From A Kid's Point of View!

My daughter wanted to let everyone out there on the Internet know why she loves being vegan.  First, she says that it is awesome.  There are a lot of good choices for things to eat.  Her favorites are baked corn, vegan "pigs in a blanket" (made with veggie dogs), and Tofurkey.  She says that being vegan makes her feel good.  She knows that being vegan helps the animals and keeps her healthy.  She says that it is cool that being vegan helps the environment, too.  She says that her friends at school do not make fun of her and they do not really ask a lot of questions.  It's just something she does, just like the peanut-free people.  So, take it from a seven-year-old, being vegan is cool on the elementary school scene, yo!

Stuffing or Dressing or Whatever you like Recipe

I am making a Thanksgiving meal for my family tomorrow and right after the Tofurkey I want stuffing.  Not complicated stuffing, good old stuffing the way my Nana used to make it.  SIMPLE, folks!  So I Googled many stuffing recipes and was very disappointed because some of them had 20 ingredients and about 30 steps.  I do not have the patience for this, I have too much to do!  So here it is, another recipe from Nana, veganized!
Easy Bread Stuffing

• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped celery
• A bag or two of stuffing bread cubes
• A few tsp. Earth Balance
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 Tbsp chopped sage (I used dried and ground sage from my garden)
• 1 cup vegetable broth (don't use water, it will just not be the same)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Use the butter to saute the onions and celery for a few minutes until they are tender.  Put everything but the butter and the veggie broth in a big bowl.  Stir it up (little darlin', lol).  Add some broth.  Stir.  Add a little more.  Stir.  Keep doing this until your broth is gone and your bread is kind of soggy but not too much (I SAID STIR, haha).  Now dump it all in a baking pan (like a 9x11 cake pan) and bake for 25030 minutes.  Enjoy, it will be YUMMY with vegetarian gravy!

Vegan Potluck Extravaganza!

We went to the Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary's "Thanksgiving with the Turkeys" last weekend and it was amazing.  The Washington Post had run an article about the event, so a LOT more people showed than I thought would.  The folks at the sanctuary said that there were close to 1,000 participants which was fine by me because there was so much food!!!  Seriously!  The lines were long but we skipped out on watching the turkeys eat so that we could get great spots in one of the FOUR lines.  We had a wonderful time and will certainly be coming back for more next year. The highlights of the event for me were the desserts and just being around SO many other compassionate people.  I hope that your Thanksgiving is just as wonderful, really!  Here are some photos of the event:

 

Baked Corn

This is the veganized version of my grandmother's baked corn that I ate all the time when I was growing up.  It is very, very good, perfect with Tofurkey and roasted butternut squash!  Better triple the recipe, this one rocks!

Nana's Baked Corn

• 1 can of cream-style corn
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• Egg replacer for two eggs
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup Earth Balance, melted
• Ritz-style crackers, crumbled

Mix all the ingredients together except for the Earth Balance and the crackers.  Beat the egg replaces till it is foamy before adding it to the mixture.  Pour into a glass baking dish.  I always triple the recipe, so I use a 9x11 dish, but for just a single you only need a 9x9 or similar.  Crumble the crackers and sprinkle generously over the entire mixture and then pour the melted Earth Balance over that.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.  Let cool a bit before serving.  Enjoy, I know I do! 

Thanksgiving with the Turkeys

Last April we went to the Poplar Springs Animal Sanctuary to visit the animals and learn more about what they do there.  Check the April/May posts for details on that trip.  I also ran in their "Run for the Animals" and a good time was had by all.  Now that it is almost Thanksgiving, we are putting November 20th on our calendars because it is the annual Thanksgiving with the Turkeys event at Poplar Springs.  It is a GIGANTIC VEGAN POTLUCK.  Yes, folks, I said a GIGANTIC VEGAN POTLUCK!!!  That is exciting, because we love to eat.  Come dine with the animals instead of on them!  I am also excited because it is a way for vegans from Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania to get together and interact.  I always love to meet other vegans because we are such a happy bunch of people.  AND my kids love running around the sanctuary which is basically a farm where the animals never die.  They ask that everyone bring a VEGAN dish that will serve 8 people and a $10.00 donation is suggested to help offset the cost of care for the animals.  Find out more at http://www.animalsanctuary.org/events/index.html.

Grown-Up Beverages

If you enjoy a grown-up beverage once in a while like I do, you need to make sure your drink is vegan-friendly!  What's this you say?  Not all drinks are vegan?  Sadly, no, they are not [sniff!].  Many breweries and wineries use animal products in the recipe, and then they filter with things like egg whites, seashells (can we say ewww!?!?!), and other gross stuff.  That makes me sad.  Therefore, you want to be a little choosy with your beverage, depending on how much you have already had (can we say TOO MUCH!?!?).  OK, it's date night ( let's yell YAY!!!) and you and the better half or just you (you know you are your OWN better half, wink, wink) are at an adult establishment and want to order a beverage.  You have done your homework and gone to the following website: http://barnivore.com/.  So NOW you can order up something that will get you in that "weekend state of mind" before you start laundry and chores first thing in the morning (c'mon, you know you do it).  My personal fave in the beer department is Pabst Blue Ribbon.  It is readily available, tasty, and not too over-bearing as far as taste goes.  I suggest checking ahead on wines...I was very dissapointed that some of my favorite wines were not vegan.  So enjoy your evening, drink responsibly (translation: find a DD), and make all of your drinks vegan-friendly!

It's World Go Vegan Week, October 24-31!!!  In celebration of the vegan lifestyle, go to http://www.worldgoveganweek.org/ and take the vegan pledge.  "A plant-based diet not only improves your health, it significantly reduces your carbon footprint and preserves resources for future generations".  My family has been vegan for over three years now and we have never been happier or healthier.  My kids are proud of their veganism, and let other people know without having to be prompted to do so!!  They are "protectors of the animals and a friend to all living things"... superheroes.  Be a superhero and give veganism a try for at least a portion of the time.  If you need tips and ideas for meals and more, scroll back through the posts here at Vegan Family Values!

COK's Subway Campaign

Compassion Over Killing is one of my favorite animal rights groups, and they have come up with a great idea!  Whether you are concerned about animal rights or not, vegans and vegetarians alike might be thrilled to have Tofurkey slices or something like them available for the Veggie Delight sub.  If this is something that you are interested in, go to their website and leave a comment...the more the better.  I spoke with a few members of COK at the Green Festival this year and they were excited about the campaign.  Even if you are perfectly happy having the Veggie Delight sub without the slices, leave a comment in support of those of us who would LOVE it!!!!  Go to http://www.welovesubway.com/ and check it out!

Green Festival 2010: Sunrise Catering

We made our annual trip to the Green Festival is Washington, D.C. yesterday and it was great!  We always learn something new, see lots of great people, and eat some good vegan food!  It's one meal that I look forward to all year long (well, that and Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, my birthday, everyone else's birthdays...alright, I just love to eat!).  My perennial favorite is the food cooked by Sunrise Catering out of D.C.  They do an amazing job making sure that they offer a lot of variety and they do not substitute quality for quantity.  They rock.  The whole menu is vegan and vegetarian.  Entrees include roti, BBQ "steak", "shrimp" and veggies, and more.  It's the sides that always get me.  They offer mac and "cheese", veggie rice, peas and rice, cabbage, greens (amazing, seasoned, and fresh), fried plantains, curried potatoes and chick peas, broccoli tempura, veggie rolls, and pumpkin.  The prices were vaer reasonable and the service was good.  So if you are in the D.C. metroplitan area and need a good vegan caterer, these guys will FILL YOU UP!  Their website is www.sunrisecatering.vpweb.com and their mantra is "Eat to live, don't live to eat - let your food be your medicine"!

Another New Favorite: Philly-Style Vegan CheeseSteak Subs

 It didn't really take much...some Daiya mozzerella cheese, Tofurkey Philly Steak Style slices, some sauteed peppers and onions and mushrooms (cause I love mushrooms), some hoagie rolls, and a little vegan mayo.  Our veganized Philly Cheese-Steak Subs were awesome and I could have eaten more but I was so stuffed!  By the way, I didn't want anyone to think that Tofurkey was giving us money or anything, we just really like their products.  I wish I had time to cook more because I love to cook, but most weeknights we are in a bit of a rush (translation: we are CRAZY busy!).  Tofurkey products make creating a wholesome, semi-homecooked meal for my family possible!

Indian Naan

One of the parents at the school where I teach surprised me with a homemade vegan Indian-Style dish to share with my family.  On my way home I was trying to decide what to serve with it and I finally decided on curried vegetables and homemade vegan Naan, an Indian-style flatbread.  Often when we go to Indian eateries, I see Naan and would love to have some, but it typically has Ghee (butter) in it.  Here is a great recipe for your own homemade vegan version of this terrific bread!
Vegan Naan
Ingredients:

    1 - .25 ounce package active dry yeast
    1 cup warm water
    1/4 cup sugar
    3 tablespoons soymilk
    1 egg replacer, beaten
    2 teaspoons salt
    4 1/2 cups bread flour
    1 teaspoon minced garlic
    Margarine and/or oil
Procedure:
1) In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes.  It will look frothy. Add and Stir sugar, soy milk, egg replacer, and salt.
2) Add enough flour to make a soft dough. I drop in 1/2 cup at a time and stir/mix until doughy.  Knead for 1-2 minutes on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise for at least 1 hour.
3) Push down dough, and knead in garlic slowly. Make sure garlic is spread throughout and not concentrated into one area. Pinch off small handfuls of dough and roll into 2 inch diameter balls.  Place on a cookie sheet or other tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise for 30 minutes.
4) Heat a griddle on the stove top at medium heat.  Make sure to lightly oil griddle between each Naan.  (I use cooking spray.)
5) Roll one ball of dough out into a thin elongated circle/oval with rolling pin. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Flip and cook another 2 to 4 minutes. The air bubbles that form in the dough while cooking should be the dark browned parts of the naan.  Don't press bread down to cook through.  Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.
Makes: 12 to 16 naans, Preparation time: 1 hour 45 minutes, Cooking time: 30 minutes
Be sure to check out VegWeb.com for other great recipes!

PawFest 2010

 Last month Dale and I set up the New Leaf Vegan Society tent at Paw Fest in Winchester, VA.  The event was held to raise money for the local SPCA.  They were great to let us set up and pass out vegan goodies for everyone to try!  We had a great turnout and gave away 6 different kinds of baked goods and multiple varieties of plant milk.  Yummm...I sampled quite a bit!  It was great to be around so many animal lovers and we all had a great time!

Stuff We Love: Tofurkey Pizza!

 After seeing the ads for Tofurkey Pizza in VegNews Magazine, we finally got our hands on a few of them!   I have to say, it is by far the best vegan pizza that I have had yet.  I am a big Amy's brand fan, but this pizza rocks the house.  The toppings are, of course, by Turtle Island Foods.  So if you love anything Tofurkey, this is a no-brainer.  The cheese, interestingly enough, is by Daiya.  Daiya makes a vegan cheese that is not only great-tasting, but has the texture of real melted cheese.  Cheese was very hard for me to let go of when I made the transition from vegetarian to vegan, so this was a great treat for me.  I can get bags of shredded Daiya mozzarella and cheddar at the grocery store, so I added  extra cheese.  Where can you get Tofurkey Pizzas?  We got ours from the My Organic Market, but there are other sources as well.  Just use your favorite search engine and look it up.  The "pepperoni" was a big hit with the kids, and my husband and I preferred the italian sausage and fire-roasted veggie pizza.

Mouthwatering Brownies

We just finished tabling at the SPCA PawFest and I have not had enough time to download pictures, but I wanted to make sure that I added this brownie recipe that was such a big hit.  We were honored to bring such great vegan treats to a new event!  Here is the recipe, and I will add pictures and more details a little later.  Right now I am worn out!  This one we modified from the deluxe cocoa Brownies in Vegan Cookies Take Over Your Cookie Jar!

Deluxe Orange Cocoa Brownies

Ingredients: 3 ounces of firm silken tofu like Mori-Nu (1/4 of the package)

                  1/4 cup of non-dairy milk (like soy or rice)

                   1/2 cup of canola oil

                  1 cup of sugar

                   2 teaspoons of vanilla

                   1 cup od flour

                   1.2 cuo of unsweetened cocoa powder

                   1 Tablespoon of cornstarch

                   1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

                   1/2 teaspoon salt

                    Zest of 1 orange and a teasppon of orange extract

1. Preheat the oven to325 degrees F.  Line an 8 x 8 inch brownie pan with parchment paper; it should cover the bottom as well as curve up and cover the sides.

2.  Puree the tofu, nondairy milk, and oil in a blender until smooth and fluffy. 

3.  Transfer the tofu mixture to a mixing bowl.  Us a fork to mix in the sugar.  Add vanilla.

4.  Sift the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.  Us the spatula to fold and mix the batter until smooth.  Transfer the batter to the pan and then smooth out.  

Cook for 10-12 minutes!!

 

Back to School!

Yeah, back to school!  My house is cleaner already!  Seriously, I love my kids, but they are so creative that they just cannot help leaving disaster in their paths wherever they go!  So now they are back to class, my youngest started Kindergarten and my daughter is in 2nd grade.  "So what do they do for lunch?" you are, of course, wondering.  Well, when it comes to lunch, one word comes to mind: PACK!  I do not let my kids buy lunch, it is very unregulated.  I usually start with a sandwich, as they both love sandwiches.  Peanut Butter and Jelly or soy cheese and vegan mayo are their favorites, although sometimes I buy Tofurkey slices (faux turkey lunch meat) or make seitan to add.  Occasionally I will mix things up by giving them peanut butter crackers or Tofutti cream cheese and jelly crackers.  I cannot send things that need to be heated.  I give each of them a half of a sandwich.  Then I will follow that with two other choices: fruit or a fruit cup and something like veggie chips, teddy grahams, trail mix, or the like.  I also started buying Capri Sun flavored water pouches to avoid all the calories that come with juice.  They like them a lot.  Throw in a napkin and a wet wipe, and that's lunch.  You, of course, can get more creative than that if you are packing your own lunch or your kids' lunch.  Look around the grocery store and find bulk items that you can divide into individual pouches for quick access.  Anyway you look at it, packing is the best option because you KNOW what is in it!

New Family Member!

My husband and I decided this year that we did not want to have any more kids. We thought about it LONG and hard, believe me!  It just was not the right choice for us.  Our two beautiful children fill our lives with so much happiness, and we are blessed, but we reasoned that we have each "reproduced ourselves once.  So when we are gone, we will not be contributing to overpopulation.  Plus, our whole lives revolve around having two kids!!!!  What I have ALWAYS wanted, though, is a miniature potbellied pig.  So my husband took me and the kids out to visit a farm that had a litter of piglets that they could not keep.  And we left with one!!  I have to say, he is a wonderful pet, although it is a lot like having a puppy.  This might be a true testament to the vegan lifestyle, though.  We talked to the kids about befriending and loving a creature that most people just think of a "bacon".  I will give updates on the progress of our little Oliver, cause he is just so darn cute!!!

Comfort Foods: "Chicken" and Dumplings

Ever since we went vegan three years ago, there are certain foods that we crave because they were always associated with people or places or experiences.  For my husband, one of those was his grandmother's "pot pie", or in my family, chicken and dumplings.  So I decided to try out a vegan version and it was so good we all ate till we were about to pop.  I have been in the mood for autumn lately, so since it was a rainy day and kind of cool, I served it in big bowls and made wassail to drink with it.  The house smelled fantastic!  I got this recipe from www.vegcooking.com.
For the Dumplings:
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) margarine (I use Earth Balance)
3/4 cup soy milk
For the Soup:
1/2 stick (4 Tbsp.) margarine
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
8 cups vegetable broth (I used the broth from the seitan that I made)
2 medium carrots, diced
1 lb. faux chicken, torn into small pieces (I made some seitan earlier)
1 bay leaf
I also added mushrooms because I like them!
Procedure:
• Combine the dry ingredients for the dumplings in a bowl.
• Mix the margarine with the dry mixture until crumbly. Add the soy milk, stirring until moistened. Add more soy milk, as needed, if the mixture is too dry.
• Knead the dough for 30 seconds on a well-floured surface, then roll to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into 1/2-inch squares.
• Place the margarine, onion, and celery for the soup in a large saucepan and sauté until the vegetables are soft.
• Add the flour, salt, and pepper to make a thick paste. Slowly mix in the broth and bring to a boil.
• Add the carrots, faux chicken, and bay leaf.
• Add the dumpling squares one at a time, stirring gently. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Serve hot.

Got Milk (Alternatives)?

I was just talking to my friend Dale from New Leaf Vegan Society about tabling at the upcoming Watermelon Park Music Festival and she mentioned that it might be a good idea to have folks sample a variety of plant-based milks.  And then I realized that I had never blogged about this subject before.  It's about time!  Many people have told me that they could never "give up milk".  Puhshaw!  There is no need to give up that quintessential cookie partner.  Just be sure to use plant-based milks instead of those that come from animals.  Most are available at your grocery store.  First of all, there is soy milk, which many think is what you HAVE to drink if you give up cow milk.  For me, I think it is too thick and creamy and kind of tastes like beans.  I never drink it by itself.  BUT I always use soy milk for baking and cooking.  We typically have rice milk at our house.  I love it because it is affordable, comes in a larger container, and is nice and light.  My kids love it, too, especially on cereal or with cookies!  But if you cannot stomach either rice or soy milk, might I suggest (DEEP breath...ready for this?) milk made from ... whole grains, barley, oats, quinoa, lupins, peas, peanuts, almonds, cashews, coconuts, hazelnuts, hemp, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds!  Why do we drink cow milk again!?!?  Not because there is nothing else, for certain!  Not because it is a good source of calcium (the excessive protein in milk actually leeches calcium from our bones, counteracting the calcium they have to ADD to cow milk) or Vitamins (they have to add them in the factory after pasteurization).  Not because it is the "natural" thing to do (last time I checked, I am not a baby cow or goat...the milk industry is very harmful to animals by forcing them stay pregnant perpetually).  My theory is that it is just something that people have been doing for so long that they cannot imagine drinking something different.  Truth is, plant based milks are so good for you and they taste better than ever.  Dip an Oreo in a glass of chocolate rice milk today!!

Peanut Butter Conundrum

Ever since my 5 year old's tantrum over peanut butter at the Little Grill, I have been asking myself this question, "Should I switch to natural peanut butter or just leave well-enough alone?"  Natural peanut butter sounds so wholesome, but it just doesn't have the flavor and consistency of the commercially prepared varieties.  As far as I can tell, when I looked up peanut butter on Wikipedia, the main problem with commercial peanut butters is the amount of saturated and trans fats they contain, as well as preservatives.  Also, they put a lot of sugar in commercial varieties, and I think that is the main problem with my son.  He LIKES sweet peanut butter, and the natural stuff is a little reminiscent of paste...like, school paste.  Not gonna lie, if you have been eating the sweet stuff, eating the natural stuff is pretty shocking.  I think at this point in time, for us it is a matter of taste.  We try to eat healthfully, so I am going to maintain that sugar in peanut butter is not such a bad thing as long as you balance it with good choices like natural jams and whole wheat bread and do not make it a daily thing.  You have to make that choice for yourself, I am not advocating one or the other for anyone but my own kids.  I just wanted to pass on these thoughts and hopefully it will inspire someone!  A few commercial companies are jumping on the "natural" bandwagon, though.  Supposedly Jiff makes a natural peanut butter that is healthier and tastes very similar to the original. 

Brown Thumb? No Time?

So we love to garden...it is something that we enjoy and it has become a tradition that our family shares every year.  I have to say that I have a lot of friends that tell me that they would eat more fruits and veggies but they don't have the time or expertise to garden the way that we do.  WHAT!?!?!?  That's cool if you don't have time or the ability to grow stuff...heck, we all have our own talents and gifts, and gardening is not for everyone.  But please don't let be a reason why you are not eating plenty of fruits and veggies!  Check out your local farm market.  If you are living in or near Virginia, make that marketS (emphasis on the S), because if you seek them out, they will appear!  They are like peas on the vine...even when you think you have picked out the last one, another pops up when you least expect it!  It is like that all over the country, though.  TONS of lovely produce is right there at your fingertips.  It has that yummy home-grown flavor and you don't have to get your hands dirty or give up what few hours a day you have for free time.  An added bonus is that you will be supporting your local farmers and helping out the economy for your community.  I just went to the farmer's market last night, as we did not have enough room to plant sweet corn and I had a craving (fancy that!).  So make the most of the BEST that summer has to offer and load up on farm-fresh goodness till the frost sets in!

The Common Market

The other day we made one of our trips to the Common Market in Frederick, MD.  We love, love, love it there, and usually go as a family, you know, make a day of it.  They have LOTS of resources for vegan families...including MANY choices of "ice cream" flavors, dairy-free cheeses, frozen stuff like mock pepper steak, organic and local fruits and veggies, a whole vitamin/supplement section and more.  They also have a cafe where you can get a very filling lunch (translation: you will be stuffed) and enjoy great smoothies.  They also have a hot bar...I suggest one of the delicious vegan soups.  OR there are prepared foods like vegan potato salad, sushi, and even macro/vegan dumplings and noodles.  If you plan to make a trip here, bring a cooler.  We have to because it takes us 45 minutes on the road.  But it is worth it!!!  We always have a good time, the prices are reasonable, they pride themselves on being involved in the community, and it is usually 2 weeks before I even think about going to the regular grocery store again (yay!).  There are also lots of fun things to do in Frederick, which is rich in history.  The Barbara Fritchie house is there.

Green Machine

I have been in serious gardening mode for the last few weeks!  This is one of my favorite times of the year, and the anticipation of seeing all my hard work pay off is crazy.  We started planting back in May.  Every year we go to the Blandy Mother's Day Plant sale and pick up all kinds of organic and heirloom plants.  Many of our plants come from seed as well, like the beans.  Well, we have quite a crop this year because we terraced off another portion of the yard and now have even more growing space than last year.  Who says you can't have an awesome garden on less than an acre in the city?  So this is a vegan gardener's dream come true, we have: green beans, yellow squash, zucchini, sugar snap peas, broccoli, cucumbers, many kinds of tomatoes, eggplant, butterhead lettuce, bell peppers, hot peppers, potatoes, and gads of herbs like sage, parsley, oregano, and the traditional basil patch.  It is not so much hard work, I have the kids to help me.  There are many lessons to be learned when growing a garden, the most important being responsibility and an understanding of growth and new life.  I will post more as my garden produces more and I get to try many new recipes.  Can't wait for the gazpacho and the kids are begging me to make pasta sauce.  People from California, I envy you with your year-round growing season!!!!  I could really do this all year.  I think I need to build a greenhouse this fall!

The Little Grill Collective

Today we decided to throw caution to the wind and travel to the Green Valley Book Fair just south of Harrisonburg, VA.  You can get thousands of new books for practically nothing.  I love getting a fairly new title for $3.00 and then checking the original price to see that it WAS $25.00!!!  On our way home we were very hungry so we decided to stop at the Little Grill Collective in Harrisonburg.  It is kind of a hole in the wall, but we loved it.  The atmosphere is really laid-back.  I felt totally comfortable bringing the kids in there!  Low and behold, there were plenty of options for veg-heads.  There were several sandwiches that included tempeh, salads, appetizers that included falafel and hummus, and each dish came with a ton of chips and/or fresh fries.  You can ask to have the cheese in ANYTHING substituted with vegan cheese.  I especially enjoyed the vegan chocolate chip cookie (just order one, they are massive, and ask to have it warmed up), the ginger lemonade, and the paintings and stuff around the room.  It was more like being at home than a restaurant.  Parents take note:  the peanut butter in the PB&J is all natural, no sugar added.  We usually get our peanut butter sweetened, so my 5 year old turned into a real grouch and refused to eat because the peanut butter "tasted funny".  Other than that, Little Grill is amazing and not to be missed!!!  Next stop in Harrisonburg will be the Ethiopian place!

Great Book For Kids

We recently purchased this wonderful book by Ruby Roth called That's Why We Don't Eat Animals.  I have to say that I enjoyed it as much as the kids did.  It explains, in kid-friendly terms, the reasons why we don't eat animals and how it affects the world.  The pictures are lovely, as well.  If your library has it, check it out.  If not, find it online!

Adventures in SushiLand!

So I decided to try to make my own sushi.  It is NEVER the way I want it when we go out, and the stuff that you get at the Asian buffets almost always has fish or those yucky little orange fish eggs.  I got everything that I needed at the grocery store.  It is a brand name called Sushi Chef, and it totally rocks.  I got the Nori (seaweed paper, tastes better than it looks), the rolling mat and the paddle, the rice, the veggies for the center, and even the pickled ginger and wasabi paste.  The rice was easy but the timing had to be JUST right to get the right consistency.  While I was cooking the rice, I chopped some avocado, cucumber, and carrot slivers.  When the rice was finished, I used wet hands (really important, this stuff is super sticky) to spread it out on a piece of nori paper till it was almost flat.  I added the veggies and rolled it up.  The I used a sharp, wet knife to cut the long roll into pieces.  It was easy and delicious.  We ate it before a broccoli stir-fry.  The next time I make it, though, I will do the whole shebang ahead of time so that I do not end up overcooking my main dish...again (oopsy!).
Here is a good video if you need a visual.  It is slightly different from what I did, but looks good and it all vegan!  Trust yourself, I have done it and it IS do-able at home :)  If the video does not show up, here is the link -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU-b9XS1g5s

Bonnaroo Experience

My husband and I took a break from the kids last month and went to experience the Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tenn.  It was great fun camping for four days, tons of great musicians like Damian Marley and Michael Franti, lots of cool new people to meet, and LOTS of great food.  There were many great vegan experiences to be had.  We went nuts for the Samosa stand.  If you haven't tried a samosa yet, you should.  Most Indian eateries have them, and both kids and grown-ups will love them.  It is a pocket of flakey crist filled with veggie, chick peas, and other goodies.  Bonnaroo also had an abundance of sweet potato fries, which are healthier than regular fries and very tasty!!  Overall, Bonnaroo gets two thumbs up on the vegan scale!!!

Article Defending Vegan Kids

The online magazine, www.VegFamily.com has a great article in this month's edition.  I get it sent to my email inbox.  Anyhow, the article is entitled, "Supporting the Vegan Diet Choice for Kids" by Aubrey Smith (http://vegfamily.com/vegan-children/kids-diets.htm).  The entire article is very good, please look for it and read the whole thing, but I wanted to post the sidebar that she included because it has some very cool facts, some of which I didn't even know about.




Did You Know...

• "2%" milk is really 35% fat. It's 2 percent fat only by weight; 35 percent of the calories are derived from fat. Whole milk is 49% fat. 4
  
• 75 percent of the world's populationworld's population is lactose intolerant. 4
  
• The United States is the only country that still uses bovine growth hormones. The European Union banned them.
  
• Protein should be 10-15% of our daily calories, yet Americans typically eat far more 4
  
• Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiencynutritional deficiency in children, regardless of diet. There are an abundance of plant sources to meet iron needs: dried beans, dark green leafy vegetables, fortified breakfast cereals, raisins, prune juice, spinach, figs, pumpkin seeds, broccoli, blackstrap molassesblackstrap molasses, whole grains, and nuts. To aid iron absorption, combine these foods with foods rich in vitamin C, such as orange juice, broccoli, or tomatoes. 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
  
• In recipes calling for 1-2 eggs, you can often leave them out and instead add a few extra teaspoons of water to make up for the moisture the eggs would have added.
  
• Only animal-derived "food" products contain cholesterol.

Support Your Local SPCA

My daughter's Daisy Girl Scout troop recently toured the SPCA and learned more about what they do there.  It was a great experience and the girls had a good time.  Most SPCAs are in need of donations and volunteers, though.  If you have the time and/or money, consider doing something to help out your local SPCA.  Our local SPCA is so busy, and I am impressed with how efficient they are.  In fact, they have not had to euthanize an animal in over two years.  But success like this does not come without a lot of effort.  Learn what you can do to help out these animals.  Most of them have been someone's unwanted pet, and they just need a good home.  Try www.petfinder.com to locate great animal companions in your area.  If you cannot give them a home, at least help make their stay at  the shelter more pleasant by donating your time or maybe items like these:

• Cat Litter
• Dry or Canned Cat or Kitten Food
• Bleach
• Pine Sol
• Garbage Bags
• Liquid Dish Detergent
• Liquid Laundry Detergent
• Paper Goods
• Any other cleaning supplies
• Dry or Canned Dog or Puppy Food
• Cat Toys
• Dog Toys
• Rawhides
• Dog Treats
• Sheets
• Towels
• Blankets