Very good advise! I did want to mention one thing though, if you find a tiny baby squirrel out of a tree, it IS because something has happened to the Mom, baby squirrels will seek out help when they are starving and cold, we were able to save 3 of 4 last year,found the last one still up in the nest screaming for help, one other had already died in the nest. (of course they went to a rehabber) All 3 were able to be released when they were old enough. Those rehabbers are very special people and very rarley get any recognition. If you have a need for one, please make a donation, I know the ones I use here pay for everything they need to care for the animals needs from their own pocket!!!!! Lisa

My experience doesn't match msazadi's. I know vegetarians who are foodies. One is in my kitchen at the moment making cornbread. Two nights ago he made ravioli with a citrus sauce. For Thanksgiving, the meat eaters amongst us went to my DIL's sisters house for turkey lunch. In the evening we hosted a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal. My DS invited an fellow grad student and her room mate (both Indian and vegetarian). We wanted to make something they would like without doing Indian food. This Tunisian Chickpea Soup from Olive Trees and Honey went over well. Spicy enough to be familiar to them without attempting to be Indian. 1/4 c olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 3 carrots, chopped 1 small (~10 oz) celery root, peeled and chopped or 2 stalks celery chopped 2-4 cloves garlic minced ~ 10 c water 1 lb (2 1/3 c) dried soaked chick peas 2 bay leaves 1 tbsp cumin seeds or 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 to 2 tbsp harissa or 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp salt or 2 tsp kosher salt ground black pepper 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro, mint or parsley 2 to 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice or 1 c plain yogurt 3 to 4 c french bread cubes or pita bread (optional) (I didn't) 3 to 4 c French bread cubes or pita bread In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic and saute until softened, ~ 10 min Add water, chick peas and bay leaves. Boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer until tender, ~ 1 1/2 hours Toast cumin seeds (if using) in a dry skillet until lightly browned - shake or stir - don't burn them. Grind. Add cumin, harissa or cayenne, salt and pepper to soup. Cover and simmer 15 min. Discard bay leaves. Coarsely mash the chick pease a bit with a wood spoon, potato masher or stick blender. Can be stored in fridge and reheated for serving. Add the cilantro and lemon juice and heat through before serving. If desired, add 1/2 cup bread pieces to each bowl and ladle soup over. Drizzle with olive oil. (We were having falafal and pita bread after plus I made cranberry walnut whole wheat bread so we didn't do bread in the soup bowls. I didn't drizzle the oil and it was fine.) Moroccan variation in case you have non-spicy types - omit cumin and harissa. After mashing the chick peas, add 2 lb stemmed chopped spinach or chard or frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry and the lemon juice, cover and simmer 2 to 4 min. Home made pita and falafel were great but not low effort. About half the falafel recipes used soaked and ground chick peas. The other half used soaked, cooked and mashed chick peas. I did a half batch each way - the ones using soaked and ground but not pre-cooked chick peas came out much better - very good flavor and texture. Sephardic Leek and Cheese Casserole also from Olive Trees and Honey - a very good book if you want to expand your vegetarian repertoire - is good and pretty easy. It reheats well so you could make it ahead. Too late for Jessy I'm afraid. 1/4 c olive oil 3 lb leeks ( 1 1/2 lb if you do the zucchini varient), white and light green parts only cut into thin lengthwise slices and washed 1 large onion chopped (optional - I've always used it) 1 c water 2 cups (~1 lb) grated zucchini 2 tsp salt or 4 tsp kosher salt 1 cup (5 oz) crumbled feta or 1 c (8 oz) farmer or pot or 1 c grated kefalotyri or Parmesan cheese or a combination (I've always done the feta) 1 c shreded kashkaval, Goueda, Muenster or Cheddar (did this the first time and thought it didn't add much - other times I've done just the feta) 5 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 tbsp olive oil ground black pepper to taste or 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/4 c chopped fresh dill or 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (optional) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and oil a 9 " square or 8 by 11 inch baking dish or two 9-inch pie plates. In a large sauce pan (she must have really large sauce pans - I use a small soup pot), heat oil over medium heat. Saute leeks and onion until softened. Add water, zucchini if using, 1 1/2 tsp salt or 3 tsp kosher salt, cover and simmer until leeks are tender (about 15 min). Drain Combine cheeses, eggs, remaining salt, pepper and dill or nutmeg. Add leek mixture. Put in baking dish. Bake until set and golden brown, about 50 minutes. Variant - you can leave out the cheese msazadi and cook 2 lb peeled, diced russet potatoes with the leeks. Kind of mash it after the draining step. I usually still put in the feta or you can put in 1/2 c Parmesan cheese. Really fancy and a good side dish for the meat eaters would be a nice Biryani. I have made one with cashews and pistachios in the top layer of rice but it was more work. There are some simpler ones on line.

That's how I taught myself, BWB first, then made chicken stock. I bought my all american on sale around thanksgiving. It's made like a tank! I am going to have to tweak my process since I am switching to Induction. I haven't checked to see if it's compatible yet. I have a thunder range for back up cooking during hurricane season. It would work on that plus be outside so the house would stay cooler, too. I guess before you buy, think how much you will use it. Canning requires prep space and uninterrupted time and storage plus commitment. You can always upgrade your equipment later. I made pickles a couple of years ago. That's just BWB but a local store had Kirby's and I bought a bushel. That took a couple of days to work through. I have done tomatoes for sauce. That's pretty intensive but Delish!!!! So there's the kitchen clutter plus cooling space and prep space. You just need to evaluate your situation then plan accordingly so you are successful! Pre planning prevents poor performance. Right now all I have canned is chicken, chicken stock, ham, beans. I haven't put anything up in 4 months because of the renovation. I haven't learned jams and jellies yet. Maybe next year. What claims are you speaking about Dave? I don't know about this.

I think my border collie/retriever mix knows we are talking about treats. She is laying near my chair and looking up with great hope in her eyes. This one was apparently dumped and was starving when we got her. She has never gotten past it. Guess I'll go grab her a carrot. Fori -- I love the Brussels sprout stalk image! The dog we still have loves watermelon and one time the boys gave her the "bowl" from the end to see what she would do with it. She carried it so proudly and tried to figure out how to get some of the remaining fruit, but mostly she carried it and licked it. She wanted to bring it inside to her protected spot, but that didn't happen. LOL