Vida Vegan Con 2013

I was honored to once again be invited to Vida Vegan Con, the Vegan bloggers conference held in Portland, Oregon. I was part of two presentations: Cookbook & Product Reviews workshop and  Ethics Beyond the Plate panel. I'm not a very strong public speaker, but I try my best. I feel strongly about Veganism and I think my spin on it deserves a spot at the table. If I'm going to speak anywhere, it makes sense at Vida Vegan (or a Star Wars convention.) As you can see above, the 2013 Vida Vegan Swag Bag was right up my alley. So many great products!  

On the first day (Friday), the exhibitor hall was opened up. Inside, companies were ready to show off their new Vegan products. Organizers Jess, Janessa and Michele (pic, upper left) were making sure I didn't sneak in before it was time. Virtually all of the great mainstay companies were there. To be honest, I was pretty overwhelmed and didn't get half of the pics I wanted to. Also, I'm not much for crowds, but I did manage to get a couple pics off for you home viewers. All of the venders were good sports and they were more that happy to give you a sample of their amazing products.

What kind of sample do you want? Ice cream? Check. Nachos? Sure. Pot Pie? No prob. I'd like to say a thank you to all of the companies that attended Vida Vegan and handed out samples. It shows that you go the extra mile for your Vegan customers, and we won't ever forget!

So enough of the swag bags and samples, I'm here to do some work! The Ethics panel didn't require too much prep, only that I form my thoughts into coherent sentences (which can be difficult.) But thankfully we had some awesome panelists (Laura Beck, Jamie J. Hagen, Leigh-Chantelle and Erika Larson) who had some great ideas and opinions. Also we had an awesome moderator, Jason Das, so everything went well. Bullet dodged!

But for the Cookbook/Ethics class, I made a little PowerPoint that you can see a part of above. I basically want to show that anyone can do it. I presented my steps for reviewing products and creating a blogpost (let's just say there were a few cats involved.) I had fun presenting and hopefully someone was inspired to review cookbooks or products. Thank you to Lisa Pitman and Hannah Kaminsky for rounding out such a great class.

When I wasn't eating, speaking in panels or classes, I was attending other people's events! So many great things went on during the 3 days, I tried to attend everything I could. The schedule was packed and there was many good choices. A little something for everyone.

And the main thing about Vida Vegan was to have fun! Yes, Veganism can be a pretty heavy topic sometimes and yes, our work is never done, BUT we have to show Veganism can be exciting and enjoyable. You have to emphasize that the choice not to eat and exploit animals is the right decision by not being a Debbie Downer all the time. 

One of my favorite classes of the con was the Vegan MoFo Workshop (pic, lower right-hand corner) led by Kittee Berns, Mo Martin and Amey Mathews. Veganism doesn't have to be boring and I think Vegan MoFo shows that. Being friends with Panda With Cookie (pic, lower center) proves valuable. Setting Portland on fire and eating all their pizza with Kelly and Louzilla (pic, upper right) is always a riot. Watching the Austin peeps turn a bar in PDX inside out (pic, upper center) was amazing. I could swear I was in Texas!!! And obviously, hanging out with Isa (pic, upper left) a majority of the time is a joy, xoxo. Ooh, I even won some prizes at Vegan Battle Royal!  

All of these Vegans in one place makes for happy times! It gives you a chance to meet new friends and get reacquainted with old friends. Whether it was my friend Dan (pic, far right) from The Gay Vegans. Jason and Jesse (pic, far right) from SuperVegan and NY Feral Cat Initiative. Dan and Nicole (pic, far left) from Upton's Naturals and Vegan Things I Like. Or my twin sister Amey from Vegan Eats & Treats (she's not really, but it sounds plausible.) Great to see everyone, I wish I had more pics!

So you have Vida Vegan Con going on and all of the fun outside events happening, but there's even more! Vegan donuts, more specifically, GRAPE VEGAN DONUTS. They were my calling card for Vida Vegan 2011 and this Vida Vegan was no exception. I ate at least one grape Voodoo Doughnut everyday I was in Portland. You see, I can't get Vegan donuts in Omaha, so it's kinda a big deal, you know? Peace to Voodoo Doughnuts and their Vegan Grape Ape doughnut. I'll be back soon!

You can't live on donuts alone shockingly. But thankfully, Portland is one of the most Vegan friendly cities in America. I ate way more than this but these are some of my favorites. Starting at the upper left hand corner and going clockwise is Portobello, Vita Cafe, Veggie Grill and Blossoming Lotus. Tons of great food, I'm so jealous of you Portland!

So I have no idea when or where the next Vida Vegan Con will be. My personal hopes are Chicago, Austin, Denver or even Portland again. Regardless, I'll be there, either as a speaker or an attendee. It's a life changing experience that every Vegan should get to have. Great classes, great events, great food and most importantly, great people. Thank you once again to Jess, Janessa and Michele for hitting it out of the park and making the Vegan community proud. Let's do it again!

 

Eli's Earth Bars from Sjaak's

A couple weeks ago I got a surprise in the mail from my friend Amy who runs the awesome blog tahinitoo. I tore the package open and inside were three Eli's Earth Bars! Amy lives in the Vegan paradise known as Portland, Oregon and has access to stuff I won't see here in Omaha for a couple years. I honestly had never heard of these bars before but became excited when I read that they are produced by Sjaak's, who makes tons of excellent Vegan treats. What is also exciting is the fact that the bars are all organic and Sjakk's donates 5% of every sale to a non-profit charitable organization that benefits children. Pretty amazing!

Now to the nitty gritty. Obviously people will compare these to Go Max Go Bars but I think Eli's Earth Bars are good enough to stand on their own. Out of the three I would say the Treasure Bar was my favorite. Loaded with sweet pb crunch, it's definitely something I've missed in a Vegan candy bar. It melted in my mouth and was gone in no time. If you've had Sjaak's pb cups before then you know what I'm talking about.

My second favorite was the Celebrate Bar. I'm not usually one for coconut but it really hit the spot. It's definitely an Almond Joy descendant with crunchy almonds and soft coconut.

And last but not least is the Dream Big Bar. It has some of the elements of the Treasure Bar but a little too much caramel for me. But I did enjoy the addition of the peanuts, though. In all honesty, I would eat any of these bars at any time because they are delicious. You can purchase them at Food Fight, Cosmo's, Vegan Essentials, Pangea and even Sjaak's!

The Laziest Vegans Top Ten Asks Jess Scone

If you don’t know who Jess Scone is you are clearly a Vegan without an internet connection. Her blog Get Sconed covers her kitchen adventures in Vegan heaven Portland, Oregon. When she’s not busy in her own kitchen, Jess is out sampling food from food carts and restaurants, and reviewing them on Stumptown Vegans. But her awesomeness doesn’t end there - Jess also organizes the Vegan Iron Chef Competition, a food battle to end all food battles. And this year she is one of the organizers of Vida Vegan Con, which I have been graciously asked to attend. Vida Vegan is shaping up to be THE Vegan event of the year. Now, after all these achievements, Jess answers the call of a lifetime...the Laziest Vegans Top Ten!

What is your favorite veggie burger?
Well, it’s been years and you can’t find them in the Northwest, but Soy Boy Okarara Courage Burgers seriously used to be one of my food groups during my young vegan college days. I loved their dense, salty texture. I also have a soft spot for the original Sunshine Burgers - mostly because they’re green inside.

What is you favorite frozen dinner?
I have to be honest, frozen food that isn’t vegan ice cream usually creeps me out and this is very new to me, but baked Gardein Seven Grain Crispy Tenders + some sweet and spicy mustard are sure tasty and easy to make (although pricey)!

What is your favorite ice cream?
So Delicious Cherry Nirvana is high up there.

What is your favorite chip or cracker?
It’s been a while, but I think the Eco Planet nooch crackers are great. Plus, they’re cutesy and probably made for children, and that’s what I really look for in a cracker.

What is your favorite cereal?
I can’t even remember the last time I ate cereal, so I’ll say Peanut Butter Panda Puffs, or anything else you can make into a marshmallow krispie bar.

What is your favorite candy?
Totally Sour Straws.

What is your favorite cookie?
Favorite Homemade = The chocolate chip cookie recipe from Vegan Cookies Take Over the World.
Favorite Store-bought = Peppermint Candy Cane Joe Joe’s.
Favorite Local Cookie = the giant white chocolate chip cookies from Back to Eden Bakery.

What three pre-packaged food items would you take to a desert island?
Wayfare Hickory Cheese spread, Lily’s Smoked Tomato hummus and a never-ending bag of tortilla chips.

Name a product you would like Veganized?
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Wait? What? Then the bright green, mini chocolate chip filled Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream from Carvel.

What are your favorite local and/or online stores for Vegan products?
Food Fight! Vegan Grocery, New Seasons Market & Peoples Coop.

And that concludes The Laziest Vegans Top Ten. Thanks Jess!

Portland Binge: Part Two

Part two of my binge brought me to a Portland Whole Foods. For the most part, all Whole Foods are similar but you can usually cop a couple local things. I found some odds and ends that stood out and of course I had to buy them.

I haven't been to Seattle yet but when I do Mighty-O Donuts will be one of my first stops. Needless to say I ate these suckers right when I got home. Hopefully I can have the real deal soon.

I never knew what a Marionberry was until I came to Portland. My first thought is a D.C. Mayor who smokes crack (apparently everyone says this) but there is actually a berry called Marionberry. Now I can have as much Marionberry as I want!

I thought this was cute only because I like calling it an Oaty Bar. I said Oaty Bar for like 3 days straight.

There's nothing like some yummy kettle corn. Popped across the pond in Vancouver, Washington.

Healthy but tasty, these chips are crunchy goodness! Other flavors are Zesty Nacho and Kool Ranch.

Portland Binge: Part One

While most of you grilled out your veggies in 90 degree heat I froze my butt off in Florence, OR. But the exciting part of my trip out west was a trip to Food Fight in Portland. As you may have seen before, I go ape shit when I shop there. Here are some of my finds.

A nifty little bag to throw my shit in.

These look so cute that I had to buy them. The turtle cup is swell.

These Sjaak's Organic Chocolates looked equally as cute. I no eaty, gifts.

Bernod's Organic Cotton Candy. It was grape and obviously Vegan grape cotton candy must be eaten.

These are Vegan white chocolate chips. If you want to be a baking all-star you pretty much need these.

Sweet & Sara is amazing as usual so this was a no brainer.

Ironically it's freakin' hot in Portland today so I'm not able to fix these BUT I'm told they are fantastic. They gots that Daiya.

PDX to HNL

I was lucky enough to make a nice little winter trip to Portland and Honolulu earlier this month. Here are some of my finds...

Sin Dawg from Dave's Killer Bread

I've heard a lot of good things about Dave's Killer Bread so I had try one of his products. I saw this at the New Seasons Market in Portland and I grabbed it right away. Oh my god is it ever good!!! The guy at the checkout was telling me how awesome it was but I had no idea. It's super cinnamony and gooey. If you make it out to Portland you have to try this stuff...amazing.

Spirulina Popcorn from North Shore Naturals

This was a find from the Down to Earth in Honolulu. It wasn't as good as it looks but it wasn't horrible either. Just a little bit more salt or nutritional yeast and it would have been a home run.

Sweet & Sara Toasted Coconut Marshmallows

I'm sure Sweet & Sara is readily available in most major cities but it's pretty much non existent in Omaha. I saw these at Down to Earth so I jumped at the chance to buy them. Needless to say that I ate them in one sitting.