Quinoa Enchilada Bake

Sometimes before writing a blog post I have clear in mind what I am going to say. Those are the times when I  forget my original writing objectives and go off track, though.

Before I forget, I’d better write now want I want to tell you today:

1) Happy 4th July. I know, it’s late now.  While you enjoyed a beautiful independence day (you’re all Americans, right?)  here in London we celebrated the first and last day of summer of the year with temperatures rising up to 27 degrees.  I wanted to tell to all the celebrating Londoners to keep calm and drink tea. In fact, it’s already colder and rainy now. We can put summer behind us (and of course drink hot tea).

2) This week I proved myself that I can overcome my limits. I run 2 km in 13 minutes. Yay! It helped looking myself in the mirror while running to check what my body was actually doing. The mirror told me a story of a red-faced girl trying not be defeated by sweat and short breath. I could run a bit longer after seeing myself in that desperate conditions. Simple as that.

3) This week I also proved myself that I can be a troll. A real troll, “a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people”.  Not that it was my intention. Whatever, I become a troll and now I am going to tell you how.

The “accident” took place on Instragram, which is my favorite sharing platform together with Pinterest. I like double-tapping on my tablet screen very much. It’s because of all the fantastic food bloggers that are out there to share awesome shots of their recipes (one day, I’ll tell you about my favorite ones). Anyhow, let’s get to the this troll story now.

I really appreciate the work that this great and popular food blogger does, however I couldn’t help but writing a comment to her pic of a whole lamb roasting on the grill. That was a WHOLE animal, head and big eyes included. I left a comment, just on impulse, to say that the image was disturbing to mey. In my defense, you need to know that I also included the word “sorry”. Something like “sorry I can also see the eyes of this animal…it is not yummy”.

Afterwards, she kindly replied to me to explain that is something normal for meat eaters. I understand that. I’m not a nazi-vegetarian and I have already come to the terms long ago with the fact that we all have have a different perceptiveness of what is right or wrong, yummy or not yummy. I am sorry I could not reply her back since the image disappeared from her profile.

Now, I’m using the blog to apologize with her. But I also want to take advantage of the “querelle” to speak about meat. A few facts that, believe me, MATTER. They do not matter because it’s me to report them – after all I’m just girl that can be stupidly upset by the sight of a carcass. They matter because they involve us and the future of our earth.  Stay with me 2 minutes more to see what I mean 🙂These are a few FACTS and STUDIES about meat (published by Matt Timms in the Magazine “The new Economy”):

“Global demand for meat in 2020 is projected to be more than double what it was in 2000, as changing macroeconomic conditions spark a so-called food revolution in lesser developed country.

Currently, 40% of the Earth’s land surface is dedicated to keeping us fed, and 3/4 of that is used not for grains, fruit or vegetable but to house livestock.

Livestock farming accounts for approximately 8% of the world’s total water use, and UN studies have recently found that methane emissions from livestock equate to as much as 14.5% of all human-caused green houses gases – an astounding proportion.

Cell Metabolism showed that animal protein-heavy diets result in a much greater risk of cancer (equivalent to smoking 20 cigarettes a day), heart disease, kidney stones and asthma.”

OK, I’ve done with SERIOUS things for today. I swear, I’m not going to be a troll anymore (well, at least I’ll try. I think I have a “troll gene” hidden somewhere because I’m Italian). Stay healthy and active, my dear friends!

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