TXEB - If you have the right technique, you can compost entire cows with little to no odor. The Montana highway department composts road-killed elk and deer, and many chicken farms compost the culled birds. They bury the animals in sawdust, roughly one layer of corpses and one layer of equal depth of sawdust or other highly absorbent low-N material. However, most home compost heaps are not large enough and don't have enough "browns" to do a good job. You end up with putrefaction instead of composting. And the vermin problem is increased. Hence the recommendation to not do it is based on the difficulty of doing it in a non-stinky manner, not because the materials are inherently difficult to compost. High-fat materials compost slowly, very slowly, unless mixed into something that can absorb and dilute the fats, spreading them out so the microbes can get at them.

DH & I spent 6 years together only on weekends. We had an apartment in NY where he stayed during the week & I stayed in Mystic. Only sometimes would I spend a couple weeks in NY. I cooked in Mystic & froze individual servings of entrees, sides, desserts, & snacks. DH would transport via our huge boat ice chest every week. I cooked for us both on the weekends. I, OTOH, had the same opportunity to eat great POOF'd meals but rather just grabbed a carton of yogurt, a spoonful of peanut butter, or a slice of cheese & piece of fruit calling it "dinner". I didn't follow a schedule...usually ate when I realized I'd had nothing for the day. I didn't care enough about eating to even bother getting something from the freezer & walking it to the nuker. Just didn't have an appetite. But I loved cooking to fill the freezer for DH. He ate very well. I love cooking more than I love eating. Now, he's retired & we're both in Mystic. Suddenly, I'm ravenous! Now granted, the steroids I have to take now have something to do with it but it's a lot more...it's having DH here to share a meal. There's no doubt in my mind that if I were permanently alone I wouldn't bother with much cooking. I enjoy good food but (pre-spinal injury/stroke) I'd likely be involved with my piano, gardening, or painting/drawing & just never think much about eating. When I'm deeply involved in something food doesn't occur to me. DH, OTOH, wants 3 meals/day & gets grouchy if he misses one. :) Bottom line, I enjoy cooking for others but would rarely (if ever) do much for just myself. Another thing, after I've prepared a huge family holiday meal I then don't want to eat. I either don't eat at all or just pick at a small plate. Then, hours later I'll fix myself leftovers (love leftovers!). When the kids were all home it was frequently the same thing. After fixing a big family dinner I didn't want to eat. So, I'd fix something light, or leftovers again, after the kids were down. After cooking a big meal I'm just not hungry anymore. I could definitely work as a chef & not gain a single pound. Being around all that food...I'd never be hungry. /tricia

The soup lakemayor mentioned (thanks!) was mine, I think: Spicy Tomato-Vegetable Soup with Quinoa 2 T extra virgin olive oil One large onion 3 Celery stalks 1 Medium carrot 1 1/2 C Cabbage 2-4 Garlic cloves 1 14.5 oz can tomatoes, with juice 1 lb. fresh tomatoes 5 14.5 oz cans chicken stock OR the equivalent amount of home made chicken stock or chicken stock made from store bought chicken base, not boullion. 1 can water 1 serrano pepper, sliced in half the long way 2 t dried leaf oregano 1/4 dried leaf thyme 1 T dried leaf basil 1/4 t black pepper 1/2 C Quinoa* Thinly sliced green onions for garnish. Dice all vegetables into 1/4 inch pieces...if you use pre-diced canned tomatoes, they will likely need to be cut smaller as well. Heat a heavy-bottomed, 6 Qt saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, and when it becomes fragrant, add the onions, celery and carrot. Saute until the onion becomes translucent, then add the rest of the ingredients except for the Cabbage and Quinoa. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Bring 2 quarts of water to boil in another pan, and add the Quinoa. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat just enough to prevent it boiling over. Boil the Quinoa for 10 minutes, then drain and rinse in a fine mesh sieve. Add the Quinoa to the soup and simmer another 15 minutes. Add cabbage, bring soup to a slow boil for 5 minutes and turn off heat. At this point, the soup can be served, but the flavor will improve greatly if the soup is allowed to sit at least until it is cool before reheating to serve, and if it sits for several hours or overnight, all the better! Remove the serrano chili halves before serving and sprinkle soup with sliced green onions for garnish. Yield: Appx. 14, one-cup servings *If you cannot find Quinoa at the grocery store, it can often be purchased in health food stores. Rice may be substituted, but the flavor and texture will be different. I have found that Quinoa is a good pilaf ingredient as well. Half rice of your choice, half Quinoa, and use your favorite pilaf recipe. One thing is to be careful you don't overcook it in too much liquid because it can get quite sticky & mushy. A little too much, and you can spread it out in a pan underneath a fan and dry it out a little to save it. A lot too much, and you might just as well throw it into a soup or stew or eat it as porridge. Something to experiment with is toasting it in a heavy pan (dry) before cooking. It gives it a nutty flavor. I often toast half and leave the other half untoasted when I make a pilaf. The same can be done with millet, another under appreciated grain.

This might be a start.... From the New McDougall Cookbook, Quinoa Salad, serves 8-10 Rinse 1 ½ c. quinoa, place in pot with 3 cups water. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat, simmer about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Combine in bowl, chopped: 1 green pepper, 1 red bell pepper, ¼ c. scallions, ¼ c. red onioin, ¼ c. herb of choice (dill, cilantro, or parsley). Add the cook quinoa, toss gently, add dressing of choice, cover and chill at least 2 hours. Dressing suggestions: Honey-Vinegar Dressing Shake well in jar: ¼ c. balsamic vinegar ¼ c. rice vinegar 2 ½ T. honey 1 ½ T. Dijon mustard pepper to taste Savory Salad Dressing Shake well in jar: 1 t. Dijon mustard ¼ c. red wine vinegar ¼ c. water ¼ c. soy sauce Tabasco to taste