CELEBRATE MEATOUT AT VRG’S VEGAN SOUTH INDIAN DINNER IN COLUMBIA, MD!

WHEN: Sunday, March 21st at 6 p.m.

WHERE: Mango Grove
6365B Dobbin Center
Columbia, MD 21045
http://www.themangogrove.com/

COST: $20 per person (includes tax & tip)

MENU*

Appetizers:

* Samosas – Potatoes, onions and peas stuffed in a crisp, flaky crust
* Idli – Ground rice & white lentil cakes (steamed in idli molds)

Entrees:

* Oothappam – Potato pancakes
* Chana Masala – Chickpeas cooked in an exotic curry, flavored with coriander leaves
* Gobi Masala – Cauliflower curry
* Aloo Bainghan – A mildly spiced eggplant and potato curry flavored with coriander leaves and shredded coconut
* Paratha – Indian flatbread
* Rice

*Menu subject to change.

Payment must be made in advance by March 15th. We accept VISA, MasterCard, and checks made payable to VRG.

ONLINE: Click on “Donate” at [ http://www.vrg.org ] and type “Mango Grove Dinner” in the Comments section.

PHONE: Call the VRG office at (410) 366-8343 M-F 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST.

MAIL: Mail payment to The Vegetarian Resource Group, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.

Refunds will only be made if we can replace your seat with another attendee.

Our next Call-A-Dietitian Day is on Friday, March 19, 2010 from 2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. EST (appointments are in 20 minute increments).

If you have general nutrition questions, Mark Rifkin, MS, RD, LDN, will be available then. To reserve a 20-minute time slot, please email the VRG office at vrg@vrg.org or call (410) 366-8343.

Please be advised that these sessions are not individualized nutritional counseling. Such advice should only be provided through direct in-person contact with a qualified health professional. There is no charge, but if you do commit, please call on time. Otherwise you are taking someone else’s spot.

Mark Rifkin, a longtime VRG volunteer, is a Registered Dietitian and has a Master’s Degree in Health Education. He has been presenting on food-related topics for more than seven years. Currently, he has a private practice in Baltimore, MD, that focuses on plant-based nutrition for prevention, as well as treatment of various chronic diseases and conditions, including diabetes, overweight/obesity, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, gout, women’s health concerns, cancer, and early-stage kidney failure.

By Ben Shaberman

Organic farmers, specialty growers, and agricultural professionals from throughout the Midwest braved arctic-like conditions to attend the 2010 Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference in Springfield, Illinois, from January 6-8, 2010.

Making its first appearance at the annual event, the Vegetarian Resource Group was warmly and respectfully received by attendees. At VRG’s exhibit booth, visitors collected and perused a variety of books, brochures, and handouts to learn more about vegetarian cooking, nutrition, and health benefits. While most conference attendees were not completely vegetarian, most also acknowledged the benefits of being meat-free, and expressed an interest in moving more toward a vegetarian diet.

Several attendees representing farmer’s markets, herb growers, and community-based nonprofits were grateful to receive free VRG brochures and literature to hand out at their events. They noted that they either had customers or constituents who were vegetarian, or they were interested in promoting a vegetarian lifestyle at their events.

Here are some examples of the people and vendors who took an interest in VRG’s materials:

• An organic community agricultural project will use VRG materials
  to enlighten people about our nation’s food supply and a more
  healthy and sustainable approach to eating.
• A veterinary professor picked up the Vegetarian Journal to learn
  more about the dietary and cultural habits of his students, many
  of whom are vegetarian.
• A vegan and owner of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company in
  Mansfield, Missouri, took VRG literature to distribute to his
  customers.
• A representative from the USDA’s National Resources Conservation
  Service came by the VRG booth to learn about new vegetarian food
  alternatives for him and his family.
• A representative from Eden Place Nature Center, located in the
  South Side of Chicago, picked up VRG materials to hand out to
  visitors, many of whom live in urban neighborhoods.
• Several people took VRG materials to give to their vegetarian
  friends and family members.

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VRG extends special thanks to Patricia Wieland for introducing us to the conference and supporting our presence there, as well as Ben Shaberman for staffing the VRG booth.

Check out Ben’s book, The Vegan Monologues.

Thanks to Great Sage for donating 10% of their proceeds from 10/18/09 to VRG! The food was delicious, as always. If you are near Clarksville, MD, check them out. Click here for their menu.

Thanks to Sam, Susan, David, Reed, and Arnie for representing VRG at the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival on 10/31/09 and 11/1/09!

For more info on the event please visit: http://www.bostonveg.org/foodfest/

Thanks to Gretchen Chlebowski, Eric Sharer, and Julie Conry for representing VRG at the first year of Chicago Veganmania as well as VeggieFest in Chicago!

You can read more about Veganmania here: http://chicagoveganmania.
blogspot.com
and Veggie Fest here: http://www.veggiefest
chicagoland.org/

Great Sage, organic vegetarian restaurant in Clarksville, MD, is donating 10% of proceeds to VRG tomorrow. They have an amazing brunch from 10am-3pm and dinner after until 9pm. Come if you can!

http://www.great-sage.com

Thanks to Compassion Over Killing and the Vegetarian Society of DC for hosting DC VegFest last weekend — and thanks to everyone who came over to talk with us! Our table was buzzing the whole time.

Check our homepage to see upcoming events where VRG will be: http://www.vrg.org. Next up are the Natural Products Expo East (Boston, MA – 9/23-9/26) and the Baltimore Book Festival (Baltimore, MD – 9/25-9/27).

Compassion Over Killing has more photos from the event here.