Dabbling in Vegetarianism (& other alt-food fun!)

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

If it was already dead by the time I got to it, I'd be ok (I've been involved in turkey slaughter without issues, as well as having taken a zoology class in high school where dissection was about half the class).
But actually killing the animal? Call me a pansy, but I don't think I can do it.

[Sibling Chatty]

There's a butcher I trust that lives in the town my brother lives in. He's my source for free-range everything, un-antibioticed and un-steroided meats and poultry. I can't always afford him, but I know I'm safe with what he sells me. After all, I was his choir director at church when he was a kid, and his Mom is a friend... (They're also very aware of my illnesses, and he does a HUGE business in organic, etc. meat for a town of less than 3,000 people.)

I can call 2-3 days ahead, and he'll get me pretty much what I want, packaged and hard frozen, to put in an ice chest and bring home to my freezer. He also sells me the 'excess' organic stuff he orders cheaply, and I'm the ONLY one he does that for. I have a free-range, organic, totally-everything safe turkey that he froze right after Christmas that he sold me for 50 cents a pound. He sold them for $1.39 a pound and didn't really make anything on them.

There are a number of 'small ranchers' that he deals with, as well as having 200 acres of free-range chickens that his brother manages. I just regret my egg allergy, because he has the most beautiful double yolk eggs...

Damn the moron that decided they couldn't afford Dan. I had to turn down roasts and sirloins today...

[pieces o nine]

I've never actually killed an animal I ate, but my maternal grandmother raised chickens and sold eggs for "pin money". On chikkin killin days all the adult female relatives gathered at her house, her sister-in-law's house, or my aunt's house with their chilluns. We kids never hung around for the whole slaughter; after the first few chickens met the their destiny with the axe and flapped around in circles the annual fascinated horror and novelty wore off. We were put to work, however, in plucking them. If you were old enough to eat chicken at grandma's, you were old enough to pluck at least one of them.

A cousin and I, the oldest of the kids, really got into the whole chicken plucking gestalt. We plucked them bald. We plucked their feet. We arranged all the chickens we plucked in the cold bath with their elbows over the sides of the tank, the remnants of their legs crossed, and their necks inclined towards one another so they could enjoy a nice 'hot tub' conversation.

After we had plucked an appropriate number of chickens for our age, we were excused to go catch semi-feral kittens and dress them in doll clothes for the rest of the afternoon. As soon as we left the shed, I suspect our laughing moms and aunts pushed our chickens down into the cold bath where they belonged. The very end of the day featured a special treat under the shade of the huge mulberry bushes flanking the house: either slices of fresh watermelon or home-made icecream, depending on the weather. It was a good day for chikkins to die...

When I went to college, I met a fellow art student, one who had grown up on a farm rather than just visiting grandma every weekend. I learned that she, too had plucked her chickens bald, hung their elbows over the sides of the cold bath tank, and given them 'hot tub parties'. 

I have a very tender heart for all animals and birds, even some insects. Yet, due to my upbringing, way deep down inside I believe that chikkins deserve to die...

[Aggie]

I've never actually killed an animal I ate

I've never (purposefully) killed an animal I didn't eat.  Well, vertibrates, anyways.  Killing is not fun (it's a terrible feeling), but if you're going to eat meat, something has to die.  I don't mind doing it myself, as humanely as possible.


D'oh.... I got us talking about meat in the Veggie thread again.  Who's got a good lentil recipe for me?

[anthrobabe]

look I've had to gather eggs from broody ill tempered hens
give 'em hot tubs anyday.

and dressing kittens--- we actually dyed some with food color once- I suppose I actually am prison material.


Aggie: good lentil recipie

hmmmmmm--

lentil burritos

Ingredients
1 cup lentils, rinsed
2 cups vegetable stock
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chopped zucchini (yes, you won't know it is in there and it is good)
1 cup chopped green bell pepper or red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (to taste)
1 cup mild taco sauce (or hot to taste)
4 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded (use vegan if you are vegan)
8 flour tortillas
Garnish
diced avocado
sour cream (there is vegan sour cream to be found in some areas)
chopped cilantro

Directions
1Wash& drain lentils.
2Bring to a boil with stock; cover, simmer until just tender, about 20 min.
3Drain if necessary.
4Heat oil on medium heat.
5Cook onion, garlic, zucchini, pepper to tender crisp.
6Stir in lentils, hot sauce,& taco sauce.
7Adjust seasonings.
8Stir in cheese.
9Spoon 1/2 C of mixture down center of each tortilla.
10Roll up (Can assemble ahead& reheat rolled in dampened paper towels in microwave).
11Can be eaten hot or cold.

note: red lentils hold their shape well-don't turn to complete mush, but all lentils are good
I believe this originally came from recipezaar

[Aggie]

Thanks!

1 cup chopped zucchini (yes, you won't know it is in there and it is good)

Now that I have to pay for it, I LIKE zucchini!

[Opsa]

Wow! That recipe sounds great! I love lentils. I used to serve lentil soup every Saturday to whomever came to eat it. I had a friend that called it "dirt soup" but he was there every week.

So you actually stir the cheese into the hot mixture before spooning? I am so going to try this.

(PS: Love the chicken and kitten stories! We can't even get near the feral kittens around here- they are truly ornery- but cute as anything.)

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

(PS: Love the chicken and kitten stories! We can't even get near the feral kittens around here- they are truly ornery- but cute as anything.)

And kittens do not actually grow real claws until about a year or so.

Up until then, they have microscopically sharp needles instead.   Many have these in their mouths, too.

But they are soooooo cute! 

[pieces o nine]

look I've had to gather eggs from broody ill tempered hens
give 'em hot tubs anyday.

Same cousin and I dealt with chikkinfear when sent to gather eggs via the buddy method. Child #1 carries a forked sticked, longer than arm's length, and attempts to pin chikkins neck against the coop wall on the first stab. (NB: no injury must befall chikkin! Grandma would know! Also, if you miss, the chikkin gets *real* mad.)
Meanwhile, Child #2 carries wire egg basket and is responsible for reaching under outraged, pinned chikkin to grab any eggs and throw them in said basket as fast as possible without breaking any.

Come to think of it, I didn't get sent on egg gathering duty very often...

and dressing kittens--- we actually dyed some with food color once- I suppose I actually am prison material.

We never thought of this! Although I do decorate Dom the Danger Cat with water-based "permanent" markers when experiencing artist's block.

And kittens do not actually grow real claws until about a year or so.

Up until then, they have microscopically sharp needles instead.   Many have these in their mouths, too.

But they are soooooo cute!

Especially when they are attempting to flee in layers of doll dresses!


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Lentils... lentils... lentils...

OK.
First, you take yer dead and plucked chikkin.
Then you stuff it wif lentils.
Then you bake until brown and tasty.
Yummm.

[anthrobabe]

yes to kitten needles (see I can be punny at times) -- ok groan if you must,
it's got to be a safety mechanism, usually even dogs will let them go when the needles get in them(mouth and claws)-- this might be the reason dogs (other animals) will shake a cat/kitten instead of trying to bite it to death (sad but true, so sad but even with fur those sharp needle claws and teeth do get through).

[Aggie]

Ooh, I have a good rental* lentil recipe now...  will post when I figure out where I left it.

I got fed up with trying to find a decent spice mix and just mutilated a berbere recipe until I got the taste I was looking for.  Major ingredient list for the spices, but once it's blended it's QUICK to do a pot of lentils.




*I calls 'em rentals because until the digestive tract adjusts, you don't own them, you just rent them. 

[Sibling Chatty]

A cousin and I, the oldest of the kids, really got into the whole chicken plucking gestalt. We plucked them bald. We plucked their feet. We arranged all the chickens we plucked in the cold bath with their elbows over the sides of the tank, the remnants of their legs crossed, and their necks inclined towards one another so they could enjoy a nice 'hot tub' conversation.

It was a good day for chikkins to die...

When I went to college, I met a fellow art student, one who had grown up on a farm rather than just visiting grandma every weekend. I learned that she, too had plucked her chickens bald, hung their elbows over the sides of the cold bath tank, and given them 'hot tub parties'. 

...way deep down inside I believe that chikkins deserve to die...

They do. They're ugly and they're mean and spiteful. Almost as bad as Republicans.

NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH!!!

http://mine.icanhascheezburger.com/view.aspx?ciid=1038921

[pieces o nine]

NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH!!!

              

My head is bowed in shame for laughing at this pitchur.
Also, so you can't see that I am *still* laughing...

I am sending the link to my other depraved chikkin friends, who will heap blessings upon you from afar.

[Sibling Chatty]

My alterante caption was "Hai! Coem heer oftun?" but it seemed--silly.

[pieces o nine]

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