"How in the World did we get to this place", she asked....and I replied.... and Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse

So I was in Trader Joe's a couple of weeks ago.  I'm fortunate enough to have one in reasonable driving distance (about an hour away).  I like to chat it up with the very interesting people that work as cashiers there.  I was talking to my cashier about how it makes me happy to see so many shoppers in the store and that I feel awareness is coming up about the connection between health and food and so on and we got off on the topics of factory farming, Big Dairy, school lunches, etc. and she stopped and looked at me with the saddest eyes and asked:

"How in the world did we get to this place?".

So I told her.  I was lucky that I had just jumped into William Harris' book "The Scientific Basis for Vegetarianism" and I had a lot of facts and figures at the ready.

For more on Dr. Harris, see his book: http://www.amazon.com/scientific-basis-vegetarianism-William-Harris/dp/096465380X and also http://vegsource.com.  Read his testimony before the Hawaiian House of Representatives opposing government subsidy for slaughterhouses here:  http://vegsource.com/harris/testimony.htm  I'll be writing more about Dr. Harris in future posts.  He is definitely on my 'hero' list.  See my first post about him here:  http://sunnyhawklane.blogspot.com/2011/02/usda-part-2-bullies-and-flaxers.html

I talked with my new cashier bff about our arboreal ancestors and how we used to live in trees and eat the 'rainbow'.  We moved on to famine, natural disasters and developed the evolutionary emergency survival mechanism to digest meat and dairy (mostly), without severe health consequences for short periods of time, but how industrialization and the switch of primary importance from HEALTHY SURVIVAL to POWER and MONEY started us on the now drastically slippery slope of epidemic disease and unsustainable food animal production that is our current sad state of affairs.

It was wonderful talking to this person who is a full generation younger than me.  And I told her that hope for change rests in the small decisions we make every day, and that she has the power to move that forward too, just as I do.

On my long drive home I thought about our conversation and felt an inward smile make its way to my face; people are asking the questions.  People are seeking the answers.  People are sick and tired of not only being sick and tired but of being pawns in governmental greed driven by public servants that have been charged with the responsibility of governing of us, by us and for us, and implicit in that, helping to keep us healthy.

I have hope....even when I am fuming over the latest ridiculous premise that I see either in a drug commercial on t.v. or even in a supposed 'health' article.....I have hope...and hope is a wonderful thing.
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Speaking of hope.....I hope you'll try this little yummy dessert.  I try to stay away from desserts in general, but now and then I will have a little somethin'-somethin'.  I found this Peanut-Butter Chocolate Mousse on Michelle Taylor's video blog: veganbreak.com.  She prepared this dish per the recipe from Spork-fed:  http://tinyurl.com/7lkw5zj H. Goldberg, J. Engel.  You can find the recipe on Michelle's blog: http://www.veganbreak.com/?p=603

I made the following adjustments to the recipe with good success.  Instead of maple syrup, I used 7 whole dates.  I used the medjool dates (pitted of course).  I've made this recipe with the syrup and without and it is equally yummy with the whole food option, which I recommend trying. I also subbed out the chocolate entirely for raw cacao powder (or unsweetened cocoa--approx 1/2 cup) with good results; I sprinkled raw cacao nibs on top.  I do think I will try adding just about 1/4 C of almond milk next time as well to balance the powder.   One cautionary note:  I tend not to measure things, but I do suggest measuring the almond extract for this recipe.  It gives a wonderful flavor and you don't want to omit it, but too much can be, well, too much.

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New Winner for Mark Sutton's Heart Healthy Pizza.  I have been unable to get in touch with my original winner, so had my son draw another name......the winner is:  JUDE!  Hey, Jude (sorry, could NOT resist even though I am sure I am the 8 millionth person to do that to you.  Anyway, Jude, get in touch so we can get Mark's book out to you!
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Sue, hopeful in Ohio