"...Avian flu, which has proven lethal in other parts of the world, has spread throughout the United States like wildfire. Since April, when cases began spreading by the thousands each week, the virus has escalated to a point of national crisis.
As of this month, some 46 million chickens and turkeys have been affected, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nearly 80 percent of those are egg-laying hens, a reality that has been crippling for the egg industry...."
Thank you Washington Post for that lovely reminder of how exploiting animals comes back to bite us. Using animals in such a grandios manner-such as factory farming-doesn't only harm them. I am aware there are people who couldn't care less about how animals feel, however, sad as that is, I know that they do care about their families and themselves.
For all the people desperate to point out that people won't catch a bird disease check this article out. http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/what-know-about-bird-flu
After reading the article, one might say you aren't going to get bird flu from a cooked egg- so where is the issue? If we won't get the virus FROM the birds and the eggs just cost a little more, whats the problem? Using animals in such a way that they become rampant with diesease, which in turn affects the workers, handlers, farmers is a real problem. We aren't only talking about animal welfare here-so if you care about people too, than this should concern you.
The egg industry is huge. It has a lot of employees and a lot of farmers. This is a breaking point. These birds are sick and miserable, as they have been for years. Maybe now, now that PEOPLE are being affected, the world can stop and think. They can start to see how using and abusing the lives of others comes back to haunt you in the form of scary, mutating viruses that humans can and do catch and pass on-much like something out of a terrifying sci-fi flick. Wake up and smell the fakin' bacon because veganism is starting to look really good right now.
And just to give you the larger picture, atleast the one I see; if you have big factory farms that keep popping up all over, with terribly sick animals, the animals get the people sick, the farmers lose animals, prices have to go up, the economy goes downhill.
Not only is this affecting these poor, terrified birds, but it is affecting the economy, the farmer's, the workers and their families. This is a sign, a sign that people have been doing this wrong for quite a long while now. Birds are not meant to be crammed into cages, thrown, clipped, kicked, ground up alive- they are meant to roam around freely in a pasture of green grass, they are not here to be exploited and used for financial gain. No animal is. No living being exists specifically for our entertainment, pleasure or consumption. And now some scary things are happening because of how complacent and greedy humans have gotten.
"...But sometimes -- after close personal contact -- a person who gets bird flu does infect another person." says the Washinton Post. That's enough for me and my Vegetarian Husband who just joined me in Veganism.
So what do we do now? How do we move forward and move on from eggs? We use replacements! They work, are healthier, have no cholesterol and are cruelty free!
Some easy go-to options:
• 1 egg = 2 Tbsp. potato starch
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or squash
• 1 egg = 1/4 cup puréed prunes
• 1 egg = 2 Tbsp. water + 1 Tbsp. oil + 2 tsp.baking powder
• 1 egg = 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed simmered in 3 Tbsp. water
• 1 egg white = 1 Tbsp. plain agar powder dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water, whipped, chilled, and whipped again
*compliments of PETA.org
http://www.ener-g.com/egg-replacer.html Ener G egg replacer was one of my favorites when I first started Vegan baking. It really is simple to use and quite effective.
1/4 C. of silken tofu can replace an egg, 1/4 C. applesauce or 1/4 C. soy yogurt is great too! Bananas work well for me in Vegan specialty breads-just make sure you don't mind the banana taste!
My all-time FAVORITE and most effective is the Flax "egg", take 1 tbsp. ground flax with 3 tbsp. warm water. I let it set just a few moments to get really jellified. It is goopy, slimy and runny like an egg and has awesome binding properties BUT it has no cholesterol and has Omega 3's!
My Favorite Tofu Scramble recipes:
If you wither away at the mere thought of never having scrambled eggs int he morning,ever again-fear not. There are some truly amazing chefs out there that are cruelty free and know how to whip up some delicious faux egg brekkie like a pro.
https://minimalistbaker.com/southwest-tofu-scramble/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/vegan-tofu-and-spinach-scramble.html
http://www.theppk.com/2009/10/tof-u-and-tof-me-scrambled-tofu-revisited/
What's your favorite egg replacements and recipes to use them in?
xx Supernaturalegirl
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