Ideas For Spending Your Tax Return, by Hooray Vegan

Item One: Vegan Etsy

Did you know that there is an Etsy group of vegan artists, crafters, and bakers? Peek at the shop list on the blog, or visit some of my favorites:

I Like Applejuice

Vessels and Wares


Teeny Tiny Tantrums


never felt better


hilaaary

Item Two: Food Fight Vegan Grocery

Go get you some vegan haggis, Tings, or an adorable grocery tote. 

Item Three: Herbivore Clothing Company

Now you can irk people with your dietary choices and your wardrobe:

<3 Abbie Rae

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Apparently, there are people that don't check this blog obsessively. I know, I am shocked too.

For the convenience and at the request of those people with too little time on their hands, there is now a Brunches and Bike Rides email list. If you sign up, you'll get two emails a month- one with the date and menu, and one reminder a couple of days before. I will BCC everyone on the list so that I am the only one to see your address, and will be happy to remove anyone from the list at any time.

So, if you want brunch updates, email me at aharris@marine.usf.edu.

The next one is April 20; read about it here.

In other news, here is what came up when I googled puppy and vegan:









I'm a big fan of the internet.

For sale:

Our knitting group is finally printing t-shirts. We've gotten enough requests from folks not actually in the group that we decided to print a bunch and give the proceeds to CASA, an organization which aids victims of domestic violence.

So, if you would like one, please email me at aharris@marine.usf.edu with your desired size and quantity, and I will respond within 24 hours with a paypal invoice. I will stop taking orders at midnight on Sunday, April 13, 2008. When ordering, please keep in mind that these shirts are American Apparel, so will run small. They should take a week to two weeks to come in, and we will ship them immediately.

They are $16, plus $3 shipping for the continental US (if you are ordering from elsewhere, email me and I will give you a shipping total).

And in case you missed the knit night post, here is what they will look like:



You can thank Erin for the name, Patrick for the design, and my three pints of cider for the motto (mantra? catchphrase?).

The third week of April is Bike Safety Week.

It's also Snell Isle Bike Ride and Brunch week. I made a menu, Patrick made a flyer. Here it is ya'll:



As you can see, the next brunch is April 20th at 1:30. $5, great food, proceeds to The Skirts. Email me for directions, please.

The pre-brunch bike ride starts at 12:30 at Northshore Park. Talk to Pam for details. Also, you can talk to her about the BBQ and Bike Ride she is hosting on April 12th at 4:00, in honor of her birthday.

Oh, and don't forget about the photo pool. Upload stuff if you have it.

<3 Abbie Rae

Let me show you this new blog.

Anthony Bourdain hates vegans.


Luckily, vegans know how to handle haters. Hezbollah Tofu is dealing with Mr. Bourdain's misplaced rage by veganizing his recipes. And raising money for charity at the same time.

Check out this cruelty free deliciousness:

Tournedos d'Seitan with Poached Figs


Creme Brulee/Creme Caramel



So go visit, comment, contribute, and for goodness sake, cook you up some excellent vegan cuisine.

B to the R to the U to the N to the C to the H

Spells brunch.

The next Brunch and Bike Ride is April 20th. $5, bike ride at 12:30, brunch at 1:30, proceeds to the The Skirts (you don't know what that is yet, but I'm pretty sure you want to contribute). Menu up soon. The next BBQ and Bike Ride is April 12th at Pam's house, in honor of Pam's birthday. Email me for details, please.

March's bike ride and brunch was lovely, and we raised some bucks for V-Day. RRF's Cinnamon Rolls were so charming that we killed my camera battery taking pictures. Most of these are from Pam. Thanks Pam!

What we eated: Soft and hard tacos with fu scramble, Breakfast Veggie Chorizo (VWAV), fajita veggies, guacamole, pico de gallo, cilantro rice, black beans with mango sauce (thanks Katie!), salsa, and vegan sour cream. Also plantains, chili-lime mashed potatoes (recipe at the end of the post), strawberries, and those excellent cinnamon rolls from Bjorked Off.






The line moves fast, I swear. This is no Splash Mountain.



Steph and Pam, my lovely and sophisticated co-hosts.


Brunchers.





Pam always takes pretty bike pictures, and I never post them because I get too preoccupied with food pictures. But I remembered this time.


That keg has been there since we moved in. I think.









This is March, did you know? And look at this gorgeous weather.
<3 Florida <3


The worthy cause for April 20th.


And finally, the recipe for Chili Lime Mashed Potatoes.

3 lbs red potatoes, scrubbed, eyes removed, cut into 1-2 inch chunks (I leave the skins on, but you don't have to)
1/4 C vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1/4 C unsweetened soymilk
1/2 - 1 C vegan cream cheese (I use Tofutti; adjust amount according to how decadent you like your potatoes)
1 t chili powder (or to taste)
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and fresh pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender. Drain, add remaining ingredients, and mix until no large chunks remain.

We are slowly turning into our parents.

I had a dinner party on Wednesday. Here is Pam's photographic record:

Baguette with pesto, tomatoes, and Follow Your Heart Mozzarella. This was then broiled until the cheese was melted and slightly browned. I usually am not a fan of fake cheese, but this one rules.

This is what vegan bruschetta does to people.

Vodka sauce! This is the recipe from Veganomicon, except with 1/2 C Better Than Cream Cheese subbed for the almonds. I love it with the almonds, but I was out.
If you look closely, you can see the mushroom phyllo pies all ready to go into the oven.

Check out my tacky new glasses.

The spread! From top left: Steph's awesome salad (with edible flowers and balsamic vinaigrette), mushroom phyllo pies with herbed bechamel (recipe is here), bruschetta (see above), Erin's herb roasted potatoes (potatoes roasted with Italian herbs and olive oil at 450), Penne Vodka from Veganomicon (with variation, see above), and braised broccoli and green beans with Walnut Sauce from Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen. For dessert there were Raspberry Chocolate Cookie ice cream sandwiches (Veganomicon), but no pictures.

Too much food.

Way too much food.

Just enough wine.

This picture is actually from the next night at Built to Spill, and I added it on accident and now blogger won't let me delete it. Ah well.

New brunch menu, ya'll.

I am pretty excited about this menu, innuendoes aside. Patrick made a flyer for it, lookie:



Fixins for the brunch tacos will probably mean guacamole, pico de gallo, fajita veggies, fu scramble, chorizo (the vegan kind, duh), gobs of cilantro, etc. Email me for details or directions.

And while you're on the internet, check out Patrick's new blog, I Was On A Mountain, where he posts some of his awesome art type stuff.