DC VEGAN BAKE SALE for February 7th has been cancelled and will be rescheduled.So I heard we are suppose to get some snow this weekend, I imagine most of us will be home cookin, so lets hear what you have on the stove or oven, or for you Raw people in the bowl. Post your recipes, photos, etc….
Or if you don’t cook and have anything else you want to share let us know!!!!
Stay warm!
{ 10 comments }On Monday, word of Meat Week reached a few of DC’s vegetarians and vegans. Given the proven links between meat and high cholesterol, heart attacks, cancer and even…ahem, poor sexual performance, we became very concerned for the health of our beloved District.
We decided the only solution was to immediately offer Washingtonians the chance to experience amazing greens from some of DC’s most exciting restaurants during a Meat-Free Week.
The schedule is an impressive one! The restaurants participating in DC’s inaugural Meat-Free Week include RAMMY Award Winners, America’s first certified organic restaurant, the 2009 OpenTable.com Diner’s Choice Winner, and Washington City Paper’s 2009 Best Bakery and Best Vegan Restaurant. One restaurant boasts 32 secret doors. The First Lady has dined at two of the restaurants on the list, and the President even joined her at one.
Two of the restaurants are debuting new vegan menus, and one is offering discounted rates off their regular prices. Gene Baur, Farm Sanctuary President and Co-founder, will be attending dinner one night. And two of the events are fundraisers, including one with all profits donated to Haitian relief.
{ 14 comments }Due to the forecast for a lot of snow on Saturday we have moved the DC Vegan Bake Sale for Haiti to Sunday from 2-6, same location (bakers can drop stuff off at 1:30). We are still expecting a lot of foot traffic during this time due to the Superbowl. If you have any questions please let me know. Thanks!
Tim
tim@dcvegan.com
Sarah is a new writer to the site, chronicling her experiences becoming a vegan.
For some people, this is not an issue.
But for those of us who are new to being vegan and who are not surrounded by vegans on a day-to-day basis, it can be hard to say to people, ‘Hey, I have made a decision that you might not understand at all and that changes my life rather significantly. Hope you like it!’
I have told some people: my husband (obviously), friends, colleagues. Without fail, I hear two questions: (1) Why? and (2) What do you eat?
These questions are usually not meant to be aggressive, but rather inquisitive. Once I answer the first question (why?), the discussion invariably turns not just to what I eat, but to what I eat in comparison to what they eat.
People start thinking about food substitutes: What about burgers? And cheese? And omelets? And pizza? They jump to what they think I am missing. They are surprised when I tell them that I am not concerned with food replacement. I am not interested in making a faux grilled cheese sandwich, or faux eggs, or faux anything. I am interested in healthy vegan meals that are tasty and have a lot of flavor. I do not expect my meals to taste like anything else. People are surprised to hear it, but I have found that it helps them to understand how eating this way can be enjoyable. They would not expect Chinese food to taste like a traditional Italian meal, but they can enjoy both equally.
As humans, we are naturally concerned with social ostracism, but to be successful making this change, we really need people on our side — and that means communicating in a way that allows them to support us. People in my life are terrifically supportive, but even I need to be prepared for the questions. My approach: start with sure-win audiences; be polite, patient, and relaxed; know what you want to say; have no expectations; and take ownership of your decisions.
With a gentle introduction, a lot of people are actually very interested in talking about conscious consumption — and ‘You’re doing what?’ can become ‘Good for you and good luck.’
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Today marked the opening of Mixt Greens, a self-proclaimed “Eco-Gourmet restaurant that serves environmentally responsible fine food.” Founded by a brother-sister team of Johns Hopkins grads (and her hubby), Mixt Greens has already conquered San Fran and LA and now offers salads and sandwiches to DC in an environment a touch more upscale than Chopt or Cosi.
When I arrived at Mixt Greens a little after 3 PM, I was happy to find that there was no line, despite being opening day. And then the smiling clerk hit me with the bad news: they were closed. Apparently Mixt seeks to serve an exclusively lunch crowd. However, the clerk graciously offered me one of their pre-made deli items on the house. I grabbed the vegan Siam with Tofu salad, which consists of lettuce, green papaya, jicama, mango, cucumber, red pepper, fresh herbs, spicy peanuts, thai lemongrass vinaigrette and seasoned tofu. It was love at first bite. I’ll definitely be back to Mixt Greens, even when I have to pay for the pleasure.
Mixt Greens currently has one location, located at 1200 19th Street NW. However, it plans to open several more spots around DC.
Sarah is a new writer to the site, chronicling her experiences as she explores becoming a vegan.
I have spent much of my time over the past week reading. And watching. And listening. People have been incredibly supportive and have shared so many terrific ideas and resources. At times I have felt uplifted, excited about the changes I am making — and many times, frankly, I have just wanted to cry. I had thought about animal rights before this past week, but, apparently, I had not REALLY thought about them.
I was expecting it to take quite some time for my perspective to change. I was expecting to look at chicken and shrimp and even hamburgers — and want to eat them. I was expecting to want to eat pizza and ice cream and goat cheese. I knew that I wanted to be a vegan, but I was expecting it to be difficult, mentally. Instead, my mind has already started to focus on what I will be eating as a vegan, rather than what I am not eating. Cravings might come later, and I am still a work in progress, but I was surprised that I am more ready than I expected to be.
From a practical standpoint, buying food is now a different experience. In the past, shopping was simple: I knew what I needed and where it was in my preferred markets. But now I am not as familiar with my ingredients and options, so instead of trying to cover everything for a week in one big trip, I am going to the market with much more frequency.
Recipes and articles about vegan cooking are inspiring to me, so I now shop with a couple of specific items in mind (eg, ingredients for vegan quesadillas), and then I wander through the aisles. I look at items that I may not have purchased in the past, just letting myself be open to new foods and flavors. By taking the potential stress or pressure out of the situation, I have been able to enjoy it.
The challenge of the week has been breakfast. I do not want my usual (in the past) breakfast of Special K with skim milk, but I do not want to eat oatmeal every day, either. I love breakfast, and brunch is my favorite meal. I need to come up with some great morning ideas — or those cravings really might happen.
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I want to first thank all the bakers and volunteers for all their hard work and help you make this bake sale a huge success. Despite the rainy cold weather we raised $400 for Food For Life, who is providing Vegan food for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. If you were not able to make it out and you want to donate you can donate online here. DC Vegan Bake Sale number two will be February 6th in Falls Church, you can visit the official DC Vegan Bake Sale page for more information. Hope to see you there and thanks again everyone!
The Vaute Couture TOUR comes to Washington DC for one day only !
WHERE: Busboys & Poets (5th & K) at 1025 5th Street NW, in the LOFT
WHEN: Next TUESDAY January 26th from 6:30 to 8:30 PM
RSVP: Email Leanne@VauteCouture.com (Mention DC!) or on Facebook (Click on events)
Come see the results of one year of R&D with a mission to create a winter coat that is at once vegan, chic, and actually warm. The Chicago vegan fashion house brings their limited edition coats with high style, warmth, and ethics to D.C. for only one day!
Buy One Get One Sample Sale (so bring a friend and share the savings!) Otherwise enjoy the winter special of 30% off the regular price (and 50% off for early supporters, because we wouldn’t be here without you!) Chic vegan tees for men and women will also be in the house too!
Stop by to see and feel the coats out in person or just share the love for vegan start-ups!
{ 1 comment }Some people become vegan overnight. Some people have been vegan for years. But what about those of us who want to explore being a vegan, but who currently live a definitively non-vegan life? How can we start? What should we expect? How can we learn more? Why do people do it? How do we make it a practical life choice?
I am a new writer to DC Vegan, and my posts will cover my experiences answering those questions, and more.
The idea of being a vegan seems a bit overwhelming. Sure, I WANT to do it — but it seems that every time I turn around, I think of another change that I need to make. So rather than try to do everything at once, I am focusing on five things. I know that they do not cover everything, but I am hoping that they will be a good start. Changing my life will take some time, some patience, and a healthy dose of reaching outside my comfort zone.
1. Become a vegetarian.
The first step on this journey is to follow a vegetarian diet. I am not eating meat, chicken or fish at all. My body adjusted quickly, and I have found alternative protein sources to complement an otherwise plant-based diet. The trick for me is not to be a lazy vegetarian, which equals too many starches and other sugars, and not enough fiber, protein and fat.
2. Establish a support network.
No one in my direct life is a vegetarian, nevertheless a vegan. I need to establish connections with people who eat and live this way, and who enjoy all of the benefits of doing so. Just as with any new endeavor, I can learn so much from other people, and I want to become a part of both online and live communities that are supportive of this lifestyle.
3. Seek out recipes.
I need to increase my knowledge base when it comes to food preparation. I have dozens of cookbooks, but only two that focus on vegetarian dishes. I need to start compiling ideas, resources and tips, and then adjust my pantry and my shopping lists accordingly. I want to continue to make flavorful and healthy meals, which will require some conscious changes to my cooking and baking habits.
4. Research the reasons.
I have three main reasons for changing my life: (1) my health; (2) animal rights; and (3) the environment. I want to become much more knowledgeable about each of these areas so that I can speak to them with intelligence and grace. I suspect that this knowledge will also help to remind me why I am making these changes, which will help me to avoid feeling frustrated.
5. Embrace expected challenges.
I expect that my two biggest challenges will be removing dairy from my diet and making any needed social adjustments. From cereal to baking to pizza, I admittedly consume dairy on a daily basis. I need to look at each dairy product in my life and find alternatives. The social adjustments will be interesting to experience. It is much easier to tell people that you have been a vegan for years — the decisions are final and long-established — than it is to tell people that you are exploring this lifestyle. My husband and friends are extraordinarily supportive of everything that I do, so I do not expect to be met with direct resistance…but I do expect that I will have to make adjustments.
Here’s to the journey!
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Does your New Year’s resolution include eating healthier and more compassionately? Compassion Over Killing has a cooking class for you!
Join COK and vegan chef Mimi Clark for a Meatless Makeover cooking demo designed to teach you how to take your favorite recipes (such as classic dishes like meatloaf and Chicken a la King) and give them a healthy, animal-friendly makeover! Guests are encouraged to bring their favorite recipes to discuss ways to make healthy substitutions. Class includes recipes, food samples, and coupons.
WHERE: COK’s office in Takoma Park, MD (RSVP for more details)
WHEN: Sat., Jan. 23 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
TICKETS: Tickets cost $10 and must be purchased in advance. Space is limited so buy your tickets online now, and be sure to note “vegan cooking class” in the comment section!
RSVP: info@cok.net or 301-891-2458
UPDATE: The class is currently filled, for more info visit the event page.
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DC Vegan is a blog dedicated to all things Vegan & Animal Rights in the Washington DC area. If you have some news you would like us to report Let us know! You can also join our mailing list. You can also find us on Twitter, Facebook, & Flickr. Who is behind DC Vegan?
Join Team DC Vegan for the Poplar Spring 5k at Wheaton Regional Park on May 23rd. Join our team on Facebook.
