Home Page
About Us
Calendar of Events
Columbia County
Discounts
Membership
Newsletters
Picture Book
Topical Subjects
(d-2)
Mid-Hudson Vegetarian Society, Inc.
38 East Market Street, Rhinebeck, New York 12572 USA -
845-876-2626
Vegetarian - Vegan - Animal Rights - Health - Nutrition - Environment
The mission of the Mid-Hudson Vegetarian Society, Inc. is to promote the vegetarian ethic in the Mid-Hudson (New York) region, educate the community and aid anyone in the pursuit of a totally vegetarian (vegan) cruelty-free and healthful lifestyle.
Newsletters
Articles From the Summer (3rd
quarter) 2000 Newsletter
Sumptuous Carrot-Squash Soup
Message from the President
Wildlife Watch - Towards Understanding
PR
Reaching out with Roberta
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
Sumptuous Carrot-Squash Soup
*Here's the recipe for that squash-carrot soup we enjoyed so much at the Conference in June.. Simple, delicious, and wonderful for calming sugar cravings! Santha Cooke
(All ingredients should be organic wherever possible)
4 large carrots
1 or 2 medium or large onions
medium squash - kabocha, butternut, or buttercup
olive oil
water
thyme
saltScrub the carrots if they are organic; if not, peel them. Cut into chunks. Peel the squash and cut into chunks. Peel onions and cut into chunks. In a large pot, saute the vegetables in 2-3 tblsp. of olive oil until they begin to be tender. Add water to almost cover veggies. Bring to boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer until veggies are tender. Puree all in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and thyme. Enjoy !
Reaching out with Roberta
Kidney Bean Stew (great source of protein)
1 inch piece kombu (adds minerals)
1 c. dried kidney beans, soaked 6-8 hours
3-4 c. filtered or spring water
1 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped onion
2 diced carrots
1-2 c. cubed winter squash or sweet potato
2 tbs. barley miso
1/4 c. minced fresh parsley
2-3 tbs. barley malt or maple syrupDrain soaking water, place beans, kombu and water in heavy pot. Bring to boil, skim off foam. Reduce heat, simmer 1-2 hours until done.
Meanwhile, heat a little water in a skillet over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Saute a few minutes and add the olive oil, stir and cook slowly 2 min. Add carrots and squash or sweet potato and cook 2-3 min. Add about 1/4 inch water and cook, covered over low heat until vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 15 minutes. Remove cover and allow any remaining liquid to be absorbed.
When the beans are done, remove a little of the cooking broth and mix with the miso until dissolved. Stir the dissolved miso and the barley malt into the beans and cook uncovered, until all liquid has been absorbed and the beans are soft. The miso is salty, but you may add a bit of sea salt if desired. Stir in the vegetables and parsley.
This can be made with black beans or black eyed peas as well and other vegetables, including corn in season.
(Adapted from Cooking the Whole Foods Way by Christina Pirello)
Questions? Roberta Schiff New Mondays 845-876-5598 or Robright@aol.com.
TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING PR (PUBLIC RELATIONS) AND P-R
(PITTMAN-ROBERTSON TAX)
By Anne Muller, Wildlife Watch
To understand why game agencies have turned wild animals into victims, we have to know that in 1937, the firearms industry pushed through an act that is commonly called the Pittman-Robertson Act, -- named for its sponsors. The P-R act put wildlife management agencies into the wildlife killing business. P-R is a dedicated excise tax on firearms that goes into the Conservation Fund. (Bows and arrows were added in the 1950s). The *Conservation Fund* can only be used to promote more use of the products that produced the tax. Eight percent of the funds are kept by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and the remainder is doled out to the states depending on the number of hunting licenses they sell. So states have to compete with each other to sell hunting licenses.
To add insult to injury, the General Fund of the state is forced to give a 25% matching amount to the lethal weapons taxes collected. Consider that the NYS Bureau of Wildlife takes millions of dollars from your children*s education and your elderly parents* health care to pay for projects encouraging hunting.
A good analogy would be the following:
Imagine a government agency that derives its primary income from excise taxes on cigarettes. Let*s say it calls itself the Bureau of Inhalation Management. That agency would then operate to promote as much smoking as possible. The agency would do all in its power to put out propaganda that smoking is necessary for the society, that it is good for the health. -- It would work with the Department of Health; it would try to lower the smoking age through the state legislature; it would use the courts to prevent people from stopping smoking. In other words, it would operate on behalf of cigarette manufacturers.
To learn more about this, and how you can help, please see our website: www.geocities.com/straywatch.
If you would like to receive our newsletter, e-mail: wildwatch@earthlink.net , or write to POB 562, New Paltz, NY 12561
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
By Runi Ross
I believe being playful and experimental is key to enjoying life. I am all for re-arranging the conventional norms to see what works best, within reason. Some things you shouldn't play with. We all know the phrase "Don't play with fire."
Since 1992 the FDA and our government have allowed big business to play with the genetic code of life; i.e. life as we know it. Their policy on GMOs (genetically modified organisma) being "generally recognized as safe" and only requiring them to conduct their own safety testing has proven unreliable. Following this policy some GMO products have been removed from the market after they proved dangerous. Still the policy for allowing new GMOs into the market has not changed. GMOs are being tested on the unknowing consumer because labeling is not required.
Another concern is seeds that have been genetically modified to be infertile. Unable to save and trade seeds farmers become reliant on corporations. Corporate control of the food supply makes me uneasy. If a major corporation has a bad year, or deal goes south, who goes hungry?
The Hudson Valley direct Action Network is organizing to educate, protest, and press for moratoriums. Oct. 13, 14 & 15th the NYC Genetic Food Working Group is planning a speaker and workshops.
For information or if you wish to help, contact me at 518-398-9834 or Turtles0@aol.com.
President's Message
We have grown so fast and have come so far and are doing so many wonderful things since our most humble beginnings in March of 1994, that those of uw who are active are running around like (oops-thanks Joanne Stepaniak) are running around in circles. Those of you who know me, know when I get too much to do, I get cranky. So - if you don't want a cranky President, please help. The areas we need help in are: Publicity, Corresponding Secretary, computer literate person to update Grants and Link swapping, Environmental chairperson, setting up and taking down at Events, discount program, tabling. Only a couple of hours per month is all it takes. Come to our second-Sunday Board meeting (all welcome). We have fun, we eat, we plan our events and do all the legal stuff that a corporation has to do. Most of all, by working together we get closer to one another, "like family", arguing, laughing, and sometimes even crying together. Our first Annual Conference went well, the should-have-dones and shouldn't-have-dones have been noted so our next conference should be bigger and better. It was a joy to receive so many thank you's for having the conference from people who attended.
Love, Rae
Sept. 23 5:00 PM Julia and Isabella's Rt. 9 North Redhook (restaurant 2 miles from center of town). Reservations required by 9/17. Virginia 845-338-4990
Oct. 1 10:30 AM Unitarian Congregation Sawkill Rd. Kingston Rynn Berry, noted author of many books about the History of Vegetarianism, will speak on the 12 Hallmarks of a Vegetarian Religion. For info, call Rae 845-338-8223
Oct. 21 4:00 PM Unitarian Congregation Sawkill Rd. Kingston Andrea Feldman, private chef, wellness coach and cook at the Kushi Institute, will give a cooking demonstration using whole, natural foods. Tasting during class and a meal to enjoy. $30. Limit 30 people. Reservations by 10/17 to Rae 845-338-8223 or Virginia 845-338-4990.
November 23 Vegan Thanksgiving Dinner
We look forward to
hearing from you
