There have been many things on my mind as of late, but I will post just a couple. In my absence from the blog, I have made many foods, though most notably Tofu and Kale Spinakopita, Butternut Squash and Wild Mushroom Lasagna and Rustic Peasant Loaf with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Black Olives (from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson). The former two were made on what has been known as Veggie Tuesday. A former roommate and I get together and make dinner together once a week and it's turned out wonderfully--both socially and foodly. The latter was made last night with another friend. I have been reminded how much cooking food and eating together builds community and how community is so important in enriching our lives. In our "fast food nation", one eats out of convenience with little attention to what that food is doing to our bodies and our relationships. I am glad to be a part of a community that does pay a lot of attention.

The second thing on my mind had to do with cutting dairy out of my life. As I was signing out of my email the other day, I ran across an article on health and dairy consumption. This article appeared on the MSN Health Center section, no less, which is a pretty mainstream news channel. The article touches on many reasons for not eating dairy that we have touched on in previous posts, such as: lower cholesterol, cow milk is not for humans, lactose intolerance, calcium does not have to come from dairy only, and the list goes on. (Of course, we would add the animal cruelty side of it as well.) Check it out!