Why Eat Low on the Food Chain?

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It's #MeatFreeWeek, so everyday I'm reposting some of my favorite meat-free Friday recipes.  For #MeatFreeFriday, we'll talk about why we want to go meat free -- enjoy!  And be sure to "like" greenmomster on Facebook and Twitter for more recipes and environmental news!

Have you heard the latest announcement from the World Health Organization (WHO), stating that processed and red meats increase your risk of cancer?  Not really new news, but now WHO is making the info a little more well-known.

But if you don’t want to eat less meat for your health, how about eating less meat for the environment?  Here’s a repost on that topic:

Why Eat Low on the Food Chain?

A great environmental goal is to “eat lower on the food chain.” What exactly does this mean? Well, let’s start at the beginning. When we talk about a food chain, we’re talking about a series of plants and animals that are related to one another through predation. Food chains always start with a plant (an autotroph, in ecological terms) which converts sunlight energy into energy that can be used by plants and animals. Plants are the source of energy and nutrients for all animals. As we move up the food chain, we’re looking at animals (heterotrophs) that eat certain plants. Moving further up the food chain, we’d see animals that eat the animals that ate the plants. A sample food chain would be:

Grass ---> grasshopper ---> bird ---> hawk 

So why do we want to “eat lower on the food chain”, that is, eat more plants and less meat? The way that our food is produced in our industrialized society, much energy goes into the production of food. The higher one eats on the food chain (meat, that is), the more energy that must go into producing that meat. So, if you eat a 2,000 calorie per day diet, a diet of vegetables will require much less energy input, than a 2,000 calorie diet that contains substantial amounts of meat. Another way of thinking about it -- for the same energy input, much more plant-based food can be produced. Eating lower on the food chain can also help to reduce greenhouse gases – the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimated that meat production is responsible for 1/5 of global greenhouse gases! 

Unless you live in an area with a very short growing season, a plant-based diet is a realistic goal. But many folks say they can’t or don’t want to go totally vegetarian. How about 1 night per week? The Utah State University Cooperative Extension website states that if “1000 people replaced one meat meal per week with a vegetarian option, it would save 70,000 lbs of grain per year!” That amount of grain would really feed a lot of people, with much lower environmental impact. Our family eats meat-free in our home.  Outside of the house, the kids and my husband eat whatever they want. Why not give it a try? Once a week, I will post a recipe that has been a success at our house. I’ll also include meatless products that I like, because people often ask me which products I like best, but you can substitute any brand that you like. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy “Meat-free Friday!”

Virginia Vegetarian Pasta Fazool!

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It's #MeatFreeWeek, so everyday I'm reposting some of my favorite meat-free Friday recipes -- enjoy!  And be sure to "like" greenmomster on Facebook and Twitter for more recipes and environmental news!

There are roughly a jillion ways to make this dish and everyone claims that theirs is correct.  Most versions are “soupier” than ours, but here’s how we do it at our house and there are rarely any leftovers!

Ingredients:
1 lb ditalini, cooked al dente
2 packages Smart Sausage Italian Style
olive oil
2 15 oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 25 oz. jar prepared red pasta sauce (or an equivalent amount of your homemade sauce)

Instructions:
1)  Slice “sausage” into 1/2 inch pieces.  Fry in an excess amount of olive oil until brown (you should have some extra liquid olive oil in the pan when you’re finished cooking).
2)  Add “sausage”, cooking oil, kidney beans, and sauce to the pasta and warm through.  Garnish with parmesan cheese and enjoy with a salad!

Egg and Green Chile Casserole

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It's #MeatFreeWeek, so everyday I'm reposting some of my favorite meat-free Friday recipes -- enjoy!  And be sure to "like" greenmomster on Facebook and Twitter for more recipes and environmental news!

Who doesn’t like breakfast for dinner every once in a while?  Here’s a meat-free Friday recipe that’s tasty like breakfast, but has enough heft to keep away the hunger until morning!

Egg and Green Chile Casserole (source unknown)

Ingredients

• 18 eggs
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 16 oz. of non-fat cottage cheese, drained
• 1 can (4 oz.) diced green chiles (hot is best)
• 1 can (16 oz.) sliced black olives
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 2 cups grated cheddar or taco-mix cheese
• dash of nutmeg
• dash of lemon zest
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Grease a 13x 9 casserole dish.  Spread the cottage cheese, grated cheese, green onion, and green chiles in the bottom of the casserole dish.
3. Beat the eggs with the milk, nutmeg, lemon zest, and slat and pepper.  Pour over the cheese mixture.
4. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until casserole is a little puffy and the top is slightly browned.

Enjoy!

Jaska's Gazpacho

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It's #MeatFreeWeek, so everyday I'm reposting some of my favorite meat-free Friday recipes -- enjoy!  And be sure to "like" greenmomster on Facebook and Twitter for more recipes and environmental news!

What to do with those last tomatoes in your garden?  Here’s a great gazpacho recipe from my mother-in-law – enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 stale rolls or 3 pieces or bread pre-cooked in a little water
1 thick slice onion
1/2 green pepper
1/2 cucumber, peeled
1 clove garlic
3 or 4 peeled red tomatoes or canned tomatoes
2 tblsp wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

Instructions:
1)  Put first 5 ingredients in a blender and add tomatoes to the top.  Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
2)  Chill in refrigerator several hours, until icy cold.
3)  Serve topped with croutons, chopped tomatoes, cucumber, and onion.  You can also add a dash of curry or chili powder to vary the flavor.

Mammal Monday -- the Solenodon!

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This week’s Mammal Monday is a re-post from guest blogger, Noah Thompson.  Noah wrote this post when he was an 8th grader.  His post this week was part of a year-long writing project assigned by his English teachers (way to go, teachers!)

The Solenodon  is a rodent which populates the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola in the Caribbean. Solenodon paradoxus is the species found in Hispaniola.  It is believed that Solenodons have been around for 75 million years, meaning they were around at the time of the dinosaurs!  Though Solenodons have survived for this huge amount of time, they are unfortunately in danger of becoming extinct due to human activity.

It is unfortunate that the Solenodon is slowly becoming extinct for two reasons.  First, the Solenodon kills and eats many unwanted pests that annoy humans.  Second, they are one of the weirdest animals in the world.  The Solenodon gets its name from the grooves in its teeth through which it injects its venom into victims.  It is the only mammal which can inject venom.  Even though these animals are aggressive killers (it is recorded that in captivity one literally shredded a live chicken before eating it), they are extremely clumsy.  When frightened, the Solenodon will either put its head toward the ground and stay still, or it will run away and, in many cases, trip on its feet causing it to roll. This inability to get away from threats is one reason the Solenodon is so close to being extinct.

The Solenodon originally thrived on its two home islands because it had very few predators. When the Europeans colonized the islands, however, they brought with them dogs, cats, and, later on, mongooses. These three predators can easily kill a Solenodon, and they are believed to be the main cause of the creature’s endangered status.  Another problem is the deforestation of the islands on which it lives.  The forests provided a habitat for the Solenodon’s food: insects, lizards, and plants.

The Solenodon is part of the Last Survivors Project. This project was created to raise awareness about Caribbean land dwelling rodents and preserve them. The project’s work on Solenodons is mainly focused on learning more about the animals. The project managers believe that the more they know about the animals, the better they will be able to help them.

Photo from: benvironment.org.uk

Sources:

Morelle, Rebecca. "Solenodon Hunt: Close Encounter with a Bizarre Beast." BBC News. BBC, 06 Feb. 2010. Web. 11 June 2013.

"Solenodon." N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2013

Theusch, M. 2002. "Solenodon cubanus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed June 11, 2013 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Solenodon_cubanus/

A honey of an art exhibit!

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(photo credit:  George Miller)

Scientists often have difficulty explaining scientific concepts to the public.  It's challenging to know one's audience and effectively communicate complex scientific concepts.  This communication is such a challenge, that  Stony Brook College has developed the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science to help scientists "communicate more directly and personally."

Using art to talk about science is a very effective way to reach people who might not necessarily be interested in science.  I was fortunate to observe this type of communication at a local art opening at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria VA this past weekend.  Among many other fascinating pieces, Lisa Schumaier presented her creation, "Habitation of Bees." Ms. Schumaier is a skilled communicator, using her art to share ideas with local audiences.  I first met Ms. Schumaier when my son attended one of her art camps, and witnessed her skill at communicating with students, young and old.

In her latest work, Ms. Schumaier continues to effectively communicate environmental ideas to the public.  The artist's explanation stated that the work "explores bees, highlights their individuality, ingenuity and importance to our world.  The use of entirely recycled materials for the installation hints at our own part in the destruction of the environment that sustains us all."

As a former beekeeper, I found this display beautiful and fascinating.  The tiny bees were each created out of Christmas lights and their hive was made of thousands of pieces of rolled paper carefully glued into place to resemble a beehive or the tunnels of solitary bees.

(photo credit:  George Miller)

(photo credit:  George Miller)

Near this display was a table reminding attendees about the role that bees play in pollination.

(photo credit:  Desiree Di Mauro)

The tiny bees are for sale with the proceeds supporting The Navajo Bee Project.  This program reintroduces beekeeping into the Navajo pastoral economy, where a hive that brings in between $600-$800 worth of income from honey and wax can be a great benefit to this community with an unemployment rate of up to 42%. 

This art exhibit is especially effective, because it uses different methods for communicating to different audiences.  Whether you're a visual arts lover, a foodie, or a philanthopist, there's something here for you.  But here's the take-home lesson, as Ms. Schumaier explained it -- we need to love our bees and pollinators!

(photo credit:  Desiree Di Mauro)

Washed Ashore

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I strolled around the National Zoo last week, a place that I've visited hundreds of times, and had a very pleasant surprise.  Unlike my past visits, it wasn't the live animals that I found so fascinating -- it was an art exhibit!  This exhibit, called Washed Ashore, is presented by a non-profit organization "whose mission is to use the arts to educate a global audience about plastic pollution in oceans and waterways and to spark positive changes in consumer habits."

This powerful exhibit does a terrific job of demonstrating the type of trash found in the sea and explaining its impact on marine life.  The sculptures, built totally out of trash from the sea, are beautiful,  Each sculpture is accompanied by an interpretive sign to help the public understand the exhibit and learn how they can change their behavior to protect the oceans.

Be sure to visit this exhibit when it comes to your area for a moving and educational experience for all ages.  Here's a little more of what you'll see: