5th Annual Vegan Chili Cook off!

Time again for our annual chili cook off!

When:  Sunday, March 23rd.  12- 2:30 pm

Where: Humboldt Area Foundation  
373 Indianola Road
Bayside, CA

Prizes will be awarded for the following chili categories:

-Best Spicy

-Best Mild

-Most Unusual

-Best Overall


Bring your favorite chili recipe for the competition or a complimentary side dish or dessert.

Please make sure anything you bring is vegan, thanks. (no meat, fish,dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin.)


See you soon!

Vegan Thanksgiving!

On Saturday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m., the Humboldt Vegetarian Society will host a vegan Thanksgiving potluck at the Humboldt Area Foundation Community Center, 373 Indianola Road in Bayside. Entertainment will be provided by local singer-songwriter Josephine Johnson!

This event is open to the public and is free of charge. Attendees should bring one or two vegan dishes to share, as well as their own plates, cups, and utensils. (Vegan means no animal products, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, etc.)

Hope to see you there!

Potluck & Film Screening

FREE Vegan Potluck
and Film Screening

Sunday, May 6
noon - 3:00

Humboldt Area Foundation
Community Center
373 Indianola Road, Bayside

Vegucated is a feature-length documentary that follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. But can their conviction carry them when times get tough? What about on family vacations fraught with skeptical step-dads, carnivorous cousins, and breakfast buffets? Part sociological experiment, part science class, and part adventure story, Vegucated showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who share one journey and ultimately discover their own paths in creating a kinder, cleaner, greener world, one bite at a time.

This event is open to the public and is free of charge. Attendees should bring a Cinco de Mayo themed vegan dish to share, as well as their own plates, cups, and utensils. (Vegan means no animal products, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, etc.)

The potluck will start at noon and the Vegucated screening will begin promptly at 1:00. Guests are welcome to attend just one portion of the event or the other if they wish.

Suzanne's Mushroom Tofu Pesto Pasta Recipe

Suzanne and Neal have brought this dish to our potlucks a few times and it's delicious! Thanks for sharing, Suzanne!!!

MUSHROOM TOFU PESTO PASTA

3/4 C. tamari soy sauce
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 lb. noodles
2 lb tofu (firm), cubed
1 lb mushrooms, sliced
1 container (7.5 oz) pesto (Nonna Lena's Vegan Pesto)

Combine soy sauce, tofu, and mushrooms in large wide pan on the stove and simmer for about 10 minutes, turning gently to marinate everything without breaking up the tofu. Boil noodles until al dente, drain & rinse. In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients (drain & discard marinade); then place in greased 9" x 14" baking pan. Cover with foil & bake at 350 degrees for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

2013 Event Schedule

 Coming Soon!

Vegan Thanksgiving Celebration

On Sunday, November 20 at 2:00 p.m., the Humboldt Vegetarian Society will host a vegan Thanksgiving potluck at the Humboldt Area Foundation Community Center, 373 Indianola Road in Bayside. Entertainment will be provided by local singer-songwriter Josephine Johnson.

This event is open to the public and is free of charge. Attendees should bring one or two vegan dishes to share, as well as their own plates, cups, and utensils. (Vegan means no animal products, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, etc.)

Long time no see!

Well, it's been a while (I guess we all got busy during the summer) - but we're still here! And ready to plan another event...



On Sunday, October 23 at 1:00 p.m., the Humboldt Vegetarian Society will host a vegan potluck and free film screening at the Humboldt Area Foundation Community Center, 373 Indianola Road in Bayside.

This event is open to the public and is free of charge. Attendees should bring one or two vegan dishes to share, as well as their own plates, cups, and utensils. (Vegan means no animal products, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, etc.)

The potluck will start at 1:00 and the film will begin at 2:00. Guests are welcome to attend just one portion of the event or the other if they wish.

Upcoming Events - January/February

Hello friends,

I hope you all had an excellent holiday season and are settling in nicely to the start of 2011! After a short hiatus, the Humboldt Vegetarian Society is back in full swing and ready to host some fun events...

On Friday, January 28th, some of us are going out to dinner (sans kids) - we haven't decided for sure yet where we're going but I think we have it narrowed down to either Bless My Soul or Restaurant Hana (both in Eureka). If you'd like to join us, let me know and I will keep you apprised of the details as they firm up next week.

And on Sunday, February 6th, we have a really cool event planned - it will be a free fair trade chocolate tasting and screening of the film 'The Dark Side of Chocolate', which investigates allegations of child slavery in chocolate production on the Ivory Coast. You don't need to bring anything - just your sweet tooth and an open mind - we'll provide fair trade chocolate snacks, coffee, and tea to enjoy while we watch the film, which I believe runs for about an hour. I'm also trying to line up a guest speaker from Sjaaks Chocolates, though that has not yet been confirmed (if it doesn't pan out you're just going to be stuck listening to me). The event will start at 2:00 in the afternoon and will, as usual, be held at the Humboldt Area Foundation Community Center at the intersection of Indianola Road and Indianola Cutoff in Bayside.

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please let me know, and I hope to see many of you at one or both of these upcoming events.

Take care.

Tamara

Dinner at Chapala Cafe, 10/1

Join us for an adults-only dinner out on Friday, 10/1 - enjoy great Mexican food, margaritas, and live music by the Tumbleweeds! Please RSVP if you plan to attend (just leave a comment here) so I can make the reservation for the correct number of people.

Ice Cream Party

Hi guys, Tamara here. :-)

I'm going to be hosting a vegan ice cream sundae party at my house in Bayside on Sunday, September 19th at 3:00 in the afternoon.

If you'd like to attend, please let me know that you're coming so I can plan accordingly. It would also be great if you could tell me whether you plan to bring ice cream or toppings so I can be sure to have a reasonable amount of everything we need.

If you need directions, email me and I will send them to you privately.

If the weather is nice, feel free to bring bathing suits and water toys for the kids (or adults, who knows!?). If the weather is crappy, it may have to be a hot chocolate party instead. We'll see. :-)

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

June Event

On Saturday, June 19th at 2:00 p.m., the Humboldt Vegetarian Society will host a vegan dessert tasting and cooking discussion at the Humboldt Area Foundation Community Center, 373 Indianola Road in Bayside.

This event is open to the public and is free of charge. A tea party themed potluck and dessert tasting will be followed by a roundtable discussion on preparing vegan desserts, including information on easy substitutions as well as lots of free recipes. Attendees should bring a vegan dish to share (finger foods, desserts, and/or teas are encouraged), as well as their own plates, cups, and utensils. (Vegan means no animal products, including meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin, etc.)

May get-together details

Please join us for an adults-only dinner at Bless My Soul in Eureka on Friday, May 21st at 6:00 pm. Sweet Mama Janise has promised a vegan dessert option and I'm working on talking her into making some vegan corn muffins as well. There are several vegetarian/vegan options on her regular menu. I need a head count for the reservation so please let me know ASAP if you're planning to attend. :-)

Another Vegan Chili Recipe

Here's the chili that won the 'Best Spicy' and 'Most Unique' awards at our recent vegan chili cook-off, courtesy of Holly -

Black Bean (or Red Bean) and Sweet Potato Chili

1 bag black beans (1 lb), picked through, soaked in water and cooked until tender
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced

2-3 Tablespoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoons salt
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 can (14.5 oz.) crushed organic tomatoes
3 cups water
2 medium sweet potatoes, skinned and diced into ½ inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons concentrated veggie Broth

garnishes:
juice of 1 lime
chopped fresh cilantro
green onion slices

In a large Dutch oven, sauté together oil, onion, bell peppers, jalapeno pepper, and garlic cloves until translucent and softened. Add in beans, chili powder, salt to taste, cumin to taste, black pepper, marjoram to taste, tomatoes, water and chicken flavor. Bring to a simmer for 20 minutes. Add in sweet potatoes and simmer, uncovered for another 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Winning Chili Recipe

Here's the recipe for the chili that won the 'Best Overall Chili' award at Saturday's cook-off. Thanks to Valerie for sharing it!

Valerie's Sweet ‘n Smoky 3-Bean Chili

4 large onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped

3 Tbls coconut oil

1 Tbls each mustard powder and chili powder

¼ tsp each cumin and cocoa powder

½ cup tvp granules

1- 15 oz can diced tomatoes

1 4 oz can diced green chiles

1 baked yam, flesh scooped out, mashed

3- 15 oz cans beans(kidney, white, and black), undrained, and ½ cup water

1 cup of your favorite sweet BBQ sauce

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

2 Tbls Agave Nectar

2 Tbls Braggs Liquid Aminos(or soy sauce)

1 tsp liquid smoke

Tabasco sauce(optional)

salt(optional)

In a 5 or 6 quart kettle, cook onions, garlic, and green pepper in oil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the onions and garlic are golden and the green pepper is soft. Add tvp granules and stir until coated.

Add mustard powder and cook, stirring for one minute. Add chili powder, cumin, cocoa, cinnamon, tomatoes with their liquid, chilies, mashed yam,beans and their liquid,tomato paste and BBQ sauce. Stir until well blended, then add agave, Braggs, and liquid smoke.

Reduce the heat and simmer rapidly, uncovered for about 40 minutes or until most of the liquid has cooked away and the chili has thickened. Stir often to keep it from scorching.**

Season with salt to taste and enjoy with your favorite chili toppings.

Variation:

After simmering the chili for 15-20 minutes, pour entire mixture into a crock pot and cook 4-6 hours or overnight on a low to medium setting. This allows the flavors to "marry" even more and really breaks down the onions to a very soft, almost creamy consistency.

**Feel free to taste throughout the cooking process, adding more of any of the seasonings to your liking. Make it your own!

Fun Times at the HVS Chili Cook-Off

We had a great time at our first Humboldt Vegetarian Society Chili Cook-Off yesterday. Thanks so much to everyone who attended, and especially to those who entered the cook-off. Here are the talented winners of the event -

(left-right) Valerie McGowan, Suzanne Crothers, & Holly Young,
winners of the 2010 Vegan Chili Cook-Off

Valerie won in the 'Best Overall Chili' category with her delicious three bean chili (recipe coming soon). Suzanne's white bean chili took the 'Best Mild Chili' category, and Holly took the award for both the 'Best Spicy Chili' and 'Most Unique' with a delicious sweet potato chili. Congratulations ladies, and enjoy your prizes!

The Tart Recipe

Here's a link to the recipe for the fruit tart I brought to the cook-off yesterday, for those of you who requested it. ~Tamara

Upcoming Classes & Film Screenings at the Eureka Co-op

I got my copy of the Co-op News the other day, and it looks like there are some veg-friendly cooking classes,workshops, and interesting film screenings coming up...

Cooking Classes

Saturday, January 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Ayurvedic Cooking for Health
Traci Webb; $40/$30 Co-op Members

Tuesday, February 23 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Vegan Southern Influence
Chef Elizabeth Nester; $30/$20 Co-op Members

Tuesday, March 16 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Eastern Cuisine: Vegan Style
Chef Elizabeth Nester; $30/$20 Co-op Members

Workshops

Wednesday, January 6 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Cooking with Whole Grains - Long Grain Brown Rice & Rye Berries
Co-op Staff Instruction; $10/Free Co-op Members

Saturday, January 9 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Smart Shopping Workshop - The Good Food Buzz on Citrus
Jonna Kitchen, RD & Chef Alex Bergovic; $10/Free Co-op Members

Saturday, February 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Smart Shopping Workshop - The Good Food Buzz on Heart Health
Jonna Kitchen, RD & Chef Alex Bergovic; $10/Free Co-op Members

Saturday, March 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Smart Shopping Workshop - Beans & Lentils
Jonna Kitchen, RD & Chef Alex Bergovic; $10/Free Co-op Members

Movies & Munchies
Register online at www.northcoastco-op.com or by calling 707-443-6027. Movies & Munchies is FREE to Co-op Members.

Friday, January 8 at 6:00 p.m.
Fresh
A call to action from farmers, philosophers, and business people who are reinventing our food systems.

Friday, January 29 at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Fast Food Nation
A satirical commentary on popular fast food chains and their impact on meat production and working conditions.

Friday, February 12 at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
The World According to Monsanto
A thorough documentary about how Monsanto is taking over the food chain.

Friday, February 26 at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
The Price of Sugar
Examines the human costs associated with producing cheap sugar.

Friday, March 12 at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Meat the Truth
Exposes the negative effect livestock farming has on climate change.

Friday, March 26 at 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Eating Alaska
A serious and humorous film about a vegetarian from the city who moves to Alaska to eat locally and reconnect to the wilderness.

11/3 Business Meeting Recap

Meeting date: 11/3/2009

In attendance: Heather G., Adam, Tamara, Valerie, Kindrick, & Marie


Topic 1: November Event

It was decided that our Thanksgiving potluck will be held on Sunday, November 22nd at 1:00 at the HAF Community Center (subject to confirmation of facility availability).

We're going to ask people to RSVP for this event and let us know what they are going to bring, so that we can be sure that we have all the usual Thanksgiving categories covered. For those who are able, it would be great if you could maybe bring two items instead of one - people tend to pig out on Thanksgiving - maybe a main dish plus dessert or two sides, etc.

After the meal, attendees are invited to participate in a project to benefit the Sequoia Humane Society. We'll be making ornaments featuring adoptable animals, which will be sold by the SHS as a holiday fundraiser.

We also thought it would be nice to come up with some kind of an idea for an 'icebreaker' activity; something that would encourage people to mingle with others beyond their immediate table-mates.

Action items:

• Reserve space at HAF (responsible: Tamara)
• Compile list of RSVPs and dishes being brought and post to larger list 2x/week now until event (responsible: Heather G.)
• Get materials and instructions from SHS for ornament-making (responsible: Tamara)
• Design and print flyers (responsible: Tamara)
• Distribute flyers (need help from others with this one; please let me know if you can help)
• Write press release (responsible: Tamara)
• Distribute press release (responsible: Heather {I'm assuming - is this okay, Heather?})
• Come up with an idea for an 'icebreaker' game or activity (I'm putting this to the group - any ideas? Valerie volunteered her husband if we need an MC-type person for anything...)
• Coordinate a kids' activity to be done while the adults are working on the ornaments (volunteer needed)

To recap, the things we need help with right now are distributing flyers, thinking of a good icebreaker activity, and putting together an activity to occupy the kids after the meal. We also need everyone to RSVP and let us know what they plan to bring.

Thanks to my week-long illness, we're really down to the wire on this - the event is just two weeks from today, which doesn't give us a lot of time to work on publicity. I'll get the flyer and press release done tomorrow and we'll need to really move quickly after that.

This seems like an event with the potential to bring some new faces to the group, so if anyone has ideas for getting more publicity than we usually do, let me know. I was thinking that we might want to follow up the press release distribution with some phone calls to see if we can get more coverage than just the usual community calendar inclusions.


Topic 2: December Event

We didn't go into a lot of detail for the December event, but our plan is to do some kind of a cookie exchange, possibly taking the finished cookie plates to a local rest home or something rather than just taking them home to our own families. (I didn't take the greatest notes on this portion of our discussion so if I'm forgetting something, please chime in, fellow attendees.)

Action items:

• Contact local rest homes to see if they accept baked goods (responsible: Heather)

Topic 3: Overall Direction for the Humboldt Vegetarian Society

We talked about our individual motivations for becoming part of the group, and what aspects each of us likes about the existing format, and what we'd each like to see added or changed. We did some brainstorming and came up with lots of ideas for possible new directions, but also discussed our desire to not take on more than we can really handle at such an early stage of the group's development.

The potential areas of focus for the group can be broken down into three categories - social (i.e. just meeting and spending time with other vegans and vegetarians), advocacy/outreach/education, and volunteering. I'll list all of our brainstormed ideas by category -

Social

• continued potlucks/gatherings
• possibly offer some kind of incentives for new members (giveaways, coupons, etc.)
  

Advocacy/Outreach/Education

• Survey local restaurants and publish an online directory of what vegan/vegetarian options are available at local restaurants
• Recruit speakers for future events
• Host vegan cooking demos/classes
• Network with other groups who may have similar interests/objectives (HSU's AWARE group, Seventh Day Adventist churches, etc.)
• Tabling at local events
• Distributing leaflets at CR and/or HSU
  

Volunteering

• I don't think we actually talked much about this topic at the meeting, but it would include things like our November event activity, where we take on activities that give back to the community in some way.

We discussed the idea of putting together a survey that would get sent out in January (and possibly annually thereafter) to the entire membership, asking for your input about the directions you'd like to see the group take in the upcoming year.

I think that's it. If there's anything I've forgotten, please feel free to chime in, Heather, Adam, Valerie, Kindrick, or Marie!

Planning for Thanksgiving already...

As mentioned at last week's potluck, we'd like to plan a vegan Thanksgiving feast this year. We need your input to decide when to hold this event, so please vote in the poll on the right side of this page (just below the Yahoo Group and Facebook icons). If you're viewing this post in a blog reader, you'll need to hop over to the actual blog to vote. If there is more than one date that would work for you, feel free to select more than one.

Raw Cheesecake Recipe

Kindrick was kind enough to pass along this recipe for the fabulous raw cheesecake he brought to the potluck last Friday.

I Am Cherished
CASHEW LEMON CHEESECAKE

FOR THE CRUST
2 cups almonds
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
A heaping 1/4 cup chopped dates

FOR THE FILLING
3 cups cashews soaked for 4 hours
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1 cup lemon juice
3/4 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 pinches salt
3 tablespoons lecithin
3/4 cup raw unscented coconut butter

GARNISH
Lemon zest/grated lemon peel/fruit of your choice

TO MAKE THE CRUST
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the "S" blade, process almonds, vanilla, and salt until finely crumbled. Continue processing while adding small amounts of the dates until the crust sticks together. Press crust into bottom of greased (with raw unscented coconut butter) 9 1/2-inch springform pan.

TO MAKE THE FILLING
Blend all ingredients except lecithin and coconut butter until smooth. Add lecithin and coconut butter and blend well until incorporated. Pour into the springform pan with prepared crust and set in fridge/freezer (about an hour) until firm.

Recipe from "I Am Grateful" by Café Gratitude.

(I use a little more dates and agave nectar, a little less lemon juice, and no salt, and let it set up overnight in the fridge. KO)