byanygreensnecessary.com » Festivals

My Week in Vegan Heaven

admin — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 23:34:58 +0000

Last week, July 5-9, I spoke at the 37th Annual Vegetarian Summerfest in Johnstown, PA, sponsored by the North American Vegetarian Society. This was my first year attending and it was truly vegan heaven!

With T. Colin Campbell, The China Study author

Summerfest has been described as an educational conference with a vacation feeling. And that is absolutely true. Each day, 30 or more seminars and films explored all aspects of vegan living–from health, science, cooking, environment, animals, relationships, spirituality, to raising children vegan. There was also morning yoga, boot camp classes, swimming, and hiking.

Breakfast: Assorted Melons, Blueberry Muffins, Tofu Scramble, Oatmeal w/cranberries

Lunch: Stromboli at the daily fresh-baked pizza bar

And of course there was the food…simply delicious! It was all vegan, three meals a day, and included a choice of cooked, raw, oil-free, and gluten-free entrees, along with daily fresh-baked pizzas, salad bars, fresh fruit tables, and dessert tables. This was the first time I didn’t touch the stash of food that I always bring when I travel.

Something else I loved about the conference was that the presenters (myself included) were also there as participants, attending other seminars, eating, talking, networking, and socializing along with everyone else. There was no elitism or separation. How refreshing!

After my seminar, with Beverly Hilbert and my mom

With Milton Mills, MD, and Miryam Parham, RD; We'll be speaking in Florida together in October

I met wonderful people and reconnected with old friends, like uber-presenter Dr. Milton Mills and vegan activist Alfreda Layne. The vibe was mellow, warm, and life-affirming. It was just nice to be among my tribe. I highly recommend that you consider attending Vegetarian Summerfest next year. For a look at the program and presenters from last week, click here.

Michael Greger, MD, and Jenny Brown of Farm Sanctuary

P.S. Included in the wealth of information shared at the conference was this little gem: the highly prolific Dr. Michael Greger has launched NutritionFacts.org. The new site is an excellent resource for news on cutting edge vegan nutrition research presented in an engaging and accessible style–that’s what he’s known for. (I’m very excited!) He also happens to have a Mango Coriander Chutney recipe on page 160 of my book. Check it out!

Join me @ Black LUV Fest 9/20

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:36:14 +0000

Come join me at the National Black LUV Festival in downtown DC today. I’ll be speaking at the health and wellness pavillion from 5:20-5:50pm. This is the 12th anniversary of the Black LUV festival, which stands for Love, Unity, and Vision. How’s that for a beautiful message? The festival is from 12-7pm at 4th and Pennsylvania, NW. This year’s line-up includes a huge soul train line to the music of Michael Jackson. Gotta LUV it! I hope to see you there.

Kale Salad Recipe & DC VegFest

admin — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 03:16:53 +0000

I had a fabulous time at DC VegFest today! The turnout was tremendous. Thanks to so many of you who came out to see my food demo. I really appreciate the love! As promised, here’s my kale salad recipe. (I posted the fresh peach cobbler recipe a few days ago, so look for it two posts back.) If you were at VegFest today, write a note in the comment section below and let everyone know what you thought!

All Hail the Kale Salad

Ingredients:

2-3 bunches curly kale, chopped or torn into small pieces

1 red onion, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 TB olive oil

2-3 TB Bragg liquid amino

2 TB nutritional yeast

Cayenne pepper to taste

Put kale in bowl and pour on olive oil. Stir with salad tongs to make sure all leaves are coated. Add in rest of ingredients and mix well with tongs. If possible, let marinate at room temperature for about 15-30 minutes before serving. Yields 6-8 servings. Enjoy!

Join me @ DC VegFest Sept 12

admin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:54:16 +0000

Just want to remind you that I’m doing a food demo at DC VegFest this Saturday, September 12th at George Washington University at 4:15pm–and I hope you’ll come check me out! VegFest is DC’s free outdoor vegetarian festival featuring lots of food, speakers, giveaways, and more. Join in the fun from 12-6pm. You can get lots more info about DC VegFest here. See you there!