It’s Official!

First of it’s kind for a city-wide resolution. The West Hollywood City Council voted this evening to condemn the use of battery cage housing for hens used in egg production. You should send a nice note of thanks to Councilmembers Jeffrey Prang and Abbe Land.

Connie King, first to speak on Resolution 07–3488 during the public comment period, read a statement from Alicia Silverstone who couldn’t make it to the meeting but asked to have her support for the resolution on record. Paul Shapiro, Director of the HSUS Factory Farming Campaign, spoke next to illuminate the striking difference between the pastoral images on egg cartons—and in egg cartoons advertising—vs. the reality of existence in a wire cage with less living space than a sheet of paper as endured by hundreds of millions of battery-caged hens in the US.

A few minutes into the Council meeting we were interrupted by a txt msg from The Tower Princess bemoaning the sad sight of 30–Minute Meals chick Rachael Ray, her pudgy little arms heavily laden with the makings of something called a Monte Cristo, an omni sammich stuffed with dead pig and turkey parts, cow cheese, then dipped in eggs and fried in butter. WeHo just told her, “Now go make us a cage-free one.”

Changes to WIC benefit needy vegan families

Des Moines Register

A substantial update to WIC, the federal program that provides supplemental, nutrition assistance to at-risk pregnant women, mothers and their children, is nearing reality. For the first time since the program’s inception, fresh and/or frozen fruits and vegetables, soy milk and tofu will be available for purchase with WIC vouchers. And the USDA, which operates WIC, is proposing a reduction in the allotment of dairy products and eggs that program participants can purchase with vouchers. Did the magnetic poles reverse?! What did we miss?!

Public comments on the proposed rule changes are still open! Get yours in before Nov. 6, 2006. All who are eligible for assistance through federally funded, food assistance programs should have the choice of nutritionally complete foods that don’t derive from animal sources.

Read what others have already said in the published comments from the Advance Notice period. We liked two submitted comments so much that we’re making them available without a need for search: PCRM’s and 20–year RD/MPH Carol Allwine’s.

And you think your case load is staggering?!

10News SanDiego

10News went to the biggest egg ranch in San Diego County. There are 1 million hens, and they are inspected every month by a vet to make sure they are healthy. Mark Brand is a poultry veterinarian and said he finds it difficult to mask his frustration with protesters.

Geez, Mark–even if you worked 16 hr. shifts 7 days a week you’d still have 171 cases an hour. Every hour. For a year. This is pretty much the point at which industrial animal production’s wholly self-determined governance of “health and welfare” just becomes laughable. But far be it from us to conclude that Mark’s frustrations are the ones that just don’t fly.

AVAR
EggIndustry
Humane Society of the United States
United Poultry Concerns

Hang in there till 03/01/2007

and they promise they’ll hook you up again.

If you’re thrifty and pro-active like PFW, you stocked up by the case-load far in advance of the well running dry and brunched on the Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Burrito:

Strap up
1 pkg Fantastic Foods Tofu Scrambler
12 oz extra-firm tofu
3 oz (or about 1/2 a “link”) of Soyrizo per burrito
Cooked, diced potatoes, peppers, onions
Vegan Cheddar of your choice, shredded, diced, however you like it
Large flour tortillas (Mission makes a super-size corn, too!)
Toppings of your choice (pico de gallo, salsa so hot it doubles as paint remover, sliced avocados, jalapenos, just knock your vegan self out)

Build that monster
Mix Tofu Scrambler and tofu per the package directions and set aside.
Running late for the demo and starving? Take the shortcut for the potatoes, peppers and onions: buy frozen Potatoes O’Brien and cook per package directions, about 1 cup of frozen product per ginormous burrito.
When your ‘taters are nearly done and browned to your liking, add the Soyrizo, or cook it in a separate skillet almost according to the directions. We find that if you freeze Soyrizo first, then slice thinly with a sharp, serrated knife, it crisps up better and has less of a ground or crumbled consistency. It cooks quickly so keep a close eye on it, turn it frequently, and char to your preferred level.
Add your mixed Tofu Scrambler to the pile and cook a few more minutes until it’s heated through.

How we roll
Raise your hand if you still need burrito wrapping instructions, or just read on for three animal agribusiness industry-standard reasons why eggs, pigs, and dairy products don’t belong on your plate.

By now you should be blissfully sleeping off your food coma in the shade somewhere, comforted in the knowledge that your meal didn’t contain a trace of this,

or that,

or even $1’s worth of what subsidizes this.

And the Ultimate Vegan Breakfast Burrito is spinach-free, too.