Subject: Marin VEG November news
From: Patti Breitman <eatplants@earthlink.net>
Date: 2017-10-31 12:30 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;

Marin Vegetarian Education Group
November 2017

November is upon us. Here come the sweaters, rain boots, and a day to celebrate all we are thankful for.  Let's not wait for the holiday, though. Let's practice gratitude every day.

In addition to other items, at the end of this newsletter there is a recap of options for vegan Thanksgiving celebrations, including two new restaurant opportunities and a take out choice.

Sunday, November 5, 4:00 PM
Jackie Day and 350Marin at Book Passage
The climate/diet team of 350Marin (a terrific organization) and Book Passage are featuring  Jackie Day and her new book The Vegan Way at Book Passage in Corte Madera at 4 PM on Sunday, November 5 (51 Tamal Vista Blvd).  If you know anyone concerned about the climate crisis, bring them to this great event. Learn more about the author,  350Marin, and The Vegan Way here: http://www.bookpassage.com/event/jackie-day-vegan-way-corte-madera

Sunday, November 12
Thanksgiving Cooking Class and Feast
Syndee Collison is offering a cooking class from noon until 4:00 on Sunday, November 12 in San Rafael.   These popular classes usually fill up, so sign up right away if you are interested. The cost is $70, and includes a complete meal.  The class will create a Holiday Feast with decadence in mind, featuring traditional Thanksgiving foods, but all vegan and organic.  To RSVP call 415- 215-9802 or visit www.fullonfitnessmarin.com  Another class will be offered on Dec. 3, so plan ahead!

Sunday, November 19
Cowspiracy Screening and Vegan Reception
Cavallo Point in Sausalito
At 5PM on Sunday, November 19, there will be a vegan reception created by the chef at Cavallo Point in the Callippe Theater foyer at Cavallo Point, followed by a screening of Cowspiracy at 6:00. After the movie, there will be a "town hall" type discussion about veganism and the environment.  The Sausalito film festival is producing this event in partnership with Cavallo Point, MarinLink, Stella Artois, Thirty-SevenWinery, MarinArts and the Sausalito Chamber of Commerce.  Tickets are $25.  This is a wonderful way to get high end establishments to see the value in featuring vegan food.  Let's support this screening and send a message: Vegans like to eat and we appreciate truth-telling in films!  Get tickets at www.sausalitofilmseries.com

VegFest on YouTube
If you missed the energizing World VegFest in San Francisco on October 1, you can still hear all the speakers.  Each presenter was recorded, and we are so thankful for that! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrBBUuTzBsLIQeDmZKv7xFh70Nw7whUmS

Retracted Study About Nutritional Choices
A well publicized study in JAMA Pediatrics showed that by putting stickers of popular characters on fruit, children would choose fruit instead of cookies. Also, it was reported in Preventive Medicine that by giving vegetables a cool name, students would choose to eat them more often at a buffet. Now both of those studies are being called into question.  This article explains why nutrition research is particularly challenging.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/23/upshot/the-cookie-crumbles-a-retracted-study-points-to-a-larger-truth.html

Rabbis Call for Veg Lifestyle
At the end of September, just before the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, a group of 74 rabbis from across the globe and across all  denominations released a statement that asked Jews to consider moving toward an animal-free, plant based diet to be more in keeping with Jewish values.  Watch a video, see the names of the rabbis, and read the statement here: https://www.jewishveg.org/rabbinic-statement

How to Create A Vegan World
Good books about going Vegan seem to be coming out faster than I can read them! Last month I fell in love with Farm to Fable by Robert Grillo. This month  I am learning a great deal from a book by Tobias Leenaert, with a foreword by Peter Singer called How to Create a  Vegan World: A Pragmatic Approach.  The book is opening my mind to the value of small steps such as Meatless Mondays or VB6 (Vegan before six) as a way to get people to change their ingrained habits.  The book argues that often people will change their behavior first and then change their minds, so it encourages us (me) to be especially supportive of people who have taken a small step in the right direction. My tendency to want everyone to go vegan today, instantly, is being challenged here by showing what actually works to affect change. I highly recommend the book alongside Farm to Fable. Together they share two helpful perspectives on how to change minds and behaviors to cause less harm.

The Mindful Vegan
Speaking of changing minds and hearts, Lani Muelrath's new book The Mindful Vegan teaches mindfulness in daily doses toward an awareness of mindful (vegan) food choices.  I love this book and am included among the many people interviewed in it and who endorsed it.


Slaughter-free Dairy; Not a good idea
An article from Free From Harm calls attention to a new trend called slaughter-free dairy.  Animals are still exploited;  the bulls are used for labor, and the baby cows are still taken from their mothers.  A former slaughter-free dairy farmer is quoted at length in this fascinating and disturbing piece.  https://freefromharm.org/animal-products-and-ethics/slaughter-free-dairy/



Vegan Meal Kits Reviewed
Peta recently published a review of vegan meal delivery kits - in which pre-measured ingredients are delivered to your door with instructions for preparing a fresh meal in your own kitchen. There are eight totally vegan companies, but quite a few others offer vegan meals to subscribers.   Local reader Steve G. likes Green Chef out of Colorado and SunBasket from San Jose. He wrote "Good deal when you consider they are gourmet, and you'd spend a lot more at a restaurant, or even cooking from your own fresh ingredients in some cases."
https://greenchef.com/home
https://www.sunbasket.com/
This is what Peta found:  https://www.peta.org/media/news-releases/blue-apron-flunks-petas-vegan-friendliness-test/



New York Schools Adopting Meatless Mondays and Offering Vegan Options Every Day
NYC mayor Bill de Blasio announced that 15 schools in Brooklyn, NY will adopt the Meatless Monday program. The mayor and his wife,Chirlane McCray, and Gracie Mansion (the mayor's official home) will also observe Meatless Monday.  This new policy came in part from the good work of The Coalition for Healthy School Food, an effective not for profit in NY. Watch the inspiring press conference - held at Brooklyn's first all-vegetarian school- here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpLOxMcirVU&feature=youtu.be

And OneGreenPlanet announced that all 1200 New York City Public Schools will include a vegan option for students every day. Wow! Thanks again to the determined Coalition for Healthy School Food.  http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/nyc-public-schools-adding-vegan-lunch-option/



Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger
Plant-based News asked two vegan bloggers to compare two new, popular vegan burgers, the Beyond Burger and The Impossible Burger. The Beyond Burger is available in Marin at Veggie Grill.  There are no Marin outlets for the Impossible Burger, but you can find the San Francisco restaurants that serve it at  https://www.impossiblefoods.com/findus/      Here's a long link to a short article with the verdict: https://www.plantbasednews.org/post/beyond-burger-impossible-burger-verdict?utm_source=Plant+Based+News+Subscribers+Combined&utm_campaign=3039557d3e-24thOct_Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5651a57357-3039557d3e-192762809&ct=t(24th_Oct_Newsletter)

Adopt a Turkey
Farm Sanctuary is promoting its Adopt a Turkey campaign in November.  Don't worry; the birds don't come home with you! This is a perfect opportunity to donate to Farm Sanctuary and help pay for the upkeep of their rescued birds.  Do this as a gift in someone else's name, and that person will learn more about turkeys and all that Farm Sanctuary does for animals.  https://shop.farmsanctuary.org/category/Adopt-A-Turkey-Project/?a=AAT2017Email3
 
Ag Gag Laws Challenged In Iowa
From Wikipedia:  Ag-gag. ... Coined by Mark Bittman in an April 2011 New York Times column, the term "ag-gag" typically refers to state laws that forbid the act of undercover filming or photography of activity on farms without the consent of their owner—particularly targeting whistleblowers of animal rights abuses at these facilities.

In October, free speech  and animal rights advocates together brought suit against Iowa to protest that state's ag-whistle blower laws. Similar laws have been struck down in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming.   Thanks to Leslie Goldberg for sending me this story. http://iowapublicradio.org/post/animal-rights-free-speech-groups-file-lawsuit-challenging-iowas-ag-whistleblower-law#stream/0


FBI Hunting Rescued Pigs
Writing for The Intercept, Glen Greenwald reports that the FBI is looking for two pigs rescued from a Smithfield Foods farm. We can presume that the well being of the pigs is not the focus of their investigation.  Thanks to Michael Goldberg for sharing this long, investigative article: https://theintercept.com/2017/10/05/factory-farms-fbi-missing-piglets-animal-rights-glenn-greenwald/


North Bay Woman
North Bay Woman is a magazine published as a supplement to The Marin Independent Journal.  It is primarily a vehicle for local advertising, but the issue that came in a recent IJ includes quotations from me and Miyoko Schinner and other Bay Area chefs.  It also includes vegan recipes for Thanksgiving.  Here is link to the electronic edition where ten clicks to the right will bring you to the "Have a Vegan Season" article by Leslie Harlib.   http://extras.marinij.com/NorthBayWoman/Fall2017/

 VegNews Recipe Pull-out
Just when I thought that VegNews couldn't get better, the new issue did just that. The current issue includes a pull-out section with more than a dozen recipes for scrumptious, vegan holiday fare.  This magazine within the magazine features multiple recipes for appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts. Most likely, I will be using this throughout the year.  VegNews is available at The Good Earth.

More Thanksgiving Dinner Options

Whole Foods Briefly Offers Vegan Holiday Fare
Vegnews announced that on November 1- November 6 (only) all Whole Foods stores will be offering a new vegan holiday menu designed by chefs Richard Landau and Kate Jacoby (Vedge restaurant in Philadelphia) at their hot bars.  The same menu will be available on line until Thanksgiving through online orders. Here are the details:  Note that you can get $5 off with the promo code VEGAN if you order between Nov. 1 and 6.  To place an order visit shop.wfm.com  Then enter "California" and choose the store you want.  Click on Vegan Holiday on the list to the left.   A vegan meal for two is $39.99.

Thanks to readers who added the folowing two dinners to the options for Thanksgiving.

On Sunday, November 19 the Marin Vegan Meetup group will be enjoying a vegan Thanksgiving dinner with authentic and delicious Indian food at Taj of Marin at 1 PM. Taj is at 909 Fourth Street in San Rafael.  If you want to celebrate good food with wonderful people, this is a meal not to be missed. Sign up at www.meetup.com/marin-vegan/ or contact Kalpana at shonumehta@hotmail.com

And on Thanksgiving day, Thursday, November 23, Nick's Kitchen in Daly City is offering a traditional, vegan Thanksgiving Dinner at 2 PM. The restaurant is at 2449 Geneva Ave., Daly City. Reservations are required. See the  menu and buy your ticket at  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vegan-thanksgiving-dinner-tickets-38736818868  Nick's  went vegan in September, and this is the first year they are offering a Thanksgiving dinner.  I hope they sell out for the holiday!

Just to have them all in one place, here is a repeat of what I sent out earlier in October:

Animal Place will be hosting their 8th annual Thank the Turkeys celebration on Saturday, November 18 from 11 AM to 5 PM at their sanctuary in Grass Valley.  Meet with the sheep, goats, rabbits, pigs and cows. Then enjoy feeding the turkeys and chickens  from your own box of turkey and chicken treats.  A full, vegan, organic Thanksgiving dinner will be prepared and served off site.  Guest speaker is Jessica Miller.  The cost of the event is $75 for adults, $45 for children.    See the menu, learn more, and register at https://animalplace.org/thank-the-turkeys-2/
The San Francisco Vegetarian Society will be holding a potluck Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday, November 25 from 6 to 8 PM at St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church (2097Turk Street, Entrance on Turk) in San Francisco.  If you bring a vegan dish to share with 10 people, admission is free. Otherwise, the cost is $10 for SFVS members and $15 for nonmembers.  Furry friends are welcome. http://www.sfvs.org/events/?month=nov&yr=2017

Compassionate Living in Sonoma will be hosting a potluck dinner on Thanksgiving Day and a fundraising dinner at Muir's Tea Room on Friday, November 17. Here are the details.

Thanksgiving Feast to Benefit Compassionate Living
Friday, November 17
 Muir's Tea Room, Sebastopol (330 South Main Street)
 6:00 pm

Join us for a fantastic all vegan Thanksgiving feast with all the trimmings! Vegans don't have to miss out on the deliciousness of the holidays, come and stuff your face (not a bird!) and help Compassionate Living continue our work of helping to end the suffering of farmed animals.

$50 (plus tax & gratuity) per ticket. YOU MUST BUY A TICKET TO ATTEND. To purchase tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3113993

For more information, call Muir's Tea Room, (707) 634-6143
FaceBook event page
MeetUp Page (https://www.meetup.com/northbay-vegan/events/244118990/)



Compassionate Living's Annual Thanksgiving Potluck
Thursday, November 23
4:00 PM
 Monroe Hall, Santa Rosa (1400 West College Ave.)

Hope Bohanec wrote: We have so much to be thankful for here in our forever changed Sonoma County. Join us for our annual Thanksgiving potluck feast and help us count our blessing for family, friends, and what really matters.

Please bring a VEGAN, HOME COOKED holiday meal to share and your own place setting (plate, cup, fork, etc.) Vegan means no animal products. After our meal, we will have a delightful (optional) sing-along of Christmas carols and folk music. Let's celebrate community together!

For more information, contact Hope- hope@socoveg.org 707-540-1760.

Meet Up Page (https://www.meetup.com/northbay-vegan/events/244350503/)
Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/events/362087010907367/)


Pena Pachamama, a traditional Bolivian restaurant in San Francisco will be offering an all vegan menu on Thanksgiving Day starting at 5 PM. The restaurant is in North Beach at 1630 Powell between Union and Green.  Read about this unique, vegan restaurant and make a reservation at http://pachamamacenter.org/


Millennium is open on Thanksgiving. Seating is by reservation only.
This gourmet vegan restaurant in Oakland is offering a fixed price menu. Call for reservations: 510-735-9459

Farm Sanctuary is not hosting a celebration in Orland this year, only in NY and Acton (southern CA).


 
Also in November
As always, be sure to look at  www.bayareaveg.org/events.htm  and  www.meetup.com/marin-vegan/  to find out what's happening in the coming weeks. Also, check out Compassionate Living in Sonoma County. Their web site is  www.socoveg.org/.   And The San Francisco Veg Society at www. SFVS.org is worth knowing about.  Membershi in SFVS brings a discount at many San Francisco restaurants.



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