VegNewsletter


			August '11 The VegNewsletter arrives in your inbox once a month and clues you in on vegan news, dining, recipes, product reviews, culture, giveaways, and all the other good things in life. In This Issue Savor Summer 2011 Veggie Awards V in the News VegNews Twitter Chat VegNews Vacations What's Hot on VegNews.com Event Showcase Apple French Toast Product Review: Chai Tea Mix New Candy Bars September Preview Summer Obsessions Issue! Get ready to laugh. We bring you funny, compassionate gal Portia de Rossi, along with nine of the funniest vegans ever. With our homemade ice cream recipes and an A-to-Z Guide to Budget Vegan Living, we've got you covered all summer long. Our Blogs Café VegNews Press Pass This Just In Savvy Vegan Our Website VegNews.com Find Us On Facebook Twitter Trouble viewing this email? We hate that. Click here for the pretty version.
	Savor Summer
	While sometimes the best way to spend vacation is to completely unplug from technology (just imagine one day without email!), we love connecting with our fellow veggie types types through social media. Whether it's a four-day vegan blogging conference, Twitter chats with animal sanctuaries, or voting in VN's annual Veggie Awards, sometimes technology can help us become better animal advocates. So plug in, and enjoy the plethora of vegan events happening around the world!
	2011 Veggie Awards
	It's here, it's here! The 10th annual VegNews Veggie Awards have arrived, and it's time to vote for your favorite vegan people, places, and products in the the world's largest survey of its kind. Don't miss your chance to win a Caribbean cruise for two, a year's supply of Coconut Bliss ice cream, a Vitamix blender, and a VeganTreats dessert party. Last year, 46,000 people dished on their favorite vegan restaurants, cheeses, chocolates, cookbook authors, blogs, websites, and more, so we want to know what your favorites are for 2011. Polls close August 31, so get the vote out today!
	V in the News
	Carpe Vegan's "Vegan 100" Speaking of voting, our good friends at Carpe Vegan are promoting the launch of their new website with an irreverent list of "the most influential and essential vegans for building our culture up and out." It's all in good fun, and the list is receiving much internet buzz. And guess what? VegNews is hanging near the top 20! Check out who made it, who didn't, and how you can vote folks up (or down) here. Study Shows Sheep Solve Problems According to a study done at the University of Cambridge in the UK, sheep are able to solve simple problems. Professor Jenny Morton and her colleagues report that when sheep were presented with yellow and blue buckets with treats inside, 90 percent of the time they were able to remember which colored bucket held the treats. In an article in the British newspaper The Telegraph, Morton says of the sheep she studied, "They are quite intelligent animals. They seem to be able to recognize people and even respond when you call their name." New Starbucks Vegan Meal Option The largest coffee company in the world, Starbucks, now offers a vegan meal option at many of its locations. The new menu item, the Sesame Noodles Bistro Box, is a noodle salad topped with broccoli, carrots, snap peas, and tofu in a peanut sauce, served with a side of pickled cucumber salad and a square of dark chocolate for dessert. Other vegan options at Starbucks include the multigrain bagel, oatmeal, and fruit salad. Vegan Food Truck on TV In the second season of Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race, Seabirds, a vegan food truck based in Orange County, Calif., will compete against seven other mobile restaurants in a cross-country battle to entice customers to try its food. Seabirds' chefs Raya Belna and Nicole Daddona, along with the truck's founder, Stephanie Morgan, will be dishing out organic vegan cuisine such as beer-battered avocado tacos, barbecue jackfruit sandwiches, and an apple and fennel salad. Celebrity chef Tyler Florence hosts the challenge, which premieres August 14.

	VegNews Twitter Chat
	Save the date for another exciting VegNews Twitter Chat! This month, we bring you some of our favorite vegan bloggers for our "Blog to Business" chat to discover how they've turned their blog into cookbook deals, full-time jobs, and more. Want to take your vegan blog to the next level? Join us and learn from the brightest minds blogging today. Never participated in a Twitter Chat before? Don't worry. We have a handy guide to explain it all. Join us on August 23 at 6pm PT at the hashtag #VegNewsChat. VegNews editors will be hosting the chat, and you don't need to have a Twitter account to enjoy the discussion.
	VegNews Vacations
	Want to take vegan cooking classes in Thailand, ride bicycles through lush rice terraces in Bali, or do yoga overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Mexico? Get ready for the trip of a lifetime with VegNews Vacations. Our 2012 trip to India is sold out, but we still have a few spots available for Thailand, Bali, and Mexico—and we'd love to travel with you. Enjoy sumptuous vegan cuisine, experience breathtaking scenery, visit historical sites, and get to know like-minded people from around the world. We take care of everything, so all you need to do is show up. Reserve your spot today!
	What's Hot on VegNews.com
	You know what's hip? The Internets. Here are our top five picks for hot VegNews.com stories you should probably check out right this minute. 1. 10 Reasons to Go to the Animal Rights Conference Fresh from the Animal Rights Conference 2011 in Los Angeles, VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland shares why you should attend. 2. How to Cook Vegan for Your Family Real Food Daily's Ann Gentry shares her best advice for cooking healthy meals for the whole family. 3. Vegan NYC on a Budget VN Correspondent Jasmin Singer takes you on a budget-friendly tour of New York City for a fun vacation getaway. 4. Vegan Tour of Salt Lake City Feast your eyes on our visual tour of Salt Lake City, the new ultimate destination for amazing vegan eats. 5. Vote in the 2011 Veggie Awards Just a reminder to cast your vote for your vegan favorites for a chance to win a vegan Caribbean cruise, a Vitamix blender, a year's supply of Coconut Bliss ice cream, and more.
	Event Showcase
	New York Country Hoe Down Slip on your faux-leather cowgirl boots for Farm Sanctuary's Hoe Down in Watkins Glen, NY on August 6 and 7. Speakers including Farm Sanctuary's Co-founder Gene Baur, Crazy Sexy Diet author and filmmaker Kris Carr, and vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke are sure to inspire. Before camping under the stars, relax with sunset yoga on the pasture or boogie down at the barnyard dance. And save some time to meet and greet the real stars of Farm Sanctuary: the rescued animals. Veggie Fest Naperville, IL, just outside of Chicago, is home to one of North America's largest vegetarian festivals: Veggie Fest, and VegNews is a sponsor. Organizers expect more than 25,000 people to attend August 13 and 14 to savor international veggie cuisine and learn about the benefits of animal-free diets from more than 20 speakers. Chefs will be cooking up a storm during demonstrations of raw, gluten-free, and healing foods, and the event even has a dedicated section for face painting and arts and crafts, making it fun for kids, too. Be sure to stop by the VegNews booth and say hello to VN's Joseph and Colleen! Vida Vegan Con Also sponsored by VegNews, the sold-out Vida Vegan Con will unite vegan bloggers from across the globe August 26 to 28 in Portland, Ore. Each day will be chock-full of unique classes and panels to enlighten vegans and bloggers alike, such as "Activism & You" and "Experienced Vegan Travel." Nights of veg food and drink will provide ample chances for networking, and the conference will even offer a sneak peek of the new film Vegucated. Look for a full report from VN staffers, complete with mouthwatering photos of Portland's amazing vegan food.
	Get Cookin'
	French Toast With Apple Topping Vegan French toast shouldn't just be limited to the breakfast table. Whip up this simple version of a classic brunch item by VN contributor Claire Gosse for dinner or a lazy weekend afternoon. The apple-cinnamon topping turns plain bread into an apple pie-esque treat! Serves 4 What You Need: For the French toast: 1 pound medium-firm tofu 1 cup soymilk 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon cinnamon 3 tablespoons maple syrup 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 8 to 10 slices thick white bread Vegan margarine For the apple-cinnamon topping: 4 apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 1 to 2 tablespoons vegan margarine 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon What You Do: 1. In a food processor, add tofu, soymilk, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, and nutmeg, and blend until smooth. In a baking dish, pour tofu mixture. 2. Dip bread in mixture lightly, being careful not to soak it. In a large pan lightly greased with vegan margarine over medium heat, fry bread until brown (5 to 6 minutes). Flip and fry other side for another 5 to 6 minutes. 3. To make topping, in a medium bowl, add apples and lemon juice, and then stir together. In a large pan over medium heat, melt margarine, then add apples, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft. Serve warm topping over French toast. Looking for more fun breakfast recipes? Try out a few of our favorites: Hearty & Healthy Oatmeal Tropical Breakfast Smoothie Hemp Breakfast Muffins
	Product Review
	Chai Tea Latte At a recent dinner party, VN staffers enjoyed ice-cold glasses of perfectly sweetened Indian-spiced chai that had us begging our host for tips on how to she made it. We envisioned her laboriously roasting spices and simmering them with almond milk for hours over a hot stove. Instead, she made her perfect pitcher by combining two cartons of Oregon Chai's new Vegan Original Chai Tea Latte Concentrate with one carton of almond milk and added ice cubes to chill it. The latest version of the company's signature mix contains no honey or animal products and states "vegan" right on the package. Move over iced tea, we have a new favorite summer drink!
	New from the VegNews Store!
	We nearly lost our minds when Go Max Go Foods launched its latest candy offerings—Cleo's Peanut Butter Cups and Snap!, a rice-milk chocolate bar with crisped rice inside. It was a hot day in the office when we sampled the new treats and the peanut butter cups were slightly melted, but that only made them taste even better. What's better than gooey chocolate and sweet peanut butter in one perfect candy cup? Nothing. And we also loved the crackle of Snap! and how it tasted just like a Nestle's Crunch bar. Snag your own bars as a treat or a gift for a friend (which would make you the world's greatest friend) in the VN store today!
	September Newsletter Preview
	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 veganism 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.