Oscar and Felix Hachero

The foster puppies are 9 weeks old and they are going back to the shelter today.  Information for adopting them is below.

Felix and Oscar

9 weeks old

Boxer/hound mix

Gloria G. Letendre

Supervisor of Kennel Operations

FACA Certified ACO and ET

Lee County Domestic Animal Services

5600 Banner Drive

Fort Myers, FL  33912-4409

239.533.9233 ofc

239.277.7387 fax

GLetendre@leegov.com

www.leelostpets.com

Porky Hachero

Porky (a great runner!) loves Quorn fake chicken! :)

Porky Hachero

Cooling Down and Vegetarian 4th of July

Bubba cooling off on the tile floor after his 4th of July run:

Bubba Hachero

Tonight we're serving vegetarian meatballs, here's the recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 pound stale country-style bread, crusts removed and cut into thick slices
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 bunch Italian parsley, leaves chopped to yield 2 tablespoons
• 1 bunch basil, leaves chopped
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

In a large bowl add the bread slices and milk. Let sit until the bread is soaked through, then squeeze dry. Crumble and tear the soaked bread into smaller pieces and process in the food processor, using quick pulses, to yield 4 cups soaked crumbs.

Mix the crumbs in a bowl with the eggs, cheese, herbs, and garlic, adding salt and pepper, to taste. Form into round balls about 2 inches in diameter. Set aside on a rack or plate to dry for about 15 to 20 minutes.

In a saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil to frying temperature, about 360 degrees F, and fry the bread balls until brown on all sides. Remove the balls as they brown and drain on a rack covered with paper towels.

Have the tomato sauce ready. Arrange the balls on a platter and lightly cover with sauce. Serve immediately.

Basic Tomato Sauce:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Spanish onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
• 1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
• 2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
• Kosher salt

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook until the carrot is quite soft, about 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes and their juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer until as thick as hot cereal, about 30 minutes. Season with salt, to taste.

This sauce holds 1 week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.

Yield: 4 cups

Oscar and Felix

The foster puppies are now 8.5 weeks old.

Oscar Hachero, Foster Puppy

Lounging Dogs

Too hot to go outside and run....

Shadee and Porky Hachero

Lost the 5 prednisone pounds

Thanks to a high protein veggie diet and lots of running. 

Lakota, Lobo, Juno - beautiful wolf dogs Hachero

Pescatarian?

My doctor thinks I need more protein and that I'm missing certain enzymes.  Running injuries aren't healing.   I'm considering going pescatarian again, but can't decide.  In the meantime, just having fun with the new foster puppies.  We get them for 2 weeks!

Hachero foster puppies - they need names!

Nutrients - things to watch on a vegan diet

You can get these in other ways, but make sure you find other sources for:
B12
Iron
Zinc
Calcium (broccoli, kale, sesame seeds are good)
Omega 3
Vitamin D

Porky and Bubba Hachero in the park after a run

Prednisone weight gain

I gained 5 pounds on prednisone.  Glad I'm a vegetarian runner - it's  a little easier to take off.  Living on salad and grilled vegetables.

Katie and Porky Hachero share a blanket

Vegetarian Diet in Runner's World

Runner's World has some good recipes:

http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-242-303-308-0,00.html

Shadee and Porky Hachero

Vegetarian Shepards Pie

Vegatarian Crumbles
Mushroom Gravy
Green beans
Corn
Mashed Potatoes

Purple and Porky Hachero Lounge after Running

Vegetarian Health Benefits

While I wish eveyrone would stop eating animals because they care about the inhumane lives and tortured deaths of the animals, that's probably not realistic.  I've talked to so many people who say "I could never give up meat."  Even if they know the animals are treated horribly and tortured. They don't care.  So, at least try it for your own selfish health benefits:

• Vegetarians in the U.S. have a lower incidence of heart disease than the general U.S. population.
• Vegetarians generally have a lower incidence of high blood pressure and a lower rate of Type 2 diabetes than do nonvegetarians.
• Vegetarians, especially vegans, have less incidence of obesity.
• There's some evidence that vegetarians have lower rates of osteoporosis, kidney stones, gallstones, and diverticular disease.

Kenwood Lane Grille in Ft. Myers

Kenwood Lane Grille is listed as the #2 restaurant in Ft. Myers on Trip Advisor, but I never even knew it was there! They offer great vegetarian dishes (cous-cous, home made pastas, and also some amazing desserts).  Prices are very reasonable - 2 of us had dinner and a bottle of wine and the bill was $60!

Captain Porky Hachero

Artichokes!

Cut off the very tops and bottoms and steam in a pot with garlic and vegan parmesan sprinkles.  We steamed them for about 45 minutes!  Dipped the leaves in mayo and they were delicious!

Favorite places for vegetarian foods in Ft. Myers

For a town with very few vegetarian restaurants, we have to find options in regular restaurants....
1. Chipotle (really Naples, but worth the drive)
2. Loving Hut (completely vegan)
3. Pho Vinh (great spring rolls and fried tofu)
4. Melting Pot
5. Cibo
6. Twisted Vine
7. Crave

da Vinci was a Vegetarian

I don't know how I never heard about this, but da Vinci was a vegetarian!

    "The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look on the murder of men."
          Leonardo da Vinci, artist and scientist

Guacamole Recipe

1 small tomato
1/2 small red onion
fresh chopped cilantro - 1/8 cup
cumin - 1 tsp
fresh ground black pepper - 1/2 tsp
fresh ground sea salt - 1/2 tsp
2 jalapeno peppers - seeded
2 large ripe avacodos - cut into 1 inch cubes

Blend them all together with a potato masher!  Gives you enough energy for a 5 mile evening run.

Linda Hachero - guacamole recipe

Twisted Vine

All of the vegetarian dishes at the Twisted Vine are made to order.  They can customize any item on their menu and make it vegetarian. 

2214 Bay Street
Fort Myers, FL 33901-2827
The yucca fries and the watermelon salad are delicious.

Rave Run in LaJolla

The best place to run in Southern California is along the LaJolla shores overlooking the Pacific.  We ran past plenty of sunbathing seals!

After the run, try the Juice Kaboose in LaJolla - great vegetarian-friendly spot.

Hachero's favorite running path - too bad we didn't have  good camera...

Hotel menus need better vegetarian options

Last night, I asked room service to send a vegetarian version of the seafood fettucini alfredo.  Well, it tasted disgustingly of fish - they must have just removed the shrimp and scallops from the top!

Even Porky, a dog with sophisticated taste, wouldn't touch it....

So, we had a few greens and went for a long run.....

Run on the Beach

The Hachero dogs love to go to islands where they can run along the beach.  Just watch out for the "tax cows."  PETA needs to know about these poor animals who are left to fend for themselves on pieces of property so that people can get an agricultural tax break.

Athletes Who Don't Eat Meat

Good article on top athletes who don't eat meat:

http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2009/05/10-superstar-athletes-who-do-not-eat-meat.php?page=2

Pet Food Recipes

Here are recipies for cooking for your dog at home:
http://www.suite101.com/content/homemade-dog-food-recipes-a17176

And, since Bubba and Porky Hachero aren't vegetarians, I use the the humanely-raised animals from Whole foods:

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/5step.php

Vegetarian Black Bean Soup Recipe

Black Bean Soup

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 15-ounce cans of black beans, rinsed
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

Saut� the onions and minced garlic in a 1/4 cup of water in a nonstick saucepan. Once the onions have become translucent, place the onions and garlic in a large stockpot. Add the rinsed beans, water, and spices. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Taste-test the soup after 20 minutes and remove from heat once the beans are cooked to your liking.
For a slightly different taste, add frozen or fresh vegetables such as chopped carrots, kale, or broccoli.
from Linda Hachero

Sushi

As a vgetarian, I don't eat sushi, butit's worth going to the Sushi bar to get some Seaweed Salad for the vitamin B12.



Recipe from Linda Hachero:

3/4 ounce dried wakame seaweed (whole or cut)

3 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup shredded carrot

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon sesame seed, toasted

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/seaweed-salad-247035#ixzz1JVwu0skD

Run for the Paws

Get a better workout with your dog - sprint, then chase  squirrel, stop to pee, sprint, sit down and scratch.  Then sprint again.  Bubba and Linda Hachero cross the finish line at Run the Paws.  Bubba, of course, is not a vegetarian :)

Humanely Raised Pet Food

Trying to find pet food made from humanely raised animals.  The only options I've found are to make your own:

http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/farm-animal-cruelty/certified-humane-faq.aspx


Linda Hachero, Bubba and Porky make their own dog food:

How many lives do vegetarians save?

I've heard that it's between 50-100 animals per year per vegetarian.  Here's one article:
http://www.chooseveg.com/vegetarians-save-lives.asp

And apparently there are lots of people out there think that drinking milk is harmless and that cows just constantly give milk.  Well, we're mammals - do we lactate all the time?  Are we baby cows?  Um, no.
http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/dairy-industry.aspx

Quote from Linda Hachero, "It's sad, but people really don't care where their meat comes from and the amount of torture on every forkful."

Vegetarian Recipes for Runners

I'm writing this while munching on a vegetarian bean burrito.  Yum.  Here are some good recipes:

http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-242-303-308-0,00.html

And, there's a great online magazine just for Vegetarian Runners!

http://www.vegetarianrunner.com/vegetarianism/vegetarianism-defined



Bubba and Linda Hachero driving home after a five mile trail run:

http://www.yatedo.com/s/Linda+Hachero

Run for Animals

I ran my first marathon last December. I found 26.2 easier as a vegetarian than when I used to run half marathons when I was a carnivore.

PETA agrees:
 
http://prime.peta.org/2009/08/running-for-animals

My running partner, Linda Hachero, and her doggies trained with me by running on the beach: