the method, in my personal experience I think it works better if instead of placing the sausage-shaped stuffing directly on the pastry sheet, you place about half of the nut roast mixture on the pastry first, then the sausage-shaped stuffing on top of the mixture, then the rest of the mixture on top of the stuffing. The bit of pastry where they suggest you put the stuffing on, will end up being the top of the roast when it's all ready to roast, so to me it doesn't make sense, I personally prefer the stuffing to be either in the middle or at the bottom of the roast, but that's my preference and just an idea in case you think like me.

This recipe is for 8 people. When you shape the roast, it will end up being one big roast, which is fine, but I have found that it's also nice, and easier to serve, if you divide the mixture into 8, and when you've shaped the stuffing, you also divide it into 8 and form 8 small sausages, and also have enough pieces of pastry for 8 individual pieces, then make 8 small nut roasts, so each person gets their own individually-wrapped nut roast on their plate, with whatever you decide to accompany them with (I always make vegetables and sesame-roasted potatoes and parsnips to go on the side).

About the trimmings, I save enough pastry and shape it into holly leaves and berries, and it makes it look really good and Christmasey!!

There should be a vegan sauce to serve it with. If anyone has any good ideas, it would be nice to post them here - as I usually make something up on the spot with whatever I can find, I don't have a recipe on hand for the sauce.

At the end of the recipe, the following organisations give Seasons Greetings, so I'm posting their websites in case anyone wants to pay them a visit:

- Chickens' Lib, founded in the early 1970s (now called FAWN - Farm Animal Welfare Network): www.fawn.me.uk
- Compassion in World Farming: http://www.ciwf.org.uk/ (they're trying to collect one million signatures to stop long animal transports, and they only have 28,350, so if you want to sign, please do so here: http://www.8hours.eu/)
- Vegan Society (the world's first vegan society!): http://www.vegansociety.com/home.php

If anyone wants other Christmas recipes: http://www.vegansociety.com/food/recipes/ ... click on the Special Occasions submenu on the left-hand side panel, then choose Christmas.

Actually, just got a recipe for a vegan gravy from the Vegan Society:

VEGAN GRAVY:
1 3/4 pints (1 litre) soya milk
3 1/2 tbsp flour
3/4 tbsp bouillon powder
6 oz (170g) red currant jelly
4 fl oz (100 ml) soya sauce
Splash tamari
Splash vegan Worcester sauce
1/2 tbsp vinegar, or to taste
5 fl oz (150 ml) vegan red wine
Black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp yeast extract, or to taste

1. In a jar (with lid on) shake the flour with some of the milk to make a lump free mixture. Gently heat the rest of the milk in a pan.
2. Add the flour mixture and bouillon powder and stir with whisk to avoid lumps - simmer for a couple of minutes to get rid of the flour taste.
3. Add rest of ingredients and simmer gently for about 10 minutes stirring regularly.

Sunday November 16, 2008, 7:57 am
Noted and signed, thanks Dalia