Monday, January 5, 2009

Diet for a New America

Yum! Check out N's gorgeous and delicious vegan baklava-like treats! She did it without a recipe, of course. What a great way to start the new year for our Veg Group! We are in our fourth year and growing every month!

To celebrate, this past meeting (January) we showed the film that was shown at the first meeting: Diet for a New America, by John Robbins (follow the link to learn more about John and his current work - several people were curious about what he's doing now, as the film is somewhat dated). Interesting enough, the information and data in the film are still all accurate (although I'm sure the statistics on health and the environment have worsened) and it's scary to think that we've had this information for two decades and done so little with it. At any rate, it was a good refresher for our group - to remember what it is we stand for, and why. It even helped some of us commit to a vegan diet for the first time!

We had a plethora of amazing dishes this time around - and many were gluten-free. This was a beautiful tofu and rice dish. Look at that presentation!










We know how good our greens are for us, and we love them, too! Thanks for this delish spinach and strawberry salad!












This spicy peanut stew was another gluten-free hit with rice!















Roasted veggies are always welcomed in the winter!


















Another rice stew, this one with some peas and green onions. Mmmmm....













Rasta Rice and Beans, from Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes Cookbook
















Black beans are a great source of iron!


















You'd never guess that these B.J.'s chocolate cups are gluten-free and vegan! So is the vanilla pudding inside. Who says vegan desserts aren't good?
















Potato pancakes hit the spot!

















We all need our Vitamin C during these dark months - fresh fruit hits the spot!














A chickpea stew rounds out the hot meals.












Candy-cane flavored "Oreos" (Joe-Joe's - Trader Joe's brand) are vegan!
















A bean salad makes everyone happy!

See you next month (February 7th) at 11:30 at the downtown library (where we'll be from now on)! Our speaker will be a local nutritionist. We'll be in the small room off of the main meeting room from now on, as well. Don't forget to bring a veggie/vegan dish or donation, AND a plate, utensil and cup if possible!