Free Republic

At this point it looks like most of our protein will be sourced from animals for some time to come, whether we like it or not, as it has for the past 100,000 years. Luckily, we can do this in ways that meet our climate goals and boost nutrition and animal welfare, Eurof Uppington writes. 2021 saw a strange and short-lived celebrity phenomenon. Out of nowhere, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr, Katy Perry, Serena Williams and other A-listers announced personal investments in plant-based foodtech startups alongside venture capital funds and philanthropists. They were on a mission to save the planet,...

The MONTHLY Gardening Thread is a gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the...

Many people drink decaf coffee to cut back on caffeine, but some environmental and health advocacy groups say that a chemical used in the decaffeination process may be harmful to human health.

May 30 (UPI) -- Traffic on a pair of California highways turned into a jam when a truck loaded with strawberries overturned, dropping barrels of the fruit into the road. The California Highway Patrol said the overturned truck, carrying about 40,000 pounds of fruit, blocked the northbound connector ramps to Highway 101 and Interstate 880 in San Jose on Wednesday morning and was leaning over a guardrail. The ramps were closed as crews worked to lift the truck upright and remove the fallen barrels of strawberries. No injuries were reported from the crash or ensuing traffic jams on both highways....

(Best USA Beef)—In mid-2022, we set up a news alert for terms like “cricket protein” and “cricket burgers.” Since then, there have been occasional peaks with a whole lot of valleys in interest as Americans generally aren’t excited about the prospects of getting their necessary protein from bugs. There was a spike that started shortly after news broke that bird flu was being transmitted to cattle. On the surface this makes sense, but it was conspicuously odd that there was no spike when bird flu was limited to poultry. Surely Americans would be concerned about their sources of protein whether...

Some store-bought chocolate desserts may contain dangerous chemicals that could damage your DNA and cause cancer, researchers warn. Scientists found that popular treats like crepes, waffles and cakes contained high levels of carcinogens released during the manufacturing process. These compounds are created when cocoa beans are roasted to help give desserts their chocolatey taste during preparation. The researchers warn they may be evading detection because they are not ingredients intentionally added to the products. The researchers from the Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology (IBST) in Belgium said that molecules, called α,β-unsaturated carbonyls, form while roasting cocoa beans and...

While GLP-1 agonists help people lose weight, different drugs could help them retain muscle at the same time. Anti-obesity drugs cause people to lose more than just fat. More than 73% of American adults are overweight, according to the CDC. This puts them at increased risk of death and many serious health issues, but losing weight and keeping it off through diet changes and exercise — the standard approach — is notoriously difficult. That made the FDA’s 2021 approval of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide (Wegovy) as an obesity treatment seem like something of a miracle. The drug is in a class...

It’s time somebody came out and said it: Whataburger sucks. God forbid somebody in San Antonio should say that. We treat Whataburger like a hometown hero, never mind that it never was. And now it’s just another asset in a Chicago firm’s portfolio. Through orange-colored glasses, we failed to see the beat-down beef, the bun crushed by overreach and ennui. We failed to hold accountable the burger that tastes like the wrapper it came in, with the little round sticker that says “no onion” or “bacon” or “you can do better.”

NATIONAL COQ AU VIN DAY Each year on May 29th, National Coq Au Vin Day celebrates a delicious French dish. Coq au vin is French braise of chicken, cooked with wine, lardons (salt pork), mushrooms, and garlic. #NationalCoqAuVinDay A French staple, Coq au vin translates to “rooster with wine.” It’s a rustic, peasant-style dish that is easy to serve when entertaining because a lot of the work can be done in advance. And since we all celebrated National Wine Day just a few days ago, you might be prepared and have an extra bottle on hand just for this recipe....

Founded in 2020 by National Day Calendar® and National Cattlemen's Beef Association. NATIONAL BEEF BURGER DAY If you hear a sizzle and your mouth begins to water, it just might be National Beef Burger Day! On May 28th and all summer long, there's no better time to enjoy a juicy beef burger. The day is all about kicking off the grilling season and honoring America's favorite grilling protein – beef! #NationalBeefBurgerDay A beef burger starts with real ground beef on a bun or between two slices of bread. And don't forget the toppings like cheese, onions, pickles, and condiments. Each...

An Ohio mother was sentenced on Friday to at least nine years in prison for manslaughter after feeding her diabetic four-year-old daughter a diet consisting mainly of Mountain Dew. “Tamara Banks pled guilty to manslaughter in March for the death of her daughter, Karmity Hoeb, who died in 2022 of a diabetes-related brain injury,” The New York Post reported. “Banks, 41, often gave the girl bottles of baby formula mixed with the neon-green sugary soda, according to prosecutors, long after she should have been weaned off bottles.” Karmity died at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital due to diabetic ketoacidosis, the Cincinnati Inquirer...

Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi, the six-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest winner, said he is retiring. Kobayashi, 46, revealed the news in the recent Netflix documentary "Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut" as he embarked on a journey to address health concerns. "I hear people say they’re hungry, and they look very happy after they’ve eaten," he said. "I’m jealous of those people because I no longer feel hunger." Kobayashi's wife, Maggie James, said in the film that he can go days without eating food.

Your Memorial Day barbecue will cost upward of 10 percent more than it did this time last year according to Datasembly. Datasembly follows the cost of groceries across the country every week. Its recently released data points to this year's Memorial Day festivities costing the average American family about $30.18 or 10.19% more than 2023. Here is a breakdown of Memorial Day cookout costs, according to Datasembly: Burgers jumped from $7.04 in 2023 to $8.07 in 2024, or a change of 14.63% in cost. Hamburger buns cost two cents more, from $3.04 on average to $3.06. Ketchup costs 10 cents...

Founded in 2020 by National Day Calendar® and Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille in Florida. NATIONAL YUCATÁN SHRIMP DAY | MAY 24 National Yucatán Shrimp Day on May 24th celebrates a dish exploding with flavor. Plump, peel-and-eat shrimp are the centerpiece of this dish, and the flavors remind diners of the sunny summer evenings. #YucatanShrimpDay Shrimp lovers shouldn't miss out on a dish like this. While the Yucatán Peninsula is further south on the Gulf of Mexico, this recipe hails from the waters along Florida's coast. The garlic, butter, and special sauce give it a kick that keeps diners...

Glenn told us we were going to eat bugs, and here we are... If you live anywhere between Texarkana and Chicago, you have likely already seen—or heard—about the 2024 cicada superbrood. This Biblical-scale insect invasion is the result of two cicada broods, Brood XIII and Brood XIX, emerging simultaneously. The last time something like this happened was in 1803. Trillions of cicadas will swarm out of the earth and fill the trees with a chorus of deafening buzzing. It didn't take long for the leftist elites to hop on this opportunity to push Klaus Schwab's dream: "eat the bugs." The...

NATIONAL TAFFY DAY | MAY 23 May 23rd celebrates a mouth-watering confection on National Taffy Day. Taffy candy has been made and sold for many years and has become a favorite souvenir of many vacationers. #NationalTaffyDay Salt water taffy in was invented 1883 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Confectioners make this sweet treat using boiled sugar and butter. They stretch and pull the concoction until it is a chewy consistency that can be rolled and cut. The flavors range from buttery to tart to sweet. There is a flavor for everyone, and it seems like they introduce a new one...

An alligator was spotted in the Rio Grande River in Eagle Pass on Monday, May 20. Eagle Pass Fire Department ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another alligator was spotted along the Rio Grande River. This time, Texas officials encountered the 7 to 8-foot alligator during a training session on the river in Eagle Pass on Monday, May 20, according to a Facebook post from the Eagle Pass Fire Department. The fire department stated the large alligator serves as a friendly reminder that the local wildlife isn't as friendly as the fire team.The department wrote, "Be cautious around the river banks." VIDEO AT LINK.................. During...

Chef Kim Do-yun of one-Michelin-star restaurant Yun Seoul, known for his expertise in noodles and dedication to sourcing ingredients, is proud of being a “weirdo obsessed with ingredients” – a quirky label given to him by his customers. In his restaurant, Kim has a lab-like refrigerated storage space where he keeps over 500 ingredients, labelled by year of production and place of origin – various pickles, dried vegetables, beans, grains, seeds, dried meat and dried fish, some of which have been aged up to seven years. His collection of seeds alone includes some 90 different kinds of sesame and perilla...

Takeru "Kobi" Kobayashi, the six-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, announced he is retiring from competitive eating over concerns of the damage he is doing to his body, he announced in a new film. In "Hack Your Health - The Secrets of Your Gut" on Netflix, Kobayashi expressed concern about the damage his career had on his health, and in particular his brain and his cut. "Ever since I started this career, I've wondered what damage I've done to my body," he said. "I want to know how it is damaging my brain and my nervous system." Kobayashi said...

How far would you go to avoid a rash from a common pest on hikes? Well, one reporter for The Wall Street Journal has gone as far as to blend poison oak into smoothies and mix them into his salad bowl — all in a bid to develop an immunity towards the chemical irritants found in the plant's leaves. Jeff Horwitz, who usually reports on technology, wrote about his slightly mad mission for a feature article in the Saturday newspaper. "I started eating poison oak in January, when the first buds began to swell on the hazardous plant’s bare stems,"...