HAPPY PASSOVER / EASTER!!!

Happy Passover and Easter!!! Keep those sweets and chocolate bunnies vegan!

What's For Dinner?

What's for dinner? Vegan chili. This is a quick, easy, and delicious recipe. Start cooking rice, if you like rice with your chili. Then cut up and saute an onion in a large pot with a cover. Add Texturized Vegetable Protein (TVP) and brown it in the oil and onions. Open, drain and rinse two cans of different beans. Black beans and pinto beans are a good choice, but any two different kinds of beans will do. Add these to the pot. Open a can of tomato sauce (not spaghetti sauce - just plain tomato sauce). Add this to the other ingredients and stir. Now you can get creative. Take any leftover vegetables that you cut up but did not use out of your freezer. They could be peppers, mushrooms, corn, whatever, and add them to the mix. Now you really get creative. Add seasonings - salt and pepper, I prefer freshly ground peppercorns, and unprocessed sea salt, soy sauce (I prefer low sodium), hot sauce, organic blackstrap molasses, and, or course chili. Serve with rice and a salad. Vegan chili is even better the next day after all the flavors have mingled overnight. Enjoy!!!

Come For A Visit!

The Raoul Wallenberg Vegan Retreat is an inclusive, affordable retreat and veganic farm offering life style change support for individuals and small groups in the majestic North Carolina mountains. It seeks to make the world a better place by improving human health through education and diet change, as well as improving the changing climate conditions on the planet by discouraging meat and dairy consumption. This has social justice and prospertiy for all implications since the world's resources are squandered on the rich while the world's poor suffer shortages and the devistationg global impact of the meat and dairy based diet. The Retreat seeks to further world peace by promoting peace on all levels starting with showing kindness and compassion to all sentient beings. All are welcome.

What's For Brunch?

Ever wonder what is a quick, easy and vegan favorite food? One of my favorites is Tofu Scramble. It is perfect for a Sunday Brunch, and also makes a good lunch or even dinner. Here it is: Cut up and saute an onion. Cut up and add a green, red and orange or yellow pepper. (You do not have to use all the peppers - freeze some for another time.) Open a package of firm or extra firm tofu, drain and rinse. With your nice, clean hands, squeeze the tofu making it 'crumble'. Add this to the sauteed vegetables just to warm up. Season with salt and pepper. I like freshly ground whole peppercorns and unprocessed sea salt. Then add soy sauce, (I use the low sodium kind), and Louisiana hot sauce. Serve with whole grain toast and vegan butter substitute (Earth balance or Willow Run), and garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro. Delicious!!! Even my non-vegan friends and relatives love this one. Enjoy!!!

UN Meeting on Climate Change

“Eat less meat” was the recommendation of Rajendrak Pachsuri, Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and end note speaker of the United Nations Annual Department of Public Information Non-Governmental Organizations Conference on Climate Change, held at the United Nations in New York. The United Nations Conference focused on the urgent challenge of global climate change, its causes from human activities, and our collective and individual responsibility in addressing its potentially devastating effects. Recent findings have left no doubt that the warming of the climate is directly linked to human activity. Warmer climate is caused by carbon dioxide and methane – greenhouse gases in the atmosphere resulting from transportation, energy, mechanized farming, and deforestation, among other causes. Of all the causes, the livestock sector generates the most greenhouse gas emissions according to a U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization report. Global warming melts polar ice caps and mountain glaciers causing increases in sea levels that threaten coastal areas and small island nations. The tsunamis, hurricanes, earth-quakes, droughts, and floods have been scientifically linked to Greenhouse Gasses. There is a deep injustice in climate change. Rich countries grow richer while causing the problem. The poorest countries are the most affected, and have the least responsibility for the causes. Food, water, and security issues are execrated by the droughts and floods brought on by global warming. Meat production does more to cause global warming than any other source. The massive amount of animal feces produced in factory farms is the largest source of airborne methane in the United States. Methane traps heat in the atmosphere almost 25 times more effectively than carbon dioxide does. Animals raised for food in the United States produce 130 times more excrement than the entire human population does – 86,000 pounds per second. A typical pig factory generates a quantity of raw waste equal to a city of 50,000 people, but without the sewage system. The runoff from factory farms pollutes rivers and lakes more than all other industrial sources combined. Of all agricultural land in the U.S., nearly 80% is used to raise animals for food. More than 260 million acres of U.S. forest have been cleared to create cropland to grow grain to feed farmed animals. Twenty times more land is required to feed a meat-eater than to feed a vegan. Raising animals for food consumes nearly half the water used in the U.S. It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef, but only 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat. Chicken, hog, and cattle excrement have polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated ground water in 17 states. More than one third of all the raw materials and non-renewable fossil fuels used in the U.S. are required to raise animals for food. This includes fuel to produce fertilizer for the crops that are fed to animals, oil to run the trucks that take them to slaughter, electricity to freeze their carcasses, and much more. These flesh and blood, sentient creatures are killed in ways that would horrify any compassionate person. Global climate change is a transformative issue that challenges environment versus economy and presents an opportunity to break with the past. It has become evident that what is needed is a radical change of behavior and consciousness. There needs to be a change in human values, hearts, and minds. We need a light carbon footprint – a reduction of greenhouse gasses. We need to harness more benign sources of energy. According to Thomas Edison in 1931, “The Sun is the greatest source of energy.” We need to plant more threes, and we need to eat less meat. For more information: www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2009/sgsm12646.doc.htm http://www.goveg.com/environment-globalWarming.asp

Raoul Wallenberg Vegan Retreat & Veganic farm

The Raoul Wallenberg Vegan Retreat and Veganic Farm

is a five-acre veganic farm and retreat in the mountains of Western North Carolina where the Blue Ridge, Great Smokey, and Appalachian Mountains come together.

The Vegan Retreat offering lifestyle change support for individuals and small groups seeking to transition from a meat-based to a plant-based, vegan diet. It has an Education Program, a Wellness Program and other activities. A vegan diet has been demonstrated to prevent and reverse heart disease, prevent and treat cancer, and prevent and reverse diabetes. A plant-based diet is sustainable globally versus the meat-based diet, which is a major contributing factor to climate change.

Animals raised for food are the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions according to the Untied Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reports. In addition, livestock production is one of the largest sources of environmental pollution in the developed world. Factory farmed animals lead lives of misery and are slaughtered in horrific ways that would appall any compassionate person.

The Raoul Wallenberg Vegan Retreat has vegan cuisine, much of which is grown right on the farm, and Education Program, a Wellness Program, interaction with farmed animals, sightseeing in the surrounding area, and other activities.

The Veganic Farm follows many of the same protocols as Organic farming, but it goes a step further in that it does not use manures or other animal by-products from factory farms or slaughterhouses as Organic farming does. It relies on crop rotation, and creative use of green manures and veganic compost for soil fertility. For pest management it relies heavily on soaps and ashes rather than the toxic poison pesticides of conventional agriculture, and the “natural” toxic poisons that Organic agriculture uses. Veganic requires the same certification process as Organic, as well as other worldwide options.

Currently in its beginning stages, the farm promises production of assorted Veganic Heirloom Tomatoes, Veganic Rabbiteye Blueberries (Tifblue, Climax and Power Blue - early, mid-season, and late), Veganic Lingonberries, Veganic Asparagus, Veganic Heirloom Apples, Veganic Asian Pears, Veganic Pawpaws, Veganic “Three Sisters” – corn, pole beans and squash – planted in the Native American tradition, and other assorted veganic vegetables, and veganic salad greens. The No Till method of cultivation is used to insure the least disturbance of the soil, which is teaming with life. A Hoop House is used to reduce the risk of pests and disease to the most vulnerable crops.

The Raoul Wallenberg Vegan Retreat and Veganic Farm

is a five-acre veganic farm and retreat in the mountains of Western North Carolina where the Blue Ridge, Great Smokey, and Appalachian Mountains come together.

The Vegan Retreat offering lifestyle change support for individuals and small groups seeking to transition from a meat-based to a plant-based, vegan diet. It has an Education Program, a Wellness Program and other activities. A vegan diet has been demonstrated to prevent and reverse heart disease, prevent and treat cancer, and prevent and reverse diabetes. A plant-based diet is sustainable globally versus the meat-based diet, which is a major contributing factor to climate change.

Animals raised for food are the leading cause of greenhouse gas emissions according to the Untied Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reports. In addition, livestock production is one of the largest sources of environmental pollution in the developed world. Factory farmed animals lead lives of misery and are slaughtered in horrific ways that would appall any compassionate person.

The Raoul Wallenberg Vegan Retreat has vegan cuisine, much of which is grown right on the farm, and Education Program, a Wellness Program, interaction with farmed animals, sightseeing in the surrounding area, and other activities.

The Veganic Farm follows many of the same protocols as Organic farming, but it goes a step further in that it does not use manures or other animal by-products from factory farms or slaughterhouses as Organic farming does. It relies on crop rotation, and creative use of green manures and veganic compost for soil fertility. For pest management it relies heavily on soaps and ashes rather than the toxic poison pesticides of conventional agriculture, and the “natural” toxic poisons that Organic agriculture uses. Veganic requires the same certification process as Organic, as well as other worldwide options.

Currently in its beginning stages, the farm promises production of assorted Veganic Heirloom Tomatoes, Veganic Rabbiteye Blueberries (Tifblue, Climax and Power Blue - early, mid-season, and late), Veganic Lingonberries, Veganic Asparagus, Veganic Heirloom Apples, Veganic Asian Pears, Veganic Pawpaws, Veganic “Three Sisters” – corn, pole beans and squash – planted in the Native American tradition, and other assorted veganic vegetables, and veganic salad greens. The No Till method of cultivation is used to insure the least disturbance of the soil, which is teaming with life. A Hoop House is used to reduce the risk of pests and disease to the most vulnerable crops.

Winter Blues

This has been an eventful winter at the Raoul Wallenberg Vegan Retreat and Veganic Farm! The temperatures dropped so low that the pipes not only froze, but burst! What an experience! It will not cost much to replace the pipe - but the water damage is pretty extensive. Oh well! Live and Learn! The water not only destroyed the walls, and floor, but also the supply of linens - sheets, towels, bedspreads and comforters, pillows, dishtowels, tablecloths, etc. I was a little disappointed about that. Life is full of challenges! Hopefully soon all will be well, and the Retreat will be open for business. In the meantime, stay tuned for up dates.

You are cordially invited to share your comments, ideas, dreams. Vegan recipes are especially welcome.

Dominion

The Bible says that people have "dominion" over animals. Dominion does not mean exploitation or abuse. Its meaning lies closer to governance. We all know that good governance involves first, and foremost, concern for the welfare of those being governed. Animals are not ours to eat, wear, be entertained by or to exploit in any way.

You are cordially invited to share your thoughts, ideas, comments, and dreams. Vegan recipes are especially welcome.

www.veganretreat.org

Vegan World

The name of this blog was going to be Vegan World because the vegan concept involves more than just eating. It is all encompassing. It involves not only people, the planet, and our fellow travelers on spaceship Earth, but also the broader concepts of Peace, Prosperity for all, and Social Justice.
We all know about the health benefits of a vegan diet in overcoming cancer, heart disease, and diabetes: the main killers of both men and women in the U.S. Most of us also know that meat production does more to cause global warming than all of transportation combined. Many people are aware of the horrors of factory farms, and the immense suffering at slaughterhouses by our innocent fellow sentient beings.
I think that problem goes further than that. Last year I had the opportunity to moderate a panel at the United Nations annual Non-Governmental Organization Conference in Mexico City. Kevin Martin, the founder of peace Action - the largest grass roots Peace organization in the U.S., was one of the panel members. He referred to ‘peace on all levels’, and I repeated this concept in my closing remarks.
It is my belief that Peace, Prosperity for all, and Social justice will be impossible to attain while the results of extreme violence are in the bodies of the world’s population. Let me explain.
I am a member of Pax Christi, a national and international Christian Peace organization. At our last meeting, a book entitled Personal Nonviolence was recommended for the ‘study’ part of our Prayer - Study - Action mandate. The author is not a vegan, nor does he mention food in his table of contents, which I perused. Going against the crowd, I refused to read the book on the basis that I personally would prefer to read a book on Personal Nonviolence by someone who was personally nonviolent. My decision was met with ridicule, which I should have, but did not, expect. In response to this, I explained the Digestive System, and how whatever is ingested is broken down by digestive enzymes into smaller and smaller pieces, and finally becomes single molecules which are absorbed directly through the villi of the small intestine into the blood stream. There it is eventually taken to every cell in the body to provide nourishment. The end products of violence nourish every cell of the body. How is it possible, under those circumstances, to accomplish something which is totally opposite of what permeates the entire body?
Today I will be participating in another peace activity, because I doubt I will be welcomed back to the ‘peace’ organization which I have been a member of.
I sometimes wonder what side God is on. I often wonder if I am fighting with God Almighty in trying to end the violence and abuse of our fellow createes. Even if I have to take on Heaven and Earth, I will still do it. It is too much a part of me to do anything else.
You are cordially invited to share your thoughts, ideas, comments, and dreams. Vegan recipes are especially welcome.
www.veganretreat.org