The Official Chat Thread - Part 3

[Stravinsk]

It's sort of sad to see local businesses go out of business when big corporate chains come in. I could see it coming when the McDonalds came in. A local fish and chip shop in the area for years couldn't compete and closed up shop within about a year of McD's moving into the immediate area. Not that I was particularly fond this shop (or the opposite - neutral really) - but they didn't have the business model to feed a lot of people fast, and McDonalds (especially with their drive through), does.

I have on occasion, since becoming vegan, stopped at McD's for either their fries or hashbrowns when I'm on the go. The other day I purposely went for their fries, even though I had some homemade frozen ones that would have taken me only a little time to steam - I decided I wanted to BUY my fries. I honestly cannot give a good logical reason for that. Eating my own would have been way cheaper and more healthy, but I just wanted to buy them instead.

My sense of smell has gone bonkers since giving up animal products (and getting a fairly substantial amount of protein and minerals from soaked/sprouted grain/nut/seed products), and the other day I noticed my stool smelled. This is unusual because since about 4-5 days of going completely animal free (except for honey at the time) my movements stopped stinking. I was probably 70% before that point so things were mostly clear but after going 100% I noticed this change from stinky to non stinky. So the stink was the exception.

I looked up McD's fries, which I had just the other day, along with some Burger King fries. The McD's fries are not Vegan. They contain milk derivatives. Yes, that's right - McDonald's cannot even make a bloody animal free french fry.

I never really liked the addition of McD's in my area, although I have gone there on occasion, as a meat eater when I was one, and as a new vegan for the fries or hashbrowns. Now I have another reason not to support them. If you cannot make an animal free french fry - you do not deserve my business. You should suffer and die a horrible death and go out of business.

That's not going to happen, but at least I will not be contributing to it any longer with this revelation.

 

[Lamb]

Different countries make McDonald's fries in different ways. The Canadian stores don't have meat or milk derivatives but the US ones do:
Canada:
Potatoes, canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, safflower oil, natural flavour (vegetable source), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain colour), citric acid (preservative), dimethylpolysiloxane (anti-foaming agent), cooked in vegetable oil (canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, citric acid, dimethylpolysiloxane)

US:
Ingredients: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [Wheat and Milk Derivatives]*), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (Maintain Color), Salt. *Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients.

 

[Stravinsk]

Thanks, Lam. I looked up McD's for Australia specifically and it says the fries are dairy free. However my nose is saying there is something funky with what I ate after going to the toilet in the last day or so, and going to McD's and Burger King ("Hungry Jacks" here in Victoria) for their fries is the only thing that's changed.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Thanks, Lam. I looked up McD's for Australia specifically and it says the fries are dairy free. However my nose is saying there is something funky with what I ate after going to the toilet in the last day or so, and going to McD's and Burger King ("Hungry Jacks" here in Victoria) for their fries is the only thing that's changed.

Could be the higher than normal fat content of a meal with chips.

 

[Stravinsk]

Could be the higher than normal fat content of a meal with chips.

I only got the chips, nothing else.

 

[MoreCoffee]

I only got the chips, nothing else.

There's a lot of fat in McDonald's fries and also in Hungry Jack's fries.

 

[Lamb]

McDonald's fries used to taste so good back in the 1970s and 80s. But now they're really awful.

 

[MoreCoffee]

McDonald's fries used to taste so good back in the 1970s and 80s. But now they're really awful.

I buy frozen chips, they don't need to be deep fried even if the package says they do. I cook them in my oven. They turn out very well and they are fairly cheap. $2 for a one Kg bag of frozen chips.

 

[Stravinsk]

Could be the higher than normal fat content of a meal with chips.

I only got the chips, nothing else.

There's a lot of fat in McDonald's fries and also in Hungry Jack's fries.

Yes, I am aware of that. Non-animal fats (unless they are off) don't make stools stink. I have cooked potatoes at oil in home, in vegetable based oils, and they don't have an added rank odor when they pass through.

I clarified with my "I only got the chips, nothing else" statement because you apparently didn't understand the point of my original post when you said "a meal with chips". I didn't have a meal with chips, I only had the chips.

Maybe it's the sulfites added to the chips, I don't know. What I do know is that after having 2 large servings of *just chips* from 2 different fast food places, it passed through and stunk as it came out. Vegetable fat doesn't account for that. Sulfites, perhaps. Or the public information isn't correct and the chips have animal derivatives in them.

 

[Ruth]

Hi there everyone!

 

[psalms 91]

Hello Ruth!

 

[Stravinsk]

Meh. Irritating when I see that confused.

If one reads Leviticus 23 verses 15 and 16 carefully, there are 2 counts.

1st count starts on the morrow after the sabbath at harvest. Count duration - 7 sabbaths
2nd count starts on the morrow after the 7th sabbath. Count duration - 50 days.

That's what it says. Two counts, not one.

"But but...7 sabbaths is exactly 49 days, and the morrow after = 50!!"

Even if that were true, there are still 2 counts and places to start those counts.

It is also worth noting that the harvest period is most likely autumn, not spring. Exodus 23:16. Passover, however, is a spring festival.

 

[Lamb]

We already past one month of 2018. Time flies?

 

[NewCreation435]

I am so ready for spring and warmer weather. This has been a brutal winter

 

[Lamb]

I am so ready for spring and warmer weather. This has been a brutal winter

I think where I live the the winter was pretty mild. I'm so used to Chicago weathers that it takes a lot for me to say that it's bad. Today though we were supposed to get rain but it was snow and now it's a mix so it's no fun outside. I'm staying in all day!

 

[NewCreation435]

I think where I live the the winter was pretty mild. I'm so used to Chicago weathers that it takes a lot for me to say that it's bad. Today though we were supposed to get rain but it was snow and now it's a mix so it's no fun outside. I'm staying in all day!

it is now just raining here, but still fairly close to freezing outside. I'm wondering what this will do tonight and if it will cause any black ice in morning or delays in schools opening

 

[psalms 91]

We have three inchs down so far

 

[Lamb]

I don't know how much snow/ice/rain we got but it's been going all day and the trees are covered in ice!

 

[Stravinsk]

Tried a veggie burger from Hungry Jacks (Burger King everywhere else but Victoria) today. I ordered it without cheese or mayo so it was vegan.

It actually was quite tasty, though the meal was way too expensive. The overall labor and materials used to make plant based burgers doesn't come close to price charged compared to those of animal origin, even after post expense profit is considered. But props to the company for at least trying. Charge less and I may buy another one in future.

 

[Romanos]

Good afternoon!