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April 2008 Edition
Brought to you by VegNews Magazine
vegnews.com
 **Sneak Peek: May+June Modern Love Issue
**V in the News
**Event Spotlight
**Recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté
**Survey!
**Save Some Green
**Product Review: Granola Planks
**We Got Nominated!
**Online Lollygagging
**Seattle Green Festival Tickets Giveaway
**1st Ever Reader Recipe Showdown!
**VegNews Seeks Office Space
**May VegNewsletter Preview
We're glad you've discovered VegNews, America's premier vegetarian lifestyle magazine. The VegNewsletter arrives in your e-mailbox just once a month and clues you in on vegetarian news, dining, recipes, products, activist alerts, reviews, culture, giveaways, and all the other good things in life. It's the perfect accompaniment to a VegNews subscription.
Get ready. We hope each and every one of you is a devoted Bowie fan, because "Modern Love" may well be in your head for the next two months. Can you think of a better start to spring than having a Bowie tune to rock out to and an awesome magazine to read? Yeah, we can't either. In our brand-new issue we tackle the questions of love in modern times, and, of course, we're not just talking about the kind of love that makes you do crazy things like forgoing animal products. Here's a sneak preview of all the amazing stories you'll find behind our cover's adorable couple:
**Eight Sensational Vegan Weddings
**Dating: No Meat-Eaters Need Apply?
**Pet Food Exposé
**VegVacations: Laos
**Restaurant Review: Nutshell
**The $999 Wedding
**Veganize It! Tuna-Free Sandwiches
**Doggie Treat Taste Test
**What's in Terry Hope Romero's Fridge?
**Plus... All the great reads you're used to, including the latest vegetarian news, book reviews, new products, health advice, hard-hitting features, celebrity buzz, and so much more. It's all in VegNews. Haven't subscribed? What are you waiting for?!?
Slaughter, Lies, and Videotape
In the two months since the Humane Society of the United States released video footage of downer cows being horrifically abused at the Westland/Hallmark slaughterhouse, national awareness of the inherent cruelty of "meat processing" has skyrocketed. According to a recent story in The New York Times entitled "Upton Sinclair, Now Playing on YouTube," the tactic of exposing video footage combined with the popularity of online communities like YouTube has marked the most-successful animal rights coup to date. Though video has certainly been an effective method in the past for showing the graphic reality of animal slaughter, never before has the public at large been more likely to respond to videos, especially given the growing concerns about food safety.
Veganism Is Good for You ...
... especially if you have rheumatoid arthritis, according to a recent study done in Sweden. One group of patients with RA was put on a gluten-free vegan diet and another group was given a "well-balanced diet" which incorporated "a variety of foods from every food group." Not surprisingly, the vegan group showed significant signs of having healthier hearts than the other group. What makes these findings more interesting than the already well-known notion that an animal-product-free diet is beneficial to your health is that a veg diet also increases levels of antibodies that protect against the inflammation which aggravates RA.
Good Tax News?
Brace yourselves, this could be a real first. If there is such a thing as good tax news, the recent announcement of a possible break for those of us who aren't clogging our arteries with dead animal goo sounds like a step in the right direction. Based on the numerous studies that have repeatedly shown vegetarians to have lower incidences of heart disease—still the #1 cause of death in the US—the feds are considering introducing a tax break which will reflect the projected decreased dependency on government-sponsored health care for those whose diets are less likely to cause high blood pressure, clogged arteries, or heart attacks. The report comes as a major coup as universal health care could be a significant factor in the November presidential election.
Seattle Green Festival
The Green Festivals are back! The first in a series of VN-sponsored festivals that will highlight the best and brightest of the green movement will be held in the Emerald City April 12–13. Speakers, how-to demos, films, and even the basics like yoga workshops have kept these huge gatherings going for the past seven years. Interest piqued? Make sure to read below for your chance to win tickets! And don't forget to come by the VN booth to subscribe, renew, or just say hello.
MeatOut Rock City
Oh, Detroit, we love your rockin' veg ways. And heck, even if you don't live in the greater Michigan area, you can support those who do by celebrating the Great American Meatout with them on April 13. Sure, maybe some of you celebrated last month, but isn't every month a good month to be meat-free? All-star presenters for the Detroit Meatout include VN columnist Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, VN contributor Kerrie Saunders, and the world-renowned Milton Mills, MD.
Earth Day, 2008
Hooray for the Earth! This year's big Earth Day goings-on are Call for Climate, which will feature large-scale events held on April 20 all around the globe. With cities like New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Barcelona, Sydney, and Chicago all participating, little ol' Earth Day is likely to draw worldwide attention, pun moderately intended. Of course, it would be fantastic if each person who attends an Earth Day event/gathering/concert/whatever made the connection between a plant-based diet and a lighter environmental toll. For those of us already living the veg life, kudos!
Recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté
Since closing the doors on their organic, vegan restaurant, Down to Earth, chefs Lacey Sher and Gail Doherty have hardly been twiddling their thumbs. The duo's new cookbook, You Won't Believe It's Vegan!: 200 Simple and Delicious Recipes for Animal-free Cuisine, is due out in May from Da Capo Lifelong Books. The bulk of the book's recipes come straight from the Down to Earth kitchens, just like this standout Sun-Dried Tomato Pâté. Want to get ready for summer flavors like fresh, sun-ripened tomato? This yummy spread makes the perfect sandwich component to tide you over until the warmer months arrive. Or, continue the raw trend and wrap it up in fresh lettuce leaves with chopped tomatoes and basil, as pictured.
What You Need:
6 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup Brazil nuts
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked in 1 cup water for 1 hour and drained, soaking liquid reserved
1–1/2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice from 1/2 of a large lemon
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped black olives
What You Do:
1. In a food processor, blend the sunflower seeds and Brazil nuts until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine 3/4 cup of the reserved soaking water, the sun-dried tomatoes, and the garlic, scallions, parsley, oil, lemon zest and juice, black pepper, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon of olives, and process until smooth.
3. Add the processed nuts and blend until smooth. Stir in the remaining black olives and serve.
Photo Credit: Bob McKay and Elisabeth Koch McKay
2008 Reader Survey
VegNews wants to hear from you! It's that time of year again to tell us how you feel. We take reader feedback very seriously, as it helps us deliver the freshest, most exciting vegetarian magazine ever. The VN staff will examine survey results very closely as we plan for 2008 and beyond, so please take a moment to fill out our brief survey, which will be available online from April 1 to April 30. And we'll give you more than just a penny for your thoughts ... a fabulous Vegan Cookie Basket from Sun Flour Baking Company will be given away to one lucky respondent each week. Good luck!
Save Some Green!
‘Tis the season of Green as Earth Day #39 approaches, and the VegNewsletter has a tip for all environmentalists, whether off-the-grid or still getting the hang of that meat eating=planetary destruction thing. Check out our favorite green coupon books!
Celilo Group Media, published its first coupon book—the Chinook Book, which focused on Portland, Ore.—in 2000. The following year, Blue Sky Guide (Minneapolis/St. Paul) came out, as well as a second Chinook Book (Seattle/Puget Sound). In 2007 the EcoMetro Guide arrived (East Bay, Calif. or “across the pond” from San Francisco). All are dubbed as “your local guide, with green savings, maps, and resources” as well as “a profitable and healthy community fundraiser.” The coupons range from discounts off car-sharing services to savings on local organic produce deliveries. Retailing for $20, all coupons are valid until November 30, 2008.
GreenZebra is a San Francisco Bay Area entity that publishes three “sustainable living” guides: San Francisco, Marin County, and the Peninsula. All offer discounts at organic restaurants, spas, and yoga studios, as well as eco-friendly products and cultural activities. Each book has hundreds of coupons, good until the end of 2008, and retails for $25.
Of course, VegNews has copies of all seven of the above guides to give away to lucky VegNewsletter readers. Submit your name and address via email by April 10, 2008, and we will randomly pick seven winners to receive a book. Note: You must live in one of the geographic areas covered by the guidebooks to win. Good luck!
Nice to (Non)Meat You
Ever wonder about what makes people choose a vegetarian lifestyle? Okay, more specifically, ever wonder what makes other famous people choose to be awesome (i.e. veg)? Now you can hear what made them go veg straight from the celebs themselves in video testimonials courtesy of PETA. The usual veg suspects such as Sir Paul McCartney, Alicia Silverstone, and Forest Whitaker are in the lineup. Perhaps most excitingly, you can also see print ads for Maureen Shea and Mac Danzig, whom you'll remember from our groundbreaking feature on Extreme Vegan Athletes in the January+February 2008 issue.
Run to Deer Run
If following celebrities isn't your idea of vegging out in front of the computer, check out Deer Run B & B's website. This all-vegan inn recently received certification from the state of Florida as a green lodge. If you're going to be daydreaming about a beach-front vacation, you might as well go all out and plan your trip (real or imaginary) to a lodge whose owners share your veg values. Added bonus: check out the super-cute photos of deer on the property.
Press Pass
If your tastes in holiday destinations lie slightly farther from the States, make sure to check out Press Pass, our fancy new editors' blog. Since Press Pass launched last month, we've already covered Antarctica, Laos, and Canada, as well as a bevy of exciting stateside destinations. Parties with celebrities? Check. Amazing vegan food in the heart of Texas? Check. You going to check it out? Check ...? Don't forget, we still update Café VegNews each and every weekday with our incredible staff lunches. Yum!
Product Review: Honest Foods Granola Planks
We know, we know. It's so stereotypically vegetarian to talk about granola. Well, guess what? We're totally about to talk granola—planks! If you're not sure about whether the granola plank is something that treasonous hippies are condemned to walk or not, rest assured. They have nothing to do with maritime manhandling, but are instead tasty bars of granola. Their packaging invites consumers to crumble the planks into standard-issue granola and eat with a bowl and spoon. Need a little stress relief in your morning? Nothing satisfies like smashing something into tiny bits, and then sitting down to a bowl of breakfast that's packed with enough protein, fiber, and omega-3s to get you through the day ahead. Planks are available in Blueberry Vanilla Crackle, Pomegranate Walnut Crisp, and Maple Almond Crunch—which was a favorite around the table of VN staffers at Expo West.
Click here to visit Honest Foods' website
We Got Nominated!
It may feel like award season came to a close after the curtain closed on the Oscars a little more than a month ago. But! The real excitement is just beginning as VegNews was recently nominated for two Maggie Awards! We're thrilled to be contenders in such prestigious categories as Best Lifestyle & Alternative Lifestyle—we're up for our Summer Fun 2007 issue featuring "The 25 Most Fascinating Vegetarians"—and Best Interview or Profile for VN Publisher Joseph Connelly's "The Actress and the Elephant" memorial of the indomitable Gretchen Wyler. VegNews has previously been honored with two Maggie Awards, and earlier this year brought home a Nichee Award for Best Design.
Seattle Green Festival Ticket Giveaway!
VegNews has sponsored the Green Festivals since their inception seven years ago, and it's been amazing to watch the attendance numbers climb each year. (San Francisco's installment drew more than 41,000 people last November!)
This year Seattle joins the roster of host cities, and the first-ever Seattle Green Festival is sure to draw a ticket-snatching crowd. Live in the area and want to attend but concerned about the chance of tickets selling out before your can get yours? Never fear, VegNews is here. We happen to have 40 tickets to the festivities and we'll be giving out two tickets each to the first 20 people who email us with full contact info, which means name and mailing address. The tickets are on us, finding a bike to ride or car in which to pool is up to you. Good luck and happy greening!
1st Annual Reader Recipe Showdown
This September, VegNews will be featuring our first-ever Reader Recipe Showdown! Readers, we challenge you to send in your all-time favorite vegan recipe for a chance to gain international fame and win great prizes (would we ever let you down?). This is your opportunity to show off your culinary prowess, whether you've created a dish that has your friends going veg or simply veganized your mom's famous chocolate cake. Whether or not you choose to don a chef's hat is up to you, of course. If it's mouthwatering and memorable, we want to know! Simply submit recipes to Food Editor Elizabeth Castoria by April 30, and let the food fun begin.
Preview of the May VegNewsletter
Satisfy your between-issues cravings with this complimentary supplement, featuring exclusive product reviews, musician, artist and event spotlights, slammin' recipes, giveaways, plus the lowdown on how vegetarianism is bettering the world—one delicious bite at a time.
Share the VegNewsletter with your friends. Or, if it was forwarded to you, sign up yourself at vegnews.com to join the thousands of readers who are tuning in to America's hottest vegetarian publication. Can't get enough? Read up on past editions FREE by clicking on "See our past VegNewsletters" at vegnews.com. Because you are what you read, and don't forget it.
**Please note: Happy April Fool's Day! Unfortunately, there is not yet a proposed tax break for vegetarians. Wishful thinking on our parts! We hope you enjoyed our little joke; now go out and prank someone yourself!
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